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Marilyn King was awarded the OAM for her community service. Contributed
Award to former Biloela resident
by Glen Porteous
10th May 2019 3:00 PM
A BILOELA born and bred resident now based in West Footscray has had her selfless service to aged welfare recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia.
Ms King founded the support group Willing Older Workers Inc (WOW!), to help provide financial, emotional and practical support for unemployed people aged over 50 who were struggling to get back into the workforce.
She has also been an advisory member on a number of community, disability and ageing groups.
"I felt incredibly honoured and I basically accepted it on behalf of my mum and dad, who taught me good values and I'm very humbled about the award,” Ms King said.
Ms King was previously a state finalist in the Australian of the Year award and was Maribyrnong council's 2013 Citizen of the Year, picking up the Rotary Club of Footscray's Community Service Award the same year.
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Memories of lost meetings
It is an extraordinary consensus that we meet people all over the world in Pakistan but not with Egyptians, if that happens, they are less. My experience is no different from this, but Mohammad Morsi was elected president, so it would be desirable that not only an uncontrolled Egyptian meeting must be met, but must look at the changes of the Egyptians, but the situation has come true that the Mercy era I have the opportunity to go to Egypt and not get a chance to meet Mars, even though they came to Pakistan, but the meeting was not in fate. In 2014 something happened that Marsea was not the case of a meeting with the Egyptians, which showed the effect of the dead corpse of a trainer, God’s creature, even the right wing of a dark vertical pyramid tunnel.
He must have been in the first half of the night when the Aegipher Air plane touched his feet on the ground after cutting a long circle inside the circle. At that time, echoed the airplane closet. “The reason for this life?” I found from the neighbor sitting on the right. When kissing fatty acids and enjoying a short film at once, the shocked neighbor looked at me and smiled. It was clear that he did not expect such questions.
The situation became so interesting that “Qolo Patra” (Qolo Bhatra) who sat in his neighborhood was also forced to be interested in this dialogue. Katapatral hatred was strange, his hair was dark, dark and long, there was a small ivory tooth in the throat, which he would have bought from the market inheritance of Abuja. I remember that when I drove a car for my friends in this market with the help of a buyer, it was possible for those who passed me.
Therefore, using the right privileges, he understood my needs that I now remained in him. On the face of his face, sadness and smile once again spread quickly and quickly, he turned from the back of the neighbor, and completely ignored me and said, “Land, Saif” Safe) Land, or Ah! . From this short episode, a romantic character is born, but in the fourth quarter, as soon as it’s finished, all the romance is destroyed.
Glad to know that residents of this country do not ignore their guests, and they guide them like hosts. After the airport migration, the woman became pregnant again during immigration. The queue is so long that the senses fly. At this stage, help our Urdu-speaking Egyptian colleagues, and in a short time, say that the passport must be handed over to us what cannot be done in Egypt?
Seeing this, Qolo Petra also looked at us with hopeful eyes, so I prayed for the painful Egyptian, or so that he too repented. When he took his passport, I got a chance and I questioned that Bb, your daughter-in-law recently passed a big change, that is, you have been able to choose a democratic president. And then, it’s all about one year, how do you feel now?
Hearing the question, a woman came on a woman’s shining white face on a dark spoon. The song is like dead. He is silent all the time. Then that is enough. He said and reached the restaurant counter. Among the sounds of noisy ships and even talking Egyptians, he said in a very loud voice that we are not talking to strangers about things like that, but you must be Pakistani, so I say that we Self-propelled the axis on their feet.
I wondered about the narrow mind of narrow-minded women in narrow western countries. “Are you talking about a religious person, but a fundamentalist Mohammad Morsi?” Why is that important? He asked a lot of heavy mugs on a short table like his blouse. I don’t have an answer to the question, so he just asks. Smiling diligently, he smiled and smiled, saying that even the Egyptians were strange, if the Pharaoh’s law became loose they would become uncomfortable.
Fear of themselves and living in that condition forever, so we don’t have the habit of freedom, maybe Pharaoh’s compulsion becomes our habit. Negoti has just been released that Egyptian smuggling destroyed us by playing with his passport. When I see the time coming out, quickly hurrying to each other, what would you comment on in Mercy’s words, his extraordinary waste and then? It was said that after the fall of Pharaoh, the Egyptians had breathed in the atmosphere of independence for the first time or after the election and by the first democratically elected president. After this, he repented the Arabic word, I felt like Moman Khan believed in stoicism.
Then spring comes, it will get darker
The same leg will become
“Internal anarchy” of the Nawaz League is a sound bank
After thinking too much, the adoption strategy also failed to convey the message that a group of people wanted to exaggerate their party members differently from each other. Apart from all the caution of PML-N which is associated with the name Nawaz Sharif, such anxiety has been lately.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif made a speech at a press conference in the afternoon. The speech extended to direct innings on TV channels. Even for a moment, his voice was not mentioned even after mentioning many sensitive things. The main message of this long speech was that he did not agree with his uncle’s adoption strategy.
This is a happy message for Imran’s advisers. On June 29, he had to receive the government’s first budget. At the Hawks and Doves, the BTT (NON) budget will not be able to stand in any way.
Tehreek-e-Insaf and allies will certainly be able to approve it with the help of “Aye” (Yes).
It is impossible to ignore Imran Khan’s first budget in the National Assembly because it is a logical way to see solid numbers. It is impossible that Amar Mengal has a decisive number. This is their duty. Atatürk Ali Zardari arrived at the National Assembly and intervened in his speech in Salehuddin’s speech on stage, which has even troubled the party.
Those who hate Sindh’s hatred from Sindh, who were gathered under an umbrella today, were very inadvertently waiting for the arrest of PML-N-Mardad Ali Shah-NAB’s Chief Minister. In the same way, “Patriots” want to be exported, which the 2002 Accountability Bureau found for General Musharraf’s support.
Fourteen Gujrat used to “cool food”. They believe that they will get nothing at any time by helping them eliminate Imran Khan’s budget. People who have the opportunity to spend it.
By choosing the name Nawaz Sharif, on tickets to the Pakistan Muslim League, more than 80 members present in this assembly felt very good about this fact. Those like Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, have strong hopes that eventually bringing “Imran Khan” will know that the Prime Minister and his team cannot understand the haze of the Pakistani economy. . PML-N (NN) consists of “Better Economic Managers” in this context. The road to approaching “skills” can be smooth for them.
In a country that is divided into blind hatred and affection, ethnicity takes tribal thinking. Not just Pakistan. The term “tribe” between Trump supporters and opponents has also occurred. It’s time for the “Middle Way” to search. The British Parliament calls the mother of parliamentarians throughout the world. Although he had held a number of meetings for several months, he did not find a unanimous strategy to leave the EU in the UK. Thessamay must resign. Maybe the place now is Boris Johnson, who looks like a twin brother on a trumpet.
The main reason for the “Internal Anarchy” of the Pakistani Muslim League (Nun) is its “Voting Bank”. After the founding of the Imran government, banks voted that the increase in electricity and gas prices was unbearable, continuing to spread unemployment, inflation and marginalization in the market. This problem is not justified by the Muslim League (NN) “Voting Bank”. In 2018, salary payers and small entrepreneurs and shop owners are also very disturbed these days.
The IMF insists that to reach Pakistan’s $ 6 billion package for the economic outlook, it will hold at least 5,500 billion rupees in the year starting from July 2019. Pakistan’s rupee value is to represent the “market fact” value. Entrepreneurs must borrow with expensive conditions from banks to improve their fog.
“Very much”, affirming the people of life inspired that more than 80 members of the National Assembly in Shahbaz Sharif and their leaders were ineffective through appointments during emergency meetings. Do it This is a political requirement for this party at the weekend Maryam Nawaz Sharif to express anxiety and depression at the Pakistan Muslim League (NN) ‘Vot Bank’, named Nawaz Sharif.
Without talking to relevant people, I am sure I can claim that Shahbaz Sharif and his colleagues will not be really worried from the press conference on Saturday. Clearly seen in “Kamp Shahbaz” and “Kamp Nawaz” will not endanger their long-term interests but also strengthen.
The press conference on Saturday will not make an “advanced block” in the Pakistan Muslim League (NON). Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has long separated himself from this party. Imran Khan used to air one of his closest friends during the Aachi Sun College period.
Chaudhry Sahib was also elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly. He did not raise his oath but his membership. After being chosen as “free”, he could prove to be a very fierce candidate from the Chief Minister of Punjab by joining Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He really wanted to reach that position since 1993. The 2018 elections made their prospects for their long-term hopes. They prevent Jam’s hands from being stunned.
Shahbaz Sharif cannot be his brother’s “brother-in-law”. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq are problems with “any mood” on TTP. The Unity of the Pakistan Muslim League (NN) has become a party coercion. The member selected on this ticket in the National Assembly will dive by living in New Delhi. The Depression present at the party’s “Voting Bank” will be revealed through a press conference and meeting of Maryam Sahib, and this story will continue like this for several days.
Some Best Schools
Coimbatore CS Academy
Founded in 2009, CS Academy is a day-to-day co-education school and dormitory. It offers a CBSE and Cambridge International curriculum. The school has classes ranging from kindergarten to XII and aims to develop students holistically.
Infrastructure and Facilities:
A spacious and well-ventilated classroom
Complete library
Complete science, math, computer and English laboratory
Facilities for various sports; Half Olympic size swimming pool
Dormitory facilities for students in class IV and above
262, VLB Engineering College Road,
Kovaipudur,
Coimbatore – 641 042
Delhi Public School Coimbatore
Founded in 2012, the Coimbatore Delhi Public School was founded by Takshila Education Society which was formed in 1997. The school is affiliated with the CBSE board and offers classes ranging from nurseries to XII. The school has a lush 5.58 hectare campus that offers state-of-the-art facilities.
Bright and airy classrooms
Science and computer laboratories
Facilities for soccer, volleyball and basketball
Health and medical care
Vill. & PO. Onapalayam,
Vadavalli-Thondamuthur Road,
Phone: +91 88700 10118/88700 20118
Peepal Miracle School
Established in 2013, Peepal is a coeducational boarding school affiliated with the CBSE board and offers classes from pre-primary to X. The ratio of teachers to students at school is 1:30.
Large classrooms
Library, science, mathematics, and computer laboratories
Classes for art and performances
Physical education and facilities for various sports
Yoga and martial arts like Silambam
Milekal, Sugunapuram,
Coimbatore- 641008
Vidhya Niketan State School
Vidhya Niketan Public School
Founded in 2011, Vidhya Niketan Public School is affiliated with the CBSE board and offers classes ranging from kindergarten to XII. This is a boarding school, joint education which aims to develop students as a whole.
Science and math laboratory
Indoor and outdoor sports
21 / 17-18, Jalan Puliakulam,
P.N. Palayam,
Phone: +91 422 2223466/2221131
Vidya Mandhir Kovai School
Established in 2014, Kovai Vidya Mandhir is a boarding school, joint education. It is affiliated with the CBSE board and offers classes from kindergarten to X.
Science and IT laboratories
Karate and martial arts like Silambam
Art and hobby classes
Pintu no 19, Near Sitra,
Avinashi Road pirivu, Thottipalayam,
MGR Nagar, Civil Aerodrome Post,
Chinniyampalayam, Coimbatore- 641062
S.R. Public School Leaders
S.R. The Leaders Public School is affiliated with the CBSE board and offers classes from I to X. These are English secondary schools, boarding co-education schools.
Complete library and laboratory
Fine arts, performances and martial arts
Activity club
2 / 450’3, Thiruvalluvar Nagar,
Somayanur, Thadagam Road,
Coimbatore-641108
Adhyayana International Public School
Located within a 4-hectare campus, Adhyayana International Public School takes a holistic approach to education. The school is affiliated with the CBSE board and offers classes ranging from kindergarten to X. The ratio of students to teachers at school is 25: 1.
Complete science, math, English and IT laboratories
Theater community
Multisport playground
518 – Lakshmi Nagar,
Thondamuthur Road,
Coimbatore – 641046
Stanes Higher Secondary School
Established in 2012, Stanes Higher Secondary School is affiliated with the ICSE board and offers classes from I to XII.
Bright and ventilated classrooms
Complete science and computer laboratory
Stanes High School Trustees Association,
1044, Avinashi Road,
International School Section
Parth International is a co-educational day school affiliated with IGCSE and currently offers classes from pre-primary to V. Schools will naturally develop to add higher grades when students move to higher grades. The ratio of teachers to students at school is 1:15.
Audio-visual studio
8/42, Sakthi Nagar,
NO: 4 Veerapandi, Press Colony,
To make sure you choose the best academic institutions for your small business, visit the top schools in Coimbatore and understand the educational scenario there. We advise you to check infrastructure in person, and interact with school teachers, existing students and parents of children, before making a decision.
What are your considerations when looking for a school for your children? Tell us in the comments section below.
Best School in Coimbatore District
School is where your children spend most of their childhood. Given that school plays an important role in the overall development of your child, you definitely want to choose the best school for your child, regardless of the city where you live.
Coimbatore is known as home to some of the best educational institutions in southern India. If you are a city resident and are looking for some of the best schools in Coimbatore, then keep reading.
At this post, MomJunction shares a list of the best schools in Coimbatore that you should check for your child.
Shree Sarasswathi Vidhyaah Mandheer World School
Established in 2010, World School Shree Sarasswathi Vidhyaah Mandheer (SSVM) is a coeducation boarding school affiliated with the CBSE board. It offers classes from kindergarten to XII, maintains the power of 2000 students in school and a teacher-student ratio of 1:25.
A spacious classroom, quite bright
Multi-sport playground and physical education
Facilities for shooting rifles, swimming and skating
Address: Sf No 72/2 Vaigai Nagar,
Pattanam, Singanallur to Vellalore Road,
Phone: +91 422 2226999/9344451888
Yuvabharathi Public School
Yuvabharathi Public School was founded in 2005 by the Bharath Educational Society. This is a coeducation school affiliated with the CBSE board, offering classes from pre-primary to XII. The school is built on a 6.6 hectare campus and maintains optimal strength in each class to ensure individual attention.
Multimedia-capable, ventilated and spacious classrooms
Robotics and ATAL Tinkering lab
Multi-sport lawn and special facilities for badminton, basketball, skating and swimming
Riding club
Fine arts and performing arts
Diverse club activities
Address: Yuva Enclave,
Thudiyalur Road,
Somayampalayam Post,
Coimbatore 641 108
SBOA Matric & Higher Secondary School
Established in 1985, Matric & Higher Secondary State Bank Officials Association is an English-language secondary school affiliated with the Tamil Nadu State Council. Offering classes ranging from kindergarten to XII and managed by Trust in Education Officials of the Bank of India Association, Chennai. This school is open to all and not only to the children of bank staff.
Extensive digital classrooms
Facilities for basketball, soccer, cricket and various indoor and outdoor sports
29, Chokkampudur,
Phone: +91 0422 2470143, 2477478
Email: None
Camford International School
A decade old, Camford International is a coeducational boarding school. It is affiliated with the CBSE board and offers classes from primary to class XII. The school holds two Guinness World Records for “The biggest postcard mosaic” and “Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Cup, mosaic. “
Sports and physical education
SF No: 574/1, Maniyakaran palayam,
Ganapathy, Coimbatore 641 006
Phone: +91 75980 56660/75980 56661, +91 96886 66661/96886 66662
Tennis Tulane Men’s Add Lovett, Daw until 2019 Classing Signing
NEW ORLEAN – After the spring that made Tulane’s men’s tennis team reach the fourth NCAA Tournament in a row, head coach and tennis director Mark Booras announced the signing of Henry Lovett and Joseph Daw to the 2019 class signing program.
“Henry and Joseph are exactly what we are looking for in the Tulane student athlete,” said Booras. “They have great experience in the field, academic achievements and athletic abilities. Above all, they both have the desire to do something special in our program. “
Lovett joined Green Wave as a five-star recruitment and ranked 70th nationally according to The Tennis Recruiting Network after an impressive senior campaign at Palisades High School in Los Angeles. He gained recognition from All-America after helping Palisades win the 2019 National All-American Tennis High School Championship. Individually, Lovett won the Level 3 singles title at CIF Los Angeles City Middle School Boys 2019.
Daw traveled to New Orleans after writing four years at Hinsdale Central High School in Illinois where he won the state championship in a double as a senior. Twice all-state selection, Daw is the conference champion for four years and is runner-up in the USTA Midwest Level 3 Tournament in singles in December 2018. He is a three-star recruit according to The Tennis Recruiting Network and received the IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award at each of the last two seasons.
Tulane returned and experienced the core for the 2019-20 campaign, led by senior leaders Luis Erlenbusch, Dane Esses, Ewan Moore and Tim Ruetzel. Juniors Akos Kotorman and Hamish Stewart also returned as winners of the letter to Green Wave.
Article belonging to the Tulane Sports Information Department.
ALL Mississippi Beaches are now closed for swimming because Dangerous Algae Bloom spreads east
ALL beaches on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are now closed because Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) continues to deteriorate and extends slowly to the east.
Everyone and pets are advised to stay out of the water. Harmful, foaming, greenish-blue algae are filled with bacteria that can cause rashes, cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.
The beach sand section remains open. But if you swim in water or eat fish caught from waters near the coast, it can make you sick.
This poisonous algae bloom began 2-3 weeks ago as a continuous result of a large amount of nutrients, pesticides, fertilizers released into the Bonnet Carre Spillway which opens from the highest Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain.
The opening of the spillway is blamed for the high mortality rate of dolphins, oysters and other aquatic life, as well as the bloom of algae that disrupts the waters of Louisiana and Mississippi.
LINK – I have listed a comprehensive link to access local beach cover & water quality throughout the Gulf Coast:
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Childhood binge eating: Families, feeding, and feelings
by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Binge eating is the most prevalent type of eating disorder across races, ethnic groups, ages, and genders. Surprisingly, binge eating has even been reported in children as young as 5 years old.
In order to put childhood binge eating into context, a new systematic review from the University of Illinois identifies two potential risk factors for binge eating in children under the age of 12. With family being the most proximal and influential setting affecting behaviors and attitudes in children, the study reports that parental non-involvement or emotional unresponsiveness and weight-related teasing in the family are behaviors consistently associated with childhood binge eating.
Jaclyn Saltzman, a doctoral researcher in human development and family studies, and a scholar in the Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program, explains that childhood binge eating can lead to many weight and eating behavior problems as the child grows and in to adulthood. "Intervening early to address binge eating may not only help prevent an eating disorder from emerging but also prevent lifetime habits of unhealthy weight-related behaviors," she says.
Saltzman stresses that binge eating is not the same as feeling you have had too much dessert at dinner. "Binge eating is feeling like you are not in control when you are eating. You are eating past the point of fullness and to the point of discomfort. You are experiencing a lot of emotional distress because of it," she explains.
She adds that binge eating is associated with depression and obesity.
Saltzman and Janet M. Liechty, a professor of medicine and of social work at U of I, reviewed studies on childhood binge eating spanning the last 35 years. They found that very few studies had been done over the last decade on kids and binge eating in the family context.
"We quickly found out that we had to focus specifically on family correlates and risk factors for childhood binge eating, because we were struck by how little research had explored contextual influences, especially in comparison to a much larger body of literature on individual psychological, behavioral, and biological influences. We thought there was a need for a more nuanced understanding of the context in which childhood binge eating develops," Saltzman says.
Initially, the researchers identified over 700 studies, to which they applied strict inclusion criteria to locate studies that looked at outcomes in children under age 12, using reliable instruments, and assessing the constructs of interest. "That left us with 15 studies, which we screened with a tool to assess risk for bias so that we could comment on the strengths and limitations in the studies," she adds.
In their review, the researchers focused on binge eating and loss-of-control eating behavior. Loss of control is traditionally considered a symptom of binge eating in adults, but Saltzman explains that, according to recent research in the field, loss of control is used as a proxy for binge eating in young children, although this is not yet officially recognized in diagnostic manuals.
"Loss of control is something that researchers have used to describe binge eating in young children," she says. "The idea is that the size of the binge—the amount of food they eat—is less important than the feelings of being out of control or the stress about that eating behavior, especially in young kids, because they don't have all that much control over the food that they have access to. But they do have control of their emotions around eating and how much they eat and the sense of being out of control."
Although they found parent ignoring, under-involvement, emotional non-responsiveness and weight-related teasing in the family to be associated with childhood binge eating, Saltzman says that parent weight, education, economic situation, race, or ethnicity, are not correlated. "Actually, no studies found any association between these constructs and childhood binge eating," she says.
"This study found that childhood binge eating is really associated with parents' weight-related beliefs, but not their actual weight, and their emotional availability but not necessarily the income availability," she adds.
Weight teasing is being made fun of, mocked, or "kidded with" about one's weight, usually for being perceived as being overweight, Saltzman explains. "Family-based weight teasing would be any of those behaviors perpetrated by a family member, like a parent or a sibling."
Despite finding that behavior in the family is an important context for childhood binge eating, Saltzman stresses that this does not indicate that parents are to blame for children's binge eating behaviors. "Even though weight-related teasing was a correlate of childhood binge eating, it would be counterproductive and incorrect to blame parents for childhood binge eating behavior. In light of these findings, the large body of literature linking childhood binge eating to psychological factors such as negative affect, and other research studies our lab has done, we want to stress the importance of shifting the paradigm from focusing on weight alone—which is what weight teasing does—to addressing beliefs about weight and emotional coping strategies in the family."
This study was limited in that it focused only on peer-reviewed, English-language articles, and that it could not use meta-analytic techniques to identify the magnitude of associations between the identified correlates and childhood binge eating. Despite these limitations, the review finds evidence to suggest that focus on the emotional context of eating is critical to understanding childhood binge eating.
"We want to emphasize to parents that weight isn't the 'be all end all,' and that focusing on weight too much can be damaging. Instead, focusing on giving kids the tools they need to manage their emotions, particularly emotions around eating and weight, can help strengthen children's coping skills so they are less likely to need binge eating." Saltzman says.
Parents' binge eating, restrictive feeding practices may be reactions to kids' emotions
More information: Jaclyn A. Saltzman et al, Family correlates of childhood binge eating: A systematic review, Eating Behaviors (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.03.027
Journal information: Eating Behaviors
Provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Citation: Childhood binge eating: Families, feeding, and feelings (2016, June 28) retrieved 16 July 2019 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-06-childhood-binge-families.html
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Study examines association between care management and outcomes in Medicare ACOs
#BeatEngland, beat sunburn
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GIANNIS AND THE BUCKS WERE THE NEW NBA DYNASTY, UNTIL THEY WEREN’T
How’s Your Morale?
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is a remarkable basketball player, who has the unusual chance to become the best basketball player in the world, the kind of person who fans compare to Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Magic Johnson with a straight face.
When the Bucks played the Toronto Raptors in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals, noted basketball writers fell all over themselves to coronate Giannis, as if he’d clinched a trip to the NBA Finals already. Some went so far as to declare the Bucks an emerging dynasty.
There were two problems with that.
First, there already is a dynasty in progress. The Golden State Warriors are near the top of the mountain again. They are watched the Bucks-Raptors series and relaxed while they are doing it, because they swept the Portland TrailBlazers in the Western Conference Finals and earned some time off. While Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors were duking it out with Giannis and Co., the Warriors were sleeping in late and putting up shots in leisurely shootarounds. I think we were ready to dethrone the Warriors because, by definition, dynasties have to win a lot for a while, so we are all rather tired of seeing the Warriors lift trophies.
Second, the Bucks lost the series in six games to the Raptors. Whoops!
This season, Giannis became the nigh-invincible player that basketball fans had hoped he would. When he came into the league, Giannis was mythic. He has always obviously had the physical gifts to become the best. The last several seasons, and this one in particular, have shown that he has the thoughtfulness and tenacity necessary to do the work to get there. Giannis is very easy to root for. He’s a seemingly decent person (and a bad, bad man) who is astounded by, and grateful for, the wild reversal of fortune that is his life. As a kid, Giannis picked up basketball so that he wouldn’t have to dodge racist gangs on the streets of Athens. Luckily, he also genuinely loves to hoop, and he’s really good at it.
Until recently, LeBron was the best basketball player in the world, full stop. But he chose to go to the Lakers last summer, and the Lakers, as is their wont, melted down in spectacular fashion — a meltdown in which he played his part. LeBron is many things, most of them admirable, but he is also without question a Messy Bitch Who Lives For Drama: LeBron is amazing, but I think we are all maybe a little bit fatigued.
On top of all this, Giannis’s most recent opponent, Kawhi Leonard, is pretty boring.
So why the premature anointing of Giannis? I think it’s because we all want the chance to look smart. Reporters, especially, have this impulse. You want to appear prescient and insightful, and wow your readers, peers, and rivals with your amazing analysis. This is why everyone is in such a hurry all the time to declare the end of the Trump administration, even though, despite all those endings, it has not ended yet.
Aside from being smart, plenty of reporters also want to be influential. They want to influence their colleagues, to be the first one on a corner, the thinker who created the consensus anointing Giannis the biggest and the best, or the person who drew attention to a pressing issue or interesting person. When I am reporting a story, I do so from the inside of a paradox. On one hand, I don’t want to be accountable for whatever is going on, good or bad. On the other, I might root for a particular person or outcome. And I want everyone to know what I think about it.
I bring this up not to stunt on people who propped up Giannis. Giannis’s game is spectacular, euphoric, and dominant, which makes getting caught up in it very easy.
Rather, I’m pointing this out because of those reportorial externalities. Journalists have to be careful about this kind of thing if they’re reporting on something more consequential than basketball. It’s very tempting to get into the prognostication business, but it has dangerous consequences. Remember — Hillary Clinton was the next President of the United States, until she wasn’t.
Originally published at how’s your morale?.
Graham Isaac and Peter Johnson
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Former Spurs and FC Barcelona star wanted by LA Galaxy
Posted on July 9, 2015 by Lewis Addley in Featured, L.A Galaxy, MLS News, MLS Transfer News, Top Stories, Tottenham Hotspur FC // 0 Comments
Former Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona forward Giovani Dos Santos confirms LA Galaxy are interested in signing him and has praised Major League Soccer ahead of a potential switch stateside.
The Mexican international, currently at Spanish side Villarreal, is interested in a move to Major League Soccer, reported by mlssoccer.com.
“[The Galaxy are] a team that has always been after me and of course all the talks are just rumors and it’s something that’s been talked about for the past two years.
“In soccer you never know where you will end up. Up to this day I have a contract with Villarreal and I am currently 100 percent focused with the national team.”
Dos Santos has played alongside and against some of the best players in world football and is a very skilful individual.
The 26-year-old Mexican further fuelled speculation of a move to Galaxy as he did little to quash the talk of the MLS Cup holders interest.
“Yes of course, it’s one of the teams that wants me, just like there’s other teams in Europe that also want me.
“And of course I can’t shut the doors to any team and as a soccer player you never know where you will end up tomorrow.”
Dos Santos is impressed with the growth of the league it isn’t surprised it is attracting the superstars who continue to make the move to MLS.
“Like I said, it’s a league that’s growing. The names speak for themselves. It’s players that are stars worldwide and it’s a league that wants to continue to grow. The few MLS games that I’ve been able to watch I think it’s a league that has grown a lot and it’s a league that we need to respect and a league that’s generating attention.”
Dos Santos would more than likely be signing as a Designated Player, assuming Omar Gonzalez would lose his DP role.
New changes to roster rules have seen Targeted Allocation Money introduced to help sides accommodate top players who won’t necessarily qualify as designated players.
That could see Dos Santos sign on a non-DP deal for now, or Gonzalez’s contract ‘bought down’ immediately.
Would Dos Santos be a good signing for Galaxy?
Dos Santos
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Dad Gets Custody After Finding of Greater Emotional Fitness
In Alimony: 10-14 Years Married, Child Custody
Tennessee child custody case summary on custody and alimony after 12 years married in divorce.
April H. v. Scott H.
The husband and wife in this Rutherford County, Tennessee, were married in 2005, and had two children, ages 9 and 11. The husband worked for the TVA and had a monthly income of about $9,000 per month. The wife was mostly a stay-at-home mother, but worked outside the home occasionally.
The wife filed for divorce in 2017, alleging irreconcilable difference and inappropriate marital conduct. She had previously sought an order of protection, and the two cases were consolidated. After trial, the court ordered transitional alimony of $1,000 per month for six months, followed by an additional $500 per month for another six months. The husband was named the primary residential parent, with 233 days of parenting time. The mother received 132 days per year of parenting time. The mother then appealed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals.
The appeals court first turned to the issue of alimony. The wife argued that she should have received $1,000 per month for four years. The trial court had found that the wife had minimal debt and the education necessary to earn a steady income, since she had an online degree in marketing.
The trial court had also looked at the property award, and noted that the wife had received the unencumbered marital residence, as well as over $100,000 in pension and 401K benefits. It pegged her monthly need at $1,447, and concluded that the transitional alimony would allow her to quickly achieve this amount. After examining the evidence, the appeals court agreed and affirmed the alimony award.
The appeals court next turned to parenting time. The wife argued that the parenting time should have been divided equally. The trial court had appointed a special master who had made a report, and the appeals court reviewed the relevant findings. In particular, the lower court had found that the husband had greater emotional fitness as a parent, and took this factor into account.
The wife, on the other hand, argued that she was being “punished” by having less parenting time, but the appeals court noted that the mother did not make the argument that more parenting time was in the children’s best interest.
Both parties asked for their attorney’s fees in the appeal, but the court denied both requests.
For these reasons, the Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s decision.
No. M2018-00759-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. May 13, 2019).
See original opinion for exact language. Legal citations omitted.
To learn more, see Child Custody Laws in Tennessee.
See also Tennessee Parenting Plans and Child Support Worksheets: Building a Constructive Future for Your Family featuring examples of parenting plans and child support worksheets from real cases available on Amazon.com.
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Don’t Put Your Heel Down! Get Your Tickets to See Dirty Dancing in Boston
January 25th, 2015 | By Broadway.com Staff
Just remember: It's not on the one, it's not the mambo. It's a feeling! A heartbeat! Tickets for the national tour of Dirty Dancing—The Classic Story on Stage are now on sale for the show’s engagement in Boston. The musical based on the hit film will open on April 28 at the Citi Emerson Colonial Theatre and close on May 10.
It’s the summer of 1963, and 17-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On vacation in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, Baby shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles upon the staff quarters when an all-night dance party is in full swing. Mesmerized by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor.
The cast features Samuel Pergande as Johnny Castle, Jillian Mueller as Baby, Jenny Winton as Penny Johnson, Emily Rice as Lisa Houseman, Caralyn Kozlowski as Marjorie Houseman, Mark Elliot Wilson as Dr. Jake Houseman, Gary Lynch as Max Kellerman and Jesse Liebman as Neil Kellerman.
The musical is directed by James Powell with choreography by Michele Lynch, based on the original choreography by Kate Champion. Dirty Dancing features a slew of unforgettable songs like "Do You Love Me?," "Hungry Eyes" and the Academy Award-winning "(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life."
Watch the episode of Broadway Balances America below to get a sneak peek at the heartstopping show, and get your tickets to see Dirty Dancing today!
Tags: Now On Sale
The Adrienne Arsht Center
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
#BroadwayInMiami
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‘White House Down’ Gets Lance Reddick
White House Down Gets Lance Reddick
— August 4th, 2012
Fringe star Lance Reddick is in negotiations to star in White House Down for Sony Pictures and director Roland Emmerich.
The actor will portray Colonel Janowitz, the handler for the Speaker of the House (Richard Jenkins). Channing Tatum stars as a Secret Service agent who takes action when a paramilitary group seizes control of the White House. Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Woods, Joey King, and Jason Clarke also star.
Roland Emmerich is directing from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man). We first reported on this project back in March, when Sony paid a whopping $3 million for the spec screenplay, the biggest script sale to date this year.
It isn't known when production will begin on this action-thriller as of yet.
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Throughout this important year we’ll be giving you a glimpse into the Little Angel Theatre’s history over the past 50 years. We’re unearthing some amazing documents and photos which we will share each week. In one box tucked away in the theatre we came across the first ever article written about the Little Angel by The Times.
You can view the original newspaper clipping below by clicking on the image for the full size or by reading the typed text below. What a wonderful find!
The Times, Saturday November 25 1961
A Marionette Theatre in Islington
England’s only real marionette theatre for over 100 years opened in London last night. It is the Little Angel Theatre, constructed by Mr. John Wright and his Marionette Company in the shell of an old hall in Dagmar passage, Cross Street, Islington.
This is a solid and important event in English puppetry. Scotland and Wales have puppet theatres of their own and there are studios adapted for puppets in Lond – Mr. Wright had one himself in Hampstead from 1947 to 1952. And London had many in the past; Devoto’s in Charing Cross was visited by Charles II, and Fantoccini’s in Panion Street by Dr. Johnstone. But this is something new, which the growing revival of puppetry in recent years has badly needed and at last produced. It is the latest milestone in Mr. Wright’s long trek from the hundreds of towns in which he has played in his native South Africa, through film and television studio’s in his country, and tours here and in Scotland, Holland, Germany, Denmark, and Yugoslavia.
In an elegant old-world corner of Islington, the Little Angel is surprisingly accessible: in addition to a Tube station bearing her own name she has 14 bus routes passing near her door. Last night’s was not quite a full opening: there is room for only 60 out of the ultimate 100 seats as yet. But it is a fully blown theatre with a colour scheme of black, dove-grey, and orange yellow, with foyer, bar, and workshop. For the next three weekends Mr. Wright’s resident company gives The Wild Night of the Witches, a play “about poisons, potions and Harum-Scarums”, to be followed by two guest companies, Miss Jane Phillip’s and Mr. Barry Smith’s, sharing the bill from December 15 to December 17. Then the home company takes over again on Boxing Day for a Christmas season of Rose Fylemans version of the Sleeping Beauty, Briar Rose. The theatre is sponsored by Potheinos Ltd. a non-profit-making company presided over by Dame Flora Robson, and called after the first known puppeteer in European history, a Greek performer of the second century A.D.
There is not yet a positive rule that all adults must be accompanied by a child – indeed, later on there may be an attempt to take puppetry’s stiffest fence and cater especially for them. But there will be special shows for children only every Saturday at 11a.m., and on Boxing Day at 3.30. The Sunday performances are for “Friends of the Little Angel” only. The theatre will be featured in “Eye Witness” in the Home Service this morning.
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“A Standard Of Absolute Purity”: His Respected Friend; But What Does Bernie Really Think Of Hillary?
What does Bernie Sanders really think of Hillary Clinton?
When they meet in debate, the Senator from Vermont usually refers to the former Secretary of State as his “friend” – not in the polite Congressional-speech sense of someone that he actually despises, but in what is presumably his authentic, Brooklyn-born candor. He speaks frequently of his “great respect” for Clinton. And he has said more than once that “on her worst day” she would be a far better president than any of the potential Republican candidates “on their best day.”
Even more often, however, Sanders suggests that Clinton has sold out to the financial industry for campaign contributions, or for donations to her SuperPAC, or perhaps for those big speaking fees she has pocketed since leaving the State Department. Certainly he has fostered that impression among his supporters, who excoriate Clinton in the most uninhibited and sometimes obscene terms on social media.
But if Sanders believes that Hillary Clinton is “bought by Wall Street” — as his legions so shrilly insist — then how can he say, “in all sincerity,” that she is his respected friend?
To date, his criticism of Clinton on this point is inferential, not specific. He hasn’t identified any particular vote or action that proves her alleged subservience to the financial titans she once represented as the junior senator from New York. As Sanders knows, Clinton’s actual record on such issues as the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ran opposite to the banksters.
Back in 2007, eight years before she could ever imagine facing the socialist senator in debate, she spoke up against the special “carried interest” tax breaks enjoyed by hedge-fund managers. Her proposals to regulate banks more strictly have won praise not only from New York Times columnist and Nobel economist Paul Krugman, but from Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the populist Pasionaria, as well.
Still, to Sanders the mere act of accepting money from the financial industry, or any corporate interest, is a marker of compromise or worse. Why do the banks spend millions on lobbying, he thunders, unless they get something in return? The answer is that they want access – and often donate even to politicians who don’t fulfill all their wishes. They invariably donate to anyone they believe will win.
Meanwhile, Sanders doesn’t apply his stringent integrity test to contributions from unions, a category of donation he accepts despite labor’s pursuit of special-interest legislation– and despite the troubling fact that the leadership of the labor movement filed an amicus brief on behalf of Citizens United, which expanded their freedom to offer big donations to politicians. (That case was rooted, not incidentally, in yet another effort by right-wing billionaires to destroy Hillary Clinton.)
By his own standard, Sanders shouldn’t take union money because the AFL-CIO opposed campaign finance reform, which he vociferously supports. Or maybe we shouldn’t believe that he truly supports campaign finance reform, because he has accepted so much money from unions.
Such assumptions would be wholly ridiculous, of course – just as ridiculous as assuming that Clinton’s acceptance of money from banking or labor interests, both of which have made substantial donations to her campaign, proves her advocacy of reform is insincere.
Political history is more complex than campaign melodrama. If critics arraign Clinton for the decision by her husband’s administration to kill regulation of derivatives trading, it is worth recalling that she was responsible for the appointment of the only official who opposed that fateful mistake. She had nothing to do with deregulation — but as First Lady, she strongly advocated on behalf of Brooksley Born, a close friend of hers named by her husband to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. One of the few heroes of the financial crisis, Born presciently warned about the dangers of unregulated derivatives.
So it is fine to criticize Clinton’s big speaking fees from banks and other special interests, which create a troubling appearance that she should have anticipated. It is fine to complain that politicians are too dependent on big-money donors. And it is fine to push her hard on the issues that define the Sanders campaign, which has done a great service by highlighting the political and economic domination of the billionaire elite.
But it is wrong to accuse Clinton of “pay for play” when the available evidence doesn’t support that accusation. And if Sanders wants to hold her to a standard of absolute purity, he should apply that same measure to himself.
By: Joe Conason, Editor in Chief, Editor’s Blog, The National Memo, February 13, 2016
February 15, 2016 Posted by raemd95 | Bernie Sanders, Financial Industry, Hillary Clinton, Wall Street | Campaign Finance Reform, Carried Interest Loophole, Citizens United, Consumer Financial Protection Board, Dodd-Frank, Elizabeth Warren, Hedge Fund Managers, Speaking Fees, Unions | 2 Comments
“The Right Only Needs The Presidency”: The Right And Left Both Want Radical Change. Guess Who Is A Lot Closer To Getting It?
One of the subtexts of both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominating contests is how much change can realistically be expected in a political system characterized by partisan polarization and gridlock. Bernie Sanders implicitly accuses the last two Democratic presidents and the Democratic Establishment candidate for 2016, Hillary Clinton, of excessive timidity and an insufficient commitment to thoroughgoing economic and political change. Ted Cruz explicitly accuses his Republican Senate colleagues and presidential rivals of surrendering to liberalism without a fight.
As Paul Krugman notes in his latest column, these demands for boldness are an old story in American politics, and also depend on sometimes-hazy, sometimes-delusional theories of how change happens:
[T]here are some currents in our political life that do run through both parties. And one of them is the persistent delusion that a hidden majority of American voters either supports or can be persuaded to support radical policies, if only the right person were to make the case with sufficient fervor.
You see this on the right among hard-line conservatives, who insist that only the cowardice of Republican leaders has prevented the rollback of every progressive program instituted in the past couple of generations …
Meanwhile, on the left there is always a contingent of idealistic voters eager to believe that a sufficiently high-minded leader can conjure up the better angels of America’s nature and persuade the broad public to support a radical overhaul of our institutions. In 2008 that contingent rallied behind Mr. Obama; now they’re backing Mr. Sanders, who has adopted such a purist stance that the other day he dismissed Planned Parenthood (which has endorsed Hillary Clinton) as part of the “establishment.”
Krugman asks the right question to advocates of Big Change: How, exactly, is it supposed to occur? Progressives certainly do not want more “bipartisan compromises” than Obama contemplated, and for years Republicans have embraced super-lobbyist Grover Norquist’s cynical comparison of bipartisanship to date rape.
One idea, of course, is that inspired by the concept of the “Overton Window”: that you can move the range of acceptable policies and thus the center of discussion by opening the bidding on any given topic with a more radical proposal. To use the most common example, Democrats might have gotten a more progressive health-care law enacted in 2010 if they had first proposed a single-payer system instead of a private system with a public option. The trouble with that example is that it was Democratic senators, not Republicans, who opposed the public option, the Medicare buy-in, and other progressive twists on Obamacare. With Republicans opposing any action at all, that’s all it took. Now some left-bent folks would say this shows why “centrist” Democrats need to be removed from the party. But that takes time, and as 2006 showed, even a primary loss cannot necessarily remove a Joe Lieberman from office.
Another thing you hear from Bernie Sanders himself is that the political system is fundamentally corrupt, and that progressive change can only become possible if the moneylenders are thrown out of the temple via thoroughgoing campaign finance reform. But that will require either a constitutional amendment — the most implausible route for change — or replacement of Supreme Court justices, the slowest.
And then, as Krugman himself notes, there are “hidden majority” theories that hold that “bold” proposals can mobilize vast majorities of Americans to support radical action and break down gridlock. Few are as easy to explode as Ted Cruz’s “54 million missing Evangelicals” hypothesis, but the belief of some Sanders supporters that Trump voters (and many millions of nonvoters) would gravitate to Bernie in a general election is not far behind as the product of a fantasy factory.
You could go on all day with left-right parallelisms on the subject of radical change, but progressives should internalize this fact of life: The right is a lot closer to the left in possessing the practical means for a policy revolution (or counterrevolution, as the case might be). Whereas the left needs constitutional amendments and overwhelming congressional majorities to break the political power of wealthy corporations and other reactionary interests, the right only needs the presidency to reverse most of President Obama’s policy breakthroughs. And assuming a GOP presidential victory would almost certainly be accompanied by Republican control of both parties in Congress (which is not at all the case for Democrats), a budget reconciliation bill that cannot be filibustered could briskly revolutionize health care, tax, and social policy without a single Democratic vote.
So if radical change comes out of the 2016 election, it’s more likely to be a wind blowing to the right than to the left. And that’s worth considering as Democrats choose their leadership and their agenda.
By: Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, New York Magazine, January 22, 2016
January 25, 2016 Posted by raemd95 | Democrats, Presidential Candidates, Republicans | Bernie Sanders, Campaign Finance Reform, Conservatives, GOP, Healthcare Reform, Hillary Clinton, Liberals, Progressives, Republican Senate | 3 Comments
“His Path To The Nomination”: The Graham Strategy; Chicken Little Winging It
Before the next presidential candidate announcement makes us forget about him for a while–maybe a good while–it’s worth a brief consideration of Lindsey Graham’s supposed “path to the nomination” beyond the obvious fact that he’d need to win in his home state of South Carolina, one of the four privileged “early states.” Jonathan Bernstein may have nailed it yesterday: Graham’s spent so much time hanging out with his amigo John McCain that he figures he can emulate the lightning the Arizonan caught in a bottle:
McCain in 2000 accidentally wound up finishing second. He was too moderate for the Republican Party, but his biggest hurdle was his push for campaign finance reform, which turned Republican-aligned groups, who felt targeted by it, against him.
Instead of waging a conventional campaign — spending a year glad-handing Iowans and big-shot national Republicans — McCain instead hung out in New Hampshire with political reporters. Normally, that would have produced a few nice feature stories and nothing more. But in 2000, George W. Bush quickly dispatched his serious Republican rivals before or in the Iowa caucuses. New Hampshire voters (who famously love upsetting the Iowa winner, from Walter Mondale in 1984 through Barack Obama in 2008) punished Bush for wrapping up the nomination early by voting for McCain, thereby making him the last man standing against W.
McCain’s 2008 adventure was, if anything, even more unlikely. McCain spent the beginning of Bush’s first term in open revolt against his former rival before returning to the ranks of loyal Republicans just in time for the 2004 election — and the beginning of the 2008 nomination fight. McCain then put together a typical Republican front-runner campaign, heavy on corporate-style bureaucracy, only to have the whole thing collapse halfway through the cycle.
But once again, McCain was lucky. No candidate emerged who combined normal qualifications for the presidency, positions well within the mainstream of the party and the ability to build a competent presidential campaign. McCain came close enough on each of those scores to wind up as the nominee.
That’s almost exactly my analysis of McCain’s presidential nominating campaigns, especially the successful one in 2008 which was something of a demolition derby with a flawed and weak field.
The odds of it happening again, especially with the vast size of the 2016 field, are vanishingly small. And as Bernstein points out, Graham doesn’t have the war hero thing going for him, which always put a relatively high floor on GOP attitudes towards him.
It’s possible, of course, that Graham has no strategy at all, other than the indulging in the twisted pleasure professional politicians get from the abattoir of a presidential campaign. When he drops out, he’ll have his Senate gig, his access to the Sunday shows, and four more years before he has to face voters again back home. And in the back of his mind (I will not make Rand Paul’s mistake and suggest it’s in the front of his mind) Graham may figure that if something bad happens on the homeland security front during the nomination campaign, having a well-established identity as Chicken Little could change things considerably.
By: Ed Kilgore, Contributing Writer, Political Animal Blog, The Washington Monthly, June 2, 2015
June 3, 2015 Posted by raemd95 | GOP Presidential Candidates, John McCain, Lindsey Graham | Campaign Finance Reform, Conservatives, GOP, New Hampshire, Republicans, South Carolina | Leave a comment
“Field Starting To Get Pretty Crowded”: Everyone’s Hopping On The Populist Bandwagon; Will It Lead To Actual Policy Change?
There’s no shortage of groups and people who want the 2016 presidential race to be about their issue of choice, hoping that all the candidates will be forced to answer their questions and maybe even support their preferred policy solutions. But if you call yourself an economic populist — even if the word “populism” wasn’t so central to how you talked about the economy a year or two ago — you may have a better shot than most at seeing the 2016 debate move to your ground.
The populism bandwagon is starting to get pretty crowded. As Matea Gold reported yesterday, the Democratic millionaires and billionaires of the Democracy Alliance were heartened at their recent gathering by Hillary Clinton’s argument that “the deck is stacked in favor of those already at the top,” and “the organization is urging donors to contribute to an expanded suite of advocacy groups and think tanks devoted to economic inequality.” As one participant said, “The election will be won or lost on this.”
This morning I got on a conference call with a group of liberal organizations holding a conference in Washington this weekend called “Populism2015,” the primary goal of which seems to be political organizing aimed specifically at pushing issues of economic equality into the presidential campaign.
Groups with a general ideological perspective like the ones involved in this effort (including the Campaign for America’s Future and USAction) often shift their focus as the political debate changes. When we’re debating health care, they make a push on health care; when we’re debating trade, they do the same with trade; and so on. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of political opportunism, since it’s often how movements make progress, by adapting their message and demands to the environment of the moment. And if their goal is to get Hillary Clinton (and whatever other Democrats run) to talk about inequality, then they’ve already succeeded.
But the devil is really in the details.
The Populism2015 folks have an agenda that includes increased public investment to create jobs, higher taxes on the wealthy, a $15 minimum wage, breaking up the big banks, increasing Social Security benefits, and opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal President Obama is currently trying to get through Congress. It’s likely that Clinton will embrace some of these items, but not others. The question is whether grassroots activism can generate the pressure that will not only bring her over, but ultimately translate into policy change.
That’s where it gets daunting. For instance, one of the items the liberal groups listed was getting big money out of politics. When I asked how they were going to accomplish that given a string of Supreme Court decisions making it easier for just the opposite to occur, they said that the first step was to organize to change state and local laws, and that would ultimately translate to a national effort. Which is great, but they didn’t seem to want to talk about how it’s all but impossible to imagine how a constitutional amendment to overturn decisions like Citizens United could be accomplished (and for the record, Clinton says she’s got a campaign finance reform plan, but hasn’t yet revealed what it is).
Campaign finance reform could well be one of those issues that lots of people pay lip service to, but little definable progress ends up being seen on in the near term. On some of the other items on the populist agenda, on the other hand, it’s easier to envision policy change relatively soon. One state after another is passing increases in the minimum wage, and the push for a $15 minimum could make the $10.10 rate President Obama has advocated seem like a moderate compromise.
As Roger Hickey of the Campaign for America’s Future said on the call: “We’re in a populist moment here in America, and even conservative Republicans tell us that.” It’s true that the GOP candidates are starting to frame their arguments in populist terms, as weird as it is for a Republican advocating something like eliminating the capital gains tax to say he just wants to help the little guy fight against entrenched power.
When the other side is adopting your language and claiming to share your goals, you may be halfway to victory. It’s the other half that’s the hard part.
By: Paul Waldman, Senior Writer, The American Prospect; Contributor, The Plume Line, The Washington Post, April 16, 2015
April 20, 2015 Posted by raemd95 | Democrats, Economic Inequality, Republicans | Campaign Finance Reform, Democracy Alliance, Hillary Clinton, Minimum Wage, Money in Politics, Populism, Social Security, State and Local Governments | Leave a comment
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U-19 cricket team in race against time for World Cup qualifiers
Kenya Cricket Under 19 trialists are taken through their paces by head coach Jimmy Kamande at the Ruaraka Sports Club, Nairobi on January 5, 2018. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO |
By RICHARD MWANGI
Kamande was referring to wrangles at Cricket Kenya last year that disrupted the game locally
He spent two years to assemble a team that represented Africa in last year’s Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand
Namibia will host the African qualifiers for the 2020 Under-19 World Cup
Kenya will fight it out with Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and hosts Namibia for a sole ticket reserved for the continent
Kenya Under-19 cricket team coach Jimmy Kamande has said players must make full use of the limited time available to prepare for 2020 Cricket World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking on Friday after meeting 22 young players who turned up for selection at Ruaraka Sports Club in Nairobi, Kamande said players who will make the Kenyan squad that will compete in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Africa World Cup qualifiers in Windhoek, Namibia, from March 17 to 25 must give their all to be ready in time for the qualifiers.
He said: “Time is not on our side. We have wasted December school holidays when we could have spent quality time with the boys. We now have to work with the little time left for us to pick our team for the qualifiers.”
Kamande was referring to wrangles at Cricket Kenya last year that disrupted the game locally.
Kamande said that he expects more youngsters to show up team selection during trials in Nairobi that will run from Monday to Friday.
He added: "I will conduct another team selection exercise in Nakuru over the weekend (from January 12 to 13) and move to Mombasa a week later (January 19 and 20)."
Under-19 ICC World Cup qualifiers selection pending
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Tag Archives: julianne moore
Episode 168: The Garrel Grievance
News from the Croisette lures Irini and Cal back to the microphone, as we discuss yesterday’s announcement of the 70th Cannes Film Festival lineup, featuring (among others) new films from Andrey Zvyagintsev, Lynne Ramsay, Todd Haynes, and podcast favourite Sofia Coppola. We’re also catching up with news we haven’t discussed since the last episode, chief of which is *that* infamous Oscar mix-up, plus we touch upon the surprise smash hit “Get Out” and dig into some seriously juicy female-led TV shows. Elsewhere, Irini shamelessly flaunts some national pride when we discuss one of the festival’s entries, we vehemently disagree on the virtues of the Safdie brothers, and Cal tests Irini’s patience by taking a pop at Xavier Dolan and all but killing off Michael Haneke.
News Catch Up:
Oscars catastrophe
Oscar rule changes
Big Little Lies / Feud
Listener Question [ibbi]
Cannes Film Festival:
Discussing the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May!
Intro Music: Alma, “Requiem”
Outro Music: Loreen, “Statements”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: 24 frames, a gentle creature, abbas kiarostami, Adam Sandler, andrey zvyaginstev, animated feature, anne hathaway, ben safdie, bette davis, big little lies, birth, bong joon ho, brian selznick, cannes film festival, Colin Farrell, colossal, diane kruger, documentary feature, eva green, fatih akin, feud, film podcast, francois ozon, gael garcia bernal, geraldine page, get out, good time, happy end, heaven knows what, hong sang soo, hugo, in the fade, Isabelle Huppert, it's only the end of the world, jackie, jacqueline bisset, jacques doillon, jake gyllenhaal, james mcavoy, jean-luc godard, jeremie renier, jessica chastain, joan crawford, julianne moore, jupiter's moon, jury, kidman world cup, kim min hee, kornel mandruczo, l'amant double, louis garrel, loveless, Lynne Ramsay, matheiu amalric, memories of murder, michael haneke, michel hazanavicius, my joy, naomi kawase, natalie portman, neruda, netflix, nicole kidman, noah baumbach, oj made in america, okja, Oscar podcast, oscars, pablo larrain, Paul Dano, radiance, redoubtable, reese witherspoon, robert pattinson, rodin, roman polanski, rule changes, sergei loznitsa, shailene Woodley, shara, sofia coppola, split, the beguiled, the day after, the killing of a sacred deer, the meyerowitz stories, tilda swinton, to die for, todd Haynes, venice film festival, vincent lindon, white god, wonderstruck, xavier dolan, yorgos Lanthimos, you were never really here
Episode 141: The Sprinkler of Sadness [Cinderella; Get Hard; Seventh Son]
By Cal on Tuesday, March 31st, 2015 | Leave a comment
Episode 141: The Sprinkler of Sadness
This week’s reviews include medieval fantasy adventure “Seventh Son,” the latest incarnation of the fairy tale “Cinderella,” and Argentinian Oscar nominee “Wild Tales,” which is courting controversy in the wake of some bad release timing. Elsewhere, we discuss comedy caper “Get Hard,” which already had preconceptions reeling from Tim Robey’s assault on its homophobic tendencies, plus we chat about the horrendous title of Russell Crowe’s upcoming directorial debut feature, and the bizarre nature of Jeff Bridges’ vocal work. Meanwhile, the memory of Marlene Dietrich lives on the attire of one of this week’s performers, Ed Sheeran’s Australian exploits has Pete hoping he’ll stay there, and why is nobody mentioning the Grimm brothers’ glaring plot hole? Cal’s off to New York next week, so we’re taking a fortnight hiatus, but hopefully we’ll return with news of Pete’s first four-star film of the year.
Seventh Son 17:41 – 29:26
Get Hard 29:27 – 40:50
Wild Tales 40:51 – 48:22
Cinderella 48:23 – 1:00:32
Outro Music: Fiona Apple, “Extraordinary Machine”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: a star is born, alicia vikander, alison brie, argentina, ben barnes, Beyonce, Bradley Cooper, cannes film festival, cate blanchett, cinderella, colleen atwood, damian szifron, downton abbey, foreign language film, germanwings, get hard, gone baby gone, helena bonham carter, holliday grainger, homophobia, Janet Gaynor, jeff bridges, judy garland, julianne moore, kenneth branagh, kevin hart, lily james, mad max: fury road, mongol, oscars, podcast, podcast review, review, russell crowe, sandy powell, sergei bodrov, the seventh son, the water diviner, tim robey, v for vendetta, wild tales, will ferrell
Episode 130: Jardiner du Jour [Foxcatcher; Into the Woods; Predicting the Oscar Noms]
Episode 130: Jardiner du Jour
We only have two films this week, but the episode is jam-packed, thanks to Sunday’s Golden Globe awards and the impending Oscar nominations. We discuss the highlights from the ceremony, and the impact of recent events on all of the major Oscar races, speculating whether Jennifer Aniston can really seal the deal, and if there’s any room for manoeuvre in that seemingly locked Supporting Actress lineup. Elsewhere, negative preconceptions concerning Steve Carell are tested when we review Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher,” and Pete’s far-from-impressed verdict on “Into the Woods” sees Cal and Irini scrambling to defend the Disney musical. The return of the Red Light District sees us chat about the days when Leos Carax was joyful, the banality of Adolf Eichmann, and Jean-Luc Godard’s contempt for iPhones, while Pete has his own bridges to burn with social media, and none of us are quite sure how to pronounce Isabel Coixet’s name.
The death of Anita Ekberg
The death of Francesco Rosi
The death of Samuel Goldwyn Jr
Isabel Coixet’s new film to open Berlin Film Festival
Opening Segment: Our review of Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, featuring reaction to the winners, the speeches, and of course the fashion!
Red Light District: Pimping the best films we’ve seen lately, featuring discussion of “Alice in the Cities,” “Beginners,” “Cleo from 5 to 7,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” “Force Majeure,” “Goodbye to Language,” “Hannah Arendt,” “Haute Cuisine,” “The Night Is Young,” and “Trial”!
Closing Segment: Predicting the upcoming Oscar nominations! Will “Foxcatcher” go the way of “The Master”? Will Amy Adams make it six nominations in nine years? Will Cal have to see “The Judge”?
Outro Music: Beck, “Devil’s Haircut”
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Episode 128: ‘Tis the Season to be Juli [Still Alice; Big Eyes; Exodus; Unbroken]
By Cal on Wednesday, December 31st, 2014 | Leave a comment
Episode 128: ‘Tis the Season to be Juli
It’s our last episode of 2014 so we take the opportunity to celebrate the best films we’ve reviewed on the podcast this year, and our favourite performances, which includes a surprising Supporting Actress win from Pete. This week’s reviews include the Biblical epic “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and Angelina Jolie’s audacious survival tale “Unbroken,” while Pete caught Jimi Hendrix biopic “Jimi: All Is By My Side.” We discuss fradulent artist drama “Big Eyes,” starring Amy Adams, while we assess Julianne Moore’s bid for a long overdue Oscar in heavy-going Alzheimer’s tale “Still Alice.” Elsewhere, the death of the last remaining acting Oscar winner from the 1930s resurrects a common complaint, we scrutinize this year’s Foreign Language Oscar race some more, there’s a Razzie-level performance in one of this week’s films, and the podcast is interrupted by the children and dogs in Cal’s packed household.
The death of Luise Rainer
Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter split up
Foreign Language Oscar Shortlist is revealed
Closing Segment: Discussing our favourite films and performances reviewed on the podcast in 2014!
Outro Music: Baha Men, “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: a most wanted man, a promise, accused, after tiller, alec baldwin, andre 3000, Angelina jolie, anne dorval, best actress, best films of 2014, best foreign language film, big eyes, boyhood, Christian bale, christoph waltz, corn island, exodus: gods and kings, force majeure, foreign language oscar, garrett hedlund, guy pearce, hayley atwell, helena bonham carter, ida, imogen poots, jack o'connell, jimi hendrix, jimi: all is by my side, julianne moore, kate bosworth, Kristen stewart, leviathan, luise rainer, margaret keane, mgm, next goal wins, oscars, podcast, podcast review, review, ridley scott, still alice, tangerines, the good earth, the great ziegfeld, tim burton, timbuktu, unbroken, Under the Skin, walter keane, wild tales
Episode 125: Empty and Chortleless [Paddington; Mockingjay Part I; The Homesman]
By Cal on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014 | Leave a comment
Episode 125: Empty and Chortleless
This week we’re catching up for lost time with two weeks’ worth of films, and a ton of news, from the sad demise of Mike Nichols to the influx of awards action, featuring discussion of Marion Cotillard’s Oscar prospects and the underachievement of Edward Norton, while Pete is particularly aghast at the NBR’s fondness for “The Lego Movie.” Reviews this week include our take on podcast favourite Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of James Brown in “Get On Up,” the less-than-popular Hilary Swank in Tommy Lee Jones’ maybe-Western “The Homesman,” and the daunting prospect of Michael Bond’s “Paddington” being adapted for the big screen. Elsewhere, Pete found time to see Antipodean vampire comedy “What We Do In the Shadows,” while Cal was the only one queuing up to see Jennifer Lawrence in the latest instalment of The Hunger Games, “Mockingjay Part I.” Meanwhile, there’s a digression about 2006’s Best Actress Oscar lineup, one of Faye Dunaway’s many camp film roles is celebrated, Kevin Spacey’s private life gets an airing, and Pete is seriously torn between allegiance and detest in anticipation for Jason Reitman’s upcoming film, which stars the one and only Judy Greer.
The death of Mike Nichols
Cahiers du Cinema announce their top ten
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I
Closing Segment: Our take on quirky children’s tale “Paddington” and discussing our favourite cinematic female villains!
Outro Music: Lana Del Rey, “Blue Jeans”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: 101 dalmations, a most violent year, awards podcast, best actress, best picture, boyhood, cahiers du cinema, chadwick boseman, closer, elizabeth banks, Faye Dunaway, feminist, get on up, glenn close, goodbye to language, grace gummer, hilary swank, hugh bonneville, hunger games, james brown, jamie foxx, jennifer lawrence, julianne moore, liam hemsworth, marion cotillard, meryl streep, michael bond, mike nichols, miranda otto, mockingjay, national board of review, nbr, new york film critics, nicole kidman, nyfcc, Nymphomaniac, Oscar podcast, oscars, paddington, patricia arquette, philip seymour hoffman, podcast, podcast review, ray, review, sally hawkins, sigourney weaver, silkwood, still alice, supergirl, tate taylor, the graduate, the help, the homesman, the lego movie, tommy lee jones, top ten, viola davis, westerns, what we do in the shadows, winners, wit, working girl
Episode 117: The Ballad of Pitt & Brit [Maps to the Stars; I Origins; Ida]
By Cal on Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 | Leave a comment
Episode 117: The Ballad of Pitt & Brit
This week’s episode is a distinctly non-sober affair, as birthday drinks crippled Cal’s ability to function (he wants you to know that he is fully aware that Joanne Woodward is American), but we managed to get through this week’s busy line-up of films in under ninety minutes. Pete caught Denzel Washington thriller “The Equalizer” and Mike Cahill’s treatise on faith vs. science, “I Origins,” while Cal was in the queue for horror flick “Honeymoon” and had time to rewatch Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Ida.” After that, both of us weigh in on David Cronenberg’s Hollywood satire “Maps to the Stars,” featuring Cannes Best Actress winner Julianne Moore, which leads us into a discussion of women from the past who have received that honour. Elsewhere, banter about pop music shifts from Taylor Swift onto Cheryl Cole, we ponder how long George Clooney’s marriage will last, a Christie Clanger from last week is addressed, and preconceptions for David Fincher’s “Gone Girl” (reviewed next week) get laid bare.
George Clooney marries in Venice
Foreign Language Oscar submissions: Russia submit “Leviathan”; Argentina submit “Wild Tales”
Al Pacino receives a BAFTA Fellowship
Closing Segment: Our take on David Cronenberg’s “Maps to the Stars,” and discussing the history of Best Actress winners at the Cannes Film Festival!
Outro Music: Cheryl Cole, “Crazy Stupid Love”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: a passage to india, agata kulesza, al pacino, andrei zvyagintsev, antoine fuqua, argentina, best actor 2004, best actress, best actress 1984, brit marling, cannes film festival, cheryl cole, clint eastwood, denzel washington, foreign language film, honeymoon, i origins, ida, insomnia, jeff bridges, Judy Davis, julianne moore, kylie minogue, leviathan, london film festival, maps to the stars, mia wasikowska, michael pitt, mike cahill, Oscar podcast, oscars podcast, paul giamatti, pawel Pawlikowski, podcast review, review, robert pattinson, russia, scent of a woman, sean penn, sissy spacek, the door in the floor, the equalizer, wild tales
Episode 116: The Decoy Tots [The Giver; Magic in the Moonlight; A Walk Among the Tombstones]
By Cal on Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 | Leave a comment
Episode 116: The Decoy Tots
After last week’s super-long episode, we lament Cal’s laissez faire approach to editing, but this edition managed to sail under the ninety-minute mark fairly smoothly. The Red Light District is back, as we discuss films starring Nina Hoss and Richard Burton, a dishonest Dogme flick, plus Cal’s return to awards completion gets us analysing two Best Actress Oscar races, one of which features one of the biggest snubs of all time. New releases include baseball underdog drama “Million Dollar Arm,” of which the MVP was plain for both of us to see, and Woody Allen’s “Magic in the Moonlight,” which Pete unsurprisingly snubbed. There’s also Liam Neeson thriller “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” and Philip Noyce’s “The Giver,” which Pete managed to smear in innuendo and spend forever on divulging the plot of. Taylor Swift’s presence in the film forces both of us to admit some admiration for her lyrical hand, while her likeness to a famously jilted tennis player instigates discussion of a disastrous celebrity relationship. Elsewhere, there’s a postponed Joe Wright rant from last week, Pete’s parents’ holiday snaps struggle to emulate Michael Ballhaus, and the natural charm of one of this week’s actresses leads to a new qualification in the Olsen Factor.
Foreign Language submissions from France, Belgium, Canada, and Hong Kong
[2:25 – 8:20]
Opening Segment: This month’s Red Light District, featuring discussion of “Barbara,” “Elena,” “Mifune’s Last Song,” “Mourning Becomes Electra,” “Passion Fish,” “The Spy Who Came In From the Cold” and “Win/Win”
A Walk Among the Tombstones
Outro Music: Tori Amos, “Give”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: a walk among the tombstones, alfre woodard, amy smart, andrei zyagintsev, anh hui, annabelle, barbara, Belgium, bertrand bonello, best actress, canada, cannes film festival, cat ballou, colin firth, dan stevens, dances with wolves, divergent, elena, emma stone, film podcast, foreign language oscar, france, hong kong, jeff bridges, jerry maguire, joan crawford, john le carre, jon hamm, julianne moore, lake bell, lee marvin, liam neeson, loretta young, magic in the moonlight, manic pixie dream girl, mary mcdonnell, meryl streep, michael redgrave, mifune's last song, million dollar army, mommy, moneyball, mourning becomes electra, nina hoss, Oscar podcast, oscar van rompay, oscars podcast, passion fish, podcast review, review, richard burton, rosalind russell, saint laurent, submissions, suraj sharma, sweet and lowdown, tang wei, taylor swift, The Butterfly Effect, the giver, the golden era, the host, the spy who came in from the cold, two days one night, win win, woody allen, xavier dolan
Episode 95: The Pullitzer Puzzle [Locke; The Love Punch; Cannes Lineup]
By Cal on Thursday, April 24th, 2014 | Leave a comment
Episode 95: The Pullitzer Puzzle
This week we welcome Irini M back to the podcast to help us discuss the much-anticipated lineup of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, featuring the upcoming works of David Cronenberg, Mike Leigh, and many more European auteurs, some of which fill us with dread. We’re reviewing the Miranda Otto-led lesbian drama “Reaching for the Moon,” British heist comedy “The Love Punch,” and Tom Hardy’s one-man show “Locke,” which divided the camp in its depiction of drama and geography. Cal’s review of psychological horror film “Magic Magic” gets hijacked by Pete’s rant about a certain Pullitzer Prize winner, while Irini had a bone to pick with him about his “failure to understand” the point of Xavier Dolan’s latest delight. There are predictably many digressions, concerning Mr. Potato Head’s liberal use of his lips, Tom Hardy’s neglect of his razor, and Faye Dunaway’s fear of apostrophes, as well as a shocking Hathaway Protocol. It’s a week of regrets, as Irini’s belief in her own festival foresight lost her a fair bit of cash, while Naomi Watts finally bit the bullet and admitted that “Diana” wasn’t all that. Who knew?
Opening Segment: Discussing the recently announced line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, featuring anticipation of films by David Cronenberg, Xavier Dolan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Andrey Zvyagintsev!
Reaching for the Moon
The Love Punch
Magic Magic
Closing Segment: Our take on Steven Knight’s “Locke,” and random asides involving Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway!
The Watson Factor
The Poupaud Range
Outro Music: Radiohead, “Jigsaw Falling Into Place”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: andrew garfield, andrey zvyaginstev, atom egoyan, berlin film festival, beyond the hills, birmingham, bullitt, cannes 2014, cannes film festival, cannes lineup, captives, celia imrie, coming home, crystal fairy, dardenne, david cronenberg, Diana, elena, elizabeth bishop, emma thompson, Faye Dunaway, foxcatcher, gambit, gloria pires, gong li, grace of monaco, joel hopkins, julianne moore, juno temple, ken loach, Kristen stewart, last chance harvey, Le Weekend, leviafan, locke, london film festival, love punch, magic magic, maps to the stars, michael cera, mike leigh, miranda otto, mommy, naomi kawase, Naomi watts, nicole kidman, pierce brosnan, pierrepoint, podcast, podcast review, pullitzer prize, puzzle of a downfall child, queer cinema, reaching for the moon, review, ricardo darin, robert pattinson, Roger Ebert, sebastian silva, secrets and lies, sound of my voice, steve mcqueen, steven knight, the banishment, the godfather part 2, the homesman, the hours, the love punch, the three burials of melquiades estrada, timothy spall, tom at the farm, tom hardy, tommy lee jones, two days one night, venice film festival, wild tales, xavier dolan, YSL, zhang yimou
Episode 89: Bad Badinage [Non-Stop; Nymphomaniac; The Book Thief]
By Cal on Wednesday, March 5th, 2014 | Leave a comment
Episode 89: Bad Badinage
In this week’s episode we finally put 2013 to bed with discussion of Sunday’s Oscar ceremony, which features theories on how rule changes may have helped a certain Italian film, and when on earth Amy Adams will get her moment in the sun. A listener question turns our attention to acting winners of years gone by, while we review airborne mystery/thriller “Non-Stop,” the first part of the racy “Nymphomaniac,” and Akiva Goldsman’s bewildering “A New York Winter’s Tale.” We have our say on holocaust drama “The Book Thief,” but did its Oscar-nominated score make as much impact on us as its intermittent voice-over? Plus: listen to find out how Uma Thurman is channelling Gena Rowlands this week, why Lars Von Trier’s use of Shostakovich is questionable, and a story from Pete about how unwelcome ‘entertainment’ almost turned nasty. It’s all about the badinage.
Introduction and non-film news
Opening Segment:
Discussing the winners of this year’s Academy Awards, plus a listener question!
Nymphomaniac: Volume I
A New York Winter’s Tale (mild spoilers!)
Outro Music: The Cardigans, “Erase & Rewind”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: 12 years a slave, a new york winter's tale, akiva goldsman, alfonso cuaron, american hustle, amy adams, cate blanchett, charlotte gainsbourg, Colin Farrell, dallas buyers club, emily blunt, emily watson, florian ballhaus, foreign film, Geoffrey Rush, gravity, Her, holocaust, jared leto, jennifer connelly, jessica findlay-brown, juame collet-serra, julianne moore, lars von trier, liam neeson, Lupita n’yongo, matthew mcconaughey, meryl streep, michelle dockery, non-stop, Nymphomaniac, Oscar podcast, oscar winners, oscars, podcast, podcast review, reese witherspoon, review, russell crowe, shia laboeuf, sophie nelisse, Spike Jonze, the book thief, the boy in the striped pyjamas, the devil wears prada, the great beauty, the muppets, uma thurman, unknown, will smith
Episode 77: To Seydoux Or Not Seydoux [Saving Mr. Banks; Blue Is the Warmest Colour; Catching Fire]
By Cal on Thursday, December 5th, 2013 | Leave a comment
Episode 77: To Seydoux Or Not Seydoux
This week’s episode is particularly risque, as controversial erotic French drama, “Blue is the Warmest Colour,” hits UK screens. Both of us were taken aback by the sapphic desires, but did its all-girl relationship work for us? We had dramatically different opinions of Brian De Palma’s “Carrie,” but Cal caught Kimberley Peirce’s remake and had some choice words to say about it, while a review of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” forces Pete to ponder questionable costume designing. We discuss the mythologising in Disney’s factually dodgy “Saving Mr. Banks,” before chatting about our favourite films about authors. Tune in to hear us re-introduce the Cage Scale, joke about vagina and side-boob shots, and reveal which of the week’s films channels “Mommie Dearest.” All that, plus an epic news segment concerning the latest critics awardsfoils Pete’s plan for an hour-long episode. Maybe one day we’ll get there.
Smooth FM’s Top 500
Tom Daley comes out of the closet
The death of Paul Walker
Peter O’ Toole comes out of retirement
Oscar Documentary Shortlist announced
New York Film Critics winners
National Board of Review winners
Blue Is the Warmest Colour
Closing Segment: Our review of Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” and discussing our favourite films about real-life authors!
Outro Music: The Temptations, “Treat Her Like a Lady”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: adele exarchopolous, all is lost, american hustle, blackfish, blue is the warmest colour, bruce dern, carrie, catching fire, cate blanchett, chloe moretz, documentary shortlist, dustin lance black, emma thompson, fast and furious 7, Faye Dunaway, gravity, Her, hunger games, jena malone, jennifer lawrence, julianne moore, kimberley peirce, la vie d'adele, lea seydoux, liam hemsworth, mary poppins, mommie dearest, national board of review, nbr, nebraska, new york film critics, nicole kidman, nyfcc, octavia spencer, oscar, oscars, p l travers, paul walker, peter o'toole, robert redford, saving mr banks, Spike Jonze, stories we tell, the act of killing, the hours, tom daley, tom hanks, troy, walt disney, will forte, wolfgang petersen
Episode 75: Pillow Talk [The Counsellor; The Butler; Don Jon]
By Cal on Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 | Leave a comment
Episode 75: Pillow Talk
This week’s episode sees the return of the French quarter, as Pete ventured to a local film festival to catch his beloved Daniel Auteuil’s recent double-feature, “Marius” and “Fanny,” as well as Juliette Binoche in “Camille Claudel 1915.” Elsewhere, we’re discussing the joys of this week’s mainstream releases, including Scarlett Johansson’s womanly prowess in sexed-up comedy “Don Jon,” and the varying degrees of raunch Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz bring to Ridley Scott’s brutal thriller “The Counsellor.” We ponder the difference between BAFTA and Oscar, discuss whether voice performances should vie for awards, while a listener question forces us to address the mediocrity of some of the Academy’s Supporting Actress winners from years gone by. There are huge preconceptions about Lee Daniels’ “The Butler,” but can its depiction of the civil rights movement survive our scrutiny and mark a mature step forward for the director? Listen to find out, and enjoy musings on the absurdity of John Cusack’s fake nose , how Zooey Deschanel might have ruined one of the week’s offerings, and why Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jane Fonda really need to hang out more.
The Honorary Oscars have been handed out
Scarlett Johansson wins Best Actress at the Rome Film Festival for “Her”
There’s going to be a sequel to “It’s a Wonderful Life”
The Counsellor
Marius / Fanny
Camille Claudel 1915
Closing Segment: Our take on Lee Daniels’ “The Butler,”* and discussing historical inaccuracies in films! [1:03:50 – 1:23:40]
*Listener questions addressed at the end of review
Outro Music: Rhye, “Hunger”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: andy serkis, anne hathaway, bafta, benjamin button, blue is the warmest color, blue is the warmest colour, brad pitt, bruno dumont, cameron diaz, camille claudel 1915, Cecil Gaines, channing tatum, cuba gooding jr, daniel auteuil, david oyelowo, Don Jon, Don Jon's Addiction, eddie murphy, fanny, fantasia barrino, Forest Whitaker, gladys knight, Gloria Grahame, golden globes, Helen Hayes, Her, isabelle adjani, it's a wonderful life, jane fonda, javier bardem, Joaquin Phoenix, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, julianne moore, katina paxinou, lee daniels, Lee Daniels The Butler, lenny kravitz, lila kedrova, marius, michael fassbender, Oprah Winfrey, oscars, podcast, podcast conversation, podcast review, porn, review, ridley scott, scarlett johansson, Shame, shrek, Spike Jonze, Supporting Actress, the butler, the counsellor, the counselor, tilda swinton, voice performances, zooey deschanel
Episode 63: Puzzling Downfalls [Elysium; Lovelace; We’re the Millers]
By Cal on Wednesday, August 28th, 2013 | Leave a comment
Episode 63: Puzzling Downfalls
Peroni comes out to play in this week’s episode, as Pete prepares for his impending flight to Venice by cracking open a bottle or two and lays into some usual suspects, including Nicolas Winding Refn and Kate Hudson. Cal saw Jennifer Aniston bare all in “We’re the Millers” and Amanda Seyfried get it all out in “Lovelace,” and reveals a risqué podcast game to test Pete’s knowledge of steamy film scenes. We review Nell Blonkamp’s sci-fi spectacle “Elysium,” which features some remarkable performances, and welcome Julianne Moore’s return to the podcast in “What Maisie Knew.” All that, plus an epic news segment, some banter about Glenn vs. Sigourney in 1988, and discussing how nobody can quite remember what Ruby Dee’s two lines were in “American Gangster.”
The Week’s News, featuring discussion of Miley Cyrus’ performance at the VMAs, the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, and the death of Julie Harris, among other things! [1:55 – 15:10]
Lovelace (plus a game!)
What Maisie Knew
We’re the Millers
Closing Segment: Our take on Nell Blonkamp’s “Elysium,” starring Matt Damon, and summarising this past Summer in film! [1:03:05 – 1:19:50]
Outro Music: Alice Russell, “Drinking Song Interlude”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: a very long engagement, adam brody, alexander skarsgard, almost famous, Amanda Seyfried, amelie, batman, ben affleck, birth, danny huston, deep throat, elysium, emma roberts, Gay, glenn close, gorillas in the mist, jean pierre jeunet, jennifer aniston, jodie foster, julianne moore, julie harris, kate hudson, linda lovelace, lovelace, Matt Damon, miley cyrus, nell blonkamp, nicole kidman, peter sarsgaard, podcast, podcast review, review, robin thicke, sharlto copley, sigourney weaver, steve coogan, venice film festival, vmas, we're the millers, wentworth miller, what maisie knew
Episode 44: Mere Mortals [Spring Breakers; Dark Skies; A Late Quartet]
By Cal on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013 | Leave a comment
EPISODE 44: Mere Mortals
This week starts off in morbid fashion as we acknowledge the deaths of some important people, both in the film industry and outside of it, before we look ahead to Kimberly Peirce’s remake of “Carrie,” which triggers guilt in Pete over his lack of appreciation of Julianne Moore on the podcast. Things get more cheerful when we get to the reviews, which include the leafy family offering “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” and Harmony Korine’s colourful “Spring Breakers.” We get gritty with the Aaron Eckhart-led “The Expatriate” while Pete goes it alone for British drama “All Things To All Men,” before the toil of “A Late Quartet” strikes too many chords for one of us. And then we round everything off with a discussion of supernatural thriller “Dark Skies,” where once again actor Josh Hamilton gets mistaken for somebody else. He must have one of those faces…
Opening Segment: Talking about the week’s news: the deaths of Margaret Thatcher, Roger Ebert, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and Richard Griffiths, and the premiere of the new “Carrie” trailer [2:10 – 14:05]
“All Things To All Men”
“The Expatriate” (aka “Erased”)
“A Late Quartet”
Closing Segment: Our take on Scott Stewart’s “Dark Skies,” and our top one-scene cameos, as inspired by J.K. Simmons [1:03:20 – 1:16:25]
Outro Music: Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, “Cut Me Down”
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: a late quartet, aaron eckhart, all things to all men, carrie, catherine keener, chloe moretz, christopher walken, dark skies, death, dianne wiest, erased, exploitation, gabriel byrne, harmony korine, imogen poots, james franco, jennifer garner, joel edgerton, josh hamilton, julianne moore, keri russell, kimberly pierce, liana liberato, Margaret Thatcher, mark ivanir, misogyny, olga kurylenko, philip seymour hoffman, podcast, podcast review, review, richard griffiths, Roger Ebert, rosemarie dewitt, rufus sewell, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, scott stewart, selena gomez, shohreh aghdashloo, spring breakers, the expatriate, the odd life of timothy green, toby stephens, trailer, vanessa hudgens
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The history of MV Agusta began in the early 20th century, although the first motorcycle company appeared much later. Count Giovanni Agusta in 1907 founded his own company. Aircraft manufactured by Agusta has received unprecedented rise during the first world war, when the Count himself enlisted in the Air Battalion of Malpensa.
In 1927, after the death of the founder, the company passed to his widow and his son Domenico Gussepine. Soon aircraft orders dropped significantly, then it was decided to increase the range of products in order to avoid the ruin of the company. The solution was found in the motorcycle industry. It was decided to start with the production of two-stroke 100 cc engine, the hallmarks of which are low cost of production and operation.
But like many other companies, the company MV Agusta prevented World War II. When the war ended, Domenico Agusta founded the company Meccanica Verghera, the main aim of which was a new motorcycle design.
In 1945 he was presented the first buyers motorcycle MV Agusta. The owners of the company wanted to call his Vespa 98, but the name has already been registered, so the motorcycle model called simply "98". Produced two modifications to Travel and Economy. The release of this motorcycle began in 1946. In the same year, the company MV Agusta began formal presentations at the regularly conducted motorcycle racing. And in his first season Vincenzo Nenchioni won the race in La Spezia, and later he became a leader in Monza, when all the prizes were employed drivers MV Agusta, the winners were then Nenchioni Vincenzo, Mario and Mario Kornalea Paleari.
Thanks to sports victories, a model 98 "Sport", the main difference between steel telescopic front fork, the new shortened by 5 cm frame and a sportier suspension tuning. Upgraded engine gave power 5 hp, which was the absolute record of those years for engines with working volume.
In 1947 MV Agusta motorcycle company took part in the Milan Motorcycle Show, which featured several new products. Buyers were shown Luxury version 98, two-cylinder two-stroke motorcycles and 125 vat 250 cc single-cylinder four-stroke motorcycles. A year later, 125 cm3 category was introduced in the Italian racing competitions. Then the company MV Agusta brought in 125 new competition model bottoms.
In 1949, the model "98" and "125" have been replaced by a model "125 TEL", which in that year was replaced by a 125 scooter-type "B".
In the early 1950's, it was reopened the company's participation in motorcycle competition. Thanks to a qualitative leap in technology MV Agusta has become a legend of racing. Wide popularity of the brand obtained through sports victories, led to a substantial increase in sales. Were popular sports motorcycles and the company, for example, sports 125 Motore Lungo, was the most popular motorcycle racing at the time.
In 1953, the production capacity of MV Agusta motorcycles reached 20,000 for the first time thanks to the full range of models, as well as the release of the original 125 Pullman. At the same time in Spain, launched the first plant, which had a license to manufacture motorcycles for export.
Meanwhile, the Federation decided to renew the motorcycle racing competition among mass-produced motorcycles. For this competition the company MV Agusta has put on stream production of the MV Agusta 124, which became the direct heir of the legendary racing models. And in 1954, a model 175 CSS, received a nickname for a flying saucer shape doskoobraznuyu tank. This model is distinguished not only an attractive appearance, but also the technical characteristics, which allowed her to win a lot of races.
In the second half of the 50's motorcycle market is still experiencing a boom, but began to appear the first signs of an impending crisis, which has forced many motorcycle manufacturers to reduce investment in motorcycling. In this case, the company MV Agusta did not follow other companies and bought a license to manufacture Bell Helicopter have at their disposal technology that could be used in motorcycles. One of the many innovations that have emerged in those days, that the creation of a number of prototypes of advanced hydraulic drive and two-stroke engines with direct fuel injection. MV Agusta motorcycle company stand out from its competitors, even the most efficient models. Rather than adapt to the standards of other manufacturers, the company preferred to stick to the philosophy of development, focusing on the needs of the average customer.
So in 1956 there was a model "83", which can comfortably accommodate two people. At the same bike developed a good speed for low fuel consumption.
In 1959, the company got a new motorcycle chain lubrication system, allowing the engine to MV Agusta achieve incredible performance reliability. Warranty on the engines of the company was increased to 100,000 km.
In 1992, the ownership of the trademark Cascina Costa transferred to the group Cagiva Motor.
Cagiva Motor Company engineers decided to create a motor in collaboration with Ferrari and outlined his F4. In 1997, at the Milan Motorcycle Show presented the first prototype of the MV Agusta F4. Visitors and journalists were amazed by what they saw MV Agusta F4. Motorcycle painted, like his ancestor in red and silver colors, with the exhaust pipe in the form of a pipe organ, was an instant success.
Today, the company produces MV Agusta motorcycles special series of Senna, sports SPR, as well as the latest model Brutale.
Classic MV Agusta motorcycles offered via internet auctions:
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"Fulton County"
Fraternal organizations 3
White supremacy movements 3
American South 2
Associations and institutions 2
Prisons 1
Social reform 1
Oral histories (document genres) 2
Video recordings 2
Dallas County 1
Davidson County 1
Jefferson County 1
Macomb 1
McDonough County 1
Ku Klux Klan, 2nd 3
Civil Rights History Project 2
American Baptist Theological Seminary 1
Branch, Taylor 1
Children's Crusade 1
Fowler, Charles Lewis 1
Freedom Riders 1
Lowery, Joseph Echols 1
Mississippi State Penitentiary 1
Mosnier, Joseph 1
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 1
Vivian, C. T. 1
Constitution and laws of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, 2nd, American, 1915 - 1944
H x W x D: 8 7/16 × 3 11/16 × 1/8 in. (21.4 × 9.3 × 0.3 cm)
Place printed
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
A pamphlet titled “Constitution and laws of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan” published by the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Inc. It has a green cover with black text and a rectangular border. The title is at the top of the cover. An image of a Klansmen riding a horse and holding a torch is at the center of the cover, printed in red ink. Underneath the image, printed with in black ink is “(AS AMENDED BY THE / IMPERIAL KLONVOKATION AT / CHICAGO, ILL., AUGUST, 1930).” Printed on the bottom of the cover is “IMPERIAL PALACE-INVISIBLE EMPIRE / KNIGHTS of the KU KLUX KLAN / ATLANTA, GEORGIA. The internal pages of the pamphlet are printed on white paper with black ink. It has sixty-one pages.
White supremacy movements
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anonymous Gift
A pamphlet titled “Constitution and laws of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan” published by the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Inc. It has a brown cover with black text and a rectangular border. The title is at the top of the cover. An image of two Klansmen riding horses and holding torches is at the center of the cover. Printed between the two figures is “Non Silba / Sed Anthar.” Printed on the bottom of the cover is “IMPERIAL PALACE-INVISIBLE EMPIRE / KNIGHTS of the KU KLUX KLAN / ATLANTA, GEORGIA. The internal pages of the pamphlet are printed on white paper with black ink. It has fifty-three pages. The pamphlet has an illegible inscription on the back.
The Ku Klux Klan; its origin, meaning and scope of operation
Fowler, Charles Lewis, American, 1877 - 1974
H x W x D: 8 11/16 × 5 13/16 × 1/8 in. (22 × 14.8 × 0.3 cm)
A sixty-page pamphlet titled “The Ku Klux Klan; Its Origin, Meaning and Scope of Operation” written by Charles Lewis Fowler. The pamphlet is printed on white paper with black text. It discusses the history of the Ku Klux Klan and its goals as an organization.
The Rev. Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery Oral History Interview
Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009
Interview of
Rev. Dr. Lowery, Joseph Echols, American, born 1921
Interviewed by
Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, American, founded 1957
digital media - born digital
Mobile, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
Selma, Dallas County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
Montgomery, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
The oral history consists of four digital files: 2011.174.23.1a, 2011.174.23.1b, 2011.174.23.1c, and 2011.174.23.1d.
The Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery recalls his position as pastor at the Warren Street Church in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1950s. He remembers joining the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the differences in race relations between Mobile and other southern cities, and helping to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He reflects on the effectiveness of nonviolence, the libel suit against him, sit-ins across the country, and the Selma to Montgomery March.
LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0023
Associations and institutions
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
2011.174.23.1a-d
© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Civil Rights History Project
C.T. Vivian Oral History Interview
Rev. Vivian, C. T., American, born 1924
Branch, Taylor, American, born 1947
American Baptist Theological Seminary
Freedom Riders, American, founded 1961
Mississippi State Penitentiary, American, founded 1901
Children's Crusade, American, founded 1963
Macomb, McDonough County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Peoria, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, North and Central America
Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
The oral history consists of four digital files: 2011.174.6.1a, 2011.174.6.1b, 2011.174.6.1c, and 2011.174.6.1d.
C. T. Vivian recalls growing up in Macomb, Illinois, working in Peoria, Illinois, and his call to the ministry. He discusses attending the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee, where he met other civil rights activists and participated in demonstrations. He remembers planning the Freedom Rides, his imprisonment at Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman Farm), the Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama, and working for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
2011.174.6.1a-d
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The Voyage of Discovery
0 0 Tuesday, June 23, 2015 Edit this post
The Lewis and Clark expedition initiated by Thomas Jefferson was known as "The Voyage of Discovery." Its members, he said, had "undaunted courage." Last week, I told my wife, a Lewis and Clark fan, that I have undaunted courage. Since she sat in my peripheral vision at the time, I don't know whether she looked skyward after I said that, but she didn't contradict me. She has spent many an hour, as I write for this site, listening to my keyboard in the background while watching TV.
She knows that I wear my "atheist" cap when I'm in public with her. I even wear it when I need to go through the entrance hall of her church in order to use the men's room. When there, I don't speak until spoken to first. It's awkward being the only free person in a building.
Last Sunday, a member we've known for years implied I should NOT be standing outside wearing my cap when church members were leaving. To which I replied, "I'm only being myself." (This must cause discomfort: If there's anything true believers find in their scriptures, it's constant admonishing NOT to be one’s "sinful" self, to keep running away from the "old man to be a new one in Christ." No. I like me the way I am; if you don't, why? I'm supposed to just PRETEND that I believe? No.) Sure, as far as I know, they’re good people. Me too.
My wife was not present when a certain conversation took place between the pastor, his wife and me. They'd heard the bad news of how I was suffering with energy sapped, as a result of Lyme disease. I told them that, "Yes, I got it from an intelligently designed deer tick." They said, "Oooh!" I mean, really, RESPECT a belief in intelligent design? That was an "explanation" before Darwin, for crissake! At least, so far, no one's threatened me with harm. Christians don't torture and kill the likes of me anymore; now they're in a fallback position of whining about being persecuted.
Anybody who is familiar with the Voyage of Discovery knows what it entailed: challenging the unknown territories, with the perils, the fears and trepidations, the responsibilities and possibly deadly mistakes, bad choices, in every step of the way. Theirs was the challenge of Nature and hostile human forces. To them were entrusted the responsibilities of reporting, and even drawing, what they had encountered. But first, they had to take that first step.
Into the world of "Don't go there" belief systems, I keep taking that first step. Maybe I and you don’t quite have undaunted courage to go forth boldly where believers fear to tread, and to excavate secrets they don't dare to know. Maybe it's just dogged persistency.
What a voyage of discoveries it is! And, thanks to those of you sharing your own voyages, I find I’m far from alone. I respect, even praise you. It does take courage to confront not only what you've been taught, but to trail blaze through your own inner confusions, in seeking answers where you're forbidden to go. Do not be deterred by those who do not share your search for facts and liberty, and would put you down. Rather, you should not feel defensive, but DEMAND respect.
the bible and other sacred scriptures are not fairy tales - but we make a mistake when we think that stories must be factually true in order to be true and truthful.Religions ARE fascinating subjects, though. Of course, they're loaded with man-made fables, fantasies, myths, superstitions, and incredibly vulgar misinformation. (When theologians and apologists start “explaining," you have to look for the "exit" sign on this insane asylum you've suddenly found yourself in.) People WILL and DO believe ANYTHING. In fact, people believe such bizarre and conflicting things concerning what they know nothing about, that it's a wonder "faith" is given ANY credence at all. (Don't take my word for it. The more you look for examples of this, the more you'll discover.)
Let's open up a can of worms, spill the beans, and throw a spotlight on the naked emperor. Let's open a discussion on the subject, "You know what you mean, but I don't know what you mean, and on second thought, I'm not sure YOU even know what you mean." We'll start with something from the Washington Post "On Faith" column, written by Christian theologian Marcus Borg. It's about explaining bible stories to children. He instructs his readers on how to distinguish between the concepts of "fact” and "truth."
Borg writes, "If and when they ask, ' Is that a true story?’ they may be asking, ‘Did that really happen?’ But you don’t have to answer that question. You can say, "I don't know if it happened that way or not, but I know this is an important and truthful story"... Of course, the bible and other sacred scriptures are not fairy tales - but we make a mistake when we think that stories must be factually true in order to be true and truthful."
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, consider what he just said. And would YOU entrust this "truth-teller” to educate your child? As an adult, ask yourself: What the g.d. hell is he talking about? (Oh, wait. You’re supposed to take what he said as true, "on faith.") Be honest. This isn't truth; it's poppycock.
Consider the "wisdom" of theological authority Karen Armstrong, who told PBS listeners: "God is not a being at all."
These two examples come from "Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind " by Daniel Dennett and Linda La Scola. Anyone who’s been in a religion or is outside them should read it. It's a good start for the whistleblowing we all should be doing in re the clergy. Be prepared to find out that not only believers but clergy are victims. (Referring again to Jefferson: he didn't like clergy.)
Someone asked where I got my information from without the internet. Well, for one thing, it’s everywhere. For a start, find out what is the forbidden fruit to believers. You won't find Discover or New Scientist magazines, or Hitchens’ or Dawkins’ books. They're burnable anywhere near church property. I think that Jerry De Witt's book, "Hope after Faith: An Ex-Pastor's Journey from Belief to Atheism " is a must-read for everyone visiting this site. (Pay attention to the details.)
Last of all, I am concerned about the proliferation of short-attention-span media programs. Their messages come to us in sound bites and flashes of pictures. They are aimed not at thinking things through or reflection, but immediate emotional responses. They may breed a conceit that such quick bits of information are sufficient knowledge needed to make serious decisions. All of this is just too dangerously close to the familiar habit which creates the unthinking mindlessness of faith.
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ExChristian.Net: The Voyage of Discovery
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-41TZRm2wwJQ/VYkwVbdOmZI/AAAAAAAAJb0/YFYH6UBafU0/s320/lewisclark.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-41TZRm2wwJQ/VYkwVbdOmZI/AAAAAAAAJb0/YFYH6UBafU0/s72-c/lewisclark.jpg
https://new.exchristian.net/2015/06/the-voyage-of-discovery.html
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John Singleton to chronicle crack epidemic for Showtime
Mike Vago
One of the most persistent legends in recent American history is how the Reagan-era CIA flooded the ghettos with crack cocaine, using the money to fund its many illegal activities. While this has never been officially proven, the CIA’s best alibi seems to be, “How could we find the time, when we were so busy giving arms to Iran and helping the Contras overthrow a democratically elected government?” And while we don’t know for certain that the CIA was behind the crack epidemic, it remains widely assumed—and true or not, it’s a story that has long captured the public imagination.
It’s such a compelling story, in fact, that director John Singleton is going to retell it for Showtime. The one-hour drama Snowfall will be set in Los Angeles in 1984, the same time and place as Singleton’s film debut, Boyz N The Hood. It’ll follow a black youth from Compton, a CIA agent running money to the Contras, and—for reasons as yet unexplained—a Mexican wrestler. Singleton will direct and co-write with After Sex writer-director Eric Amadio. Showtime is clearly hoping this story of drug use and urban decay will finally give it an answer to The Wire—only with a Mexican wrestler instead of Omar.
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Dorothy Gibson starred in a film about the Titanic only a month after surviving its sinking
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China once had such a monopoly on porcelain we just call it “china”
The ironclad rule of Russian politics? Every other leader goes bald
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CannaNews
By Paul Anderson
City News Service
SANTA ANA >> A 38-year-old man teamed up with two high school buddies to abduct a marijuana dispensary owner from his Newport Beach home and torture him into telling the trio where they erroneously believed he had stashed $1 million in profits in the Mojave Desert, and when that failed, they cut off his penis and threw it away, a prosecutor told jurors today.
Kyle Shirakawa Handley is charged with two counts of kidnapping for ransom, aggravated mayhem, and torture, all felonies, with a sentencing enhancement allegation for inflicting great bodily injury. If he is convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Handley’s attorney, Robert Weinberg, deferred making an opening statement in the trial.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown told the jury that three men wearing ski masks broke into the Newport Beach home on the peninsula and abducted Michael Simonian and his landlord, Mary Barnes, about 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2012.
The victims were bound with zip ties, gagged with duct tape and blindfolded, Brown said.
The trio spent about 20 minutes “ransacking the home” before stuffing the two victims into a cargo van, where Simonian was “repeatedly” shot with a Taser, beaten with a rubber pipe, burned — possibly with a blow torch — and kicked during a 90-minute drive to the desert, the prosecutor said.
Barnes smelled methamphetamine being smoked in the van, she said.
The trio affected what sounded like bogus Spanish accents as they demanded to know where Simonian buried $1 million in cash, Brown said. But the victim, who worked in a “heavy cash” business because banks won’t accept medical marijuana profits for deposit, had not buried any money in the desert, she said.
Ultimately, the kidnappers slashed off Simonian’s penis and threw it out the window, Brown said. They left behind a knife for Barnes, admonishing her to count to 100 before trying to find the knife so she could cut herself free, Brown said.
Barnes was found about a mile away, walking on Route 14, her hands still zip-tied, Brown said. A Kern County sheriff’s deputy spotted her and came to her aid.
When authorities returned to the off-road site where the two were abandoned, they found Simonian covered in bleach and badly beaten, Brown said. The bleach was used in an attempt to erase DNA evidence, she said.
The case was a whodunnit as Simonian had no idea who might want to rob or attack him, the prosecutor said. Police lucked out, however, when a neighbor spotted a suspicious looking pickup truck with a ladder that arrived at the Barnes residence, but no one seemed to be doing any work there, Brown said. She gave police a license plate and investigators learned it was registered to Handley, Brown said.
Handley grew up in Fresno with co-defendants Hossein Nayeri, 39, and Ryan Anthony Kevorkian, 38, Brown said. Nayeri made headlines last year when he escaped from the Orange County Jail.
Handley and Nayeri were marijuana growers and Simonian befriended Handley earlier in 2012, taking him on two trips to Las Vegas, Brown said. It was on those trips that Handley likely saw the dispensary owner spending $15,000 for posh hotel rooms and gambling up to $5,000 nightly, she said, and came up with the buried loot theory.
Investigators found a zip tie in Handley’s Fountain Valley residence that had Kevorkian’s DNA on it, Brown said. A blue latex glove found at his home had DNA on it matching Nayeri’s, she said.
On Sept. 26, 2012, Nayeri led police on a chase in Newport Beach and got away, but police recovered his vehicle, which had surveillance cameras and GPS trackers in it, Brown said. Videos in the Chevrolet Tahoe showed hours of surveillance of the residence where Simonian lived with Barnes and her boyfriend, Brown alleged.
Another break came when Nayeri’s wife, Courtney Shagerian, went to claim the Tahoe from the Newport Beach impound yard, the prosecutor said.
Shagerian cooperated with authorities and helped them trick Nayeri, who fled to Iran when Handley was arrested, into getting on a plane in the Czech Republic, where he was taken into custody, Brown said. Investigators wanted to lure Nayeri into the Czech Republic because, unlike Iran, it is easier to extradite a suspect from that country, Brown said.
The GPS trackers she helped obtain showed Simonian had made trips to the Mojave Desert, so they figured he buried his cash there, Brown said.
Police working undercover picked up a towel Kevorkian used at a health club and used the DNA on it to make a match to the zip tie at Handley’s home, she said.
“I expect you will be saddened and sickened” by the evidence in the case, Brown told the jury. “But, also, you’ll be thoroughly convinced of Kyle Handley’s guilt in this case.”
Original Article at http://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/15/trial-begins-for-fountain-valley-man-accused-of-kidnapping-mutilation-of-marijuana-dispensary-owner/
Related Topics:420cannabisHempkidnappingmarijuanaMutilationPenis
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William Mottl
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An employee speaks to customers at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
An employee speaks to customers at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the … more
Photo: Patrick T. Fallon, Bloomberg News Service
An employee wears a shirt reading “Shop. It’s Legal.” while taking an order for a customer at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
An employee wears a shirt reading “Shop. It’s Legal.” while taking an order for a customer at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal … more
A marijuana leaf design is seen in the window of the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
A marijuana leaf design is seen in the window of the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to … more
Employees prepare orders for customers in the processing room at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
Employees prepare orders for customers in the processing room at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers … more
An employee takes a customers order at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
An employee takes a customers order at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the … more
An employees reaches for a container in the processing room at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
An employees reaches for a container in the processing room at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers … more
An employee wears shirt reading “Heal. It’s Legal” while helping a customer select marijuana strains at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
An employee wears shirt reading “Heal. It’s Legal” while helping a customer select marijuana strains at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched … more
Containers sit on a counter in the processing room at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
Containers sit on a counter in the processing room at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to … more
Accessories are displayed as customers browse products on computer tablets at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and customers lined up to celebrate the historic moment in San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland — some of the municipalities given the green light to start sales on January 1. Meantime, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state’s first- and fourth-largest cities, customers were turned away empty handed. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less
Accessories are displayed as customers browse products on computer tablets at the MedMen dispensary in West Hollywood, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. California launched legal marijuana Monday, and … more
ALBANY — The planned merger of two of the nation’s largest cannabis companies is being closely watched by industry insiders in New York who are wondering just how state regulators are going to handle an acquisition that, on its face, seems to violate state law.
MedMen Enterprises and PharmaCann announced the $682 million deal to stockholders last week, noting that the acquisition would create the nation’s largest cannabis company with licenses to operate 79 facilities across a dozen states, including two cultivation facilities and eight medical marijuana dispensaries in New York.
The only catch?
New York Public Health Law, which allows marijuana for medical use only, prohibits a registered marijuana organization from owning and operating more than four dispensaries in the state. The provision was designed to prevent market domination, even as some argue it limits access for patients who must travel to far-flung destinations to get their medicine.
In response to that concern, the state last year doubled the number of medical marijuana organizations allowed to operate statewide from five to 10 — a move that also doubled the number of allowed dispensaries statewide from 20 to 40.
The four-dispensary-per-company limit remains, however.
MedMen, a Los Angeles-based company known for its high-end marijuana stores, would acquire the assets and licenses of Illinois-based PharmaCann in the stock deal, though it must gain regulatory approval from local and state authorities in each of the markets where those assets are held.
“We are in talks with the regulators in all of the jurisdictions impacted by this acquisition, including New York,” said MedMen spokesman Daniel Yi. “The first step in any acquisition is for the two parties to agree to the terms and enter into a binding contract. Then you go seek approvals from all the relevant regulators. We have begun that process now.”
New York’s Department of Health, which oversees the state’s still-nascent medical marijuana program, said Monday that any merger proposal submitted to the agency for approval must be in compliance with state law. There are also requirements regarding ownership changes, said department spokeswoman Jill Montag.
“Regulations prohibit a registered organization from changing the composition of its ownership without prior written approval of the Department of Health,” she said. “MedMen and PharmaCann do not have approval from the department to conduct this transaction, and at this time the department has insufficient information to determine if approval can be granted.”
MedMen said it expects the transaction to close within six months to a year. It declined to speculate on its plans should New York reject the deal.
“It would not be proper for us to get ahead of the process,” Yi said. “We are currently in talks with regulators and we feel confident about the outcomes.”
In a news release issued Monday, MedMen said that it will use “commercially reasonable efforts” to transition licenses to a third party if it is unable to gain regulatory approvals within a two-year time span, with proceeds going to the company and its investors.
Founded in 2014 in Oak Park, Ill., PharmaCann was one of the five original organizations registered to operate grow sites and retail stores in New York, which went live with its medical marijuana program in January 2016.
The firm quickly became a major player in the industry, and today is considered one of the nation’s leading providers of medical cannabis with operations in Illinois, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts, and planned expansions in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Its facilities in New York include a cultivation center in Orange County and dispensaries in Albany, the Bronx, and Central and Western New York.
MedMen, meanwhile, had become a major player of its own, primarily out west, selling both recreational and medical marijuana. It entered the New York market last year when it bought out Bloomfield Industries, one of five original organizations licensed to operate in the state.
But it didn’t garner much attention until this past spring, when MedMen opened its first dispensary in Manhattan on pricey Fifth Avenue. The move appeared to be a gamble that New York would soon legalize recreational marijuana, since the state’s tightly regulated medical marijuana program is small by industry standards and unlikely to generate sizable revenues without significant expansion.
Indeed, New York appears poised to jump on the recreational bandwagon. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in January ordered a study into a regulated, adult-use program, and by June the Department of Health concluded such a program would have more positives than negatives.
A task force is currently researching and crafting legislation for consideration in the upcoming 2019 legislative session, and public hearings on the matter are being held statewide.
MedMen said Monday that it has consistently advocated for full legalization of marijuana, as well as an increase in the number of licenses and dispensaries.
“We believe that legal, regulated cannabis leads to safer, healthier and happier communities,” Yi said.
Original Article at https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Will-mega-marijuana-deal-get-approval-in-New-York-13311377.php
The Evolution of Cannabis Packaging
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Snake-inspired robot slithers even better than predecessor
Bad news for ophiophobes: National Science Foundation-funded researchers have developed a new and improved snake-inspired soft robot that is faster and more precise than its predecessor. The robot is made using kirigami -- a Japanese paper craft that relies on cuts to change the properties of a material. As the robot stretches, the kirigami surface "pops up" into a 3D-textured surface, which grips the ground just like snake skin. The first-generation robot used a flat kirigami sheet, which transformed uniformly when stretched. The new robot has a programmable shell, meaning the kirigami cuts can pop up as desired, improving the robot's speed and accuracy. The new research combined two properties of the material -- the size of the cuts and the curvature of the sheet. By controlling these features, the researchers were able to program dynamic propagation of pop ups from one end to another, or control localized pop-ups. Next, the researchers aim to develop an inverse design model for more complex deformations.
Visit Website | Image credit: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)
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College of Engineering, Fisk University Sign Dual-Degree Agreement
View all the posts from May 23, 2011
KNOXVILLE—The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Engineering has entered into an agreement with Fisk University in Nashville to offer a dual-degree program in science and engineering.
The five-year program, which begins in the fall, will allow students to spend their first three years at Fisk as math and science majors and then transfer to UT for two years to complete their engineering degrees. Students graduate with two bachelor’s degrees, one from each institution.
The agreement was signed today by Wayne Davis, dean of UT’s College of Engineering, and Hazel O’Leary, president of Fisk.
According to the National Science Foundation, Fisk is the No. 1 producer of African Americans who go on to earn doctoral degrees in the natural sciences.
“At Fisk, 26 percent of our students major in life and physical science, computer sciences, and mathematics,” O’Leary said. “The Fisk/University of Tennessee dual-degree program will offer more options for our talented students to earn multi-disciplinary degrees and become professional leaders.”
Davis said UT’s College of Engineering is excited about working with Fisk to offer its students increased access to UT.
“We look forward to implementing the program and encouraging more students to consider engineering as a career option,” he said. “Engineering has seven of the ten top-requested majors by employers. The graduate of this dual-degree program will have better access and more opportunities to apply and be admitted to engineering graduate programs after receiving the two degrees.
“These students will be heavily recruited by engineering graduate schools, either at UT or elsewhere across the country,” Davis said.
Participants in the dual-degree program will spend three years at Fisk taking English, chemistry, math, computer science, physics, and economics courses. They must earn a minimum 2.8 cumulative average and a C or better in specific courses.
To be eligible for the program, students must meet the general entrance requirement of UT’s College of Engineering and be recommended by Fisk.
Both universities will appoint liaison officers to coordinate the program.
The agreement will be evaluated after five years to determine what changes need to be made to make it more useful to other institutions.
For more about UT’s College of Engineering, see http://www.engr.utk.edu/.
For more about Fisk University, see http://www.fisk.edu/AboutFisk.aspx and http://www.fisk.edu/AboutFisk/WhatsSoSpecialAboutaFiskEducation.aspx.
C O N T A C T :
Amy Blakely, (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)
Claudio Gómez Named Jefferson Chapman Executive Director of McClung Museum posted on June 17, 2019
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UT Knoxville Spends Record Amount on Research; Important Step for Top 25
View all the posts from January 18, 2012
KNOXVILLE – The University of Tennessee’s Knoxville campus invested a record $153.8 million in research projects and public service programs for federal and state governments and private industry in fiscal year 2011. This investment impacts our future through the discoveries made and our economy through the people hired and equipment purchased.
The total expenditures were up more than $20 million from the previous fiscal year and more than $12 million from the record set in fiscal year 2009.
Strengthening capacity and productivity in research is one of five key priorities in achieving UT’s goal in becoming a top-twenty-five university.
“Performing quality research is critically important to becoming a top-twenty-five institution,” said Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “The money spent contributes to our knowledge base, our economy through new jobs and tax revenue, and our community through the public services we provide.”
This past year’s research dollars were spent on advancing science and industries that we all rely on. Brian Wirth, Governor’s Chair for Computational Nuclear Engineering, is using supercomputing power to study how long materials inside nuclear reactors can withstand radiation before failing—a topic of critical importance as our nation’s reactors reach their predicted life expectancies.
A multi-disciplinary team of students and faculty members have built a house that uses zero energy and runs on solar power, serving as a prototype for energy-efficient residential homes.
Chuck Melcher, director of the Scintillation Materials Research Center, and his colleagues are studying and growing scintillation crystals to improve medical diagnostics and security through the clarity of images illuminated in PET and CAT scans, X-rays, and security scanners.
UT received $162.5 million in awards this year. This year’s awards are for research in labs and programs in engineering and science, as well as to faculty projects in the social sciences, education, and the humanities.
The top grant was awarded to the National Defense Business Institute by the Department of Air Force for $44 million. EPSCoR; Tennessee Solar Conversion and Storage Using Outreach, Research, and Education, received the second largest grant of $20 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
An $18 million award from the NSF places UT center stage in creating a new generation of linkages among the nation’s high-performance computers and research facilities. Called XSEDE, the program helps solve the world’s toughest dilemmas in areas such as climate change, fatal diseases, and the energy crisis.
Another $18 million NSF award establishes an engineering research center called CURENT, which allows UT to play a lead role in developing technologies that can overhaul our nation’s chronically overstretched electric power grid.
Other grants support research by students and faculty in a variety of disciplines at the Y-12 National Security Complex. This year, UT formally entered into a partnership with Y-12 that allows for joint appointments of key researchers, engineers, executives, and staff.
Federal agencies supplied almost 70 percent of fiscal year 2011 funding, while the state of Tennessee contributed 16 percent, and money from private organizations made up 11.5 percent.
To view this and past annual reports, visit http://research.utk.edu/reports.
C O N T A C T:
Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)
Office of Research and Engagement
Students and Alumni to Serve Communities Nationwide June 29 posted on June 25, 2019
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What Are Pre-Seed Rounds and Why Do They Exist?
January 26, 2016 · 5 min.
It’s become increasingly common for startups to raise several seed rounds, and this has led to a bifurcation in the seed stage between what are known as “pre-seed” (or “genesis”) and institutional seed rounds.
There are no strict distinctions between these rounds, but below I’ll try to throw out a few parameters to help set the boundaries. For now, it’s fine to think about pre-seed rounds as relatively small ($750K or less), early (pre-product), and typically followed by a larger round within 12 months ($1M – $3M). This is actually an imperfect definition, but let me first talk about why these are happening in the first place. After all, aren’t seed investors (like us) by definition supposed to be the first and earliest-stage investors?
What Caused the Rise in Pre-Seed Rounds?
There are a number of factors that have contributed to the rise of pre-seed rounds, but the strongest have been the frothy late-stage financing market, coupled with both the scaling-up of some of the early winners in the institutional seed ecosystem and the scaling-down of some larger funds that retrenched after the financial crisis.
At NextView, we prefer to think in terms of a startup’s actual business progression rather than round names.
With that in mind, let’s look at an illustration of these trends below, which demonstrates what’s been happening to early-stage financing rounds over the last 15 years or so.
In the years immediately prior to the popularity of institutional seed investing (I’m using a time frame of 2002 – 2007), the early-stage financing landscape looked similar to the first segment of the chart. Series A investors invested quite early, often before product/market fit. The goal of the Series A was to get a company to that product/market fit, while the goal of the Series B was to help a company build a repeatable growth machine. The Series C and later rounds were focused on scaling and driving companies towards an exit.
Over this time period, a few things happened to change the rules of the game. These are well known, so I won’t go into much detail but: The combination of the capital efficiency of early stage software companies, the increase in VC fund sizes, and the rise of institutional seed funds created a fairly different early-stage landscape in the following five years. (I used 2007 as the marker to delineate this, but the trend probably started a bit sooner.)
For reference, First Round Capital and Softech were founded in 2004 (although they were less institutional early on), Floodgate in 2006, Harrison Metal in 2008, etc.
So, between 2008 and 2013, the early-stage landscape looked more like the middle segment of the chart. Seed investors invested close to inception with the goal to taking companies to product/market fit, while Series A investors started looking for opportunities with more demonstrable PMF and early traction and invested larger amounts at somewhat higher prices in later-stage companies. The entire funding progression of startups pushed out to the right.
Over the last several years, however, this trend has continued even further. Series A investors today often focus on companies with substantial traction, and of late have been willing to pay higher prices to get into these companies. The reasons for the shift are:
Late-stage financing froth. It’s no surprise that in the last few years, the late-stage financing market has been going bananas over companies with great top-line growth, leading to the overfunding and overvaluation of many companies. This means that it has rewarded Series A and B investors for chasing momentum and made it less important for these investors to focus on valuation or sound, early unit economics. As a result, these investors have been able to stray from their bread-and-butter, early-stage investing, because they would be rewarded in later rounds with markups from other late-stage investors. This is now coming to an end, but irrational late-stage capital still exists in the market today.
The proliferation of seed-stage investors. The rise of more institutional seed funds created an increase in the number of companies raising Series As during this same time period. As a result, Series A investors could really hang back and just wait for the companies that broke out from the pack in terms of traction or for those that were founded by blockbuster, repeat entrepreneurs.
The result of these trends is that the scope of a seed round has stretched significantly.
Many Series A investors are looking for the magic combination of very strong PMF + meaningful traction. Anything before this is a seed-stage company to them, which means that any two seed-stage companies can look very different. Just yesterday, for instance, we saw a company raising a seed round that has no product and two founders … and we also saw a company raising a seed with hundreds of thousands of dollars of monthly revenue.
In addition to this scope-creep in the definition of seed rounds, a number of the early winners in the institutional seed business have gone on to raise much larger funds or have progressed upwards into being something other than a seed fund. This has allowed these firms to invest larger amounts at the later end of the seed spectrum, and some have even started to lead or syndicate Series A rounds with others. It turns out that it’s often easier to invest in companies with some level of PMF versus working closely with founders to try to get a company to that threshold and absorb the additional risk of doing this. (FWIW, that is not how we operate.)
Thus, with all of this context as the backdrop, it became increasingly difficult to raise your first $200-500K of funding to start assembling a team and building an early product. A company at this stage increasingly became “too early” for more “traditional” seed investors. The expansion of the definition of seed and the increased scale of institutional seed investors essentially created a bifurcation between pre-seed and institutional seed.
And all of that is a lot to absorb and understand, let alone react to as an entrepreneur who’s full-time job is not to fundraise. So here’s what I’d propose:
A Better Definition of a Pre-Seed Round
Let me close this post with a more nuanced definition of a pre-seed round than earlier. In my view:
A pre-seed is an early round of financing that is designed to help a company achieve certain intermediate milestones PRIOR to the magic combination of strong PMF + meaningful traction.
These milestones differ case-by-case, but a few might be:
Recruiting a critical team member (e.g., technical co-founder)
Overcoming some sort of regulatory hurdle or some other near-term existential risk to the business
Creating a hack of a product that demonstrates the likelihood of PMF
Moving to a new geography
Building the credibility of an unproven team
Out of this comes round size and stage of the company.
The round size of pre-seeds tend to be smaller because of three reasons. First, the teams are smaller, and so the intended burn is lower. Second, the time frame required to achieve these milestones are often shorter than the standard 18-24 months. Third, founders at this stage have an incentive to minimize dilution at the point when their equity is the least valuable. This is why pre-seeds tend to be between $50K and $500K.
Also, the stage of the company tends to be very early. This is because, if a company were further along, they would most likely try to achieve the magic milestone of strong PMF + meaningful traction. In my experience, the valuation increase tends to be more significant at that milestone than any other, so founders that have this within their sights are incentivized to try to clear that hurdle.
But this is why stage alone does not define a pre-seed.
Many seed investors (as well as Series A investors) will back a founder at a very, very raw stage. These rounds, however, tend not to be considered pre-seeds because they are fairly large — certainly large enough to have a shot at getting to PMF + traction. These tend to be cases where founders are proven. They are either repeat successful founders or first-time founders who are still well-known and well-respected individuals by the lead investor. These rounds are thus pre-seed in stage, but the companies are capitalized to get through all the milestones required to try to get to a Series A on the other end.
This begs the following, important question:
Does this all mean that pre-seed rounds are by definition only targeting less credible founders and have inherent adverse selection?
I’ll answer this question in my next post, as well as share how we approach pre-seed investing at NextView.
“Seed Is the New Series A” – Making Sense of the Confusion
A few weeks ago, Manu Kumar wrote an excellent post detailing the current state of the seed financing landscape. Read it – it’s excellent. I agree with most of the things that Manu wrote, and I’ve been thinking about the topic quite […]
June 30, 2015 · 5 min.
How Much Traction Do I Need to Raise from Seed VCs?
A couple weeks ago, my partner Rob penned a blog post about the “shape of traction” which really resonated with a number of folks. The quick summary is that the shape of a startup’s traction (with time/product-quality on the x […]
David Beisel
September 27, 2016 · 3 min.
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Since 1985, when Inherit New Hampshire was founded, we have worked to protect and preserve the historic resources of the state.
First Board Chair: John "Chick" Colony in Harrisville
Inherit New Hampshire (INH) was formed in 1985 as a response to concerns about rapid growth that was eroding the character of traditional New Hampshire communities and landscapes. A task force of business and civic leaders envisioned an active, statewide organization to advance preservation policy and address the needs of local communities and individuals. Many other states formed similar organizations around this time, the result of national historic preservation legislation in the 1960s, a growing environmental movement, and renewed interest in history following the nation's bicentennial in 1976.
Lyme Horse Sheds: The Lyme Horse Sheds Restoration Committee was a winner at our first Preservation Awards in 1989.
While it is difficult not to acknowledge each individual who helped shape the organization, all agree that the early years owe much to INH's first Board Chair Chick Colony, its first Executive Director John Page, and Martha Fuller Clark, who has remained a steadfast supporter, advisor and champion.
After fifteen years of steady growth, INH had raised its profile throughout the state, professionalized its operations and expanded its membership. The name was changed to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance to underscore both its historic preservation mission and its reliance on many partners.
The Alliance Today
The organization's impact has continued to grow as a result of programs and services tailored to meet changing constituent needs. The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is now a highly regarded voice for preservation, and a resource for hundreds of members, partners, colleagues and the media. We have been part of successful preservation efforts across the state, helping to save and revive individual buildings, improve downtown vitality and protect community character. We have been strong advocates for preservation-friendly preservation policies at both the state and federal level. Most current Annual Report.
Additional Pages Within The "Who We Are" Section
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The Best Records of November 2018
November 30, 2018 / ohioneedsatrain / Leave a comment
Vince Staples – FM! (Vince Staples needed barely any time at all to say a whole lot about the images/roles of black people in pop culture, and his batting is approaching all-time figures)
Peter Brotzmann & Heather Leigh – Sparrow Nights (Their second collaborative record is more fully-realized, and has some truly amazing playing from Leigh)
Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore – Ghost Forests (Mary Lattimore remains a surprisingly excellent collaborator, Meg Baird a wonderful guitarist, and this record is really gorgeous)
Hypnodrone Ensemble – Plays Orchestral Favorites (What can I say, I guess November of 2018 was the month for experimental team-ups.)
Anderson.Paak – Oxnard (While it’s true that it fails to scale the dizzying heights of Malibu, it’s also true that almost nothing does, and it’s a very good record on its own merits)
The 109-Year-Old Up-to-Date Sandwich Book
November 24, 2018 November 20, 2018 / ohioneedsatrain / Leave a comment
Sometime in the mid-eighteenth century, John Montagu wanted to gamble and/or do work 1, and he asked for a lump of meat to be shoved between two slices of bread, and then he ate it, and, in so doing, created the sort of portable instameal that the world over has been happy in which to indulge ever since.
By 1909, in fact, the sandwich was two things: impossibly variegated and stodgy and old-fashioned. Thus, Eva Greene Fuller came along, to rescue the sullied reputation thereof and to convince America that the sandwich was a foodstuff more than worthy of their time and attention (I may be extrapolating as to the author’s goals here). To do so, she assembled the Up-to-Date Sandwich Book: 400 Ways to Make a Sandwich. The book is, as most old cookbooks are, a very interesting window into the way food was addressed in the past.
1909 is before the supermarket, before most refrigeration, several decades before the interstate system made it possible to haul food across the country in any kind of timely fashion (although not before the train, which did some of this also), before automobiles, and before the widespread availability of electricity. It was before, in short, anything that made the process of sandwiching anything like it is now. As a result, many things were just bang out of the question.
The whole book is downright fascinating, a look at the many functions of sandwiches – some are portable meals (then as now), some are cocktail hors d’ouevres, some appear to be cake-replacement-style desserts. The book itself is divided into seven sections – Fish, Meat, Cheese, Nut, Sweet, Miscellaneous and Canapes 2 – and seems, to me at least, to be alarmingly comprehensive.
The upshot of all this for our purposes this week 3 is that this book was also written before travel was anything like commonplace. Even if you lived in the middle of the country, you were largely unable to have seen either end of it, let alone another country entirely. Travel was time-consuming, expensive, and simply out of the question for just about everybody 4. That does not stop the book from containing several attempts at “worldly” (or, y’know “elsewhere-in-the-country-ly”) sandwiches, and they are….weird.
What follows, then, is an examination of the various place-derived sandwiches, and a guess at what the hell the people that made them 5 were thinking, first by trying to decipher what the name means, and then trying to decipher how it does as a representation of that thing.
The “salted cracker” has not actually changed in the intervening century-plus, so this really is a fish sandwich on a cracker.
WHY IS IT CALLED THAT: I guess….there’s some kind of dutch association with sardines – they’re still out there, in fact, although the more-commonly found Dutch canned fish is herring. I’m not sure where the Bermuda onion comes in there, nor the lemons, as neither is found in The Netherlands 6. I suppose the “lunch” designation is also there to point out that this one is a meal, not a snack or an appetizer. It does not make me think of Holland, that’s for sure. If you placed this sandwich in front of me and asked me to name a country, I would probably come up with, well, Chicago. Which is not a country. So.
There’s all sorts of stuff like this about the bread, and it’s very common in old cookbooks – cut them “rather” thick. A hundred years before this, cookbook instructions would go one step further and say things like “mix with enough olive oil” or “add a quantity of flour” or other such subjective measures. I love it, and I miss it.
WHY IS IT CALLED THAT: I’d imagine if you used Spanish olives 7 there’d basically be no argument. Seems reasonably Spanish to me. Actually, puttanesca aside, olives + sardines seems a reasonable stab at “Spanish”, so I’m pretty willing to go along here. There are even lemons in Spain, so it doesn’t have that weird “what the hell” quality to the inclusion of the lemon like the Dutch Lunch Sandwich.
Cottage cheese used to come in balls! And it was common enough that it was just…in the recipe there like that! I suppose that makes sense. I would have guessed “can” rather than “ball”, but I also wouldn’t have thought much about the state of cottage cheese in 1909. Also, here’s some of that vinegar I mentioned earlier.
WHY IS IT CALLED THAT: I’m not sure what says “Austrian” to people about a sardine and cottage cheese sandwich with a bunch of herbs in it. Oh, also grated lemon rind. There are no lemons in Austria. Enough with the damn lemons already. I sort of dig the adorable self-vinaigretting process that comes with the lemon juice and the vinegar and the oil all mixing together with the…uh….cottage cheese. Am I answering the question? No I am not. I have no idea what is Austrian about this. This is not only a sandwich that isn’t Austrian, it’s a sandwich that sounds gross. Even going a step into the past and imagining that the cottage cheese is something more like ricotta 8, it’s still a weird, highly-acidic, fish-and-cheese sandwich spread on uh…rye bread. I don’t know, man. I don’t think they did well.
Obviously, this and the three preceding are from the “fish” chapter.
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: Well, it looks sort of like a head-wound version of a Nicoise salad on bread – the cold fish, the eggs, the capers, the cress. It drops the ball a little at “any cold meat may be used instead of the fish,” although I would agree that the sandwich wouldn’t suffer from not being made with leftover fish. I would think after the acid-storm of the Austrian sandwich that she might be willing to throw, like, a lemon or something at this, but maybe that’s just not the French way. It’s easy enough to decipher as French. It’s even a reasonable-enough sandwich!
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: I can’t imagine what’s going on here other than that a dude from Montpelier made this sandwich and whoever acquired this recipe was then like “oh dip this is how they sandwich in Montpelier”. While it’s true that sometimes there are regional recipes that have nothing to do with a materialist or functionalist look at the area from which they pop up 9, this one has me scratching my head.
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: I genuinely have no idea. This is remarkably similar to the Montpelier sandwich, except that it’s got mayonnaise in it, sardines are the small oily fish instead of anchovies, and black pepper instead of cayenne pepper. But the spirit of the thing is similar enough to make me wonder why it is credited with originating ont he other side of the planet. Oh, and it’s garnished with an olive, which somehow makes it less Japanese. There are eggs in Japan, I’ll say that.
This is a BLT without the B, then? An LT?
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: Because Maine doesn’t have access to pigs? I mean, pork is an essential ingredient in a traditional (i.e. circa 1909) clam chowder, so there’s bacon there, right? Or at least salt pork? It also looks like a lobster roll on different bread 10. Is it a joke? Are all Bar Harborians poor and can’t afford bacon or lobster? In 1909 lobster was still peasant food, so maybe this is an opportunity to get the lobster thing off the plate and just be left with a tomato sandwich? Later on in the book there is a “tomato sandwich” where the tomato involved is actually just ketchup, so this is a double cruelty visited upon the early-twentieth-century sandwich-eating public. Although I will say: a tomato and lettuce sandwich mayonnaise on toast is pretty good. Just not “Bar Harbor,” you know?
Look, I know that “St. Patrick” isn’t a place, but there is pointedly not an “Irish” sandwich in there and it feels like there should be, so I’m assuming this is the stand-in. NB that 1909 is about the end of the period of time when the Irish were a widely-discriminated-against group in the US. so maybe we’ve just got some weird old hateful viewpoints going on here.
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: I’m going to imagine because it’s green (mint/parsley), orange (paprika, at least after it’s in the mix) and white (onion). Which is the, y’know, Irish flag. Or the St. Patrick’s flag, if you must. Of all of these, this one’s name is the among the most scrutable.
The best thing about this recipe coming in 2018 is that it contains no chicken, which means the brain-dead rumormeme about “club” being an acronym for “chicken and lettuce under bacon” is even more thoroughly debunked here. This is a 109 year old recipe! So there!
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: Brown bread comes from Boston. Can’t make it any more simple than that. I’m not sure where the mutton comes in – are there a bunch of sheep in Massachusetts I don’t know about? – but it definitely very much has brown bread. The fussy “cut it into circles with a cake cutter” bit also means that she’s not recommending the use of canned brown bread, which existed in 1909, as did the more-common and probably-less-gross method of cooking the loaf in an empty can.
In 2018, “Italian Sandwich” pretty easily conveys “cured meats in a pile, generally on a hoagie bun or whatever”. This is a very different take on that idea.
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: I would imagine the thing that makes it Italian is the fact that it’s pressed in the style of a panini. Olives are the general-purpose “Mediterranean” ingredient (cf. the French and Spanish sandwiches above). It contains butter, cream cheese and mayonnaise dressing 11, which seems to me a not-terribly Italian thing to combine on a lettuce and olive sandwich, and neither of the two breads is a particularly Italianate bread (in fact, your guess is as good as mine what the graham bread is doing there), so we’re pretty much just left with the method. Also this is one seriously squishy sandwich. Oh, and how “crisp” do you suppose that lettuce leaf is after you mush it into the butter/cream cheese/mayonnaise mixture? I bet not very!
Please note that this one is the “cheese” sandwich, not the “sweet” sandwich, despite, y’know, the ingredients.
WHY IS IT CALLED THAT: I’m not even going to get into the use of the term “oriental” here, I’ll just call it a wash due to the date of publication on the book, and assume that we have all of East Asia to play with here. I’ll be as generous as I can be and say that China does have maple trees. Whether they produce the same kind of sap as sugar maples, and whether there’s a set of people there to exploit that sap into sugar production is pretty dubious. There are also cherry trees in Southeast Asia, quite famously. I doubt they have maraschino liqueur there to preserve what fruit those cherry trees produce, but I guess you do what you can in 1909. I’m going to assume that the cherries are what makes it “Oriental.” We’re still a few decades out from the invention of crab rangoon – the “Oriental” dish that most famously makes use of cream cheese – but maybe Trader Vic was picking up on something that already existed culturally when he started on it, so maybe the cream cheese has something to do with it also.
This is the “sweet” sandwich. You can tell because it doesn’t have cream cheese in it, I guess.
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: Given that it’s the ingredient they both have in common, I’m going to continue to guess that “cherries” read “oriental” at the time. “Sweet thick cream” is almost certainly whipped cream (that’s what it usually is in recipes from the time period), so this is a whipped cream, banana, honey and maraschino sandwich. On buttered bread. Just like they it in the….ugh….”orient.” Yep.
I almost had to make this sandwich just to get some kind of idea of what was going on with the proportions here. 1 part whipped cream to 2 parts ginger and 2 parts candied orange peel seems like a weird, chewy candy sandwich. In Ms. Fuller’s defense, it is in the “Sweet” chapter, but holy crow that’s a lot of weird, chewy candy for one sandwich.
WHY IT’S CALLED THAT: Oh, ginger and orange peel still read pretty “Indian” to this day. After the contortionary head-scratching necessary to decode “oriental,” this is a fat slow pitch straight down the middle.
I wonder if large crackers used to be more available? Is it something like salted matzoh? Because I’m thinking of something like matzoh.
WHY IS IT CALLED THAT: Well, it’s a bean torta if you aren’t super-familiar with what a tortilla is or how Mexican bean recipes function. As an avowed lover of both crackers and baked beans, I think it’s probably a worthy thing to eat, especially if you leave out the catsup/butter business 12, and I can see how, if someone only ever described Mexican food to you, you might land on it as a reasonable approximation. This is the only sandwich recipe with a place-name to be in the “miscellaneous” section of the book, so it seems obvious that even Fuller had no idea what to do with this thing. Shame, really.
And there you have, a brief survey of what the cuisine of other places looked like when made into a sandwich in 1909. Tune in sometime in the nonspecific future, when I look at some more of these weird-ass sandwiches.
popular legend has it the former, one of his biographers, who admittedly would know what he’s talking about I guess, insists the latter. Although the dude gambled a hell of a lot so maybe it’s a little of both, who am I to say? ↩
canapes being a kind of cheat, as these aren’t really all “sandwiches” as currently recognized, but either the category was looser 109 years ago, or Ms. Fuller decided it was close enough since it’s still “stuff on bread”. ↩
and I’ll be returning to this well – some of the recipes are completely deranged-seeming from the vantage point of “available ingredients” and “food borne out of want rather than need” where I sit right now. ↩
it would thus be instructive to know where Eva Greene Fuller was from, but this is a decidedly pre-modern book, and thus has no author bio, and biographical information about this woman who lived over a century ago and wrote one recipe book is basically nonexistent. If I had to guess I’d guess she’s from Chicago, as that’s where her publisher, A.C. Mclurg & Co., is based out of, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find that she was originally from Western Kentucky or Eastern Missouri, either, given what she uses as “common” ingredients. Of course for all I actually know she could be from Tempe, or Hudson. Or the goddamned moon. ↩
I’m assuming that Fuller was a Grimm-style gatherer, rather than a recipe developer in her own right: that is to say, I feel like most of these things are just a “definitive” version of a sandwich that was developed elsewhere regionally and found its way to the author, who decided her version using the ingredients available to her, which is how I guessed at where she might have been from. ↩
an interesting aside here is that there is some use of vinegar in the book, but not much. This would seem to be a shoo-in, and if I were to make this sandwich myself – and I might! It’s a sardine and onion sandwich on crackers! – I would use vinegar. Additionally, I’m being a little hard on the Bermuda onion here, as there are almost certainly sweet onions in The Netherlands of some description. ↩
I am unfamiliar with how many varieties of olives the dry-goods store would have in cans and/or brine barrels available to people in 1909.
it certainly wouldn’t be the highly-stabilized whatever-the-hell thing it is we buy in the grocery store now. Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I love that stuff and eat it all the time. ↩
cf “Barberton Chicken” ↩
I mean, the “roll” of a lobster roll is tremendously important, so I could be drawing an equivalency where none is called for here. ↩
“mayonnaise dressing” is a frightfully common component of these sandwiches. I’m presuming that it’s different from mayonnaise proper, as just plain mayonnaise also appears in several sandwiches. I’m not sure what it is, though. ↩
although even that is a kind of sweet riff on buffalo sauce, which wouldn’t pop up for nearly half a century after this recipe was published. ↩
The Comeback Trail – The Black-Eyed Peas
Let’s all place ourselves back in 2009. The Black-Eyed Peas have been on the charts for fully half the year consecutively, first with the unbelievably dumb, marketing-robot-generated “Boom Boom Pow”, and then by the somehow-even-dumber “I’ve Got a Feeling” 1. Ahead of them is a sort-of remake of the song from Dirty Dancing that absolutely no one asked for, a completely lifeless Super Bowl performance, and a breakup, but 2009 is clearly the peak of whatever mountain Will.I.Am and is Wil.Ing.Accomplices were trying to scale. The world was irritated, and yet the songs just wouldn’t. Stop. playing.
It wasn’t always like this – three of the then-four members of the group had started out as backpack-y “conscious” rappers 2 with one foot in the gangsta world. They started as Atban Klan, signed to Eazy E’s record label, and evolved into a sort of Tribe Contractually Not Actually Called Quest, and made a splash with their early highlight “Joints and Jam,” along with a couple of records of just-fine nineties-style backpack rap 3 that managed to contain some pretty strong pop instincts, despite not being particularly popular.
Seemingly unhappy with their place in the firmament, they decided to grab that brass ring and morph into something…else. Their third album, Elefunk, wasn’t so much as a reinvention as it was a winnowing – the words got simpler, the choruses more prominent, the beats simpler. They connected with Justin Timberlake 4 for the monster “Where is the Love?”, which launched them into full-on pop stardom, and then, having moved through a few different lady-hook-singers 5, landed on the apparent magic-bullt of girl-group washout and former child actor Fergie.
Having achieved their apparent star-oriented goal, and with Fergie fully ensconced, the BEP spent the next six years terrorizing the radio, coming up with the worst radio hit of 2005 in the form of “My Humps,” as well as a handful of other brain-dead, forgettable pop songs.
Things then clearly start to drift apart. After the aforementioned pinnacle (see paragraph 1), a period of radio silence. They continued to be public figures, there was a will.i.am solo record, Taboo wrote a book, that sort of thing. Then, for their twentieth anniversary, the new song “Awesome” and some noises about reforming. Fergie was absent from the proceedings for a couple of years, and the band was weirdly insistent that she was not out of the band until, in 2017, it was confirmed that, having not appeared with the band for half a decade, she was, in fact, not in the band anymore. But the band would go on, newly-reinvigorated with a new sense of purpose 6.
Their new direction, it turned out, was to be more like their old direction. Taking the title and over-arching theme from will.i.am’s comic book 7, they rolled back huge whacks of their sound to once again resemble the band that made “Joints and Jam,” albeit augmented by both a larger budget, and with a production sense that is still touched by a somewhat-greater set of pop instincts.
So they filled the record with jazzy beats and features from other conscious rappers, and some deeply political lyrics, moving away from the good-time party music of the previous three records 8. They recruited Nas, Posdnuos and Ali Shaheed Muhammed, picked up a verse from the late Phife Dawg, and sampled Slick Rick, shoring up the idea that this was a return to the old-style BEP, while also making use of Nicole Scherzinger 9, K-Pop star CL, and will.i.am’s mentee from The Voice, Jessica Reynoso (who, as far as I can tell is actually a member of the band).
If the reviews are to be believed, the gambit worked: they have seemingly been nigh-universally praised (although, weirdly, it doesn’t have a metacritic page, so this is hard to establish) 10, and, while I don’t have access to much else yet, their Spotify numbers are certainly very high.
It’s…sort of deserved? It’s probably the best Black Eyed Peas album, taken as a whole. It’s entirely too long – it’s 12 songs and an hour long, and while only one of the songs is superfluous, many of them could do to be shorter. The major single, “Ring the Alarm” is as good a BEP song as there’s been in a very long time, and if “Back 2 Hip Hop” fails to live up to its potential as the declarative album-opening statement that it’s reaching for 11, the highly-publicized “All Around the World” – which is the song with the Phife verse on it – works about as well as it could. “Wings” is the record’s major misstep, and seems to me like a bet-hedging measure: they got Nicole Scherzinger to do some Fergie stuff and re-sing a very famous song, with a sample of another very-famous pop song in the mix, and kind of bopped around. The record could lose it and it would be fine, although it also gets widely-praised in other reviews 12.
So I suppose by being an actually-good record that actually does well with listeners, this is, by any available measure, a successful comeback. They even managed a couple of songs that I like – I could see myself listening to “Ring the Alarm” for fun even, although I kind of didn’t notice it as a single when I’d hear it at the gym or whatever. Good job, everybody. It’s a Hanukkah miracle! Mazel Tov!
Mazel Tov! ↩
to be fair to the Black-Eyed Peas, they actually never stopped being “conscious,” such as it is – will.i.am is happy to take credit for Barack Obama’s election – they just made their party songs more prominent and dumber. ↩
their second record, Bridging the Gap, features De La Soul and Mos Def – the latter just two years after having made the top-flight absolute-best backpack rap record ever as half of Black Star, and one year after having made the absolute-second-best backpack rap ever with Black on Both Sides. ↩
a move that was not considered kindly at the time – they were part of the target for Dave Chappelle’s joke that any rap group that included Justin Timberlake should be stripped of their credibility, for example. ↩
in addition to the conscious-rap-royalty, Bridging the Gap also features an appearance by Macy Gray, and their original lady-singer Kim Hill, who you can see in the video for “Weekends”. ↩
that sense of purpose being, weirdly, that will.i.am felt that since he had gotten Barack Obama elected, that he owed it to the people to continue to make Black Eyed Peas music to influence the political direction of the country. ↩
the comic is fine, this footnotes is to call out the absolutely surreal voice cast of the AR version of the comic, which is worth a look, if not necessarily a listen. ↩
arguably four, but Elefunk is kind of a transitional record ↩
who had been approached to join the band earlier, but was unable to due to her girl-group obligations. ↩
although special note must be made of this weirdly-defensive Rolling Stone review, which opens by bashing the strawman that people didn’t like Fergie because she was white, and ends by mentioning the record’s legal troubles, and implying that they can’t exist because someone failed to sue them once before. It is a truly bizarre review. ↩
although kudos to Nas for actually showing up for this one, I suppose. That wasn’t bad. ↩
those people are wrong, obviously. ↩
The 2018 E! People’s Choice Awards (because that’s what they’re called now)
November 9, 2018 November 8, 2018 / ohioneedsatrain / Leave a comment
So the People’s Choice Awards are here, and they’re tremendously different! This year they’re owned by E!, having previously been broadcast on CBS and owned by Procter & Gamble 1. Whether this is a chemical company divesting itself of some television interests, or a basic-cable network’s hostile takeover for some more eyeballs, either way I think the net result is a win for all of us, because the People’s Choice Awards are exactly the sort of brightly-colored, absurd candyfloss that E! exists to bring to us.
With the new network, and the new production, comes not only a move to the other end of the year 2, but also a bunch of differences in the categories, including podcasts and one of the vaguest categories known to man. So strap in and prepare as I speed my way through the categories, because there’s still a billion of them. Here we go!
The Pop Podcast of 2018
Many things will bear out over the course of this awards show, but one of them is E!’s unquestionable devotion to Amy Schumer. For example: here she is in the podcast category, which I was not aware she was an entrant in. I will say for someone plagued by accusations of not writing her own jokes, coming up with a podcast title that is infringingly-similar to early-podcast stalwarts Keith and the Girl is a weird choice.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Anna Farris is Unqualified
The Game Changer of 2018
On the one hand, Colin Kaepernick has had an enormous impact in how football 3 was talked about, and Serena Williams had an enormous impact in what we talked about when we talked about the behavioral expectations of black women. On the other hand, Aly Raisman was part of the group of people who got a monster put in prison, and helped steer the conversation around everything. So. Her then.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Aly Raisman
The Style Star of 2018
Zendaya is the sharpest dresser of this set of people, although I’ll be damned if I can figure out why they’re all nominated. I guess E! would know better than I would.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Zendaya
The Comedy Act of 2018
See? Here’s some more Amy Schumer 4. On the one hand, nobody had a bigger year or so than Tiffany Haddish. On the other hand, the funniest of these people is Kevin Hart. I think I need to stop relying on my hands to sort people.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Kevin Hart
The Animal Star of 2018
I…don’t understand this category, beyond its potential for absolute delight at having, say, a giraffe on the red carpet. My favorite famous animal of 2018 was Ariana Grande’s pig, but I’ll accept Lil Bub as a reasonable substitute. I like cats so much, guys.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Lil Bub
The Social Celebrity of 2018
So often at these huge, galumphing awards shows my question is: what are we evaluating in a category like this. In the case of social celebrities, it’s usually a pretty clear answer – I’m not on social media, so whichever celebrity’s social media presence I’m most familiar with is the best one. In this case, however, I think that Taylor Swift’s seismic decision to weigh in on politics is the most notable use of social media by an American celebrity all year, at least in terms of generalized impact, and probably deserves the award.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Taylor Swift
The Beauty Influencer
I’m sure Esther Povitsky is not precisely bummed to not be nominated here, but as she’s the only “beauty influencer” with whose career I am familiar, I suppose I am bummed about it. But hey, this is my website! I call the shots!
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Esther Povitsky (who is not nominated)
The Social Star of 2018
Shoutout to Jenna Marbles for still managing to stay on top of this shit after so many years. Even bigger shoutout to Lele Pons for being actually funny, and managing to navigate the end of vine 5.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Lele Pons
The Concert Tour of 2018
You know, I didn’t mention it yet, but I kind of like the editorial stance of calling all of the categories the. As in this is the concert tour of 2018. It seems in keeping with the E! house style, I think. Anyway, this one’s still just Beyonce & Jay-Z.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: On the Run II Tour, Beyonce & Jay-Z
The Music Video of 2018
It’s pretty clearly “This is America,” and I will be very interested if the fine folks at E! try to pretend otherwise, given the other nominees here.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Childish Gambino, “This is America”
The Latin Artist of 2018
I’ll tell you this definitively: it’s not Becky G, because I had no idea she was even still out there.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: J. Balvin
The Country Artist of 2018
Because the non-country awards nominated the same, like, seven people over and over again, it’s worth noting that I’m not choosing Blake Shelton, like I usually do, because I hate “I’ll Name the Dogs” that much.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Keith Urban, I guess Or Carrie Underwood.
The Album of 2018
Well, there are two of these albums that I’ve listened to all the way through. And while I’m sure I’ve listened to Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy all the way through more than once, I tend to stick with the singles, and even then not all of those. Nicki Minaj’s Queen is pretty good (Although still too long) and the only song I don’t listen to on that one at least occasionally is the one with the sex criminal on it.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Nicki Minaj, Queen
The Song of 2018
I hate all of these songs. I mean, I’m not surprised that the move to E! meant a drop in the quality of the music here selected for award, but it is kind of alarming how awful all of this is.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J. Balvin, “I Like It”
The Group of 2018
My love of the “the” notwithstanding, this really should specify that it’s the music group, and not, like, the assemblage of more than one person at a time, y’know? Anyway. I don’t like any of the music of any of these people, but I like everything else about BTS.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: BTS
The Female Artist of 2018
E! is doing their best to capitalize on the Nicki/Cardi beef. Nicki Minaj is on as a performer, and I’m willing to bet publicly that, given that Cardi B just shows up to everything all the time, they’re counting on having them in the same room together, and that creating sparks or headlines or shoe-wounds or something. Anyway. I’m not really in favor of this sort of thing – I love giant spectacle until people are getting hurt – and, besides, this is a really boring beef. So that brings me to Nicki’s friend Ariana Grande, who is the BTS of young ladies, in the sense that I like everything about her (and her pig) except her music, because her scream-singing gives me panic attacks.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Ariana Grande
The Male Artist of 2018
You know who isn’t like BTS or Ariana Grande? Any one of these assholes. Well, maybe Keith Urban a little bit I guess.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Keith Urban
The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2018
There’s something kind of comforting about Supernatural’s ability to just…keep going. It trucks on and on, after years and years and years. It’s rumoured to be ending any day now – I think the current guess is that season 14 (!) is the last one, but there’s nothing official – but it doesn’t, and I kind of like that it’s out there. I think I’ve seen, like, four episodes of it ever, and it isn’t very good, but it’s there, and isn’t that the important thing about TV?
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: I mean, The Expanse is the rightful winner. But it’s nice that Supernatural is still on.
The Bingeworthy Show of 2018
I mean, it should be Bojack Horseman. These people are dumb. I do wonder if bingeing Outlander makes it better than watching single episodes, but not enough to actually try it, because Outlander is the most boring thing I’ve ever seen that was intentionally made for people to intentionally watch. So I guess it’s Queer Eye or whatever.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Queer Eye or whatever.
The Reality TV Star of 2018
I know that it’s, like, the old-man-yelling-at-clouds-iest thing to say, but I genuinely actually don’t watch any of this. Like any of it. At all. Except Queer Eye a little bit. So, once again, I guess it’s Antoni Porowski, or whatever.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Antoni Porowski, or whatever.
The Competition Contestant of 2018
This one really should include Fatima Ali, who was one of the best competitors in Top Chef history 6 even before her story is rapidly accelerating toward unbelievable tragedy. So I’m writing her in, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Fatima Ali, Top Chef (also not actually nominated)
The Nighttime Talk Show of 2018
See? There’s Andy Cohen, right there! Also most of these are terrible. There are plenty of good nighttime talk shows these days, and these are none of them. Except The Daily Show. That’s still pretty good.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
The Daytime Talk Show of 2018
I would rather be tied by my ankles to the rear bumper of a car and dragged down the road than consider which of these shows is the “best”. A man must know his limits.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Uh..The Ellen Degeneres Show
The Comedy TV Star of 2018
I hate having to choose between Atlanta and The Good Place (which are, of course, the only real options). Luckily “Teddy Perkins” made that very easy for me.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Donald Glover, Atlanta
The Drama TV Star of 2018
The best-case scenario for an actor (I’d imagine) is getting cast in something that, even though you’ve been on tv so much, makes people notice that you exist. That’s what appears to have happened for Darren Criss, and very much deservedly so – he’s great in American Crime Story, and I don’t even like acting.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Darren Criss, American Crime Story
The Female TV Star of 2018
I feel like Viola Davis is the most obvious choice. I also feel like she’s also the correct choice.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
The Male TV Star of 2018
I don’t know everything. I mean, contrary to my editorial stance here, I don’t even know most things. The more I find out that I don’t know, the more I think I don’t really know anything. But I do know some things. I know several things. Among the things that I know, without a doubt, is this: Jughead. Is. Asexual. And Riverdale can go fuck itself.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: literally every male tv star of 2018 who isn’t Cole Sprouse
The Competition Show of 2018
It’s the competition show category that really suffers from peak tv – there are over eleventy billion of them, and it’s almost impossible to evaluate them all. I will say this: I always liked American Idol at least a little bit, and I liked its revival just fine, and I’d be happy to see it win. Especially since the rest of the actual nominees in this category are dumb.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: American Idol
The Reality Show of 2018
I don’t actually have a lot of opinions about Queer Eye or whatever. I just think it’s better than all the rest of these shows or whatever.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Queer Eye or whatever. Again.
The Revival Show of 2018
I don’t want to live in a world where this is a category. I don’t like it circumstantially, I don’t like it practically, and I don’t like it specifically. I am, however, relieved that I don’t necessarily have to give another of these to Queer Eye or whatever. That’s kind of nice. Not super nice, but kind of nice.
The Comedy Show of 2018
This category is made easy by the fact that the best show on television is nominated here, which is great.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: The Good Place
The Drama Show of 2018
This category does not have the same advantage as the comedy category, as none of these shows are the best show on television. Some of them aren’t even among the good shows on television, to be honest.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: The Handmaid’s Tale
The Show of 2018
They had the opportunity, here, to include The Good Place, but they elected not to do so. That’s dumb, they should have nominated The Good Place. I guess it’s time to go rogue again.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: The Good Place (which, once more, was not actually nominated)
The Action Movie Star of 2018
The stars of Black Panther were Michael B. Jordan and Letitia Wright, obviously. So this cannot stand. But since I suppose Chadwick Boseman played the title character and all, he’s a reasonable compromise between the forces of what’s right and the forces of the production staff of the People’s Choice Awards.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther
The Comedy Movie Star of 2018
This is where E!’s devotion to parent company Universal really starts to show. Some of these movies would not be nominated otherwise, and it’ll pop up throughout the remainder of the movie categories 7. Anyway, the kid from Jurassic World was pretty good in Love, Simon, I suppose. He wasn’t particularly funny, but I guess that’s how it goes.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Nick Robinson, Love, Simon
The Female Movie Star of 2018
NB: A different lady cast member of Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again is here in this category 8. Anyway, Ocean’s 8 is not a Universal movie, which means that it’s here twice for whatever other reason it would be here twice. You got me, man. I have no idea.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Scarlett Johansson, Avengers: Infinity War
The Male Movie Star of 2018
Plenty to love here, but only one Chris Hemsworth.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Chris Hemsworth, Avengers: Infinity War
The Drama Movie Star of 2018
There is something to be said about the way that various strains of “genre” filter in and out of respectability, and one of the keys to understanding it is this: no one from Black Panther or Avengers: Infinity War are nominated here 9, which means superhero movies aren’t “drama” in the eyes of the nominating body for the People’s Choice Awards. That’s fine. What is more interesting here are the nominations for the principles of A Quiet Place, a movie whose nominal genre – horror – was also excluded from serious consideration at various times in the history of awards-granting 10
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place
The Family Movie of 2018
I think The Incredibles 2 should probably have been nominated in more categories, but I do understand the difficulties of evaluating voice performances against in-person performances. Anyway, it’s nominated here, and it should win here.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: The Incredibles 2
The Drama Movie of 2018
I suppose it’s nice to see a set of nominees so thoroughly divorced from the consensus critical opinion. Obviously Fifty Shades is another one of those shared-corporate-overlord situations, but Red Sparrow? What the hell? It’s refreshing, is what I’m saying. I don’t know how else I’d get an opportunity to imagine which of these movies I liked better otherwise.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: A Quiet Place
The Action Movie of 2018
Boy oh boy, here’s Oceans 8 again. This is a deeply strange movie to get this attached to. I still have no idea what’s going on. Luckily, it wasn’t ever really in it, y’know?
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Black Panther
The Comedy Movie of 2018
I feel like the other possible explanation for the odd, largely un-praised selections is that E! Knows what they want to win, and are padding out the categories with things that they think won’t get the vote. That is, if I’m going to go full conspiracy theory, easiest to see in this category, where Crazy Rich Asians is the only good movie.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Crazy Rich Asians
The Movie of 2018
Hey, here’s The Incredibles 2 again! This is excellent news! Also I’m pretty sure my aforestated conspiracy theory falls right the heck apart when it comes to this category. So either they didn’t stack the big ones, or I’m being overly paranoid about their enthusiasm for Oceans 8 and/or Mamma Mia!: Here I Go Again.
So anyway, there you have it. We’ll see how E!’s first foray into awards-grantsmanship goes, and hopefully we’ll all meet back here again next year!
which means that, technically, they are no longer owned by anyone in Ohio, which, if I haven’t mentioned it, could really use a train connecting the top of the state to the bottom. ↩
it is a bit strange to be writing about this nearly two entire years after the last one, but there are lots of awards shows at the beginning of the year, so moving this to the other end – i.e. the beginning – of awards season probably isn’t a terrible idea. ↩
a cultural phenomenon I thought was absolutely immune from negative influence ↩
she also shows up in, like, every “highlights from the red carpet” clip package, and is probably here because she always gamely shows up and Amy Schumers all over whichever Ryan Seacrest Type and/or Some Lady is hosting the red carpet event. I suppose that’s how you reward that kind of loyalty. By handing them a trophy. ↩
the loss of which I am still unbelievably bitter about. I will never get over it. ↩
ordinarily I would shrug my shoulders and assume it had something to do with not wanting to cross-promote for a different basic cable reality monger, but Andy Cohen is nominated in the very next category. ↩
The preponderance of nominations for Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again, which was no one’s favorite movie, even Mamma Mia! Superfans, is the dead giveaway. ↩
see what I mean about the preponderance? ↩
I’m thinking specifically of Tom Holland and Michael B. Jordan or Danai Gurira here. Although I’m also always thinking of Michael B. Jordan anyway. ↩
with the caveat that it pops in and out of “respectbility,” usually based on whether there’s a “serious” auteur-type currently active – Hitchcock won a bunch of awards, after all, and Jonathan Demme broke awards-winning records with The Silence of the Lambs. ↩
The Best Records of October 2018
Mick Jenkins – Pieces of a Man (Mick Jenkins takes big swings in naming his record after a Gil Scott-Heron record, and also by writing about the biggest of life’s questions, and connects pretty well with all of it)
Yowler – Black Dog in My Path (the erstwhile All Dogs singer moves away from her previous Grouper-lite style and makes much more interesting, band-oriented music, and it is a real win)
Cloud Nothings – Last Building Burning (Cloud Nothings still only do the one thing, but this time they do it louder, and more efficiently, and with a kind of fury they haven’t shown in a couple of records)
Chester Watson – Project 0 (Chester Watson adds a considerable sense of humor to his abstract, tense style and I couldn’t be happier)
Petite Noir – La Maison Noir/The Black House (simultaneously brief and maximal art-R&B, with some fantastic features)
The 2018 World Fantasy Awards
As always, I close out the year of book-awards-declaiming with the World Fantasy Awards. It started out a few years ago as a way to open up my reading horizons 1, and has continued because, well, I enjoy them. There’s considerable overlap 2 with the other awards, but that’s alright, it gives me an opportunity to reconsider them in a slightly different context.
The World Fantasy Awards are also, this year, without much drama. I mean, I’m sure there’s some hurt feelings or long-simmering resentments or whatever, but the controversy over the form of the award itself pretty much stopped causing problems last year, so this year there’s nothing left for it but to be a completely respectable, absolutely normal awards-granting ceremony.
Which means this can be a completely respectable, absolutely normal awards-granting-writing-about, complete with absolutely infallible information about who deserves what award.
It’s worth noting that the Lifetime Achievement awards are going to Charles de Lint, who is one of the guys who helped invent urban fantasy (and whose work I haven’t read as much of as I’d like to), and Elizabeth Wollheim, the head of DAW books, who do consistently excellent work as publishers. Additionally worth noting is that the World Fantasy Awards always includes special awards for various and sundry services to the field of world fantasy, and I always skip those also, because I do not have the knowledge base to evaluate who deserves them.
Best Artist
Artist categories are always tricky ones for me to cover, but at least in terms of the World Fantasy Awards I’m able to more-or-less capably evaluate whether its effective in terms of its milieu 3, but I still don’t have what you’d call a reasonable critical eye in this regard.
That said, this should be pretty quick, since I don’t know enough to have much to say. Omar Rayyad is good, but draws in what I think of as “Basic Fairy Tale Modern” – even if you aren’t familiar with Rayyad’s work itself, you’re familiar with the idea – soft lines, pastels, familiar forms. It’s well done, but it’s not really jumping out at me as particularly original.
Similarly, Gregory Manchess is an impressive formalist 4, but it doesn’t really stick out for me for anything beyond his mechanical ability. Fiona Staples is in a similar boat, with art that is well-rendered, but without a lot that makes it jump out 5. It is with these artist that I am the most willing to cede that my lack of background in analyzing their form leads to what could be the least on-base call: I tend to find myself more impressed by things that are weirder and more visually distinctive, which could lead me to novelty-based decisions more than I would be if I knew what I was talking about.
Victo Ngai was my favorite last year, and continues to do excellent illustration work in some unlikely places (i.e. advertising), which continues to be impressive, but I was more struck by Rima Staines weird-ass fantasy troll people. I found it the most compelling on its own, which means I’m comfortable declaring her the rightful winner here.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Rima Staines
Best Collection
The single-author collections category (this one) is one of the categories I look forward the most to reading through – it takes a lot to get a single-author collection published, and it usuall points to someone doing a great deal of highly-worthwhile work, and it tends to have the highest hit rate of any of the categories I read for any of the book awards that I cover here.
Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties is tremendous, and is certainly the most-nominated collection of, I’m comfortable saying, any author collection all year 6. I wrote about it more extensively when I wrote about the Shirley Jackson Awards, but in the interest of situating it here I will note that “Especially Heinous” is still one of the absolute best things under consideration here by anyone under any circumstances. “Eight Bites” and “The Resident” remain incredible pieces of well-wrought prose that get the reader deep into a very specific frame of mind, and “Inventory” is a wonderfully innovative piece of post-apocalypse fiction. It’s a fantastic contender, and worth reading by just about anyone
Tim Powers’s Down and Out in Purgatory is a bit more of a mixed-bag. Powers is a veteran fantasist, and any collection of his best work is going to be a sure bet, as this book definitely is. He’s reliant on a handful of plot-drivers – weird time travel features prominently, and several of the stories are about rare book collectors, for example – and makes his interests 7 plain throughout, which can make the stories blur together a bit. The title story is rightfully the start of the show – a fantastic look at revenge, the afterlife and what it means to determine one’s course, as well as what it means to be responsible for things and the consequences of our actions, all told in an amusing, unfancy tone that suits the story. The book-opening “Salvage and Demolition” manages to be sort of the archetypal Tim Powers story, as it contains all of the repertory elements mentioned earlier – a rare book dealer travels through time to smoke cigarettes in Los Angeles, and everyone’s car figures prominently – and does so in a gripping, twisty story that ends up going to some really surprising places. “Fifty Cents” 8 is the other great time travel story, and is even more surprising and open-ended. The trickiness of having a family and not really wanting the same things out of yourself as they do comes up in the immortal (and immoral) family of “The Way Down the Hill,” the negligent parents and attendant imaginary friend of “Night Moves” and, in the outright-funniest story in the collection, in the perhaps-doomed Thanksgiving of “Sufficient Unto the Day,” where some relatives literally just won’t leave. We could probably throw the loopy rollercoaster of “Pat Moore” into either of those two categories also, although it’s not really a time travel story or a family story 9. His Catholicism also comes to bear on “The Bible Repairman” (in which damnation is averted by those with the resources to hire someone to make it so by “repairing” the bible to make sure that they aren’t in conflict with it) and “Through and Through” (in which damnation is unaviodable, because if the rules exist they must exist) 10. All told it’s a very good, if fairly uneven collection, and probably the best thing published by Baen all year.
Jane Yolen’s The Emerald Circus is a collection of previously-released material specifically taking a look at characters from other works. The two best stories are both about real people – “Andersen’s Witch” recasts Hans Christian Andersen’s career as a version of his own story about the Snow Queen, and “Sister Emily’s Lightship” puts Emily Dickinson in space – but she has a way with finding a new way to tell the story of a well-known character. “Blown Away” 11 finds the farmhand who does or does not turn into the Tin Woodsman telling an earthbound story of Dorothy, in which the circus of the book’s title makes its appearance. “Lost Girls” gives Wendy her agency back, and also gives us the very best portrayal of Captain Hook ever committed to the page. “Rabbit Hole” shows us an aged Alice, and is surprisingly moving. “The Gift of the Magicians, With Apologies to You Know Who” gives us Yolen’s excellent and under-seen sense of humor 12. It’s all well-done, and it was surprising in that the stories I ended up enjoying the most (“Sister Emily’s Lightship”, “Lost Girls”, “Rabbit Hole”) were about things that I had no real prior close relationship to – I like Lewis Carroll, for example, but he never really left the impression on me that he did on other people 13. That said, it’s not one of her more impressive collections, even if it is a lot of fun to read.
Sofia Samatar’s Tender is probably the most ambitious, or at the least the collection that covers the most ground, of the ones nominated here. Her stories have a wide range of voices and tones, and include a great many subjects. The leadoff story, “Selkie Stories are for Losers” 14 contains probably the best paragraph in contention, which I won’t include here because it also spoils the ending (it’s at the end of the story, and is the thesis statement of the story, and kind of of the collection in general). Youth and memory figure into “How to Get Back to the Forest,” about the kinds of things that happen at camp, in “Honey,” where the idea of parents sacrifice for the future of their children is literalized, and in which the fair folk are as effectively made terrifying as they were in anything I’ve read in a long time. “An Account of the Land of Witches” and “Walkdog” are both highly experimental stories about friendship and being a young person, and while they are not very much like each other, they are similar in their treatment of the intersection of the real world and the world of stories. Actually, “Fallow,” the longest and most emotionally-engaged piece here is similarly about that same sort of loss, and takes place on a spaceship populated by a very particular-minded set of people 15. “A Girl Who Comes Out of a Chamber at Regular Intervals” is a pretty effective look at people that dream of being robots, and robots that dream of being people. “Request for Extension on the Clarity,” similarly, is also about the desire to forget about being a human being, and the desire to move forward into the future by severing the past entirely. “Tender,” by contrast looks at a woman who believes that her loss is the result of her dishonesty, and who ends up also in a debatable state of human-ness. The whole collection is well-rendered, and often emotionally effective, and it misses out on being the rightful winner because of the last collection here.
Ellen Klages’s Wicked Wonders is, if nothing else, pretty well completely unlike anything else. It’s far ranging and effective in a bunch of different ways, from the not-at-all-supernatural “Woodsmoke” – a long story about young love and finding oneself – to the realist science fiction of “Goodnight Moons,” which turns out to be about the first person raised on Mars, to the creeping horror of “Singing on a Star,” where there’s a song that literally transports the listener, and it may not be entirely good, to the outright mythological fantasy of “Friday Night at St Cecilia’s,” in which an ancient folk evil must be defeated through the playing of games. There’s also some more deeply-moving stories of young girls’ friendship 16 both on a generation ship (in “Amicae Aeternum”) and in the world where you try to do all the magic you can to prevent tragedy (“Gone to the Library”). Early attempts at doing magic also grace “The Education of a Witch,” which the story notes reveal was as autobiographical as Klages could make it. She really wins the day here, however, by not sacrificing her world or her storytelling ability to be tremendously, uproariously funny. “Sponda the Suet Girl” is a long-ish story about alchemy and getting one up on con men. “Household Management” is a wicked screamer with an equally-wicked punchline. “Mrs. Zeno’s Paradox” is about not actually sharing a brownie. And then, of course, there’s the formerly-viral, all-time-classic “The Scary Ham”, which is not a work of genre fiction by dint of it not being at all fictional, and at the same time being so wonderfully, life-affirmingly hilarious that it absolutely couldn’t be anything but the last story in such a collection.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Ellen Klages, Wicked Wonders
Best Anthology
Unlike the collection category, the anthology category can be a lot more slipshod. This year, interestingly, it also featured a couple of different sort of “Best-Of” scenarios and, perhaps predictably, they were better than the theme-arranged collections. Nevertheless, it all had something to recommend it, for the most part.
The Djinn Falls in Love was covered back in the Shirley Jackson awards, and is still probably the one of these that I like the least. Saad Z. Hossain’s “Bring Your Own Spoon” is still inspiring and amusing, Catherina Farris King’s “The Queen of Sheba” is still a well-constructed, satisfying story, and if KJ Parker’s “Message in a Bottle” is the least of the KJ Parker stories that were under consideration here, well, it’s still a pretty good one. The price of admission 17 is more than paid by Maria Dahvana Headley’s peerless “Black Powder,” which is truly first-rate.
Black Feathers: Avian Tales was also covered at Shirley Jackson time, and while I understand why it’s here, I wasn’t as into that one as I was into other collections either. Pat Cadigan’s “A Little Bird Told Me” would make a nice opening act for Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr (see below). Seanan McGuire’s “The Mathematical Inevitability of Corvids” is also about crows, and manages to make a deeply affecting, deeply sympathetic portrait of its lead character. It may be the story from this collection that has stuck with me the most emotionally. As a piece of craftsmanship, though, I can’t let this pass without praising Priya Sharma’s “The Crow Palace”, which is just a masterful work of construction and execution. All told, this one had more worthwhile bits than The Djinn Falls in Love, but it still isn’t quite on the same level as the better collections here.
The Book of Swords is one of the last books edited (well, co-edited) by Gardner Dozois, and that’s kind of sad, since it isn’t actually very satisfying. The essay at the beginning situating Sword and Sorcery as a genre is fantastic 18, but most of the stories kind of fall short of being the same level of quality. KJ Parker’s “The Best Man Wins” is a good, if standard-issue Parker-style story about a craftsman and the things that compel one to ambition, with a pretty satisfying ending. Robin Hobb’s “Her Father’s Sword” distinguishes itself by its ambiguity – there are a lot of mysteries about the vagaries of the world that are raised and never really answered 19. Rich Larson’s “The Colgrid Conundrum” is a con-man story, and I’m a genuine actual sucker for those. Almost as big a sucker as I am for Beowulf fan fiction, which is what CJ Cherryh’s “Hrunting” is. Both are effective, but that about wraps it up for the highlights in this collection. It’s probably something you’d enjoy more if you have any real affection for sword & sorcery as a genre. Obviously I do not.
The Best of Subterranean definitely benefits from both it status as a best-of 20, as well as from its prodigious length. It loses some steam by being not particularly well-selected – it seems, specifically, like some things were included to include the names of the authors rather than any particular actual merit 21. That’s not to say that all of the big names were a bust – Joe Hill’s “Last Breath” is a particularly terrifying work about a very specific collector and George R.R. Martin’s script for an unproduced Twilight Zone episode titled “The Toys of Caliban” would have been a fantastic episode, had it been made. A much better showing is made by the standard-issue (if indeed there is such thing) anthology-titans that may not be as well-known outside of sff circles. Ted Chiang’s “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling” is about posthumanism, and the purpose of language, and a missionary, but mostly is about how memory and the way that we keep memories informs the way that we related to each other. Kelly Link’s “Valley of the Girls” is similarly about the way that the encroachment of technology shapes our interactions with each other, and also about our relationship with the past and how it shifts as the way that we related to each other changes. It’s also about sarcophagi. James P. Blaylock playful literalizes the sort of solipsistic sense of being cursed that affects anyone who takes the weather personally in “The Dry Spell.” 22 KJ Parker’s huge, affecting “A Small Price to Pay for Birdsong” again concerns the price of mastering a skill, and the relationship between economic realities and our emotional centers. It’s probably the best of the stories that were considered in anthologies here (there are three of them). Catherynne Valente recasts folkloric coyote stories as a high school melodrama in “White Lines on a Green Field,” and in so doing makes them somewhat scarier. Karen Joy Fowler’s “Younger Women” takes a rather biting look at the penchant for immortals to take up with younger women, and comes to some conclusions about neurocranial development in the process. “Dispersed by the Sun, Melting in the Wind” finds Rachel Swirksy cataloging the end of the world, one person at a time. 2018-sff-mvp Maria Dahvana Headley contributes “Game,” about a hunter who was not honest, even with himself. Michael Marshall Smith’s funny “The Seventeenth Kind” tells the story of a television snake-oil salesman whose career goes quite alarmingly sideways. Kat Howard’s “The Least of the Deathly Arts” deals with an actual encounter with death and, perhaps most impressively, contains an actual sestina. Hal Duncan’s “Sic Him, Hellhound! Kill! Kill!” reimagines both werewolves and vampires, taking a marked distaste to the latter, and is perhaps the most outright entertaining story in the collection. Tim Pratt’s “Troublesolving” is the best book about time travel, interior designers and a really twisty espionage plot that I’ve read all year. Possibly ever, given the relative lack of interior designers in time travel stories. Kelly Armstrong’s “The Screams of Dragons” is a dark attempt to look at what would happen to children who actually exhibited reality-altering magical powers. If this seems less like a sort of thematic look at the book and more just a list of what the best stories in the book were 23, that’s also sort of the trick: the book doesn’t flow well, and there are many more stories. It is likely that more of them would appeal to any given writer, but with little unity beyond “these all were published in the same magazine”, it’s not an easy book to get through. Perhaps it would be good to skip around in. In any event, its lack of unity is the main thing that keeps it out of the top spot here
I feel like the clear winner here is the Peter S. Beagle edited New Voices in Fantasy. There’s a part of me that wants to declare it – a sort of greatest-hits survey of the best work being done in out-there fantasy – unsportsmanlike, but it really is a remarkably effective collection of stories. Several of the stories have been nominated for awards that are here considered, including Alyssa Wong’s terrifying “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers,” about a terrible secret society, Ursula Vernon’s “Jackalope Wives,” which, as the story of a skin-changing woman, makes an excellent companion to the also-here Sofia Samatar story “Selkie Stories are for Losers” (see above), Carmen Maria Machado’s beautiful retelling of “The Green Ribbon,” “The Husband Stitch” and Usman T. Malik’s “The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Djinn,” a genie story that actually works 24. It also contains awards standbys. Brooke Bolander’s “Tornado’s Siren” is, as the title would suggest, about the love story between a woman and a tornado. Sarah Pinsker’s “Left the Century to Sit Unmoved” is about people who jump into a pond and mostly crawl back out again. Maria Dahvana Headley’s 25 “The Tallest Doll in New York City” is about the courtship of city buildings. It also includes some things that were utterly new to me. Max Gladstone’s “A Kiss With Teeth” is a surprisingly sweet story about a vampire who has something of a minor midlife crisis. Hannu Rajaniemi’s “The Haunting of Apollo A7LB” is another of the stories in the book that can, surprisingly, be taken more-or-less at its title, and is about the memory of things, and the nature of ghosts. Chris Tarry’s “Here Be Dragons” is another excellent con-man story 26, it’s also about dragons, the allure of the unknown, and how far responsibility goes in the face of temptation. The whole thing passes by very quickly and is expertly arranged, and every story is at least worthwhile, even if I didn’t single them out here. If you’re only going to jump into one of these, this would be the one.
RIGHTFUL WINNER: The New Voices of Fantasy, edited by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman
Best Short Fiction
The set of short stories that came up this year is better than I can remember it being for some years – each of these is very good, and even if they didn’t all stick with me, they all have their merits.
Fran Wilde’s “Clearly Lettered in a Mostly-Steady Hand” was also nominated for a Nebula and a Hugo this year, and what I said about it in both of those write-ups still stands: it’s a good piece of tone work. Stitched together out of wisps of description and with a really powerful narrative voice, it really does slip past like someone giving you a tour of a very strange place. It didn’t make a huge impact when I read it, but I find that months later there are parts of it that still very much stick with me, so perhaps I’ll get more out of it upon re-reading it.
Rebecca Roanhorse’s “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience™” was not only nominated for the Nebula and the Hugo this year, but it won both of them. I can’t argue too strenuously against this – it’s a fantastic, haunting piece of writing that manages to be absurd and upsetting in equal measure. But I still don’t think it’s the best one here.
Natalia Theoridou’s “The Birding: A Fairy Tale” is the story of a plague, and is indeed arranged as a fairy tale, an explanation of something that is beyond human comprehension. It’s affecting, and it’s somewhat more “literary” than most of the other stories in this category. It wouldn’t be a terrible thing if it won, but it’s also kind of forgettable, and while the broad strokes of the story itself stick around, it doesn’t have a lot of staying power.
But there is a better story. Caroline Yoachim’s is an allegorical parable for individual difference, as told via a world of clockwork denizens who have to go through life with wound springs. It’s beautiful and said and unfair, and I’ve read it over and over again since it came out, just for the sheer joy of the words. Even without being a sturdy, useful parable it would still be an impeccable piece of craftsmanship, and by being successful in every vector in which a short story can be successful, it is a singular achievement and deserves the award.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Caroline Yoachim, “Carnival Nine”
Best Long Fiction
The World Fantasy Awards saw an unusually strong set of nominees in almost every field this year, and the novella category was a surprise because I had less misgivings about it than I usually do 27. Only one of these stories is really the wrong length 28, and they’re all pretty good.
Stephen Graham Jones’s Mapping the Interior was also nominated for a Shirley Jackson award, and is still suitably scary, and still deserves full marks for its fantastic ending. Without that to recommend it, it’s merely a pretty-good ghost story that really deserves more space. As it is, it squeaks into “excellent” territory at the end.
JY Yang’s The Black Tides of Heaven is enough to convince me to give more silkpunk a try 29, and is even better when taken into consideration alongside The Red Threads of Fortune. It’s got a fantastic lead character, and not only justifies its length, but is actually made all the better for it. It’s very good, although there are aspects of it that didn’t stick with me very well, and it really does need the other bit to feel like a complete story.
Simon Avery’s The Teardrop Method is about a psychic musician, and might actually be the weakest of the stories here – there’s rather too much middle, and it takes forever to actually get going. The last third or so of it is pretty strong, but even then it just sort of dissipates into the memory, and it’s hard to recall what I liked or didn’t like about it specifically 30.
Peter S. Beagle’s In Calabria wins the award for being the most fun to read. It is definitely one of the most fun-to-read things I read all year, in fact, for this or any other reason. I would happily have spent many hundreds more pages in the head of Claudio Bianchi, with this farm, his sheep, and (especially) his cats. It’s got a unicorn in it, as perhaps we should come to expect from Peter S. Beagle, and it’s funny, light and moves very quickly without skimping on time spent with our protagonist in his idyllic setting. Its only real downfall here is that the interpersonal stuff isn’t as rewarding as the rest of it, and the end just…happens, very quickly and seemingly without the care for plot as the rest of the book.
Ellen Klages’s Passing Strange was very nearly my pick to win the Nebula 31, and it’s my pick here. It’s an extremely rewarding story about magic and San Francisco, and love and revenge, and also witches and dancing. It was so good, in fact, that I made audible noises of delight when a couple of the characters popped back up in Wicked Wonders (see above). There’s little else to say about it beyond: it’s great, it’s wildly inventive, and it’s tremendously satisfying.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Ellen Klages, Passing Strange
Best Novel
If many of the other categories could not escape mention for having been marked by their relatively-high quality, then let me say here that this one was kind of disappointing. I find that fantasy, in general, lives better lives in its shorter work – there’s more space to suggest rather than explicate, and more room to focus narrowly rather than spread out into something that lends itself to being more sprawling than necessary.
The usually-steadfast Fonda Lee’s Jade City is rather indicative of the trouble here: it’s too long, and there’s too much of it. There are a lot of characters, and about half of them are worth following around the book. Furthermore, it’s the first book in a series, so an enormous amount of the time is spent setting things up. While there are stories in there that are as good as Lee usually is 32, a lot of it is soggy, and it could use about two fewer pov characters.
S.A. Chakraborty’s City of Brass has a similar set of problems 33, but fares a little better. It doesn’t have as many point of view characters, for starters. It also squeezes its mythology in a bit better. Nevertheless, it is still sprawling and takes a long time for the story to settle into itself. While I would recommend it generally, it would come with some heavy qualifications. Nahri’s attempts to learn to practice medicine in Daevabad, on the other hand, is something I would read a whole lot of books about, and the book really shines during the parts that aren’t related to the (ugh) love triangle or the court machinations. Maybe later books in the series can course-correct.
I also evaluated Theodora Goss’s The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, and the deluge of praise that it has received has turned me around a bit on it – things have been pointed out that are admirable. I still think it seems unnecessarily like The League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen, and I still don’t like the narrative conceit of the characters interrupting the narrative in the weird meta-way that they do 34, but, again, these are things that can be worked out as the series goes, or maybe I’ll just get used to them. As it is, I’m not converted to actually liking it, but I have been shown what there is to like about it, and I don’t begrudge it its fans or its likability.
Daryl Gregory’s Spoonbenders should be eligible for the same special “extreme likeability” award as Peter S. Beagle’s In Calabria – it’s great, and wonderful to read, and I’ll probably read it a couple more times before I’m done with it just for the sheer joy of it. It’s being turned into a tv show, which seems excessive, but if that gets more people to read it, then I’m in favor of the idea. It’s not as weighty as the other selections here, and it’s not as innovative, but it’s a tremendously fun story about a family of psychics 35, and very well executed.
John Crowley is an author whose work I had not, before this very moment, read very much of. He’s one of the architects of urban fantasy 36. Perhaps it is the case, then, that Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr is atypical of his work (it’s in no way urban). Even so, the book is incredible, with the story of an immortal crow through the ages turning out to be touching and thought-provoking, and rocketing from adventure to action to melancholy to all sorts of other, secondary modes. The crow remains a crow the whole time, and if nothing else it would be an interesting thought experiment in how sapience would work for a corvid – that is to say, he always seems to think like a crow, and have a crow’s set of values 37. There’s also a lot of really great stuff about how language shapes the crow’s thought, and how exposure to the crow’s thoughts shapes the thoughts and language of the people around him. It’s kept out of the top spot by being slightly draggy, and also by being a bit weighed down by a not-super-necessary framing plot that never quite arrives in the same sense as the rest of the story.
Victor Lavalle’s The Changeling received scads of praise and heaps of awards, and back at the Shirley Jackson awards I declared it the rightful winner 38, and I’ll do so again here. It’s lean, it’s deep and it’s a fantastic piece of craftsmanship. It may also be built around a pun 39, which I approve of wholeheartedly.
THE RIGHTFUL WINNER: Victor Lavalle, The Changeling
And that wraps it up for the World Fantasy Awards! See everybody next May, when the literary awards start back up with the Nebulas.
I read a lot of fantasy when I was a kid, and then didn’t read much of it at all as a matter of course until I started analyzing the World Fantasy Awards for these writeups. ↩
especially now that I include the Shirley Jackson Awards ↩
that is to say, I have an easier time telling whether the ideas/imagery are conveyed effectively because I know more about the grammar of fantasy than I do about that of other representational art uh…genres? See? This falls apart very quickly. ↩
and he’s probably here largely on the back of the book covers he did for Joe Lake, which are indeed pretty righteous ↩
She is the artist part of Saga, which is great and effective comics art, but does sort of elicit a thing: after some hoopla surrounding Neil Gaiman’s win in 1992 for Short Fiction with the Midsummer Night’s Dream issue of Sandman, comics are no longer eligible for World Fantasy Awards, which makes one wonder what of Staples’s art is considered. ↩
It was nominated for a National Book Award, and declared a best book of the year by a dozen or so publications, for example, on top of its Shirley Jackson awards win (and a bunch of other awards that I’m less familiar with). ↩
he loves driving, for example, and smoking, and also Los Angeles. Charmingly, one of his collaborations with James Blaylock also manages to feature the latter’s love of cheese enchiladas. ↩
one of the collaborations with James Blaylock, specifically the one with the enchiladas. ↩
the element it unquestionably shares with “The Way Down the Hill,” and something I would be more than happy to read a hundred more Powers stories about, is an examination of the vagaries of a person taking possession of another person’s body, a thing about which Powers writes well, and takes a lot of thought-provoking angles on. ↩
“Through and Through” is maybe the outright scariest story in the book ↩
which probably deserves some kind of award for having the best title ↩
there’s plenty of humor in her work, but I still would like there to be more of it, is what I’m saying. I’m greedy. ↩
I suppose I can’t even pretend to say that I have ever received any joy or emotional contentment from the works of J.M. Barrie, but that’s how it goes. ↩
which also appears in The Best of Subterranean, see below ↩
I wanted to point out that it’s about a cult, but I’m afraid that it would upset someone for being a spoiler (I don’t think that it is), so I’m putting it in the footnote and deciding that the lessens the possibility that anyone would read it I guess? ↩
it was something of a banner year, in fact, for stories about young ladies who are friends and are separated. “Woodsmoke,” mentioned first, is also one of these stories. ↩
metaphorically speaking, of course, I just got it from the library. ↩
a feature of Dozois introductions, actually. His Year’s Best Science Fiction introductions show him to be a shrewd analyst of genre trends, as well as a pretty good historian. ↩
I also think it could introduce a bunch of really fun stories about the two characters that form the center of the story, for a sort of black-comedy and/or depressing value of “really fun”. ↩
furthermore from being a best-of of a particularly good and relatively high-profile magazine. ↩
the whole thing could do to be significantly shorter, so even if the inclusion of the Big Name folks wasn’t actively keeping people out (I have no idea if it was or not), leaving out some of the more egregious inclusions still would have improved the book. ↩
enchiladas make an appearance ↩
a thing it resembles for a very good reason…. ↩
I read a lot of genie stories this year, guys. They did not all work. ↩
no seriously, she’s having probably the best year anyone’s had as a writer in a long time – she’s filling the world with incredible work. ↩
obviously, as previously stated, I have a particular weakness for con-man stories. ↩
my usual issue with the average novella being that it’s either too long or too short. While it’s possible for any work to have length issues, no matter the length, it often seems like novellas are either a waterlogged, over-swollen short story or a too-thin novel in practice. Note also that this turns out to be a bigger problem in awards that include a “novelette” category. ↩
Mapping the Interior is too short, although I will also say that JY Yang’s contribution would seem too short if it wasn’t just the first half of a two-part work. ↩
although, to be fair, I haven’t yet. There are so many books, y’all. ↩
by which I mean that I remember it in the main, but that my notes don’t include very specific clues, and I’m having a hard time dredging up most of the specifics, other than that the beginning is tremendously slow and it’s not good for nearly as long as its dull. ↩
you can see my ambivalence play out here ↩
she’s usually so efficient that to see her succumbing to world-building and character bloat was kind of disappointing, and also quite surprising. ↩
in addition to a similar title ↩
this is considered a feature, not a bug, by the book’s supporters. ↩
and the con man at their center – truly, it’s been a great year for con man stories. ↩
along with the aforementioned Charles de Lint, who’s receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. I am not up on my urban fantasy originators, guys. ↩
obviously lacking any sapient crows, I can’t actually confirm that it’s accurate, but it feels like it would if it were verifiable. ↩
As more evidence that I have no idea what people are going to like, it lost to The Hole, which was my least favorite of the novels in contention. ↩
the troll/troll business is just too juicy to be a coincidence. ↩
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US beats England to advance to Women's World Cup finals - Photo Gallery
United States' players celebrate their victory against England after the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
US players celebrate after the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. US won 2-1. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
England head coach Philip Neville, left, comforts England's Ellen White after the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon, outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
United States' Julie Ertz, left, and England's Fran Kirby challenge for the ball during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
England's Steph Houghton, bottom, and United States' Crystal Dunn challenge for the ball during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
England players react after the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. US won 2-1. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
United States' players celebrate at the end of the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon, outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
England's Lucy Bronze lies on the pitch in dejection at the end of the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
US players celebrate after the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. US won 2-1. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
England's Ellen White covers her face at the end of the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon, outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
England's Jill Scott, center, reacts after losing the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match against United States at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
England's Demi Stokes, right, and United States' Carli Lloyd duel for the ball during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
England's Steph Houghton, left, and United States' Alex Morgan challenge for the ball during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
United States' Carli Lloyd, left, and England's Demi Stokes jump for the ball during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
United States' Alex Morgan during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
England's Steph Houghton, right, grimaces after failing to score from the penalty spot as United States' Alex Morgan celebrates during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon, outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
England's Ellen White scores her side's second goal which was disallowed following a VAR analysis during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon, outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
United States' Crystal Dunn, right, and England's Rachel Daly challenge for the ball during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
England's Nikita Parris, left, and United States' Crystal Dunn challenge for the ball during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
United States' Samantha Mewis, left, duels for the ball against England's Fran Kirby during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Five Ueno Park Highlights
Ueno Park (Ueno koen in Japanese) is a major park in Tokyo. Some call it one of Tokyo’s most beautiful parks (in particular during cherry blossom season), to others it does not measure up to the other beautiful greens in the capital. The reason why is because Ueno park is in my opinion more of a functional open area with museums, zoo and shrines, rather than a well kept Japanese garden (such as Shinjuku Gyoen and Rikugien). It does not help either that several areas in the park have received a crisp layer of concrete.
Ueno Park was established on the grounds of the once glorious Kan’ei-ji temple, the main family temple of the Tokugawa shoguns during the Edo period (1603-1868). Some remnants of Kan’ei-ji temple are still present in the park including the two oldest buildings in Tokyo. After the demise of the Tokugawa reign, the area was designated as the first public park in Tokyo in 1873. We have to thank Dutch military Dr. Anthonius Franciscus Bauduin (1820-1885), who first proposed the idea of making this area a public park. Bauduin was a medical doctor in the Dutch army and moved to Japan in 1862 to enter the military in Japan and head the medical school in Nagasaki.
Ueno Park can be roughly divided in the following 4 parts:
Museum area in the North and West
Shrines and temples in the Centre
Ueno Zoo in the East
Shinobazu Pond in the South
Many visitors come to the park for a specific reason, either for one of the museums or for Ueno Zoo (the oldest zoo in Japan). However, there is much more to do and see here, places that are connected to a rich history. Find below my highlights in Ueno Park.
1. Shinobazu Pond
In the south of the park, there is a huge lotus pond. It is one of the major lotus ponds in Japan. Shinobazu Pond is actually divided into 3 separate ponds with only the southern one being the lotus pond. The northern one is the Duck Pond and the western one is the Boat Pond (no kidding). At its centre lies Benten Island on which you can find Benten-do temple that is dedicated to Benzaiten (one of the lucky gods, popular in the shitamachi areas of Tokyo). Historically, this place used to be just a cove of Tokyo Bay more than 2000 years ago. The pond remained after the sea withdrew. Thanks to this geograpic feature it was chosen as the location for Kan’ei-ji temple.
The best time to visit this pond is in summer (July and August) in the early morning hours, as the flowers already close themselves around noon. In winter the lotus flowers are all withered and the pond gives a pitiful impression, beautiful in its own way of course.
Shinobazu pond in summer with Benten-do temple in the background.
2. Kiyomizu Kannon-do of former Kan’ei-ji temple
This is the oldest remnant of the once glorious Kan’ei-ji temple, without which there would be no Ueno park today. At its peak this temple complex consisted of 68 structures, of which the Kiyomizu Kannon-do was only one minor place. The temple is set on a platform overlooking a circle made from pine tree. This circle is called the pine tree of the moon (tsuki no matsu in Japanese) and it represents nothing special actually, it was just a nice shape that became famous with local people and was picked up by Ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige in his One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (1856–59), giving this shape historical significance. Read more about Kiyomizu Kannon-do in my full article.
The main building and pine tree of the moon at Kiyomizu Kannon-do.
3. Toshogu Shrine
This shrine also used to belong to the earlier mentioned Kan’ei-ji temple. It was built in 1627, then rebuilt in 1651. This temple enshrines the first Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616, reign as shogun: 1603–1605). The Tokugawa’s used a lot of gold to show their power during those days, and that is one of the main things that jump at you when you visit this shrine. The shrine, karamon (Chinese style gate) and the sukibei wall are all from 1651. It reopened in 2014 after five years of renovations, making it shine like never before.
Entrance of Toshogu Shrine.
4. Gojoten Shrine and Hanazono Inari Shrine
These two small shrines are built side by side and share the space around them. Hanazono Inari Shrine is perhaps the oldest, it is actually unknown when it was established, but we do know that it was here when Kan’ei-ji temple was founded in 1625 at which time this small shrine became the guardian of the temple. Gojoten Shrine is also very old and apparantly moved around until it was relocated here in the park in 1928. Both of the current shrine buildings were built in that year. The great thing about these two shrines are all the little nooks, small buildings and pathways that bring you up and down.
Gojoten shrine main building.
5. Sakura Lane (in cherry blossom season)
A wide lane pierces through Ueno park from Shinobazu pond to the northern museum area. Since the early 17th century cherry trees were planted in what were then the Kan’ei-ji temple grounds, and in 1969 new ones were planted along this central lane. The park has established itself as one of the major spots for cherry blossom viewing during spring (the so called hanami) since the Edo period (1603-1868) and is still one of the most popular places today. Temporary lanterns are hung to provide a magical light-up when it gets dark. The practice of hanami is over 1000 years old, and is definitely essential to the Ueno park experience if you happen to visit during cherry blossom season (about 2 weeks starting at the end of March/early April), together with 2 million other visitors who will come to this park specifically for these pink flowers. The cherry trees are not limited to only this wide sakura lane, you will find them throughout the park. It is said there are about 1200 cherry trees.
Sakura lane at Ueno park (early April 2017).
Place names in Japanese
1. Shinobazu Pond: 不忍池
2. Kan’ei-ji Kiyomizu Kannon-do: 寛永寺 清水観音堂
3. Toshogu Shrine: 上野東照宮
4. Gojoten Shrine, Hanazono Inari Shrine: 五條天神社 花園稲荷神社
5. Sakura Lane: 上野公園桜通り
explore • fukagawa
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Suitengu Shrine – it is all about the kids
Cherry blossoms in Tokyo: the best, oldest and the...
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Boys Cross Country Wins Third Straight
Rick Ono
Boys Cross Country Maintains Undefeated Record Against St. Paul’s
Boys Cross Country • Oct 20, 2017
Basil Alfaro ’18: A Seasoned Runner
NMH Outpaces Boys
Pulling ahead of Northfield Mount Hermon’s (NMH) top runner in the final stretch of the race, Giacomo Marino ’18 crossed the finish line first, with a time of 17:09 minutes, four full seconds before NMH’s number one runner.
Fast performances from many Andover Boys Cross Country runners allowed the team to secure a 23-35 victory, bringing its season record to 3-0.
The team is especially pleased with its victory, according to Ethan Brown ’17, as it raced without its captain Holden Ringer ’17.
Brown said, “Even though [Ringer] wasn’t running, we are proud to have finished the meet successfully. The team braved a wet Northfield Mount Hermon course in cold weather.”
Head Coach Jeffrey Domina said, “[Ringer] didn’t run on Saturday. Some of the other runners may have been motivated to rise up to account for his absence.”
Andover’s fortitude was demonstrated by breakthrough races from Sam Tobin ’18 and Alex Fleury ’20, who secured fifth and sixth places, respectively, and clocked in side by side with a time of 18:11 minutes – only a single second behind NMH’s number two runner.
Despite NMH’s grueling course and poor weather conditions, the team had a strong day overall. Jacob Buehler ’19 secured a third-place finish with a time of 17:52 minutes. Nathan Goldthwaite ’18, Spencer Davis ’18, and Basil Alfaro ’18, also turned in strong performances, finishing with times of 18:25, 18:29, and 18:45 minutes, respectively.
With the win against NMH under its belt, Andover plans to focus on the end of its season.
Coach Domina said, “As we prepare for the Exeter and Interschols meets, we need to manage our sleep, stay focused on our training, tighten up our pack, and shift from higher volume to greater intensity.”
Because the runners have built up endurance in the first half of the season, the transition from an aerobic base-building phase in their training to a more high-volume phase will allow them to run at a faster pace, while still being able to close out races strong.
Andover will buckle down for a week of training before a home meet against Deerfield.
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ISSUE 4 │ VOL. 5 │WINTER 2017
HOW TO HANDLE DUPLICATIVE DOCUMENTS WHEN PERFECTING AN APPEAL AT THE APPELLATE DIVISION
PAUL LAMAR | Executive Vice President of Appellate Services | PHP
There are two approaches to handling duplicative documents when preparing a Record on Appeal or an Appendix for the New York State Appellate Division, First through Fourth Departments. The decision is normally left up to the attorney perfecting the appeal and/or the attorney’s client.
If cost is an issue, most attorneys prefer not to have duplicative documents reproduced throughout the entire Record or Appendix. Depending on how many documents are duplicated, their length and how often they reappear, repeating them each time can significantly increase both the length of the Record or Appendix and the cost of printing it.
The practical way around this costly repetition is to replace the repeated document with a single inserted page, explaining where the duplicative document already appears. For example, suppose the “Affirmation of Richard Jones, dated May 1, 2015” initially appears in the Record/Appendix from pages 50 to 75, then is included twice later, reappearing from pages 225 to 250 and 500 to 525. Each repetition can be replaced by a single page denoting:
Affirmation of Richard Jones, dated May 1, 2015
(Reproduced Herein at pages 50 to 75)
In this example, you would eliminate nearly 50 pages from the Record or Appendix. In fact, since the Court requires a minimum of ten copies of the Record or Appendix for service and filing, you would eventually eliminate around 500 pages. As you can see, in this instance, the printing cost would be greatly reduced.
On the other hand, when cost is not an issue, the duplicative documents can be reproduced in their entirety throughout the Record or Appendix. Several PrintingHouse Press clients feel that the inclusion of these documents throughout the Record or Appendix adds convenience to the review process.
NEW YORK STATE APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST AND SECOND DEPARTMENTS: HOW AND WHEN MUST I SERVE MY ADVERSARY?
ERIC J. KUPERMAN, ESQ.
Executive Vice President of Sales | PHP
I frequently receive inquiries from my clients with respect to how to serve their adversaries when they are perfecting an appeal or opposing one that their adversary has already perfected. I will limit my comments to the Appellate Division, First Department (hereinafter AD1) and Appellate Division, Second Department (hereinafter AD2) because those are the courts about which I receive the most frequent inquiries.
In AD1, the brief must be in your adversary’s hand/office on the date that it is filed. That means that if one’s last day to perfect is February 20, 2018, or if one simply wants to meet that deadline to comply with the AD1 May 2018 Term deadline, not only must the Court receive the Record and Brief on that date but your adversary must receive it in hand as well. This is easily accomplished if the service party is local. However, if the filer is within NYC and the adversary is in Rochester, for instance, it behooves the filer to serve the Rochester party overnight (the day prior) so that both the service party and the Court will receive the documents simultaneously. This, of course, requires the filer to complete his brief one day early to allow for shipping. The alternative is to personally deliver the brief (at whatever expense) to the adversary’s office the date it is due. In this case, it would mean a car service, messenger, etc. to Rochester, NY, which, even if feasible, would dramatically increase the expense.
One caveat to the foregoing is with respect to the Appellant’s Reply Brief. Since this is the last filing and the Respondent receives no opportunity to put in a brief after the Reply Brief is filed, there is no need for personal service of the Reply Brief. At this stage of the briefing schedule, the Appellant may serve his/her Reply Brief via regular mail.
In AD2, the process is more straightforward. Though service may, indeed, be done personally, service via regular mail is perfectly acceptable. Moreover, using the same date as the above-noted example (though there are no Terms in AD2), as long as the service is mailed on the date it is due, the filer has complied with the Court’s requirements. It is for this reason that AD2 gives the adversary an additional five (5) days to respond to the filing if served via regular mail. The service party would get an additional one (1) day if served via overnight mail.
HOW TO OBTAIN EXTENSIONS OF TIME AT THE NEW YORK STATE COURT OF APPEALS
JOHN MCGORTY | Executive Vice President of Business Development | PHP
Extensions are more easily obtained in the New York State Court of Appeals than in the four departments of the Appellate Division. The Clerk of the Court is authorized to grant, for good cause shown, a reasonable extension of time for filing papers on an appeal. A request for an extension may be made by a telephone call to the Clerk’s Office. Before calling the Clerk’s Office, the party seeking an extension must contact all of the other parties involved in the appeal, notify them of the request and obtain their position as to whether they consent to (or oppose) an extension. The party requesting an extension shall advise the Clerk of the Court of the position of each party with regard to the request. A party who is granted an extension shall file a confirmation letter, with proof of service of one copy on each other party. In some instances the Court will notify all of the parties regarding their determination of the request directly. In this case, you do not have to serve each party with a copy of the confirmation letter.
REQUESTING ORAL ARGUMENT IN THE NEW YORK STATE APPELLATE DIVISION
MARIA ANDRADES | Director of Operations | PHP
The method for requesting oral argument varies in the appellate courts across New York State. Some courts require the time to be proposed on the brief cover while others require submitting a specific request form to the clerk. Regardless of the method used, there is always a limit as to how much time each party may request.
In the Appellate Division, First Department (hereafter AD1), an Oral Argument Request form must be submitted on behalf of all parties involved in the appeal in order to obtain argument time. Indicating on the cover that you will be arguing the case is insufficient. Your appeal will be scheduled for submission if the form is not filed in a timely manner. Pursuant to 600.11(f) of the rules of the First Department, the parties should confer and agree on the amount of time that will be requested for all parties; bearing in mind that a combined total of no more than 30 minutes is allowed for all the parties. If more than 30 minutes is necessary to give each party the opportunity to argue its point, a letter of explanation must be submitted to AD1.
In the Appellate Division, Second, Third and Fourth Departments, the responsibility for requesting argument time falls on each individual party filing a brief with the Court. The brief cover must include the amount of time being requested. As with AD1, no more than a total of 30 minutes is allowed for argument time. The only exception is in the Third Department when the appeal is taken: (a) from a judgment; (b) in an action on submitted facts; or (c) in a special proceeding transferred to or instituted in the Third Department. In these instances, each party is permitted 30 minutes of argument time. The Court of Appeals of the State of New York also allows 30 minutes per side for oral argument.
In all New York State appellate courts, no more than one attorney is heard for each brief filed unless the Court grants permission (upon application prior to the argument date) allowing more than one attorney to argue. Moreover, if no time is requested, even if the cover reflects to be argued by, no time will be granted and the appeal will be decided exclusively on the filed documents.
WORD COUNT CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT: HOW TO COMPUTE AND WHAT TO INCLUDE
The Appellate Division, First and Second Departments require that a word count certification be included at the end of every brief filed. Along with the word count of the brief, these certification pages include the type of font used, the size of the aforementioned font and the line spacing, which should always be double.
In both the First Department (Printing Specifications Statement pursuant to 22 NYCRR § 600.10(d)(1)(v)) and the Second Department (Certificate of Compliance pursuant to 22 NYCRR § 670.10.3(f)), Appellant and Respondent Briefs are limited to 14,000 words and 70 pages and the Reply Brief is limited to 7,000 words and 35 pages.
Neither the Table of Contents/Authorities nor the signature block at the end of the brief need be included in the word count. It is, however, imperative that the footnotes be included when calculating the word count. One should therefore ensure that the word processing program being utilized has accounted for footnotes to avoid the last minute pressure of having to deal with eliminating text from an oversized brief the day the brief is due.
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Political Files Online
2016 Political Spendings
America is the strongest nation in the world, and the reason is clear. America always had strong leadership to guide it. It never cowered down to anyone and had always believed firmly in the freedom of its people. Not only for its people but America has time and again proved the saying ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ It has always been on the forefront of the fight against elements that threatened the peace of the world.
In upholding the freedom of the people, the election in America holds much importance.
Living The American Dream
The American dream is something that an American can relate to, and this was made possible by the people who ran the country. The Republicans and the Democrats both have given the Americans good leaders that have upheld the freedom of the masses and put their interests before anything else. Moreover, the best among them wins the election.
In upholding the freedom of the people, the election in America holds much importance. Elections decide the country’s fate for four years and how the nation will progress depends on that. The system overlooking the election is strong, no doubt about that. However, to make the election indeed for the people, there must be greater transparency, and the people must be more involved in them apart from casting their votes. They should know about every candidate running in the election. So that, the people get to know whom they are voting for. Every single vote counts and a single wrong vote can put the nation’s future in jeopardy.
In upholding the freedom of the people, the election in America holds much importance. Elections decide the country’s fate for four years and how the nation will progress depends on that.
Transparency: Our Main Advocacy
Transparency is the reason we are here. Just like every other American, we do want to know what and how the future leaders are doing their stuff. We are here to help you know about them. We are here to inform you about how the money is being spent by the candidates in an election. So that when you go out to vote you cast a vote for the right person.
Transparency is the reason we are here.
We investigate, compile and bring to you all financial dealings that were done in an election. We will tell you about how the candidates are spending their money and what are they using it for. We are not funded by any politician or a tool that can be used any party or candidate to deceive the people of America and win an election. We are an independent organization that is here to assist you with every bit of information that we find so that you take an informed decision.
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You can rely on us for official statistics and information. We are playing our roles as responsible citizens to help our fellow Americans. We take an unbiased look at politician’s hands. We look into how and what amount of money they spent on promoting themselves and in hosting parties, campaigns, promoting their ideas, projects, and other political stuff. We investigate how they use the American media to do all those things. We will put our best efforts to bring you the detailed and authentic reports on such matters. So that you are informed when you get out of our home to cast your vote.
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The Obama/Warren Complex, Part I
In two separate posts I will discuss Obama's choice to invite minister Rick Warren to speak at the inauguration. Already Obama has angered some liberals for selecting Rick Warren to speak at the inauguration festivities. Actually, he already has irritated some of his supporters by appointing intelligent thoughtful people to his cabinet instead of party hacks. Keeping Robert Gates really irked some of the more extreme members of the Democratic party, who view him simply as a retainer from a poisoned administration and not a guy whoâ??s just as willing to admit when things are going right as when things are going wrong. Obama's promise to change Washington D.C. by including all voices was echoed by all of his supporters, but when he began to do just that, well, people began to jump ship. I think the first thing you, dear reader, should do is read a post written by Melissa Etheridge concerning Obama’s choice to pick Rick Warran to speak at the inauguration. She supports Obama’s decision and speaks very highly of Rick Warren. The next thing you need to do is look at the headlines concerning the President-Elect’s pick at The Huffington Post. You can read them all if you want, but after skimming the headlines, I don’t think you’ll need to read more than one or two. You’d think he had asked Pat Robertson or James Dobson. One post calls Obama a bigot, which is rather interesting given the fact that he’s made his own views on the issue completely clear, and almost all of them call Warren a bigot. There are a few posts that defend Obama’s pick, but most of them condemn his choice and say that Warren is a gay-bashing hater, more or less. Well, it is understandable why so many gay rights activists and liberals are upset by Obamaâ??s pick, or to be more specific, are upset by Rick Warren in general. While no one could say that heâ??s not a humanitarian, he certainly is a social conservative. He told Etheridge that he had a difficult time supporting Proposition 8 in California, but decided to do so because, while he thinks that everyone deserves the same civil rights as everyone else, he also believes that the institution of marriage exists between men and women, and not between members of the same sex. Many people in the gay and lesbian community view this as a tacit approval of discrimination. They see marriage as a civil right, while Warren does not. The underlying implication is that people who disapprove of a particular practice disapprove of the people who participate in that practice as well. Conservatives have taken a different approach. As I stated, Warren and those who support Proposition 8 do not think of marriage in terms of civil rights. In fact, a CNN exit poll shows that African-Americans favored Proposition 8 by 70%, and Latinos by 53%. While many people have taken this as an opportunity to argue that black people are homophobes (because apparently you can tell what all black people think about homosexuality by looking at a poll concerning gay marriage, and not homosexuality specifically), what you can infer from the poll is that some of the people most concerned with civil rights donâ??t view this as a civil rights issue. Conservatives (for the most part) see the institution of marriage as a privilege granted by the state that can, and should, be regulated, similar to the way in which driverâ??s licenses are regulated. There are those in the middle, this author included, who believe that the United States government oversteps its bounds when it involves itself in the institution of marriage. In fact, it was only a few hundred years ago that European governments began to take a roll in marriage. The governmentâ??s only interest should be that only two individuals register as a union and that they are both of legal age to do so. After that, all things should be left up to whatever church the person or persons seeking marriage attend to qualify or not to qualify the relationship as a marriage. The argument that we would be â??changingâ? the definition of marriage if we were to allow homosexuals and lesbians to marry is compelling, but misguided. Marriage has gone through hundreds of changes throughout history, from polygamy (which still exists today) to monogamy, from arranged marriages to free marriages, from marrying young women to old men to making it illegal for people considered to be adults to make sexual advances on a minor. To say that codifying marriage as between one man and one woman will prevent it from ever changing is absurd. I have a hard time saying that marriage is a civil right in the same way that blacks have the same rights as individuals as whites, or Latinos, or Koreans, or Mongolians, or whatever. I think that everyone has the â??rightâ? to marry who they love, but the institution of marriage is just that, an institution. If your church doesnâ??t allow homosexuals to marry, I suggest finding another church. And if your government tells you that it has the right to decide the fates of social codes that that government has no practical interest in, I suggest you tell your government to back off and remember its place. The right to seek marriage is a fundamental right. Whether or not you can get married should be up to your particular denomination or faith, and not the United States government. So where does this leave us in terms of the issue facing Obama and one of his decision to ask Warren to speak at the inauguration? Weâ??ve identified what some of the prevailing viewpoints concerning homosexual, or â??gay,â? marriage are, but does that get us any closer to deciding whether what Obama did was to be interpreted as bigoted or as an endorsement of Warrenâ??s more controversial views? In part two of this post Iâ??ll discuss what I think we should make of this Obama/Warren complex. And Iâ??ll look at some of the outlying problems that this issue drags into the light.
The Obama/Warren Complex, Part II
Swimsuit Model Obama
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Law Tips
Meet: Kurt
Dec 6, 2017 | General
An Idaho native, Kurt possesses and exhibits all the qualities we love about this great state–hard work, honesty, ingenuity, and straightforwardness. Kurt studied at Utah State University where he graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in History. After graduation, he worked in Texas and Washington, D.C. before commencing his legal education at the University of Idaho College of Law. There he pursued his Juris Doctorate with an emphasis in litigation. He won a place on the school’s Trial Team where he competed in the national competition in Seattle, WA, and St. Louis, MO. In addition, Kurt competed on the Schools appellate team which competed in a national competition in New York City.
Upon graduation from law school, Kurt opened a private practice in Twin Falls, Idaho. There he successfully represented the residents of Magic Valley both in and out of the courtroom. He was recognized by the Idaho State Bar in 2016 for his volunteer legal work for senior citizens, receiving the Denise O’Donnell Day Pro Bono Award.
Kurt is passionate about the law and feels and the protections provided by the legal system. He loves northern Idaho and its people and looks forward to serving this great community.
Post Falls Law can help you with Business Law, Wills and Trust, Estate Planning, and Bankruptcy.
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The Miracle of Chanukah by Sheri Wilner
Judy was nominated for this year’s Outer Critics Circle Award for her critically acclaimed off-Broadway show The Judy Show – My Life As A Sitcom. She won the GLAAD media award for her previous hit off-Broadway show, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother. A book by the same name was nominated for the 2007 Quill Award. She is a regular cast member of Tru TV’s “World’s Dumbest.” Gold has co-hosted ABC’s “The View” where she has appeared numerous times. She is the host of Nickelodeon’s new show, “Mom’s Night Out.” Judy hosts a monthly radio show on Sirus/XM called “Hatched By Two Chicks.” She is also the host of the “Funny People” series at the 92nd St. Y, and is a frequent contributor to “The Moth.” Judy has been numerous times in Nora & Delia Ephron’s Off-Broadway show Love, Loss and What I Wore. She was the host of HBO’s “At the Multiplex with Judy Gold” from 1999-2009. She also hosted Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.” She is featured in the HBO documentary, All Aboard, as well as the documentaries, Making Trouble and I am Comic. Her stand-up specials include “Comedy Central Presents: Judy Gold,” LOGO’s “Wisecracks,” Comedy Central’s “Tough Crowd Stands Up,” and Judy’s own HBO half-hour special, for which she received a Cable Ace Award. Gold was seen in the smash hit film The Aristocrats. Gold won two Emmy Awards for writing and producing “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” She was nominated twice for The American Comedy Award’s funniest female stand-up. She has also appeared on “The Glades,” “Are We There Yet,” “Ugly Betty,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order SVU,” “Sex and The City,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” and “The Conan O’Brien Show,” “The Wendy Williams Show,” “Dr. Oz,” among others. Gold lives in New York City with her two children, Henry and Ben. She frequently tours theatres and comedy clubs around the country and she talks to her mother at least once a day. Her CD, Judith’s Roommate Had a Baby is available now. Learn more about her at www.judygold.com
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Playing God by Alan Zweibel
Susie Essman has played the sassy Susie Greene for all eight seasons of the critically-acclaimed HBO comedy series, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and is in pre-production for season nine. Her hilarious bouts of withering sarcasm and uninhibited insults have become her character’s trademark.
The Los Angeles Times calls Susie, “The most lyrical purveyor of profanity on television. She makes the entire cast of “The Sopranos” look like rank amateurs. It really is a gift.”
The New York Times called Susie “one of the most vivid characters in the show, whose off-color tantrums have become an audience favorite the way Kramer's clumsy entrances once were”.
The New York Observer (which calls her “fantastic”) says “she's taken female cursing to longshoreman levels, pummeling her bumbling, barrel-bodied husband with potty-mouthed invectives like 'You fat fuck!'”.
Susie’s streetwise vernacular is perfectly suited for her life in Manhattan where she has been a veteran of the world of stand up comedy for twenty-nine years. She has appeared in her own half-hour HBO comedy special, made numerous appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The View, and Crank Yankers, to name just a few of her many television credits. She has also acted in numerous films, most recently costarring with John Travolta as the voice of Mittens the Cat in the Disney animated movie Bolt.
Susie's book “What Would Susie Say – Bullshit Wisdom Wisdom About Love, Life and Comedy” is published by Simon & Schuster and is now available in paperback.
Currently, while performing recurring roles on Comedy Central's Broad City; Tru TV's Those Who Can't and NBC's Law & Order: SVU, Susie divides her time between New York City and upstate New York where she lives with her husband, four step-children, and a dog.
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Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Natural Hazard Science
Oxford Research Encyclopedias Natural Hazard Science
Coastal Storm Surge
Convective Storms
Cultural Perspectives
Economic Analysis of Natural Hazards
Exposed Populations
Glacial Lake Outburst (GLOFs)
Mass Movement
Policy and Governance
Population Movements
Risk Communication and Warnings
Winter Storms / Blizzards
Community-Based Disast...
Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction
Rajib Shaw
Adaptation, Resilience, Climate Change, Policy and Governance, Development, Preparedness
10.1093/acrefore/9780199389407.013.47
Redefining community in a changing world
Stakeholders in CBDRR
Civil Society Organizations
Other Nontraditional Stakeholders
Examples of CBDRR
Kamaishi Miracle: Importance of School Community Linkages
ALM: From Waste Management to Disaster Prevention
Ring Dyke: Traditional Concept with Modern Implications
Water Community: Importance of Unwritten Governance Systems
Partnership: Linking Different Stakeholders
RELSAT: Community-Owned and Community-Managed Early Warning System
Discussion: Diversity in CBDRR
Urban and Rural Communities
Age Diversity
Role of External Agencies/Change Agents
Sustainability Issues
People’s Accountability
Public Finance of Natural Hazards Risk Reduction and Community Resilience Promotion in Developed Countries
PRINTED FROM the OXFORD RESEARCH ENCYCLOPEDIA, NATURAL HAZARD SCIENCE (oxfordre.com/naturalhazardscience). (c) Oxford University Press USA, 2019. All Rights Reserved. Personal use only; commercial use is strictly prohibited (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).
Community-based approaches existed even before the existence of the state and its formal governance structure. People and communities used to help and take care of each other’s disaster needs. However, due to the evolution of state governance, new terminology of community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) has been coined to help communities in an organized way. Different stakeholders are responsible for community-based actions; the two key players are the local governments and civil society, or nongovernment organizations. Private sector and academic and research institutions also play crucial roles in CBDRR. Many innovative CBDRR practices exist in the world, and it is important to analyze them and learn the common lessons. The key to community is its diversity, and this should be kept in mind for the CBDRR. There are different entry points and change agents based on the diverse community. It is important to identify the right change agent and entry point and to develop a sustainable mechanism to institutionalize CBDRR activities. Social networking needs to be incorporated for effective CBDRR.
Keywords: community diversity, institutionalization, local stakeholders, change agent, entry point, urban and rural communities
Communities are the first responders in case of a disaster. Therefore, community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) should be the core of any risk reduction approach. Disaster risk reduction focuses more on reducing underlying risk, encouraging preventive action before a disaster. Disaster risk management, in contrast, focuses on broader aspects of disaster issues, from prevention and mitigation to relief, response, and recovery. Yodmani (2001) defined community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) as an approach that reduces vulnerabilities and strengthens people’s capacity to cope with hazards, which seeks to: (1) reduce vulnerabilities and increase capacities of vulnerable groups and communities to cope with, prevent, or minimize loss and damage to life, property, and the environment, (2) minimize human suffering, and (3) hasten recovery.
Based on past disasters, it has been found that communities become actively involved in search and rescue, relief, and postdisaster recovery. To enhance community participation before a disaster strikes, it is important to focus on risk reduction issues, and therefore CBDRR has become increasingly emphasized. CBDRR emerged as a result of a shift from reactive emergency management to disaster risk reduction. It focuses more on predisaster interventions such as prevention, mitigation, and preparedness-related activities. For instance, prevention measures aim to avoid the occurrence of disasters, which may not be possible in the case of natural disasters, but the intensity and frequency of disasters could be reduced through poverty alleviation and asset redistribution plans and the provision of basic services such as education and health care (Victoria, 2002). Mitigation measures reduce and limit the impact of natural hazards on elements of risk such as population, infrastructure, and properties through structural measures such as bridges, protective dikes, embankments, and safety building design and nonstructural measures like community risk assessment, community risk reduction planning, public awareness, food security programs, group saving, cooperatives, strengthening community disaster management organizations and advocacy on disasters and development issues, legislation, and land use zoning, among others.
Twigg, Charlotte, and Mary (2000) emphasized that disaster mitigation is intrinsic to sustainable development. Preparedness measures are developed in anticipation of future disasters so that effective and appropriate actions are taken during emergencies, including public awareness, evacuation, and emergency management, search and rescue, immediate repair, restoration of critical facilities and utilities, capacity assessment, non-food relief assistance, and evacuation center management (Victoria, 2002). The key elements and features of CBDRR or CBDM explain the core of community-based approaches for disaster risk reduction and movement (Shaw, 2012; Victoria, 2002):
People’s participation is important: Community members are the main actors, involved not only in the process but its content. They share the benefit or gain through improved disaster risk reduction and development. Ultimately, this will lead to safer conditions, security of livelihood, and sustainable development.
Priorities are set for the most vulnerable groups, families, and people in the community: Participation from all sectors is required for disaster risk reduction, but priority is given to the most vulnerable groups—in urban areas the poor or informal settlers, in rural areas farmers, fisherfolk, and indigenous people. The most vulnerable also include the elderly, the differently abled, children, and women.
Risk reduction measures are community-specific: Measures provided for risk reduction are mainly community-specific, which are identified after an analysis of the community’s disaster risk (hazards, vulnerabilities, and capacities and perceptions of disaster risk).
Existing capacities and coping mechanism are recognized: The strength of CBDRR lies in the existing capacities and coping mechanism of the community members. They often lack material assets but rely heavily on their traditional wisdom, local knowledge and resources, social organizations, shared values, cooperative coping mechanisms, close family ties, and perseverance and resourcefulness.
Disaster risk reduction is linked with development: The aim of CBDRR is to reduce people’s vulnerabilities by strengthening the capacities of individuals, families, and communities. It addresses vulnerabilities and the core factors behind it, such as poverty, social inequalities, and environmental resource depletion and degradation. Ultimately, the idea is to develop a people-centered development as well as equitable and sustainable development. The goal is to build a resilient community.
Outsiders have supporting and facilitating roles: In CBDRR, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) support community members, whereas the government role is integral to the institutionalization of the CBDRR process. Partnerships with less vulnerable groups and other communities are forged in the interest of disaster risk reduction.
Community-based approaches can be defined as “an umbrella term for approaches to programming which involve beneficiaries in their identification, design, or management. It also refers to a set of approaches, applied within community-level projects or as part of national programs” (Slaymaker & Christiansen, 2005, p. 11). The degree of community participation varies along a spectrum from consultation with communities to devolution of resources, decision-making, and implementation at the community level (Slaymaker & Christiansen, 2005). In the field of development planning, Arnstein (1969) defined eight levels of community participation to demonstrate the quality of participation to aspire to and work for. These involve “the redistribution of power that enables the have-not citizens, presently excluded from the political and economic processes, to be deliberately included in the future” (Arnstein, 1969, p. 1).
This article discusses the essentials of CBDRR with specific focus on Asian examples. It provides a historical overview of the evolution of the concept, followed by some new issues in CBDRR in our changing world. A few examples from Asia are provided, followed by discussion of future perspectives of CBDRR.
Disaster risk reduction has evolved over time. While in 1960s and 1970s disasters were considered extreme events, the 1980s saw a strong emphasis on predisaster preparedness, which led to the United Nations (UN) International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction (1990–1999). The first half of the decade focused mainly on government actions, up to the 1994 Yokohama Conference and the “Yokohama Plan of Action for a Safer World,” possibly the first official document agreed upon by the UN member states that strongly emphasized the role of communities and NGOs in disaster risk reduction approaches (IDNDR, 1994). The following year, in 1995, the world saw the devastation of the Great Hanshin earthquake (popularly known as the Kobe earthquake), which shook Japan, one of the most disaster-prone as well as prepared countries. The aftermath of the disaster involved a long-lasting recovery process, and Japan’s concept of civil society and NGO’s role changed quite drastically (Shaw & Goda, 2004).
After 1995 several changes took place in the risk reduction arena. Applying the lessons of Kobe that neighbors helped each other the most, community-focused issues became paramount. Multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary evolution was more emphasized at the global and regional levels. The need for predisaster mitigation measures was emphasized. Major disasters like the 1999 Taiwan earthquake, the 1999 Turkey earthquake, and the 2001 Gujarat, India, earthquake also took place. These events highlighted the need for mainstreaming risk reduction in local and national development policy. Also important was the establishment of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) as the key coordinating UN body for disaster risk reduction.
Then came the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, another turning point in the risk reduction arena. This one event killed more than 200,000 people from more than 65 different countries. The highest death tolls were reported in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, and Thailand. This required global help in postdisaster response and recovery. In 2005, the 10th anniversary of the Kobe earthquake, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA; 2005–2015) was adopted at the 2nd World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) in Hyogo, Japan. This was a landmark event and framework in the sense that, for the first time, the disaster field had a measureable framework to monitor the progress in risk reduction approaches in countries and communities.
Thus, there has been significant progress in the methods, policies, and approaches of disaster risk reduction over time, with risk reduction becoming truly multi-disciplinary with the involvement of different stakeholders. The role of communities and civil societies has been recognized, practiced, and re-emphasized in different documents and policies. Briceno (2015), in his analysis of the evolution of risk reduction approaches, enumerated the following goals: (1) integration of risk management into sustainable development policies and climate change adaptation, (2) shifting to vulnerability reduction and resilience building, (3) ensuring a strong institutional basis for implementing disaster risk reduction, and (4) developing resilience awareness and consciousness-raising.
In 2015, the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was hosted by government of Japan and the city of Sendai (SFDRR, 2015). The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) was adopted by the member states for the period of 2015–2030. SFDRR has seven specific goals:
1. Reduce global disaster mortality
2. Reduce number of affected people
3. Reduce direct disaster economic loss
4. Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructures
5. Increase number of countries with DRR strategies
6. Enhance international cooperation
7. Increase access to multi-hazard EWS, risk information, and assessment
To achieve these goals, there are four key targets:
1. Understanding disaster risk
2. Strengthening disaster risk governance
3. Investing in risk reduction
4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for collective response and being able to “build back better” in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction
Thus, from 1990 to 2015 there has been a big change in the concepts, approaches, and methods used to reduce the impacts of disasters. While in the 1990s focus was more on multi-stakeholder and local governance, since 2000 more risk-sensitive investment planning has been emphasized, and risk-informed decision-making has become the core of the risk reduction.
In 1989, Maskrey made strong arguments for a community-based approach to disaster management. Since then, others have documented, argued, and advocated for risk management at the local level (Shaw, 2012, 2014; Shaw & Okazaki, 2003; Victoria, 2002). However, the definition of local varies depending on the author(s), context, and country. Some people argue that anything below a national can be considered local, but in some cases it is the local government and in others the subcity or village or community level where the emphasis of risk management should be placed. In defining the local DRM context in the Asia-Pacific region, there needs to be a clear link between local governments and local communities, irrespective of the country.
Community-based disaster-related activities are discussed differently over time. More than 100 years ago, before the existence of most the states, people or communities were taking care of themselves through collective actions during disasters (Shaw, 2014). After the formation of states, government-based disaster risk reduction programs started, which failed to serve the needs of the people and communities. During the last 20–30 years we started talking again about the need for CBDRR. Thus, the community-based approach is not new. Rather, we are going back to the old and traditional approaches to risk reduction. Community-based disaster management (CBDM) was a popular term in the later 1980s and 1990s, which gradually evolved to community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) and then community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR). CBDRM and CBDRR are often used with similar meanings, with an enhanced focus on “risk,” but there is still a slight distinction. While CBDRR focuses more on predisaster activities for risk reduction by the communities, CBDRM focuses on a broader perspective of risk reduction–related activities by communities, during, before, and after a disaster (Shaw, 2012). Dynes (1991, p. 2) wrote: “the local community is taken as the primary focus of attention since that is the common unit which is affected by disaster and, more importantly, responds to deal with the event.” Moreover, community-based approaches are effective in correcting the defect in top-down approaches of development planning and disaster management, which often ignore community needs and capacities. These top-down approaches fail to reach the most vulnerable group due to lack community participation.
Indigenous knowledge (IK) is often associated with community-based practices (Cronin et al., 2004; Gaillard & Mercer, 2013; Howitt, Havnen, & Veland, 2012; Kelman, Mercer, & Gaillard, 2012; Mercer, Kelman, Taranix, & Suchet, 2010; Shaw, Sharma, & Takeuchi, 2009). IK is accumulated through experience, and IK relating to disaster risk reduction addresses survival in different natural conditions. IK can be linked to physical aspects (e.g., housing patterns and different physical countermeasures) or can be linked to social value systems and culture (Shaw et al., 2009). Transferable indigenous knowledge goes beyond the time-space boundary of communities and can be disseminated to the next generation. Scientific validation of IK has been the subject of research (Hiwasaki, Luna, Syamsidik, & Shaw, 2014; Mercer et al., 2010), and the accumulated knowledge base needs to be linked to early warning systems and other DRR approaches of the government mechanism.
CBDRR has been traditionally practiced by NGOs as a common approach to build resilient communities in their DRR efforts (Izumi & Shaw, 2012). The approach was initially implemented in the developing world by NGOs, followed by international organizations like the International Federations of Red Cross and Red Crescent. The approach is now increasingly promoted among local governments in order to strengthen the links between the official disaster management system and community-based organizations (Kafle & Murshed, 2006). There are many case studies of DRR projects with community-based approaches by NGOs and local governments, and there are many variations as well (Heijmans, 2009).
In an analysis of community-based disaster risk reduction approaches in Africa, van Niekerk and Coetzee (2012) pointed out that communities were mainly excluded from the decision- making system in the top-down governance system in most African states. They strongly argued that linking top-down relief response activities with community participation can enhance the resilience of the system. Although there are several financial constraints for funding community-based projects, it is important to recognize the enhanced skills of the NGOs and voluntary organization, which can effectively manage funds and deliver the appropriate actions at the grassroots level.
In an overview of Central America, Hori and Shaw (2012a) analyzed 49 disaster management projects, which were funded in 6 countries after Hurricane Mitch. It was found that 80% of the projects focused on soft components, like training, knowledge dissemination, etc. Local stakeholders were the primary focus of 48% of these projects, which were implemented directly with the communities, especially for installing early warning systems. The analysis shows three major categories of project achievements: (1) saving lives, (2) solidarity with the communities, and (3) the influence of the community-based projects on reforming the local government’s legislative framework. Therefore, it was found that community involvement and participation has a far-reaching impact on local governance.
With the development of technology, in a digital era the virtual communities based on the social media have started playing important roles in DRR. There are two types of virtual community related to DR: (1) the learning forum, where researchers and practitioners share their views on new developments in DRR and engage in debate, and (2) community voices, where people and communities express their concern in areas related to DRR. Both are considered of equal importance, since in the information age the importance of sharing and networking is one of the key aspects of community practice.
Communities do not exist in isolation. They are part of a system, and different stakeholders have specific roles to play in community practices, community management, community planning, and community-based actions. Both governments and civil society organizations (CSOs) are major actors in DRR at the national as well as the local level. In the process of DRR, greater emphasis must be placed upon local-level and community-based approaches, indigenous knowledge, and coping strategies supported by CSOs. The involvement of CSOs and local governments (LGs) in DRR is indispensable to address the need of communities and beneficiaries and to identify the most effective tools and solutions in the planning and implementation process within the local context, as it is at the local level that the impacts of a disaster are most immediately felt.
A series of achievements, good practices, and educational and public awareness materials are produced by stakeholders at different levels. In recent years, the initiatives and commitment by national governments have increased particularly in many Asian countries, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. At the same time, there are a number of case studies and good practices by local governments, communities, and CSOs. However, there is a policy gap between the national and local levels. The international policy framework the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) has been popular at the international, regional, and national levels but failed to reach the local level with further details. Thus, the civil society Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN) made the “Road to Sendai” campaign to enlighten people, communities, and community-based organizations about the HFA and the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, held in March 2015. Following are the expected roles of some of the key stakeholders to implement community-based action on DRR.
The need for decentralization from national governments to local governments in DRR has been stressed (UNISDR, 2010). Decentralization is defined as a multi-dimensional process of shifting the focus of development from central planning and bureaucratic government agencies to community-based participatory systems that use the full range of local public and private institutions (Parker, 1995). Local governments have a focal role in DRR. As a subsidiary to national authorities, LGs facilitate and manage the delivery of vital services that benefit communities. Second, as representatives of local residents, they act as advocates, resource mobilizers, connectors, and networkers between local constituents and outsiders. Finally, they provide the local leadership that influences community agendas, decision-making, problem-solving, consensus-building, allocation of resources, and conflict resolution (Shaw, 2009). Since LGs are also deeply rooted in communities, they are better placed in increasing local access to public infrastructure, public services, and economic opportunities; in increasing the empowerment of local actors; and in enhancing the sustainability of local development processes (Manyena, 2006). Ballin (2008) listed three major reasons why the participation of the local government is critical:
- Local knowledge and measures tailored to local hazards and vulnerabilities are most the effective disaster risk management.
- National disaster management authorities have difficulties responding to and preparing for disasters, thus local actors must rely on their own capabilities to protect themselves.
- Society often increases disaster risk itself and is more aware of disaster risks.
Based on the above characteristics of local governments, four major roles of local governments in DRR were highlighted by UNISDR (2009):
- Play a central role in coordinating and sustaining a multi-level, multi-stakeholder platform to promote DRR in the region or for a specific hazard.
- Effectively engage local communities and citizens with DRR activities and link their concerns with government priorities.
- Strengthen their own institutional capacities and implement their own practical DRR actions.
- Devise and implement innovative tools and techniques for DRR, which can be replicated elsewhere or scaled-up nationwide.
Matsuoka, Joerin, Shaw, and Takeuchi (2012) highlighted the role of local governments in the formation of the disaster-safe welfare community in Kobe, Japan, based on a partnership between the community and the local government. After the 1995 earthquake, Kobe started to develop community disaster prevention groups, forming a “disaster-safe welfare community” with the basic principles of self-help, cooperative help, and public help. The concept was formalized and mainstreamed in all the school districts of Kobe, and the coverage of the welfare community reached 100% coverage by 2008. According to this concept, the Kobe city government has a role to provide support and necessary guidance for enabling the environment to strengthen community DRR capacity and contribute to the sustainability of initiatives by communities. The initiative and strong support and leadership of the Kobe city government greatly influenced community resilience in the face of disaster.
Furthermore, the role of LGs in developmental functions is essential for DRR, in particular in land-use planning, urban development planning, public works, construction, safety and licensing, social services, and responding to the need of the poor and the underprivileged, and implementation and strengthening of the decentralization process (UNISDR, 2010). Although there is a strong need for the active involvement of local governments in DRR, local governments have less opportunity than national governments to explore the possibility of various support systems in coordination and knowledge development (Izumi & Shaw, 2011). In addition, local officials are not necessarily familiar with new regulations, and there is a lack of dedicated organizational local capacity for planning and implementation. This is compounded by a general lack of clarity on the roles of local governments and/or competition of different administrative levels over authority and resources. Malardoda, Amaratunga, and Pathirage (2010) categorized the challenges faced by local governments into two areas: internal factors and external factors. The internal factors include lack of knowledge and interest in DRR initiatives and human resource issues, lack of financial capabilities, internal organizational and administrative weaknesses, and competing priorities. The external factors include lack of authority, multi-layered governance arrangements, unstable political systems, and relationship issues with the central government. It is possible to overcome a lack of knowledge on DRR initiatives regarding the internal factors by working with CSOs. An initial challenge is often the lack of interest in and capacities for DRR by local governments. This is often a reflection of weak local governance capacities. Support from partners, such as the national government, CSOs, and UN agencies, can play a catalytic role in filling the initial gaps. The challenge is to build up a planning process where people participate, decide upon, and plan their city together with the local government authorities based on their capacities and resources.
The functions of CSOs in general, according to Streeten (1997), are: (1) they are good at reaching and mobilizing poor and remote communities, (2) they help empower poor people to gain control of their lives, (3) they carry out projects at lower costs and more efficiently than the government agencies, and (4) they promote sustainable development. In the long run, they aim to promote sustainable community development through activities that promote capacity building and self-reliance. CSOs have the same characteristic as local governments, being deeply rooted in community, exposed to local disaster risks, and familiar with local knowledge and culture. Based on these general functions and characteristics, CSOs can play an important role in implementing CBDRR. The CBDRR approach has been implemented by CSOs since the end of the 1990s as an alternative to top-down approaches in disaster management. With this approach, people’s awareness of disaster risks was increased using intimate local knowledge, and pre-existing local capacities and institutions were recognized.
Without the strong involvement of CSOs and community, local-level initiatives for DRR will not be sustainable. For instance, external agencies, such as governments, often initiate and implement community-level programs, but such initiatives often cease once external support is ended. There can be many reasons behind this lack of sustainability, such as lack of funding, partnership, participation, empowerment, and ownership of local communities. In order to overcome this challenge, multi-lateral and multi-sectoral approaches, awareness-raising among all the stakeholders at different levels, and partnership/network are important (Kafle & Murshed, 2006; Shaw & Okazaki, 2003). Benson et al. (2001) added that CSOs, as they make longer-term commitments, develop and disseminate innovations, and their broad-based approach creates a more holistic approach to disasters. In addition, Luna (2001) emphasizes CSOs’ important role in training and capacity development activities not only for communities but also for local governments. Mulyasari (2012) highlighted more points in terms of the role of CSOs in DRR. CSOs have a role to play in linking development strategies in routine activities and programs of the communities, in decentralization of DRR responsibilities and resources by communicating DRR to the communities at large, in strengthening public–private partnership, and in upscaling community participation in DRR. Izumi and Shaw (2012) further describe the roles of CSOs as facilitators and moderators among local stakeholders to bridge a gap in communications among the stakeholders. At the same time, it is possible for CSOs to create a sense of ownership among communities in DRR activities by working closely with communities closely, which can lead to program sustainability.
There are three different types of civil society organizations: international, national, and local. Van Niekerk and Coetzee (2012) pointed out that in Africa, international NGOs play an important role in funding community-based projects. Without the funding provided by international NGOs and intergovernmental organizations, community-based disaster risk reduction projects would cease to exist due to the lack of funds currently being allocated by African governments. Even though international NGOs take a leading role in contributing skills and capacities to CBDRR projects in Africa, this does not diminish the input from governments and local NGOs. Often governments and NGOs (international and local) are found to cooperate in a close symbiotic relationship, where the one group provides input and expertise on aspects of a specific CBDRR project where the other group might not have the required expertise. There is also a lack of private sector involvement in grassroots projects in Africa.
However, CSOs have been facing the challenges in the process of DRR implementation. Though disaster has been recognized as a problematic issue, clear and explicit operational and preparedness plans in CSOs remain far from adequate. This is perhaps due to the lack of conceptual clarity in the minds of CSO leaders in DRR efforts. In addition, CSOs have been struggling with other internal challenges and issues such as shortage of DRR-mandated staff, high staff turnover, institutional boundaries between emergencies and DRR, poor documentation of organizational records, and a lack of practical guidance for staff. Furthermore, many CSOs have issues related to external factors such as funding. Their activities face the problem of sustainability over a longer period of time, especially once the CSO withdraws from the field. Thus, even though the initiatives are started with CSOs interventions, it is important to link them to local government activities and incorporate them into policies (Shaw, 2009). While CSOs have been advocating the importance of DRR and focusing on the root causes of disaster occurrence, there is still a strong interest by governments and donors in the emergency phase. The low profile of DRR work in comparison to emergency relief has made it unattractive to donors and governments. International funds are more easily available when a state of emergency is declared. Most donors are aware of the negative image that failed investments generate for the predisaster phase.
The DRR efforts by CSOs and LGs are also affected by the leadership of the national government. When national budgets are tight, governments tend to spend less on prevention and DRR and more on postdisaster response and recovery. There are two main reasons for this. First, investments in DRR may not yield benefits for many years, which makes it difficult to justify diverting scarce funds from other sectors such as rural health where benefits are more upfront and visible. Second, even if measures to reduce risk are successful, it can be difficult to prove that it was due to investments in prevention. The problem is further compounded by the fact that there are more funds available for response than for prevention. It is however considered due to DRR is still addressed in isolation from development processes. A more integrated approach based on the two-way linkage between disasters and development is necessary, and the effectiveness of DRR will lead to development and vulnerability reduction. Thus, not only program implementation with communities but also advocacy efforts by CSOs is critical. This should be addressed by governments, donors, and international/regional actors. They and LGs could utilize a regional network for CSOs such as ADRRN and a global network for CSOs such as the Global Network for Disaster Reduction. As stressed by Shaw (2009), it is key for CBDRR to establish partnership and collaboration among stakeholders at the local and other levels.
Private sectors and academic/research institutions are considered nontraditional stakeholders in the local communities. However, they have key roles to play. In the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami, the University of Madras, located in Chennai in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, started a unique higher education program by establishing a community college for underprivileged students. Most of the students were from fishing communities in nearby coastal villages affected by tsunami. The college, apart from its regular classes, engaged the students to undertake specific community-based activities like village and coastal watching, map making, identifying vulnerable areas of the villages, and identifying escape routes (Krishnamurthy & Kamala, 2015). These were done in cooperation with the village council, district office, and NGOs. The sustainability of the effort lies in the fact that since it is incorporated in the mandatory disaster management curriculum for all college students, it is essential for the students to participate every year. Thus, periodic monitoring is also ensured.
Similarly, the private sector can play an important role in enhancing community resilience. The coastal areas of Bangladesh are often faced with severe drinking water problems. This is partly due to human-induced causes, like extensive aquaculture, and partly due to natural causes like arsenic-contaminated underground water and salinity induction due to cyclones and storm surges. Thus, rainwater harvesting is the only available option in many cases. There, a water tank company, Gazi Tank, entered into a unique collaboration with the international NGO (INGO) called CONCERN to provide water tanks in rural areas (Izumi & Shaw, 2014). The tank price was subsidized by the company, and villagers made a down payment, followed by monthly installments to pay back the cost over a period of 2–3 years. The INGO put the collateral in the bank to insure against nonreturn of the money by the villagers. The counterpart local NGO of the INGOs worked closely with the villagers and local government to develop a comprehensive scheme of rainwater harvesting, mainly targeted at female-headed families. This gave families some economic support as well as better living options with safe drinking water. The success of several pilot programs created a market for the tank company in rural areas. Thus, it was a win-win situation where the private company made a profit through its expanded market in the rural area and the rural risks of saline water and nonavailability of safe drinking water were reduced, while at the same time living conditions and livelihoods were improved.
There are many examples of successful CBDRR across the globe. The following are some from Asia.
The Tohoku region of Japan was affected by a devastating tsunami in 2011. Kamaishi, a city located in the Iwate prefecture of the Tohoku region, used to conduct community-based disaster education by practicing evacuation drills with schools and communities. Usually, in Japan, after a major earthquake, the school principal gathers the students, and if the school is located in the coastal area, due to potential tsunami, students evacuate to the rooftop of the school building. This is standard evacuation practice, and March 11, 2011, after the earthquake, the school principals of the Unosumai elementary and junior high schools followed this procedure. However, a community fire volunteer came running to alert the school principals that the potential tsunami wave might exceed the height of the roof and that therefore the students should evacuate to nearby higher ground. The principals followed the suggestion of the fire volunteer and ordered evacuation to higher ground, and consequently no children were harmed. Both of the schools were totally devastated by the powerful tsunami waves. The key lesson here is the importance of school community linkage, which saved the lives of the schoolchildren.
The megacity of Mumbai, India, has a population that varies from 16 to 20 million, 58% of which live in slum areas. The city, like other developing nations’ cities, has daily problems of waste management, traffic management, pollution, sanitation issues, etc. In 1998, the city government started a community-based solid waste management program called advanced locality management (ALM), which encourages the communities living on both sides of a street (including formal and informal communities) to come together for the betterment of their locality (Figure 1) (Surjan, Redkar, & Shaw, 2009). They form a committee, register with the city government, and receive a small grant to start waste management activities. The informal sector’s female poopulation started segregating the collected waste, which was sold to generate a small income for these women’s groups. In total, more than 800 ALMs were registered. The waste management issues brought the community together, and it led to several other programs like the development of public toilets and a sanitation drive and women’s computer literacyprogram. In 2005, there was a devastating flood caused by major catastrophic rainfall within 18–20 hours, which brought the city to a standstill. A survey conducted afterward found that the areas where ALMs were more active had less damage, and rescue operations there were smoother. This was the case for two reasons: due to daily communication, the community network and local information was better, so people knew whom to rescue first—children, the elderly, physically challenged people, and pregnant women. The second reason was good waste management policy: drainage was better and there was less inundation in most of areas. The key lesson from this practice is that in an urban megacity, CBDRR needs an entry point, and for Mumbai it was solid waste management, which in turn helped in disaster risk reduction.
Figure 1. Impact of ALM activities (left: before; right: after).
Before the infrastructure development of the river system (like river dykes) in Japan, there used to be circular ring dykes, often made using soil (Figure 2). People lived in a cluster, and 20–25 families, sometimes even up to 50 households, lived within the ring dykes. These types of ring dykes existed in the flood plain areas, surrounded by agriculture land. The key concept was to protect the lives and household assets from the flooding. There used to be a strict monitoring and watch system by household members living within the rink dykes (Takeuchi & Shaw, 2009). They helped each other and kept an eye on the flood level during the flooding season. The repair and maintenance of the ring dykes was also their responsibility. Now, with the advancement of the mega dyke system along most of the rivers in Japan, the ring dykes do not exist anymore, and their physical importance has gradually decreased. However, the concept of communities caring for their own and others’ safety (a combination of self-help and mutual help) is still applicable to modern CBDRR in Japan as well as elsewhere.
Figure 2. Ring dyke remnants in central Japan (From Takeuchi & Shaw, 2009).
Water is an essential part of life. In ancient days, people had to go to “water points” (e.g., rivers or ponds) to fetch water. Today, in many rural areas, that is still the common practice. However, in urban areas we depend on a water supply system, and therefore, our direct dependency on water sources has gradually decreased. Water community is a concept to revitalize water–human interaction and learn and apply the principles of traditional practices. In a small town called Gujo Hachiman in Gifu prefecture in Japan, a traditional water governance system is still practiced (Takeuchi, Uy, & Shaw, 2010). The town was devastated by a major fire 400 ago, and during reconstruction it was built with a water system around its houses and water points at different locations. In the stepwise point location (Figure 3), water usage is governed by strict unwritten regulations (e.g., the upper part is for drinking, the lower part for other purposes). The community has learned the importance of water and made self-governed rules. The key point here is that the community norm and regulations are maintained and monitored by its members for the common use of water.
Figure 3. Stepwise water usage point ruled by community governance.
A project funded by Christian Aid in Malawi titled “Building Disaster Resilient Communities” has shown a great example of partnership of INGOs, local NGOs, and local government, working closely with the local communities (van Niekerk & Coetzee, 2012). The project is implemented by the Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) in the Phalombe district of Malawi, addressing the water issues during drought periods. The local district office and the implementing agency ELDS provided technical training to local communities. ELDS provided materials and information on water pipelines, and local governments gave provided input on technical details. The local communities contributed their labor and had a strong sense of ownership in the future maintenance of the water pipeline system. Thus, a true partnership, through a proper community involvement, can develop a resilient system for communities.
Strengthening Local Structures and Early Warning Systems (Reforzamientos de Estructuras Locales y Sistemas de Alerta Temprana, or RELSAT) was implemented in the city of Cartago, Tunisia, during 1999–2001. The objective of this project was to establish an efficient community early warning systems (CEWS) and increase community capability to reduce local flood risk (Hori & Shaw, 2012b). The project installed a transparent plastic pluviometer at two sites of the upper river basin, Tierra Blanca and Piedra Grande. This equipment was installed at houses of assigned volunteer families. Monitoring of this equipment was simple—observing the precipitation accumulated in the pluviometer. Other equipment was installed to gauge river water levels at the same two sites. The structure of this equipment was also simple—it used a plastic bar and electronic sensor to calibrate water level digitally. The bar was installed in the river and connected with electronic wires to each volunteer family’s premises. The volunteer families at Piedra Grande and Barrio Nuevo abandoned their CEWS duty five to seven years after the project implementation. This experience offers lessons related to the difficulty of continuing each actor’s assigned CEWS responsibility on a voluntary basis over time. It appears that when the EWS is community based, its sustainability is ensured.
One of the key points of CBDRR is the diversity of the community. Diversity exists at different levels, based on geographic location, customs, culture, habits, etc. To understand and appreciate this diversity is the first step of CBDRR. For that, a change agent is required as an entry point to the community. Following are some of salient features that need to kept in mind for CBDRR.
There are distinct differences in urban and rural communities. In the rural communities, CBDRR can be a development vehicle, which addresses the development needs of the area, be it health or education or water-related issues. The impacts of disasters on rural communities usually are livelihood-related. Thus, CBDRR can start addressing livelihood issues directly in the rural areas. However, urban communities face complex challenges of basic human needs and other related urban problems. Thus, CBDRR in the urban areas needs to be linked to one of these issues to be effective and operational. Thus, while in rural areas CBDRR can be the entry point for development needs, in urban areas it is rather the opposite, where development needs can be the entry point for CBDRR.
In several countries, aging population is an increasingly important issue. In the case of Japan, with depopulation and an aging population, aging or senior citizens are key to CBDRR. In most cases, they are the resident association leaders and effectively become the core of the community activities. In contrast, in urban areas, youth groups are key to CBDRR. However, these two groups require different approaches. In the digital age, in both developed and developing countries, social media are playing an increasingly important role in the development of communities. Therefore, youth groups can be mobilized through increasing use of social media, while senior citizens need a different, face-to-face community relations approach.
In most communities there exist change agents or leaders. However, their influence is sometimes dormant. Thus, the external agency (either NGO or research/academic institution) can play an important role in revitalizing local leaders, emphasizing and recognizing their roles and activities. This needs to be done in a good balance so as not to destroy the local power politics in the community.
One of the key challenges of CBDRR is sustainability. After a major disaster event there are external and internal agencies that keep the momentum of CBDRR as long as the resources exist. Disasters can be development opportunities, and it is important to think how the disaster recovery process can be core to longer-term sustainability of the CBDRR. For that, institutionalization of CBDRR efforts at the local governance level is very important.
One of the key issues of CBDRR is to be a responsible citizen. DRR is not just state responsibility, it belongs to every citizen, both individually and collectively. After a disaster, people often turn to the government for subsidy or support, and they receive different types of the internal and external assistance. However, it is the primary responsibility of citizens to protect their assets by themselves and to make sure that preventive measures are taken at the individual and family levels. This is especially applicable to different types of small disasters, the preparedness for which is accumulated to cope with the mega disaster. Thus, a self and community accountability check is key to CBDRR.
In summary, while the importance of CBDRR is recognized at the national and local levels, its nature is changing over time. To make CBDRR effective, it needs to be linked to local needs and priorities, and disaster issues and other social needs need to be addressed together. The nature of community is also changing, and therefore new media like social networking needs to be used effectively for successful CBDRR.
This article is based on several years of experience with many graduate students, NGOs, local governments, and academic institutions, which is greatly appreciated.
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Takeuchi, Y., & Shaw, R. (2009). Indigenous knowledge for river management and flood control in Japan. In R. Shaw, A. Sharma, & Y. Takeuchi (Eds.), Indigenous knowledge and disaster risk reduction: From practice to policy (pp. 283–292). Bangkok: Nova Publisher.Find this resource:
Takeuchi, Y., Uy, N., & Shaw, R. (2010). Community Based Water Management Practices in Japan. In Shaw R., & Thaitakoo D. (Eds.), Water Communities (pp. 15–33). London: Emerald Publication.Find this resource:
Twigg, J., Charlotte, B., & Mary, M. (2000). NGO initiatives in risk reduction: A summary of the research studies for the British Red Cross Society funded by the Department of International Development, Manila, ADB.Find this resource:
UNISDR. (2009). Local governments and disaster risk reduction: Good practices and lessons learned. Geneva: United Nations.Find this resource:
UNISDR. (2010). Strategy outline for the 2010–2011 world disaster reduction campaign on making cities resilient, addressing urban risk. Geneva: UNISDR.Find this resource:
van Niekerk, D., & Coetzee, C. (2012). African experiences in community-based disaster risk reduction In R. Shaw (Ed.), Community based disaster risk reduction (pp. 339–349). Bingley, UK: Emerald Publisher.Find this resource:
Victoria, L. (2002). Community based approaches to disaster mitigation. Paper presented at Regional Workshop on Best Practices in Disaster Mitigation, Bangkok.Find this resource:
Yodmani, S. (2001). Disaster risk management and vulnerability reduction: Protecting the poor. Workshop organized by the Asian Development Bank in Manila.Find this resource:
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The Practical, Fanciful Pagan
Movie Review (SHOCK CORRIDOR)
The Practical, Fanciful Pagan Movie Review, Work-Related December 3, 2018 December 3, 2018 1 Minute
The movie SHOCK CORRIDOR (1963), starring 1960s B-movie ingenue Constance Towers, is one of those campy flicks with an often shoddy script. However, it’s punctuated now and again with touching scenes of men in anguish over different social and political struggles (e.g., racism, the Cold War, and patriotism) and how these adversely affect one’s sanity and relationships with others. Borrowing blatantly from the earlier cinema genre known as “film noir,” the movie was filmed in black and white, has several night-time scenes, and highlights some of life’s undersides, such as a strip club. It is there where Ms. Towers’ character dances for the gawking fellas, all to make an honest living while her journalist boyfriend goes undercover as a mental patient in order to investigate an unsolved murder.
Trying to be focused and allegorical, the bulk and heart of the movie take place in a locked psychiatric ward. The stark set is believable but the kinds of mental problems the patients have are laughable, due to clinical inconsistencies of actual symptoms and seemingly arbitrary diagnostic labeling. The script writer has people suffer from a hodge-podge mix of PTSD, schizophrenia, and OCD– to name a few of the diagnoses that come to mind. Clearly, he had done, well, zero research about mental disorders. On the other hand, there were far less clinical studies completed by the mental health academe then that have long since been done. Also, other forms of psychotherapy beyond traditional psychoanalysis were not yet very widespread in 1963. So, I guess I should cut writer and director Samuel Fuller a bit of slack. If you can turn most of your brain off and watch for sheer period piece early ’60s entertainment, the film is sometimes atmospheric and fun, if often, perhaps, unintentionally so. Preview hint: I’m thinking especially of the scene in which a male patient somehow gets trapped in a room full of raving nymphomaniacs. What was the director thinking (other than him clearly being a sexist pig)?? Oh, that’s right, the movie is campy, and we can leave it at that.
Published by The Practical, Fanciful Pagan
I'm gay, married, Pagan, and Progressive-minded from California, raised by hippie intellectuals. I relocated to Massachusetts for graduate school and never moved back to the Left Coast. My day job is that of psychotherapist in private practice, a profession I love with all my heart and a dream fully realized that I'd had since fifteen years of age. These are my rantings, reviews, and reflections. If nothing else, I hope you find something interesting and leave the rest. View all posts by The Practical, Fanciful Pagan
Published December 3, 2018 December 3, 2018
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2 thoughts on “Movie Review (SHOCK CORRIDOR)”
dmok1790 says:
Your review of this movie made me want to watch it, which I did. I was caught up in the loudness, overdramatizing and fear-based situations that the main character put himself in, the mental patients had to deal with, including being subjected to archaic modes of treatment and the sense that no one had any control over what happened to them. Towards the end, I sensed a familiarity with most of the shows/movies my parents watched at that time which were scary and left a sense of powerlessness over those with power that could abuse it. I’m sure seven years old was much too young to watch or understand that TV or movies were drama, not real life. I loved Peter Breck in Big Valley and thought he did a great job with his role, same for the lead actress. Thanks again, Sean, for another great review.
The Practical, Fanciful Pagan says:
Thank you for your well-written input. All that loudness and overdramatizing, and emphasis of fearfulness you speak of all comes down to the purposeful sensationalizing that this movie, other ones, and TV shows from this same time period constantly did. Very formulaic and campy. To me, the over-the-topness is entertaining, when I’m in the mood for it. However, I certainly understand about finding such faire as this movie scary for you as a seven-year-old. It certainly would have been for me as well at that tender age. And as for the powerlessness theme, well, yes that sure is there in the movie. I do think SHOCK CORRIDOR tried to convey more shades of gray around morality and evil, which was certainly very rare for films to try and grapple with during that time period. I’m not sure how much it succeeded in this effort, frankly, though I often found it quite amusing at least.
Mental patients had far less rights that they do now, which was indeed archaic and downright wrong, given that their humanity didn’t somehow leave them just because they entered a psych. ward. We still have quite a ways to go with mental health in the U.S., but I know I’m preaching to the choir, of course.
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Sahiwal University Got No Admissions This Year: Faculty
Posted 2 years ago by Sukaina Tanweer
Sahiwal University did not grant admission to any BS or master student this year.
It has been reported that the University of Sahiwal (US) was not able to enroll any student in its four-year BS or master’s program in any of the disciplines due to numerous issues.
According to the sources, the major reasons for not granting admissions to the students were:
The absence of a permanent VC, examination controller and senior faculty.
Lack of funds
A dysfunctional syndicate
Absence of a separate account head
Administrative separation from Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU).
An alleged corruption scam
NOC not recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC)
The university was established on June 10, 2015, on the basis of the Provincial Government Act. Originally it was affiliated to BZU and was considered a sub-campus of BZU. Later, it was developed into an independent university based on more than 70 acres of land.
According to a senior faculty member, the main purpose of the university was to enhance opportunities for acquiring a higher education for students in Sahiwal division. But a lack of funds from the provincial government hindered the university to achieve that goal.
Moreover, an independent account head at the Accountant General Punjab’s office has also not been appointed yet.
A faculty member reported that more than 2,000 students were granted admissions in various disciplines when it was part of BZU, but after its independence, the number of students dropped significantly.
“This year not a single admission was made in any of the eight programs offered at graduation and master level,” he said.
A staff member disclosed that more than 800-900 students were granted admission last year, but considering the financial status of the varsity, no student was enrolled this year. The local administration was seeking a budget of Rs. 1,277 million, but their demand was turned down.
Sources suggest that the Campus Director wrote a letter to HEC, requesting for issuance of provisional NOC to the university, only for enrolling students for the current session. He didn’t receive a response from the commission.
The local educationists, students, and parents also look forward to the betterment of the situation.
Via Dawn
Sukaina Tanweer
Muhammad Fahad Mahmood says:
Sad!!!
Is Mamle Main HEC Ki Koi Zimadari Nahi Banti : Wo Support Kare Funds & Management Arrange Kare :
Sorry state of affairs, Oh but, we have Metro in Lahore and Multan. Cheers :)
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Art police fear for future after detectives moved to Grenfell team
Detectives specialised in art and antiques crimes have been reassigned to the Grenfell Tower investigation. Three officers have been temporally moved from this specialized team to help with the investigation into the fire. This is one of the largest investigation the Metropolitan Police has conducted and involves detectives from various department. The owner of the tower, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the manager, the Kensington and Chelsea tenant management organisation are being investigated over possible offence of corporate manslaughter. The Art and Antiques crime division usually deals with forgers and maintains the London stolen art database of over 54,000 missing works.
Via: The Times
Wolfgang Tillmans, Fondation Beyeler, Basel — ‘A forensic, less-ordinary eye’
After a massive show at the Tate Modern earlier this year, Wolfgang Tillmans is back at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel. The exhibition is organized in a way to make the images complement each other, with the photographs pinned to the wall unframed. The apparently random installation compels the viewer to consider each pictures on its own term. In the gallery talk, Tillmans explained that he is anti-narrative, however he does not like his work to be described as abstract either. Wolfgang Tillmans’ forensic eye make him one of the best photographer of his generation. In his 1998 Silver series, the German artist is deconstructing colour by saturating the surface with an ink-stained pigment created by feeding under-developed photographic paper through a dirty printer.
Via: The Financial Times
Collection of Yeats family treasures to go on display for first time
Objects previously belonging to members of the Yeats family are going to be on display in Dublin and London before being auctioned by Sotheby’s in London on the 27th of September. The collection includes letters from the poet William Butler to his first love, and the desk on which he wrote them, but also books, paintings, furniture and personal belongings relating to all the members of the Yeats family. Nobel Prize winner WB Yeats’ letters and hairbrushes are also on sale, with paintings by his brother Jack B Yeats. The highlights include 130 handwritten letters to WB’s first lover, Olivia Shakespear, and a portrait by Maud Gonne, one of his lovers of her daughter Iseult.
Via: The Guardian
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Home > Journals > Michigan Law Review > MLR > Vol. 105 > Iss. 3 (2006)
Party On: The Right to Voluntary Blanket Primaries
Margaret P. Aisenbrey, University of Michigan Law School
Political parties have unique associational rights. In party primaries, party members associate to further their common political beliefs, and more importantly, to nominate candidates. These candidate are the "standard bearer[s]" for the political party-the people who "best represent[ ] the party's ideologies and preferences." The primary represents a "crucial juncture at which the appeal to common principles may be translated into concerted action, and hence to political power in the community." Because the primary is such a critical moment for the political party, the party's asso-ciational rights are most important at this time.
Margaret P. Aisenbrey, Party On: The Right to Voluntary Blanket Primaries, 105 Mich. L. Rev. 603 (2006).
Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol105/iss3/4
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Posts Tagged ‘China in the world’
Time China met its promises and took leading role in Afghanistan
Posted: January 6, 2018 in South China Morning Post
Tags: BRI, China, China in the world, China-Afghanistan, OBOR
A further piece for the South China Morning Post about what more China could do in Afghanistan. More on this topic over the year as well I think.
Beijing needs to move beyond rhetoric and take more concrete action to help and guide the violence-torn nation on its northern borders, writes Raffaello Pantucci
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 02 January, 2018, 3:03pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 02 January, 2018, 8:48pm
The year has ended with a number of banner headlines about China’s engagement in Afghanistan.
Hosting his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts, Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced China wanted to include Afghanistan in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. At around the same time, one of the messages to emerge from the Afghan defence minister’s visit to Beijing suggested that China was going to invest in a security force in Badakhshan province.
In fact, neither of these announcements is new and while it is good that China is increasing the positive public announcements around its engagement with Kabul, 2018 needs to be the year that China follows through on its rhetoric and takes a greater leadership role in Afghanistan.
The key change in China’s engagement in Afghanistan can be traced back to 2013 when Beijing started to perceive that Washington’s talk of withdrawal was genuine. While the withdrawal was not as complete as was suggested at the time, it showed Beijing that Washington’s commitment to Afghanistan had limits. It also reminded Beijing the glaringly obvious fact that chaos in Afghanistan was something which would have direct ramifications on China. Unlike the US, on another continent, China shares a direct border with Afghanistan.
This started to shape a shift in policy from Beijing. A clearer effort towards engagement was undertaken, even going so far as to undertake joint projects with the United States. China’s political engagement and activity increased and a senior diplomat, Sun Yuxi, was appointed to act as a point of focus for China’s efforts in the country.
And around Afghanistan, growing investment flowed into neighbouring Pakistan and Central Asia as part of Xi Jinping’s keynote foreign policy vision of the Belt and Road international trade and infrastructure initiative. The elevation of these investments under the umbrella of the Belt and Road gave them much greater significance and highlighted the importance of a stable Afghanistan to deliver success in the long-term.
Yet what is surprising in the five years that have followed is the relatively limited volume of activity that has actually taken place or delivered change. China has certainly upped its game in Afghanistan, but it has not yet taken on the game-changing role it could play. Its investments have remained relatively limited and in the case of the largest investment in the country, the copper mine at Mes Aynak, has not moved forwards.
While aid has increased, Afghanistan is a country that needs a sustainable long-term economy, not just aid handouts. Big projects have failed to move forwards and deliver the tax revenues that the country hoped for and Beijing has yet to play a significant role in security terms. On peace talks, China has played a role as honest broker between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but this has so far not brought the necessary actors to the table to foster peace in the country.
Going forwards, China should focus its efforts on a two-pronged effort which focuses on delivering meaningful economic investment into the country and consolidating and leading peace efforts.
On economic investment, Beijing needs to make sure greater investment with local benefits materialises in the country. So far, aid projects have been delivered, alongside some infrastructure investment. Both of these are hugely positive and necessary, but are not providing the sort of transformative economic investment that Afghanistan needs.
Opening up direct train routes and markets is important, but China needs to make it easier for business people in both countries to move back and forth, and for goods to go between the countries. Furthermore, Beijing should incentivise small and medium sized enterprises to develop, something that could be addressed through getting China’s policy banks to extend low interest loans to firms working on or in Afghanistan.
At a larger level, creating a joint investment fund with other international partners to support the construction of infrastructure in Afghanistan would help both encourage Chinese firms to move forwards in this direction, but also help build the necessary physical wiring which will reconnect Afghanistan to its neighbourhood and realise the country’s place in the Belt and Road initiative.
At a more strategic level, Afghanistan needs to develop a bigger tax revenue base. Its natural resource sector is an obvious source that has so far not been tapped as much as it could be, in part as Chinese firms have not lived up to their initial commitments. The government should step in to fix this with companies that have already signed contracts to deliver on them, as well as support others that are exploring opportunities. Copper prices finally appear to be back on an upward trajectory, suggesting that the Mes Aynak project may become more economically interesting again.
The key complaints that companies often find in seeking to invest in Afghanistan are security and corruption. In both contexts, the Chinese government can play a greater role in supporting firms.
China already provides some support to Afghan security forces, but greater central budgetary support would help justify a greater Afghan security role for Chinese projects and investments. On corruption, if Beijing was to work with others (like the West, India and Iran) to ensure the rules of the road in Afghanistan were firmly marked out for their firms that are investing in the country, it could help transform the business environment.
Finally, Beijing should use its growing regional clout to try to bring some order and coherence to the many different regional institutions that have been developed around Afghanistan’s future. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, the Istanbul or Heart of Asia Process, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and more have all held varying levels of engagements in Afghanistan. And China itself has created or taken part in a growing constellation of bilateral, trilateral, regional and more forums which focus on Afghanistan.
Kabul needs the attention and support, but a growing problem is a lack of coherence and confusion about which format is actually delivering effective change. It is also stretching Afghanistan’s diplomatic managerial capacity. Were China to try to drive some coherent direction to this range of regional institutions then it might be possible to more effectively marshal the international community. While it will be impossible to ever create a single entity that captures everybody and everything connected with Afghanistan, narrowing down the numbers and focusing efforts would undoubtedly help.
Raffaello Pantucci is director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute in London
China can cope with any bumps along the way on ‘Belt and Road’
Posted: December 2, 2017 in South China Morning Post
Tags: BRI, China, China in the world, OBOR, Pakistan
Catching up again on posting with an old piece for the South China Morning Post, trying to address some of the rather vacuous commentary that exists around the Belt and Road Initiative. Don’t totally agree with the choice of title, but that was of course an editorial choice. Of course more on this to come, and please check out my other site China in Central Asia for my history of work on this. A few bigger projects coming on this topic next year.
Also to catch up on some commentary, spoke to the Independent about UK’s historical offender management programme, to the Washington Post about leadership in terrorist groups, to Vox about vehicle terrorist attacks, to AFP about jihadi returnees from Syria, to the Daily Mail about equipment being used to monitor potential returnees, to Newsweek for a historical piece about the Paris attacks, to the National about terrorism trends, to Talk Radio about the Las Vegas shooting, to the Independent about the same incident, to the Washington Post after the recent New York attack, to the Wall Street Journal about terrorism in Germany, to Sky News about what social media companies are doing to counter terrorism, to the Times after minister Rory Stewart’s comments about jihadis dying in Syria, to the South China Morning Post about China’s activity in Syria and finally, to the Economist for this short video on returning foreign terrorist fighters.
Opinion: China can cope with any bumps along the way on ‘Belt and Road’
Beijing has long experience dealing with countries involved in its massive trade initiative and the idea that it’s not prepared for problems is misleading, writes Raffaello Pantucci
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 04 November, 2017, 3:32pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 04 November, 2017, 10:17pm
There is an increasingly tired narrative about how China’s encounters with problems in countries involved in its “Belt and Road Initiative” are evidence of potential bumps along the way.
Implicit within these statements is the idea that the project (as though the belt and road is a single project) is still being developed and conceptualised, and that these problems are something for down the road. The reality is that the initiative is already under way and China is already managing the problems it is encountering.
Announced in 2013, the initiative was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s way of stamping his name on something that was already under way. The story of Chinese investment in Central Asia goes back to the first days of the collapse of the Soviet Union. As the Chinese economy grew, it slowly spilt over its western borders, following the natural flow of regional trade. As trouble in China’s Xinjiang got out of hand, an approach of using heavy economic investment to improve the region only accelerated this flow. This became the root of the Silk Road Economic Belt.
Down in southern China, the 1999 Kunming Initiative aimed to foster greater connectivity for Yunnan province, all under the auspices of former president Jiang Zemin’s Great Western Development Strategy. This became the root of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor.
In Pakistan, as far back as 2002, former premier Zhu Rongji visited Pakistan to inaugurate work at the port in Gwadar.
Meanwhile ex-president Hu Jintao announced a surge in trade and investment with Pakistan in 2006. The bones of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor had been laid out long before Premier Li Keqiang signed a memorandum of understanding in 2013. And none of this covers the port investments in Sri Lanka and other Southeast Asian ports that have long bothered India.
There is no doubt that the agglomeration of all of these projects under a single umbrella has turbocharged them. While previously projects somewhat sputtered along, the high-level attention that is accorded by becoming belt and road initiatives, plus the investments and companies that follow, have changed their dynamics. But the key point to remember is that something was already under way. This is not, for the most part, completely fresh and brand new investment. It builds on old ideas and in some cases on old contracts.
Consequently, it is incorrect to say that China is completely new to these countries and completely new to problems they may encounter. Kyrgyzstan, for example, has faced a few moments of domestic instability. Back in 2010, rioting in the wake of a contested election and fierce interethnic clashes led to the evacuation of Chinese traders working in border trading posts. The kidnapping and death of two Chinese engineers in the Gomal Zam Dam project in Pakistan in 2004 led to a cessation of work in the country. Suffice to say, the problems that China may encounter through investing in challenging periphery countries are not new.
What has changed, however, is the scope of China’s investments and the numbers of people and assets involved. This does change the dynamic somewhat, leaving China exposed in a way that it has not had to manage thus far.
While previously, having to worry about a few people in faraway lands was largely something that could be left to local actors, increasingly this is not the case. Not only are there far more people and assets to worry about, they are vocal and angry when they get in trouble. Voices get to Beijing and stoke fires of public anger suggesting China is unable to protect its citizens, notwithstanding the massive investments it has made in its security forces.
Additionally, Chinese citizens are increasingly obvious targets. Gone are the days when Chinese were overlooked as poor beggars eking out an existence. In China’s neighbourhood, they are increasingly the big investors (whether this is true or not) and this has consequences for their image overseas.
They are now wealthy and attractive targets, both in terms of their economic value, but also in that they are increasingly the representatives of the big power that is supporting a government that may be unpopular for various reasons. All of this makes them targets for angry locals keen to protest against the state, or criminal and terrorist elements who are looking for opportunities.
There is no doubt that China is going to encounter bumps as it paves, mines and develops the belt and road projects. But these problems are not new, in much the same way as the investments themselves are building on deep conceptual and financial foundations that have come before them. The belt and road is not so much a coming concept as a current reality.
Understanding the specific nature of each branch is going to be the important determinant that people should be focusing on to understand how and whether the belt and road is worth engaging with.
It is also how China is going to comprehend how it is going to mitigate the risks that it is already managing better.
China’s Place in Central Asia
Posted: June 23, 2016 in Eurasianet
Tags: Central Asia, Central Asia economic, Central Asia security, China, China in Central Asia, China in the world
A new piece for an excellent source on all things on Eurasia, appropriately enough called Eurasianet. It is part of a series they have been running this week looking at China in the region, and have run a number of other excellent pieces after this. More on this topic as ever soon, and be sure to check out China in Central Asia for the bigger projects I continue to do on China’s push into Eurasia.
First of a Five-Part Series
EurasiaNet is running a series this week looking at the state of relations between China and the five nations of former Soviet Central Asia. China expert Raffaello Pantucci opens the series with a survey of China’s role in the region.
China’s rise in Central Asia marks one of the most consequential changes in regional geopolitics since the turn of the century.
China announced that it intended to be a major player in Central Asia back in September 2013, when Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech in Astana that inaugurated the “Belt and Road” vision — the most dominant expression of Chinese foreign policy from his administration. Yet this declaration notwithstanding, it remains unclear whether Beijing has a coherent vision for Central Asia. Instead, Beijing continues to grow into a role of regional prominence without a clear plan to manage the ramifications of its growing role.
The narrative of spreading Chinese influence throughout the region is not new. Indicators of China’s influence are plentiful. Markets are full of Chinese products, infrastructure is heavily built by Chinese firms with Chinese loans, leadership visits — either Chinese to the region or regional to China — are followed by announcements of massive deals being signed, and increasingly China is playing a more prominent role in regional security questions. Even so, China remains a hesitant regional actor, and is keen to continue casting itself as subordinate to Russia. Beijing is also eager to avoid becoming embroiled in inevitable regional economic and political complications.
Most recently, these complications have manifested themselves as protests in Kazakhstan, where locals have expressed anger at the government’s decision to change legislation governing foreigners’ ability to rent land for lengthy periods of time. Public anger is rooted mostly in concerns that Chinese firms will exploit this legislation to slowly lease ever larger tracts of Kazakhstani land. Such problems have arisen in the past. In 2009, for example, when President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced a leasing arrangement, Chinese and Tajik censors blocked references in the media to a similar deal in Tajikistan in 2011.
In other contexts, China finds itself embroiled in corruption scandals. The recently deposed prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, Temir Sariyev, departed under a cloud of bribery accusations connected mostly to a road-building contract won by Chinese firm Longhai. Similar suspicions are often voiced in other countries, though details tend to be elusive. And finally, China continues to be concerned about security threats connected to the region. Lower level criminality affects Chinese entrepreneurs in the region who are sometimes seen as a soft touch by local criminals, while the government continues to express concern about terrorist groups and networks that are believed to be active in the region.
On more strategic level, a major challenge for Chinese officials is related to perception. There is a persistent sense among experts and officials in Central Asia that China’s interests and investment in the region mask some sort of hidden agenda. Such wariness is often exacerbated by a belief that China is only interested in the region’s natural resources, or sees Central Asia merely as a conduit to more lucrative markets elsewhere.
Aware of the perception issue, China has sought to address it. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Kyrgyzstan in May, he spoke to his counterpart Erlan Abdyldayev about the possibility of relocating Chinese factories to the country. In Uzbekistan, telecoms companies Huawei and ZTE have already realized the importance of this and established assembly plants there, while the Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) has sought to piggyback on the external construction push under the Belt and Road by building a factory in the country. In Kazakhstan, meanwhile, the government continues to hold out hope that the Special Economic Zones being developed at the Khorgos border crossing and elsewhere will turn into manufacturing hubs rather than just transit points for Chinese goods.
On the extractives front, China continues to be a major importer, though as Turkmenistan has discovered in the past year, China’s appetite for gas has its limits. While all the talk publicly has been about the pending realization of the trans-Afghan TAPI pipeline, signals are increasingly visible of further strings to the China-Central Asia pipeline being put on ice for the time being. And from the regional perspective, Central Asian capitals are growing as concerned about becoming reliant on the China market as they are about the steep drop in Russia’s economy.
The biggest driver of Chinese thinking towards Central Asia remains the Belt and Road. Highlighting the degree to which this is the lens through which Beijing views the region, Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his recent visit to Bishkek spoke of how China wanted to view the “SCO as a platform to speed up the docking of the Silk Road Economic Belt with the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union.” The local branch of the Belt and Road, the Silk Road Economic Belt, is an all-encompassing concept that at its heart is about improved connectivity, regional development and investment. It increasingly seems as though it is going to become the overarching umbrella through which China will engage with the region.
This is a mixed blessing for the region. Given the centrality of the Belt and Road and Silk Road Economic Belt to Xi Jinping personally, it is clear that Central Asia will continue to benefit from this attention going forward. But there remains a question about how the region will be able to capture some local benefit beyond simply transit fees. It is clear that China feels like it has a voice that it wants to express sometimes — most recently in the form of an angry outburst from the Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan about the difficulty his co-nationals have had in obtaining visas — but it remains uncertain what Beijing’s long-term vision for the region is.
The question for the Central Asian capitals is the degree to which they can shape China’s approach in a way that maximizes the benefits that they seek. Central Asian leaders also want China to take a greater degree of responsibility for some regional security questions. As the first stop on the ideologically central Silk Road Economic Belt, Central Asia will be a consistent point in Chinese foreign policy in the coming years. What the long-term ramifications of this are, however, remains to be seen.
Editor’s note: Raffaello Pantucci is Director of International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute and the co-editor of China in Central Asia
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Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island – Raghery
Welcome to Rathlin, Northern Ireland's only inhabited island
Lights of Rathlin
2016-03-14 2017-06-01 Kieran MeekeLeave a comment
East Light
The oldest of Rathlin’s lighthouses sits high above Bruce’s Cave at Altacarry Head. It has been flashing a warning to shipping since 1856 and is a vital component of the traffic separation scheme in the North Channel.
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West Light
This upside-down light was a major feat of engineering when it was built, between 1912 and 1917. The top of Kebble Point was too high for the light to be effective, so it had to be placed some way down the cliff. The works needed a cable tramway and a pier, as well as the road across Kebble. The work cost £400,000 in 1912, equivalent to an amazing £17million today.
Rue Point
Sitting at the southern tip of Rathlin, only 2.5 miles from Fair Head, this light has been operating since 1921. Only 35 feet above sea level, it is now fully automated and has a 14 nautical mile range.
Rathlin Lighthouses
Memories of a Rathlin lighthouse keeper
SEAAltacarry Head, Bruce’s Cave, East Light, Kebble Point, North Channel, Rathlin lights, Rue Point, West Light
Sponges, kelp & seals
Seal at Rue Point
Rathlin Island is one of the most important areas in Europe for sponges. In 2007, a team of scientists discovered 28 new species in the seas around the island during a six-week expedition, and three species which had never before been seen in the British Isles. Project director Bernard Picton, curator of marine invertebrates at the Ulster Museum’s department of zoology, said the findings confirmed the significance of the area for these small marine animals.
Sponges feed by filtering particles from the water and play a key role in the marine environment. There are about 15,000 species in the world yet only 400 of these have so far been found in the waters around Britain and Ireland.
Divers from the same team, from the Environment and Heritage Service and Ulster Museum, made another discovery in June 2007. A specimen of the rare Fan Mussel (atrina fragilis), Britain’s largest and rarest bivalve mollusc, thought extinct in Irish waters, was found off Rathlin. The mollusc is extremely vulnerable to pollution, trawling and dredging and this is a significant find, especially if a larger population exists.
Rathlin seabed fly-by
Old Kelp Store at Church Bay
A prominent feature of the waterfront of Rathlin’s Church Bay is the old kelp store (left). Until the 1930s, when artificial methods replaced it, kelp was a rich source of iodine and soda for glass and soap manufacture and the islanders made an income by gathering it. Once dry, the kelp was burned and the sites of 83 kilns have been found on the island – though 150 were recorded in the mid-19th century. Kelp production ended in Rathlin in 1938 – 25 years after the Antrim mainland.
Kelp on Rathlin
Parliamentary Debate, Dublin, 1938
Uses of kelp
A colony of about 100 seals can be found at Rue Point on the east of Rathlin. They are easy to approach but care should be taken not to disturb them, particularly in the breeding season. A boat trip is the best way to see the colony, as they will investigate the boats in their home environment,
www.aquasports.biz/ecotrip.asp
Rathlin has been selected as a Special Area of Conservation:
SAC website
The threat of plastic
SEAFan Mussel, kelp, kelp store, Rathlin SAC, seals, Sponges
Rathlin Wrecks
HMS Drake
Rathlin is surrounded by some 40 wrecks, the most famous of which is HMS Drake in Church Bay. Capable of a top speed of 23 knots, she was one of the fastest and heaviest cruisers of her time and was escorting a transatlantic convoy.
She was hit in Rathlin Sound by a torpedo from German U-Boat U-79 early on October 2, 1917, killing 19 of her crew. Her Captain, SH Radcliffe brought her into Church Bay but she was too heavily damaged to be saved and soon sank.
The SS Lugano and HMS Brisk were sunk during the same attack – probably by mines laid by U79 and the wrecks lie in Rathlin Sound just over a mile from each other. The technically challenging dive to the SS Lugano is considered one of the best in the British Isles. There was no loss of life on the Lugano but 31 crew died on HMS Brisk. Although her bow section sank, the stern section of the ship was towed into dock in Londonderry.
In 1962, the wreck of HMS Drake was hit by the Fleetwood trawler Ella Hewitt, which soon joined the cruiser on the seabed in the middle of Church Bay.
List of Rathlin wrecks
SS Tuscania, first US troopship to be torpedoed in WWI
The story of HMS Drake
Diving Rathlin’s North Wall
Sponges on Rathlin’s North Wall (video)
Diving on the SS Loughgarry (1min video)
Diving on the SS Loughgarry (excellent 5min video)
HISTORY, SEAdiving, Ella Hewitt, HSM Drake, Loughgarry, Lugano, Rathlin Sound, scuba, wrecks
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Jackets Finish Regular Season at NC State, Wake Forest
Live scoring at NC State | Live scoring at Wake Forest
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech completes its regular season this weekend with a pair of important Atlantic Coast Conference matches Friday at 36th-ranked NC State (16-8, 2-6 ACC) and Sunday Wake Forest (11-12, 2-6). The Yellow Jackets are looking to improve their seeding for next week’s ACC Championship as well as their prospects for a third consecutive NCAA regional bid.
Tech, 9-10 overall, 4-5 in the ACC and currently ranked 60th in the ITA poll, came out of last weekend’s action in a tie for sixth place in the ACC standings after a split their final two home matches of the season – a 5-2 win over Virginia Tech and a 6-1 loss to No. 2 Virginia. The Wolfpack enter the final regular-season weekend with a 17-8 overall record and a 3-6 ACC mark, while the Demon Deacons are 11-13 overall and 2-7 in conference play.
“It’s always a tough challenge on the road in the ACC,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “NC State has played very well this season. It will be an opportunity for us to see how far we have come this season. We have definitely improved from early in the season, but improvement has to translate into wins. NC State and Wake are both tough teams and our guys are looking forward to the challenge.”
The Yellow Jackets are anchored by the ITA All-America tandem of Kevin King and Juan Spir, who form the nation’s No. 2-ranked doubles team and are having fine seasons as singles players as well.
King is completing one of the best careers ever for a Georgia Tech tennis player. The senior from Peachtree City, Ga., a two-time All-ACC player, has been ranked as high as 7th in the nation in singles (currently 21st), won the USTA/ITA Southeast Regional and has compiled a 79-39 career record. He and Spir are have compiled a 64-21 record all-time and are 14-2 this spring.
King has a 13-5 mark playing No. 1 singles this spring, and is 27-8 overall this year, but suffered a straight-set loss to Virginia Tech and missed the Virginia match last weekend when he developed a sore shoulder.
Spir has played a solid No. 2 for Tech this spring, winning his last four consecutive matches, all against ranked opponents, to improve his spring record to 13-6 and his national ranking to 48th, the highest of his career. Spir subbed for King at the top singles position Sunday and defeated Virginia’s Jarmere Jenkins, ranked No. 3 in the nation, in straight sets.
Dusan Miljevic, Tech’s other senior, began the spring playing No. 4 and junior Juan Melian No. 3, but Thorne switched the two for the Miami match on March 13, and the move has proved good for both players. Miljevic, 6-11 this spring, has gone 3-3 since the switch, while Melian, a junior from Las Palmas, Spain, has gone 5-2 and is 11-7 for the spring.
Freshmen Eduardo Segura (Madrid, Spain) and Sebastian Lopez (Medellin, Colombia) have been solid at the bottom of the order for Tech, Segura going 7-9 and Lopez 8-5.
Thorne also shuffled the doubles lineup several matches ago and paired Miljevic with Segura at No. 3, and that pairing has produced an 8-7 record. Tech has won the doubles point in five of its last eight matches.
May 27, 2019 Jackets Earn Highest Class Ranking in Program History
Jackets rank sixth in the country, second in the ACC
Jackets Earn Highest Class Ranking in Program History
May 20, 2019 Divar Falls in Round One of NCAA Singles Championship
The junior finishes the season with all-ACC first team honors
Divar Falls in Round One of NCAA Singles Championship
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Home Article D-Sol returns with “Rescue Me (feat. Alex Newell)”
D-Sol returns with “Rescue Me (feat. Alex Newell),” his re-interpretation of the 1965 Fontella Bass classic Out today – June 21 – on Payback Records/Big Beat
All proceeds from Payback Records releases are donated directly to nonprofit organizations working on the frontlines of the addiction crisis
Building on the success of his first two releases, “Don’t Stop” and “Feel Alive,” D-Sol (aka David Solomon) is back with a summer scorcher – his dancefloor re-interpretation of the 1965 Fontella Bass classic “Rescue Me.”
Featuring the voice of Alex Newell, who starred as Wade “Unique” Adam on the Fox music series “Glee,” this new version is highlighted by D-Sol’s fresh take on the production; combining his trademark happy-house style with energetic pop elements and additional songwriting from Laura White (writer and vocalist of Galantis “Love On Me”). D-Sol’s knack for updating classics, namely his 2018 summer smash “Don’t Stop” is evident here again, breathing new life into a classic and introducing it to a whole new generation of listeners.
Well known as both a solo artist and for collaborations with Clean Bandit, The Knocks, and DJ Cassidy – Newell’s powerful voice radiates warmth and energy, hailing back to the artist’s days singing in a church choir. Alex will be performing “Rescue Me” live at Pride events throughout June.
D-Sol is a two time Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay charting artist. He has opened for Galantis, Kygo, David Guetta, Paul Oakenfold, and Liquid Todd and has been featured in dozens of media outlets from Rolling Stone to The Washington Post.
Founded in partnership with Big Beat/Atlantic Records, Payback Records is a socially conscious music business focused on one of America’s most serious public health crises: the addiction epidemic. All proceeds are donated directly to nonprofit organizations working on the frontlines of the crisis. For more information, see www.paybackrecords.com
“I’m fortunate that my visibility as a business person gives me the ability to create a platform that combines doing what I love, with a cause that I deeply believe in.” — David Solomon, Founder, Payback Records
Payback Records; Big Beat/Atlantic Records; D-Sol returns with “Rescue Me (feat. Alex Newell)”; EDM; NonProfit: Raver Mag: Raver Magazine
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The Schwartz Reportby Jeffrey Schwartz, Executive Editor
MPN: Going for the Gold
Anyone who was hoping that Microsoft's partner organization would put the breaks on its plans to require unique certifications was disappointed last week.
"It's full speed ahead," said Julie Bennani, general manager for partner programs at Microsoft, in an interview during last week's Worldwide Partner Conference in Washington, D.C. "We are still going on with those requirements and landing those in October."
While she and Microsoft's new partner chief, Jonathan Roskill, signaled they were willing to consider alternatives at a later date, as reported, the plan looks baked to move forward with the Oct. 1 date for transitioning to the new Microsoft Partner Network (MPN). "If we said, 'If you could get Gold in three of the five in Core IO, we could give you a Core IO competency.' That's one thing that's interesting to think about," Roskill said.
Microsoft last week did say it's renaming the competency and advanced competency designations Gold and Silver, but many appeared to welcome a Silver designation like receiving a booby prize.
At WPC last week, I sat in on a session called MPN: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. It was moderated by Mo Edjlali, a management consultant, who, until recently, served five years as the president of the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners Washington D.C. chapter.
Now a management consultant, Edjlali looked at the situation from both points of view. "I think Microsoft wants people to have focus, that makes sense," Edjlali said. Indeed there are many partners who are Gold who most would agree don't deserve that designation today.
"But I think the trouble is some products are so closely related that you can't say your good in BI and not in SQL Server, it confuses customers when they might feel that expertise isn't there when it's always been there," he added. "People say 'my staff hasn't changed but now we are going to come across like we're not as sharp as we used to and these big companies that have the manpower will have the credentials but not have the skills or actually put the billable people on project with those skills.'"
That is the center of the fear. The large integrators can afford to have Gold certified engineers across the board, but the small- and mid-sized firms can't. So they will have to decide which disciplines they want to be Gold certified in and accept Silver for the rest.
Perhaps a better idea would have been to introduce a Platinum tier, Edjlali said. "It's going to be difficult for people to go from Gold to Silver," he told me in an interview after the session.
Janice Crosswell of Microsoft Canada's Corporate Assurance Group, who was sitting in on the session tried to spin the situation. "Silver is better than [the current] Gold," Crosswell said to the group. "When you're talking about some of the math, and I am saying 'I am just Silver,' you are actually rank higher than the [current] gold. There are some more requirements."
That didn't go over too well. "Customers are never going to know that Silver is now better than Gold used to be," a partner in the session replied. "They see Gold and that's what they see."
Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on July 12, 2010 at 11:59 AM
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Cramer: These 10 Sectors Make Up for Letdown in Autos, Retail
Changes in economy have shored up weak areas.
Jul 05, 2017 | 03:18 PM EDT
Stocks quotes in this article: ORLY, AAP, AZO, LOW, HD, UNH, ANTM, HUM, CNC, LMT, NOC, GD, BA, UTX, HON, AMZN, WFM, FDX, UPS
Sometimes you have to wonder how the heck this market can stay up at these elevated levels when two of the most important sectors, autos and retail, just can't get out of their own way. Today's no different.
It makes sense to be concerned. We are a service economy with much of it revolving around what we purchase. Today's another reminder as we see whole portions of the auto sector get smashed and the retailers again on the ropes.
The papers are filled with the dramatic decline in auto sales year over year. That's historically been a terrible auguring of things to come. Then today we got the complete collapse of the auto parts retailers led by O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY) , a very reliable company, where management had been expecting 3% to 5% growth in same-store sales but instead they will only be up about 1.7%. That's a gigantic miss, one that caused the company to pre-announce weak earnings and drove the stock down almost 20%, an extreme move, and no doubt a chilling overreaction. But that's how this market has reacted to any retail weakness. We got a real domino effect with the stock of Advance Auto Parts (AAP) plummeting more than 11% and AutoZone (AZO) falling about 9%. That's incredibly strong stuff and, when taken with the slower sales, tends to indicate that the consumer's not spending on cars, period. O'Reilly tried to pin the weakness on weather, but it's obvious there's been some sort of structural challenge to this industry that has led to dramatic declines in what was a very steady group for years and years.
These declines were so ferocious that they rolled over to the aisles of Home Depot (HD) and Lowe's (LOW) , as they are considered to have an auto component. And, speaking of dominos, retail weakness in those stocks quickly spread through the contagion of retail ETFs and again the entire group got clobbered.
For the longest time, this kind of concentrated selling could bring the entire market down, given how linked auto and retail sales are to the entire business of America.
But it hasn't been the case this time around.
Because there have been some fundamental changes in the U.S. economy that have allowed the market to blossom without the traditional spurs of retail sales and autos.
To be specific, I see 10 sectors that are responsible for much of the recent advance, and it's worth it to go over them to explain why this market's looking past what has normally been its own Achilles heel.
The 10? Healthcare, travel and leisure, capital goods, oil and gas derivatives, stay-at-home generation, defense, aerospace, housing, banks and e-commerce.
How do I know these? I spend a huge amount of time analyzing the 52-week-high list, and stocks from these sectors either routinely dominate them or have been showing up a great deal of late, making me more sanguine than I would normally be and allowing me not to overlook the auto and retail weakness but put it in a more positive light.
First, there's a major change occurring in how individuals spend their time and money. We have all no doubt gotten sick of the term "experiential" as a reason why people do things, but we can't roll our eyes on such an important trend. There's a sense, particularly among the younger generation, that they don't have much of a yen for material goods. Instead, they want to see and do things. Some of this is no doubt a part of the selfie generation. Basically, they want to take pictures of themselves and post them on Facebook or Instagram. Some of it is from baby boomers who truly feel they have everything they need and want to see the world. Whatever, travel and leisure stocks, everything from hotels and time shares to airlines and cruises, live on the new-high list and with good reason: They all seem to have endless runs of better-than-expected earnings and these industries employ a huge number of people.
We always fret about runaway healthcare bills. They are a fact of life and we all accept that our healthcare system is brutally inefficient. Nevertheless, the medical device, insurance, hospitals, medical records, biotech and prescription drug businesses just keep going great guns. The stalling of the healthcare reform efforts in Congress has just made it even better for the likes of the United Healths (UNH) and the Anthems (ANTM) and the Humanas (HUM) and Centenes (CNC) . They are the huge winners, the Trump trade for 2017 for certain.
We've gotten a surge in capital-goods companies' earnings and I think that's directly related to improving business worldwide. Many of our cap-goods companies realized years ago that they had to diversify away from a slowing United States, and they spread their wings to Europe and Asia and all sorts of emerging markets. It turned out to be a poorly timed diversification strategy -- until, that is, this year. With the rest of the world in recovery mode, heavy-equipment makers are experiencing a nirvana moment.
We know the oil and gas industry is in the dumps. But the companies that use our newfound natural resources, mainly the plastics companies, are experiencing an amazing renaissance. With the cheapest feed stock in the world, the chemical companies that make plastics are seemingly unstoppable.
The consumer's staying at home more than ever. That's because home entertainment has never been better. Whether it be Netflix or video games, or any other diversions that make television only a small part of the menu, it draws people away from going out to retailers and, instead, watching and eating at home.
The world's a more dangerous place and we are doing less to help others in danger than ever before, except, of course, selling them weapons. Our allies plus our own defense budget make for solid earnings prospects from the Lockheeds (LMT) and Northrops (NOC) and General Dynamics (GD) of the world. North Korea's a factor, too.
Closely linked to the defense bull market is that of aerospace, as they often overlap. There's a tremendous order book for all the aerospace companies, something Boeing's (BA) endlessly crowing about, and that's been fantastic for the likes of United Tech (UTX) and Honeywell (HON) and a bunch of smaller suppliers. The orders seem to be accelerating, hence the rapid advance in stock prices.
Housing is an industry that punches above its weight. It accounts for only about 10% of consumer spending, but the demand for housing is off the charts vs. the supply, hence why the overall housing start numbers aren't that strong but the homebuilders endlessly hit the 52-week-high list. That's the same for the businesses that sell into home improvement retailers, even if it doesn't extend to the retailers themselves.
The reason they don't extend? The power of e-commerce, meaning Amazon (AMZN) . With the addition of Whole Foods (WFM) to the fold, Amazon has become almost its own separate category. But there are whole complexes of companies and businesses that are involved in getting product to you, everything from last-mile provider XPO Logistics XPO, to all of the data farm and distribution-center REITs to FedEx (FDX) and UPS (UPS) . It's not all zero sum.
Finally, there is a new addition to the list: the banks. A combination of a commitment by the Fed to raising rates despite low inflation -- something that I thought was affirmed by the Fed minutes released today -- and new rules that allow more capital to be returned to shareholders has created a kind of instant bull market in the group. That's always good for business.
So, it's true, autos and traditional retail may be weak. But these 10 sectors can justify an awful lot of strength, certainly enough to make it possible for the stock market to plow higher even without the usual suspects helping to do the powering.
Action Alerts PLUS, which Cramer co-manages as a charitable trust, has no positions in the stocks mentioned.
TAGS: Investing | U.S. Equity | Transportation | Consumer Discretionary | Financial Services | Healthcare | Energy | Entertainment | Markets | E-Commerce | Stocks
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Master Class: From Sade to Drake, these are the game-changers of the Quiet Storm genre
Da’Shan Smith
// Jul 12, 2018
Da’Shan SmithJul 12, 2018
Sunday (July 8) would have marked the 63rd birthday of radio personality, Melvin Lindsey. One Sunday night in 1976, during a rainy tempest, the interning Howard University DJ introduced his D.C. listeners to the quiet storm format of radio. What was meant as a late-night program dedicated to the lovers seeking slow jammed R&B (as a source of cathartic refuge for their relationships) quickly became popular with other stations nationwide. Due to the quiet storm format, a genre—going by the same name—began formulating. For R&B singers such as Smokey Robinson, The Isley Brothers, and Marvin Gaye, it became a necessity to mix up their flow of day-friendly uptempos and ballads with songs meant to be in rotation after dark.
Throughout the quiet storm's 42-year lifespan, various artists have inserted their respective styles into the genre. Some became household names due to heavy airplay, including Anita Baker, Sade, and Luther Vandross. The likes of Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, and Whitney Houston earned No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 singles, Grammys, and universal acclaim during its commercial peak in the 90s. And even hip-hop has played a role in reinvigorating the quiet storm for the 2000s up until now: Drake's inclusion of a quiet storm radio snippet at the end of Scorpion's "After Dark" being the latest example.
Welcome to REVOLT's master class on quiet storm.
Technically speaking, this lesson starts with Smokey Robinson and his 1975 album A Quiet Storm. Departing from the genre of funk on his third studio LP, the green-eyed soul legend coined his brand of romantic soul with the opening track "Quiet Storm." In the almost-eight-minute ballad, Robinson metaphorically compares love "blowin' through my life" to a quiet storm in the chorus, vividly juxtaposing the pleasant and distressing elements of inclement weather in his verses.
"Quiet Storm" opens with whooshing winds overtaken by a shrill, sci-fi whistle of a siren and an electric guitar riff. The ballad eventually evolves into a jazz fusion groove guided by a slow beating hand drum and a flute, while Robinson showcases his signature tenor finesse inherited from the Miracles era with Motown. Revisiting that sound, the songwriter managed to add a soft pop-rock sensibility to the lyricism.
Why the best components of Drake's 'Scorpion' are his Quiet Storm moments
In May 1976, Cathy Hughes—WHUR's station manager and the eventual founder of media conglomerate Urban One (formerly known as Radio One)—called on an inexperienced Melvin Lindsey, as a last-minute substitute for an absent DJ. Pulling from his personal collection, he played melodic, mid-tempo R&B records from artists like the Spinners and the Isley Brothers. Magically, Hughes stumbled upon her wish of establishing a niche radio format suited primarily for the upper echelons of black women with sophisticated taste. Eventually, this one-off experience would start a weekly Sunday fanfare for all of D.C., as listeners called in requesting the name of songs while expressing immense gratitude.
Hughes suggested that the popular segment be titled "Quiet Storm," as well as using Smokey Robinson's as the official theme song. With his silky, deep voice, Lindsey quelled over 220,000 daily listeners, as they tuned in at 7:30 p.m. to hear his four-hour playlist of the latest and most nostalgic slow jams. Eventually the relaxing melodies helped the program become D.C.'s top rated, as other stations caught on across the country, imitating "The Original Quiet Storm."
Prior to Smokey Robinson's "Quiet Storm," R&B had experienced the early stages of the genre's development, with classics from Barry White, Al Green, and Marvin Gaye being amongst the touchstones. Towards the end of 1971, Al Green raspily crooned "Let's Stay Together" at the top of his lungs, giving him his first No. 1 single. The song's 1972 parent album, I'm Still In Love With You, garnered the Arkansas soul titan commercial crossover appeal thanks to the titular cut and "Love and Happiness."
For Marvin Gaye, in 1973, he'd find his sex appeal with Let's Get It On, the LP's title track reaching No. 1. As his sound continued evolving—simultaneously adding a refreshing layer of experimentation to the outdated Motown sound of the 60s—Gaye introduced more complex, rock-centric arrangements and vocal acrobatics to soul music. This would be highlighted with the funkdafied mannerisms stemming from throbbing bongos and congas backboning his 1976 single "I Want You." The sensual groove fit perfectly with disco's marriage of babymaking, quiet storm music, with Barry White's 1974 chart-topping hit "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" being a hefty precursor for the trend. It'd become pretty clear that the genre's existence laid in the bedroom.
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Around the same time, Philadelphia had been on the second leg of its first wave of commercial R&B success. Consequently, Philly Soul would seep into quiet storm: The Delfonics' "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" from 1970, Billy Paul's 1972 extramarital affair ode "Me and Mrs. Jones," and Darryl Hall & John Oates' blue-eyed soul 1976 staple "Sara Smile" being amongst the fray. In 1977, Philly native Frankie Beverly—who had met Marvin Gaye after relocating to San Francisco in the early 70s— released his first album with Maze. "Happy Feelin's" became Maze featuring Frankie Beverly's breezy standout. They followed that up with the avant-funk, jazz stylings of 1978's "Golden Time of Day," which focused on love "shining."
From Pennsylvania's neighboring state of Ohio, The Isley Brothers offered Cincinnati's answer to Philly Soul quiet storm. With their warm and slinky 1975 groove "For The Love of You," the then-sextet joined the ranks of quiet storm maestros. The following year, they garnered a radio hit with (At Your Best), You Are Love," a thank you ballad dedicated to their mother, allowing for the quiet storm to become a broader genre on universal love, not just the sexually intimate moments.
The men of R&B acquired sauver aesthetics in image and sound thanks in large part to the blaxploitation film movement and live performance spots on Soul Train. As a result, quiet storm reinforced the notion of the debonair gentleman desirable for the ladies. Teddy Pendergrass lived this up to the fullest with his 1979 album Teddy. On the album cover, he's seductively staring at the camera, wearing a tailor fit cream blazer, a lady longingly resting on his shoulder, but seemingly in a distant world. Instead of resorting to playboy tactics, the singer is straightforward with his sexual conquest, suggesting "Come Go With Me" and instructing "Turn Off The Lights"—mirroring his 1978 single "Close The Door." Eventually he'd succumb to a dramatic "Love T.K.O." heartbreak on 1980's TP.
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This feeling trickled into the 80s, as more leading men were brought to the forefront due to quiet storm. In 1979, James Taylor would be introduced as the new lead vocalist of Kool & The Gang on Ladies' Night—"Too Hot" becoming the album's most successful single. The Isley Brothers added two more signatures to their quiet storm discography, 1980's "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love)" and 1983's satiny "Between The Sheets." Marvin Gaye had continued his dive into quiet storm up until his tragic death, offering the fully charged "Sexual Healing" off 1982's Midnight Love.
Unintentionally, quiet storm began holding importance outside of late-night radio and people's romantic rendezvous. Bronx band GQ remade blues singer Billy Stewart's "I Do Love You" in 1979, transforming it into a song with a dual purpose: modernizing the genre of doo-wop and soundtracking every black cookout experience since that summer. Some quiet storm songs served as appropriate music for family gatherings, particularly Frankie Beverly and The Maze's "Before I Let Go" and "We Are One."
The quiet storm format of radio had also been responsible for breaking household names on a regular basis. Luther Vandross benefited tremendously from late-night airplay since his debut mid-tempo "Never Too Much" in 1981 aptly introduced his velvety vocal agility. And in 1982, he'd pair with Cheryl Lynn to duet "If This World Were Mine." The DeBarge siblings would entice listeners with their falsetto octaves on the ooo-zy "I Like It" in 1982, following up their success with the energetic rush of "Stay With Me" and the lullaby flow of "Time Will Reveal" in 1983.
What had become subtly noticeable was the lack of mainstream interest in the feminine perspective of quiet storm. Surely there had been ranging takes, from Diana Ross' somber hook in 1973's "Touch Me In The Morning" and Betty Wright's 1974 audience rouser "Tonight Is The Night" about "making love (!!!) for the very first time," to Minnie Riperton's soaring whistle register on 1975's "Lovin' You" and Peaches' sopranic rekindling of a relationship with Herb on 1979's "Reunited"; just to be rivaled by Teena Marie's passionate harmonizing with Rick James on 1981's "Fire and Desire." But those moments were far and few between a steady focus on pop-soul ballads aligned with some sort of political messaging, or the seductively-engineered disco uptempos fueling Studio 54 parties. Still the throne for "Queen of Quiet Storm" remained vacant, until 1983 and '84.
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Debuting in 1983 with The Songstress, Anita Baker quickly gained a following as her emotive melodies and smooth C-sharp resonance landscaped "Angel." Her sophomore effort Rapture proved to be the breakout album with "Sweet Love," "Caught Up In The Rapture," "Same Ole Love," "No One In The World," benefitting well from Baker's ability to skate over the catchy choruses. Each song peaked in the top ten of both the R&B and adult contemporary charts, with "Sweet Love" hitting No. 8 on the Hot 100.
Hailing Nigeria and the UK, Sade Adu and her backing band brought a new perspective to quiet storm with their 1984 debut album Diamond Life. If Smokey Robinson's "Quiet Storm" represented the core essence of the genre, Sade's "Smooth Operator" could be regarded as an accountable descriptor of the men who were singing it—one delivered by a woman who'd end up flipping the script. Due to her critically-described "husky and restrained" contralto vocals, Sade graced her loungey jazz fusion tracks with a cosmopolitan aura.
Diamond Life not only revolutionized quiet storm, but the music industry as a whole. It initiated the UK coffeehouse offspring of the genre, sophsti-pop. The album won a BRIT Award for Best British Album in 1985, proactively starting a new age invasion of alternative British R&B Acts succeeding across the pond and around the world. That same year, Sade released her second studio album, Promise, with the swing of "The Sweetest Taboo" capitalizing on their signature sound. Both albums helped Sade win Best New Artist at the Grammys in 1986—defeating another quiet storm competitor Freddie Jackson, who released "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)."
Just as Sade became popular, the quiet storm as a whole started facing some light backlash. The genre which was once filled with sexual nuances, started to clean up its act. The lyrics became more wholesome as quiet storm materialized as the black answer to adult contemporary, ultimately ruling that format. Because of the rise of Whitney Houston—who dabbled in quiet storm with pop undertones, like 1985's "Saving All My Love For You"—as well as soft rock's infiltration, like The Commodore's jubilant "Nightshift," audiences started accusing artists and labels of making the genre appeasable for white listeners.
Happy Anniversary, 'Love Deluxe': 12 times artists have honored Sade
Others countered that the game-changing success of Sade represented thriving affluence generating in black communities. Her style of high-art jazz meant exposure to different styles of music and imagery, ultimately allowing for quiet storm to dominate the mainstream by the turn of the decade.
Just as synthpop, soft rock, and new wave started to explode on the MTV circuit, those influences had a slight impact on the genre. Art of Noise, an avant-garde, electro-sampledelia group from London, are responsible for giving the radio format its most quintessential instrumental, the hypnotic "Moments of Love." Peabo Bryson worked the lighter elements of adult contemporary into "If Ever You're In Arms Again," while Tina Turner wailed "What's Love Got To Do With It." Patti LaBelle found herself belting alongside Michael McDonald in their dramatic chart-topping single "On My Own," and Celine Dion covered her 1989 ballad "If You Asked Me To," with both versions sharply contrasting LaBelle's quiet storm style exhibited on "If Only You Knew."
On the flip side, strictly traditional R&B remained present in quiet storm. On August 10, 1985, BET debuted a music video series called Midnight Love that played only quiet storm love ballads late in the evening. Occasionally narrated by the unseen creator Alvin Jones, the two-hour block of visuals ran for 30 years. At the same time, this marked a youthful takeover as interest in quiet storm began to spread to younger generations—some owing the genre a debt of gratitude for their actual existence!
Adding to the movement, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis penned and produced classics, ranging from Force MDs' "Tender Love" to the Human League's "Human." Their star pupil would be Janet Jackson, after the trio crafted her 1986 breakout album Control. The iconic LP provided two signatures for DJ's rotations, the moaning "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" and the abstaining "Let's Wait Awhile." Their run would continue with 1989's "Come Back To Me," with it continuing well into the 90s.
Making history, breaking records, and being the first isn't new to Janet Jackson
As the 80s closed out, the shift in R&B incorporating more updated techniques and hip-hop influences started to become apparent with New Jack Swing and post-disco templating the contemporary. In 1985, Midnight Star flexed a synthesized groove with a preppy choral call on "Curious," giving a taste of how New Jack Swing would have shapeshifting potential for quiet storm. The following year, Zapp & Roger sealed the deal with "Computer Love" in 1986, as they Auto-Tuned the voices of Charlie Wilson and Shirley Murdock. Roger would best that with his 1987 solo plea "I Want To Be You."
Al B. Sure spearheaded the movement of sensual quiet storm aided by New Jack Swing, particularly with his charismatic swag on "Nite and Day" in 1988, effectively restoring a positive reputation for unibrows. Aaron Hall's ad-libs about "sugar" on Guy's "I Like" in 1989 grasped that energy for a more uptempo feel. Ralph Tresvant broke away from his New Edition shadow and delivered "Sensitivity." Chuckii Booker followed these leads, with his name being called in the background of 1992's "Games."
The women of R&B channeled distressed film noir stage singers like Dorothy Dandridge for their quiet storm renditions. Michel'le's harty musing through the real-life pain of domestic abuse on 1989's "Something In My Heart" catapulted the song to No. 2 on the R&B charts. Lisa Fischer simply inquired "How Can I Ease The Pain" in 1991, winning a Grammy as a result and becoming one of quiet storm radio's most popular songs for its Art of Noise vibes. Faint and airy in her vocal delivery, Tracie Spencer also received radio success for "Tender Kisses." But none executed the aesthetic quite as well as Toni Braxton, whose 1993 self-titled debut offered heartbreak anthems "Another Sad Love Song," "Breathe Again," and "Seven Whole Days."
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As commercial gains settled in as a norm for quiet storm, and the kinks of the genre had been ironed out by multiple artists, it became relevant in the pop culture vernacular of the 90s. The work from Luther Vandross, Sade, and Anita Baker became richer, fortified by more mature perspectives. Sade's "Love Is Stronger Than Pride" brought those in constant disarray an insightful message, while her 1992 album Love Deluxe capped it off with "Cherish The Day," "No Ordinary Love," and "Kiss of Life." Luther Vandross handed newlyweds multiple options for their first dance at the reception: "So Amazing," "Here and Now," and "Power of Love." Anita Baker showcased an introspective rawness to her vocal power on "I Apologize" and "Body and Soul," just as Barry White did on "Practice What You Preach" In 1994.
Quiet storm effectively became a part of Janet Jackson's sexual liberation on wax, with 1993's janet. The raindrops falling in "Any Time, Any Place" accents the lyrics "in the thundering rain," a motif that hasn't eased up in the genre since Smokey Robinson's "Quiet Storm." Three years prior, Tony! Toni! Toné! mentioned "It Never Rains In Southern California;" and two years before that New Edition asked "Can You Stand The Rain?" In the near future, SWV—who received No. 1 and 2 hits with "Weak" and "Right Here (Human Nature Mix)," respectively—joined in with "Rain," as did Brandy on "Angel In Disguise" and Carl Thomas on "Summer Rain." Ashanti sampled Isaac Hayes for 2002's "Rain on Me."
Similar to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Babyface played an integral role in shaping 90s R&B in various facets. He established his own legacy in the quiet storm universe with The Deele's 1988 signature "Two Occasions," and his 1990 solo hit "Whip Appeal." His greatest contribution would be the executive producing credit he received from 1995's Waiting To Exhale soundtrack. The all-star female ensemble of singers matched the spirit presented by the film's big screen actresses. Whitney Houston starred as lead of Waiting To Exhale, debuting at No. 1 on the Hot 100 with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)." The quiet storm-premised soundtrack worked as an inspirational springboard for some of R&B's exemplary bodies of work, including Toni Braxton's Secrets, Brandy's Never Say Never, and Mary J. Blige's Share My World.
Revisiting Brandy's 'Never Say Never' 20 years later
By the late 90s, just about every mainstream R&B artist had a piece of the quiet storm pie. Whether that was TLC's "Red Light Special" or Monica's "Angel of Mine." The effects of Luther Vandross-styled wedding music had lingered with Boyz II Men, particularly their 1992 smash "End of the Road," and '94's "I'll Make Love To You." Interestingly enough, the Motownphilly boy band collaborated with Brian McKnight on "Let It Snow," a Christmas jingle evoking quiet storm cadences. McKnight himself would grant the lovers "Back At One" in 1999.
Neo-soul managed to redirect the quiet storm narrative. Sade's sophisti-pop sound had also been credited for providing the earliest waves of neo-soul. Reflectively, neo-soul started to mesh more with radio listeners at night. Leading the pack from '95 to the aughts: D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar" and "Untitled (How Does It Feel)"; Maxwell's "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," "Whenever Wherever Whatever," and "This Woman's Work"; and Erykah Badu's "Next Lifetime."
The late 90s into the turn of the new millennium saw a burst of men vying for the title of Quiet Storm King of the new generation. The collective unit of Tyrese ("Sweet Lady"), Jon B. ("They Don't Know"), Carl Thomas ("Lady Lay"), Case ("Happily Ever After"), Donell Jones ("Where I Wanna Be"), Joe ("I Wanna Know"), Musiq Soulchild ("Love") and Sisqó of Dru Hill ("Beauty" and "Incomplete") became late-night regulars. The women with more of a street perspective compared to the Toni Braxtons and Whitney Houstons played opposite to these men: Lauryn Hill ("Ex-Factor"), Kelly Price (a cover of Shirley Murdock's "As We Lay") and Faith Evans ("Soon As I Get Home") being notable examples.
Hip-hop has had its fair share of moments with quiet storm, whether that be The Notorious B.I.G. making grotesque swimming pool allusions over a sample of DeBarge's "Stay With Me" or Lil' Kim blazing her guest verse on Mobb Deep's "Quiet Storm." Lil Wayne equates an oral fixation to a rainstorm on Kelly Rowland's "Motivation." Plies interpolated Janet Jackson's "Come Back To Me" and The Deele's "Two Occasions" in separate radio hits. Jill Scott would co-write (and sometimes guest perform) the hook for The Roots' "You Got Me," bringing a spotlight to her solo career full of quiet storm staples.
Lil' Kim Did It First: The multiple personas existing in hip hop's Queen Bee
Scott's Philly soul poetics set the example for more mature skewing adult R&B radio, with the release of her 2000 debut Who Is Jill Scott: Words And Sounds Vol. 1. Her songs that were usually played at night were now taking over daytime rotations, with Tom Joyner, D.L. Hughley, Michael Baisden, and Steve Harvey's nationally-syndicated morning and afternoon drive shows taking after Melvin Lindsey's cues. Their daily programs had been responsible for sending new fans over to Heather Headley, Kem, Kenny Lattimore, and Eric Benet. (And due to his attachment to the genre's legacy with "Make It Last Forever" and "Nobody," Keith Sweat began hosting his own syndicated quiet storm segment in 2007 entitled Keith Sweat Hotel.)
The rhythmic megastars of the aughts also benefited from the usage of quiet storm. All about her balladry, Beyoncé impacted the format with "Dangerously In Love" and her Luther Vandross cover duet "The Closer I Get To You." In 2006, her and Justin Timberlake would remix his "Until The End of Time" to fan acclaim. Usher already broke ground in the 90s with "Nice & Slow," so by the time of the release of "Burn" from Confessions in 2004, he'd become a pro. Teens and college students now had their own formats of quiet storm playing on hip-hop stations, with Chris Brown's "Yo," Pretty Ricky's "Grind With Me," J. Holiday's "Bed," and Bow Wow and Omarion's "Let Me Hold You," reworking old elements for the new school.
Today, trap&B is still persistently utilizing quiet storm, thanks mainly to Drake. When he first entered the game, he dropped Come Back Season and So Far Gone, softly crooning about heartbreak and lovers' redemptions. Jump forward more than 10 years later, and that Drake still exists on Scorpion, reminding listeners of the format with the outro of "After Dark" sampling a recording from WBLK's version of the quiet storm.
Listen to REVOLT's 'A Master Class in Quiet Storm' playlist below.
More by Da'Shan Smith:
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Master Class: The history, literary archetypes & motifs laced throughout the genre of trap&B
The marriage of both genres revolve around surviving the ups and downs of romance, while also striving to get out of unfortunate circumstances.Da’Shan Smith // a year ago
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Sixteen years ago, DMX introduced his Thot Roll Call and lit up the summer.Driadonna Roland // 3 years ago
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RiyadMedia
MPolitics
News, World 12/04/2018 No comments
Mueller to Detail Ex-NSA Flynn’s Cooperation in Russia Probe
Special counsel Robert Mueller is set to give the first public insight into how much information President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser has shared with prosecutors in the Russia investigation.
The special counsel faces a Tuesday deadline in Michael Flynn’s case to file a memorandum recommending a sentence and providing a federal judge with a description of how valuable the retired U.S. Army lieutenant general has been to the probe. The deadline comes ahead of Flynn’s Dec. 18 sentencing and more than a year after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about reaching out to Russian government officials on Trump’s behalf.
Federal sentencing guidelines recommend between zero and six months in prison for Flynn, leaving open the possibility of probation.
The detailing of at least some of Flynn’s cooperation also comes as Trump has increasingly vented his anger at the probe — and at one of his former confidantes who cooperated with it.
This week, Trump lashed out at his former legal fixer, Michael Cohen, saying he is making up “stories” to get a reduced prison sentence after his latest guilty plea to lying to Congress detailed conversations he had with the then-Republican presidential candidate. In the same morning, Trump praised longtime confidante Roger Stone for saying he would “never testify against Trump,” adding in his tweet: “Nice to know some people still have ‘guts!”’
It’s unclear if Trump will now turn his fury on Flynn, who Trump grew close to during the 2016 campaign and has drawn the president’s sympathy since he came under investigation.
According to memos written by former FBI Director James Comey, Trump tried to protect Flynn by asking Comey to let the investigation into his false statements go. Trump has denied asking Comey to drop the investigation but that episode is among those under scrutiny by Mueller as he probes whether Trump attempted to obstruct the Russia investigation.
Flynn’s case has been a contrast to those of other Trump associates, who have criticized the Russia probe. Most notably, Trump former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, aggressively fought the investigation and is now facing the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence after his cooperation agreement recently fell apart over allegations that he had lied to investigators. Stone has also waged a public campaign against Mueller.
But Flynn has largely remained out of the public eye, appearing only a handful of times in media interviews or campaign events, and he has strictly avoided criticizing the Mueller probe despite widespread encouragement from his supporters to go on the offensive. He has instead spent considerable time with his family and worked to position himself for a post-conviction career.
Flynn’s false statements stemmed from a Jan. 24, 2017, interview with the FBI about his interactions with Sergey Kislyak, Russia’s then-ambassador to the U.S., as the Obama administration was levying sanctions on the Kremlin in response to election interference. In court papers filed along with his plea deal, Flynn said that members of Trump’s inner circle, including the president’s son-in-law and White House aide, Jared Kushner, were involved in, and at times directing, his actions in the weeks before Trump took office.
Flynn was forced to resign his post on Feb. 13, 2017, after news reports revealed that Obama administration officials had warned the Trump White House about Flynn’s false statements. The White House has said that Flynn misled officials — including Vice President Mike Pence — about the content of his conversations.
Flynn also admitted to making false statements about unregistered foreign agent work he performed for the benefit of the Turkish government. Flynn was under investigation by the Justice Department for the work when he became national security adviser.
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Difference between revisions of "Phi Beta Kappa"
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'''Phi Beta Kappa''' was founded by five students at the [[College of William and Mary]] in 1776 and is the oldest honor society in the United States.
'''Phi Beta Kappa''' was founded by five students at the [[College of William and Mary]] in 1776 at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg and is the oldest honor society in the United States. The current [[Phi Beta Kappa Hall]] and the first Phi Beta Kappa Hall at William and Mary (present-day [[Ewell Hall]] were named to mark that connection.
==Material in the Special Collections Research Center==
*To search for further material, see [http://swem.wm.edu/scrc/Tools.cfm Finding Materials in the SCRC] for an introduction especially to the [http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/ SCRC Collections Database].
[[Category:Students]][[Category:College Stub]]
*[http://dspace.swem.wm.edu/dspace/handle/10288/1188 Catalogue of the Alumni and Alumnae For the Years 1866-1932]. A partial list of Phi Beta Kappa members from 1776 to 1932 on pg. 175-177.
*College of William and Mary [http://www.wm.edu/sites/pbk/index.php Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Chapter] website. Includes a list of recent initiates from Fall 1999 forward.
*Lists of Phi Beta Kappa members - from the College of William and Mary and elsewhere - are available from the [http://www.pbk.org/home/index.aspx society].
*[https://www.pbk.org/web/PBK_Member/About_PBK/PBK_History/PBK_Member/PBK_History.aspx?hkey=44391228-bb7c-4705-bd2e-c785f3c1d876 PBK History]
==Need help?==
To search for further material, see [http://swem.wm.edu/scrc/Tools.cfm Finding Materials in the SCRC] for an introduction to the [http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/ SCRC Collections Database], card catalogs, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, etc.
Questions? Contact the SCRC at [mailto:spcoll@wm.edu spcoll@wm.edu] or 221-3090, or visit the [http://swem.wm.edu/scrc/ Special Collections Research Center] in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William and Mary ([http://www.swem.wm.edu/scrc hours]).
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! style="background:#228844" |A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki
| |Unfortunately, many of the early original records of the College of William and Mary were destroyed by fire, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information available here is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in the SCRC's collections and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the SCRC's [http://swem.wm.edu/scrc/Tools.cfm access tools] for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive.
[[Category:Students]][[Category:College Stub]][[Category:1776]][[Category:Ref]]
Phi Beta Kappa was founded by five students at the College of William and Mary in 1776 at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg and is the oldest honor society in the United States. The current Phi Beta Kappa Hall and the first Phi Beta Kappa Hall at William and Mary (present-day Ewell Hall were named to mark that connection.
To search for further material, see Finding Materials in the SCRC for an introduction especially to the SCRC Collections Database.
Catalogue of the Alumni and Alumnae For the Years 1866-1932. A partial list of Phi Beta Kappa members from 1776 to 1932 on pg. 175-177.
College of William and Mary Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Chapter website. Includes a list of recent initiates from Fall 1999 forward.
Lists of Phi Beta Kappa members - from the College of William and Mary and elsewhere - are available from the society.
PBK History
To search for further material, see Finding Materials in the SCRC for an introduction to the SCRC Collections Database, card catalogs, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, etc.
Questions? Contact the SCRC at spcoll@wm.edu or 221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William and Mary (hours).
Unfortunately, many of the early original records of the College of William and Mary were destroyed by fire, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information available here is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in the SCRC's collections and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the SCRC's access tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive.
Retrieved from "https://scdbwiki.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php?title=Phi_Beta_Kappa&oldid=24997"
College Stub
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Tag Archives: Bella Heathcote
‘The Invitation’
Director: Karyn Kusama
Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard and Michiel Huisman
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Photo courtesy of Drafthouse Films.
In “The Invitation,” Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) drive deep into the Hollywood Hills to attend a dinner party hosted by Will’s ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband David (Michiel Huisman) at the house Will and Eden used to share. The party is the first time any of their friends have seen them in two years — Will and Eden divorced following the accidental death of their son, and Eden left to join a grief support group in Mexico, where she met David. Throughout the course of the evening, Will becomes increasingly disturbed being back in the house he once shared with a happy family that is no more, and he also begins to grow suspicious of Eden and David, who try to share with the group their new spiritual philosophies that have helped them overcome grief. I like how “The Invitation” slowly turns up the suspense and leaves the audience unsure if there is really something sinister behind Eden’s cultish white dress and David’s calm demeanor, or if it’s just Will suffering from a mental breakdown when confronted with his past. It’s sufficiently creepy and even a bit thoughtful. All-in-all, “The Invitation” is a pretty good thriller.
‘The Neon Demon’
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Elle Fanning, Jena Malone and Bella Heathcote
Rating: R for disturbing violent content, bloody images, graphic nudity, a scene of aberrant sexuality, and language.
Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios, Broad Green Pictures, Scanbox Entertainment and The Jokers.
“The Neon Demon” is the most talked-about and most polarizing horror movie of the year. For the most part, I really liked it. Kind of a tired story: Jesse (Elle Fanning) is a young girl from a small town hoping to make it big as a model in Hollywood, but Hollywood is, unfortunately, full of Illuminati and lesbian necrophiliacs. It’s a higher budget version of 2014’s “Starry Eyes,” which is a much better film, plot-wise. But don’t come to “The Neon Demon” for the plot: come for the artistic visuals, evil female leads and the always excellent Jena Malone who steals the show as Jesse’s eerily too nice, there’s-gotta-be-something-wrong-with-her mentor Ruby. My main issue with “The Neon Demon” is the weird casting of Elle Fanning as the lead — she’s not charismatic enough to propel the movie on her own, and she’s cute, but the very embodiment of natural beauty? Eh. At least the costumes are fabulous.
‘Train to Busan’
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Starring: Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an and Jung Yu-mi
Photo courtesy of Next Entertainment World.
“Train to Busan” is one of the best zombie movies I’ve seen in a long while. The Korean horror film expertly showcases comedic moments, high tension, family drama, romance and truly frightening zombie shots. It’s an excellent movie and one of the best horror films of the year. The story follows Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), an absentee father whose focus on his business has crippled his relationship with his 9-year-old daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an). For her birthday, all Su-an wants is to be reunited with her estranged mother, so Seok-woo begrudgingly agrees to accompany her on the high-speed KTX ride from Seoul to Busan. Unfortunately, the train departs just as the country begins to deteriorate into a zombie apocalypse. Only Busan, the country’s southern port city, is safe, and the survivors must fight to get the train to its final destination. The intense zombie action scenes are top tier (my favorite is a stop in Daejeon where the passengers are faced with a horde of zombie soldiers in military uniform charging up the stairs), but where “Train to Busan” really got me is with its heart. The evolving father-daughter dynamic will suck you in, and the supporting characters are all so compelling. “Train to Busan” is not to be missed.
‘31’
Release Date: Sept. 16, 2016
Director: Rob Zombie
Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Malcolm McDowell and Meg Foster
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Rating: R for strong bloody horror violence, pervasive language, sexual content and drug use.
Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
As a diehard Rob Zombie fan, I enjoyed “31” and was pleased to find it more straightforward and accessible than Zombie’s last release, 2012’s “The Lords of Salem.” “31” follows a group of carnival workers who are kidnapped on Halloween 1976 and told by three strangers that they will be entered into a game called 31. During the game, they will have 12 hours to escape from a maze-like warehouse of rooms while various clowns will be sent to torture and kill them. The plot isn’t necessarily anything groundbreaking, but Zombie’s characterizations are always the most entertaining. His villains are excellent, particularly Malcolm McDowell as Father Murder, an aristocrat in a powdered wig who oversees the proceedings and announces the carnies’ odds for survival over a loudspeaker, and Richard Brake as Doom-Head, the final and most effective obstacle in the gang’s way of survival. As always, Sheri Moon Zombie is a badass and a delight, and I love that she’s still the ultimate scream queen, wielding chainsaws in barely-there crop tops at 46.
This entry was posted in Film, film review and tagged 31, action, Bella Heathcote, busan, capsule film review, capsule movie review, cults, drama, Elle Fanning, 부산행, female-driven horror movies, film, film review, foreign films, Gong Yoo, hollywood, hollywood hills, horror, horror movies, Jena Malone, Jung Yu-mi, Karyn Kusama, Kim Su-an, korea, ktx, lesbian, Logan Marshall-Green, los angeles, Malcolm McDowell, Meg Foster, Michiel Huisman, movie review, movies, mystery, necrophilia, Nicolas Winding Refn, Richard Brake, rob zombie, seoul, sheri moon zombie, starry eyes, Tammy Blanchard, the invitation, the lords of salem, the neon demon, thriller, train to busan, Yeon Sang-ho, zombie apocalypse, zombies on January 22, 2017 by screamfmlondon.
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Pet Sematary Exclusive Deleted Scene: Rachel is Haunted By Zelda
by Sandy Schaefer
in Movie News, SR Originals
Rachel Creed in haunted by the memory of her sister, Zelda, in a deleted scene from Pet Sematary (2019). The new adaptation of Stephen King's classic horror novel was a modest success overall, earning mixed-to-positive reviews and taking in $112 million at the box office on a $21 million budget. Generally-speaking, King's fans were similarly divided over the changes the film made to both the original book and director Mary Lambert's 1989 movie adaptation. More specifically, they took issue with the new version's different ending and its portrayal of Zelda, among other things.
Zelda, as a reminder, is Rachel's younger sister and suffered from spinal meningitis when they were both young girls. In Pet Sematary (2019), Rachel (Amy Seimetz) is tormented by her memories of Zelda as an adult; not only due to her terrible illness, but also because she died as a child when Rachel was alone at home with her, and inadvertently played a role in her death. As a result, throughout the film, the grown-up Rachel keeps experiencing terrifying visions of Zelda either dying or trying to hurt her.
Related: Pet Sematary (2019) Misses the Point of the Original Novel
Screen Rant is exclusively debuting a Pet Sematary deleted scene that features another moment where Rachel - alone in the Creeds' new home - has yet another close encounter with the specter of her sister. You can check the clip out in the space below.
The Pet Sematary trailers actually included excerpts from this scene, which indicates that it was dropped from the film relatively later in post-production. It's a perfectly decent, chilling sequence all in all, but it doesn't necessarily reveal or establish anything that wasn't already covered in the theatrical cut - meaning, it's easy to see why it was eventually dropped. On the other hand, some viewers might've preferred it if this scene has been included in place of one of the jump scares featuring Zelda that made the final cut, instead. After all, it's a comparatively quieter moment that depend more on atmosphere and building a sense of dread, as opposed to, say, sudden loud noises.
Overall, though, the Zelda subplot was perfectly fine in Pet Sematary as is, and tied into the film's overarching theme about emotional grief and guilt and how they affect people's views on death and the idea of the afterlife. At the same time, the Zelda character was arguably better in Lambert's movie, if only because of Andrew Hubatsek's performance (a grown man playing a ghostly girl is just inherently spookier) and the ghastly practical makeup that he wore to play the role. Whichever side one falls on, it seems that most people agree that the Zelda storyline is one of the more (if not the most) unnerving parts of both Pet Sematary adaptations.
NEXT: Every Stephen King Movie, Ranked
Pet Sematary is now available on Digital. It releases on Blu-ray on Tuesday, July 9.
Tags: pet sematary
FBI Investigating Con Artist That Posed as Marvel Studio Executive
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> SAUGUS SPEEDWAY
Ron Hornaday Sr.
1965 Saugus Speedway Champion
Stock car driver Ron Hornaday Sr. and his familiar No. 97 Ford from Galpin Motors. Photo(s) from an undated (1982) Saugus Speedway program promoting a "Past Champions Night," in which Hornaday participated, on Sept. 18, 1982.
Stock car driver Ron Hornaday Sr. (January 13, 1931 - December 21, 2008) got his racing start at Saugus in the 1950s. A San Fernando Valley resident, he made 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts between 1955 and 1973. He was the 1965 Saugus Speedway champion and a two-time Winston West Champion.
Hornday was parts and service manager at Galpin Ford in what is now North Hills. He raced a Ford from Galpin Motors, No. 97.
Hornaday's son, Ron Jr. (b. June 20, 1958), who lived in Canyon Country, would rival his fame. Ron Jr. raced a Ford Thunderbird at Saugus and used his father's number, 97. He went on to become a four-time champion of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the last win coming in 2009. His son, Ron III (b. August 1, 1979) is also a NASCAR driver.
Ron Sr. was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first year, 2002.
From the Hall of Fame
Another of the San Fernando Valley clan and one of Frank Galpin Ford's top guns, Ron Hornaday Sr. first ran the old Pacific Coast Late Model Circuit in 1956.
The competition and equipment were good, but it was not an easy task for a newcomer to master. Within just a few seasons, however, Ron was winning races and challenging for championships. With a second place in the 1962 title chase behind Eddie Gray, Ron had finally given notice that he was a force to be reckoned with.
In 1963 and again in '64, Ron won back-to-back titles. Along the way he garnered 13 victories, tying him for 12th all time with Danny Letner, Jim Robinson and Butch Gilliland. Ron won a great number of late model sportsman races over a 20-year span in and around Southern California. Son Ron Jr. has kept the family name before the public in recent years, and it does not look like it will be fading away anytime soon.
[NASCAR, Dec. 25, 2008] — Ron Hornaday Sr., a two-time NASCAR West Coast champion and patriarch of the West Coast racing Hornaday family, has died of cancer. He was 77.
Hornaday, who died Sunday in his native California, was the father Ron Hornaday Jr. who won three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series titles. His grandson Ronnie continued the family tradition in 1999, making his NASCAR debut at the age of 19.
"Our father was the inspiration to all of us and was a true champion to the very end," Hornaday Jr. said in a statement posted on his web site. "We will miss him so very much but it is a comfort to know that he is now with his beloved wife and our mother, Helen, where he wanted to be."
Helen Hornaday died in 2001.
Hornaday began racing at Saugus Speedway and Ascot Park in Southern California in the 1950s.
Hornaday's weekday job was as parts and service manager at Galpin Ford in North Hills. And dealership owner Frank Galpin sponsored Hornaday's Fords for much of his racing career.
Hornaday's Cup debut came at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in May of 1955, finishing 14th in a field of 29 cars, earning him a $25 paycheck.
He would make sporadic starts the next two decades, mainly when NASCAR's premier series made its annual trip west.
Hornaday found great success in NASCAR's Pacific Coast stock-car circuit, where he finished second in 1962, then won back-to-back titles the next two seasons.
"Ron Sr. was a great champion and one of the true pioneers in NASCAR's west coast efforts," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president of corporate communications. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
LW2541: 19200 dpi jpeg from printed image in program book.
SAUGUS SPEEDWAY
• Bonelli Stadium
• Fireball 500
Saugus Speedway Scrapbook 1979/1995
* RACING PROGRAMS *
Kurtis Midget 1950, Art 2006
~1950s
Trophy Girl Amedee Chabot, Miss USA 1962
Aerial View 1971
Video: Rolling Man (ABC 1972)
Charlie's Angels 1976
Dan Press Story 1981
Jason Priestly, Charlie Sheen, Charity Benefit 1991
Assessor's Map 2008
• Old Barn Burns
Video: Driver Reunion 8-21-2017
Legacy: Sad Sam Stanley
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Home >> Province of Alberta >> Grassy Lake >> Tidbits & Trivia
Grassy Lake, Alberta
The location of Grassy Lake
Below is our collection of tidbits, odds 'n ends for Grassy Lake.
This page contains three sections:
How Far From Grassy Lake ...
Communities Also Named Grassy Lake ...
Unique Names Near Grassy Lake ...
How Far From Grassy Lake to ...
We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Grassy Lake to various places of note, such as Parliament Hill.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance<1> beginning in Grassy Lake and extending to:
Edmonton [Map], which is the Provincial Capital of Alberta, lies 267 miles [429.7 km] to the North Northwest (NNW). If you could drive a straight line from Grassy Lake to Edmonton, with an average speed<2>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take four to five hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take 16 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take 11 days.
The National Capital at Parliament Hill (Ottawa, ON [Map]) is 1,685 miles [2,711.7 km] to the East (E). Driving would take most of three days, a buggy would take 66 days and walking would take 96 days.
The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba [Map]) is 7,208 miles [11,600.2 km] and it lies to the North Northeast (NNE).<5>
We have found 2 communities that share the name Grassy Lake.
While the name Grassy Lake is unique within Alberta, we know of another 2 communities with the same name in the United States and Canada.
Communities Outside of Alberta
Our profile page for Grassy Lake, Crittenden County
We found mention of this community, but have little information.<7>
Although located in Crittenden County, we don't know the location of this community within the .
Our profile page for Grassy Lake
We found mention of this community, but have little information.
Although located in , we don't know the location of this community within the .
Curious and Interesting Names Near Grassy Lake ...
Bow Island - 15 miles [24.1 km] to the East of Grassy Lake [Map]
Conquerville (Historic) - 24 miles [38.6 km] to the Southeast [Map]
Goat - 6 miles [9.7 km] to the North [Map]
Hays - 12 miles [19.3 km] to the Northwest [Map]
Juno - 4 miles [6.4 km] to the East [Map]
Legend (Historic) - 24 miles [38.6 km] to the South [Map]
Purple Springs - 8 miles [12.9 km] to the West [Map]
Skiff - 23 miles [37 km] to the South [Map]
The Communities of Alberta
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Grassy Lake. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
<1> Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Grassy Lake) to Point B.
If you need the driving distance (or directions), we recommend that you use one of the Mapping Services listed on our Map Page for Grassy Lake. Since we usually use Google Maps, we've provided the following link for your convenience: Google Map and Driving Directions starting from Grassy Lake
Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Grassy Lake. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 49.8333, Longitude: -111.7000 [Map].
<3> The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Grassy Lake to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.
<7> If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer as a placeholder. As we find more information about that community, it will be added to our Gazetteer.
Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Bird Creek to see Pete ... Bird Creek is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name.
Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time.
Also keep in mind that Grassy Lake could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong . Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out.
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Reception for Solo exhibit at Gallery 2901
Home / Uncategorized / Reception for Solo exhibit at Gallery 2901
By Roland Lee
Reception for Solo exhibit at Gallery 29012015-09-122015-09-12/wp-content/uploads/Roland-Lee-Logo_white-e1425176717230.pngRoland Leehttps://rolandlee.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_0162.jpg200px200px
We had a very successful opening last night at Gallery 2901 in Salt Lake City, UT. My show will remain in display through October 2. Thanks to Bruce Robertson and his staff, as well as the many volunteers who support the Visual Art Institute. Also a special thanks to those new collectors who purchased paintings. A portion of the sales will support the VAI and the many students who study there. Stop by the exhibit at 2901 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, UT if you get a chance.
About Roland Lee
Roland Lee is a full-time artist living in southern Utah near Zion National Park. Each year Roland travels to various parts of the world where he sketches and paints on location. Roland's watercolor paintings are in over 1000 permanent collections worldwide and his travel sketches have been featured in multiple art magazines. Roland is also a coveted speaker and instructor in advanced watercolor painting techniques. Roland's latest original paintings and prints can be purchased directly from Rolandlee.com.
Featured in Western Art Collector “Where the Past Meets the Present”
Etched Magazine July 2019 Article “Right Where I Want to Be”
Roland Lee One-man Show Features 100 paintings
Art Organizations Arts Afire art show art shows Art Supplies art workshops Awards Carolyn Lord Cedar Breaks collectors Dixie State University Eccles Fine Art Center Events Exhibits Grandkids Art Invitational maynard dixon Milford Zornes national Parks National Parks Service Nature Photos News Article OC Tanner Amphitheater Other Artists outdoor painting Painting Demo painting outdoors plein air PLein Air Painting Plein Air Paintout Publications School Visits Spike Ress Sputhern Utah Watercolor Society Studio Tour SUMA SUU talk Talks Travels and Hikes Utah Watercolor Society Videos workshops Zion zion natural history association
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New Zion Book Funded on Kickstarter
Painting “Cliffs of Zion” Presented to University Donors
Roland Lee Gallery
165 North 100 East,
St. George, UT 84770
© 1979-2015 by Roland Lee Art Gallery, Inc. All rights reserved.
No image may be reproduced by any means without the express written consent of the artist. Thank you for being honest.
Enter your email address if you want to stay informed about the latest from Roland Lee!
Painting Award from Winsor & NewtonUncategorized
Utah Watercolor Society Fall ShowUncategorized
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Vijftien jaar geleden: the concert for George (Harrison)
writers' blog in beatles 29 november 2017 489 Words
The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison’s widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne. The profits from the event went to the Material World Charitable Foundation, an organisation set up by Harrison.
The concert opened with a traditional Sanskrit invocation, the Sarvesham chant, followed by Indian music when Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, played “Your Eyes”. Next, Anoushka Shankar and Jeff Lynne performed “The Inner Light”, followed by a Ravi Shankar composition “Arpan” (Sanskrit for ‘to give’), specially written for the occasion.
Next there was a comedy interlude with four of the surviving members of the Monty Python troupe (Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam along with Python contributor Neil Innes) performing “Sit on My Face”. Then Michael Palin came out as an over-the-top announcer who eventually states that he only ever wanted to be a lumberjack. He was then joined by the Pythons, Innes, Carol Cleveland and actor Tom Hanks and The Fred Tomlinson Singers to perform “The Lumberjack Song”.
The remainder of the concert featured “George’s Band” and included the surviving members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as musicians Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Jools Holland, Albert Lee, Sam Brown, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown, Ray Cooper, Andy Fairweather-Low, Marc Mann, Dave Bronze, Klaus Voormann, Harrison’s son Dhani and several other musicians who appeared on Harrison’s recordings over the years.
Between them they played a selection of mostly Harrison’s songs, from both Beatles and post-Beatles eras, generally staying faithful to Harrison’s original arrangements. Performances included Clapton on “If I Needed Someone” and “Beware of Darkness”; Clapton and Preston on “Isn’t It a Pity”; McCartney on “For You Blue” and “All Things Must Pass”; Starr on “Photograph”; McCartney and Clapton on “Something” (McCartney opening with a solo ukulele accompaniment which then shifts into a full band version featuring Clapton); Preston on “My Sweet Lord”; McCartney, Clapton and Starr reuniting on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”; Petty on “I Need You” and “Taxman”; Lynne on “I Want to Tell You” and “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)”; Petty and Lynne with Dhani Harrison and Jim Keltner on “Handle With Care” as a quasi-Traveling Wilburys; and the group performance of “Wah-Wah”.
Joe Brown closed the show with a rendition of “I’ll See You in My Dreams” on ukulele, one of Harrison’s favourite instruments.
The event was filmed and a motion picture version, directed by David Leland and photographed by Chris Menges was released on DVD on 17 November 2003. A compact disc version was also released on the same date although the Monty Python and Sam Brown tracks were not included on the CD. A Blu-ray version was released by Rhino Records on 22 March 2011. [Wikipedia]
Getagged
writers' blog Former journalist, interested in music (all kinds), literature, film, cycling and everything that spices up life.
Gepubliceerd 29 november 2017
Maria Farantouri wordt zeventig
Viola Smith wordt 105!
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Tiwa Savage is Rotary ambassador for polio eradication
May 2017 May 03 2017 Jayne Augoye, Premium Times Bill Gates, celebrity, children, immunisation, Lagos, Melinda Gates, nigeria, polio, Rotary, Tiwa Savage, vaccine
Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage
Nigerian singer/songwriter, Tiwa Savage, is the newest face to join Rotary’s ‘This Close’ public awareness campaign for polio eradication.
Savage, who was described by CNN as Nigeria’s biggest pop star, will help Rotary achieve its goal of a polio-free world by raising awareness about the vaccine-preventable disease.
The singer’s participation in this programme comes at a critical juncture. Savage administered vaccine to children in Lagos in late April.
Last year, Nigeria experienced a polio outbreak that paralysed four children after passing nearly two years without a case of the disease.
Rotary says her involvement in the campaign will raise important awareness that will help ensure the outbreak is stopped.
“This is a cause that hits close to home for me, not only as a mother of a small child, but as a proud Nigerian, whose country has been battling this disease for many years,” said Savage.
Savage announced her new partnership with Rotary last week in New York City at a World Immunisation Week event. As part of the campaign, Savage will be featured in ads raising her thumb and forefinger in the ‘this close’ gesture with the tagline ‘we’re this close to ending polio.’
The Nigerian music star joins other public figures and celebrities participating in Rotary’s public awareness campaign, including Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; actress Kristen Bell; supermodel Isabeli Fontana; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
Others include action movie star Jackie Chan; boxing great Manny Pacquiao; pop star Psy; golf legend Jack Nicklaus; conservationist Jane Goodall; premier violinist Itzhak Perlman; Grammy Award winners A R Rahman, Angelique Kidjo and Ziggy Marley; and peace advocate Queen Noor of Jordan.
A paralysing and life altering disease, polio is on the verge of becoming the second human disease ever to be eliminated worldwide after smallpox.
Nigeria regularly conducts mass immunisation campaigns to vaccinate every child under the age of five in the country.
Since the initiative launched in 1988, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 per cent, from about 350,000 cases a year to less than 37 cases in 2016.
Rotary launched its polio immunisation programme in 1985 and in 1988 became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative with the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and more recently the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Rotary’s roles within the initiative are fundraising, advocacy, raising awareness and mobilising volunteers. To date, Rotary has contributed more than $1.6 billion and countless volunteer hours to fight polio.
Through 2018, every dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication will be matched two-to-one by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation up to $35 million a year.
To date, more than 2.5 billion children have been immunised against polio, a paralysing and sometimes deadly disease.
← Ex-club president inspires £1 million donation
Rotarians discover ‘blissful’ Taranaki →
Global Movement Needed To Reverse Water Crisis
Ryan Hyland 26
Youth Harvest Party offers a fun day out for children
Deirdre Cox Baker, Quad-City Times 6
Rotary club takes up environment clean-up
Emily Dech, Thrive Reporter 21
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On November 27, 2007, Hawaiian Airlines signed a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Airbus for 24 long-range jets priced at $4.4 billion. The order included six Airbus A330-200s with a further six purchase rights and six Airbus A350-800s with a further six purchase rights - plans to fly to Paris and London were discussed. Deliveries for the A330s began in 2010 while the first A350 was to be delivered in 2017.[72]
We will keep the information, so we can fulfil the specific travel arrangements you have made and after that, we will keep the information for a period which enables us to handle or respond to any complaints, queries or concerns relating to the travel agreement and the information may also be retained so that we can continue to improve your experience with us.
Marketing activities of EVA AIR and its affiliates or service providers target specific information for users who make reservations through EVA AIR, including the total amount of the transaction and the system generated booking reference and travel itinerary, IP address, etc. We will use this information to observe the effectiveness of our marketing activities and may disclose this information to our partners for similar purposes. The third-party service provider organizes and reports on the collected information to provide better and more personalized transactions and various services.
In October 2015, Hawaiian Airlines announced that they will be upgrading their business class seats from the standard cradle seats to a 180-degree lie-flat seats on their A330 fleet in a 2-2-2 configuration. The new seats will be installed starting the second quarter of 2016. In addition to the new business class seats upgrade, the airline will add 28 additional Extra Comfort seating.[101]
Whether you're licensing photos through an agency or you're working with local businesses, destination photos sell. If you're just starting out, consider uploading your best work to sites like 500px, where you can offer your images for license quite easily. If you already have a strong portfolio of work, consider applying to Stocksy, the most reputable agency in the stock photo business. Interested in reportage? You can sign up for a Demotix account to get started in travel photojournalism.
rove, stray, roam, vagabond, wander, swan, ramble, range, drift, tramp, cast, roll - move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment; "The gypsies roamed the woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town"
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As an approved photographer on stock libraries, you can possibly get access to client briefs where you can submit your work direct to the client, meaning they’ll consider you for the project and see your profile. Otherwise there’s usually a marketplace type system for you to upload your images and have them added to collections based on themes, destinations and seasons.
The more willing you are to travel at a moment's notice, the more opportunities you can access. Day jobs will limit travel, so will mortgages and car payments. Photojournalist Lynsey Addario recently wrote about being 7 months pregnant while on assignment in Gaza. I deeply admire her bravery and commitment to her work, but I imagine many photographers aren't willing to make such compromises. Consider your lifestyle, and how much time you're willing to spend away from home. As for myself, I'm a long-term digital nomad traveling with a suitcase and a backpack and an open mind. Being available and flexible has made a monumental difference to my career.
Meanwhile, Hawaiian Airlines also entered the new international markets of Australia and New Zealand in 1986 with one-stop services through Pago Pago International Airport. Hawaiian also aggressively grew its international charter business and pursued military transport contracts. This led to a large growth in the company's revenues and caused its inter-island service's share of revenues to shrink to just about a third of the company's total.[22]
"In today's competitive world you cannot justify providing complimentary meals on a traditional business model. It simply does not pay for itself... which explains why essentially everybody has taken all that free food off the airplane. We're being illogical by actually investing heavily in this area... It's part of who we are, and it's what makes us different from everybody else."[99]
Love your site! How do you go about not needing work visas to do photography for tourism boards, hotels etc? I see a lot of travel photography in foreign places, but in most countries its illegal to work there and next to impossible to get a work visa as a photographer. Any advice on reaching out to brands/hotels/tourism boards etc overseas without finding myself being deported for working in their country?
*2. Prices displayed based on purchase of a Roundtrip itinerary between HNL, OGG, LIH, KOA, ITO and BOS, JFK, SAN, SFO, SMF, LAX, LGB, PHX, OAK, SJC, LAS. Tickets must be booked between 4/12/2019 and 4/16/2019. Fares are available for travel on Mondays through Thursdays from 8/19/19 – 12/12/19. For travel from Hawaii to Las Vegas, NV fares are available for travel on Friday – Wednesday from Hawaii and Tuesday – Friday to Hawaii from 8/19/19 – 12/12/19. For travel from Hawaii to Oakland, CA or San Jose, CA fares are available for travel on Mondays through Thursdays from 11/4/119 – 12/12/19 . Blackout Dates: 11/21/19 – 11/24/19 to Hawaii and 11/29/19 – 12/2/19 from Hawaii. Travel must be on Hawaiian Airlines operated flights only. Fares are not valid on codeshare flights and subject to 1 month maximum stay as measured from departure from fare origin. Fares may not be available over all dates and fares on some dates may be higher. The number of seats available in this fare class during the travel period shown are limited and may change at any time without notice. Fares include government taxes and fees and carrier fees. Fares are non-refundable, non-transferrable, and non-endorsable. Other restrictions apply. Additional baggage charges may apply.
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Aga Szydlik is a professional culture photographer and a doctoral candidate based in South Africa. She tells us that her journey with photography started with Muay Thai (the famous Thai fight style) which she documented extensively. Based in Thailand, she able to explore South East Asia, onwards to Indonesia and South Africa. She is enthusiastic about alternative processes, analogue photography, Lomography and salt/albumin prints as well as mixed media.
My personal opinion -after having met many such characters- in India; either in Varanasi, Rishikesh, Vrindavan et al, as well as at the Kumbh Mela, is that the majority of them are fake in the sense that they're not dedicated ascetics, but individuals who are adopted a vagabondage lifestyle, begging for alms and food...under the guise of being holy and religious.
*2. Prices displayed based on purchase of a Roundtrip itinerary between HNL, OGG, LIH, KOA, ITO and BOS, JFK, SAN, SFO, SMF, LAX, LGB, PHX, OAK, SJC, LAS. Tickets must be booked between 4/12/2019 and 4/16/2019. Fares are available for travel on Mondays through Thursdays from 8/19/19 – 12/12/19. For travel from Hawaii to Las Vegas, NV fares are available for travel on Friday – Wednesday from Hawaii and Tuesday – Friday to Hawaii from 8/19/19 – 12/12/19. For travel from Hawaii to Oakland, CA or San Jose, CA fares are available for travel on Mondays through Thursdays from 11/4/119 – 12/12/19 . Blackout Dates: 11/21/19 – 11/24/19 to Hawaii and 11/29/19 – 12/2/19 from Hawaii. Travel must be on Hawaiian Airlines operated flights only. Fares are not valid on codeshare flights and subject to 1 month maximum stay as measured from departure from fare origin. Fares may not be available over all dates and fares on some dates may be higher. The number of seats available in this fare class during the travel period shown are limited and may change at any time without notice. Fares include government taxes and fees and carrier fees. Fares are non-refundable, non-transferrable, and non-endorsable. Other restrictions apply. Additional baggage charges may apply.
There's much more to becoming a travel photographer than exploring exotic destinations and clicking your shutter. Getting up at stupid-o-clock to catch the perfect sunrise, carrying a camera that’s heavier than four backpacks, skipping meals in the quest for perfect light, and missing out on the travel experience because you’re too busy taking photos, are just a few of the downsides.
Infant does not occupy a seat, and must be under the age of 2 while traveling. Each purchase is limited to 9 tickets (not including infant tickets), and must contain at least 1 adult(over the age of 16). Each adult may only bring 1 infant and 1 child. For passenger traveling with infant, kindly contact your local reservation office for bassinet seat selection, subjected to availability. Some airlines do not offer infant fares (e.g. Alaska Airlines, etc.). You may purchase adult ticket first via this website, and then seek infant ticket through other channels.
However I didn't realize that he had done lovely work documenting a rural Chinese opera troupe in Sichuan featured on the International Business Times..thus providing me with valuable inspiration for my own long term book project involving Chinese opera of the Diaspora. My primary focus in this project is on the "rural" or provincial troupes who perform their art during Chinese celebrations and religious observances.
Prices displayed based on purchase of a Roundtrip itinerary between SFO, OAK, SJC, SAN, LAX, LGB, SMF, BOS, PHX, JFK, LAS and HNL, OGG, KOA, LIH, ITO. Tickets must be booked between 4/12/2019 and 4/16/2019. Fares are available for travel Monday–Thursday between 8/19/2019 and 12/12/2019 and are only valid in the Economy (coach) cabin. Blackout Dates: 11/21/19 to 11/24/19 to Hawaii and 11/29/19 to 12/2/19 from Hawaii. Fares from Oakland, CA or San Jose, CA to Hawaii are available for travel Monday–Thursday from 11/4/2019 to 12/12/2019. Blackout Dates: 11/21/2019 to 11/24/2019 to Hawaii and 11/29/2019 to 12/2/2019 from Hawaii. Fares from Las Vegas, NV are available for travel Friday through Wednesday from Hawaii and Tuesday through Friday to Hawaii; from 8/19/2019 and 12/12/2019. Blackout Dates: 11/21/2019 to 11/24/2019 to Hawaii and 11/29/2019 to 12/2/2019 from Hawaii. Travel must be on Hawaiian Airlines operated flights only. Fares are not valid on codeshare flights and subject to 1 month maximum stay as measured from departure from fare origin. Fares may not be available over all dates and fares on some dates may be higher. The number of seats available in this fare class during the travel period shown are limited and may change at any time without notice. Fares include government taxes and fees and carrier fees. Fares are non-refundable, non-transferrable, and non-endorsable. Other restrictions apply. Additional baggage charges may apply.
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Hawaiian Airlines serves destinations in several Asia-Pacific countries and territories. The airline added its sixth international destination, Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea on January 12, 2011.[36] It also has daily and weekly direct, non-stop international flights from Honolulu to Tahiti, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and New Zealand.
Heading into the 1990s, Hawaiian Airlines faced financial difficulties, racking up millions of dollars in losses throughout the previous three years. Due to the airline's increasingly unprofitable operations, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 1993. During this time, the company reduced many of its costs: reorganizing its debt, wrestling concessions from employees, cutting overcapacity, and streamlining its fleet by disposing many of the planes it had added to its fleet just a few years earlier.[24]
However, the most challenging of all the tasks involved in producing these photo films is to have the models literally become actors in the stories...not only because I want them to look the part of the betrayed lover, of the returning scorned avenger, of the famous singer haunting her past venues, but because I like them to narrate the story itself.
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Rosalynn Tay is a travel and fashion (as well as editorial) photographer based in Singapore, and is a peripatetic traveler whose fondness of travel led her to photograph in countless countries. She travels to Sri Lanka, Japan, Mongolia, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Siberia, Morocco and even ventured to North Korea. She is a graduate of Spéos, the internationally recognized photography school in Paris. She's also a committed Leica user, and has exhibited her work (Ethiopia -solo- and LeicaXhibition -group).
All the photographs in this gallery were made using the Fuji X-Pro2 and the Fujinon 18mm 2.0 pancake lens. Since I keep camera dangling from my neck as I click the shutter, the lens aperture ring occasionally slips, so I have a small piece of gaffer tape keeping it at 2.8 or 4.0 at all times. I also keep the iso at 640 most of the time. The photographs were processed with Silver Efex; my favorite monochrome software.
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If you know anything about the history of airline baggage fees, you'll remember the year 2008. That's when American Airlines rocked the air travel industry by charging for a first checked-bag. Sure, the U.S. Travel Association may demand a free bag for every passenger, but it'll never happen - airlines in the U.S. alone took in more than $3 billion in bag fees last year. They'd be crazy to give ... Continue reading
Hawaiian provides complimentary and paid beverage service on all of its flights. Meals are not provided on interisland flights due to their short length (30–45 minutes). On its U.S. mainland flights, Hawaiian is one of the only major U.S. airlines to still provide complimentary meals in its main cabin (coach class); each meal is made with no preservatives, all-natural ingredients and packaged with recyclable materials.[94] In 2009, Hawaiian introduced premium meals in its main cabin, giving passengers the option of having the complimentary meal or paying to upgrade to a premium meal. The premium meals consisted of a variety of high end Asian cuisine, but were later discontinued.[94][95]
In March 2007, Hawaiian introduced a "tasting menu" or "tapas menu" for its first class passengers on its U.S. mainland and international flights. The menu consists of twenty entrees set on a rotation, with five available on any given flight. Passengers are provided information on the available entrees for their flight when they board, or shortly after takeoff and may choose up to three entrees as part of their inflight meal.[95][96]
On May 4, 2006, Hawaiian Airlines expanded service between the US mainland and Hawaiʻi in anticipation of the induction of four additional Boeing 767-300 aircraft, primarily focused on expanding non-stop service to Kahului Airport from San Diego, Seattle, and Portland. Additional flights were also added between Honolulu and the cities of Sacramento, Seattle, and Los Angeles.
Soon after, in early 1985, the company received the first two of its leased Lockheed L-1011 aircraft. One aircraft was used to launch Hawaiian's first scheduled operation out of Hawaiʻi, daily Honolulu-Los Angeles services. This new service put Hawaiian in direct competition with the major US air carriers for the first time in its history.[20] Throughout 1985 and 1986, Hawaiian Airlines added additional L-1011s to its fleet and used them to open up services to other West Coast gateway cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, and Anchorage, which placed Hawaiian in further competition against the major US airlines.[21]
Hawaiian Airlines is Hawaii’s largest airline, serving 20 domestic and international destinations around the Pacific. The airline flies daily to eight destinations on the islands and to Tahiti, American Samoa and Sydney, Australia. Its on-time record and baggage handling is exemplary. For Canadian flyers, Hawaiian Airlines flies from Seattle and Portland airports to Oahu, Honolulu.
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The WASH SDG Consortium to contribute to sustainable improved WASH for all
On June 22nd the WASH Alliance International*, Plan and SNV received great news from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As the SDG WASH Consortium, we have been granted 56 million for our jointly developed Netherlands WASH SDG Programme. This consortium – lead by Simavi- is unique to the world, as it brings together almost the whole Dutch water sector in effectively and efficiently realising our goal to reach a sustainable improved WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) situation for all.
Impact & Sustainable Development Goals
This 5-year programme will sustainably improve access to and use of sanitation and improving hygiene behaviours for at least 2 million people, and deliver access to and use of safe drinking water for at least 450,000 people in the coming five years.
During the Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day celebrations in Washington DC on 18 April 2015, minister Ploumen announced the commitment of the Dutch government to contribute to safe water and clean toilets for respectively 30 million and 50 million people. This as part of its strategy to realise the contribution of the Netherlands towards achieving universal access to water and sanitation services by 2030 under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda.
The WASH SDG Consortium will also ensure that facilities and services are sustainable, climate resilient, gender sensitive and socially inclusive. As such, the programme aligns itself with the DGIS WASH policy 2016-2030 Contributing to water, sanitation and hygiene for all, forever.
The Netherlands WASH SDG Programme will be implemented in seven countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. These countries all have significant numbers of people with poor access to and use of WASH services, either in rural areas or in densely populated areas with uncontrolled urbanisation and deteriorating water security. In all these countries the consortium members have long-term presence and ongoing WASH programmes, as well as established influence at the national level.
The WASH SDG programme is built on three core strategic objectives:
Increasing demand for improved WASH facilities and practices.
Improving the quality of service provision.
Improving governance of the sector.
Gender and social inclusion will be areas of specific attention in each of the 3 strategic objectives as well as climate vulnerability and resilience. The Consortium aims to develop and implement a gender transformative WASH approach in which our WASH interventions, not only aim at equal access and participation for women and men, but using WASH interventions to contribute to greater gender equality and social inclusion beyond the WASH sector. The Consortium will work towards the three strategic objectives through market-based and community-based solutions, public sector leadership, social accountability and empowered communities and civil society. Once capacitated and committed to jointly improve WASH, women and men, households, businesses, financial institutions and governments will generate a sustainable service delivery system, paving the road for acceleration. This will decrease external subsidies and even make them redundant over time, and accelerates access to WASH services for a growing population.
Sustainability clause
The Consortium is fully committed to ensuring that services and infrastructure will function up to 15 years after construction or rehabilitation, and will therefore incorporate the DGIS Sustainability Clause, Check and Compact in its monitoring activities.
100% leverage
For the first five years of the programme, the Consortium will commit to ensuring that for every euro invested, one euro is contributed locallythrough investments by households, private sector, and local and national government, by re-investments of WASH service providers, through financial institutions and by co-financing by consortium partners.
We are really looking forward to getting this programme off the ground and reach an improved WASH situation for all, following the SDG mission of leaving no one behind!
Want to learn more about the WASH SDG Consortium programme? Please read more here.
* Consisting of Simavi (lead), Amref Flying Doctors, Akvo, RAIN, WASTE, IRC, Wetlands, PRACTICA Foundation and RUAF
A long read is a full-length article covering one of our current topics.
More ‘long reads’ Read next long read
Mona van den Berg
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« Nov May »
The Daughter Also Rises: Liz Cheney, Crown Princess of Plutocracy and Duchess of Endless War
Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney is the daughter of the most reviled but most effective Washington power broker since LBJ, former Vice President Dick Cheney. She rapidly ascended into the House Republican leadership without opposition after a single term by pushing another woman aside. An unaccredited Bible college graduate like poor Cathy McMorris Rogers couldn’t compete with the scion of a budding Republican dynasty. As Chairman of the House Republican Conference, Liz becomes the newest token woman in a GOP House leadership of faceless suits, but she’s anything but a token, she’s the understudy of a taciturn master in the dark art of right-wing Washington power politics and together they’ve placed her in the same leadership position her father once held.
This isn’t solely about the backroom dealings of a Republican Congresswoman with an influential Daddy. It’s about the long game they’ve been playing for 18 years. Dick has been preparing the University of Chicago trained lawyer to assume control of the family business. She’s been Daddy’s work wife for two decades. Her service in the Bush-Cheney transition and Administration as Principal Deputy Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs gave her a thorough grounding in the reality of our national security state and our role as the world’s remaining imperialist and hegemonic superpower. She’s been at his side through an official biography, memoir, and co-author of a hawkish foreign policy treatise that’s more of a love letter to Republican neo-Cons than it is a serious policy manifesto.
The Crown Princess of Plutocracy and Duchess of Endless War is really making a bid for America’s Throne: The Presidency. To do that she needs to gently and surreptitiously ease out the current Russian-Backed Republican Royal family of dynastic greed and corruption and assert her own hereditary claim to the throne like an English Princess in a Royal House in Phillipa Gregory’s historical fiction.
What that means is that as Mueller’s noose and more than a dozen criminal investigations collude to strangle Trump’s presidency to death, she sets herself up to defend and fortify Mike Pence as the next President so that he can tap her to replace him. Whether they win or lose, Liz Cheney will have the stature to pursue the presidency on her own in the next election and the dynastic heft to unify her party behind her like an American Margaret Thatcher.
Date December 26, 2018
Tags 2020, 2024, Dick Cheney, Dynastic Politics, GOP Politics, Liz Cheney, Margaret Thatcher, Mueller, Pence, Trump
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Exxon's Criminal Offense
By Bill McKibben
TWO RECENT news items: 1) A new U.N. report finds that over the last 20 years, 4.1 billion people have been injured in extreme weather events—the floods and forest fires that are proliferating as the climate warms. The report adds that the total will keep steeply climbing in the years ahead.
2) Two teams of investigative journalists, following separate document trails, proved in the course of the fall that Exxon—now ExxonMobil, the world’s most profitable company—had known everything there was to know about climate change 25 years ago. And then lied about it, helping to set up the elaborate infrastructure of climate denial that has prevented serious international action on global warming.
I don’t know how to keep these two things in my head at the same time without giving myself over to hatred. I know I’m not supposed to hate, and much of the time I’m able to work on climate change without losing my cool. I can meet oil industry executives, understand the problems that make it hard for them to move quickly; I can and do sympathize deeply with coal miners and tar sands miners whose lives will be disrupted as we take necessary action.
But for Exxon? There have been hours, reading these reports in the Los Angeles Times and the Pulitzer-winning InsideClimate News, when I’ve just found myself in a blind rage, unable to comprehend how people—professed Christians, most of them, in that Texas hotbed of Christianity—could act this way. Their scientists told them quite straightforwardly that burning coal and oil was heating the planet and that it was going to be disastrous. By the mid-1980s, before any politician was talking about climate change, they had good computer models indicating (correctly as it turned out) how much the earth would warm. And they believed those predictions—they helped guide their actions in places like the Arctic, where they were bidding for leases in waters they knew would soon be free of ice.
But they also knew that serious action on climate change would cost them money—would force them to start switching their business from fossil fuel to renewable energy. And so they went to work, helping to set up front groups that hired veterans of the tobacco wars to open a new front of obfuscation. Their CEO, Lee Raymond, gave a speech in Beijing in 1997 insisting that the climate models were hokum, and that the earth was cooling.
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sakhorn / Shutterstock
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By ST Staff Writers Solar, Solar PV, U.S. October 28, 2016
Largest Solar Array on a GM Site in Michigan
DTE Energy, the utility that is Michigan’s largest investor in renewable energy, has completed installation of a 900-kilowatt solar array at GM’s Warren Transmission plant. The array is the largest solar installation at a GM site in Michigan and brings DTE’s operational solar sites to 28. DTE has three additional large scale solar arrays under construction in the cities of Detroi tand Lapeer.
“DTE is proud to be the state’s largest investor in solar and wind, having driven investments of $2 billion since 2008,” said Irene Dimitry, vice president of business and development for DTE Energy. “These investments are helping us reduce greenhouse gases while enabling DTE to continue delivering safe, affordable and reliable energy for our 2.2 million customers. We are excited to be here today to celebrate the completion of this project and our partnership with General Motors.”
GM recently announced its commitment to meet the electricity needs of its global operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. This goal is part of the company’s overall approach to strengthening its business, improving communities and addressing its impact on the climate.
“By partnering with DTE on this solar array, GM is helping bring green energy options to the Warren community,” said Rob Threlkeld, GM’s global manager of renewable energy. “Projects like these help GM better serve society by reducing environmental impacts.”
DTE owns the 2,862 panel-array, which was installed on 4.25 acres of a parking lot leased from GM Warren Transmission. The solar array will generate approximately 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, the energy equivalent to powering the annual electricity needs of about 155 homes in southeast Michigan.
Today, DTE’s renewable energy portfolio includes 12 wind parks and 28 solar arrays in Michigan. In 2015, more than 10 percent of the electricity provided by DTE was generated from a renewable source in Michigan – enough clean energy to power more than 400,000 homes.
About ST Staff Writers
This post was prepared by Solar Thermal Magazine staff.
Tags: DTE Energy, general motors, solar, solar array, solar pv
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Another person was arrested for making threats against black college students on Yik Yak
David Matthews
UPMatters.com
Michigan police have arrested a suspect who allegedly sent threats aimed at black students at Michigan Technological University on Yik Yak.
According to Detroit News, the school's Department of Public Safety and Police Services was the first to notice the message, which said "Gonna shoot all black people."
The unidentified suspect is scheduled to appear at the Houghton County Circuit Court, in the Upper Peninsula, on Friday morning, a Michigan Tech spokesperson told Reuters.
WZZM 13
The Yik Yak messages were discovered in the afternoon Thursday, according to Reuters. The school immediately ratcheted up its police presence and made counseling services available to students, according to WZZM, a Michigan ABC affiliate. The station notes that Yik Yak assisted with the investigation. The suspect was arrested late Thursday night and taken to the Houghton jail to await their hearing.
“It’s important to remember that we are a community and will not tolerate threats to any member of our family,” Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz said in a statement. “It’s time we watch out for one another.”
The arrest is part of a continuing trend that has seen several students arrested or under investigation for making racial threats on college campuses across the country this week. Earlier, several white students in the University of Missouri system were arrested for making online threats, including on Yik Yak, toward the members of the ongoing Concerned Student 1950 protest. The FBI and Washington D.C.'s Metropolitan police are investigating similar threats that were directed toward students at Howard University, a HBCU.
Marist University in New York was put on lockdown early Friday after threats of a campus shooting were found. Poughkeepsie, N.Y. police announced, however, that those threats were not racially motivated. Fordham University, also in New York, is investigating graffiti of a swastika and White supremacist language placed in the restroom of a campus bathroom.
Michigan Tech is a state school with an enrollment of over 7,000, around seven percent of whom are black, according to a school spokesperson.
David Matthews operates the Wayback Machine on Fusion.net—hop on. Got a tip? Email him: david.matthews@fusion.net
Nancy Pelosi Sends House Into Chaos by Violating Worst Rule in Congress
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Revealed: This is How Russia May Soon Use Its Retired ‘Satan’ ICBM
© Sputnik / Vladimir Fedorenko
Since the 1970s, the R-36 ICBM and its derivatives have served as the backbone of Russia's missile forces. With the end of the Cold War, stocks of the missile have been gradually reduced in accordance with arms treaties. In the coming years, Moscow plans to phase out the R-36 entirely in favour of a new missile - the RS-28 Sarmat.
Russia's stocks of R-36M2 Voyevoda (NATO designation SS-18 Satan) could be converted for civilian use, Roscosmos director general Dmitry Rogozin has announced.
"There is a method of salvaging known as 'salvage by launch'…We could easily adapt [the R-36] for projects involving the launch of small spacecraft into civilian orbits," Rogozin said, speaking about the missile's fate during a visit to the Krasnoyarsk Machine Building Plant defence enterprise on Saturday.
"The issue is under discussion. This method specifically should be spread to the disposal of all missiles which are removed from combat duty," Rogozin added.
According to the Roscosmos chief, the concept for a technological life cycle which incorporates post-retirement use should be deliberately introduced into the latest Russian missile systems, including the Sarmat, a new strategic missile expected to replace the R-36 and enter into service with the Missile Forces two years from now.
© Wikipedia / Michael
The SS-18 Mod 5 ICBM (NATO reporting name: Satan), GRAU designation R-36M2 «Voyevoda»
Rogozin's comments weren't the first time officials have proposed this unique 'recycling' method for the rocket. Earlier, Russian missile engineers proposed converting the missile for use against asteroids posing an imminent threat to Earth, saying the missiles' standard hydrazine-based fuel made them perfectly suited for fighting small space objects with little advance warning.
In 2018, a source in the Russian space agency said that the retired weapons could be used to launch satellites and other small spacecraft into orbit, with Topol ICBMs also considered for this purpose.
Russia and Ukraine have already enjoyed success with converting the R-36 with the Dnepr rocket system, capable of launching satellites weighing up to 4,500 kg into low earth orbit, and payloads weighing up to 3,200 kg to the ISS. Between 1999 and 2015, the system was launched a total of 22 times, with 21 launches successful, with over 140 spacecraft from 20 countries sent into orbit.
In March 2015, amid the collapse of Russian-Ukrainian relations following the February 2014 coup d'état, launches, which took place at the Baikonur cosmondrome in Kazakhstan, were stopped. The Dnepr programme had a total of 150 missiles at its disposal, with well over 100 remaining unused after the programme's cancellation.
Russia Conducts Another Successful Test of New Interceptor Missile (Video)
China Reportedly Conducts Missile Tests in South China Sea After Xi, Trump G-20 Talks
Russia Vows Mirror Response to Mid-Range Missile Deployment in NATO Countries
US Missile Defences in Romania, Poland May Be Upgraded to Shoot Down Russian Missiles - Reports
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Terms & Policy Archives
Effective: January 31, 2018
These Customer Terms of Service (the “Customer Terms”) describe your rights and responsibilities when using our online workplace productivity tools and platform (the “Services”). Please read them carefully. If you are a Customer (defined below), these Customer Terms govern your access and use of our Services. If you are being invited to a workspace set up by a Customer, the User Terms of Service (the “User Terms”) govern your access and use of the Services. We are grateful you’re here.
These “Customer Terms” Form a Part of a Binding “Contract”
These Customer Terms (or, if applicable, your written agreement with us) and any Order Form(s) (defined below) together form a binding “Contract” between Customer and us. If any terms in the Customer-Specific Supplement apply to Customer (e.g., if Customer is a U.S. government entity), those terms are also incorporated herein by reference and form part of the Contract. “We,” “our” and “us” refers to the applicable Slack entity in the section entitled “Which Slack Entity is Customer Contracting With?” below.
Your Agreement On Behalf of “Customer”
If you purchase subscription(s), create a workspace (i.e., a digital space where a group of users may access the Services, as further described in our Help Center pages), invite users to that workspace, or use or allow use of that workspace after being notified of a change to these Customer Terms, you acknowledge your understanding of the then-current Contract and agree to the Contract on behalf of Customer. Please make sure you have the necessary authority to enter into the Contract on behalf of Customer before proceeding.
Customer Choices and Instructions
Who is “Customer”? (Hint: There can be only one)
“Customer” is the organization that you represent in agreeing to the Contract. If your workspace is being set up by someone who is not formally affiliated with an organization, Customer is the individual creating the workspace. For example, if you signed up using a personal email address and invited a couple of friends to work on a new startup idea but haven't formed a company yet, you are the Customer.
Signing Up Using a Corporate Email Domain
If you signed up for a plan using your corporate email domain, your organization is Customer, and Customer can modify and re-assign roles on your workspace (including your role) and otherwise exercise its rights under the Contract. If Customer elects to replace you as the representative with ultimate authority for the workspace, we will provide you with notice following such election and you agree to take any actions reasonably requested by us or Customer to facilitate the transfer of authority to a new representative of Customer.
What This Means for Customer—and for Us
Individuals authorized by Customer to access the Services (an “Authorized User”) may submit content or information to the Services, such as messages or files (“Customer Data”), and Customer may exclusively provide us with instructions on what to do with it. For example, Customer may provision or deprovision access to the Services, enable or disable third party integrations, manage permissions, retention and export settings, transfer or assign workspaces, share channels, or consolidate workspaces or channels with other workspaces or channels. Since these choices and instructions may result in the access, use, disclosure, modification or deletion of certain or all Customer Data, please review the Help Center pages for more information about these choices and instructions.
Customer will (a) inform Authorized Users of all Customer policies and practices that are relevant to their use of the Services and of any settings that may impact the processing of Customer Data; and (b) ensure the transfer and processing of Customer Data under the Contract is lawful.
Ordering Subscriptions
A subscription allows an Authorized User to access the Services. No matter the role, a subscription is required for each Authorized User. A subscription may be procured through the Services interface, or in some cases, via an order form entered into between Customer and us (each, an “Order Form”). Please see the Help Center for more information on procuring subscriptions and inviting new Authorized Users. Each Authorized User must agree to the User Terms to activate their subscription. Subscriptions commence when we make them available to Customer and continue for the term specified in the Services “check-out” interface or in the Order Form, as applicable. Each subscription is for a single Authorized User for a specified term and is personal to that Authorized User. We sometimes enter into other kinds of ordering arrangements, but that would need to be spelled out and agreed to in an Order Form. During an active subscription term, adding more subscriptions is fairly easy. Unless the Order Form says otherwise, Customer may purchase more subscriptions at the same price stated in the Order Form and all will terminate on the same date. Check out our Help Center pages for additional information on setting up a workspace and assigning roles.
Purchasing Decisions
We may share information about our future product plans because we like transparency. Our public statements about those product plans are an expression of intent, but do not rely on them when making a purchase. If Customer decides to buy our Services, that decision should be based on the functionality or features we have made available today and not on the delivery of any future functionality or features.
Choosing to be a Beta Tester
Occasionally, we look for beta testers to help us test our new features. These features will be identified as “beta” or “pre-release,” or words or phrases with similar meanings (each, a “Beta Product”). Beta Products may not be ready for prime time so they are made available “as is,” and any warranties or contractual commitments we make for other Services do not apply. Should Customer encounter any faults with our Beta Products, we would love to hear about them; our primary reason for running any beta programs is to iron out issues before making a new feature widely available.
The more suggestions our customers make, the better the Services become. If Customer sends us any feedback or suggestions regarding the Services, there is a chance we will use it, so Customer grants us (for itself and all of its Authorized Users and other Customer personnel) an unlimited, irrevocable, perpetual, sublicensable, transferable, royalty-free license to use any such feedback or suggestions for any purpose without any obligation or compensation to Customer, any Authorized User or other Customer personnel. If we choose not to implement the suggestion, please don’t take it personally. We appreciate it nonetheless.
Non-Slack Products
Our Services include a platform that third parties may use to develop applications and software that complement Customer’s use of the Services (each, a “Non-Slack Product”). We also maintain a directory called the Slack App Directory where some Non-Slack Products are available for installation. THESE ARE NOT OUR SERVICES, SO WE DO NOT WARRANT OR SUPPORT NON-SLACK PRODUCTS, AND, ULTIMATELY, CUSTOMER (AND NOT US) WILL DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO ENABLE THEM. ANY USE OF A NON-SLACK PRODUCT IS SOLELY BETWEEN CUSTOMER AND THE APPLICABLE THIRD PARTY PROVIDER.
If a Non-Slack Product is enabled for Customer’s workspace, please be mindful of any Customer Data that will be shared with the third party provider and the purposes for which the provider requires access. We will not be responsible for any use, disclosure, modification or deletion of Customer Data that is transmitted to, or accessed by, a Non-Slack Product. Check out our Help Center pages for more information.
Please review our Privacy Policy for more information on how we collect and use data relating to the use and performance of our websites and products.
Customer and Authorized Users
Use of the Services
Customer must comply with the Contract and ensure that its Authorized Users comply with the Contract and the User Terms. We may review conduct for compliance purposes, but we have no obligation to do so. We aren't responsible for the content of any Customer Data or the way Customer or its Authorized Users choose to use the Services to store or process any Customer Data. The Services are not intended for and should not be used by anyone under the age of 16. Customer must ensure that all Authorized Users are over 16 years old. Customer is solely responsible for providing high speed internet service for itself and its Authorized Users to access and use the Services.
Our Removal Rights
If we believe that there is a violation of the Contract that can simply be remedied by Customer’s removal of certain Customer Data or Customer’s disabling of a Non-Slack Product, we will, in most cases, ask Customer to take direct action rather than intervene. However, we may directly step in and take what we determine to be appropriate action, if Customer does not take appropriate action, or if we believe there is a credible risk of harm to us, the Services, Authorized Users, or any third parties.
Payment Obligations
For Customers that purchase our Services, fees are specified at the Services interface “check-out” and in the Order Form(s) — and must be paid in advance. Payment obligations are non-cancelable and, except as expressly stated in the Contract, fees paid are non-refundable. For clarity, in the event Customer downgrades any subscriptions from a paid plan to a free plan, Customer will remain responsible for any unpaid fees under the paid plan, and Services under the paid plan will be deemed fully performed and delivered upon expiration of the initial paid plan subscription term. Check out our Help Center pages for more information about payment options. If we agree to invoice Customer by email, full payment must be received within thirty (30) days from the invoice date. Fees are stated exclusive of any taxes, levies, duties, or similar governmental assessments of any nature, including, for example, value-added, sales, use or withholding taxes, assessable by any jurisdiction (collectively, “Taxes”). Customer will be responsible for paying all Taxes associated with its purchases, except for those taxes based on our net income. Should any payment for the Services be subject to withholding tax by any government, Customer will reimburse us for such withholding tax.
Fair Billing Policy
We believe customers should only pay for subscriptions that are actually used, so we offer a Fair Billing Policy. Certain exceptions and conditions may apply, as noted in the Services interface “check-out” or in an Order Form.
Any credits that may accrue to Customer’s account (for example, from a promotion or application of the Fair Billing Policy), will expire following expiration or termination of the applicable Contract, will have no currency or exchange value, and will not be transferable or refundable. Credits accrued to a workspace on a free subscription plan will expire if the workspace’s plan is not upgraded to a paid plan within ninety (90) days of accrual, unless otherwise specified. For more information on credits, please see the Help Center.
Downgrade for Non-Payment
If any fees owed to us by Customer (excluding amounts disputed reasonably and in good faith) are thirty (30) days or more overdue, we may, without limiting our other rights and remedies, downgrade any fee-based Services to free plans until those amounts are paid in full, so long as we have given Customer ten (10) or more days’ prior notice that its account is overdue. Notwithstanding the second paragraph of the “Providing the Services” section below, Customer acknowledges and agrees that a downgrade will result in a decrease in certain features and functionality and potential loss of access to Customer Data, as illustrated by comparing the plans in the Pricing Guide.
Providing the Services
Customer isn’t the only one with responsibilities; we have some, too. We will (a) make the Services available to Customer and its Authorized Users as described in the Contract; and (b) not use or process Customer Data for any purpose without Customer’s prior written instructions; provided, however, that “prior written instructions” will be deemed to include use of the Services by Authorized Users and any processing related to such use or otherwise necessary for the performance of the Contract.
Be assured that (a) the Services will perform materially in accordance with our then-current Help Center pages; and (b) subject to the “Non-Slack Products” and “Downgrade for Non-Payment” sections, we will not materially decrease the functionality of a Service during a subscription term. For any breach of a warranty in this section, Customer’s exclusive remedies are those described in the sections titled “Termination for Cause” and “Effect of Termination”.
Keeping the Services Available
As further described in our Help Center pages, for some of our Services, we also offer specific uptime commitments paired with credits, if we fall short. In those cases, the credits will serve as what the lawyers call liquidated damages and will be Customer’s sole remedy for the downtime and related inconvenience. For all Service plans, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to make the Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, excluding planned downtime. We expect planned downtime to be infrequent but will endeavor to provide Customer with advance notice (e.g., through the Services), if we think it may exceed five (5) continuous minutes.
Protecting Customer Data
The protection of Customer Data is a top priority for us so we will maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards at a level not materially less protective than as described in our Security Practices page. Those safeguards will include measures for preventing unauthorized access, use, modification, deletion and disclosure of Customer Data by our personnel. Before sharing Customer Data with any of our third party service providers, we will ensure that the third party maintains, at a minimum, reasonable data practices for maintaining the confidentiality and security of Customer Data and preventing unauthorized access. Customer (not us) bears sole responsibility for adequate security, protection and backup of Customer Data when in Customer’s or its representatives’ or agents’ possession or control. We are not responsible for what Customer’s Authorized Users or Non-Slack Products do with Customer Data. That is Customer’s responsibility.
The Slack Extended Family
We may leverage our employees, those of our corporate affiliates and third party contractors (the “Slack Extended Family”) in exercising our rights and performing our obligations under the Contract. We will be responsible for the Slack Extended Family’s compliance with our obligations under the Contract.
Ownership and Proprietary Rights
What’s Yours is Yours…
As between us on the one hand, and Customer and any Authorized Users on the other, Customer will own all Customer Data. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Contract, Customer (for itself and all of its Authorized Users) grants us and the Slack Extended Family a worldwide, non-exclusive, limited term license to access, use, process, copy, distribute, perform, export and display Customer Data, and any Non-Slack Products created by or for Customer, only as reasonably necessary (a) to provide, maintain and update the Services; (b) to prevent or address service, security, support or technical issues; (c) as required by law or as permitted by the Data Request Policy; and (d) as expressly permitted in writing by Customer. Customer represents and warrants that it has secured all rights in and to Customer Data from its Authorized Users as may be necessary to grant this license.
And What’s Ours is Ours
We own and will continue to own our Services, including all related intellectual property rights. We may make software components available, via app stores or other channels, as part of the Services. We grant to Customer a non-sublicensable, non-transferable, non-exclusive, limited license for Customer and its Authorized Users to use the object code version of these components, but solely as necessary to use the Services and in accordance with the Contract and the User Terms. All of our rights not expressly granted by this license are hereby retained.
As further described below, a free subscription continues until terminated, while a paid subscription has a term that may expire or be terminated. The Contract remains effective until all subscriptions ordered under the Contract have expired or been terminated or the Contract itself terminates. Termination of the Contract will terminate all subscriptions and all Order Forms.
Auto-Renewal
Unless an Order Form says something different, (a) all subscriptions automatically renew (without the need to go through the Services-interface “check-out” or execute a renewal Order Form) for additional periods equal to one (1) year or the preceding term, whichever is shorter; and (b) the per-unit pricing during any automatic renewal term will remain the same as it was during the immediately prior term. Either party can give the other notice of non-renewal at least thirty (30) days before the end of a subscription term to stop the subscriptions from automatically renewing.
Termination for Cause
We or Customer may terminate the Contract on notice to the other party if the other party materially breaches the Contract and such breach is not cured within thirty (30) days after the non-breaching party provides notice of the breach. Customer is responsible for its Authorized Users, including for any breaches of this Contract caused by its Authorized Users. We may terminate the Contract immediately on notice to Customer if we reasonably believe that the Services are being used by Customer or its Authorized Users in violation of applicable law.
Termination Without Cause
Customer may terminate its free subscriptions immediately without cause. We may also terminate Customer’s free subscriptions without cause, but we will provide Customer with thirty (30) days prior written notice.
Effect of Termination
Upon any termination for cause by Customer, we will refund Customer any prepaid fees covering the remainder of the term of all subscriptions after the effective date of termination. Upon any termination for cause by us, Customer will pay any unpaid fees covering the remainder of the term of those subscriptions after the effective date of termination. In no event will any termination relieve Customer of the obligation to pay any fees payable to us for the period prior to the effective date of termination.
Data Portability and Deletion
We are custodians of Customer Data. During the term of a workspace’s subscriptions, Customer will be permitted to export or share certain Customer Data from the Services; provided, however, that because we have different products with varying features and Customer has different retention options, Customer acknowledges and agrees that the ability to export or share Customer Data may be limited or unavailable depending on the type of Services plan in effect and the data retention, sharing or invite settings enabled. Following termination or expiration of a workspace’s subscriptions, we will have no obligation to maintain or provide any Customer Data and may thereafter, unless legally prohibited, delete all Customer Data in our systems or otherwise in our possession or under our control. Please review our Security Practices page for more information on how Customer itself can initiate deletion.
Representations Disclaimer of Warranties
Customer represents and warrants that it has validly entered into the Contract and has the legal power to do so. Customer further represents and warrants that it is responsible for the conduct of its Authorized Users and their compliance with the terms of this Contract and the User Terms.
EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED FOR HEREIN, THE SERVICES AND ALL RELATED COMPONENTS AND INFORMATION ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND WE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, TITLE, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. CUSTOMER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE.
OTHER THAN IN CONNECTION WITH A PARTY’S INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER, IN NO EVENT WILL EITHER CUSTOMER’S OR THE SLACK EXTENDED FAMILY’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE CONTRACT OR THE USER TERMS (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR UNDER ANY OTHER THEORY OF LIABILITY) EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID BY CUSTOMER HEREUNDER IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE LAST EVENT GIVING RISE TO LIABILITY. THE FOREGOING WILL NOT LIMIT CUSTOMER’S PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE “PAYMENT TERMS” SECTION ABOVE.
IN NO EVENT WILL EITHER CUSTOMER OR ANY MEMBER OF THE SLACK EXTENDED FAMILY HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO THE OTHER PARTY OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR REVENUES OR FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, COVER OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES HOWEVER CAUSED, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR UNDER ANY OTHER THEORY OF LIABILITY, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE FOREGOING DISCLAIMER WILL NOT APPLY TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
The Services support logins using two-factor authentication (“2FA”), which is known to reduce the risk of unauthorized use of or access to the Services. We therefore will not be responsible for any damages, losses or liability to Customer, Authorized Users, or anyone else if any event leading to such damages, losses or liability would have been prevented by the use of 2FA. Additionally, Customer is responsible for all login credentials, including usernames and passwords, for administrator accounts as well the accounts of your Authorized Users. We will not be responsible for any damages, losses or liability to Customer, Authorized Users, or anyone else, if such information is not kept confidential by Customer or its Authorized Users, or if such information is correctly provided by an unauthorized third party logging into and accessing the Services.
The limitations under this “Limitation of Liability” section apply with respect to all legal theories, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, and to the extent permitted by law. The provisions of this “Limitation of Liability” section allocate the risks under this Contract between the parties, and the parties have relied on these limitations in determining whether to enter into this Contract and the pricing for the Services.
Our Indemnification of Customer
We will defend Customer from and against any and all third party claims, actions, suits, proceedings, and demands alleging that the use of the Services as permitted under the Contract infringes or misappropriates a third party’s intellectual property rights (a “Claim Against Customer”), and will indemnify Customer for all reasonable attorney’s fees incurred and damages and other costs finally awarded against Customer in connection with or as a result of, and for amounts paid by Customer under a settlement we approve of in connection with, a Claim Against Customer; provided, however, that we will have no liability if a Claim Against Customer arises from (a) Customer Data or Non-Slack Products; and (b) any modification, combination or development of the Services that is not performed by us, including in the use of any application programming interface (API). Customer must provide us with prompt written notice of any Claim Against Customer and allow us the right to assume the exclusive defense and control, and cooperate with any reasonable requests assisting our defense and settlement of such matter. This section states our sole liability with respect to, and Customer’s exclusive remedy against us and the Slack Extended Family for, any Claim Against Customer.
Customer's Indemnification of Us
Customer will defend Slack and the members of the Slack Extended Family (collectively, the “Slack Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all third party claims, actions, suits, proceedings, and demands arising from or related to Customer’s or any of its Authorized Users’ violation of the Contract or the User Terms (a “Claim Against Us”), and will indemnify the Slack Indemnified Parties for all reasonable attorney’s fees incurred and damages and other costs finally awarded against a Slack Indemnified Party in connection with or as a result of, and for amounts paid by a Slack Indemnified Party under a settlement Customer approves of in connection with, a Claim Against Us. We must provide Customer with prompt written notice of any Claim Against Us and allow Customer the right to assume the exclusive defense and control, and cooperate with any reasonable requests assisting Customer’s defense and settlement of such matter. This section states your sole liability with respect to, and the Slack Indemnified Parties’ exclusive remedy against Customer for, any Claim Against Us.
Limitations on Indemnifications
Notwithstanding anything contained in the two preceding sections, (a) an indemnified party will always be free to choose its own counsel if it pays for the cost of such counsel; and (b) no settlement may be entered into by an indemnifying party, without the express written consent of the indemnified parties (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld), if (i) the third party asserting the claim is a government agency, (ii) the settlement arguably involves the making of admissions by the indemnified parties, (iii) the settlement does not include a full release of liability for the indemnified parties, or (iv) the settlement includes terms other than a full release of liability for the indemnified parties and the payment of money.
Each party (“Disclosing Party”) may disclose “Confidential Information” to the other party (“Receiving Party”) in connection with the Contract, which is anything that reasonably should be understood to be confidential given the nature of the information and the circumstances of disclosure including all Order Forms, as well as non-public business, product, technology and marketing information.Confidential Information of Customer includes Customer Data. If something is labeled “Confidential,” that’s a clear indicator to the Receiving Party that the material is confidential. Notwithstanding the above, Confidential Information does not include information that (a) is or becomes generally available to the public without breach of any obligation owed to the Disclosing Party; (b) was known to the Receiving Party prior to its disclosure by the Disclosing Party without breach of any obligation owed to the Disclosing Party; (c) is received from a third party without breach of any obligation owed to the Disclosing Party; or (d) was independently developed by the Receiving Party.
Protection and Use of Confidential Information
The Receiving Party will (a) take at least reasonable measures to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of Confidential Information, and limit access to those employees, affiliates and contractors who need to know such information in connection with the Contract; and (b) not use or disclose any Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party for any purpose outside the scope of this Contract. Nothing above will prevent either party from sharing Confidential Information with financial and legal advisors; provided, however, that the advisors are bound to confidentiality obligations at least as restrictive as those in the Contract.
Compelled Access or Disclosure
The Receiving Party may access or disclose Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party if it is required by law; provided, however, that the Receiving Party gives the Disclosing Party prior notice of the compelled access or disclosure (to the extent legally permitted) and reasonable assistance, at the Disclosing Party's cost, if the Disclosing Party wishes to contest the access or disclosure. Without limiting the foregoing, please review the Data Request Policy for details on how requests may be made for the disclosure of Customer Data and how we will handle those requests. If the Receiving Party is compelled by law to access or disclose the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, the Disclosing Party will reimburse the Receiving Party for its reasonable cost of compiling and providing access to such Confidential Information as well as the reasonable cost for any support provided in connection with the Disclosing Party seeking a protective order or confidential treatment for the Confidential Information to be produced.
The sections titled “Feedback is Welcome,” “Non-Slack Products,” “Our Removal Rights,” “A Condition of Use,” “Payment Terms,” “Credits,” “The Slack Extended Family,” “What’s Yours is Yours…,” “And What’s Ours is Ours,” “Effect of Termination,” “Data Portability and Deletion,” “Representations; Disclaimer of Warranties,” “Limitation of Liability,” “Our Indemnification of Customer,” “Customer’s Indemnification of Us,” “Limitations on Indemnifications,” “Confidentiality” and “Survival,” as well as all of the provisions under the general heading “General Provisions,” will survive any termination or expiration of the Contract.
Customer grants us the right to use Customer’s company name and logo as a reference for marketing or promotional purposes on our website and in other public or private communications with our existing or potential customers, subject to Customer’s standard trademark usage guidelines as provided to us from time-to-time. We don’t want to list customers who don’t want to be listed, so Customer may send us an email to feedback@slack.com stating that it does not wish to be used as a reference.
Neither us nor Customer will be liable by reason of any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations on account of events beyond the reasonable control of a party, which may include denial-of-service attacks, a failure by a third party hosting provider or utility provider, strikes, shortages, riots, fires, acts of God, war, terrorism, and governmental action.
Relationship of the Parties; No Third Party Beneficiaries
The parties are independent contractors. The Contract does not create a partnership, franchise, joint venture, agency, fiduciary or employment relationship between the parties. There are no third party beneficiaries to the Contract.
Email and Slack Messages
Except as otherwise set forth herein, all notices under the Contract will be by email, although we may instead choose to provide notice to Customer through the Services (e.g., a slackbot notification). Notices to Slack will be sent to feedback@slack.com, except for legal notices, such as notices of termination or an indemnifiable claim, which must be sent to legal@slack.com. Notices will be deemed to have been duly given (a) the day after it is sent, in the case of notices through email; and (b) the same day, in the case of notices through the Services.
As our business evolves, we may change these Customer Terms and the other components of the Contract (except any Order Forms). If we make a material change to the Contract, we will provide Customer with reasonable notice prior to the change taking effect, either by emailing the email address associated with Customer’s account or by messaging Customer through the Services. Customer can review the most current version of the Customer Terms at any time by visiting this page and by visiting the most current versions of the other pages that are referenced in the Contract. The materially revised Contract will become effective on the date set forth in our notice, and all other changes will become effective upon posting of the change. If Customer (or any Authorized User) accesses or uses the Services after the effective date, that use will constitute Customer’s acceptance of any revised terms and conditions.
No failure or delay by either party in exercising any right under the Contract will constitute a waiver of that right. No waiver under the Contract will be effective unless made in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the party being deemed to have granted the waiver.
The Contract will be enforced to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law. If any provision of the Contract is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, the provision will be modified by the court and interpreted so as best to accomplish the objectives of the original provision to the fullest extent permitted by law, and the remaining provisions of the Contract will remain in effect.
Except with respect to the Slack Extended Family, neither party may assign or delegate any of its rights or obligations hereunder, whether by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other party (not to be unreasonably withheld). Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may assign the Contract in its entirety (including all Order Forms), without consent of the other party, to a corporate affiliate or in connection with a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets. Customer will keep its billing and contact information current at all times by notifying Slack of any changes. Any purported assignment in violation of this section is void. A party’s sole remedy for any purported assignment by the other party in breach of this section will be, at the non-assigning party’s election, termination of the Contract upon written notice to the assigning party. In the event of such a termination by Customer, we will refund Customer any prepaid fees covering the remainder of the term of all subscriptions after the effective date of termination. Subject to the foregoing, the Contract will bind and inure to the benefit of the parties, their respective successors and permitted assigns.
Which Slack Entity is Customer Contracting With?
All references to ‘Slack,’ ‘we,’ or ‘us’ under the Contract, what law will apply in any dispute or lawsuit arising out of or in connection with the Contract, and which courts have jurisdiction over any such dispute or lawsuit, depend on where Customer is domiciled.
Slack Contracting Entity
Slack Technologies, Inc.
San Francisco County, California
Slack Technologies Limited
The Contract, and any disputes arising out of or related hereto, will be governed exclusively by the applicable governing law above, without regard to conflicts of laws rules or the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods. The courts located in the applicable venue above will have exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate any dispute arising out of or relating to the Contract or its formation, interpretation or enforcement. Each party hereby consents and submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts. In any action or proceeding to enforce rights under the Contract, the prevailing party will be entitled to recover its reasonable costs and attorney’s fees.
The Contract, including these Customer Terms and all referenced pages and Order Forms, if applicable, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals or representations, written or oral, concerning its subject matter. Without limiting the foregoing, the Contract supersedes the terms of any online agreement electronically accepted by Customer or any Authorized Users. However, to the extent of any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions in these Customer Terms and any other documents or pages referenced in these Customer Terms, the following order of precedence will apply: (1) the terms of any Order Form (if any), (2) the portions of the Customer-Specific Supplement that apply to Customer (if any), (3) the Customer Terms and (4) finally any other documents or pages referenced in the Terms. Notwithstanding any language to the contrary therein, no terms or conditions stated in a Customer purchase order, vendor onboarding process or web portal, or any other Customer order documentation (excluding Order Forms) will be incorporated into or form any part of the Contract, and all such terms or conditions will be null and void.
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Tammy, who was recently fired from a Topper Jack's fast food restaurant, returns home only to find her husband enjoying a romantic meal with the neighbor. She quickly packs her necessities, and travels down three houses to her parent's home...
Trading Places ( 1983 )
Louis Winthorpe is a businessman who works for commodities brokerage firm of Duke and Duke owned by the brothers Mortimer and Randolph Duke. Now they bicker over the most trivial of matters and what they are bickering about is whether it's ...
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry ( 2007 )
Chuck Levine and Larry Valentine are friends and Brooklyn firefighting partners. Widower Larry, who still mourns the death of his wife Paula, is having problems changing the beneficiary on his insurance policy from Paula's name to his child...
Get on Up ( 2014 )
On route to the stage, singer James Brown recalls a life with a turbulent childhood where music was his only constructive release for his passions. A chance demonstration of that in prison led to a new friend who helped get him out and into...
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ( 1984 )
Set in 1935, a professor, archaeologist, and legendary hero by the name of Indiana Jones is back in action in his newest adventure. But this time he teams up with a night club singer named Wilhelmina "Willie" Scott and a twelve-year-old boy...
My Girl ( 1991 )
Vada Sultenfuss is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlor. She is also in love with her English teacher, and joins a poetry class over the summer just to impress him. Thomas J., her best friend, is "al...
The Campaign ( 2012 )
When Cam Brady (D-NC), a four-term Congressman, becomes a liability, the Motch brothers (think Koch brothers) recruit Marty Huggins, the son of a Republican heavy hitter, to run against him and be their vehicle to establish factories in the...
The Blues Brothers ( 1980 )
After the release of Jake Blues from prison, he and brother Elwood go to visit "The Penguin", the last of the nuns who raised them in a boarding school. They learn the Archdiocese will stop supporting the school and will sell the place to t...
Blues Brothers 2000 ( 1998 )
Elwood, the now lone "Blues Brother" finally released from prison, is once again enlisted by Sister Mary Stigmata in her latest crusade to raise funds for a children's hospital. Once again hitting the road to re-unite the band and win the b...
Ghostbusters II ( 1989 )
Five years after the events of the first film, the Ghostbusters have been plagued by lawsuits and court orders, and their once-lucrative business is bankrupt. However, when Dana begins to have ghost problems again, the boys come out of reti...
Ghostbusters ( 1984 )
Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon work at the University where they delve into the paranormal and fiddle with many unethical experiments on the students. As they are kicked out of the University do they really understand their knowledge of...
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return ( 2013 )
Dorothy wakes up in post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin Man and Glinda from a devious new villain, the Jester. Wiser the owl, Marshal Mallow, China Princess and ...
Evolution ( 2001 )
When a meteorite falls to Earth two college professors, Dr. Ira Kane and Prof. Harry Phineas Block, are assigned the job of checking the site out. At the site, they discover organisms not of this planet. Soon the site is taken over by the g...
Nothing But Trouble ( 1991 )
A financier [Chevy Chase] meets a spurned lover [Demi Moore] and agrees to take her to a business meeting. On the way there, they run a stop sign in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. They are arrested and taken to the local court. But a...
Sgt. Bilko ( 1996 )
Sgt. Bilko is in charge of the Motor Pool at an Army base. He's also a good-natured con man, providing gambling facilities for the soldiers on base. When an old enemy from his past shows up to inspect his records and steal away his fianceé,...
Yogi Bear ( 2010 )
Jellystone Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary, however it may be for the last time, because attendance is down and Mayor Brown wants to close the park and sell the land. If the park is closed, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo will lose their ho...
Hysteria grips California in the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. An assorted group of defenders attempt to make the coast defensible against an imagined Japanese invasion, in this big budget, big cast comedy. Members of a Japanese subm...
An alien couple known as Beldar and Prymatt with cone-shaped heads from the planet called Remulak is mistakingly ditched on earth, during a scouting mission for planet conquest. While here, they dodge the INS, have a child and discover that...
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HR 4760: The Immigration Bill That Contains A National ID Card
House Resolution 4760, which is tied to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals compromise put forth by the Trump administration, has a national ID card buried in the midst of its text.
Before I hear any of the blather from those who still believe in a right/left paradigm, understand that this bill was introduced by a Republican. House Resolution 4760, which is tied to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals compromise put forth by the Trump administration, has a national ID card buried in the midst of its text.
The bill, which is titled the Securing America’s Future Act of 2018, was introduced by Republican Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).
According to the new legislation, a new mandatory national identification system would be imposed that would require citizens to carry a government-approved ID containing “biometric features.”
Can anyone say, “Papers please?”?
A summary of the bill reads as follows:
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise immigrant visa allocation provisions, including family-related visas. A nonimmigrant classification for parents of adult U.S. citizens is created.
The diversity visa program is eliminated.
Annual immigration levels are revised.
The limit on the worldwide level of employment-based immigrants is increased.
The H-2C visa temporary agricultural worker program is revised. A trust fund is established to provide incentives for such workers to return to their country of origin.
DNA testing to establish family relationships is authorized.
Employment eligibility verification provisions are revised. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall establish an employment verification system.
No federal, state, or local government entity or individual may prohibit or restrict a federal, state, or local government entity or official from complying with the immigration laws or assisting related federal law enforcement activities.
The bill revises provisions regarding: (1) detention of aliens in removal proceedings; (2) illegal entry and reentry; (3) inadmissibility and deportability of criminal aliens, gang members, drunk drivers, and sex offenders; (4) repatriation; (5) asylum and asylum fraud; (6) unaccompanied alien children; (7) foreign students; and (8) visa fraud.
The bill: (1) transfers authority for strengthening the southern border from the Department of Justice to DHS; (2) revises border security provisions; (3) provides for additional border security personnel; (4) authorizes new ports of entry along the northern border and southern borders; (5) authorizes National Guard border security activities; (6) provides contingent nonimmigrant status for certain aliens who entered the United States as minors; (7) authorizes appropriations for specified border barriers and infrastructure; and (8) establishes Operation Stonegarden to make border security grants to law enforcement agencies.
DHS shall: (1) submit a southern border threat analysis, (2) establish the Integrated Border Enforcement Team program, (3) implement the Border Security Deployment Program, (4) review social media activities of visa applicants, and (5) establish a biometric exit data system.
In other words, anyone in the US must have a national ID card, one approved by Homeland Security in their new system.
You may say, “Well, OK, I already have a driver’s license and I have to have that and a Social Security card (which our predecessors were told would never be used as an ID card), so what’s the big deal?”
The big deal is that the Social Security card was intrusive enough and has caused countless thousands of Americans tremendous problems with identity theft. As for a driver’s license, it is issued by each state, not the central government. Now, they are wanting biometrics, as well.
Additionally, former Texas congressman Ron Paul, who has been warning against E-Verify for years, has taken a step to start an online petition against the portion of the legislation.
“This is exactly the kind of fight that can decide whether a republic descends into tyranny,” he wrote. “This new National ID scheme filled with biometric information, linked to a federal database would be required for every American to work – and could include all sorts of other information like gun ownership, religious beliefs, and political involvement.”
His petition that individuals can send to their representatives and senators states:
Whereas: Privacy from government is a chief cornerstone of our liberties, enshrined in the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and
Whereas: The “Securing America’s Future Act,” H.R. 4760, establishes a mandatory National ID system requiring all Americans to carry a government-approved ID containing “biometric features”; and
Whereas: Without this card, Americans would not be able to legally hold a job; and
Whereas: This National Database could expand to include American citizens’ gun ownership status, religious beliefs, political affiliation and virtually anything else at the stroke of a President’s pen; and
Therefore: I urge you to oppose any legislation requiring U.S. citizens to obtain a National ID – or any other bill that would establish a national database storing ANY information on American citizens.
Dr. Paul also reached out to his supporters and informed them that the national ID cards “could expand to include American citizens’ gun ownership status, religious beliefs, political affiliation and virtually anything else at the stroke of a President’s pen.”
“Now, using the momentum behind Trump’s tough talk on immigration and border security, I’m afraid the statists believe the best way to finally enact their National ID scheme is by promoting their bill on Capitol Hill as a ‘DACA fix’ while they sell it to the GOP base as a border ‘security’ measure,” Paul added.
Instead of ensuring a secure border by actually securing them, Paul writes the national ID will be used “to create an all-out police state within them.”
E-verify is not an answer either. As we have pointed out, the usurper of the White House, Barack Hussein Obama Soetoro Sobarkah couldn’t even pass E-Verify to get a job at a burger joint in the US! Are we really supposed to believe it will help make us more secure or actually bring about a tyranny like that of Nazi Germany? I think the latter, and so does Alex Nowrasteh at Fox News.
In 2010, Nowrasteh pointed out that dangers of a national ID that was being advanced in am immigration reform bill.
The Senate is working toward a ghastly compromise on immigration reform that includes a biometric national identification card for all Americans. The stated purpose of this national ID, which an employee must present before getting a job, is to prevent undocumented workers from being employed. Back in December I warned that a national ID is the inevitable conclusion of the anti-immigration movement. The failure of E-Verify to catch 54% of undocumented workers is only accelerating the call for a national ID.
A national ID hurts American workers while pretending to help them.
First, every worker would have to ask permission from the federal government to get a job. American workers shouldn’t have to beg or plead to anybody to get permission to work. Being employed should be a private agreement between an employer and employee. Period. The government should get out of the way.
Second, carrying around government papers with biometric identification on it conjures up images of a more technologically savvy Oceania or East Germany. No thanks.
Third, the system will exclude millions of legal workers by accident and fail to catch the majority of undocumented immigrants. For instance, if E-Verify were instituted nation-wide 3.6 million Americans would be denied employment each year and have to visit the Social Security Administration to correct their records. The employer either fires them or delays training. Will a biometric ID card make this system better? How does that help American workers?
Fourth, it will cost businesses up to $800 to buy a scanner. Or as Senator Chuck Schumer says, employers can just go down to the DMV. Senator Schumer doesn’t know squat about running a business. The last thing an employer wants to do is spend time at the DMV when he could be spending it improving his business. And all this during an economic slump!
Fifth, it would treat every American like a criminal by requiring them to enter their most intimate and personal data into a government database. One of the benefits of not having committed any crimes is that my information is not in a government record office. I’d like to keep it that way.
The national ID card resurfaced in 2013 in an immigration bill.
America, this is the same mess that was being advanced by Democrats under Obama. Now, it’s being advanced by Republicans under Trump.
Are you going to wave your hand and say it doesn’t matter because Trump may wear your team’s jersey or are you going to let your voice be heard? Trump promised no amnesty. Yes, I know, he has kept some promises and disregarded others, but this one definitely affects every single American, including you and while the Constitution does allow for Congress to write immigration law, it has given no authority for this kind of intrusive measure against American citizens. Zip, Zero, Nada.
Contributed by Tim Brown of www.FreedomOutpost.com.
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The Right Angle Parents Engagement Event Success
Parents Event at The Pendlebury Centre, Stockport - 25th June 2019
TLC: Talk, Listen, Change alongside the Tutor Trust were delighted to host our first Parent’s Event for our project 'The Right Angle' on Tuesday afternoon at The Pendlebury Centre in Stockport. The event was a chance to explore some of the fantastic work being done under The Right Angle at The Pendlebury Centre and celebrate the young people who have worked so hard over the past academic year. Pupils, teachers, staff, and members of TLC and The Tutor Trust were all present.
The event kicked off with The Right Angle team introducing the event, and outlining that it was a chance to show off some of the achievements and hard work that had come out of the project. The audience then heard from Francis Emmott, the Tutor Trust tutor who has been working at Pendlebury Centre this year. Francis explained some of the work he’s been doing and said that “working at The Pendlebury Centre has been really fun and rewarding. The young people have worked really hard, and I’m really pleased to share some of our work with everyone today”.
One of the young people Francis has been working with then performed his own presentation, which explored the history of the World Cup – an example of how much creative freedom young people get to explore their own interests whilst learning under The Right Angle. We then heard from Janice Cahill, head of The Pendlebury Centre, who commended the difference that The Right Angle had made within the Centre that year – “anything that enhances the work we do here is something we are grateful to have, and we’re so pleased with how Francis has become another member of our team”.
Certificates were then handed out by The Right Angle team to all young people who have been involved, to celebrate them working hard to make a positive change to their academic careers. There was then a chance for parents and pupils to mingle with Francis, teachers, and The Right Angle team over a sausage roll or two!
Everyone at The Tutor Trust and TLC were really pleased with the event, and The Right Angle team commented:
“The Pendlebury Centre were one of the first partners we had begun completing work with under The Right Angle, and the relationship has gone from strength to strength this academic year. It was so nice to be able to celebrate the results of all the effort that has gone into our work there, be it from ourselves, our tutors and counsellors, the teachers and most importantly, the pupils at The Pendlebury Centre. We are looking forward to hosting more parent events at our other partner Alternative Provision units, and we can’t wait to get stuck in with more work next year at The Pendlebury Centre!”
More TLC News Learn more about our charity
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tanks for the memories
Trump claims 'brand new' World War II Sherman tanks will be part of July 4th salute to US military
Jeff Schogol
President Donald Trump has vowed that "brand new Sherman tanks" will be on display this July 4th in Washington, D.C., and no one in the military seems to have an idea what the living hell he is talking about.
The "Salute to America" this year is meant to pay tribute to the U.S. military. Speaking to reporters on Monday, the president said the event will showcase the latest fighter aircraft and tanks.
"We have to put them in certain areas but we have the brand new Sherman tanks and we have the brand new Abram tanks," Trump said, according to a pool report.
"You know we're making a lot of new tanks right now. We're building a lot of new tanks in Lima, Ohio – our great tank factory that people wanted to close down until I got elected and I stopped it from being closed down, and now it's a very productive facility and they do, nobody's the greatest tank in the world."
Let's unpack the president's statement a bit: The M4 Sherman was the main U.S. military battle tank during World War II. More than 50,000 Shermans were produced during the war. The tank proved to be inferior to most German panzers and it took the Army some time to develop tactics to make the best of the Sherman's limited protection and firepower.
Although the U.S. military stopped using Sherman tanks after the Korean War, Paraguay continued to use the M4 until 2018, according to the Army.
Defense officials were unclear what the president meant by "brand new Sherman tanks." A White House spokesman declined to elaborate on Trump's remarks.
Sherman tanks have been prominently featured in several World War II movies, including "Fury" with Brad Pitt; "Kelly's Heroes" with Donald Sutherland; and "A Bridge Too Far" with Michael Caine.
It was unclear on Monday whether the Army has any Shermans left in its inventory of tracked vehicles.
SEE ALSO: Titan of tanks: Why Lima, Ohio is ground zero in the battle over defense spending
WATCH NEXT: Green Berets Parachute Over Mont Saint-michel For 75th Anniversary Of D-Day
m4 sherman tank world war ii korean war tanks' President Donald Trump tanks for the memories
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Pfc. Hannah Baker, 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment/Released)
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Microsoft joins the MariaDB Foundation and launches Azure Database for MariaDB
Microsoft today announced that it is joining the MariaDB Foundation, the nonprofit behind the popular relational database founded by the original developers of MySQL. As a platinum sponsor, the company is joining Booking.com, Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud.
In addition, Microsoft is also launching a preview of the Azure Database for MariaDB service today, which is joining Azure Database for MySQL and PostgreSQL in the Azure stable of managed database service.
As far as users are concerned, MariaDB is essentially a drop-in replacement for MySQL that isn’t linked to Oracle, which — thanks to its acquisition of Sun, which acquired MySQL — is currently the corporate home of the open-source database.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, the MariaDB Foundation welcomes Microsoft as a Platinum member,” MariaDB (and MySQL) founder Monty Widenius writes in today’s announcement. “I founded MariaDB to give back to the open source community and ensure a strong and open future for MySQL. I’ve seen firsthand how Microsoft has been changing its business in an open way, and how Microsoft Azure is open and flexible. Microsoft is a leading contributor on GitHub and we look forward to engineers from Microsoft and its developer ecosystem supporting MariaDB.”
Widenius always had a very pragmatic view of open source. A few years ago, he left SkySQL, which is now the MariaDB Corp. (which commercializes the database) to start the MariaDB Foundation, but then came back to MariaDB Corp. as its CTO.
As for Microsoft, it’s worth noting that the company is definitely embracing open source at this point. It’s now a sponsor of the Linux Foundation and some of that group’s projects, as well as the Open Source Initiative, the Cloud Foundry Foundation and others.
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IAM Robotics puts a unique spin on warehouse automation
Brian Heater @bheater / 3 months
Before robots get to do the fun stuff, they’re going to be tasked with all of the things humans don’t want to do. It’s a driving tenet of automation — developing robotics and AI designed to replace dull, dirty and dangerous tasks. It’s no surprise, then, that warehouses and fulfillment centers have been major drivers in the field.
Earlier this week, we reported that Amazon would be acquiring Canvas, adding another piece to its portfolio, adding to the 100,000 or so robotics it currently deploys across 25 or so fulfillment centers. Even Boston Dynamics has been getting into the game, acquiring a vision system in order to outfit its Handle robot for the warehouse life.
Like so much of the robotics world, Pittsburgh is a key player in the world of automation. IAM Robotics is one of the more compelling local entrants in the space. We paid the company a visit on a recent trip to town. Located in a small office outside of the city, the startup offers a unique take on the increasingly important pick and place robotics, combining a robotic arm with a mobile system.
“What’s unique about IAM robotics is we’re the only ones with a mobile robot that is also capable of manipulating objects and moving things around the warehouse by itself,” CEO Joel Reed told TechCrunch. “It doesn’t require a person in the loop to actually physically handle things. And what’s unique about that is we’re empowering machine with AI and computer vision technologies to make those decisions by itself. So it’s fully autonomous, it’s driving around, using its own ability to see.”
The startup has mostly operated quietly, in spite of a $20 million venture round led by KCK late last year. After a quick demo in the office, it’s easier to see how early investors have found promise in the company. Still, the demo marks a pretty stark contrast from the Bossa Nova warehouse where we spent the previous day.
There are a couple of small rows of groceries in a corner of the office space, a few feet away from where the rest of IAM’s staff is at work. A pair of the company’s Swift robots go to work, traveling up and down the small, makeshift aisle. When the robot locates the desired product on a shelf, a long, multi-segmented arm drops down, positioning itself in front of a box. The suction cup tip attaches to the product, then the arm swivels back around to release it into a bin.
Used correctly, the Swift could help companies staff difficult-to-fill positions, while adding a layer of efficiency in the warehouse. “Our customers or prospective customers are looking to automate to both reduce costs, but also to alleviate this manual labor shortage,” says Reed. “So we have a younger generation that’s just more interested in doing jobs like gig economy jobs, drive for Uber, Lyft, those kinds of things, because they can make more money than they could in working at a warehouse.”
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T. E. Lawrence Society
About Lawrence
Lawrence Family Homes
Pole Hill
Cranwell and Lincoln
Southampton and Hythe
The Arab Revolt Centenary
The Society Library
The Siddons Collection & Society DVD
Journal/Newsletter
Journal Volumes I-IV
Journal Volumes V-VIII
Journal Volumes IX-XII
Journal Volumes XIII-XVI
Journal Volumes XVII-XX
Journal Volumes XXI-XXIV
Journal Volume XXV Onwards
Past Symposia
Past Society Events
Clouds Hill | National Trust
The Henry Williamson Society
The Palestine Exploration Fund
The Thomas Hardy Society
Rickaro Books
Siegfried Sassoon Fellowship
Below is a summary of the contents of Vol. XXV, No. 1 of the Journal, which was published in Spring 2016.
More detailed descriptions of all Journal articles from Vol. I, No. 1 to the present day can be downloaded in pdf format by clicking HERE.
Additionally, the contents of Journals Vol. I, No. 1 to Vol. XXIV, No. 2 arranged by subject matter can be downloaded in the form of a ROUGH GUIDE compiled by former Society chairman Nick Lynch.
Vol. XXV, No. 1, Spring 2016
Christophe Leclerc: T. E. Lawrence and Édouard Brémond: Two Views of the Middle East, Two Experiences of the Guerrilla
This is a translation of a talk given at the Symposium of the Institute d’Edutes Avancée in Paris in May 2015. It was inevitable that there was going to be a clash between T. E. Lawrence and France’s Colonel Brémond. Brémond was captive to the orthodox thinking that he should seek to destroy enemy forces in a decisive battle. This was in marked contrast to Lawrence who sought to avoid battles. Essentially, Brémond was baffled by Lawrence, and particularly by why he wore Arab clothes, and regarded him as an eccentric.
Adam Gotch: The Lecture League
This article by Adam Gotch follows his presentation to the 2014 Symposium. Following service in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, Adam’s grandfather, Laurence Gotch, returned to England in 1919 and with help from T. E. Lawrence embarked on a series of lectures under the auspices of a lecture agency entitled The Lecture League. In telling his grandfather’s story, Adam Gotch draws on a unique collection of material owned by his grandfather, including unpublished letters and maps, among them a sketch map showing Lawrence’s northern journey as a diversion from the attack on Akaba.
Lisa Climie: Shadow Man – Part Two
Part One of Lisa Climie’s memoir of her great-uncle, Vyvyan Richards, appeared in Vol. XXIII, No. 1 of the Journal. We are now treated to Part Two, in which Lisa gives a wide ranging and sensitive account of her great-uncle’s confession to Sunday Times journalist Helen Cash that he “fell in love” with Lawrence.
Nick Lynch: A Rough Guide to the Contents of the T. E. Lawrence Society Journal, Vol. I, No. 1 to Vol. XXIV, No. 2
The Journal is an important resource of information about the life of T. E. Lawrence and is regularly referred to by biographers. Nick Lynch has now updated a previous summary of the contents of the Journal under topic headings, which together with the descriptions on this website are an essential tool for anyone interested in a particular aspect of Lawrence’s complex and wide-ranging interests.
Vol. XXV, No. 2, Summer 2016
Tony Gill: Things Done Out of Delight for Himself
This article commences with a previously unknown photograph of a smiling Lawrence standing alongside Augustus John. This account of a friendship between two quite different people shows Lawrence’s ability to relate to people from different strata of society. Tony Gill also draws on Lawrence’s friendship with Robert Graves, to whom he explained his admiration for artists: “Artists excite me, seduce me. Almost I could be an artist, but there is a core that puts the brakes on.”
Mark Calderbank: “Was that all it was then?”: An appraisal of Seven
Pillars of Wisdom by Andre Malraux: Introduction , extracts and commentary
Mark Calderbank gives us a complex insight into an analysis of Seven Pillars of Wisdom by the French writer André Malraux included as Chapter 35 in Le Démon de l’Absolu which was published in 1946 and 1949. Mark concentrates on the point that Malraux had a deep affinity to Lawrence and that he shared with him the secret – after having served in the Spanish Civil War – of being both a man of
action and a contemplative.
Brian Marshall: Lowell Thomas and T. E. Lawrence in New Zealand
We have all read accounts of Lowell Thomas’s lectures in London and New York. We are now treated to Brian Marshall’s essay on how Thomas was received in New Zealand. He was supported by extensive press coverage and it is these press accounts which are the main sources for this article.
Jacqueline Dillion: ‘To Fashion All Things Fair’: T. E. Lawrence, Thomas Hardy and The Dynasts
This article explains how the friendship between Lawrence and Thomas Hardy was shaped and mediated by Hardy’s epic verse-drama, The Dynasts, published in three parts between 1904 and 1908. Hardy used the Napoleonic wars as a focal point for exploring the social history of an era into which his parents had been born,
yet later we see that Lawrence considered that The Dynasts had a
resonance with his own time.
Vol. XXVI, No. 1, Autumn 2016
Roger Holehouse: The Strategic Context to the Arab Revolt
This article aims to give a “simplified view” of British foreign policy towards the Ottoman Empire from the mid-19th Century until the aftermath of the First World War. How did Britain, once an ally of the Ottoman Empire, come into conflict with it?
Alison Jolley: “Oh Ross – How did I become you?”: The Making of the Lawrence Character in Terence Rattigan’s Play
The writer examines correpondence between Arnold Lawrence, Basil Liddell Hart, Robert Graves and others relating to the original production of Terence Rattigan’s play Ross in 1960, now held in the Liddell Hart Archive for Military Studies at King’s College London. What is revealed is a complex and sometimes acrimonious exchange of views over how Rattigan portrayed Lawrence and particularly his way of speaking. The article gives an interesting insight into how historical figures become distorted into “dramatic portraits”.
Miles Wigfield: Private Press Printing With Some References to T.E.L.
Miles Wigfield gives us an insight into one of Lawrence’s abiding interests. Lawrence never set up a private press of his own, but essentially ran a private press for the printing of the Subscribers’ Edition of Seven Pillars of Wisdom. It was Lawrence who dictated the format, chose the typeface and determined the typographical constraints. The essay contains a list of Lawrence-related books, which over the years have been produced by private or small printers.
The Release of Damascus by T .E. Lawrence, with an introduction by Joe Berton
Here, Joe Berton transcribes an article from the Palestine News of 10 October 1918. The identity of the writer is given as “A Correspondent from Beyond the Jordan” but it was of course Lawrence, giving what must have been his first public account of some of the events of the Arab Revolt. As Joe explains in his introduction, the article has a “freshness” about it, and is an important document in that it was written so soon after the event.
The international Society for everyone with an interest in the life of T. E. Lawrence
NW Group visit to Royal Welsh Fusiliers Museum, Wrexham
Tuesday 10th Sep - 10:30 am - 5:00 pm
Society Day and AGM in Greenwich
Friday 27th Sep - 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
NW Group Visit to Rickaro Books and Horbury, Wakefield
Saturday 16th Nov
London Group visit to Reading Station and environs
Saturday 23rd Nov
T E Lawrence Symposium 2020
Friday 25th Sep 2020 - 10:00 am - Sunday 27th Sep 2020 - 5:00 pm
Society Ties and Badges Now Available
See details in the Shop
Solander Boxes Now Available
Lawrence in the News
Death of Tony Cripps, owner of “XX” – the Brough Superior motorcycle.
Lawrence of Arabia’ Tops ASC’s List of 100 20th Century Cinematography Milestones.
‘A Shy Bird’ by Charles Eilers, published by The Fleece Press.
Click here to read all news.
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First World War Centenary
Relive Lawrence’s War - 100 years on - in a blog using excerpts from his letters and other writings.
Read blog here
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Tag Archives: Fabrica
Cannes Lions Press Grand Prix Winner – “Benetton’s Unhate” Kissing Ads From Fabrica, 72andSunny
Posted on June 23, 2012 by SULLY
Having just posted about John Hegarty and his view on the state of current advertising (i.e. the ads aren’t good enough). It seems apt to look at the Cannes press Grand Prix winner.
Benetton’s provocative “Unhate” campaign showing world leaders kissing, created by Italian agency Fabrica with help from 72andSunny in Amsterdam got the prize.
Three executions were honored—the ones with U.S. president Barack Obama and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez; Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu; and German chancellor Angela Merkel and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Absent was the campaign’s most incendiary image—a photo of Pope Benedict XVI kissing a senior Egyptian imam which was pulled almost immediately after the campaign broke last November.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement cited by The Guardian, after slamming the image as “entirely unacceptable.”
“It is a serious lack of respect for the pope, an affront to the feelings of the faithful and an evident demonstration of how, in the field of advertising, the most elemental rules of respect for others can be broken in order to attract attention by provocation,”
The White House was not amused:
“The White House has a longstanding policy disapproving of the use of the president’s name and likeness for commercial purposes.”
Jury president Tham Khai Meng said that Benetton “has heart impact and gut impact and promotes a global debate”.
Steve Jones, a British juror at the French Riviera event said: “The reason we chose this is because it stood out on the wall… It’s not like traditional advertising. It’s not making a point about the clothes, its brand history. It doesn’t obey the rules.”
True – but aren’t we judging ads not art and don’t the rules of the sale or effectiveness make it great advertising?
His sentiments were echoed by co-juror Komal Bedi Sohal, from the UAE, who added: “You can like it, you can dislike it, you can’t ignore it.”
True – but is an arresting image that you can’t ignore the best criteria to judge advertising? Surely any brand could spend the money to publicize an amazing and provocative image, but only a few can make an arresting image that is relevant and sells the product?
The campaign was started in the ’80’s by Oliviero Toscani who was the creative mind behind the controversial work that turned Benetton into a household name.
Toscani was Benetton’s creative director for 18 years from 1982 to 2000. By the height of his success, Toscani was known for his arrogance and drama (and loss of perspective perhaps!), but his first campaign for Benetton in 1982 used teddy bears to model the children’s clothing line. More traditional than you might think.
Twenty-five years ago, Benetton shot to global fame with its controversial line and campaign – all the colors of the world (which became United Colors of Benetton). At the time, whilst controversial, this campaign seemed to reflect the irreverence of the brand as well as the physical nature of the product which featured a wash of primary colours.
The original United Colours was one of the great campaigns, differentiated from the category and relevant to the brand personality and primary product ranges.
Later efforts veered into the weird and wonderful – hearts, lungs, HIV tattoos and just-born babies come to mind.
I would argue that as the campaign veered off a relevant course for the brand (it’s a clothing line and store…), the fortunes of the brand took a nose dive. The figures prove it.
In the ’80’s when Benetton needed to generate awareness amongst a naive public, the notoriety of the campaign had an impact. It then became self-indulgent in the extreme and the company has not recovered.
There were a number of ads featuring HIV in one way or another, such as the famous photo of dying AIDS activist David Kirby taken in his hospital room in the in May 1990, with his father, sister and niece at his bedside. The photograph by Therese Frare, went on to win the 1991 World Press Photo Award, but whether or not this harrowing picture was an appropriate advertising image was widely debated. Some suggested it was more exploitative than supportive with AIDS activists saying that its use in advertising portrayed AIDS in a negative light, spreading fear rather than acceptance. The implied connection between the deaths of David Kirby and Jesus provoked outrage in many markets.
It is therefore very valid to ask if these latest Benetton Unhate ads represent the best on offer in press advertising, or are they just the most extraordinary and provocative campaign in market? If advertising success is measured by sales or by driving foot traffic to Benetton’s franchisees, this strategy and the previous campaigns have not worked.
There is no doubt that advertising remains a delicate blend of art and science. But I don’t agree that the industry is best served by rewarding the sensationalist approach of Benetton when it has lost all relevance to the brand. The Benetton campaign is art / social commentary, not advertising. The ad promises irreverence and a completely different perspective on the world today and all of it’s problems and prejudices that the stores, product and brand experience overall simply fail to deliver.
The judging at Cannes has come in for criticism on a few fronts. I would argue that it needs to return to the basics of effective advertising and the ability to sell a brand to its potential consumer in a relevant way, not just about notoriety, rule breaking or provocation. Great images that can change consumer opinion and sell the product at high return on investment should be recognised and rewarded.
Probably to “dry” for many, but this is actually how the industry survives. By sales.
As John Hegarty said at Cannes, advertising needs to stimulate and solicit the right response in the consumer along the lines of:
“Wow, I want to have a conversation with these people’, as opposed to ‘I’m doing my best to ignore them and they’re doing their best to trip me up in some way or another’. Isn’t that awful, we’re an industry that tries to trick people into watching what we do, why isn’t it inspiring, so people want to watch it.”
Benetton are trying to attract us by provocation rather than inspiration.
To some this might invite interest, particularly amongst social commentators and advertising aficionados, but I think that the shopping majority (and it is a mass market brand) will be confused by the aims of this campaign or potentially confronted by it, not inspired. Challenge and irreverence has a place in advertising, but it needs to be relevant and motivating to the brand.
Benetton Unhate is a great and provocative image, but arguably not a great ad.
ECHH: These Posters Of The Pope, Obama And Merkel Kissing Are Officially The ‘Best’ Ads In The World (businessinsider.com)
Controversial Benetton Ad Nabs Press Grand Prix (adage.com)
Posted in advertising, adverts, campaign, commercials, marketing, outdoor, print | Tagged 72andsunny, abbas, Agency, Angela Merkel, Barack Obama, Benetton, Benetton Group, Benetton Unhate, Benetton Unhate Campaign, Benjamin Netanyahu, Cannes, Cannes Ad Festival, Controversial Ads, Creative, Fabrica, Federico Lombardi, Gay Ads, hugo chavez, Mahmoud Abbas, Nicolas Sarkozy, obama, Pope Benedict XVI, press, press ads, unhate, United Colors Of Benetton, White House, winner | Leave a reply
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Home » Photos » That has a nice ring to it
A woman wearing Olympic rings glasses smiles as she walks in Olympic Park at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
A girl with the Olympic rings pointed on her face watches the match between Venus Williams of the United States and Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens in the women's tennis competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Italy's cyclists, Giorgia Bronzini, Elena Cecchini, Tatiana Guderzo and Elisa Longo Borghini pose for photos in front of the Olympic rings on Copacabana beach before the women's road race at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. (Eric Gaillard/Pool Photo via AP)
The Olympic rings stand at the sailing venue as a plane takes off in the distance at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
The Olympic rings decorate the shoulder of Zbigniew Schodowski, of Poland, as he takes a drink of water before competition begins at the rowing venue at Lagoa at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Rowers are seen through a screen decorated with the Olympic rings as they practice at the rowing venue in Lagoa at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A man poses for a picture on the Olympic Rings in the Olympic Park at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
The Olympic rings are seen tattooed on the ankle of Colombia's Natalia Sanchez during the women's team archery competition at the Sambadrome venue during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
People take photos at a set of Olympic rings at the Olympic Park during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The Olympic rings decorate the finish line of the cycling road race as it opens to the public for the evening after the men's race completed and ahead of tomorrow's women's race at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Silvia Bohn Goncalves, from Brazil, looks at a set of Olympic rings at the Olympic Park during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The Olympic rings are seen tattooed on the back of Greece's gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias during the artistic gymnastics men's qualification at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
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Dirty money risks encroach on Estonia's digital utopia
John O'Donnell, Tarmo Virki
(The story corrects to show the presidential palace in Estonia was not built in the 18th century.)
Kilvar Kessler, the head of Estonia's banks supervisor, the Finantsinspektsioon, speaks during an interview in Tallinn, Estonia January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins
By John O’Donnell and Tarmo Virki
TALLINN (Reuters) - Estonia’s push to become a digital society has left it vulnerable to dirty money and sanction breaches, the country’s top banking regulator has warned.
The Baltic state took centre stage in one of the largest-ever money laundering scandals last year - the Estonian branch of Danske Bank helped funnel money from Russia and other ex-Soviet states, a report by the Danish lender showed.
Danske Bank is now being investigated in Denmark, Estonia, Britain and the United States over the 200 billion euros ($227 billion) of suspicious payments.
The Danske debacle was rooted in old school subterfuge – offshore shell companies were used to disguise where the money was coming from.
But Estonia’s population of e-residents, some of whom bank in the country even though they live abroad, potentially offers a high-tech route for suspect funds.
“The lesson of Danske is, I hope, enough for us,” Kilvar Kessler, the head of Estonia’s financial watchdog, the Finantsinspektsioon, told Reuters. “You onboarded customers which were offshore companies.”
“Now e-residents. Exactly the same questions will be asked. Who are they? Why do they need a bank account in Estonia?”
A former Soviet-occupied state on the edge of Europe, Estonia has remodelled itself as a hub for digital innovation through ‘e-Estonia’, a government-sponsored project to move almost all bureaucratic tasks, from voting to medical prescriptions, online.
A key part of e-Estonia is e-residents, foreigners who have been given a digital identity card allowing them to access some online services such as government portals. It can also be a stepping stone to banking in Estonia, a member of both the European Union and the euro zone currency bloc.
Anyone can apply, including citizens of countries subject to U.S. sanctions such as Iran and North Korea.
Banks including Estonia’s largest locally-owned lender LHV, as well as Sweden’s SEB Bank and Swedbank, allow e-residents to open accounts after they prove their identity and business links to Estonia.
Kessler, who has the power to withdraw a lender’s license to operate, has been cautioning bankers for some time that they need to thoroughly vet e-residents before signing them on.
He has stepped up his warnings since the Danske scandal.
Some 50,000-plus people hold the digital identity card but there is no public data on how many also bank in Estonia.
Erki Kilu, the chief executive of LHV bank, said that while only a small number of e-residents opened a personal bank account in Estonia, the 6,000 companies registered in the country by e-residents required an account. One quarter of those bank with LHV, he told Reuters.
Kilu said e-residents were subject to the same checks as other customers who lived abroad.
In an email to Reuters, he said there were also “later screening and monitoring processes”, declining to give further details. The bank does not open accounts for people or companies subject to sanctions.
Ainar Leppanen, responsible for SEB’s retail banking in Estonia, said it took a cautious approach to foreign customers without “a clear link to the country”, applying additional measures such as “background checks”.
He said customers were checked against international sanctions lists and described the number of e-resident customers of SEB as “insignificant”.
A spokeswoman for Swedbank said it performed “due diligence ... to ensure that their businesses have a clear connection to Estonia” before taking on e-resident customers.
Some banks, however, generally steer clear.
“We don’t see a business case here right now,” said Erkki Raasuke, chief executive of Luminor, one of the largest banks in the Baltics.
“The potential downside, if some of the anti-money laundering or sanctions-related risks would materialize, can be significant.”
Closer scrutiny of e-residents is part of a wider effort to curb financial crime by authorities in Estonia since the Danske scandal.
In addition to the e-residency programme, the country’s digital pedigree — video calling company Skype was built there – and pro-business culture have made it an attractive outpost for companies working with cryptocurrencies.
It typically takes just hours and an online form to open a business in Estonia and some 600 digital currency companies are registered there.
“There is a money laundering risk with cryptocurrency operators. We have made it too easy for these crypto operators now. They get a reputational benefit from their link to Estonia. We get the reputational risk,” Madis Muller, Estonia’s deputy central bank governor, told Reuters.
Lawmakers are considering giving police the power to scrutinize cryptocurrency companies and withdraw their licenses if executives fail a “fit and proper” test of their reputation and ability to do the job.
Under proposals before parliament, cryptocurrency companies will also be required to have a business presence in Estonia, something that many lack.
“I understand that most would not be able to comply - and would not qualify to keep their license,” said Muller.
National elections in early March, however, could delay such reforms, as lawmakers would have to restart negotiations if they do not sign off the rules by February 21, when they disband.
Estonia’s vision of an advanced digital society open to all is a point of pride for its 1.3 million people, many of whom remember the constraints of life under Soviet rule.
Azerbaijan, which also declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, became the second country to launch an e-residency programme last year.
As part of its digital branding, Estonia has gifted symbolic e-residencies to Microsoft founder Bill Gates, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Pope Francis, among others.
“Digital is not 100 percent secure but it is more secure than analogue,” Estonia’s president Kersti Kaljulaid told Reuters in an interview at the presidential castle. “An e-resident bank client has passed a background check.”
The Estonian police vet all applicants for e-residency, checking identity documents such as passports and examining international police records to ensure the applicant has not committed crimes overseas.
The process typically takes between four and six weeks and does not require applicants to visit. Once issued, the cards can be collected at Estonian embassies.
Roughly one third of e-residents come from Finland, Russia, Ukraine and Germany, according to official data that lists one e-resident in North Korea and roughly 400 in Iran. They are not named. Others come from dozens of countries around the globe from Britain to Panama.
Madis Reimand, the head of Estonia’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the arm of the police that monitors money laundering and crypto operators, said e-residents did not pose “big risks” although he said care should be taken in vetting them.
But Reimand was critical of cryptocurrencies. “We see really big threats from virtual currencies, especially threats of fraud and money laundering.”
It is a far cry from 2017, when at the height of the cryptocurrency boom, the then manager of the e-residency scheme suggested Estonia to set up its own digital means of exchange, the ‘estcoin’.
In the last weeks of 2018, the number of applications for e-residency slipped, according to official data.
Although the scheme is growing year-on-year, at its current pace, it would take until 2488 to reach its original goal of 10 million people, something Estonia had set its sights on when the scheme was launched roughly four years ago.
($1 = 0.8755 euros)
Editing by Carmel Crimmins
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People: Dynex Capital Inc (DX.N)
DX.N on New York Stock Exchange
Salcetti, Robert
Mr. Robert A. Salcetti is Independent Director of Dynex Capial, Inc. Mr. Salcetti, who retired in 2008, previously served as a managing director at JPMorgan Chase from 2000 to 2008. Prior to his tenure at JPMorgan Chase, Mr. Salcetti held the position of managing director at Chase Manhattan Bank from 1996 to 2000, senior vice president of TCB/Chemical Bank from 1992 to 1996, division manager of TCB/Chemical Bank from 1986 to 1992, vice president and section manager of Texas Commerce Bank, the predecessor to TCB/Chemical Bank, from 1980 to 1986, and vice president of American Mortgage Company from 1976 to 1979. Mr. Salcetti serves as the Chairperson for the Compensation Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee for the Company. Mr. Salcetti earned a degree of B.S. in business administration from Carlow College in 1976. Mr. Salcetti has served as a director of Ocwen Financial Corporation since 2011. He currently serves on its audit, executive and transaction review committees and serves as co-chairman of Ocwen Financial Corporation’s risk and compliance committee.
Byron Boston
Stephen Benedetti
Smriti Popenoe
Barry Igdaloff
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This Week’s ‘Doctor Who’ Finds The Doctor Puzzling Over The Difference Between Friends And Enemies
Andrew Husband 10.25.15 4 years ago
Towards the end of “The Woman Who Lived,” Ashildr (Maisie Williams) tells the Doctor that someone has to look out for the people he abandons. “Who better than me?” she says. “I’ll be the patron saint of the Doctor’s leftovers.” She jabs him further, adding that while he’s “busy protecting the world,” she will “get busy protecting it from” him.
These not-so veiled insults strike at the heart of something that has plagued Doctor Who ever since the reboot premiered in 2005: The character is essentially an immortal, time-traveling playboy who takes on companions and makes new friends until he grows tired of them. Whenever the personal pain becomes too unbearable, he runs away and shirks responsibility, but the consequences always come back to haunt him.
Ashildr introduces a novel addition. She’s not another lovelorn female companion (Rose Tyler), nor is she an acquaintance-turned-friend whom the Doctor tries to avoid (Captain Jack Harkness). The latter’s name does come up in conversation, but unlike the undying Harkness, the former Viking maiden is someone the Time Lord thinks he ought to “keep an eye on.”
That’s because the Ashildr of “The Woman Who Lived” is nothing like the Ashildr of “The Girl Who Died.” She is no longer a faulty Game of Thrones clone meant to capitalize on the HBO series‘ fandom. Nor is she (nor was she ever) a regenerated version of one of his daughters. Instead, Ashildr has become something else entirely — an enemy.
Hence, when confronted with her new charge, the Doctor asks, “So are we enemies now?” It’s a valid question, given how the ninth season began with his meeting a young Davros, the mad scientist who will eventually create the Daleks. The Doctor gets a pass for asking, serious eyebrows and all. Especially since their conversation answers his question.
“Of course not,” Ashildr tells him. “Enemies are never a problem. It’s your friends you have to watch out for.” When the Doctor cautiously responds with gladness for having saved her, she retorts: “I think everyone will be.”
Considering how often Missy (and the Master before her) called herself the Doctor’s friend, it’s no accident that these final words with Ashildr were about friends and enemies. The immortal Viking can call herself the Time Lord’s friend all she wants, but he has been around long enough to recognize the signs — like when he sees her in the background of the selfie Clara takes with her student.
There are still six more episodes of Doctor Who left this season. There is no guarantee that Maisie Williams will reprise the role in any of them, but the character’s timelessness suggests that she will pop back into the Doctor’s life again. And since her parting words (and actions) are more threatening than friendly, it probably won’t be a happy reunion.
TOPICS#Doctor Who
TAGSDavid TennantDOCTOR WHOMAISIE WILLIAMSPeter Capaldi
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Fred Durst And The CW Are Developing A Drama About His Rise To Fame
Brian Grubb
The CW announced yesterday that it will take a brief break from stuffing its schedule full of dramas about wealthy, terrible teenagers so it can finally give the American public what it has been clamoring for literally forever: a drama about Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst’s rise to fame.
The Noise, created by Durst, chronicles the rise of a young artist in the 1990s who escapes a tumultuous home life and forms a wildly popular band with a unique sound. Durst, of course, hit it big with his rap metal band Limp Bizkit, which formed in 1994 and went on to superstardom with hits like “Nookie,” “Break Stuff” and their cover of George Michael’s “Faith.” [TV Guide]
If there is a God in heaven and he or she cares about us at all, this show will feature a main character named, like, Fred Blurst, and will be littered with his cartoonishly one-sided, propaganda-filled takes on everything that happened in his life, complete with thinly-veiled — I’m talking tissue paper thin — attacks on everyone who wronged him up and down the ol’ fame ladder.
Fred Blurst: [on telephone] What? No. I can’t. Because I’m busy trying to get my music career off the ground! Well, sure, of course the sex was great. I’m Fred Durs-… I mean, Fred Blurst. I’m always great at sex. But the world needs my music! Sorry, Cindy Crawford and Julia Roberts and Heather Locklear and Janet Jackson — who are on speakerphone trying to get me to group date you here in 1994, because I’m very suave and alluring as a mate even without all the fame and money that will surely come my way in the near future — but that’s just the way it has to be.
TAGSfred durstLimp Bizkitthe cwthe noise
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Economic & Social dimensions of Crisis faced by India
July 7, 2019 by Rahul Leave a Comment
We all are acknowledged with the fact that India is undergoing a phase of crises and it is affecting the citizen and the economical conditions of the country. The country has always been a land of crisis whether moral or economical, and some even think whether the crisis situation that India is undergoing is due to loss of morality or the fall of the economy.
Today, India is a land where the youth wants to achieve, perform and acquire everything that is good. They are filled with new confidence, energy, zeal, and enthusiasm. But at the same time, they lack the quality of patience and perseverance. The haste of doing things is dangerous as this will hide the duties possessed by every citizen.
The impatience and restless youth want to acquire everything in a snap of finger. In this process of enjoying their rights as a citizen of the country they forget this fact that the law has also bestowed certain duties on the citizen which they don’t follow.
Therefore, this restlessness has led to a moral crisis where ends matter more than means. This is just one situation which shows that India is undergoing crisis. Today there are many situations which shows that India is a land of crisis and this situation vary from person to person.
Some might be facing the problem of dowry and some might be economically unstable and thus, the crises could be moral or economical depending upon different circumstances and in the psyche of the people. At the end, it is difficult to make either of the two that is moral or economic as the sole reason behind the crisis in India.
After Independence
The country enjoyed independence after a long struggle, pain, atrocities, and above all with a strong will power to get independent. But, independence came with the partition of the country into India and Pakistan. All the assets which the country acquired were distributed equally between the two countries.
Even the instruments of band and the small paper clips were equally divided between the newly born countries. Partition was never an easy task, the people were killing other people for different reasons and if we sum up all those reasons, we find that they were fighting for senseless issues.
The people at that time were confused whether they were within the borders of India or beyond that. This was one of the biggest cross border movements. This made the situation worst. The new born country faced my crisis like, the moral values of the people were decreasing and the economic tensions were increasing.
Social Crisis
Social and moral ethics were very low. Though, our freedom fighters tried hard to remove the caste inequalities but it still subsisted even after independence. The dalits and other marginalized sections of the society got certain privileges which provided them reservation in almost every field and this situation somehow came in control.
Poverty was amongst all other problems which India was facing. Poverty and illiteracy goes parallel. The poor never had money to send their children to schools. They even had little money to fill their bellies and sending children to schools was like a dream that was next to impossible.
When the generation is not educated the chances of availability of good jobs becomes nil. They had to work at starving rates and at poor conditions. Therefore the labor was exploited. They had to migrate from rural areas to urban areas in search of job. This was not the end of the struggle.
Migration was very difficult, adjusting at new place, finding place to reside, the pomp and shows of the cities and much more. They are unable to cope up with their traditional values. Due to migration, the population in the cities increase and the place becomes filthy and unhygienic. These people start living collectively at a specific place without authentication and basic amenities.
The heart of India that is the capital city of the country has 20% of its population residing in the slum areas situated in the vicinity of the banks of Yamuna River. Therefore, this increases the chances that the children would be compelled to work as child labor and prostitution also become their source of income. Young girls are thrown to the occupation of prostitution which drive handsome sum of money to these families.
Rights are infringed at such localities. As these people are unable to meet their basic amenities their minds start diverting to things like murder, theft, kidnapping and other related activities. The people residing at these areas are prone to get addicted to drugs and other products.
They become addicted to those products which are very harmful for their life. Due to this smuggling starts. Rapes in India are biggest problem. We are living in 21st century and women still feel unsafe. The incidence of rape hinders the independence of the women.
The population is increasing day by day, the death rates have reduced and birth rates and child mortality rates have increased. This is due to the medical advancement of the country. But, if we go through the stats we find that the educated people are aware of the problem of population and therefore they have started adopting the policy of having two kids only, but those who are poor believes in reproducing more children.
They believe that more children mean more helping hands but they forget that more children also mean more food and an increase in other expenses.
Dowry and child marriage though have drastically reduced but it still a problem in India. Girls are still considered as burden. Domestic violence has increased and women as feel insecure at outside their homes and even within the four walls of homes.
Therefore, if we look into all these problems, we find that all these problems are inter connected and we will have to very hard to make the country independent of these problems.
India was economically weak at the time of independence because it has to use its scarce resources to counter many evils. The productivity of the country was very low and thus the government of India decided to promote the Green Revolution. The country was against import of any basic amenities and was determined to become self reliant. In that process the country fell short of the foreign currency.
Trade barriers and the methods of license were very rigid. A person was compelled to follow the strict rules for starting a factory and production of any material. Due to this rigidness, the returns from the production sector of the country became poor.
It was the time when India had fought several major wars and this also depleted the economical condition of the country. In the year 1971, India fought a major war against Pakistan which ate up much of the useful and limited resource of the country.
The population was increasing at a very high rate but the produced output was not sufficient for the ever increasing population. The Government of India was forced to take many loans from various international financial bodies and became piled up with this burden.
It was only in the year 1991, when the country opened up its economy in respect of the policy of globalization and liberalization. The economic life of India which was on ventilator started reviving.
India is a country which imports oil and other crude products from gulf country. With that India is the third largest country in consumption of the crude oil. This is another financial burden on the country.
Many a times the import and export create a situation of trade deficit, which means that imports are more than exports and therefore, the stock of foreign currency held with the government declines. This devalues the India Rupee.
Today, black marketing, hoarding, insider trading, tax evasion, black money and white collar crimes has increased. People want to get richer by adopting unfair means. The rich tends to become richer and the poor and thrown in the bottomless swamp of poverty from which the returning back is difficult.
Only a few people in India pay taxes and the others find ways to evade from this. If all the citizens pay taxes than the tag developed country will replace the tag developing country.
We cannot make out whether it’s the moral crisis which creates problem to our country or the economical crisis which is hampering the growth of our nation. But at the end we know that both economical and moral well being goes parallel.
With economic advancement we can grow morally and if we are morally stable the economic condition will automatically flourish. Both these situations are inter-connected and the government is working for the developments in both fields. But, is this the only solution.
The government enforces many plans for our well being and it is our ultimate duty to help the government in implementation of the plans. It is not only the duty of the government but ours as well. As a responsible citizen of India we need educate people and should fulfill our duties towards the country.
The nation can give us a lot if we corporate and cherish the little things which are bestowed upon us as a citizen. The country will always be in the same situation if we never try to raise ourselves out of this entire crisis.
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Now Available to Own: Mockingjay Part 2, Daddy’s Home, and More
Posted on March 22, 2016 by Tyler Schirado
hBrace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of March 22, 2016. Every Tuesday we run down new movie and television releases that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, as well as some slick deals that can help save you some coin. New on shelves this week are The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Daddy’s Home, Freaks and Geeks Season 1, and more.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (Francis Lawrence) Rated PG-13 [2h 17min] – As the war of Panem escalates to the destruction of other districts, Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant leader of the rebellion, must bring together an army against President Snow, while all she holds dear hangs in the balance. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and Sam Claflin
I’ll say this about Mockingjay Part 2: they did the best they could with what they were provided with. The source material is atrocious. I enjoyed reading Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, and I really liked Catching Fire, but Mockingjay is a complete mess that I wouldn’t recommend anyone reading. With that said, Mockingjay Part 2 is a decent conclusion to the cinematic franchise. It’s just hard to give it a solid pass when the plot is so terrible. And dividing the book into two parts definitely hurts the story. But hey, there’s a lot of great special features to remember the journey we’ve all been through over the past four plus years inviting these movies into our lives.
Special features include:
Audio Commentary with Director Francis Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson
“Pawns No More: Making The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” 8-Part Documentary
Walking Through Fire (Concluding the Saga)
Real or Not Real (Visual Design)
High-Value Targets (The Acting Ensemble)
From Head to Toe (Costume, Make-up & Hair)
Navigating the Minefield (Production in Atlanta, Paris & Berlin)
Collateral Damage (Stunts, Special Effects & Weapons)
Tightening the Noose (The Post-Production Process
A Different World (Reflections)
The Hunger Games: A Photographic Journey
Cinna’s Sketchbook: Secrets of the Mockingjay Armor
Panem on Display: The Hunger Games: The Exhibition
Jet to the Set
Daddy’s Home (Sean Anders) Rated PG-13 [1h 36min] – Stepdad, Brad Whitaker, is a radio host trying to get his stepchildren to love him and call him Dad. But his plans turn upside down when the biological father, Dusty Mayron, returns. Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, and Linda Cardellini
Daddy’s Home exceeded my expectations, which isn’t saying much since they were so low to begin with before seeing this film. Based on what the trailers set up, it’s pretty much how you would perceive the events of this film would go. The shining moment of this film is the end, which makes up for all the contrived, eye-rolling, predictable comedy and plot points. The supporting cast is probably one of the best parts of the film. And the cameo at the end is fantastic. I really like when Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell work together, they have good chemistry, and you can see that in the special features. But Daddy’s Home is pretty mediocre at best.
The Making of Daddy’s Home: Get an inside look at how the film was made, featuring hilarious cast interviews including Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.
Daddy-Off: Sit down with Will and Mark as they discuss how their characters compete to be the “Best Dad” and how they eventually learn to share a common ground.
Daddy Daughter Dance: Join in on the fun as Will and Mark bust out their best dance moves in this behind-the-scenes look at the Daddy Daughter Dance.
Halftime Stunt: Check out the outrageous NBA halftime stunt as director Sean Anders and Will Ferrell break down the hilarious scene when a cheerleader takes a ball to the face.
Tony Hawk: Skater Double: Experience the ultimate reveal as world-famous skateboarder Tony Hawk gets back on the halfpipe while doubling for Will Farrell’s character during the epic skateboard stand-off between dads.
Child’s Play: A cute and heartfelt piece showcasing the incredible talent of the child actors who play “Dylan” and “Megan” in Daddy’s Home.
Hannibal Buress: The Perfect Houseguest: Go behind-the-scenes in this unfiltered featurette about rising comedic star Hannibal Buress and how he became involved in the film.
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Freaks and Geeks: The Collector’s Edition (Paul Feig) Rated TV-14 [44 min] – After her grandmother’s death, a high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year. Starring Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Samm Levine, Jason Segel, and Martin Starr
Although this series is on Netflix currently, you can’t go wrong with making it a part of your collection. There are so many special features for this beloved cult classic that it’s hard to say no. Freaks and Geeks is charming and honest. It’s incredible to see how Judd Apatow and his group of kids started their careers and have flourished to become who they are now. Yay nostalgia!
All 18 episodes in both original aspect ratio (1.33:1) and widescreen (1.78:1)
Museum of Television & Radio Panel Discussion
Complete Script for a Never-Shot Episode
Three Full-Episode Table Reads
Original Cast Audition Footage
Raw Footage
Mr. Rosso Live in Concert
Sober Students Improv Players
Tales of the Secret Service
NBC Promos and EPK
Seven Minutes in Heaven
Thanks, Goodbye
McKinley High lives on.
New booklet packed with a letter and Q&A from creators Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, essays, and memorabilia
Also Available to Own
Fear the Walking Dead Season 1 (Special Edition)
Fairy Tail: Part 19
Little House on the Prairie Season 8
Disturbing Behavior
Kill Me Again
Tokyo Story (Criterion Collection Edition)
A Brighter Summer Day (Criterion Collection Edition)
Blu-Ray Deals and Steals
Brooklyn – $12.99
SPECTRE – $12.99
The Peanuts Movie – $12.99
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 – $7
The Divergent Series: Insurgent – $7
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – $19
The Martian – $13
Game of Thrones (Season 3-4) – $29.99 each
Aladdin – $19
Inside Out – $19
Blade Runner – $4.75
Hop – $10
The Flash (Season 1) – $14.99
Despicable Me 1 & 2 – $10 each
All prices from Amazon.com. Best Buy, Frys, and Target all price match online prices.
What will you be taking home this week? Tell us in the comments section below!
All plot synopses come courtesy of IMDb.com
Click to share on Yahoo! Buzz (Opens in new window)
Posted in Now Available To Own | Tagged Daddy's Home, Freaks and Geeks, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
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Does technology in sport undermine the role of on-field officials?
Viren Beruwalage April 24, 2019
Technology in sport was meant to be used as an aid to on-field officials, prompting them to make the right decisions most of the time. Officiation blunders have cost many teams at marquee events; a prime example being, Frank Lampard’s shot against Germany in the 2010 World Cup, where a point was not awarded despite the ball being clearly over the line. Had VAR (Video Assistant Referees) been in use at the time, the scoreline might have read differently.
Technologies, such as the VAR in football and the DRS (Decision Review System) in cricket, have helped ensure that there are reductions in the number of obvious officiating blunders. Also, technologies like these have been used as a safety net; they downplay the harsh criticisms targeted at these officials who have to make crucial decisions in a matter of seconds. Moreover, teams have been more accepting of this technology as they realize that many games are decided on fine margins and having this technology to resort to when needed ensures that the element of misfortune in games is watered down.
Photo [Wikipedia Commons]
However, whilst being a form of aid to these officials, it can be argued that through the over-reliance on this technology, these advancements in sports-related technology have resulted in undermining the role of and the authority held by these officials. Elaborating on this point, in cricket nowadays, teams seem to not hesitate in using the DRS to review a majority of decisions made by the umpire, even though it could be said that a fraction of these umpires’ calls seems to be the right decision. In addition, when considering football, in the UEFA Champions League this season, we’ve seen referees accommodating several unnecessary stoppages in play to review calls made that seem to have no controversy at the onset. Not only do these stoppages hinder the development of momentum in the game, but it also undermines the authority and control over the game possessed by these referees.
There is an unquestionable hierarchy on the field. The umpires and officials supersede the players who have to respect the officials and the calls made. Prior to this modern-day technology boom in sports, aspiring sportsmen and women were encouraged to respect the official’s decision and not challenge it on the pitch. However, through the increased involvement and dependence on technology in sport, players may be incentivized to challenge the official’s authority, especially when a review leads to the original decision of the referee being overturned.
Photo [Pixabay]
As much as technology in sport has its benefits, the spirit of sport commands players to respect their officials, irrespective of the nature of the decisions made. In order to preserve this respectful atmosphere, it is important for players, officials and the relevant authorities to review the usage of an over-reliance on technology. Whilst it is great that more correct decisions are being made, the authenticity of sport also involves the odd wrong call which is just a part and parcel of the game.
Whilst it is true that players should be rewarded by being given the correct decisions, umpires and referees should be rewarded for their tireless efforts out in the field over a prolonged period of time. These rewards revolve around respect. Respect stems from the fact that their decision is final and through the knowledge that all players have to abide by the calls made. If every decision is being reviewed and overturned, why have these referees and officials in the first place? We could quite easily use technology as a fail-safe substitute. Yet, this would go against the authenticity of sport and the lesson learned- that we need to respect those who officiate these games. We do not always make the right calls in life but always aspire to do so and we need to be respected for that. That is the spirit of officiating as well.
Posted in GrandStandPartisanship Sports St Andrews Technology The Stand Viren Beruwalage
The Case For Curling
Master-Class: Tiger Woods reminds the world what he has always been capable of
Barcelona Wins at Old Trafford to Take Control of Champions League Quarter Final Tie
Let’s Talk Library
Cat Called in St Andrews
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The Tech Submit Campus Life Stories Campus Tips Signs found that Iran is speeding up work on nuclear program
Signs found that Iran is speeding up work on nuclear program
By David E. Sanger Aug. 24, 2012
WASHINGTON — International nuclear inspectors will soon report that Iran has installed hundreds of new centrifuges in recent months and may be speeding up production of nuclear fuel while negotiations with the United States and its allies have ground to a near halt, according to diplomats and experts briefed on the findings.
Almost all of the new equipment is being installed in a deep underground site on a military base near Qum that is considered virtually invulnerable to military attack. It would suggest that a boast by senior Iranian leaders late last month — that the country had added upward of 1,000 new machines to its installation despite Western sabotage — may be true.
The report will also indicate, according to the officials familiar with its contents, that Iran is increasingly focused on enriching uranium to a level of 20 percent — a purity it says it needs for a specialty nuclear reactor used for medical purposes, but that outside experts say gets it most of the way to the level needed to produce a workable nuclear bomb. The report does not attempt to address the question of whether Iran has made a decision to build a nuclear weapon; U.S. intelligence officials believe it has not.
It is unlikely that Iran has begun to use the new centrifuges to produce fuel, and even with significant increase in fuel production it would still take months, at the least, to produce a crude weapon. By most U.S. government estimates, Iran would need at least two years to develop a workable warhead that could fit atop a missile.
Nonetheless, the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s experts, first reported by Reuters, is likely to renew the debate over Iran’s intentions at a time when Israeli officials are stepping up their warnings that the window to conduct a pre-emptive military strike is closing.
A faction led by Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak will almost certainly argue that Iran has moved closer to what Barak calls a “zone of immunity,” a point at which so much equipment is installed in the underground facility, called Fordow, that it will soon be too late to stop Iran from producing a weapon, should it choose to do so.
The report could also become an issue in the presidential race. The presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, used a trip to Israel last month to declare that President Barack Obama had wasted time with fruitless negotiations with Iran, and that Iran had taken advantage of the time to advance its nuclear program.
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CulturePlay
Actor Mack Wilds has ‘Shots Fired’ and ‘The Breaks’ on his plate — and he’s not slowing down
Except to speak to the power of sticking with his Knicks, and why he’d want to but never will fight Mike Tyson
By Kelley L. Carter @KelleyLCarter
By now, you know that Mack Wilds is in trouble.
Well, not Wilds himself, but his character, Officer Joshua Belk — on FOX’s acclaimed new series Shots Fired — is in a bad place. In this dramatic lead-in to Fox’s Empire, Wilds portrays a cop who kills a white college student and turns a small Southern town on its head. It feels like everyone is waiting to find out what it all means. Wilds, 27, is also co-starring on VH1’s The Breaks, a show about the 1990s hip-hop era that pairs him with fellow The Wire veteran Wood Harris.
tweets: @MackWilds IG: @MackWilds
What’s your social media tribe?
I like to take pictures. Instagram … that’s sort of storage for me and my team, but with Instagram Live or Snapchat — those are mine. I get a chance to actually grab the camera, take pictures and show you a day in my life. I might just want to talk about some craziness, or show you the people at the party I’m at. It’s my opportunity to create. It would either be [Instagram] or Twitter, because I’m a writer. I love to go off on some quotes, or just anything inspirational.
What’s your favorite throwback television show?
People would expect me to say The Wire, but I’m gonna do The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I’m a Fresh Prince kid. I grew up on Will Smith. He was everything to me. He’s my hero.
I grew up on Will Smith. He was everything to me. He’s my hero.
Where does your courage come from?
It’s just me borderline being dumb. And not dumb in the sense that I don’t know what I’m doing. But I’ve always heard that fortune only favors the bold. And the bold are the ones who are stupid enough to do it. That’s what my dad says. I blame [my courage] on me being stupid enough to do it.
What’s your favorite karaoke song?
Oh, man, there’s too many options. When I used to live in L.A, one of my good homeboys did like this karaoke night every Tuesday in North Hollywood and everybody would come out. It would be like “Sweet Caroline” or … You know what? Musiq Soulchild. That’s my go-to all the time.
Who are your favorite sports teams?
I’m a New York boy, through and through. My NFL team is the Giants, of course. My NBA team is the Knicks — we’re in the rebuilding stage, so we’ll get better soon enough. And for college, I really, really like Alabama. It’s more of a personal thing because when we were doing [2012’s] Red Tails, Alabama was up against LSU that year. Before the big game, they played movies for both teams. LSU watched [2007’s] Shooter, and Alabama watched Red Tails. I remember the [Alabama] coach [saying] ‘Red Tails got us all excited! You fight! You fight! You fight!’ And they blew by LSU. From then on, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m a Bama fan.’
Sports speak to me because it’s the one place that you can be competitive — and then, at the end, shake hands and everything is all right.
How do you find out about new music?
It comes to me in different ways. Sometimes I’ll just be on Apple Music, or I’ll let my Spotify or my SoundCloud just play. Tidal has these playlists. All of these streams create playlists that help you find the newest, dopest stuff. Either that or I’ll hear [by] word of mouth.
My dad took me to one of these free concerts that they used to throw every year at Wingate Park in Brooklyn, [New York], and it was with LL Cool J.
What’s the last concert?
Kanye [West], when he had the platform up in the air. That was amazing. I’m such a Kanye fan, it was crazy.
Do you play a sport in real life?
I wish. The only thing I do is box. When I was younger, I used to play every sport. The only sport that I was never good at was basketball. I’ve always wished I could play basketball. My older brother was a basketball star. I’m good at football, baseball, a little bit of soccer, boxing, wrestling — I did everything else.
I’m a New York boy, through and through.
Is there one athlete you’d love to go head to head with?
I don’t want to die, because these guys are legends at their sport. But … Mike Tyson, of course. I just remember growing up enamored by this man … a missed swing by this guy would knock somebody down. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, my God! I want to learn how to do that!’ The second one would be Bo Jackson. Bo Jackson to me was a god. He is God.
Money talks: Why Derrick Morgan, other NFL players are making social investments Read now
Why do you love sports so much?
I’m a guy who loves to be around people. I love camaraderie. I love to see other people have fun — and I’m supercompetitive. Sports speak to me because it’s the one place that you can be competitive — and then, at the end, shake hands and everything is all right.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Kelley L. Carter is a senior entertainment writer at The Undefeated. She can act out every episode of the U.S version of "The Office," she can and will sing the Michigan State University fight song on command and she is very much immune to Hollywood hotness.
This Story Tagged: CulturePlay Mack Wilds Shots Fired The Breaks
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Pressure mounts on controversially-named sports franchises
Changing the face of sport is harder than you think
By Raghad A.K.
Published: 12:26 pm, 21 March 2016
Vol CXXXVI, No. 21 under Sports
Tags: MLB, NHL, Professional sport, U of T
Chantel Teng/THE VARSITY
http://var.st/1eo
Public furor directed at several professional sports teams over offensive names and branding is reaching a fever pitch. Several professional sports leagues in North America include teams whose mascots, names, and logos have drawn criticism from many communities. When we consider that these logos and names are not only representative of the teams, but entire cities across North America, the concern broadens.
The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, the MLB’s Cleveland Indians, and the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins are among the highest profile targets of public outrage. In addition to the inappropriate names, the teams logos heighten the organizations’ offense.
‘Chief Wahoo’ is the team mascot and logo for the Cleveland Indians — a cartoon depiction of an Indigenous man with red face paint. The logo has received heavy criticism and prompted petitions for it to change.
The Chicago Blackhawks are a team that have been lauded for their Stanley Cup victories and the success of their individual players, however, the team’s logo has also been a source of longtime contention. It is the face of an Indigenous man with feathers in his hair and war paint on his face. Some consider it to be one of the most offensive logos in professional sport.
Offensive logos, however, are not limited to professional sport, as controversy has sparked up around intercollegiate teams as well. The McGill Redmen have attempted to respond to the controversy over their name by devoting a portion of their website to explaining the origins of the Redmen name.
Richard Pound, former chair of the McGill Athletics Board stated, “Unless we find historical evidence which establishes that the Redmen name came from other than the colour of McGill’s uniforms, we intend to preserve the traditional name for our men’s teams.”
This argument is common throughout sports teams’ logo and name debates — franchises do not seem to want to change because to them, they represent the history of the team and the league.
Naming sports teams for symbols from Indigenous culture is disrespectful and offensive. It exploits these already marginalized communities through racist caricatures. We can only hope that in the future, sports teams realize the damage these logos cause and dismiss the idea of having Indigenous mascots, logos, and names to represent their team.
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The Black-tip Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) is a species of shark of the family Carcharhinidae, easily identified by the black tips of its fins, especially on the first dorsal fin and the caudal fin. It is one of the most abundant sharks in the tropical coral reefs of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. This species prefers shallow coastal waters and frequently exposes its first dorsal fin in these areas. Most Black-tipped Sharks live on reef margins and sandy bottoms, but they are also known to support brackish or freshwater environments. This species generally reaches a length of 1.6 m. Black-tip Sharks are sedentary and live in very small areas and may remain in the same area for several years. They are active predators of small bone fish, cephalopods and crustaceans, and are also known to feed on marine snakes and seabirds. The data collected concerning the life cycle of the Black-tip Shark are sometimes contradictory and there appear to be significant differences depending on the geographical location within the range of the species. Like other members of its family, this shark is viviparous and females give birth to between two and five young babies every two years, every year or sometimes twice a year. Indeed, according to its habitat the gestation period of this shark can be 7-9 months, 10-11 months or 16 months. Newborns live in coastal waters and in shallower waters than adults, often forming large groups in areas flooded by high tides. Shy and capricious, the Black-tip Shark is difficult to approach and rarely represents a danger to humans, unless it is excited by food. However, bathers in shallow waters can sometimes have their legs bitten by mistake. This shark is fished for its meat, fins and liver oil, but is not considered to be a commercially important species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature assessed the near threatened species. Although the species as a whole remains widespread and relatively common, overfishing of this shark and its slow rate of reproduction has led to its decline in a number of localities.
$eaworld biodiversity bluefin tuna Climate Change clownfish coral reefs crabs cuttlefishes deep sea dolphins endangered extinction fins fishes frogfishes ghost pipefish global warming Indonesia jellyfish mantas mantis shrimp marine biology Marine Conservation Marine Mammals Marine Protected Areas Marine Science morays nudibranchs octopuses oil spill orca overfishing Papua New Guinea phytoplankton plastics polar bears pollution scuba seafood sea horses sea level rise sea turtles sharks shrimp whales
The Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) is a species of requiem shark, belonging to the family Carcharhinidae. It is found in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil, and is the most commonly encountered reef shark in the Caribbean Sea. With a robust, streamlined body typical of the requiem sharks, this species is difficult to tell apart from other large members of its family such as the dusky shark (C. obscurus) and the silky shark (C. falciformis). Distinguishing characteristics include dusky-colored fins without prominent markings, a short free rear tip on the second dorsal fin, and tooth shape and number.
Measuring up to 3 m (9.8 ft) long, the Caribbean reef shark is one of the largest apex predators in the reef ecosystem, feeding on a variety of fishes and cephalopods. They have been documented resting motionless on the sea bottom or inside caves, unusual behavior for an active-swimming shark. If threatened, it may perform a threat display in which it frequently changes direction and dips its pectoral fins. Like other requiem sharks, it is viviparous with females giving birth to 4–6 young every other year. Caribbean reef sharks are of some importance to fisheries as a source of meat, leather, liver oil, and fishmeal, but recently they have become more valuable as an ecotourist attraction. In the Bahamas and elsewhere, bait is used to attract them to groups of divers in controversial "shark feedings". This species is responsible for a small number of attacks on humans. The shark attacks usually happen in spring and summer.
These sharks prefer the shoreline from Florida to Brazil. This is where it gets the common name from. The tropical parts of the western Atlantic Ocean is home to this variety of sharks. Normally found on the outer edges of reefs, the Caribbean Reef Shark prefers to live in coral reefs and its shallow waters as well as continental shelves and insular shelves. These sharks are found quite commonly at a depth of about 100 feet (30 meters) and are known to dive to incredible depths of around 1250 feet (380 meters).
These biotic reef types take on additional names depending upon how the reef lies in relation to the land, if any. Reef types include fringing reef, barrier reefs, as well as atolls. A fringing reef is a reef that is attached to an island. A barrier reef forms a calcareous barrier around an island resulting in a lagoon between the shore and the reef. An atoll is a ring reef with no land present. The reef front (ocean side) is a high energy locale whereas the internal lagoon will be at a lower energy with fine grained sediments.
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Reddit CEO: We Are Not a 'Completely Free-speech Platform'
By Ben Geier / Fortune
Reddit, the self-described “front page of the Internet” isn’t a place where you can post anything you want without consequences, its new interim CEO says.
Ellen Pao told NPR this week that “it’s not our site’s goal to be a completely free-speech platform. We want to be a safe platform and we want to be a platform that also protects privacy at the same time.”
Pao’s comments are likely upset a number of “Redditors,” who see the largely anonymous platform as a place where any opinions or material can be shared, with few exceptions—child pornography and other illegal materials, for existence. Reddit users, fairly or not, have a reputation for leaning libertarian when it comes to the free flow of information and ideas.
But that freedom can get ugly, with misogynist and racist “subreddits” popping up frequently. Pao—who was the plaintiff in an ultimately unsuccessful gender discrimination case against venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins—said a case-by-case determination would be made for how to deal with pages like that.
“The question is whether it would make them fear for their safety, or the safety of those around them or where it makes them feel like it’s not a safe platform,” she said. “Somebody expressing ideas that aren’t consistent with everybody’s views is something that we encourage.”
This article originally appeared on Fortune.com
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Leave a comment Posted on June 27, 2010 GENDER, HONOR KILLINGS, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Triple murder in India highlights increase in 'honour killings'
India's Supreme Court has called for authorities to act after a spate of so-called "honour killings"
SUPREME COURT ISSUES NOTICE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND NINE STATES ON HONOUR KILLINGS
New custodians of age-old prejudices behind increase in ‘honour killings’ in India
Shobha and Monica were cousins. They walked to school together through the narrow, fly-ridden alleys of Wazirpur, a once rural village now overtaken by the sprawling suburbs of northern Delhi. They were often in each other’s homes, narrow apartments with little privacy. They sometimes met at the dairy, an ill-lit room stacked with steel churns and basins of curd where a friend, Deepak, 18, remembered Shobha as “pretty, fun, outgoing”.
Shobha, 20, had a rebellious streak. Sometimes, she even took the bus to McDonald’s or the mall in the upmarket neighbourhood just a mile or so away. Friends said she wanted to be a model.Monica, 24, was more serious. She had married a local boy, Kuldeep, four years ago and was, relatives said, happy with her new life.Shobha, Monica and Kuldeep were each shot twice in the head last Sunday evening. They had no reason to suspect their murderers. One was Shobha’s brother, Mandeep. The other was Monica’s brother, Ankit. The third was a local boy known to them both.
There are 1,000 “honour killings” a year in India, according to one recent study, but few reveal the underlying causes as the triple murder of Wazipur. Significantly, the Indian capital itself has seen an unprecedented spate of such incidents in recent weeks.All six of those involved in last weekend’s murders were living on frontiers: between Wazirpur, their working-class neighbourhood, and Ashok Vihar, the adjacent upmarket suburb; between the increasingly cosmopolitan Indian capital and its deeply conservative hinterland; between the crushing poverty of their parent’s childhoods and the relative wealth of their own.
It is a world in which caste, traditional authority and arranged marriage clashed with aspirations to Bollywood-style romance. The age of all those involved is significant, according to Professor Surinder Jodhka of Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.
All were born around the time of the major changes that liberalised India’s economy in the early 1990s, sparking rapid growth.”They grew up in post-reform India.This is a new generation reaching the age of marriage,” Jodhjka told the Guardian.Monica and Kuldeep were on the point of crossing the gulf between the old India and the new. They lived in a rented flat and Kuldeep commuted to his job in a call centre.They had eloped too – the first from Wazirpur ever to do so. They had also ignored India’s system of prejudice and hierarchy as they came from different castes. Yet, their parents had accepted the match. “We were not against it,” said Jai Singh Naggar.
Unlike in many “honour killings” – such as that of a girl and her lower caste boyfriend beaten to death with iron rods in another Delhi neighbourhood earlier this month – older family members were not involved.Nor was there any direct sanction given by community elders. “We cannot stop them. What has to happen will happen. But we do not think it was a good thing to do,” said Mahinder Kahri, 64, head of the local council.
The murderers acted alone, albeit having grown up steeped in a culture of honour, patriarchal authority and violent retribution for transgression.The spark for the killing appears to have been the disappearance of Shobha’s sister with her own “boyfriend”. Shobha herself had previously run away with a man. She had come back home alone but the damage had been done.
“For years her brother had got no respect round here. Even his friends were taunting him. When Shobha did the same thing, he just felt he had to act,” Saurav, 18, told the Guardian.
Shobha’s brother thus sought out Ankit, the brother of Monica. He too was being taunted for the shame his sister’s unauthorised marriage brought the family. The two enlisted a mutual friend.
Prem Chowdhry, a respected historian and researcher, said it was unsurprising that young men had taken the lead role. In the neighbouring state of Haryana, foeticide of girls has led to a ratio of 800 women to every 1,000 men. Women also “marry up” – Monica’s husband came from the higher rajput class – leaving more than a third of lower caste men without wives, she said.”The social situation is very volatile. The marriage market is very tight and that causes huge problems. Youngsters react very strongly. If a woman makes an independent choice she has to pay the penalty,” Chowdhry said.
In Wazirpur yesterday, teenage boys were backing the murderers. “Whatever happened is for the best. There’s a limit to how much you can take. I’d do the same to my sister,” said Rohit, 17.After the killings, the three Wazirpur men fled in a borrowed car, first to Ghaziabad and then to the spiritual centre of Rishikesh, where they threw the home-made murder weapon into the waters of the Ganges. Hours later they were arrested.
Suspected honour killings shock New Delhi
By South Asia correspondent Sally Sara Posted Sun Jun 27, 2010 1:12pm AEST
A series of suspected honour killings has shocked residents in the Indian capital New Delhi. In one case, three members of the same family were killed. In another, a young couple were electrocuted and beaten to death.The country’s Supreme Court has issued an order to several state governments to take action to stop the brutal crimes.
Despite India’s galloping economic growth, some traditional beliefs are still strictly held.In some parts of northern India falling in love is one of the most dangerous things young couples can do.In many families, young adults are not allowed to marry outside their caste or within their sub-caste.When that rule is broken, fathers, brothers, uncles and even mothers can turn on their own children with unimaginable brutality.
This is the world of honour killings, where caste, status and property become more important than life itself.Pankaj Kumar Singh, a senior police investigator at Swaroop Nagar police station in New Delhi, was one of the first on the scene when young lovers Asha and Yogesh were found dead after being electrocuted and tortured.
“It was quite shocking for us,” he said.”Some of the neighbours, they tried to intervene, but they were stopped after the parents told them it was their private matter and they should not interfere.”A week later, three members of another family where killed in a suspected honour killing.Twenty-four-year-old Monica and her husband Kuldeep, who was from a lower caste, were tied up and beaten to death.
The body of another young woman from the same family, 22-year-old Shoba, was also found.Several of Monica’s relatives have been arrested for the triple murder.
‘Supported by the community’
An NGO called Shakti Vahini has lodged a request with the Supreme Court to ensure more action is taken against those responsible for suspected honour killings.”These are horrendous crimes which are all planned and are being supported by the community at large,” spokesman Ravi Kant said.”In many cases couples have been paraded naked, their heads have been shaved off. “They are humiliated. They are ex-communicated.” Members of India’s women’s movement are also horrified by what has been happening in Delhi and several states in northern India.
Ranjana Kumari, from the Centre for Social Research in New Delhi, says marriage outside of caste is still regarded as a bigger crime than murder in many some Indian communities. “I’m totally shocked and I’m appalled by the way it has been going on, and right here in Delhi – this is our national capital,” she said.”Most unfortunate and painful of the whole thing: it is the brother … the family members. “We cannot even imagine – it’s unthinkable – how it is happening.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/27/2938127.htm?section=justin
Leave a comment Posted on June 27, 2010 GENDER, HONOR KILLINGS
Horror killings — conflict between rigid tradition, modernity
PTI & AGENCIES
New Delhi: With a spate of so-called ‘honour killings’ shocking the nation in recent weeks, human rights activists say the increase in such cases is a testimony to the growing conflict between rigid family tradition and modernity. They also feel the problem can be resolved by increasing awareness and bringing tougher legislations.
“While the younger generation wants to break the shackles of traditional family norms, the older generation wants to teach them a lesson for violating the rules they have been following since ages,” says Ravi Kant, president of Delhi-based NGO Shakti Vahini. “Our politicians are tyring hard to showcase India as an emerging superpower. But we have not made enough efforts to educate the rural masses who comprise 70 per cent of our population,” Kant, also a Supreme Court lawyer, said.
“Honour killing is like any other social problem which can be fought with awareness and stronger legislation. We need to convince people who give their social customs more priority than anything else that these young people are making their own choices and that is not against the rule of law,” he said.
A series of cases, where young men or women were murdered for marrying outside caste or within the same sub-caste or against the family’s wishes have come to the fore in recent times. Delhi had back-to-back cases in the past two weeks.
Only a few politicians have spoken against such crimes because caste can determine an election win or loss, felt Kant, whose organisation had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court on this issue. Hearing the petition, the apex court had last week asked the Centre and eight state governments to submit reports on the steps taken to prevent such barbaric crimes.
According to the UN Population Fund, such crimes are being committed across the globe and mostly in the Asian continent since ages. It estimates that around 5,000 women are killed in this way every year worldwide, vast majority of them in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. In March this year, a Haryana court sentenced five people to death for murdering a couple on the orders of a ‘khap panchayat’ — a traditional unofficial local council. Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily has said that the government would soon come out with a law against honour killings and a draft has already been prepared.
Welcoming this, senior Supreme Court lawyer P N Lekhi said, “Offences like honour killing are social offences and strict laws are needed to combat them.”
Another Supreme Court lawyer Shanti Bhushan said, “Making the crime a separate offence would attract more attention from the authorities as well as common man.”
http://www.zeenews.com/news636910.html
Leave a comment Posted on June 26, 2010 HONOR KILLINGS
Of marriage and murder
NOTICE ISSUED IN SUPREME COURT AGAINST HONOUR KILLINGS IN THE COUNTRY TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND NINE STATES ON SHAKTI VAHINI PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION
EDITORIAL IN THE HINDU ON HONOUR KILLINGS
Concerned about the spate of recent ‘honour killings,’ the Supreme Court of India has asked the Centre and eight State governments to submit reports on the steps taken to prevent this barbaric practice. The Court’s decision, which has come in the wake of a petition filed by an NGO that seeks a broad and comprehensive strategy to combat honour crimes, could be just what is required to make those in power come down hard against those responsible for them. Already, the central government has indicated it would bring in a new law that will make the punishment for honour killings, which are carried out mainly against young couples who marry outside their caste or within their gotra or agnate, extremely stringent. While those responsible for the crimes are relatives or members of the same caste as the victims, such killings often have the sanction of the khap panchayats, which exercise power over families belonging to the same gotra in neighbouring villages. The new law is likely to target khap panchayats, irrespective of whether they actually approved of the killing. Further, the government has suggested that unlike ordinary criminal law, which requires the prosecution to establish guilt, the new law will reverse the onus of proof, leaving those accused to prove their innocence.
Although Haryana has made the most news recently for honour killings, the practice is prevalent in parts of other north Indian States such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The absence of a strong political will to crack down on the illegal diktats of khap panchayats — which, apart from licensing murder, levy fines on and order social boycotts of those who bring alleged ‘dishonour’ to the community — is directly related to the fear among politicians of alienating their caste constituencies. To make matters worse, instead of protecting the legal right of adult couples to marry or be together as they choose, the police often act at the behest of parents and relatives by pressing criminal charges (usually abduction and rape) in an attempt to sunder the relationship. Traditional notions of ‘honour’ and ‘dishonour’ do have sociological dimensions. But only cultural relativists will justify the obscurantist prohibition and vicious intolerance of same gotra marriages, especially after the Hindu Marriage Disabilities Removal Act 1946 removed the legal ‘disability’ against them. Nothing can justify the savage punishments being inflicted on young people for exercising free choice in marriage or personal relationships. While a lot of work needs to be done to change social attitudes, it is imperative to take tough legal measures to prevent vicious crimes in the name of caste, gotra, identity, and tradition.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article485540.ece
Leave a comment Posted on June 25, 2010 Domestic Violence, HONOR KILLINGS
Honour-killing: a sub-continental phenomenon
The Guardian, UK
At least 900 so-called honour killings take place in three Indian states – Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh – every year, according to research to be released published next week. A large number go unreported as families try to pass them off as natural deaths. Honour killing in the south and east of India is rare. The UN Population Fund estimates around 5,000 women die in this way every year worldwide, the vast majority in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
According to one recent study, – 172 incidents and 230 honour-killing victims worldwide – the average age of those killed is 23. In the UK, 10 to 12 women are killed for this reason every year. In March this year, a Haryana court sentenced five people to death for murdering a couple on the orders of a “khap panchayat”, a traditional unofficial local council. Among the guilty were the girl’s brother and cousins.
Last week, the Indian supreme court demanded an explanation of what steps national and state governments had taken to protect young couples. The government has promised new legislation in the next few weeks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/25/honour-killings-india
India must ask: where is the honour in killing?
Three men were arrested by Delhi police this week for “honour killings” days after the Supreme Court asked eight Indian states to stop these so-called “honour” killings, where family members, typically men, kill daughters and their husbands for apparently bringing dishonour to the family by marrying below their caste. The killings, in a posh neighbourhood in Delhi, brought the tragic and shameful story of honour killings closer home to Delhi residents, who had so far dismissed the rising instances of these killings as a feature of rural India, equating them to a more traditional and conservative India they claim not to inhabit.
Marriage and Customs
The clash between tradition and modernity is not new and is not unique to India, where more than two-thirds of its population lives in rural areas, and where more than half the population is below the age of 25 years. Satellite television, education and rising numbers of working women have all been blamed for an erosion of family values and the Indian ethos, and the corruption of its youth. When did killing young women become a part of the Indian ethos? Why is punishment by death an admirable family value?
In a country where a majority of youngsters still have marriages “arranged” by their parents, caste and religion dominate matrimonial conversations.
Activists say despite growing modernisation — or perhaps, because of it — the number of honour killings has been rising steadily in the last few years, particularly in some northern and central Indian states, where village elders often order such killings.
Families don’t report these cases, and police are often loath to take action because they see them as little more than family disputes. And few politicians have spoken against them because caste can determine an election victory or loss. So it was left to the Supreme Court to take a stand; the law minister and the prime minister have spoken of a bill to end such crimes and to crack down on village courts that endorse these killings.
But until we acknowledge that these are indeed heinous crimes, we only bring dishonour to ourselves and fail our youth, particularly our women.
http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2010/06/25/india-must-ask-where-is-the-honour-in-killing/
Leave a comment Posted on June 23, 2010 Uncategorized
Honor Killings Still Terrorize India's Young Lovers
ABC NEWS INTERNATIONAL USA / Police Slow to Acknowledge Honor Killings
Laws exist to protect couples who choose a “love” marriage over an arranged one, but the rules are rarely enforced. Even with the recent cases in Delhi, when relatives even confessed to the murders, law enforcement is slow to categorize the murders as honor killings.
“These are murders like all murders and we are investigating them with an open mind and still have not concluded if there is an increase in honor killings in Delhi,” Rajan Bhagat, a Delhi police public relations officer, told ABC News.
Ravi Kant, president of Shakti Vahini, hopes the recently-filed petition will begin to change what he considers an unacceptable attitude towards honor killings by law enforcement and the government.
“In some cases, couples have approached the police for protection, but nothing is done,” Kant, a lawyer in India’s Supreme Court, told ABC News. Kant said there is also a “deafening silence by the politicians” who are too concerned about votes than protecting couples.
“The killing of couples and individuals in the name of honor is violation of the fundamental right of individuals to live with dignity and it is the duty of the state to protect them, ” Shakti Vahini stated in its Public Interest Litigation (PIL). A PIL is filed when something urgent needs intervention of the judiciary.
As India moves into its position as the world’s next “superpower” a younger, educated generation is finding itself at odds with the powerful traditional values held by their parents and grandparents. India may be considered the world’s technology center, but at its heart, family still plays a protective – but sometimes oppressive – role.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/india-seeks-protection-honor-killings/story?id=10984060&page=2
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Star Wars Discussion Thread
Joined: Sep 5, 2005
In reply to SeattleAgJr • 3:49p, 6/21/18
SeattleAgJr said:
jabberwalkie09 said:
Eh.... until it's a named source I'm not going to put much faith in that. I'm fine with the Boba Fett movie being shelved indefinitely. Mainly just want the Kenobi movie, and I'm honestly not too keen on the Johnson trilogy either after TLJ. Not sure what the other stand alone films they have in development, but one thing these movies do need is some stability behind the scenes... just my opinion though.
One of them is a series by the guys behind Game of Thrones.
It is about a Princess who uses the Force to mysteriously hatch three Krayt Dragon eggs, who then starts an army to create a new, new Republic while fighting ice warriors from the planet Hoth, as she happens to fall in love with a dark and broody warrior who killed his fellow warriors and took over from his master.
And Gwendolyn Christie happens to be a knight in it,
And incest.
EDIT: poor choice of emoticons :/
1 edit
SeattleAgJr
In reply to Ulrich • 4:00p, 6/21/18
Ulrich said:
Brian Earl Spilner
Joined: Aug 6, 2013
In reply to TCTTS • 4:01p, 6/21/18
I can't even keep up anymore.
"They'd have to announce the movies first before saying they're on hold."
Yeah, I guess they have to *****foot around denying anything about Obi-Wan specifically, since the movie was never announced in the first place.
AliasMan02
In reply to redline248 • 4:04p, 6/21/18
redline248 said:
Can't have a space battle without space ships, of which the resistance currently has none. Opening crawl is going to have to fill in a bunch of blanks, as I expect there is going to be a significant jump in time.
And your last sentence is huge. In the OT the rebellion was established. At the end of TLJ, there are a dozen people and one ship, and no one answered the call for help.
It's not that there are no more ships out there. Individual worlds still have fleets. Nobody sent help because they thought the Resistance was doomed, but Luke showed the galaxy that there is hope, which was sort of the point of his whole last stand.
The Resistance will have used the off-street time turning their spark into a reasonable flame by the time we join them. Having the open of Ep IX be the final pieces of an armada being put into place would be easy to set up in a crawl and would be something we haven't seen before in a Star Wars film. The closest would be seeing the fleet on Endor, but we never really saw more than a shot or two of it before the battle kicked off. And there weren't many worlds in open revolt, even in RotJ. This would be more of an Allied invasion of Europe than anything else.
TCTTS
Which wouldn't look like deus ex machina at all
I completely agree, but I don't think it matters too much anymore. The internal logic of this trilogy is broken, so I'm just hoping the last one is at least fun. I've moved my emotional investment to the next trilogies.
In reply to Render • 6:28p, 6/21/18
Render said:
why would you think the logic of the next 3 would be any better?
I quit my ****ting on these movies in this thread a while back, but one need look no further to the "Art of" books for each movie, which detail the development and story process for these movies. It is depressing how sloppy and thrown together most of the story elements are, where devices drive plot and not the other way around. More importantly, key story points are decided on only at the last minute.
They should have had a singular story vision for these movies, allowing the directors to only be creative in the presentation.
bangobango
TCTTS said:
if Ep IX stays disappoints or stays status quo, what do you think will happen to the other 3 trilogies in development?
Which series (or both) would be put on hold, or do you think neither, since Disney wills till want to be churning out "Star Wars".
Just FYI, there are only two other "trilogies" in development, not three. And while Johnson's has officially been referred to as a trilogy, the Beneiff & Weiss series has only been referring to as just that - a series, not a trilogy. So two other "stories" might be the best way to put it.
But to answer your question specifically, if IX somehow truly bombs, I still don't know that that changes anything, save for Kennedy's job. She'll be gone for sure, but by the time IX hits theaters, the first installment in Johnson's trilogy will likely be in full-on preproduction, and six or so months away from filming, if that. It sounds like all hands are already on deck to ensure that that trilogy is not only as good as it possibly can be, but that the stories for all three movies are planned far in advance as well. In other words, Disney is having to bet heavily on it, and there's almost no way the plug gets pulled at this point.
As for the Benioff & Weiss series of movies, I think their pedigree is so high that that series moves forward no matter what as well. That, and Disney has already made too many promises to both fans and shareholders that it's Star Wars every year from here on out, so I don't think they'll have any choice but to alternate whatever this series is every other year with Johnson's trilogy.
Still, I just don't see Episode IX failing. I know right now everyone's sour on TLJ, and things look bleak, but 18 months from now - with a massive break - people are going to be craving another Star Wars movie, especially one that will be billed as finally wrapping up Rey and Kylo's storylines. Remember, Abrams' trailers - for nearly all of his movies - are almost always phenomenal, and I'm sure it'll be no different for IX. 10 months from now, when that first trailer drops, all previous franchise sins will be wiped away, I guarantee you that. Whether the movie itself is actually good and has legs is another issue altogether of course, but something about this feels like they're finally going to get it right. Abrams has hopefully learned from his mistakes the last go around, and for the first time in years, he actually had a completed, signed-off script months before shooting. I could be way off, but as I said a few days ago, I think TLJ's wrapping up of nearly every storyline (Luke dying, no more Snoke, no Leia, etc) will be a blessing in disguise, allowing IX to really stand on its own and shine as the finale of the Skywalker saga.
No way. IX won't break $1 billion unless it's Empire type great.
Zombie Jon Snow
In reply to bangobango • 6:41p, 6/21/18
Oddly Empire earned significantly less than SW... like almost 1/3 less.
so it could be Empire great and not do as well as TFA for sure.
I think any sort of drop off in revenue from TLJ gets Kennedy fired. I think one big change you will see regardless is Disney will require a director/ producer to sign on for the entire trilogy. I think allowing Johnson to come in and change everything for one movie really screwed the trilogy. I'd be surprised if at the end of everything it all has a cohesive feel. I think it will likely just feel like three movies rather than a trilogy. They need to have someone who can oversee the entire story arc.
Yeah, I agree that if there's a relatively significant drop off with IX, that's when Kennedy is canned. No way it's before.
And I'm not defending Johnson at all - you're right that his ignoring/changing so much was a big issue - but I'd argue that Abrams didn't tee everything up nearly as well as he could have. I like Finn and I like his character in TFA, but he kind of had no where to go at the end of that movie. There was really nothing at all compelling for him left dangling in any way. IMO, he and Poe should have been the same character - a character that starts out as a pilot for The First Order but ultimately pilots for the Resistance by the climax. That, and The First Order should have "won" at the end of TFA. Or, rather, the Resistance should have at least been forced to retreat, not only leaving "Pinn" (Poe/Finn) with unfinished business, but a more dire situation for the Resistance in general where it makes more sense to seek out Luke for help. As is, with Starkiller base destroyed, and a seemingly tiny contingent of The First Order left and on the run, that whole beat feels off with Rey/The Resistance in desperate need of Luke at the very end. Besides, TLJ opens with that basic angle anyway - The First Order attacking a retreating Resistance - rendering the end of TFA completely moot. But in that case, I think Johnson was simply and quickly taking it to a place where the story should have already been. And with Finn, yes, the whole team up with Rose was terrible, but I honestly don't know what else Johnson could have done. Any story he gave Finn would have felt tacked on, because Finn's arc was basically already complete a third of the way into TFA. Which goes back to my point of Finn and Poe needing to be the same character, and then giving "Pinn" something else entirely to do in TLJ outside of that whole Holdo fiasco, which should have been handled differently as well. Anyway, enough fanfic, but my point is, Abrams kind of left Johnson in a sh*tty position to being with. Johnson definitely shouldn't have taken it where he did, but I also can't blame him fully.
All that said, you realize that Johnson is the person overseeing the next trilogy, right? They're doing what you're rightly suggesting, it's just with the guy who certain fans aren't happy with. I'm not super pumped on him shepherding the next trilogy either, but at the same time, I'm willing give to give him another chance with a completely blank slate. Not having to adhere/ignore already-established plot lines could definitely free up Johnson to deliver the greatness I know he's capable of.
Take out Rose, send Finn and Poe on similar quest that Finn and Rose went on, since l, you know,Finn and Poe were a huge highlight in first movie and fans liked tha.
During quest they decide to free the SLAVE KIDS instead of the freaking horse aliens. Several of the kids are force sensitive
Broom boy is super force sensitive. Now you have Rey's first Jedi Padawans and am interesting character you can develop in next movie.
Took thirty seconds of thought to come up with better script than Johnson.
Freeing slave kids would have been SO MUCH better, and yeah, would have made so much more sense in terms of broom boy and all that. Good call.
The "what could have been" aspect of The Art Of books is almost heartbreaking. Yes, the last minute decisions and all that are ridiculous, but man, there were some massively cool missed opportunities in those things.
If it did happen, it would be a better story, no doubt in my mind. The quality of effects and stuff would probably suck, but still.
Dudes movie is going to be a literal case study in future film making classes on how to kill a golden goose and he is still being an insufferable ***** about it.
Those "fans" are being insufferable and have absolutely no clue what they're doing. They deserve ALL the mocking they've been receiving today. From Rian and everyone else.
3 edits
I just don't see it the way you do. You seem to think Star Wars is Rian Johnson's and Lucasfilm, I see it as the fans, as it isn't anything without them. And whether intentional or not, Johnson made decisions that were perceived by a lot of the hardcore fans as very disrespectful to the fans and the franchise as a whole. A lot of these people spent a lot of time and money on this franchise.
Honestly, this stuff reminds me of a lot of coaching debates when a coach is on his way out. Usually I am in your position of constantly defending the staff and thinking others are out of line in what they say or post. A lot of that is because to use to coach football and o am sympathetic to some of the challenges coaches face. I feel like that is you when it comes to Kennedy and Johnson.
bangobango said:
I'm not defending the "staff," though. I've said countless times on here how disappointed I am in what Johnson did. And yes, the franchise does belong to the fans in a way, but this group, in particular, is being ASININE. They're taking their "love" and entitlement WAY too far. That, and again, they literally have no idea what they're doing. In no way, shape, or form can they legally "remake" TLJ. Nor can these so-called producers they have on the hook fund it, same goes for the moneyless (?) "pledges" they're taking from backers. They especially can't somehow convince Disney to remake it either. None of it makes any sense, all of their actions show a vast lack of knowledge in how basic movie-making works, and they're making absolute fools of themselves all over the internet. I haven't seen a singe sane individual side with them.
Because a man can dream, dammit!
But in all seriousness, like with redline, I completely agree with you. I *****ed about these movies too a few pages back, and said the same thing - actually plan out the story beforehand, then set it in stone.
I think the next 3 will be better, because I think Disney will learn from its mistakes. The other properties they manage don't suffer the same problems. I think because there was so much unique SW hype and expectation, management got way too nervous and blew their load. It's easy to crap on them (I admit I relish doing so) but Disney does have some professionalism in it.
Granted, I'm not expecting works of art. Just for them to get the fundamental basics right - plot, characters, appeal to emotion.
By "fans", I don't think TC means your regular SW fan. He means the people who go and make a "Remake TLJ" Twitter account, bully TLJ actors, sign petitions, etc. Your average SW won't do that, because he has a job, family, life, etc. Instead, regular fans make their opinion known in other ways, such as not seeing SW movies (i.e. Solo's performance).
And I realize regular fans can be hardcore passionate about SW- they probably played KOTOR, Dark Forces, Outcast, Galactic Battlegrounds, etc. I'm in the same boat. But the fans he talks about go to a different level. Like Inception.
Bingo. Exactly.
I mean, this truly sounds insane...
Yes, disgruntled and out-of-their-minds Star Wars fans are pledging to straight-up remake The Last Jedi in their own image. They're taking "pledges" from fans (that don't require money to change hands; just a pledge) for this endeavour, which they assure already has the budget to get made anyway. They plan to keep the late Carrie Fisher in the film, somehow, and ensure that Luke Skywalker isn't the galaxy-saving wimp he is in the existing movie. Furthermore, they promise to write the screenplay with input from fans worldwide, in the most collaborative writing project since the naming of Boaty McBoatFace.
We could run a story about the prohibitive difficulty of raising the massive amounts of money and talent required to make such a film. We could run something about how it's laughable to think Disney would ever be on board with it. How no visual effects house in the world would take on the job, or how no members of the cast would return. How writing by committee is approximately the worst way to put together a screenplay. How plenty of people, you know, liked The Last Jedi as it was - enough to earn it over $1.3 billion worldwide and inspire many about its vision and philosophy. Or even about how this whole plan is yet another desperate and pathetic result of entitled, often misogynistic fans believing only they know what's right for a fictional universe.
... and THAT is what Rian Johnson is mocking, as he should...
CJS4715
I laugh at Rian joking about this stuff, but I include him when I say it's strange that Lucasfilm is so openly antagonistic to its fans. What good comes from it?
In reply to CJS4715 • 7:57p, 6/21/18
Agreed. That, I can't explain. They should take care to be more nuanced, instead they go scorched earth against everybody.
I hear you. On one hand, I don't see the good that comes of it. But on the other, I feel like it's almost their duty to call these morons out on their sh*t.
I also can't even imagine what it's like to have millions of people dissecting and ripping apart your every decision, all day every day. Yes, it's what these creatives signed up for in a way, but the only means of staying sane in that kind of existence might be to tweet at these idiots every so often like Johnson did today.
Or don't have a public social media presence.
Being a ****, even to crazy people, will eventually drive even the best fans away. Being an ******* to fans is a game developer past time and it really never ends up well for the developer.
Also, going back a page or two, I think the previous movie drives anticipation and sales on these things a lot more than any trailers.
TLJ made a LOT of money on the good Will and anticipation created on TFA. It also benefited from ridiculous movie reviews that on hindsight I believe can only be attributable to either a massive "follow the herd" mentality among movie reviewers, a wish to kiss up to the Disney Behemoth, a complete and total disconnect between movie reviewers and the actual movie going public, or some combination of all three.
TLJ made very little money on its own merits, in my opinion, and I think the true push back on that isnt going to be felt until episode IX flops on opening weekend similar to what just happened to Solo.
Y'all think Solo was a movie nobody wanted. There are very few people who care about any of the charcacters in episode IX.
This is the first I've seen or heard about them, so I can't comment on what they're doing or saying. That being said, there are a ton of exceptions to cwithopyright laws and if they're not looking to make money on this then they may be able to do something with it.
And yes you've acknowledged that Rian screwed up and you didn't like TLJ, similar to me acknowledging the 59-0 Bama game and how disappointed I was in the coaches for that. It's something a little more subtle with your defense. For example your earlier comment about you knowing Rian can pull off a great movie. I am not trying to call you out on it, just stating I can empathize with where you're coming from when you see neophytes attacking somebody in the same industry as you are in for things you don't necessarily agree with, or voicing their criticism in ways you find very distasteful.
It's pretty easy to understand when you realize Disney is pulling out all the stops for star Wars not to become the DCEU.
A lot of people made money criticizing the DCEU and that really caught on. Disney is terrified the same will happen with star Wars, so they're spending a lot of time characterizing anybody who criticizes it as racist, misogynist, or some type of all right fringe group in order to deny credibility to that criticism.
Take that quote TCCTS had a few post above. There is nothing I have seen to indicate the group trying to reahoot TLJ is misogynist, yet they throw that in at the end.
I hate political comparisons on these kind of threads, but it really is similar to what media and Democrats do with Trump supporters (of which I am not).
It sounds like we're on the same page overall, and I appreciate the cordial discussion. But I really don't understand this all-in it or all-out attitude everyone is seemingly demanding, re: Johnson. Did he sh*t the bed with TLJ? Yes. But he made three pretty great movies before that in Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper. The guy IS a talented filmmaker. He's just a talented filmmaker who happened to overreach on TLJ. In other words, it's perfectly acceptable to be upset with him for TLJ but also know that he's talented enough, under the right conditions, to potentially make a great SW trilogy with a clean slate.
His response to criticism has turned me completely off the guy. If he had displayed an ounce of humility or self-reflection, then I'd probably not have such a strong disdain for him.
Defending absolutely terrible decisions by attacking your fanbase's character and intelligence take a special kind of narcissistic ahole.
Btw, just saw where apparently a "legit" Hollywood producer is behind this TLJ remake.
I think this reshoot is more about making a point to Disney than it is actually making the movie.
This is what I don't understand. How has he handled criticisms negatively? I truly haven't seen that. He's met the absolute insane vitriol he's faced with day in and day out with overwhelming grace and humor. Does he clap back at some of the crazies? Absolutely. But who wouldn't? I just feel like there's a lot of projecting going on here, and a blatant dismissal of how amazing he's been with sane fans in general. He's constantly engaging, has handed out pizzas to fans sleeping in lines, etc. That, and he's literally considered one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. It's just so weird for me to see all these "What an arrogant assh*le!" takes because he's the exact opposite of that in real life.
A "legit" producer wouldn't go near this thing. Associating themselves with this would literally mean they are the exact opposite of legit. And if someone legit were somehow were associated with it, and that became public news, I assure you, they'd never make another movie again.
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30 Players in 30 Days: #29 — Kenyon Green
Cover Story: With 2019 season in view, Aggies focused on winning now
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Jackson out for '19 season
in Billy Liucci's TexAgs Premium
Bmays
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Coach Mo Tweet's Eyeballs
Boring Username
Late night recruiting notes
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Tylerjo97
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Laura Rutledge loves Aggieland
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Haynes King?
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Horn Meltdown Thread [2019-2020]
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Stories of Impact: Hurricane Harvey Support
Two Aggies Honored with Pioneer Medal
Serving the Aggie Network from Howdy to Here
TAMU Has “Best Financial Legislative Session Ever”
The Association’s Support for Aggies Affected by Hurricane Harvey
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Browse > Home / Archive: November 2008
Favorite Vampire Season 1
Here is the first True Blood Poll for Season 1. Who’s your favorite vampire on True Blood? Be sure to take the poll and find out if your favorite vamp makes the cut!
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Jim Parrack as Hoyt Fortenberry
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Kristin Bauer as Pam
Vampire 2nd in command to Eric, VP of Fangtasia
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Chris Bauer as Andy Bellefleur
Lois Smith as Adele (Gran) Stackhouse
Lois Smith as Adele (Gran) Stackhouse (born November 3, 1930) is an American actress whose career in theatre, film, and television has spanned five decades.
Smith was born Lois Arlene Humbert in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Carrie Davis (née Gottshalk) and William Oren Smith, a telephone company employee. She is a graduate of the University of Washington.
Smith made her film debut in East of Eden in 1955. Additional film credits include Five Easy Pieces, Up the Sandbox, Fatal Attraction, Fried Green Tomatoes, How to Make an American Quilt, Dead Man Walking, Twister, Minority Report, Tumbleweeds, Hollywoodland and Sweet Land. Much of Smith’s career has been spent in television, appearing in early anthology series (Studio One, Robert Montgomery Presents), soap operas (Another World, Somerset, The Edge of Night, All My Children), and numerous primetime dramas, including The Defenders, Dr. Kildare, Route 66, thirtysomething, The Practice, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Grey’s Anatomy.
Smith made her Broadway debut in the 1952 comedy Time Out for Ginger. has made much of her career in Chicago with the Steppenwolf Company, but her presence on Broadway goes back to Time Out for Ginger (1952). She won Tony nominations for The Grapes of Wrath and Buried Child and has played memorable roles in The Trip to Bountiful, The Iceman Cometh and Orpheus Descending.
Smith lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She is currently starring in “The Trip to Bountiful” at the Goodman Theater in Chicago.
Alexander Skarsgard as Eric Northman
Alexander Skarsgard as Eric Northman, a thousand-year-old vampire Viking
Alexander Skarsgard as Eric Northman Photo Credit: HBO / Prashant Gupta
Alexander Skarsgård (born August 25, 1976, Stockholm, Sweden), son of Stellan Skarsgård and brother of Gustaf Skarsgård, is a Swedish actor and director. He most recently appeared in the HBO mini-series “Generation Kill”.
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Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynold
Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds Photo Credit: HBO / Jaimie Trueblood
Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynold, colorful cook at Merlotte’s
Nelsan Ellis is currently shooting the upcoming HBO vampire series “True Blood,” directed by Alan Ball. He recently wrapped “The Soloist,” opposite Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx and Catherine Keener. Last year, Ellis completed filming “The Express” for Universal Pictures.
Ellis’ television credits include the Fox television series “The Inside” produced by Brian Grazer and the HBO film “Warm Springs,” opposite Kenneth Branagh, Cynthia Nixon and Kathy Bates.
While studying at Julliard, Ellis wrote a semi-autobiographical play called “Ugly,” which was not only performed at the school, but he received the Martin Segal Award by Lincoln Center. Further productions of “Ugly” were performed at the Fringe Festival, Storm Theatre and the Santa Monica Playhouse.
Nelsan Ellis was born in Alabama and later raised in Chicago. He currently resides in Los Angeles…
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Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte
Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte Photo Credit: HBO / John P. Johnson
Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte, the owner of the restaurant in which Sookie works
Sam Trammell studied at Brown University and the University of Paris and has worked in theater, on-Broadway, off-Broadway, and in film and television.
Sam Trammell is an accomplished New York stage actor whose credits include a Tony nominated performance in “Ah, Wilderness!” at Lincoln Center. Off-Broadway, he starred in “Dealer’s Choice,” “My Night With Reg,” “If Memory Serves,” “Ancestral Voices,” and most recently, “Kit Marlowe” at the Joseph Papp Public Theater, where he received outstanding reviews.
Trammell’s feature films include “Autumn in New York,” “Wrestling With Alligators,” the soon-to-be-releases “Beat,” and most recently a starring role in the independent feature “Undermind.”
In television, Trammell was a regular on John Wells’ “Trinity,” while simultaneously appearing in a recurring role in Barry Sonnenfeld’s “Maximum Bob.”
Source: Showtime’s “Going to California” press kit
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Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton
Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton Photo Credit: HBO / John P. Johnson
Sookie’s best friend
Classically trained actress, Rutina Wesley, always brings a passion and intelligence to her work whether it is on the stage or behind the camera. She has been likened by some to a young Angela Bassett, an actress with true range who can make an audience both laugh and cry at the same time.
Currently, Rutina is co-starring on the upcoming HBO series “True Blood,” based on Charlaine Harris’ popular “Southern Vampire” novels. The show is produced by Academy Award winner, Alan Ball, and tells the story of vampires living amongst humans buying synthetic blood and living in the American South. Rutina plays the role of Tara, best friend to Anna Paquin’s Sookie Stackhouse.
Rutina, a native of Las Vegas, made her film debut starring as the lead in the Paramount Vantage/MTV Films, “How She Move,” from British director Ian Rashid and produced by Canada’s Sienna Films. She played the lead role of Raya Green, a young girl who returns home to the inner city after the traumatizing death of her sister and her dismissal from an elite private school her family can no longer afford. She hopes her talent as a step dancer can win her enough money to escape back to the suburban private school life. Through her friends, Raya realizes that the secret to her future happiness lies not in escaping her past but embracing it. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (World Competition) and received high praise with numerous publications singling out Rutina’s performance. The Hollywood Reporter said, “Young Wesley displays an intense charisma and powerful moves in the central role…”
In the short amount of time following her graduation from Juillard, Rutina has amassed some high quality credits for her resume. She was a part of the pre-Broadway workshop of the Tony nominated musical “The Color Purple” and starred in “In Darfur” at New York’s esteemed Public Theatre. Rutina made her Broadway debut playing a role in the high profile production of “The Vertical Hour,” by acclaimed playwright David Hare, co-starring Two time Academy Award Nominee Julianne Moore and Bill Nighy. The show was directed by critically-acclaimed director, Sam Mendes and produced by Scott Rudin and Robert Fox.
Rutina received her BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville and prior to that she attended the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts. She also attended the prestigious Juilliard School (Drama Division, Group 34). In addition to her studies at Juilliard, Rutina also spent a summer studying Shakespeare at the well-known and well-respected Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. While in the program, she was able to tackle the highly sought after role of Juliet in a production of “Romeo and Juliet” directed by Nona Sheppard.
She currently splits her time between Los Angeles and New York. Rutina is represented by Endeavor Talent Agency and managed by Inspire Entertainment, LLC…
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True Blood Is Going International
“True Blood” is a phenomenal hit here and in North America and it seems that the rest of the world will soon discover this fantastic show. According to trueblood-online.com Sweden is already enjoying “True Blood” but soon Spain, France, the U.K. and Brazil will join the millions who are already entralled by this HBO hit TV series. The premiere dates for the following countries are: Spain (December 4, 2008), France (December 23, 2008), Brazil (January 18, 2009) and the U.K. (April 2009). It seems each country will have their own website dedicated to the show. To obtain further information and links to the various countries’ websites, click the links below.
SOURCE: trueblood-online.com France Information
trueblood-online.com Spain Information
trueblood-online.com Brazil Information
U.K. Premiere of True Blood
(Photo credit: HBO, Inc.)
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Posted on April 1, 2019 by volatilemuse
Van Gogh obscured by his own mythology: At Eternity’s Gate. Dir Julian Schnabel
Perhaps Jesus made me a painter for people who aren’t born yet. This line, spoken to a priest charged with assessing Vincent for possible release from the asylum in Saint Remy where he has been interred after a latest bout of his illness, seems to me central to the director’s vision. With more than a century of art market hindsight, it’s an easy enough line, although I do not know for sure if the artist ever said it. It feels unrealistically self-confident.
Reading Vincent’s letters to his brother Theo, intellect and erudition shine through, certainly financial worries and an inability to find love, but self confidence? No. I wouldn’t say so.
There is more than one reference to Christ in the film, including pictorial ones. Jesus himself, Van Gogh tells the priest, wasn’t famous until forty years after his death. Well maybe but that’s not a line guaranteed to get you out of the asylum in France in 1890.
The artist himself wrote:
‘’…on no account would I choose the life of a martyr. For I have always striven for something other than heroism, which I do not have in me…’
(Letter Vincent Van Gogh to Theo Van Gogh, 3rdFebruary 1889)
Has Van Gogh become obscured by his own mythology? And does it matter? This clearly is a concern to Ronald de Leeuw in his 1990 introduction to the Penguin edition of Vincent’s letters to his brother, Theo. It is worth pointing out here that the Editor of the letters was at the time of the book’s appearance Director of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam – so hardly a slouch in terms of authority. Both de Leeuw and the translator of the edition are clear that Vincent took his own life.
Yet film makers beg to differ. He was shot they claim, by a local thug. In this respect At Eternity’s Gatefollows on from the excellent and exquisitely rendered artists film, Loving Vincent(2017) which also pushed the shot-by-a-local called René Secrétan angle. Whereas scholarly thinking is that he committed suicide.
It’s hard not to be fascinated …
by the life stories of artists and this one in particular. After all, Van Gogh painted his way from unknown son of a preacher man to incipient global icon in a period of roughly 11 years, making the decision to become an artist (a late start for a painter with no particular formal training in 1879) and dying aged 37 from gunshot wounds in 1891.
Possibly no other artist’s life – or death – seems quite so intriguing to us or quite so surrounded with mysteries. And film loves a mystery. But there is scholarly theory that these mysteries are not mysteries at all but are add ons to our popular image of the ultimate tortured and impoverished artist. I do not claim that there is no substance in these ideas – the ear chopping episode (mercifully done off screen in Schnabel’s film) is sufficient evidence of a mind and body in torment. But to make a shortcut between that and genius, and to claim little else for the man? That I don’t accept. Also the fact that the artist had self- harmed so spectacularly makes a greater case for his subsequent suicide, rather than a lesser one.
Van Gogh rarely discusses his illness in his letters to his brother perhaps not wishing to make him anxious but occasionally he does make reference to his illness.
When I came out of hospital with good old Roulin, I fancied there had been nothing wrong with me, it was only afterwards I felt I’d been ill. Well, that’s only to be expected. I have moments when I am twisted with enthusiasm or madness or prophecy, like a Greek oracle on his tripod.
But when I am in a delirium and everything I love so much is in turmoil, then I don’t mistake that for reality and I don’t play the false prophet.
One aspect of Schnabel’s film which seems on the surface intriguing, but which is in fact inaccurate, is the matter of the missing ledger book. An empty ledger book was given by Madame Ginoux to Van Gogh for him to use as a drawing book and which the film claims was returned to her (although without her knowledge) complete with more than 60 of his drawings. Heavens! What would that be worth now? The ledger, the film says, mysteriously disappeared and was only rediscovered in 2016.
The first thing that occurred to me when I saw this was why? If the artist was reviled in his lifetime certainly by the local populace of Arles, and if so few of his paintings sold, why would someone go to the trouble of stealing a ledger book to all intents and purposes considered worthless at the time? And where was it all those years? How exciting! The answer however – as answers often are – is more prosaic.
Martin Bailey, in an article dated 29thMarch 2018 for The Art Newspaper, writes that the book was not authentic.
Schnabel told The Times that it is “irrelevant” whether the drawings are genuine or not. He has seen them and says “they were pretty damn good”. This comes as a surprise from an artist, since the sketches are weakly drawn, derivative works. The Arles Sketchbook is not authentic, as the Van Gogh Museum determined after an exhaustive examination. (And the sketches were not discovered “in 2016”, since I had been shown some of them in 2010.)
Our need for the tortured artist as sacrificial victim should not overtake historical accuracy in biography. For the film maker it seems, it is not enough that Vincent should have taken his own life but that someone needed to do it for him. Perhaps so that we may be yet more convinced of the rightness of his vision. Perhaps genius can only exist against a backdrop of ignorance, so that it may shine ever more brightly? I don’t know. But here is the artist’s own voice on the subject:
“… I for one would blame myself if I didn’t try to make pictures that give rise to serious reflection in those who think seriously about art and life.”
CategoriesArt History, Artists, Biography, Film, Review, Responsibility in writing, Uncategorized, Van Gogh, Visual art
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Sport Development
Vonn Thumbs Up to 2018 Olympic Downhill
By Courtney Harkins
May, 6 2015
SEOUL, South Korea (May 6, 2015)—Olympic excitement was palpable this week, as Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) gave a thumbs-up to the new PyeongChang downhill in South Korea and was named as the first International Games Ambassador for the 2018 Winter Games to help promote the sport of skiing. She was with a U.S. Olympic Committee delegation, along with U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association officials who signed an agreement with the Korean Ski Association to foster greater awareness and education about skiing and snowboarding in Korea.
After missing the Sochi Olympics due to injuries in 2014, Vonn is looking for more hardware in 2018. The speed skier was excited about the new downhill venue in Jeongseon and was impressed by the steep track. “The course looks very challenging with lots of jumps, which I really like,” Vonn said. “I am looking forward to seeing it with snow on and actually be able to run the course, but so far it looks really good.”
Four jumps have been cut into the hill, and a gondola and snowmaking system scheduled to be installed this summer. Two World Cup speed events on the track are scheduled for the upcoming 2015-16 season in order to prepare athletes for the Olympic Games. “PyeongChang 2018 is doing a great job in the preparations, so I look forward to the test events coming up in the next two years and the Olympics,” said Vonn.
In addition to a first peek at the downhill course, Vonn was also part of a delegation in Korea where she was named as the International Games Ambassador. “I’m very proud and honored to be an ambassador for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics. It’s been a great trip to Korea so far,” said Vonn during the appointment ceremony. “My goal, almost my entire career, has been to promote ski racing—not just in America, but across the world. I think it’s an amazing sport.”
Lindsey Vonn addresses the media after her visit to the downhill course.
PyeongChang 2018 President Yang-Ho Cho was also enthusiastic about Vonn’s new position. “She is a very famous, well-known, world-class ski racer, but what I really admire about her is her passion and fearless spirit,” said Cho. “We believe that she will truly be an excellent Ambassador promoting the PyeongChang 2018 Games to the world.”
Representatives from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association were also present to sign an agreement with the Korean Ski Association to promote the sport using the Olympic platform. Put together by the United States Olympic Committee, the memorandum provides support to connect the two organizations.
“Our initiative is to engage with the organizers in Korea to help further skiing and snowboarding both in their country and worldwide,” said USSA Executive Vice President, Athletics Luke Bodensteiner.
The stewardship program will consist of youth development direction, shared training opportunities and coaches education across multiple sports.
I’m very proud and honored to be an ambassador for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics. It’s been a great trip to Korea so far. We were able to look at the (alpine skiing) venue yesterday and everything is coming on very well. PyeongChang 2018 is doing a great job in the preparations, so I look forward to the test events coming up in the next two years and the Olympics.
My objective, almost my entire career, has been to promote ski racing—not just in America, but across the world. I think it’s an amazing sport.
The course looks very challenging. It looks like the downhill will be very stiff with lots of jumps, which I really like. I am looking forward to seeing it with snow on and actually be able to run the course, but so far it looks really good.
My goal for the next Olympics are to try to win gold medals. In the last Olympics, I competed in Vancouver and won the downhill. I hope to improve upon those results or, if not, to match them.”
Luke Bodensteiner, USSA Executive Vice President, Athletics
Our initiative is to engage with the organizers in Korea to help promote skiing and snowboarding in their country. The memorandum is to use the platform of the Olympics to promote the sports worldwide.
Yang-Ho Cho, PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympics & Paralympic Games (POCOG) President
I am very happy to name Lindsey Vonn as the first International Games Ambassador for PyeongChang 2018. She is a very famous, well-known, world-class ski racer, but what I really admire about her is her passion and fearless spirit. We believe that she will truly be an excellent Ambassador promoting the PyeongChang 2018 Games to the world.
Check out the latest news, events, & videos from the U.S. Ski & Snowboard teams.
Known as the most successful female ski racer in the world – Lindsey Vonn is one of the few world-class, four-event ski racers. She is the only American woman to ever capture downhill gold at the Olympics and the only American woman with four World Cup overall titles. Six weeks after she turned 20, Vonn (then Kildow) produced her first World Cup victory in Lake Louise, Alberta. She has since captured an all-time win record on the women's side with 82 World Cup wins.
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Why Makeb Hits LGBT Players So Hard
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Xanex
71 POSTED: 18 Jan 2013 18:43
JaceArveduin:
Xanex:
Please don't bring up KT books in a Star Wars thread. I'm still trying to pretending her SW books don't exist and you messing with my delusions, thanks.
Hmm? Are you hating on the Commando books, or the other books?
Every book that she Mary Sues that crap outa the mandos. Which boils down to everyone single one of them.
What I find fascinating is that people actually care about virtual relationships in an MMO. If you want to have a virtual relationship in an MMO, you might as well start one with a real player from your guild or something.
Also, Bioware romances are shitty because they forgot how to write good characters after they wrapped up Mass Effect 2.
JaceArveduin
Well... when you put it that way, aren't most of the main characters in the Star Wars Universe Mary Sues?
As for the clones, I'm about 90% sure it's canon that they're genetically modified to be stronger smarter etc.
mikespoff
The Plunk:
mikespoff:
Interesting article, but I have to question this statement:
Robert Rath:
"...civil unions inherently hold members of the LGBT community apart from the rest of the populace by creating a separate, and therefore unequal, category..."
I disagree that civil unions are inherently "unequal" just because they are separate from marriage. If they have the same legal standing, I think that it is a superior option than trying to re-define marriage.
It is useful to have a term for a faithful, monogomous life-long relationship between a man and a woman, which creates an environment in which to bear and raise children. That term is "marriage", and that relationship is recognised as having certain legal implications and protections.
If you want to have equivalent legal standing for a faithful, monogomous, homosexual relationship, that is a legitimate discussion within society. But to insist that such a relationship be brought under the term "marriage" only makes ambiguous a term which was previously clear and specific.
Why can't the word "marriage" be re-defined? "Marriage" used to mean "one man owning as many women as he wants", but the definition has changed hugely since then. Changing "a man and a woman" in your example to "two adults" would be a comparatively minute change.
Sorry, but that's incorrect. The word "marriage" is derived from Anglo-French and dates from the late thirteenth century. For the last thousand years of western civilisation, the concept has been pretty much unchanged, and thus the word has always had a clear meaning. Moving from a relationship which forms the basis of a family (i.e. a man and a woman, since that's what's needed to produce children) to any arbitrary pairing of adults is not a "minute change".
The Plunk
By that logic, infertile couples should not be allowed to call their unions "marriages" either.
And "Marriage" has not been "pretty much unchanged" since the middle-ages. For one, you can no longer marry a 12 year old. Secondly, women no longer have their husband chosen by their fathers. Thirdly, women no longer have to give up all their property to their husbands. Fourthly, dowries are now pretty much non-existent.
SonOfMethuselah
Well, there, you're describing the institution of marriage, which, yes, has changed quite drastically. I think what he was referring to, though, was the actual working definition of the term 'marriage,' which has 'always' been used to describe a 'lifelong,' 'blessed,' union between a man and a woman.
OT: I just read an article by Jim Sterling on Destructoid about this: I hadn't heard about it before. I'm not really surprised at the reaction its getting. The fact that there were gay relationships in the Dragon Age games did cause a little bit of a fuss, as I recall, and the presence of a homosexual male relationship option in Mass Effect 3 caused a stir, as well. To my knowledge, the first two ME games only had homosexual relationship options available to female characters, because asari. And maybe Miranda, I think? But she was genetically altered, so I don't know if that should count or not.
I'll be honest, and say that, so far as all these issues are concerned, I may be part of the problem. I have no problem with the LGBT community, but it's not like I parade support around, either. At this point in my life, when there are issues that are so much bigger than me, I kind of tend to let them skirt by. I don't mean to be selfish, but I'm just at a place where I have to worry about where I'm going, before I can worry about helping others get to where they want to be, you know?
As to the issue at hand, though, I don't really know what to think. On one hand, I think Bioware made a huge misstep, here. They knew this was a sensitive issue, and they, and that title especially, aren't really in a position to generate anymore ill-will. One of these mutually-disappointing compromises was pretty much the worst move they could have made. It might actually have done them more good if they had worried about stabilizing the rest of the game first, before opening up this issue again.
At the same time, though, this is something they promised, and the fact that it's taken so long to implement is definitely not good. If it was a promise, and a promise made before the game was released, when they still had the weight of the entirety of their resources behind them, then it should have been there, if not at launch, then alongside the first big update. It wasn't, so I understand why the community is upset.
Poor Bioware. I really do like them, still, and I think they genuinely mean well. They just can't seem to do anything that doesn't draw ire, these days.
Something Amyss
SonOfMethuselah:
You're artificially trying to split the two, but if you want to go there, the definition of marriage was originally common-law specific. At least, if you're referring to the English root. In other languages, it goes back further but did not 'always' mean anything of the sort.
It sounds like you're trying to play both sides against the middle here.
Andy of Comix Inc
I'm surprised the word "segregation" wasn't used once in this entire article. So I, an LGBT person, will cry foul what makes me most pissed off about Makeb, whether it was intentional or not.
SEGREEEGAAATIIIOOOOON
...I mean, look, I know it's a temporary solution 'n all? But how did they not get the idea that putting all the LGBT people of the universe onto the one planet screams segregated community? And then, even if they did get that idea, how did they not quantify that it would be just slightly sending the wrong message? It's not outright offensive, and I can't attribute it to malice or stupidity because Bioware have their hearts in the right place. But wow. Didn't think that one through, eh?
maxben:
Oh wow, what a horrible survey.
1. Bisexuals are not even represented.
2. How about considering all those who have had a "homosexual experience" but do not self identify as gay or lesbian?
3. Self identifying as gay in large parts of the US will get you killed or beaten or sent to brainwashing camp. This creates a LOT of closet cases who will not even admit what they are in an anonymous survey, and sometimes refuse to even admit it to themselves.
If the number is 2% in this survey, I certainly believe the 10% estimation
Also, prooobably good to keep in mind that Bioware is a company that ships games internationally. So citing American numbers either way doesn't rule out the fact that the LGBT people of, I dunno... off the top of my head... Sweden? Yeah. Sweden. LGBT players in Sweden probably feel just as bad. (Oh man I looked it up, apparently Sweden is one of the most LGBT friendly places in Europe, and the first to declassify homosexuality as a disease. That's fun! I like learnings!)
Zachary Amaranth:
That certainly wasn't my intention. What I was saying was that some of the stuff you mentioned originally, (the dowry, the father choosing the husband, the woman losing the rights to her possessions) aren't (or weren't, as the case may be) intrinsically linked to being married as a concept.
Maybe my making a distinction between the institution of marriage and the definition of marriage was wrong, but that was the idea I was trying to convey.
Dastardly
Old Republic's "gay planet" mimics real-world frustrations.
BioWare has, historically, been more "miss" than "hit" in their portrayal of same-sex relationships. This is simply another example of that failing. What surprises me is their inconsistency. On one hand, they make many of the "standard" mistakes:
- Relationship = Sex. Giving a character the option of a one-off sex scene (usually implied) with another character of the same sex is supposed to suffice for a relationship. This poses several problems, not the least of which is that the content can be seen as more about titillation than equality (see: Liara/FemShep in Mass Effect).
- Gays are lascivious. A homosexual character, if openly so, is excessively demonstrative of this, becoming all about some hot, hot sex. This demonstrates the misunderstanding that homosexual people must define their lives by their sexuality (rather than allowing it to simply be part of them), and that they must exhibit that sexuality by indiscriminately having sex with any and all comers.
- Sexuality flips like a switch. Most of the time, the character with this option is conveniently "flipped" to the required sexuality. This is different from bisexuality, which also occurs in BioWare characters. This one's tricky. On the surface, it seems to run opposite of what the above mistake was doing... but really, it worsens it. In this case, sexuality is no longer a very personal part of someone's character, but is rather a shallow preference for who they want to sleep with.
These mistakes are nearly always unintentional, and usually well-meaning. They're just fundamentally flawed. And then, on the other hand:
- Mass Effect's Steve Cortez was homosexual, but this wasn't revealed through parading the fact, sleeping around, or through anything sexual at all. It was revealed through his grief over his husband. This is a great example of the inclusion of same-sex coupling in a game. Here we have a character that is exclusively gay, not having sex on screen, and not sexually available to the player character.
In this case, it was a major mistake from top to bottom. This is one of those moments when BioWare should have remembered that you either need to do it right, or don't.
Bara_no_Hime
Not by Disney's standards.
Actually that's changing. I think there's either some new blood in the Disney execs, but whatever it is, it's notable. First there's this:
Luhrsen:
People complaining about Disney: while they probably aren't going to come out in support in a major press release, Disney still offers same-sex Magic Kingdom weddings and openly hires homosexual employees.
Which is awesome.
And then, there's "Once Upon A Time" - a show where the Hero is a single mother, there is blatant and frequent homo-eroticism (granted, nothing has 'officially' happened yet, but that brings me to), and has a massive gay and lesbian following. Several of the actresses are openly bisexual, which may explain some of the "chemistry" on set.
Oh, for those who haven't seen it, it's a show about Disney Princesses kicking ass. Season 2 opens with Snow White putting an arrow into a troll's face at point blank range and Mulan decked out in Samurai armor and with a heavily implied lesbian crush on Sleeping Beauty. Yes, this is a real show, made by Disney.
wulf3n
I don't think this is an issue with bioware as much as it is EA or Lucasarts. Like it or hate it, Bioware have at least tried to think of the LGBT community in pretty much all their games since KOTOR.
Smilomaniac
As part of the LGBT community here's my beef with it:
All the gaming sites grabbing for attention, presenting it as grief.
I don't care about the "issues". I was dissapointed that it didn't make the cut in the first place, but that was that and I got over it.
Now they're fixing it. Great, I appreciate it.
Dastardly:
Sorry for cutting your post short, it has good stuff in it.
There's no specific formula to do it right. Gay or bi men are as diverse as straight men.
As a masculine bisexual male, I can't stand most flamboyants, they come off as fake, egotistical, superficial people to me. But if a game represented those, kinda like the elf in Dragon Age, but worse, it wouldn't be all that misrepresenting, because there are certainly a lot of these people out there. And I'd be lying if I didn't think flamboyants are at least interesting, though extremely annoying.
In other words, it's hard to get it wrong. At least, I don't flip out and go whine about it. I was more annoyed with the ME3 character who lost his husband? It felt like he needed sympathy in order for it to be okay for who he was. It felt a bit fake, but again, I don't freak out about this, because the character was fine, the execution wasn't.
ben-
A gay planet makes sense, full of gay olympics and pride festivals. People wanting to be surrounded by those who feel the same way as them.
Im sure you can find a planet full of whores and a planet full of thieves butchers and scammers too.
Nieroshai
tangoprime:
Why can't bioware pull it off as well as Bethesda has done in the last few games... It's just, there. It's not trumpeted, it's not pushed, it's not a binary GAY or NAY at some point in building character relationships... in both new vegas, and to a slightly lesser extent, skyrim, it's just there. There are some characters, well written, great characters. They happen to be l/g/b- you only really find this out if you learn enough about them as a person, talk to them, find out about their past, etc, like how it is for the most part in real life. Veronica and Arcade are probably two of the best written gay characters I've ever seen, especially the backstory with Veronica and Christine at the Brotherhood, and how that gets expanded upon when you meet that character in an expansion.
Bioware, seriously, take notes. Oh yeah, EA. That explains a lot.
Bethesda... hasn't. Everyone in Skyrim is bi. Every prostitute in Fallout 3 is bi. In FO:NV, their sexuality is determined by your chosen sexuality perk, so they might as well be bi. At least, in Bioware titles, preferences exist, and gay characters can still be characters without becoming exclusively love interests and be valuable party members. Yes, even Anders. He's not a manwhore, he's vulnerable. And loves kittens.
Adam Jensen:
You must mean ME3 specifically, which does suppose you carried over a romance.
I don't like the idea of TOR relationships either, unless it's with a companion npc, or an unstated relationship with one of your other toons a la Legacy.
Andy of Comix Inc:
The Republic is a morally skewed sometimes Lawful Good but mostly Lawful Neutral in practice society. This could be Bioware not walking on eggshells for once and inserting some grim into Star Wars, by showing what the Republic would do: purge any "wrongness" in society. We've well established through the campaign that the Republic's biggest difference from the Sith is that generally genocide is not okay.
I could be giving Bioware too much credit, but how often in Star Wars does sex even come up? And how often do we see men looking misty-eyed at each other? Sexuality has just never been a Star Wars issue.
I wasn't the one speaking prior. However comma, I'll point out that marriage entered into English from a middle French term in which the concept of a dowry was married (no pun intended) to the concept of marriage.
What wasn't brought together in blessed union was the concept of holy matrimony.
Your statement fails on almost every level.
Well, then, I humbly submit to an authority greater than my own, and apologize to anyone who may have scoffed at my woeful ignorance. I shall heretofore cease in any and all discussion until I thoroughly verse myself in whatever subject I happen to be speaking about.
*exits conversation*
Bara_no_Hime:
I LOVE Once Upon a Time, but let's be fair here. The tone of the show shocked a lot of its viewers if they knew it was a Disney show. When they didn't, finding out Disney was behind the show shocked them. So to an extent, this will certainly indicate how forward thinking they are perceived, at least.
But I grew up in an era where Disney actively discriminated against homosexuals and were supported for it. When they had Ellen's show on the air, people pitched a fit about them changing, but they didn't change much; they just went for what made financial sense. If I remember right (and I may be wrong), Disney had strings attached for same sex marriages and their "open" employment policy, and maybe still do.
Disney's had single parents for ages, but without any particularly moral support behind them. Now, if they're changing, it will show. I'm just not ready to give them the benefit of the doubt after so many years of EVIL. >.>
Smilomaniac:
I was more annoyed with the ME3 character who lost his husband? It felt like he needed sympathy in order for it to be okay for who he was. It felt a bit fake, but again, I don't freak out about this, because the character was fine, the execution wasn't.
Thanks for the reply! Sorry to cherry-pick, but this was the only part that really warranted any further discussion.
My take on this character? Yes, we were meant to feel sorry for him... and then it was revealed that he was gay. Is it about sympathy? Sure is. Remember, though, that sympathy is the beginning of understanding. "If you prick us, do we not bleed?"
The only real issue, as I see it, is that this was a homosexual character included, in a sense, "for the benefit of heterosexuals." I don't, however, see this as a problem when done in this way. The character had depth, had a backstory, had emotional weight -- he was a good character to add dimension to the crew. And, additionally, he may have "surprised" some people into realizing, hey, maybe "gay love" isn't so different.
There are "minority" characters (for lack of a better term) that are included as a nod to people in that minority. There are minority characters included as a message to people outside that minority. This, I feel, was a decent compromise between the two.
...and then there are the bad ones. Minority characters included in a superficial, appeasing sort of way (Hi! I'm gay! Goodbye now!), and minority characters included as a parody or caricature of that minority, usually unintentionally. BioWare has their share of both of those, too.
tangoprime
Nieroshai:
Isn't that still better though? Isn't it better to just have well written characters, who may or may not be gay/bi based on your choices, rather then a shoe-horned in gay character just for the sake of having a gay character? I'd rather have my characters not be defined by their sexual orientation, but actually have well created characters, with their sexuality being a part of them rather then defining them, and I believe Obsidian / Bethesda does that WAY better than Bioware/EA.
That's a nice point.
I had another thought about him, what if it were a stereotypical male who'd lost his wife and wasn't in clear sorrow about it, but just buried his feelings and was "out to get those robot scumbags for killing her". I mean, he says it as well, but he doesn't bury his feelings as much as a character in fiction.
Makes the original guy seem a tad bit emotional(I remember at one point he's about to crack). Again, in comparison to other fictional characters, not real life(I spent an evening crying snot when my mother died).
I might be fishing for unwarranted and unintended portrayals here. It's not that I mind, just went "huh" when I thought about it.
Like your personal assistant and the reporter who want sexy times for the hell of it? :)
It cracked me up when the PA/communications officer came up to my femshep for a good time and I was like "Is this really all you're thinking about? I just spent hours shooting at things and barely survived! Besides, I'm busy getting it on with the alien." ;)
It's not bad or anything, just funny in a this-probaly-wouldn't-really-happen-in-real-life kind of way.
I LOVE Once Upon a Time, but let's be fair here.
But I grew up in an era where Disney actively discriminated against homosexuals and were supported for it.
Now, if they're changing, it will show. I'm just not ready to give them the benefit of the doubt after so many years of EVIL. >.>
That's the thing, I think it is showing.
How does a company that fucked up in the past prove their good intent? By doing good things.
Now, that doesn't mean I don't think we all should watch and make sure they keep doing good. I do - we should watch them like hawks. But, so long as they do good, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones.
Oh, I almost forgot - another ABC show that's been very gay-friendly: Castle. Actually, a lot of my go-to shows lately are on ABC. Or Starz, because Lucy Lawless is fucking awesome. Speaking of gay-friendly.
Anyway, the point is I think it is very commendable that Disney has cleaned up it's act so much. As you say, as little as ten years ago Disney was not a gay-friendly company. Now, if you asked me which of the big four networks, CBS, NBC, ABC, or FOX were the most gay-friendly, I'd say ABC.
Maybe it's all for the money. If so - I don't care. If they have changed their ways because they want my money, then congrats, they can have my money. And they will keep getting it as long - and only as long - as they keep being gay friendly.
And if other multimedia empires realize the same thing - that gay money is just as good as straight money - and start catering to us to, then that's progress.
Anyway, as much as I've enjoyed talking about ABC, we're kinda off topic here. I'd say something to get back on topic, but honestly... anything Star Wars branded holds no interest for me. I absolutely agree with the article, but I have nothing to add because I pretty much hate all things Star Wars.
thanatos388
ben-:
Oh, so occupation and sexuality are the same then?
Pat8u
Well that system did screw with me a bit in skyrim, As my khajjit (Who I have been roleplaying as since morrowind (hes immortal)) would only get proposed to by males so skyrim as forced my immortal cat to forever for the sake of continuity be gay not that I have a problem with that also my characters husband provided me with money untill I sorta murded him.
OT:I have to say keeping same sex relations to one planet seems a bit off to me why not incorperate it into the ship
Therumancer
This article misses a substantial part of this entire issue.
Love it or hate it, the initial statements for Old Republic online was that there were not going to be any LGBT relationships in ToR. Indeed I believe they even went so far as to say "gays do not exist in Star Wars" at one point which got a certain amount of attention at the time. There was a huge uprising of a fairly small minority and it's supporters and eventually Bioware consented to doing it some time post launch.
There was never any promise of making "equal time" content similar to what we had for straight romances, or bringing it to the forefront in the same way, merely that it would be given a prescence and some usable companion characters that could potentially go that way. Nor was this ever promised as a major feature, or any kind of development priority, though it was taken that way.
What I think of homosexuals aside, understand that this was one of the stupidist things ever. All arguements about "wanting to be represented" aside, what we got here was political pressure to make a company develop content it didn't want to create under duress. Not a good move, when Bioware was arguably one of the biggest allies so called "Gaymers" had, developing such content without any prodding or duress on their own, which is what the gay rights community actually wants. Once you start forcing people (or trying to) that's when you build resentment and backlash of the sort we got here for a while.
With the game itself in trouble the continued QQing about the "promise" to create this content which the company didn't want to build to begin with, and also created several game balance issues (namely the companions each character gets and the options they present are fairly balanced set vs. set, adding more characters to the mix without creating issues for certain characters can be rough, especially if you don't want them to effectively just function the same as existing companions and bring their own abillities and gimmicks to the table), I don't think the LGBT community won many points here for priorities, or has really understood their actual relationship with Bioware on this. Forcing someone to do something is not the same as them doing it on their own.
At any rate, after all the pressure, Bioware produced some token material, which by all reports is half hearted, despite the massive pressures on them to just keep this game alive. Surprise, surprise, the LGBT community is not happy with it because it isn't their dream "Star Wars Slash MMO", and admittedly less than they were promised, but of course the realities have changed since then, and this was always at best a "nice to have" as opposed to a development priority.
The point here is that regardless of what side of the fence your on with the whole issue of gay rights, this was a rather ham fisted and stupid situation right now that revolved around a sense of entitlement, and forcing a friendly developer to produce content it didn't want to simply based on the fact that it had been friendly to this type of material before. Expecting things to work out perfectly under duress is pretty bloody stupid to begin with (with pressure like this, you can't expect much except for a gesture), but to complain about the results when a game is facing what ToR is... that's kind of beyond the pale.
Honestly while people in the "Gaymer" community touted this as a victory, to be honest I kind of felt it would turn out this way whether ToR faced problems or not. People of course dismissed me because I'm hardly pro-gay, but it should be pretty easy to recognize a dumb move by a movement whether you agree with that movement's goals or not.
Who knows, maybe the LGBT community will get the content they want, but right now I think the priority for actual fans of ToR (of which I am not one) should be on the survival of the game as opposed to content for a minority of people. To be honest I think "Gaymers" are more interested in seeing the content included due to the pressure, than the survival or health of the game because of the statement and victory it represents. It's a trophy, even if it goes down with a sinking ship, and contributes to the weight (via divided development) dragging it down.
To be honest I'm kind of reminded of "Star Wars Galaxies". SoE did indeed get around to developing and releasing the content where you could fly your spaceship around on planets. You could go flying by and see players down on the ground, and even use the ships in city battles apparently though nobody was doing them when this finally launched. An awesome development, equal to everything that was promised, delivered as a gesture when the game was already doomed and going down in flames. At the end of the day if you get a lesbian version of Nadia Grell or whatever it serves no actual purpose if the game itself dies a week or so later.
I don't play ToR myself anymore despite once thinking it was going to be the most awesome thing ever. That said if you want the game to survive and want this content, my advice to you is that instead of making some huge statement of dissatisfaction over the content on on Makeb, you should go and buy a ton of Cartel Coins.
Hell, I'll go one further, for those who read this far. If I was gay and wanted this content badly, I'd work towards saving the game. I'd establish a website, make sure everyone knows it exists, and then collect donations from the LGBT community (if they truely enthusiasticlly support this) and use it to buy Cartel Coins or Code-Cards in bulk (probably the codes for coins would work better). I'd make a huge show over giving these coins away to players in contests and such throughout the game, in doing so making it clear to both the players and Bioware that homo and bi- sexuals were investing a lot of money in saving their game as a community. That would make a powerful statement and encourage Bioware to more enthusiastically create content than demands (equality, they've done it before, etc...). If you could find a trusted leader to collect the money, and the community is as big as implied, even people chipping in a couple of bucks here and there could make a big impact as a group.
That's my advice, like it or not. Become an undeniable positive influance on the game and it's survival in a time of crisis rather than another group of complaining voices.
thanatos388:
In the star wars universe that seems to be the case. Planets full of jedis, planets full of cathars planets full of wookies. Planets full of religious zealots. Remember this is a fictional universe we are trying to apply our real world ideals upon.
By developing a track record for good things, actually. They don't have much of one yet, and that's the problem here. When they have a track record sufficient to demonstrate an actual departure from their prior behaviour, I will accept it. It does not have to equal their prior negative record, but it should stand on its own rather than a few token examples.
And that can go directly to EA/Bioware, too. They've had, at least recently, a track record of claiming to fix things and then half-assing the ordeal. Bioware's position is understandable, but so is the frustration with them, as well.
Meanwhile, Skyrim allowed everyone to gay marry from the start if they wanted to.
Personally, I don't really care about gays in Star Wars or Star Wars games. I've rarely thought about the sexuality of the characters anyway. But if you're going to say you're going to put something in, put it in. And if you then don't and promise you'll fix it, make a slightly more concerted effort.
Though the next time I play Star Wars in Tabletop form, I think I'm going to make a Trans Jedi or something. >.>
SnakeCL
100 POSTED: 23 Jan 2013 23:03
So, given the financial restraints of going back and retooling all the previous coding for current companions, as well as calling-back the voice actors for additional voice work and paying them for the same-gender romance material... what would the LGBT community prefer?
LGBT options in new content? Or no LGBT content at all? SWTOR is barely afloat, and while I welcome the addition of these romance and character options, I'd much rather, ya know, have the game prosper for a few more years instead of going bankrupt trying to essentially revamp the parts of the game that are already finished.
By developing a track record for good things, actually. They don't have much of one yet, and that's the problem here. When they have a track record sufficient to demonstrate an actual departure from their prior behaviour, I will accept it.
Fair enough. But I am of the opinion that they are developing such a track record, and have been doing so for the past several years. They've had what appears to be a fairly sudden, entirely positive change. Will they keep it up? I don't know. But until/unless they screw it up, I intend to be optimistic.
Agreed. With all of that.
Well, except for playing Star Wars in Tabletop form. I would never play a tabletop game set in the Star Wars universe (since I greatly dislike the Star Wars universe). I did look at their tabletop game briefly while I was working on my Mass Effect table top game last year, but it was too dated (and too d20 Modern) for my taste.
As for other table top games: been there, done that, had a great time. In a recent game, I played a fully functional hermaphrodite (that looked female otherwise) which was great fun. So yeah, if you get the chance to play your Trans Jedi, I highly recommend it.
bringer of illumination
Those that want the option to have gay relationships in SWTOR dislike it because the romance options are shallow
Well frankly what were you expecting?
This is Bioware we're talking about, shallow romance is what they DO.
Fuck, did you play DA2? Or even DA:O for that matter? How's about Mass Effect?
Romance in Bioware games is always about as deep and meaningful as a teaspoon of horsepiss, they only scoot by because of the low, LOW standards that video games are held to.
RTSnab
Why should they include support for the LGBT community in the first place?
From an economic point of view, they're marketing to a fringe community, with the risk of marginalizing parts of its existing community. Considering TOR failed pretty hard at achieving the success it aspired to, its subscriber counts constantly going down, the last thing they need is to alienate part of its player count on the off chance of gaining part of a demographic that's apparently already annoyed with their practices.
I don't know the numbers are, mind you, but I'm pretty sure there are some people whose attachment to the game is loose enough that something like "gay relationships" might be enough to make them stop playing.
To break it down, are the possible gay people that might pick up this game ONLY IF they included gay relationships more than the homophobes that think that "Star Wars ain't no place for queers, son".
SiskoBlue
Zen Toombs:
I point out these issues not to get up on a soapbox about the state of LGBT rights in America (and certainly not to speak for a community I'm not a part of), but to point out why LGBT persons may be hypersensitive to the dynamics at play in the current SWTOR controversy. The Makeb controversy serves as a microcosm of the emotionally-charged situation of LGBT politics.
You may not be in the LGBTQUIAAWTFBBQ community, but you have a firm grasp of the issues. A well written article, I commend you.
Agreed. The thing is Robert Rath IS a part of the LGBT community, everyone is, it's the same community we all live in. To me this still seems the biggest stumbling block to sexism, racism, and homophobia being eradicated from our society. Yes, we need to acknowledge it but Americans seem fixated with pigeon-holing and identifying someone as part of a separate community and then filtering everything through that. Positive or negative, discrimination means pointing out differences, literally. Focusing on how an individual is different isn't very inclusive.
The whole backlash against Jodie Foster is a good example. Yes she's gay, but people seemed annoyed she's not shouting it out. That's because being gay is not everything about her. She's loads of things, being gay is a very, very small part of who she is. There's seems to be this weird expectations that if you identify with a group then everything you do or say should somehow reflect that identity. Why? Makes me think of the South Park episode about their town flag. The kids didn't even notice what colour the characters on the flag were so didn't see the offense. That's kind of the place we need to get to, where people don't even notice. It shouldn't matter so eventually it doesn't matter.
Zen Toombs
SiskoBlue:
I understand the subtle point you're making, but before we can remove discrimination we need to acknowledge that there are people being discriminated against and how they are being discriminated against. To get to be a "color blind" or "sexuality blind" society we need to see, acknowledge, and then remove those things that are discriminatory in that society. Sadly, in America we are still in those first two steps, and you have to truly be in the third step before you can start moving past some form of labels.
What my point was in saying "[Rath] may not be in the LGBT community, but you have a firm grasp of the issues" was that 1. if you are in that group of people, you are actively discriminated against so it is easier to notice the specific issues and b. even non-heterosexual people can have problems grabbing on to the core of these topics.
Anyways, what's this backlash against Jodie Foster?
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About John Muir
John Muir Day
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Biography of John Muir
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the john muir exhibit - geography - famous walks
Re-Tracing John Muir's Famous Walks & Travels
John Muir's 1868 Walk from San Francisco to Yosemite
Peter & Donna Thomas - Re-walking John Muir's 1868 Walk from San Francisco to Yosemite (2006) (off-site link)
Peter and Donna Thomas began to document and retrace John Muir's first trip across California in 2006. On March 27, 1868, John Muir arrived in San Francisco from New York, by steamer. John Muir then chose to walk to Yosemite. Muir took the ferry to Oakland and walked via the Santa Clara Valley, over the Pacheco Pass, across the San Joaquin Valley to Snelling, and then up the foothills through Coulterville to arrive in Yosemite Valley around May 22. After finding that no Muir scholar or enthusiast had ever done this before, Peter and Donna Thomas set out to rewalk Muir's 1868 walk on April 2, 2006.Since then, after further research, consolidating 13 sources from Muir's articles, books, and letters (his 1868 journal is missing), they have published Anywhere That is Wild: John Muir's First Walk to Yosemite (Yosemite Conservancy, 2018).
Alex McInturff - California Transect - (2009) (of-site link)
In 1868, when John Muir first arrived in San Francisco, he almost immediately crossed the Bay to Oakland and began walking to Yosemite. On April 6, 2009, Stanford University grad student Alex McInturff set off to retrace Muir's path across California. Alex is a master's student in the Earth Systems Program in the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University. He has been researching the history of and current state of conservation in California.
David Page - Hurtling Toward The Range of Light: A cross-California bike-packing ramble follows in the footsteps of the original conservationist, John Muir. (2011) Read about the 7 day bike ride to Yosemite from San Francisco in Go: AirTran Inflight Magazine (October, 20011
John Muir's 1,000 Mile Walk to the Gulf of Mexico (1867-68)
John Muir's Southern Trek, 150 Years - Conserved Land Along Muir's Path Through Kentucky (off-site link)
In Muir's Steps: Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of John Muir's Trek Through Kentucky by Andrew Berry - offsite link to Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
Retracing John Muir's Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf By Chad Gilpin (Master's Thesis, 2017, University of Kentucky.) (PDF) Almost 150 yearsafter Muir's walk, Chad Gilpin undertook part of the same journey, retracing the wilderness advocate's footsteps through the South to catalog all that has changed in a century and a half of progress. He had to give up about half-way through Muir's trek before giving up; too many highways, it seems.His purpose was "to try and better understand the inception of his environmental ethics, and to learn to see the world as he did, harmonious, interconnected, rejuvenating and imbued with a pervasive spirituality. The chapters of this thesis retell selected legs of that journey."
John Muir's Walk Across the Appalachians by Dan Styer, 2011 (prepared for John Muir Newsletter) - PDF (off-site link.) Dan Styer states "Through study of Muir's writings and of Civil War-era and other historical maps, and through two visits to the area, I have been able to retrace Muir's overmountain route with relative certainty... in order to reconstruct Muir's probable route, I read Muir's book and journal for geographical clues, traced out a reasonable route on Civil War-era and earlier maps, transferred that route to topographical maps from the 1890s and later, and then transferred that route to modern maps. I have recorded the result of this process on Google maps." After supplementing this research with a review of census records and numerous historical books and periodicals, Styer visited the route in person in 2010, including in this article several photographs of what the area looks like today.
Chuck Roe -A Sesquicentennial Account of John Muir's 1,000 Mile Walk - A review of the landscape 150 years after Muir's walk, with a focus on the progress of land conservation and identification of the many publicly-accessible, protected natural areas now located immediately along Muir's route. Roe's intent was to observe and describe the publicly accessible parks, nature preserves, forests and wildlife management areas, and other recreational areas along Muir's walking route through parts of five southern states, in homage and testimony to the success story of land conservation in the southeastern U.S.
James B. Hunt, Restless Fires: Young John Muir's Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf in 1867-68 (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2012). Provides a detailed rendering of Muir's thousand-mile walk based on both manuscript and published accounts. Hunt particularly examines the development of Muir's environmental thought as a young adult. Includes 14 photographic reproductions of pages from Muir's journal containing Muir's often whimsical drawings; three period photographs; and 1 modern (2011) map of Muir's route. As part of his research for the book, Hunt traveled Muir's route from Louisville, Kentucky, to Cedar Key, Florida beginning on September 1, 2007, discovering major and minor libraries and research institutions all along the route which aided in providing maps, diaries, newspapers,local histories, and other historical material relevant to the social, political, and economic context of Reconstruction of the communities through which Muir passed in 1867. A book jacket summary of this book is available, and an annotation on our Annotated John Muir Bibliography.
Ron "Ramblin" Boone, John Muir's "Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf" "Revisited".
This self-published book relates the author's physical re-tracing of Muir's approximate waking route via a mini-camper. Each chapter includes brief excerpts from Muir identifying the various towns he passed through; Boone then elaborates on the history of each geographic area, both before and after Muir's 1867 journey. Includes a line-drawn map, and 14 sketches of various buildings seen along the route. While not really a scholarly work, the endnotes include references to many reference books which elucidate the history of the places Muir visited on his famous walk. (Washington, PA: "Ramblin" Ron Boone, 2006). ISBN No. 0910042969. 87 pp.; Illustrated, Preface, Endnotes, Index. Available from online bookstores such as Amazon.com.
Wil and Sarah Reding - Re-Walking Muir's 1,000 Mile Walk (2006) (Off-site link)
Wil Reding, an interpretive naturalist, has long dreamed of re-walking Muir's 1,000 mile walk. He and his wife Sarah plan to begin re-tracing Muir's steps from Kentucky to Florida in May, 2006.
Michael Muir's Horse Journey Re-Tracing Muir's 1,000 Mile Walk (2003) (off-site link)
Michael Muir, the great grandson of America's most famous naturalist, John Muir, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 15. He is a passionate believer in what people with disabilities can achieve. He uses Horse Journey to show by example that disability does not mean inability. In 2003, his Horse Journey followed the route taken by John Muir in his first great wilderness adventure, The Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf.
Robert Perkins, "Looking for John Muir" - film documentary (1996) (off-site link)
The film maker here passed up an excellent opportunity to explore what Muir's 1,000 Mile Walk to the Gulf may look like today, but instead provides little more than scenes of driving a sidecar motorcycle down truck-infested highways; visiting motels and hotels; and finding almost nothing of Muir left in the South. Because Perkins travels with a dog, he cannot even visit the one place Muir visited which is now a National Park - Mammoth Cave National Park. The only bright spot in this dismal documentary is the visit to Bonaventure Cemetery, which appears to be as beautiful today as when Muir slept there in October of 1867.
Dr. D. Bruce Means retraced Muir's 1,000 walk on the same dates as Muir (leaving Louisville Kentucky on September 2), but in 1984 rather than in 1867, using Muir's journals as a guide. He wrote about it on pages 212-214 (chapter 22 - "Okefenokee Alligators") of his book Stalking the Plumed Serpent and Other Adventures in Herpetology (Pineapple Press, Sarasota, Florida, 2008). Means was heartsick to discover that virtually none of Muir's wilderness remained along the route: "The deep, green sea of bossy oaks and virgin hardwood forests described by Muir were gone from Kentucky and Tennessee. 1 couldn't walk up 'the leafy banks of the Hiawassee ... with its surface broken to a thousand sparkling gems' because that 'most impressive mountain river' had long been drowned behind dams. And more than 90 percent of the vast Coastal Plain longleaf pine forest was clearcut and replaced with agriculture and sterile tree farms."
John Muir's Longest Walk: John Earl, a Photographer, Traces His Journey to Florida by John Earl, with Excerpts from Muir's A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf. (1975)
Photographs of the route of the thousand-mile walk in March of 1973, starting at Cedar Key and retracing Muir's route backward so as to follow spring north. Earl sought out the few places that remain the way they were when Muir first saw them.
John Muir in Alaska
Harriman Expedition - In 1899, railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman organized a summer voyage to the wilds of Alaska: He converted a steamship, the George W. Elder, into a luxury "floating university," populated by some of America's best and brightest scientists and writers, including John Muir. Those aboard encountered a land of immeasurable beauty and impending environmental calamity. This was Muir's seventh trip to Alaska, to Wrangell, Glacier Bay, Sitka, and Prince William Sound. Muir made many friendships on the vessel, and would later write stories about this trip, about the people on board, and the Natives. See: Looking Far North: The Harriman Expedition to Alaska, 1899 by William Goetzmann and Kay Sloan (Viking, 1982).
Harriman Expedition Retraced - On July 22, 2001 over two dozen scientists, artists, and writers left Prince Rupert, British Columbia on the Harriman Expedition Retraced. The Clipper Odyssey followed the itinerary of E. H. Harriman's sailing through the Inside Passage, the Gulf of Alaska, the Aleutian Archipelago, and northward through the Bering Sea, all the way to Nome. The Harriman Expedition Retraced was presented as a film and website presentation on PBS, (now available from Bullfrog Films), and as a book The Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced: A Century of Change, 1899–2001 Edited by Thomas S. Litwin Foreword by David Rockefeller, Jr. (Rutgers University Press (March 14, 2005).
Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier by Mark Adams (Dutton 2018) - In 2016, travel writer Mark Adams set out to retrace the 1899 Harriman Alaska Expedition, relying primarily on the state's intricate public ferry system, the Alaska Marine Highway System, supplemented by plane travel for the ocean portions, especially across the huge Bering Sea. this book melds the history of the Harriman Alaska Expedition, especially focused on John Muir and the other scientists aboard the 1899 steamship, and a fun and evocative form of travel writing into a seamless whole.
John Muir in California
John Muir: A Naturalist in Southern California by Elizabeth Pomeroy (2001)
Historical overview of Muir's frequent visits to the Los Angeles and Pasadena area include Places to Visit: Southland sites associated with Muir which can still be visited today.
Walking with Muir across Yosemite by Thomas R. Vale and Geraldine R. Vale - University of Wisconsin Press Release (offsite link) (1998)
Thomas and Geraldine Vale retrace Muir's path, based upon journal descriptions of his activities and experiences during his first summer in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. From the foothills through Yosemite Valley and on up to the Tuolumne Meadows, the Vales follow the present roads and trails that crossed Muir's route, imagining his reaction to the landscape while reflecting on the natural world in both his time and ours.
My First Summer in the Sierra, 100th anniversary editon by Scot Miller (2011) This edition is illustrated with 72 of Miller's stunning photographs, showcasing the dramatic landscape of the High Sierra plus John Muir's illustrations from the original edition and several previously unpublished illustrations from his 1911 journal manuscript. The photographer Scot Miller states: "I tried to stay true to the geographic locations Muir explored in the summer of 1869."
John Muir in South America
Tracking John Muir to the Monkey Puzzle Forests of Chile by Bruce Byers (off-site link) - fascinating article and photos tracking Muir's visit to Chile in 2012
John Muir Around the World
On the Trail of John Muir by Cherry Good (January 17, 2000)
In this book, each stage of Muir's life and development is set within the context of the places that were special, magical to him - the Canadian forests, the glaciers of Alaska, Arizona's Grand Canyon, and most important of all, the High Sierra of California, where the John Muir Trail now runs for over two hundred miles from Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney. By following the directions and maps included in On the Trail, readers are able to participate in Muir's adventures on both sides of the Atlantic, to feel a part of Muir's world as they too experience the beauty of the wilderness and the need to preserve it.
Retracing John Mur's Travels by Dan Styer (off-site link)
"John Muir in India" - Power Point presentation by Harold Wood, presented at the John Muir in Global Perspective Conference at the University of the Pacific, March 31 - April 1, 2006. Book in progress.
"Around the World with John Muir"- Power Point presentation by Harold Wood. presented at LeConte Memorial Lodge in Yosemite National Park.
Note: The John Muir Trail is a high-route along the crest of the Sierra between Yosemite and Mt. Whitney. Though it covers many of the places Muir visited, but it is not a precise re-creation of Muir's actual Sierra rambles. For more information, see The Complete Guide to the John Muir Trail (off-site link)
Places Important to John Muir
Geography of John Muir
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Structural Cryo-Electron Microscopy Data Store
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a vital structural biology tool that enables the determination of three-dimensional structures of large biological macromolecules, macromolecular complexes, and cell components of biomedical interest, which bridges the gap of complementary structural biology tools such as X -ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The resolution of singl -particle cryo-EM has dramatically improved in the last couple of years and cryo-EM is now an essential technique for structural biology research. When operating in “molecular movie mode” the Titan Krios cryo-EM with Falcon II direct electron detector will produce major data volumes, generating terabytes of images per day. The data produced will be a significant asset to Australian and international researchers and will permit the determination of structures of large complex proteins that resist characterization through approaches such as X-ray crystallography. The data storage made available through this proposal will allow researchers to more easily capture, share and publish images produced using the high-end microscopes of the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Centre for Structural Cryo-Electron Microscopy. More broadly, this undertaking is important to support Australian investment in characterization, providing the missing fabric to collect, collate, and collaborate over data. It will form the basis for a sophisticated workflow, developed under NeCTAR’s Characterisation Virtual Laboratory, that includes significant Australian research infrastructure like the NeCTAR Cloud, MASSIVE, RDSI and VicNode. This Collection will make imaging data from research grants totalling over $100M and instrument grants totalling more than $7M accessible to researchers and provide a mechanism to make the primary research data underlying published research broadly available. This includes data produced by the TitanTM Krios cryo TEM at the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Centre for Structural Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Monash, in collaboration with WEHI, La Trobe University, the University of Melbourne, Burnet Institute and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre). This collection will underpin the $27.9M ARC CoE in Advanced Molecular Imaging, which includes collaborators from Monash University, UNSW, UQ, The University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Australian Synchrotron, University of Warwick, ANSTO, Deutsches ElektronenJSynchrotron, Leica Microsystems Pty Ltd and Carl Zeiss Pty Ltd.
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Tag Archives: Sir William Stanley
Thomas, Lord Stanley
Posted on April 30, 2017 by JuliaH
Thomas Stanley is known either as a politically adroit magnate who successfully navigated the stormy seas of the Wars of the Roses or a treacherous little so-and-so – depending upon your historical view point. Stanley is the bloke married to Margaret Beaufort who is best known for being a tad tardy at Bosworth whilst his brother, Sir William, turned coat and attacked Richard III. Stanley wasn’t the only one whose behaviour during the various battles of the wars seems lacking in the essential codes of knightly behaviour but he certainly seems to have been the most successful at avoiding actually coming to blows with anyone unless there was something in it for him – and no this post is not unbiased.
Thomas was born in 1433 , meaning he was some eight years older than Margaret Beaufort. The Stanley family held estates and office in Lancashire and Cheshire into the Peak District as well as being the titular kings of the Isle of Man.
Thomas turns up in 1454 as one of Henry VI’s squires. By the end of the decade he was married to Eleanor Neville, the daughter of the Earl of Salisbury; making the Kingmaker his brother-in-law.
When the peace between the Lancastrians and Yorkists ground to a sticky halt in 1459 Margaret of Anjou ordered Stanley to assemble men to confront Richard of York. This was a tad tricky as Stanley’s brother-in-law, the Earl of Warwick, was with Richard at Ludlow as indeed was his own brother William Stanley. Apparently the earl of Salisbury also corresponded with Stanley at this time – consequentially although Stanley raised a force of 2000 men they sat and twiddled their fingers whilst the Lancastrians and Yorkists expressed their differences of opinion at Bloreheath in August of that year. Parliament was not amused but everyone decided that the best course of action would be to pretend that it never happened.
Richard of York and the Earl of Warwick scarpered to Ireland and Calais respectively in the aftermath of the battle of Ludford Bridge but their return in 1460 saw Stanley trying to sit on the fence and please both sides. It’s quite tricky to spot where he was during the Battle of Towton – but possibly not in Yorkshire. In any event it helped having a powerful brother-in-law on hand to make the new regime more accessible.
Stanley spent the next few years concreting and pacifying his regional power base. He is recorded as going north to take on the Lancastrians during the first part of the 1460s and he was at court when Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was made public. He became the Justice for Chester – so was one of the magnates that Edward used to rule the regions on his behalf.
Unfortunately Stanley’s brother-in-law was feeling aggrieved. The Kingmaker had not expected Edward IV to get married to a widow with a large family or to start ignoring his advice. In 1470 after the relationship had finally gone sour Warwick took himself and his son-in-law George duke of Clarence off to France to patch things up with Margaret of Anjou and whilst he was at it he arranged the marriage of his youngest daughter Ann Neville to Margaret’s son Prince Edward. Stanley was once again on a sticky wicket. Did he remain loyal to Edward or did he support his brother-in-law?
To answer the question of what Stanley would do it is important to take a step back to 1469 and before that even to 1461. Richard of Gloucester needed someone else to fulfil the role of steward of Penrith Castle and warden of the west march. He chose a man named John Huddleston. Huddleston looked to the Harrington family for patronage. The Harringtons were one of two families who dominated Lancashire and Cheshire – you already know who the other bunch were. The Stanley family – not noted for it front line approach to war- took advantage of the death of Thomas Harrington’s death at the Battle of Wakefield in 1461 fighting for Richard of York, and also that of his son, John, leaving John’s two daughters to inherit. There was a messy court case, some fisticuffs and rather a lot of fudging by Edward IV and Richard of Gloucester who both recognised the loyalty of the Harrington family and the, er, how can I put this – oh yes- shiftiness of the Stanley. Edward IV rather astutely recognised that he couldn’t do without Stanley so he gave the wardship of the two girls to Stanley who intended to marry the little girls to his own son and nephew and thus take control of the estate.
However, the Harrington family argued that the girls were only heiresses if their father -John- had been killed after their grandfather at Wakefield. If Harrington junior had been killed before Harrington senior then there was no case at all because the girls would not be heiresses, their uncle James ( younger brother of John) would automatically inherit. The Harringtons clenched their teeth and retreated to Hornby Castle where they prepared for a siege. Richard by selecting John Huddleston for the important role of warden signposted a downturn in Stanley fortunes and power because he was effectively saying that the Harringtons had a good case for not handing everything over to Thomas Stanley.
Stanley, keen to lay hold of Hornby Castle in Lancashire, sided with Warwick and Henry VI not because of any great loyalty to his brother-in-law or the Lancastrian king but because he was busy having his own baron-on-baron war. Hornby remained Yorkist and the Harrington family who owned it were supported by Richard of Gloucester. It was thanks to this connection that Stanley hadn’t already got his chubby paws on the property. High minded ideals about kingship aside, Stanley besieged the castle because he wanted it he could claim he was doing so in support of Henry VI and with Edward IV on the back foot his irritating little brother couldn’t put his oar in and ruin Stanley’s plans. In short whilst armies were marching around the country slaughtering one another at Barnet and Tewkesbury Stanley was sorting out a property dispute and siding with the colour rose most likely to benefit him.
When Edward IV arrived back in London having dispatched the Lancastrians the Stanley boys removed their red roses and were brandishing white ones with enthusiasm – Thomas from a safe distance. He was swiftly re-admitted to the political fold with a place on the privy council.
By this time Stanley was a widower so had no dodgy Neville extended family. In June 1472, eight months after the death of Sir Henry Stafford, Margaret Beaufort took Stanley as husband number four. The two were, naturally related, in this instance via Sir Henry Stafford (husband number three). Stanley’s marriage to the last Beaufort standing didn’t seem to do Stanley any harm. He became Lord Steward of the Royal Household and turned up in 1482 in Scotland when he was part of the force that captured Berwick-upon-Tweed back from the Scots.Margaret Beaufort probably chose her fourth husband based on the idea of needing someone who could protect her interests and Stanley had already demonstrated advanced skills in self-interest as well as being, somewhat bizarrely, well-in with Edward IV. Whilst Margaret worked on re-establishing her son, Stanley continued to work on dominating vast tracts of Lancashire and Cheshire. For a man not keen to wield a sword on the battle field rather a lot of his opponents soon found themselves on the wrong end of Stanley’s weaponry. Sir John Butler of Warrington was murdered by Stanley’s servants – it was a reminder about who was in charge in the region. Stanley got away with it – he doesn’t even appear to have got his wrist slapped.
There was no love lost between Richard of Gloucester and Stanley. There was the Hornby Castle affair to consider as well as Stanley’s failure to relinquish key northern roles to Gloucester in 1469. It is perhaps not surprising that in 1483 when Richard was unsure who to trust in the run up to taking his nephew’s throne for himself that Stanley found himself briefly under arrest. Stanley who was at the privy council meeting in the Tower on the morning that Lord Hastings was summarily executed was perhaps lucky not to meet with a similar end.
So what did Thomas Stanley have that both Edward IV and Richard III needed that he was able to get away with murder and change sides without too much inconvenience? One gets the feeling it wasn’t his charm and sparkling personality. Stanley was effectively a “mini-king maker” although not as wealthy or influential as the earl of Warwick, Stanley ran the Northwest of England and the border with North Wales. He was able to put a huge number of men in the field (even if they did just stand around). It seems to be that both Edward IV and Richard III felt that it was better to have Stanley on their side than against them.
Stanley played an important part at Richard III’s coronation and did rather well out of the duke of Buckingham’s rebellion in 1483, even though Margaret Beaufort found herself under house arrest and all her assets transferred to her husband.
He became Lord Constable of England although there was the caveat that when Stanley left court to go to Lathom that Richard expected Stanley’s son Lord Strange to be on hand…not a hostage….an incentive for Stanley to return. Of course, once Henry Tudor landed in 1485 Lord Strange was very definitely a hostage. Richard III reminded Thomas that if he don’t tow the line there would be unpleasant consequences for Lord Strange.
At Bosworth on 22nd August 1485 Thomas Lord Stanley did what he did best – he sat around and twiddled his fingers. Lord Strange survived the battle despite the fact that his father’s forces sat between the two opposing armies and did absolutely nothing. Meanwhile Sir James Harrington (you remember the Harringtons and Hornby Castle) rocked up loyal as you please to Richard III. The Harringtons had been loyal to the white rose from start to finish. Sir James may well have been carrying the king’s banner when he died at Richard’s side.
On the 27 October 1485 his step-son, now Henry VII of England, made his earl of Derby and naturally Thomas found himself taking on lots of other jobs as well although Henry VII did execute brother William Stanley in 1495 for his part in the Perkin Warbeck affair.
Thomas Stanley died on the 29 July 1504 – in his bed at Lathom. I’m not actually sure why I object to the man so much. He’s no better and no worse than many other magnates of the period. He was singularly successful at not being present on any battlefield ( which shows a modicum of common sense singularly lacking at the time). He was undoubtedly intelligent and was able to excel politically during a time of instability – more able in some respects than the various Plantagenet scions that hacked one another to pieces on the battle fields of England; definitely more savvie than the honourable Harringtons. However, the Harrington affair, the murder of Sir John Butler and Stanley’s ability to sit on the fence, irrelevant of the plight of his son, combine in my mind at least to make him an unpleasant little weasel who definitely didn’t get what he deserved …which means, as Mr Spock would say, that my logic is defective as this is History and not a story book where honourable loyal people live happily ever after.
Michael J. Bennett, ‘Stanley, Thomas, first earl of Derby (c.1433–1504)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/26279, accessed 30 April 2017]
Norton, Elizabeth. (2011). Margaret Beaufort: Mother of Dynasty. Stroud: Amberley Press
Wagner, John A. (2001) Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses.
Posted in Fifteenth Century, Wars of the Roses | Tagged Battle of Bloreheath, Bosworth, Chester, Earl of Derby, Earl of Salisbury, Earl of Warwick, Edward IV, Eleanor Neville, Hornby Castle, John Harrington, Lathom, Lord Strange, Margaret Beaufort, Margaret of Anjou, Richard III, Richard of Gloucester, Sir James Harrington, Sir John Butler, Sir William Stanley, Thomas Lord Stanley, Thomas Stanley, Warrington | 5 Replies
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The Peak District National Trust Centre September 10, 2019 at 10:30 am – 12:00 pm Ashford War Memorial Hall, Ashford in the Water Tudor: Royal Blood and its Curse Trace the Tudor family tree to meet the men and women with a claim to England’s crown and find out how their blood condemned them to tragic ends. From Lady Jane Grey, her sisters and her nephews to Arbella Stuart and the Lady Margaret Clifford- Countess of Derby.
Detail from door grill leading to the vault where George Duke of Clarence and his wife Isobel Neville are buried in Tewkesbury Abbey.
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The Best Stand Up Comedy Tours of 2014! (vote)
The heart of stand up is of course working the clubs, and the culmination of working all those club dates is the comedy tour. We picked six tours that everyone was talking about this year. These five single acts were the hot tickets this year, and of course we couldn’t talk about great tours without bringing up Funny or Die’s Oddball comedy tour, which brought together the biggest names in comedy on stages across the country. We picked six standout tours but you will pick which was the biggest, the best and funniest tour of the year. Vote below!
Dave Chappelle: Dave Chappelle’s comeback tour was the most buzzed about comedy show this year, featuring the legendary comedian making his first return to large venues in years. The tour got off to a highly publicized rocky start in Hartford, Connecticut as fans began heckling him with references to his old show, forcing the comic to walk off stage. Chappelle was eventually able to regain control of the tour as he performed NINE sold out shows at Radio City Music Hall on a much talked about New York media tour. No other comedian can pull off such a feat and we may never see it done again.
Oddball Tour: The Oddball Comedy Tour brought an ever changing line up of the biggest names in stand up including: Louis CK, Sarah Silverman, Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Buress, and Amy Schumer, among others. That many giant names sharing the stage on an entire tour is unheard of. The tour also featured guest drop ins from Dave Chappelle on the same stage that he had walked off a year earlier. Here’s hoping they bring back the Oddball Tour in 2015, one of the most memorable tours of the year.
Hannibal Buress: ‘The Comedy Camisado’ tour by Hannibal Buress was named by Buress because it means an attack that happens at night which he thought was fitting for comedy. Buress has made the tour extra enjoyable by occasionally appearing onstage in a jumpsuit adorned with his own face while touring across the country in a tour bus making impromptu stops at tuxedo shops. Buress is at the top of his game right now, making his tour one of the must see’s of 2014.
Tig Notaro: Tig Notaro’s tour ‘Boyish Girl Interrupted’ is the biggest tour of her career, marking her first tour since her 2012 album ‘Live’ in which she detailed her breast cancer diagnosis. Notaro received a lot of publicity while appearing at NYC’s Town Hall in which she began performing topless halfway though her set, revealing her scars after undergoing a double mastectomy. Notaro received a standing ovation to end the show making it one of the most memorable stops on the tour. The tour is currently on hiatus after Notaro was hospitalized with internal bleeding but Notaro has promised to resume the tour.
Tim & Eric: It would seem like it would be impossible for Tim & Eric to match the weirdness of their television show with a live, stage version but somehow the duo pulled it off. One stop on the tour included the two of them attempting to improvise onstage for five minutes before abruptly announcing that it just wasn’t working out and that the rest of the show was cancelled. The two quickly returned to the stage to loudly admonish the audience members who had begun walking to the exits before launching into prepared bits featuring some of their most popular characters which included actor John C. Reilly as ‘Dr. Steve Brule’ making the Time and Eric live show as one you have to see live to really experience it.
Mike Birbiglia: The comedian known for his one man shows kicked off his “Thank God For Jokes” tour last January. Mike Birbiglia called this nationwide tour the most excited he’s been to get back on the road. His “Thank God” tour was a show all about joke telling and the trouble it can lead to. Birbiglia specializes in talking about those awkward situations that most people would rather not speak of again. For Mike Birbiglia, the more embarrassing, the better. His tour provided plenty of opportunity to tell his audience humiliating things about himself. The “Thank God For Jokes” tour had a 3 month schedule to start with and just kept rolling out more dates, filling up Mike Birbiglia‘s 2014.
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Home › Interview › Improvising on the mode of success: Edition Records’ story
Improvising on the mode of success: Edition Records’ story
By peterbacon on 12 April 2016 • ( 0 )
I’ve been sent this prepared feature by a PR agency, and I don’t usually just put anything I’m sent on this site in unadulterated form, but as this interview/case study is with Dave Stapleton of Edition Records – a man I have great respect for running a really classy label – I thought I’d go with it.
Dave has some interesting things to say, especially about embracing music streaming, about how he divides his time, and about how his record label survives in an industry which is “badly funded”:
How does a record label and micro-business survive and thrive through a music industry revolution? As the eighth World Record Store Day takes place this month, jazz label Edition Records’ founder Dave Stapleton explains how his indie label and micro-business operates in an under-funded market, as well as the tools that are improving his cashflow and giving him room to grow.
Hungerford-based jazz label Edition Records will be celebrating its eighth birthday at the end of April, and has over the last few years grown to become ‘one of the most vital record labels in jazz music’ according to the Yorkshire Post, and by the Irish Times as ‘one of the more artistically credible independent labels to emerge in Europe in some time’. Edition Records now looks after between 20 and 25 artists on a continual basis and has just increased its release schedule from 9 to 17 – proof of an extraordinary level of growth in a tempestuous and under-funded market.
“Edition Records has always been about supporting and empowering the artists, and above all, the honesty of the music”
“Edition Records began after I wanted to find a way to put my music out myself, and an inability to say no to friends who were in a similar position,’ explains Dave Stapleton, a professional pianist and composer-turned-entrepreneur. “It grew to the point where I needed to make the decision to scale back my own music career and focus on the label, but it’s always been more about supporting and empowering artists and the honesty of the music than about profit.” Under Dave’s direction, Edition Records has since been named as one of the top five jazz labels in Europe, achieved essentially as a one-man band, with office support from just one other part-time colleague and now a network of distributors across the globe.
“Vinyl is a great listening experience, but the manufacturing is a challenge”
The label produces CDs, vinyls and digital releases, where Dave is experiencing the full extent of change that consumer behaviour has driven around music format. “Our most popular format is still CDs, but vinyl is growing a huge amount at the moment which is really exciting,” Dave explains. “Vinyl promotes a great listening experience, but the manufacturing process is difficult at the moment – the printing cost is a challenge, as is the three to four months it takes to get vinyl pressed and prepared. It’s a much slower process and there is not much investment in vinyl, although we’re expecting this to change as it continues growing.”
“if someone buys a CD and listens to it 20,000 times, the artist will only be paid from the single transaction that took place at the start of the customer’s experience. Streaming gives artists much longer-term revenue.”
While digital downloads have been falling, Dave has embraced this change as a business. “Streaming is increasing massively so of course it isn’t a surprise. We embrace streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music in a way that other labels aren’t doing, as they are long-term revenue streams and really help to promote our artists and build audiences. For example, if someone buys a CD and listens to it 20,000 times, the artist will only be paid from the single transaction that took place at the start of the customer’s experience. Streaming gives artists much longer-term revenue.”
As indie publishing and the vinyl revival continues, record fairs are popping up all over the country. Old Spitalfields Market in London for example now hosts regular record fairs as well as an Independent Label Market, welcoming collections of specialist record traders and music enthusiasts. “While we haven’t been able to go to any in the UK recently, there are a lot of events popping up in Bristol and London that are great to see”, explains Dave. “Mixing with the customers and labels is always a benefit. It’s a small industry which encourages a really nice community.”
“The jazz industry is badly funded, and late payments and credit terms can be especially crippling. This is where the business management tools I use make a difference”
Edition Records has survived through a financial crash and immense industry changes, so the journey hasn’t been easy. “Starting from just £5,000 in an account and growing in an industry that has transformed so much has been a huge challenge,” says Dave. “The jazz industry is badly funded, and late payments and credit terms can be especially crippling. This is where the business management tools I use make a difference. I started using accounting software from Xero last year, after doing all the accounts on spreadsheets and the time it has saved me is incredible.”
“As a musician with no previous accounting knowledge, Xero has radically changed things for me”
Dave uses Xero in the office for invoicing, checking payments and for an overview on the health of the business’s financials and the software has saved him vast amounts of time a week. “I used to spend hours per week typing and checking everything in by hand. Xero has automated the process and radically changed things for me as a musician with no prior accounting knowledge. The daily notifications I get are really useful, as are the monthly reports I receive, and seeing what’s owed and what’s coming through gives me peace of mind and confidence that cash flow will be healthy for the next few months. I use it daily and I know there’s a lot more it can do that I haven’t learnt about yet.”
But aside from using management tools such as Xero, Dave is strict with the organisation of his time as a micro-business. “I tend to separate my day into quadrants, split between communication with artists, operations, such as registering tracks and sending things off, the creative side such as the development of the assets we need to promote, and planning for the future. I give some time each day to these four areas to try to make sure nothing pressing gets missed.”
For budding entrepreneurs who may be considering starting their own music label business, Dave has the following tips for the best chance of success:
Focus on what’s important: distribution, promotion and accounting:
Distributors are key for getting the music in front of fans so they need to be experts in the market and quick to react to a fast-evolving market
Promotion is equally important – it can be handled in-house, but try to make sure you are giving the artist every opportunity if you choose to promote without the help of an agency.
Invest in the right tools to help you with your accounting, particularly if numbers aren’t your strong suit. The right package will do all the hard work for you.
Ensure you understand the terms of each deal with the artists you sign, and try to ensure you get the longest term possible for each album.
Although your own goals are important, try not to focus too much on them. Running a record label is varied, exciting and really satisfying if music is your passion. Enjoy the journey!
You can find out more about Edition Records (which on Friday released the sixth CD by Anglo-Scandinavian trio Phronesis – yep, I’m listening to it as I write in order to review it very soon) HERE.
‹ Zoe Gilby Quartet
Phronesis – Parallax ›
Categories: Interview
Tags: dave stapelton, edition records, Featured, independent label, music streaming, xero
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National Education Advocate Says Family Is Key to Learning
By Monique Chappell
Special to the NNPA News Wire from The Charlotte Post
Education always played a big part in Byron Garrett’s life.
“Education has always been a love of our family,” said Garrett, a Greensboro native and chairman of the National Family Engagement Alliance. “It’s always been the key thing that we believe to help you transition from one space in life to the next. So I found myself as a school principal and a state [education] advisor really focusing on education strategy and believing it is a key opportunity to do great work.”
Although education influenced Garrett, it was two nephews who pushed him to do more. They were living in South Carolina when Garrett learned they were having great difficulty.
“My eldest brother, their father, has been incarcerated for 18 years,” he said this week at EpicFest, a Charlotte reading festival for families. “So here I was a school principal helping someone else’s kids and then I find out my youngest nephew is two years behind. It even gave me a different sense of urgency to figure a strategy out. [I wanted to figure out] how we can help young people live the best life that they can and get a great education and that’s what’s critically important. I realized we all have a collective responsibility to think differently about how we support the education of young people.”
“There’s Greatness on the Inside,” Garrett’s first children’s book, was influenced by a student in Omaha, Nebraska when he was asked to speak to children in grades K-2.
“I was trying to figure out what I can say to a 6-year-old that would be impactful but is simple enough for them to have the concept and can be something that they can carry with them,” he said.
That is when he came up with the repetitive line that is featured in the book: “If the mind can conceive it and the heart can believe it then the hands can achieve it.”
He even came up with actions to go along with it.
“As I was leaving, one of the students said ‘this would make a great book’,” Garrett said.
Garrett had no interest in writing a children’s book and didn’t even know where to begin. So on his way back home on the plane, he jotted down key phrases from his presentation and later met up with illustrators determine to create a children’s book.
“After that it took on a whole different life of its own,” he said. “It’s something for people of all ages. Whether you’re an adult, student or working with children, it’s the message that’s universal and applies regardless of where you live or who you are.”
For EpicFest, Garrett was featured in a free workshop for educational leaders and parents. After the workshop, he made it his duty to visit John M. Morehead STEM Academy to talk to students about life skills and strategies that are effective in being successful. Anywhere he goes, Garrett does a school visit.
“I think it helps me keep an authentic connection with students and it gives them an opportunity to see an author if they never met an author before,” he said. “That’s quite an exciting feeling to them because they think ‘wow it’s possible I can do this too. This is your book and you’re here in person.’”
Garrett believes that because he started as a speaker before a writer it helps him stand out from other authors who participated in EpicFest.
“I have a unique ability to convey a message and bring it to life telling stories that captivate and engage people in the process,” he said. “So I think that’s incredibly helpful. A lot of authors like to hide behind the words. I’m the complete opposite. I want to see the person. My grandmother always told me if you want to see a person for who they really are look them in their eyes and you’ll see the windows to their soul. And I never really understood that as a kid. But I do now. When I’m in front of a student, parent or audience it gives me the chance to engage in a very different way.”
Garrett said his book was essentially made because people need to be reminded and be encouraged that they truly can do amazing things.
“The glass is always half full,” he said. We just need to figure out how I can help you see that.
I get energized off of helping young people craft a vision that’s larger than what they currently see.”
Garrett has experience from both the non-profit and governmental sectors and strongly believes it is an advantage and has helped him with his greatest achievements.
“I’ve been able to see how society functions as a principal and as a state [education] advisor, so it gives me a chance to kind of see from the most local opportunity all the way across to a national stage,” he said. “I can sit with the governor and [ask] what is your state doing or what is your strategy but I can also drill down into a classroom and ask a teacher about their best practice of working with students. My ability to reach people in a variety of segments is much broader.”
Garret believes he isn’t defined by one industry. He also has major plans for the future.
“I always keep things on the horizon,” he said. “We’re working with some folks out in New York to possibly do a school based production where students can act out the characters of the book and bring them to life. We’re also working with a toy company to create a plush toy for the little boy and little girl so I’m in the process of thinking of names for the characters.”
Popular Interests In This Article: Byron Garrett, EpicFest, Monique Chappell
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Racine Native Writes Tell-All Book to Help Families Cope with their Traumas
Marriage and Money (Part 1)
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IndyTalks: Full transcript of Steve Sisolak's interview with The Nevada Independent
January 29th, 2019 - 2:05am
Gov. Steve Sisolak reacts to a question during an "Indy Talks" event on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, at the Smith Center. (Daniel Clark/The Nevada Independent)
Gov. Steve Sisolak showed many of his cards during last week’s IndyTalks forum, detailing his positions on everything from education funding to banning private prisons.
Sisolak, the first Democratic governor of the state in two decades, will have a nearly unparalleled opportunity to implement his agenda thanks to united Democratic control of the Legislature, which gavels in next week for its 120-day session.
Although he noted many of his policy priorities and budget decisions earlier this month in his State of the State address, Sisolak gave more details during the IndyTalks interview with Nevada Independent Editor Jon Ralston, including his support for a $12 minimum wage and ending cash bail.
The Nevada Independent summarized Sisolak’s answers after the event last week, and has also published video and audio of the event.
Below is a full transcript of the IndyTalks interview with Sisolak, with additional context. Click the highlighted text to read annotations from Indy reporters.
Jon Ralston: Governor, thanks for coming.
Gov. Steve Sisolak: It is a pleasure, Jon. I am glad to hear you have got so many students here today. I appreciate y’all coming out. I appreciate it.
Isn’t that great?
It’s very nice, yeah. You are teaching them.
Does it feel real yet?
It is sinking in. It is slowly sinking in.
What is making it sink in?
The work. No, I am really, I am enjoying it. I have been back and forth between here and Carson City numerous times. I go back up early tomorrow morning and I will be up through the start of the session. And, we are having a good time. Learning a lot. We have made some big appointments and getting our policies in order and working with legislative leadership and meeting some of the new folks coming in, so it has been educational for me and I am enjoying it.
What surprised you the most so far?
Geez.
Already stumped him. What is the over? What is the under?
I don’t think anything has really surprised me. I don’t think anything surprised me. It is a lot of work. I expect it to be a lot of work. I have been very, very fortunate. I think I have hired the best chief of staff that anybody has ever had in Michelle White. I know Mike Willden did a great job for [Gov.] Brian [Sandoval], but Michelle has just been rock-solid for me. And we have made, like I said, some good appointments, and you know, through how all of that has progressing, we have got a few more to go, but it is something that I am looking forward to. And I really believe in talking to [Assembly Speaker] Jason [Frierson] and [Senate Majority Leader] Kelvin [Atkinson] and we will be able to accomplish some good stuff this year.
You know, it is interesting, and I have known you a long time as I mentioned, you put your daughters front and center in your campaign, and after you were elected, it has been a couple of months now or so, what do they want you to do?
Be myself. That is all they really want me to do. I am blessed with two great kids. I have got very strong women in my life. My mom is 92 and this Friday is going to be my four-week anniversary of getting married to Kathy. So, she is the best thing that has happened to me, obviously. They were very, very supportive of me, my daughters were. They always have been. We have got a close bond because of the way they grew up, so it has been a tremendous experience for all of us.
Do they have any specific policies they really want you to push?
They don’t?
Would you tell me if they did?
Okay, that is what I thought. You know a lot of people here, Governor, might not know about what your real start in politics was. They know about you being a regent and a county commissioner, but it actually began in ’94 and ’96 when you actually ran for the state Senate unsuccessfully against Bill O’Donnell and then Ann O’Connell. Sorry to remind you of this.
Those were two losses, Jon, and you are reminding me of the losses.
What I have been wondering is I have been thinking about tonight, Governor, is besides Dina Titus and her persuasive skills in getting you to run, you were a businessman at the time, you were successful back then. Why did you want to get into public office? What prompted you to do it in the first place?
I have been fortunate. I moved to Nevada in 1976, graduated from UNLV, got my MBA at UNLV, and had a couple of small businesses, and I have been blessed. I have been very fortunate, and I want the next generation, including my kids, to have the same opportunities that I had. Anything that I can do to contribute to that. My dad has been gone now for about 16 years and he always told me to try to leave the world a little bit better place than you found it and that is what I intend to do.
But when you first, I mean, what made you think that it would be fun to get into public life after being a successful businessman? What was the pitch and what was it inside you that said, I want to do this?
The first time I think I was a little naïve when I got talked into running, I had no idea what is was really going to be all about. But, I enjoyed it. I learned a lot. I really got to speak to a lot of people, understand a little bit better what is going on, and I wanted to lobby for things that are good – good laws and good regulations – for the regular, everyday folks, and that is what got me motivated.
You lobbied the Legislature. You know a little bit about the process and then you decided, “Hey, I can do that.”
Well, that is what I thought, but I was unsuccessful. I got the hat and the t-shirt to show for both of those losses. It was educational, like I say, when I went up against two well-funded Republicans and we ran good campaigns, just came up a little bit on the short end. But, I learned a lot about politics and moved on to the Board of Regents when there was an opening. Maddy Graves asked me to run. It was his seat. And then, when term limits kicked in and Commissioner Woodbury couldn’t run any more, I took that as a challenge.
You don’t want to talk about that whole episode, do you?
Sure. I am open to anything.
Nah, that was fun. But, what I am curious about, and I think there are some people who still don’t know a lot about, where is Steve Sisolak on the political spectrum? I mean, where is he if you put the Democratic party, if you put Alexandria Ocasio Cortez here and you put Joe Manchin here.
Geez, Jon.
I mean, you sounded pretty liberal during that State of the State speech, which will get to in a minute, as you know. But, when you were on the Clark County Commission, you were really seen as a business Democrat. You supported a lot of development projects, some of which were controversial. You went after some of the public employee unions at times, and even [the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department] you took on for a while over the sales tax, and that was before you gave away the store to the Raiders, but we will get to that in a second.
Somehow, I knew that was coming, Jon. Somehow, I knew that one was coming.
I mean, I don’t like labels. You probably don’t either – liberal, moderate, conservative. But, talk about what is your political philosophy. What governs you? Where do you think you fit in the spectrum?
I don’t know. I guess I leave that to pundits like yourself. I really consider myself a pragmatist, a realist, a common sense-type of philosophy I use in governing. I consider myself a Nevadan and a family man first, and if it is in the best interest of my constituents and the citizens of Nevada, I support it. If not, I will take you head on.
You know, the criticism of someone who describes themselves the way that you just did, as a pragmatist, is what is it you really believe in? And if someone said to you, “What do you really believe in,” there are lines that you won’t cross, certain issues that you are really passionate about. Obviously, education was one because you were on the Board of Regents for a while. But, what are the issues that really get you going? And, I think you probably learned some stuff even as you ran for governor about issues you didn’t even know about, whether it is prisons or other kinds of issues, right?
Yeah. I did learn a lot and I continued to learn every single day. You know, whether it is about horses or prisons or whatever it might be, DHHS. I guess that my philosophy is that the everyday person in my opinion, that the economic robust that we have experienced in the last eight, ten years, has not made it down to the everyday Nevadan. I mean, they haven’t had the opportunity to experience some of the increases and the benefits that resulted from our economy, and I want to make sure, as I said in my speech, that every Nevadan around every dinner table has the same opportunity for advancement that the wealthy and those sitting on the board of directors have had for the last 10 years.
Why is that do you think, and you have articulated this before, I think you mentioned it in the State of the State to some extent, why hasn’t that, if it is true, and I assume you have picked up from talking to a lot of people plus looking at statistics, why is it true that it hasn’t trickled all the way down to some people?
I think our structure, the way it is set up, I mean, a lot of the taxes we have are regressive when you get to sales tax and you get to fuel tax, and some of those things, and I think that our wage structure like it is, it is difficult for somebody to make that big leap up from, you know, from being basically at the bottom of the ladder in the socioeconomic ladder to a few rungs up. And, it is tough. Parents work their entire lives to support their kids an education so that they can make that leap, and I think as a government it is our responsibility to make sure that everybody is treated equally, whether it comes to education, whether it comes to job opportunities, whether it comes to health care, that everybody has a chance. And that is what I believe in and that is what we are going to fight for for the next four years.
Okay, no more applause. I am kidding. I mentioned Brian Sandoval jokingly earlier, third term for Brian Sandoval, but you accepted much of what he had in his budget — we are going to talk a little bit about that in a second — but are you offended by me saying that this is Brian Sandoval’s third term. Do you think it is?
I mean, it is my first term. Is it going to be similar to what Brian would have been in his third term? I mean, it might very well be. He and I have a lot of the same philosophies. I count Governor Sandoval as a friend. I mean, he did an incredible job as far as I am concerned for the state of Nevada while he was there. That deserves a round of applause. We disagree on a few things, but we agree on awful lot of them. I mean, he showed a lot of political courage, especially with the expansion of Medicaid. He helped an awful lot of people and that is something that I want to continue. I think he stood up and he did the right thing even against his own party sometimes and against what might have been the opinion of his advisors.
Do you think he voted for you?
After some of the things that he said, I doubt he voted for an opponent, but I don’t know.
Okay, let’s talk about the State of the State speech and let’s go through some of the things in there. And let me start with —
You got a lot of pages of questions there.
I do indeed. I do indeed. Settle in everybody, we are going to be here all night. So, one of the things you mentioned very early in your speech, and you seemed very proud of it, and I am going to read from it, okay, and then we are going to talk about it. “This budget is presented without any new taxes.” Let me say that again. “This balanced budget does not contain any new taxes.” Okay, George Bush ‘41.
No new taxes, Jon. There were no new taxes on it.
We are reading your lips. Well, well, not exactly.
Exactly. There were no new taxes in that.
There was this trigger for the payroll tax, also known as the modified business tax. It was designed when the commerce tax was passed and it was supposed to balance out if they didn’t want to create a windfall, they didn’t want to create a situation where Kenny Guinn, where we had to give back all this money for political reasons. And you are also keeping all these millions of dollars that are supposed to go into the highway fund through the government’s services tax just so you can arguably, and I say arguably, claim not to have raised taxes. You are raising taxes.
I am not raising taxes. Let’s do the second one first. If you are talking about the highway tax, it is a continuation of a redistribution of a current tax. That is not a tax increase.
It wasn’t supposed to go in, was it?
The redistribution?
You could always redistribute things. Sometimes in your budget, you take from your household budget and you have to do a home repair. You know, that is just the way it is. That is just a continuation of a redistribution is all that is. A sunsetting of a tax that we are just going to delay this sunsetting tax is not an increase. That is a delay of a sunset.
You think a lot of people out there are buying that? It is like, I don’t hear them clapping for that one.
Well, that is what it is. I mean, you know –
Taxes never sunset, even Governor Sandoval said –
I am not the one who passed the tax. I am not the one who passed the tax. I am just the one who is continuing the sunset, that is all I am doing. I am mother nature in this argument, Jon. I am just continuing the sunset.
Where is the sunrise, sir? When is it going to be morning in Nevada again? I mean, I guess we are being facetious here, and people can argue semantics, whether it is a tax increase or not. But, you decided to do that for a reason, and there are a lot of small businesses who thought that that payroll tax was going down. They may have even relied on it. I mean, is the only reason you did that is because you didn’t want to have to raise taxes or was there some public policy reason for doing it?
No, I disagree with you, Jon. I don’t think any business relied on the sunset of that tax to stay in business for another year.
I didn’t say to stay in business, and it is a very small amount. I understand.
Yeah, it’s a very small amount.
But if you’re a large employer they might be upset with you too and those are the important ones, right?
No, I don’t think they’re upset with me.
I think that they view it the way I view it and I listened to some of the individuals that I’m going to be working with in Carson City, as they’re related to these two moves. If you want to cut Meals on Wheels and not feed our seniors, or you want to cut mental health, or you want to make our schools less safe than I allocated for the budget, go ahead and argue with me, but I don’t think the vast majority of our legislators or the citizens in Nevada think that that’s a wise thing to do.
You guys just heard the leverage that he’s going to use against the Legislature. You’re going to keep repeating that the entire session? Are you not?
I don’t think I need any leverage.
I think that, common sense, I think everybody up there has a heart and I met with these senior citizens. We had 900 and some odd on the waitlist to get Meals on Wheels. I mean that’s unconscionable to me. We need more medical mental health professionals in our school and in our communities, and those are just some things. I mean we need to make our schools safer. We had a committee that was set aside that studied school safety and it’s incumbent upon us to make the investment necessary to keep our communities safe and to service those and provide for the basic necessities for those that don’t have much and that’s why I continue with what I did.
You better enjoy this. This is going to be the best part of the night for you.
And I’m not dodging it. I’m going to own it. That’s what I did.
No, I don’t think you’re dodging it at all, but you’re talking about the spending side and a lot of people in this room and a lot of people on both sides of the political outlet are going to agree with Meals on Wheels and some of the other things that you’re funding, I think. It’s not that. It’s how you’re doing it. And you essentially said that the revenue structure of Nevada is responsible for the economic boom. It ain’t broke, let’s not fix it. So the revenue structure is fine and you’re just going to keep sunset and not sunsetting things that are supposed to be sunset? Is that the Sisolak policy?
The revenue structure had those taxes in place and I think they’re working just fine. The revenue structure as I inherited from Governor Sandoval is doing very, very well and our revenue structure moving forward the next biennium is going to be the same revenue structure, so I think that’s a positive thing and we’re going to provide more services than were provided under previous budget.
From a political standpoint, some people would say, oh, why did he do that? Now he’s given the Republicans, who essentially would be irrelevant otherwise in Carson City. They can meet in a phone booth in the Assembly and there’s barely more of them in the Senate. There’s one short of a super majority in the Senate. It’s going to take two-thirds to get those things done now, the sunsets. You gave the Republicans leverage to hold the whole session up. Thanks a lot, Governor.
Well, you’re the one that said it’s going to take two-thirds. I’m not convinced it’s necessarily going to take two-thirds. One of them I’m certain is not going to take two-thirds, I’m pretty confident, the continuation of the redistribution is not going to take two-thirds. There’s a disagreement among legal scholars whether or not the other one will take two-thirds, but besides that, I don’t want the Republicans meeting in a phone booth. I’m a firm believer, as I said in my speech, I want everybody coming together. I met with leadership, both the minority and majority, and I believe for us to be a stronger Nevada, I want to hear everybody’s ideas. I want to hear everybody’s ideas. I want to hear everybody’s proposals and I think if we sit down and we get together and reach a consensus, we’ll make better laws and the state will be better for it. I want everyone to be relevant.
Good luck. The rainy-day fund and what you’re doing with that, that’s been controversial for a long time.
It has.
How much should be in the rainy-day fund? You had to deal with essentially a rainy-day fund when you were at the County Commission to some extent, but by law, you have to have 5% in there, and what you’re doing is you’re essentially taking $150 million out of there to help balance your budget. I don’t know how many people know that. You’re putting $45 million a year in, but you’re taking $150 million a year out of there to balance your budget. And so I really want you to give me a candid answer to this if that’s possible. Did you essentially say, I want to spend all this money on X, Y, and Z, and I’m not criticizing the spending priorities, but we need to figure out some kind of gimmickry so we don’t do this and raise taxes and that’s why you came up with this not sunsetting the tax and sweeping $150 million out of the rainy-day fund? That conversation occurred, right?
You give me a lot more credit than I deserve, Jon. No, that conversation did not occur. We’re obligated to, under law statute, provide for the rainy-day fund, to make contributions to the rainy-day fund. We’re doing that. The last session is the first one that that was done under Brian Sandoval, Governor Sandoval, and we’re going to continue that through this buy-in, because we’re going to need that at some time, whether that recession comes in two years or comes in five years or ten years, we’re definitely going to need that. The last time we had a rainy-day fund, we cut through it like nothing because we didn’t have enough money in there. So it’s put in there for a reason and that’s where it’s going to stay.
I guess what I’m wondering is how many people know that with the economic forum saying things are going well, $590 million or so of new revenue, what you’ve done is essentially you are spending $400 million or so above that through the methods that I just described in addition to diverting, I believe, $54 million…do I have that number right? I think I do.
From which?
From the pot tax, right?
That’s a good guess, yeah.
See, I studied your budget, Sir.
Okay. So almost a billion dollars of new spending. You’re comfortable with that?
You are? Why?
Because we’re in a robust economy right now. Unemployment is at a record low. I think that the economy is moving along fine, as you said, and I appreciate you bringing it up. We’re going to have more revenue coming from the new stadium that we’re going to have online.
Did I bring that up?
You did bring that up. You did bring that up.
Oh, okay. I don’t remember that.
And the increase in the marijuana tax, so I’m comfortable that our revenues will meet projections and we won’t have any type of a shortfall.
I guess what I’m wondering is did that number give you any sticker shock at all? What? A billion dollars almost?
I spent a long time going over the budget with our analysts and my advisors and spent some long nights up in the Governor’s office looking at the various numbers and after going through and massaging them and understanding the revenue sources and expenditures, I feel comfortable that we’re going to be in a good, sound financial position.
As I said, I’ve known you for a while. Here’s what I think probably happened, and correct me if I’m wrong. You went through and you learned about all these programs. You didn’t know in granular detail what the state budget looked like before you ran, maybe even until after you won, and I think you said, listen, I can’t cut this. We need to keep going with this and we need to find a way to pay for it and I don’t want to raise taxes but this is what I believe in as the governor. Did something like that happen?
[laughs]
That’s a yes.
That’s pretty close to a yes, that’s pretty close to a yes. There are certain things that I feel very, very strongly about. Mental health is one issue that I feel incredibly strong about. We need much more in the way of mental health. It’s been woefully underfunded. We are investing more in mental health than has been done in a decade. We’re investing more in health and human services than we have ever put into the budget before. I feel that preexisting conditions must be continued to be covered. Those are things that are absolutely just non-starters for me, that are so, so important to me, and yes, I said to my staff, here’s a list of A, B, C, D and these have got to be included in there so let’s find a way to make it work and as I said, I’ve got a great staff and they made it work.
Well, you brought up mental health and I was going to get to health care a little later but I’ll let you control the agenda briefly. So let’s talk about mental health. And this is…I follow the Legislature since before you first ran, sorry to bring that up again, and…
You’re older than I thought, Jon.
Yeah, I am. I am. Ain’t it the truth? So mental health has been something that very few legislators or governors, by the way, have really said I’ll put out front. You made a big deal in your speech that there’s been more money infused into health and human services than ever before and you put mental health really as a focal point. Talk about what you’ve found, and you learned a little bit about this probably as a county commissioner and then with UMC and how they’re treated in emergency rooms and all of that stuff. You can’t … I won’t use the word “fix,” Governor, but what can you really do that’s going to have an impact, do you think?
You’re right, I learned a lot about mental health on the county commission. Sadly, I learned through 1 October about mental health. I learned that a third of the inmates we have incarcerated at CCDC, our criminals are mental health patients. I learned that we had this crisis where we were shipping folks to California with mental health related issues. I’ve learned that a lot of our homeless problem is a mental health situation. These are things that I learned on the county commission and I’m taking with me. I think what we need are more trained professionals in the mental health field. We need more inpatient beds to put folks in. Right now, unfortunately, if an officer picks somebody up for vagrancy or loitering, whatever it might be, or a mental health related issue, there’s no place else to take them but CCDC. They’re stabilized, they’re given prescription medication, maybe for 30 days, and the door revolves and they’re back out the door again. That’s just the way it is and that’s something that simply can’t work. We need to do what we can to stabilize these folks and make them a productive member of our society and I think to do that we have to make an investment and that’s a big dollar investment that the state is making but I think you’re going to see benefits in the long run.
You say more beds. That’s probably the most expensive proposition of all of this. Do a lot of new facilities need to be built, do you think?
Well, I don’t know how many new facilities need to be built and how many things can be repurposed that we can do. Clearly part of our jail issue is mental health. A big part of our homelessness is mental health. I think our schools need more mental health counselors. I mean they’re doing a lot more in terms of talking to these kids on the tip lines and so forth and so on. If we catch a problem early, we can prevent it from being a much bigger problem later on down the line and I think that is something that we have underinvested in for decades and it’s not an additional … it’s part of our health-care system. Mental health is part of our health-care system and it needs to be treated as a disease, which it is, and hopefully we can get people some relief.
Earlier you mentioned the courage that Brian Sandoval had to expand Medicaid. He was the first Republican governor to do it. He took a lot of heat, but he stood by it and it became a big issue, as you know, last year even in the election, and he stood by what he had done. There was a bill, unseen anywhere else in the country, that was presented last time. It was a Medicaid-for-all bill that my reporter, Riley Snyder, takes credit for nicknaming SprinkleCare, after [Assemblyman] Mike Sprinkle. The governor vetoed it. The governor vetoed it. There were a lot of people around the country watching that, Governor, hoping that he would sign it. He vetoed it. Would you have signed that bill?
I don’t know if I would have signed it in the form that it was in.
There are numerous bills out there right now that are going to deal with Medicaid expansion and Medicaid for all. I think it’s a bigger problem than can be handled in one session. I really do. I think that it’s something that we need to get everybody … that’s why I advocated a Patient Protection Commission, to bring everybody together, the health-care providers, the insurance companies, the pharmaceuticals, Big Pharma, and come up with a common-sense solution. Unfortunately, in some of these things, there’s unintended consequences and I don’t think that was thoroughly vetted. I don’t know if I’d have signed it, I’ll be honest, Jon.
When you say unintended consequences, what are you worried about? And I’m wondering also why you say it can’t be done in one session. If that bill passed, we would have had Medicaid for all. Would we not?
You would have had Medicaid for all, but I don’t know what the unintended consequences that would have been. There is a funding issue and we’ve got a lot of issues to deal with in terms of health care. You’ve got price gouging on prescriptions, you’ve got surprise billing, you’ve got a multitude of issues that all need to be brought together. This piecemeal approach isn’t working, and I don’t think it was thought out well enough. I think the same thing happened with cannabis.
We’re going to get to that. Don’t you worry.
It was not … some of the unintended consequences weren’t thought about and it’s causing more problems on the back end now than if we would have handled them at the beginning, so I would just like a little more thought put into it.
So you’re suggesting, and correct me if I’m wrong, I’m trying to piece together what you just said, basically that you can’t just do Medicaid for all without considering the impact on other parts of the health-care system and you should try to do something in a more comprehensive way and is that what this … because the Patient Protection Commission and we can’t do it in one session, you know what that sounds like to me? It sounds like, oh, let’s put this off. I don’t want to have to deal with the expense and let’s do a blue-ribbon task force. How many times have we heard that? That’s what it sounds like.
No, that’s not at all what I’m talking about. I think that you need to get … if you can have something that works, like right now we’re continuing to fight over the Affordable Care Act. I would like to get everybody at the table. I’d like to get business and I’d like to get labor and I’d like to get the health-care professionals together and say, yes, this will work, as opposed to having people, after it’s passed, trying to fight to make it not work, and that’s a big concern for me.
What world are you living in where you think that you’re going to get all these interests around the table and, “Oh yes, Governor, let’s do something all together” and they’ll sing “Kumbaya” or “We Are the World” or whatever they sing and everything will be fine.
I don’t think that they’re going to sing “Kumbaya,” but I think I’ve got a good chance of getting them all to come together. That’s one thing I did on the county commission. I’m proud of the fact that I was able to build a consensus. If you can sit Sheldon Adelson and Mark Davis down at the same table and get them to agree on something, I think that you’ve made some progress and I think we can do that too.
How’d that relationship turn out after all, Governor?
Touche. Well, we’ve got a convention center expansion to the stadium, so it worked out okay. It worked out okay.
You’re going to … are you going to like mention the Raiders’ stadium like in every segment here?
Okay. I figured.
I haven’t gotten to the Golden Knights yet. I’m going to mention that one too.
The Golden Knights, how much tax money did you spend on that?
Oh, that’s good. I appreciate that.
Anyhow, we’ll get to that. I really want to finish up on health care because I think it’s important and you did mention a couple of things. In another landmark bill that was passed, that the governor first vetoed but then a compromise was reached, is a drug transparency bill for diabetes drugs which I think the pharmaceutical industry is very worried about. They’re just filing these reports now. There’s not a lot of transparency yet on that and you’ve talked about something that you called, during the campaign, something called Silver State Scripts. Do you remember this?
Okay. I thought it might have just been something on your website. I’m kidding. But somehow this is going to be formed and this is going to help negotiate lower drug prices. I think there were a lot of people worried who believe in transparency and in reining in pharma. I think there are a lot of people in that Legislature who believe in that, who wonder what the next step is. How would this work?
I think we do need to rein in pharma. I think that we need to negotiate the best price we possibly can for our pharmaceuticals by combining different buying groups and the buying power increase, everybody in the Big Pharma industry is telling me that that can be a very effective way to do that. You’re talking about, you know, if it’s diabetes, that drug is relatively inexpensive compared to the drug cocktails that they’re prescribing for people that have very difficult to treat diseases that have a small universe of folks that buy the drugs, but I believe that the pharmaceutical companies that I’ve met with, numerous of them at the National Governor’s Conference, understand that they kind of have a target, not kind of, they have a target on their back right now and they want to come to the table and negotiate, so I think that we’ll be able to take advantage of that.
Is this the same table that all those other interests are going to … I mean is there one table?
Yeah, different day. It’s the same table I use. It’s a good use of resources. We use the table over and over again. We don’t keep buying new tables, Jon. We don’t have it in the budget.
A fiscal conservative after all. I guess what I’m wondering, one thing, as I said, I’ll keep going back to this. I’ve known you a long time and you have done some things in the county commission where you did force consensus on certain things, but these are very thorny, difficult issues with a lot of different special interests, whether it’s prescription drugs or just health care in general, the surprise billing issue is going to be a huge issue in the Legislature. They’ve been trying to address it for a long time. You’re not naïve, is the point that I’m making. You know how difficult this is going to be, so just saying you’re going to come in and do a Nikita Khrushchev on the table and bang your hand and everything is going to be fine. It’s not going to work that way.
Well, you view them as difficult issues. I view them as big opportunities I mean I think that they’re an opportunity to provide better quality of life for the citizens in Nevada and I firmly believe that if you bring them in a room, you put them around the table, that I’m going to continue to reuse, and I lock the door, I’ll be able to…
Is it round or square?
It’s kind of an oblong table, it’s kind of a conference table.
An oblong, okay.
I think we’ll be able to come up with a consensus. I think that you could solve the situation we’re dealing with in Washington right now if you sat five people in a room without their attorneys, locked the door, and said nobody can walk out of this room until we come up with a solution, we wouldn’t have our federal workers in the situation that they’re in right now.
And you’re saying you’re willing to do that on these issues? You’re going to do that? You’re going to take the lead as opposed to saying, which you’ve kind of said, “Oh, I’ll let the Legislature take care of that and I’ll come in at the end and decide whether I should sign it.” You’re going to be an active participant? You’re going to be calling these people in around this mythical oblong table and you’re going to get something done?
Jon, it’s not a mythical table. The table exists. It’s a reused table. It exists. The table exists. Yes, I’m going to call people in and first I’m going to seek input from various groups and I’d rather be proactive and get people talking upfront so that you can reach a common agreement, you can reach a consensus, before you have to get to vetoing something or holding somebody hostage or whatever it might be. I’m a big believer that if everybody talks and you get something and everybody walks out of the room a little angry with me from the discussion, we’re probably in a good place and we’ve probably reached a good compromise.
Well, good luck. I mean it.
Let’s talk about education.
You can’t come to the meetings ever. Maybe Riley. Maybe we’ll let Riley in. I don’t know.
Don’t worry. I think the bugs are still intact at the oblong table. Don’t worry, we’re good.
I’ll check that.
So let’s talk about education, which I was going to get to before you started talking about health care, which is the other big issue to you and it’s always a big issue. Every governor is the education governor. Brian Sandoval pushed through, in 2015, the largest tax increase in history and he actually got done some reforms and changed the way that education is funded in some ways. Are there any programs that he got passed, reforms, that you don’t like, that you think need to be revisited?
Boy, I would rather not have so much categorical funding as we have right now, whether it’s Victory or Zoom or some of those sort of things.
Because I don’t think it’s getting down to every single student. I think that gets to some students depending on your zip code and depending on the school that you’re at, but if you’re not at a Zoom School and you’re an ELL student, you don’t get any benefit from it. I would rather have it be part of the weighted formula in the DSA and every student could get the benefit from that. Unfortunately, I got the budget very, very late. We got up there and we were able to spend a lot of time studying and just a little bit of time tweaking and I think we’ll be more aggressive next time around, but I would rather see that in the weighted formula and the DSA account so that every student, regardless of their zip code, regardless of their family income, would get the benefit from those programs and currently that’s not the case.
Yeah, I mean it is true. Go ahead. It is true that when you say you’re going to spend the $100 million and you’re continuing, for instance, with the Zoom Schools, there are schools with similar kinds of problems that are not getting the benefit of that funding, so you’re essentially, as I’ve said when I talk about this, you’re creating a caste system. You have the haves and the have nots to some extent, but that’s a function of spending too, right? You’d have to spend a lot more money to make it equitable, wouldn’t you?
No, I don’t think you would have to spend more money. I think you’d take the same amount of money and you’d divide up the money and the money would follow the student, regardless of what school the student goes to. If you’re an ELL student or you’re a student with special needs or you’re a student that is on the autism spectrum, that money would follow you to whatever school that might be, whether it’s an inner city school or an urban school or a rural school, whatever that might be, and I think that all our students will be much better off for that. The complaint I got in campaigning for a year and a half, two years, was that they saw this tax increase, but people are saying this money never got to my kids. My school isn’t any different than it was before this tax increase. So what was the point of that? So I think we’re going to have to make some changes.
What kind of changes?
I would like to see the categoricals eliminated and moved into the DSA count eventually. That’s something we want to work with the Legislature about. I think that the report card and my discussions with both … particularly Washoe and Clark, the school districts, the jury is out on how effective some of these programs are. I mean I think you’ve read, you’ve provided some of the coverage on that and I think time will tell, but I would think it’s better if we put it into an equally weighted formula that everybody gets a chance at those resources.
That’s a pretty substantial change. I mean I understand you got the budget late, but we’re talking about unraveling a lot of what was done in 2015 then, I think. Are you not?
No. I don’t think you’re unraveling it. I think you’re just shifting and reallocating. I mean the money for ELL should not go to the school. It should follow the student, wherever that student is. It’s not the school that has trouble with ELL, it’s the student that has trouble with ELL. The money should go to the student, not go to the building. That’s the way we’re doing it now and I think it’s backwards. That’s just my opinion.
But even though I think it’s facile to say it’s all about money, it to some extent has to do with money and more money. We’re still way below, unless you do some crazy math over on Bonanza Road, the bottom line is that we’re way below the national average in per pupil funding. Doesn’t that bother you?
It does. It does bother me. I mean, I came from Wisconsin and I got to meet a lot of the governors at both the NGA and the DGA and we had long conversations about education and when we compared numbers, it was, frankly, it was embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to say we’re at the bottom of every one of these lists. I saw your thing the other day about one was best and … the only one I disagree with is the quality of our universities because I don’t think they were 47th and 49th. I think we’re much better than that. Right, all the UNLV students out there? We’re not better than that? But we need to do better. We’re at the bottom of too many lists and we don’t respect our teachers, we don’t pay our teachers, and we need to start making some changes. I think…
That’s going to cost a lot of money.
It is going to cost money, Jon, but you can invest in students and in our education system, you can invest in the prison system. Take your pick. I mean you have to stand for something and if you don’t stand for something, you fall for anything, and I’m going to stand for education.
You did propose a 3 percent raise in the first year, I believe, for teachers, right?
Correct, for educators.
Okay, that’s right.
A lot more than teachers. They have a great support staff and they deserve the same credit.
That’s right. Fair enough, fair enough. This has gone on for a lot of years too, is the governor proposes these raises, but the money then goes down to the school district oftentimes, right, and then becomes subject to … you know what I’m about to say.
Oh, I know well what you’re talking about and I had this discussion with the superintendents before I gave the State of the State speech and I said, look, this is what I want the money to go for. This is what the Legislature wants the money to go for. That money is directed towards teachers, towards their raise, and I don’t want it allocated to other programs, traditional programs. I don’t need any more superintendents, associate superintendents, vice-superintendents, deputy superintendents, or anything that goes with that. I need teachers to start to be compensated a little bit more fairly.
It’s very interesting that you left out another component of the problem once it’s sent down to the…
I knew you’d bring it up.
Yes, exactly. Your friends in the teachers’ unions will make the subject of collective bargaining and they’ll change what the governor intended often. Have you told your friends in the unions that you want this money to go in … you can’t mandate anything.
You can’t. I know you think you’re all powerful now, but you can’t do that. You can’t do it.
Don’t tell them that though, Jon. If you don’t tell them that, I figure they might not figure it out.
So that’s the frustrating thing, right? Isn’t it?
I mean you want to do all this stuff, but eventually the money … you have to rely, you’re essentially saying to the Superintendents and to the union leaders, listen, this is what I think you should do with the money, and don’t forget, I’m the governor.
Yeah, that’s what I’m going to say, don’t forget I’m the governor. There’s going to be another budget coming in two years.
I’ve made that clear to both of our … all of our labor partners that that’s what my intention is, that’s when the arguments against putting the categoricals into the DSA account that then become the subject of potentially collective bargaining resource. I firmly believe in my heart, Jon, that our educators want what’s in the best interest of our students. I think the Legislators want what’s in the best interest of our students. I think the taxpayers want what’s in the best interest of our students. And I think we need to bring them all together, our students will benefit, and our state will benefit as a result of that, if we just get on the same page. We’re going to sit around that same table, that oblong table.
Great. The table that solves all problems. Or maybe it’s this one.
No, this is too small of a table. I need more people.
Read by Three is one of the more controversial programs. There are some members of your party that don’t like that, as you know. Do you like that program, Read by Three?
Like I said, I think that the scorecard is out, the report card on all these programs. I think it’s had some successes in some areas. Has it been demonstrated or codified in all areas? No. It’s an expensive program, a lot of money, millions and millions of dollars are poured into that program. I’ve got members of my party and the Republican party, but we’re all members of the Nevada party and I think we need to sit down and say which of these programs work and how do you get the money to those students? And…
Are you skeptical that it’ll work, Governor?
Holding kids back who can’t ready by three? Are you skeptical of it?
I’m skeptical if that’ll even work. If they teachers will really hold them back. First off, it’s a difficult thing for a student to face, to be held back, the peer pressure that that student is going to be under, if his or her friends all move up and that student is held back, that’s a difficult thing for a kid to deal with when they’re at that age. That’s a difficult thing for an adult to deal with, when their peers kind of all pass them by and they’re held back. I mean it sounds good in theory, but in practicality, I don’t know if it’s going to work. I really don’t.
One of the things that you’ve had to deal with that almost no other governor has really had to deal with, and it’s going on around the country, is dealing with the issue of school safety and violence in schools and you talked about in your State of the State that a portion of the 10 percent marijuana tax going to preventing violence in our school. How much of that tax? Is it the entirety of it? Do you not know yet?
I don’t know yet, and I can tell you that the taxes, the portion, the whole tax isn’t going to be enough. I mean there’s an additional…there’s a beginning part where we’ve got to do a lot to harden. There’s a lot of hard things in the school. It’s the locking systems, it’s the fencing, it’s the camera systems in the school, those sort of things.
Those are expensive.
Those are very expensive. Those are very expensive and I don’t think we’re going to be able to, unfortunately, do them all at one time. I don’t think you’re going to be able to count on the local jurisdictions, the local school districts, to provide much in the way of resources, but I think we need to do more proactively. I mean, I spent a lot of time with the counselors and the mental health professionals in our school. They’ve got a waiting list of a month to get into these counselors and these mental health professionals for these kids and when a student wants to see a counselor or a mental health professional, they don’t want to see one in March. They want to see one tomorrow.
They’re waiting a month?
They’re waiting a long time, Jon. They’re waiting a long, long time, yeah.
So you do have a lot…you think they should hire a lot more mental health counselors in the school?
I do. I think we need to train more mental health people. Oftentimes these kids have nowhere else to go. They say, well, let them talk to their parents. Sometimes that parents are the problem. They can’t talk to the parents. They need to be able to talk to an independent person and I think we need more mental health professionals. We need to do more in terms of patrolling or watching as we do in the Fusion Center, social media. There’s oftentimes a warning ahead of time for these kids and we’re not doing that, because after the fact, everybody says, oh yeah, I told so and so, I told so and so, or we thought that this person was a problem and nothing came from it, so I think here is another…we need to be more proactive.
What is your general take on charter schools? They’ve had what I would describe as mixed results here in Nevada. The online schools, some of them, have been utter disasters, as you know. You like charter schools?
I think they provide somewhat of an option, but there are a lot of problems that are associated with it. One, it’s easier for them to gain in the rankings and have higher performance level because they don’t take kids with special needs, they don’t take ELL students, they don’t take the more difficult cases because they get to select who they take. Often, it’s done by a lottery. I don’t think that they get as much of a social interaction as I’d like to see, as the other schools have, but charter schools are something that we’ve got a lot of. In my commission district we approved a lot of charter schools. I think it’s an experiment in our education system and, like you said, the results are very mixed.
You don’t seem like a big fan.
Public schools are my number one priority.
Well, charter…
Don’t tell me that charter schools are public schools. Charter schools are not necessarily the same as a public school.
They are public schools.
But Jon, in the public school, everybody that lives near that school is assigned to that school. In a charter school, it’s not that way. It’s just not the same.
Sisolak hates charter schools, staff. That’s…
Sisolak loves public schools, staff. That’s what we’ve got to put out there.
I don’t even know the answer…did you send your kids to public or private schools?
My kids went to public … Durango High School, they went to private school for their first eight years, and the public schools were absolutely terrific. Durango High School is a great high school where my daughters graduated from.
Yeah. I actually sent my kid to private school and then public school for high school too and it was a great high school. Why did you send to private … the reason I sent my kid to private school originally was because the kindergarten was like two hours, all day kindergarten, and then I just went up through the private schools. Why did you send your kids to private school?
My kids started in pre-kindergarten at the private school and stayed the whole time through eighth grade.
Which brings up another issue that I know you knew I was going to bring up, which is school choice, and there are a lot of people wondering why you didn’t include Opportunity Scholarships which help low income kids. They give tax credits to business, in case people don’t know what they are. That was a big deal to a lot of people and I don’t think it is in the Sisolak budget, is it?
The funding for Opportunity schools that’s required in statute is in the budget. It was $5 million. It grew out, I think, 10 percent a year. That’s in my budget. The expansion that Gov. Sandoval had is not in my budget. Opportunity Scholarships are a complicated form of an ESA. I mean it provides money that’s available. Some schools took more advantage of that than other schools did and I would rather invest that extra $20 million into our public education system. With that being said, the opportunity scholarships required by NRS are still there.
I mean what was in the Sandoval budget is not in the Sisolak budget. That’s correct, right?
The Sisolak budget is what we’re dealing with for the next two years now.
I see. Thank you for pointing that out to me.
I appreciate it. Thank you. You’re welcome.
Do you understand…I mean, you’re a parent and you talk to a lot of parents. Do you understand the frustration that some parents have with the public school system where school choice, whether it’s through ESAs or through opportunity scholarships, might say, you know what? I can’t do it anymore. I want to try something different. Give me that $5,000 through the ESA or give me the grant through…do you understand why some parents feel that way?
I understand that parents are frustrated with our education system. I clearly get that, Jon. But I think it’s difficult to be…to look at the other side of it, how can you be frustrated with a school system that is woefully underfunded, we’re funded worse than almost any district in the United States of America, and people say, don’t throw more money at it. Frankly, you have to put more money into education if you want to have better results. There’s no two ways about it. If you want to recruit and retain the best teachers, you can’t start them out at $39,000 and $40,000 a year. It just isn’t going to work. I met a young couple up in Reno, a young man and woman. They’re both teachers and I said, “How do you like it?” They said, “We absolutely love our jobs. Love it. The only downside is, at our wages, we’ll never be able to afford to buy a house.” And that’s not fair. I mean these teachers could do something else and make a lot more money. They care about our kids and that’s why I think that they should be compensated a little bit more fairly. Three percent is not enough, but that’s where we’re starting. I mean the thought of teachers having to go and buy their own pencils and pens and erasers and paper is ridiculous. We raised that from $100 to $180. I wish I could have raised it more, but I wanted to send a message to our educators that we do care about them, that we’ve got their back and we’re going to try to improve our education system one dollar and one student at a time.
So you believe that by advocating for school choice you’re essentially raising a white flag on the public school system? Is that what you think?
Not that you’re raising a white flag on it. I think that you’ve got to recognize that it’s an underfunded…the people that are advocating for ESA should be advocating for more funding for public education because if we had more funding for public education, we would have better schools. If you take these dollars out of the public school system, we’re going to have a bigger shortfall in the public school system than we currently have. That’s simply going to exacerbate the problem.
All right. I want to move on because a lot more subjects to cover in the four hours that you’ve allotted to me tonight and I appreciate it. I want to talk…obviously, you have a lot of experience in higher ed through being a regent and you learned a lot. You said in your State of the State, let me read to you, it was one thing you said, “We must continue to invest in our higher education system. In addition to funding for student enrollment growth, I am recommending funding for two new buildings, a health and sciences building at the College of Southern Nevada and a new education building at Nevada State College.”
You’re going to point out that they’re both in Southern Nevada, right?
Why do you hate the north so much?
I think that the capital expenditures we made on our CIP improvement, CIP budget, are where they were the most needed, those two were the most needed. We expanded some things. We finished the veterans’ home up in Northern Nevada. We invested money in Northern Nevada the same that we invested in Southern Nevada, but 75 percent, 80 percent of the population is in Southern Nevada and these students needed the buildings and I intend to bring the buildings there.
I kind of feel like a lot of people did watching Tony Romo do the NFL game, like he predicted exactly what the play was going to be, like you already know the questions I’m going to ask. It’s very disconcerting, sir.
You kind of gave that away, Jon. You gave that away.
The whole north/south issue is something, though, that is…it’s existed for many, many years, as you know. You were perceived, when you were on the Board of Regents, this came up during the campaign for governor even, as being a southern partisan and all for the south and not so much for the north. There was a piece today by some folks at UNLV, I don’t know if you saw an op-ed in The Current, where they just scorched Thom Reilly for being biased and not wanting to change some of these formulas. There was a perception and a reality in Carson City for many years that Bill Raggio, may he rest in peace, one of the greatest legislators ever, and Joe Crowley, also rest in peace, and amazing guy at UNR, but they got all the spoils for UNR. Is that a reality?
I’d rather look through the front mirror than the rear view mirror looking back, Jon.
That’s a yes too?
There was a feeling, I think, that there was more money going to the northern schools than going to the south. I remember when I was on the board and we did a study and Great Basin was getting more than UNLV was getting. I think that Bill Raggio and Joe Dini did an incredible job representing their districts and their areas and I respect that and I admire both of those gentlemen, but I think that, here again, as I said previously in the discussion about our public schools and our students, the money needs to follow the students and the student growth is at UNLV and in particularly it’s at Nevada State College the College of Southern Nevada. That’s why they’re getting the two buildings. That’s where the enrollment growth is.
What are the issues in higher education that need to be addressed that have not been addressed before that you can use your, frankly, unique knowledge presiding over a higher education as a regent that you can bring to being governor?
Well, I’ve had numerous discussions with the presidents and with the chancellor. We need to focus more on degrees and certifications that people get coming out of it. They’re finishing these programs. Once they get it, they don’t just start and then get out. I think that there’s a big problem and I’ve had this discussion and we’re trying to work with our school districts, our universities, and our labor unions. Every child should not go to college, Jon. I mean that’s a stigma that has been there for a long, long time. You’ve got to go to college in order to be successful. I spent 10 years on the Board of Regents and had the sad situation dealing with a lot of parents who’d call me up and say, look, my son or daughter just graduated. They’ve got a liberal arts degree. These folks or the students accumulated $50,000, $60,000 in debt and the best job they can get is an assistant manager at a fast food restaurant. I mean that’s what they can get. That’s a problem. At the same time, I’ve got HVAC folks or plumbers that are making $80,000 a year and we can’t train enough of them. So I want to invest in the career technical training that’s necessary in our community colleges. I’m a firm believer that … I get to speak a lot in high school, as do you, and I’ll tell the kids, the first thing you’ve got to do is graduate from high school or get a GED and once you do that, you’ve got three good opportunities. The first is you can pursue a formal education at either community college or university, you can go into a trade, or you can go into the military. Those are your three options you have available and they’re all good options. But you’ve got a student on this hand who spends five years to get a four-year degree and had got $60,000 or $80,000 in debt, like I say, and there’s not a great job waiting for him because we’re not training him for a job. We’re training him for a degree. On the other hand, you get a student that becomes an apprentice, is earning while they’re learning, and at the end of five years they’re driving a brand new car or truck, they’ve got enough of a down payment for a house, and they’re going to make $80,000 or $100,000 the rest of their life. They’ve got a skill. Students need to know that that option is available for them.
In your State of the State, you talked about forming some new commissions. We already talked about one of the, the Patient Protection Commission. I want to talk about a couple other ones that are very, very interesting and break new ground in Nevada, frankly. One of them is this Cannabis Compliance Commission, which seems to be based, to some extent, on the gaming control regulation. You didn’t provide many details or why you really think this is needed. Here’s your chance.
I’ve got a lot of details and a lot of reasons why I think it’s needed. What we’re going to do this week, we hope to, in the next week, 10 days, going to sign an executive order forming a task force that’s going to come up with the parameters for the Cannabis Compliance Board. Right now, we have had hundreds of millions of dollars invested in this cannabis industry. It’s created a tremendous amount of jobs, good paying jobs, for our citizens in this state and it’s providing a lot of tax revenue. At the same time, we’ve got some real, real issues in the industry. The most important one to me is it’s still a cash economy, that provides a big safety concern. I dealt with his at the county when people were coming in with backpacks of $20 bills in order to pay their property tax and somebody’s got to count that. And there’s a banking problem there. You’ve got the problem as it relates to consumption lounges, that we’re selling this product, you can’t consume it in your hotel room, you can’t consume it in the car, you can’t consume it outside. Where are the folks supposed to partake or indulge in that? It’s a, pardon my pun, flourishing, growing industry and … that was good, huh? And I want to provide some guidance in terms of where they go. Everybody’s got a different rule. Clark County’s rules are different than North Las Vegas which is different then Henderson and is different than Sparks and different that Washoe. It should be like gaming. It’s the same set of rules all over the place. I am proud of the fact that the state of Nevada has a gold standard when it comes to gaming regulations. If we’re going to be in the marijuana industry, and we are, we’re in the marijuana business, I want us to have the gold standard. So I want a group of individuals to set down, here’s the rules and if you follow them, you’ve got no problem. If you don’t follow them, you’ve got a problem. This last set of licenses that came out, you’ve written about it, I’ve read about it. There’s a lot of controversy about how those were handed out. Scoring behind closed doors. I’m very much in favor of … Gaming Commission meetings are transparent. Cannabis Compliance Board meetings are transparent. They’re going to be done in the open and everybody can see what happened and who got awarded what license and how.
Shouldn’t all this stuff that happened behind closed doors, with the awarding of the licenses, the scores, the names, shouldn’t all that be released, Governor?
Then why don’t you make that happen? It’s your state government now.
Shouldn’t all that be released, Governor?
We are doing a … a minute ago you said I had no control. Now it’s my state government.
No, no, no. That’s with Clark County. You know what I meant.
We are looking at the entire process, what went through, and to determine how to best deal with the situation that I inherited from a previous administration.
But that should be released, all that information.
All that information should absolutely be released. One of the issues I’m dealing with, my legal counsel now is … we’re subject to several lawsuits as it relates to this, the preservation of materials and the scoring and whatnot, but that’s all going to be reviewed and it’ll remain to be seen how we handle this moving forward, but in the future, the awarding of these licenses should be done by something like this board, this Cannabis Compliance Board, and it should all be done in the public. People should have a right to attend the hearings and to hear what’s said and to hear what’s promised, so people have some confidence in the system.
I suppose there’s a problem with making it retroactive in the sense that gaming applicants have to go and get licensed by the Gaming Control Board. Is that how it’s going to work in the future, that people are going to have to get licenses to be in this industry and can you go back and look at the people who may not have been vetted as well and actually make them go through a process? What are the legal problems there, if there are any?
There’s a lot of legal problems because I don’t know when you get into property, right, about having a license even though it’s a privileged license. I can tell you this. We dealt with this at the county. We vetted these folks for, I think it was, three, four days. Those county commission meetings were 12 hour meetings.
Oh, you gave a license to everybody who wanted one then, didn’t you?
No, we didn’t.
We really didn’t.
Anybody who was rich.
Ouch, that was hard. No, we needed to … and then a year later, very few of those licensees remained. Right now, some of the licenses that were awarded this last time around are already being sold. I mean we weren’t selling winning lottery tickets. That wasn’t the idea of what we were doing here and we got away from the medical aspect and it strictly became recreational and the patients weren’t serviced, so we need to get a better handle on this and I’m confident that working with the Legislature to help form this board because I’m going to put the task force together and work with the Legislature, come up with a plan, to implement a board that will be taken seriously and will have some authority.
Are you worried that there’s corruption in that industry?
Worried? I want to make sure that there’s not corruption in that industry and I’d rather be proactive and avoid any undue influence or corruption from coming into that industry.
Do you think there is corruption now?
I want to make sure that no corruption comes into that industry and avoid the appearance of any corruption in that industry.
All right. I tried, guys. The other new commission or office you’re creating is something called the Office of New Americans, and you talked in your speech with some passion I think about a Dreamer you had met.
Deisy.
Yeah, and there are a lot of amazing Dreamers in this state.
There are.
You know that, right?
And I’m just wondering…
And they’re not recognized as much as they should be recognized for all that they do for our communities.
Exactly. I’m wondering whether this is based on … Mo Denis, the Democratic state Senator, proposed something like this in 2017. There was a bill that essentially got scuttled because there was so much controversy. “Oh no, you’re not going to help the legal and undocumented residents with your Office of New Americans, are you?” Are you?
Jon, my motivation behind this is I had a young man working on my campaign. I took him from Congresswoman Titus, Francisco Morales, who I had the pleasure…anybody know Francisco? He’s an incredible young man.
I had the pleasure of going with him when he voted for the first time after becoming a citizen and got his right to vote, and he took me, he was my outreach director in the Latino Hispanic community, and I got to spend a lot of time in some of our businesses and I know how hard these folks work. I know how hard these business owners are working, and I’m not talking 40 hour weeks. They are working 14 hours a day, seven days a week, to make their business work and support their family, and oftentimes, they don’t know what opportunities are available, what options are available, and the investment in an office, I think, will make them more aware. It’ll make people have more access to services that area available and that’s our intention behind doing it.
But when you talk about Dreamers, Dreamers are not citizens. In fact, maybe the most famous Dreamer in the country, Astrid Silva, will, on Twitter very regularly … you can always cheer for Astrid, that’s fine with me, put out that, just a reminder, Dreamers are not citizens.
But they should be given a path to citizenship.
Are you announcing your candidacy against Catherine Cortez Masto for the U.S. Senate now? But seriously, does that mean that Dreamers and other undocumented workers are going to be welcome in the Office of New Americans?
I want the Office New Americans to help any immigrant in this country that needs access to services that might be available.
Legal or otherwise?
I want them to have access to … people that need help finding services will be able to find it in that office.
Whether they’re legal or not?
I want people that need to have access for services to be able to go to that office and obtain it.
But you know what you’re inviting here. I mean, listen, it’s terrible what’s going on in this country.
And you saw it in your campaign too, this demagoguing about sanctuary cities and sanctuary states as a way to divide people and do dog whistling to racism and all the rest of it. Right here, you see … this is what happened with Mo Denis’s bill. You don’t say specifically what it’s going to do, then you’re going to have all of this happen again. Are you not, Governor?
I don’t believe we are, Jon. I don’t like fearmongering and I don’t like judgments being made. I’m talking about human lives. I mean people talk in such platitudes and at a 30,000 foot level about this. These are real people with real problems and real lives and if we can provide services for immigrants in this country, I want to do it.
I’ll ask the question one other way. Ready?
I’m going to give you the same answer, Jon. Go ahead.
It’s going to be tough to give the same answer to this question. Would Astrid Silva be welcome in the Office of New Americans?
Okay. You know, mentioning the…
So is Deisy.
Right, exactly. And other Dreamers. Mentioning all that nonsense that went on here with sanctuary cities and all that stuff, what do you think about the issue of whether local jails should refer people to ICE and deportation proceeding if they’ve just gotten like traffic tickets or something?
This is an issue that I spent a lot of time when I was on the county commission with Sheriff [Joe] Lombardo on this issue with ICE. We were proactive. If it was a minor violation, there was never a report to ICE. In my discussions with the sheriff, it’s never his intention to do that. We had a shorter hold than was required in order … ICE very seldom came and picked anybody up and if the violent criminal, the worst of the worst, the felons that are going to break the law, yes, they need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and deported, but people that are convicted of shoplifting or traffic violations, I mean, there’s no need for that.
What’s the dividing line? Where’s the line of demarcation? Is it misdemeanors? Is it certain felonies? Where is it?
That’s your job as a reporter to get the specific…
Oh, here we go.
I’m not defining minor and major, but if it’s a violent crime, that’s one thing, a non-violent crime is another thing.
All right. You’ve been very generous with your time. I don’t want to keep you much more than about 15, 20 more minutes. I’ve got a few other questions on my list. As someone who’s been around a long time, and some people in this room who’ve been around the legislative process a long time, probably the most stunning thing that you said in your State of the State was that you are going to push for collective bargaining for state employees. I’m sure there are a lot of people in this room who support it, but it’s very controversial and I think you know why. In fact, I mentioned him already, [former Republican state Sen.] Bill Raggio, he used to say every cycle, “If they ever pass collective bargaining for state employees, it’s going to totally destroy how this state works. It’s going to bust the budget, or it will force cuts in the budget. It’ll essentially make the Legislature irrelevant.” Don’t cheer for that please. And that there are serious policy implications and there’s a reason that it hasn’t been done in the past.
What’s the reason, Jon?
Politics. Politics, right?
Our state employees should be treated in a fair and respectful manner. The fact that they haven’t had a raise in 10 years and the fact that they don’t have the same working conditions that other jurisdictions had … I’m coming from a county that employees did have collective bargaining.
They make a lot more money than the state employees, don’t they?
They make a lot more money and you’re absolutely right. That’s one of the big problems. You can’t expect the state to run when it’s headquartered in Carson City, which is away from the vast majority of the population, the pay is probably 30 percent to 40 percent less than any other governmental entity that exists, and to attract good people at those wages is simply not going to happen. They are first-class citizens. They’re first-class workers that keep our roads safe, they protect our families, and they deserve fair wages and reasonable working conditions. And I think allowing that discussion to move forward with collective bargaining is a positive thing that’s long overdue.
Even with what you’ve just said, you understand it’s going to cost the state a lot more money. Not this much, a lot more. I’m not saying it’s not good policy. Are you willing to be the governor who signs a collective bargaining for state employees bill knowing that no budget will ever look the same?
We’re going to invest in our people, Jon. I think that’s a good thing. I don’t think that’s a downside. We’re going to invest in the people that provide services to the state of Nevada and then we’re going to have to find the resources in order to make those accommodations, yes.
So you hope you get a bill that you can sign?
I hope that the Legislature can work out the details and we bring this forward, yes, I do.
Okay. A couple other labor issues, obviously, that came up. Obviously, the minimum wage has come up a lot. You said it’s impossible for an individual, let alone a family, to live on $7.25 an hour. What could they live on?
I don’t know. I think that I’d like to get the minimum wage up to the $12 range, minimum, at some point. That can’t be done in one fell swoop. It has to be done over a period of years, a dollar and a quarter a year for three years, four years, something like that, a dollar a year. I think that that’s more of a living wage, but it’s not going to affect our hotels. I mean they’re all under contract. They’re making more than most folks. These are more for the fast food type industries that are getting minimum wage.
So you envision a bill that sets out dates for going up, as you said, a dollar and a quarter per year until it gets to $12? That’s what you envision?
What I envision is the Legislature to sit down around this table, not this hypothetical table, with all of the business partners and come up with a plan to say, look, this is what we can live with. The same as with paid sick leave or maternity leave, is to sit down with the various interested parties and say what can we come to? What kind of consensus that’s going to work for everybody? And I’d be willing to sign that.
But you did say, I heard you say it and it’s on tape now, a dollar and a quarter a year, maybe something like it, up to $12.
Something like that, yeah.
And you mentioned paid sick leave as well.
In your State of the State, you mentioned equal pay. I mean…
Well, some of this is common sense. Equal pay, who’s going to argue with equal pay? I mean it’s so long overdue, yeah, absolutely.
And paid leave for…what are your ideas on that? How should that be codified?
Well, there’s got to be a way that…you can’t it for the smallest of businesses and have two or three employees certainly, because that would be too much of a burden, but I think if you had, and here again, it would have to be a reasoned out compromise, whether you’ve got 20 employees or 15 or 25 or whatever, based on their longevity with the companies, they’re entitled to five, ten sick days a year.
All right. I’m going to go through a few other issues and then…
You’ve got more?
Oh boy. I’m about halfway done. So…
These folks want to go home.
I’m going to do…no, they want to stay here all night with us, Governor. They do. Right? Applaud. All right, see. Never let the people make the decisions.
They made the decision. That’s why I’m here tonight, Jon.
He’s good. Let’s go through a few law and order issues if we can real quickly. There’s going to be a lot of talk about criminal justice reform. It’s a big deal to the Speaker. I know that, and it is to the Attorney General to when he was the Senate Majority Leader and they talked a lot about it. How committed are you to criminal justice reform and what do you support?
I’m very committed to criminal justice reform. Cash bail is a big problem for people.
You said during the debate that you’d be willing to end it.
Yeah, I would, because what you do…and here again, I’m taking a lot of the experience I got at the county level, the local level, and moving it to the state level. You’ve got people that are arrested. They’re incarcerated. Bail is set so high that they can’t make bail. The first thing you’ll do is you’ll lose your job, then you lose your apartment or you lose your house, you end up losing your family and you might not even be guilty in the first place. That’s something. The charge stacking is a problem. Cash bails are a problem. I’m in favor of banning the box so that you don’t have to keep revealing that, people that have served their time. The First Lady and I got to stop at High Desert and visit some of those folks. I think people that do their time deserve a second chance. They’ve earned a second chance and we’d like to reintegrate them into society.
What about, for instance, like sealing pot misdemeanors? That’s come up too as part of criminal…
If I had my choice, Jon, I’d like to work with the Legislature. I’d like to expunge misdemeanor pot records for people.
There have also been proposals in the past to ban private prisons. Do you think, that’s a good idea or not?
So much news. Am I right? Thank you.
You’re going to have a field day with this on your Twitter account. I can only imagine.
I just feel sorry for my staff. They’ve got to do about 10 stories out of this. Anyhow, the issue of background checks has come up a lot, as you know. They’re clapping for me here. “I’m working with the Legislature”, you said, “to implement common sense background checks on all firearm sales in Nevada.” Great applause line. Go ahead, applaud. The question of course, as you know, is how? It’s not that easy. The FBI being an impediment to the implementation perhaps. How do you really get this done? Do you know?
I do know. I do know how we’re planning to do it. We’re working with both the Attorney General’s office and my counsel to roll out a plan that we have to be able to implement background checks. I know the NRA has already put out a video in opposition to what I said in the State of the State address, but I feel very, very strongly that background checks do save lives. There’s not a doubt in my mind. Every day, Jon, I believe, in this country, some individual that has a restraining order against them goes and buys a gun and can kill the person that got the restraining order against them.
I fly a lot since I’ve started campaigning and been elected and to me it’s unimaginable. You can get on the plane. You can be on the no-fly list and you can still buy a gun. I mean, how can you be stopped at TSA, be on a no-fly list, but you can go down and buy a gun? It makes no sense whatsoever. I think there is a way that we’re working on to implement the background checks and I’m hopeful we’re going to be able to roll it out quickly after beginning the session.
Does it require legislation to do it or….
Why are you not telling? You’ve told us everything else. You might as well come…
We’re at a sensitive stage, I think, and I don’t want to…
Are there backchannel negotiations with the FBI going on?
We’re at a sensitive stage right now in terms of negotiating, Jon, and I don’t want to do that.
But you feel confident you’re going to be able to get to some resolution soon after the session starts?
And be able to say, finally, after this thing passed several cycles ago, it’s going to be implemented?
Finally, after what the people voted for cycles ago is going to be implemented. That’s my hope, yes.
Are you for or against the death penalty?
I’m opposed to the death penalty.
Can I go through some quick questions here? Since we brought it up and I know you want to talk about it again, I’m going to bring up the Raiders, in a way.
You’re just mad because they beat the Buffalo Bills. That’s your only problem.
The Bills had a better record than the Raiders pal.
We’re building. The Raiders are building for 2020.
So what about the whole philosophy the governor bought into and that GOED has bought into of tax incentives? Are you happy with the job GOED does? Because even though it came out, and I think we asked one of your budget folks if you cut anything. It looks like you’re not that happen with GOED. There’s a couple things in there that are not there anymore, the $4 million for workforce funding. You’re smiling. He said, oh, he found that, and $5 million…
You did go through that budget with a fine-tooth comb, Jon. I give you credit. You did.
And $5 million that the governor had in there for small business and entrepreneurial initiatives. Are you not happy with what GOED is doing?
We’ve got a small business advocate going into the Lieutenant Governor’s office that I think is going to suit that just fine. I think that some of what GOED did is absolutely done great things for the state of Nevada, particularly bringing in Tesla up there, but I think there were some unintended consequences that were not well thought through at the time.
Such as I think it’s driven up the housing prices in Northern Nevada to an extreme where people can’t afford to buy a house. I think it’s overcrowded some of our schools up there. I think it’s caused a shortage in workforce up there and driven up the price of labor. Those weren’t anticipated. I-80 isn’t wide enough going out to where the factory is. If there’s a flat tire, it causes a 45-minute delay. So I think GOED has done some good things. At the same time, I’m more into the smaller business philosophy than getting…
But you’re cutting out these things that would have helped small businesses, right?
Well, I think that the GOED philosophy that’s there is different than my philosophy is, so I’m going to, at some point, move in a little bit different direction towards small or mid-size businesses.
Oh, is that right? Okay, more news. You want to talk more about the Raiders being a bad team?
That’s not really news. No, they’re building. I told you. They’re building for 2020.
All right. Let’s talk about a couple other issues including the environment. Are you for or against Yucca Mountain? No, I’m kidding. Hang on.
Not one ounce of nuclear waste, Jon. Not one ounce.
Oh, stop it. Come on. You still opposed to the rural water importation project, as you said during the campaign?
I am. I spent a lot of time up north and we’ve got very fragile aquifers. I think that we brought in a new water engineer onboard and have a great opportunity to get a better understanding of where it’s at. There’s a shortage of water clearly. I’ve made a directive. I’ve talked to the Chancellor and the Head of both universities in DRI. I think we need to do much more at our universities in terms of desalination research. I really believe that that’s something that should have been done at the water authority when I was there 10 years ago as opposed to investing $70 million into ranches up north and buying water rights. We should have explored more desalination like the one plant that we’ve invested in in Mexico and traded for more Colorado River, because ultimately we have no shortage of sea water and I think ultimately that’s what we’re going to have to do and I also think that our universities should be spending more time and research on renewable energy than they’re doing.
So you plan to make good on that promise? You’re going to stay opposed to it. You’re going to do everything you can to find alternatives is what you’re saying?
I am going to do everything I can, yes Sir.
And Pat Mulroy is not going to have a role in your administration I gather? I’m just kidding for everyone who gets that one. Anyhow…
Nobody really gets that joke. That’s a you and me joke.
You know what? That’s good enough for me.
I know it is, yeah. You’ll be laughing about this one on the way home. I know you will.
You know, our reporter who just has been a revelation, Daniel Rothberg, who’s done all these great stories on water in the state and I’m just wondering if you’ve thought about Nevada’s role on the Colorado and what you’re going to do going forward. There’s all kinds of policy concerns about the allocation.
Yeah, Daniel has written some good pieces on that and I’ve served on every water agency we’ve had, the Colorado River Commission, the Water District, the Water Authority, Big Bend, and every water issue and every water board. People say, well, why don’t you reallocate the Colorado River? We’re not going to get anymore water out of the Colorado River. For us to get more water would mean some other state would have to give up some of their water. No state is going to give up part of their allocation for the Colorado River. It’s not going to happen.e So the only way we can get some of that would be to trade for it or purchase it from them, i.e., if we put a desalinization plant that they can produce whatever it might be; 50,000, 100,000 acre feet of water that we could trade for that water coming out of the Colorado River that otherwise they would have gotten. That’s the only way is to replace what they would have gotten. That’s the only way we’re going to get more water.
Exactly. One other, real quickly, a policy issue that Daniel has covered and I gather is really big in the water world. The state engineer, most people don’t know what the state engineer is, but it’s an immensely powerful position.
Incredibly.
And there’s some talk about allowing a different kind of person to serve, like a water lawyer or a hydrologist. Have you picked up on this at all, Governor?
Yeah. I have, and that’s a difficult area because there is not a lot of expertise in this area. There’s not a lot of lawyers that are water experts, water rights experts. There’s not a lot of water engineers and that’s something that we’re looking into because we’ve got to make permanent long-term replacements in that department. There is just a shortage of talent as it relates to that and that’s something that, again, we talk about at our university level. I mean we’ve got law schools but we’re not training people in water law. We’re not training engineers in water law and we need to do more of that. We’re not training our lawyers in nuclear energy, which we should be doing. Those are areas that I think we need to be a little smarter and a little more proactive in.
What’s going to happen after this is all kinds of people are going to email me and say why didn’t you ask the governor about that? How could you not…so, I just have a few more questions, I’m still going to get it, and then we’ll be done. I promise.
You said that 30 minutes ago.
I know. Am I good, or what? They’d let me go all night, but you’ve been very…more than generous with your time, Governor. Just a couple of other quick things. A couple meaning 14. No, so you mentioned expanding early voting in your speech. That’s a big deal. How much?
How much should we expand it?
Is it a week? Two weeks? Should we start voting now for 2020?
I thoroughly enjoyed your early voting analysis every day, Jon. Every day. You’re analyzing every county and every mail… Does he know early voting? They call him Early Voting Jon. I think that early voting makes it, I guess, more accessible for folks, easier. I know you’re not a supporter of early voting. You believe in people voting on election day, but I think when you saw what we had this time, that there were such massive lines even with all the early voting, I would think that another one to two weeks of early voting would be helpful.
Okay. Big issue up there you followed probably, the last session and forever is payday loans. You think that there should be a cap? There are in other states.
I think this is another one of these issues, Jon, that we need to find a compromise. I mean there’s some people that use payday loans in a good manner. I could tell you one of our payday loan companies, in fact, two of our payday loan companies, one is a payday loan company, the other is a…I guess it’s a lending company, it’s a little bit different, offered free $2,500 loans to all of our federal employees interest free during the strike, which I thought was a pretty generous offer for them to make for folks that are strapped right now.
Some people can use payday loans responsibly, other people can’t use payday loans, whether that’s the government’s place to interfere or intervene in that, I’m not totally sure. I’m happy to listen to both sides. But it’s a need. A lot of people in Nevada do not have bank accounts. A lot more don’t have them than you realize don’t have them and sometimes people need to access money and they can’t get it from a bank and I don’t know what’s the alternative frankly.
Well, another big issue that’s come up lately and is a big concern to a lot of people, regular folks and to big casino companies, is a reworking of the opinion of what the Wire Act does and there’s now a new opinion, essentially, that could threaten the existence of online gaming, which your predecessor and the Legislature have been very, very supportive of. Are you going to do anything as governor on that? Are you going to write a letter? Are you going to call your friend, Donald Trump? What are you going to do?
I don’t even have his phone number. I don’t think I could call him. I don’t know…
Are you concerned about it? Where do you come down on that?
I am concerned about it. I’m concerned about anything that’s going to impact the biggest industry we have, the hospitality/gaming industry, in the state of Nevada. I don’t know what, as governor, I can do other than use the bully pulpit to speak out. I was a little surprised, not just that it changed, but businesses…one thing that I’ve learned in my 65 years is businesses need consistency and continuity. You can’t have regulations changing like this and when they rely on them and they invest based on a regulation, it’s just not a good thing to not be able to have security knowing that that’s going to stay the same. That’s a bigger issue to me than just as it relates with the Wire Act.
One thing, I don’t want to bore people to death, but PERS, there’s been countless stories written about PERS. Are you a PERS is okay, status quo kind of guy, or PERS needs reform kind of guy?
You might have some unique knowledge of this, by the way. I don’t know how many people know that the First Lady was on the PERS Board until recently.
She was chair of the PERS Board until recently.
Right. So what does she tell you? Is it okay? Everything fine?
She’s told me a lot about PERS. I know more about PERS than I think I ever was going to know until I got married. We have probably the best PERS system in the country. We get a much higher rate of return than any other system does without all the expenses that other states have. That being said, there’s a three quarters of a percent rate increase this year for PERS, which is $30 million or $40 million range for the state government. The local jurisdictions are getting hit with he same thing. Benefits are escalating, but ours is funded better than anybody else is funded. Now what do you get into this is it 60 percent, 90 percent funded, because nobody’s taking out all the money at one time. It’s a defined benefits systems, which that’s what we have here, changing and having a double tier system would be extremely difficult at this point, to change. It would be nice to get a little bit of return on it, but right now, that’s the best return that we’re going to get.
Final subject matter before I wrap and ask you a final question, so this kind of the penultimate question.
Final subject matter before the final question. This is good. Boy, you are good.
I’ve had to pull out all my tricks with you tonight. Big issue that’s gone back and forth too is this issue of occupational licenses, which I’m sure you follow a little bit. Some people consider think they’re too onerous, that there’s too many of them, that these occupations need licenses. Is this something that you’re going to look into or not?
Yeah. I want to look into licenses and I want to look into the boards as well, whether you get — and I’m not demeaning any of these professions, but I don’t know how much control the states should have over interior decorators and barber shops and cosmetologists and the list goes on and on and on and I don’t know if it’s really the state’s function to provide these licensure to provide the boards that regulate this. When I saw the list of boards that we have for these various things, I know at one point some legislator thought that it was really important to have the Alfalfa Seed Board. I don’t know who came up with that board, but it’s important to the people that are on the board. I don’t know who else, but it’s important to some people. I think we need to do a really close deep dive into that, how many of them are really necessary and if we really need to be doing some of these licenses.
So you’re going to do something? You’re going to have someone look at them?
Okay. So you just mentioned this and it’s kind of maybe a strange thing to wrap on, but you mentioned that you’re 65.
And I started thinking about that. I knew how old you were. You just turned 65. Say happy birthday to him. He just had his birthday.
Thank you. I had my birthday two days before I got married, so it was a good thing.
Exactly. You are the oldest governor to be elected since Vail Pittman, 75 years ago.
You’re killing me, Jon. That’s what you came up with as my last question? Okay.
Wait, so…
There’s more? Oh good.
The campaign was grueling.
I don’t think you missed a day, though.
I didn’t.
But I think it’s a legitimate question to ask, being the oldest governor in 75 years. Did I mention that yet? You’ve sat up here for a grueling 90 minutes with me.
It’s been fun.
How’s your health? Is it good?
It’s great. My health is really, really good. It’s gotten better since I got married. I’m sleeping more, eating less, exercising more, all those good things. My health is good. I’m in good shape. It’s probably the best it’s been in quite a while. It was a tough campaign, both campaigns were tough. Long, long days, but I got a lot out of it. I really enjoyed meeting people. I enjoyed traveling around the state and visiting and seeing real world problems and I ran into you at the airport up in Reno my last time back and it’s amazing. I sit down in this seat and people are like, really? You’re the governor? They can come up and shake your hand, in not many states can you do that and I fully understand that and I think I’m very fortunate and blessed that I could come to a meeting like this, an event like this, and be able to take questions and answer some questions, but I’m still feeling really good. My health is good and I think I’ve got some good years in me that we can accomplish some good things for the state of Nevada. I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years and going to move it forward.
Well Governor, I want to say again how much I appreciate your willingness to do this. You and I have known each other a long time. I really do appreciate it and I think I speak for everybody in this room and many people in Nevada who wish you the best and good luck when the Legislature starts, because your life is about to be not as fun. Governor, thanks for coming.
Thanks, Jon. It’s a pleasure.
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/indytalks-full-transcript-of-steve-sisolaks-interview-with-the-nevada-independent
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Lamar Community College’s Dr. Annessa Stagner-Stulp Receives AAWCC Under 40 Award
Anessa Stagner-Stulp
(Lamar, CO) – The American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) has named Lamar Community College’s Dean of Academic Services Dr. Anessa C. Stagner-Stulp as a recipient of the AAWCC Under 40 Award.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award,” said Stagner-Stulp. “Accomplishments like this occur when someone is surrounded by a good team, and I feel especially fortunate to work with a great team of people at Lamar Community College.”
Since 2015, Stagner- Stulp has served as the Dean of Academic Services at Lamar. During her time she has worked to initiate new programs, recruit highly credentialed faculty, and strengthen LCC’s community ties. In addition to her work at LCC Stagner -Stulp currently serves as the Vice President of the Colorado Community College Dean’s Council, and is the President-elect for 2019-2020. Stagner -Stulp also continues to research the history of shell shock and PTSD and her work has been featured on TEDx and CSPAN History TV.
Before arriving at Lamar Community College Stagner- Stulp served in various capacities at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) including in the roles of visiting assistant professor and pedagogical fellow, instructional development associate, instructor and writing consultant and program manager. She is a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization for Women (PEO) and volunteers with the Colorado Welcome Center in Lamar and American Red Cross. Stagner- Stulp received her bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University, followed by a master’s degree in history from Ohio University and a PhD in history from UCI.
Each year, AAWCC recognizes women under age 40 who are making a difference at the colleges where they’re employed and within the communities they serve. Stagner- Stulp and other rising stars in community colleges receive their awards at the AAWCC Awards Breakfast on Sunday, April 14 at 7 a.m. at the Orlando World Center Marriot, Canary 1 conference room.
Filed Under: City of Lamar • Education • Media Release • School
Tags: Anessa Stagner-Stulp • LCC
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States and territories of Australia
first-level subdivision of Australia
Australian states and territories
Internal territories (3)
External territories (7)
Commonwealth of Australia
There are no permanent residents in two territories: Ashmore & Cartier Islands and Heard & McDonald Islands.
The most populous state/territory is New South Wales, with 7,955,900 people (2016).
The smallest territory is the Coral Sea Islands with an area of 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi).
The largest state/territory is the Australian Antarctic Territory, which is 5,896,500 km2 (2,276,700 sq mi).
Local government areas
Cadastral divisions
The states and territories are the first-level administrative divisions of the Commonwealth of Australia. They are the second level of government in Australia, located between the federal and local government tiers.
The Government of Australia is the government of the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. It is also commonly referred to as the Australian Government, the Commonwealth Government, Her Majesty's Government, or the Federal Government.
Local government in Australia is the third tier of government in Australia administered by the states and territories, which in turn are beneath the federal tier. Local government is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia and two referenda in the 1970s and 1980s to alter the Constitution relating to local government were unsuccessful. Every state government recognises local government in their respective constitutions. Unlike Canada or the United States, there is only one level of local government in each state, with no distinction such as cities and counties.
Geographic Australia
States and territories
Defunct territories
Comparative terminology
Governors and administrators of states and territories
Premiers and chief ministers of states and territories
State and territorial parliaments
State and territory supreme courts
State and territory police forces
State and territory borders
State and territory codes
The country comprises six states: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. They retain a degree of sovereignty, being the successors of the previous Australian colonies. The states each have their own parliaments, able to legislate over certain residual and concurrent power areas.
New South Wales is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Tasman Sea to the east. The Australian Capital Territory is an enclave within the state. New South Wales' state capital is Sydney, which is also Australia's most populous city. In December 2018, the population of New South Wales was over 8 million, making it Australia's most populous state. Just under two-thirds of the state's population, 5.1 million, live in the Greater Sydney area. Inhabitants of New South Wales are referred to as New South Welshmen.
Victoria is a state in south-eastern Australia. Victoria is Australia's smallest mainland state and its second-most populous state overall, making it the most densely populated state overall. Most of its population lives concentrated in the area surrounding Port Phillip Bay, which includes the metropolitan area of its state capital and largest city, Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. Victoria is bordered by Bass Strait and Tasmania to the south, New South Wales to the north, the Tasman Sea to the east, and South Australia to the west.
Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the north-east of the country, it is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the Torres Strait, with Papua New Guinea located less than 200 km across it from the mainland. The state is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, with an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi).
Two of the three internal territories, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), function in reality as states themselves. The ACT and Northern Territory each possess their own level of self-government through their respective legislative assemblies, but instead derive their power from the Commonwealth, theoretically revocable at any time. The third internal territory, the Jervis Bay Territory, is a territory in its own right and is the product of Australia's complex relationship with its capital city. Rather than having the same level of autonomy as the states and the two other internal territories, Jervis Bay instead has services provided by arrangement from New South Wales and the ACT.
The Northern Territory is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. It shares borders with Western Australia to the west, South Australia to the south, and Queensland to the east. To the north, the territory looks out to the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria, including Western New Guinea and other Indonesian islands. The NT covers 1,349,129 square kilometres (520,902 sq mi), making it the third-largest Australian federal division, and the 11th-largest country subdivision in the world. It is sparsely populated, with a population of only 246,700, making it the least-populous of Australia's six states and two territories, with fewer than half as many people as Tasmania.
The Australian Capital Territory, formerly known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938 and commonly referred to as the ACT, is a federal territory of Australia containing the Australian capital city of Canberra and some surrounding townships. It is located in the south-east of the country and is an enclave within the state of New South Wales. Founded after federation as the seat of government for the new nation, all important institutions of the Australian federal government are centred in the Territory.
The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was surrendered by the state of New South Wales to the Commonwealth Government in 1915 so that the Australian Capital Territory would have access to the sea.
Australia also consists of seven external territories. These do not comprise Australia proper, but are nevertheless under Australian sovereignty. Only three of the external territories have a permanent population, and as a result, they are all directly administered by the federal Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities (or the Department of the Environment and Energy in the case of the Australian Antarctic Territory). Norfolk Island was partially self-governing, until this was revoked in 2015.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development is an Australian Public Service department of the Government of Australia charged with the responsibility for infrastructure and major projects, transport, local government, external territories administration, rural and regional development, population policy, and cities.
The Department of the Environment and Energy is an Australian government department.
The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is a part of Antarctica administered by the Australian Antarctic Division, an agency of the federal Department of the Environment and Energy. The territory's history dates to a claim on Enderby Land made by the United Kingdom in 1841, which was subsequently expanded and eventually transferred to Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation by area. In 1961, the Antarctic Treaty came into force. Article 4 deals with territorial claims, and although it does not renounce or diminish any preexisting claims to sovereignty, it also does not prejudice the position of Contracting Parties in their recognition or non-recognition of territorial sovereignty. As a result, only four other countries—New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, and Norway—recognise Australia's claim to sovereignty in Antarctica.
The term geographic Australia is used by the Australian government to describe the area covered by demographic statistics such as national population figures. This area comprises Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in addition to the six states and three mainland territories; Norfolk Island is the only territory with a permanent population that is not part of geographic Australia. [1]
The Territory of Christmas Island is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, around 350 kilometres (220 mi) south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 kilometres (960 mi) north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland. It has an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi).
The Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands is an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and closer to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is part of Southeast Asia and is in the Southern Hemisphere. The territory's dual name reflects that the islands have historically been known as either the Cocos Islands or the Keeling Islands.
of Australia
Local Government Area
Unincorporated Area
Reference map for states and territories of Australia
States of Australia [n 1]
ISO [2]
(Dec 2018) [3]
Area (km²) [4]
New South Wales NSW AU-NSW NSW Sydney 8,046,070 800,628 Margaret Beazley Gladys Berejiklian
(Liberal)
Queensland QLD AU-QLD QLD Brisbane 5,052,827 1,723,936 Paul de Jersey Annastacia Palaszczuk
(Labor)
South Australia SA AU-SA SA Adelaide 1,742,744 978,810 Hieu Van Le Steven Marshall
Tasmania Tas AU-TAS TAS Hobart 531,529 64,519 Kate Warner Will Hodgman
Victoria Vic AU-VIC VIC Melbourne 6,526,413 227,010 Linda Dessau Daniel Andrews
Western Australia WA AU-WA WA Perth [n 2] 2,606,338 2,526,786 Kim Beazley Mark McGowan
Internal territories of Australia [n 3]
Territory name
Australian Capital Territory ACT AU-ACT ACT Canberra 423,811 2,280 none [5] Andrew Barr
Northern Territory NT AU-NT NT Darwin 245,854 1,349,129 Vicki O'Halloran Michael Gunner
Jervis Bay Territory JBT ACT none (Jervis Bay Village) 405 72 none [6] none
External territories of Australia [n 4]
(or largest settlement)
Shire President
Ashmore and Cartier Islands none (Offshore anchorage) 0 199
Australian Antarctic Territory AAT AQ [n 5] Davis Station 60 [n 6] 5,896,500 none none
Christmas Island CX Flying Fish Cove 1,938 135 Natasha Griggs Gordon Thompson
Cocos (Keeling) Islands CC West Island 547 14 Seri Wati Iku
Coral Sea Islands (Willis Island) 4 [n 7] 10 none none
Heard Island and McDonald Islands HIMI HM (Atlas Cove) 0 372 none none
Norfolk Island NF Kingston 1,758 35 Eric Hutchinson none
At Federation in 1901, what is now the Northern Territory was within South Australia, what are now the Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory were within New South Wales, and Coral Sea Islands was part of Queensland. Ashmore and Cartier Islands was accepted by Australia in 1934 [7] and was annexed to the Northern Territory prior to adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1942, deemed effective fron 1939; it has thus become part of Australia.
The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom whose modified versions are now domestic law within Australia and Canada; it has been repealed in New Zealand and implicitly in former Dominions that are no longer Commonwealth realms. Passed on 11 December 1931, the act, either immediately or upon ratification, effectively both established the legislative independence of the self-governing Dominions of the British Empire from the United Kingdom and bound them all to seek each other's approval for changes to monarchical titles and the common line of succession. It thus became a statutory embodiment of the principles of equality and common allegiance to the Crown set out in the Balfour Declaration of 1926. As the statute removed nearly all of the British parliament's authority to legislate for the Dominions, it had the effect of making the Dominions largely sovereign nations in their own right. It was a crucial step in the development of the Dominions as separate states.
Cocos (Keeling) Islands voted for integration in 1984. Together with Christmas Island, Commonwealth laws apply automatically to the territory unless expressly stated otherwise [8] and residents of both external territories are associated with Northern Territory for federal elections. They are, thus, constitutionally part of Australia.
Uninhabited Heard and McDonald Island is treated as constitutionally part of Australia by the central government. [9]
The constitutional status of the Australian Antarctic Territory is unclear, with successive governments treating it either as a separate territory (as in the United Kingdom and Norway) or an integral part of the country (as in New Zealand and France). As of 2018 [update] , the present government appears to take the view that it is not constitutionally part of Australia. [10]
Norfolk Island's status is controversial, with the present (as of 2018 [update] ) government taking measures to integrate the territory into Australia proper (including representation in parliament and compulsory voting). The Norfolk Islanders have not formally consented to this change in constitutional status and assert that they are not Australian. [11]
Three territories established by the federal government under section 122 of the Constitution of Australia no longer exist:
Central Australia (1926–1931), consisting of the area of the current Northern Territory south of the 20th parallel south [12]
North Australia (1926–1931), consisting of the area of the current Northern Territory north of the 20th parallel south [12]
Territory of Papua (1905–1975)
Additionally, two other areas were administered by Australia as de facto external territories.
Territory of Nauru (1920–1968)
Territory of New Guinea (1920–1975)
Both New Guinea and Nauru were originally German territories, but were occupied by Australian forces during World War I and subsequently made League of Nations mandates. They later became United Nations trust territories. The Papua and New Guinea Act 1949 placed the Territory of New Guinea in an "administrative union" with the Territory of Papua. The Territory of Papua and New Guinea was eventually given independence as Papua New Guinea in 1975. Nauru was granted independence in 1968.
The states originated as separate British colonies prior to Federation in 1901. The Colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and Van Diemen's Land, in addition to the area currently referred to as the state of New South Wales. During the 19th century, large areas were successively separated to form the Colony of Tasmania (initially established as a separate colony named Van Diemen's Land in 1825), the Colony of Western Australia (initially established as the smaller Swan River Colony in 1829), the Province of South Australia (1836), the Colony of New Zealand (1840), [13] the Victoria Colony (1851) and the Colony of Queensland (1859). Upon Federation, the six colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania became the founding states of the new Commonwealth of Australia.
Legislative powers of the states are protected by the Australian constitution, section 107, and under the principle of federalism, Commonwealth legislation only applies to the states where permitted by the constitution. The territories, by contrast, are from a constitutional perspective directly subject to the Commonwealth Government; laws for territories are determined by the Australian Parliament. [14]
Most of the territories are directly administered by the Commonwealth Government, while two (the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory) have some degree of self-government although less than that of the states. In the self-governing territories, the Australian Parliament retains the full power to legislate, and can override laws made by the territorial institutions, which it has done on rare occasions. For the purposes of Australian (and joint Australia-New Zealand) intergovernmental bodies, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are treated as if they were states.
Each state has a governor, appointed by the Queen, which by convention she does on the advice of the state Premier. The Administrator of the Northern Territory, by contrast, is appointed by the Governor-General. The Australian Capital Territory has neither a Governor nor an Administrator, but the Governor-General exercises some powers that in other jurisdictions are exercised by the Governor of a state or Administrator of a territory, such as the power to dissolve the Legislative Assembly.
Jervis Bay Territory is the only non-self-governing internal territory. Until 1989, it was administered as if it were a part of the ACT, although it has always been a separate territory. Under the terms of the Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915, [15] the laws of the ACT apply to the Jervis Bay Territory insofar as they are applicable and providing they are not inconsistent with an Ordinance. [16] Although residents of the Jervis Bay Territory are generally subject to laws made by the ACT Legislative Assembly, they are not represented in the Assembly. They are represented in the Parliament of Australia as part of the Electoral Division of Fraser in the ACT and by the ACT's two Senators. In other respects, the territory is administered directly by the Federal Government through the Territories portfolio.
The external territory of Norfolk Island possessed a degree of self-government from 1979 until 2015.
Each state has a bicameral parliament except Queensland, which abolished its upper house in 1922. The lower house is called the Legislative Assembly, except in South Australia and Tasmania, where it is called the House of Assembly. Tasmania is the only state to use proportional representation for elections to its lower house; all others elect members from single member constituencies, using preferential voting. The upper house is called the Legislative Council and is generally elected from multi-member constituencies using proportional representation. The three self-governing territories, the ACT, the Northern Territory, and Norfolk Island, each have unicameral Legislative Assemblies.
The head of government of each state is called the premier, appointed by the state's Governor. In normal circumstances, the Governor will appoint as premier whoever leads the party or coalition which exercises control of the lower house (in the case of Queensland, the only house) of the state Parliament. However, in times of constitutional crisis, the Governor can appoint someone else as Premier. The head of government of the self-governing internal territories is called the chief minister. The Northern Territory's chief minister, in normal circumstances whoever controls the Legislative Assembly, is appointed by the administrator.
1788 – British Empire establishes Colony of New South Wales across central and eastern mainland Australia, the island of Tasmania, both islands of New Zealand and Norfolk Island.
1803 – The Coral Sea Islands are claimed by New South Wales
1825 – The island of Tasmania becomes the independent colony of Van Diemen's Land. New South Wales extends its borders further west in mainland Australia.
1829 – British Empire establishes Swan River Colony in western mainland Australia
1832 – Swan River Colony is renamed the colony of Western Australia
1836 - The Colony of South Australia is established
1841 – The islands of New Zealand become the independent colony of New Zealand. Much of eastern Antarctica is annexed by Britain as Victoria Land.
1844 – New South Wales transfers Norfolk Island to Van Diemen's Land
1846 – Northern central and eastern Australia briefly become the independent Colony of North Australia, then are returned to New South Wales.
1851 – Southeastern mainland Australia becomes the independent colony of Victoria
1856 – Van Diemen's Land is renamed the colony of Tasmania. Norfolk Island becomes the independent colony of Norfolk Island, however it is to be administered by the same Governor as New South Wales.
1857 – Much of southern central mainland Australia becomes the independent colony of South Australia. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are annexed by Britain.
1859 – Northeastern mainland Australia and Coral Sea Islands become the independent colony of Queensland
1860 – A pocket of New South Wales territory remaining in southern central mainland Australia is transferred to South Australia
1862 – Some of New South Wales' northern central mainland Australian territory is transferred to Queensland
1863 – New South Wales' remaining northern central mainland Australian territory is transferred to South Australia
1878 – Britain annexes Ashmore Island
1883 – Queensland annexes southeastern New Guinea
1884 – Southeastern New Guinea becomes the independent Territory of Papua
1886 – The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are to be administered by the same Governor as the Straits Settlements
1888 – Christmas Island is annexed by Britain and incorporated into the Straits Settlements
1897 – Norfolk Island is officially reintegrated into New South Wales
1901 – New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia federate into the Commonwealth of Australia. Queensland transfers the Coral Sea Islands to the federal government, creating a federal external territory.
1902 – Britain transfers Papua to Australia as an external territory
1903 – The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are incorporated into the Straits Settlements
1909 – Britain annexes Cartier Island
1910 – Britain claims Heard Island and the McDonald Islands
1911 – The state of South Australia transfers control of northern central mainland Australia to the federal government, creating the Northern Territory. A small pocket of New South Wales around the city of Canberra is transferred to the federal government (who are seated within it), creating the Federal Capital Territory.
1913 – New South Wales transfers Norfolk Island to the federal government, making it a federal external territory
1915 – A small pocket of New South Wales around Jervis Bay is transferred to the federal government and incorporated into the Federal Capital Territory
1920 – Following the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, the League of Nations establishes an Australian mandate in northeastern New Guinea, it becomes the external Territory of New Guinea
1923 – Another conquered German territory, the island of Nauru, is established as an Australian mandate and external territory by the League of Nations, this time as a co-mandate with Britain and New Zealand
1927 – The Northern Territory is split into two territories – North Australia and Central Australia
1930 – Remaining territory in eastern Antarctica is annexed by Britain as Enderby Land
1931 – North Australia and Central Australia are reincorporated as the Northern Territory. Britain recognises Australia as possessors of the uninhabited Ashmore and Cartier Islands, making them an external federal territory.
1933 – Britain transfers Victoria Land and Enderby Land to Australia, creating the Australian Antarctic Territory, with ongoing limited international recognition
1938 – The Federal Capital Territory is renamed the Australian Capital Territory
1942 – The Japanese Empire conquers Nauru from Australia, Britain and New Zealand as part of World War II. Japan also conquers much of the Straits Settlements, including Christmas Island. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are not conquered and are transferred to the Colony of Ceylon.
1946 – The United Nations, the successor to the League of Nations, renews its mandate of New Guinea to Australia
1947 – Following the defeat of Japan in World War II, the United Nations returns Nauru to Australia, Britain and New Zealand as a joint mandate. Christmas Island returns to Britain and is incorporated into the Colony of Singapore. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are also transferred to Singapore.
1949 – Papua and New Guinea are incorporated into the singular Territory of Papua and New Guinea. Britain transfers Heard Island and the McDonald Islands to Australia, creating a federal external territory.
1955 – Britain transfers the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to Australia, they become an external territory
1958 – Britain transfers Christmas Island to Australia, it becomes an external territory
1966 – The Republic of Nauru is established, ending Australian/British/New Zealander control of the island
1975 – Papua and New Guinea becomes the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, ending British/Australian control
1978 – Northern Territory gains self-government with certain Commonwealth control.
1989 – Jervis Bay becomes independent of the ACT, becoming the Jervis Bay Territory
1993 – Australian Capital Territory gains self-government with certain Commonwealth control.
2015 – Norfolk Island loses self-government with full Commonwealth control.
Type of entity
Tie to the Queen
Domestic administrator
Upper House of Parliament
Lower House of Parliament
Lower house [note 1]
Commonwealth of Australia Federal government Direct Governor-General Prime Minister Senate House of Representatives Senator MP
South Australia Federated state Direct (established by the Australia Act 1986 ) Governor Premier Legislative Council House of Assembly MLC MHA
New South Wales Legislative Assembly MP
Victoria MLA
Queensland N/A (abolished 1922) N/A MP
Australian Capital Territory Self-governing territory Indirect (through Governor-General acting as "administrator") Assembly and Chief minister Chief minister N/A MLA
Northern Territory Indirect (through Governor-General) Administrator
Christmas Island External territory Mayor/shire president Shire Council Councillor
Norfolk Island Regional Council [note 2]
↑ The abbreviation MP is an acceptable, and indeed more common, term for members of each lower house.
↑ Between 1979 and 2015 Norfolk Island was a self-governing external territory with its own legislature, the Norfolk Legislative Assembly, until this was abolished by the Commonwealth Parliament.
Main article: Governors of the Australian states
Governor of Queensland His Excellency Paul de Jersey 29 July 2014
Governor of South Australia His Excellency Hieu Van Le 1 September 2014
Governor of Tasmania Her Excellency Kate Warner 10 December 2014
Governor of Victoria Her Excellency Linda Dessau 1 July 2015
Governor of Western Australia His Excellency Kim Beazley 1 May 2018
Governor of New South Wales Her Excellency Margaret Beazley 2 May 2019
Administrator of the Northern Territory Her Honour Vicki O'Halloran 31 October 2017
Administrator of Norfolk Island His Honour Eric Hutchinson 1 April 2017
Administrator of Australian Indian Ocean Territories
(Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands) Her Honour Natasha Griggs 5 October 2017
Main article: Premiers of the Australian states
Premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian MP Liberal 23 January 2017
Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk MP Labor 14 February 2015
Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall MHA Liberal 19 March 2018
Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman MP Liberal 31 March 2014
Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews MP Labor 4 December 2014
Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan MLA Labor 17 March 2017
Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Andrew Barr MLA Labor 11 December 2014
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner MLA Labor 31 August 2016
Mayor of Norfolk Island Council Councillor Robin Adams 6 July 2016
Presidents of Australian Indian Ocean Territories:
President of the Shire of Christmas Island
President of the Shire of Cocos Council
Councillor Foo Kee Heng
Councillor Balmut Pirus
Main article: Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
Parliament of New South Wales
Parliament of Queensland
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Main article: Australian court hierarchy
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
Supreme Court of Queensland
Supreme Court of South Australia
Supreme Court of Tasmania
Supreme Court of Victoria
Supreme Court of Western Australia
Supreme Court of Norfolk Island
Main article: Law enforcement in Australia
Australian Capital Territory Police (performed by Australian Federal Police)
New South Wales Police
Northern Territory Police
Queensland Police
South Australia Police
Tasmania Police
Western Australia Police
Main article: Territorial evolution of Australia
Australian Capital Territory border
New South Wales borders
Northern Territory borders
Queensland borders
South Australian borders
Tasmanian borders
Victorian borders
Western Australia border
State / territory
Land area [4] [17]
(2016 census)
% of population
in capital
sq mi
/km2
/sq mi
Australian Capital Territory ACT 2,280 880 8 395,200 7 167.6 434 1 99.6% 1 [18]
New South Wales NSW 800,628 309,124 5 7,704,300 1 9.62 24.9 3 63.0% 5 [19]
Northern Territory NT 1,335,742 515,733 3 244,000 8 0.18 0.47 8 54.0% 6 [20]
Queensland QLD 1,723,936 665,615 2 4,827,000 3 2.79 7.2 5 46.0% 7 [21]
South Australia SA 978,810 377,920 4 1,706,500 5 1.74 4.5 6 73.5% 2 [22]
Tasmania TAS 64,519 24,911 7 518,500 6 7.58 19.6 4 41.0% 8 [23]
Victoria VIC 227,010 87,650 6 6,039,100 2 26.56 68.8 2 71.0% 4 [24]
Western Australia WA 2,526,786 975,598 1 2,613,700 4 1.03 2.7 7 73.4% 3 [25]
Telephone numbers in Australia
Australian Capital Territory ACT 1xx(x) [nb 1] xx(x)Cn [nb 1] VK1xx [nb 1] ACT 02nn, [nb 2] 26nn, 29nn +61 2 62xx xxxx
+61 2 61xx xxxx +10 +11
New South Wales NSW 2xx(x) xx(x)Nn VK2xx NSW 1nnn, [nb 2] 2nnn +61 2 xxxx xxxx [nb 3] +10 (+9 1⁄2) [nb 4] +11
Victoria Vic 3xx(x) xx(x)Vn VK3xx VIC 3nnn, 8nnn [nb 2] +61 3 xxxx xxxx [nb 3] +10 +11
Queensland Qld 4xx(x) xx(x)Qn VK4xx QLD 4nnn, 9nnn [nb 2] +61 7 xxxx xxxx +10
South Australia SA 5xx(x) xx(x)Sn VK5xx SA 5nnn +61 8 8xxx xxxx
+61 8 7xxx xxxx +9 1⁄2 +10 1⁄2
Western Australia WA 6xx(x) xx(x)Wn VK6xx WA 6nnn +61 8 9xxx xxxx
+61 8 6xxx xxxx +8
Tasmania Tas 7xx(x) xx(x)Tn VK7xx TAS 7nnn +61 3 6xxx xxxx +10 +11
Northern Territory NT 8xx(x) xx(x)Dn VK8xx NT 08nn +61 8 89xx xxxx +9 1⁄2
External territories
Norfolk Island 2xx(x) xx(x)Nn VK2xx NSW 2899 +672 3 xx xxx +11
Christmas Island 6xx(x) xx(x)Wn VK9xx WA 6798 +61 8 9164 xxxx +7
Cocos Island 6xx(x) xx(x)Wn VK9xx WA 6799 +61 8 9162 xxxx +6 1⁄2
Australian Antarctic Territory AAT none VK0xx TAS +672 1 +6 to +8
Macquarie Island none +10 +11
1 2 3 A number of broadcast stations in the ACT have call signs allocated as if ACT were part of New South Wales.
1 2 3 4 This is used for some PO box and large users only.
1 2 Some exceptions apply to numbers in this state's number range.
↑ The state of New South Wales observes Australian Eastern Standard Time except for Broken Hill and the surrounding region, which observes Australian Central Standard Time.
Australia portal
ISO 3166-2:AU, the ISO codes for the states and territories of Australia.
Australian regional rivalries
List of Australian demonyms
List of proposed states of Australia
List of Australian states by Human Development Index
↑ Unless provided, references and details on data provided in the table can be found within the individual state and territory articles.
↑ Perth was defined as the capital by statute in 2016: City of Perth Act 2016 (WA) in AustLII.
↑ Under the definitions in ISO 3166-1, the AAT is covered by the Antarctican ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code "AQ".
↑ No permanent population, research station with fluctuating staff numbers.
↑ No permanent population, weather monitoring station generally with four staff.
This is an overview of the postage stamps and postal history of Australia.
The title Administrator of the Government (Administrator) has several uses in Australia.
The Parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The Territory of Papua comprised the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea from 1883 to 1975. In 1883, the Government of Queensland annexed this territory for the British Empire. The United Kingdom Government refused to ratify the annexation but in 1884 a Protectorate was proclaimed over the territory, then called "British New Guinea". There is a certain ambiguity about the exact date on which the entire territory was annexed by the British. The Papua Act 1905 recites that this happened "on or about" 4 September 1888. On 18 March 1902, the Territory was placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia. Resolutions of acceptance were passed by the Commonwealth Parliament, who accepted the territory under the name of Papua.
The Australian migration zone is a legal device created by the Australian government for the purpose of Australia's visa policy and immigration policy. In the Australian migration zone, which covers such Australian controlled territories as the government may determine, a non-citizen must hold an Australian visa. Without such a visa, or a bridging visa, the alien is treated as an "unauthorised arrival". Prior to 2001, the Australian migration zone consisted of the mainland, and some external territories.
The Territory of New Guinea was an Australian administered territory on the island of New Guinea from 1920 until 1975. In 1949, the Territory and the Territory of Papua were established in an administrative union by the name of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. That administrative union was renamed as Papua New Guinea in 1971. Notwithstanding that it was part of an administrative union, the Territory of New Guinea at all times retained a distinct legal status and identity until the advent of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.
A Government House is any residence used by Governors-General, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in the Commonwealth and the British Empire. Government Houses serve as the venue for Governors’ official business, as well as the many receptions and functions hosted by the occupant. Sometimes, the term Government House is used as a metonym for the Governor or his office.
An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and (notionally) advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.
The first colonies of the British Empire on the continent of Australia were the penal colony of New South Wales, founded in 1787, and the Swan River Colony, founded in 1829. Over the next few decades, the colonies of New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Van Diemen's Land, and Victoria were created from New South Wales, as well as an aborted Colony of North Australia. On 1 January 1901, these colonies, excepting New Zealand, became states in the Commonwealth of Australia. Since federation, the internal borders have remained mostly stable, except for the creation of some territories with limited self-government: the Northern Territory from South Australia, to govern the vast, sparsely populated centre of the country; the split of the Northern Territory into Central Australia and North Australia, and then the quick merger of those back into the Northern Territory; and the Australian Capital Territory, a federal district ceded from New South Wales.
The Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, is a local government area which manages local affairs on the Australian external territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The island is grouped with Western Australia but is administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities and an Administrator.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Australia:
There are six monarchies in Oceania; that is: self-governing sovereign states in Oceania where supreme power resides with an individual hereditary head, who is recognised as the head of state. Each is a constitutional monarchy, wherein the sovereign inherits his or her office, usually keeps it until death or abdication, and is bound by laws and customs in the exercise of their powers. Five of these independent states share Queen Elizabeth II as their respective head of state, making them part of a global grouping known as the Commonwealth realms; in addition, all monarchies of Oceania are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The only sovereign monarchy in Oceania that does not share a monarch with another state is Tonga. Australia and New Zealand have dependencies within the region and outside it, although five non-sovereign constituent monarchs are recognized by New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and France.
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania vary, with it being defined in various ways, often geopolitically or geographically. In the geopolitical conception used by the United Nations, International Olympic Committee, and many atlases, the Oceanic region includes Australia and the nations of the Pacific from Papua New Guinea east, but not the Malay Archipelago or Indonesian New Guinea. The term is sometimes used more specifically to denote Australasia as a geographic continent, or biogeographically as a synonym for either the Australasian ecozone or the Pacific ecozone.
The Department of Territories was an Australian government department that existed between May 1951 and February 1968.
Mainland Australia is the main land mass of the Commonwealth of Australia excluding Tasmania and other offshore islands and external territories. The land mass also constitutes the mainland of the Australian continent, and the term, along with continental Australia, can be used in a geographic sense to exclude surrounding continental islands. Generally, the term is applied to the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia, as well as the Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, and Jervis Bay Territory.
This article is a gallery of the flags of the principal subdivisions of the countries and territories of Oceania. For purposes of this article, Oceania is taken to comprise Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
↑ Pink, Brian (2010). "Definition of Australia". Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (Report). Australian Bureau of Statistics. p. 5.
1 2 3 ISO 3166-2:AU (ISO 3166-2 codes for the states and territories of Australia)
1 2 3 "3101.0 – Australian Demographic Statistics, Dec 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
1 2 3 4 "Area of Australia – States and Territories". Geoscience Australia: National Location Information. Geoscience Australia . Retrieved 2 November 2016.
↑ Crown represented by Governor-General of Australia.
↑ Administered by the Commonwealth.
↑ "Ashmore and Cartier Islands Acceptance Act 1933". Federal Register of Legislation.
↑ https://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/alrc-80-legal-risk-international-transactions/10-external-territories
↑ http://heardisland.antarctica.gov.au/about/frequently-asked-questions
↑ http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/australia-in-antarctica/australian-antarctic-territory
↑ https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/may/21/were-not-australian-norfolk-islanders-adjust-to-shock-of-takeover-by-mainland
1 2 Ling, Ted. "Dividing the Territory, 1926–31". Commonwealth Government Records about the Northern Territory. National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
↑ A.H. McLintock (ed), An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, 3 vols, Wellington, NZ:R.E. Owen, Government Printer, 1966, vol 3 p. 526.'
↑ Constitution of Australia, section 122
↑ Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915 (Cth).
↑ "Jervis Bay Territory Governance and Administration". The Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2013. Although the Jervis Bay Territory is not part of the Australian Capital Territory, the laws of the ACT apply, insofar as they are applicable and, providing they are not inconsistent with an Ordinance, in the Territory by virtue of the 'Jervis Bay Acceptance Act 1915'
↑ http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/area-of-australia-states-and-territories
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Australian Capital Territory". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "New South Wales". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Northern Territory". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Queensland". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "South Australia". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Tasmania". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Victoria". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Western Australia". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
Local government in Australia less powerful than in other countries
Internal territories
Jervis Bay Territory
Former territories
Central Australia (1927–1931)
Nauru (1920–1968) (co-mandate with Britain and New Zealand)
New Guinea (1920–1949)
North Australia (1927–1931)
Papua (1902–1949)
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Politics of Australia
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Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Oceanian countries
Table of administrative country subdivisions by country
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Coat of arms of Russia
Find sources: "Coat of arms of Russia" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Blazon
Gules, a double-headed Imperial Eagle displayed, twice imperially crowned, grasping in the dexter claw an imperial sceptre, and in the sinister claw an imperial orb, all Or. In chief another larger imperial crown with issuant and pendent therefrom a ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, also Or. The Imperial Eagle is charged on the breast with an escutcheon: Gules, an image of St. George Martyr the Victorious in complete armour Argent, wearing a flying cloak Azure, riding a horse in full gallop Argent; the latter treading upon a dragon crawling in base Or, whose head the rider is piercing through with a spear Argent.
The coat of arms of the Russian Federation derives from the earlier coat of arms of the Russian Empire which was abolished with the Russian Revolution in 1917. Though modified more than once since the reign of Ivan III (1462–1505), the current coat of arms is directly derived from its mediaeval original, with the double-headed eagle having Byzantine and earlier antecedents from long before the emergence of any Russian state. The general tincture corresponds to the early fifteenth-century standard.[citation needed] The shape of the eagle can be traced back to the reign of Peter the Great (1682–1725), although the eagle charge on the present coat of arms is golden rather than the traditional, imperial black.
1 Description and usage
2 Historical versions
2.1 1721–1917: Russian Empire
2.2 1918–93: Russian SFSR and the Soviet Union
Description and usage[edit]
The two main elements of Russian state symbols (the two-headed eagle and the mounted figure slaying the dragon) predate Peter the Great. Today, however, the official description does not refer to the rider on the central shield as representing Saint George, mainly in order to maintain the secular character of the modern Russian state. However, the Bank of Russia's website reads:
На аверсе монеты изображены: в центре — рельефное изображение Георгия Победоносца верхом на коне, поражающего копьем змея;
which is translated, on the website, to:
"The obverse: in the center — the relief image of Saint George the Victorious on horseback killing a serpent with a spear;"
in the website's description of the obverse, or the front side, of Russia's currently circulating one, five, ten, and fifty kopeck coins.
The current coat of arms was designed by artist Yevgeny Ukhnalyov; it was adopted officially on 30 November 1993.[1] Today, the imperial crowns on each head stand for the unity and sovereignty of Russia, both as a whole and in its constituent republics and regions. The orb and scepter grasped in the eagle's talons are traditional heraldic symbols of sovereign power and authority. They have been retained in the modern Russian arms despite the fact that the Russian Federation is not a monarchy, which led to objections by the Communists even though both the blue ribbon and the collar of the Order of St. Andrew (which in the imperial arms supported the three crowns and surrounded the central shield) have been removed from the current coat of arms.
The modern arms of Russia were instated by a presidential decree in 1993, and then by a federal law signed by President Vladimir Putin on December 20, 2000.
Historical versions[edit]
Coat of arms of the Palaiologos dynasty, the last rulers of the Byzantine Empire
The heraldic device of Russia has gone through three major periods in its history, undergoing major changes in the transitions between the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation. The use of the double-headed eagle as a Russian coat of arms goes back to the 15th century. With the fall of Constantinople and the end of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, the Grand Dukes of Muscovy came to see themselves as the successors of the Byzantine heritage, a notion reinforced by the marriage of Ivan III to Sophia Paleologue (hence the expression "Third Rome" for Moscow and, by extension, for the whole of Imperial Russia). Ivan adopted the golden Byzantine double-headed eagle in his seal, first documented in 1472, marking his direct claim to the Roman imperial heritage and posing as a sovereign equal and rival to the Holy Roman Empire. In 1497, it was stamped on a charter of share and allotment of independent princes' possessions. At about the same time, the image of a gilt, double-headed eagle on a red background appeared on the walls of the Palace of Facets in the Moscow Kremlin.
The other main Russian coat of arms, the image of St George slaying the dragon, is contemporaneous. In its first form, as a rider armed with a spear, it is found in the seal of Vasili I of Moscow in 1390. At the time of Ivan III, the dragon was added, but the final association with Saint George was not made until 1730, when it was described as such in an Imperial decree. Eventually, St George became the patron saint of Moscow (and, by extension, of Russia).
After the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV, the two coats are found combined, with the eagle bearing an escutcheon depicting St George on the breast. With the establishment of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1589, a patriarchal cross was added for a time between the heads of the eagle.
1721–1917: Russian Empire[edit]
Coat of arms of the Russian Empire
Greater version
Middle version
Lesser version
Escutcheon only
Emperor of Russia
The Russian Empire had a coat of arms, displayed in either its greater, middle and lesser version.
Its escutcheon was golden with a black two-headed eagle crowned with two imperial crowns, over which the same third crown, enlarged, with two flying ends of the ribbon of the Order of Saint Andrew. The State Eagle held a golden scepter and golden globus cruciger. On the chest of the eagle there was an escutcheon with the arms of Moscow, depicting Saint George, mounted and defeating the dragon.
After approval by Alexander III on 24 July 1882, the greater coat of arms was adopted on 3 November, replacing the previous 1857 version.
Its central element is the coat of arms, crowned with the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, with black and golden mantling, and flanked by the archangels Michael and Gabriel. The collar of the Order of Saint Andrew is suspended from the coat of arms. The whole lies within a golden ermine mantle, crowned by the Imperial Crown of Russia and decorated with black double-headed eagles. The inscription on the canopy reads: Съ Нами Богъ ("God is with us"). Above the canopy stands the state khorugv, of gold cloth, on which is depicted the Medium State Seal. The banner is topped by the State Eagle.
Russian coat of arms from Acta Eruditorum, 1708
Around the central composition are placed fifteen coats of arms of the various territories of the Russian Empire. Nine of these are crowned and placed on a laurel and oak wreath. Proceeding from the left in a counter-clockwise direction, these represent, as they are included in the full imperial title: the Khanate of Kazan, the Kingdom of Poland, Tauric Chersonesos, the unified coat of arms of the Grand Principalities of Kiev, Vladimir and Novgorod, the dynastic arms of the House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, the Grand Principality of Finland, the Georgian principalities, and the Khanates of Siberia and Astrakhan.
The six upper escutcheons are joint depictions of various smaller principalities and oblasts. From the left in a clockwise fashion, these are: the combined arms of the northeastern regions (Perm, Volga Bulgaria, Vyatka, Kondinsky, Obdorsk), of Belorussia and Lithuania (Lithuania, Białystok, Samogitia, Polatsk, Vitebsk, Mstislavl), the provinces of Great Russia proper (Pskov, Smolensk, Tver, Nizhniy-Novgorod, Ryazan, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Belozersk, Udorsky), the arms of the southwestern regions (Volhyn, Podolsk, Chernigov), the Baltic provinces (Estonia, Courland and Semigalia, Karelia, Livonia) and Turkestan.
The Middle Coat of Arms (Средний государственный герб Российской Империи) is similar to the Great Coat of Arms, excluding the khorugv and the six upper escutcheons. The Abbreviated Imperial Title is inscribed over the perimeter of the Seal.
The Lesser Coat of Arms (Малый государственный герб Российской Империи) depicts the imperial double-headed eagle, as used in the coat of arms, with the addition of the collar of the Order of Saint Andrew around the escutcheon of St. George, and the Arms of Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia, Finland, Kiev-Vladimir-Novgorod, Taurica, Poland and Kazan on the wings (seen clockwise).
In the beginning of the 17th century, with the ascension of the Romanov dynasty and its contacts with Western Europe, the image of the eagle changed. In 1625, for the first time the double-headed eagle appeared with three crowns. Traditionally, the latter have alternatively been interpreted as representing the conquered kingdoms of Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia, as stated in the first edict concerning the state seal, on 14 December 1667, or as standing for the unity of Great Russia (Russia), Little Russia (the Ukraine) and White Russia (Belarus). Probably under influence from its German equivalent, the eagle, from 1654 onwards, was designed with spread wings and holding a scepter and orb in its claws.
During the reign of Peter the Great, further changes were made. The collar of the newly established Order of Saint Andrew was added around the central escutcheon, and the crowns were changed to the imperial pattern after his assumption of the imperial title in 1721. At about this time, the eagle's color was changed from golden to black, which would be retained until the fall of the Russian monarchy in 1917. A final form for the eagle was adopted by imperial decree in 1729, and remained virtually unchanged until 1853.
During the early 19th century, the eagle designs diversified, and two different variants were adopted by Emperor Nicholas I. The first type represented the eagle with spread wings, one crown, with an image of St.George on the breast and with a wreath and a thunderbolt in its claws. The second type followed the 1730 pattern, with the addition of the arms of Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia on its left wing and those of Poland, the Taurica and Finland on the right one.
In 1855–57, in the course of a general heraldic reform, the eagle's appearance was changed, mirroring German patterns, while St George was made to look to the left, in accordance with the rules of Western heraldry. At the same time, the full set of coat of arms of Great, Medium and Minor Arms, was laid down and approved. The final revisions and changes were made in 1882–83, and are those described above.
1918–93: Russian SFSR and the Soviet Union[edit]
Main articles: Coat of Arms of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and State Emblem of the Soviet Union
The coat of arms of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) was adopted on 10 July 1918 by the government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Soviet Union), and modified several times afterwards. It shows wheat as the symbol of agriculture, a rising sun for the future of the Russian nation, the red star (the RSFSR was the last Soviet Republic to include the star in its state emblem, in 1978) as well as the hammer and sickle for the victory of Communism and the "world-wide socialist community of states".
The Soviet Union state motto ("Workers of the world, unite!") in Russian ('Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!' — Proletarii vsekh stran, soyedinyaytes!) is also a part of the coat of arms.
The acronym of the RSFSR is shown above the hammer and sickle, and reads 'PCФCP', for "Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика" (lit. Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic).
Similar emblems were used by the Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republics (ASSR) within the Russian SFSR; the main differences were generally the use of the republic's acronym and the presence of the motto in the language(s) of the titular nations (with the exception of the state emblem of the Dagestan ASSR, which had the motto in eleven languages as there is no single Dagestani language).
The Soviet Union as a whole adopted its emblem in 1923, which remained in use until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Although it is technically an emblem rather than a coat of arms, since it does not follow traditional heraldic rules, in Russian it is called герб (gerb), the word used for a traditional coat of arms. It was the first state insignia created in the style known as socialist heraldry, a style also seen in e.g. the Chinese national emblem.
The emblem shows the Soviet emblems of the Hammer and Sickle and the Red Star over a globe, in the center of a wreath wrapped in ribbons emblazoned with the Soviet motto ("Workers of the world, unite!") in the official languages of the Soviet Republics, in the reverse order they were mentioned in the Soviet Constitution. Each Soviet Republic (SSR) and Autonomous Soviet Republic (ASSR) had its own coat of arms, largely inspired by the state emblem of the Union.
Four versions were used: 6 ribbons were used in 1923, which were written on in Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani; 11 ribbons with the addition of Turkmen, Uzbek, Tajik, Kazakh, Kyrgyz; 16 with the addition of Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Moldavian, and Finnish. Finally, the inscriptions in Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Uzbek, Tajik, Kazakh and Kyrgyz were updated to reflect their transition from the Latin to the Cyrillic script. The final version of the emblem was adopted in 1956 with the removal of the Finnish inscription from the insignia, reflecting the 1956 transformation of the Karelo-Finnish SSR into the Karelian ASSR.
In 1992, the inscription was changed from RSFSR ('РСФСР') to the Russian Federation ('Российская Федерация') in connection with the change of the name of the state.[2] In 1993, the Communist design was replaced by the present coat of arms (see the top of this article).
Evolution[edit]
See also: Coat of arms of the Russian SFSR
See also: Coat of arms of the Soviet Union
1472: Seal of Ivan III
1539: Seal of Ivan IV
1667: Coat of arms of the Tsardom of Russia
1800: Imperial coat of arms under Paul I
1800: Greater coat of arms
1825: First variant of Nicholas I's coat of arms
1830: Second variant of Nicholas I' coat of arms
1883: Lesser coat of arms
1917: Republican coat of arms
1919: Coat of arms of the Kolchak government
1993: Coat of arms of the Russian Federation
Heraldry portal
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^ Ivanov, Dmitry. "Geral'dika segodnya || Yevgeny Il'ich UKHNALYOV (1931-2015)" Геральдика сегодня || Евгений Ильич УХНАЛЁВ (1931-2015) [Heraldry today || Evgeny Ilyich UHNALYOV (1931-2015)]. sovet.geraldika.ru. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
^ The law of the Russian Federation from 21 April 1992 № 2708-I «About changes and additions of the Constitution (Basic law) of the Russian SFSR»
‹See Tfd›(in Russian) Heraldry of the Russian Empire
‹See Tfd›(in Russian) The Code of Principal Laws of the Russian Empire (Свод Основных Государственных Законов, 1906)
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Related to Coat of arms of Russia
National emblem of Belarus
The national emblem of Belarus, which replaced the historic Pahonia arms in a 1995 referendum, features a ribbon in the colors of the national flag, a map of Belarus, wheat ears and a red star. It is sometimes referred to as the coat of arms of Belarus. The emblem is an allusion to one that was used by the Byelorussian SSR, designed by Ivan Dubasov in 1950, with the biggest change being a replacement of the hammer and sickle with an outline map of Belarus.
Coat of arms of Germany
The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle with a red beak, a red tongue and red feet on a golden field, which is blazoned: Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked langued and membered gules. This is the Bundesadler, formerly known as Reichsadler. It is one of the oldest coats of arms in the world, and today the oldest national symbol used in Europe.
Coat of arms of Ukraine
The state coat of arms of Ukraine, officially referred to as the Sign of the Princely State of Volodymyr the Great or commonly the Tryzub, is the national coat of arms of Ukraine, featuring the same colors found on the Ukrainian flag; a blue shield with a gold trident. It appears on the Presidential Standard of Ukraine. Blue-coloured tridents are considered to be irregular representation by the Ukrainian Heraldry Society.
Coat of arms of Moldova
The coat of arms of Moldova consists of a eagle holding a cross in its beak and a sceptre and an olive branch in its claws. According to Gheorghe Vrabie, the author of the coat of arms, the eagle symbolizes the Latin origin of the people.
The coat of arms of Moscow depicts a horseman with a spear in his hand slaying a basilisk and is identified with Saint George and the Dragon. The heraldic emblem of Moscow has been an integral part of the coat of arms of Russia since the 16th century.
Emblem of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
The coat of arms of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted on March 23, 1937 by the government of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic. The coat of arms is based on the coat of arms of the Soviet Union. It shows symbols of agriculture on a backdrop of the Tian Shan mountains, surrounded by a frame of folk art of the Kyrgyz people. The red star was added in 1948. The rising sun stands for the future of the Kyrgyz nation, the star as well as the hammer and sickle for the victory of communism and the "worldwide socialist community of states".
Coat of arms of Ossetia
The coat of arms of Ossetia is a disk gules with a Caucasian leopard passant or with sable spots on a ground or with a background of seven mountains argent. The mountains on the seal symbolize the Ossetian landscape, while the leopard is an iconic inhabitant of the Caucasus mountains.
Coat of arms of Kropyvnytskyi
The coat of arms of Kropyvnytskyi is one of the city's symbols reflecting its past and the controversies of its history.
Socialist heraldry
Socialist heraldry, also called communist heraldry, consists of emblems in a style typically adopted by communist states and filled with communist symbolism. Although commonly called coats of arms, most such devices are not actually coats of arms in the traditional heraldic sense and should therefore, in a strict sense, not be called arms at all. Many communist governments purposely diverged from the traditional forms of European heraldry in order to distance themselves from the monarchies that they usually replaced, with actual coats of arms being seen as symbols of the monarchs.
Russian heraldry
Russian heraldry involves the study and use of coats of arms and other heraldic insignia in the country of Russia since its formation in the 16th century. Compare the socialist heraldry of the Soviet period of Russian history (1917–1991).
The State Emblem of the Soviet Union was adopted in 1923 and was used until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Although it technically is an emblem rather than a coat of arms, since it does not follow traditional heraldic rules, in Russian it is called герб, the word used for a traditional coat of arms.
The coat of arms of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) was adopted on 10 July 1918 by the government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and modified several times afterwards. It shows wheat as the symbol of agriculture, a rising sun for the future of the Russian nation, the red star as well as the hammer and sickle for the victory of Communism and the "world-wide socialist community of states".
Emblem of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The national emblem of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted in 1937 by the government of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The device is based on the emblem of the Soviet Union.
Emblem of the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The national emblem of the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted in 1937 by the government of the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The emblem is identical to the emblem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Emblem of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The national emblem of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted in 1937 by the government of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The emblem is identical to the emblem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Emblem of the Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The national emblem of the Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted in 1937 by the government of the Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The emblem is identical to the emblem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Emblem of the Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The national emblem of the Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted in 1937 by the government of the Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The emblem is identical to the emblem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Emblem of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The emblem of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted in 1921 by the government of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The emblem is identical to the emblem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Coat of arms of the Sakha Republic
The coat of arms of the Sakha Republic, in the Russian Federation, is one of the official symbol of the Sakha Republic, alongside with the flag and the national anthem of the Sakha Republic. The coat of arms consisted of a circle, of which in the center is an red silhouette of a horse rider with a six-legged horse holding a banner, based on the caveman paintings of the "Shishkin pisanitsa", against a white sun background. The image is place on a frame with traditional national ornament in the form of seven rhombic crystal-like figures and the inscriptions "Республика Саха (Якутия) • Саха Өрөспүүбүлүкэтэ".The coat of arms was used officially since 26 December 1992.
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Archive for the tag “life and loves of lena gaunt”
Author Tracy Farr, photo: Liane McGee
Tracy Farr’s debut novel The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt featured in the October soiree of Friday Night Fictions. Dame Lena Gaunt is in her 80s. She takes gentle doses of heroin, she swings between men and women as lovers and confidantes, she moves with the times via Perth, Sydney, various parts of Asia and New Zealand, all the while dreaming of her electrified passion: the theremin (see Clara Rockmore playing it).
As Lena raises her fingers and moves her body, Farr’s lyrical and elegant prose places us in the picture — an audience for memories and music — as Lena negotiates a documentary crew keen to capture a look-back at her life. The idea of documentary sets up a dynamic tension between what Lena wants to reveal, and what actually happened to her. She occasionally hides behind the persona of a vague elderly lady, all the while sorting out just who she can trust.
I’m always drawn to writers who pack an emotional punch by holding things back. Jon Bauer does it well. Jo Case and Annabel Smith too. It’s something I aim for in my writing: to not tell readers what to feel, but to hope they feel it deeply anyway.
It’s exciting to read a debut novelist as exciting as Farr, as she has a career set in writing novels. Her fiction is strong and unique. She is about to head (from Wellington in NZ) to Perth for the writers’ festival. I spoke to her about how to capture a long life in fiction.
I don’t remember one moment. The ‘want’ was there from a young age. I wrote mostly songs and narrative poems when I was a kid, and I always kept journals and notebooks for scribbling and sketching. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I started trying to write stories, though. Even then, I was tentative and unsure about my abilities. I was slow to come out of the author-closet and declare myself even a wanna-be writer.
What inspired you to set out on the long road to writing a novel?
There are several unfinished novels in the bottom drawer; Lena wasn’t my first attempt at writing a novel, just the first one that was worth finishing. When I first started trying to write fiction, it was writing a novel that I had in mind — or a novella, in the vein of Brenda Walker’s Crush and One More River. But I just didn’t have the staying power — I’d get ten or twenty thousand words in, even forty thousand, then hit a big wall. I pulled back; I wondered if I could somehow develop my writing muscles by writing short stories, and that seemed to work for me. The novel and short story are very different forms, but I needed to learn how to write by learning to write short stories. Once I had the idea for Lena Gaunt, I realised I could trick myself into writing that novel by thinking of it as a series of related short stories. I’ve learnt enough through the process of writing this novel that I haven’t felt the need to trick myself into the next novel in the same way.
What is it that you love most about writing?
Moving words around until they start to sing; inventing other lives; surprising myself; shutting myself away and (literally or metaphorically) curving my arm around the page to write and write and write and perfect before letting the words out to the world.
I love what comes after the writing, too; that once my novel is out in the world, what I intended as its meaning is irrelevant — it comes down to what the text says to a reader, and how the reader receives it. I love the idea that there are readings of the book that I haven’t foreseen (or consciously invited, or intended), and that it has a life beyond and without me.
What do you put off doing when you sit down at your desk?
Housework (happily). Gardening (wistfully). Socialising (guiltily). Television/DVDs (smugly). Reading (mournfully).
How did you go about getting the book published?
It was a long, long road. When I finished the first polished draft of the novel, I didn’t — I still don’t — have an agent and I knew that, without one, I needed to rely on my contacts, and/or submit it to the few publishers that will still accept unsolicited manuscripts directly from authors. Several of the publishers I fancied fell within that set, so I thought I’d give it a go without an agent.
So I sent that finished, but early, draft of the novel to a New Zealand publisher who I’d been in touch with over the years, and who’d been keen to see a novel from me. They knocked it back. I was devastated, even though I’d been pretty sure that the novel I’d written wasn’t the novel they were looking for from me, and even though I knew the novel needed more work, and wasn’t yet the best it could be. In that devastated, desolate, rejected state, I fired the MS off in a mad hurry — as it was, still needing work — to the slush pile of an Australian publisher. That rejection, when it came, hurt less. I pulled my head in, paused, took a breath.
I worked for a solid six months on a major revision, overhauled the MS, took in comments from my wonderful early readers, then sent the much-improved MS, unsolicited, to Fremantle Press. Fremantle Press was always in my sights as a natural home for the novel, particularly because the story was so strongly grounded in place, and that place was Cottesloe Beach, near where I grew up in Perth. It was nearly six months after sending them the MS that I received the news that they were keen, but thought it still needed work; would I consider working with them to revise the MS? Yes, I would. We worked back and forth for nearly eighteen months — slowly, but as fast as their schedule and mine allowed — on the MS before, in June 2012, we signed the contract to publish.
Your writing moves between Perth, Sydney, New Zealand, and various parts of Asia. How did you go about researching and recreating these very different parts of the world?
I’m originally from Perth, I lived there until I was nearly 30. I left Perth in 1991, the year the contemporary part of the novel is set, so Perth in 1991 is very real, very specific to me, sort of set in amber — a time before mobile phones and the internet, before we were all connected. When I started writing the novel I was living for a month in Perth, up in the hills at Katharine Susannah Pritchard Writers’ Centre as Writer in Residence, and I’d catch the bus and the train and the bus to Cottesloe and walk around and breathe the air, watch the light, listen to the streets, when I needed to remind myself of the setting.
I’ve spent time in most of the places the novel is set in. The sections of the novel that are set in Sydney I originally set in New York, where the theremin was actually invented in the 1920s. But I only knew New York from movies and, more importantly, I wanted to move firmly away from the ‘real’ characters — Leon Theremin, Clara Rockmore — who had inspired my characters and their story, and move them closer to what was home for Lena. It was only when I started rewriting scenes from their New York setting that I realised the gift that a move to Sydney in the timeframe of that section would give me: Sydney Harbour Bridge under construction. I layered research on Sydney in the 1920s and early 1930s with my own memories of a long summer spent in Sydney at the age of 16 (about Lena’s age when she arrives there).
I had fantastic resources to draw on for the sections of the novel set in (and travelling to) Singapore and Malacca. My paternal grandmother shares with the fictional Lena Gaunt a birth place and year (Singapore, 1910), childhood in Singapore and Malacca, and jaunts back to boarding school in Perth, and in writing Lena’s story I leaned heavily on stories my grandmother told me over the years, as well as written resources from her father, my great-grandfather. I was able to overlay their experience of South-East Asia early in the twentieth century with mine of the same places sixty or seventy years later.
In all of these very specific settings, though, I wasn’t aiming for strict historical realism. I was seeking to create a version of each time and place that was intensely believable within the context of the novel, yet was — filtered through Lena’s eyes and experiences — slightly off-true, off-kilter.
The novel shifts from historical to contemporary fiction as you trace Lena’s life. How difficult was it to structure this so it moves seamlessly?
That was one of the biggest challenges in the revision process. I wrote the contemporary sections quite separately from the historical sections, and I wrote each of those historical sections quite separately from the other historical sections. There was also a whole other part of the novel in earlier drafts — it didn’t make it in the final cut — in the voice of the filmmaker character, Mo Patterson, and stretching forward in time to the 2010s. I worked hard, through revisions, on the relative weights (in word length as well as emotional weight) of the sections, and on where and how to interleave the contemporary sections with the historical sections. I found it really interesting that in the final structural revision — a really fantastic process of tightening and fine-tuning, and the murder of a few darlings — some of the most effective changes were those that shifted a paragraph or even a whole chapter, say from the end of one section to the start of the next; it was unpicking the endpoints that were artefacts from my writing process. Working collegially with my editors was a really pleasant and unexpectedly energising part of the publishing process; I had great editors, and I always felt as if my book and I were in safe hands.
With your lyrical prose, you beautifully capture the magic of the theremin. When did you come up with the idea of Lena playing this mesmerising instrument and was the character based on an existing figure?
Lucie Rosen and the theremin, Caramoor Centre for Music and the Arts
I’d first seen the theremin played live when I went to see the band Pere Ubu in Vancouver in the mid-90s. Mesmerising is just the word; I couldn’t take my eyes off it. It was more than ten years later that I watched the documentary Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey. The film — a history of this bizarre musical instrument and its inventor, Lev Termen (usually anglicised as Leon Theremin) — was where I encountered Clara Rockmore, the first virtuoso player of the theremin. About that time, I’d started writing notes, circling around a character I wanted to write about, a musician. I knew, when I watched that film, that I’d found Lena’s instrument — an instrument you play without touching was perfect. But I knew I didn’t want to base my character, Lena, strictly on Clara, so I more or less stopped my research then and there. Film and still images of Clara — from a young girl to an old woman — in the documentary gave me some really strong visual cues for Lena. I started with a lot of notes based on my recollection of the film, then as I developed the character, I aimed to distance myself and Lena from the film and from real life events. Clara Rockmore was a starting point for Lena, rather than a model.
Do you have a writing community where you live? Do you like the company of other writers when working on drafts, or are you someone who prefers to go it alone?
Wellington has a really strong community of writers and people who care about writing and books. We have the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University, and writing courses at Whitireia and Massey University; New Zealand Book Council is based in Wellington, and we have an active local branch of the NZ Society of Authors. There’s always something happening.
That said, my tendency is to be a loner; but there are times when the input and company of others has been hugely helpful. I’ve been part of writing groups at various times, mostly arising from workshops or classes I’ve taken. Being able to sit in that classroom or living room or cafe, to swap writing, to give and take criticism and comment, is a great thing. But I do find that the more my time is squeezed and limited and precious, the more likely I am to just shut the door on everyone else and write, by myself. It’s much later in the process that I seek the company of others.
Be patient. The process takes a long time. Don’t rush. Find a great editor/editors, and trust her/them.
Which authors have been instrumental to your own reading and writing?
My first loves were my parents’ books from their childhoods: A.A. Milne in my dad’s precious editions from the 1940s; Enid Blyton from Mum. As a teenager, I read widely — I spent a lot of time in the school and public libraries — but developed obsessions with authors who I’d focus in on at different times: science fiction writers (Arthur C. Clarke, Asimov, John Wyndham, Ray Bradbury); the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie (after an earlier diet of Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, Famous Five, Secret Seven et al.); an assorted bunch of American writers (J.D. Salinger, Paul Zindel, Sylvia Plath, John Steinbeck, Richard Brautigan); the short stories of Katherine Mansfield.
By the time — years later, in my late twenties — I was starting to try to work out how I might write, I was reading and inspired by Helen Garner, Beverley Farmer, Brenda Walker, Elizabeth Jolley, Peter Carey, Tim Winton; Patrick White, too. I was in love with Australian writing. I was in love with women writers: Virginia Woolf, Jeanette Winterson, Angela Carter, A.S. Byatt. I somehow didn’t discover Alice Munro and Carol Shields until I lived in Canada — they joined my pantheon. Men got a look-in too: Martin Amis, Ian McEwan, Julian Barnes, Jim Crace. Moving to New Zealand in the mid-90s, I was struck most by the poetry that runs through this country’s literature (poetry and prose) — Elizabeth Smither, Jenny Bornholdt, Bill Manhire, Sarah Quigley, Fiona Kidman, Damien Wilkins, Ian Wedde.
This is a very white, very anglo list, I know. But the writers who have influenced me most have been overwhelmingly white, writing in English from the mid- to late-twentieth century onwards.
My reading (I’ve resisted the silly urge to qualify and diminish this with ‘for pleasure’; all of my fiction reading is for pleasure) always circles back to one early obsession: murder mysteries and thrillers. I return again and again to Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Peter Temple (a recent discovery), Ruth Rendell, P.D. James, John Le Carré, Henning Mankell; I find strange comfort in reading and re-reading Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. One of my early, unfinished novel MS is a murder mystery; I still fancy writing one, one day.
Your central character, Lena, lives into her 80s. How do you see yourself when you reach this age?
I look to my grandmothers. I was thinking a lot about them when I wrote this novel, and I dedicated it to them. At eighty, both of them were feisty, active, interesting, stroppy, interested, full of life and opinions. I hope I’m the same. I see myself as a kick-arse crone.
For more about Tracy Farr, or her debut novel, visit her website.
Each month I choose a debut author to profile from Friday Night Fictions. Read interviews with Michael Adams and Nina Smith. Next up is Laura Jean McKay, writer of the short story collection, Holiday in Cambodia — from the November soiree.
WHAT ABOUT YOU, DEAR READER? HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE WHEN YOU TURN 80? OR ARE YOU ALREADY THERE AND CAN OFFER SOME ADVICE?
Posted in Australian Women Writers, Book Reviews, Debut authors, Friday Night Fictions, Novels, Writers + Writing and tagged australian women writers, clara rockmore, debut author, first novel, friday night fictions, life and loves of lena gaunt, theremin, tracy farr
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