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MIT Technology Review ©2019 v.|eiπ|
A Game of Telephone
MIT’s role in the device’s development is often lost in the telling.
by Seth Shulman
Alexander Graham Bell famously unveiled the telephone to the public on May 10, 1876, before members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at the Boston Athenaeum. If you stand before the venerable stone building today, it is easy to conjure the scene of gentlemen in top hats emerging from horse-drawn carriages and streaming toward the meeting to hear a young scientist present what he called his “researches in telephony.” He took the opportunity to describe his work and trace the efforts of his predecessors to send sounds over telegraph wires; as he wrote to his parents immediately afterward, “the meeting at the Academy was a grand success.”
Businessmen watched inventor Alexander Graham Bell make the first call between New York and Chicago in 1892.
This story is part of our November/December 2008 issue
See the rest of the issue
But a close look at primary documents, including Bell’s detailed letter home and the text of his talk that survives in the leather-bound Proceedings of the American Academy, reveals something curious. Bell, who had successfully called to his assistant Thomas Watson over a telephone two months earlier and had also secured a broad U.S. patent on the invention, did not use this public debut to show how the device could transmit speech. He demonstrated to his colleagues only the far lesser technological feat of transmitting simple musical tones, something a number of researchers had already accomplished. As Bell told his parents, he strung telegraph wires from his office down the street to the Athenaeum and had an assistant send “some rich chords” from what he described as a “telegraphic organ” in his office.
It was two weeks later, before a good-sized audience at a meeting of the MIT faculty, that Bell publicly unveiled the most exciting aspect of his research. Handwritten minutes from the Institute Archives reveal that Bell carried on an unprecedented public conversation over the newfangled contraption. The specific words are, sadly, lost to history. A brief Boston Transcript article about the event noted that vowel sounds came through Bell’s telephone intelligibly enough, while consonants were all but “unrecognizable.” The article went on to say that “occasionally, however, a sentence would come out with startling distinctness.”
The choice of MIT as the venue for the worldwide introduction of Bell’s speaking telephone couldn’t have been more fitting. It reflects a little-known fact of telephone history: MIT professors and equipment had played a key role in Bell’s work.
Bell, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, had landed in Boston in 1871 in his early 20s, hoping to invent things in his spare time. A teacher of the deaf and the son and grandson of elocutionists, he had a strong working knowledge of acoustics and speech but little solid training in mathematics or physics. In Boston, however, he found himself at the world’s center of telegraphic research.
A particular hub for visionary inventors of all sorts was the Charles Williams machine shop on Court Street, where almost all of Bell’s earliest telegraphic devices were constructed. The Williams shop, which built prototypes for many top inventors of the period, employed roughly two dozen machinists, including the young Thomas Watson, whom Bell eventually hired. In his autobiography, Watson described it as a “thrilling place” buzzing and clattering with the din of lathes and metalworking tools as workers turned out an array of strange new electrical devices, from telegraph relays to galvanometers. Even young Thomas Edison set up a lab above the shop so he could easily avail himself of its services. There, before Bell’s arrival in Boston, Edison had won his very first patent, in 1869–for an electrical vote recorder.
In 1872, Bell started attending MIT’s public lectures on experimental mechanics, including one in October by Professor Charles R. Cross that began a long, fruitful collaboration. At the talk, Cross demonstrated a device invented by his colleague Edward C. Pickering, who then chaired MIT’s physics department. Pickering’s so-called tin-box receiver had a thin metal diaphragm that vibrated when a current passing through an electromagnet was interrupted. As a result, it could crudely reproduce, on the other end of a telegraph line, the sound of a tuning fork rigged so that its vibrations would make and break a battery-powered electrical circuit.
No one had yet conceived of how to translate the sound waves from the human voice into an electrical current, and Pickering’s primitive receiver couldn’t even have emitted them. (That part of the telephone puzzle–the design of the transmitter–makes up the mystery at the heart of my 2008 book, The Telephone Gambit.) Nonetheless, Pickering was one of the very first to develop a device that could pick up musical tones sent over telegraph wires. Bell was already keenly interested in this subject, and the exposure to Pickering’s research surely spurred on his labors.
At the time of Cross’s lecture, MIT (which had been incorporated in 1861 on the Boston side of the Charles River) had recently opened the Rogers Laboratory of Physics in a new building on Boylston Street. The facility was the first of its kind in the United States, a well-outfitted working laboratory that allowed students to conduct experiments illustrating the physical laws they learned about in class. Of particular interest to Bell, the new laboratory had an impressive set of equipment identical to that used in the pathbreaking work of Hermann von Helmholtz, one of the world’s leading acoustical researchers.
In 1873, Bell accepted a position as a professor of vocal physiology and elocution at the fledgling Boston University (which had been chartered in 1869). The post drew him into even closer contact with Boston’s scientific community, affording him the chance to get better acquainted with Professor Cross, who would eventually succeed Pickering as chair of MIT’s physics department.
In April 1874, after Bell addressed MIT students and faculty about his acoustical studies and his efforts to teach the deaf to speak, Cross–apparently impressed–granted him unfettered access to the Institute’s facilities for his further research. Bell seized the opportunity. In May, he wrote to his parents about working at MIT with Cross in pursuit of an improved “phonautograph,” a device creating a precise visual representation of different vocal sounds.
Over the next several years, Bell discussed a variety of scientific matters with Cross and sought his advice on numerous occasions. Some of the most detailed information about the work Bell did at MIT comes from depositions he and others made for lawsuits challenging his ownership of the telephone idea–lawsuits that continued for nearly two decades after he patented the device.
To hold onto his broad U.S. patent on the telephone, Bell downplayed the debt he owed to other inventors. In court, for instance, Bell claimed that he didn’t remember much about the work of German inventor Philipp Reis, who by many accounts developed a working telephone as early as 1861, when Bell was still a teenager. But there is evidence to contradict Bell’s claim. Not only did he cite Reis’s work in his lecture to the American Academy, but Cross recalled under oath that he had personally spoken to Bell about Reis’s telephone as early as the spring of 1874–nearly two years before Bell’s telephone patent. In one of the incidents Cross recounted, a very excited Bell had come to him with an idea for what he believed was a new type of receiver, only to have Cross explain that Reis had already invented it. Although Cross never explicitly implicated Bell in wrongdoing, he testified that he had fully explained Reis’s telephone device to Bell on two occasions.
Of course, Bell won his patent claim as the sole inventor of the telephone, and public knowledge about the contributions of others mostly faded into oblivion. The many surviving primary documents from the period, however, leave little doubt of the important supporting role that Cross and the Rogers Laboratory played in helping Bell gain vital, detailed, and often hands-on knowledge about the cutting-edge work of others in the field, including Pickering, Helmholtz, Reis, and Elisha Gray, the inventor whose pathbreaking design for a liquid transmitter Bell seems to have appropriated to make his world-famous call to Watson.
Many years later, with Bell’s legal claim to the telephone long since secured, he publicly acknowledged Cross’s contribution. Bell told the crowd of 1,500 assembled at Symphony Hall for MIT’s 50th-anniversary gala–and more than 5,000 alumni and guests who were listening in by phone at Alumni Association gatherings across the country–that Cross had not only made “many advances in the telephone itself” but inspired many students to “go forth from the Institute to perfect the work.”
Seth Shulman
Elon Musk’s brain-interface company is promising big news. Here’s what it could be.
Intel’s new AI chips can crunch data 1,000 times faster than normal ones
A new immersive classroom uses AI and VR to teach Mandarin Chinese
In association with Intel
Self-driving cars take the wheel
Getting smart about the future of AI
Autonomous driving: Safety first
Produced in association with IBM
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Golf: MassAm's return to The Country Club is welcomed by many
Bill Doyle Telegram & Gazette Staff @BillDoyle15
Nearly all of the 144 golfers in the 111th Massachusetts Amateur Championship this week are looking forward to playing at The Country Club in Brookline, one of the most historic and prestigious golf clubs in the country.
But not everyone is.
“Well, I’ve lost in the finals twice, so I don’t particularly like it,” said Frank Vana Jr. of Marlboro Country Club. “Nah, I’m joking. It’s The Country Club, it’s great.”
The last two times the Mass. Amateur was held at TCC, Vana lost, 1 up, to Andy Drohen of The Ranch CC in Southwick in the 36-hole final in 2003 and, 4 and 3, to Andy’s younger brother Bill in the 36-hole final in 2009. Each Drohen brother caddied for the other when he defeated Vana.
It didn’t take long Vana to recover from his 2003 loss to Andy Drohen. In each of the next two years, he captured the Mass. Amateur championship, first at Taconic CC in Williamstown and then at Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea. He defeated Bill Drohen in the semifinals both years.
Although Vana didn’t win the championship at TCC, he won four matches each year to reach the final.
“I’ve played well there,” the MassGolf Hall of Famer said.
He’d love to win five matches this week to earn the title.
“It would be great,” he said. “It’s lot of work to go that far and not win, so it would be nice to win.”
Does Vana, who will turn 57 next month, still believe he can win it all against golfers less than half his age?
“I’m trying to convince myself of it,” he said. “We’re not getting younger, but I feel good. I’m healthy.”
After two days of medal play, the top 32 players will advance to match play. The 36-hole final will be held on Friday.
This will be Vana’s record 33rd appearance in the Mass. Amateur. He has also reached match play a record 26 times, including a record 22 times in a row from 1991-2012.
Executive director Jesse Menachem said Mass Golf received more than 1,000 entries to play in the Mass. Amateur this year, about 200 to 300 more than usual. So MassGolf added an additional qualifier.
“It’s one of the most historic venues,” Menachem said, “not only in Massachusetts, but in the country, maybe in the world. Tremendous amount of history.”
This will be the record 11th Mass. Amateur at TCC. The club will host the U.S. Open for the fourth time in 2022 and has been the site of six U.S. Amateurs, three U.S. Women’s Amateurs, a U.S Junior Amateur, a U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur and the 1999 Ryder Cup when the Americans rallied from a 10-6 deficit on the last day to beat the Europeans, 14½-13½.
TCC is most known as the scene of Francis Ouimet’s upset victory in the 1913 U.S. Open. Ouimet, who grew up across the street from the club and used to caddie there, won the championship in a playoff at age 20 and helped popularize golf in the U.S.
His triumph was the subject of a book and 2005 movie by the same name, “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
“It’s a special venue,” Menachem said. “They embrace amateur golf to the fullest at the club. We’ve been fortunate to work with them on numerous occasions for state amateurs and other different championships. It will be a treat.”
Last year, for the first time the Mass. Amateur was held at public courses: William J. Devine Golf Course on Monday and George Wright Golf Course for the remainder of the week. This year, it will be held at one of the most exclusive private country clubs in the state.
“You’re looking at two uniquely different opportunities to showcase the best players in the state,” Menachem said.
Golfers will play the TCC members course at about 6,800 yards, not the U.S. Open course which includes some holes from the club’s nine-hole Primrose Course. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is a member at TCC and owns a home on the Primrose Course.
“The Country Club is kind of the mecca of golf here in Massachusetts,” said Worcester CC member Brandon Parker, who will tee off in the first round at 7:41 a.m. Monday. “It’s such a cool place, really challenging. You just have to hit greens there because they’re so small.”
Parker missed the cut at TCC in 2009 when it was set up as the U.S. Open course one day and the members course the other.
“Even bogey there is OK to be honest with you,” he said.
David Holmes, 61, of Sutton is the reigning senior club champion at Blackstone National. He’ll play in the Mass. Am for the first time in six or seven years, but in the meantime he played in the U.S. Senior Amateur twice and the U.S. British Amateur once.
This will be his first visit to TCC.
“It’s just terrific incentive to work on your game,” said Holmes, who will tee off at 8:14 a.m. Monday, “and get sharp and try to get ready to play there because it’s an iconic golf course in the area and in the country. It means a lot to get to go play there.”
Tim Umphrey, 22, of Tatnuck CC will tee off at 9:20 a.m. at TCC where he played in the Ouimet two years ago.
“It’s one of my favorite courses that I’ve played,” Umphrey said. “It’s got a unique feel, just driving in and with that clubhouse. I used to love the movie, ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played.’
“The greens are really small, so you’ve got to make sure your ball striking is on point. I feel like it’s get-able though. It depends on how long they’ll keep the rough.”
Brendan Hester, 49, of Pleasant Valley CC won 2001 Mass. Amateur at The Orchards, and he qualified this year by shooting a 70 at Franklin CC. He’ll tee off at 7:30 a.m. with Bill Drohen. Andy Drohen isn’t in the field this year.
“There’s just so much history there,” Hester said. “It’s such a special place. Obviously, it’s probably the most exclusive club in Massachusetts.”
Hester played in the Mass. Amateur at TCC in 2008, and he caddied for his brother Kevin during a deep run in the 1987 Mass. Amateur at TCC.
“I’m certainly not one of the top players,” Hester said, “so just try to get into match play and go from there.”
Hester’s 16-year-old son, Jack, sometimes caddies for father and hopes to follow in his footsteps.
“It’s kind of a nice chip on my shoulder,” said the rising junior at St. John’s. “I know it’s in my blood and if I work at it I’m sure I can do it. So it’s cool.”
—Contact Bill Doyle at william.doyle@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillDoyle15.
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US President Barack Obama lowers his head in prayer during the National Prayer Breakfast on February 4,2016 in Washington, DC.(Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
Why Everything You Think You Know About Foreign Policy Is Wrong
How Gladwellian Internet ‘hot takes’ fueled the new echo-chamber press that enabled Obama’s foreign policy—and still rules Washington
May 1, 2017 • 12:00 AM
Politico recently reported that in 2016 the Obama administration freed seven Iranian-born prisoners against the advice of the Department of Justice, which considered them threats to American national security. Obama also forced the DOJ to drop charges against another 14 Iranians involved in criminal activities associated with nuclear proliferation, weapons smuggling, etc.
Why? How else was President Barack Obama going to celebrate a historic nuclear deal with a country that had kidnapped Americans, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. Pay us or we’ll embarrass you. Pay us, or we might walk out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
So the administration shipped $400 million in cash to the same Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that put Rezaian and others in jail and freed Iranian agents involved in illegal nuclear-related activities, to preserve the arms agreement that was supposed to stop Iran from engaging in such activities, in order to save a nuclear deal that all but guarantees that Iran will acquire the bomb.
A few months after Obama left the White House, people are starting to realize there was some strange stuff happening the last few years on Pennsylvania Avenue. The things that seemed to make sense last year—like exchanging Iranian crooks and spies for ordinary American citizens—now look ridiculous. And it’s clear why the deliberate urgency with which the administration messaged its Iran policy had the feel of an advertising campaign—because it was an advertising campaign, crafted to convince consumers that something you think is bad for you is actually good for you.
To sell something that superficial, the Obama White House needed help from a generation of blogging young guns who were effectively parasitic on the professional reporters who remained in the D.C. press corps. These were the Explainers. Smart, well-read, and glibly cynical in the fashion of recent liberal-arts college graduates, the Explainers had no experience or training in basic journalistic arts, like reporting or interviewing. Because there was no one around to teach this cadre its trade, their role models weren’t war correspondents like John Burns and C.J. Chivers, or dedicated diggers and investigators like David Sanger and Jay Solomon. Nor were they columnists like William Safire, who had high-level experience and dozens or hundreds of high-level sources inside the federal government.
No, the Explainers competed for the angle—who could frame a subject in the most vitally counterintuitive way that would leave their buddies on Twitter speechless. X reports from the capital of Y that this is happening, and here’s what that really means, bro.
It wasn’t that long ago, of course, when reporters used to recoil from the idea of rewriting press releases faxed to them by some PR shop, even—or especially—if it was centered in the White House. That’s partly because they were cynical bastards who distrusted authority—also, they resented the PR guys, who were getting paid a lot more than they were. Except now, what reporters and editors who were still around from the old days saw in front of them was a catastrophe that no one could have imagined even five years earlier. Newspapers were closing around the country, and even those papers that managed to survive couldn’t afford the kinds of departments that are central to a free press—like investigative teams, and national and foreign bureaus.
The new generation of opiners gladly stepped into the cost-cutting breach. Their model was Malcolm Gladwell, a hugely talented and even more hugely successful writer for The New Yorker who became famous by finding the angle on all other angles: Everything you think you know about the world is wrong.
There are no winners in war, only losers. The most arduous nuclear inspection regime in history involves letting Iran inspect its own nuclear sites. Funding a state at war won’t fill its war chest. Rewarding a state sponsor of terror for its activities makes that state less likely to sponsor terror. Deterrence doesn’t work.
The logic at work in some of the more popular arguments made by Obama aides and their validators in the press wasn’t dialectical or paradoxical; e.g., if you want peace, prepare for war. It was Gladwellian—what’s really true is the opposite of whatever you think is true. Of course, that’s not journalism, it’s just marketing, or, in contemporary journalism-speak, Voxsplaining, after the popular liberal website Vox, which devoted itself in its entirety to counter-intuitive self-branded “hot takes” designed to showcase the wisdom of whatever the current Obama administration policy was.
To anyone who had read their Malcolm Gladwell, this was all deeply familiar. In Gladwell’s new-age sociology of marketing, you had the “connectors,” who knew lots of people, and the “mavens,” who knew important things. Most important of all were the “persuaders,” or super-charismatic figures, at the top of the heap. All of which explains why Mad Men was one of the big cultural events of the Obama years: It’s a story about an inner circle of somewhat-hip mavens and connectors working for a visionary king of cool to shape the beliefs of millions of Americans.
Obama’s “echo chamber” was another such story, with the “mavens” (policymakers and experts) and “connectors” (journalists) busily selling the Iran deal for their own king of cool in the White House. Those who wanted to be convinced were pretty easy to convince: Obama had Israel’s back and would never grant a nuclear weapon to a regime that threatens the existence of the Jewish state. Filters make cigarettes better for you! Others were a harder sell, and so the message had to be turned against them: If you don’t support a deal that frees up billions for a regime that threatens war, then you’re a warmonger.
It was no accident so much of the language and even imagery the Obama team used to sell the deal spun off anti-Semitic tropes. It was supposed to be scary. All of advertising is a threat, where the trick is simply in how you veil it—you don’t fit in but you want to, so buy our product. Malcolm Gladwell and Vance Packard would have been proud.
Today, the ad campaign is over, but the mavens and connectors are still dug in like those Japanese marines hiding in caves a decade after the end of WWII. There’s Obama NSC staffer Ned Price, a former CIA officer who as an echo chamber-ist manipulated U.S. public opinion, now complaining about the Trump team’s lack of transparency. Max Fisher, who rose from Vox to The New York Times, asserts that there’s no such thing as deterrence. You may think military action in one part of the world will deter adversaries elsewhere, but that’s wrong. What history teaches us—from the Greeks to the present—is bunk. So who are you going to believe—Max Fisher or your lying eyes?
So why does the inverted wisdom of the echo chamber now strike readers as transparently mendacious and silly? Because policymaking is not quite the same as advertising and PR. The Obama administration sold the Iran deal not because of its copywriting talents and facility in framing and manipulating “connectors” and “mavens” but because it controlled the White House. The president of the United States is the single most powerful person in the world. Almost everything he decides to push against, especially in the area of foreign policy, is an open door.
The slogans that the Obama echo chamber used to sell the Iran Deal sound weird now because Obama is no longer in the White House. So what does it mean that “everybody knows” that the deal to rid Bashar al-Assad of his chemical weapons didn’t actually rid him of his chemical weapons, which he uses with regularity to murder civilians, including patients in hospitals? That’s not a paradox, it’s not a Gladwellism, and there is nothing clever about it. What the slogan means now is that they lied, and made America complicit in Assad’s war crimes. It’s no surprise that admission doesn’t sound clever, and that it makes people angry.
The press is responding slowly to the fact that the echo chamber has been unplugged. Major media outlets have confessed they were in bed with executive power the last eight years. Or, as The New York Times gingerly put it, the paper has decided to “rededicate” itself to reporting. After all, as the Washington Post’s new motto has it, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”
What do the new press slogans mean in practice? The fact that the “Trump is Putin’s prison wife” narrative still hasn’t been put to rest after the administration bombed Russian assets in Syria probably tells you all you need to know. No one wants to kill the golden goose, especially when the news for the news industry has been unrelievedly awful for more than a decade now. The media sees Trump, or more particularly anti-Trump, as a godsend, so they’re competing to be the must-read of the anti-Trump resistance. And ratings have indeed picked up at CNN and other news channels, while the Times and other papers report a surge in digital subscriptions.
But media numbers always pick up after elections, especially when they go against the candidates typically chosen by people whose self-image is proudly reflected by the magazines and newspapers cluttering their coffee tables or iPads. Or, as some staffers used to say at the Nation, what’s bad for the country is good for the Nation. The question is, how long will the good times last? And what happens when the bottom falls out this time? Or to put it in terms the anti-Trump resistance will soon have to come to grips with, how long before Americans start normalizing fascism? After all, it’s awfully hard to resist 24 hours a day, for months and years on end. There are groceries to shop for, children to send off to school, laundry to wash, vacations to plan, and that new cool restaurant down the block.
The widely-held fantasy on the left that President Donald Trump was going to be impeached by his own party six or 10 weeks after taking office was a mass temper tantrum by a group of people who believed in the awesome power of their own tweets. And why not? After all, if your bright explanations were a reason why Obama succeeded in pushing his agenda, then why shouldn’t you still be making U.S. foreign policy? Aren’t we in charge of this stuff?
The answer, of course, is that the Explainers were never in charge of anything. They were simply a cost-effective megaphone for the most powerful man in the world. Now that Obama is no longer in power, what remains is their own massive sense of entitlement and the mess that they have helped to make of the American press.
The outcome is misleading headlines that claim to consist of twerking when they
in fact do not.
hammerpoet70.Blogdon.net says:
Highly insightful….look forwards to coming back again. http://hammerpoet70.Blogdon.net/multi-gadgets-cover-an-analysis-3052329
pelangiasia says:
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
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Rajapaksa blames opposition for 'aiding' LTTE
[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 September 2010, 14:33 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has alleged that "some groups who said they did not have money to fight the war, and signed ceasefire agreements with the LTTE, had money to give the LTTE,” the Sri Lankan state-run paper Dinamina quoted Mr. Rajapaksa as saying in its front page lead story on Thursday.
"Today with the war over, no one can point a finger and say Sri Lanka does not have the money to develop itself," Mr. Rajapaksa, who is planning to extend his term beyond two terms of presidency, was quoted as saying by Dinamina.
“We won a war which many termed as ‘unwinnable’ – but winning the war alone is not sufficient," Rajapaksa said adding that "development" was the real solution.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=32535
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Karuna, Thamilselvan in LTTE team for Thailand - paper
[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 October 2002, 01:41 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have finalised their negotiating team for the second round of direct talks between the movement and the Sri Lankan government scheduled to be held in Thailand next week, the Tamil Guardian newspaper reported this week.
The head of the LTTE’s political wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilselvan, and Col. Karuna, the LTTE’s Special Commander for the Batticaloa-Amparai district would be joining the LTTE team which will be led by Mr. Anton Balasingham, the movement’s chief negotiator and political advisor, the London based paper said.
Mrs Adele Balasingham will function as Secretary to the negotiating team, which will travel to Thailand via Colombo, the paper reported, quoting LTTE officials.
Mr. V. Rudrakumar, the LTTE's legal advisor and Dr. Jay Maheswaran, a rehabilitation and development expert who were in the LTTE team which participated in the first round of talks held mid-September in Sattahip, Thailand would also be present at the second round as resource persons, the Tamil Guardian said.
Mr. and Mrs. Balasingham arrived in the Vanni Tuesday last week on a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter which they boarded in Colombo, having arrived there by a SriLankan airlines flight from London, where they reside.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7690
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Playing chess gives me a sense of equality: Charudatta
January 10, 1980 is a day that Head of TCS Accessibility Centre of Excellence, CTO, Charudatta Jadhav or Charu, is unlikely to forget in a hurry. Only 13 then and in school, Charu saw dark spots on the edge of his vision, and found reading what was written on the blackboard difficult. A subsequent visit to the doctor revealed the cause—retinal detachment—for which there was no cure, leading to gradual but irreversable loss of vision.
It was then that Charu displayed a first glimpse of the fortitude that would characterize his life. Although advised to stay away from school—any additional strain, according to medical opinion, would only result in further deterioration of his eyesight—Charu decided, after two months of acquiescence, to go back and complete his studies. Convincing his parents and the doctor proved difficult, but he persevered. School would never be the same again for Charu. At this point, he could still manage to read by placing a book right under his eyes. Although his grades were adversely affected, he cleared his 10th standard examinations.
His insistence on a good education saw him complete a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from K.C College. This was in spite of the fact that he had to take up a part time job as a telephone operator, a situation necessitated by his father’s losing his job during a cotton mill strike in Bombay. An important development at this time in his life was the introduction to the National Association for the Blind (NAB). Their three-month course for people who had lost their eyesight was a complete revelation. With the aid of readers and audio books, studying was no longer impossible.
NAB also furthered his interests in another direction, one that would be central to Charu’s life. In his childhood, his blindness had restricted his enjoyment of outdoor games. Though a relatively good cricketer, that pastime too was snatched away. But far from dampening his love for sports, in a sign of the attitude he would display time and again, he had turned to chess—a game that he had only played occasionally until then— with an even greater passion, and in the year 1985, that passion would be rewarded. At a district level tournament, Charu left the organizers along with his opponents gaping when he became the only blind player to not just participate, but also win the tournament, and that too without losing a single game. This was in spite of struggling to tell the difference between a pawn and a bishop. Charu himself points to this incident as pivotal in providing him with the confidence that he could succeed in life, and that blindness could be overcome. He says, “Chess is the only game where we can play at par with sighted people without modification of any rules or any special consideration. That has given me confidence and a sense of equality.” And his was a career like no other. By the time he retired as a player in 2004, his first and highest rating was 2053 at the Commonwealth chess tournament in 2004, a feat that has yet to be surpassed by any Indian blind chess player.
Yet, it was not just as an exemplary player that Charu distinguished himself. He established the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB), an NGO, in 1997. He was the General Secretary of AICFB till 2013 and has now taken on the role of President. Under Charu’s leadership, AICFB has conducted more than 400 chess tournaments, sent 16 teams to different world championships and won three medals in the Olympics. It has also organized three international tournaments: Asian Championship (2003), World Championship (2006) and Chess Olympiad (2012). Charu also has the distinction of being the first non-European Vice President of the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA) and is now serving his second term.
In 2004, Charu took the painful decision to quit chess in order to devote time to create the adequate infrastructure to promote it among blind players. Since his career as a player and administrator often overlapped, Charu became acutely aware of the fact blind chess players did not have access to study material and software on chess. After spending close to two and a half years on research, Charu developed Talk 64, the first speech enabled chess software for the blind. He also played a key role in forming the DAISY Forum of India in 2006. DAISY or Digital Accessible Information System enabled portability and solved the problem of navigation by not relying on the print medium.
It had been a long road from when he had played his first tournament against sighted players, many of whom represented India in international tournaments—the S.K. Vaidya National open tournament in Sangli, in 1989. 1989 was also the year when he had graduated from K.C. College. When Charu’s father passed away in 1991, the responsibility of taking care of his family rested squarely on his shoulders. Charu became increasingly dissatisfied with his job as a telephone operator in Indian Bank. It was during this phase that he displayed a vision for the future and the self-reliance to find his own way in life. He recognised that with the growing adoption of computers in India, other avenues opened up where blindness was not a limitation. This prompted Charu to complete his diploma and then obtain an advanced diploma in software programming from Mumbai University.
Although a career in IT didn’t seem imminent at that time, Charu had already begun creating the basic administrative software for AICFB. After his retirement from chess in 2004, with more time at his disposal, Charu also began attending seminars and became increasingly determined to pursue a career in IT. A chance opportunity to attend a talk by S. Ramadorai left a lasting impression on Charu, who was drawn to the Tata Group by the shared ideology of never compromising on the principles that one stood for, and he was thereafter keen on joining TCS. That opportunity came along his way in 2007 when Charu joined the Life Sciences division of TCS as an Associate Consultant. During the course of his interview with Global Head, TCS Energy & Resources, Jayanta Banerjee, Charu was struck by the absence of any questions pertaining to his blindness, and was impressed and humbled by the maturity displayed by Jayanta in focussing on skill set alone. Under his guidance, Charu gained an understanding of the processes within TCS. In order to leverage Charu’s research capabilities, Jayanta asked CTO, K. Ananth Krishnan, to allow Charu to join his team in 2009. As a member of Ananth’s team, Charu first lead the ‘Speech for masses’ programme in the Innovation Lab in Mumbai and was later given the opportunity to work with K. Paddy. Charu’s other responsibilities included CTO Enable and the task of providing governance support to three Innovation Labs in Mumbai. According to Charu, his strength on the chess board, thinking strategically, has manifested itself at work too, and highlights his work of supporting strategy for TCS enable. He considers himself extremely fortunate to have met exemplary role models such as Ananth, Paddy and Jayanta during the course of his career. In 2013, he was given the additional responsibility of heading TCS’ Accessibility Centre of Excellence to build in-house capabilities and integrate accessibility within the DNA of the organization.
Charu’s iron will and zest for life show through in several fields. An avid trekker, he picked up the hobby from acquaintances he had made while playing chess. Thus was born his dream of a Himalayan expedition. After a three-week adventure course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling in 1992, Charu was invited to join an expedition to climb Mt. Shitidhar (17,220 ft), a peak that no Indian had climbed before. During the course of the expedition, Charu fell into a frozen pond, but was saved by one of his teammates. He decided to soldier on, and, having braved a cyclone and extreme conditions, Charu reached the summit, one of three blind people on the expedition to do so. A phenomenal feat. He has also been part of Algorithms by documentary filmmaker Ian McDonald. The movie follows the lives of three visually impaired teenagers from India and their mentor played by Charudatta Jadhav. The movie starts in 2009 with Charu and his team conducting a talent hunt from blind chess players to send the top two to World Junior Chess Championship for the blind, held in Sweden that year.
Having led an extraordinary life thus far, Charu believes that ‘Realise your potential’, a powerful initiative within TCS, is all about being aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses and approaching every assignment with a positive mindset. He concludes on an emphatic note, “I demand empowerment. You tell me the output expected, you give me the responsibility and ownership and I will deliver. If there is a risk, I am willing to take a hit. Once I decide to do something, nobody can stop me.”
Humans of TCS
Connect with Internal.Communications@tcs.com to contribute to our blogs.
Meet the TCS NYC Marathon employee contest winners
Chase your passion: Nakul Prabhu
Mountaineering takes determination & patience: Henry Wijaya
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President What’s His Name
Poor Andrew Johnson! You know that a President is obscure when a film made 67 years ago, when the average American knew far more American history than the average American does today, has a trailer with a quiz about the presidential subject of the film. This is a shame. Andrew Johnson was a fascinating man and led a fascinating life.
Born on December 29, 1808, (See, his bicentennial was last year and hardly anyone noticed!) his father died when he was three, from the ill effects incurred by his efforts in saving several people from drowning, leaving his mother, young Andrew and Andrew’s elder brother William, in dire poverty. Johnson, along with his brother William, were apprenticed by his mother, not an uncommon arrangement at that time , to a tailor when Johnson was 10 or 14, and he learned the tailor’s trade. Johnson never had a formal education and taught himself to read and write.
In 1826 Johnson opened his own tailor shop in Greenville Tennessee, located in far eastern Tennessee in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. In 1827 Johnson married Eliza McCardle, probably the turning point in his life. His saintly wife instructed him in mathematics and improved his reading and writing skills. She would read to him while he worked. Johnson drank up the knowledge, worked diligently and his business prospered. It quickly became a center for political discussion in the town as Johnson was fond of talking about politics and debating the issues of the day. To hone his debating skills Johnson joined a debate club at a small college.
In 1828 Johnson entered politics by being elected an alderman of Greenville. Johnson quickly realized that politics was his life’s work and he was very good at it, as a list of his elected positions up to the Civil War indicates: alderman (1828–30), mayor (1830–33) of Greenville, state representative (1835–37, 1839–41), state senator (1841–43), Congressman (1843–53), governor of Tennessee (1853–57), and U.S. Senator (1857–62).
Johnson was a Democrat. He defended the interests of his part of the state, largely non-slaveholding small farmers, against those of the slave-holding large plantation owners of the western part of Tennessee. He was intensely class-conscious and often portrayed himself as battling against the interests of entrenched wealth. On the national scene he was always a safe pro-slavery vote in Congress. However, after 1857 his support for the Homestead Bill, opposed by most Southern Democrats, increased the tensions between him and the wealthy plantation owners of his state.
After the election of 1860, Johnson led the fight in Tennessee of pro-Unionists, most powerful in east Tennessee, against the secessionists. On March 2, 1861, he made his stance clear to all: “Show me those who make war on the Government and fire on its vessels, and I will show you a traitor. If I were President of the United States I would have all such arrested, and, if convicted, by the Eternal God I would have them hung!” The only senator from a state in the Confederacy not to resign, Johnson vigorously supported the war effort of the federal government. Eastern Tennessee remained a hotbed of resistance to the Confederacy. 29 counties attempted to secede from Tennessee and join the Union. The Confederacy occupied the area and declared martial law.
Throughout the Civil War Johnson was a fervent supporter of the Union. As this statement indicates, opposition to slavery was not a cause for his embracing the Union. “Damn the negroes, I am fighting those traitorous aristocrats, their masters.” Johnson was appointed military governor of Tennessee after the Union took Nashville in March of 1862. In that capacity he took every effort to eradicate Confederate influence in that state. On August 8, 1863 he freed his slaves. Johnson began to call for negro suffrage on the grounds that a loyal negro was worth more than a disloyal white man.
Lincoln running for re-election 1n 1864 realized that he needed to glean the war democrat votes if he hoped to win. He ran on a Union ticket with Johnson as his veep. On inauguration day, March 4, 1865, Johnson was drunk. He was ill from malaria and fortified himself too well with “medicinal” whiskey. He made a rambling speech, was sworn in which took a fair amount of time due to Johnson slurring and stumbling over his words, and then launched into another drunken speech before a Supreme Court Justice led him away. A pity that C-Span was more than a century and a third in the future! Naturally this drunken escapade was the talk of Washington and Johnson was branded a hopeless drunk, which he was not.
After the murder of Lincoln, Johnson, a Southerner and a Democrat, faced a Northern Congress with Republicans in control. At first no problems were expected. Johnson had made many statements throughout the war which indicated a fiery hatred of the Confederacy, and Radical Republicans who favored a harsh policy towards the defeated South thought they had a firm friend in the White House now, as opposed to the lenient Lincoln.
Much to the surprise of everyone, Johnson embraced what he thought Lincoln’s policy toward the South would have been. Johnson believed, along with Lincoln, that legally the Confederate states had not been out of the Union. Johnson’s Reconstruction plan consisted of the following: pardons would be granted to all forner Confederates taking a loyalty oath, only excluding high ranking Confederates and those owning more than $20,000 in property; the new state governments must abolish slavery in their constitutions and formally repeal their acts of secession. The former Confederate states rapidly took these steps and elected new Senators and representatives to Congress. However, this mild Reconstruction policy found little favor with the Radical Republicans, and they blocked admission of the Southerners to Congress when Congress reconvened in December 1865.
Conflict now loomed between Congress and the President over Reconstruction policy. The Radical Republicans viewed the Southern states as defeated provinces that were no longer in the Union. Their readmission would be contingent upon black suffrage, civil rights for blacks, and governments free from control of former Confederates. A long see-saw battle ensued between Johnson and Congress with Congress the ultimate winner after the 1866 elections increased Republican control of Congress. Martial law was declared in the South, and the South placed under military rule, except for Tennessee which had been readmitted to the Union. All Southern states were readmitted to the Union by 1870 and all were initially under firm Republican control due to black votes, the disenfranchisement of former Confederates, the use of Federal troops to suppress violence against black voters and not a little fraud.
Johnson faced impeachment in 1868 for firing Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War and an ardent partisan of the Radical Republicans. This violated the Tenure of Office Act passed by Congress in 1867, over the veto of Andrew Johnson, specifically to protect Stanton. (In 1926 the Supreme Court found that such laws restricting the right of a President to fire a cabinet officer were unconstitutional.) The House of Representatives, illustrating the hatred that had grown up between the President and the Republicans, impeached Johnson three days after he fired Stanton. The Senate failed to convict Johnson by only one vote. In a last act of defiance to Congress before he left office, Johnson on Christmas day 1868 gave a presidential amnesty to all Confederates, including Jefferson Davis.
In 1874 Johnson was elected to the Senate from Tennessee. A speech he gave about political turmoil in Lousiana earned him a standing ovation from his fellow senators, many of whom had voted to convict him during the impeachment trial. Johnson died on July 31, 1875 and was buried as he wished: his body wrapped in an American flag and a copy of the constitution under his head.
Throughout his career Johnson was friendly to Catholics. In Tennessee he fought relentlessly against the anti-Catholic Know-Nothings and championed religious tolerance. While in the White House he often worshiped at Saint Patrick’s, admiring the Catholic liturgy and the fact that no special pews were set aside for the rich, as was common in many Protestant churches at the time, and that the rich and the poor sat together.
Well what to make of the obscure, through no fault of his own, Andrew Johnson? Has History rendered a verdict on him? Yes it has. Well, actually, History has rendered two verdicts. From the time of the 1890s up to the modern civil rights movement in the Sixties, most historians, apart from a handful of Republican leaning historians and black historians, viewed Johnson quite favorably. He was the courageous President who attempted heroically to carry out the martyred Lincoln’s lenient policy of Reconstruction and save the nation from the disastrous consequences of the the attempt by vengeful Radical Republicans to rule the south with corrupt regimes placed into power at the point of federal bayonets. This view held such sway that in 1955 in Profiles in Courage, the book which was written by Ted Sorenson and which may have been read by the purported author, John F. Kennedy, one of the senators celebrated was Edmund Ross of Kansas whose vote saved Johnson from being impeached. That even an uber-liberal like Sorenson, a pacifist during World War II, regarded Johnson favorably as late as 1955 is telling. Since the Sixties Johnson has usually been portrayed as a drunken racist and his opponents as noble far sighted statesmen who fought a heroic battle for civil rights for blacks.
Which verdict is correct? Both are in part. Johnson was a racist, as his private correspondence indicates. His public comments as President were statesmanlike on the issue of race, but there is no doubt that he opposed negro political equality. On the other hand, there is also no doubt that a large motivation for many Republicans was not only a desire to protect freed slaves in the South but to ensure Republican control in the South by fair means or foul, including by the use of Federal troops. Many of the Reconstruction regimes were amazingly corrupt, although not too much more than the white regimes that followed them. I also have no doubt that Johnson was carrying out a Reconstruction policy quite similar to what Lincoln would have implemented if he had lived. However, I also think that Lincoln would have been diligent in attempting to protect the political rights of blacks. Could Lincoln have accomplished this? Probably not, at least not completely. Too many whites were adamantly opposed to any political role for blacks in the South. Occupation of the South by federal troops would have been necessary for decades to accomplish even the minimal task of protecting the civil rights of blacks, and I doubt if the people of the North would have had the long term patience to persist in this policy. What I do think is that with a political master like Lincoln at the helm Reconstruction would not have been quite the disaster it turned out to be. The Radical Republicans could not have run rough shod over Lincoln, a hero in the eyes of rank and file Republicans, as they did Johnson. There would have been no governments installed by military fiat to leave a legacy of hatred among white southerners that has persisted for generations. Focusing purely on black civil rights, rather than attempting to install Republican friendly governments, might have led to blacks keeping political control, or at least retaining the right to vote, in areas where they were the overwhelming majority. White Democrat politicians, once they regained control of their states, may even have found it useful under such circumstances to court black support, as the white governments that took over after Reconstruction were often riven by factions. If blacks had not been effectively disenfranchised, they could have held the balance of power among such factions. Racial animosities, although still great, might have been less than they were historically. Alas, Johnson was no Lincoln, and in many ways the nation is still paying a price for that sad fact.
One last word about the movie Tennessee Johnson. Like most Hollywood productions it mangled some of the facts, but overall it is one of the better of the presidential film bios, although admittedly that is not saying much. Dr. Robert Orr, a biographer of Andrew Johnson, has a good review of the movie in this YouTube video:
Tuesday, March 3, AD 2009
Good stuff. You can add Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton as the two other presidents that have been impeached (albeit that Nixon will be looked upon more favorable than Clinton in the years to come).
I couldn’t find this movie on Netflix. This must be a real obscure film to boot.
paul zummo
What I do think is that with a political master like Lincoln at the helm Reconstruction would not have been quite the disaster it turned out to be. The Radical Republicans could not have run rough shod over Lincoln, a hero in the eyes of rank and file Republicans, as they did Johnson.
Exactly. Johnson’s pigheadedness was a stark contrast to Lincoln’s masterful ability to deal with various egos. Who knows how Reconstruction would have fared under Lincoln (I’ve always thought of doing a “history” book on Lincoln’s second term based on the supposition that he survived), but I tend to think it would not have been such a disaster.
And thanks for the extended biography. I usually only think of Johnson the president, but his greater body of work shows that he was a truly remarkable man.
And Tito: Nixon was never impeached. He resigned before Congress was able to do so, though undoubtedly he would have been impeached had he continued in office.
That’s right about Nixon, it completely slipped my mind.
So it’s just Clinton and Johnson.
It is indeed interesting that Andrew Johnston sort of brings us full circle as to the leadership of the SOuth and North and their views toward Catholics. Johnston’s counterpart ( VP Stephens also was very firendly to Catholics and fought tthe Know Nothings). In fact as to Stephens in a great bit of irony in Louisiana his Catholic Priest Nephew is buried right next to fellow Jesuit Priest Father Sherman who was son of the famous Gerneral Sherman.
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Res & Explicatio for A.D. 3-12-2009
Salvete AC readers!
Here are today’s Top Picks in the Catholic world:
1. The Catholic Newman University College Chapel in Birmingham, England is celebrating the birth of Mohammad. Yes, that Mohammad who formalized Islam and spread it throughout the Arabian peninsula by forced conversions of Jews, Christians, and pagans. What is even more outrageous is that Archbishop Nichols where this chapel is located is supporting this 100%. And he’s considered orthodox. You know what I think about these types of bishops.
For the article click here.
2. Speaking of England rumors are that an announcement will be made today that the next primate of England and Wales, ie, Archbishop of Westminster, will be Bishop Bernard Longley.
3. Back to America where RNC Chairman Michael Steele continues to put his foot in his mouth by saying that women have the choice to have an abortion. I don’t think Mr. Steele has been properly catechized on his faith.
4. The ‘Sleeping Giant‘ that is the Catholic Church turned out in numbers to protest a bill that would have placed authority in the hands of layman and away from the bishops at each parish. A rally of 5,000+, including Carl Anderson Supreme Knight of the KOC and the three bishops that reside in Connecticut, protested bill SB1098 by the two anti-Catholic bigots from Connecticut, Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald. The bill was tabled yesterday after an avalanche of phone calls and email from Catholics across the state and around the country.
5. Radical feminists stormed a Mass being celebrated in Vienna. They were parading during International Women’s Day when several costumed feminist extremists invaded the church Our Lady of Victories in Vienna Rudolfsheim-Fuenfhaus. They yelled at parishoners and passed out flyers saying “Contempt for women. Compulsive norms of sexuality, homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial”. The blog where I found this story had a comment that stated “Imagine what would have happened if a bunch of them had stormed a Mosque”.
Cowards. If these liberals were brave, which they aren’t, they wouldn’t have come out alive of said mosque.
6. Don’t forget to do the Stations of the Cross this Friday! This practice dates back to the 4th century.
Thursday, March 12, AD 2009
Michael J. Iafrate
Can you elaborate (intelligently) on the problem you have with item #1?
Syncretism.
It will confuse the faithful as to why Muhammad is being celebrated in a Catholic chapel.
Mark DeFrancisis
God forbid that the world’s major religions enter into associations that may lead to more understanding, peace and even eventual communion.
I’m all for ecumanism as is the next guy. I have many Jewish and Muslim friends and they agree that to celebrate the life of Mohammad in a Catholic chapel is inappropriate. A more secular setting would suffice, better yet, an Islamic Center or Mosque.
Point take.
Ryan Harkins
In today’s world where many in the west have a relativistic attitude towards religion–whatever works for you is okay–this sort of thing helps reinforce the thought that which religion you belong to–if any–doesn’t matter. I’d say that celebrating Muhammad is a scandal that strikes at the faith of believers. Ecumenical efforts are one thing, acting as though there is approval of Muhammad and Islam is something else.
But then, this is always an ongoing debate, isn’t it? How much scandal does silence create? If we simply say nothing about some evil, how complicit are we with it? On the other hand, this is more than silence. Maybe we should ask the following question. Why is it even a good thing to celebrate, in a Catholic setting, the birth of a man who drew large numbers of people away from the message of Christ, either through siphoning off those who harbored some doubts, or through direct conquest? Why should we celebrate the man who birthed a world religion that is continually a threat to the Catholic Church?
And no, before the typical response comes, I’m not suggesting that the Church will ever be wiped out by Islam or any other force, no matter how hard they try. But it is a real and visceral plight to the faithful everywhere, and it ill becomes us to grow complacent.
And remember, the ultimate hope of ecumenism is not just to get everyone to play along nicely (though that’s a sub-goal, if the greater goal cannot be reached): it is draw everyone into the Church. And that means ultimately the hope that people will abandon the false aspects of their religions and embrace the truth of the Church.
Tito, what is “syncretistic” about it? Would you be opposed to celebrating a Presidents’ Day Mass in a Catholic chapel?
The proper way for Catholics to “celebrate” the birth of the man who made up Islam is to pray for the conversion of all Moslems to the True Faith. They, no less than the rest of sinful humanity, need the light of Christ.
Not to speak for Tito, but inasmuch as there have been presidents that have led people to the light of true faith, or who have defended the Catholic Church when they had no need to, then a Presidents’ Day Mass might be acceptable. In general, I personally feel uncomfortable with the idea.
Donald – Good thing most Catholics don’t hold the backward views that you do.
Ryan – Are you suggesting that Islam cannot lead human beings to true faith? You might want to review what your Church teaches about other religions. As for Tito, I have a feeling his fear of “syncretism” does not apply to other, much more problematic, areas.
Catholic Anarchist, what part of “Go ye therefore and make ye disciples of all the nations” is beyond your reading comprehension?
It seems to me the big difference here is that the US Presidency is not generally seen as a religious office.
Frankly, I don’t think that having a “Presidents’ Day” mass is appropriate, though if one wants to pray for wisdom for the current president or the repose of the souls of dead presidents during the Prayers of the Faithful of a mass which happens to be celebrated on Presidents Day (which is a stupid, made up holiday as it stands) I wouldn’t see a problem with that.
I suppose to be sure if I objected to this event, I’d have to know more than that it consisted of “two talks of an interfaith nature” in the chapel, but in general it would seem to be inappropriate for a Catholic organization to actively celebrate Muhammad’s birthday, in that in that the prophet founded a false religion which has historically kept from and drawn people away from (sometimes by force) the True Faith.
For your further edification Catholic Anarchist you might attempt to get your brain around this section of the catechism:
“849 The missionary mandate. “Having been divinely sent to the nations that she might be ‘the universal sacrament of salvation,’ the Church, in obedience to the command of her founder and because it is demanded by her own essential universality, strives to preach the Gospel to all men”:339 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and Lo, I am with you always, until the close of the age.”340”
Terrible that not only I have such “backward” views, but also Christ and the Church He founded. Maybe you should stick with Rock meditations.
Are you suggesting that Islam cannot lead human beings to true faith? You might want to review what your Church teaches about other religions.
Sure it could. All true things can bring people to the True Faith. Reading Homer and Virgil could bring people to the True Faith. So could Bhuddist meditation.
The thing is, that Islam would successfully guide people to the True Faith if through it someone realized that Islam is not in fact the full revelation of God and His will in the world, but rather an imperfect reflection thereof — and if that person therefore went and became Catholic.
And, of course, many faithful Muslims do very much love God — though they suffer from the difficulty of belonging to a faith which lacks much truth, though it has some — and so may well instantly embrace God when they encounter him perfectly in the personal judgement.
But this doesn’t change the fact that Islam is a faith which both contains some beliefs which we as Catholics believe to be actively false and also lacks much of what we believe to be the full truth.
Michael I.,
My thinking of a presidential mass is along the lines of Ryan and Darwin. But I wouldn’t feel right at all for having Mass said for my favorite living president.
As far as having a celebration of Muhammad at a Catholic chapel, Donald expresses my sympathies quite clearly.
I too am backwards as is Jesus and the Church He established.
j. christian
“These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.” – Chesterton
Not one word.
That does not mean it is not, in reality, a religious office.
in general it would seem to be inappropriate for a Catholic organization to actively celebrate Muhammad’s birthday, in that in that the prophet founded a false religion which has historically kept from and drawn people away from (sometimes by force) the True Faith.
The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is holy and true in the world’s religions. The orthodox position is NOT that Islam is an entirely “false” religion.
Well, of course. As a Catholic, I certainly believe that. But I also believe that in order for a Muslim to even feel the slightest desire to become Christian, he or she would actually have to encounter the Gospel, and with “American Catholic” type Catholics running around, it’s awfully hard to be exposed to the actual Gospel.
Tito, as usual, will not speak for himself or defend his dangerous posts himself, but relies on others to do it for him.
What you said.
Interfaith discussion–fine so long as it doesn’t devolve into “I’m ok, you’re ok.”
Celebration of Mohammed’s birthday in a Catholic chapel? I’m surprised this is even necessary to discuss. The odds of exposing anyone to the Gospel in these circumstances are too low to be meanfully calculated–it’s a big “You’re OK!” statement. Full stop. And given what the Koran and authentic ahadith say about Christianity, conjoined with the radicalism of UK university Islamic chapters, it’s hairshirt/kick-me-sign ecumenism at its worst.
I wonder if there’s a masjid in Birmingham celebrating the birth of Christ?
If there is, he had best hope that he is not suspected of apostacy and that he is not subject to the traditional sanction under sharia for ceasing to be a muslim.
Expressing a certain generosity of spirit and respect for another’s faith is always welcome and something I find easy to practice most of the time. But my fear is that the upside of this kind of encounter with the Gospel is very small, and the downside is rather large. In other words: I doubt many Muslims are moved toward Christ by this gesture, but I wouldn’t be surprised if many Catholics received it as yet another datum telling them that theirs is just one religion among many, and not a particularly special one at that.
No, it does not — but in this case general perception is right: the office of President of the US is not a religious office. And as I’m sure you agree, those who imbue it with a religious authority do so at their peril.
That is certainly true, and I did not deny it. I didn’t say that Islam is an “entirely false” religion. Come to that, even the worship of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is not necessarily “entirely” false, even though it was knowingly fabricated, and Islam is certainly much more true than the FSM. However, saying that Islam is a “false religion” does not mean that it contains nothing that is true, but rather that it is not “the” true religion in the sense of providing in its doctrines both the fullness of truth and nothing false. Islam lacks the fullness of truth and asserts some things that are false.
So while we should certainly celebrate those essential truths about God, salvation and the moral life which Islam does convey, we should also not muddy the waters by ignoring our differences.
I also believe that in order for a Muslim to even feel the slightest desire to become Christian, he or she would actually have to encounter the Gospel, and with “American Catholic” type Catholics running around, it’s awfully hard to be exposed to the actual Gospel.
Would you be interested in expanding on this?
It is often hard to see the Gospels reflected in the words and deeds of fellow Christians whom we consistently find rude, shallow and abrasive. Is that basically what you’re trying to convey here? I know I’ve certainly experienced that reaction to some Catholics who seem to make it their business to be unpleasant in the online world. Indeed, the temptation to see others this way is one of the best motivations for trying not to be rude, shallow or abrasive.
Friday, March 13, AD 2009
Henry Karlson
http://www.sjweb.info/Documents/dialogo/christianprophet.doc
This is a great document. Read it.
After having read Henry’s link, and stumbling across these quotes:
“It would be difficult to find a clearer instance of grace-filled, extra-Biblical, general revelation concretized in a specific, prophetic mission than in what God accomplished in Muhammad.”
“In the cases of both Jesus and Muhammad, God produced a grace-filled moment in the lives of their hearers with an invitation to faith. Those who accepted and believed the prophetic word made an act of faith, and only subsequently sought to comprehend the nature of God, read the facts of their personal and societal lives, and interpret the sweep of human history according to that faith.”
that I will likely not find two religious propositions I disagree with more in 2009.
In Islam, that “grace-filled moment” led to armies erupting from Arabia, bearing fire and sword from the Atlantic to the Hindu Kush, the Koran ringing in their ears all the while, with all that entailed for Christians, Zoroastrians, Hindus and Chinese. If that’s grace, then less please, Lord.
Missing in the writer’s assertion that Muhammad could be considered a “prophet” according to the Christian understanding of the term is the notion that the prophet emerges from God’s people and calls them back to fidelity and their charism/mission, in line with previous revelation. Muhammad’s revelation essentially dumps the previous revelation on its ear, calling it warped. Especially that little matter of the incarnation we are about to celebrate in a couple of weeks. No genuine prophet ever showed up with “You know, all that stuff before–nevermind.” Leaving aside the prophetic mission of Jesus, which is the ultimate exception.
It’s a good-hearted effort, but he rides the Rahner train too far into speculation. Moreover, it doesn’t support the claim that we should be throwing parties for Islam’s prophet in our sanctuaries.
You don’t realize the paper and presentation goes back to a medieval Melkite Bishop, Paul of Antioch, who looked at Muhammad as a prophet? He didn’t have to; he was in a kingdom liberated by the Crusaders. But he understood a point which you didn’t see. The abuse of the message but subsequent people does not invalidate a prophet (look, for example, at the abuse done in the name of the Bible!). The question is a much deeper question, and one which even early Christians understood. Others saw Muhammad at least in the “path of the prophets” if not a prophet himself. I would recommend a much deeper grasp at Islam beyond a one-sided, distorted image which ignores the good within the message of Muhammad (Paul of course believed the Koran to be corrupted, and imo, I agree). I’ve even seen some consider Muhammad to be a prophet like unto Balaam — in other words, authentic, but self-serving nonetheless. This doesn’t take Rahner, this just takes traditional Christian modes of thought.
No, I think God had nothing to do with Muhammad’s mission. Islam is completely based upon Muhammad and his increasingly “convenient” revelations, which were obviously made up by him from a mish-mash of traditional religious concepts popular among the Arabs of his time, and what little he knew of Christian and Jewish beliefs. That Muhammad believed that what he plucked from his brain was from God is entirely possible. That a Christian would believe it is a subject for either pity or levity.
All revelation ended when the last apostle, St. John, passed away. Plus St. Paul warned us of new revelations from alleged angels:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel– not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
–Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians 1:6-9
This Jesuit is deluded to think that Mohammad is a prophet. Considering that if you ever read the Koran, there is not one instance of any prophecy that Muhammad revealed that Muslims could acknowledge.
You conveniently ignore what is being said, and how far back this message goes. You also ignore the fact that prophecy has not ended, and prophets do continue to exist in the church; private revelation has not ceased, only public revelation. God continues to show us his glory, and to lead people to him. More importantly, your words show the ignorance of the Koran, how it was put together, and Paul of Antioch’s own words on the corruption of the Islamic message after the death of Muhammad. Moreover, it seems you not not understand the category of prophecy; but the Church, in her wisdom sees that Muhammad did provide the polytheists a guide to the monotheism of the God of Abraham. That itself must be seen as a prophetic act.
But this is on par with Tito; I doubt he even read the document, but just accepted texts out of context to damn the author discussing Paul of Antioch, just as he does with his other infamous condemnations (like Balthasar, or Cardinal Egan just this week!).
There was already a movement of monotheism, not Christianity nor Judaism, that mixed many pagan rituals with the forementioned. Muhammad was bright enough to lead this movement and raise it from obscurity. Several epileptic seizures he called ‘revelations’ from God inspired those around him to follow him. When most of the people didn’t follow him he had to resort to the sword by raiding traders to fund his holy war or jihad as he coined. He promised wealth if people joined his new religion.
Like Donald said, it’s a mish-mash of Christianity and Judaism as well. Being influenced by a heretic Christian, Muhammad wrote in the Koran itself that the Holy Trinity consisted of God, Jesus, and Mary.
There are so many instances of error in the Koran that I highly doubt that there is any influence by God Himself.
It’s basic heresy that you would even peddle this Henry.
Uh oh. The heresy hunters are out again, [ed.-deleted for uncharitableness].
Your uncharitableness knows no bounds.
You are a vindictive and trite human being.
Balthasar has no bearing on this argument.
I doubt you even practice what you know. How dare you call yourself a Catholic when you continue to hammer your fellow brothers in Christ with past mistakes.
“armed with their glaring ignorance.”
Mr. DeFrancisis, since this is Tito’s thread I will not delete your last comment. I will merely state that if you wish to debate the history of Islam in this thread, I will be happy to accomodate you.
Clearly Titor continues to ignore what I said, and the one who calls people “heretics” and seeks to condemn that which he doesn’t understand is the one who lacks charity. Once more: the Koran isn’t the work of Muhammad. It was created after his death. This brings to question what is and is not authentically his within the Koran; early Christian responses to Islam brought that up, especially those who did see Muhammad as a prophet. So bringing out errors within the Koran is not dealing with what was addressed. Although I agree the Koran does have errors, I would also say much of what is interpreted to be error often end up not being so (those who have studied Islam know distorted images and interpretations of the Koran and Kalam as they are expressed by the orientalist from the West looking to denigrate Islam from outside).
So what is uncharitable is the fact that people condemn without addressing the issues, and never once show an ounce of humility and try to discern what is even being said before making such declarations public.
What is sad is when people are looking to be heresy hunters, and do so by ignoring what was said and instead make some strawmen to burn. And then talk about people who point out the error of doing such as being “uncharitable.” It’s quite clear where the lack of charity lies; no sense of humility as they brashly rush in, and cry foul when they are shown to be going the wrong direction.
Henry: As I said, I read it. Your presumptions as to my level of knowledge and good faith are grating and best put aside if you wish to continue. If not, well–it’s the ‘net. Let me give you a little of the background of my reading to cure your presumptiveness:
http://dprice.blogspot.com/2008/04/religion-of.html
Yes, so the writer finds one 12th century Christian thinker (contemptuously dismissed by his Muslim perhaps-interlocutor)…and Rahner. Not a lot upon which to base his claim for Muhammad’s prophethood.
Furthermore, Christian principles of thinking also ask that we consider the impact and immediate fruit of the message. Sure, we have the Crusader era with the slaughter at Jerusalem. Eleven centuries after the founding of Christianity.
But the eruption of Islam into the world isn’t a later distortion. This is the conquest and subjugation of the Christian Middle East and Zorastrian Persia within a generation of his death. If the early Muslims misunderstood his message, it ranks as the greatest warping of a religious leader’s thought–ever. And, again, there is the Koran itself, which is entirely dismissive of the incarnation and the passion. If that is a work of revelation and the Spirit, however defined, our God is Janus, not the Ancient of Days.
Sure, there are prophets and people doing prophetic work, even in our time. Dorothy Day comes to mind. It is impossible to square the life of Muhammad with that of a Christian prophet. I’m not going to insult Muslims with respect to how they feel about him, but I’m also not going to give the man a rhetorical tongue-bath in the name of dialogue. Some religious disputes cannot be resolved, as the Koran itself wisely notes in sura 109:
[109:2] “I do not worship what you worship.
[109:3] “Nor do you worship what I worship.
[109:4] “Nor will I ever worship what you worship.
[109:5] “Nor will you ever worship what I worship.
[109:6] “To you is your religion, and to me is my religion.”
Sometimes, it’s just as simple as that.
I didn’t condemn anyone. I quoted St. Paul. So in a sense you’re now judging the charity of St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians. That’s called the sin of pride. You’re arrogance is getting the best of you.
As far as humility is concerned, if you had any, you wouldn’t be throwing around ad hominem statements like bringing up Balthasar.
If you ever were capable of accepting correction, you would know what humility means.
The paper itself is on a discussion of Paul of Antioch, which is why it only addresses Paul of Antioch. Do you seriously think this is the only early Christian witness to the idea that Muhammad could be a prophet? No, it wasn’t. But again, your response is to show “evil later came after Muhammad, therefore, he can’t be a prophet.” That is nonsense. As I pointed out, later abuse does not prove the initial error. After all, the Jews were the People of God, and yet, look to their horrible history.
As to the idea that Muhammad was a prophet, I would think that this portion of the Catechism would put “paid” to that particular notion:
“66 “The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive Covenant, will never pass away; and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”28 Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries.
67 Throughout the ages, there have been so-called “private” revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.
Christian faith cannot accept “revelations” that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such “revelations”.”
So I guess the question that spring up for me is: Are we actually doing ourselves or Islam any favors if our method of embracing Muhammad as a prophet involves assuming that the Koran not merely differs from what he himself actually said, but differs hugely and drastically. That is, needless to say, an insupportable if not offensive assumption to most Muslims.
Now, since I don’t think God was at work in helping the compilers of the Koran get it right, I don’t doubt at all that there were errors in its collection (and I also don’t doubt that there were errors in what Muhammad himself said) but I don’t see how telling Muslims, “We think that Muhammad was a real prophet, but unfortunately you Muslims recorded his message all wrong,” gets us anywhere good in regards to interfaith dialogue. Just as I don’t see what raprochement can go on with non-Christians (Islamic or otherwise) saying to Catholics, “We think that Christ was a real prophet, but most of what you have there in the Bible is in error and Christ actually taught something pretty much like what we believe.”
And more generally, while it’s true that private revelation continues, I’m not really sure why it makes any sense to assume that Muhammad really did receive revelations from God via an angel. Other than giving us the broad-minded a warm and fuzzy glow, it seems to make very little sense with the rest of what we know about salvation history.
There are many ways one could answer your question. The thing is, it is not about “warm and fuzzies.” It takes concrete work for the Christian to look for and find the rays of truth when outside of the normative domain of Christianity. Yet, once they are found, what good is it to find them? They become points of contact which open up room for dialogue. Does it make it easier? In some ways yes, in some ways no. In the fact that truth, wherever it is found, points to Christ, there is help. But the difficulty is to show, if that truth can be found, why all that is found isn’t necessarily a nugget of truth. Look to the work of St Thomas Aquinas with Aristotle to see both the difficulty — and yet the benefit — of such a practice. Or the patristics with Plato. Or the way even medieval hymns could see the Sibyls as prophets!
Beyond that, if this interests you, I suggest you get “Guidelines for Dialogue between Christians and Muslims.” From the Pontifical Council fir Interreligious Dialogue. It deals with your questions in great depth.
“The paper itself is on a discussion of Paul of Antioch, which is why it only addresses Paul of Antioch.”
Way to move that goalpost! Odd that you’d make that claim, given that it devotes all of two of the 12 printed pages to Paul, spending much more time developing the notion of Muhammad as prophet generally, but no matter. Oh, and that quote at the beginning: “He breaks with the Christian polemical tradition by neither attacking Islam nor denying the prophethood of Muhammad…”
Show your cards on these other early Christian writers–that would certainly move the dispute along.
But again, your response is to show “evil later came after Muhammad, therefore, he can’t be a prophet.”
The direct link between the message and the jihad sheds light on the nature of the message and thus, the messenger. It’s a matter of simple historiography, not to mention study of biblical texts. If you don’t care to wrestle with that inconvenient history and behavior, fine.
Then there’s the matter of his personal behavior in life, which, while I recognize the argument that prophets aren’t sinless, certainly raises alarm bells.
You, and the writer of the essay excerpt, are effectively arguing for a Muhammad only tenuously tethered to the Islamic tradition. Rather like a Muhammad Seminar, if you will. The burden on is on you to show why this should be so.
What about Christian violence through the centuries? Oh, that’s right: our violence is okay. Theirs is not.
If you are unable to show respect to your fellow brothers in Christ then don’t comment at all.
I deleted your last eight comments.
You’re better than that. I know you’re capable of writing well-formed arguments because I’ve read them in the past.
Hope you’re having a good Lent.
Perhaps because it is a part of a bigger text?
And you derived that from my arguments just how, precisely? And tu quoque is fun, but my beautiful, bright four year old can do it, too.
Then give us the rest of it, Henry. And the other Christians, too. A firmer anchoring in the Tradition will be most useful for the discussion. Such as it is.
The thing is, it is not about “warm and fuzzies.” It takes concrete work for the Christian to look for and find the rays of truth when outside of the normative domain of Christianity. Yet, once they are found, what good is it to find them? They become points of contact which open up room for dialogue.
I agree with that, but it seems to me that it’s necessary when dialoguing with Islam to accept Islam’s account of what it is — not create our own version which is offensive to orthodox Muslim sensibilities. (Which I’m pretty sure the claim that Muhammad was essentially a prophet in the Christian tradition whose followers totally screwed up his message when writing down the Koran would be.)
From what I’ve read so far of your linked article, I think it offends both orthodox Catholic and Muslim interpretations of their respective faiths by suggesting that the Koran is an inaccurate (perhaps highly inaccurate) rendition of what Muhammad taught (offensive to Muslim belief) and that Islam was actually meant by God to be a parrallel faith for pagan Arabs, making neither faith a universal revelation of God to man (offensive to both Catholic and Muslim belief.)
I just don’t see how this approach gets us to a good place as far as recognizing the real truths the two religions share — any more than a discussion between Catholics and Jews in which the Jews asserted that Christ was in fact a true prophet — but not the Son of God and all of the Bible is pius legend — would be productive. In order to recognize shared truths, we have first to recognize both religions as they truly understand themselves.
I see your sense of humor is as erratic as your ability to reason, so, I’ll say it directly and unambiguously, minus the attempt at humor:
Many of the views expressed here are grounded not in the teaching of the Church and an awareness of the actual teaching of Islam, but in prejudice, ignorance, and at worst, utter hatred for Muslims.
Have a good Lent.
I see your sense of humor is as erratic as your ability to reason, so, I’ll say it directly and unambiguously, minus the attempt at humor
Thank you for that constructive and charitable analysis of me. Your charity and humility exemplify your every word.
Sarcasm is fine and dandy, especially at my expense, but mocking people isn’t.
I can see why you’d want to think everyone here hates Islam and Muslims, but I see little evidence that it’s actually the case.
Indeed, it would appear to be Henry who wants to redefine Muslims’ faith for them, a move which I would think would be far more offensive to most Muslims than suggesting that a Catholic chapel should probably not be actively celebrating Muhammad’s birthday.
Well, it’s a huge mistake on your part to assume that all Muslims believe the same thing. Muslims THEMSELVES are redefining, and have been redefining all along, their faith. Just like us Christians.
Muslims THEMSELVES are redefining, and have been redefining all along, their faith. Just like us Christians.
Maybe leftist Catholics are redefining their cafeteria Catholicism, but the Church herself is timeless and will always teach the unchanging Truth.
Tito – Church history. Look into it.
Tito – I suppose, then, you reject the “leftist” innovations of just war theory and the celibate priesthood?
I have, none of the teachings of the Church have changed.
So you better not hold your breath that the ordination of women (sic) will occur at all.
I’m a Christian first, a conservative second.
Any alleged innovations are not liberal nor conservative.
Even you know better than that.
Muddying distinctions between the essentials of the faith (e.g. the divinity of Christ) and implications (just war) or even disciplines that have arisen after significant reflection is unhelpful here. Suggesting the Koran is inaccurate (as the writer does) is much more like explaining away the Resurrection, than instituting a discipline of clerical celibacy. It’s dishonest to pretend otherwise.
Certainly, Islam is much less centralized (and thus less consistant) in it’s doctrinal authority than Catholicism, and there are wide areas of disagreement. However, as a matter of definition, I think we can safely assume that the number of Muslims who believe that Muhammad was essentially a Christian prophet whose message was hopelessly garbled by his followers, and that all the doctrinal disagreements between Islam and Christianity are thus basically a mistake in transmission, is somewhere between “few” and “none”.
John – I am responding exclusively to Tito’s objection to my remark that Christianity has been, and continues to be, reinvented and his claim that Catholicism is unchanging (“none of the teachings of the Church have changed”). You and I know there are distinctions to be made between Tradition and traditions. It is Tito, not me, who muddies distinctions with his claims that the Church does not change.
Your the one throwing out the examples hence you’re the one confusing the distinctions.
You can go take your straw and make a nice pile of it, throw a match and have a nice B-B-Q.
Stop being dishonest in disingenuous. In other words, grow up.
Respectfully, I think your analogy muddied the waters. It suggested that positing the inaccuracy of the Koran was exactly the type of redefining that Christians do all the time (e.g. with clerical celibacy). The difficulty is that the accuracy of the Koran is much more similar to the divinity of Christ or the Resurrection; a central tenet of the religion. Contra your suggestion, Catholics are not really re-defining themselves in the same way as the above article suggests Muslims should.
John Henry,
Respectfully, I made no reference to the Koran or to particular teachings of Islam that are being redefined.
All I did was make the claim that Muslims have been redefining their faith since the beginning (with no particular redefinitions referenced) just like we Christians have been (with no particular redefinitions referenced).
Tito responded, like the fearful Catholic fundie that he is, that the Church does not change. I replied with two examples of innovations that Tito surely accepts. He continues to claim that the Church does not change.
It is Tito’s position, not mine, that is not able to grasp distinctions. “The Church does not change” betrays an utter denial of such distinctions.
I made no reference to the Koran or to particular teachings of Islam that are being redefined.
But you did! The very point Darwin was making was that Henry’s article suggested a fundamental redefinition of Islam — and you dismissed it with “Muslims are redefining their faith all the time.” Not in that way, they aren’t. Who’s not grasping the distinctions here?
Then you may have misread the preceding comments, because otherwise your response was a non sequitur. The document under discussion characterized the Koran as inaccurate, which was why Darwin said it would probably be offensive to most Muslims.
“but in prejudice, ignorance, and at worst, utter hatred for Muslims.
Catholic Anarchist, you really do have a good future ahead of you as a humorist. Blasting people as prejudiced, ignorant and haters and then telling them to have a good Lent is pretty funny. I assume that Tito shares my sense of humor. I can think of no other reason why he tolerates your inane comments.
For the last time, to clarify: My concerns have been 1) Tito’s view that the Church “does not change” and 2) Darwin’s monolithic view of Islam that does not take into account its diversity and the fact that it’s never been standing still. The particulars of Darwin and Henry’s discussion were not a concern of mine.
Funny how some people are much more tolerant and willing to see the good in someone’s religion when the subject is Islam rather than, say, Sarah Palin’s church. Perhaps they think Islam more compatible with Catholicism than Protestantism; or perhaps they let their political biases decide whether they will say nice things about someone’s religion.
Darwin’s monolithic view of Islam that does not take into account its diversity and the fact that it’s never been standing still.
It’s interesting that this is your concern, since I never claimed that Islam was either monolithic or unchanging. However, there are certain ideas which (especially at this current time in Islam’s history) we can be pretty confident perishingly few Muslim’s will agree with — and one of those is Henry’s supposedly ecumenical idea that Muhammad was actually an essentially Christian prophet who was merely misrepresented by his followers when they compiled the Koran.
If you didn’t mean to suggest that many Muslims could very well accept the thesis which Henry was presenting, then why pop up and insist that Muslims are not monolithic in their beliefs?
It’s as if I said, “Christians believe that Christ suffered and died for our sins and then rose from the dead on the third day,” and you suddenly replied, “Well, it’s a huge mistake on your part to assume that all Christians believe the same thing. Christians THEMSELVES are redefining, and have been redefining all along, their faith.”
It is a comment which would be true in a certain context (and with “redefining” defined in a somewhat non-standard way — “developing” would be a much better word, which is why that’s the word the Church generally uses) but in the context of the statement that Christians believe in Christ’s death and resurrection, it would give the strong impression you were suggesting Christians had either made that belief up, or that it was something which a great many Christians had discarded. Either way, it would make no sense, because if one does not believe in Christ’s death and resurrection one is definitionally not a Christian.
Saturday, March 14, AD 2009
of course Michael is well aware of the distinctions between development of doctrine, which is orthodox, and reversal of doctrine which is heresy. He deliberately uses the terms “change” and “reinvent” to avoid a valid charge.
Maybe someone should post an analysis of Pascendi, in regard to the current situation? I know that there is discussion on Fr. Z’s blog about bringing back the Anti-modernist oath. I’ll assent, what say you Michael?
On another note… Michael, it is my belief, that, while Mohammedans may worship the same God as the Jews and Christians… that Islam is a false religion. Would you disagree?
Wherever would you get the idea that priestly celibacy was EVER an innovation? Christ and St. Paul both recommended it, the only novelty was it’s codification by the Roman Church as a discipline, not exactly revolutionary given it’s near universal voluntary acceptance. Just war doctrine? Since Christians were not in position to make wars of any sort for a few hundred years, it was not much discussed until members of the Church were in political ascendancy. In any event there is no great leap in logic from the sound moral theology which had been applied to individual actions until that time, to the laws dictating the actions of the state. The Church (not individual Christians) will continue to develop her understanding of this and other doctrines, but will not “change” them. Therefore you can forget about women’s ordination and a reversal of the teaching on capital punishment, at least until the gates of hell prevail.
Here is the thing. DC’s comments are quite odd, as is the concern I see by many others here that what I said might “insult” Muslims. Why? Two reasons.
They generally say things which might insult Muslims. Do they care? No. Only if someone suggests that perhaps Muhammad was a prophet, then they say “that might insult Muslims.” Second, how so? I’ve talked to Muslims about this. They are not insulted at all. This demonstrates, to me, people don’t really understand Muslims. They might think I interpret Islamic history wrong, and my view of Muhammad is different than theirs, but you know, when Muslims say Jesus is the Christ, I am not insulted, even if they don’t believe in the Incarnation. Indeed, because they believe Jesus is the messiah, and Mary was a perpetual virgin, both of those issues become good points of contact for dialogue.
Moreover, even though Muslims do not agree with my interpretation of Islamic history, is the point of what I said for Muslims? No. It’s for Christians. Christians need to know what they think of Muhammad, or Plato, or Aristotle, or many other non-Christians. Coming to terms with their own views on these figures, internally, should affect how we dialogue with others.
And Dale Price, you see the url? You can use it to get back to the whole text.
Thank you, Henry Karlson.
http://www.sjweb.info/documents/dialogo/modernrelevance.doc
http://www.sjweb.info/documents/dialogo/5.htm
http://www.sjweb.info/documents/dialogo/features.doc
http://www.sjweb.info/documents/dialogo/godsunity.doc
http://www.sjweb.info/documents/dialogo/moving.doc
http://www.sjweb.info/documents/dialogo/sin.doc
If you had difficulty.
Perhaps they think Islam more compatible with Catholicism than Protestantism
It’s entirely possible (and probable) that some forms of Islam ARE more compatible with Catholicism than some forms of Protestantism.
Henry K,
Maybe the Dalai Lama is a misunderstood Christian prophet? What about Luther? Perhaps Ghandi? No. Not. The followers of these men may be mistaken about them, but the Church most certainly is not. If Muhammad was a Christian he would not have been slaughtering Christians to further his errors, and the Church would have seen him for what he was.
It’s interesting here, that there is an attempt by liberals to rebrand Islam to be “Catholic” just as there have been attempts to rebrand protestantism as “Catholic”. Once we all maintain our errors but are rebranded by the liberals as Catholic, then the unity that Christ sought is achieved, everyone’s Catholic and hell can be empty? Wrong. THe unity Christ sought is filial, but is most especially DOCTRINAL. Never mind the Mohammedans, very many liberal Catholics are not in communion, though they claim to be.
Entirely false? No. Does it have access to the truth in an imperfect way? Yes.
Michael I,
That’s what I thought. Perhaps the Mohammedans believe the sky is blue, and therefore, Michael I. can’t bring himself to believe it’s a FALSE religion, which it clearly is.
Enough of this liberal claptrap… let’s talk about the pope’s gift to the Church this past week!
from Fr. Z.
But some of those who put themselves forward as great defenders of the Council also need to be reminded that Vatican II embraces the entire doctrinal history of the Church. Anyone who wishes to be obedient to the Council has to accept the faith professed over the centuries, and cannot sever the roots from which the tree draws its life.
Wow! Powerful pill for the liberals to swallow.
Matt McDonald continues to show how clueless he is to the whole discussion and the Christian tradition.
HK,
wow! stunning and indepth insight.
Are you going to mosque today to tell the Mohammedans they are wrong about Mohammad? I doubt it.
After battling Islam for 700 years both theologically, and literally, you claim it’s founder is a prophet, and I am the one breaking from Christian tradition? Don’t you see the lunacy of your situation? You wish to embrace and make concessions to the infidels and spout bile to the Catholics who oppose such actions? Mohammad may have been a Christian, but Matt and Tito are not, right?
Michael Iafrate
Henry – I don’t think Matt is clueless about what the Roman Catholic Church teaches about the world’s religions. He just does not accept it, instead preferring the approach of evangelical Protestantism.
I wasn’t aware, Henry, that you have been battling Islam for 700 years, as he says in his last comment. Are you as old as Yoda? Older?
With all due respect (and wrongheaded though Henry is being in this discussion) your current approach is unhelpful in its tone.
Also, as a side note, the term “Mohammedans” is really not the best ones to use. Although “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet,” is the Islamic credo, they do not consider Muhammad a savior and object of worship in the way that as Christians we consider Christ to be. “Islam” and “Muslims” would be the best terms.
Well, I’m certainly glad to hear the Muslims you’ve shared your view on the the Prophet with have not been offended. Most reasonable people do indeed know there are far too many silly views out there to bother getting offended at everything that is offensive to one’s beliefs. Thus, for instance, while the activities of the Jesus Seminar are certainly offensive from a Christian point of view, actually getting emotionally offended by their antics is a waste of time and energy.
However, I think you’ve perhaps misunderstood the basic thrust of my comments, which is not that individual Muslims may find your views personally insulting, but that your ecumenical approach here is deeply problematic because it attempts to turn Islam into something other than what it says it is. You’re priding yourself in your broadmindedness in regards to considering Muhammad a prophet, while failing to take into account that your views are in contravention to Islam, and make little sense in the context of Christianity.
Now you say:
[I]s the point of what I said for Muslims? No. It’s for Christians. Christians need to know what they think of Muhammad, or Plato, or Aristotle, or many other non-Christians. Coming to terms with their own views on these figures, internally, should affect how we dialogue with others.
I’m not sure that I agree with you here. Christians need to know what they think about Muhammad’s teachings, Plato’s teachings and Aristotle’s teachings. Given that they were speaking in a more general philosophic context, I’d say the latter two have rather more to offer us than the former, but it is definitely worth understanding those ways in which each of the three illuminates the truth.
However, I’m not at all sure that as Christians we need or ought to come to a conclusion as to Muhammad, Plato and Aristotle themselves, and most specifically as to their relationships with God. Did Plato and/or Aristotle receive some sort of a limited revelation from God which allowed them to achieve such philosophical insights, or was it merely their human intelligence (modeled on God’s reason) working on the natural order of the world (created by God) which led them to their insights? Did Muhammad receive some sort of revelation from God which he and/or his followers completely garbled, or was he mad, or did he make it up, or did he receive what seemed to him revelations from some source other than one of God’s angels? Frankly, I don’t think it’s necessarily our place as Catholics to hold strong opinions as to which of these (or perhaps some other that haven’t thought of) is true. Such a conclusion can certainly do nothing to bring us closer to Muslims, and if we’re to pursue ecumenical dialogue I think we’re much better off focusing on those doctrinal and philosophical beliefs which we share.
Though of all the explanations for Muhammad and his actions which one might advance, the one you’re putting forward strikes me as by far the least likely.
Several things.
First, it is not ecumenical dialogue. It is inter-religious dialogue. Learn the difference. Ecumenical is intra-Christian, inter-religious is extra-Christian.
Second, Christians, when they dialogue with others, need to be able to do several things, including 1) they need to know their position of the other in relation to how they understand them before the dialogue 2) they need to be able to be open to learn how the other sees itself and not assume what the other believes of its own position but 3) they also need to be able to modify their position of the other in relation to the dialogue itself. #1 is important because a part of the dialogue is relate your own understanding, and if you cannot have some understanding before the dialogue, there is nothing to relate.
Nonetheless, you are looking at this solely as inter-religious. I am not. I am looking at this also in relation to how we understand the other, because again, without that understanding, we can’t have a basis for dialogue itself.
While you are right in saying teachings are important, we must realize that the personalism of Christianity also takes to heart the people involved as well. That there is a consistent dialogue within the Christian tradition itself of people such as Plato, Aristotle, Siddhartha, Muhammad, et. al., points very well, there is something within the Christian tradition itself that requires us to look into this. It has to do with a theology of religion, which is not an easy task.
But what I myself have said in relation to Islam is exactly how the Church looks at the matter, too, according to the book I previously suggested anyone interested in this matter should get. “Instead of these negative judgments which came out of former concern for polemics and apologetics, Christians should assess in an objective way, and in consonsance with their faith, exactly what the inspiration, the sincerity and the faithfulness of the Prophet Muhammad, making their judgment within the framework, first, of their personal response to the commands of God, and then, on a wider scale, that of the working of providence in world history.” Guidelines for Dialogue Between Christians and Muslims, 57. It goes further, even to describe how Muhammad was seen by Patriarch Timothy of Baghdad, another early witness of Christian dialogue with Islam, to be one who traversed the path of the prophets… again, what I say is not “modern” nor is it contrary or odd to anyone who deals with inter-religious dialogue.
You’re correct. I was using “ecumenical” in the casual sense in which it so often is used. I think we’re both pretty much aware of what was meant, though, so we can probably move past that.
The above is a bit difficult to parse since you’re referring to both disputants (dialogers?) by general terms and after a while you go into pronoun overload. If I follow you correctly, I believe you’re saying:
1) The Christian must go into the conversation with an understanding of what the non-Christian’s beliefs are and Christianity’s position as to the truth and falsity of those beliefs.
2) The Christian must be open to changing his understanding of what the non-Christian actually believes during the course of the dialogue, and thus actively listening to understand what it is that the non-Christian is really saying. (This can be especially difficult because we often use the same words to mean different things. One wants to avoid false disagreements – and false agreements.)
3) Christian and non-Christian both need to be ready to alter their positions on the truth and falsity of each others beliefs as they come to understand more clearly what those beliefs actually are.
Taking these to be your meanings, I agree with all your points as to how religious dialogue ought to go on — it’s just that I think your analysis of Muhammad is wrong from either a Christian or Muslim perspective.
Here I don’t think I agree with you. I don’t think it’s necessary for us to come to a firm conclusion, as Catholics, as to what the real nature of Muhammad’s religious experience was — or how accurately the Koran in fact portrays his teachings. We need to be able to understand how Muslim scholars understand these topics, and we need to understand to what extent their beliefs do and do not reflect truth as we understand it. But there’s no call, so far as I can see, for us to come up with our version of “what really happened” with regard to Muhammad. In part because while Christian revelation and Tradition allow us to understand in what senses Islam is true and false, we are not given any particular insight into what Muhammad’s real experiences were.
So while I think we’re definitely called to encounter the teachings of the people you list, I really don’t see that we’re required to produce our own just-so stories of how they came to teach what they taught.
“Instead of these negative judgments which came out of former concern for polemics and apologetics, Christians should assess in an objective way, and in consonsance with their faith, exactly what the inspiration, the sincerity and the faithfulness of the Prophet Muhammad, making their judgment within the framework, first, of their personal response to the commands of God, and then, on a wider scale, that of the working of providence in world history.”
I agree with those guidelines that this is how we should go about addressing Islam, it’s just that I strongly disagree with you that it is a reasonable theory, based on the working of providence in world history, that Muhammad was a real prophet in the Judeo-Christian tradition. And while I agree that there are a small minority of Christian thinkers throughout the last 1300 years who have seen him as having been such, it’s equally clear that they have historically been in the minority. And with good reason. I don’t think that idea makes any sense.
The traditional view has been to see Muhammad as either a heretic or a heathen. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Some of my favorite writers are heathens or heretics — and as the Church clearly teaches: there is much real truth with can be found in their writings.
1) We do not go in knowing what the other’s position is, though we probably go in with some background, but it should be one which is able to be modified through the dialogue. The point, once again, is we go in with our own religious understanding of the other, of the placement of the other in our own theology of religions (different religions, and different thinkers within a given faith might come in with different answers here).
2) There is no “the traditional view” there are many different views in tradition, including the ones of Eastern Patriarchs like Timothy of Baghdad or Paul of Antioch. In this way, I am bringing to the discussion the wider tradition, which you ignore. And this is also included in the work which I referenced. “Christians are inclined to perceive that Muhammad was a great literary, political and religious genius, and that he possessed particular qualities which enabled him to lead multitudes to the worship of the true God. But, at the same time, they find in him evidence of certain mistakes and important misapprehensions. They also discern in him marks of prophethood.” (p.58). Once again, this is not “my view,” this is what you find in documents of those who engage Islam for the Church, who employ the Church’s long history and tradition to do so. That there are some who see Muhammad as a monster, a devil, a heretic, a heathen, etc — I have not denied; but I am pointing out that this is not the only possible position. And, as from the quote I gave before this, the call has been stated for us to discern who he is.
I truly suggest people read the book I am quoting from. It serves as a sound basis for a Catholic understanding of Islam. Fr Garvey in his inter-religious dialogue text for Orthodox says the same thing; it is, therefore, not just a contemporary Catholic position either. Indeed, you will find a recent Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria (non-Coptic) also calling Muhammad a prophet. There is a Western polemical tradition which some focus on, but again, the Church has also called us to abandon that — and to learn from the greater tradition. This is what I encourage you to do.
can you give a SIGNIFICANT concrete example in history where a non-Christian religious group was approached with the perspective that their founder might have been a Christian prophet? You say this is a “traditional” Christian approach, surely if there’s an example we could all see the orthodoxy of your proposal. Obscure, unauthoritative snippets, possibly taken out of context are not compelling in the face of overwhelming evidence that such ideas are unorthodox. It is not unnussual to refer to religious leaders by the titles they claim for themselves regardless of their authenticity. I can appreciate Bishop Desmond Tutu, while in no way acknowledging that he is a bishop as such.
As to the question of whether your hypothesis is offensive to Mohammedans, I am quite certain that they are not so different from us. I am much less offended when an atheist denies Christ’s divinity than when one denies He CLAIMED DIVINITY, even worse when one claiming to be Christian does so.
I completely concur with DC that the Church engages dialogue on a reasoned and philosophical level, it does not flirt with the idea that theologies of false religions are some sort of “alternate” version of the One True Faith, or that they can, in any way be true where they disagree with same.
you may not have been at war with Islam (which means obedience, it is not obedient to God, therefore I try and avoid the term, sorry if such frank dialogue is distasteful), but I as a member of the Body of Christ have. I’m sure most people here had no problem recognizing that it is the Church, and Christian Tradition which has been at war with Islam.
Those so open to the idea of canonizing Mohammed should carefully consider the Holy Father’s recent declaration which I have posted above, but bears repeating:
be reminded that Vatican II embraces the entire doctrinal history of the Church. Anyone who wishes to be obedient to the Council has to accept the faith professed over the centuries, and cannot sever the roots from which the tree draws its life.
Give me a statement from the post-Vatican II Church that states that the Body of Christ is “at war” with Islam.
Those so open to the idea of canonizing Mohammed should carefully consider…
Who said anything about canonizing Muhammad?
Who else do you think we are at war with, Matt?
I’ll repeat it for your benefit:
As St. Pius V said after the defeat of the Muslim fleet at Lepanto:
“A truce to business; our great task at present is to thank God for the victory which He has just given the Christian army”
Mark D.,
we are at war with all that is evil. Lies are evil, satan is the father of lies. Christ is truth, He is at war and so are we.
Matthew 10:34 Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword
How did Christ fight the war, Matt?
He lived, He died.
He resurrected….surely you know this much?
Christopher Blosser
On a related note:
ROME (CNS) — Christians must distance themselves from anyone or anything that insults Islam’s prophet Mohammed and should come to a greater appreciation of his role in bringing millions of people to recognize the one God, said a German Jesuit scholar.
But Christians cannot share Muslims’ recognition of Mohammed as the last and greatest prophet, said Father Christian Troll, a professor of Islam and of Muslim-Christian relations at the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt, Germany.
Writing in La Civilta Cattolica (Catholic Civilization), a Jesuit magazine reviewed by the Vatican prior to publication, Father Troll was responding to a question asked by many Muslims: “We Muslims recognize Jesus as a prophet and we venerate him. Why don’t you Christians accept Mohammed as a prophet in the same way?”
We cannot recognize him as a prophet period in other words.
Matt – You’re a nut case!
Sunday, March 15, AD 2009
Which does not say they can’t recognize him as a prophet; saying we cannot believe him to be the “last and greatest prophet” is entirely correct. He isn’t.
Christopher:
I suspect the CNS article has problems, look how it says this, “For Christians, Jesus was not a prophet, but the word of God made flesh, he said.”
I am sure he said “prophet according to Muslim standards” because Christians MUST view Jesus as a prophet (and not just a prophet, but a prophet nonetheless). But again, it is nice, isn’t it, to take articles, and quote words which don’t engage the discussion, and leave it there. You would have done well if you did some exegesis of the text itself, so I know what it is you were trying to say.
If you could read, it does not say that. It says we can’t look at Muhammad and understand him the say way as the Muslims do. We don’t see Muhammad is the last, greatest prophet. That’s basic. It is also basic that we don’t have the same understanding of prophethood as Muslims (which would explain the quote I gave above). But that does not answer, can Muhammad be seen as a prophet, according to Christian standards. Not as the “last, greatest” one, but as one nonetheless.
If you could read,
Wow. Let me ask: Do you think this is a strategically sound way to win people over to your arguments?
Have you seen THEIR comments? Interesting to see what you take out of that whole conversation.
Yes, and whatever the strengths or weaknesses of their remarks, I don’t recall them engaging in ad hominem attacks against anyone here. So again: Do you think you’re winning converts?
You don’t “recall”? Go back up there and read. But I suspect you will ignore all the insults. Fine. Talk about “do you think you are winning converts,” do you think you are going to convince me you are right by saying I engage them in ad hominens (which I did not do)?
Henry, It’s late and this is a long thread. I see that the personal attacks have gone both ways, and I stand corrected. Yet…
You don’t “recall”? Go back up there and read. But I suspect you will ignore all the insults. Fine.
…now you’re casting aspersions on my motives. I wasn’t intentionally ignoring some insults over others; I made an honest mistake based on a few cutting remarks in the last several posts.
Perhaps then you should have said nothing.
No, I wanted to call you on it. Because until that point, I was interested in what you had to say.
How could you be interested in what I had to say, if you didn’t read the conversation and therefore, didn’t read what I said? See, getting in at the end and just ridiculing certain people, ignoring the context, says much about you. Sorry. No go. And you talk about me casting aspersions!
In other words, the one who just engaged an ad homimen is you. Classical one. “You are rude, therefore, what you have to say is of no value.” Typical. Very typical.
Henry, I did read what you said. I honestly didn’t recall the whole episode about 50 posts up. I wasn’t trying to ridicule you; I was genuinely bothered by the fact that you’d made that remark about Tito when otherwise (as I remembered it) you were presenting an interesting case. I did not “ignore the context” — in fact, I thought it was rather out of context. That’s why my comment was directed to the strategy of your word choice, and not to you personally.
Rick Lugari
I can call Mohammad a prophet. I can call Joseph Smith a prophet. I can call David Koresh a prophet. They believed they were prophets (presumably), and other believed they were, so in conversation with some one who believes them to be prophets I have no issue with saying, “the prophet Mohamed”, i.e. asking “Well what did the prophet Mohamed say about x?” However, I don’t believe for a moment any of those were truly prophets of God; that as Catholics we should not consider them prophets in the sense that God used them to speak to us.
I’m a little confused by Henry’s comments. At times I think he’s essentially stating what I said, other times it seems like he’s stating that as Catholics we should accept Mohamed as a prophet – as someone who was indeed sent by God to teach us something (i.e. Isiah, John the Baptist, St Bernard, etc.) . If the latter, I disagree.
Henry, are you willing to assign your thoughts to one or the other broad categories?
It’s spelled “ad homineM.”
“Either/or” alert.
Having dealt with Matt’s nonsense for a while now, I am not optimistic about the possibility of “winning him over.” If he refuses to listen to the Church’s teaching, he sure as hell ain’t going to listen to me.
One of the things it actually might help you to consider, Henry, would be not assuming so quickly that people are “the enemy” and lashing out against them. Also, it helps to watch the subtext of how one chooses phrase things. If your subtext is almost always, “I’m smarter and more educated than you are,” you’ll tend to come off poorly with people.
All other things being equal, one generally does better in online conversation (as in person) if one attempts to be _more_ polite and reasonable than one’s opponents.
Back on the original topic of conversation:
Would you say that Muhammad is, to your mind, unique as a real prophet (as in, actually receiving revelations from God) who was not a Christian (and presented a non Christian message) or are them other examples you would name. Perhaps other examples would help people see what you’re trying to get at here.
Also, even while understanding that this is an attempt at a Christian theology of religions, which the Christian would then bring into inter-religious dialogue, I’m still confused as to the utility (and the reasonableness) of this theory. The two things that strike me are:
1) If we can only justify the claim that Muhammad was a real (though perhaps at times self serving or misguided) prophet by theorizing that a great deal of what was recorded in the Koran was not in fact an accurate representation of Muhammad’s teaching — do we really have any way of knowing what Muhammad’s teaching was, or are we simply creating an area of doubt into which we can read whatever we like.
2) Doesn’t this actually give us a more difficult inter-religious dialogue situation than simply remaining agnostic to where Muhammad’s revelation came from (or holding it to have been madness or fabrication) in that we’re essentially attacking Muslims’ faith on two fronts: First asserting truths other than those traditionally asserted by Islam, and secondly claiming that the Koran does not in fact even represent the real teachings of Muhammad.
If one takes the more traditional path of accepting that the Koran is an accurate record of Muhammad’s teachings, exploring and affirming those truths which we hold in common, and explaining and arguing for those truths which Islam lacks, we have a relatively simply situation. If we say, “Muhammad was basically a real prophet, but he may have added some things for self serving reasons and then his followers went off the tracks and recorded everything wrong so the suras you know so well probably aren’t really Muhammad’s teaching anyway” then it seems to me that you make any real dialogue nearly impossible, and instead put your Muslim dialog partner into apologetics mode.
The only sense in which I can see this working is if one then goes on to take the untenable (from an orthodox Catholic point of view) that Islam represents some sort of “separate but equal” revelation and thus Muslims _ought_ to remain Muslim while Christians remain Christian. I can see why it would be a good defensive measure for Christians in certain places and times in history to have reached such a view, but it does not seem to be at all compatible with our understanding of the commission Christ gave to His Church.
<u<Michael J. Iafrate Says:
Sunday, March 15, 2009 A.D. at 12:51 pm
Having dealt with Matt’s nonsense for a while now, I am not optimistic about the possibility of “winning him over.” If he refuses to listen to the Church’s teaching, he sure as hell ain’t going to listen to me.M.
Calumnythe unjust damaging of the good name of another by imputing to him a crime or fault of which he is not guilty. The sin thus committed is in a general sense mortal, just as is detraction. It is hardly necessary, however, to observe that as in other breaches of the law the sin may be venial, either because of the trivial character of the subject-matter involved or because of insufficient deliberation in the making of the accusation. Objectively, a calumny is a mortal sin when it is calculated to do serious harm to the person so traduced. Just as in the instance of wrongful damage to person or estate, so the calumniator is bound to adequate reparation for the injury perpetrated by the blackening of another’s good name. He is obliged (1) to retract his false statements, and that even though his own reputation may necessarily as a consequence suffer. (2) He must also make good whatever other losses have been sustained by the innocent party as a result of his libellous utterances, provided these same have been in some measure (in confuso) foreseen by him.
Your views of Christianity’s relation to Islam ARE at odds with Catholic understanding and teaching of/on the matter.
cite an AUTHORITATIVE document and my statement which is contradiction to it, or refer to the above post on calumny.
This is typical liberal behavior. They cry “ad hominem” when someone demonstrates their view is in error, and then promptly make unfounded accusations.
Cite me an official Church document ( and not a saying of a centuries ago pope) that declares that we are at war with Islam. If you find one, square it with VII statements.
I’ll not do your research for you, but I’m sure you are aware of the crusades, the battles of Lepanto, Vienna (1 & 2), Tours, the Reconquista of Spain, sacking of Rome by the Mohammedans… etc. etc. These are military examples. The theological ones are numerous as well. Read any pope from 8th until the 20th century and you’ll see.
In fact my statement is not even doctrinal, it is simply an assessment of reality. My tone may be out of step with current rhetoric from the Vatican, but that is not a matter of “faith and morals”.
Cite me an official Church document ( and not a saying of a centuries ago pope)
oops. Missed that one, so you only consider post-Vatican II popes and documents authoritative? That sir, is clearly not in line with Church teaching (or Vatican II itself), you may not have read all of the above posts, so I’ll repeat it for you:
Just a friendly reminder, in case some of us forgot, the Church did not begin after A.D. 1962.
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I don’t think it’s accurate to say that Christianity has been at war with Islam from the beginning. Though it is the case that majority Christian countries have often been at war with majority Islamic countries/populations from 800-1700.
On the Christian side of things, there is not really a Christian “holy war” tradition at all. The Crusades and similar wars over the course of Christian history were essentially cases where Church leadership said that a particular war was just (under just war theory as it existed at the time) and that soldiers who participated with the right intentions and spirit could expiate sins through the act of fighting injustice via that war.
So Christianity is certainly not necessarily “at war with Islam”. However, Christianity does clearly lay out the right (and sometimes the responsibility) to respond with defense force against aggression — and so during those periods of history in which Islamic leaders have drawn on the Muslim understanding of Jihad to attack Christians, Christians have certainly fought back. (And similarly, in examples like the reconquesta, Christian rulers have sought to regaint territory which had been taken from them during earlier religious wars.)
All of which is to say: I don’t think we should say “Christianity is at war with Islam” because from a Christian perspective we have no need to be at war with Muslims unless they attack us. And since I don’t think that the Muslim doctrine of Jihad (which has been subject to a wide variety of understandings and emphases in different places and times by different Muslims) is actually true, I certainly don’t think that they _need_ to be at war with us.
DarwinCatholic,
You’ll note that I said military and theological. So by definition, as soon as that lie was told the Church fought it. I don’t think it’s fair to distinguish between Islamic countries and Islam itself, the Mohammedans don’t, why should we? We need to examine the distinction between Christianity and Christian nations in the case of Islamic invasions, when the key demand is to submit to Islamic rule, I think it’s fair to say it is Christianity itself which is at war.
I never said “holy war”, so don’t apply it to my statement. I think you are under representing the EXHORTATION to fight in the crusades, and the organizing of Crusades by the Church.
You’re completely ignoring the theological aspect of my point. We have not always been in military conflict with Islam, there are times when it stepped back to regroup before it attacked again, when relative peace existed (aside from individual Christians living in muslim lands who have been harassed always). Theologically, we have never stopped fighting Islam, nor can we.
You’re also making it sound as if the muslim invasions and Christian responses were about the kings territory, this is just not the real situation. Christianity depended on the physical protection of a Christian king to prevent Islam from violently forcing conversion or submission.
You are a nut case.
Matt:
Holy Father:
so you disagree with myself and the Holy Father to the extent that you consider us nutcases? Please be specific, which of the Holy Father’s statements do you find nutty?
I know, you’re being scriptural (1 Cor 1:18-25):
For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness; but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the prudence of the prudent I will reject. 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world, by wisdom, knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of our preaching, to save them that believe. 22 For both the Jews require signs, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness: 24 But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Darwin – I’m happy to see you distance yourself from the disgusting, unChristian views of Matt and Tito. If only more of the American Catholic bloggers would do the same.
Leverating what I say to turn around and insult them is not a way to encourage me to do that, Michael.
If I want to call someone “disgusting” or “unChristian” I’ll do so — but I’d rather not have people invoke me to do so.
As it stands, I think we’d all be better off without using that kind of terminology so often. More heat than light and all that.
if only more of the American Catholic bloggers would do the same.
That’s just silly; sometimes we have time to comment, sometimes we don’t. Matt no more speaks for me than you do. While on this issue I agree with you, I think you’re both unnecessarily rude. That in itself is a reason not to wade into your back-and-forth.
so you think it’s a Christian action to call me unChristian for acknowledging that we have engaged in theological and/or military war with Islam since it’s inception? Do you consider St. Pius V “unChristian”? What about St. Pius X? Leo XII?
Note that we have only 2 canonized popes since the 1500’s… Pius V and Pius X… both used strong language in dealing with those who attack the Church.
I meant to say Leo XIII, I’m sure Leo XII is a good pope, just not that familiar with him.
so you think it’s a Christian action to call me unChristian for acknowledging that we have engaged in theological and/or military war with Islam since it’s inception?
I think calling what is unChristian by name is one of the most Christian things we can do sometimes. What you said was that the Church is at war with Islam. That is what I take issue with.
When you make statements which other Catholics believe to be clearly and obviously wrong, I doubt that you appreciate it if they simply announce that you’re being unChristian. What makes civility work is erring on the side of it even when you feel it’s not deserved.
I agree with you that the Church very strongly exhorted Catholics to go on crusade (and I didn’t mean to imply you had asserted a principle of “holy war”, I was just pointing out what I saw as the distinction between Catholicism and Islam on the topic.) However at the same time I think it’s important to recall that although this was based strongly on religious feeling, it was also made possible by the fact that the papacy and the Church in general were a strong secular power as well a religious power at that time. Byzantium appealed to the pope as both a secular and a spiritual power to come to its aid with military force.
I don’t think it would be accurate to say that “we have engaged in theological and/or military war with Islam since it’s inception”. We’ve asserted that Islam is false since it’s inception, and we have fought against Islamic forces as necessary over the centuries when their teaching of Jihad has caused them to invade Christian lands or oppress Christian populations. But I don’t think that Catholicism is necessarily in a state of theological (or military) war with Islam any more so than with any other world religion.
Also worth keeping in mind, I think, is the nature is the nature of the doctrine of Jihad. Jihad means struggle, and traditionally Muslims have talked about the greater jihad (greater struggle) which is one’s inner striving for virtue and obedience to God, and the lesser jihad, which is the attempt to protect and spread Islam by military means.
Since Islam has no central doctrinal authority (and since in my opinion as a Christian it isn’t true, and thus need not be one way rather than another) some Muslims have at some times and places very heavily emphasized the lesser jihad (modern Mujahideen often go so far as to claim that the greater jihad is impossible except when you’re actively engaged in the lesser jihad) and in other times and places practically ignored it. It seems to me that if Muslims are willing to ignore the lesser jihad, then the Church’s only quarrel with them is that, like other non-Christians, they do not have the fullness of Christ’s saving message.
Tuesday, March 17, AD 2009
At the start of my discussion, I pointed out a document. It would help answer your question if you read it. At least it would help put us on the same page in this discussion itself.
But I will make some brief statements here now. Prophecy: pro + phesi. To speak for/in behalf of/in front of/etc. A prophet is one who does pro + phesi for God.
Now many Christians through the centuries, when looking at Muhammad (such as Paul of Antioch, who I have mentioned, and who was under consideration in the document I gave a link to), saw that he brought a sense of justice and also the monotheism of the God of Abraham to them. They see that because he spoek of and for God to them, and got them to believe in the true God, he was a prophet. They also think his mission was to bring the Arabs together, and if his mission was not subverted, it would have brought them to the Gospel (either in Muhammad’s lifetime, or soon after); so they saw Muhammad a prophet preparing for the Gospel.
Now, even if one says that is a failure, they would point out that many prophets have had failed missions. But partial success, and the longevity of the movement itself, says something about its origins (just like Christians were shown to be of God in the Acts of the Apostles).
Now even if one acknowledges this, as many Christians did and do, there are still questions. Does this mean Muhammad was holy? Not necessarily at all; many (not all) think he would have been a prophet like unto Balaam. Now Balaam truly spoke for God, but look to how self-serving he was in his life? Now of course, Muslims would not like this, but again, the question is from the Christian perspective and how we understand him. And this is an example to show the extremes we find, even in the normative tradition, of how prophets can act. Which is why, as the links above again show, Christians and Muslims have a different notion of what it means to be a prophet.
I’m not saying an individual has to believe he is, but all I am saying is it is within the Christian tradition to allow for this perspective. And even by saying it, it does not answer all the questions as people assume.
And we can and do see Christians looking to various figures as prophets which might seem surprising, from the Sibyl and Vergil (his glorification of Caesar was read Christologically by many), to Zoroaster, etc. Things are not as neat as people might realize.
There’s no need for those ad hominems towards Matt and I.
Debate the points with charity.
Thanks Henry. I think you clarified your position well – at least to my mind. For me this is one subject I don’t care to try to divine the truth in all it’s nuances, so I didn’t ask as a means of being argumentative. I just saw what I thought was an argument going on that may have been averted if there were more clarity. Contra the dismissive remark but another commenter I wasn’t trying to trip you up or squeeze you into a neat little box.
Then respond to it with reason and evidence.
Darwin/Brendan
Please don’t take this as merely cynical, because I am of course very sympathetic to the Medieval ideas about Virgil and other pagan figures having been in some sense prophetic. However I think there are two reasons why seeing those figures as occasionally prophetic from a Christian point of view sat better with people:
1) The argument was made in the context of their religious traditions already having “lost” or during the course of an overwhelming push to convert the remaining pagans who recognized them as authorities. So one might either tell pagans, “Christ is the savior sent to all of us, look even the Sibyl prophesied his coming.” Or you might, in retrospect, look at Virgil’s 4th Eclogue and reflect that he had prophesied Christ’s coming, as a way of reflecting on how all of creation (even the non-Jews) had been in anticipation of Christ’s coming. What we do not see, however, is exchanges along the lines of:
“Paganism is false, and pagans must convert and be baptised.”
“Well, it’s not entirely false, and many consider the Sibyl to have been a real prophet. We should not be so harsh in our judgement.”
I think it’s safe to say that pagan figures were only pointed to as prophets from within an understanding that paganism was a false and soon-to-be-vanished religion.
2) Virtually all the examples I can think of were explicitly pre-incarnation. The only exceptions I can think of (and I can’t think of a specific example right now but I’m sure I’ve seen this) are when you have stories about the conversion of pagan peoples in which some sort of prophecy of a new god coming who will overthrow all the other gods is received by a priest or oracle shortly before Christian missionaries show up.
Either way, Muhammad as prophet doesn’t really seem to fit the mold. I guess it’s possible, according to the description of what you mean by prophet, but I don’t find it a very compelling explanation.
I’m happy to see you distance yourself from the disgusting, unChristian views of Matt and Tito. If only more of the American Catholic bloggers would do the same.
After the Gerald Campbell incident, after any number of VN comments from folks like digby, etc., you’re not exactly in a position to demand that bloggers have an obligation to write up a disagreement with every inaccurate thing that appears on their blog.
No one here is defending your statement that Christians are “at war with Islam,” so it must be self-evident.
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'Plan of mercy' explained to wayward son
Scriptural account a 'type, example' of forgiveness
Quoting the Savior's declaration, "I will remember your sins no more," President Boyd K. Packer used the account of a "loving father and a wayward son" in the Book of Mormon as a "type and example."
"Alma, the father, was a prophet; his son, Corianton, a missionary," President Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve, said during the Saturday afternoon session. President Packer then related this account, quoting from verses from the Book of Alma.
Corianton, while serving a mission among the Zoramites with his brothers, Helaman and Shiblon, forsook his ministry and went to the land of Siron after the harlot Isabel. Explaining that the sin of unchastity is "most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost" (Alma 39: 5), Alma told his son that his iniquity had turned away investigators. Then, Alma the loving father became Alma the teacher, teaching his son of the coming of Christ, "that it is he that surely shall come to take away the sins of the world; yea, he cometh to declare glad tidings of salvation unto his people" (Alma 39:15).
Knowing his son was worried about the resurrection of the dead, Alma then taught Corianton, "There is a time appointed that all shall come forth from the dead" (Alma 40:4). Between the time of death and resurrection, Alma continued, "the righteous are received into a state of happiness" (Alma 40:12) and the evil are "led captive by the will of the devil" (Alma 40:13).
Then perceiving that Corianton was worried about and could not understand the "justice of God in the punishment of the sinner," Alma taught his son about justice and mercy, that "the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice. . . ."
Then, bluntly, Alma said: "Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the soul" (Alma 41:16).
Alma himself "had once greatly disappointed his own father, Corianton's grandfather," going about "seeking to destroy the church" (Alma 36:6) until he was struck down by an angel (see Mosiah 27:14). Feeling the agony of guilt, he remembered the teachings of his father "concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world."
He cried out, "O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me. . . . And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more" (see Alma 36:17-21, 24).
Teaching his son that mercy cannot rob justice, Alma said, "O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins. . . ." (Alma 42:30).
Corianton, in agony and shame, was brought "down to the dust in humility" (Alma 42:30). Then, satisfied with his son's repentance, Alma the priesthood leader "lifted the terrible burden of guilt his son carried, and sent him back to the mission field. . ." (Alma 42:31).
Twenty years later, Corianton was still faithfully laboring in the gospel. (See Alma 63:10; see also Alma 49:30.)
"It is a wicked, wicked world in which we live and in which our children must find their way," President Packer declared. "Challenges of pornography, gender confusion, immorality, child abuse, drug addiction, and all the rest are everywhere. There is no way to escape from their influence."
Reminding the congregation of the Atonement of Christ, President Packer quoted Doctrine and Covenants 18:11: "For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him."
"Christ is the Creator, the Healer," President Packer said. "What He made, He can fix. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of repentance and forgiveness."
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GATEKeeper's Blog
W. Andrew Powell April 25, 2019 11:09 am April 28, 2019
Happy Endgame week; it’s finally here. Avengers: Endgame opens in theatres everywhere tonight and it’s going to be one of the years biggest films because fans are excited, and the film really does a lot of things right.
On Tuesday morning I screened the film with other Toronto press, and I definitely walked out of the theatre pleasantly impressed. Is the film a perfect cinematic masterpiece? No, but it’s good, it’s satisfying, and for fans who have been following for any amount of time, it’s also a long-overdue conclusion to a lot of story arcs and plotlines.
For a proper film review, read Andrew Parker’s review, which really breaks the film down–without spoilers as well–to talk about how it succeeds, and where it could have worked a little better.
On the other hand, I decided to do a video review to talk about my impressions, and why the film is satisfying, even with a few flaws. I also used spoiler-free footage in the video, to show off some of the visuals.
Watch my video review below and let me know what you think in the comments here or on YouTube. Once you’ve seen the film, come back and let us know what you thought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRxldXjYDtI
AvengersFeaturedMarvelvideovideo review
W. Andrew Powell
W. Andrew Powell lives, sleeps, eats, and breaths movies and entertainment. Since launching The GATE in 1999 Andrew has enjoyed being a pest to any publicist who would return his calls. In his "spare time," Andrew is also an avid photographer, and writes about leisure travel and hotels around the world.
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The Victorian period was a miserable time to be poor. Assistance was only awarded to people who could earn a living, however meagre that living might be. Those who would not or could not work were treated as an “underclass” whose impoverished state was akin to a criminal offence. Individuals who found themselves on the bottom rung of the social ladder had very few options available to them. They could subject themselves to the inhuman conditions of the local workhouse or they could take their chances on the streets, finding shelter in slum housing.
The slums of London
During Queen Victoria’s reign numerous slums lurked behind the capital’s busy thoroughfares: Vicious and overcrowded hovels were sandwiched in between the Mile End Road and Commercial Road in Stepney, wretched rookeries lay behind Drury Lane and filthy tenements lined the west side of Borough High Street. However, none of the above were quite as bad as Dorset Street in Spitalfields. Described by the Daily Mail as “the worst street in London” it played host to the people most Londoners preferred to forget.
Lords of the Slums
The Victorian authorities were very happy to hand over the problem of social housing to private landlords. These men and women – often from impoverished backgrounds themselves – were given free rein to control the districts in which they operated, with very little interference. Consequently, they became the “godfathers” of their territory, providing safe houses for criminals, operating brothels and running illegal gambling rackets. Any unwelcome attention from an over-zealous policeman was swiftly dealt with by way of a bribes.
London's Dorset Street in 1902
Thieves’ Kitchens
The slum landlords’ most lucrative investments were Registered Common Lodging Houses, so-named because they had to be registered with the police. These doss houses were a familiar sight in the Victorian slums. Identified by a large lantern looming over their front door, they provided miserable accommodation in squalid dormitories lined with pest-ridden beds. The unfortunate inmates of these establishments paid by the night and no questions were asked as long as you had enough coins in your pocket (usually around four pence) to gain admittance. The lodging house doors opened at around 8pm each evening and the inmates were turned out, whatever the weather, at 10am the following morning so the rooms could be aired in preparation for the next intake. Although the Common Lodging Houses were supposed to be inspected by the police, officers rarely made an appearance. Thus, they became a popular resort of the criminal fraternity, earning them the nickname, “Thieves’ Kitchens.”
Henry Mayhew’s descriptions of poverty
Although Victorian society in general chose to ignore the horrific conditions in the slums, some individuals were determined to expose the plight of the poor. One such man was Henry Mayhew, a journalist who wrote a series of articles about London’s poverty-stricken inhabitants during the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. His work was later published in a ground-breaking book – London Labour and the London Poor – which revealed in detail the conditions in which these people were forced to live. Mayhew described the inmates of a Common Lodging House thus:
“The pickpockets lodging there consist of handkerchief stealers, shoplifters…Besides pickpockets, there are also lodging in the house speculators in stolen goods…I have known, says my informant, these speculators to wait in the kitchen, walking about with their hands in their pockets till a little fellow would come in with such a thing as a piece of bacon, or a piece of mutton. They would purchase it, and then either retail it amongst the other lodgers in the kitchen or take it to some fence, where they would receive a profit upon it.”
A sketch by Henry Mayhew
Charles Booth’s map of London poverty
By the closing years of Queen Victoria’s reign public opinion of poverty and its myriad evils was beginning to change. One of the most influential projects was Charles Booth’s poverty survey, which looked at every street in London (except those in the City,) and colour coded them on a map, with black denoting the most deprived areas. Officially entitled an “Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People of London” the survey began in 1886 and took Booth and his assistants 17 years to complete. Today this fascinating document can be viewed online here.
Charles Booth and Henry Mayhew constantly pressed for improvements to Britain’s slums, but little was actually achieved during Queen Victoria’s reign. However, during the decade that followed her death in 1901, some significant changes occurred. In 1905 the Unemployed Workmen Act gave financial support for businesses to employ more workers and the following year, children from impoverished families were offered free school meals. After the Liberal Party swept to power in the 1906 General Election more welfare reforms were introduced, notably the introduction of old-age pensions in 1908. The seeds of a Welfare State had been sown.
By Fiona Rule
Charles Booth’s map of London poverty with darker areas indicating poorer living conditions
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The Worst Street in London
London's Docklands
London's Labyrinth
The Oldest House in London
show more books
Charles and Ada
24 Hours at Balaclava
An Audience with Queen Victoria
Women of the Durham Coalfield in the 19th Century
Curtain Down at Her Majesty’s
George & Robert Stephenson
The Pig War
The Glory of the Empires 1880-1914
Victorian Brackley
Today is a Good Day to Fight
The Crimean War
Ghosts of Wales
Manchester's Radical Mayor
Victoria & Abdul (film tie-in)
The Man who Would be Sherlock
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Our Commitment to Responsible Travel
What is 'Responsible Travel'?
Tikalanka Tours (UK) Limited actively encourages responsible and sustainable travel to Sri Lanka and Maldives. By working closely with our associate company in Sri Lanka, Tikalanka Tours (Pvt) Limited, and other partner organisations, we are endeavouring to promote cultural exchange, social awareness, self-employment and self-development. We have established our own Code of Conduct for operational purposes, which will be used as a Responsible Travel Policy document and will enable us to monitor our progress in developing responsible and sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Tikalanka actively encourages responsible and sustainable travel by only employing Sri Lankan guides, promoting small family-run guesthouses and homestays, eating at local restaurants, supporting community-led projects, and ensuring travellers are aware of their impact on the environment and people of Sri Lanka and Maldives. We are a member of ResponsibleTravel.com, AVAAZ and Tourism Concern, a supporter of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) 'Know Before You Go' and the Born Free Foundation’s ‘Travellers’ Animal Alert’ campaigns, and advocate carbon neutral flights. We also make a contribution to community projects in Sri Lanka for every holiday booked.
Tikalanka recognises that increasing traveller numbers to Sri Lanka and Maldives can have a negative impact on the islands’ culture and environment, and also that travelling there involves long-haul flights, which contribute to global carbon emissions. It is our duty, therefore, to minimise the negative aspects of long-haul travel and its potentially damaging effect on the culture and ecology of Sri Lanka and Maldives, while enabling the people of Sri Lanka and Maldives to gain maximum benefit from the positive impact of increased tourism.
Carbon Neutral Flights
When we travel by plane we cause carbon emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change. Although you can reduce the damage by visiting local destinations that require shorter journeys, many of us do want (and need to) make long-haul journeys by plane. To reduce the impact of these long-haul flights on the environment, you can 'neutralise' your carbon emissions through contributing to global projects that balance the effect of your flight. We encourage all of our customers to make a voluntary contribution to Climate Care to reduce the impact of their long-haul flight on the environment.
All business flights to Sri Lanka and Maldives taken by Tikalanka personnel are fully offset by a contribution to Climate Care.
Our Travel Philosophy
Tikalanka is committed to showing interested world travellers the real Sri Lanka – its natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, abundant wildlife and secluded sandy beaches. We have a genuine passion for the island, borne out of the close personal friendship between the companies’ directors in Sri Lanka and the UK, and by working together we are able to offer a more intimate experience of Sri Lanka.
Tikalanka believes a Responsible Travel Policy is an evolving set of guidelines that constantly change in order to adapt to new ideas. With this in mind, we are setting ourselves operational objectives with the aim of maximising the positive impact of increasing tourism in Sri Lanka while minimising its negative impact. By implementing monitoring and recording procedures we intend to evaluate our progress in developing responsible and sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka and Maldives. For more information and background to our policy, visit:
AVAAZ - https://www.avaaz.org/en/
Born Free Foundation - http://www.bornfree.org.uk/
CITES - http://www.cites.org/
Climate Care - http://climatecare.org/
FCO ‘Know Before You Go’ - https://www.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo
Friends of the Earth - https://www.foe.co.uk/
Greenpeace - http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/
Green Globe - http://greenglobe.com/
ResponsibleTravel.com - http://www.responsibletravel.com/member/284/tikalanka-tours
Tourism Concern - http://tourismconcern.org.uk/
WWF - http://www.wwf.org.uk/
Click to learn more.
Local Employment and Environmental Awareness
Community-led Projects in Sri Lanka
Environmental Projects in Sri Lanka
Office-based Environmental Policy
Travellers’ Code of Conduct
“Loved our homestay in Kandy [Hanthana House].”
Martin & Liz
Featured Accommodation
Stafford Bungalow
Built in 1884 by a pioneering Scottish tea planter to take advantage of the best views in the area, a significant restoration and renovation have updated the bungalow with modern day facilities and introduced a fresh new style to the property.
More Accommodation
There is so much to do during your visit to Sri Lanka that it may be hard to know where to start. We have put together some taster itineraries for you to see the range of accommodation and activities available on the island. You may like to use them as a starting point to plan your very own trip, or we can do it all for you if you prefer - the choice is yours!
Adventure Itinerary
Culture Itinerary
Honeymoons Itinerary
Luxury Itinerary
Wildlife Itinerary
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Pavel Nikitin
I've spent 7 years working in the travel industry and planning itineraries for myself and friends is what I do for fun. I would love to share that with you!
Saint Petersburg City Highlights Tour
You will take a complete tour of St. Petersburg's most famous sites beginning with the neo-classical splendor of St. Isaac's Cathedral, see the geometry of the Palace Square and visit the oldest construction in St. Petersburg - Peter and Paul's Fortress and the Cathedral - the burial vault of the Romanov family.
Romantic, History, Photography, Budget, Family & Friend, Adventure
All taxes, fees and handling charges; Professional licensed guide; Guaranteed to skip the long lines; Private tour. Hotel pick-up and hotel drop-off Transportation by air-conditioned comfortable vehicle
Food and drinks Gratuities (optional)
If you cancel at least 7 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee. If you cancel between 4 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee. If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is a simbol of St.Petersburg and one of the few remaining fortresses of the 18th century, the burial place of Russian emperors, as well as a former political prison of Russia. It was the one the history of St. Petersburg began with.
Church of Savior on the Spilled Blood
The magnificent Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of St. Petersburg's most memorable landmarks. The church, built at the end of the nineteenth century, is constructed in a classical Russian style decorated with colorful domes and glazed tiles.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
The dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg and its gilded cupola can be seen glistening from all over the city. You can climb up the 300 or so steps to the observation walkway at the base of the cathedral's dome and enjoy the breathtaking views over the city.
Explore historic centre of St Petersburg
During this tour, your guide and driver will take you to the most picturesque areas of St. Petersburg where you will be able to make multiple photo stops at your request, while engaging you in entertaining and informative discussion about the city's history and present-day life.
This is a trip around the most significant cultural places in Saint Petersburg. We will make connections to literature, music, paintings becuase without Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky, Malevich, Akhmatova, Russian avangard and Socialistic ideas in the Art of the Soviet era the city would be like a dollhouse for adults - splendid and beautiful but needless and useless.
Saint Petersburg, Russia (cultural guide)
by Liza Boeva
With the two-day entrance ticket you can visit the Main Museum Complex, General Staff Building, Winter Palace of Peter the Great, Menshikov Palace and the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory.
Saint Petersburg Hermitage Museum skip-the-line tickets
by Pavel Nikitin
Dip into one of the world’s greatest art collections on this 3-hour walking tour of St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum. With an art-expert guide, stroll past some of the city’s landmarks on route to the museum, housed in the lavish Winter Palace and home to almost three million treasures. View Renaissance masterpieces by da Vinci and Michelangelo; wonder at works by Rubens and Goya; and admire paintings by Matisse, Picasso and more as your guide explains their meaning and history.
Skip-the-Line: State Hermitage Museum Tour
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Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade History
December 24, 2013 Disneyland, Walt Disney World No comments
Well it’s almost here. I’m talking about the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. The parade will be broadcast on ABC at 10:00 am EST/ 9:00 am PST on Christmas Day.
Just a little bit of history in regards to this parade. The parade has aired annually since 1983, with the exception of 2000 when Disney aired a Christmas Eve “Tracking Santa” special instead. The parade has always featured Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald and a cast of many more. Now most Disney fans know this, but the parade is taped in November. Until the early 1990’s though, the parade was actually live on Christmas day. Back then it was also broadcast on CBS, till 1996 when Disney purchased ABC.
The first parade in 1983 was called Walt Disney World’s Very Merry Christmas Parade. The hosts for that first parade were Joan Lunden and Mike Douglas. Moving forward, Alan Thicke would eventually replace Douglas as host and none other than Regis Philbin was seen as the on-street interviewer. Eventually, Regis took over as co-host with Joan. Kelly Ripa would replace Lunden and and join her TV show partner Regis.
Over the years other hosts have been brought in and out including, Ben Vereen, Jerry Van Dyke, Suzanne Somers and Ryan Seacrest, just to name a few. This year the hosts are Nick Cannon from Disneyland and Neil Patrick Harris and Lara Spencer from Walt Disney World. The parade also features many different Disney stars and musicians to entertain the crowds. Be sure to tune in to ABC for the parade and leave your comments on our facebook page to let us know what you thought of the parade.
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Air and Space Museum Visit: This started everything!
The Mars Generation » Blog » STEM » Air and Space Museum Visit: This started everything!
May 17, 2016 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment
Here is Astronaut Abby filming for the STEM in 30 program produced by the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Do you remember your childhood dreams? When you started thinking about your future and what you wanted to be when you grew up? For our founder, Astronaut Abby, her childhood dreams of wanting to someday go to space, have guided her on a journey that has no end in sight. And part of those dreams led her to the Air and Space Museum and that eventually led to founding our organization, The Mars Generation.
As Abby’s mom, I often get to tell the fun and cute stories of Abby growing up. And believe me there are many. The story of the Air and Space Museum is one of my favorites. It is because of her desire to visit this museum that Abby’s blog and Twitter account were started and that led to her outreach program which eventually led to this nonprofit.
A great photo of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution observatory. So much fun to see up close.
When Abby was 13 and in 8th grade she came to me and declared that she was going to participate in her school’s National History Day competition. National History Day is a competition that schools around the country participate in and students compete to move to state and hopefully the national final championship. In Minnesota, History Day is a big deal! And for parents it is the bane of our existence as teachers tie it into the classroom curriculum every other year from 5th to 12th grade. The students have to perform well as their grade is dependent on their project, and that is where the fun starts. As a single mom, I had two kids going through this “hell” (that is hell for me) and I was pretty much buying presentation boards, editing papers, helping paste photos, edit videos or some other function that parents are often tasked with doing.
When Abby informed me that she wanted to do the competition in her “off” year – the year she was not required to participate – I was not overly pleased. I asked why would she want to do that to me and she said because she wanted to win and make it to nationals so she could go to Washington D.C. for free and go to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. How can I argue with that? So I said what does a winning project look like and she found a 12th grade presentation board project and then fun began. Long story short – Abby created an amazing project about the “Debate and Diplomacy of the development of the ISS”. We utilized our handyman to make her a metal presentation board out of metal roofing materials and her science coach made her a base and wood title board – the display could be a max of 6 feet high. Abby used magnets and velcro to attach all the pieces to her presentation and it was pretty awesome. She even built a model ISS – with the help and friends and neighbors. This was the project to beat. But she did not win. As she was told it was too much like a science fair project than a history day project.
It’s a small world! We ran into a Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) student at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution – so much fun to connect after TARC2016!
Losing was a bummer, but she had already won because she had done so much to build the project, including getting on Twitter for a few quotes from NASA employees, which led to me taking her to her first launch at Kennedy Space Center. After that launch we had connected with so many wonderful people in the space industry (remember we are from Minnesota so there is not a big space industry here). Abby also met her mentor Astronaut Luca Parmitano which allowed her to attend his launch and start her outreach program. That one school project changed the course of Abby’s life. And my life too. I was not a space fan but I am now. I never imagined running a Mars nonprofit, but now I am. Thanks Abby!
Abby began to have opportunities to attend space events around the U.S. and world but she never made it to D.C. After 5 years of speaking, doing web chats, attending events, autograph signings and more – Abby finally made it to D.C. for the Humans to Mars Summit and TARC launch in May 2016. These two events led us to connecting with the Air and Space Museum and they kindly invited Abby in for a tour with one of their curators. She was interviewed for their STEM in 30 video series that broadcasts to schools around the U.S. and she got some time in the observatory as well. Overall it was an amazing day and we feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet the amazing staff and get such a great tour.
Dreams really do come true. This may have been a dream from the past. And while it didn’t come true for her at age 13 she finally made it. And she is now one step closer to Mars. Keep checking those items off your list Abby! Good job! – Love Mom
It was so kind of Paul Ceruzzi, one the curators of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution to take an hour out of his busy schedule to give us a tour. His knowledge was amazing!
Here Abby is with a another student Explainer – talking toilets in space. Always a funny conversation!
Astronaut Abby and Mausonaut participating in the Living Maths Google hangout at the National Air and Space Museum.
Filed Under: STEM, The Mars Generation
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Andy's Guide: JPG's Resin C1-10P 'Chopper' 'Droid 1/12th scale kit finished with lots of upgrades & a killer paint job...
JPG Productions new C1-10P 'Chopper' Astromech Droid is selling through Tirydium Models, ever the Star Wars and even more so an Astromech 'Droid fan, Andy shows us how to upgrade & finish it like a show winner in today's article.
Painting & Finishing Guide: C1-10P 'Chopper' Astromech Droid
Manufacturer – JPG Productions
Original Master- Stephen Husser
Type – Resin Casting
Scale - 1/12
Price - £25 plus Shipping from Tirydium Models
Build Review Guide: JPG's C1-10P 'Chopper' 'Droid Resin 1/12th scale kit
Today: Andy paints & Finishes JPG's C1-10P 'Chopper' 'Droid Resin 1/12th scale kit
It's been quite a while since we looked at Chopper, the cranky droid from Star Wars Rebels, in the in-box review, and his beeps and whistles of complaint at being ignored are getting irritating, so it's high time we got him built up and painted. First though, a little re-cap.
If you've never heard of Chopper before, then think of R2-D2 but slightly more anarchic and cheeky. He's a C1 Astromech, which is an older model (in the Star Wars universe) than R2 and the other droids we see in the movies. He's one of the principal cast in the animated 'Rebels' TV show, but has recently broken free of his small screen origins to make his live-action debut in Rogue One.
Chopper is JPG Productions second foray into Star Wars droid modelling, following on from their earlier Gonk and Mouse Droid set. He's a resin casting made up of just a few parts, so from a construction point of view, he's relatively straightforward, and he's scaled to fit in perfectly with the 1/12 droid models produced by Bandai. For the in-box review here on TMN, I did a quick dry-fit construction of the parts to see how he looked and, although a little rough around the edges in places, he certainly looked like the droid you're looking for (see what I did there?).
To bring the best out of him though, he's going to need a little refinement, so lets pull him back apart and see if we can give him a bit of an upgrade. First up I had a look at his head. From the box, there were a few poorly finished areas from the master model that needed to be addressed, such as the deep groove running around the top. In addition, the raised lip around the upper edge needed removing, and a panel line scribing in its place. Some of the other panel lines needed refining, and some were in the wrong place, so needed filling and re-scribing in the correct location.
To begin with, the grooves and other imperfections on the top of the head were filled with Cataloy car body filler, then wet sanded until smooth. It's always a good idea to wet sand when working with resin, as the dust isn't pleasant. Wet sanding will also leave a much better finish.
Although the raised rim around the top of the head needed to go, it did come in handy as a guide for scribing the panel line that would replace it. I simply ran the scribing tool around the bottom of the rim, slowly building up the depth of the groove over several passes. Once the new panel line was done, the rim could be carefully sliced away and sanded flush. In fact, the whole head was sanded, as the finish on the resin was quite rough in places.
With the head sanded and re-scribed, it was looking a lot better. Not perfect, but to get it any better I would have needed to fill and re-scribe every panel on the head. At this point I'd also removed the eyes and the mount for the scanner dish, as doing so made the sanding process much easier. That of course would mean that both would need replacing.
To make the replacement eyes, I sanded the end of a piece of 1mm diameter styrene rod to a rounded profile, and that was then slid into a short length of styrene tube, leaving the rounded end of the rod set back slightly from the end of the tube. Two of these were made, and then glued into holes I'd already drilled into the head where the original eyes had been.
The third eye sensor, on the right-hand side, was created with a short length of brass tube glued into the existing hole, which needed to be drilled a little deeper to accommodate the tube. The new circular base for the sensor dish was a part taken from the spares box, and while not entirely accurate to the original, was slightly better than the kit's sensor base, which was a little misshapen.
The post for the sensor dish was made from a couple of sizes of styrene tube. The antenna on the dish was a length of brass rod, and the dish itself was another part from the spares box. Again, the kit part was a bit misshapen, and the post was very fragile. Mine had already snapped in two. You'll probably also notice that I scribed a round panel on top of Chop's head. This should actually be above the right-hand inset eye, rather than above the middle one. My mistake for not checking the references properly, but I left it as it was, since I didn't want to do any more filling and sanding now that the sensor base was in place.
I thought that would be enough remedial work for the head, but I still needed to refine the manipulator arms. The kits parts are quite rough, with a lot of tooling marks on the tapered forearm sections. At first, I thought I'd be able to get away with just sanding down the roughest areas, and leave it at that, but the more I looked at close-ups of the animation model, the more I realised that the arms were not really very accurate. In the end I decided that, to get anything close to the original, I'd have to remake them from scratch.
Most of the construction for the new arms was relatively simple. Just a matter of sliding various diameters of brass and styrene tube together. The tapered sections needed a little more work though. On the anime model, these sections have a straight taper from the elbow to the wrist with a panel line at either end.
If you've got a mini lathe, this would be a simple thing to make, but I don't have one. Instead I made do with the chuck of a mini drill to hold a short length of sprue, then used a craft knife blade to shave down the plastic to the correct taper. For the panels, I held the tip of the blade against the spinning sprue, and gently scored a groove at each end. It goes without saying that this is a slightly precarious procedure, so if you're going to try it, make sure to wear some eye protection, and don't use a piece of sprue longer than about 1½ inches, or the end will oscillate too much. Of course, if you do have a mini lathe, all this will be a lot simpler.
To finish off the arm I made a replacement elbow from a short length of sprue, and pinned the two arm sections to it with brass rod. Although an improvement, the new tapered sections aren't entirely accurate, as the elbow end should be wider. I was restricted here by the size of sprue I could fit in the chuck of the drill. For the hands, I decided it was simpler to use the kit parts, as they were fairly accurate, although I opened up the gap between the tips of the pincers. Making replacement arms had one further benefit, as it allowed each arm to be posed differently, which added a lot to the character of the finished model.
Moving on to the body now, and this also needed some sanding to remove the texture from the casting, along with more work to tidy up the panel lines. For most of the panel lines I used a very thin photo etched razor saw to deepen the lines, gently running it along the grooves to remove just a small amount of resin with each pass.
The main area on the body that required some attention were the open panels on Chopper's chest. On the anime model these contain various detail components, but on the kit, they look quite simplified, and a little crude, by comparison.
To begin with, I had to remove the existing detail, preferably without damaging the surrounding body. The easiest way to do that was with a Trumpeter micro chisel, which I used to carefully slice away the resin. This is something that needs to be done slowly, trying not to remove too much material in one go.
With the excess detail removed, the openings were scraped and sanded until smooth. The circular panel in the centre of the chest was drilled out, as this area should be recessed rather than proud, as it had been on the unmodified kit.
After that, it was simply a matter of rebuilding the details using bits of styrene sheet and tube. The wiring was secured into holes drilled in the sidewalls of the cutout, with the other end of the wires hidden behind the small square panel with the corner chopped off. One extra addition here is the square patch panel in the centre of the chest. JPG only supply this as a decal, but it looks much better cut from styrene sheet.
The legs also had some work done, as the two round struts had some heavy, and hard to reach, mould lines, and in any case, weren't quite right in shape. They were cut away from the main legs, and replaced with more styrene tube (I get through a lot of this stuff).
The last thing to deal with was the wheel that Chopper uses instead of a third leg. The wheel itself needed quite a bit of clean-up, after which I needed to find a way to attach it to the strut. The simplest method was to drill out the hub of the wheel, drill corresponding holes in each side of the strut, then use some brass tube as an axle.
With the axle cut flush to the strut, I covered the ends with a couple of bolt heads, and also added a couple of strips of styrene to further detail the strut. Chopper uses this wheel to steer, and I wanted to attach it with some turn on it. To do that I cut the strut away from its circular base, glued the base into the recess on the bottom of his body, then drilled a hole to take a brass rod. Another hole in the top of the strut meant I could easily attach the strut, and turn it in any orientation I wanted.
That finished off the build side of the project, and left him looking a little sharper than he did at the beginning. The extra work here is all pretty straight forward. Just sanding, filling, and chopping up a few bits of plastic. There's certainly more you could do, if you really wanted to super-detail him, but this seemed a reasonable place to call a halt to the work, and see about getting some paint on him.
By contrast to the build stage, the painting was a breeze. Resin needs a good primer coat, and Alclad white microfiller was used here, as this is a very resilient primer. This had the side benefit of providing the perfect base colour, since Chopper is predominantly white, albeit very, very dirty.
The other colours were then laid down using an airbrush for the larger areas like the head, while the smaller panels were brush painted. This was done with a mix of Tamiya, Gunze, AMMO and Vallejo. Basically, whatever looked to be about the right colour. The only decals used were the red-light strip on his head, and the yellow and black triangle on the lower body. That one had to be over-painted though, as the yellow printing on the decal was almost transparent.
Weathering time now, and the bulk of the grime on the body was achieved by over-spraying with a very thin mix of black and brown Tamiya acrylics, having first masked off the white stripes and triangle on his chest. When the paint was dry, I wet a brush with acrylic thinner, and began to scrub off the paint, leaving a worn appearance.
There's a small grill on the green panel on Chopper's chest, and that's supplied on the decal sheet, but only as part of the panel decal. Since I'd painted the panel, I had to find another way to represent the grill. The most strait forward method was just to mask off and spray the grill.
The rest of the weathering consisted of various applications of acrylics, enamels and oils, slowly building up the layers of grime and dirt until he looked close to the way he appears on screen.
The only thing remaining was to piece him together and he was ready to join the other droids on the Star Wars shelf in my display cabinet. It took a bit of effort to get him to this point, but I think the end result was worth it. If you've never tackled a garage kit of this sort before, then it might come as a bit of a shock as to how much work you'll need to put in compared to the state-of-the-art models we're used to from the big manufacturers. Non of that work is particularly hard though, and you'll certainly get a sense of accomplishment when you're done. Best of all, you'll end up with one of the most unique droids in the Star Wars universe.
I'll leave you with a walkaround of Chopper in all his grubby glory
And finally, a shot of Chop with some of his stalemates from JPG Productions, and some old friends from a Galaxy Far, Far Away...
You can purchase this kit from the Tirydium Models Webstore Directly
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Subsidiarity task force concludes work
Written by Martin Banks on 18 July 2018 in News
A special body set up to help make EU decision-making more efficient has wound up its work with the aim to give a stronger voice to local, regional and national authorities.
Photo credit: Press Association
The task force on ‘subsidiarity, proportionality and doing less, more efficiently’ was chaired by Commission first Vice-President Frans Timmermans and has now handed over its final report to the executive’s President, Jean-Claude Juncker.
The report seeks to respond to three questions put forward by Juncker, who launched the initiative last November.
These were: how to better apply subsidiarity and proportionality principles within the EU institutions; how to better involve regional and local authorities and national parliaments in EU policymaking and implementation; and whether there are policy areas where powers could be returned over time to member states.
The seven-strong task force made nine recommendations and concluded that a “new way” of working on subsidiarity and proportionality are needed to allow local and regional authorities and national parliaments to make a more effective contribution to EU policymaking and in the “design” of new legislation.
The proposed “new approach” would see subsidiarity and proportionality being assessed “more consistently” by all levels of government, on the basis of a "model grid" - comparable to a subsidiarity and proportionality checklist.
One of the recommendations is to “apply flexibly” to the eight-week deadline for national parliaments to submit their opinions on draft EU legislation, and raises the possibility of a future increase of the time available for submitting an opinion to 12 weeks.
It also recommends that the three EU institutions - the Parliament, Council and Commission - agree on a “focused” multi-annual programme that would “promote a rebalancing” of the EU's work in some policy areas towards “more effective” implementation of existing legislation and away from initiating new legislation.
The group comprised representatives from national parliaments and other EU bodies, but no MEPs.
It included three members from the Committee of the Regions - its President Karl-Heinz Lambertz and members Michael Schneider, from Germany and François Decoster, from France - and three members from national parliaments – Toomas Vitsut (Estonia), Kristian Vigenin (Bulgaria) and Reinhold Lopatka (Austria).
European Parliament President Antonio Tajani was invited to nominate up to three parliamentary representatives but did not to do so.
A Commission spokesperson said the findings “build on the introduction, by the Juncker Commission, of more targeted Commission work programmes and annual joint declarations agreed among the three institutions on the priority files for adoption that year.”
The task force members said they believe the new approach should be applied to the existing body of EU legislation and “to all new political initiatives.”
Commenting on the findings, Juncker said, "I want our Union to have a stronger focus on things that matter to our citizens.
“This is why this Commission has sought to be big on the big issues and small on the small ones and is why I set up a task force to make sure we are only acting where the EU adds value.”
He said, “I want to thank its members from the national parliaments and from the European Committee of the Regions for this important report. Our Union cannot be built without the active and equal participation of local authorities, EU institutions and every level of government in between.
“I will draw conclusions in my State of the Union speech on 12 September. I hope the leaders of the other institutions and national authorities will join me in putting these reflections at the heart of the future work of our Union."
The task force, in a statement, added, “We advocate a new way of working that gives a stronger voice to local, regional and national authorities in EU policymaking, to improve the quality and effectiveness of legislation. This means fully respecting the roles of the different EU institutions, national, regional and local authorities and national parliaments.
“We propose a new ‘active subsidiarity’ approach that will ensure the added value of EU legislation, benefits for citizens and will lead to greater ownership of Union decisions in the member states. We have presented our report to Juncker who has ensured us that he will work with the other institutions to take forward our recommendations.”
The CoR members welcomed the “wide-ranging” set of recommendations that, they said, would give local and regional authorities a greater say, alongside national authorities, on the preparation, adoption and implementation of EU policies.
This, they added, would “benefit citizens, increase EU efficiency and improve politics.”
The three said this could lead to "a new way of working" that would ensure the EU takes better account of the ideas and concerns of all local and regional authorities.
Lambertz said, “Timmermans has shown the Commission’s pragmatism and openness in developing a new way of working for the EU. This task force is about improving the effectiveness of EU policies by developing better teamwork and delivering real EU added value in the lives of our citizens. This report sets out ways to engage all levels of government and has the potential to transform the role of cities and regions in the decision-making process.
“The proposals are about putting citizens first: making the EU work for them, by reinforcing a bottom-up approach to EU policymaking. To use a football analogy, the task force wants a whole new ballgame - instead of just raising red and yellow cards when someone oversteps the mark, the ‘active subsidiarity’ approach looks to use the potential of both teams to ensure everyone gets a wins.”
More reaction came from Schneider, who is State Secretary for the Land of Saxony-Anhalt, who said, “The level of consultation and transparency in the EU decision-making process is greater than in national systems.”
He added, “But we are particularly pleased that the task force recommends broader and deeper input by local and regional governments, in line with their shared or exclusive competences as foreseen by their national legislation, diminishing the density of EU legislation, as well as ensuring a clearer added value of EU legislation.
“If accepted and implemented, these proposals would significantly improve the flow of information from local and regional authorities, and thereby increase their ownership and trust in the European project."
The third CoR member, Decoster, Vice-President of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie Regional Council, said, “The task force recognises that EU legislation must be more efficient and its added value made more visible by 'upgrading' the involvement of local and regional authorities.
“Under these proposals, local and regional authorities would be able to provide legislators with a clear assessment of the impact of EU legislation on the ground, have more influence in reviewing existing legislation and developing new laws, and offer a simpler way to ensure flexibility in EU legislation.
“They would have an opportunity to develop their relations with national parliaments, working together to assess the impact of EU legislation and be involved in the design and delivery of economic reforms."
The task force met a total of seven times since November and its recommendations will be sent to national parliaments, national, regional and local authorities, the European Parliament, Council, Committee of the Regions and the Commission.
The Austrian EU Council presidency will now organise a conference on subsidiarity in Bregenz in November designed to provide an opportunity to discuss the report and consider how to implement the nine recommendations.
EU Council Presidency
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Ukraine’s home is the European family of nations, says Alexey Perevezentsev - Ukrainian State Secretary for Economic Development and Trade.
Ursula von der Leyen: 'Tone and attitude' in Brexit will be 'crucial'
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With the Arctic becoming an increasing priority around the globe, the start of the Finnish EU presidency, fresh from chairing the Arctic Council and Council of Europe is ideally timed, writes...
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Home Crime
The criminal justice system is broken and Kim Kardashian West wants to fix it
The criminal justice system in the US is broken, and it takes people with dedication, determination, and a will, to change it. Enter Kim Kardashian West, who, with big heart and strong mind, is following her father’s footsteps in studying law, as a means to advocate for those wrongfully convicted, or whose sentences do not fit the crime. But she has one thing more at her disposal that will be a boon to her cause, and that’s her celebrity status.
While Kardashian apprentices with #Cut50 national director and co-founder Jessica Jackson Sloan, her detractors have advised her to “stay in her lane” and have critiqued her for learning law this way. However, prior to the big money law schools becoming the standard way to enter the field of law, reading law was the way it was done. Aspiring attorneys would apprentice with a lawyer, and literally read the law books, conduct research, and assist in legal practice as a way to get up to speed. Far from being some side-step into the field, it is a traditional approach.
Kardashian West is in a four-year apprentice program, giving up nights and weekends to study while continuing her demanding filming schedule, and running her beauty business. The California Law Office of Judge’s Chamber Program is available to anyone who has completed 60 college credits (Kardashian West completed 75), and is willing to pay the minimal fees required, which are way less than law school tuition.
The frustration people have with Kardashian West’s entrance into this new career has much to do with her appearance and celebrity status up to this point. No one wants to hear that pretty women can be more than their bodies, and it’s refreshing to see her embrace a second act that has so much substance to it. While she’s being bashed for using her celebrity to propel her into this arena, celebrity could be exactly what American criminal justice reform needs to get some serious attention.
Last year, Kardashian West met with Donald Trump and advocated for the release of Alice Marie Johnson, who on a first, non violent drug offence in 1996 was sentenced to life in prison. Johnson was released, but instead of supporting her work in gaining this grandmother’s pardon, she was bashed for working with Trump. Would they rather have Johnson, who spent 22 years in prison, remain behind bars than Kardashian West sully herself by working with the sitting president to secure her release? In addition to Johnson, she has secured release and clemency for others who have paid their debt to society. She has done this work without making a big thing about it, she just does it.
In an interview with Vogue, she said “The White House called me to advise to help change the system of clemency,’ she says, ‘and I’m sitting in the Roosevelt Room with, like, a judge who had sentenced criminals and a lot of really powerful people and I just sat there, like, Oh, shit. I need to know more. I would say what I had to say, about the human side and why this is so unfair. But I had attorneys with me who could back that up with all the facts of the case. It’s never one person who gets things done; it’s always a collective of people, and I’ve always known my role, but I just felt like I wanted to be able to fight for people who have paid their dues to society. I just felt like the system could be so different, and I wanted to fight to fix it, and if I knew more, I could do more.”
Since October 2018, Kardashian West has been digging into the case of death row inmate Kevin Cooper, convicted of murdering children and parents in 1985. The crime took place in Chino Hills, California. However, despite the investigation and prosecution by San Bernardino County, questions have remained in the case. Kardashian West believes that Cooper is innocent, and that he was framed. She’s not the only one. 48 Hours aired a documentary about the case earlier this year, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who put a moratorium on capital punishment in the state, ordered new DNA testing for Cooper.
The families of the victims are understandably upset that Kardashian West, who is so visible and influential, has taken up the cause. What happened in Chino Hills is a nightmare that they’ve been living for over 30 years, and they don’t want to have it dredged up again. But Kardashian West isn’t the only one who is looking into this case. That she is the most media savvy person looking into it means that it will get more attention, but every case in which there are questions about criminal culpability, where there is even a chance that the person who has been imprisoned for a crime may not have committed it, deserves the kind of attention Kardashian West is able to provide. She’s doing this despite her ability to live well and unencumbered by the harsh realities of the criminal justice system. Everyone loves to hate the Kardashians, but there’s simply nothing to hate about that.
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Jamie Lloyd to direct Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
by Georgia Snow - Nov 22, 2018
Jamie Lloyd will direct a new production of Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre next year, as part of its 2019 season.
The London theatre will also stage Our Town directed by Ellen McDougall and a version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It will also continue its collaboration with English National Opera, on a production of Hansel and Gretel.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Evita will conclude the summer 2019 season, directed by Lloyd. No casting has yet been announced.
It is the second Lloyd Webber musical to run at the venue, following its acclaimed production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which transfers to the Barbican next summer ahead of a US tour.
The summer season will open with Thornton Wilder’s 1938 play Our Town, directed by the Gate Theatre’s artistic director Ellen McDougall.
It will be followed by a co-production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, in collaboration with English National Opera. It will be sung in English, directed by the theatre’s artistic director Timothy Sheader and conducted by Ben Glassberg.
Elsewhere, Dominic Hill, artistic director of the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, will direct A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Also announced is the cast for the touring production of To Kill a Mockingbird, which ran at Regent’s Park in 2013. The tour opens at Curve in Leicester on February 3, with a cast led by Simon Robson as Atticus Finch.
It continues across the UK and Ireland until June, when the tour is scheduled to finish at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness.
Season at a glance:
Our Town by Thornton Wilder
Directed by Ellen McDougall
May 16 to June 8, press night on May 22
Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck
Directed by Timothy Sheader
June 14 to 22, press night on June 17
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Directed by Dominic Hill
June 28 to July 27, press night on July 5
Evita by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
Directed by Jamie Lloyd
August 2 to September 21, press night on August 8
Jamie Lloyd
Smash star Katharine McPhee to lead UK cast of Waitress
Competition: Win tickets for An Evening with Sir Michael Parkinson at the Gillian Lynne Theatre
Georgia Snow
Georgia is chief reporter at The Stage, having joined the company in 2014.
The Big Interview: Timothy Sheader
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TV channel Dave becomes new partner of Edinburgh Comedy Awards
Edinburgh Comedy Awards producer Nica Burns with a 'Dave'. Photo: Joe Pepler/PinPep
by Matthew Hemley - Jul 11, 2019
Comedy channel Dave has partnered with the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, with bespoke content to be shown by the broadcaster as part of the deal.
Nica Burns, producer of the awards, said it would result in television coverage from the Edinburgh Fringe at a time when there has been less content broadcast by major channels.
As part of the agreement, this year Dave will show short-form programming featuring nominees for the awards, to be known as the Daves, who will create bespoke content for the channel in slots of about two minutes long, to be shown in the evenings.
The channel will also be promoting the award on air, and, in future years, plans to expand its coverage of the awards.
Burns said: “There is an incredible synergy between us – we both love comedy and are always looking for up-and-coming talent, the stars of tomorrow, to sit alongside the stars of today.”
She described “catching that feel of Edinburgh on screen” as a good way “of engaging people to want to go to the whole festival”.
“There has been less coverage of the festival as a whole and it’s important to everybody who goes – there are 59,000 performers there,” she said.
Dave channel director Luke Hales said the agreement was the “perfect way to help us discover even more new talent”.
It is a multi-year deal, with Hales saying he wanted Dave to become as synonymous with the award as Perrier had been.
However, there is no exclusivity in the arrangement and the winner will be able to appear on other broadcasters.
“It’s important to say this a long-term partnership… we are going to be covering our air time with the Daves. We will be putting content on air from the awards. Going forward in future years we hope to be able to do even more,” Hales said.
Burns said next year is the 40th year of the awards and the partnership will focus on marking this.
Edinburgh Comedy Awards
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Free taxi scheme for vulnerable workers at Edinburgh Fringe wins at...
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Former parliamentary watchdog Kevin Page to speak at NDP strategy session
By Joanna SmithOttawa Bureau
Wed., Jan. 14, 2015timer2 min. read
OTTAWA—Former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page will play a role in ongoing efforts by the New Democrats to convince Canadians they can be trusted to manage the economy.
Page will deliver a speech at the NDP caucus strategy session this Friday, in which he plans to undermine the idea that the Conservatives have been sound fiscal managers while in government.
“I think it has been a great confabulation, that they are great fiscal managers,” Page, now a political studies professor at the University of Ottawa, said in an interview Wednesday.
“The GDP numbers look good relative to other countries. Our fiscal balance numbers look good relative to other countries, but I fear it’s a house of cards when you look underneath at what is going on. Can we deliver services for veterans? Can we deliver services in food inspection? Can we deliver search and rescue services?” said Page.
The inaugural budget watchdog was often a thorn in the side of the Conservative government during his five-year tenure, even going to court, unsuccessfully, to clarify his mandate after some departments refused to hand over documents detailing proposed spending cuts.
The speech will no doubt be welcomed by the NDP, which finance critic Nathan Cullen says has two main goals for its strategy session and the months leading up to the fall federal election.
The first is “to dispel the greatest myth in Canadian politics, which is that the Conservatives are good with the economy and the helpful thing is that we have a lot of facts on our side,” Cullen said.
The second involves proposing its own ideas, which the party has been doing through revealing major planks of its election platform ahead of the October election.
That includes its child-care program, raising the minimum wage and diversifying the economy.
“Those are credible and important conversations that have been utterly ignored by the Conservatives,” he said.
Cullen is optimistic their message will be heard.
He has been leading a charm offensive with the business community — including meetings with the major banks — and says the reception has been warm.
“Let’s put it this way: I don’t have to fight for meetings,” Cullen said.
“Most of what they want is certainty,” Cullen said of the business leaders, explaining they have been asking questions about NDP plans to increase the corporate tax rate to resemble U.S. levels as well as seeking social license for energy projects.
Page reserved his judgment on whether the NDP would have a better record, but he said he was impressed with the questions they asked his office — from the cost of the war in Afghanistan to the details on austerity cuts — when he was parliamentary budget officer.
“They were the right questions to be asking.”
He said he has been approached by the NDP as well as other parties about his interest in running for office, but his answer was no.
“I’m not going to be a political person in the near future, certainly not in the 2015 campaign,” Page said.
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Jill Halliday
Jill Halliday is a classically trained Animator. After graduating from the Sheridan College Classical Animation Program in 1983, Jill moved from her home in Toronto to Ottawa, then in 1986 settled in Almonte. She incorporated in 1996 and went on to enjoy a long career in the Animation Industry, working for various International Studios, including Nickelodeon, Walt Disney, Universal and Warner Brothers. Her work took her to Hollywood, New York City and Berlin. In 1994, Jill was honoured with an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for her work on “Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?”
During her 20-plus years in the industry, Jill remained steadily employed as revealed in her IMBD’s long list of programs. When Jill is asked, of all the shows she worked on, which is her favourite, the answer is always the same; “’Ren & Stimpy’ Seasons One & Two. BEST. GIG. EVER!”
In 2002, just days after her fortieth birthday, Jill underwent emergency brain surgery. The fallout abruptly ended Jill’s career, and forced her into intense physical therapy. Over the next few years, she would relearn how to walk, talk, and how to hold a pencil.
2019Jill continues to work from her Almonte Studio. Today, her drawings and paintings hang in private collections as far away as New Zealand.
“My Calling was Animation, and my love affair was, and still is, drawing and the intimacy between a 2B pencil and paper. I continue to draw on a daily basis only nowadays I am no longer shackled by the rigid rules of the commercial animation industry. For the first time since kindergarten my drawings are my own.
When asked where she is going from here, she replies,
“I have no idea. Wanna come?”
linkedin.com/in/jill-halliday
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Andrea Leadsom demanded high-profile role as price of demotion
Francis Elliott, Political Editor
July 5 2017, 12:01am, The Times
Andrea Leadsom had threatened to resign if she was not given a key role in promoting the government and its policies in the mediaDANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/Getty Images
Theresa May was forced to hand Andrea Leadsom a high-profile media role after her former leadership rival threatened to resign rather than take a cabinet demotion.
Mrs Leadsom initially refused to accept a move from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to Commons leader in the post-election reshuffle and wanted to be home secretary.
Mrs May had been planning to sack Mrs Leadsom, who pulled out of the leadership race a year ago after a controversial interview with The Times, had she won a landslide victory. Insiders said Mrs Leadsom had struggled to meet the complex challenge of preparing British farming and fishing for a future outside the EU.
Without an overall majority, the prime minister abandoned a full reshuffle, moving Mrs Leadsom…
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Rush the lone bright spot in softball’s 1-6 stretch | The Triangle
Rush the lone bright spot in softball’s 1-6 stretch
By Tiana Jones
The Drexel University softball team lost six of its last seven games after losing to the College of Charleston three times in CAA play on April 15 and 16. They then split games with Wagner University in a double header on the road on April 18, and then lost on the road to La Salle University twice in a doubleheader on April 19th.
In the first doubleheader on Saturday against the College of Charleston, Drexel got off to a hot start in both games but couldn’t sustain it throughout.
In the first game, after a 3-0 start in the first inning, Drexel was only able to score two runs. The first came in the 5th inning when senior Baeley Reed singled to left field, which allowed freshman Linda Rush to come home. The Dragons scored another run in the seventh when senior Vanessa Lightfoot doubled to center, allowing senior Savanna Johnson to reach home.
In the second game, the standout player was Johnson, who scored two runs and got a hit within the first two innings. However, after that, Drexel wasn’t able to produce any runs.
Drexel went into Sunday’s game with the College of Charleston looking for redemption. The Dragons tried hard to keep themselves in the game, but after the Cougars scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the sixth, Drexel lost its momentum. Charleston came away with a 7-4 victory.
The first game of the doubleheader with Wagner was a good one for the Dragons, with Drexel winning without allowing any runs. Senior Tara Konopka gained her sixth win on the mound with a season high seven strikeouts. Sophomore Jenelle Ladrido also had a standout performance, going two-for-four with an RBI and a run scored.
In the second game Drexel was able to produce 14 hits, but it just wasn’t enough. The Dragons lost in grueling fashion. After being up four going into the bottom of the seventh, Drexel allowed Wagner to rip off five runs for a come-from-behind victory.
The second game was a beauty if you like offense. Baeley Reed was a perfect three for three with had four RBI’s and a run scored . Freshman Mari Gardner went 3-4 and Savanna Johnson went 2-3, but Wagner would not go away and proved to have the hotter bats. They won in walk off fashion when second baseman Karen Prihoda singled to center field to score the winning run. Prihoda also had a game high of four hits.
In the first game of the double header with LaSalle, the explorers kept the hits coming in from inning to inning, leading the entire game. In the top of the seventh, Drexel came firing back, adding threes runs in their desperate attempt to get back into the game. However, the Dragons came up short, losing 8-10.
Although Drexel lost, Linda Rush homered twice in back to back innings (sixth and seventh) and had five RBIs in the game. In the second game, Drexel looked like they ran out of gas from the previous one. The Dragons came out sluggish and lost by mercy rule in the fifth inning by a score of 14-3.
After this week, Drexel falls to 12-24 overall, and is last in CAA play with a 1-11 record. The Dragons look to get back on track against second to last place Towson University, who has been on a four game winning streak. They’ll head to Towson for a doubleheader on Friday, April 21 and a single game on April 22.
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No Kobe, No Problem: Oscars Academy’s Class of 2018 on Track to Be as Big and Diverse as Last 2 Years’
Kobe Bryant might be the rare case of a prospective member who is rejected as the Academy casts another wide net to increase its female and non-white members
Steve Pond | June 22, 2018 @ 8:39 AM Last Updated: June 25, 2018 @ 1:08 PM
While one committee was deciding that Kobe Bryant shouldn’t be invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences four months after he won an Oscar for the short film “Dear Basketball,” other AMPAS committees have been trying to determine just how generous they ought to be in finding prospective new members.
And in many cases, they have been faced with a tricky decision: Stick to the written guidelines or use the nebulous escape clauses built into Academy rules to invite people who might not otherwise qualify?
Such are the pitfalls at a time when the Academy is trying hard to become less overwhelmingly white and male, by inviting hundreds of increasingly diverse new members to join the organization.
“The new attitude seems to be, ‘Let everybody f—ing in,'” said one member of a branch membership committee on Wednesday. The comment came around the same time that the Cartoon Brew website broke the news that a committee had decided not to approve the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch’s recommendation that Bryant be invited to join, on the grounds that he had not shown evidence of “a larger career” in showbiz beyond “Dear Basketball.”
Also Read: Film Academy Nixes Kobe Bryant for Membership Despite Oscar Win
As committees in the 17 Academy branches came up with lists of prospective new members over the past two months, though, members who participated in the decisions told TheWrap that the focus has been on finding lots of new members, whether or not they strictly meet the written requirements.
Each branch has its own requirements for membership. Actors, for instance, must have a minimum of three film credits in scripted theatrical films, one of which has been released in the past five years. But each branch’s rules also contain caveats that allow invitations to be extended to Oscar nominees and to those who have “achieved unique distinction, earned special merit or made an outstanding contribution.”
That last clause is being invoked more and more often, said the committee members, some of whom expect that this year’s class will be as large as the record-breaking 2016 and 2017 classes.
Also Read: Alfred Molina, Susanne Bier Elected to Motion Picture Academy's Board of Governors
The AMPAS Board of Governors will meet on Saturday to go over the branch lists, most of which are typically approved without alteration. It’ll be a lengthy task (made easier, perhaps, by the rare step of moving the meeting from its usual Tuesday night to a weekend), and one that raises a few burning questions:
Can they possibly find as many prospective new members as they have the last two years, when they invited 683 in 2016 and 744 in 2017?
And what will this mean to the diversity goals that were set by the Academy at the height of the #OscarsSoWhite protests in 2016, when then-president Cheryl Boone Isaacs pledged to double the number of women and non-white members by 2020?
On the surface, it seems unlikely that the Academy, which has combed the globe for prospective Oscar voters for the last two years, can find another class as large as the last two. But we thought that would be the case last year, that they surely couldn’t find another 683 qualified film professionals — and they proved us wrong by topping that number by almost 100.
Also Read: Roman Polanski Threatens Academy With Legal Action Over 'Illegal Expulsion'
And several of those who participated in the process so far this year say they expect another huge group of invitations, based on the wide net that has been cast and the willingness to invite people who in past years would not have made the cut.
(That makes the Bryant case an unusual one, and suggests that he won’t get in at least partly because of the inevitable protests that would have followed if AMPAS had admitted someone who faced sexual-assault allegations in 2003.)
When it comes to the diversity goals that Isaacs announced two and a half years ago, the Academy is way ahead of schedule on one count, but significantly behind on another.
At the time that Isaacs pledged to double the female and non-white membership, the Academy had 6,436 active members, with 6,124 of them eligible to vote for the Oscars. AMPAS figures revealed that the membership at that point was 75 percent male and 92 percent white — so if those figures are accurate, the diversity pledge required them to add about 1,609 female members and 515 non-white members.
Also Read: Oscars Academy Board Bypassed New Grievance Procedures to Expel Polanski, Cosby
On the latter front, the Academy has essentially achieved its goal: Again using AMPAS percentages, about 280 nonwhite members were invited in 2016, and another 232 in 2017. Depending on how many of those declined the invitation, a figure the Academy does not reveal, the organization is likely at or very close to its goal, making it a virtual certainty that it will have doubled the number of non-white members as soon as this year’s invitations go out.
The goal of doubling the number of women members, though, is not so easily attained. The Academy needed to add more than 1,600 women, and they invited 315 in 2016 and 302 in 2017. That leaves them almost 1,000 short, with the classes of 2018, 2019 and 2020 still to go.
To truly double the number of female members it had at the time the challenge was announced, then, the Academy would need to average more than 330 new female members for the next three years, more than they achieved even in the last two record years for new admissions.
Also Read: Academy Breaks Own Record, Invites 774 New Members
And while the numbers are going up dramatically, the Academy is not just adding women and people of color. Given the record size of the last two classes, they are also adding lots more white men. Since the 2016 Academy already had more than 5,900 white members and 4,800 men, the diversity percentages can only increase slowly.
The Academy was 75 percent male and 92 percent white in 2016; two years later, after increasing its size by nearly 25 percent, it’s now 72 percent male and 87 percent white.
That’s what the branches have been up against as they looked for members of the Class of 2018, and what the board will be facing as they vote on hundreds of prospective members on Saturday.
The Academy is making progress, and making it more quickly than many of us thought they would. But it wasn’t easy in 2016 and 2017, and it’s not going to be easy in 2018.
The list of new members will be announced early next week.
11 WTF Academy Invites: From Lou Ferrigno to Terry Crews (Photos)
The Motion Picture Academy made amazing strides in its goal to diversify membership -- but some of their invites this year are questionable. Read on for TheWrap's tally of oddballs, and people you would think have been members for years.
The Old Spice spokesman has had an impressive if not niche acting career. Still a bit of a head-scratcher, but the man brings a ton of joy and muscles wherever he pops up, so we'll take it.
The kitschy '70s start ("The Incredible Hulk" TV series) mostly takes B-movie action roles or plays heightened versions of himself ("I Love You, Man"). But we'll welcome him with a smile because we know what happens when he gets angry.
With all due respect to child stars who chug along into adulthood as actors, including "Harry Potter"'s platinum blonde baby villain, this seems like a stretch -- or perhaps a nod to the iconic books turning 20 this year.
Same thing goes here for Grint, the lovable Ron Weasely.
How in GOD's NAME was this show business legend not already an Academy member? But this is another example of "Its' Never Too Late" in the 95-year-old's career.
Also Read: Oscars Hit Goal of Doubling Non-White Members Three Years Early
Allen is best known for playing Lydia in the iconic film "Fame," but she's long been a choreographer for the Oscars telecast. She's essentially the Bruce Vilanch of dance at the Academy, so this is a long-overdue internal promotion.
Hunt was a national treasure during her late-aughts TV show and a rare female producer and star, though she's mostly been putting in voice work on animated projects like "Cars" for the past decade.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
These R&B icons, most famous for their shepherding of Janet Jackson's most memorable albums, might seem curious additions to the film academy. The men have put in hundreds of songs on movie soundtracks over the years, however.
Jeanne Triplehorn
Don't get us wrong, we're obsessed with Triplehorn. "Sliding Doors"? Amazing. "Big Love"? She was the show. But the actress does fall somewhere on a spectrum of "Why isn't she already a member" and "Really?"
It's confounding to think Whedon was not previously invited to join the Academy's ranks. Not only is he a commercially proven force, thanks to his "Avengers" gigs, but he can do high-brown (like his contemporary take on Shakespeare's "As You Like It") and cult stardom with his TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Also Read: Welcome to the Academy! Donald Glover, Priyanka Chopra and Others Who Snagged Invites (Photos)
From randoms to those you thought were longtime members, here are the most eyebrow-raising invites of 2017
Oscars Add New Round of Voting in Music Categories
By Steve Pond | April 24, 2018 @ 10:21 AM
Academy Sets Key Dates for 2019 Oscars
By Trey Williams | April 23, 2018 @ 3:12 PM
How This Year’s Oscars Became a Feminist Game Changer (Guest Blog)
By Aviva Kempner | March 12, 2018 @ 10:10 AM
TheWrap's complete coverage of the Academy Awards
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Summer TV Premiere Dates: Here’s Every New and Returning Show (Photos)
From Hulu’s “Veronica Mars” revival to “Stranger Things” season 3
Margeaux Sippell | May 31, 2019 @ 10:00 AM Last Updated: May 31, 2019 @ 10:02 AM
Hulu, HBO, Netflix, ABC, Getty Images
Though summer doesn't officially begin until June 21, Summer TV premieres are just about ready to start airing. We've rounded up the premiere dates for every show returning for a new season, as well as every new show slated to make its debut this summer. From Hulu's "Veronica Mars" revival to the highly-anticipated third season of "Stranger Things," here's everything to keep on your radar and look out for ahead of the Summer 2019 TV season.
“iZombie” (The CW), May 2, 8 p.m.
"Dead to Me" (Netflix), May 3
"Tuca & Bertie" (Netflix), May 3
"The Spanish Princess" (Starz), May 5, 8 p.m.
"The Real Housewives of Potomac" (Bravo), May 5, 9 p.m.
"When Calls the Heart" (Hallmark), May 6, 8 p.m.
"Chernobyl" (HBO), May 6, 9 p.m.
"State of the Union" (Sundance), May 6, 10 p.m.
"Lucifer" (Netflix), May 8
"Paradise Hotel” (Fox), May 9, 8 p.m.
"Klepper " (Comedy Central), May 9, 10:30 p.m.
"Easy" (Netflix), May 10
"Sneaky Pete" (Amazon Prime Video), May 10
"The Society" (Netflix), May 10
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (ABC), May 10, 8 p.m.
“What Would You Do?” (ABC), May 10, 9 p.m.
"Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men" (Showtime), May 10, 9 p.m.
"Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj" (Netflix), May 12
"Our Cartoon President" (Showtime), May 12 at 8 p.m.
"Beach Hunters" (HGTV), May 12, 9 p.m.
“The Bachelorette” (ABC), May 13, 8 p.m.
"L.A.’s Finest" (Spectrum), May 13, TBD
"Southern Charm" (Bravo), May 15, 8 p.m.
"Wahlburgers" (A&E), May 15, 9 p.m.
"Catch-22" (Hulu), May 17
"Fleabag" (Amazon Prime Video), May 17
"Nailed It!" (Netflix), May 17
“Beat Shazam” (Fox), May 20, 8 p.m.
"Pawn Stars" (History), May 20, 10 p.m.
“Blood & Treasure” (CBS), May 21, 9 p.m.
"Vida" (Starz), May 23, TBD
“Elementary” (CBS), May 23, 10 p.m.
"She’s Gotta Have It" (Netflix), May 24
"What/If" (Netflix), May 24
"The Hot Zone" (Nat Geo), May 27, 9 p.m.
“America’s Got Talent” (NBC), May 28, 8 p.m.
"Animal Kingdom" (TNT), May 28, 9 p.m.
“Songland” (NBC), May 28, 10 p.m.
"Chrisley Knows Best" (USA), May 28, 10 p.m.
“American Ninja Warrior” (NBC), May 29, 8 p.m.
“MasterChef” (Fox), May 29, 8 p.m.
"Property Brothers: Forever Home" (HGTV), May 29, 9 p.m.
"Archer: 1999" (FX), May 29, 10 p.m.
“The InBetween” (NBC), May 29, 10 p.m.
"Lip Sync Battle" (Paramount), May 30, 9 p.m.
"When They See Us" (Netflix), May 31
"Good Omens" (Amazon Prime Video), May 31
"Swamp Thing" (DC Universe), May 31
"Deadwood: The Movie" (HBO), May 31, 8 p.m.
“Burden of Truth” (The CW), June 2, 8 p.m.
"Luther" (BBC America), June 2, 8 p.m.
"American Princess" (Lifetime), June 2, 9 p.m.
"Fear the Walking Dead" (AMC), June 2, 9 p.m.
"NOS4A2" (AMC), June 2, 10 p.m.
"The Weekly" (FX), June 2, 10 p.m.
"Perpetual Grace, LTD" (Epix), June 2, TBD
"Below Deck Mediterranean" (Bravo), June 3, 9 p.m.
“So You Think You Can Dance” (Fox), June 3, 9 p.m.
"Dance Moms" (Lifetime), June 4, 8 p.m.
"The Handmaid’s Tale" (Hulu), June 5
"Grown-ish" (Freeform), June 5, 8 p.m.
"Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City" (Netflix), June 7
"Designated Survivor" (Netflix), June 7
“The Masters of Illusion” (The CW), June 7, 8 p.m.
“Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC), June 9, 8 p.m.
"Good Witch" (Hallmark), June 9, 8 p.m.
“The $100,000 Pyramid” (ABC), June 9, 9 p.m.
"Big Little Lies" (HBO), June 9, 9 p.m.
"Claws" (TNT), June 9, 9 p.m.
"Ripley’s Believe It or Not!" (Travel), June 9, 9 p.m.
“To Tell the Truth” (ABC), June 9, 10 p.m.
"To Tell the Truth" (ABC), June 9, 10 p.m.
"Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" (Nickelodeon), June 10, 7 p.m.
“Dateline NBC” (NBC), June 10, 10 p.m.
"Pose" (FX), June 11, 10 p.m.
“Press Your Luck” (ABC), June 12, 8 p.m.
"Deal or No Deal" (CNBC), June 12, 9 p.m.
"Queen Sugar" (OWN), June 12, 9 p.m.
“Card Sharks" (ABC), June 12, 9 p.m.
"Krypton" (Syfy), June 12, 10 p.m.
"Younger" (TV Land), June 12, 10 p.m.
“Match Game” (ABC), June 12, 10 p.m.
"Strange Angel" (CBS All Access), June 13
"Baskets" (FX), June 13, 10 p.m.
"Los Espookys" (HBO), June 14, 11 p.m.
"Jessica Jones" (Netflix), June 14
“Instinct” (CBS), June 16, 9 p.m.
"City on a Hill" (Showtime), June 16, 9 p.m.
"City on a Hill" (Showtime), June 16
"Euphoria" (HBO), June 16, 9 p.m.
“Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (The CW), June 17, 8 p.m.
“Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (The CW), June 17, 9 p.m.
“Grand Hotel” (ABC), June 17, 10 p.m.
"Good Trouble" (Freeform), June 18, 8 p.m.
"Drunk History" (Comedy Central), June 18, 10 p.m.
"The Detour" (TBS), June 18, 10:30 p.m.
"Yellowstone" (Paramount), June 19, 10 p.m.
Sundance Now
"Riviera" (Sundance Now), June 20
“Holey Moley” (ABC), June 20, 8 p.m.
“The Wall” (NBC), June 20, 8 p.m.
“Spin the Wheel” (Fox), June 20, 9 p.m.
“Family Food Fight” (ABC), June 20, 9 p.m.
“Reef Break” (ABC), June 20, 10 p.m.
"Dark" (Netflix), June 21
"Andi Mack" (Disney Channel), June 21, 8 p.m.
"Legion" (FX), June 24 at 10 p.m.
"The Hills: New Beginnings" (MTV), June 24, TBD
"Big Brother" (CBS), June 25 and 26, 8 p.m.
"What Just Happened" (Fox), June 30, 9:30 p.m.
"The Rook" (Starz), June 30
"The Loudest Voice" (Showtime), June 30, TBD
"Young Justice: Outsiders" (DC Universe), July 2
"Stranger Things" (Netflix), July 4
“Bring the Funny” (NBC), July 9, 10 p.m.
"Harlots" (Hulu), July 10
"Snowfall" (FX), July 10, 10 p.m.
"Siren" (Freeform), July 11, 8 p.m.
“Hollywood Game Night” (NBC), July 11, 9 p.m.
“The Outpost” (The CW), July 11, 9 p.m.
"Sweetbitter" (Starz), July 14
"Suits" (USA), July 17, 9 p.m.
"Pearson" (USA) July 17 at 10 p.m.
"Listing Impossible" (CNBC), July 25, 10 p.m.
Cash Pad (CNBC) July 25, 9 p.m.
"Orange Is the New Black" (Netflix), July 26
"The Boys" (Amazon Prime Video), July 26
"Light as a Feather" (Hulu), July 26
"Veronica Mars" (Hulu), July 26
"Pennyworth" (Epix), July 28, 9 p.m.
"Bachelor in Paradise” (ABC), July 29, 8 p.m.
"Four Weddings and a Funeral" miniseries (Hulu), July 31
"Preacher" (AMC), August 4, TBD
"BH90210" (Fox), August 7, 9 p.m.
"GLOW" (Netflix), August 9
"The Terror: Infamy" (AMC), August 12, 9 p.m.
"Lodge 49" (AMC), August 12, 10 p.m.
"Power" (Starz), August 25
"Jay Leno’s Garage" (CNBC), August 28, 10 p.m.
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GOODNESS, GOD AND GREAT WORK. ARMED WITH COURAGE & A TO-DO LIST, I'M OFF TO NEW YORK CITY!
New York, New York -- I'm comin' back with a to-do list for my Thomas Chapin film project and with the courage that a few weeks ago was at a low ebb.
Why the change in my momentum? That's what MIRACLES do!! They propel you, they move the mountain that seemed insurmountable, they are a gift, and a blessing indeed! They are an answer to prayers, that I trust, moved the Hand of God.
I have my plane ticket, and will leave on Oct. 20 to join editor Laura Corwin who is going to cut my fundraising trailer for the film. Fundraising trailers are a necessity if one is to communicate an idea before there is a film to see. It's how we raise money for our films, it's the preview, it's the showcase to raise support and cash and grant funds.
Laura came referred to me by Thomas' business manager who said I should talk with her after I told him my sense of how to do this film project was to work with an editor as my collaborator, someone who could conceive and help me see the story before I went out with a camera crew and shot all the necessary parts, before I took my footage into the editing room. I've never done a film this way before, and I don't believe it's the traditional way; but for this film it really make sense, or so I was thinking.
My wish was an editor, who could cut a music documentary and make sense of a very colorful and complex story, who worked and lived in New York City, who would be excited about telling a New York story, whose mind and heart could dance with mine.
Laura seems the perfect answer. She's a New Yorker, has cut music videos for years, and has done weighty documentaries as well as a music documentary (on the Rolling Stones). We had arranged to talk once we both got off of production deadlines. The day finally arrived, after 3 months of emails and clearing away our schedules.
We finally met, on Skype. I had sent her this website and my own personal website so she could get up to speed on me and on Thomas. I watched clips of her work that she sent beforehand. Her clips told me I was definitely on the right track. I felt very excited about the possibility!
I had thought about trying her out, about gaging her as a collaborator by letting her cut the fundraising trailer, but I didn't know what she might charge for this. I know what I would charge if a stranger approached me to do this kind of work, and so I was ready to find and pay the $7,000+plus that I figured it would take to hire someone to do a 7-minute trailer.
Our introductions went quickly. And when I posed the possibility that she could cut the fundraising trailer, and before I could say, how much would you charge, she says , "I'll just do it." Imagine my head spinning, my eyes brightening and large with smile, and my heart jumping with joyful and excited "thank you God"s.
She explained that she, like other New York editors and filmmakers, take commercial jobs that pay them well, that pay their bills; then they can help other filmmakers who are doing "passion" projects and help them pro bono, or recoup payment later when distribution and sales deals come in. She and her partner Hugh, a cinematographer, have worked with several filmmakers this way -- A Tibetan filmmaker who is doing a film about Tibetan folk music that young Tibetans are in danger of losing. A Boston filmmaker whose brother was abused by a priest, who wanted to make a film that boldly told the family's story way before anyone would speak up in the then-surfacing Catholic Church scandal.
Then she offered to start right away, before her next commercial job -- shooting and editing a cooking TV show -- begins in November. So I am off to New York soon. She has already begun reviewing my interviews shot in New York in May. See my blog http://www.thomaschapinfilm.com/2/post/2012/06/yes-ive-been-interviewing-who.html
So do you believe in Miracles? As a filmmaker, I have received many. We are not usually flush with money, but if we are good, that is good at what we do, and good to others in mercy and helpfulness, miracles come big and small that allow us to make our films. It's part of the collateral we operate with to do our Good work. It's nothing to take for granted, but there is Goodness and God and Great Work. That, we as artists, blessed with gifts and talents as storytellers, must trust will happen for us as we follow our dreams, passions and hearts. Without money, you can do little except by the Grace of God and the Goodwill of Good people like Laura Corwin.
I am an EMMY-winning filmmaker. I am making my 10th documentary. It's always quite a ride to start a film as it is to finish one. Come along and watch from behind the scenes. More about me...
Filmming
Marketing/promoting
Scripting The Story
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How congressional Democrats could fight a Trump wall national emergency declaration
Congress hasn't voted to overturn a presidential emergency in 44 years. But in 2005, one congressman threatened to – and the president blinked.
How congressional Democrats could fight a Trump wall national emergency declaration Congress hasn't voted to overturn a presidential emergency in 44 years. But in 2005, one congressman threatened to – and the president blinked. Check out this story on vcstar.com: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/08/presidential-declaration-national-emergency-donald-trump-border-wall-congress-oversight/2784488002/
Gregory Korte, USA TODAY Published 8:36 a.m. PT Feb. 8, 2019 | Updated 1:47 p.m. PT Feb. 14, 2019
President Donald Trump says he will declare a national emergency to build his U.S.-Mexico border wall if there is no deal with Congress by mid-February. (Jan. 25) AP
Congress has never voted to overturn a presidential emergency in 44 years. But in 2005, it threatened to – and the president blinked.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, President George W. Bush declared a national emergency to do something Republicans had long wanted to do anyway: He suspended prevailing wage laws on federal contracts to rebuild the region.
Labor unions protested. Democrats signed on to a bill to rewrite the law. Even dozens of moderate Republicans asked Bush to reconsider.
But then a single congressman used a parliamentary maneuver – never attempted before or since – to challenge the underpinnings of the national emergency itself.
Bush backed down without even a vote.
President George W. Bush speaks at a cabinet meeting at the White House in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on September 6, 2005. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
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The largely forgotten story of Bush's capitulation explains why Republicans have advised President Donald Trump against bypassing Congress and invoking a national emergency to build a wall along the Mexican border.
In addition to raising legal questions – such a move would inevitably be challenged in court – a declaration would invite Congress to exercise its long-dormant power to revoke national emergencies.
And all it would take is one member of Congress to force the issue.
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., in 2009. (Photo: Harry Hamburg, AP)
In 2005, that member was Rep. George Miller, a California lawmaker who was the top Democrat on the House Education and Labor Committee.
Calling Bush's decision "callous and misguided," Miller's first move was to try to amend the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931. That law sets the prevailing wage for federal contracts, but allows the president to grant waivers in times of national emergency.
But Democrats were in the minority, and while some Republicans were grumbling about Bush's move, they were unwilling to sign on to Miller's legislation – meaning it would never get to the House floor.
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So Miller changed tack. He dug up the National Emergencies Act of 1975, one in a series of post-Watergate reforms. It allowed Congress to terminate a presidential emergency by simple majority vote.
Republican leadership couldn't block the vote: Under the law, they had 15 business days to bring it out of committee and to the floor.
Miller introduced his resolution on Oct. 20,and a vote was scheduled for Nov. 8.
On Oct. 26, the Bush administration announced it would terminate the emergency effective Nov. 7.
Bush Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said the administration had re-examined the issue and discovered that it wouldn't save as much money as initially forecast. (Chao is now Trump's transportation secretary, and her husband is Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.)
Miller declared victory.
"Let me be clear," he told The New York Times. "The president is backing down today only because he had no other choice."
Mark Zuckerman, who was the Democratic staff director of the House Education and Labor Committee at the time, says all it took was the threat of a vote.
"It can be revealing when you make people vote on something," he says.
"We thought it was an unacceptable and inappropriate use of emergency powers, but we also wanted to check to see if there was really Republican support for something like this. I think it’s part of the genius of the procedure is that it tests sentiment on Capitol Hill for your unilateral idea."
The original intent of the 1975 law was to allow Congress a block a presidential emergency by simple majority vote. But in 1983, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the legislative veto. So now, any joint resolution by Congress to terminate an emergency can be vetoed by the president.
And McConnell said Trump could do exactly that.
"The president could win anyway by vetoing the bill and then trying to get enough votes to sustain it, so may ultimately be able to prevail on the national emergency alternative," McConnell told Fox News on Tuesday.
Still, some GOP senators are already expressing discomfort over such a vote, and have asked Trump this week – both publicly and privately – not to put them in that position.
"It's not my preferred choice," said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.
"I hope he doesn't do it," said. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
"It might be a – you know – a tough vote to win here in the Senate," said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
One concern is the precedent such a declaration would set.
"I think most Republicans will tell you that we really would like to find a way to avoid that type of a discussion if at all possible because this goes beyond just this president," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told CNN on Wednesday. "This goes on to future presidents and what they might decide to declare an emergency for."
Special report: America's perpetual state of emergency, from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama
That was exactly what Congress expected when it voted overwhelmingly to pass the National Emergencies Act.
The law called for every emergency to be reviewed – and possibly voted on – every six months. But in 44 years, presidents have declared at least 60 national emergencies without Congress taking a single vote.
Thirty-one of those emergencies remain in place today.
More: A permanent emergency: Trump becomes third president to renew extraordinary post-9/11 powers
The use of emergency powers became so routine that the Obama administration said in 2015 that they were mere formalities – despite their boilerplate language that they're in response to an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security." And presidents seem to have ignored requirements that they update Congress on the costs of those emergencies.
More: The Obama White House claimed that national emergencies were just formalities
Liza Goitein, director of the national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice, has advocated reforms to presidential emergency powers.
"I think Congress has woken up to the idea that the process for declaring emergencies is too permissive," she says.
"This isn’t going to look good if the Republican Senate is voting to curtail the president's power. It’s going to split Republicans and force Republicans to take a vote they don’t want to take – and it may not go Trump's way."
Trump did not mention the national emergency in his State of the Union address Tuesday, but says he's still considering it. A national emergency could allow him to transfer unspent military construction funds toward a wall.
"I don't like to take things off the table," Trump told CBS in a pre-Super Bowl interview. "It's that alternative. It's national emergency, it's other things and, you know, there have been plenty national emergencies called."
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/08/presidential-declaration-national-emergency-donald-trump-border-wall-congress-oversight/2784488002/
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The Same Words, but Differing Views
ADAM LIPTAK
Lawyers from Brown v. Board of Education said that Thursday’s Supreme Court decision misconstrues its true meaning.
The five opinions that made up yesterday’s decision limiting the use of race in assigning students to public schools referred to Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 school desegregation case, some 90 times. The justices went so far as to quote from the original briefs in the case and from the oral argument in 1952.
All of the justices on both sides of yesterday’s 5-to-4 decision claimed to be, in Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.’s phrase, “faithful to the heritage of Brown.”
But lawyers who represented the black schoolchildren in the Brown case said yesterday that several justices in the majority had misinterpreted the positions they had taken in the litigation and had misunderstood the true meaning of Brown.
And as those reactions make clear, yesterday’s decision has reignited a societal debate about the role of race in education that will almost certainly prompt divisive lawsuits around the country. Indeed, the decision has invited a fundamental reassessment of Brown itself, perhaps the most important Supreme Court decision of the 20th century.
“There is a historic clash between two dramatically different visions not only of Brown,” said Laurence H. Tribe, a law professor at Harvard, “but also the meaning of the Constitution.”
The four conservatives on the court said Brown and the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause required the government to be colorblind in making decisions about placing students in public schools in all circumstances. The four liberals said Brown meant to allow school districts to take account of race to achieve integration.
In the middle was Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, whose concurring opinion, at once idiosyncratic, enigmatic and decisive, was perhaps the least engaged with Brown, saying little more than that the case “should teach us that the problem before us defies” an “easy solution.” Justice Kennedy’s concurrence, which split the court 4-1-4 on a crucial point, sharply limited the role race could play in school assignments but did not forbid school districts from taking account of race entirely.
Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a law professor at Harvard and an authority on Brown and its aftermath, applauded that concurrence. “The hidden story in the decision today is that Justice Kennedy refused to follow the lead of the other four justices in eviscerating the legacy of Brown,” Professor Ogletree said.
Writing for the other four justices in the majority, Chief Justice Roberts took a harder line. In an unusual effort to cement his interpretation of Brown, he quoted from the transcript of the 1952 argument in the case.
“We have one fundamental contention,” a lawyer for the schoolchildren, Robert L. Carter, had told the court more than a half-century ago. “No state has any authority under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to use race as a factor in affording educational opportunities among its citizens.”
Chief Justice Roberts added yesterday, “There is no ambiguity in that statement.”
But the man who made that statement, now a 90-year-old senior federal judge in Manhattan, disputed the chief justice’s characterization in an interview yesterday.
“All that race was used for at that point in time was to deny equal opportunity to black people,” Judge Carter said of the 1950s. “It’s to stand that argument on its head to use race the way they use is now.”
Jack Greenberg, who worked on the Brown case for the plaintiffs and is now a law professor at Columbia, called the chief justice’s interpretation “preposterous.”
“The plaintiffs in Brown were concerned with the marginalization and subjugation of black people,” Professor Greenberg said. “They said you can’t consider race, but that’s how race was being used.”
William T. Coleman Jr., another lawyer who worked on Brown, said, “The majority opinion is 100 percent wrong.”
“It’s dirty pool,” said Mr. Coleman, a Washington lawyer who served as secretary of transportation in the Ford administration, “to say that the people Brown was supposed to protect are the people it’s now not going to protect.”
But Roger Clegg, the president and general counsel of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a research group in the Washington area that supports colorblind government policies, disagreed, saying the majority honored history in yesterday’s decision.
“There is no question but that the principle of Brown is that a child’s skin color should not determine what school he or she should be assigned to,” Mr. Clegg said.
Chief Justice Roberts wrote that Brown not only supported but also required yesterday’s decision striking down student assignment plans in Seattle and Louisville, Ky., meant to ensure racially balanced schools.
Justice John Paul Stevens, in dissent, said Chief Justice Roberts’s discussion of Brown “rewrites the history of one of this court’s most important decisions.” Justice Stephen G. Breyer, also dissenting, said the opinion “undermines Brown’s promise of integrated primary and secondary education” and “threatens to substitute for present calm a disruptive round of race-related litigation.”
Professor Greenberg said he was also wary of the reaction to yesterday’s decision. “Following Brown, there was massive resistance” that lasted some 15 years, he said. “This is essentially the rebirth of massive resistance in more acceptable form.”
Mr. Clegg, by contrast, said the decision’s practical consequences should be minimal. “Kennedy does leave the door open to some degree of consideration of race,” he said, “but it’s not very clear what that would be.”
As a consequence, Mr. Clegg said, most prudent school districts would shy from any use of race in assigning students for fear of costly and disruptive litigation.
Professor Greenberg suggested that more than law was at play in yesterday’s decision.
“You can’t really say that five justices are so smart that they can read the law and precedents and four others can’t,” he said. “Something else is going on.”
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Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats Changing Britain's Future
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Lib Dems announce £30 million of funding for health in Tunbridge Wells
Posted by Gillian Douglass | Updated 2017-05-12
The Liberal Democrats have today announced that they will add another £1 billion for mental ill health care through putting a penny on income tax. This could equate to approximately £30 million in additional NHS funding in Tunbridge Wells (West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group) and £52.4 million in additional social care funding in Kent. The Liberal Democrats will ring fence £7.5 million of the funding to tackle the historic injustice faced by people with mental ill health.
Last weekend, Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron and Shadow Health Secretary Norman Lamb unveiled a Five Point NHS and Care Recovery Plan to increase funding for health and social care services, including a penny on income tax to provide a £6 billion funding boost.
Today the Liberal Democrats announced that they will spend approximately £7.5 million of this extra money would be ring-fenced as dedicated funding for mental health services in West Kent.
This would help to deliver on 12 key priorities, including improving waiting time standards for mental health care on the NHS and providing support for his pregnant women and young people suffering from mental health problems.
The Liberal Democrats will also set out to end the inappropriate use of force against people with mental ill health, end out of area placements for mental health patients and prioritise national action to reduce the number of suicides.
Commenting on the plan, Rachel Sadler, parliamentary candidate, said:
“The Liberal Democrats pledge to spend £7.5 million in West Kent is important as it demonstrates our commitment to ending the historic injustice against people with mental ill health.
"Health, particularly mental health is a key issue on the doorstep. People want action, not just words and the Liberal Democrats neither Labour nor the Conservatives have outlined how they will fund mental health services. .
"We will invest in improving waiting time standards for mental health care in West Kent, end the scandalous use of force against people with mental ill health and prioritise national action to dramatically reduce the number of people who take their own lives.
“The Liberal Democrats are the real opposition to the Conservatives, and the only party fighting for genuine equality for those who suffer from mental ill health.”
The Liberal Democrats’ 12 priorities for mental health in the next parliament will be as follows:
1. Access and Waiting Time Standards – We will invest in comprehensive access and waiting time standards for mental health care in the NHS.
2. Children and Young People’s Mental Health – We will tackle the growing mental health crisis among children and young people, and ensure timely access to high-quality support.
3. Eating Disorder Services – We will guarantee that children and young people struggling with an eating disorder get fast access to evidence-based treatment, close to home.
4. Maternal mental health – We will transform mental health support for pregnant women, new mothers and those who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth, and help them get early care when needed.
5. Out of Area Placements – We will end the scandal of people with mental ill health being shunted across the country because there is no support available close to home.
6. Learning Disabilities and Autism – We will ensure that people with learning disabilities and autism are treated with the same dignity, rights and respect that we would demand for anyone else.
7. Stigma and Awareness – We will build on recent progress in tackling the stigma and raising awareness of mental health issues.
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Published and promoted by Gillian Douglass, 3 Chandos Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2NY on behalf of Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats.
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Home / Unlabelled / SPORTS: De Gea To Become Highest Paid Goalkeeper With PSG Move
SPORTS: De Gea To Become Highest Paid Goalkeeper With PSG Move
David De Gea is set to become the highest-paid goalkeeper in the world, by joining Paris St-Germain in the summer, when his contract runs out at Manchester United.
The 28-year-old has been stalling on signing a new deal at Old Trafford, knowing that he could earn up to £300,000-a-week at PSG.
De Gea could be set to earn around £15.5m a year in wages with the French giants, taking his potential salary to over £60m if he were to sign a four-year deal in Paris.
The Spain international is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world and has won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League since he signed for United in 2011.
A dream move to Real Madrid fell through on transfer deadline day in 2015 and that prospect ended when Thibaut Courtois joined the Champions League holders from Chelsea last summer
Source; http://dailypost.ng/2018/11/25/epl-de-gea-become-highest-paid-goalkeeper-psg-move/
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Ex-Broward deputy who failed to confront gunman during Parkland school shooting arrested
Prosecutors say the Florida deputy who failed to confront a gunman during last year's Parkland massacre has been arrested on 11 charges.
Ex-Broward deputy who failed to confront gunman during Parkland school shooting arrested Prosecutors say the Florida deputy who failed to confront a gunman during last year's Parkland massacre has been arrested on 11 charges. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://www.news-press.com/story/news/crime/2019/06/04/marjory-stoneman-douglas-resource-officer-scot-peterson-charged-staying-outside-school-shooting/1343302001/
Stacey Henson, Fort Myers News-Press Published 3:46 p.m. ET June 4, 2019 | Updated 8:21 p.m. ET June 4, 2019
Newly released video from Broward County Sheriff's Office shows police moving through Marjory Stoneman Douglas on February 14, 2018. USA TODAY
Former school resource officer Scot Peterson, 56, was arrested in Broward County on Tuesday on seven counts of neglect of a child and three counts of culpable negligence and one count of perjury. The arrest comes after a 15-month investigation into the actions of law enforcement following the mass school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Peterson, a former Broward County deputy, was on duty during the attack at the Parkland school but never went inside. He was taken into custody and booked into Broward County jail.
In this Feb. 18, 2015, file frame from video from Broward County Public Schools, school resource officer Scot Peterson talks during a school board meeting of Broward County, Fla. Peterson, the then-Florida sheriff's deputy assigned to protect the high school where 17 died in a 2018 shooting has been arrested on 11 charges, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. State Attorney Mike Satz announced that 56-year-old Peterson faces child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury charges. (Photo: Broward County Public Schools via AP, File)
Nikolas Cruz is accused of killing 17 people and wounding 17 others in the Feb. 14, 2018, school shooting.
“The FDLE investigation shows former Deputy Peterson did absolutely nothing to mitigate the MSD shooting that killed 17 children, teachers and staff and injured 17 others,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen. “There can be no excuse for his complete inaction and no question that his inaction cost lives.”
More: Parkland school shooting footage shows deputy outside freshman building
The investigation shows Peterson refused to investigate the source of gunshots, retreated during the active shooting while victims were being shot and directed other law enforcement who arrived on scene to remain 500 feet away from the building, FDLE reported in a news release.
This Feb. 14, 2018, frame from security video provided by the Broward County Sheriff's Office shows deputy Scot Peterson, right, outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The video released Thursday, March 15, shows Peterson going toward the high school building while a gunman massacred 17 students and staff members, but stayed outside with his handgun drawn. (Photo: Broward County Sheriff's Office via AP)
FDLE agents interviewed 184 witnesses, reviewed countless hours of video surveillance, and wrote 212 investigative reports totaling over 800 hours on the case, a news release indicated. FDLE agents received the full cooperation and assistance from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Coral Springs Police Department and all other agencies that responded to the school shooting.
"All the facts related to Mr. Peterson’s failure to act during the MSD massacre clearly warranted both termination of employment and criminal charges," Tony said. "It’s never too late for accountability and justice."
Photos: Parkland remembers school shooting victims, one year later
A year ago a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Thyrie Bland, tbland@news-press.com
Peterson and another deputy were fired.
According to Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, Peterson and Sgt. Brian Miller were found to have neglected their duties during the shooting in Parkland.
“We cannot fulfill our commitment to always protect the security and safety of our Broward County community without doing a thorough assessment of what went wrong that day,” Sheriff Tony said. “I am committed to addressing deficiencies and improving the Broward Sheriff’s Office.”
More: Parkland remembers 17 lives lost one year ago, looks ahead to safer future
Scenes from Parkland, Florida: Three days after high school shooting
Sad scenes of remembrances are still playing out at the Parkland amphitheater on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. Crosses have been set up to honor those killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting. Andrew West/The News-Press
Parkland Soccer Club teammates of Alyssa Alhadeff remembered her Saturday 2/17/2018 during one of the first practices since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. They are using the sport to stick together and remember her. Remembrances of those lost are still ongoing at the Parkland Amphitheater. Andrew West/news-press.com
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Trump appears to mock Trail of Tears in tweet about Senator Warren's campaign announcement
President Donald Trump was highly criticized on Twitter Saturday for appearing to make a joke about the Trail of Tears.
Trump appears to mock Trail of Tears in tweet about Senator Warren's campaign announcement President Donald Trump was highly criticized on Twitter Saturday for appearing to make a joke about the Trail of Tears. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/09/trump-appears-mock-warren-campaign-trail-tears-reference/2826768002/
Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY Published 8:03 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2019 | Updated 11:18 a.m. ET Feb. 10, 2019
After announcing her bid for president, Senator Warren told the crowd at her rally a candid story about how she was forced to potty-train her daughter in just 5 days. USA TODAY
Sen. Elizabeth Warren formally announced her candidacy for the White House on Saturday, and hours later President Donald Trump weighed in on his newest 2020 campaign opponent with a line that many critics interpreted as a joke about the Trail of Tears.
"Today Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to by me as Pocahontas, joined the race for President," he wrote on Twitter. “Will she run as our first Native American presidential candidate, or has she decided that after 32 years, this is not playing so well anymore? See you on the campaign TRAIL, Liz!"
The president's use of the word "trail" in all caps was widely interpreted as a reference to the Trail of Tears in which Native Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the southeastern U.S. to reservations in Oklahoma in the 1800s. Thousands of them died from disease, starvation and exposure along the way.
Today Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to by me as Pocahontas, joined the race for President. Will she run as our first Native American presidential candidate, or has she decided that after 32 years, this is not playing so well anymore? See you on the campaign TRAIL, Liz!
Some Trump supporters defended the president, arguing he did not intend to refer to the Trail of Tears.
Fox News' Brit Hume argued that Trump was too ignorant of American history to have intended such a reference.
"Yes, because Trump is noted for his knowledge of 19th century American history vis a vis the native population. Jeez," Hume replied sarcastically to a tweet accusing the president of using "the murders of Indigenous people as a punchline."
Yes, because Trump is noted for his knowledge of 19th century American history vis a vis the native population. Jeez. https://t.co/WYmvB1jg1O
— Brit Hume (@brithume) February 10, 2019
Trump has often mocked Warren's claims of Cherokee heritage with jibes that some have found offensive, including his "Pocahontas" nickname and a tweet that referenced the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre in which U.S. troops killed hundreds of Sioux, many of them women and children.
Trump has said he is "a fan" of former President Andrew Jackson, who signed the Indian Removal Act into law in 1830. He also picked a portrait of Jackson to hang in the Oval Office in 2017.
In January, after Warren announced she was forming a presidential exploratory committee, Trump tweeted:
"If Elizabeth Warren, often referred to by me as Pocahontas, did this commercial from Bighorn or Wounded Knee instead of her kitchen, with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, it would have been a smash!"
Warren apologized on Wednesday for "not having been more sensitive about tribal citizenship" after The Washington Post published a 1986 Texas bar registration card where she listed her race as "American Indian."
It was at least the third time in a week that Warren has apologized for her past self-identification.
Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown
More: 'This is the fight of our lives': Elizabeth Warren officially announces 2020 bid
More: Sen. Elizabeth Warren sorry for identifying as Native American
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/09/trump-appears-mock-warren-campaign-trail-tears-reference/2826768002/
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Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum: What Went Wrong?
By Nicholas Hautman
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum’s decision to call it quits after nearly nine years of marriage had been slowly — and amicably — brewing for a while, multiple sources tell Us Weekly exclusively.
“Things had turned more into a friendship between Jenna and Channing,” one source says. “There wasn’t any crazy drama or fighting. They were constantly traveling for work and it turned out that they were better apart and not together romantically anymore.”
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum: The Way They Were
A source close to Jenna’s echoes that the couple developed differing lifestyles over time, in part due to Channing’s dedication to his successful career. “It just became clear they wanted different things,” the insider tells Us.
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum attend the ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ world premiere at Odeon Leicester Square in London on September 18, 2017. Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
Celebrity Splits of 2018
In the end, the Magic Mike actor, 37, simply didn’t want to be tied down. “He left for weeks at a time for trips with friends,” the source close to Jenna adds. “Jenna wanted him to go out and do the things he wanted to do and was always supportive. But it became clear that he enjoyed being away. She gave him all the space he wanted, but it wasn’t good for their marriage. … They tried to find a new happy and a new way of being that worked for both of them, but ultimately they couldn’t find that place.”
And so came the split announcement. “We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together. Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now,” the movie stars said in a joint statement posted on their social media accounts on Monday, April 2.
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum’s Cutest Instagram Photos
“There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision — just two best friends realizing it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible,” they continued. “We are still a family and will always be loving, dedicated parents to Everly.”
Channing and Jenna, also 37, met on the set of the 2006 film Step Up. They tied the knot in Malibu in 2009, and welcomed their now-4-year-old daughter, Everly, in 2013. They made their last public appearance as a couple — with Everly by their side — at the 2018 Kids’ Choice Awards on March 24.
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"Transformation": Antonio Gramsci and Karl Polanyi
By Walter Baier | 09 Nov 10 | Posted under: Theory
“It may be ruled out that immediate economic crises of themselves produce fundamental historic events; they can simply create a terrain more favourable to the dissemination of certain modes of thought, and certain ways of posing and resolving questions involving the entire subsequent development of national life”.
(Antonio Gramsci)
Most serious people understand that we are not looking at a cyclical crisis typical of the history of capitalism and also not a crisis of capitalist regulation, but one which involves the accumulation regime of capitalism and also its political and international system – in other words, we are dealing with a systemic crisis.
Even for the ruling elites the situation still is precarious. The jolts of the financial markets were overburdening the available regulatory instruments. Even today nobody is able seriously to predict what will become of the Euro-zone. Despite all the lack of concepts which became obvious in the improvisations of the recent weeks, the elites are reacting with a class-political offensive the objective of which is to do away with those remains of the Fordist class compromise which have survived the neoliberal counter-reforms. In the first place, the austerity programme is directed against the former working-class that has integrated into the “middle class”. Their living conditions are to be assimilated to the living conditions of those social classes suffering from precariousness in capitalist societies.
Europe has arrived at a turning point. It might well be that we are at the beginning of a longer phase of social and political instability, trapped in a process in which the geo-political and geo-economic importance of Europe is on the decline. In theory, “organic crises” (Gramsci) of this kind create openings for the dissemination of a theory of social change. However, since the crisis of the dominant hegemony is not outweighed by a counter-hegemony finding general consensus, there is considerable danger in the offing. “When these crises appear, the immediate situation will be delicate and dangerous since the field is free for all violent solutions, for the activity of obscure forces represented by charismatic or violent men,”2 he warned in the 13th book of the Notebooks which he wrote between 1932 and 1934.
In our opinion, the greatest danger lies in underestimating the drama of the historical moment.
The first question that arises has to do with the character of the left we want to be part of.
The most important political legacy of the 20th century to the left in Europe, to speak more precisely, to the left in continental Europe, is the organisational division of the labour movement into a moderate and a radical wing, or, put more positively: the existence of mass parties with their own culture and institutions who independently and often in stark contrast to the social-democratic majority current represented the more radical currents of the labour movement. Despite being inspired by the October Revolution their first historical lesson paradoxically was accepting that the Russian revolutionary model was fundamentally not transferable. As we know, this model was characterised by a social reality in which, as Gramsci writes, “the state was everything, yet civil society was still primordial and gelatinous”. If applied in the West, where “there was a proper relation between the state and civil society”, a relation which therefore proved robust against revolutionary ambitions, this could only lead to defeat”.3
The resulting change of paradigm, that is, the “change from the war of manoeuvre to the war of position”, called by Gramsci “the most important question of political theory that the post-war period has posed”,4 represented the first historical breach within Communist identity, which for an entire historical period represented the left of the left. In declaring this, Gramsci was not reflecting, as is often simplistically assumed, the ebbing of the revolutionary post-war crisis.5
The time at which he wrote those words, between 1930 and 1932, indicates something different, namely that he is implicitly referring to topical questions concerning the party: the turn introduced by Stalin in 1928 towards sectarian and authoritarian forms of politics and their negative effects on parties in the West, which proved to be the case in the following years of economic crisis and ultimately led to the defeat of the German labour movement.6
What is particularly significant for us here is that Gramsci establishes a link between the theory of war of position and hegemony, on the one hand, and the problems posed by the crisis, on the other. “If the ruling class has lost its consensus, i.e. is no longer ‘leading’ but only ‘dominant’, exercising coercive force alone, this means precisely that the great masses have become detached from their traditional ideologies, and no longer believe what they used to believe previously, etc. The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born: in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.”7
Why are we referring to Gramsci to understand today’s problems?
In his fundamental study of Benedetto Croce’s historical philosophy, Gramsci calls the most important methodological problem of historical and political research the fact that the “philosophy of praxis”, that is Marxism, “does not only not exclude ethico-political history but that, indeed, in its most recent stage of development, it asserts the moment of hegemony as essential to its conception of the state and to its “taking into serious account’ the cultural fact, cultural activity, a cultural front as necessary alongside the merely economic and political ones”.8
Using Gramsci’s arguments makes a difference – in two ways: First, the notion of “hegemony” makes sense only in relation to “major social groups” who form a subject of their own. To use “hegemony” in Gramsci’s sense implies, just as in Marx, interpreting history as a history of class struggles; secondly, since – as Gramsci emphasises – “people become conscious of the conflict between content and form of the world of production in the sphere of ideologies”,9 a major political group must “traverse the ambit of the economic group” to become a leading group, that is, it must assert itself in the area of ideology and culture.
This includes two concepts: on the one hand, the idea of alliances, or, if you like, of exterior and mechanical relations of social forces under the leadership of a “major group”, as Lenin also conceptualized them in both bourgeois revolutions in Russia. This alone is a demanding project, since it presupposes that the “major group” can be convinced of compromises and the necessity of subordinating its selfish corporate interests to a political universal interest.
On the other hand, and this is the second of the two concept included in Gramsci’s arguments, it is even more complicated that in the theory of “structure and superstructure” the notion of “hegemony” involves what we today may call the “software” in the functioning of a “major group”, namely its capacity for intellectual and moral leadership in society, its subjectivity.
Gramsci’s famous formula according to which the state in the integral sense is hegemony protected by the armour of coercion – please note that he did not say coercion mitigated or masked by hegemony – must be understood against this background.
Intellectual and moral leadership means neither an aesthetic completion of the unrefined struggle for power nor a surrogate for it. Still, it is true that Gramsci regards the concept of hegemony as the general principle of dominance of one class, and power as one of its moments.
Thus the notion of “transformation”, which in everyday political language mostly involves a process of restructuring of society over long periods of time and in the midst of tedious disputes, acquires an additional aspect: subjectivity. Gramsci asks, in regard to the tendency to “economistic” positions in the labour movement, “Why do you exclude the transformation of the subordinate into a dominant group either by not considering the problem at all or by posing it in an inadequate and ineffective form (Social Democracy) or by claiming that it is possible to leap from class society directly into a society of perfect equality (theoretical syndicalism in the narrower sense of the word)?”10
The self-transformation of the oppressed class into a class able to dominate – this is what is at stake when we speak about transformation.
In the German Ideology Marx and Engels had written that “Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things”.11
As already mentioned, Gramsci’s concept of hegemony does not float freely in the political scientist’s heaven, but is rooted in the material contradictions of society. This becomes particularly clear in the term “historical bloc”, which denotes an entity comprised of “structure and superstructures”, with “the complex and contradictory ensemble of superstructures being a reflection of the ensemble of social relations of production”.12
While in general political language, by “social” or “political bloc” we understand an alliance of different groups on the basis of converging interests, the term “historical bloc” refers to something more in the nature of a principle, namely the ability in a certain epoch to mobilise social and political forces according to fundamental and long-term requirements of development. This describes the legitimacy and function proper to a political party. Political parties of historical importance can thus and in the first place be identified by means of the historical bloc, the formation of which they are more or less consciously involved in.
“If a social group is formed which is one hundred per cent homogeneous on the level of ideology, this means that the premises for this revolution are one hundred per cent present: that is, that the ‘rational’ is actively and actually real.”13
The same idea of a dialectical relationship of “structure and superstructure” was developed by the Austrian Karl Polanyi in a pedagogic text which he wrote about the same time and which is addressed to left Christians: It is a misunderstanding, he writes, that the economic interests of a class are regarded as the final driving force of history. “Rather, Marx’s theory claims that the interests of society as a whole are the decisive factors in history. That these interests coincide with the best possible usage of the means of production; that therefore that class is meant to lead in society which is able to guarantee the best method of production; and that in case of change in the method of production a new class might be eligible to take over leadership … (…). In other words: not class interests but the interests of society as a whole are the last [final] agent in society’s history.”14
According to Gramsci, two conditions can guide us in determining what this interest is: “1) that no society sets itself tasks for whose accomplishment the necessary and sufficient conditions either do not already exist or are not at least beginning to emerge and develop; 2) that no society breaks down and can be replaced until it has developed all the forms of life which are implicit in its internal relations.”15 The programme of historical research outlined here by Gramsci is of decisive political importance.
The sentence, that “mankind always sets itself only such tasks as it can solve and that the task itself arises only when the material conditions for its solution already exist”, refers to the problem of the development of a collective will. Analysing critically the meaning of this sentence requires us to investigate how these enduring collective wills are formed and can set themselves concrete long- and short-term goals, that is, arrive at a collective line of action. … It is the problem that in modern times finds expression in relation to the party or the coalition of parties related to each other: how is the constitution of a party initiated, how does its organised power develop, the power that enables it to have an influence in society, etc.16
To Karl Polanyi we owe the term “great transformation”, which he used to describe the complex transition from feudal societies to capitalist market economy more than 300 years ago and which he correlated to the great economic and political crisis of the 1920s and 30s. “Fascism, like socialism, was rooted in a market society that refused to function. Hence it was worldwide, catholic in scope, universal in application; the issues transcended the economic sphere and generated a general transformation of a distinctively social kind. It radiated into almost every field of human activity whether political or economic, cultural, philosophical, artistic or religious.”17
Following Polanyi and also Antonio Gramsci, I would like to propose an understanding of the current global crisis as a crisis of transition, a crisis of transformation.
This includes understanding the crisis which we are living through in Europe as a crisis of the capitalist form of life. Defending our living standards and the social welfare states in the face of the offensive of the dominant class must be linked to the cultural and psychological assimilation of human beings in general and of the working classes in particular to a globally changed reality. This is a process described by Gramsci as the “transition from the merely economic to the ethico-political moment, […] as a catharsis”.18
An initial condition must be mentioned here: By the end of the last century, not only had state socialism disappeared in Eastern Europe, but also the impact of the Left in capitalist Europe, as shown by election results, declined from 15 to 7%. In this context there is also a striking qualitative change to be noted. While in the 1940s and 1950s big Communist Parties functioned as flagships of the European Left, their influence has decreased in two historical stages, in the 1970s and in the 1990s. This was counterbalanced by an increasing importance of new types of left parties: left-socialist, left-ecological or left-populist. To a great extent they reflect the political cultures of their respective countries, but do not yet represent one characteristic and general model of a new formation of the left. Therein also lies a theoretical problem.
What then is today’s new left if it accepts the principle of a war of position and hegemony as its premises? Is it a Social Democracy with a more radical language, what Bruno Kreisky predicted as the future of Euro-Communism? Gramsci raised the question arising from this theoretical problem with the categories he found: “Does there exist an absolute identity between war of position and passive revolution (that is, of a revolution without a revolution, an assimilation of society, from the top to the bottom, to a newly developing mode of production)? Or at least does there exist, or can there be conceived, an entire historical period in which the two [strategic] concepts must be considered identical …One problem is the following: Are not both components – passive revolution / war of position, on the one hand, and popular initiative / war of manoeuvre, on the other, although in struggle with each other – equally indispensable?”,19 so that only as they flow into an integrated political approach can a rational balance between them be derived for our strategy?
One may also ask, from the point of view of present-day challenges, whether the difficulties, paradoxes and tensions involved in the participation of left parties in governments result from precisely the incapacity, or also the paucity of opportunities, to bring about such a balance.
To Gramsci, this question is sufficiently important that “… one should see if it is not possible to draw from this some general principle of political science and art”.20 And he hints at a solution, namely that in the frame of a productive dialectic between reformist and revolutionary socialism – one should remember that he was writing when the Communist International spoke of “social fascism” – “each member of the dialectical opposition must seek to be itself totally and throw into the struggle all the political and moral ‘resources’ it possesses, since only in that way can it achieve a genuine dialectical ‘transcendence’ of its opponent”.21
The imbalance that arose in the course of 19th-century bourgeois revolutions between the moderate tendencies, on the one hand, and the people’s initiatives, on the other, consisted in the fact that “the thesis alone developed to the full its potential for struggle, up to the point where it absorbed even the so-called representatives of the antithesis: it is precisely in this that the passive revolution consists”.22
This “being entirely itself” refers to the formula outlined above: the ability to take part in the formation of an historical bloc is equal to the ability to contribute to the constituting of a progressive class which, in the historical sense, is the equivalent of forming a political party.
I have tried to bring up some of Antonio Gramsci’s categories in order to facilitate our debates by defining them more exactly. A second reason for going back to them is that since they arose in the context of the Great Crisis and the defeat of the European left in the 1930s these categories can help us more easily understand the present situation.
Third and most important, I refer to Gramsci, because his categories may be useful in outlining the programme which we have to master in the process of a new foundation of the left in Europe. Recommending theoretical discussions does not mean working to turn parties and movements into expert committees of social scientists.
Yet indeed in a number of respects today’s world requires a new interpretation. Let me mention a few aspects:
the revolutionary changes in the world of labour, where according to Gramsci, “hegemony originates”.23
the disruption of sex and gender relations
the reaching of ecological boundaries
the crisis of hitherto existing forms of representation
the inexorable upheaval of the global economic and political order
In the face of the new “great transformation”, which finds expression in today’s “crisis of civilisation”, all political and cultural forces are facing the task of leading to the birth of a new civilisation, through those who are taking it upon themselves to suffer in order to create the foundations of this civilisation: they “have to” find the “original” system of life … to let “freedom” grow, which is today’s “necessity”.
Antonio Gramsci: Gefängnishefte/Prison Notebooks, vol. 7, Berlin 1996, p. 1563
Antonio Gramsci: Gefängnisschriften/Writings from Prison, vol. 4, Berlin 1992, p. 873
Ibid., p. 816
Cf. Ernst Wimmer: Antonio Gramsci und die Revolution. Vienna 1984, p. 15
Cf. Valentino Gerratana: Einleitung zu/Introduction to: Gramsci, Antonio: Gefängnisschriften, Bd. 1, Berlin, 1991. (Writings from Prison, vol. 1), p. 31
Antonio Gramsci: Gefängnisschriften/Writings from Prison, vol. 6, Berlin 1991, p. 1239
Antonio Gramsci: Gefängnisschriften/Writings from Prison, vol. 3, Berlin 1992, p. 500.
Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels: Die deutsche Ideologie/The German Ideology. – In: Marx/Engels: Werke/Works (MEW), vol. 3, Berlin 1969, p. 35
Antonio Gramsci: Gefängnisschriften/Writings from Prison, vol. 5, p. 1045
Polanyi, Karl: Chronik der großen Transformation. Artikel und Aufsätze ( Chronicle of the Great Transformation. Article and Essays (1920-2947), Marburg 2005, p. 270
Gramsci, vol. 3, ibid., p. 492
Gramsci, vol. 5, ibid., p. 1050f.
Karl Polanyi: “The Great Transformation“, Boston 2001, S. 248
Gramsci, vol. 6, ibid., p. 1259
Ibid., p. 1728
This text is based on the talk given at the seminar “Meaning, Subjects and Spaces of Transformation”, May 29-30, 2010 in Florence
Constructing the Neoliberal Subject in the 'Cool' Capitalism of Central and Eastern Europe
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Archaeology and Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins
Archaeology and Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins by Brand: Cambridge University Press at Translate This Website. Hurry! Limited time offer. Offer valid only while supplies last. In this book Colin Renfrew directs remarkable new light on the links between archaeology and language, looking specifically at the puzzling similarities that are apparent across the Indo-European family of ancient languages, from Anatolia and Ancient Persia, across Europe and the Indian subcontinent, to regions as remote as Sinkiang in China. Professor Renfrew initiates an original synthesis between modern historical linguistics and the new archaeology of cultural process, boldly proclaiming
In this book Colin Renfrew directs remarkable new light on the links between archaeology and language, looking specifically at the puzzling similarities that are apparent across the Indo-European family of ancient languages, from Anatolia and Ancient Persia, across Europe and the Indian subcontinent, to regions as remote as Sinkiang in China. Professor Renfrew initiates an original synthesis between modern historical linguistics and the new archaeology of cultural process, boldly proclaiming that it is time to reconsider questions of language origins and what they imply about ethnic affiliation--issues seriously discredited by the racial theorists of the 1920s and 1930s and, as a result, largely neglected since. Challenging many familiar beliefs, he comes to a new and persuasive conclusion: that primitive forms of the Indo-European language were spoken across Europe some thousands of years earlier than has previously been assumed.
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In building up a scenario for the arrival on the shores of Alaska of speakers of languages related to Eskimo-Aleut with genetic roots deep within Sineria, this book touches upon a number of issues in contemporary historical linguistics and archaeology. The Arctic ''gateway'' to the New World, by acting as a bottleneck, has allowed only small groups of mobile hunter-gatherers through during specific propitious periods, and thus provides a unique testing ground for theories about population and
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An Introduction to Classical Nahuatl
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This well illustrated, full-color, site-by-site survey of prehistory captures the popular interest, excitement, and visual splendor of archaeology as it provides insight into the research, interpretations, and theoretical themes in the field. The new edition maintains the authors' innovative solutions to two central problems of the course: first, the text continues to focus on about 80 sites, giving students less encyclopedic detail but essential coverage of the discoveries that have produced
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The Ass and his Burdens
A Pedlar who owned an Ass one day bought a quantity of salt, and loaded up his beast with as much as he could bear. On the way home the Ass stumbled as he was crossing a stream and fell into the water. The salt got thoroughly wetted and much of it melted and drained away, so that, when he got on his...
<p>A Pedlar who owned an Ass one day bought a quantity of salt, and loaded up his beast with as much as he could bear. On the way home the Ass stumbled as he was crossing a stream and fell into the water. The salt got thoroughly wetted and much of it melted and drained away, so that, when he got on his legs again, the Ass found his load had become much less heavy. His master, however, drove him back to town and bought more salt, which he added to what remained in the panniers, and started out again.</p> <p>No sooner had they reached a stream than the Ass lay down in it, and rose, as before, with a much lighter load. But his master detected the trick, and turning back once more, bought a large number of sponges, and piled them on the back of the Ass.</p> <p>When they came to the stream the Ass again lay down: but this time, as the sponges soaked up large quantities of water, he found, when he got up on his legs, that he had a bigger burden to carry than ever.</p> <p>You may play a good card once too often.</p>
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What Down-Regulation Means in IVF Treatment
More in Fertility Challenges
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Fertility Challenges
Process Increases the Production of Viable Eggs
By Rachel Gurevich
Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD
VOISIN/PHANIE/Getty Images
Down-regulation is a term that scientists use to describe the process of reducing or suppressing the body's response to specific stimuli. When used with regards to in vitro fertilization (IVF), down-regulation essentially "turns off" the ovaries to better control ovulation and egg maturation during treatment.
There are two types of drugs used for this purpose: GnRH agonists and GnRH antagonists. An agonist is a type of drug that stimulates a response, while an antagonist is a type that blocks a response. While the mechanisms of action for the two drugs differ, they both work by suppressing the body's production of various hormones that trigger egg development and ovulation. In this way, they down-regulate the physiological function of the ovaries.
Why Down-Regulation Is Used During IVF Treatment
Your ovaries contain thousands of follicles. Each follicle contains an immature egg or oocyte.
At the start of your cycle, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) trigger the maturation process in a group of competing follicles. As the follicles begin to grow in size, they will release other hormones to regulate the flow of LH and FSH—sometimes up, sometimes down—until ovulation finally occurs.
Ovulation usually involves only one egg. After that egg is released, all of other follicles in that group wither and die. With IVF, your doctor doesn't want this to happen. Instead, the aim would be to down-regulate that response so that:
Multiple follicles are able to produce a viable, mature egg.
The eggs remain in the follicles so that they can be easily harvested.
Long vs. Short IVF Protocol
You may have also heard the terms long and short protocol. These describe two different approaches to down-regulation. As the name implies, the difference between these two approaches is the length of time down-regulation is imposed on the body.
With the long protocol, down-regulation is started in the cycle before IVF treatment takes place. It may begin on day one or two of the cycle before, or it may not start until the mid-luteal phase, which is about one-week post ovulation (day 21). Medications known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists are used during a long protocol down-regulation, the most common one being Lupron. (More on those medications below.) Birth control pills may also be taken the cycle or two before treatment as well.
Long IVF protocols require more days of medication and more injections, which means the cycle tends to be more expensive. Also, because your hormones are being down-regulated over more days, you’re more likely to experience side effects over a longer period of time.
That said, for many women, the long IVF protocol offers the best chances for IVF success. This makes the additional days of treatment, side effects, and increased cost possibly more worthwhile.
In the short protocol, down-regulation is achieved quickly and usually doesn’t start until the start of the IVF cycle itself. The medications used for this are GnRH antagonists, like Antagon, Ganirelix, and Orgalutran. The short protocol may be better for women who are poor responders and might be better for women who are at higher risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Because you’re taking medications for a shorter period of time, this also means lower costs and fewer days of side effects.
On the other hand, the short protocol may lead to fewer follicles (and therefore fewer embryos). There are also some concerns that GnRH antagonists come with an increased risk of birth defects, though the risk is still relatively small.
Drugs Used for Down-Regulation
There are a number of drugs used in IVF for downregulation, and they are broadly characterized as follows:
GnRH agonists include such drugs as Lupron (leuprolide), Synarel (nafarelin), and Zoladex (goserelin). GnRH agonists mimic the naturally occurring hormone known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). This is the hormone that triggers increased production of FSH and LH. By flooding the body with "fake" GnRH, the ovaries become increasingly overwhelmed and eventually shut down the production of LH and FSH after around three weeks.
GnRH antagonists include the drugs Antagon (ganirelix) and Cetrotide (cetrorelix). GnRH antagonists work by binding to the receptor on GnRH and blocking its ability to receive signals of any sort. By doing so, the production of FSH and LH are shut down almost immediately.
After taking the GnRH drugs for several days or weeks, an ultrasound would be used to confirm that the uterine lining is thin and the eggs are ready to be harvested. Fertility drugs would then be administered to stimulate the ovaries, after which the eggs would be harvested under local anesthesia.
Alternate Means of Down-Regulation
While down-regulation is an effective means of desensitizing the ovaries during IVF, it doesn't work well for all women.
This is especially true in women with low ovarian reserves (a significantly decreased number of eggs). Because there would be far fewer follicles to work with, GnRH drugs can something work too well. Rather than desensitizing the ovaries, they might end up canceling the cycle altogether.
For these women, there are alternate techniques fertility specialists will use to achieve down-regulation:
Starting birth control pills for a month prior to IVF and then skipping doses to temper the maturation and ovulation process
Giving GnRH drugs at lower does or for fewer days
Starting GnRH treatment much later than usual
Starting and then stopping the GnRH injections at different stages
Adding additional hormones to the treatment
During this time, the doctor will use blood tests and ultrasound to assess and better regulate the follicular development.
Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy.
Badawy, A.; Wageah, A.; El Gharib, M. et al. “Strategies for Pituitary Down-regulation to Optimize IVF/ICSI Outcome in Poor Ovarian Responders.” J Reprod Infertil. 2012; 13(3):124-30.
Magon, N. “Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists: Expanding vistas.” Ind J Endocrinol Metab. 2011; 15(4):261-7; DOI: 10.4103/2230-8210.85575.
Shrestha D1, La X1, Feng HL1. “Comparison of different stimulation protocols used in in vitro fertilization: a review.” Ann Transl Med. 2015 Jun;3(10):137. doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2015.04.09.
Lupron Side Effects and Risks in IVF Treatment
How the Hormone GnRH Works During IVF
Which Fertility Treatment Drugs Can Help You Get Pregnant?
What to Expect Along the Path to Conceiving With IVF
What Are Gonadotropins and How Can They Increase Fertility?
Overview of Fertility Treatments
How Ovidrel or r-hCG Is Used During Fertility Treatment
What Is a Corpus Luteum? How Does It Work? And What Can Go Wrong?
How to Freeze Your Eggs for Elective Fertility Preservation
What a Diagnosis of Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Means for You
How Many Ovarian and Antral Follicles You Should Have for Fertility?
Do You Know the Risks of Fertility Drugs?
What It Means When Your IVF Cycle Is Delayed or Canceled
Are the Fertility Drugs Gonal-F, Follistim, and Ovidrel Safe?
How Many Eggs Are Ideal With Superovulation?
What Is the Luteal Phase? What Does It Have to Do With Ovulation?
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Home » Resources » Submit a Dispute
Disputes are a substantial drain on the sport sector in British Columbia, absorbing time, money and energy that sport organizations could otherwise invest to increase quality and participation in sport and physical activity across the province.
The Sport Law Connect Program (SLCP) was created by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) to increase access to dispute resolution resources and services for the sport community.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) includes processes and techniques that bring disputing parties to a resolution outside of the court system. By submitting a dispute, sport organizations access a free resource that connects them with law students or ADR professionals, known as the SLCP Participants. Trained in the resolution of sport disputes, the SLCP Participants are free from conflict of interest and able to lead a fair and timely process.
The SLCP is being piloted in our province in partnership with viaSport BC, the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of BC (ADRBC).
What services are available?
1) Facilitating a discussion that allows the parties to communicate more effectively and work towards an accepted agreement
2) Acting as panel member on an internal panel, disciplinary or appeal, to determine an outcome
Is my sport organization eligible?
You must fulfill all the requirements below to submit a dispute.
1) Your organization is a Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) in British Columbia
At this time, only PSOs can access the services. However, PSOs may access the services on behalf of their local sport organizations.
2) The dispute at hand is eligible
If your PSO has a dispute resolution or an appeal policy in place, any matter that is deemed admissible under such policy could be referred to the SLCP. Submitted disputes generally fall under one of the following categories:
Discipline: An individual is accused of breaching the organization’s Code of Conduct and the organization wishes to determine whether a violation did occur and, if so, what would be the applicable sanction
Team Selection: An individual who is not selected to a provincial team wishes to dispute the decision
Governance: A disagreement regarding the way in which the by-laws or other governance policies have been adopted or applied to reach a certain decision, such as challenges to the Board election process, changes enacted by the Board that affect the members, etc.
Other types of disputes may also be considered at viaSport’s sole discretion. Ineligible disputes include those in which a specialized adjudication or dispute resolution process already exists under governing policies or laws such as, but not limited to, doping, criminal behavior, child protection, employment standards or workers’ compensation, consumer protection or human rights.
3) Your PSO has Directors and Officers Liability Insurance
The individuals in the SLCP will be acting as volunteers on behalf of your PSO. It is required that your Directors and Officers Liability Insurance covers them when acting as such.
4) Your PSO agrees to the rules, terms and conditions of the program
If the services requested are for a dispute in which the parties wish to attempt to resolve amicably by way of settlement but a neutral third party is needed to assist the process, the Facilitation Rules are applicable.
If the services requested are for a dispute in which the parties wish to present their case to an independent decision-making panel who will conduct a hearing process and render a decision on the dispute, the Appeal Rules are applicable. These Appeal Rules will supersede the PSO’s dispute resolution or appeal policy.
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Victor Central Schools is proud to announce its new Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Hall of Fame. The program was created to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of outstanding alumni, staff and community members who have excelled in the arts. It was also established to inspire current students to make contributions to the arts by reconnecting those selected for the hall of fame with our students, staff and community.
Candidates for the Visual and Performing Arts Hall of Fame can be nominated in one of four categories:
Individuals and/or groups of Victor Senior High School alumni who graduated a minimum of ten (10) years ago.
Staff and community members who have made significant and extraordinary contributions to the Victor Central Schools’ Arts programming for a minimum of five (5) years.
Individuals who have made a significant impact on Victor Central Schools’ Arts programming, administration, and/or on regional, state, national, professional, or international levels. This honorary category may include, but is not limited to, VCS staff and local community supporters.
Visual and Performing Arts Hall of Fame Nomination Form
Practitioner: Betty Kocher/Music
Creator: David Cowles/Visual Arts
Performer: Alan Hood/Music
Contributor: Beth Thomas/Theater
Former music teacher Elizabeth “Betty” Kocher (1956 – 1980) was instrumental in bringing the Suzuki method to VCS, a program that has taught thousands of young musicians how to play the violin through the years. After attending the National Suzuki Conference in the summer of 1966, Kocher was so inspired she worked with the Board of Education to start a program at VCS in the fall of 1966. She also arranged to have founder, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki visit Victor four times! Prior to VCS Kocher earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music, taught music for two years at Georgian Court College in New Jersey and Misericordia College in Pennsylvania before coming back to Victor where she taught for more than twenty years. Nominator and current Junior High School strings teacher, Elizabeth Knapp said that the District’s music program, specifically its orchestra program would not be what it is today without the inspiration and everlasting hard work of Betty Kocher.
Artist David Cowles graduated from Victor Senior High School in1979. After attending graphic arts school he landed a job with the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester as a visual artist. Two years after joining the D&C, he began his freelance illustration career and in 1991 he left the newspaper completely to launch his freelance career full-time. Cowles’ work has appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Vibe, Time, Newsweek, People, The Village Voice, Money, Worth, Fortune, Fast Company, Los Angeles Magazine, New York Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune and the New York Times to name just a few. He also produced a pilot for Playhouse Disney, several award-winning videos for They Might be Giants as well as videos for Sesame Workshop, The Rochester Philharmonic, the Democrat and Chronicle and the award winning spot H2O Hero. Senior High School art teacher and nominator David Denner said the art department unanimously agreed that David would be an excellent selection for the Hall of Fame’s first inductee.
During his high school years, Alan Hood was the top trumpet player at Victor Central Schools. Upon graduating in 1982, Hood transferred his love for the trumpet into collegiate music studies earning him a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate degree from the University of Miami. In addition to an illustrious teaching career that took him from the University of Texas and the University of Virginia to the University of Denver’s Lamont School, Hood has performed music for more than 35 years. Among his most notable gigs Hood toured the world with Phil Collins, appeared with the orchestras of Woody Herman, Glenn Miller and Harry James and performed on stage with Ray Charles, Doc Severinsen, and Natalie Cole to name a few. In 2013 he was named a VCS Graduate of Distinction for his incredible music accomplishments. Senior High band teacher Eric Everhart said that it was during these festivities that Alan willingly gave of his time and talents to teach a master class to music students in the new JH/SH Arts Center.
Former Senior High English teacher Beth Thomas (1983-2014) was an integral part of the Senior High School theater arts community for more than two decades serving as the theater arts coordinator, International Baccalaureate (IB) theater teacher and the Senior High drama director. Under her leadership Thomas directed numerous plays and musicals that engaged literally thousands of young artists both on and off stage. She also helped with the monumental job of transitioning the entire high school theater arts program into the new JH/SH Arts Center. Senior High School English teacher and nominator Jeremy Hawkinson said that Thomas was instrumental in inspiring theatre at VSH not only through her work with students but by fostering new faculty into their roles as teachers
of theater.
Performer: David Grant Wright/Theater
Performer: Bill Kelliher/Music
Performer: Tim Wheeler/Music
Performer: Andy Martinek/Music
David Grant Wright caught the acting bug his junior year of college when he was cast as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After graduating with an MFA in Acting from Michigan State University, Wright’s acting career took flight. He has been a professional actor for more than 30 years, appearing in 27 films, 43 plays, 150 television shows and over 100 commercials. Most recently, he appeared in the films, Outlaw Project, 50 to1, Taken Away, Masterless, Skin in the Game, and End of Sentence and television shows, Scorpion, Angie Tribeca, Better Call Saul, Fear the Walking Dead, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Scandal, Flaked, The Last Tycoon, NCIS (LA), Here and Now and Lucifer.
for full article go to the Alumni Newsletter
Bill Kelliher, ’89, is best known as the rhythm guitarist for the Grammy award winning heavy metal band, Mastodon. Kelliher was unable to accept his award this year but has three years to come back to VCS to do so. Stay tuned!
After being a star trumpet player for VCS and the Rochester Patriots Drum and Bugle Corps, Wheeler was a member of the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, “The Commandant’s Own.” He performed for countless foreign and national dignitaries and Heads-of-State, and was a soloist at the Nippon Music Festival in Japan. Stateside, he performed the national anthem at numerous NFL games, the inaugural game of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and the return of the Cleveland Browns. He has honored more than 100 fallen Marine veterans by performing “Taps” at Arlington National Cemetery and other cemeteries. Wheeler continues to play trumpet as a civilian, primarily playing lead trumpet in a jazz group in the D.C. area.
In addition to being part of numerous music enembles at VCS, Andy Martinek was also a member of the Eastman Youth Jazz ensemble and The Patriot Drum Corps. He studied music education at Temple University and obtained a Masters of Music in Jazz Performance and Improvisational Composition from SUNY Purchase. He was a jazz student ambassador at the Amsterdam Von Conservator and spent five months as lead percussionist for Princess Cruise Lines. Martinek has played drums with legendary rocker Peter Frampton, performed at the Harvard and Yale Clubs, Lincoln Center, and NFL fundraisers. Today he is a studio drummer in NYC playing with band members from Sting, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Mother Feather, Snarky Puppy and Macklamore, to name a few.
Our Mission:To Teach, To Learn, To Support, To Improve, To Achieve!
953 High Street, Victor, NY 14564
585-924-3252 Fax Numbers
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Produced by Naohito Koike
Filmed and edited by Vincent Moon
Sounds by Teresa Eggers
Mix by Gaspar Claus
Shot in Osaka, Japan, february 2009
http://www.vimeo.com/7161029
28' (extended version)
part1 _ 10'
part2 _ 8'
http://www.blogotheque.net/Kazuki-Tomokawa,5100
A friend leaves for Japan, comes back, barely has the time to share a little bit of what interested him over there, so far, and leaves again. You can hardly imagine, carried by the confidence that you get from his excitement.
Then he comes back for a bit longer, invites you into an apartment that’s not his. He set up a makeshift editing room in a corner of the room, all he has to offer you is a glass of water. He sits you down in front of his laptop, he starts a film.
30 minutes later, I insulted Moon, like someone insults a friend who has given them a wonderful surprise. Insults of affection, the “bitch,” the “little bastard,” words of love. Because in a half hour from there, I took off.
I was like you. I had never gone to Japan. I knew nothing about Tomokawa. I asked, it’s him? Him? The man over there? There? Where is he? Moon was annoyed and jubilant at the same time, he wasn’t showing mention the subject of the film, hammering holes with frustration and filling them with stories, hiding what he had planned to show us so we would be open to everything, to the Japan of today, the Japan of yesterday, to the anti-pollution masks and cigarette holders, to the ads for phones and engravings, to the smiling young men and to their elders, full of history.
Thus, take this first film like an introduction. You won’t see that much more of Tomokawa in the other two episodes, Wednesday and Friday. But you will go, simply to hear him. He is going to assault you, he’s not going to burden you with a lesser appearance, he is going to grab hold on you, to twist you, to rip you apart. He is not only a face barely discovered, under a hat, drowned in shadow and cigarette smoke. You will not understand any of what he sings. But you will have never seen someone bare himself like him.
To travel. To discover. To be shoved around. Its still essential, no?
This Take Away Show is an introduction to a movie made by Moon on Tomokawa : La Faute des Fleurs. Go and see : kazukitomokawa.com
text by chryde
The memories are very clear. End of February 2009. I found myself to the right of Gaspar, we were live, camera in fist, following the rhythm that he gave his cello and myself for a good ten minutes. His improvisation seemed to be the most beautiful that I have ever been able to witness, and god knows I’ve had the opportunity to film my best friend along the way the past 3 years, in a Take Away show with his dad featuring improvisations from Oberkampf to Bamako. Its then that the lights, at the other end of the room, start to vibrate. All at my business regarding technological-organic relations (sorry…), I started when a guitar made itself heard. The focal point moved to the left of Gaspar, a voice was raised. Kazuki Tomokawa has just entered, blending his marvelous “Story About Swallowing a Star” with the improvisation in progress. Five minutes later, the music stopped and tears filled our eyes. The concert in Osaka, in progress for a few months, has just started.
This was first in August 2008, a harmless message or close to it, a Japanese contact, a certain Naohito Koike who tells me about his favorite musician, Kazuki Tomokawa. And of his desire for me to film him.
The months pass, I come across that message again by chance, I realize that I had not finished the text – in the last line, he notes specifically that he is organizing a concert of this Tomokawa in question in Osaka, in February 2009, and that he wishes to invite me to document the event. We are in December, at least two months before the event, and Gaspar told me some weeks beforehand of this same ‘musician’ that he had just discovered via an experimental blog. Exchanging heated messages, intense listening sessions and an ambition that increased ten fold, we found ourselves together in Tokyo two months later, invited by the good grace of a single fan. Yes, a fan, an amateur, a guy who liked my work and that of Gaspar, and who wanted to initiate a meeting. That is going to change your perspective on cinema and production in the 21st century.
Between time, the idea of the film evolved, it presented itself from then on as a portrait in length, a hour and some, on a character of which the rare elements collected here or there on the Net say little more than the same thing: “cult musician, unknown,” “screaming philosopher,” actor and bettor, drinker and painter, intense and poetic. A cinema-oriented person dreams of this man, who, like in the now-famous anecdote, refused to play the role of Captain Yonoi (eventually held by Ryuichi Sakamoto) in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence by Nagisa Oshima, for a strange history of northern accent.
Two weeks in Japan, in the company of Kazuki Tomokawa, change a life. It is not necessary to understand the language (though the language is satisfying in the mouth), but just to experience the man live his daily life – intense, generous, hilarious, a grand life. And radical in his approach to life and to the creation, like all the great Japanese musicans these days. This ease with which he comes back to the extreme is constantly doing battle in the body of Tomokawa san.
This Take Away show, filmed the day after his huge concert in Osaka, only reveals one facet of his personality. I kept the bulk of what I shot for a film that I’m finishing right now, and if all goes well will be presented at the CPH DOX festival this November. “La faute des Fleurs,” a portrait of Kazuki Tomokawa, will recount the lives of the Akita Japanese, who left Tokyo at the end of the 1960s to sell poetry in the streets, under the joint influence of Chuya Nakahara, the Japanese Rimbaud, and of his younger brother Satoru, who killed himself in Osaka during the 1980s. Of these proletarian beginnings to his constant combat to deliver more words, of concerts fueled by declarations of war and of worldy love. Between Tokyo and Osaka, a city both cursed and intriguing, that gave us a February evening one of the most beautiful moments of our life.
text by v moon
His name is Kazuki Tomokawa… Many years have passed, for me, since I fell under this spell of his but the years definitely have not passed for him; for everyday he grows older he seems shines brighter. Strangely enough my love, also, has lost no vigor and so the time has come for everyone to see what I see and feel what I feel. And what better timing and way than with Moon’s impromptu filming style… and now, a motive has been set. As this feeling grew stronger and stronger, I could not hold back any longer and finally got in touch with Moon and introduced him to the artist Kazuki Tomokawa. It took a while but once I got a response he and I hit it off and talks went down smoothly as all filming ended in March (2009) without a hitch. As a result a small preview is shown on the Take Away Show.
In Japan Tomokawa is known only to a very small community of writers, artists, and dedicated fans. So it will come as no surprise when introduced to the world there will be many people who are not familiar with him or his music. But I have no doubt, in my mind, that those souls will be taken a back by his presence. You see, he is the type of guy who will share jokes with you and then make you laugh but once his creative side comes out it is a total 180. At times his music is hair-raising and at times filled with much despair, but for me nothing can compare to the tenderness and affection filled in all his songs.
A man that can show and tell us what performance, that has carried on since ancient times, is.”
This quoted recently by a prominent artist about Tomokawa made me realize that I always felt his songs to be an archetype. That is, for those decedents of, this present-day, Japan his music concords with a spirit that forms this archetype. And furthermore, he continually references the fundamental root of the human spectacle, that is, sometimes one wears the mask of Universality even if indigenous by nature.
If true creative minds were to have strengths it would be the power to destroy and Tomokawa will not hesitate to use this; to cut through all the boundaries of life and death, past and present, or anything in his sight. Because this is where he begins.
Now I can not predict how one may relate to his styles of expression because it obviously depends on the individual but for those who watch with their eyes they are surely going to be left scarred, to say the least. The past three unveilings are just snippets. For those who have fallen under the spell like I have then I must insist you watch La Faute Des Fleurs for after that you will not be able to break free of Kazuki Tomokawa.
text by Naohito Koike
MORE / WATCH
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IVHF NAMES 2018 GIRLS WESTERN MASS. ALL-STARS
By George Mulry, 11/15/18, 12:00PM EST
The International Volleyball Hall of Fame (IVHF) in Holyoke, MA is proud to announce the seventh Annual Western Massachusetts Girls High School Volleyball All-Star Teams and Spalding All-Star Showcase presented by All The Right Stuff Sports and Pioneer Valley Juniors.
The 62 players selected represent 27 different high schools in Western Mass. All selected players will be invited to play in the Spalding All-Star Showcase on Tuesday, November 20th.
The event will be held in the Central High School Gymnasium (1840 Roosevelt Ave, Springfield, MA) and will start with a 3-set 2nd team match at 6:30pm followed by a 3-set 1st team match at 7:30pm. Adult tickets are $10 and Students/Seniors are $5.
Admission to the All-Star Showcase also includes a FREE future admission pass to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Museum. For the fifth year, we will also announce the Western Massachusetts Player of the Year at the conclusion of the evening!
“The talent right here in Western Massachusetts, the sports birthplace, has gotten increasingly better across the board.” said IVHF Executive Director George Mulry. “Year after year, it gets harder and harder for the committee to select such a limited number of players for 1st and 2nd team honors when there are so many deserving athletes in our area.”
Players from Division 2 Western Mass. Champion Minnechaug Regional and Division 3 Champion Frontier led all honors having six total players named first or second team all-stars respectively.
Click here for event information and to Meet the All-Stars
Tag(s): Home Girls WMass All-Stars
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World Scene
By - The Washington Times - Wednesday, November 30, 2005
2 women elected to trade organization
RIYADH — Two women were elected to a chamber of commerce in Jidda, the first to win any such post in Saudi Arabia, where women are largely barred from political life, officials said yesterday.
Lama al-Sulaiman and Nashwa Taher won seats on the Jidda Trade and Industry Chamber, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.
The first thing Mrs. Taher did yesterday, hours after becoming one of two Saudi women to score the groundbreaking win in chamber of commerce elections, was to thank her parents.
Brotherhood activists held before vote
CAIRO — Egyptian police rounded up almost 600 Muslim Brotherhood activists in the two days before the last stage of legislative elections in what the opposition Islamist group said was an attempt to disrupt its campaign.
The Brotherhood, fielding independent candidates because the authorities refuse to let them form a party, has shaken up Egyptian politics by winning 76 of the 444 elected seats in parliament two-thirds of the way through the process.
The first day of voting for 136 seats is today, and the Islamists are contesting 49 of those.
In the past two weeks alone, police have rounded up more than 1,600 Brotherhood members in connection with the elections, but many of those have been released.
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO
Tribunal acquits Kosovo Albanian
THE HAGUE — The International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia acquitted Fatmir Limaj, a senior officer of the Kosovo Albanian rebels, yesterday of charges of torturing and killing ethnic Serbian and Albanian civilians at a prison camp during the 1998-1999 war.
A second defendant, Isak Musliu, also was acquitted, while the third, Haradin Bala, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for executing nine prisoners in the woods in July 1998.
In Kosovo, where Mr. Limaj, 34, is considered a hero, celebratory gunfire echoed through the Serbian province’s capital, Pristina, and drivers honked their horns.
Saturn’s moon looks like old Earth
PARIS — Saturn’s planet-size moon Titan has dramatic weather, with turbulent high-altitude winds, periodic floods of liquid methane and possibly lightning, scientists said yesterday in describing a world that may look like Earth before life developed.
The European Space Agency’s probe landed on Titan in January, uncovering some mysteries of the methane-rich globe — the only moon in the solar system known to have a thick atmosphere. Scientists presented detailed results of months of study in the online edition of the journal Nature and at a press conference in Paris.
Titan, located 740 million miles from Earth, has long intrigued researchers because it is surrounded by a thick blanket of nitrogen and methane. Until recently, scientists believed the most likely explanation for the methane was the presence of a methane-rich sea of hydrocarbons.
From wire dispatches and staff reports
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Tribe, groups sue over Alaska reserve petroleum exploration
Nuiqsut
Conocophillips Alaska Inc
National Petroleum
By DAN JOLING - Associated Press - Friday, March 1, 2019
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A federal agency performed inadequate environmental review before approving petroleum exploration in a northern Alaska reserve, according to a lawsuit filed by a nearby tribe and five environmental groups.
The Native Village of Nuiqsut and the groups on Thursday sued the Bureau of Land Management, saying the agency in December rubber-stamped a plan submitted by ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. for exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
National environmental law requires the agency to consider direct, indirect and cumulative effects of exploration, the groups said. If exploration may have significant effects, the agency is required to prepare a formal Environmental Impact Statement or supply a convincing statement why effects are insignificant.
Neither was done, according to the lawsuit.
“There has been little or no consultation with us by either BLM or the company about how things are going to be done,” said Martha Itta, administrator for the Native village of Nuiqsut, in a statement. “We need everything to slow down so we can understand the impacts of past, current, and future projects so we can adapt to the changes that are altering and affecting our lives.”
BLM spokeswoman Ellis-Wouters said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. ConocoPhillips Alaska spokeswoman Meredith Kenny also said by email that the company does not comment on pending litigation.
The petroleum reserve was created in 1923 by President Warren Harding as the Naval Petroleum Reserve and set aside as an emergency oil supply for the Navy. The reserve covers 35,625 square miles (92,269 sq. kilometers), about the size of Indiana.
Congress in 1976 renamed the reserve and transferred administration to the Interior Department.
Nuiqsut is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of the Beaufort Sea and on the east border of the reserve.
The ConocoPhillips exploration plan calls for nearly 70 miles (113 kilometers) of ice roads, up to 23 ice pads and the drilling of six new exploratory wells, according to the lawsuit. Roads and pads constructed of ice are designed to allow travel without damage to tundra below them.
The lawsuit said road construction can create habitat fragmentation and impede caribou migration patterns, which could have direct effects for Nuiqsut subsistence hunters.
Exploration also expands industrial activity around the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, according to the lawsuit. Congress identified the area for maximum protection because of its importance as migratory bird habitat.
The lawsuit seeks a court-ordered reversal of BLM’s conclusion that exploration will have no significant impact.
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You are at:Home»Reference»Religions»Catholic Church Liturgy
Catholic Church Liturgy
By what on October 4, 2018 Religions
THEOLOGY OF THE LITURGY
Many Catholics formerly identified the liturgy with mere ceremony, or viewed it as a code of laws governing tlıe external performance of sacred services. Stili otlıers identified it with vestments, or Gregorian chant, or church music. But ali these views were superficial and failed to touch upon tlıe substance, the reality of what the liturgy is.
Nature of the Liturgy. The liturgy springs from what the church itself is, and since it is impossible to define the church adequately, it is equally inıpossible to define the liturgy. Like man himself the church resists or transcends definition. The church is simultaneously structured community ancl communion, event and activity; it not only is, it does. Among its activities is the celebration of the liturgy, and this activity, as the Constitution on the Liturgy emphasizes, is the summation and synthesis of ali the other activities of the church. It is the expression of the church’s whole life, and that life is directed toward making Christ present in the world. From the very beginning, the church has recognized that the liturgy is the principal means of accomplishing this. The liturgy gives glory to God and brings peace, that is, salvation, to men. Neither one of these activities is isolated from the other: the church believes that the very act of saving men gives glory to God; the act of glorifying God brings salvation to men.
Thus liturgy is an act of worship, but it is distinguished from worship in the broad sense. Worship is the response that man makes to God for ali that God is and has done. Man gives recognition to God in the form of praise, thanksgiving, petition, sacrifice: these may be expressed publicly or privately, alone or in community, inwardly felt or outwardly expressed. Regardless of tiıe manner in which these prayers are offered, they are equally acts of worship. Liturgy, on the other hand, is public worship, not by any one man or group of men, but by the community that is the church. Since the liturgy is the embodiment of the church’s attitude toward God—that specialized form of worship that involves the entire community—it is always outwardly expressed. A liturgy that is purely internal is, therefore, a contradiction. Similarly, a liturgy that is only external is an empty formality. Liturgy is an action, the action of Christ in the church, an action that employs signs and symbols but that is not imprisoned by them, an action that does what it signifies but does far more than the signs—the words and the actions— can adequately convey. It is an action that involves the whole man, his mind, heart, and will, body and emotions.
Just as liturgy is not simply worship, it is inadeqnate to define it as rite, although these terms are often used interchangeably. “Roman Liturgy” and “Roman Rite,” for example, are used to express the same thing. Strictly speaking, however, the Roman Rite is only one of the many ways of celebrating the liturgy. Since the liturgy basically celebrates the mystery of salvation, or the redemptive activity, in symbolic form, the form may vary from one rite to another, but the celebration is always the same. Thus there are many rites, but only one liturgy, one act of the church. The death of the Lord is proclaimed one way in Alexandria, another in Rome, and stili another way in Antioch: the words and the gestures are quite distinct, but the drama is unchanging.
In ali the rites the mystery of salvation is enacted principally through the Eucharist, or Mass, then through the other sacraments, and finally through the Divine Office, which is the public prayer of the church. Although this article is primarily concerned with the Roman Rite—that form of the liturgy which had its beginnings at Rome but spread throughout the world to become the most prevalent of ali the Christian rites—the theology outlined concerning the lit*urgy is equally applicable to ali the rites.
The Sacraments. The Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is the Mass, is the principal sacrament. The other six sacraments are closely related to the Eucharist: Baptism and Confirmation equip a person to celebrate the Eucharist by making him a member of the church; Penance reconciles the Catholic to the church after he has fallen into sin; Matrimony is the sign of the union between Christ and His church; the Anointing of the Sick is the sacrament that restores the sick man to health so that he may again participate in the Eucharist with his brethren in the church; Holy Orders makes a man capable of performing the ministry of the Eucharist for his felİ0’W Christians.
Like the Eucharist these sacraments are acts of public worship, and together with the Eucharist form the most important part of the liturgy. St. Augustine calls the sacraments the “visible word,” because they are made up of words and actions: the words give meaning to the actions and, in a very real way, are actions in themselves.
The sacraments are effective signs of God’s action in Christ and man’s response to that action, also in Christ. Unlike the commentators of the recent past, modern theologians stress the personal aspect of the sacraments. They view the sacraments, not as the action of God alone but as the joint action of Christ in His church, of the priest who celebrates them, and of tiıe faithful Christian, the concelebrant, who takes part in them. Contemporary theologians point out that men do not just receive the sacraments, they participate in them.
The Principal Sacrament. The Eucharist, or Mass, is the sacred rite that reenacts the Last Supper. Thus the Mass is a sacramental offering of sacrifîce to God. The Constitution on the Liturgy beautifully expresses the meaning of the Mass: “At the Last Supper, on the night when he was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the Eucharistic sacrifîce of his body and blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifîce of the cross throughout the centuries until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is received, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given us.”
Divine Office. The Divine Office, or daily prayer of the church, is next in importance after the Eucharist and the other sacraments. It is not, however, a separate or isolated activity. The Office actually complements the sacraments and continues the work of the redemption because it shares in the prayer of Christ. The Constitution on the Liturgy describes the prayer of Christ as: “Christ Jesus, high priest of tiıe new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile that hymn which is sung throughout ali ages in the halis of heaven.” This hymn of praise and thanksgiving goes on for ali eternity. Christ is its first and greatest celebrant. But He does not sing alone—He associates ali creation with Him in singing it, especially the rational, human part of creation. This hymn takes many forms: it resounds in tiıe Mass and the sacraments, but it finds more direct and ordered expression in the Divine Office. This is done by means of psalms, hymns, and canticles.
Originally the Office was the prayer of the layman. The clergy did not even attend it. It was divided into two parts, morning and evening prayer, or Lauds and Vespers. In the course of centuries, however, the Office, like the Mass, became a clerical specialty. Unlike the Mass it remains so even today. In theory it is “the prayer of the church,” but in practice it is not. A complete and radical reform of the Office has been called for by many in order that it keep pace with the reform of the Mass and the sacraments.
Liturgical Year. The celebration of the Mass and the Office is set in a framework that is known as the liturgical year, or the year of tiıe church. This year does not correspond to the current calendar year, but rather turns about the feast of Easter, or, as it was called in ancient times, Pascha, tiıe paschal feast. The preparation for Easter and the celebration and the prolongation of the feast take up the greater part of the year. The purpose of the liturgical year is to commemorate and celebrate the mystery of the redemption. Even the feasts of Christmas and Epiphany are regarded more as celebrations of the redemptive event than as commemorations of the temporal birth of Christ. The feasts of the Blessed Virgin and the saints, which round out the year, are in the main much later additions to the original nucleus. They too derive ali their meaning from the redeeming work of Christ.
Sunday, the day of the Lord, is the pivot on which the liturgical year turns, precisely because Sunday is the day on which the Lord rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit upon the church. In a most complete way it is the day of the resurrection, recalling not only tiıe event itself but ali its consequences.
Through the liturgical year the redemptive events, or mysteries, as they are called, are made present in such a way that the faithful may make contact with them and be filled with the graces these mysteries contain. The sacred mysteries of the life, deatiı, and resurrection of Christ reach the faithful through the symbolic commemoration of these events. By means of the readings, prayers, and ahants of the Mass and Office tiıe inward reality of these mysteries is made clear, and the faithful are stimulated to live by these mysteries, to reproduce them in their lives.
Ali the liturgy revolves around the Paschal Mystery, the mystery of the deathresurrection of Christ. Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Mediator Dei (On the Sacred Liturgy, Nov. 20, 1947) points out that “the liturgical year is Christ himself.” The liturgical year is a natural device that assures the remembrance of the great events of salvation. But these events cannot be separated from Christ, who accomplished them.
THE HISTORY OF THE LITURGY
The Institution of the Eucharist. The Eucharist, or Mass, is always the reenactment of the Last Supper, or the Lord’s Supper. Whether or not the Last Supper was a Passover celebration is a question that engages scholars, but one that will probably never be resolved satisfactorily. It is clear, however, that the supper occurred during the time of year, and in the same week, that the Jews celebrated Passover, and it is probable that the meal was held in the atmosphere of the paschal feast. In Christ’s time, just as today, the Jews commemorated the deliverance of their ajıcestors from Egypt at the Passover feast. By participating in this annual memorial of the Exodus the Jew could share in the experience of deliverance that his fathers had enjoyed; at the same time, he could look forward to a fuller deliverance, a more perfect Exodus to come. This spirit undoubtedlv permeated the thinking of the disciples at the Last Supper and, indeed, was carried över into the Eucharistic feast celebrated by the early Christians.
The events that occurred at the Last Supper are recorded in the New Testament in the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul. None of these accounts teli exactly what Jesus said or did because the evangelists were preoccupied with the meaning the Eucharist had to the Christian community rather tiıan detailed history. In fact, since tiıe Eucharist was celebrated each week long before the evangelists wrote their accounts of tiıe Last Supper, many scholars believe that these accounts were transcriptions of the Eucharistic celebration of the period. Although the accounts are not in complete harmony, ali four agree that during tiıe meal Christ took a piece of bread into his hands, pronounced the customary thanksgiving and blessing över it, broke it, and then, as he gave it to his disciples, said: “Take and eat, this is my body.” After the meal had been eaten, Christ took the “cup of blessing,” pronounced a longer blessing över that, and as he passed it around to his disciples, said: “Take and drink, this is the cup of my blood,” or “This is the new covenant in my blood.”
Through this series of actions and words Christ aeted out a prophecy or parable in the Hebraic style. He symbolically dramatized his coming sacrifice and, at the same time, gave it meaning by interpreting it through his words. Although Christ’s actions were those of any ordinary head of a house at such a gathering, his words imparted deeper meaning to his acts, and his disciples’ response—their taking and eating, their taking and drinking—completed the meaning of both his words and his actions.
The Eucharist as a Memorial. The wOl’d “memorial” had much more meaning to the Jews of Christ’s time than it does to men of the 20th century. Today the word “memorial” has a purely subjective connotation: it implies someone or something no longer present tlıat is recalled to mind through an effort of will. To the ancient Jew, on the contrary, the liturgical memorial was an objective representation that made the t>ast event present in some way. The New Testament clearly indicates that Christians of the apostolic age believed that they encountered the Risen Christ in the Eucharistic feast.
Neither Matthew nor Mark mentions Christ’s command “do this in commemoration of me,” but both Luke and Paul do. This discrepancy has led some scholars to deny that Jesus ever said these words. It is highly signifîcant, however, that they appear in St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (11:25), which is the oldest account. In this Epistle, Paul reports that Christ said: “Do this … as a remembrance of me,” and adds “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” Paul goes on to say that he received this account “from the Lord.” This statement shows that the early Christians believed that Christ had commanded His disciples to repeat His supper. Whether or not Christ actually pronounced these exact words, then, is purely an academic question. The disciples of Jesus Christ acted as though He had said them.
How exactly they obeyed His command is uncertain. It is known that the Eucharist was connected with the ordinary family meal for some time. On the first day of the week the early Christians gathered in the home of one of their members, usually a house with a room of sufficient size to accommodate such a gathering. Sunday was a day of great significance to the early Christians; not only had the Holy Spirit been sent to the Apostles on this day (that is, Pentecost), but more importantly it was the day of the Lord’s Resurrection. Thus the early Christians prayed in the synagogue on the Sabbath, the last day of the week, and on the first day of the week they commemorated the Risen Lord’s sacrifice at a fraternal meal at which the bishop officiated.
St. Paul’s words, “In the same way, after the supper, he took the cup . . .,” indicate that at first the blessing of the bread was separated from the blessing of the cup by the actual meal. Before long, however, the two consecrations were joined together, and the prayer or blessing över the cup became the blessing for both. The actual meal, or agape, either preceded or followed the Eucharist. At one time it was believed that the first part of the Eucharistic service that is now called the Liturgy of the Word, was derived directly from the synagogue service. Modern scholars, however, are more cautious about this assertion, and suggest that, at most, the synagogue service only influenced the form of the Liturgy of the Word.
The Eucharist as a Formal Liturgical Service. By the end of the İst century the fratemal meal, or agape, became totally separated from the Eucharistic service. The increase in the number of Christians with the resulting problems and abuses contributed to this development of the Eucharist as a formal liturgical service. Another factor was the inability of the nonJewish, or Gentile, converts to relate the Eucharist to an ordinary meal. Unlike the Jews, their traditions did not include a, family meal of religious significance.
In spite of this, the Eucharist continued to be regarded as a meal—a very speeial, stylized meal at which the Lord is the host, inviting men to sit down with him at table. The altar on which Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is reenacted is not an altar in the pagan sense: it is the table of the Lord on which is offered, not a bloody victim, but something that is primarily lifegiving food. Like other food, the bread and wine of the Eucharist are blessed and eaten. The Eucharist is a sacrifîce in the form of a meal. Eating the food is an essential part of the total sacrificial action; without the taking and eating, the memorial does not exist. Communion is not an optional appendage to the sacrifîce; it is an integral part of it. The meal is the sacrifîce; the sacrifîce is the meal.
The oldest fairly complete description of the Mass as a formal liturgical service is that of the 2d century apologist St. Justin. Although Justin lived in Rome, the service he recorded is not simply a local liturgy, because this phenomenon had not yet evolved, but the form of the Eucharist used throughout the Roman Empire, both East and West. The ordinary Sunday Eucharist consisted of two parts: the Liturgy of the Word, as it is now called, and the Eucharistic Liturgy.
The Liturgy of the Word began with readings from both the Old and New Testament. Justin fails to mention the number of passages read, as well as whether psalmody was used. Most scholars agree, however, that there were three scriptural readings, the first two of which were ended by Psalms. Indeed, the use of Psalms probably predates Justin’s time. The “President of the Brethren” then delivered a homily based on the readings. A prayer in common, which corresponded to the modern “Prayer of the Faithful,” completed the first part of the service.
The Eucharistic Liturgy commenced with the kiss of peace. Since the kiss, which was actually an embrace, could be exchanged only by baptized Christians, the catechumens, or those not yet formally received into the church, had already left. Thus the kiss of peace symbolized the fellowship in Christ of the Christians who were about to reenact his sacrifîce. The bread and wine needed for the Eucharistic meal had been brought by the people and deposited with the deacons at the door of the housechurch. The bread used then, and for many centuries following, was leavened bread baked in the form of small loaves by the women of the congregation. At this point in the service, the bread and wine were carried to the altar table where the bishop would reenact the words and actions of Christ at the Last Supper. When the offering was över, the president of the brethren said the Eucharistic Prayer, a prayer of praise, blessing, and thanksgiving, which was completely extempore. This prayer continued to be composed according to the president’s ability until the 4th century, when the traditional prayers were recorded and then became fixed. The Eucharistic Prayer ended with a doxology, and the people responded with “Amen.”
Communion followed immediately after the Prayer was completed. Although Justin does not describe the manner in which communion was received, later writers indicate that the people received the consecrated bread in their hands and communicated themselves; they then sipped the consecrated wine from the chalice held by one of the deacons.
The Development of Regional Rites. In St. Justin’s time each church was allowed to arrange the details of the Mass in any manner it preferred, as long as the main elements were present: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. But the universal, fluid rite gradually gave place to standardized regional rites. This evolution occurred mainly because of the rapid growth of the church. Until the 4th century the bishop was the only chief celebrant of the Eucharist. The presbyters had been his concelebrants. As Christianity spread, the bishops found it necessary to establish more churches. This multiplication of parishes required the bishops to delegate priests as the celebrants of the Eucharist on the local level. Unlike the bishop, however, the local priests did not compose the prayers of the Eucharistic service; rather they copied the prayers used in the cathedral church and recited these at their own services. The books into which the prayers were collected were called sacramentaries, the forerunners of the later missal and the modern sacramentary.
The changed conditions brought about by the Peace of the Church under Emperor Constantine also had farreaching effects upon the liturgy. The church buildings became larger, finer, and more elaborately decorated. The services naturally tended to keep pace with the architecture, and as the 4th century drew to a close the austere primitive service yielded to a more highly developed liturgy.
The great centers of Christian influence at Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria, as well as in southern France, developed certain elaborate liturgical practices that ali the churches in the surrounding regions imitated. By the end of the 4th century there were four majör rites, or liturgical families. Ali the liturgies of Christendom, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant, stem from these four parent rites: Antiochene, Alexandrian, Roman, or Gallican.
The Mass of the Roman Rite. The Roman Rite, the most widespread of ali, began as the local liturgy of the church of Rome. Originally austere, with little external ritual, it slowly absorbed something of the ceremonial color and pageantry of the imperial court. Although it stili remained less complex than the other rites, as the churchhouses were everywhere replaced by splendid basilicas, the services became longer and more involved. And whereas formerly there were no proper vestments as such, or speeial tableware, church vessels and vestments began to assume a distinctive ecclestiastical character.
Other changes of farreaching consequence occurred in the last part of the patristic period. Çeremonial developed, that is, entrance processıons, offertory processions, communion processions, and speeial chants to accompany the processions. The sehola, or speeial choir required to sing this complex music, soon began to sing the responses that once belonged exclusively to the people. A little later the loaves of leavened bread were replaced by small unleavened wafers, which effectively destroyed the symbolism of the shared loaf. Instead of placing the consecrated bread in the communicant’s hand so that he could communicate himself, the celebrant now placed the small wafer on the person’s tongue.
The position of the altar was also changed. It was pushed back until it was placed against the rear wall of the sanetuary. The celebrant no longer faced the people, but stood in front of the altar with his back toward them. There are several explanations for this change: the Roman Rite borrowed the custom of facing east, and therefore away from the people, from the Gallican Rites, which, in turn, had borrowed it from the East. Another explanation is that the custom of placing large shrines behind the altar made it impossible for the priest to stand there. Whatever the reason, this custom removed the people stili further from the altar and the sanetuary, heightened the air of mystery that surrounded the altar, and, inevitably, made the liturgy more remote and inaccessible. The distance between altar and nave represented the progressively widening gap between clergy and laity.
Although the Mass of the Roman Rite had originally been confîned to the city of Rome and its environs, it began to spread to the rest of Europe in the 6th and 7th centuries. St. Augustine of Canterbury brought the Roman Rite to the AngloSaxon missions of southem England in 596. A century later it infiltrated the churches of France. Early in the 9th century, by a decree of Charlemagne, the Roman Rite as modified by Alcuin was adopted in ali the churches of the realm. Despite the fact that the Roman Rite had replaced the Gallican Rite almost universally, customs of the Gallican rites were transferred to the Roman liturgy. Many of its ceremonials and prayers are stili used in the Roman Rite. The procession on Palm Sunday and the use of incense, for example, are of Gallican origin. The Roman service books that were sent beyond the Alps returned greatly transformed. The Gallicanized books rapidly became the norm and Standard of worship in Rome itself, and by the end of the Middle Ages prevailed throughout western Europe.
The Decline of the Liturgy. What had once been the corporate communal worship of the whole people of God had, by 1517, become an elaborate, formal ritual performed by specialists. The people no longer took a direct part in the rites; they assisted at them. While the clergy performed the official liturgy, the people filled in the time with the rosary and other private and individual devotions. These things, good in themselves, were inadequate substitutes for the liturgy itself. Furthermore, the practice of communion, which is the heart and soul of liturgical participation, had so declined that the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 made it compulsory for the faithful to communicate at least once a year. Communion was the only real participation left to the average layman: he could not understand the service because it was recited in Latin; even if books had existed containing translations of the Latin, few laymen were able to read, supposing that they could afford to buy them» and the peoples’ participation in the chants had long ago ceased.
By the end of the Middle Ages the liturgy, as such, had ceased to be an effective force in the lives of the people. Although the Council of Trent was convoked in 1545 to effect reform in the church, it did not actually reform the liturgy. It suppressed some abuses and provided an editio typica, or standard for the liturgical books, but far more was needed. Because of the lack of knowledge of the liturgy at that time, it could hardly be restored. The Roman Rite was frozen into a rigid mold: ali the essential elements remained, but there was no savor, no warmth, and no vitality evident.
Liturgical Reform and Renewal. Interest İn the nature of the liturgy was rekindled in the 17th and 18th centuries. By the 19th century, liturgical studies, along with a renewed appreciation of the Scriptures, were sparked by the fresh inquiry into the nature of the church itself. Thus the liturgy was again viewed as the act of the priestly church. Once this line of reasoning was established, it moved toward a natural conclusion: if the liturgy is the act of the church, then it is the act of the whole church, the people as well as the clergy, because the church is precisely “God’s holy people.” If it is the act of the people, the people should participate directly in the liturgy.
The decades before the 1960’s were, therefore, marked by extensive study of the whole idea of the liturgy, its general structure, and its component elements. Books, periodicals, and articles appeared, and conferences and lectures were given, in ali the modern European languages, as well as in Latin, examining the liturgy from every possible point of view—historical, pastoral, doctrinal, spiritual. From a study of what the liturgy was, the scholars progressed to a study of what the liturgy should be. Without this vast literary efîort the restoration of the liturgy would never have been seriously considered, let alone actually begun.
By his decree on frequent and daily communion in 1905, as well as by his encouragement of the people’s participation in the Mass, Pius X gave a great impetus to the liturgical renewal. But the credit for launching the modern liturgical movement belongs to a Belgian Benedictine, Dom Lambert Beauduin (18731960). The object of this liturgical movement was to make the faithful more conscious of the liturgy and especially of the Mass. The first step in this educational program was to make the vernacular missal available to the laity in small, inexpensive editions equipped with a detailed commentary on the liturgy. These missals, which were left in the churches, were probably the most effective means of making the faithful aware of the liturgy, and awakening in them a love for it.
As time progressed the faithful clearly realized that this was not enough; even with missal in hand the layman was stili not participating actively. The desire for greater participation found expression in the dialogue, or recited, Mass, which gained acceptance in some parts of Europe. By 1958 it was not only accepted but was highly recommended by the Instruction on Sacred Music and the Liturgy. The main obstacle, however, stili remained—the Latin language. More and more the leaders of the reform movement realized that the Mass could not become the genuine prayer of the people until at least the people’s parts were in their own language. This was not to be realized until Vatican II promulgated the Constitution on the Liturgy.
The Constitution on the Liturgy is the culmination of decades of scholarly inquiry. its purpose is to renew the liturgy. The liturgy, however, cannot be renewed if those who celebrate it are not themselves renewed. The real purpose of the Constitution, then, is to renew the church through a renewal of the liturgy. Thus the entire concern of the Constitution is pastoral: it is concerned with the life of the church and the spiritual growth of its members.
The Constitution goes to the root of the problem by providing for complete reform of the rites themselves. The guiding principle of liturgical celebration is no longer conformity to liturgical books, but intelligibility to the people: “in the revision of the liturgy the rites should be distinguished by a noble simplicity; they should be short, clear, and unencumbered by useless repetitions. They should be within the people’s powers of comprehension and normally should not require much explanation.”
The chief importance of the Constitution on the Liturgy is that it establishes the principle that the liturgy is the activity of the whole church, not just of a part of the church. It stresses the communal nature of the liturgy. Never again will the people be silent spectators of someone else’s activity. Instead they will be active participants in an activity that belongs to them.
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More than 2 billion people across the world still have no access to safe drinking water, according to a United Nations progress report released on Tuesday. Many diseases - like diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A - could be eliminated if clean drinking water and toilets with safe waste management were universally available, the World Health Organisation said. Intestinal worms and bacterial eye infections would also be reduced. The report also noted that 4.2 billion people don't have access to toilets that safely dispose of waste, with 673 million of those still practising open defecation. Only 9 per cent of people worldwide now defecate in open spaces - compared to 21 per cent in the year 2000. But in 39 countries, the number of people without toilets has actually gone up, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, where there has been significant population growth. In addition, 3 billion people are without basic hygiene services, the definition of which includes using a latrine that does not have to be shared with other households, and having hand-washing facilities with soap and water in the home. Australian Associated Press
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/9dd3aee6-7df0-43ef-a19f-664b369de7f3.jpg/r0_74_800_526_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
June 18 2019 - 1:22PM
Clean water not available for 2 billion
A UN report says more than 2 billion people still do not have access to safe drinking water.
More than 2 billion people across the world still have no access to safe drinking water, according to a United Nations progress report released on Tuesday.
Many diseases - like diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A - could be eliminated if clean drinking water and toilets with safe waste management were universally available, the World Health Organisation said. Intestinal worms and bacterial eye infections would also be reduced.
The report also noted that 4.2 billion people don't have access to toilets that safely dispose of waste, with 673 million of those still practising open defecation.
Only 9 per cent of people worldwide now defecate in open spaces - compared to 21 per cent in the year 2000.
But in 39 countries, the number of people without toilets has actually gone up, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, where there has been significant population growth.
In addition, 3 billion people are without basic hygiene services, the definition of which includes using a latrine that does not have to be shared with other households, and having hand-washing facilities with soap and water in the home.
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Kathleen A. Kirby
kkirby@wileyrein.com
Elizabeth E. Goldin
egoldin@wileyrein.com
August 1, 2012 FCC EEO Deadlines
Certain radio and television stations face an upcoming Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) annual reporting deadline on Wednesday, August 1, 2012:
Annual EEO Public File Report
Radio and television station employment units (SEUs) located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, Wisconsin and California with five or more full-time employees must prepare and place in their public inspection file(s) and post on their website(s) by Wednesday, August 1, 2012 an annual EEO Public File Report (PFR).
The PFR should summarize the SEU's recruitment activity from August 1, 2011 through July 31, 2012, including full-time positions filled, the recruitment sources used to advertise those job openings and the total number of interviewees and hirees produced by each recruitment source. The PFR must also include a summary of the SEU's recruitment initiatives.
The next round of broadcast license renewal applications are due by August 1, 2012 as well, which requires the filing of this key EEO report for certain radio and television stations:
FCC Form 396 Broadcast EEO Program Report
Radio stations in Illinois and Wisconsin and television stations in North Carolina and South Carolina must apply for license renewal on or before Wednesday, August 1, 2012. A critical component of the Commission's license renewal process is the Form 396 Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report, which must be submitted to the FCC, electronically, prior to the filing of the Form 303-S Application for Renewal of Broadcast Station License. The Form 396 requires applicants to report discrimination complaints and, for SEUs with five or more full-time employees, to submit PFRs for 2011 (covering August 1, 2010 - July 31, 2011) and 2012 (covering August 1, 2011 - July 31, 2012).
If you would like a copy of our renewal primer, including information on the EEO component of the application, or should you have any questions about FCC EEO compliance, please contact the Wiley Rein attorneys listed below.
Anna, a partner in the TMT Practice and co-chair of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Practice, was recently elected Assistant Treasurer of the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA), and began her term on July 1.
Anna M. Gomez
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filed: September 23, 2011 • England
Turbine in a flap after second safety failure
Credit: Western Daily Press, www.thisissomerset.co.uk 23 September 2011 ~~
A council-owned wind turbine in Yeovil has been taken down for a second time amid concerns about its safety.
The future of the turbine is now uncertain after the company which supplied it went in to administration.
Technicians took down the turbine at Yeovil Innovation Centre in Copse Road after manufacturer Proven Energy warned of a defect. Three turbines of the same P35-2 type have suffered failures in high winds in recent months.
The turbine is owned by South Somerset District Council. A spokeswoman said the council was very disappointed by the news because the design had been recommended by a green energy scheme which part funded the turbine. The council was this week waiting for more information about the future of Proven Energy before deciding the future of the turbine which is in storage at another council site.
On Friday, the directors of Proven called in KPMG to act as receivers. A statement from KPMG said: “The company recently suffered a significant setback following the identification of a defect in its P35-2 model, which although management believes is minor and can be repaired, resulted in the requirement to advise customers to temporarily cease using the product. As a result of the product issue and the inability to obtain necessary additional funding, the directors had no option but to cease trading.”
KPMG was seeking a buyer for Proven this week. Any new buyer would not be obliged to honour warranties to Proven’s customers. If this was the case, any warranty claim South Somerset District Council would have to be made to the receivers.
It is the second time the turbine has been dismantled. The propeller was removed for six months in November 2009 after problems developed on a turbine of the same design elsewhere in the UK.
It was first installed in June 2009 in a £56,000 project funded by the district council, with grants from energy firm EDF and the Low Carbon Building Programme. It was originally projected that energy generated by the turbine would repay the council’s investment by early next year.
Source: Western Daily Press, www.thisissomerset.co.uk 23 September 2011
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Sutton United fans release song ahead of FA Cup giant-killing bid against AFC Wimbledon
Sutton United fans release song paying tribute to Gander Green Lane ground ahead of FA Cup third round tie against AFC Wimbledon
By Craig Richard
Sutton United, from the Vanarama Conference, take on near neighbours Wimbledon, from League One, in the third round of the competition on January 7.
Sutton United fans hoping for a giant-killing next weekend have released a song ahead of their FA Cup clash with League One AFC Wimbledon.
The two sides meet at Gander Green Lane in the third round of the world’s oldest association football competition on Saturday, January 7.
Members of the Vanarama Conference side’s fan group Gandermonium have recorded a song, Back on the Shoebox Terrace Again, to mark the occasion.
The song celebrates the oldest part of Sutton's Gander Green Lane ground as well as famous victories, including beating Coventry of the then First Division, in the third round of the cup in 1989.
A fans' spokesman said: "This record is a tribute to the extraordinary FA Cup history of Sutton United and brings us bang up to date with the current exploits.
"We are chuffed to be able to get it out in time for the Wimbledon game, which is all set to be a belter in front of a full house.
"The Shoebox Terrace at Gander Green Lane is our ancestral home from home where we congregate to celebrate the three pillars of a civilised society - football, beer and rock and roll."
For a free download, visit: https://www.reverbnation.com/comradex3/song/27200305-back-on-shoebox-terrace-again-football
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Rupert Goodwins: IT's Like This...
Yesterday Oftel rapped BT's knuckles for its attempts to poach customers from other ISPs. Rupert Goodwins looks at the evidence and gives thanks to a new consumer weapon...
By Rupert Goodwins | September 25, 1998 -- 11:54 GMT (04:54 PDT) | Topic: Tech Industry
The ISP customer poaching story has reached its denouement - at least for now. BT's said it won't do it again, and Oftel has carefully avoided saying what it thought actually went on. But if BT does it again, there'll be trouble. Probably.
Which is about as much as could be hoped for, as the scale of the misdemeanour was really quite small. The matter progressed as far as it did as much because of the pent-up bad feeling towards BT as because of the seriousness of the matter, as we realised from the email we were sent after the initial story went online.
We can't report on much of what we received, because it's hearsay or unverifiable - although we do take note and file it all away. As well as the switch-sales tactics, we received claims of other, unconnected activities by BT that our correspondents considered worth investigation - and if they turn out to be true, they'll certainly fall into that category. It's just as possible that they never took place, or that they're run-of-the-mill business activities that have been misunderstood. The commercial world is a harsh place, and nobody would ever blame a company just for acting aggressively in pursuit of its interests.
Yet there is a widespread opinion in the UK telecommunications market that BT does not tend to behave conservatively with respect to its licencing conditions. If there's a grey area, then the company will push the limits until told to stop. The reaction of other ISPs and telcos to all this is depressing - a fatalistic acceptance that BT is always going to call the shots, and it's a waste of time trying to stop it. As one source close to a major ISP told me - "We've known about this switch selling for ages. It's not news. What can we do? BT's going to act like this, and we'd better accept it and work from there. Oftel won't do anything, and even if it did BT will just stop a tiny little bit of what it's doing. Nothing will change."
Only Oftel did do something, and remarkably quickly. It may only have been a press release - but who knows what was discussed behind closed doors when BT was summoned - yet it took just three weeks from ZDNet News and IT Week's initial report of foul play to it being stomped on for good. In the days before the Internet, it would've taken much longer to pull together the evidence for similar shenanigans, and this story is the perfect illustration of how much more power the Net gives consumers.
That power is only there if we take it and use it wisely, and that's where outfits such as ZDNet have a new and exciting role to play. The press has always been one of the consumer's more potent weapons against the darker side of capitalism, but that only works well when there are good lines of communication between us journalists and our readers. The Internet is tremendously good at this. We should do it again sometime.
Everyone involved in the business of BT's poaching should come away with a valuable lesson. Readers and consumers should realise that they're not alone, and that making a little noise in a public place online can be a great way to attract attention. Journalists should realise the extent to which the Net can make news, not just filter or distort it. Oftel now sees that the telecommunication consumers - whom it is charged with protecting - aren't nearly as passive and unreachable as once they were, and that those consumers want more action, not less. ISPs should realise that they're not powerless in the face of the BT gorilla. BT itself - and all corporates dealing with the public - must now know that everyone else is watching them keenly and swapping stories over the Net. It's happened before when Intel was so violently shocked by the Pentium bug turning into a landslide of criticism: it blamed the Internet, but in truth the real culprit was the company's arrogance.
Nothing but nothing annoys a consumer like being patronised by someone to whom they're giving money, and BT can be so very patronising. Give the consumers a chance to bite back, and they will: the Internet is that chance. If this whole affair has brought that home just a little bit to the people who decide what BT does next, then it's been worthwhile.
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Home›Reviews›Tyketto - Reach is the Latest Album From These Unsung Rock Heroes!
Tyketto - Reach is the Latest Album From These Unsung Rock Heroes!
by Taylor Carlson
Coming out of New York City, Tyketto will always best be remembered for their rock anthem “Forever Young” from their early 1990s debut, Don’t Come Easy. The group has persevered over the years aside from a hiatus from 1996 to 2004, and has continued in varying lineups. Reach, which will release on October 14, 2016, is the latest release from the band.
Still present in Tyketto are founding members vocalist Danny Vaughn (formerly of Waysted, Pete Way’s post-UFO band) and drummer Michael Clayton Arbeeny. This latest lineup of the band also includes keyboardist Ged Rylands, guitarist Chris Green, and bassist Chris Childs. The band members claim to have new energy, and that Reach has revitalized them as a band and musicians. But is it a record that lives up to those promises?
Reach is Tyketto's latest studio effort.
My familiarity with Tyketto prior to this release was mostly limited to their most commercial of content, namely “Forever Young” and the other songs that their debut spawned back in the early 90s. That said, after having given Reach a listen, I can say that I am a fan of the new release, and will likely be going back to rediscover the band’s other more obscure content from over the years. You will be pleased to know that the guys are still going strong.
There are a number of strong tracks to be found on the new release, which runs the gamut from acoustic stuff to keyboard intensive melodic rock. Vaughn’s vocals soar on every track; this guy is seriously underrated amongst rock singers. Even if you have never given a Tyketto album a listen in the past, this would be a fine place to start, largely thanks to the strong assortment of tracks.
If you like melodic hard rock, Reach is an album that will not fail to please. Fans of Tyketto who have been curious and eager to see what the band would shell out next now have their answer, and the end results speak for themselves. This one is well worth adding to your collection.
Tagsdanny vaughnFrontiersmichael clayton arbeenyreachtyketto
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Taylor Carlson
Taylor T Carlson Assistant Editor/Senior Staff Writer Taylor T. Carlson was born August 17, 1984, and has called the Vegas Valley home his entire life. A die-hard fan of classic rock and metal music, Taylor has been writing album and concert reviews since he was 16 years old, and continues to do so, having done well over 1,000 reviews. He is also a fan of video gaming and cinema, and has reviewed a number of games and films as well, old and new alike. His thorough and honest (some would say brutally honest) reviewing style has won him the respect of hundreds of music fans and musicians alike, both local and abroad, and the ire of just as many others. Despite being one of the youngest attendees at classic hard rock/metal shows around Vegas, he is also one of the most knowledgeable, having gained the unofficial nickname of “The Eddie Trunk of Las Vegas.” In addition to reviews, Taylor has written and self-published three books on classic hard rock bands, and is a regular participant in rock and roll trivia contests. Taylor also holds a masters degree in special education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), and has appeared on the hit History Channel television series Pawn Stars. His dream is to be able to one day make a living from writing music books and reviews.
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Rockin' The Law
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What Is a Hasty Generalization Fallacy?
The hasty generalization fallacy is common but overlooked during casual conversations.
Assuming that all young, fit, male doctors are arrogant because of experiences with a small sample size fitting the same group is an example of a hasty generalization fallacy.
Written By: Angie Bates
Edited By: John Allen
Also called the fallacy of insufficient statistics or sample, the hasty generalization fallacy occurs when someone assumes something is true about a large group based on an extremely small sample size. Fallacies, as flaws in logical reasoning in an argument, are seen in both speech and writing. The hasty generalization fallacy, however, is frequently — and often unintentionally — used in everything from formal arguments to casual conversation. Often, it occurs as a result of prejudice or lazy reasoning.
In a hasty generalization fallacy, the writer or speaker makes a claim that because something is true about a sample of a larger group, it is true about the group as a whole. For example, some might say "I have dated three redheads, and they all had tempers. Therefore, all redheads have tempers." This is a hasty generalization because three is not a large enough sample size to accurately determine the temper of all redheads.
Hasty generalization is a fallacy of an informal argument. Informal arguments deal with the content of the argument versus the structure. This means the actual structure of the hasty generalization fallacy is logically sound. In other words, if the information presented by the generalization is reasonable and accurate, a fallacy has not occurred.
For example, a researcher surveying 600 students on a campus with a total population of 1,000 discovers that 85 percent of those students surveyed normally went to parties on Friday nights. Based on this sample size, stating that the majority of college students at that university spend Friday nights at parties would be a valid conclusion. If, however, the researcher only surveyed ten people and reached the same conclusion, that researcher would be guilty of the hasty generalization fallacy. Even if the conclusion was correct, the sample the researcher collected to support the claim is too small and is, therefore, not credible.
Appropriate sample sizes are variable depending on the size of the total population in question. Sample sizes may be small and still be valid if the population in question is small. For example, although surveying ten people in the university example resulted in a insufficient sample size, and thus the hasty generalization fallacy, surveying ten people in a club with only twenty members would generally be a sufficient sample size.
Although the hasty generalization fallacy is seen in formal written and spoken arguments, it is also often used in casual conversation as well. Stemming from prejudice or the desire to place groups into quick categories, hasty generalizations can often lead to untrue and unfair assumptions about large groups of people. From the man who decides that no woman can drive because of the woman who cut him off to the woman who decides that all foreigners are thieves because a foreigner stole her purse, hasty generalizations slip into every day thinking, often without the person responsible realizing the fallacy at all.
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Suzuki grows 37% in stagnant 2018 vehicle market
Suzuki sold 12 123 units in the last calendar year and grew by well over 30% in a year that the general market declined by 1%…
Caira-lee | 14 Jan 2019
After a decade in South Africa and with the success of models such as the Jimny, Ignis and Swift, Suzuki is now officially part of the 1 000-unit club and a Top 10 brand to boot.
Following the release of the official sales figures for December 2018 and a final calculation of the full-year sales for last year, the National Association for Automobile Manufacturers’ statistics confirmed that Suzuki sold 12 123 units in the last calendar year and grew by well over 30% in a year that the general market declined by 1%.
This singular achievement means that Suzuki is now part of the 1 000-unit-per-month club, a decade after entering South Africa officially and only 16 months after celebrating the first time it sold over 1 000 units in one month (August 2017).
“We are particularly proud of the fact that the major part of our sales – 9 375 units – came from dealer sales,” says André Venter, divisional manager for sales and marketing at Suzuki Auto South Africa. “This means that our growth is driven by private buyers who choose the brand and not by large corporate transactions that simply boost sales numbers.”
In December, Suzuki sold 938 cars and light commercial vehicles, giving it a share of 2.3% of the total market and 3.3% of the passenger vehicle market. It also cemented Suzuki’s position as number 10 in the Top 10 best-selling vehicle brands in South Africa.
“For the year ahead, we will continue to strengthen our dealer network and our product line-up to further grow our sales. We are particularly excited to have received the thumbs up from Japan to introduce our Boosterjet turbocharged engines in the new year” says Venter.
Suzuki’s innovate Boosterjet-engines uses a short intake manifold, an integrated exhaust manifold, a turbo with intercooler and Suzuki’s proprietary lightweight-engineering to offer greater fuel efficiency and power from smaller combustion volume.
One of the first examples of Suzuki’s innovative turbo-technology will be the 1.4 Boosterjet engine to be introduced in the all-new Suzuki Swift Sport. This engine will deliver 103 kW and a racy 230 Nm, while still offering a fuel consumption figure of as little as 6.1 litres / 100 km.
Suzuki will also upgrade or improve several of its family favourites, including the Vitara, Ertiga and Ciaz, while working to increase the availability of vehicles with a long waiting list, such as the Suzuki Jimny.
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An Introduction to Clinical Trials
LBD Research Update: A Focus on Genetics
Comprehensive LBD Clinical Care
Ask the Expert: Comprehensive LBD Clinical Care
Live webinar held December 5, 2016 @ 3pm US Eastern Time
Interview with Dr. Bradley Boeve recorded April 19, 2016
EXPERT PRESENTER: BRADLEY BOEVE, MD
Dr. Bradley Boeve received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Florida in 1991. He underwent training in Internal Medicine (internship), Neurology (residency), Behavioral Neurology (fellowship), and Sleep Medicine (fellowship) in the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
He joined the Mayo Clinic staff in 1997 and now serves as Chair of the Enterprise Subspecialty of Behavioral Neurology of Mayo Clinic, Chair of the Division of Behavioral Neurology at Mayo Clinic Rochester, and is Professor of Neurology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Neurology and Sleep Medicine), and United Council on Neurologic Subspecialties (Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry). He also serves on the Medical/Scientific Advisory Councils of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, Lewy Body Dementia Association and Tau Consortium.
Dr. Boeve’s clinical and research interests include mild cognitive impairment, dementia with Lewy bodies/Parkinson’s disease with dementia and REM sleep behavior disorder, among many others. He has authored over 30 book chapters and has contributed to over 400 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Boeve has served as an investigator for clinical trials sponsored by GE Healthcare, FORUM Pharmaceuticals and C2N Diagnostics. He receives royalties from the publication of a book entitled Behavioral Neurology Of Dementia (Cambridge Medicine, 2009). He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Tau Consortium. He receives research support from the NIH (U01 AG045390, U54 NS092089, P50 AG016574, UO1 AG006786, RO1 AG041797), and the Mangurian Foundation.
LBDA Moderator: Angela Taylor
Angela Taylor is the Director of Programs and oversees all areas of LBDA’s mission-oriented activities, including programs and services for LBD families, educational programming, as well as advocacy and research initiatives.
A nationally-recognized LBD advocate, she serves on the federal Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services. She is also the liaison to LBDA’s Scientific Advisory Council.
Copyright © LBDA 2016 - All Rights Reserved
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The Benefit and the Burden
Tax Reform—Why We Need It and What It Will Take
Bruce Bartlett (View Bio)
Hardcover: Simon & Schuster, 2012.
Tax reform is arguably the most overdue political debate facing America. The United States Tax Code has undergone no serious reform since 1986. Since then, loopholes, exemptions, credits, and deductions have distorted its clarity, increased its inequity, and frustrated our ability to govern ourselves.
At its core, any tax system is in place to raise the revenue needed to pay the government’s bills. But where that revenue should come from raises crucial questions: Should our tax code be progressive, with the wealthier paying more than the poor, and if so, to what extent? Should we tax income or consumption or both? Of the various ideas proposed by economists and politicians—from tax increases to tax cuts, from a VAT to a Flat Tax—what will work and won’t? By tracing the history of our own tax system and by assessing the way other countries have solved similar problems, Bartlett explores the surprising answers to all of these questions, giving a sense of the tax code’s many benefits—and its inevitable burdens. While framing the various tax philosophies that dominate the debate, Bartlett explores the distributional, technical, and political advantages as well as the costs of various proposals.
A New York Times Bestseller
"His analysis of tax burdens and policies in modern times is essential reading for anyone following the present debate about income inequality and taxation." — Worth
"Bartlett’s book is a clear and comprehensive overview of today’s complicated tax system." — Robert J. Samuelson, The Washington Post
"America’s tax system is a mess. It is unfair, poorly understood and riddled with loopholes. It is ill-equipped to raise the revenues needed to deal with the debt crisis, still less the future needs of an aging population. It is now over 25 years since it last underwent much reform. An overhaul is long overdue. The case for change is presented in The Benefit and the Burden, a succinct, lucid book by Bruce Bartlett…. This is a provocative book and its recommendations – not least the suggestion that the US seeks inspiration from European welfare states – will infuriate some readers…. It is remarkably successful in interweaving the underlying economics of the US tax system with the political choices that have made it what it is." — Vanessa Houlder, Financial Times
"[This] balanced, well-researched primer on America’s tax system...is a refreshing entree to a difficult subject. The book’s no-nonsense approach to tax policy proves surprisingly engaging." — The Economist
"A great introduction for anyone who doesn't really know much about the U.S. tax system and wants to learn the basics. It's clear, short, and a quick read." — Kevin Drum, Mother Jones
"In a political system beset by ignorance and misinformation, delivering basic information to interested citizens is a worthy goal. And Bartlett does it very well." — Joseph J. Thorndike, Tax Notes
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