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Finished Work eSources
ALL FWe APPROVED
Disapproved
Categorical Doctrine
FREE FWe Books
Grace Thrillers
Madam Guyon
Isagogics - historical background
D. Lightsey
Methods of Evangelism
J. Morrison
A. Speedy
Dr Stevens
Top5 ESSENTIALS
Word Studies
Wuest
Zodhiates
I know what it's like (Poem by A. Speedy)
"I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE..."
Dedicated to the Groenwald family, Martyred in Afghanistan
I know what it's like to be disappointed
I know what it's like to loose your greatest creation
I know what it's like to leave home
I know what it's like to be in hostile territory
I know what it's like to be human
I know what it's like to be a child
I know what it's like to be held
I know what it's like to be weak and fragile
I know what it's like to be unknown
I know what it's like to be unrecognized
I know what it's like to be poor
I know what it's like to learn
I know what it's like to grow
I know what it's like to obey
I know what it's like to listen to instruction
I know what it's like to trust
I know what it's like to be tempted
I know what it's like to be popular
I know what it's like to be rejected
I know what it's like to be misunderstood
I know what it's like to be a man
I know what it's like to be loved
I know what it's like to be despised & hated
I know what it's like to be homeless
I know what it's like to be unattractive
I know what it's like to be laughed at
I know what it's like to cry
I know what it's like to be talked about
I know what it's like to be conspired against
I know what it's like to be asked to pay the greatest price
I know what it's like to be oppressed
I know what it's like to be arrested
I know what it's like to be judged & accused
I know what it's like to be in physical pain
I know what it's like to be heart broken
I know what it's like to be denied
I know what it's like to be deserted
I know what it's like to be doubted
I know what it's like to be beaten
I know what it's like to be alone
I know what it's like to be scarred beyond recognition
I know what it's like to be forsaken by men
I know what it's like to be forsaken by God
I know what it's like to have no fellowship with your Father
I know what it's like to be left to die
I know what it's like to be sin
I know what it's like to watch your child be beaten, humiliated, shamed and murdered
I know what it's like to loose your only child
I know what it's like to taste death
I know what it's like to be lifted up out of the dust and seated on a throne!
-Adam Speedy
Categories: A. Speedy, ALL FWe APPROVED, FREE FWe Books, Poetry
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Planning board OKs commercial rezoning in South Hall
Joshua Silavent
Updated: March 3, 2014, 7:34 p.m.
The Planning Commission recommended approving the rezoning of about 97 acres on the north side of Poplar Springs Road to allow for the development of a K-12 school.
North Georgia Christian School is hoping to grow its enrollment, and the rezoning is the first step in helping it purchase land at 4791 and 4799 Poplar Springs Road to begin the building of a new school. The school is now housed in the Chestnut Mountain Church.
The Board of Commissioners will vote on the rezoning when it meets March 27.
The Planning Commission approved a variance request from Perdue Foods LLC that allows the company to subdivide its property at 1155 Candler Road. Officials representing the company said they intend to sell off the southern portion of the property.
The Hall County Planning Commission on Monday recommended approving the rezoning of two residential properties in South Hall to allow for small commercial development.
The Hall County Board of Commissioners will vote on the proposed rezoning when it meets March 27.
As reported in The Times last month, Stacie and Mack Sloan bought the two properties at 6336 and 6340 Spout Springs Road, which total about 1.7 acres, before the recession put a hold on their plans to develop or sell the land. With the economy slowly improving, the Sloans said they hope they can capitalize on the growth trend taking shape in the area. The Board of Commissioners last week approved rezoning land along Spout Springs Road to allow for the development of an apartment complex.
“We’re just looking to keep up with the area,” Stacie Sloan said.
Planning commissioners said rezoning to suburban shopping comes with many restrictive land use conditions, a fact the Sloans acknowledged.
“I’m very interested in what you’re doing,” Commissioner Craig Heighton said, adding he wants to make sure the proposal is in line with other development likely coming to the area.
The Sloans said they weren’t sure what would happen with the property, but that a strip mall was the likely outcome. Any development, they added, is likely still two to three years away.
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Because you're an idiot.
Benny & Joon (1993)
Quizzes: Johnny Depp Quiz
https://www.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/f2bdfbc2-4c72-4d01-8c3f-6aa159cade96
#shit
#smile
Sherlock (2010) - S04E02
Because you're an idiot,
Sherlock (2010) - S01E01 Drama
Seinfeld (1993) - S09E03 The Serenity Now
Well, that's because you're an idiot.
Scary Movie 3 (2003)
Archer (2009) - S02E07 Animation
- Eh, I don't know. - Because you're an idiot.
- Why would I do that? - Because you're an idiot.
Adventure Time with Finn and Jake (2010) - S01E09 My Two Favorite People
Oh, sweet potato, l love you because you're an idiot.
The 100 (2014) - S04E01 Mystery
Well, that's probably because you're not an idiot.
Suits (2011) - S06E16 Drama
You're an idiot, because there's no way
Down Periscope (1996)
You forgot like an idiot, because you're stocking the pantry like an idiot.
Fresh Off the Boat (2015) - S02E17 Doing It Right
because you're an unfit driver and an idiot.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005) - S03E07 The Gang Sells the Bar
Then clearly you're an idiot, because these people are psychopaths.
The Big Bang Theory (2007) - S11E12 The Matrimonial Metric
then you're an idiot because you are my best friend.
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (2004) Documentary
Well, you're an idiot, because my books always say something,
Blast from the Past (1999)
You're staying in Hollywood because like an idiot...
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005) - S09E04 Mac and Dennis Buy a Timeshare
Of course you're buying it, because you're as big of an idiot as she is.
Closer (2014)
Because I'm an idiot.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005) - S02E02 The Gang Goes Jihad
- You're an idiot. - You're an idiot.
Futurama (1999) - S07E17 Comedy
Because you're idiots.
You're an idiot.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
You're an idiot!
Mallrats (1995)
You're such an idiot.
Doctor Who (2005) - S09E03
Suits (2011) - S06E01
A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
LetterKenny (2016) - S01E03 Fartbook
The Big Bang Theory (2007) - S07E02 The Deception Verification
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GDS – Going Downhill Slowly?
Krishna Chaitanya 25 February 2019
The ‘Industry Briefing’, hosted at industry body techUK’s city offices was attended by representatives of around 40 suppliers. Photo: Courtesy of freestocks.org on Unsplash.
In what was billed as an ‘Industry Briefing’, the Government Digital Service (GDS) this week outlined what its Technology Code of Practice (TCoP) is all about. The event, hosted at industry body techUK’s city offices was attended by representatives of around 40 suppliers, though we suspect many will have left the room none the wiser of its value in their quest to deliver assistance to the much-needed transformation of public services.
Mark Barrington, GDS Deputy Director for Technology Policy and policy advisor James O’Neill gave a short presentation which focused rather more on what GDS is known for than why the TCoP is relevant to suppliers. This seemed somewhat ingenuous to the audience, most of whom will have had some dealings with the Cabinet Office unit in the last 7 or 8 years.
O’Neill described the Code of Practice as a ’living document’ built around 12 principles that the Cabinet Office has developed, and operating on three levels: acting as a repository for technology policy; a catalogue of technology guidance; and a collection of standards, detailing processes such as the spend controls for tech projects. The code, officially described as a set of criteria to help government design, build and buy better technology has actually been in place for six years, and its page on Gov.UK has not been updated for a year, so it’s unclear why GDS chose to deliver the briefing now.
Indeed, it further fuels the notion that under Kevin Cunnington’s reign as Director General of the service, GDS has rather lost its way as a force in digital transformation. Government as a Platform (GaaP) is rarely mentioned in public sector circles these days and rather than the old mantra of “build a component once and reuse it”, one of the presentation slides actually stated that “Uniformity is not the right approach for technology”.
It is understandably difficult to forge a path as the centre of excellence for all things digital when senior politicians and civil servants have been distracted by Brexit and seemingly lost their appetite for real user-led transformation. There is definitely an air of stagnation though; it’s now two and a half years since Ben Gummer the Minister for the Cabinet Office of the time (and I stress that point as there have been four since he lost the job in the 2017 election) launched the Supplier Standard. That was in the very same venue with a fanfare that it would herald a new paradigm of government working more closely with its technology supply chain. Two consultations later and without publication of any developments for 15 months, I asked Barrington where the TCoP stood in relation to that initiative. He was unable to provide an answer, but promised to look into it. This rather suggests that it was just another bright idea that’s been lost along with much other corporate memory in the vast churn of staff at GDS.
Which brings me to ask just what the purpose of GDS is now? It has undeniably and laudably been responsible for embedding a new way of looking at service development across central government. Yet it has delivered little true transformation itself, save for the bland but consistent Gov.UK front end for citizens and a few other important but not exactly ground breaking components – Gov.Notify and Gov.UK Pay for example. It’s interesting how its interaction with suppliers has softened over its lifetime, and the narrative has shifted. When Cunnington delivered a keynote speech at a Digital Leaders conference three months ago, he had clearly been re-writing history; illustrating his words with a chart which implied a logical progression of the organisation from its inception inspired by Baroness Lane-Fox to its position today as the arbiter of good practice in standards-based tech delivery. The reality, at least to suppliers, has been rather different with various lurches in direction facilitated by weak leadership and a loss of senior management backing. Its future surely hangs in the balance.
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Sanford helps celebrate new Oasis natural gas processing plant; oil and gas production set records in August
Friday, October 12, 2018 - 03:00pm
WATFORD CITY, N.D. – Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford today joined officials to celebrate the completion of the Oasis Wild Basin II natural gas processing plant near Watford City, stressing the need for additional gas capture infrastructure to support continued growth in North Dakota’s energy sector.
The new facility commissioned by Oasis Midstream Partners will have the capacity to process 200 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, adding to the company’s existing Wild Basin plant’s capacity of 120 million cubic feet per day. The new plant alone represents about 10 percent of North Dakota’s natural gas processing capacity and is the first major gas processing plant built in the state in recent years. Plant operations are expected to begin in November.
“This new facility and several other natural gas processing plants under construction in North Dakota will greatly expand our state’s capacity for oil and gas production while also supporting additional gas capture to reduce flaring,” Sanford said, noting the 15,000 oil and gas wells in the Bakken today is projected to grow to more than 60,000 wells in 15 to 17 years. “We’re grateful to Oasis Midstream Partners for its significant investment in North Dakota, and we look forward to additional investment like this to grow our state’s production capabilities and increase America’s energy independence.”
North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms also reported today that the state set records in August for both oil and gas production for the second consecutive month. Oil production increased to 1.29 million barrels per day, or about 22,000 barrels per day higher than July production, while natural gas production increased by about 44 million cubic feet per day to a record 2.437 billion cubic feet per day.
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© Photographs © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.
The best Oscars films to stream on CHILI right now
By Charlie Burton 28 February 2019
The Oscars may come after the Golden Globes and the Baftas, but it remains the most important beat in the awards season
At this year’s 91st Academy Awards competition for the big categories was fierce and you can watch the nominees and winners right now on CHILI, the new streaming service where you only pay for what you watch. A "top up" to your existing video-on-demand subscriptions, CHILI has a catalogue that stretches from hot new titles, which arrive on the platform 105 days after first release, to a vast range of vintage offerings. That means you can also check out Oscar films from years past – and you’ll find all of them in CHILI’s Oscars Showcase right now. Here are our recommendations…
2019 nominees and winners
This timely look at race relations in America comes courtesy of Barry Jenkins, the director behind 2017’s Best Picture winner, Moonlight. Beale Street traces one woman’s journey to clear the name of her wrongly convicted husband and was nominated for three awards, with Regina King winning for Supporting Actress. Available to pre-order now.
A fine example of nominative determinism, The Favourite has indeed proven the favourite for plenty of awards thus far. This tale of court intrigue during the reign of Queen Anne has bagged dozens of accolades worldwide and had ten nominations at this year’s Oscars – the joint-highest number for any film at the ceremony. Available to pre-order now.
Nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Song, RBG is a portrait of associate justice of the Supreme Court Of The United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The second female justice in history, she drew attention – and plaudits – for her interventions in the late noughties while serving as the only woman on the court.
Vintage winners
At the 1953 Academy Awards, this tale about a princess going incognito for a “holiday” in the Italian capital picked up three gongs, including Best Actress for its lead, Audrey Hepburn. At the time, her costar Gregory Peck was more famous, but this Oscar win turned her into a star overnight.
The highest-grossing picture of 1988, Rain Man took $42 million at the box office that year and won four of the big Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor. Dustin Hoffman secured the latter for his performance as the autistic beneficiary of his estranged father’s estate.
One of the 20th century’s finest plays – a domestic drama interrogating the American Dream – became one of the era’s finest films. Marlon Brando’s performance as Stanley Kowalski, the epitome of sweaty-vested masculinity, was unjustly overlooked by the Academy, but the film nabbed four wins including Best Actress for Vivien Leigh.
Animated classics
DreamWorks made history with this fairytale pastiche that parked its tanks squarely on Pixar’s lawn. In 2002, it became the first ever animated film to receive an Oscar, beating Monsters Inc in the newly created Best Animated Feature category.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit
When this touching Wallace & Gromit outing won Best Animated Feature in 2006, it brought it home for the Brits: the studio behind the project being, of course, Bristol-based Aardman Animations.
If you don’t have children, you may not have seen Coco – but this story about a 12-year-old’s adventure in the land of the dead is well worth a Sunday afternoon. Moving, entertaining, it was a worthy winner of Best Animated Feature, fending off stiff competition from Loving Vincent.
Post-millennium winners
Paolo Sorrentino’s masterpiece, which won Best Foreign Language Film at the 2014 Oscars, is synaesthetic, melancholy and indulgent. A tale of a journalist in his twilight years jolted back into a new engagement with the world, it is almost one long mood piece – in a rather brilliant way.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
When Mildred Hayes’ daughter is killed and the police fail to solve the crime she takes matters into her own hands. Outside Ebbing is some vacant ad space – three billboards, specifically – and she pastes up messages venting her frustration. So begins a forlorn tale about power, regret and America that won two Oscars, including Best Actress for Frances McDormand.
Danny Boyle’s picture about an 18-year-old from the Indian slums winning Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? swept the board at the 2009 Oscars. Picking up Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Sound Editing and Best Mixing, it was the year’s runaway success.
Greatest snubs
The film that introduced a generation to some notion of art house cinema might have won big at Cannes but failed to bag much at the Oscars, apart from Best Original Screenplay. It deserved to scoop more – not least because it set a new tone for Nineties filmmaking.
The Wolf Of Wall Street has a strange effect on the viewer: it just makes you want to go out and party. Well, unless you’re the Academy, which nominated it for five awards but gave it zero.
You aren’t literate in cinema if you haven’t seen Taxi Driver and yet this watchable study in disenfranchisement and madness was beaten by Rocky for Best Picture. It wasn't the first time Martin Scorsese lost out at the Oscars, but surely the least deserved.
Watch all the latest movies and TV shows on CHILI – the streaming service where you never pay a subscription. Go to Chili.com now to sign up.
CultureFilmTVCHILI
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Furniture|
Home Decor|
Outdoor|
Seasonal|
Holiday|
Home Glitzhome Decorative Embroidered Square Throw Cushion Pillow with Insert for Thanksgiving Day 16 x 16 Inches (Leaves)
Glitzhome Decorative Embroidered Square Throw Cushion Pillow with Insert for Thanksgiving Day 16 x 16 Inches (Leaves)
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Perfect seasonal decoration for the daily using, party, ceremony, for sofa, bench, bay window etc. Plain but special home decor for fall harvest, best THANKSGIVING gift for parents, friends and neighbors etc。.
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PRODUCT DETAIL: Made of high quality material, 80% polyester+20% linen, size: 16’x16’ inches
WONDERFUL DESIGN: Embroidered throw pillow, in square shape, suitable for lay on anywhere. Farmhouse style, bringing you a breath of rural life
SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: protected by 30 Day MONEY BACK guarantee. Please contact us freely if you have any question
Package include: 1pcs throw pillow, insert included
Color info: as picture
Material: 80% polyester+20% linen
Size: 16’x16’ inches. Measured by hands and in different way, please allow little error. Your understanding and support are highly appreciated.
Photo may slightly different from Actual Item in Terms of color due to the lighting during Photo Shooting or the Monitor's display.
Glitzhome is a US registered trademark based on Texas USA. We are the professional designer and crafter of home decor products with more than 10 years' experience.
Hope you could find your favorite items to add some fresh elements to your home.
We assure the item you received is 100% safe and sound. For any defective item, please contact our customer service for satisfaction guaranteed solution.
When you place an order, we automatically select the carrier that offers the greatest savings and fastest delivery. We've partnered with multiple regional and national carriers, so depending on your location, tracking information can vary.
Once your order ships and a tracking number has been assigned to your package, we'll send you an email with all the details. Included in the email is the name of the carrier, the ship date, and the tracking number.
Note: It can take up to 24 hours for tracking numbers to update in the system. If tracking information is not available, please wait 24 business hours from the time the order was shipped.
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DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post DHL providing international courier, parcel and express mail services. Deutsche Post DHL is the world's largest logistics company operating around the world, particularly in sea and air mail.
Founded in the United States in 1969 to deliver documents between San Francisco and Honolulu; the company expanded its service throughout the world by the late 1970s. The company was primarily interested in offshore and inter-continental deliveries, but the success of FedEx prompted their own intra-US expansion starting in 1983.
Seller’s note: Shipping rates vary depending on the method selected and the weight of the order. The carrier service is based on the location of the warehouse and designation of package. All of our rates are consistent between warehouses.
Information on the carrier service will be provided with your tracking information and will be displayed as soon as it has been made available.
It may take up to 24 hours for the tracking numbers to show up in your carrier's online system. If it says that tracking information is not available, please check back later.
http://www.dhl.com/en.html
The United States Postal Service (USPS; also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service) is an independent agency of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution.
The U.S. Mail traces its roots to 1775 during the Second Continental Congress, where Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first postmaster general. The Post Office Department was created in 1792 from Franklin's operation, elevated to a cabinet-level department in 1872, and transformed in 1971 into the U.S. Postal Service as an agency of the U.S. government.
As of February 2015 USPS had 617,254 active employees and operating 211,264 vehicles. The USPS is the operator of the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world. The USPS is legally obligated to serve all Americans, regardless of geography, at uniform price and quality.
Seller’s note: Shipping rates vary depending on the method selected and the weight of the order. The carrier service is based on the location of the warehouse and designation of package. All of our rates are consistent between warehouses. Information on the carrier service will be provided with your tracking information and will be displayed as soon as it has been made available.
https://www.usps.com/
United Parcel Service (UPS) is the world's largest package delivery company and a provider of supply chain management solutions. The global logistics company is headquartered in the city of Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States. UPS delivers more than 15 million packages per day to more than 7.9 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the world via its ground and air services. Seller’s note: Shipping rates vary depending on the method selected and the weight of the order. The carrier service is based on the location of the warehouse and designation of package. All of our rates are consistent between warehouses. Information on the carrier service will be provided with your tracking information and will be displayed as soon as it has been made available. It may take up to 24 hours for the tracking numbers to show up in your carrier's online system. If it says that tracking information is not available, please check back later.
https://www.ups.com/
FedEx Corporation is an American multinational courier delivery services company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. The company is known for its overnight shipping service, but also for pioneering a system that could track packages and provide real-time updates on package location (to help in finding lost packages). They offer several ground and air shipping services. Seller’s note: Shipping rates vary depending on the method selected and the weight of the order. The carrier service is based on the location of the warehouse and designation of package. All of our rates are consistent between warehouses. Information on the carrier service will be provided with your tracking information and will be displayed as soon as it has been made available. It may take up to 24 hours for the tracking numbers to show up in your carrier's online system. If it says that tracking information is not available, please check back later.
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Women, Middle East
DECONSTRUCTING WOMEN AND POWER
I heard Patti Digh say once that we give up our power to the very people who took it away from us in the first place. Who has the authority to grant permission? That depends on your culture and your perception of who's in charge. Mostly in the West, when it comes to kids, parent(s) or the legal guardian has that power and right to justly care, manage and supervise another person in a fair and humane way, where rights are pretty much protected. Yet, in some Eastern cultures where men are traditionally in positions of power and authority have this right, not only over children but also over adult women. I don't believe this is an equitable distribution of power, nor is it a helpful attitude in developing nations where many factors already put women and children at a disadvantage.
Never Judge a Book by Its Cover. Yes, I was born into an Eastern family, but culturally I was raised American, with a values orientation that points West. It's a mindset that favors free will, openness, practicality, self-reliance, directness and healthy competition. No one, I repeat, no one, has the authority to lord over me and treat me like their property. I am not chattel. No one owns me. Not my father. Not my dear husband and certainly not my brothers. I may look "Arab" but that's just skin color and facial features, but that's the "evident culture" that sits above the water line. Deep below, you will find my true colors are "all-American," and that's where the hidden dimensions of culture lie. This is what makes me tick. While we are a composite of personality, country of origin and ethnicity, in a flat world, we don't realize that it's what you can't see: our values, attitudes, perceptions, deep cultural tendencies and expectations -- that are not only taken for granted, they are hugely misunderstood and at the root of misconceptions, bias, and outright conflict.
In Pakistan, although women's rights are largely defined (and derived) by religious and tribal customs, I think tribal customs or traditional practices are to blame for women's inequality. It's no secret according to the actual Islamic principles, not the ones interpreted by power-hungry men, that women have equal rights, but we will never be able to take advantage of those rights unless they are enforced social, politically and economically from the top down. What's behind this power is the notion of the notion of namus (face/honor) is the single most important underlying factor driving their national behavior. It's central to understanding what makes these men tick. They don't want to risk making a bad choice, or looking bad, or being ridiculed for an unmanageable wife and family publicly.
Baby, You Can Drive My Car (and Other Drivers)
Girls are raised according to these dimensions of culture with the expectation of a life that can seem like nothing more than a series of compromises. Yet, like many women around the world, while I'm personally comfortable with assuming the role of family caregiver, I also presume the rights and responsibilities that come with this position: Namely, the right to a just and humane existence along with personal sovereignty and dignity. Being a wife and mother should not be mutually exclusive of human rights.
The roots of this power play between men and women in Pakistan, especially in rural areas, goes back centuries. Women continue to be segregated from men (as in many Eastern cultures). They live in purdah, which means "curtain" in Urdu -- completely separate from men. The only contact they have with men is with members of the immediate family. In these areas, everyday tasks which involve leaving the house, like shopping, are carried out by men. Women's work involves staying behind to clean, cook and raise children. However, many Pakistani women go out to work these days and are increasingly experiencing more levels of equality with men. Life varies dramatically between regions of Pakistan. A more liberal middle class plays an important role in the big cities, where conditions differ greatly from those in rural areas, which are far more traditional. The area in the northwest, bordering Afghanistan, dominated by tribal customs, is extremely conservative and very traditional with a self-styled strict adherence to Islam favored by the Taliban.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, although women were previously forbidden from voting or being elected to political office, King Abdullah declared that women will be able to vote and run in the local elections and be appointed to the Consultative Assembly come 2015. Yet, the most recent act of rebellion came by car. Manal al-Sharif, a women's rights activist from Saudi Arabia helped start a women's right to drive campaign in 2011 because Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving. Enabling mobility can only empower women who make up nearly 20 percent of the country's workforce. The World Economic Forum 2009 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Saudi Arabia 130th out of 134 countries for gender parity. It was the only country to score a zero in the category of political empowerment.
The ongoing battle of the sexes is being played out in different stages in different cultures. Each one is working through deeply held-notions of who is in charge and why, by whose authority and at what price. It's not so much the notion of independence (of women) that seems to be at issue with traditional cultures so much as the loss of face (by men) when the power shift happens. Santosh Kalwar said, "a strong gives forgiveness but weak gives permission." My advice to the men who uphold traditional misogynistic practices that were created by and for them is to seek to be advisors, not grantors of permission. Therein lays your power.
It's the kind of power reflected in the upcoming documentary, Sweet Dreams Rwanda. The women depicted are so resilient and powerful. It seems they can deal with the worst situations often without an education or resources, and yet they are able to stand up for themselves to improve their lives and the lives of others -- thus improving the overall health, welfare and economy of their nation. It's a lesson we can learn from for a more just and peaceful world.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/iram-ganju/
Tagged: WOMEN, POWER, PAKISTAN
Older PostDECONSTRUCTING THE FEMALE POLITICIAN IN AMERICAN CULTURE
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Movie Review: ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Overall, This Movie is a Mess
Published Monday, March 28, 2016 at 1:57 pm
By Bob Garver
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is the most anticipated superhero crossover movie since “The Avengers.” Actually, it might be even more anticipated than “The Avengers.” Superman and Batman have starred in big-budget blockbusters since the 70’s and 80’s, respectively (and smaller-scale movie serials and TV shows long before that), but who cared much about Iron Man or Thor before the last decade? Expectations for this movie are extremely high, as is the potential for disappointment. After all, this movie is directed by Zack Snyder, helmer of notorious Superman mark-misser “Man of Steel.” The casting of bomb-prone Ben Affleck as Batman also sent fans into an uproar. It turns out that all of that worry and pessimism was pretty much justified.
The movie starts out during the climactic battle from “Man of Steel” when a Metropolis-based Wayne Enterprises building gets destroyed. Bruce Wayne (Affleck), separated from his Bat-gear, saves a few people in the rubble, but losses are heavy. He’s obviously angry at Zod, but he’s mad at Superman (Henry Cavill) too. He’s the reason they’re having this battle, he’s being too reckless, and is it really good for the planet to have someone as unstoppable as him, even as a good guy? Superman spends a lot of time struggling with these questions himself, though he doesn’t spend much time thinking about Batman. Maybe Batman’s ego is hurt by how little Superman thinks of him and that’s why he hates Superman so much.
Batman vows to build a weapon to destroy Superman that he may or may not have to use. He settles on stealing the one being built by fellow billionaire industrialist Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), who has discovered that Superman is vulnerable to Kryptonite. Batman wants the weapon for himself because it should only be in the hands of someone good like him instead of someone who probably wants to commit some sort of unspecified evil like Luthor. Also trying to steal from Luthor is a mysterious woman (Gal Gadot) with different motivations. It’s a poorly-kept secret who she is, but I’ll avoid spoilers except to say that she got the biggest non-trailer reaction at my screening.
A superhero movie is often only as good as its villain, and I have mixed feelings about Eisenberg as Luthor. I don’t hate his twitchy delivery as much as some other critics, nor do I think he “ruins” a tense scene by interrupting an important conversation between Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent. The argument is that there’s no reason he should be commenting on a conversation between a billionaire playboy and a mild-mannered nobody reporter, but I say that he’s already figured out that Henry Cavill with glasses is Superman and Ben Affleck’s chin without the mask is Batman. On the other hand, he’s a villain with long hair, wild rambling, a disruptive nature, and a scheme that doesn’t seem to extend beyond messing with our heroes. If the movie wanted to do this character so badly, why make him the megalomaniacal Lex Luthor and not The Joker?
I’m not going to say that I feel “cheated” by “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” We get Batman, we get Superman, and they tussle. It’s hard to get invested in their fight because of how likely it is that they’ll eventually put aside their differences to go after the real villain and his boring CGI monster, but the requirement for a fight scene is fulfilled. The second part of the title is also present, mostly through hints and one debut. I would have preferred a few more debuts, but I was minimally satisfied. Overall, however, this movie is a mess. The narrative is disjointed and character motivations are barely more developed than “They’re so-and-so, they have to be like that.” We get the expected superhero shenanigans, but otherwise this movie spends over two and a half hours not making sense.
One and a Half Stars out of Five.
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality. Its running time is 151 minutes.
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HELIOS Theater moved from Cologne to Hamm in 1997. The ensemble followed the invitation of the City of Hamm, to set up the first professional theatre in the city of 180.000 inhabitants. An interesting challenge for an independent theatre company which had worked primarily as a touring theatre from Cologne. The desire for and interest in conceptional work and setting up structures for a theatre was big, and so HELIOS Theater moved from the "metropole" to the "countryside" in 1997. In the beginning, the performances took place in a shared space in the "Bürgersaal", but soon the ensemble started looking for a long term solution, a possible future theatre house.
After the first visit of the buildings of the former express mail station, it was obvious that this was the perfect place for the theatre, connected to and interesting developable outside terrain. Now the research for financial support for the reconstruction began. The old post-hovel was nice and well situated but old, wet and without any heating as well. An almost rotten building ensemble directly connected to the world by the central station.
The members of the theatre searched for possible reconstruction programmes by themselves and explored one of the last promoting programmes of the International Building Exhibition Emscherpark (IBA). The IBA worked for North Rhine-Westphalia and was instructed to reorganise disused industrial facilities. There was the possibility to support the reconstruction with 1.8 million DM (about 1 million €) if certain conceptual conditions were fulfilled. The City of Hamm and the “Deutsche Bahn AG” were supposed to add another 100,000 DM (about 50,000 €) each.
Then time stood still. The decision makers of the central station were hard to convince to support a project which included the rent-free use of a building for cultural use. Only a few individual supporters at the central station, the City of Hamm Barbara Kölling and Michael Lurse from HELIOS Theater as the moving spirit pushed the decision and took care that the raised funds would not expire until the restauration could start.
Together with the participating architects a concept of reconstruction was followed that should preserve the old structure of the building with a cautious emphasis on the old architectural features. At the same time it was important to keep in mind the necessary functions of the house, being a theatre especially for children. It was not an easy task regarding the fixed amount of money of 1 million DM (about 500.000 €) for the entire reconstruction. Intensive investigations and a symposium about “Children Theatre Houses” in January 2004 supported the conceptual work and the plans for the interior design.
The result was a variable theatre hall with an area of more than 280 square meter and a height of 5 meter. Because of the telescopic tribune the stage can be seen from the front or as in an arena, so that the audience sits on two or three sides. All in all the room offers space for 200 people who have a perfect view of the stage from all seats.
After an enduring period of waiting, of defiant planning and stubborn convincing the reconstruction has been given the green light form all the participating parties. In September 2003 the reconstruction began with a ground-breaking ceremony. Due to the precise preorganisation and no big “surprises” throughout the period of reconstruction the interior work didn’t take longer than 12 months.
It can be indicated from many subtleties that the theatre house focuses on children and teenagers: There is the children’s foyer on the ground floor. Up to 150 children can take a seat on wooden furniture suitable for children before and after the performances, e.g. to have their breakfast together. It is also a perfect place to prepare the children for a play or to talk more extensively about performances afterwards. The furnishings have been made by a group of retired manual workers, created and built specially for the theatre. The complete furniture (even the cloak hooks and the counter) have been built in three different heights so that even three year old children are able to move independently, to hang up their jackets and to buy a ticket on their own. On the first floor there is another atmospherical room for workshops, rehearsals and also discussions.
With a three day theatre ceremony from September 10th to 12th 2004 the house was officially opened.
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La californiana Superior Viaduct si prende cura della ristampa in vinile di due perle del catalogo storico dei Residents: il singolo del debutto, Santa Dog, circolato - si fa per dire - nel 1972, e una versione estesa dell'antologico Residue of the Residents apparso nel 1983.
Little is known about the group's origins or its members' identities, although it is widely believed that they are based out of San Francisco, California. When their debut release, Santa Dog, first appeared in 1972 on the equally enigmatic Ralph Records / Cryptic Corporation, the few hundred copies quickly fell on deaf ears and blind eyes. Rumor has it that then-President Richard Nixon sent his record back. True to their "Theory of Obscurity" concept, The Residents cultivate mystery to ensure artistic integrity. With different musical personas for each of its four tracks, Santa Dog is a fully-formed avant-garde pastiche of musique concrète, Raymond Scott-esque exotica, television sound effects, and the group's own mutilated take on rock 'n' roll that later became known as their trademark aesthetic.
Residue Of The Residents collects out-takes, rare tracks and other experiments from this legendary San Francisco collective. Originally released on Ralph Records in 1983 and spanning The Residents' career up to that point, this first-time vinyl reissue has been expanded to a double LP and contains 26 songs from the late '70s and early '80s – the group's most fertile period. Balancing the group's conceptual impulses with a dark palette of electro-esotericism, Residue Of The Residents is an intoxicating collection that serves as an ideal starting point for the uninitiated.
http://www.residents.com
http://www.superiorviaduct.com/collections/the-residents
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Tip: Dividend Dates. There are four important dates for dividends:
Declaration Date: The company announces when it will pay a dividend and how much the dividend will be worth.
Ex-Dividend Date: Shareholders of record before this date are entitled to receive the next dividend payment.
Record Date: On this date, the list of stockholders is finalized.
Payable Date: On this date, the taxable dividend is paid to shareholders.
When interest rates reach historic lows, some investors in search of income-generating investments turn to dividend-yielding stocks.
Dividends are taxable payments made by a company to its shareholders. When a company makes a profit, that money can be put to two uses—it can be reinvested in the business or it can be paid out to the company’s shareholders in the form of a dividend. Some dividends are paid quarterly and others are paid monthly.
Dividend Ratios
Investors track dividend-yielding stocks by examining a pair of ratios.
Dividend per share measures how much cash an investor is scheduled to receive for each share of dividend-yielding stock. It is calculated by adding up the total dividends paid out over a year (not including special dividends) and dividing by the number of shares of stock that are outstanding.
Dividend yield measures how much cash an investor is scheduled to receive for each dollar invested in a dividend-yielding stock. It is calculated by dividing the dividends per share by the share price.
Other Dividend Considerations
Investing in dividend-paying stocks can create a stream of taxable income. But the fact that a company is paying dividends is only one factor to consider when choosing a stock investment.
Dividends can be stopped, increased, or decreased at any time. Unlike interest from a corporate bond, which is normally a set amount determined and approved by a company’s board of directors. If a company is experiencing financial difficulties, its board may reduce or eliminate its dividend for a period of time. If a company is outperforming expectations, it may boost its dividend or pay shareholders a special one-time payout.
When considering a dividend-yielding stock, focus first on the company’s cash position. Companies with a strong cash position may be able to pay their scheduled dividend without interruption. Many mature, profitable companies are in a position to offer regular dividends to shareholders as a way to attract investors to the stock.
Dividend income is currently taxed at a maximum rate of 20%.
Be cautious when considering investments that pay a high dividend. While past history cannot predict future performance, companies with established histories of consistent dividend payment may be more likely to continue that performance in the future.
In a period of low interest rates, investors who want income may want to consider all their options. Dividend-yielding stocks can generate taxable income but, like most investments, they should be carefully reviewed before you commit any dollars.
Keep in mind that the return and principal value of stock prices will fluctuate as market conditions change. And shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
The information in this article is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation.
Dividends Can Make a Difference
This chart shows the role dividends have played in stock market performance during the past 35 years ended December 31, 2017. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Thomson Reuters, 2018. The S&P 500 Composite Index and S&P 500 Composite Index (Total Return) are unmanaged indices that are generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market. Index performance is not indicative of the past performance of a particular investment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Individuals cannot invest directly in an index.
Jane Bond: Scaling the Ladder
Agent Jane Bond is on the case, uncovering the mystery of bond laddering.
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Op-Ed | Why Kendrick Lamar Should Play A Villain in the ‘Black Panther’ Sequel
By Contributor in In-Depth
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those solely of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of Highsnobiety as a whole.
Kendrick Lamar got fans excited when in a BBC 1 interview promoting Black Panther, Lamar hinted that he would like to take a stab at playing a villain in a potential sequel. The rapper said, “He was a villain but he was loved and misunderstood, so if I could, I’d play Killmonger for sure.” He added that it was a “privilege” to be involved with the film and that it “is something that not only stands within its moments but stands within time.”
A number of hip-hop artists have tried their hand at acting over the years to great success. Obviously, Will Smith and Ice Cube come to mind, and recent, grounded turns from Method Man and Black Thought in The Deuce show that there is room for rappers turned thespians in the current TV landscape.
Lamar seems like a perfect candidate to start taking on dramatic roles. He is a natural storyteller whose dynamic, strong narrative voice has inspired a generation. A closer look at his work shows that acting might actually be a natural fit for the hip-hop superstar.
Fellow Thespians Admire Him
Shortly after the release of DAMN., Kendrick dropped the music video for “DNA,” in which he starred alongside Oscar nominee Don Cheadle. Cheadle had kind words to say about working with Kendrick as an artist and performer. Cheadle told Pitchfork he only had just two days to prepare for the part, but Kendrick assured him they could work together and improvise in order to get things just right. Cheadle said:
“As a human being, he’s pretty normal and straight ahead, but when you listen to his rhymes, he constructing ideas in ways that are no immediately understandable. It takes a deep dive to kind of figure out why one verse creates the other verse and what it comes out of and all of that. So it’s tricky to memorize because it’s so specific to the way he thinks. But when we got in there, we really just started playing. We just started improvising, really.”
Cheadle also said that he has encouraged Lamar to give acting a shot. Before they worked together on “DNA,” Cheadle says, “I maybe wanted him to try his hand at acting, which he was very reticent to do at the time. He didn’t feel like that was his lane and he said he wasn’t ready.”
He Already Portrays Characters
Lamar has developed various pseudonyms over the course of his career: K-Dot. Cornrow Kenny. Kung Fu Kenny. The “DNA” video is also significant because it is also where he brought Kung Fu Kenny to life. In the video, Lamar, dressed in Asian influenced garb, taps Don Cheadle’s Policeman on the shoulder and ends him in classic kung-fu style. When Lamar walks out of the precinct, a Chinese subtitle makes us aware that we are actually in the presence of Kung Fu Kenny.
Interestingly, the character is actually influenced a role Cheadle played in Rush Hour 2, in which he had a small role as a martial artist. “DNA” is not the only appearance of Kung Fu Kenny. Lamar incorporated a three-part short film titled “The Damn Legend of Kung Fu Kenny” into his 2017 Coachella set. He was then joined on stage by a group of ninjas.
Incorporating the Kung Fu Kenny character into “DNA” isn’t just a video stunt. The song delves deep into ideas about identity and demonstrates Lamar’s understanding of what complex elements create character. As simple as the lyrics, “Loyalty, got royalty inside by DNA / Cocaine quarter piece, got war and peace inside my DNA / I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA / I got hustle though, ambition flow inside my DNA” may seem, they speak the complexity that comprises character.
It’s fitting the Lamar would use “DNA” as an opportunity to test the boundaries of his identity as a performer and examine both “Kendrick Lamar” and “Kung Fu Kenny.”
He Has Told His Own Coming of Age Story
David Becker / WireImage / Getty Images
While Kung Fu Kenny might be the most explicit alter ego Lamar has adopted, it isn’t the first. On his rookie 2012 release, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, Lamar moves back and forth from his identity as “Kendrick Lamar” to his alter ego “K.Dot.”
Prior to 2009, Lamar actually went by the stage name “K.Dot” before deciding to perform under his real name, “Kendrick Lamar.” In an interview, he has described K.Dot as more raw version of himself:
“K.Dot, this was me prepping myself, as far as the lyrical ability, and being able to go in the studio and say, ‘You know what, I want to be the best wordsmith, anyone who gets on the track, i have to annihilate them…This is the transition where [I become] Kendrick Lamar and Kung-Fu Kenny. I look at Kung-Fu Kenny as a master of the craft now.’”
It is more accurate, then, to say that K.Dot is the younger version of Lamar, or rather Lamar’s reflection on a younger version of himself. You can read good kid, m.A.A.d. city as the rapper’s evolution from “K.Dot” to Kendrick Lamar. Though the entire album functions as a hip-hop bildungsroman, “Backseat Freestyle” with “Kendrick” reflecting on his growth from “K.Dot” and “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” in which Lamar reflects on the pain he caused as K.Dot exemplify this character evolution.
In “Backseat Freestyle,” the intro, “Martin had a dream / Martin had a dream / Kendrick have a dream” could be read as urging “K.Dot” to become “Kendrick.”
Kendrick is a Master Storyteller
Christopher Polk / NARAS / Getty Images
good kid, m.A.A.d city is a great example of Lamar’s gifts of as a storyteller across an entire album, but he has also shown his ability to tell complex, rich, complete stories within the confines of individual songs. “DUCKWORTH.” on DAMN is one Lamar’s greatest storytelling achievements.
In another context, “DUCKWORTH.” could have been the kind of short story the ends up in elite literary magazines. The song tells a story from his own family. Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith plans to rob a local KFC. Kendrick’s father, Ducky, is working at the restaurant. Ducky offers Top Dawg, “Free chicken every time Anthony posted in line / Two extra biscuits, Anthony liked him and then let him slide.”
Lamar goes on to muse about the cosmic implications of this small moment. How would the trajectory of the two men’s lives change from there, and how would his life have been different with the loss of his father.
He raps:
“You take two strangers and put ‘em in random predicaments /
Give ‘em a soul so they can make their own choices and live with it /
Twenty years later, them same strangers, you make ‘em meet again /
Inside recording studios where they reapin’ their benefits /
Then you start remindin’ them about the chicken incident /
Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence? /
Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin’ life /
While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight.”
Kendrick Understands Subtext
KendrickLamarVEVO / Youtube
Acting in the modern era is defined by the writing of the great teacher Konstantin Stanislavski. Not only did the Russian thespian pioneer the idea of deriving a “motivation” from tactics characters employ within a scene to get what they want, but he also introduced generations of actors to subtext, or the difference between what is said and what is meant.
Words can have different meanings. Words can have multiple meanings. This is key to any literary work. A great literary work will unfold various layers of meaning as you experience it, and even on subsequent encounters. Lamar’s 2015 masterpiece To Pimp A Butterfly is already being taught in high school and college classrooms because it contains this kind of significance.
In Brian Mooney’s essay, “Why I Dropped Everything And Started Teaching Kendrick Lamar’s New Album” the professor delves into the layers of meaning in To Pimp A Butterfly that have inspired him to teach the record. He points to various songs that carry various levels of meaning, and how his students encountered them. “Institutionalized” superficially (as Genius puts it) “is the dramatic realization that the murky past of the mad city still lurks within Lamar’s psyche.” Mooney and his students point out that the song is also a critique of various “institutions” that can make one feel trapped or crazy. Mooney writes, “one of my students points out that her skin was like “an institution” keeping her trapped in a predetermined future, much like a correctional facility, hospital, or ghetto…Kendrick is really talking about Compton, his hometown, as an institution, that keeps people trapped inside it, even after they’ve left.”
This is just one example of how much of Butterfly functions in much the same way that great novels about the African-American experience have functioned (Mooney teaches Butterfly alongside Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye). While the album tells a number of personal narratives about Lamar, the songs also function as stories of the Black experience in America, and critiques of the various white supremacist narratives of oppression.
Kendrick Lamar has all the tools he need to pursue acting. His mastery of characterization, narrative, structure, and subtext is already greater than so many actors. All that remains is for him to decide acting is in “his lane.”
For more movie news, check out the biggest moments from the Oscars.
Words: Brenden Gallagher
Main & Featured Image: Christopher Polk / Getty Images
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5 Christmas-themed movies to lighten up awkward family get-togethers
@rpereira_SEU
“Elf” (2003)
Whoever hasn’t seen “Elf” yet is missing out. This hilarious, family-friendly comedy is sure to find something fun in it. “Elf” brings out the outrageous Christmas spirit of Buddy the elf (Will Ferrell) that we can’t help but find as endearing and sweet as his love-interest Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) does. Follow Buddy through his innocent and oblivious adventure to the big apple in his search for his biological dad (he was raised by elves and Santa himself).
“The Holiday” (2006)
Likely known to fans of Kate Winslet and Jude Law, this fun romantic comedy brings happiness no matter the season. Set in Surrey, England, and Los Angeles, California, the story follows two women, Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who are heartbroken and decide they need a change of scenery. With the help of a home-exchange site, they flip houses for the winter holiday and actually find that it was a great idea in the end. This movie brings hope and happiness when we feel that life isn’t going so great. It’s a romance without the agony and utterly predictable story.
“Love Actually” (2003)
The British rom-com and classic, “Love Actually” is an endearingly wonderful montage of interlocking life stories that makes us believe in happy accidents and the power of the holidays on our normally monotonous lives. The storyline follows an array of characters that all have something going on over the holidays, which we are along for the ride. Some of the lead characters include Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Colin Firth and Keira Knightley among others. In the end, you’ll be rooting for every character.
“Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
A family favorite, “The Grinch” stars actor Jim Carrey as a conniving, yet inevitably lovable Grinch with the help of Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen), who brings out the best in him even when he is against all the love and hope that comes with Christmas. The story takes place in Dr Seuss’ town of Whoville,where everyone is over the moon about Christmas to a fault. Everyone cares about getting presents and the mechanics of what to do, but they don’t stop to enjoy the festivities and wonder of the holiday. This is all changed with the help of Cindy Lou Who and her solicitations to the unhappy Grinch. This tale shows the change of heart and perspective that allows this to be a heartwarming family film.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965)
Based on the Peanuts comic strip, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a classic that even our parents and grandparents should know. We can all reminisce with the innocence and playfulness of childhood with this cute cartoon movie. Charlie needs a little help from his friends to get into the holiday spirit, and they don’t disappoint. From the fun dancing to the childhood hope it brings, it’s an easy-going narrative that is great for the holiday season. “It’s a classic everyone should watch at least once in their life, especially with their family,” says Alex Miles, St. Edward’s student.
Tags: a charlie brown christmas, alan rickman, alex miles, american film directors, buddy, california, cameron diaz, christmas, cindy lou, colin firth, dungeons & dragons, elf, emma thompson, fiction, fictional elves, half-elf, home-exchange site, how the grinch stole christmas, hugh grant, jim carrey, jude law, kate winslet, keira knightley, los angeles, martin freeman, seuss, species, stars actor, surrey, taylor momsen, the happy elf, united kingdom, whoville, will ferrell, zooey deschanel
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Oral Health Topics >
Created in Oral Health Topics
Frequently asked questions: dental fillings
Are dental amalgams safe? Is it possible to have an allergic reaction to amalgam? Is it true that dental amalgams have been banned in other countries? Is there a filling material that matches tooth color? If my tooth doesn't hurt and my filling is still in place, why would the filling need to be replaced? Read this interesting and informative discussion from the American Dental Association.
FDA consumer update: dental amalgams
The Food and Drug Administration and other organizations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) continue to investigate the safety of amalgams used in dental restorations (fillings). However, no valid scientific evidence has shown that amalgams cause harm to patients with dental restorations, except in rare cases of allergic reactions.
ATSDR - public health statements: mercury
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers some scientific background on mercury (contained within silver-colored fillings), and whether it believes the substance presents any health hazards.
Analysis reveals significant drop in children's tooth decay
Children have significantly less tooth decay in their primary (baby) and permanent teeth today than they did in the early 1970s, according to the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). The analysis reveals that among children between the ages of six and 18 years, the percentage of decayed permanent teeth decreased by 57.2 percent over a 20-year period. In addition, children between the ages of two and 10 years experienced a drop of nearly 40 percent in diseased or decayed primary teeth.
Alternative Materials
Advances in modern dental materials and techniques increasingly offer new ways to create more pleasing, natural-looking smiles. Researchers are continuing their often decades-long work developing esthetic materials, such as ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. As a result, dentists and patients today have several choices when it comes to selecting materials used to repair missing, worn, damaged or decayed teeth.
The advent of these new materials has not eliminated the usefulness of more traditional dental restoratives, which include gold, base metal alloys and dental amalgam. The strength and durability of traditional dental materials continue to make them useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing, such as in the back of the mouth.
Alternatives to amalgam, such as cast gold restorations, porcelain, and composite resins are more expensive. Gold and porcelain restorations take longer to make and can require two appointments. Composite resins, or white fillings, are esthetically appealing, but require a longer time to place.
Here's a look at some of the more common kinds of alternatives to silver amalgam:
Composite fillings - Composite fillings are a mixture of acrylic resin and finely ground glasslike particles that produce a tooth-colored restoration. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-mid size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. Less tooth structure is removed when the dentist prepares the tooth, and this may result in a smaller filling than that of an amalgam. Composites can also be "bonded" or adhesively held in a cavity, often allowing the dentist to make a more conservative repair to the tooth. In teeth where chewing loads are high, composite fillings are less resistant to wear than silver amalgams. It also takes longer to place a composite filling.
Ionomers - Glass ionomers are tooth-colored materials made of a mixture of acrylic acids and fine glass powders that are used to fill cavities, particularly those on the root surfaces of teeth. Glass ionomers can release a small amount of fluoride that help patients who are at high risk for decay. Glass ionomers are primarily used as small fillings in areas that need not withstand heavy chewing pressure. Because they have a low resistance to fracture, glass ionomers are mostly used in small non-load bearing fillings (those between the teeth) or on the roots of teeth. Resin ionomers also are made from glass filler with acrylic acids and acrylic resin. They also are used for non-load bearing fillings (between the teeth) and they have low to moderate resistance to fracture. Ionomers experience high wear when placed on chewing surfaces. Both glass and resin ionomers mimic natural tooth color but lack the natural translucency of enamel. Both types are well tolerated by patients with only rare occurrences of allergic response.
Porcelain (ceramic) dental materials - All-porcelain (ceramic) dental materials include porcelain, ceramic or glasslike fillings and crowns. They are used as inlays, onlays, crowns and aesthetic veneers. A veneer is a very thin shell of porcelain that can replace or cover part of the enamel of the tooth. All-porcelain (ceramic) restorations are particularly desirable because their color and translucency mimic natural tooth enamel. All-porcelain restorations require a minimum of two visits and possibly more. The restorations are prone to fracture when placed under tension or on impact. Their strength depends on an adequate thickness of porcelain and the ability to be bonded to the underlying tooth. They are highly resistant to wear but the porcelain can quickly wear opposing teeth if the porcelain surface becomes rough.
Research has shown that almost everybody has a 95 percent chance of eventually experiencing cavities in the pits and grooves of their teeth.
Sealants were developed in the 1950s and first became available commercially in the early 1970s. The first sealant was accepted by the American Dental Association Council on Dental Therapeutics in 1972. Sealants work by filling in the crevasses on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. This shuts out food particles that could get caught in the teeth, causing cavities. The application is fast and comfortable and can effectively protect teeth for many years. In fact, research has shown that sealants actually stop cavities when placed on top of a slightly decayed tooth by sealing off the supply of nutrients to the bacteria that causes a cavity.
Sealants act as a barrier to prevent bacteria and food from collecting and sitting on the grooves and pits of teeth. Sealants are best suited for permanent first molars, which erupt around the age of 6, and second molars, which erupt around the age of 12.
Sealants are most effective when applied as soon as the tooth has fully come in. Because of this, children derive the greatest benefit from sealants because of the newness of their teeth. Research has shown that more than 65% of all cavities occur in the narrow pits and grooves of a child`s newly erupted teeth because of trapped food particles and bacteria.
Sealant application involves cleaning the surface of the tooth and rinsing the surface to remove all traces of the cleaning agent. An etching solution or gel is applied to the enamel surface of the tooth, including the pits and grooves. After 15 seconds, the solution is thoroughly rinsed away with water. After the site is dried, the sealant material is applied and allowed to harden by using a special curing light.
Sealants normally last about five years. Sealants should always be examined at the child`s regular checkup. Sealants are extremely effective in preventing decay in the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.
Insurance coverage for sealant procedures is increasing, but still minimal. Many dentists expect this trend to change as insurers become more convinced that sealants can help reduce future dental expenses and protect the teeth from more aggressive forms of treatment.
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Murundak - Songs of Freedom as seen on SBS
The lives, songs and struggles of some of Australia’s most talented Indigenous musicians, including Foundation ambassador Shellie Morris, are captured in an uplifting documentary 'Murundak – Songs of Freedom', which screened on SBS TV recently.
Murundak journeys with members of The Black Arm Band as they tour and bring songs of resistance and freedom to Aboriginal communities around Australia.
Along with Shellie Morris, members of the band include Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Emma Donovan, Kutcha Edwards, and Dan Sultan.
Told mainly through song, the band’s story is framed around Kevin Rudd’s historically significant apology to the Stolen Generations and its aftermath.
Through this music, The Black Arm Band share their grief, and express hope for reconciliation.
National Sorry Day is held on 26 May each year, and National Reconciliation Week 2011 runs from Friday 27 May - Friday 3 June.
The Foundation is a longtime partner of The Black Arm Band, providing support to help it reach remote Indigenous communities with life-affirming representations of culture and strong role models. In addition, Shellie Morris has worked extensively on music and literacy projects with Indigenous kids as an ambassador for The Foundation.
Widely acclaimed, Murundak received a 4.5 star rating from ABC film critic Margaret Pomeranz in a recent review.
“The musicians sing their lives, their stories, their history with grief and with hope - some of the most moving moments I can remember in cinema in a long time,” Margaret said.
>Go here to view Emma Donovan in Murundak – Songs of Freedom.
>Learn more about The Foundation’s Indigenous Program.
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Home / Senate Report on CIA Torture / President George W. Bush
Senate Report on CIA Torture
President George W. Bush
U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Vice President Dick Cheney
Porter Goss
Michael Hayden
John Rizzo
Steven Bradbury
John Yoo
James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen
Accounts differ about how much President Bush was aware of the CIA program, especially in the early years. ”[A]ccording to CIA records, no CIA officer, up to and including CIA Directors George Tenet and Porter Goss, briefed the president on the specific CIA enhanced interrogation techniques before April 2006.” However, Bush ”stated in his autobiography that he discussed the program, including the use of enhanced techniques, with then-[Director of the] CIA [George] Tenet in 2002.” Former Acting General Counsel of the CIA John Rizzo stated that ”the one senior U.S. Government national security official during this time - from August 2002 through 2003 - who I did not believe was knowledgeable about the E.I.T.s [enhanced interrogation techniques] was President Bush himself. He was not present at any of the Principal Committee meetings ... and none of the principals at any of the E.I.T. sessions during this period ever alluded to the President knowing anything about them.”
In July and August 2002, the CIA prepared talking points on its enhanced interrogation techniques for a briefing with the president, but “based on comments from White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, the talking points were revised to eliminate references to the waterboard.” However, "CIA records indicated ... that the talking points were not used to brief the president. On August 2, 2002, the National Security Legal Council legal advisor informed the [CIA Director's] chief of staff that '[then National Security Advisor] Dr. [Condoleezza] Rice had been informed that there would be no briefing of the President on this matter,' but that the [CIA Director] had policy approval to employ the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques."
Later breifings to President Bush on the CIA program contained inaccurate information as to the effectiveness of the program. For example, in November 2007, "the CIA provided eight 'examples of key intelligence collected from CIA detainee interrogations after applying the waterboard along with other interrogation techniques,' seven of which referenced specific terrorist plots or the capture of specific terrorists." However, these examples were "inaccurate and unsupported by CIA records."
Whether or not President Bush intended to mislead the public or was simply repeating inaccurate CIA representations, he made numerous false representations about the program. On September 6, 2006, President Bush publicly disclosed the CIA's enhanced interrogation program in a speech "based on CIA information and vetted by CIA personnel." The speech "contained inaccurate statements, especially regarding the significance of information acquired from CIA detainees and the effectiveness of the CIA's interrogation techniques." For example, President Bush stated that "[Abu] Zubaydah was questioned using [the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques], and soon [Zubaydah] began to provide information on key al Qa'ida operatives, including information that helped us find and capture more of those responsible for the attacks on September the 11th ... and helped lead to the capture of [Ramzi] bin al Shibh." Yet "[a] review of CIA records found no connection between Abu Zubaydah's reporting on Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Ramzi bin al-Shibh's capture. CIA records indicate that Ramzi bin al-Shibh was captured unexpectedly - on September 11, 2002, when Pakistani authorities ... were conducting raids targeting Hassan Ghul in Pakistan."
In 2008, "President Bush vetoed the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that [would have] banned coercive interrogation." In his radio address, the president "stated that the CIA program had a 'proven track record' and that he CIA obtained 'critical intelligence' as a result of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques."
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LiquidPiston Switches to Four-Pound X Mini Engine for Go-kart Demonstration
Jon LeSage June 15, 2016
LiquidPiston has just released proof-of-concept of its X Mini rotary engine in a go-kart demonstration car to illustrate the efficiency of its small engine compared to traditional engines.
The LiquidPiston team removed the go-kart’s 39-pound engine and replaced it with its four-pound XMv3 engine. It’s being demonstrated as a go-kart in a promotional video linked to its press release.
LiquidPiston says that its new X Mini rotary engine has several practical applications, including handheld power equipment, lawn and garden equipment, portable generators, mopeds, unmanned aerial vehicles and drones, robotics, and range extenders for electric vehicles. Benefits provided by the X Mini include improved noise, vibration, and harshness characteristics. It will also increase product performance, enhance operator comfort, and prolong application life, the company said in the press release.
You can view the video pictured below where the team replaces the engine, and then you can see the go-kart out on a race track.
LiquidPiston, a small company based in Connecticut, has had some success gaining money and attention for its unique, light, high-power-to-weight engines. The company’s engine design may burn diesel or other fuels, and borrow from a number of architectures, but mainly utilize principles of the Wankel rotary.
SEE ALSO: Efficient ‘LiquidPiston’ Engine Looks To Outdo Diesels and Other IC Engines
The company says its unique innovation is “versatile and capable of outperforming conventional engines on all parameters.” LiquidPiston for several years has been fine-tuning different variations of its architecture that it has dubbed “High-Efficiency Hybrid Cycle” (HEHC). The company says it can deliver 50-percent efficiency compared to perhaps 30-percent peak efficiency of traditional engines.
Last March, the company signed a $1 million agreement with DARPA to develop a fuel-efficient, light weight, heavily fueled rotary combustion engine for the U.S. military, LiquidPiston said in its press release.
LiquidPiston
Tagged as alternative powertrain, rotary engine
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'I am a bit like Theresa May': England coach Eddie Jones to halt Lions and 'Warrenball' criticism
Australian believes Warren Gatland's tactics will fail against New Zealand this summer.
England face Argentina in two tests starting on 10 June in San Juan.
By Nick Howson
Jones has been among those to rubbish the Lions' chances of success in New Zealand. Getty Images
England coach Eddie Jones has promised to end his criticism of the British and Irish Lions after dismissing hopes that Warren Gatland's side will stage a shock series win over New Zealand this summer. The Australian believes the squad selected by Gatland and his predominantly Welsh-coaching team, as well the tactics he will likely adopt, will be no match for the double world champions when the sides face each other in three tests starting later this month.
The Lions laboured to victory in their opening game of the tour against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei, just three days after arriving in the country following the Premiership and Pro12 finals. Anthony Watson scored the only try in a 13-7 success, but a much-improved display is expected when the tourists face Super 12 side the Blues on Wednesday (7 June).
Ken Owens to captain British and Irish Lions in second tour clash against Blues
Jet-lagged Lions limp to lacklustre opening tour win in New Zealand
James Haskell replaces injured Billy Vunipola in Lions squad for New Zealand tour
Gatland's strategy in New Zealand will focus on an approach that has been coined 'Warrenball', with the onus on breaking the gain-line but possessing little creativity and guile. Despite 15 England players making the 41-man squad, Jones believes the Lions will "struggle to beat the All Blacks like that", and unless they can win the opening test in Auckland on 24 June they are facing an emphatic series defeat. But the 57-year-old has decided to end his criticism of the team and issued a typically droll response to further questions regarding the Lions' fortunes.
"I think I have said enough," said Jones, speaking ahead of England's first test against Argentina in San Juan this weekend. "I am dropping out of that debate; I am a bit like Theresa May." The quip relates to the Prime Minister's decision not to engage in television debates with leaders of the other political parties – including Labour's Jeremy Corbyn – in the United Kingdom ahead of the general election on 8 June.
British and Irish Lions fixtures [8:35am BST kick-off time unless otherwise stated]
Wednesday 7 June – Blues – Eden Park, Auckland
Saturday 10 June – Crusaders – AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Tuesday 13 June – Highlanders – Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Saturday 17 June – New Zealand Maori – International Stadium, Rotorua
Tuesday 20 June – Chiefs– Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Saturday 24 June – New Zealand– First Test, Eden Park, Auckland
Tuesday 27 June – Hurricanes – Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Saturday 1 July – New Zealand – Second Test, Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Saturday 8 July – New Zealand – Third Test, Eden Park, Auckland
But as scrutiny over the Lions' style of play continues, Gatland has once again been forced to defend his philosophy ahead of the second of 10 matches in New Zealand this summer. The Kiwi led the Lions to their first series win in 16 years in Australia in 2013 and is a two-time grand slam winner with Wales, and feels disapproval of his tactics is unfair.
"What do you mean by one way? When did that way start? You don't know the answer to that do you?" Gatland said. "I kind of look and go: 'Was is it when we were successful at Wasps or when I was coaching Waikako to the Air New Zealand Cup?' I don't know, when did a certain style change? If you can tell me the answer to that I will answer the question when the time frame is appropriate – then I can potentially give you an answer.
"Look, a few years ago [former England attack coach] Brian Smith coined a phrase 'Warrenball' and I don't know whether that was because he was jealous of how much success we had. We had a group of players who came through Wales at the time who ended up being pretty big physical players. The modern game of rugby is about getting across the gainline, trying to get front-foot ball and playing to space if that is possible. If you can get me when things started to change, I don't know."
Related topics : Theresa May General Election 2017
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Meth mother killed her daughter, 6, with a shotgun 'to protect her from aliens'
Darla Elizabeth Hise said she killed daughter Abigail to 'send her to heaven', where it was safe.
By Josh Robbins
August 1, 2017 13:21 BST
Darla Elizabeth Hise is accused of killing her daughter Abigail Facebook/Darla Hise
A Virginia mother killed her six-year-old daughter with a shotgun while high on crystal meth because she thought that the child was in danger from aliens, according to court documents filed last week.
Darla Elizabeth Hise, 27, is charged with the first-degree murder of her daughter Abigail Grace Hise at a home in Bath County.
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Hise admitted to killing Abigail and told officers she "wanted to save her daughter by sending her to heaven" when she was arrested in February.
"Throughout her interview with Detective Grimm, she detailed her psychosis that she believed her daughter and son were in danger from aliens," wrote Tony Anderson in documents filed at Bath County Circuit Court and reported by The Roanoke Times.
She also told staff at a psychiatric hospital that she had "aliens in her body and wanted them removed from her stomach", Anderson stated.
Hines was under the influence of methamphetamines, amphetamines and marijuana when she was arrested after alerting police to the scene of her daughter's death on 4 February.
A three-year-old boy was also present at the murder scene and has since been taken into care.
Anderson claims Hise was so intoxicated that she was unable to legitimately waive her right to remain silent and, as such, her admission should be stricken from the record.
"In this case, the evidence will show that [Hise's] drug use and psychosis prevented her from being fully aware that she was abandoning her right against self-incrimination and to counsel and the consequences of abandoning those rights," he wrote.
He claimed that Hise was diagnosed with "possible drug-induced psychosis vs PTSD psychosis" when she attended Central State Hospital days after admitting to killing her daughter.
Darla Hise admitted the killing to police Bath County Sheriff's Office
The lawyer contends that when she waived her Miranda rights the process was hindered by her "intoxication, drugs, mental defect or other disability".
With a population of just 4,400, sleepy Bath County has been rocked by the high-profile crime. It had been almost ten years since the previous homicide.
Anderson has asked that Hise's trial be moved away from the neighbourhood because the media coverage has "evoked great passion and prejudice in the community."
Hines is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of using a firearm, possession of methamphetamine and having a firearm while in possession of the drugs.
She is being held without bail at the Western Virginia Regional Jail.
Abigail Grace Hise was killed with a shotgun Facebook/Darla Hise
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THE SPARK
PERSPECTIVES ON THE INDUSTRIES AND ISSUES THAT MATTER
Home / Blog / Policy & Regulatory Development
Learning from the Past: How Historical Conflicts Can Inform Our Approach to Returning Foreign Fighters
Feb 25, 2019 8 Min. Read
Like it or not, foreign fighters and their families are returning to the EU, where governments feel mounting public pressure to seek retribution.
It can be hard to feel sympathy for terrorists and those who take innocent lives for extreme and confounding causes. This can be especially true for citizens who throw their allegiance to foreign terrorist organizations and then return to their own countries — sometimes to wreak havoc. And yet, history has shown us that compassion and fair treatment might be the keys to stopping a vicious cycle of extreme ideology and violence.
In the European Union (EU) during 2017, terrorist attacks led to 68 deaths and over 844 injuries. Towards the close of 2018, unofficial figures suggest 11 deaths and 38 injuries within the EU from similar incidents.
Jihadist terrorism is acknowledged to be the main security concern of EU member states, closely followed by the related issue of EU nationals who travel to conflict zones. In the last seven years, about 5,000 EU nationals have left for Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine to join insurgent terrorist groups. The EU member states are now facing a new threat from these foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) who are returning home.
EU member states have been formulating appropriate policy responses to prevent radicalization, set up information exchanges, and review the legal status of the FTFs. It is a complicated issue requiring careful handling, and the EU is drawing on lessons from past conflicts to formulate a fitting response.
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Who are these returning fighters?
Definition of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs):
Individuals who voluntarily decide to join an armed conflict in another country. In the European context, this often refers to European-born men and women who went to Syria and Iraq to fight for IS or other warring factions.
Of the 5,000 or so European citizens who left Europe from 2012 onwards to fight in conflict areas, the majority were men, mostly young males in their 20s and 30s. They joined the ranks of the so-called Islamic State (IS) or other terrorist groups. Women also went to fight, while others followed their husbands, got married there, or decided to start a new life under the self-declared caliphate. Some took their children with them from Europe, while others gave birth while living abroad.
Not all of these FTFs come from the EU; we know from approximate figures recorded between 2016 and 2017 that many hail from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, and Turkey. In August 2016, IS was reported to be operating in about 18 countries in total, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mali, Somalia, and Indonesia. The threat for EU member states is perceived to come from about 30% of the 5,000 or so FTFs from Europe who went to fight for IS and other terrorist groups and are now thought to have returned home.
Indicative Numbers for the Nationalities of IS Foreign Fighters
What happens when they return to Europe?
The fate of these FTFs and their families have been mixed, as some have died in conflict while government forces or warring factions have captured others. A steady number decided to return to Europe, having become disillusioned by the harsh reality of life under IS. For another group, the fall of IS provided an opportunity to take their fight back to Europe and become involved in planning terrorist activity once they were home.
Some of these returnees slipped back to the continent unnoticed, but after the wave of terrorist attacks in Europe in 2015 and 2016, many EU member states tightened national security and moved to criminalize unauthorized travel to Syria and Iraq. Some countries have immediately apprehended returning men and women as soon as they have set foot on European soil and put them on trial, and any children have been placed with grandparents, other relatives, or in foster care.
What should the EU’s response be?
EU citizens are understandably concerned about accepting returnees back into their communities, and many regard them as seasoned terrorists who should be tried in EU criminal courts and punished. There is also a real fear that returnees will plan terrorist activity back home and, in reality, some of them have been linked to attacks carried out in the EU over the past few years. EU member states agree that the potential security threat from returnees is of paramount importance.
However, it would be wrong to assume that all those who are returning will share the same outlook from their experiences in war zones. Some dedicated fighters may be disillusioned and others horrified by the realities of war, and a good number may be involved with FTFs only through marriage or as the children of these unions. How these people are viewed, treated, and assimilated within the EU will require skillful and fair handling.
A range of necessary approaches
A range of approaches is needed to suit the complexity of the situation and be appropriate to the needs of very different returnees—innocent children as well as hardened fighters.
The EU recognizes the need for a variety of methods to suit the complexity of the situation and appropriately address very different returnees—innocent children as well as hardened fighters. While some may deserve subjection to law enforcement, this will not apply to all, and so there is a crucial role to be played by mental health professionals, social care services, and child protection boards.
After years in war zones, many returnees will have suffered trauma, having endured long-term conflict and witnessed atrocities. They are likely to face a tricky transition back within the wider community while also being vulnerable to impaired mental health.
Why should we be concerned about the traumas of returnees?
The vulnerability of returnees and the risks to them need to be identified, recognized, and understood—and not just because we live in a compassionate European society where the welfare of individuals matters. It is also essential that we safeguard the broader community from traumatized and possibly disaffected individuals who might put themselves and others at risk.
Studies have shown that, among other factors, trauma exposure increases the risk of delinquency. For children, the effects of trauma can be highly significant and can include difficulty in finding a place in society, which can be compounded further if they have come to view violence as the norm.
Lessons from past examples of conflict and terrorism
European history over the past forty years has provided relevant insights into the violent extremism of recent years.
For example, research into the conflict in Northern Ireland during the late 20th century (i.e., the Troubles) has shown that more people died from suicide or another indirect link afterward than were killed during the battle. As a consequence of the Troubles, an estimated 14% of the adult population faces serious mental health problems affecting their well-being and ability to function in society.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder caused by distressing or frightening events, is common among FTF returnees. We can draw on experiences from the war in the former Yugoslavia to inform our understanding of how FTFs might react. In Croatia alone, around 35,000 former combatants have been diagnosed with PTSD, and since the end of the conflict, some 3,000 of these have committed suicide.
The effects of exposure to war and conflict are not simply a response following a traumatic event, i.e., the “post” in PTSD. The experience of stress is not merely static or just reflecting terrible memories from the past; instead, it entails an ongoing traumatic stress response (OTSR) which relates to the future.
Understanding common human responses to traumatic events allows us to create appropriate guidance for family members and survivors. Learn more.
A trauma can reappear when the window of tolerance to sustain adversity is small, leading to difficulty in maintaining a calm state of mind and a greater appetite for aggression.
Commonplace stress factors, such as during a divorce or as the result of losing a job, could trigger a renewed traumatic response even after years of relative calmness. This is true for returnees and, in particular, children and their mothers, who experience traumatic separation from each other upon their return to Europe if the mother is imprisoned and put on trial.
The experiences from the former Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland show that specialist support is required in the short term for those returnees newly arrived in the EU. However, the lessons from these conflicts have also shown that mental health support, trauma care, and other forms of social support are required for years, if not decades, for anyone returning from war zones or other conflict areas.
In preparation for returning FTFs and their families, some EU member states have set up specialist health and well-being services, with different professionals making behavioral, psychosocial, and psychiatric assessments as well as reviewing family support (involving grandparents and other relatives). The EU is making headway with these preparations, but there are still critical challenges that lie ahead, as identified by the EU’s High-Level Commission Expert Group on Radicalisation (HLCEG-R). These include:
how to improve cooperation and collaboration between the different stakeholders and, in particular, member states;
the further development of EU prevention policies, including measures to prevent and counter-radicalization at both the EU and national level; and
how to implement more structured cooperation mechanisms at the EU level.
Delicate next steps
There is still a great deal for governments and professionals to plan and implement concerning returnees. The public is currently pressuring authorities to make examples of those who went to Syria and Iraq to fight or support the cause of IS. As a result, immediate prosecution is likely for adult returnees as retribution.
This approach will need to be weighed against the best means of avoiding further terrorist activity due to the alienation of IS sympathizers and represents a complicated and delicate balance of priorities and needs. While this might seem to be an entirely new and daunting task, there is a wealth of knowledge and experience among practitioners—including the findings from previous conflicts—that can be used to facilitate progress.
For more information on ICF's work in Justice and Home Affairs, contact Maurice van der Velden.
By Maurice van der Velden
File Under Policy and Regulation
How to Prevent Radicalization in Prisons After many missteps, European leaders are finally addressing the chronic issue of inmate radicalization, but are current programs going far enough to stop recruitment?
How Networks Enable the EU to Focus on Outcomes
Margaret James — 8 MIN. READ
The endless terrorism debate: to de-radicalise or disengage?
Francesca Capano — 3 MIN. READ
Focusing on Victims After a Terrorist Attack
Dr. April Naturale — 4 MIN. READ
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Another excellent jam last night! The song of the week is 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken' in the key of G.
As I play it, this song uses the same chord progression as I'll Fly Away (Prog. V3 on the Basic Chord Progressions handout):
Other progressions that have been used on recordings of the song include:
116m6m
(In the key of G: 1=G; 4=C; 5=D; 6m=Em.)
Since the person leading the song is responsible for determining which progression will be used for the song, it is important at a jam to pay attention to the choice of chord changes being used by the person leading the song, so that you don't find yourself using a different progression than that used by the leader.
Here are some youtube links to listen to of 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken'
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - on their classic 3-record 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken' album: with Earl Scruggs on banjo, Vassar Clements on fiddle, Doc Watson on guitar, and Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, and Roy Acuff taking turns singing the verses: key of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn8aruzfRAA
Will The Circle Be Unbroken bluegrass version - Key of G:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQxTop7XtoA
(Notice that this version uses the 6m chord in place of the 1 in the last measure of the 3rd line, and ends with an a capela chorus.)
The Carter Family: Key of Ab
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjHjm5sRqSA
(I include this version for historical reasons - although it is pre-bluegrass, and is quite 'crooked' (1/2 measures being used in place of full measures in various spots within the song), and uses 5511 instead of 1511 for the last line of the progression.
About the melody sheets attached here: notice that while the G major scale consists of the 7 notes G, A, B, C, D, E, and F#, only five of these notes are used for the melody of Will The Circle Be Unbroken; these are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th notes of the G major scale: G, A, B, D, and E. This 5-note subset of the G major scale forms what is called the G major pentatonic scale.
Knowing which 5 notes of the major scale form the major pentatonic scale can be very useful when trying to find the melody of a song on an instrument, because there are many songs like Will The Circle Be Unbroken that have melodies that use only the notes of the major pentatonic scale, and even in songs that use more notes, the notes of the pentatonic scale tend to show up more frequently than the two major scale notes that are not included in the major pentatonic scale.
Some other songs that use only the notes of the major pentatonic scale in their melodies are: 'Amazing Grace', 'Shortnin' Bread', 'My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains', 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot', 'Canaan's Land', 'Mountain Dew', 'All The Good Times Are Past And Gone', 'Down The Road', 'Nine Pound Hammer', 'Handsome Molly', 'Camptown Races', and 'Liza Jane'.
Examples of songs on the top 20 and additional 30 lists that have one or two more notes in their melodies besides the notes of the major pentatonic scale, but which still have for the most part, a major pentatonic sound because these extra notes occur only once or twice in the melody and/or are used only in passing between two more prominent melody notes in the tune, include: 'I'll Fly Away', 'Mama Don't Allow', 'Shady Grove', 'Angeline The Baker' (some versions of the melody for 'Angeline The Baker' are entirely pentatonic), 'Leaning On The Everlasting Arms', 'Worried Man Blues', 'She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain', and 'This Little Light Of Mine'.
Here is a comparison of the major scales and major pentatonic scales for the 4 keys we play in most frequently at the jam:
G major G A B C D E F#
G major pentatonic G A B D E
A major A B C# D E F# G#
A major pentatonic A B C# E F#
C major C D E F G A B
C major pentatonic C D E G A
D major D E F# G A B C#
D major pentatonic D E F# A B
Will The Circle - banjo tab
Will The Circle - guitar tab
Will The Circle - mandolin tab
Will The Circle - melody in G
Bluegrass Jam
Song posts
with Jason Homey
Can't You Hear Me Calling
Get In Line Brother
I Still Write Your Name
Keep On The Sunny Side
Little Darlin' Pal Of Mine
Mother's Only Sleeping
Red Haired Boy
Suggested Jam Songs
The Crawdad Song
Turkey In The Straw
Wildwood Flower
X Playing A Break
X Playing In Bb
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Rare Historical Photos Pt. 10 [21 Pics]
Another photo roundup of the popular historical series of posts that we do. You can find the previous post here, and the entire series here.
The original unveiling of the B-2 Spirit bomber in 1988. This was the first time the public got to see the ultra modern bomber in real life.
Black children standing behind a fence of a “whites-only” playground, 1956. Mobile, Alabama, USA.
Ronald Reagan “punching” Muhammad Ali at his visit to the White House, 1983.
American soldiers boarding their Huey helicopters. Northeast of Saigon, Vietnam, 1966.
German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg engineered and built the Schienenzeppelin in 1929 – a train that was powered by a 600 horsepower aircraft BMW V12 motor. Propulsion was by means of a propeller located at the rear, it accelerated the railcar to 230.2 km/h (143.0 mph) setting the land speed record for a petrol powered rail vehicle. Only a single example was ever built, which due to safety concerns remained out of service and was finally dismantled in 1939.
Fat Man – the bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan. Here it is seen on a transport carriage after assembly on Tinian Island, 1945.
Tupolev Tu-144 being tested in flight, 1969. It was the first commercial supersonic transport aircraft (SST) ever made.
Baby cages designed for toddlers that lived in apartment buildings to get enough fresh air, 1939.
The view down Sacramento Street in San Francisco, California after the great earthquake of 1906.
A unique mugshot of young Joseph Stalin from 1911.
Assembly line of completed 1958 Chevrolet sedans and station wagons.
British rear gunner practicing shooting in a moving model cockpit on rails. World War I.
Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan meet at the summit meeting for the first time to discuss the “thaw” of the Cold War.
The view of Central Park at night in Manhattan, 1937.
The “Great Manta” that was captured by Capt. A.L. Kahn on August 26, 1933.
Henry Ford's modified Model T, the “Universal Car”. 1918.
Neil Armstrong making pizza. Houston, Texas, 1969.
Cliff House in San Francisco, California. 1955.
German flag at half mast after the Hindenburg accident in Washington DC. 1937
Colourized photo of London, England after a German aerial raid. 1940.
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Categories: History
Tags: b2, cold war, henry ford, joseph stalin, neil armstrong, rare historical photos, ronald reagan, san francisco, train, tu144
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Rare Historical Photos Pt. 9 [20 Pics]
Another roundup of the popular historical series of posts that we do. You can…
One-of-a-Kind Elevator Ride: One World Observatory at World Trade Center
World Trade Center elevators are equipped with…
Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1933 [Photos]
One of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California,…
Daily Wallpaper: Metropolitan City of Bologna, Italy
“Walk in front, and you'll lead. Walk behind, and you'll follow. Walk beside, and you'll show respect.”
Yuriy Sklyar is a Ukrainian-born, Canadian generalist, designer, maker, businessman and author currently residing in San Francisco Bay, California.
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The War Diary of the Emperor Frederick III - 1870 - 1871 (Paperback)
By A. R. Allinson (Editor)
Home Farm Books, 9781406799958, 400pp.
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
Originally published in 1927. Contents Include Foreword Diary-July 11, 1871, to July 17, 1871 Preface Text Appendix Index "The Daily Impressions Received during the Campaign of 1870, 1871 and only Cursorily Jotted down in my Diary under Stress of Military Duties I have Supplemented and Completed since my Subsequent return Home by Extracts from the Correspondence Regularly Maintained between my Wife and Myself. On Principle, however, I was Firmly Resolved to Set down only my Actual, Personal Experiences and Feelings from Day to Day Consequently no Improvement or Alteration has been made under the Influence of Later Events. Thus my Diary is a Contribution to the History of that Great and Memorable War, Containing also much Information, Hardly to be found elsewhere, Throwing Light on the Events of which the outside World takes a View Differing Widely from the Reality. Similarly, the Character of Prominent Personages will often wear another aspect than that in which the Present Age and History represent it. But Revelations of this kind are not for Contemporaries to know I therefore direct that no one else but my Wife and my Grown-up Children is to examine my Diary till the year 1922 is ended. After that there is nothing to Hinder it's Publication." Illustrated with photographs. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
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‘Junkdogs’ Demo Review – Rogues of Space
Posted by Sarah Johnson on December 27, 2018 Average Reading Time: 3 minutes 0 Comments
With a developer’s first endeavor, it’s hard to promote a game that you’re so passionate about, but with a small audience listening. By having a demo, it’s easier to make an impression, and with Junkdogs that’s certainly what you get.
The first entry into the video game community of developer Sudobeats comes in the form of Junkdogs, an RPG puzzle-adventure experience that thrusts the player into the world of a space scavenger on the run. The game is Sudobeats’ submission into the itch.io Indie Game-Making Contest 2018, one of the 333 entries into the competition.
The Junkdogs
The player takes on the character of Joe, one of the outlaw scavengers who make ends meet through exploring ships abandoned in space. The Junkdogs think they’ve reached a jackpot score from an abandoned ship, but found that their luck is getting worse and worse as they unknowingly steal from the big guys.
The demo ends with the three scavengers finally escaping from the enemy, hiding out in a dingy bar with an encrypted stolen good. It isn’t until a stranger approaches them with a chance to decode the good that things move forward.
The demo sets this story up, focused mostly on Joe’s trip to the abandoned ship. Here the player can get a taste of what the puzzles and controls are like. To progress to different parts of the ship, you need to keep your wits about you as you solve puzzles. There is even a little extra task in the demo of trying to unlock all the soundtracks.
Another part of the demo is introducing the player to the combat system of fighting ships in space. In a typical RPG turn-based style, the player uses skills, overdrives, barriers, and repair kits to fight against opponent ships.
Getting To Know You! …Or Them!
Despite the fact that you play as Joe, there are two other characters involved in the whole of Junkdogs: Otto, the aggressive one of the group, Fiona, the wise one out of the three, and Archie…an actual dog.
The player doesn’t spend a lot of time with these other characters, but through short but brief dialogue, we get a sense of what these characters bring to the game. Their unique characteristics stand out from one another that it doesn’t feel like we’re talking to two similar NPCs. The demo could have benefitted from including these characters more into the gameplay.
Red to Green…Green to Red
On Junkdogs’ itch.io page, one of their selling points for the game is the puzzle-solving aspect of it. My first impressions of this feature were that itencouraged you to explore every corner of the room, and had different and unique ways of solving puzzles tailored to its environment.
However, when I got used to the puzzle-solving and object finding, it became easy to follow with the mindset that there’s an easy way out of the situations and a lack of consequences if you get anything wrong. This might change when the full game is developed and more puzzles come into play.
Turn-Based Space Battles
The next important section of the demo for Junkdogs is its demonstration of the game’s battle mode that takes place between ships in space. The layout of the battles and the different skills/tricks that you could use was unique and well-thought out, however, one of my critiques is that there could be more happening on screen.
The screen is structured with your ship on one side, and the opponents on the other, with a black backdrop and stars. The ships could be more spread out across the screen so that everything is not pushed to the top, and that there could be more happening in the backdrop.
It takes a lot of hard work to pack a lot of punch into a Demo, and I believe that Junkdogs managed to succeed in this. When I reached the ‘Thank You For Playing The Demo’ point, I almost forgot that I was playing a demo and not an actual game. There is a lot to explore in terms of what Junkdogs offer to players in terms of the story, and every other feature brings its benefits as well.
It’s been a while where I’ve come across a game that incorporates the soundtrack into the gameplay, and Junkdogs appears to appreciate the work done on it, as well as the puzzles and the battle sequences.
As someone who has had the pleasure in reviewing Junkdogs, I wish Sudobeats the best of luck in the competition and hope that they continue to work on this game with the same amount of dedication and creativity that they put into the demo.
You can click here to find out more about Junkdogs and follow Sudobeat’s progress.
Indie Game Making Contest 2018Itch.iojunkdogsrpgsudobeats
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Morgan Freeman Is Bromanced by Eastwood, Poitier, McConaughey at 39th AFI Life Achievement Awards
@akstanwyck
The really good AFI tributes are the ones where there’s warmth in the room for the tributee. Morgan Freeman, winner of the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award, is in that category.
Many of the black-tie guests at Sony Stage 15–where so many iconic MGM musicals were made, from The Wizard of Oz to AFI attendee Rita Moreno’s first film at age 16, The Toast of New Orleans–were talking about how inspiring it was that Freeman’s movie career, after years as a dancer, stage actor and star of The Electric Company, began at age 50 with the movie Street Smart. “This AARP member has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can kick some ass,” said Dame Helen Mirren, his co-star in RED.
We grew up with him when he was already grown up. “It’s as if he had been with us through each day of our lives,” said Sidney Poitier, “a character actor and a real character who has become a star…a prince of the craft of acting.” Now Freeman was being feted by Poitier, Clint Eastwood, Garth Brooks, and Betty White in red, singing “Hello Morgan” with a chorus line of six gorgeous black men.
Freeman and Eastwood have a real bromance, from Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby, which won Oscars–making Eastwood think he should cast Freeman in every movie–to Invictus, which broke the spell, perhaps as Eastwood said, because even “Nelson Mandela thought he was Mandela.” Eastwood planted a kiss on Freeman’s cheek, saying: “I don’t know if it’s proper to love another man, but this is as close as I’m going to get to it.”
Freeman responded, “Where I come from in Mississippi, this is called walking in high cotton…I’m proud to be an actor, although for this one night you made me feel a star.”
Freeman is utterly believable in everything he does, from period Brit flicks like Robin Hood and Moll Flanders to a Civil War soldier in Glory, prisoner in Shawshank Redemption, U.S president in Deep Impact to God in Bruce Almighty, which he only agreed to do because it was a comedy, he said. A clip from what he called a “love story,” Driving Miss Daisy, brought instant tears to my eyes, as aged Jessica Tandy tells her longtime chauffeur, “you’re my best friend.”
At these events, I’m always checking out which actors come through with the goods, making their tribute real and heartfelt. Who does their homework before a roomful of potential employers? Don Cheadle, Matthew Broderick, Chris Rock, Forrest Whitaker, Tim Robbins, Samuel L. Jackson, Cuba Gooding. Jr. and Moreno (amazing-looking at 79), were sincere, and various video clips from the likes of Renee Zellweger, Steven Spielberg and Ashley Judd were just fine. David Fincher recalled always wanting to cut to Freeman on Seven because while other people moved around doing unmatchable things, “he was just standing there having more gravity than anyone else within a hundred yards.”
Casey Affleck recounted being abashed by a tongue-lashing from Freeman during Gone Baby Gone. Best of all was Eastwood, who used no teleprompter: “Morgan knows a lot. Give him a comfortable atmosphere and he’ll kill it every time.” And Matthew McConaughey came through with a pledge of genuine affection for his co-star in Amistad: “I can’t imagine you ever having cotton mouth.”
This Article is related to: Uncategorized and tagged Awards, Clint Eastwood, David Fincher, Directors, Drama, Edward Zwick, Genres, Steven Spielberg
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TIFF11: “Martha Marcy May Marlene” Is a Challenging, Harrowing Work of Art
TIFF11: "Martha Marcy May Marlene" Is a Challenging, Harrowing Work of Art
Daniel Walber
Sep 9, 2011 4:59 am
@@DSWalber
“She’s just a picture,” Patrick (John Hawkes) sings to Marcy May (or is it Martha?), a smooth articulation of this brilliantly dangerous film’s darker thematic thrust. It fits well with another of his stark declarations of control: “You need to share yourself. Don’t be selfish.” This is a movie about psychological collapse, to be sure, but it’s got a very specific tinge. Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) is broken down by two worlds dominated by a distinctly masculine form of power and abuse. As sharply confrontational as anything by Catherine Breillat or Elfriede Jelinek, Sean Durkin’s feature debut is a dark meditation on gender politics that grows more potent and disturbing the more you think about it.
The basic plot of the film is fairly simple. Martha has escaped from a commune/cult somewhere in upstate New York, only to find herself at odds with her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and Lucy’s husband Ted (Hugh Dancy). The story is told in parallel timelines, jumping between the present and Martha’s initial falling in with Patrick’s ilk. In no small part due to Olsen’s absolutely magnificent performance we can see every degree of this tragic young woman’s descent into mental illness. And in no small part due to Durkin’s bold and thrilling filmmaking we learn the brutal truth behind this psychological break.
DP Jody Lee Lipes’ commanding framing places both the more clearly wicked cult leader Patrick and the initially much less threatening Ted in towering stances above Martha. The two men have drastically different philosophies, but that doesn’t seem to matter. I hesitate even to call the strange and eerie commune in the woods a “cult.” There is no mention of dogma, no evidence of specific belief. This is something much more primal, sinister and symbolic.
Patrick and Ted inevitably exhibit the same anger and the same desire to control their surroundings, their families and the livelihoods of the women around them. The one difference seems to be that Patrick is simply better at it than Ted, much more capable of balancing smooth seduction and emotionally violent power. We assume at the beginning of the film that Martha will find safety and comfort with her sister, yet it becomes obvious quite early on that nothing is so simple.
The damage that burdens Martha as a result of all this brutality is evident in every aspect of the film. Her perception of time and place has been disrupted, and as the narrative takes apart the boundaries between present and past we follow her into this instability. Saunder Jurriaans and Daniel Bensi’s throbbing score sets the tone for the persistence of emotional collapse, and when coupled with the claustrophobic darkness of the images we are left in a state of disconcerted shock. The whole film pulsates, evoking perhaps impressions of a “Black Swan” as written by Flannery O’Connor. Yet the implications here are much more bone-chilling.
This Article is related to: Uncategorized and tagged
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Home Print Editions March 2013 Issue A painful adjustment
A painful adjustment
PEI Staff
“Is the rush to core infrastructure making it unsustainable from a returns perspective?” This is one of the questions being posed as part of a panel entitled “Where the money is going” at Infrastructure Investor’s Berlin Summit 2013 – key highlights of which will be reported in our April issue.
One thing is for sure: the panellists will have had no shortage of talking points, give the regular shocks that infrastructure investors in Europe have been subjected to in recent months.
After all, it was less than two months ago that Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy rocked investors in gas network Gassled with the announcement that tariffs on future contracts (the now-famous ‘k’ factor) would be cut by 90 percent (if you’re going to cut something, you may as well do it properly).
It was also within the last couple of months that Germany’s Environment Minister Peter Altmaier revealed he was thinking about a temporary suspension of feed-in tariffs for new renewable energy plants in the country – an uncomfortable reminder of the Spanish solar debacle which began at the tail end of 2010 and continues to this day.
And, although there has been some relatively good news in the apparent compromise between regulator Ofwat and investors in the UK’s water companies, at least some of these investors were left in a state of shock that removing up to 40 percent of revenues from the established price control framework was contemplated in the first place. (“We’d always thought of UK water regulation as gold standard” said one bemused observer, whose assumption was now dangling by a thread).
To cast your mind back a little further than two months is to be reminded of other political and regulatory horrors. Just a couple: the spectre of re-nationalisation being raised in France as part of the government’s dispute with steel company ArcelorMittal over proposed job cuts at the firm’s French operations; and the Spanish government following its retroactive action against solar tariffs with the double whammy of a 6 percent energy tax on producers.
Potent combination
To revisit the question in the opening paragraph, you can look at asset valuations in core infrastructure and make a case for unsustainability based on that alone. Cheap capital + desperation for yield = a potent combination. Thus, core infrastructure finds itself caught up in the “asset price inflation” trend identified by Swiss private markets firm Partners Group in a recent study.
Partners Group co-founder and executive chairman Alfred Gantner described the phenomenon thus: “With the currently still elevated risk aversion, investors are piling into perceived safety, pushing the risk premium of supposedly safe assets to historically low levels. As a result, the flow of ‘safe-haven-but-yield-chasing’ liquidity has broken the link between perceived versus actual risk and has resulted in large valuation gaps. In this value divide, perceived and actual risks diverge sharply and investors will have to thoroughly search for real value to separate the wheat from the chaff.”
Some say this has pushed expected returns from core infrastructure down to around 8 or 9 percent compared with 12 to 14 percent pre-Crisis.
But there are returns…and then there are risk-adjusted returns. Add risk adjustment to the equation and you can see why investors are getting nervous about core infrastructure in Europe. We can say with some certainty that the discussion in Berlin will have been an interesting one.
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Pelosi: CIA misled me
She says in '02 she was told waterboarding was not used.
by Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times, Posted: May 15, 2009
WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday accused the Bush administration and the CIA of misleading Congress about waterboarding prisoners, escalating a political fight with Republicans over her knowledge of the treatment of detainees.
Separately yesterday, the CIA rejected a request from former Vice President Dick Cheney to declassify memos that Cheney has said show the agency's severe interrogation methods were critical to getting information from detainees that helped disrupt terror plots.
The developments underscore how the classified details of the CIA's interrogation operations are fueling political skirmishes months after the program was shut down by President Obama.
In her most detailed account to date, Pelosi said that she was told during a classified briefing in September 2002 that the CIA was not engaged in waterboarding, though records now indicate that the agency had employed the method dozens of times on an al-Qaeda suspect one month earlier.
"The CIA was misleading the Congress" as part of a broader Bush administration pattern of deception about its activities, said Pelosi (D., Calif.). "The only mention of waterboarding at that briefing was that it was not being employed," she said, adding, "We now know that earlier, they were."
Pelosi's comments amount to an allegation that the CIA violated its legal obligation to keep congressional leaders accurately informed. Republicans responded by ratcheting up their criticism of Pelosi.
"I think the problem is that the speaker has had way too many stories on this issue," said House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R., Ohio).
Boehner said that given the briefings that were provided to Pelosi and other Democrats, their recent criticism, following their initial silence, was an attempt "to have it both ways."
"It's pretty clear that they were well aware of what these enhanced interrogation techniques were," he said.
Sen. Christopher Bond of Missouri, the ranking Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said it was "outrageous that a member of Congress would call our terror-fighters liars."
The controversy has become a political sideshow to the broader debate over CIA interrogation methods that Obama banned during his first week in office - a decision that Cheney and other Republicans have warned will make the nation less safe.
Pelosi has been among the most vocal critics of the Bush administration's counterterrorism measures. Yesterday, she reiterated her call for the creation of a "truth commission" to investigate Bush-era practices.
Republicans have opposed that idea and warned that any such undertaking also would bring scrutiny to Democratic lawmakers. They have focused in particular on Pelosi, accusing her of hypocrisy for failing to attempt to stop the interrogation practices until well after she had learned about them in detail.
Pelosi said that no protest would have mattered to Bush administration officials, and pointed to competing legal opinions within the administration that had been brushed aside. Instead, she said her priority had been to help deliver a Democratic majority to Congress as a way of terminating Bush administration policies.
The attacks on Pelosi gained traction last week when the CIA released a table that showed that she and former Rep. Porter J. Goss (R., Fla.), who were then the top members of the House intelligence committee, were the first lawmakers to be told of the CIA's interrogation program.
The table said that both members attended a briefing in September 2002 during which the CIA described the particular interrogation techniques "that had been employed." In August of that year, records now show, the CIA used the waterboarding method on al-Qaeda suspect Abu Zubaydah at least 83 times.
The table did not indicate whether waterboarding was specifically mentioned in 2002, but it did show that a senior aide to Pelosi attended a 2003 briefing where the method was discussed.
Pelosi acknowledged that she was then informed by the aide that waterboarding was being used, but noted that the disclosure came just one month before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. "At the same time," she said, "the administration was misleading the Congress on the weapons of mass destruction."
Asked about Pelosi's accusation, CIA spokesman George Little said, "It is not the policy of this agency to mislead the United States Congress." He declined to answer directly when asked whether Pelosi's accusation was accurate.
"The language in the chart . . . is true to the language in the agency's records," he said.
Democrats on the House intelligence committee met with reporters yesterday to defend Pelosi and said the CIA routinely withholds critical information in classified briefings.
"You have to play 20 questions with them," said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.). "They are not forthcoming with information."
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D., Texas), the chairman of the panel, said he intends to introduce legislation that would impose new standards on what the CIA is required to report to Congress.
In a separate matter, Cheney lost - at least for now - his effort to have the government declassify memos describing the success of the CIA program. Cheney had requested their release in March.
In a letter to the National Archives, where the records are kept, the CIA said it could not declassify the documents because they are subject to an ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
The civil-liberties groups that filed the lawsuit criticized the CIA's decision, noting the irony that the agency was citing a suit seeking the documents' release as justification for not doing so.
Posted: May 15, 2009 - 3:01 AM
Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times
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"I have unexpected news."
Four simple words. Four simple words that hold great significance. Four words that will change a person's life and ultimately start a new story. This phrase does not hold any personal bias, assumptive future, or insensitive language. Just truth. "I have unexpected news."
Since last fall, I have had the unique opportunity to give our family's perspective on what it's like to receive a diagnosis of Down syndrome to numerous medical providers. The audience has included senior college nursing students, labor and delivery nurses, NICU nurses, numerous neonatal nurse practitioners, genetic counselors, and future physician assistants. Medical professionals that work and care for patients daily. These professionals will meet families and communicate with them an unexpected diagnosis of some sort or another. I am thankful that my calendar has been filled with presentations on how we can do this better.
After sharing Jack's birth story, I continue throughout my message giving examples of other ways families have received the unexpected news that their child has Down syndrome. Prenatally and postnatal. An extra chromosome makes an impact on a precious child, their parents, and their family. I do believe that how the news is delivered can make a huge impact on a family's ability to accept their new path. In any shocking, surprising, unexpected event, there can be a series of emotions to process it.
I explain that as I was preparing to speak to the nursing staff at the hospital where we delivered our sons, the tears began to come. Not because Jack has Down syndrome, but because of how we were told the diagnosis. My questions and grief came from the language used and the assumptive tone along with the experience that no support or resources were given. The tears also come in the reality that many new families find a bond in the commonality that most received the diagnosis in such a traumatic way. Yes, I realize it's a difficult conversation but how do we not have a 'plan' or protocol for handling unique situations like these? It's 2015. It's time for a change. We can do this better.
I meet families on a weekly basis, delivering a Jack's Basket to them, congratulating them on the birth of their child, and encouraging them with support and resources. I absolutely love it. I do not love when I continually hear that they were told the diagnosis in the following ways:
Me: So how did you hear that your son has Down syndrome?
Mom #1: Well, since my son is a multiple, the doctor came in and looked over the boys, then asked the nurse, "Which one do they think has Down syndrome?" That is how we found out our son has Down syndrome.
Me: So how did you find out that your daughter has Down syndrome?
Mom #2: Within seconds of my daughter entering the world, I remember a nurse practitioner yelling this baby has Down syndrome, get her to the NICU immediately. I did not get to hold her, see her or anything before they took her away.
An email I received:
Mom: Did you ever follow up with the nurse practitioner that gave you Jack's diagnosis? I am struggling with how we were told.
Me: We haven't, but have had the opportunity to speak with the nursing staff at the hospital he was delivered at. I have had time to process it and forgive her for it and move forward in a positive way. I know that if we would have not been told in this way, I possibly wouldn't be on a mission to change the way diagnosis is communicated. Tell me how you were told about your daughter's diagnosis?
Mom: My OB (who we didn't have the best relationship with) came in and picked my daughter off of my chest. I asked him what he was doing and he explained that the nurse suspected that their daughter had Down syndrome and so he was checking her over since the nurse practitioner didn't feel comfortable doing an assessment explaining she didn't have a relationship with us. He picked her up and said, "She might. The pediatrician doing rounds tomorrow can do an assessment on her." And then left only to discharge her a few days later not referencing anything about Down syndrome...and no support.
These are real families, real stories. Real feelings. Along with postnatal examples, I provide experiences that two moms had prenatally explaining that they were told if their child was born that they would not be able to bring their child in public for the first year, they couldn't be around other children and other frightening 'facts'. Assumptive information of what their life would look like if they continued the pregnancy because the child they are carrying has Down syndrome. One of the moms was highly pressured to terminate her pregnancy. I understand that providers are required and have the 'responsibility' to provide options for terminating the pregnancy but then I ask how often are families given resources for connecting new families with contact information of parents raising kids with Down syndrome (which I believe is the best resource)? Are both options given equally? Currently, both moms adore their daughters and so thankful for the precious child they gave birth to...along with leaving their houses...and being in public. ;)
While presenting at a breakfast to a group of business professionals, a person asked, "Well, if it's important for families to find out soon after birth, how do you suggest they are to be told?"
Personally, I have reflected on this question ALOT and I came up with this phrase... these four words. "I have unexpected news."
Along with that phrase, I believe it should be followed up with these considerations when delivering a diagnosis which includes research done by Dr. Brian Skotko on the best practice for delivering a diagnosis including the following:
1). Pediatrician or neonatologist should deliver news or share suspicions (with OB if possible).
2). News should be discussed when parents are together after they’ve had a chance to hold their baby.
3). Have conversation in private setting soon after diagnosis is suspected.
4). Provide accurate and up-to-date information including opportunities to connect with other families.
You can read the full article and publication here for a prenatal diagnosis and here for a postnatal diagnosis. The Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network provides brochures for medical providers and resources to give to new and expectant parents. (Also, recently DSDN has played a huge role in passing a law in Minnesota that requires medical providers to provide up-to-date information to new families that receive a diagnosis of Down syndrome. This is awesome news, but also bittersweet that a law like this needs to be in place for people to receive accurate information)
What if these four words were the start of their new journey?
What would be the tone of the conversation?
What if parents didn't have their story start with...
"I have bad news." or "I am sorry."
As a parent of a child with Down syndrome, when we hear the words "bad" or "sorry" we translate to mean...
My child is bad. My child is a mistake. You feel sorry for me. You have pity for me because of the way my child was uniquely created.
I know that might not be the intent of the comment, but I will tell you that when you bring your child home, discover the blessing they are, cuddle and breathe them in, watch them grow, celebrate each milestone accomplished on their timeline, and most importantly fall in love with them you get a chance to reflect on the first few moments, the words used, the way it was communicated, often times feelings of sadness or anger can rise in us as to how our child was presented. Not as a child but as a mistake.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I would not take Jack's extra chromosome away from him if I could. I encourage families to follow up with their doctor, nurses, pediatricians, etc., sharing how much their child means to them as many of these medical providers only see the first reaction to the unexpected news. Let's do this better, bridging the gap between the medical community and families loving their lives with children with Down syndrome. How can we expect them not to assume our lives are so dramatically different if all they see and hear are the tears at the very beginning?
In January I got the opportunity to speak at the March for Life Conference in Washington, D.C., and I listened as a mom shared how she had learned that her oldest child was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. She said soon after it was discovered that her son has CF, a genetic counselor came in to her hospital room and started talking about birth control options as she explained it was important that this ''problem" didn't happen again. Her son was referred to as a problem.
In my blog post about speaking at the hospital where we delivered Jack, I talk about how there were significant people that made such a positive impact on our first few days after we received Jack's diagnosis. Along with our family and friends who immediately loved and supported us and we leaned on for strength...some were complete strangers. When we feared the world might not accept Jack for who he was, these nurses, my doctor, and Jack's pediatrician came into our hospital room and loved on us and most importantly loved on Jack. They had the choice to just do their job, communicating the facts about what the textbooks define Down syndrome to be and the implications on Jack's life. But they chose to look at Jack as a precious baby, a child to be celebrated, a miracle...as we all are...and they supported us on this new, unexpected path. To this day, I am grateful for the love that these people gave us and how they viewed Jack's life as a gift. A blessing.
Although at the time, these medical professionals weren't our family...but they have become our family. Adopted into our family as they play such a significant role in our story. I CAN NOT thank you enough and we are so grateful for each of you. Thank you for doing this better.
← New birth, new life, new experience. Intent and Impact →
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Judge: Had St. Johns man not left scene of fatal crash, he wouldn't have gotten ticket
Jenna Carpenter
Oliver Heckscher said he will regret his decision to leave the scene of a wreck involving the death of a pedestrian for the rest of his life.
"There hasn't been a day where I don't think about it, and it's something I won't easily forget," he said. "I wish there was something I could do to change it, but I can't."
When Heckscher, 25, appeared before Judge Michael Traynor in a St. Johns County courtroom Friday, he was facing a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with a death, which is a first-degree felony.
But he pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving a serious injury.
That charge is a second-degree felony and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Heckscher was sentenced to 270 days in a county jail followed by 8 months' probation and 21 months' of community control for his actions last year after a wreck on State Road A1A.
On the night of July 8, 2014, Heckscher was driving past Florida Avenue in the right lane of Florida A1A when he struck a pedestrian, 53-year-old Robert Louke.
Louke died the following morning at Flagler Hospital.
Heckscher immediately fled the scene and was later found by patrol deputies at his home, where he was outside smoking a cigarette, according to the arrest affidavit.
An officer heard Heckscher tell his mother, "I messed up, mom."
During the Thursday proceedings, Heckscher's attorney, Patrick Canan, asked for probation instead of incarceration.
"What you do to him isn't what he can do to himself. He has to live with this for the rest of his life," Canan said. "This is a good kid, who in a few seconds, made a really bad decision."
Heckscher's case is different from other related cases because he wasn't intoxicated, Canan argued.
"Nothing I say should be interpreted as excusing his decision, but he's a kid, and he made the wrong decision," he said. "There was no impairment, just error in decision."
Canan also said that when Louke stepped in the road, there was nothing Heckscher could have done that would have saved his life.
"This man was going to die, but of course, he [Heckscher] should have stopped."
Assistant State Attorney Travis Mydock conceded that Louke caused the wreck by stepping in the road and his injuries weren't survivable. But he also said that wasn't an excuse for Heckscher leaving the scene.
"That's where he got in trouble, and that's inexcusable," he said.
Mydock asked for a sentence of 364 days in the county jail followed by 15 years probation.
Heckscher was nearly in tears when he addressed Traynor.
"I'm deeply sorry to the family involved in the accident. I panicked and made the wrong decision," he said.
It is a sentiment his father, Marty Heckscher, echoed.
"We are truly hurt that we are standing here today," he said. "We are hurt that someone lost their life and we extend our deepest sympathies to the family."
In addition to serving jail and probation, Heckscher was also sentenced to serve 50 hours of community service and his driver's license was suspended for three years.
For Traynor, the sentence was a balancing act between Heckscher's lack of criminal record and the facts of the case.
"If you had stopped, you wouldn't have even gotten a ticket. You could've just gone home without having a problem with law enforcement or in the courtroom," he said. "But we have that law for a reason. We can't have people not stopping when they are involved in an accident, especially when someone is hurt."
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The Real Deal: Knotel Expands Into 3 New LA Locations
As published in The Real Deal
Knotel’s Los Angeles expansion includes three new locations this month, bringing the firm up to nearly 100,000 square feet of leased space.
The New York-based flexible office space provider has signed deals for nine locations since January in the city, all in the Westside.
This month, Knotel said it had leased 6,680 square feet in Culver City, at 3137 South La Cienega Boulevard. It also signed for 30,000 square feet at 13160 Mindanao Avenue in Marina Del Rey and 7,400-square-foot space at 1625 Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica.
Knotel, which in April was reportedly in talks for a $200 million Series C funding round, leases directly from landlords and then subleases to companies under flexible terms.
Its first location in L.A., announced February, was a 12,340-square-foot space at a Douglas Emmett-owned building at 429 Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica.
Read Article On The Real Deal
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2.1 Sinking
3 Discovery
French battleship Danton
Name: Danton
Namesake: Georges Danton
Ordered: 1906 programme[1]
Builder: Arsenal de Brest
Laid down: February 1906
Launched: 4 July 1909
Commissioned: 1 June 1911
Fate: Sunk by U-64 on 19 March 1917
Class and type: Danton-class battleship
Standard: 18,318 metric tons (18,029 long tons)
Full load: 19,763 metric tons (19,451 long tons)
Length: 144.9 m (475 ft 5 in)
Beam: 25.8 m (84 ft 8 in)
Draft: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
26 Belleville coal-fired boilers
22,500 shp (16.8 MW)
4 shafts
Parsons steam turbines
Complement: 681
4 × 305mm/45 Modèle 1906 guns in twin mounts
12 × 240mm/50 Modèle 1902 guns in twin mounts
16 × 75mm/65 Modèle 1906 guns in single mounts
10 × 47 mm (1.9 in) guns (single)
2 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes (M12D)
Belt: 270 mm (10.6 in)
Turrets: 300 mm (11.8 in) main turrets
Conning tower: 300 mm
Danton was a semi-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy and the lead ship of her class. She was a technological leap in battleship development for the French Navy, as she was the first ship in the fleet with turbine engines. However, like all battleships of her type, she was completed after the Royal Navy battleship HMS Dreadnought, and as such she was outclassed before she was even commissioned.
During her career Danton was sent to Great Britain to honor the coronation of George V, and later served in World War I as an escort for supply ships and troop transports, guarding them from elements of the German Navy. While en route to aid a blockade, she was torpedoed and sunk on 19 March 1917 by a German U-boat, leaving 296 men dead. The location of the wreck remained a mystery until an underwater survey team inadvertently discovered the battleship in December 2007. In February 2009, the wreck was confirmed to be Danton. The ship is in remarkably good shape for her age. Danton rests upright on the ocean floor, and most of the original equipment is reported to be intact.
Main article: Danton-class battleship
Danton-class design as depicted by Brassey's Naval Annual 1915
Although the Danton-class battleships were a significant improvement from the preceding Liberté class, especially with the 3,000-ton displacement increase, they were outclassed by the advent of the dreadnought well before they were completed. This, combined with other poor traits, including the great weight in coal they had to carry, made them rather unsuccessful ships, though their numerous rapid-firing guns were of some use in the Mediterranean.[1]
Danton was 146.6 meters (481 ft 0 in) long overall and had a beam of 25.8 m (84 ft 8 in) and a full-load draft of 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in). She displaced 19,736 metric tons (19,424 long tons; 21,755 short tons) at full load and had a crew of 681 officers and enlisted men. She was powered by four Parsons steam turbines with twenty-six Belleville boilers, the first French warship to use turbines. They were rated at 22,500 shaft horsepower (16,800 kW) and provided a top speed of around 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). Coal storage amounted to 2,027 t (1,995 long tons; 2,234 short tons).[1][2]
Danton's main battery consisted of four 305mm/45 Modèle 1906 guns (12-inch) mounted in two twin gun turrets, one forward and one aft. The secondary battery consisted of twelve 240mm/50 Modèle 1902 guns in twin turrets, three on either side of the ship. A number of smaller guns were carried for defense against torpedo boats. These included sixteen 75 mm (3.0 in) L/65 guns and ten 47-millimetre (1.9 in) guns. The ship was also armed with two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. The ship's main belt was 270 mm (10.6 in) thick and the main battery was protected by up to 300 mm (11.8 in) of armor. The conning tower also had 300 mm thick sides.[1]
Danton underway
Danton was laid down at the Arsenal de Brest in February 1906.[1] Her launching was scheduled for May 1909, but socialist activists prevented the ship from leaving the stocks,[3] and so the launching was delayed until on 4 July 1909. After completing fitting-out work, she was commissioned into the French Navy on 1 June 1911.[1] A week after she was completed, she was sent to the United Kingdom in honour of the Coronation of George V in 1911.[4] Upon her return to France, Danton was to the 1st Battleship Squadron in April 1912, along with her five sister ships.[5] Later that year, while off Hyères in the Mediterranean, Danton suffered an explosion in one of her gun turrets, which killed three men and injured several others.[6] In 1913, the squadron was joined by the two powerful dreadnoughts Courbet and Jean Bart.[4]
Danton served in World War I in the French Mediterranean Fleet. At the outbreak of the war in early August 1914, she was assigned to guard convoys bringing French soldiers from North Africa, to protect from attack by the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and light cruiser SMS Breslau, which were operating in the area. At the time, she remained in the 1st Battle Squadron alongside her sister ships, under the command of Vice Admiral Chocheprat.[7] By 16 August, the French naval commander, Admiral de Lapeyrère, took the bulk of the French fleet from Malta to the entrance of the Adriatic to keep the Austro-Hungarian Navy bottled up.[8]
Location of the wreck[9]
Danton, commanded by Captain Delage, was torpedoed by U-64, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Robert Moraht, at 13:17 on 19 March 1917, 22 miles (19 nmi; 35 km) south-west of Sardinia. The battleship was returning to duty from a refit in Toulon and was bound for the Greek island of Corfu to join the Allied blockade of the Strait of Otranto. Danton was carrying more men than normal, as many were crew members of other ships at Corfu, and had been zig-zagging to foil enemy submarines. The ship sank in 45 minutes; 806 men were rescued by the destroyer Massue and nearby patrol boats, but 296, including Captain Delage, went down with the ship.[10] Massue attacked U-64 with depth charges, but the U-boat successfully evaded her attacker.[11]
In February 2009, it was made public that in late 2007 the wreck of the ship was discovered "in remarkable condition" during an underwater survey between Italy and Algeria for the GALSI gas pipeline.[10][12] The wreck lies at 38°45′35″N 8°3′30″E / 38.75972°N 8.05833°E / 38.75972; 8.05833Coordinates: 38°45′35″N 8°3′30″E / 38.75972°N 8.05833°E / 38.75972; 8.05833, a few kilometres away from where it had been thought she sank, sitting upright with many of her gun turrets intact at a depth of over 1,000 metres (550 fathoms; 3,300 ft).[10]
^ a b c d e f Gardiner & Gray, p. 196.
^ Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers, p. 1010.
^ Goldstein & Avery, p. 166.
^ a b New International Encyclopedia, p. 148.
^ Ingersoll, p. 1385.
^ The American Library Annual, p. 27.
^ Corbett & Newbolt, pp. 61–62.
^ Sondhaus, p. 258.
^ Wrecksite, "Danton SS".
^ a b c BBC, "Danton wreck".
^ Greenslade, p. 1077.
^ CNN/Krajnak.
Corbett, Julian Stafford; Newbolt, Henry John (1920). Naval Operations: To the Battle of the Falklands, December 1914. London: Longmans, Green and Co.
Dumas, Robert; Prévoteaux, Gérard (2011). Les Cuirassés de 18 000t. Outreau: Lela Presse. ISBN 978-2-914017-62-6. .
Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
Goldstein, David; Avery, Martha M. (1919). Bolshevism: Its Cure. Boston School of Political Economy.
Greenslade, J. W. (1917). United States Naval Institute Proceedings. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. 43. Missing or empty |title= (help)
Ingersoll, R. E. (1898). "Organization of the Fleet for War". Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. 39 (4): 1379–1405.
Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers. American Society of Naval Engineers. 1909. Missing or empty |title= (help)
Jordan, John & Caresse, Philippe (2017). French Battleships of World War One. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-639-1.
The American Library Annual. New York: R. R. Bowker Co. 1914. Missing or empty |title= (help)
New International Encyclopedia. Princeton University. 1915.
Sondhaus, Lawrence (1994). The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867–1918. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press. ISBN 978-1-55753-034-9.
Online sources
Amos, Jonathan (19 February 2009). "Danton wreck found in deep water". BBC News. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
"Wrecksite, "Danton SS"". Retrieved 21 February 2009.
Krajnak, Deb (19 February 2009). "French battleship intact after nearly a century under water". CNN. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
Battleships portal
The wreck of the Danton on www.wrecksite.eu
Video of wreck BBC
Compressed version of video on original website
Danton-class battleships
Mirabeau
Vergniaud
Preceded by: Liberté class
Followed by: Courbet class
List of battleships of France
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in March 1917
3 Mar: Connaught
5 Mar: Copenhagen
8 Mar: Storstad
10 Mar: SM UC-43
12 Mar: HMS E49
17 Mar: HMS Paragon
18 Mar: HMS Duchess of Montrose, SM UB-6
19 Mar: Danton
20 Mar: HMHS Asturias
23 Mar: HMS Laforey, Prince Rupert
26 Mar: HMS Myrmidon
Unknown date: SM U-85
Other incidents
1 Mar: HMHS Glenart Castle
12 Mar: HMS Skate
14 Mar: Orsova
19 Mar: HMS E50, SM UC-62
27 Mar: Ultonia
31 Mar: HMHS Gloucester Castle
February 1917 April 1917
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Jun 27 From Consolation to Covenant by Rabbi Zvi Grumet
Volume 11, Parashah, Nitzavim-VaYeilech
As the summer months come to a close we once again turn our focus back to school and work, and the overall tenor of our daily lives begins to echo the somber overtones of Selichot in anticipation of the ימים נראים. Even the Torah readings suggest momentous events, as this week’s Parsha describes a recommitment to a covenant with Hashem. Often overlooked, however, is the הפטרה, which is the last of the שבעה דנחמתא, the seven הפטרות of consolation read for seven weeks in the wake of the catastrophe of תשעה באב. Yet even as we prepare to solemnly welcome another year we are still invited to embrace the comfort offered by Hashem as heard through the voice of ישעיה הנביא.
ישעיה’s love for his people and their land reverberates throughout with words and phrases that have been on the lips of the Jewish people for as long as our collective memory can recall, likeלמען ציון לא אחשה ולמען ירושלים לא אשקוט, “For the sake of Zion I will not hold my peace and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be silent”(62:1), על חומותיך ירושלים לא הפקדתי שומרים כל היום וכל הלילה, “Over the walls of Jerusalem I have appointed watchmen to guard over her, day and night” (62:6), and אמרו לבת ציון הנה ישעך בא, “Announce to the daughter of Zion that her salvation has come” (62:11). A closer reading, however, reveals that his vision is neither narrow nor parochial, even though his heart overflows with love for the Jewish people and their land.
For ישעיה, the return of the people to their land, while worthy of celebration in and of itself, is significant in at least two other ways that dwarf the return itself. First, the return of the people is seen as a sign of the restoration of the intimacy between Hashem and His people. Exile, aside from being an unnatural state, is a reflection of Divine distance from the Jewish people. The return from exile is the equivalent of a warm embrace of a loved one from whom we have felt distanced for too long. The expressions of that embrace are many; ככלה תעדה כליה - a bride donning her jewels, כחתן יכהן פאר - a groom in his regal splendor, כגנה זרועיה תצמיח - the flowering earth, and כי יבעל בחור בתולה - the passion of young lovers.
There is yet another, perhaps even more important, effect of the return. The Jewish people have a mission, one that can be fulfilled uniquely in their land. While in exile their mission is thwarted, and the promise of the return from exile is the promise that they will finally have the opportunity to act upon that which they dreamt about during their extended wanderings. And what, you may ask, is that mission? It is to establish a society which will embody the highest standards of justice, so that all of mankind may recognize the truth and beauty in Hashem’s teachings, כן ה' יצמיח צדקה ותהלה. It is so easy to get caught up in our pain, both personal and national, that in our eager anticipation of the end of the difficulties we forget that we have a greater goal to accomplish. It is this greater goal which stands at the core of our prayers during the ימים נראים - יכירו וידעו כל יושבי תבל, ויאמר כל אשר נשמה באפו ה' אלה-י ישראל מלך.
This year, more than most, ישעיה’s words touch nerves deep inside. We hold onto his words of consolation even as we see a long tunnel ahead of us shrouded in much darkness. We cannot wait for the end of the painful times although we cannot see for ourselves realistic options for our future. Yet even as we cling to the נחמה of ישעיה let us always remember that the redemption from our tribulations needs to serve as a springboard for the restoration of the intimate bonds between Hashem and His people and the recommitment to their covenantal mission of being a light unto the nations.
Jun 27 The End of Forever by David Gertler
Jun 27 Don’t Worry, Be Happy by David Gertler
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Credit: Natalie J Watts | taken at Royal College of Music
Credit: Natalie J Watts
Intermusica at the 125th BBC Proms
The BBC have announced the programme for the 125th BBC Proms, launching eight weeks of music-making of the highest quality, over 80 concerts and a host of world premieres. The festival also marks 150 years since the birth of Proms founder Sir Henry Wood and the 50th anniversary of the moon landings. As ever, Intermusica is well represented at the festival, with 24 artists taking part and our International Touring team bringing two world-class orchestras to the London stage. All concerts will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and several will be televised on BBC Four. See below for full details.
James Ehnes returns to the Proms on 22 July alongside an orchestra of Royal Academy of Music and Juilliard School students, to perform Britten Violin Concerto under the baton of Edward Gardner.
Mark Wigglesworth is joined by Nicola Benedetti and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain on 25 July. Wigglesworth conducts the London premiere of Lera Auerbach Icarus (2011) followed by Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet Suite. The concert will be televised on BBC Four on 28 July.
Simon Halsey and his numerous choirs feature throughout the Proms. On 29 July, the BBC Proms Youth Choir joins Omer Meir Wellber and the BBC Philharmonic for Haydn The Creation. Halsey then prepares the singers of the London Symphony Chorus and Orfeó Català as they join Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO to perform Walton Belshazzar’s Feast on 20 August. The concert will be shown on BBC Four on 23 August. Finally, more than 600 singers will unite for the European premiere of John Luther Adams In the Name of the Earth (2018) on 8 September.
On 2 August, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Thomas Dausgaard perform Sir James MacMillan The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, which premiered at the Proms nearly 30 years ago in 1990. The concert will be televised live on BBC Four. MacMillan is currently celebrating his 60th birthday with a year of special performances – visit jamesmacmillan.co.uk to see the full MacMillan at 60 calendar.
Ben Gernon and the BBC Philharmonic (where he is Principal Guest Conductor) give two performances. On 5 August, Gernon conducts a programme of Malcolm Arnold Peterloo Overture, Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with soloist Alexander Gavrylyuk and excerpts from Tchaikovsky Swan Lake. They repeat the concert the following morning in a Relaxed Prom, in which the concert environment is adapted to better suit audience members with autistic spectrum conditions, sensory, communication or learning difficulties.
Natalya Romaniw makes her Proms debut on 8 August, joining the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Tadaaki Otaka to sing Rachmaninov The Bells.
John Wilson returns to the Proms on 9 August, conducting his John Wilson Orchestra in a concert televised live on BBC Four, celebrating the golden age of the Warner Brothers studios.
On 10 August, Lise Davidsen reunites with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra, with whom she recently recorded her highly anticipated debut album for Decca (out 31 May). She will sing Richard Strauss Op.27 Songs, which also feature on the album.
On 13 August, Martyn Brabbins conducts a special concert with personal significance: it features the world premiere of Pictured Within: Birthday Variations for M. C. B., a new take on Elgar Enigma Variations commissioned by the BBC to mark Brabbins’ 60th birthday. This unique work features a new set of variations by 14 living composers including Intermusica’s Brett Dean, Sally Beamish, Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Dai Fujikura – plus one distinguished mystery composer to write the theme. Brabbins also conducts Elgar’s original Variations as well as Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music and Brahms Song of Destiny, featuring the BBC Singers and English National Opera Chorus. The concert will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Four on 8 September.
Andreas Haefliger returns to the Proms on 19 August for the world premiere of a new Piano Concerto written especially for him by fellow Swiss musician Dieter Ammann. He is joined for the concert by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo. This new work is co-commmissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthaus Wien, Lucerne Festival, Münchner Philharmoniker and Taipei Symphony Orchestra.
Singers Sofia Fomina, Marta Fontanals-Simmons and Thomas Atkins appear in Glyndebourne Festival Opera’s production of Mozart The Magic Flute on 27 August. Fomina stars in the concert staging as Pamina while Fontanals-Simmons sings Second Lady and Atkins takes the roles of Second Priest and First Man in Armour.
Anthony Gregory makes his Proms debut on 29 August, singing Hugh Wood Scenes from Comus with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.
Richard Egarr returns to the Proms on 30 August to conduct the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (with whom he has a long association) Handel Jeptha, part of a cycle celebrating the composer’s works. The cast features Tim Mead as Hamor and Cody Quattlebaum as Zebul.
Sir John Eliot Gardiner completes his epic five-season Berlioz series on 2 September, conducting a performance of his opera Benvenuto Cellini with his Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.
Leonidas Kavakos joins Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Vienna Philharmonic on 4 September to perform Korngold Violin Concerto.
Yuja Wang is the soloist for Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 with Staatskapelle Dresden and Myung-Whun Chung on 5 September.
Nora Fischer makes her Proms debut on 8 September, giving the UK premiere of Louis Andriessen The only one (2018) alongside Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
On 10 September, Intermusica brings the Czech Philharmonic and Semyon Bychkov to the Proms. The concert features Smetana The Bartered Bride, the Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin and Shostakovich Symphony No.8.
Nicholas Collon and his Aurora Orchestra return to the Proms on 12 September presenting another eagerly anticipated major symphony from memory. This year they present Berlioz Symphonie fantastique in an immersive theatrical staging. Collon and the orchestra will give a repeat performance in a late-night Prom that same evening and BBC Four will record the first performance for broadcast on 13 September.
As the festival draws to a close, Intermusica’s International Touring team brings a second orchestra to London: on 13 September, Andrew Manze returns with his NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover for Beethoven Night, in which Manze conducts extracts from Fidelio and Symphony No.5, as well as music by Handel and Bach.
Intermusica artists star in English National Opera’s 2019/20 season
English National Opera 2019/20 season
English National Opera announced their 2019/20 season on 3 April, and as ever there is a strong Intermusica presence at the house alongside Music Director Martyn Brabbins.
Alongside three revivals, the season features seven new productions, the most for five years. For the first time, four of the new productions present different versions of the same story as ENO presents four takes on the Orpheus myth. In keeping with the season’s theme of the rise of the feminine, more than half of the new productions are directed by women, with Tatjana Gürbaca, Emma Rice, Barbora Horáková and Netia Jones all helming productions.
> Click here to see full details of ENO's 2019/20 season
Martyn Brabbins conducts two productions. On 18 October he opens Daniel Kramer’s production of Harrison Birtwistle The Mask of Orpheus. The production stars Marta Fontanals-Simmons as Eurydice the Woman and Susan Bickley as Eurydice the Myth and Persephone. Brabbins then returns on 26 February 2020 to conduct a revival of Anthony Minghella’s Olivier Award-winning production of Madam Butterfly, starring Natalya Romaniw in the title role. Brabbins will be assisted for the production by Adam Hickox.
Valentina Peleggi continues her Mackerras Fellowship with her first full production in the main house: a revival of Calixto Bieito’s production of Carmen from 29 January 2020, which features a cast starring David Butt Philip as Don José and Nardus Williams as Micaela. Earlier in the season she conducts three performances of Offenbach Orpheus in the Underworld on 1, 26 and 28 November. The new production from Emma Rice features Sir Willard White as Jupiter and Mary Bevan as Diana.
Geoffrey Paterson debuts on 15 November conducting a new production of Phillip Glass Orphée from Netia Jones. The cast features Anthony Gregory, who makes a return to ENO as Cégeste, and Simon Shibambu as the poet.
Alexander Joel returns to conduct Verdi Luisa Miller from 12 February 2020. This new production is directed by Barbora Horáková Joly and stars Elizabeth Llewellyn in the title role.
Susan Bickley appears in a second production when she returns in the role of Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro from 14 March 2020, in a new production directed by Joe Hill-Gibbons.
Antony Hermus makes his debut at ENO on 28 March 2020, conducting the premiere of Tatjana Gürbaca’s new production of Dvorák Rusalka, and taking it to Theatre du Luxembourg for additional performances after the London run. David Butt Philip takes the role of the Prince, while Patricia Bardon appears as Ježibaba.
Anthony Gregory performs St John Passion on tour in Europe with Les Arts Florissants
Anthony Gregory joins Les Arts Florissants as they embark on a European tour of St John Passion from 17 March 2019. The tour begins at Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Germany and also visits France, Spain, the UK and Poland, culminating at the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud on 21 April.
Gregory's highlights this season include the title role of Bernstein Candide at Bergen National Opera, a return to Den Norske Opera as Don Ottavio Don Giovanni, Vasco in the world premiere of Stuart MacRae Anthropocene with Scottish Opera, Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings at Barbican Hall and Dr Maxwell / Staff Officer in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s The Silver Tassie, both with BBC Symphony Orchestra. He also sings Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall and appears in concert at the London Handel Festival.
Anthony Gregory stars in world premiere of Anthropocene at Scottish Opera
Anthony Gregory stars as Vasco in the world premiere of Stuart Macrae and Louise Welsh’s new opera Anthropocene on 24 January 2019. The performances are conducted by Stuart Stratford and directed by Matthew Richardson.
Gregory's highlights this season include the title role in Bernstein Candide at Bergen National Opera, a return to Den Norske Opera as Don Ottavio Don Giovanni, a European tour of St John Passion with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie and Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings and Dr Maxwell / Staff Officer in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s The Silver Tassie, both with BBC Symphony Orchestra. He also sings Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall and appears in concert at the London Handel Festival.
Highlights last season included his debut with Den Norske Opera as Don Ottavio in a new production of Don Giovanni as well as singing Ouardo Ariodante for Les Arts Florissants and the title role in Rameau Dardanus for English Touring Opera.
Further performances of Anthropocene run until 9 February 2019.
Intermusica artists commemorate the centenary of the ending of the First World War
Several Intermusica artists were involved in events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War this month both on and around Armistice Day on 11 November.
Renaud Capuçon joined Yo-Yo Ma in Paris on Armistice Day itself to perform Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Cello for world leaders including President Macron, Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Trump.
Also on Armistice Day, Marin Alsop led the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in a performance of Brahms' German Requiem, which broke from tradition by presenting the Requiem Mass in German rather than the usual Latin. In October, Alsop also conducted three concerts with Daniil Trifonov and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra honouring the Armistice entitled A Time for Reflection.
Andrew Manze led the combined forces of the NDR Radiophilharmonie and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in two performances of Britten's War Requiem, first at the Kuppelsaal Hannover on 3 November and then at Liverpool Cathedral on 10 November. Click here to watch Manze and members of the orchestras talk about the project.
In Cardiff, Mark Wigglesworth conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and soloists Emma Bell, Alan Clayton and Roman Trekel in Britten's War Requeim, which interspersed the words of the Mass for the Dead with the poetry of Wilfred Owen.
On 4 November, the London Symphony Orchestra gave the London premiere of Sir James MacMillan's All the Hills and Vales Along, a new oratorio written for soloist Ian Bostridge and based on poems by Charles Hamilton Sorley who was killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915.
On 10 and 11 November, Cantori New York gave the US premiere of Thierry Escaich's oratorio "Cris", which was written after the novel by Laurent Gaudé Les Cris de Paris which explores the experience of French soldiers in the trenches. Its world premiere came in 2016 at the Théâtre de Verdun to mark the centenary of the Battle of Verdun, the longest of the war.
Hubert Zapiór joined the Albany Symphony at the Proctors Theater in Schenectady to perform War Requiem under the baton of David Allan Miller.
On 10 November Anthony Gregory and Susan Bickley joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s The Silver Tassie. Turnage's opera is an adapatation of Sean O’Casey’s provocative 1928 play of the same name, which critiqued the damaging impact of the war.
On 9 November, Marta Fontanals-Simmons joined the Jenaer Philharmonie to perform Benjamin Ellin's One Before Zero, a one-movement oratorio commemorating the Battle of the Somme. The work weaves together first-hand accounts of the Great War in English, German and French and illustrates, both linguistically and musically, how the trauma of war affected all nations equally. Click here to read an interview with Fontanals-Simmons about the piece.
Martyn Brabbins and English National Opera perform a staged version of Britten's War Requiem directed by Kaspar Holten on 16 and 22 November. Intermusica's David Butt Philip leads the soloists for the performances.
Anthony Gregory returns to the Barbican Centre for Mark-Anthony Turnage's The Silver Tassie with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Anthony Gregory and Susan Bickley join the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre on 10 November to perform Mark-Anthony Turnage’s The Silver Tassie. The performance is conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth and is part of the orchestra's commemmorations of the end of the First World War. Turnage's opera is an adapatation of Sean O’Casey’s provocative 1928 play of the same name, which critiqued the damaging impact of the war. Gregory sings the roles of Dr Maxwell and Staff Officer, while Bickley takes the role of Mrs Heegan.
Gregory performs with the BBC Symphony Orchestra again later in the season when they perform Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings in May.
Highlights for Gregory this season include the title role in Bernstein’s Candide at Bergen National Opera, a return to Den Norske Opera as Don Ottavio and the world premiere of Stuart MacRae’s Anthropocene at Scottish Opera.
This season Bickley has appeared in English National Opera's new production of Salome, and she also sings Kabanicha in Janáček Káťa Kabanová in a new production for the Royal Opera House by Richard Jones, the Queen of Sheba in a concert version of Solomon with Christian Curnyn for the Royal Opera House, and Dido in Purcell Dido and Aeneas in Boston with the Handel and Haydn Society.
Anthony Gregory makes Bergen National Opera debut as Candide
Bergen National Opera
This autumn, Anthony Gregory makes his debut with Bergen National Opera, singing the title role in Bernstein Candide. A new semi-staged production directed by Thom Southerland, Candide also features Intermusica bass-baritone Gidon Saks and is conducted by Karen Kamensek.
Subsequent highlights for Gregory this season include the world premiere of Stuart MacRae’s Anthropocene at Scottish Opera, a European tour of St John Passions with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie, and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings and Dr Maxwell / Staff Officer in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s The Silver Tassie, both with BBC Symphony Orchestra. His interpretations of English-language tenor roles have been well received, with Bachtrack writing of his 2016 Flute in Britten A Midsummer Night's Dream for Glyndebourne:
"Anthony Gregory's winsome Flute, delighting in Britten's Donizetti parody as Thisby laments her Pyramus."
Bachtrack, August 2016
Performance of Candide take place at the Bergen National Opera on 31 October and 2 and 3 November 2018.
Anthony Gregory makes Norwegian National Opera debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni
Norwegian National Opera
Anthony Gregory makes his debut at Norwegian National Opera this May, singing the role of Don Ottavio in Mozart Don Giovanni. Performances are conducted by Christopher Moulds, Benjamin Bayl and Enrique Mazzola, with Joe Austin reviving Richard Jones’s 2016 production.
Gregory’s 2017/18 season has included the title role in Rameau Dardanus with English Touring Opera, and a tour of Handel Ariodante with Les Arts Florissants, singing the role of Odoardo under the baton of William Christie. 2018/19 sees Gregory return to Norway, singing the title role in Bernstein Candide for Bergen National Opera.
Don Giovanni opens on 16 May at Norwegian National Opera, with performances running throughout the summer.
Anthony Gregory returns to Glyndebourne as Vafrino in new production of Hipermestra
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Anthony Gregory returns to Glyndebourne on 20 May 2017 to sing Vafrino in Graham Vick’s new production of Cavalli’s rarely performed Hipermestra. Gregory joins a cast of Emőke Baráth, Raffaele Pe and Renato Dolcini to perform the opera, with accompaniment from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the baton of William Christie.
Earlier this season, Gregory sang Don Ottavio Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne, a role he performs next season with Norwegian National Opera and returned to English National Opera to premiere The Winter’s Tale, a new work by Ryan Wigglesworth.
Hipermestra runs at Glyndebourne until 8 July.
Leigh Melrose, Anthony Gregory & Susan Bickley return to ENO for world premiere of The Winter's Tale
Leigh Melrose, Anthony Gregory and Susan Bickley return to English National Opera this month for the world premiere of Ryan Wigglesworth The Winter's Tale at the Coliseum on 27 February 2017. This new commission is an interpretation of Shakespeare’s tale of love, loss and reconciliation, directed by Olivier Award-winning actor Rory Kinnear.
Leigh Melrose joins the cast as Polixenes, adding to his reputation as a singer of contemporary repertoire. He is a regular guest at ENO, previously singing roles including Wozzeck, Ned Keene, Sonora and Escamillo. He follows The Winter's Tale with his debut as Ruprecht in Calixto Bieito's new production of Prokofiev The Fiery Angel at Opernhaus Zürich, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.
Former ENO Harewood Artist Anthony Gregory continues his relationship with ENO as Florizel. Last season ENO audiences heard him as Nanki-poo in Jonathan Miller’s acclaimed production of The Mikado. Later this season, Gregory returns to Glyndebourne Festival Opera to sing Vafrino in Cavalli Hipermestra.
Susan Bickley returns to ENO to sing the role of Paulina. Bickley has long been a favourite guest of the company, previously performing roles including Jocasta in the world premiere of Julian Anderson The Thebans.
The Winter's Tale runs from 27 February until 14 March.
Anthony Gregory sings Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Glyndebourne on Tour
Anthony Gregory returns to Glyndebourne on 15 October 2016 to sing Don Ottavio in Mozart Don Giovanni as part of the company's 2016/17 tour. Gregory previously appeared at Glyndebourne in the role of Flute in the company's acclaimed production of Britten A Midsummer Night’s Dream alongside Tim Mead, Matthew Rose, Duncan Rock and Kate Royal.
Pablo Gonzales conducts Lloyd Wood's revival of Jonathan Kent's production, which in November also visits Milton Keynes, The Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, The Theatre Royal Norwich, The New Victoria Theatre Woking and The Theatre Royal Plymouth. The cast includes Duncan Rock in the title role, Louise Alder and Magdalena Molendowska.
In 2014 Gregory joined Glyndebourne on Tour to sing Prologue and Peter Quint in Britten The Turn of the Screw:
"Anthony Gregory's Quint is exquisitely sung, his villain all the more disturbing for his vocal beauty."
Spectator, October 2014.
Performances at Glyndebourne continue until 4 November. Gregory returns to Glyndebourne Festival Opera to sing Vafrino in Cavalli Hipermestra in summer 2017.
Tim Mead & Anthony Gregory star in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Glyndebourne
Tim Mead and Anthony Gregory return to Glyndebourne Festival Opera on 11 August 2016 to star in the upcoming revival of Peter Hall’s popular production of Britten A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Mead reprises the role of Oberon alongside Gregory, who makes his debut in the role of Flute. The cast also includes Kathleen Kim as Tytania, Kate Royal as Helena, Matthew Rose as Bottom, and Duncan Rock as Demetrius, under the baton of Jakub Hrůša.
Mead has previously sung Oberon for Bergen National Opera, where he was praised for his “ethereal voice” (Bergen Journal), “his soothing countertenor crooning an irresistible invitation to sleep” (Opera Now). Next season Mead can be seen as Ottone in Handel Agrippina at Opera Vlaanderen, and reprises his acclaimed performance as the Boy in George Benjamin Written on Skin with the Aix-en-Provence Festival at the Bolshoi Theatre.
Anthony Gregory returns to Glyndebourne following his performance last season as Peter Quint and Prologue in Britten The Turn of the Screw with Glyndebourne on tour. Gregory joins the Glyndebourne tour in 2016/17 as Ottavio Don Giovanni and returns to Glyndebourne later in the season. Other future engagements include the role of Lysander A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Aix-en-Provence in their tour to Bahrain and Florizel in the world premiere of Ryan Wigglesworth The Winter’s Tale at English National Opera.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs at Glyndebourne until 28 August.
Anthony Gregory and Mary Bevan return to English National Opera for the Mikado
Anthony Gregory and Mary Bevan return to English National Opera to play the lovers Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo in Jonathan Miller's legendary production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado on the 21 November 2015.
Anthony Gregory comes fresh from his house debut at Teatro Real, Madrid as Oronte in David Alden’s production of Alcina, conducted by Christopher Moulds.
"Anthony Gregory is a touchingly dignified Oronte (a sublime 'Un momento di contento'!) in the nods to Fifty Shades that Katy Mitchell made him play in his tortuous relationship with Morgana."
Res Musica, July 2015
Further season highlights for Gregory include his company debut at Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Lisbon as Pylade Iphigenie en Tauride and his North American debut in Omaha as Jupiter in Semele followed by Flute A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Glyndebourne Festival.
Soprano Mary Bevan reprises the role of Yum-Yum, which she sang to critical acclaim for ENO in 2012. Earlier this season, Bevan made her role debut in the title role of Luigi Rossi’s Orpheus for the Royal Opera House at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Later this season she can be seen as Elvira in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri at Garsington Opera, as well as in concerts with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Philharmonic, and at Wigmore Hall.
“...other classy performances... Mary Bevan sings Yum-Yum immaculately and with a knowing self-regard that retains a charmingly innocent surface”.
Guardian, December 2012
The Mikado runs till 6 December with further performances 30 January and 6 February.
Anthony Gregory sings Oronte in Alcina in his house debut at Teatro Real
Teatro Real, Madrid
Anthony Gregory makes his house debut at Teatro Real, Madrid on 30 October 2015 as Oronte in David Alden’s production of Alcina, conducted by Christopher Moulds. This follows on from his appearance in Katie Mitchell's prduction at the Aix-en-Provence Festival this summer:
"The lovesick Oronte, British tenor Anthony Gregory, was a willing captive of Morgana who lovingly whipped her during her brilliant Act III aria only to know that he will lose her in his meltingly beautiful aria 'Un momento di contento'."
Opera Today, July 2015
Alongside Gregory will be Sofia Soloviy as Alcina, María José Moreno as Morgana and Angélique Noldus as Bradamante.
Further company debuts for Gregory in the 2015/16 season include Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Lisbon as Pylade Iphigenie en Tauride and his North American debut in Omaha as Jupiter in Semele. He can also be heard at English National Opera as Nanki-poo in The Mikado and at the Glyndebourne Festival as Flute A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Anthony Gregory makes his role debut as Oronte at Aix-en-Provence for a new production of Alcina
Aix-en-Provence Festival
Anthony Gregory concludes his 2014/15 season at Aix en Provence Festival for a brand new production of Alcina by Katie Mitchell. Gregory, previously a member of the Festival d'Aix Académie in a production of La Cambiale di Matrimonio in 2012, will perform his debut as Oronte alongside Paricia Petibon and Philippe Jaroussky. Andrea Marcon conducts the production.
Gregory’s appearance at Aix is just the latest in a series of notable role and house debuts: Peter Quint and Prologue The Turn of the Screw for Glyndebourne on Tour, Shepherd L’Orfeo for Royal Opera House, and Ferrando Così fan tutte for Opéra de Limoges.
Spectator, October 2014
“Musically the strongest support comes from the trio of pastors (Anthony Gregory, Alexander Sprague and Christopher Lowrey), who make the most of some of Monteverdi’s finest vocal writing.”
Spectator, January 2015
Gregory opens next season with another house debut at Teatro Real, Madrid, where he reprises the role of Oronte Alcina.
Susanna Hurrell & Anthony Gregory star in Cosi fan tutte at Opera de Limoges
Opera de Limoges
Susanna Hurrell makes her role and house debut as Despina in Mozart Cosi fan tutte alongside Anthony Gregory as Ferrando, making his French debut, at Opera de Limoges on 10 May 2015.
Hurrell recently made a lauded return to the role of Erisbe in the Royal Opera House production of Cavalli L’Ormindo at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. After her debut as Despina, she will return to the UK to star as Norina in Don Pasquale at Longborough Festival Opera.
Anthony Gregory is fast making a name for himself as an excellent interpreter of the Mozart repertoire:
“…Anthony Gregory, as Ferrando, sings with confidence and ardour of youth. A Mozart tenor to watch” (Sunday Times, March 2013)
After his run in Cosi fan tutte, he travels to Aix en Provence to sing Oronte in a new production of Alcina directed by Katie Mitchell. Future engagements include leading roles with ENO, Glyndebourne Festival and Glyndebourne on Tour.
Susan Bickley, Mary Bevan, Susanna Hurrell & Anthony Gregory: Royal Opera House’s Orfeo
Susan Bickley and Mary Bevan join Susanna Hurrell and Anthony Gregory in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden’s new production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo, to be presented at the Roundhouse in London on 13 January. Bevan sings the role of Euridice, Bickley sings Silvia, Gregory sings First Pastor and Hurrell will sing Nymph. Conducted by Christian Curnyn and featuring the Orchestra of the Early Opera Company, performances run until 24 January.
Mary Bevan returns to the Royal Opera after appearing to acclaim on the main stage as Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro in 2013. Winner of the Critics’ Circle Exceptional Young Talent Award, Bevan was most recently praised for her “bewitching” Susanna with the English National Opera (Michael Church, Independent, October 2014).
A veteran of the Royal Opera House main stage, Susan Bickley most recently appeared as Virgie in Turnage Anna Nicole. Bickley joins Orfeo following a successful run as Herodias in Strauss Salome at Dallas Opera alongside Deborah Voigt.
Anthony Gregory will make his Royal Opera debut with Orfeo. Other season highlights include an “exquisitely sung” (Alexandra Coghlan, Spectator, October 2014) Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw at Glyndebourne, as well as appearances with Opera de Limoges and Aix en Provence Festival.
Directed by former Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Michael Boyd, this production of Orfeo follows the tremendously successful Royal Opera House and Roundhouse co-production of Cavalli L’Ormindo, presented in spring 2014, and featuring Susanna Hurrell.
Anthony Gregory: role debut as Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw with Glyndebourne Tour
Anthony Gregory returns to Glyndebourne Opera on 18 October where he will make his role debut as Peter Quint / Prologue in The Turn of the Screw. Gregory started his career in the Glyndebourne Chorus, became a Jerwood Young Artist in 2010 and subsequently covered Peter Quint at the 2011 Glyndebourne Festival. He will perform under the baton of Leo McFall alongside Natalya Romaniw as Governess, Anne Mason as Mrs Grose and Miranda Keys as Miss Jessel. The production begins at Glyndebourne before beginning the tour in Woking on 30 October.
Earlier this year Daily Telegraph critic Rupert Christianson praised his “honeyed, fluent Italianate voice” and picked him out as one of opera’s future stars.
Gregory will make a series of notable role and house debuts this season: Shepherd and Title Role L’Orfeo for Royal Opera and English National Opera; Ferrando Cosi fan tutte for Opera de Limoges; and Oronte in a new production of Alcina at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
Anthony Gregory performs Il Re Pastore at Verbier Festival with Rolando Villazón
British tenor Anthony Gregory returns to the Verbier Festival to sing the role of Agenore in Il re pastore on 2 August. Tenor Rolando Villazón sings the title role and directs this semi-staged production of Mozart’s opera. They are joined by young sopranos Iulia Maria Dan as Aminta, Regula Muhlemann as Elisa, Emoke Barath as Tamiri, and the Verbier Festival Orchestra under the baton of Gábor Takács-Nagy.
Gregory made his debut at the Verbier Festival last season when he performed the role of Rodrigo Otello alongside Anna Netrebko and Aleksandr Antonenko and under the baton of Valery Gergiev, and was heard in concert performances of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy under Charles Dutoit. He also took the role of Almvaviva in the Verbier Academy’s production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
Acclaimed for his unique timbre, stage presence and musicality, he is making a name for himself in the Mozart repertoire: “…Anthony Gregory, as Ferrando, sings with confidence and ardour of youth. A Mozart tenor to watch,” (Hugh Canning, Sunday Times). Earlier this year he was picked out by Daily Telegraph critic Rupert Christianson as one of the future operatic stars – click here to read the feature.
Next season Anthony Gregory makes a series of notable role and house debuts: Peter Quint and Prologue The Turn of the Screw for Glyndebourne on Tour; Shepherd and title role L’Orfeo for Royal Opera and English National Opera respectively; Ferrando Cosi Fan Tutte for Opera de Limoges; and Oronte in a new production of Alcina at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
Susan Bickley, Matthew Best & Anthony Gregory in world premiere of Anderson’s Thebans
Susan Bickley, Matthew Best and Anthony Gregory perform the roles of Jocasta, Tiresias and Haemon respectively in the world premiere of Julian Anderson’s Thebans for English National Opera on 3 May. Conducted by Edward Gardner and directed by Pierre Audi, this new opera re-tells Sophocles’ timeless Theban tragedies, focusing on the fate of Oedipus and his daughter Antigone. Bickley, Best and Gregory will perform alongside Roland Wood in the title role, Peter Hoare as Creon and Julia Sporsén as Antigone.
Susan Bickley returns to ENO for a second time this season, following her critically acclaimed turn as Eduige in Richard Jones’ new production of Rodelinda. Following Thebans, Bickley ends this season with Waltraute in Opera North’s new production of Götterdämmerung, the final instalment of their four year Ring Cycle. Highlights next season include a reprisal of Virgie in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Anna Nicole at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Herodias Salome for Dallas Opera, Messagiera Orfeo for the ROH at the Roundhouse and a return to ENO for another world premiere.
Following his successful performances of Swallow in the revival of David Alden’s Peter Grimes at ENO, Matthew Best returns to house for the final time this season in Thebans. Best will then go to Buxton Opera Festival where he will sing the Count in Dvořák’s The Jacobin, before reprising the role of Commendatore in Don Giovanni with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Highlights next season include Best’s return to Scottish Opera.
Thebans is the last of three new productions in Anthony Gregory’s busy 2013/14 season as an ENO Harewood Artist. Earlier in the season he performed Second Armed Man and covered Tamino in Simon McBurney’s innovative new production of The Magic Flute, and Borsa in Christopher Alden’s Rigoletto alongside Quinn Kelsey, Barry Banks and Anna Christy. Later in the season, at the invitation of Rollando Villazon, he returns to the Verbier Festival in the role of Agenore in Mozart’s Il Re Pastore. He then performs Tamino for NI Opera; Prologue and Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw for Glyndebourne on Tour; and Shepherd L’Orfeo in his Royal Opera House debut at the Roundhouse Theatre.
Intermusica represents Anthony Gregory worldwide
Charlotte Firth
Administrator, Vocal & Opera
cfirth@intermusica.co.uk
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Sophie von Haselberg
By Emma Brown
Photography Kinya
SOPHIE VON HASELBERG IN NEW YORK, APRIL 2017. PHOTOS: KINYA. STYLING: ALPHA VOMERO/SEE MANAGEMENT. HAIR: GONN KINOSHITA USING BUMBLE AND BUMBLE. MAKEUP: ROBERT GREENE FOR HONEY ARTISTS. STYLING ASSISTANT: KIYANA PANTON.
Before enrolling in Yale Drama School, Sophie von Haselberg struggled with the idea of becoming an actor. Though she’d been interested in storytelling since childhood, and had spent time on set with her mother, Bette Midler, her B.A. was in sociology and East Asian studies. Moreover, her mother had always steered her away from entering the industry. “I probably wanted to be an actor when I was five,” von Haselberg explains, “but I wouldn’t have told anybody because my mom would’ve gotten mad at me.”
Now, three years after earning her M.F.A., von Haselberg is comfortable and confident in her decision. The projects on her résumé thus far are of high quality: she made her film debut in Woody Allen’s Irrational Man, appeared alongside Anna Gunn in the female-led Wall Street thriller Equity, and played a member of Bernie Madoff’s legal team in HBO’s The Wizard of Lies. Her first project as both a producer and actor, the short film YOYO, co-starring Martin Starr, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. As of this week, you can watch the New York-based actor on the new season of Netflix’s flagship political drama House of Cards.
HOMETOWN: New York City, New York. We were in L.A. until I was seven and then the earthquake happened, so that sort of pushed us out. I’ve been a New Yorker since then. I have a real soft spot for L.A. and I do spend a decent amount of time out there. This year I was there for a couple of months and coming back to New York, I was just like, “Oh, that’s right. It is my home. I forgot.” I definitely feel the most tied to this city.
DISCOVERING ACTING: It was something that had been percolating since I was really, really young. It was in the back of my head—I always knew I was going to end up doing it—I just took a very circuitous path. I did school plays until I got to high school, and then I started dancing instead. There was always some performance thing growing up.
I spent a lot of time trying to do other things. Finally, I was living abroad in China [after college]. I was by myself, and I think there was something about being so far away from my parents and friends that allowed me to be like, “Fuck it, I’m going to do it.” I moved back to New York and that was it. I just really committed to it and I’m so glad that I did.
I think it’s that funny thing where people have a certain image of you—an idea of you and who they want you to be, who they think that you are. I love to be loved, so I found myself trying to fit into the box that I was seen in. It was probably more in my own head than anything else—everybody’s been so insanely supportive—but I do think there’s something about being away and really being alone, where you get to be like, “Wait, what do I want out of my own life?” and not, “What does somebody else want for me?”
Acting is storytelling in the most personal, empathetic way. Especially because I fully devoted my life to it later than a lot of other people, I’m still so chuffed with the fact that I actually get to tell stories for a living.
THE ART OF AUDITIONING: From a young age, my mom was so fervent about me not going into this business, partially because she was like, “It’s a lot of rejection.” [But] I grew up thinking, “It’s not rejection—they just wanted something else.” That’s still how I think: it’s not a rejection of you as a human or of you as an actor. If I don’t get something that I wanted, it’s like, “Alright, eat a chocolate chip cookie, onto the next.”
In general, I actually really like auditioning; it’s a chance to act and show somebody what you’ve done with the character. There have definitely been times where I’ve been like, “I’m going to see what it’s like if I just go in and fly by the seat of my pants,” and, turns out, that doesn’t go down so well. There’s a world in which you can overthink something—if something is simple, accept that it’s simple and don’t overwork it—but there are other times where if you think that it requires a lot of work, it probably requires a lot of work, so put in the work.
FIRST PROFESSIONAL ROLE: The first thing that I shot was the Woody Allen movie Irrational Man [2015]. I had just graduated. There are so many stories about the way that Woody auditions; it’s not the standard audition process. I was like, “Even if I don’t get this, I’m so delighted that I get to have this experience that feels so quintessentially New York, so show business.” I think I was nervous, but my body and brain just decided to totally ignore it, so I felt super comfortable. It was only after that I realized, “Oh my god, that was completely insane.” In any other state of mind I would’ve been flipping out.
THE BETTE MIDLER CATALOGUE: [Growing up,] I didn’t watch all of my mother’s movies by any means. She didn’t really bring her work home in that way; she was not a person who was standing around always talking about what she was working on and how excited she was for me to see it. It got to a certain point where I think she realized I’d hardly seen any of her movies, and she was like, “Okay, maybe we should show you one or two just so you have a sense of what I do.” Now I’ve seen a bunch of them. Watching my mom is a really emotional experience for me. I remember watching Beaches and The Rose, and just being such a mess after. I know that those movies are turbulent for a lot of people, but I was heaving—sobbing. It’s definitely hard for me to separate my mom from the character.
FORGING AN INDIVIDUAL PATH IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS: I’ve definitely been in for auditions where people have been like, “Oh, you could play Bette Midler in a biopic.” And I’m like, “Ha-ha-ha.” In other auditions, people know. I like to think that because I went to school and I’ve been out for three years and I’ve done enough projects that I’m proud of, hopefully that’s not the first thing on people’s minds. But I understand that obviously that’s always going to be a factor, and so be it.
I’m at a point right now where I love to work so much that if somebody offers me a role, chances are I’m going to do it. I’m just excited to be a working actor. I’ve been passionate about everything that I’ve made, which is so exciting, [but] I’m sure that there will come a time when I’m doing a project and I’m like, “This is not exactly what I expected it to be, but hey, here I am. It’s a gig. It’s fine.”
PRODUCING PROJECTS: I love being an actor; it’s my favorite thing. It’s the only thing I would ever want to do, but I also love the idea that I actually have a creative say in the work that I’m making. I think it’s important to have your own creative voice, especially as a woman in this current political climate. I think to be making your own work is essential for a lot of people. I understand why other actors don’t have the drive to do that, but I have found it very rewarding.
HOUSE OF CARDS: I play the chief of staff to a governor. He and I are both new characters so we have our own storyline going on. I definitely did my research. In the script, I certainly understood my role, but I was also like, “Hey, Wikipedia, what does a chief of staff to a governor do?” just so I didn’t show up looking like a total newb. I have friends who are actually in politics, and they were like, “So you’re basically impersonating my life.” “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
UP NEXT: I’m working on a few things that I’m producing, which is exciting. I don’t want to jinx anything. And then waiting to see what the next acting job will be.
SEASON FIVE OF HOUSE OF CARDS AND THE WIZARD OF LIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE VIA NETFLIX AND HBO RESPECTIVELY.
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How two young actors brought Christopher Robin to life
By Matt Mullen
Photography Guy Lowndes
So far, Will Tilston has had it pretty good. “My childhood has been great,” says the 10-year-old British actor. “Parents today have time for us, they look after us, and they really love us.” Sadly, the same cannot be said for the titular character he plays in this month’s stirring A.A. Milne biopic, Goodbye Christopher Robin. The story centers on the film’s namesake, the real-life son of the Winnie-the-Pooh creator whose woodland exploits inspired his father (Domhnall Gleeson) to turn from playwriting to children’s books. The wild success of the series did not induce positive Milne family relations; the son believed his childhood was stolen from him.
The 22-year-old British actor Alex Lawther plays Christopher Robin Milne as a teenager and young man, when his growing celebrity in England compelled him to enlist in the army simply to gain some anonymity and respect. “He did a radio interview later in life where he said to the presenter, ‘If anybody knows a desert island where I can go and just be by myself, let me know,’ ” Lawther says. “It broke my heart.”
For his part, Lawther seems prepared for fame. He made his big-screen debut in 2014 as the young Alan Turing in the Academy Award–winning drama The Imitation Game, with a performance that garnered him a London Critics’ Circle award. But Lawther is most often recognized for his starring role on an episode of last season’s Black Mirror, in which he played a young pedophile blackmailed by an online vigilante group. “People stop me and say, ‘Oh, you’re that guy,’” he says. “And I respond, ‘No, that’s not actually me. But thank you for saying hi!’” Early next year, Lawther will be seen alongside Bette Midler and Laverne Cox in Trudie Styler’s Freak Show, a comedy about a boy who runs for homecoming queen.
As for Tilston, an industry newcomer, the future is still up in the air. When not in school (“It’s all facts and exams,” he says with a sigh), he sings and dances at a local theater club. And though he’s auditioning for more film roles, he’s careful not to limit his career choices too soon. “I like expressing myself in different ways,” he says. “Acting is just one of the many things I love to do.”
GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN HITS THEATERS OCTOBER 13, 2017.
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EntertainmentKingdom HeartsShareSubscribe
'Kingdom Hearts' Is a Lesson in How NOT to Tell a Story
The infamously convoluted plot didn't get that way by accident.
By Paul Ramsdell
Filed Under Disney, Final Fantasy, Nintendo, Saga, Square Enix, Video Games & YouTube
The long-anticipated Kingdom Hearts III finally arrived in January 2019 after a 14-year wait. However unlike the game’s title suggests, Kingdom Hearts III isn’t actually the third game in the series — it’s the 10th.
Millions of fans of the Disney-Final Fantasy crossover series flocked to YouTube before the game’s release to brush up on a story they missed, or, more realistically, that they never understood in the first place (myself included). Many of these videos are 30 minutes or longer, revealing just how complex this epic saga has become
The Kingdom Hearts series is renowned for its convoluted plot, but why is the story so complicated? Rather than attempt to create yet-another plot summary, I set out to figure out how video game about simple Disney characters became one of the most complex sagas in modern history. Read on for the full story and check out our video essay above.
The Disney/Square Enix crossover series is wildly hard to follow
It all begins with one person, Tetsuya Nomura, the guy who directed every single installment of the decades-long saga. More importantly, he also wrote every game.
Nomura didn’t start out as a story guy. He was hired by Square Enix (formerly Squaresoft) to debug code for the ‘Final Fantasy’ series. He eventually started designing monsters and characters for the games (including icons like Cloud Strife and Squall Leonhart). Ultimately he was invited to work on the story team for Final Fantasy VII and VIII.
Tetsuya Nomura was a character designer, not a storyteller.
In this 2012 conversation with late Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, Nomura recounted how he, a relatively novice storyteller, was given the reins to some of the most copyright-protected characters of all time.
“Hashimoto-san and Sakaguchi-san [two Squaresoft Executives] were talking about a discussion they’d had with Disney, having an exchange along the lines of ‘Mickey Mouse would have been great, but we can’t use him.’ At that moment I basically put my hand up and said ‘I want to be a part of this’. That’s how it all began.”
I’m sure they vetted him and everything, but Square Enix gave Nomura serious access to powerful IP as his directorial debut. Quite a risk if you ask me.
In an interview released in the Kingdom Hearts Ultimania (a Japanese companion magazine to the game series), Nomura stated that he originally planned to make the story in Kingdom Hearts simple to target Disney’s main demographic, children.
It wasn’t until the game’s executive producer, Hironobu Sakaguchi, stepped in and instructed Nomura to make the story more complex to appeal to an older audience that Tetsuya started, um, complicating things.
The largest example of this is Nomura’s replacement of Maleficent as the game’s lead antagonist with an original villain named Ansem, whose backstory is so long and complex that it took two more thirty-hour long games to explain.
Maleficent, while still an antagonist in the game, was upstaged by the much darker Ansem
The story of the remaining nine games in the series suffered from something that I’ll call “development fever.” Nomura often cites new consoles and platforms as his motivation for creating new ‘Kingdom Hearts’ games. In a 2003 interview with the Dengeki PlayStation Magazine, he says he only released ‘Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories’ because he “heard a story that kids wanted to play Kingdom Hearts on the Game Boy Advance.”
This is surprising because ‘Chain of Memories’ contains some ESSENTIAL plot points that bridge the gap between the first two main series installments. The Game Boy Advance title was quickly developed and released before Kingdom Hearts II, even though the main series sequel was years into development — and long past the point-of-no-return to change the story. It seems Nomura had the story figured out ahead of time, but wasn’t concerned about his audience following along.
In 2007, Nomura told Famitsu that he “always chooses a system before developing a plan.” This means that he goes into a project with an idea for the style of game he wants to make, not the story he wants to tell.
He was interested in multi-platforming, so he developed 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS. When he wanted to try multiplayer, he developed Birth By Sleep for the Playstation Portable. He was even drunk when he came up for the idea for Coded — a mobile chapter of the saga that had to bend over backwards to be part of the main story and yet has no bearing on its outcome.
Organization XIII members lie on the floor in 'Kingdom Hearts: RE: Coded', probably because they got tired of trying to follow the story, too
Additional story was tacked on as games were demanded, not the other way around. Nomura certainly had some more ideas for the story already, as several of the games explain plot gaps left out of the main series, but the development process clearly did not allow Nomura and his team to get the whole thing down and plan the releases in an orderly or even sensical way.
As for exactly how Nomura came up with the whole thing, I have no idea what goes on in that man’s brain. The bulky lore, the virtually endless properties and abilities of a heart, to say nothing of the very selective use of time travel — there’s no explaining it beyond conjecture. As in “I bet this dude never read anything by Joseph Campbell.”
In his defense, narrative through interactive media is an all-together different monster. We’ve all seen what happens when people try to make movies out of video games, so why should we hold games to the same story standards as movies? They work differently, and any saga that spans over 200 hours and ten volumes is bound to be complicated, or at least hard to summarize.
The Kingdom Hearts series has done something that few others have, so let’s cut Mr. Nomura some slack.
By January 2019, fans had been bombarded with nine games that boasted the message “this story was an afterthought,” but we were still excited for a 10th. With over five million copies of Kingdom Hearts III sold in its first week, I can all but guarantee we haven’t seen the end of this labyrinthine tale. And I don’t know about you, but I simply cannot wait.
Kingdom Hearts III is available now for PS4 and Xbox One.
Media via Credit: Square Enix, Neoseeker, Square Enix
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“Tuesday 17 October was my last night as a civilian. I worked late as we were so busy. The other salesmen suggested packing up and going for a drink at the local pub. I excused myself after a couple of halves of light ale which was about my capacity. I walked to the bus stop and rode home. I had a small snack and walked to the club which was very crowded. All the committee were there. They were surprised that I had not arrived earlier and could not understand why I would work so late on my last night as a civilian.
The club chairman Mr Madden called order and made a speech of thanks for my services. Miss Levey then presented me with a gold wrist watch engraved ‘Dickie, Corpus Christi Club’ with that day’s date. I was genuinely surprised. I had already handed over the accounts and funds to my cousin Frank, who was a couple of years younger. He continued running the club for about another year until he was called up into the RAF in which he served as an observer in Sunderland flying boats.
The next morning, I was up early. After a good breakfast, I dressed in a Harris tweed jacket, sports shirt with club tie and brown brogue shoes and set off to Liverpool Street station where I was to report to the officer commanding the London Irish Rifles. I carried a small attaché case with a few personal items, including my missal. I arrived well before the stated time.
Captain Gibbs, who was in charge of the reception party, was ready to receive me at his desk which was a blanket-covered table. He was very tall and correct but very pleasant, particularly as I meticulously addressed him as: ‘Sir.’ He questioned me about my background and my work. I told him I worked for Hawkes of Savile Row. ‘The regimental tailors!,’ he declared. I had never seen Gibbs’ name on any order so I assumed that he, like so many others, could not afford our high prices.
Not all the 96 recruits were as eager as I to become a soldier. It was well into the afternoon before the final stragglers turned up. Meanwhile, we were given one shilling (5p) which we spent in the railway restaurant. When it was time to move off, we were assembled into three ranks and, to our surprise, marched to the tube station. Here, we were packed into an ordinary service train. We travelled on the District Line to Southfields south of the River Thames where we assembled into four platoons before marching off. We still had no idea of our destination. I had spent almost the whole of my first day in the army travelling from south-east London to south-west London via north-east London. We made our first route march, which was about two miles, to Barker’s sports ground on Church Road, Wimbledon.
We were directed into a large hall. The first platoon of 24 men was spaced out on the far side. My platoon was given the side where we had entered. A third platoon filed down the centre and the fourth one was positioned at the far end. There were no seats, so we were told to put our cases down and squat. Each platoon was commanded by a sergeant assisted by a corporal.
The platoon sergeant introduced himself. ‘My name is Wigger and these stripes indicate that I am a sergeant. If I speak to you, you will stand to attention and say, ‘Yes, Sergeant.’ I am in charge of you and you are in my squad – Ypres squad. Do you understand?’
He gave the impression that we had been accorded a singular honour to be serving in his London Irish Rifles. He told us that Ypres was the name of a famous 1st World War battle. It was to be pronounced Eaper not Wypers. The other squads were Loos, Somme and Festubert, names of the regiment’s Great War battle honours.
A squad at a time, we were marched to a store where we were issued two blankets and a paliasse (a mattress bag that was to be filled with straw), a D-shaped mess tin, a metal bowl, two metal plates, a knife, fork and spoon, a holdall, a small bag called a housewife containing needles and cotton and a shaving brush and razor. We were shown how to pile them neatly in our three feet of space and told that we would sleep there. I looked around at my comrades. They were of all sizes and dressed in a variety of clothing, some wearing overcoats, some suits, others working-type clothes. They certainly did not look like soldiers.
We were very hungry and were pleased to be called, again a squad at a time, for our first army meal which was not memorable except for its poor quality. Hot tea was poured into the metal bowl. By the time it was cool enough to touch with our lips, the tea it contained was too cold to drink and it was not very sweet. We were then called to carry our paliasses to a stack of bales of straw where we were to pack sufficient into the linen sack to make a comfortable bed. ‘Pack plenty in,’ said Wigger. ‘There’s no second helping.’ Those who did not suffered for the next two months. A sort of canteen was open where soap, toothpaste and confectionery could be bought.
It was by then early evening. Wigger told us there was nothing more to do and we could prepare our beds. Lights out would be 10pm after which there would be absolute silence. Reveille would be at 6am. I started to get to know my neighbours. On my left was a small, dark man named Vic Blake who had worked in the sample shoe shop in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton. He told me a tale about his pregnant girl friend and I was not sorry when the chap the other side took his attention. On my right was Basil Creasey, son of an army officer.
Next to him was Pip (Charles) Ward, a Dartford printer who I liked.
My eyes caught sight of a quartet opposite me by the side of the cookhouse door. The only characteristic they shared was that they were all about six feet tall. Barney Colquhoun, a roughly-spoken and dominant person, was a transport driver. Wearing a long, black, square-shouldered overcoat and a rakish black Homburg hat was a man named Shannon. Tommy Finn was slighter, soberly-dressed and spoke with a stammer. The fourth member of the group was a well built, quietly-dressed man with perfectly-groomed almost platinum-blonde hair who you could see would be the leader. He was Eddie Mayo. The four appeared to be already acquainted. They all came from Dagenham in east London where they worked in the Ford factory. Most recruits seemed to be east Londoners.
Whether by accident or design, the squads appeared to reflect the physical and other characteristics of their sergeants. Wigger of Ypres was quiet but authoritative and meticulously dressed. He wore his caubeen absolutely correctly with the badge over his right eye. Wigger was well-spoken and knowledgeable. All his squad, like him, were on the small side with just the odd taller one standing out such as Terry O’Keefe.
Somme had Sergeant Jigger. Tall and bespectacled, Jigger was educated and very dominant. He wore his caubeen with the badge and hackle straight up and inclining to the right ear. Everyone in his platoon appeared to be tall.
Sergeant Kavanagh, red haired and quite rough, was about medium height. He wore his caubeen pulled down on his head, well tucked in at the back. Consequently the badge and hackle lay flat on top of his head. He was noisier than the other sergeants but seemed to lack confidence. His squad was Loos, named after the most famous London Irish battle honour. The final squad was Festubert. It was commanded by Sergeant Jack Allen, an actor who had been in the film The Four Feathers. I recognised him but didn’t have the courage to introduce myself. Despite his fame, he appeared to be completely anonymous. His squad appeared to share his quietness. He wore his caubeen with the hackle and badge leaning slightly forward and not pulled down. Of all the squads, his one was to be seldom heard. I cannot remember the name of a single member.
Characters immediately appeared. In Loos, a red-haired man carried a large suitcase on our route march. He was Syd Nathan who had run a business, possibly off a barrow, in the East End. After we had settled down, the portmanteau was opened to display his wares: razor blades, writing pads and envelopes, sweets and chocolates and mysterious packets of three. He was simply continuing his work as a general trader. Close to him was Cohen, a barber who would soon start to make a fortune trying to cure the regimental hair-cuts. He was quickly appointed regimental barber, a position he held until his release in 1946. At least 10 of the recruits were Jews. These men of varying characters were to enrich the regiment with their contrasting qualities.
Another character was French who spoke very little English. He had been working in a West End restaurant when he had been caught up in the draft. At inspection the next day, the officer demanded: ‘Name?’
‘Macey,’ was his reply.
Sergeant Wigger, roared: ‘Macey what?’
Nervously the lad replied: ‘Macey, George.’
He was of course expected to say: ‘Sir.’ It broke the ice. The officer roared with laughter, the sergeant smiled and Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Reid’s permanent frown lifted slightly. We were all human beings again. After all, we were still the same men dressed in our civvies trying to recover from our first 24 hours in the army.
Notwithstanding the sergeant’s warning, lights out on the first night was delayed to 1030pm. By that time, most had prepared for their first night’s sleep on our lumpy straw beds. Despite constant shouts of ‘Silence!’, talking and laughter continued well into the night.”
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“As the war clouds gathered over Europe in 1939, the government decided that, as a precaution, young men aged 20 would be called up for six months to train as a reserve for the armed forces. My call up papers arrived telling me I was to report on Salisbury Plain to train in the Royal Artillery.
However, before the due date arrived, war was declared and I was switched from the Artillery to the London Irish Rifles and on October 18th, I was to report to one of the main London railway stations from where we were taken on the underground railway, our destination being Southfields station in SW18.
On disembarking, we were marched down Wimbledon Park Road to Barkers’ Sports Ground which was next to Wimbledon Tennis Courts. There, we were kitted out with our Army uniforms, part of which were puttees which, I suspect, were left over from the First World War.
Training began, often in the tennis court grounds and on Wimbledon Common, which included marching, rifle and Bren Gun training. Once proficient, we were moved around the country doing guard duty in various places including the Air Force Records Office in London and Tangmere Airport.
This was followed by a stint in the south which included Chichester and Goodwood race course during which time we were engaged in erecting Dannet Wire defences on the beaches against an expected invasion. We were somewhat alarmed one day when we encountered a small party of army personnel with mine detectors sweeping the sand who said that, the previous day, they had lifted three mines.
We then had quite a few more moves which included spells at Gorleston, Thetford (where we were employed in harvesting sugar beet), Altrincham, London Colney, Knutsford, Malvern, Haverfordwest, and Tenby. During most of this time, I was engaged in the training of new recruits, mainly from London, who, once up to the required standard, were posted on to other units.
‘G’ Company, commanded by Captain Colin Gibbs, at Goodwood House in 1941.
The repetitive nature of this training routine began to pall so when volunteers were called for as pilots in the RAF I decided to volunteer. This entailed a day in London where medical and educational tests were carried out and I emerged with a document in which I was told to present myself to the CO on arrival at my first RAF station.
However, this was not to be, as our unit was immediately posted to Cumnock, Scotland, to be part of a new special Brigade of tanks and infantry, which meant all transfers to the RAF were stopped.
This was my first time in Scotland and we were under canvas in a field that had quite a slope to it and the rain went on and on and on. The rainwater was constantly running under the duckboards of the tents and the field was a quagmire. Going out in the evenings meant carried a clean pair of boots under one’s arm to be changed into once we reached the road, the mud-coated pair to be left under a hedge and changed back into on our return to camp. Eventually the Brigadier came to inspect and immediately ordered billet accommodation to be found.
We were then shipped to North Africa as part of the 1st Army invasion force landing at Algiers. From there, we were moved by train up the coast towards Tunisia. The train, of course, was all cattle trucks and there was a dearth of fuel for the engine so quite a few stops were required to gather wood, though that wasn’t our worry.
Our worry was liquid refreshment and during one of the fuel stops we managed to find a sheet of metal which we placed on the floor of the cattle truck so that we could light a fire and make tea. This only happened once as the heat from the fire set light to the floor of the truck.
Arriving at our destination, we disembarked and dispersed into an orchard which gave us good cover, especially from the air.
After this time, I began to keep a brief diary of events which are included on the following pages :
Transfer to the Special Operations Executive (SOE).
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Home/World News/Middle East/Syria/VIDEO: Syrian Army strikes ISIL terrorists in Deir Ezzor
VIDEO: Syrian Army strikes ISIL terrorists in Deir Ezzor
Forces from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) continued to fight to gain control of Deir ez-Zor on Sunday, as the area continued to be the centre of the battle between the SAA, their allies, and the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
With most of the fighting taking place around the provincial cemetery, the provincial capital has experienced a period of relative calm for the time being; however, this is likely to change in the coming weeks, as the Syrian Arab Army attempts to regain the initiative in the province.
Reports have emerged from Syria that IS has essentially moved its self-proclaimed capital from Raqqa to Deir ez-Zor.
Raqqa was the IS stronghold after the city was captured in 2013, but in the last couple of months hundreds of IS members are said to have left for the eastern province.
Cameron retreats from arming the Syrian terrorists
Imam Khomeini and the Unity of the Ummah-I
Iran marks 24th anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s passing
“The Quds Day” is a global day and it is not only limited to only Palestine issue, but also a mean for oppressed ones to fight against arrogant powers
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Business Installation of embossed licence plates in limbo
Installation of embossed licence plates in limbo
by Arun Gautam on March 20, 2019 in Business
Kathmandu, March 20
The government’s plan to install embossed license plates in vehicles has been in limbo for more than a year affecting over 10,000 applicants who had requested for these modern vehicle identifiers.
The government had formally introduced the embossed number plates in the country in August 2017.
In the first phase, the modern license plates were installed in government-owned vehicles. Since then, the plates have been installed in more than 4,600 vehicles plying on the roads of Kathmandu valley.
As the government was planning to replace all ordinary license plates with embossed registration plates, a single bench of then chief justice Gopal Parajuli, in February 2018, issued a stay order, suspending the distribution of embossed license plates based on a complaint demanding use of Devanagari fonts in those registration plates.
The apex court is yet to issue a final verdict on the case. This has forced the government to put its plan to install embossed license plates in the backburner. This has affected over 10,000 vehicle owners who had applied for the modern registration plates, which come with raised lettering and numbering unlike traditional licence plates that are handwritten.
“Things have not moved ahead following SC’s stay order. We will resume the work only if we get a nod from the court,” said Gokarna Upadhyay, spokesperson of the Department of Transport Management.
Following the court’s stay order, the government has also suspended all works related to development of a tracking system for vehicles installed with embossed license plates.
The government has appointed US-based Decatur Tiger IT to build tracking system on different routes so as to reduce incidences of vehicle thefts and misuse. The DoTM had planned to install tracking gates for embossed plated vehicles across 10 different places in the country—five in Kathmandu valley and five along major highways. However, the US-based contractor is yet to develop the system.
The embossed license plates come with a microchip, which helps the government to maintain regularity in the issuance of number plates and prevent duplication. The government has set different rates for installation of embossed license plates depending on the type of vehicle. Motorcycle owners must pay Rs 2,500, three-wheeler owners need to deposit Rs 2,900, light four-wheeler and tractor owners are charged Rs 3,200 and heavy vehicle owners must pay Rs 3,600 to install the embossed license plates.
The post Installation of embossed licence plates in limbo appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
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Bettles Field, AK Cremation Services
What to Expect from Cremation Services in Bettles Field, AK
Cremation services in Bettles Field, AK completely understand how you will be devastated by the loss of a loved one and will need help and assistance in arranging a cremation.
One of the main reasons that people regularly choose a cremation over a burial is linked to the cremation costs in Bettles Field, AK. The final bill for cremating a person is usually far lower than the cost of arranging a burial because you do not have to pay for the land, its preparation and then the long-term upkeep.
Across all of America cremations are rapidly increasing as the most popular choice of interment and it is predicted that over 50% of people will choose cremation within the next 20 years or so. An exact and full price list will be passed to the person organizing the cremation so that you fully understand all of the cremation costs in Bettles Field, AK.
Why Do People Choose Cremation in Bettles Field, AK?
When you have experienced standing around a graveside as the body is lowered into the earth, it is an experience that many prefer to forget. The very different, and less dramatic experience of attending a cremation, focuses more on the person who has died rather than the events organized by Bettles Field, AK cremation services.
Some religions will only accept a cremation as the only option for interment and this will be explained by cremation services in Bettles Field, AK. In the past, other religions would not accept a cremation as an alternative, but in modern times, the majority of religions are completely accepting of the cremation method being used.
Were you to cast a survey, you would find that modern cemeteries are regarded as extremely sterile and lacking of great character and if you live in a colder area, a grave is a difficult place to visit because of the weather, especially the snow and even more so in a northern state. This explains why many people look at the Bettles Field, AK cremation costs and choose it as their best option
In the majority of states, you can care for the deceased at your own home, but the majority of people will prefer that cremation services in Bettles Field, AK will undertake the facility.
Bettles Field, AK cremation services will explain that the body of the deceased is placed into a container which can be a coffin or casket, but a simple and suitable container is all that the law requires. At the crematorium, the employees will remove jewelry and medical devices, like pacemakers, to reduce the safety hazards for the cremation process. An efficient tagging system is used so that the individual can always be properly identified.
The individual will be cremated in the furnace at temperatures between 1400?F and 2000?F during the course of 2 to 3 hours, when the body will be reduced completely to fine powder, mostly a grey color. These are the ashes that are then returned to the nominated person as part of the cremation costs in Bettles Field, AK.
All of the options related to the memorial service will be carefully discussed with Bettles Field, AK cremation services.
The Bettles Field, AK cremation costs will detail whether the crematorium will be supplying a standard urn to return the ashes to you or whether you have opted to purchase a model for display which you may decide to use for a number of years.
The individual is always cremated alone, so you can rest assured that the ashes being returned to you are always correct and all of the procedures will be explained in detail by Bettles Field, AK cremation services.
Religious Questions in Bettles Field, AK
Some religious groups will require for a cremation to be completed inside 24 hours after the death of the person. This will be arranged by the funeral director and included within the Bettles Field, AK cremation costs, once all of the legal documentation is complete.
There are so many things that you need to think about after someone has died so you should not be worried about leaning heavily on the skills and experience offered by Bettles Field, AK cremation services.
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Whittier, AK Cremation Services
What to Expect from Cremation Services in Whittier, AK
Cremation services in Whittier, AK completely understand how you will be devastated by the loss of a loved one and will need help and assistance in arranging a cremation.
One of the main reasons that people regularly choose a cremation over a burial is linked to the cremation costs in Whittier, AK. The final bill for cremating a person is usually far lower than the cost of arranging a burial because you do not have to pay for the land, its preparation and then the long-term upkeep.
Across all of America cremations are rapidly increasing as the most popular choice of interment and it is predicted that over 50% of people will choose cremation within the next 20 years or so. An exact and full price list will be passed to the person organizing the cremation so that you fully understand all of the cremation costs in Whittier, AK.
Why Do People Choose Cremation in Whittier, AK?
When you have experienced standing around a graveside as the body is lowered into the earth, it is an experience that many prefer to forget. The very different, and less dramatic experience of attending a cremation, focuses more on the person who has died rather than the events organized by Whittier, AK cremation services.
Some religions will only accept a cremation as the only option for interment and this will be explained by cremation services in Whittier, AK. In the past, other religions would not accept a cremation as an alternative, but in modern times, the majority of religions are completely accepting of the cremation method being used.
Were you to cast a survey, you would find that modern cemeteries are regarded as extremely sterile and lacking of great character and if you live in a colder area, a grave is a difficult place to visit because of the weather, especially the snow and even more so in a northern state. This explains why many people look at the Whittier, AK cremation costs and choose it as their best option
In the majority of states, you can care for the deceased at your own home, but the majority of people will prefer that cremation services in Whittier, AK will undertake the facility.
Whittier, AK cremation services will explain that the body of the deceased is placed into a container which can be a coffin or casket, but a simple and suitable container is all that the law requires. At the crematorium, the employees will remove jewelry and medical devices, like pacemakers, to reduce the safety hazards for the cremation process. An efficient tagging system is used so that the individual can always be properly identified.
The individual will be cremated in the furnace at temperatures between 1400?F and 2000?F during the course of 2 to 3 hours, when the body will be reduced completely to fine powder, mostly a grey color. These are the ashes that are then returned to the nominated person as part of the cremation costs in Whittier, AK.
All of the options related to the memorial service will be carefully discussed with Whittier, AK cremation services.
The Whittier, AK cremation costs will detail whether the crematorium will be supplying a standard urn to return the ashes to you or whether you have opted to purchase a model for display which you may decide to use for a number of years.
The individual is always cremated alone, so you can rest assured that the ashes being returned to you are always correct and all of the procedures will be explained in detail by Whittier, AK cremation services.
Religious Questions in Whittier, AK
Some religious groups will require for a cremation to be completed inside 24 hours after the death of the person. This will be arranged by the funeral director and included within the Whittier, AK cremation costs, once all of the legal documentation is complete.
There are so many things that you need to think about after someone has died so you should not be worried about leaning heavily on the skills and experience offered by Whittier, AK cremation services.
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VIDEO OF THE WEEK: DEEP FOREST – ‘SWEET LULLABY’
The brainchild of French duo Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez, Deep Forest fused new age electronics with UNESCO field recordings made in locations as varied as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Solomon Islands and Burundi.
Directed by Indian filmmaker Tarsem Singh, the single’s iconic video was nominated in several categories at the 1994 MTV Music Video Awards and helped ‘Sweet Lullaby’ achieve hit status in the UK, Europe and the US.
#deep-forest #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ADAM & THE ANTS – ‘STAND AND DELIVER’
This Week In Rock
STRANGER THINGS: SOUNDTRACK FROM THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES, SEASON 3 – OUT NOW
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: WHAM! – ‘CLUB TROPICANA’
‘Blinded By The Light’ Soundtrack Out August 9
There are few bands to have taken the reins of the early 80s nascent video age with quite the same degree of gusto as Adam & The Ants.
#adam-and-the-ants #video-of-the-week
The early 80s were a golden period for pioneering videos and this one for Wham!’s 1983 No.4 single, ‘Club Tropicana’, is no exception.
#video-of-the-week #wham
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: MANIC STREET PREACHERS – ‘LA TRISTESSE DURERA (SCREAM TO A SIGH)’
A quiet highlight from the oft-overlooked second album, this haunting video sees the Manics at their poetic best.
#manic-street-preachers #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: SPIN DOCTORS – ‘TWO PRINCES’
Hailing from New York City, Spin Doctors hit international pay dirt with this insanely catchy single back in the heady days of 1993.
#spin-doctors #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: PRIMAL SCREAM – ‘ROCKS’
If any one song from their vast back catalogue perfectly encapsulates Primal Scream’s rock’n’roll side then it’s got to be ‘Rocks’.
#primal-scream #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: CYNDI LAUPER – ‘I DROVE ALL NIGHT’
Although ‘I Drove All Night’ was originally written for Roy Orbison – he eventually scored a posthumous hit in 1992 after he recorded his version in 1987 – it was Cyndi Lauper who took the song Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic in 1989.
#cyndi-lauper #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THOMPSON TWINS – ‘LOVE ON YOUR SIDE’
After a series of memorable yet unsuccessful singles, synth pop trio Thompson Twins finally broke through to a wider audience with the release of their third album, ‘Quick Step & Side Kick’.
#thompson-twins #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS – ‘WISHING (IF I HAD A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU)’
Along with the Filofax and dole queues, few things summon images and memories of the 80s quite as much as A Flock Of Seagulls frontman Mike Score’s idiosyncratic hair-do.
#a-flock-of-seagulls #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: JUDAS PRIEST – ‘LIVING AFTER MIDNIGHT’
Directed by the legendary Julien Temple, this is the video that arguably sealed the denim’n’leather image of heavy metal in the popular imagination.
#judas-priest #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: PEARL JAM – ‘JEREMY’
Inspired by the tragic story of American teenager Jeremy Wade Delle, who shot himself in front of his classmates, ‘Jeremy’ was one of Pearl Jam’s darker steps on the path to global superstardom.
#pearl-jam #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – ‘CADILLAC RANCH’
The chances are that we ain’t ever going to agree on what the best Bruce Springsteen album is….
#bruce #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE LIGHTNING SEEDS – ‘LUCKY YOU’
Sometimes it can become a little too easy to take some of the finer things in life for granted…
#the-lightning-seeds #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: HAIRCUT 100 – ‘LOVE PLUS ONE’
Haircut 100 take us back to the early years of the modern video age and the birth of MTV.
#haircut-100 #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: MANIC STREET PREACHERS – ‘A DESIGN FOR LIFE’
Twenty-three years to the week since its release as the first single from Manic Street Preachers’ ‘Everything Must Go’, ‘A Design For Life’ remains every bit as potent as it did then.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY – ‘IF YOU LET ME STAY’
Few calling cards are as exuberant as this debut single and video from Terence Trent D’Arby.
#terence-trent-darby #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE WEATHER GIRLS – ‘IT’S RAINING MEN’
There may well be April showers outside, but there’s another kind of downpour coming down round these parts.
#the-weather-girls #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: DEPECHE MODE – ‘ENJOY THE SILENCE (LIVE IN BERLIN)’
This live video for 1990 hit ‘Enjoy The Silence’ brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the Basildon boys in action.
#depeche-mode #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ALICE COOPER – ‘POISON’
Reaching No. 2 in the UK singles chart in 1989, the sleek, dark, downright filthy ‘Poison’ is perhaps Alice Cooper’s finest moment.
#alice-cooper #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: MOTT THE HOOPLE – ‘ROLL AWAY THE STONE’
Let’s kick off the new month with this extraordinary footage of Mott The Hoople letting rip with the mighty ‘Roll Away The Stone’.
#mott-the-hoople #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: CYPRESS HILL – ‘INSANE IN THE BRAIN’
Directed by Josh Taft, Cypress Hill’s sixth single and the first from their second album, ‘Black Sunday’ – found itself on – ahem – high MTV rotation.
#cypress-hill #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ROACHFORD – ‘CUDDLY TOY’
Having supported the likes of Terence Trent D’Arby, powerhouse singer Andrew Roachford broke through to a wider audience with ‘Cuddly Toy’, his first hit single.
#roachford #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE SWEET – ‘THE BALLROOM BLITZ’
Exploding from the dark days of power cuts and the three-day week was this utterly irresistible blast of glam rock.
#the-sweet #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: OZZY OSBOURNE – ‘LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM’
With Ozzy Osbourne set to hit these shores with Judas Priest and all the force of a Viking raiding party, ‘Let Me Hear You Scream’ is a timely reminder of why we love him so much.
#ozzy-osbourne #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: PEARL JAM – ‘ALIVE’
This distinctive and memorable black and white video was directed by Josh Taft. A friend of guitarist Stone Gossard, he would later helm the videos for ‘Oceans’ and ‘Even Flow’.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: DAVID ESSEX – ‘GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR’
Though producer Jeff Wayne is best known for his work on the planet-straddling success of 1978’s ‘Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of War Of The Worlds’, he cut his production teeth working in partnership with singer David Essex.
#david-essex #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE CLASH – ‘I FOUGHT THE LAW’
For the first Video Of The Week of 2019, it’s entirely apposite that we should turn our attention to what was The Clash’s first single release in the US.
#the-clash #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: MANIC STREET PREACHERS – ‘THE MASSES AGAINST THE CLASSES’
Released in January 2000, Manic Street Preachers’ non-album single ‘The Masses Against The Classes’ peaked at number one on the UK singles chart.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: WHAM! – ‘LAST CHRISTMAS’
One of the most evergreen Christmas singles to have ever been released, ‘Last Christmas is also the biggest-selling festive single to have never reached No. 1 in the UK.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: PAUL SIMON – ‘ME AND JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOLYARD’
Although the song originally appeared on Paul Simon’s eponymous 1972 album, the video for ‘Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard’ wasn’t actually made until 1988.
#paul-simon #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: RUN DMC – ‘IT’S TRICKY’
‘It’s Tricky’ was the fourth and final single to be taken from Run DMC’s third album, ‘Raising Hell’, peaking at No. 16 in the UK singles chart.
#run-dmc #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Gene Autry – ‘(Ghost) Riders In The Sky’
A towering figure in the development of country music, singer and actor Gene Autry was one of the first figures to popularise the image of the singing cowboy.
#gene-autry #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Kinks – ‘Mr Pleasant’
A real curio in The Kinks’ back catalogue, ‘Mr Pleasant’ was originally released only in the US and mainland Europe.
#the-kinks #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: REO Speedwagon – ‘Keep On Loving You’
Written by lead singer Kevin Cromin after finding out about a pre-martial infidelity, this is as heartbreaking as it is timeless.
#reo-speedwagon #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Clash – ‘Clampdown’
Today of all days we need something explosive, so let’s do it in style with the righteous fury of The Clash.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Iggy Pop – ‘Five Foot One’
Taken from Iggy Pop’s 1979 album ‘New Values’ , this marks Iggy’s last collaboration with former Stooges guitarist James Williamson until their 2009 reunion.
#iggy-pop #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Meat Loaf – ‘I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)’
This week marks 25 years since Meat Loaf climbed to the top of the UK charts with this global smash hit, and the video is just as famous as the song.
#meat-loaf #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Rage Against The Machine – ‘Killing In The Name’
Undoubtedly one of the defining songs of the 1990s, Rage Against The Machine’s signature track still holds as much potency, power and relevance as it did back then.
#rage-against-the-machine #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Johnny Cash – ‘Hurt’
One of the most powerful music videos of all time, ‘Hurt’ was shot just seven months before Johnny Cash’s passing in 2003.
#johnny-cash #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Bill Withers – ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’
What with those evenings drawing in, Bill Withers’ classic 1971 breakthrough single seems an appropriate choice for October to kick off to.
#bill-withers #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE – ‘SIGHTSEE MC’
The closing track of Big Audio Dynamite’s second album ‘No. 10 Upping Street’ found not only former Clash members Mick Jones and Joe Strummer sharing production duties but also cult movie director Jim Jarmusch helming the video.
#big-audio-dynamite #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: BESSIE SMITH – ‘ST LOUIS BLUES’
Known as the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith was one of the most popular singers of the Jazz Age and her influence is still keenly felt to this very day.
#bessie-smith #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ELO – ‘SHINE A LITTLE LOVE’
The first track to be lifted from ELO’s eighth studio album, ‘Shine A Little Love’ is widely regarded as the start of the band’s disco period.
#electric-light-orchestra #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: LOU REED – ‘NO MONEY DOWN’
Watching this video from 1986, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Lou Reed was less a product of the Golden Age of Rock’n’Roll and more a creation of Skynet.
#lou-reed #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ISLEY BROTHERS – ‘SUMMER BREEZE’
Undoubtedly one of the great summer anthems.
#the-isley-brothers #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE SWEET – ‘FOX ON THE RUN’
‘Fox On The Run’ was The Sweet’s 14th single but the first that was actually written and produced by the band.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: MEAT LOAF – ‘DEAD RINGER FOR LOVE’
The lead track from Meat Loaf’s 1981 album of the same name comes on like ‘Grease’s ‘Summer Nights’ on steroids, featuring an extraordinary performance from the one and only Cher.
#cher #meat-loaf #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE STONE ROSES – ‘FOOLS GOLD’
Few bands come to define their generation, and even fewer get to deliver a TV performance that draws a clear line in the sand between what went before and what’s about to come hurtling down the tracks. And nobody does it with this kind of swagger.
#stone-roses #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: TEENAGE FANCLUB – ‘AIN’T THAT ENOUGH’
It’s one thing having three voices blend in perfect harmony, but it’s quite another when those vocal skills are given the chance to unite in a band that has three songwriters.
#teenage-fanclub #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE BANGLES – ‘WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN’
A UK Top 3 smash for The Bangles in 1986, ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ was originally offered to singer-choreographer Toni Basil, who turned the song down.
#the-bangles #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: BONNIE TYLER – ‘TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART’
In hindsight, this meeting of singer Bonnie Tyler and songwriter Jim Steinman was always going to be a monsterous global success.
#bonnie-tyler #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: AIR SUPPLY – ‘ALL OUT OF LOVE’
Originally released in 1980 and a Top 20 hit in the UK, this track by Aussie soft rockers has continued to endure thanks to several new leases of life.
#air-supply #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: DEATH IN VEGAS – ‘SCORPIO RISING’
Less a band and more a melting pot of styles, genres and moods, Death In Vegas could only have come from DJ culture.
#death-in-vegas #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Billy Joel ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’
Whatever you think of the concept – and millennial audiences may certainly raise their eyebrows at the Baby Boomer rundown of the Luckiest Generation’s trials and tribulations – there’s no denying that ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ had the cultural impact of a meteor strike.
#billy-joel #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Tito Puente – ‘Oye Como Va’
If it’s June then it’s summer and if it’s summer then it’s time to mambo!
#tito-puente #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Sly & The Family Stone – ‘Everyday People’
Almost 50 years since its release and Sly Stone’s central message of unity between races and genres is as pertinent now as it was then.
#sly #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Blue Öyster Cult – ‘Godzilla’
Proving that there was always so much more to them than cowbells…
#blue-oyster-cult #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble – The House Is Rockin’
Short, sharp and to the point, this is blues virtuoso Stevie Ray Vaughan in full-on party mode.
#stevie-ray-vaughan #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Nina Simone ‘Ain’t Got No/I Got Life’
Finally recognised by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Nina Simone remains one of the most idiosyncratic talents to have emerged from any era or genre.
#nina-simone #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Pointer Sisters ‘Neutron Dance’
‘Neutron Dance’ was originally slated for director Walter Hill’s rock’n’roll fable Streets Of Fire…
#pointer-sisters #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Ronettes ‘Be My Baby’
There’s a convincing argument to be made that if there is a heaven above, then this is the music they’ll be playing at the Pearly Gates, such is the divinity of this timeless classic.
#the-ronettes #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK – Jeff Buckley ‘Hallelujah’
We could argue forever about whether it’s the singer or the song. But there are some singers, and some songs, that simply settle the matter.
#hallelujah #jeff-buckley #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Harry Nilsson – ‘Jump Into The Fire’
Memorably used by Martin Scorsese in the classic 1990 gangster flick ‘Goodfellas’ and covered by LCD Soundsystem, this clip of Harry Nilsson’s rocker is taken from the little-seen Ringo Starr-produced musical comedy, ‘Son Of Dracula’…
#harry-nilsson #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Run D.M.C vs. Jason Nevins – ‘It’s Like That’
Released on cassette back in ’83, Run D.M.C’s original broke plenty of new ground. But it’s the ’97 Jason Nevins remix we’re concerned with today.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Fairground Attraction – ‘Perfect’
Some bands get to say all they need to in a short space of time. Fitting into this compact and bijou category is none other than Fairground Attraction.
#fairground-attraction #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Eurythmics – ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’
They’re one of our finest, most eclectic and endlessly inventive pop duos.
#eurythmics #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Paul Young – ‘Wherever I Lay Hat (That’s My Home)’
If ever a convincing argument was made that a cover version can truly transcend and eclipse the source material, then you’re seeing it now.
#paul-young #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Patrick Hernandez – ‘Born To Be Alive’
This is a proper floor flller and no mistake.
#patrick-hernandez #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Paul Simon – ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’
As Paul Simon gears up to say goodbye at Hyde Park this summer, it’s worth considering his monumental journey.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Sunscreem – ‘Perfect Motion’
With spring on its way, it’s time to get down with some positive party vibes. And this utter gem from 1993 delivers in spades.
#sunscreem #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Billy Joel – ‘Uptown Girl’
An homage to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, ‘Uptown Girl’ was Billy Joel’s first and only Number One hit.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: C+C Music Factory – ‘Things That Make You Go Hmmm…’
Originally inspired by a running gag on ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’ in the US, this was a bona fide trans-Atlantic hit that shot to Number Four in the UK singles chart in 1991.
#cc-music-factory #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Big Audio Dynamite – ‘Medicine Show’
Blending early hip-hop with sampling and rock’n’roll, Big Audio Dynamite were way ahead of the curve when this was released in 1985.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Bruce Springsteen – ‘Dancing In The Dark’
This week we turn to our attention to a watershed moment from The Boss (and not just because of Courtney Cox’s Dad dancing…)
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Alice In Chains – ‘Them Bones’
Even after 25 years, Alice In Chains’ ‘Them Bones’ has lost none of its visceral power to shock and awe.
#alice-in-chains #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Billy Ocean – ‘When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)’
The ultimate ’80s track from the ultimate ’80s party starter, ‘When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)’ would have passed into pop folklore with or without Michael Douglas’ help.
#billy-ocean #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Toto – ‘Africa’
From our 35 year vantage point, it’s a little strange to think that it took ‘Africa’ around four months to climb to the top of the US singles charts…
#toto #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: David Bowie – ‘Life On Mars’
It’s only right and proper that we pause to celebrate the life of David Bowie on the week of what would’ve been his 71st birthday.
#david-bowie #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’
Well, what else could it be this week?
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Bangles ‘Hazy Shade of Winter’
So what do you get if you mix up a legendary American songwriting duo, the hottest girl group since before the phrase ‘girl group’ was even a thing, and Iron Man?
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Outkast – ‘Hey Ya!’
There are times when sound and vision, music, film and all the points in between merge to create an effervescent carnival of unashamed and unabashed joy. This is one of those times.
#outkast #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Dave Brubeck Quartet – ‘Take Five’
On the week of what would have been Dave Brubeck’s 97th birthday, it’s entirely apposite that we should pause to celebrate his considerable talent and luxuriate in one of the most famous jazz standards ever committed to posterity.
#dave-brubeck #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: HERBIE HANCOCK – ‘ROCKIT’
Having worked with the likes of Miles Davis – where he helped redefine the role of the jazz rhythm section as well composing classics such as ‘Watermelon Man’ and ‘Cantaloupe Island’ – Herbie Hancock’s credentials were well established.
#herbie-hancock #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: JEFF BUCKLEY – ‘GRACE’
There are so few records that attain perfection, let alone classic status, but the late Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’ is one of them.
#jeff-buckley #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE HIGHWAYMEN – ‘HIGHWAYMAN’
The pedigree on display here is stunning…
#jimmy-webb #kris-kristofferson #the-highwaymen #video-of-the-week #willie-nelson
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: MGMT – ‘Kids’
Wha..? Now hold on for just one minute! Can it really be 10 years since MGMT burst through with the incredible ‘Oracular Spectacular’?
#mgmt #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Justin Hayward – ‘Forever Autumn’
Though the monumental concept album, ‘Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds’ has been re-imagined for a new generation of music fans, the original 1978 telling of H.G. Wells’ classic sci-fi tale is the one that resonates the most.
#jeff-wayne #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Clash – ‘Tommy Gun’
The first single from the criminally underrated ‘Give ‘Em Enough Rope’ album, ‘Tommy Gun’ was aggressively political even by The Clash’s acerbic standards.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Stranglers – ‘Skin Deep’
Though they’ll forever be associated with the white-hot blast of fury that was punk rock, The Stranglers not only outlasted many of their contemporaries, they continued to score hits long after their competitors bit the dust…
#the-stranglers #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: David Essex – ‘Rock On’
Without a shadow of a doubt, David Essex’s ‘Rock On’ is hands down one of the weirdest tracks to have graced the UK Top 10…
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Manic Street Preachers ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’
Still, for many, the definitive signature tune from the Manic Street Preachers early period.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Wild Cherry – ‘Play That Funky Music’
There is absolutely no way that you’ll be able to sit still through this.
#video-of-the-week #wild-cherry
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Boston – ‘More Than A Feeling’
Many are the artists and records that claim to have altered the course of popular music but Boston are one of the very few bands to make good on that claim.
#boston #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Psychedelic Furs – ‘Pretty In Pink’
‘Pretty In Pink’ is the moment where The Psychedelic Furs ditched the punk influences of their eponymous debut album to introduce a sharper and brighter side to their output…
#the-psychedelic-furs #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Super Furry Animals – ‘Golden Retriever’
One of the most idiosyncratic and creative bands to have emerged over the last 25 years or so…
#super-furry-animals #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Screaming Trees – ‘All I Know’
Emerging from the Pacific north-west alongside bands such as Mudhoney, Melvins and of course Nirvana, Screaming Trees may not have grabbed as many headlines, but they did nonetheless make an indelible impression on the alt.rock scene of the 90s.
#screaming-trees #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Isley Brothers – ‘Summer Breeze’
The Isley Brothers’ take on ‘Summer Breeze’ is that rarest of beasts – a cover version that is considered more definitive than the original.
#isley-brothers #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Gladys Knight & The Pips – ‘Midnight Train To Georgia’
Originally released in 1973, Gladys Knight & The Pips’ version of ‘Midnight Train To Georgia’ took eight weeks to climb to the top of the US charts,
#gladys-knight #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ELO – ‘Mr Blue Sky’
Hey, come on! It’s the height of the summer and right now we can’t think of a better video to occupy this exalted slot.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Nina Simone – ‘To Love Somebody’
Among Nina Simone’s many colossal talents – pianist, singer, songwriter – was her incredible ability to re-interpret the material of others and make it uniquely her own…
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Miles Davis – ‘So What’
There’s a lot of nonsense spoken about jazz, usually by people who know nothing about the genre…
#miles-davis #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Lou Reed – ‘I Love You, Suzanne’
The 1980s proved to be a cruel and unforgiving time for many artists of a 1960s vintage but Lou Reed had always been cut from a different cloth….
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Big Audio Dynamite – ‘The Bottom Line’
Though Mick Jones’ ignominious dismissal from The Clash in 1983 led to the band’s slow decline and eventual demise, it also heralded a new beginning in the form of Big Audio Dynamite.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Sly & The Family Stone – ‘I Want To Take You Higher’
With Glastonbury upon us once more, let’s get down to a seriously monstrous groove with one of the greatest festival performances of all time at what was truly the Mother of All Festivals.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Joe Strummer – ‘Gangsterville’
As we count down to Glastonbury it’s worth pausing to spare a thought for the late Joe Strummer, and Strummerville…
#joe-strummer #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Argent – ‘Hold Your Head Up’
Time to head back to the time of double-necked guitars, Rod Argent’s instantly memorable keyboard riff and singer Russ Ballard’s truly magnificent hair.
#argent #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Midnight Oil – ‘Beds Are Burning’
Following the news that Australia’s enviro-rockers Midnight Oil have reformed and are embarking on their biggest tour to date, it’s entirely timely that we play this international hit as we prepare to say ‘G’day’ to them once again.
#midnight-oil #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Godfathers – ‘Cause I Said So’
They weren’t the first rock’n’roll band to feature a pair of brothers at their heart and they certainly won’t be the last but The Godfathers are up there with the very best of ‘em.
#godfathers #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Cheap Trick – ‘I Want You To Want Me’
As with AC/DC’s ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ or Peter Frampton’s ‘Show Me The Way’, there are those rare instances when the live version of a song takes on a life of its own and transcends the original.
#cheap-trick #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Meat Loaf – ‘You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth’
Is it really almost 40 – count ‘em! – years since the release of Meat Loaf’s planet-straddling album ‘Bat Out Of Hell’?
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Roger Waters – ‘5:01AM (The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking Part 10)’
It’s strange to think that Roger Waters’ first solo album, ‘The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking’, very nearly became the follow-up to Pink Floyd’s 1977 album ‘Animals’. ..
#roger-waters #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Janis Joplin – ‘Ball And Chain’
With festival season fast approaching, it’s entirely apposite that we get right into the mood and look ahead to the summer and what better video than this?
#janis-joplin #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Manic Street Preachers – ‘Your Love Alone Is Not Enough’
What? Can it really be 10 years since this was released? And it still sounds just as good now as it did back then. Possibly even better.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Leftfield – ‘Open Up’
This isn’t just pop, or dance or punk or whatever you want to call it. This is a moment…
#leftfield #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Stone Roses – ‘I Wanna Be Adored’
Oh, what’s to say about this? It’s the opening track to that evergreen eponymous debut album. It’s the sound of pioneers.
#the-stone-roses #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Foo Fighters – ‘Learn To Fly’
Ok, so the chances are you missed them a few weeks back at the Cheese & Grain in Frome, Somerset…
#foo-fighters #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – ‘Grey Cell Green’
Seal of approvals rarely come higher than a nod and a snigger from Bevis and Butthead but that’s exactly what Ned’s Atomic Dustbin got from the cartoon morons….
#video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Jeff Buckley – ‘Grace (Live At The BBC)’
It’s almost 20 years since we lost Jeff Buckley…
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Kula Shaker – ‘Hush’
It’s just over 20 years since neo-psychedelicists Kula Shaker stormed the Britpop scene with an almost indecent ease.
#kula-shaker #video-of-the-week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Blue Oyster Cult – ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’
It’s high time that Blue Oyster Cult’s 1976 smash, ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’, was reclaimed from the realms of the sketch show and recognised as the enduring classic that it so obviously is.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Johnny Cash – ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’
It’s hard to believe that it’s been just over 13 years since Johnny Cash passed away…
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The The – ‘Infected’
While multi-media promotion is a regular fixture of 21st century life, this was an entirely new concept three decades ago…
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Psychedelic Furs – ‘Love My Way’
One of the great rock’n’roll ‘what-ifs’ is pondering what The Psychdelic Furs would’ve sounded like had they actually managed to secure David Bowie to occupy the producer’s chair for their third studio album, ‘Forever Now’.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Hall & Oates – ‘I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)’
The second single from the duo’s tenth album, ‘Private Eyes’, ‘I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)’ by Hall & Oates became a planet-straddling smash hit upon its release in 1981.
Video Of The Week: Michael Jackson
#michael-jackson #video-of-the-week
Video Of The Week: The Clash
Video Of The Week: Men At Work
#men-at-work #video-of-the-week
Video Of The Week: Elvis Presley
#elvis #video-of-the-week
Video Of The Week: Bob Dylan
#bob-dylan #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Paul Simon
This week in 1941, the extraordinary singer songwriter Paul Simon was born.
Bob Dylan’s 5th album “Bringing It All Back Home” was released in 1965 and was half acoustic half electric. What’s the story behind this artwork?
#artist-of-the-month #bob-dylan #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Jamiroquai sings in the rain
Have you ever seen Jamiroquai drenched from feathers to toe?
#jamiroquai #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon
This day in 2008, Kings Of Leon began a three week stay at #1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Sex On Fire’
#kings-of-leon #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
This week in 1982, Survivor went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Eye Of The Tiger,’ the theme from the film Rocky III.
#survivor #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Run DMC/Aerosmith
#aerosmith #run-dmc #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Pearl Jam
Dense, frenetic, anxiety… What did Jeremy do?
Video of the week: Sade Live in San Diego
#sade #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Billy Ocean
“In the blink of an eye I knew her number and her name / And she said I was the tiger she wanted to tame” ROAR!
Video of the week: Paul Young
July 23rd 1983, Paul Young had his first UK No.1 single with ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat, (That’s My Home.)’
Video of the week: Herbie Hancock
*Rollin’ and Scratchin’*
Video of the week: Bruce Springsteen
Happy belated 4th of July y’all
Video of the week: Glasto special #3
4 days to go till Glastonbury 2015!
11 days to go to Glastonbury!
#dolly-parton #video-of-the-week
#manics #the-manic-street-preachers #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Wham!
31 years ago today, this track was Wham!’s first UK No.1.
Video of the week: Prefab Sprout
Celebrate sunshine with ‘The King of Rock’n’Roll’
#prefab-sprout #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Bucks Fizz @ Eurovision
10/10 in our hearts
#bucks-fizz #eurovision #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Rick Astley
We should have voted for Rick!
#rick-astley #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Journey
It’s all about Hair-dos and Air-guitar in ‘Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)’
#journey #video-of-the-week
Video of the week: Cyndi Lauper
‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ is our first video of the week
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ‘Shakin’ Stevens – ‘Green Door’
The most successful singles artist of the 1980s, Shakin’ Stevens had already had a career as a singer since the early 1970s when ‘Green Door’ became his second UK No. 1 in 1981.
#shakin-stevens #video-of-the-week
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You are here: Home / King's Theatre Glasgow / A Country Night in Nashville at King’s Theatre Glasgow
A Country Night in Nashville at King’s Theatre Glasgow
A Country Night In Nashville recreates the scene of a buzzing Honky Tonk in downtown Nashville, perfectly capturing the energy and atmosphere of an evening in the home of Country Music.
Category: King's Theatre Glasgow Tag: King'sTheatreGlasgow
A Country Night In Nashville recreates the scene of a buzzing Honky Tonk in downtown Nashville, perfectly capturing the energy and atmosphere of an evening in the home of Country Music. Prepare to be transported on a musical journey through the history of Country, featuring songs from its biggest stars both past and present. Hits from Johnny Cash to Alan Jackson, Dolly to the Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson to Kacey Musgraves, are showcased by the amazing vocals of Dominic Halpin, Shelly Quarmby and their fabulous backing band, the Hurricanes. With songs including Ring Of Fire, Crazy, Sweet Home Alabama, Don’t Rock The Jukebox, Need you Now, 9-5, Don’t Worry Baby to name just a few, this incredible celebration of Country music is a night not to be missed.
Grease at King’s Theatre Glasgow
The world’s best-loved musical is back! Grittier and more glamorous than ever before, this brand-new production is direct from a sell-out and critically acclaimed run at Leicester Curve.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at King’s Theatre Glasgow...
The smash-hit and critically acclaimed West End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is going on tour! Funny, fabulous and feelgood, this is the musical sensation for all the family and not to..
Sing-a-Long-a The Greatest Showman at King’s Theatre Glasgow...
Singalonga Productions, producers of Singalonga Sound of Music and Singalonga Grease brings you their newest show, the smash hit film musical that everyone can’t stop singing - The Greatest Showman!
Les Musicals at King’s Theatre Glasgow
Les Musicals Live Concert Tour is the ultimate celebration of Musical Theatre. Jonathan Ansell (G4 Frontman) and Jai McDowall (Britain’s Got Talent - Winner) have joined forces to create a dramatic a..
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Bill F. Osborne
Written by Los Altos Town Crier Report
After a rewarding and wonderful life Bill Frank Osborne, 89, passed away at his home in Los Altos Thursday, April 25, 2019 surrounded by his loved ones. Born in Alliance, Nebraska to Dean and Ruth Osborne on June 19, 1929, Bill grew up in the town of Bayard, Nebraska. Bill graduated from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska where he received a BA degree in Economics. He met and married his wife of 67 years, Patricia Siekman Osborne at Hastings College. After graduation Bill immediately joined the Air Force during the Korean War and transferred to the Army when accepted to Officers Candidate Training at Ft. Bliss, Texas. Upon completion of officer candidate training, the candidates were asked to list their top three choices of duty. To Bill’s great surprise, he was transferred to his first choice, the Presidio of San Francisco where he was assigned temporary duty with the Air Force at Mt. Tamalpais and later promoted to 1st Lieutenant at Fort Cronkite.
Upon discharge from the Army, Bill attended Stanford University Business School where he received his MBA in Finance in 1958. Bill later obtained his California real estate broker’s license, developing and managing commercial properties throughout the San Francisco area. After receiving his MBA, Bill began his career at Allstate Insurance Company, was a management consultant for Peat Marwick Mitchell, then worked at the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange, and Systec. The corner-stone of Bill’s career was spent in the development of the Embarcadero Center in downtown San Francisco. From 1973 to 1989, Bill served as the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of the company. Bill took much pride in the staff at Embarcadero Center as they all worked as a team for the success of the development and management company. On his retirement day, overlooking the San Francisco Bay from his office on the 26st floor of Embarcadero Four, Bill’s dream had been fulfilled with a standout landmark in the San Francisco skyline. Bill enjoyed 30 years of retirement which included many choir tours of Europe with his church, Los Altos United Methodist, of which Pat is a member of the Chancel Choir. Other trips to Europe and to Hawaii with their wonderful friends were notable highlights. Bill had a passion for fishing with his close friends and family, especially Trinity Lake and Sitka, Alaska. Some of his special times were with his grandsons, Nicolas and Alex at the Pumpkin Patch, Shoreline Park, sporting and school events. One of his greatest commitments to them had been fulfilled when he attended both of their school graduations, a promise he made to them years prior. For more than 45 years Bill and Pat have been season ticket holders at Stanford Football games where they enjoyed their fun-loving tailgate group. Bill is survived by his wife Pat, his daughters Susan Noriega and Nancy Osborne, sons-in-law, Gerardo Noriega and Quint Easter, his grandsons Nicolas Noriega and Alex Noriega, his beloved dog, Gracie, and his sister-in-law, Sherry Siekman. Bill’s family extends their deepest gratitude to Bill’s physicians and to the caring staff at El Camino Hospital, Pathways Hospice and his personal caregivers, Maria Ortega, Yolanda Fabian, Octavia Derby as well as the Fanua family and special friend, Glenda Crespo, along with the love and support of his church and wonderful friends and neighbors. A Memorial Celebration will take place at the Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Ave., Los Altos on June 29, 2019, 1:00 PM with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be to the Los Altos United Methodist Church, or to the Pathways Foundation (Hospice), Sunnyvale, CA 94085.
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The Town Crier's obituary publishing rates are $3 per line with a minimum charge of $50. Photos may be included at $40 per photo (in addition to the $50.00 minimum charge).
Deadline: Thursday at noon, for publication the following Wednesday (6 days later). If a holiday falls within that week, check with us about special publication deadlines.
For more information and to submit obituaries, email obits@latc.com.
The Town Crier is not responsible for obituary content. Paid obituaries are provided by families or mortuaries.
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Venice Will Start Charging Tourists for Short Stays
July 13, 2019 | Jen Aguilar
In an effort to finance the slowly declining city, it’s been announced that short-trip tourists will be charged an entry fee between €2.50 and €10 when they visit Venice.
The fee was approved by the Italian legislature and will aid in the cleaning program of the city. According to Luigi Brugnaro, mayor of Venice, “the arrival tax is now law.” He also said that they will create a fair and shared guideline that supports the residents, students, and workers in the territory.
Venice has long complained about the huge inflow of tourists reaching as many as 30 million annually and many of these visitors arrive by cruise ships and stay in the city for just half a day. 55,000 residents of Venice have also struggled with mass tourism, saying it has disrupted their quality of life.
It’s still uncertain when the arrival tax will be applied and how it will be collected, but it’s mulled that transport companies will be asked to collect the fee as part of a ticket price and will then pass the proceeds to the city. The tax will not be applicable to tourists who are staying in a hotel within Venice.
I Diet Coke is supposed to be the hygienic and healthy alternative to the regular Coca-Cola, but it is actually more dangerous. Apart from the effect of artificial sweeteners on the body, it also has a high level of acidity which kicks the body pH off balance and affects the skin.
II The first Coca-Cola drink ever made was an alcoholic drink, and it also contained cocaine like every one of the Coca-Cola products made at the period. Each glass of coke (Coca-Cola) contained about 9 milligrams of coke (cocaine) before 1903.
III There are so many things about the Coca-Cola drink that are unknown to the world. For instance, no one knows how they managed to make sure that the drink has no taste memory. It makes it impossible for you to get tired of the taste. It is new every time.
IV Too much coke can kill a human being. A woman who was thirty years old died from drinking 2 gallons of coke every day for a number of years. It was reported that the excessive amount of coke had damaged his organs.
Can All-Season Tires Handle the Unforgiving Winter?
Goodyear introduced Tiempo to the world in 1977; it was the first tire they marketed as perfect for all seasons. The people love the alluring and straightforward idea because it..
AirBnb’s Top Travel Destination Will Surprise You
Thinking of travelling anytime in the near future? While it’s fine to visit world-famous cities and epic monuments, there has been an emerging travel trend that you should look..
Alissa Laderer Castleton | July 12, 2019
This Amazing Tent Allows You To Sleep On The Water
For avid campers and outdoorsy folks, there are few things more tranquil than pitching your tent next to a beautiful lake and falling asleep with nothing but the light of the stars..
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Damita Jo
Release Date 2004
Released 14 years (approx) ago
Performer Janet Jackson
Beyoncé performing on 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé.
About Damita Jo
Damita Jo is the eighth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was released on March 30, 2004, by Virgin Records. The album takes its title from Jackson's middle name. Its music incorporates rock, electro, house, and hip hop styles, in addition to dance-pop and R&B. Its concept is based on Jackson's alternate personalities; exploring themes involving intimacy, monogamy, love, and dance. Its production is derived from producers including Dallas Austin, Cathy Dennis, Scott Storch, BAG & Arnthor, Arnthor Birgisson, Rich Harrison, Télépopmusik, Just Blaze, and Kanye West; in addition to Jackson and Jam & Lewis. Recorded over eighteen months, it was the longest Jackson spent on a project. Jackson sought to find producers who identified with her emotions, intending "hard-hitting dance music". Producers declared it "a really sexy record" which was bold, fun, and positive. Multiple personae portrayed include the obstinate "Damita Jo" and lascivious "Strawberry". Jackson stated they were "another way to express and expose a deeper part of me", comparing her writing process to that of a novelist; inventing characters with independent personalities. Jackson claimed the aforementioned characters "absolutely" live inside of her, stating it "feels wonderful" to release them. Prior to its completion, Jackson performed a medley of hits at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. The performance ended in Jackson's breast being exposed by surprise guest Justin Timberlake. Conglomerates involved with the broadcast who received massive fines by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), including Viacom and CBS, and subsidiaries MTV and Infinity Broadcasting, enforced a blacklist of Jackson's singles and music videos, although Timberlake was unaffected. The album received generally favorable reviews. Jackson replied to critics focusing on the album's suggestive content and Super Bowl incident in place of the music itself, stating she was "fascinated" by these interpretations, expressing concern for society's need to often place others within a specific sexual category. It garnered Jackson's second highest-first week sales in the US, and was certified platinum. Damita Jo sold over three million copies worldwide. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album. Jackson was awarded several career accolades throughout its promotion. The album spawned three commercial singles: the rock-fused "Just a Little While", classic R&B ballad "I Want You", and electropop and funk influenced "All Nite (Don't Stop)".
Genre contemporary R&B
Producer Kanye West
Record label Virgin Records
Follows All for You
Followed by 20 Y.O.
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The Latin Quarter, Paris
A Hamlet Required
Moelwyn Farm
Waves on the North East Coast
A Highland Loch
South Shields Sands
On the way Home
Durham Shoppers at Dusk
Casting the Hounds
You are here: Home › All Paintings › Lago Maggiore
watercolour 5"x7" signed
Charles Edmund Rowbotham was the eldest son of Thomas Charles Leeson Rowbotham (1823-1875, landscape and marine painter) and grandson of Thomas Leeson Scarse Rowbotham (1783-1853, also a landscape and marine painter). Charles began his career by painting the figures in his father’s landscapes.
Rowbotham exhibited from 1877 at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, Royal Society of British Artists, Royal Hibernian Academy, The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Manchester City Art Gallery, Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, Dudley Gallery and the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham.
When his watercolour, Near Bramber, Sussex, was shown at the Royal Society of Artists, he broke away from his family and went on a series of sketching tours. In 1884 he married, and with his wife toured Switzerland, Italy and the French Riviera. It was during this period that he produced his best work, which included his watercolours of Lake Como. His fondness for blue with white heightening is apparent is his work.
Returning to England he lived in Shepherd’s Bush and Acton until 1888 when he moved to Steyning, Sussex. From 1899 he lived in Brighton and from 1913 in Croydon.
Charles Rowbotham
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NGOs question Malaysia’s stand on plastic waste imports
Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin holds plastic waste from a container in Port Klang May 28, 2019. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim
KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — The entry of the world’s plastic waste that is polluting Malaysia is an issue that should not be taken lightly.
Over the past year, 157,299 tonnes of plastic waste was shipped into Malaysia, an increase of 273 per cent compared to the previous year.
Even this year, several allegedly illegal plastic waste disposal sites were found in Ipoh, Perak; Sungai Petani, Kedah; Jenjarum, Selangor, besides more than 60 containers were found at West Port, Selangor containing plastic waste believed to have been smuggled into the country and abandoned by local importers.
Recently, Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said all the 60 containers containing 3,000 tonnes of of plastic waste would be sent back to their countries of origin.
This is in contrast to the statement by Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin’s statement late last year reportedly saying that the plastic waste processing business was a RM30 billion a year industry that cannot be ignored.
Hence, where is the country's direction on this issue? Malaysian Nature Society president Prof Dr Ahmad Ismail said if the government seriously wanted to venture into the plastic waste processing industry, it has to be done carefully, as the country has been ranked eighth in the world for contributing towards marine pollution caused by plastic waste.
The lecturer at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia said the chemicals generated from the plastic waste were clearly polluting the air, water and soil biota, besides its combustion products pose a risk of contaminating breast milk.
“Production of ethyl polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and fire resistant materials that are widely found in television sets and computers can alter sex hormones, reduce fertility and hinder ovarian development if exposed to it for long,” he told Bernama.
Charting a path forward, he said with high costs and limited area, new technologies in waste disposal should be introduced by the government, including the Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) technology, such as in Germany and the Netherlands, and even China is now turning to use the same technology.
Meanwhile, EcoKnights president Yasmin Rasyid was of the opinion that the import of contaminated plastic waste should be banned accordingly, stressing that the government in this case should protect the people and regulate the corporates and not the other way round.
“The profiteering perspective focuses on just economic gain for certain sectors with disregard to the harm it can bring to the people and the environment.
“We need to change the way profits are made, not continue as per usual. This shows lack of social innovations on the part of the plastics industry. Disposable plastics need to go. Economic growth is short term, human health and the planet needs to be protected,” she said.
According to National Solid Waste Management Department assistant director, Wemi Kalsuna Katerun based on the latest statistics, there are only 62 companies with Approved Permits (APs) compared to 314 companies before the government set stricter conditions for the granting of APs on Oct 26, last year.
Sahabat Alam (Friends of Nature Activists Society) activist Shakila Zain said the the country's garbage disposal industry was still unable to accommodate domestic waste in terms of cost and also size of the landfill area, much less to take over the task of managing waste from outside.
“In 2017, garbage disposal sites have been reduced from 289 sites to 113 and this figure is alarming as there is no alternative proposed to dispose of garbage. For the record, there is no addition of recycling sites as well.
“We are not a zero-carbon country like Bhutan and so are able to take over the responsibility of reducing the amount garbage or carbon from other countries,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sahabat Alam Sekitar Malaysia president Datuk Abdul Malek Yusof, said if the government wanted to seriously venture into plastic waste processing, they must provide standard operating procedures and strict enforcement.
“If properly processed and imported according to industry requirements there is no problem. The problem is when the garbage imported from countries outside is not for recycling, only on paper it’s for recycling, but the waste is dumped at illegal disposal sites,” he said. — Bernama
National Solid Waste Management Dept: 62 Malaysian companies hold permits to import plastic waste
Burn or spurn? What to do with Western waste
Yeo Bee Yin moots RM1,500 charge per shipping container to cut illegal imported plastic waste
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Terahertz Radiation Increases Production of Proteins to Fight Cancer but also Damages DNA
by Kathy Jones on March 18, 2013 at 1:12 AM Cancer News
A new study has found that Terahertz (THz) radiation, a section of electromagnetic spectrum between microwave and infrared light, may be effective in fighting cancer by increasing the production of proteins that aid the immune system in fighting the cancer cells. But the issue is that this can also lead to DNA damage.
The findings, which are the result of a collaboration between physicists at the University of Alberta and molecular biologists at the University of Lethbridge in Canada, are published today in the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Biomedical Optics Express.
"While these investigations of the biological effects of intense THz pulses are only just beginning," said Lyubov Titova, with the University of Alberta and a member of the research team, "the fact that intense THz pulses can induce DNA damage but also DNA repair mechanisms in human skin tissue suggests that intense THz pulses need to be evaluated for possible therapeutic applications."
THz photons, like their longer wavelength cousins in the microwave range, are not energetic enough to break the chemical bonds that bind DNA together in the nucleus of cells. These waves, however, have just the right frequency to energize water molecules, causing them to vibrate and produce heat, which is why microwave ovens are so efficient at cooking food. For this reason, it was believed that heat-related injuries were the principal risks posed by THz radiation exposure.
Recent theoretical studies, however, suggest that intense THz pulses of picosecond (one trillionth of a second) duration may directly affect DNA by amplifying natural vibrations (the so-called "breathing" mode) of the hydrogen bonds that bind together the two strands of DNA. As a result, "bubbles" or openings in DNA strands can form. According to the researchers, this raised the question: "Can intense THz pulses destabilize DNA structure enough to cause DNA strand breaks?"
As shown in earlier animal cell culture studies, THz exposure may indeed affect biological function under specific conditions such as high power and extended exposure. There is, however, a vast gulf between animal research and conclusions that can be drawn about human health.
In a first of its kind study, the Canadian researchers exposed laboratory-grown human skin tissue to intense pulses of THz electromagnetic radiation and have detected the telltale signs of DNA damage through a chemical marker known as phosphorylated H2AX. At the same time, they observed THz-pulse induced increases in the levels of multiple tumor suppressor and cell-cycle regulatory proteins that facilitate DNA repair. This may suggest that DNA damage in human skin arising from intense picosecond THz pulse exposure could be quickly and efficiently repaired, therefore minimizing the risk of carcinogenesis.
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Magical Millets for Your Health
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Mark Achler
Kellogg Does Its Own Bay Area Startup
This article was originally published on Poets & Quants here, and written by John A. Byrne.
Mark Achler starts his first class with a video that Apple used years ago to introduce its iPad. As the MBA students in Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management watch the TV advertisement, they hear the voice of comedian Robin Williams from a scene in the film Dead Poets Society. Not until the very end of the 90-second spot does the Apple logo appear — ever so briefly — on the screen.
Instead, the commercial positions the iPad as a tool of creation, paired with images of ocean wind turbines, marching bands, waterfalls, and mountain rescue helicopters. The clip fades to black shortly after William quotes a Walt Whitman poem:
O me, O life of the questions of these recurring. Of the endless trains of the faithless. Of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer: that you are here. That life exists, and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
And then he asks: “What will your verse be?”
LANDED AT 2 P.M., IN CLASS BY 6 P.M.
Achler, 59, an adjunct lecturer on entrepreneurship at Kellogg, quickly poses a series of questions to the students in his class on building innovation, teams, and cultures.
“OK,” he says, “I’m confused. What company makes this product? What’s the processor speed of the product? Who is the hero of the ad?
“The hero of this ad,” he says finally, “is aspirational. It’s you! ‘What will your verse be?’”
Achler, a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist, isn’t teaching in Evanston, Ill., where Kellogg has its main campus; nor is he in a classroom in Chicago, where the school has a downtown building for its part-time MBA and Executive MBA programs. Instead, Achler is in San Francisco teaching Kellogg MBA students at the university’s new Bay Area campus. It’s based on the 18th floor in the Financial District at 44 Montgomery St.
In fact, Achler had just flown out to San Francisco from Chicago on the same day of his 6 p.m. class, arriving at SFO at 2 p.m. He had just enough time to check into his room at The Donatello Hotel, scarf down a dish of panang curry chicken at a Thai restaurant near Union Square, then come over for his first three-hour class.
THREE COURSES AND A BAY AREA INTERNSHIP
The MBAs in Achler’s class are in an immersion of sorts into the Bay Area ecosystem. There are 13 students in what Kellogg is calling its San Francisco Winter Quarter Pilot. The new program offers students a chance to take three courses (Cases in Venture Investment with Professor Paola Sapienza, Social Dynamics and Network Analysis with Professor Adam Pah, and Achler’s Entrepreneurship: Building Innovation, Teams, and Cultures) as well as an internship over a full 10-week quarter in San Francisco. A program lead, Michael Xenakis, orchestrates the experience, leading a Venture Lab course and arranging seminars and visits with local entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, while Kellogg professors are shipped out West to teach.
Kellogg’s test of the market complements its existing growth and scaling initiative, but it’s also part-and-parcel of the Bay Area boom and the growing interest among MBA students in startups, early-stage companies, and venture capital in a region with the world’s most dynamic economy. Business schools frequently escort their students here on Silicon Valley treks, and some plan to open an office in the area — INSEAD being the latest. But it’s still rare for a prestige school to allow its MBAs to spend an entire semester or quarter here.
Wharton began offering its MBA students a semester at its campus in San Francisco beginning with a pilot in the fall of 2012 (see “Wharton’s Novel Bay Area Option For MBAs“). The Kellogg experiment, which ended earlier this month, is an outgrowth of its growth and scaling curriculum (see “Could ‘Growth’ Become A New Business School Discipline?“).
‘WE WANTED STUDENTS TO GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY IN HELPING TO SCALE COMPANIES’
“After building out the foundation of our courses in this area, the next step was how to provide more substantial opportunities in the scaling arena,” says Linda Darragh, the director of Kellogg’s innovation and entrepreneurship initiative. “A good number of our students head out to the valley after graduating, and while some go to the large tech companies, many are interested in growth-stage firms and VCs. Being in the Midwest, we felt there was an opportunity for people to be out there in the winter quarter when companies are thinking about who to hire for internships and full-time jobs.”
An interesting twist to the winter quarter pilot was that each student is required to have an internship while also attending a lighter load of classes. “We wanted students to get their hands dirty in helping to scale companies,” Darragh adds. “The fact that we could blend both is absolutely necessary to create the value we wanted for our experience.”
MBA students who took the pilot are uniformly enthusiastic about it. Brian Quimby, 31, who had been at Google and Accenture before enrolling in Kellogg’s one-year accelerated MBA program, would not have had the chance to do an internship if not for going to the pilot. Quimby got to do his internship at VC firm Andreessen Horowitz in Menlo Park. His classmates were all working at startups or VC outfits, ranging from travel and hospitality startup Peek and fintech lending firm Insikt to VC firm Ponte Partners, though one MBA was spending the bulk of her time creating a VR startup in the healthcare space.
‘THIS WAS A WAY TO SATISFY MY ITCH TO WORK IN THE OPERATIONS OF A STARTUP’
“There is definitely an advantage to being here if you are interested in venture capital and startups,” Quimby says. “The curriculum was aligned with what I was going to take in Evanston. I was definitely thinking about the social aspects of missing out on things on campus. But this is a group that will be working out here anyway, and I want to be out here when I graduate.”
Daniel Yoo, 28, now in his second year of Kellogg’s MBA program, saw the San Francisco option as a way to try something new. “I saw this as another opportunity that you could take without a more meaningful investment for a while,” he says. “I have always been interested in the operations of a startup, and this was a way to satisfy that itch. It was a low-risk investment to test that out.”
Yoo did his quarter internship with Shift Technologies, a Bay Area startup using the peer-to-peer market to buy and sell used cars. “It’s been really eye-opening to see how hard it is to build a company,” Yoo adds. “The program is very much a pave-your-own-way, choose-your-own adventure. The work is invaluable, and these are the best courses you can take out here. It adds a whole other level of value versus sitting in Evanston reading cases on venture capital.”
Always an entrepreneur
MAX Helps Musician and Brand Partnerships Go to 11
© 2018 Math Venture Partners Management, LLC
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TMS to Help Sharpen Vision
Tim Odell Neurology
The August 8th issue of Current Biology features research by Christian Ruff, Jon Driver and colleagues at University College London, on using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to actually sharpen peripheral visual perception. Specifically…
In their new work, the researchers used trans-cranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to trigger a chain of activity in specific parts of the brain, while the activity was measured with a scanner. In this way, they were able to show that stimulating a particular region of the frontal cortex that is normally involved in generating eye movements can change activity in visual cortex, almost as though an eye movement had been made (even though the eye itself stayed still).
Perceptual tests confirmed that this brain stimulation had the effect of enhancing peripheral vision, as if people could now see better out of the corner of their eye.
Brain stimulation with TMS is beginning to be used in the treatment of various neurological conditions, including those, such as the after-effects of a stroke, that can impair vision. The technical breakthrough reported by the UCL group means that it is now possible to study the underlying brain activity triggered by TMS, both in the healthy brain and in patients with brain damage.
Excellent. Now they just need to build the technology into automotive headrests.
More from the Press Release
Here’s the abstract and full text .pdf on the Current Biology site.
Flashback: ‘Portable’ Magnetic Device Helps Prevent Migraines
Tim Odell
Tim Odell started with Medgadget in 2005 while in graduate school at the University of Southern California. He prided himself on his irreverent tone and Pseudoscience Fridays series. After graduating in 2007, he began his career as a biomedical engineer with a Bioness, a neurorehabilitation start up, then moved on to Stryker in 2011.
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Computing and Data Science
Policy and Social Science
Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Michigan Tech News
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Research Magazine
Kathleen Halvorsen Wins Research Award
By Marcia Goodrich | Published 10:45 a.m., April 17, 2014
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Kathleen Halvorsen, "a pioneer in integrating the social sciences into the study of natural resources."
Kathleen Halvorsen, whose scholarship bridges social and policy sciences relating to climate change, has been chosen to receive Michigan Technological University’s 2014 Research Award.
Professor Alex Mayer, who nominated Halvorsen for the award, called her “a major force in joining social science with natural science and engineering disciplines.” She is a professor in both the Department of Social Sciences and the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.
“[H]er most noteworthy contributions are advancing research into biologically derived fuels, fostering interdisciplinary research and spearheading Michigan Tech’s environmental and energy policy graduate programs,” Mayer said. “Professor Halvorsen has shown a remarkable ability to bring literally dozens of colleagues together to craft proposals and lead projects which advance science and international collaborations across continents.”
Thomas Dietz of Michigan State University agreed. In a letter supporting her nomination, he recognized the high level of cooperation among Michigan Tech faculty. “But it wasn’t until Kathy Halvorsen joined your faculty . . . that I become aware that Michigan Tech was also a pioneer in integrating the social sciences into the study of natural resources,” he wrote. “When I point out to colleagues around the country the high caliber of work being done at Michigan Tech, she is always part of the examples I give.”
C. Clare Hinrichs of Penn State also cited Halvorsen’s successful efforts to bring together social scientists from various disciplines. “She is building an important model of integrated (and international) interdisciplinary research that addresses some of the most pressing social and environmental issues of our day.”
Halvorsen has led or co-led several interdisciplinary research initiatives on biofuel development and its environmental, social and economic implications, including a $4.8 million National Science Foundation PIRE project that encompasses biofuel issues throughout the Americas. A key finding, that increasing biofuel production could harm the environment, has influenced policymakers, Mayer said.
Halvorsen’s research is driven by concern about Earth’s changing climate. “All of my work focuses on climate change: how we can mitigate or reduce it, how we can adapt. My work on bioenergy is about reducing the effects of catastrophic climate change, and my work on water is about managing resources in the face of climate change.”
With Mayer, she helped natural resource professionals in New Mexico use models that will allow them to better manage the region’s scarce water supply. She has also studied the policy contexts for bioenergy projects.
“We’ve found that there’s a lot of potential for bioenergy production and lots of public support, but there are problems with implementation,” she said. For example, the developers planning one woody biomass facility did not realize that there would be little market for their ethanol in the current regulatory climate. “They pulled out,” Halversen said, adding, “Companies promise facilities and jobs to local communities, and then everything falls apart. It’s better to think things through ahead of time.”
Halversen gets great satisfaction assembling teams of researchers to tackle complex problems. “Michigan Tech is particularly competitive this way,” she said. “We are small enough to know each other and big enough to have a critical mass of environmental sustainability expertise. And, we have a lot of people with whom it is a pleasure to work.
“That’s one of the reasons we’ve been so successful getting NSF grants,” she added. “I give a lot of credit to our administration, which brought together a critical mass of faculty so we can conduct these studies.”
“I’m greatly honored and excited and appreciative to receive the Research Award, but I view it as an award to my collaborators as much as to myself,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.” She also credited the University for its support of interdisciplinary initiatives focused on sustainability, such as at the Sustainable Futures Initiative.
Nominators also praised Halversen for exceptional mentoring and teaching. Said one of her students, “She deserves a million awards.”
Said another, “Kathy taught me many things, but the most important lesson is this: When we put stereotypes and partisan feelings aside, we can seek out our sameness, what connects us as human beings. She has helped me look for the bridges, instead of the walls, between us.”
Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than 7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.
Last Modified 11:32 a.m. February, 21 2019
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Home›Magazine›Cover Stories›Q&A With Gotye
His friends call him Wally, but the name on his birth certificate is Wouter De Backer. He’s best known by his stage name, Gotye, a cheeky permutation of the French pronunciation for Walter. Born in Belgium but raised in Melbourne, Australia, the 32-year-old breakout artist has been part of indie band the Basics since 2002, but it’s the video for his infectious solo track, “Somebody That I Used to Know,” that has accumulated over 300 million views on YouTube.
Although the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Gotye is a new phenomenon only to this hemisphere. Last year in his native land down under, he won six ARIA awards, the Aussie equivalent of the Grammy, including Best Male Artist and Producer of the Year. His latest album, Making Mirrors (Eleven), has gone gold in the UK, the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand as well as America. Meanwhile, in France, Belgium, Poland and Australia, it’s gone triple platinum.
This is an unusual breakthrough. He uses samples, but isn’t a hip-hop artist. He has a passion for quirky instruments, like the one-of-a-kind Winston Musical Fence located in Queensland’s outback. His influences range from Motown to world music (with arrangements that pack everything from Turkish drums to a horn break from a Taiwanese folk song). And despite his newfound popularity in the pop sphere, he considers himself a “tinkerer” rather than the world-renowned multi-instrumentalist he’s become.
Music Connection: It seems you found success all around the world before breaking into the American market. Was that by design? Had you tried to enter the American market previously? How have you approached the American market differently?
Gotye: I tried to find a US label for my last album, but didn’t have a manager/label/agent so it was difficult. I ended up putting it out digitally myself. The main thing with approaching America on this new record is spending a lot of time here, playing lots of live shows, because it’s such a big place.
MC: Your music has been covered on TV shows like The Voice, American Idol and Glee. Are you surprised by the way in which you’ve penetrated the pop space?
Gotye: Yes, quite surprised.
MC: Your first album was made up primarily of samples, but stylistically you’re far away from rap and hip-hop. Do you think you’d be doing the type of music you’re doing without the legitimacy of samples within the public’s mind?
Gotye: People who create music using samples do it in vastly different ways, and I think the legitimacy of it in audiences’ minds varies. It doesn’t really have a bearing on me. I find sampling so inspiring as a songwriting and producing process that I would be doing it regardless of whether certain people accept it or not. It allows for certain sonic qualities and musical results that I find exciting.
MC: Your approach to creating music is exceedingly methodical. Why do you feel you’re able to get better results that way rather than just jamming away?
Gotye: I jam with samples sometimes, or on regular instruments. My approach song to song varies quite a bit.
Tags"Somebody That I used To Know"andy kaufmancoverCover SToryfirst albumGotyemagazinemusic connectionMusic Interviewpop musicpop scenethe Basicsvinyl
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Thomas Rhett Talks Best Male Artist ACMs Win, Why He Co-Wrote Every Song On His New Album: Watch
Chase Atlantic Talk Sophomore Album 'PHASES,' 'Black Mirror,' & What to Expect on Tour
The Australian trio are currently on their North American tour.
Inspired by an episode of Black Mirror, alt-pop group Chase Atlantic’s video for “Heaven and Back” starts out with a woman finding herself on the ground, unconscious after overdosing on heroin.
It’s a wildly dark image, but according to the Australian trio, the darkness only portrays the song’s story, not the overall feeling. They actually believe it’s an upbeat song, which is why the futuristic visual also comes equipped with a lot of getting down in the club and '80s-evoking scenes that include trumpets, lightning bolts, and dark purple lights. “Heaven and Back” might address the important issue of drug abuse ("She fell in love with a pill that could take away all her pain/ Then she fell in love with a whole new drug that could fill her veins"), but it’s also an explosive, genre-melding tune that feels cathartic to move to.
That contrast between light and dark stays true throughout the group's entire sophomore album PHASES, which was released last month on June 28. Brothers Mitchel and Clinton Cave and good friend Christian Anthony talked to Billboard all about the album, and how their audience has grown since they played New York's Irving Plaza as the opener for Lights last year. “And now we’re doing Webster Hall," the band remarks. "That's crazy."
Take a look at what went into the making of PHASES in the full interview below.
You just released your new album, PHASES, how has the reaction been so far?
The reaction has been pretty good. I think we released an album at a tough time of the year, so to be able to have this many streams and this much positive reaction is amazing. I feel like the reactions have all been really genuine. We’re not a new band anymore -- the fan base has followed and they really like it. Haven’t heard anything negative except for maybe like, one crazy person.
Also, we’re on the road and focused on playing the shows every day. We don’t really have a lot of time to sit down and go through the streams, but we do have a look at what people say on Twitter and stuff and so far I think people are really enjoying the album. If there’s people who don’t, then all that does is gets the conversation going, which is what we want.
As you mentioned, you’re on tour. How have the shows been going? Are there any specific songs that people respond to?
I think the way we open the set is kind of the same way we open the album, with the intro song going into “Angels,” and that’s such a large, exciting song. Coming on the stage with that gets the crowd really hyped. We recently played “Heaven and Back” for the first time, before anybody had heard that song. Just watching the growth -- even before the song came out, with people going online and trying to find the lyrics -- that song has really had a huge reaction live. It’s such a fun song to play live as well, it really suits the environment. Those are the two new songs that have been crazy.
This is the follow up to your debut album -- did you at any point during the recording process fear the sophomore slump?
It’s definitely a real thing to think about as you’re making an album at any point in time. You always think, “Is this album going to be better than the last album?” And you get that concern that it might not be. So yeah, it’s real. Our first album was much more towards the darker side -- a little more edgy and serious and gritty -- but this one’s more towards the brighter, poppier side, which we’re comfortable with.
We also think it’s going to be a timeless album and it’s going to be one that’s going to have to grow on people because it’s different. It’s like the first one -- it didn’t hit straight away, it took some time. All good music is like that, it’s like The 1975’s album [A Brief Inquiry To Online Relatioships] even. When it finally does grow on you, it becomes your favorite album. They might not know it yet, but this will be a lot of people’s favorite album.
Since you produce everything yourselves, does that change the recording process for you?
Absolutely. It makes it a whole lot easier but it makes it harder to maintain a level of professionalism because we are kids out here making music. But we try to break that mold and become professional and successful. In a sense though, nothing’s changed, because it’s just the way we’ve always done it. We’re just in a bigger studio now. Doing it the same way we’ve always done it, just bigger rooms. It’s always changing, but it hasn’t changed at all. There’s no formula to it -- it can’t be copied. It’s one of a kind.
Was there a song that set the tone for the rest of the album once you wrote it?
“Angels,” for sure. We actually produced a bunch of the instrumental at home and I think one day we walked in and Mitchel was working on “Heaven and Back,” and when we first heard that instrumental as well, that was definitely a direction we wanted to head in with this album.
You’re also about to release your new video for “Heaven and Back,” can you tell me a little bit about what inspired it?
Have you seen that Black Mirror episode with the two girls who are actually in a virtual reality world and they meet each other and go dancing and it turns out they’re actually old ladies the whole time and they go into the afterlife?
No, but that checks out.
Well in a way, the video was inspired by a Black Mirror episode. A lot of '80s scenes in the video. We wanted to make it like a dance party but the song is about literally doing heroine, so we wanted to contrast that between having a party and a dark situation.
Finally, what’s next for you?
We’re on tour at the moment! We’re just about halfway through, currently in Tulsa. There’s a lot of kids coming out, which is awesome because we’ve never really played a show here. And we’re going to continue making music. All last night, we were up making music. We had an off day and our favorite thing to do is to produce. This tour as well, the whole set up we have with the lighting rig… It’s a real show. It’s not just like a band set up on stage. It’s a big experience for fans. We’re actually confirming at the moment that hopefully we can bring it to other countries and turn it into a world tour. And yeah, always working on new music. There should hopefully be new music by the end of the year.
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A fusion of textures and myriad colors, MoPOP’s exterior conveys all the energy and fluidity of music. Three-thousand panels, made up of 21 thousand individually cut and shaped stainless steel and painted aluminum shingles, encase the outside of the building. Their individual finishes respond to different light conditions and appear to change when viewed from different angles, reminding audiences that music and culture is constantly evolving.
When Frank O. Gehry began designing the museum, he was inspired to create a structure that evoked the rock ‘n’ roll experience. He purchased several electric guitars, sliced them into pieces, and used them as building blocks for an early model design.
Frank O. Gehry and Associates, Santa Monica, California
MoPOP is the first commercial project Gehry has designed in the Pacific Northwest.
LMN Architects, Seattle
BUILDING STATISTICS
140,000 total square feet; footprint, 35,000 square feet
Highest point: 85 feet at Sky Church
Widest point: 210 feet at West Harrison Street
Length: 360 feet at 5th Avenue N
The Museum of Pop Culture (formerly EMP Museum) is located at 325 5th Avenue N at Seattle Center.
Frank O. Gehry is the first architect to use Dassault Systèmes' CATIA in the creation of his highly shaped metal buildings. CATIA allows a sculptural form to be digitized into a 3-D electronic model that can be used for the engineering of building systems and the fabrication of building elements. Invented by Dassault Systèmes for the design of Mirage fighter jets, CATIA is now the primary computer design tool for Boeing and Chrysler.
BUILDING TOURS
MoPOP’s volunteers offer building tours that start at 11:00 am and 12:30 pm several days a week. Tours last 45-minutes and are free with admission. Subject to volunteer availability. Contact volunteers@mopop.org for details.
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20th Annual Newport Half Marathon to Bring Over 3,000 Runners to Jersey City
2012 Newport Half-Marathon
Gallery: 2012 Newport Half-Marathon
By Jonathan Lin | The Jersey Journal
Over 3,000 runners will gather in Jersey City Sunday morning for the 20th Annual Newport Half Marathon.
Runners from all around the country will compete for $3,000 in prize money on a 13.1-mile race course that treads along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway from Newport to Liberty State Park.
“It brings people in from not only New Jersey and the metropolitan area, but outside of that area as well,” said the race’s co-director Robert Barwick said. “You’ve got people from everywhere. I got an email from a guy from Spain who participated last year.”
The race, which is sponsored by Direct Edge and organized by the Barwick Group and various other community groups, features views of Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
“It’s beautiful. I usually get choked up seeing the Statue of Liberty at the five or six mile marker,” said Mark Washburne, a regular participant of the race since at least 2004. Washburne, 57, of Mendham, is a professor of history at the County College of Morris, and has been running at least a mile every day since 1989.
According to compuscore.com, which tracks road race results, the number of participants in the half marathon increased by about 500 every year since 2008. After dipping slightly in 2011, the pool of participants shot up by 600 in 2012 for a total of 2,863 runners.
“Interest in the half marathon distance has grown tremendously in the United States,” Barwick said. “The Newport Half Marathon is part of that surge.”
All proceeds from the race will be donated to the Jersey City Medical Center.
Mark Rabson, director of public affairs at the Jersey City-based hospital, said that the money would be used to enhance services in the emergency room.
The race starts at 8:30 at Newport Town Square. For more information and registration, visit newporthalfmarathon.com.
thon.com.
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New Jersey bobcat populations appear to be on the rise, officials say
By Todd Petty / The Warren Reporter
Woodlands Wildlife Refuge in Alexandria Twp. rehabilitates bobcats
Gallery: Woodlands Wildlife Refuge in Alexandria Twp. rehabilitates bobcats
A photo submitted yesterday by a Liberty Township resident depicting a large bobcat stalking through the snow, carrying what appears to be a large rabbit in its mouth, ignited discussion about what experts are calling the most reclusive animal in New Jersey.
New Jersey's bobcat population appears to be on the rise, said Tracy Leaver, executive director of the Woodlands Wildlife Refuge who has worked to rehabilitate 17 bobcats since 1997.
The nonprofit, which is located in Alexandria Township and is the only facility licensed to work with injured bobcats in the state, has successfully rehabilitated 10 bobcats in the last 12 months, releasing them back to their home afterwards, Leaver said.
The bobcats brought to the sanctuary have either been hit by a car, caught unintentionally by a snare or orphaned, she said.
“One of the things that we definitely want to do is not have people be afraid of bobcats," Leaver said. “This is probably the most reclusive wild animal that we have in the state. That anyone gets to see one... it’s an amazing, amazing thing to experience."
Bobcats, she said, have “absolutely no interest in the human population." They feed on small, rabbit-sized animals.
The bobcat “epitomizes the wild spirit...it’s never going to be some somebody’s pet," she said. The bobcat is also a “testament to the habitat that we have in New Jersey," Leaver said.
According to a newsletter recently circulated by the sanctuary, the bobcat was listed as a state endangered species in 1991, its population challenged since the 1800s because of hunting and habitat destruction as large areas were cleared for lumber, charcoal and agriculture. Construction of major highways are also believed to have had a part in the decline of the population.
A large bobcat stalking through the snow in Liberty Township.
In the late 1970s several New England bobcats were released into New Jersey in hopes of restoring the population. A research project by New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Threatened and Endangered Species Program is ongoing and includes the monitoring and study of the efficacy of the rehabilitation project.
One bobcat recently treated by the sanctuary and released was a 6-month old female found below Route 80 in Warren County.
Charles Fineran, director of open space in Allamuchy Township, has seen bobcats before and photographed one while hiking outdoors in April 2011.
He said he feels lucky to have had the experience. “They’re rare enough, the sitting of those things...you’re really quite lucky unless you’re fish and game and you know where they’re at or have them tagged.”
Fineran said he’s not anticipating another sighting any time soon.
“I don’t expect to have that happen in my life again.”
More Warren County news: NJ.com/Warren • Twitter
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GOVERNOR CHRISTIE SIGNS LEGISLATION THAT WILL PROVIDE
PROTECTION AND RESILIENCY TO CRITICAL WATER AND WASTEWATER
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPACTED BY SUPERSTORM SANDY
ADMINISTRATION’S FUNDING PACKAGE IN TOTAL PROVIDES $1.28 BILLION FOR
SANDY AND NON-SANDY ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
(14/P83) TRENTON — Governor Chris Christie today signed legislation authorizing $1.28 billion in state financing for much-needed improvements to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects across the state, including $355 million that will protect and provide resiliency to infrastructure directly impacted by Superstorm Sandy.
“There can be no compromises in protecting the viability, integrity and resiliency of the state’s water-supply and wastewater systems, especially in areas that are vulnerable to floods,” said Governor Christie. “This infrastructure must be rigorously maintained to ensure protection of public health and the environment. This legislation is an investment in the health of our environment, the quality of our drinking water, our quality of life, our economy – and New Jersey’s future.’’
The legislation provides no-cost and low-cost loans through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust (NJEIT), an independent state financing agency, in partnership with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In many cases, operators are using NJEIT’s financing program for bridge loans and access to immediate funding pending disaster reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“This action demonstrates the power of strong state and local partnerships in tackling an issue as daunting as rebuilding and protecting critical water and wastewater infrastructure affected by Sandy,” DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. “We are providing the financial tools our municipal governments and treatment system operators need to make sure this work gets done, ensuring our infrastructure can be relied upon in times of emergency.”
“We are proud to be playing a major part in the recovery of New Jersey from the devastation of Superstorm Sandy,” said NJEIT Executive Director David Zimmer. “All of these projects, whether directly Sandy-related or not, are critically important to our local communities and will provide thousands of construction jobs in our state.”
Sandy caused an estimated $2.6 billion in damages to wastewater and drinking water infrastructure across the state.
Nearly 100 wastewater treatment plants serving some 3.5 million people in all 21 counties reported impacts from Sandy. The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC), which serves 1.4 million people, was completely shut down by major flooding of its treatment plant. The Middlesex County Utilities Authority (MCUA), serving 797,000 people, lost three pump stations, causing significant discharges to Raritan Bay.
In addition, 427 of 604 community water supply systems lost power. Of these, 70 were seriously affected by prolonged power loss. Thirty-five systems serving more than 360,000 people were subject to boil water advisories due to concerns about contamination of their supplies.
The Sandy-related projects to be financed in this round of funding include a host of resiliency measures such as construction of flood walls to protect facilities, relocation of infrastructure to safer ground, restoration of damaged facilities, emergency generators and even portable pumping stations that can be removed before a storm hits and be put back afterward.
Highlights of Sandy-related projects include:
$96 million for replacement and protection of the MCUA’s Sayreville and Edison pump stations
$42.8 million for restoration and mitigation of buildings and facilities at the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority’s wastewater treatment plant in Union Beach
$31.5 million for raising the existing floodwall protecting the New Jersey American Raritan Millstone water treatment plant
$11.7 million for construction of a new wet weather pump station for Hoboken as part of the North Hudson Regional Sewerage Authority wastewater system
$10.6 million for rehabilitation of the PVSC’s Administration Building on Wilson Avenue in Newark
Construction of a 1.4-megawatt combined heat and power system fueled by fats and grease to provide a reliable power source for the Bergen County Utilities Authority.
“We have completed designs to protect against floods of greater magnitude and intensity than Sandy,” said Bob Fischer, Executive Director of the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority. “We will be flood-proofing buildings, raising critical assets above future flood levels and creating areas that will be allowed to flood without damage. Since the day of the disaster, the outreach from other sewerage authorities, engineering firms, contractors, NJDEP, NJEIT, and industry associations has been incredible. I think this disaster has taught us all how important it is to maintain communication and build partnerships.”
“Hurricanes Irene and Sandy both challenged the resiliency of our regional water systems,” said William M. Varley, President of New Jersey American Water. “This was particularly true for our Raritan Millstone Water Treatment Plant in Somerset, which serves more than one million people in seven counties. Raising the floodwall by four feet is a $25 million undertaking, which though the assistance of our successful partnership with both the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection should sustain the plant against even the one in every 500 years storm.”
In addition to Sandy-related projects, the legislation Governor Christie signed today will also provide $16.3 million to protect the Raritan River at Somerville through remediation of an old landfill; $13.5 million for cleaning and re-lining drinking water lines in Trenton; $11.7 million for the repair, rehabilitation and modernization of nine wastewater pumping stations in Camden; and $7.2 million for replacement of Rockaway Valley Regional Sewerage Authority’s Old Jersey Trunk Sewer system, damaged by Hurricane Irene.
Thanks to a combination of low interest rates and other cost saving features, the NJEIT’s financing program has saved New Jersey ratepayers and taxpayers more than $2.1 billion over the years. For information about EIT and its financing programs, visit www.njeit.org.
For a copy of the legislation signed today by Governor Christie, plus a list of potential projects, visit www.njeit.org/borrowers/publications
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Pompeo dismisses North Korean criticism, calls for continued talks
Secretary of State says DPRK statement calling U.S. demands "gangster-like" were "stray comments"
Colin Zwirko
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers Sunday in Tokyo and downplayed statements from North Korea expressing regret at “gangster-like” demands during his talks in Pyongyang the previous day.
Secretary Pompeo appeared to dismiss the statements released by North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday as unrelated to his personal experience in talks with Vice Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee Kim Yong Chol over the weekend.
Referring to the commentary in KCNA attributed to a spokesperson of the DPRK foreign ministry as “stray comments,” Pompeo said he was “determined to achieve the commitment that President Trump made, and I am counting on Chairman Kim to be determined to follow through on the commitment he made.”
“If those requests were gangster-like, then the world is a gangster, because there was a unanimous decision at the UN Security Council about what needs to be achieved,” he added.
Saturday’s DPRK foreign ministry statement described U.S. demands as “unilateral and gangster-like,” adding that demands for CVID (complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization) “run counter to the spirit of the Singapore summit meeting and talks.”
The three counterparts – Secretary Pompeo, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono – used different terminology to refer to the goal of North Korea’s denuclearization during their opening statements, but all pushed back against a reporter’s question about the differences in definitions.
Kim Yong Chol and vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui sit across from Pompeo during this weekend’s talks in Pyongyang | Photo: U.S. State Department
While Pompeo again used the term “final, fully-verified denuclearization” (FFVD), he insisted that the North Koreans understand the definition to include a wide range of actions.
“We had lengthy discussions about the scope of what complete denuclearization means over the past two days. They acknowledge that this is broad,” Pompeo said during Sunday’s press conference.
He added that the North Koreans “have not challenged” the broad definition he provided them, which includes actions on “weapons systems to fissile materials to the production facilities, enrichment facilities, across the range of weapons and missiles.”
The KCNA article from Saturday appeared to call for President Trump to step in and ease the demands given during the talks in Pyongyang by Pompeo and his team of negotiators, saying they “still cherish our good faith in President Trump.”
Pompeo similarly called on Kim Jong Un to take the lead, referring strictly to the language of the June 12 agreement signed in Singapore.
“[Kim Jong Un] committed to complete denuclearization. The commitment that Chairman Kim made is important and powerful and I am convinced that he understands the commitment he made,” Pompeo said.
“I am hopeful that we will find a path forward to achieve that commitment that Chairman Kim himself made personally to President Trump and then to the world in the signed agreement between our two leaders.”
Pompeo also met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Sunday | Photo: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
But the two countries appear to be in disagreement over the timeline and order of actions each expects the other to take.
The KCNA commentary said North Korea prefers a “step-by-step approach” to “follow the principle of simultaneous actions in resolving what is feasible one by one while giving priority to creating trust.”
Pompeo responded to a question over the timeline on Sunday that the two sides discussed the issue at length in Pyongyang, saying that “there’s still much work to do to establish what the precise timeline for the various events will be.”
He emphasized that the next action the U.S. expects North Korea to take will be destroying a missile engine test site, which he said was “a commitment that they reaffirmed yesterday and told us that it would happen at a time that was important.”
He clarified that he would consider this action “important” and that he told the North Koreans it should take place soon.
Regarding the points of the Singapore agreement – which he said were the North’s complete denuclearization, the establishment peaceful bilateral relations with North Korea, and the provision of security guarantees during the process – Pompeo said that “each of these needs to be conducted in parallel; we need to work on those efforts simultaneously.”
“There will be things that take place along the way that help achieve the security assurances that the North Koreans need and improvement in the peaceful relations between our two countries during the time that denuclearization is taking place.”
“But the economic sanctions are a different kettle of fish altogether,” he added. “The economic sanctions and the continued enforcement – so the world will see – continued enforcement actions by the United States in the days and weeks ahead… will continue until denuclearization is complete.”
Andrew Kim (left), head of the CIA’s Korea Mission Center, and Sung Kim (right), Ambassador to the Philippines, with Pompeo in Pyongyang on Saturday | Photo: State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert
As for the concession made by the U.S. to suspend certain joint military drills with South Korea – announced by President Trump following the summit in Singapore – Foreign Minister Kang said on Sunday the decision “has been taken jointly with the aim of encouraging North Korea to actively and expeditiously engage in the denuclearization process.”
But the KCNA commentary the previous day criticized this as “incomparable with the irreversible step” the North took to explode the entrances of underground nuclear test sites.
It said the U.S. “made a great publicity about suspension of one or two joint military exercises,” but said this is “a highly reversible step which can be resumed anytime at any moment as all of its military force remains intact in its previously-held positions.”
The Secretary of State arrived in North Korea on Friday, holding two days of talks with DPRK officials in Pyongyang.
Contrary to expectations, however, he did not meet with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un during his visit – in marked contrast to visits to the North in April and May.
Ahead of the visit, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Pompeo would “meet with the North Korean leader and his team” during the trip.
When asked why he had not met with Kim, Pompeo on Sunday insisted “it was never anticipated that I would meet with him.”
“We went there to work with Kim Yong Chol and our two teams to work together over the course of two days, we did just that,” Pompeo said.
North Korea media coverage of his visit has been sparse: Sunday’s edition of ruling party organ the Rodong Sinmun made only passing mention of the talks.
During the press conference Sunday, the three foreign ministers reaffirmed their “unwavering” alliance and sought to project lockstep coordination over ongoing talks with North Korea.
Pompeo confirmed that he raised the issue of abducted Japanese citizens with North Korea in all of his talks with his counterparts over the previous months, including over the weekend in Pyongyang, but did not provide details of their response.
U.S. and North Korean negotiators will meet again on July 12 at Panmunjom to continue their talks, specifically on the return of the remains of soldiers killed during the Korean War, the Secretary of State said.
Edited by Oliver Hotham
Featured image: Mike Pompeo’s Twitter
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers Sunday in Tokyo and downplayed statements from North Korea expressing regret at “gangster-like” demands during his talks in Pyongyang the previous day. Secretary Pompeo appeared to dismiss the statements released by North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on
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Colin Zwirko is an NK News correspondent based in Seoul.
Colin Zwirko,
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Sam Smith denies rumours he will record the next Bond theme – watch
Lisa Wright Aug 13, 2014 1:00 pm BST
The singer was rumoured to be in line to provide the next song in the iconic soundtrack series
Sam Smith has confirmed that he will not be recording the next Bond theme.
The solo singer was linked to the next Bond film last month but has distanced himself from the possibility of following in Adele’s footsteps and recording a song for 007.
Speaking exclusively to NME regarding the rumour, Smith said “No, I have no idea what that was about and I know as much as you do. You probably know more than me; I didn’t even read the article.” He continued: “I think it’s something everyone would love to do, but yeah, it was all news to me. I won’t say any more on it.”
He then went on to praise Jack White and Alicia Keys’ collaboration on 2008’s ‘Another Way To Die’ for Quantum Of Solace. “My favourite Bond them was Jack White and Alicia Keys,” he revealed. “I love that; I thought it was amazing. Her voice and his voice together, I thought, was really interesting.”
The next James Bond film is due for release on October 23, 2015 in the UK. The last theme song was Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ for the film of the same name in 2012. Other notable tracks have been recorded by the likes of Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and Duran Duran.
The new Bond film currently has the working title of Bond 24 and will star Daniel Craig in his fourth outing as 007. Also returning are Skyfall director Sam Mendes and screenwriting team John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. The other confirmed cast are Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Whishaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny and Rory Kinnear as MI6 chief of staff Bill Tanner.
Catfish And The Bottlemen Credit: Jill Furmanovsky
Watch Catfish And The Bottlemen go technicolour in the video for new single ‘Conversation’
How to live like Grimes – a guide to her training regime
The Specials perform live Credit: Getty
Coventry councillor calls for The Specials to receive hometown honour
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Tyr and the Fenris-wolf.
The gods of Asatru: Tyr (Tiw, Zio, Tiwaz)
This god plays a relatively small role in the mythology as it survives in the Eddas; nevertheless, every description of him which survives points to a much larger significance in early Germanic religion overall. His name in Old Norse, “Týr,” is one of the generic words for “god”; it is cognate to the Latin “deus” and the Greek “Zeus.” It is generally thought that Tiw was the Germanic version of the Indo-European Sky-Father god, whose position as chief of the gods was then gradually usurped by Wodan. In understanding Tiw, however, it is necessary to consider his specific evolution among the Germanic peoples; neither the Romans who came into contact with his cult at the beginning of the Common Era nor the Germanic folk of later eras who tried to equate their own or their ancestors' gods with the gods of the Greeks and Romans considered him to be similar to Jupiter/Zeus. Rather; he was Mars Thingsus, “Mars of the Thing (Judgement-Assembly)”;(26) among the names of the days of the week, which were adapted by the Ger-manic folk before Christianization, Tiw's Day – modern Tuesday – was not the day of Jupiter, but dies Martis, the day of Mars. Tacitus reports that the Germans held “Mercury and Mars” highest of all the gods, and no successful argument for seeing this pair as anyone other than Wodan and Tiw has yet been advanced.
Although Tiw's most obvious character is that of a warlike god, he is also a god of contracts and of law, as the title Mars Thingsus would imply. The Old Icelandic Rune Poem calls him “the ruler of the temple” even as it glosses his name as “Mars.” Dumézil presents Tiw as the Judge-King equivalent to the Vedic Mitra, the sovereign who rules by law, the meotod (“measurer”) – an originally heathen title which remained current in Anglo-Saxon and was eventually co-opted by Christianity for their god. According to his model, the Judge-King ruled together with the furious and unpredictable Magician-King. “The cruel, magical Ódhinn is thus contrasted with Týr, as Varuna, god of night, is contrasted with Mitra, god of day.”(27) In the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem, the names of the gods – except for Ing, who was euhemerized to “the hero” – were deleted and replaced with hononyms which were also appropriate in context. Just as the “Os” (Ase) Wodan became “oss,” “(Mouth), the chieftain of all speech,” so did Tiw become “tir,” the star, which “holds troth well / with athelings ever fares on course, / over mists of night and never weakens.”
It is likely that Tiw (Tyr) was the original “irmin- god,” the greatest of the gods, to whom the Saxon Irminsul (Irmin-Pillar) was dedicated. On the daily human level, the Irminsul is embodied by the house-pillars; on the cosmic level it is the World-Tree, which preserves the levels of being by holding them apart and at the same time, as the central axis of the universe, connects them; and this is shown in the shape of the rune tiwaz, which can be interpreted either as the spear or as the pillar holding up the heavens. In the Old High German “Hildebrantslied,” the warrior Hildebrant calls upon “irmingot” (“the Irmin-god”) and “waltant got” (“the ruling god”) to witness the terrible fate which “Woe-Wyrd” has wrought for him. These titles, used as they are to invoke the laws of society and nature against the caprice of Wyrd which has brought him to a fatal conflict with his own son, are far more likely to be addressed to Tiw than to Wodan, who was blamed for setting strife between kinsmen, not called upon in the attempt to turn it away.
The one significant myth which has survived about Tiw (Tyr) is the story of the binding of the Wolf Fenrir, the son of Loki and Angrboda, as told in the Prose Edda. This wolf grew so large that none except Týr dared to feed him. At last the gods began to be afraid and decided to bind him. Fenrir agreed to allow it if one of the gods would lay his hand in his mouth as a pledge of troth. “And each of the Ases looked at the other, and none of them was willing to lose his hand, until Týr reached forward his right hand and lay it in the mouth of the Wolf.” Then Fenrir was bound, and the harder he struggled the more firmly the band lay upon him, and “all laughed except Týr; he lost his hand.” From this, the wrist is called the “wolf's joint.”
The rune tiwaz is named after Tiw; its stave-shape shows the spear which may have been his particular weapon before it was Wodan's. The Old Norwegian Rune-Poem says of this stave that “(Týr) is the one-handed among the Ases”; the Old Icelandic Rune-Poem says, “(Týr) is the one-handed Ase / and the wolf's leavings, / and the temple's ruler.” This last probably refers to his strong role in the religious life of the folk.
(Excerpt from the Asatru/Heathen book Teutonic Religion by Kveldulf Gundarsson. Used with permission. To purchase an e-copy of the entire book Teutonic Religion click on the link.
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The saga of LEIF
Seattle-based foundation commemorates Viking settlements with Leif Erikson statues
Photo courtesy of LEIF
The gift of the third replica of Seattle’s statue was to the site that Leif Erikson may have stepped ashore in Vinland, in the town of L’Anse aux Meadows, in Canada’s most easterly province, Newfoundland and Labrador. Kristine Leander is shown next to the statue with local Canadian dignitaries at the unveiling on July 28, 2013.
Leif Erikson International Foundation
As hobbies go, it’s rare. So rare, in fact, that no one else has taken on the task of giving statues of Leif Erikson, the Viking explorer and first recorded European to set foot on American shores, to every location where the Old Norse sagas say he lived or visited.
Like most hobbies, it started with one. One statue, that is. On a lark, Seattle resident Kristine Leander was challenged to find a way for Seattle to give a statue of Leif Erikson to Trondheim, Norway, where Leander had lived for several years. Trondheim was gearing up for its 1,000-year anniversary in 1997 and wanted something to remind visitors of its Viking history. As Seattle has a 17-foot bronze statue of Leif Erikson, the request was more silly than serious. But Leander took it on, first creating an organization, then a plan, and finally a statue, which was indeed unveiled in 1997.
Trondheim Mayor Marvin Wiseth thanks Kristine Leander and her committee, the Leif Erikson Society of Seattle, for the gift of a replica of Seattle’s statue of Leif Erikson to celebrate Trondheim’s thousand year anniversary as a city. Funds were collected from donations in honor of immigrants, whose names were inscribed at the base of the statue. The statue was unveiled July 23, 1997.
Although Leif Erikson was born in Iceland in around 970 CE, after a little bit of Viking nastiness and a killing, his family fled to Greenland. Erikson’s home place in Greenland wanted a statue because in the year 2000 they would celebrate the 1000-year anniversary of Erikson’s historic voyage to America. Still buoyed by their success with Trondheim’s statue, Leander’s organization, the Leif Erikson International Foundation, or LEIF, took it on. That statue was unveiled in 2000, high on a hillside overlooking the farm of Leif’s father, Erik the Red.
If Erikson’s home place had a statue, then surely the site where he might have stepped ashore in America, or Vinland, needed one, too. So in 2013, LEIF convinced the Newfoundland community of L’Anse aux Meadows, where there is a reconstructed Viking settlement, that they also needed a statue of Leif Erikson.
Seattle’s statue of Leif Erikson, originally donated by the Leif Erikson League to the Port of Seattle was unveiled during the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962. In 2007, the Port of Seattle moved it a short distance and the Leif Erikson International Foundation funded a plaza in the shape of the footprint of a Viking ship, encircled by runic-like stones and the names of 2,400 emigrants from the Nordic countries. Viking artist Jay Haavik designed the runic designs on each stone.
The organization’s fundraising has been accomplished by requesting donations in the name of Nordic immigrants to America and placing the names on runic-like stones around the base of Seattle’s statue. The statue gifts are all 10-foot replicas of Seattle’s statue, which was sculpted by a Norwegian-American professor at the University of Washington, August Werner, and given to the City of Seattle in 1962. By the time the last names are unveiled this spring, around 2,400 names of Nordic immigrants will encircle Seattle’s statue.
Saga historians know that in addition to Iceland (where there’s a statue of Leif Erikson, given by the U.S. government in 1931), Greenland, Norway, and Vinland, there’s one spot left on Erikson’s Nordic map: the Hebrides, the islands east of Scotland where the Sagas say Erikson visited briefly. (Those Vikings! His stay was brief, but long enough to father a child there.) LEIF is sending only a bust to the community of Uig on the Island of Lewis. After all, according to the Sagas, Erikson was there only a short time. It will be unveiled on Aug 8, 2018.
LEIF invites anyone who’s interested to join them for the unveiling of the last Leif Erikson gift. To learn more about the gifts or the trip to Scotland, contact Kristine Leander at leif@leiferikson.org or (206) 778-1081. For more information about the Leif Erikson International Foundation, visit www.leiferikson.org.
Tags: Kristine LeanderL’Anse aux MeadowsLeif EriksonLeif Erikson International FoundationSeattleTrondheimViking settlements
Commemorating Anders Beer Wilse
by admin · Published May 1, 2015 · Last modified April 29, 2015
Capturing the dream of America
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The Wednesday Call Live! Audio Version: 11/18/2015
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This entry was posted in General Conference Calls and tagged Andys Live Show, Audio, Diane Lampe, Eric Bellaire, NAA, National Agents Alliance, The Alliance, The Live Show, The Wednesday Call Live, TWC. Bookmark the permalink.
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The Wednesday Call Live (TWC) for November 18, 2015: This file is an audio recording of Andy's Live Show. If you would like to access the video version, check out the NAAtv Live Archives!
The Live Show will air again on November 25, 2015 at 12:30 PM ET.
The Wednesday Call Live (TWC) for February 24, 2016: This file is an audio recording of Andy's Live Show. If you would like to access the video version, check out the NAAtv Live Archives!
The Live Show will air again on March 2, 2016 at 12:30 PM ET.
The Wednesday Call Live! with Andy Albright 11/18/2015
The Wednesday Call (TWC) for November 18, 2015: Eric Bellaire and Diane Lampe hosted this week's edition of The Wednesday Call, and shared some of the secrets that have made them successful with The Alliance.
Eric and his wife, Bobbi will earn more than $500,000 before the year ends while Diane and her husband, Bill will earn more than $1 million. They shared intimate details of their family life and how they make life work for them.
Eric and Diane shared their stories and histories with The Alliance and explained how they were far from perfect when they found NAA. Success didn't come overnight for them. They both kept working to get better and learned from missteps along the way.
Diane pointed out the fact that The Alliance is about more than making money. It is about building relationships, using the system in place and becoming the best person you can be.
Eric reminded people that love conquers all. People have to look after each other and help others. That's part of having a big heart, and it is a big piece of what The Alliance does.
Both agreed that one of the keys to being successful is by not just doing by yourself, but by doing and helping others do as well. The journey is more fun when you have a great team around you to enjoy it with.
The Live Show will air again on November 25, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. EDT.
The show is always available on NAAtv Live, but you could be a part of the live studio audience at the Alliance Headquarters and see Andy Albright in person! While you're here, you can chat with ABTF members, the Lead Performance Team and President's Club! Just email, call or text Missy at least one day in advance to reserve a seat. If don't have her information, just call 336-227-3319 and ask for Missy. We hope to see you at AMP Studios for the next TWC show!
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Home GHANA LOCAL NEWS Bawumia leaves for UK
Bawumia leaves for UK
Ghana’s Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia left Accra for Oxford, UK on Wednesday, 24 April 2019 to speak at a seminar organised as part of a series of lectures at Oxford University in honour of renowned British development economist Sir Paul Collier.
Sir Paul served as the Professor of Economics and Public Policy in the Blavatnik School of Government and the Director of the International Growth Centre.
Sir Paul is also the Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies and a Professorial Fellow of St Antony’s College, Oxford.
He has also served as a senior advisor to the Blair Commission for Africa and was the Director of the Development Research Group at the World Bank between 1998 and 2003.
Dr Bawumia will return to Accra on Saturday, 27 April 2019.
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Systems for State Science Assessment (2006)
Chapter: 4 The Centrality of Standards
« Previous: 3 Science Literacy: Implications for Assessment
Page 54 Share Cite
Suggested Citation:"4 The Centrality of Standards." National Research Council. 2006. Systems for State Science Assessment. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11312.
The Centrality of Standards
Standards are the most important element in the science education system because they make explicit the goals around which the system is organized, thus providing the basis for coherence among the various elements. They guide the development of curriculum, the selection of instructional resources, and the choices of teachers in setting instructional priorities and planning lessons. They are the basis for developing assessments, setting performance levels, and judging student and school performance. Standards are also the reference point for reporting performance to educators and the public and for focusing school improvement efforts. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires states to have science standards of high quality, although it says relatively little about what characterizes standards of high quality.
Under NCLB the word “standards” refers to both content standards and achievement standards. NCLB requires states to develop challenging academic standards of both types, and the law describes them as follows (U.S. Department of Education, 2004, p. 1):
Academic content standards must specify what all students are expected to know and be able to do; contain coherent and rigorous content; and encourage the teaching of advanced skills.
Academic achievement standards must be aligned with the State’s academic content standards. For each content area, a State’s academic achievement standards must include at least two levels of achievement (proficient and advanced) that reflect mastery of the material in the State’s academic content standards, and a third level of achievement (basic) to provide information about the progress of lower-achieving students toward mastering the proficient and advanced levels
of achievement. For each achievement level, a State must provide descriptions of the competencies associated with that achievement level and must determine the assessment scores (“cut scores”) that differentiate among the achievement levels.
Thus, content standards describe the knowledge and skills students should attain, and achievement levels indicate the adequacy of performance that is expected at different levels of competence.
It is important to note that the role of standards in the NCLB context differs somewhat from the role envisioned for standards by those who developed national standards for science education. The National Science Education Standards (NSES) and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993) were written to present “a vision of science education that will make scientific literacy for all a reality in the 21st century” (National Research Council, 1996, p. ix).
To serve as the basis for curriculum materials, instructional strategies, and assessments at the classroom, district, and state levels, state standards must provide richer, more focused, and more detailed descriptions than those contained in either the NSES or the benchmarks.1 The standards contained in these documents—and those in most state standards documents—are written primarily as lists of propositional statements that describe the scientific ideas students should learn. They rarely articulate the knowledge and skills that students need to understand them. To fulfill their role of guiding curriculum, instruction, and assessment, standards need to better describe the knowledge, understandings, and abilities that are necessary to attain the standard, the prerequisite standards on which each standard is built, and the subsequent standards to which each contributes.
This chapter begins with an overview of existing state science content standards. It continues with an examination of key features of high-quality content standards and research-based strategies for organizing and elaborating the standards for practitioners. The chapter concludes with an overview of achievement standards and issues related to setting achievement levels for systems of assessment.
STATE SCIENCE STANDARDS
To obtain an overview of current state science standards, the committee examined samples of science standards from states that had developed them as of January 2004. We also reviewed the work of other organizations, such as the Council of Chief State School Officers, Mid-continent Research for Education
Two National Research Council reports explore applications of the NSES and provide examples of elaboration: Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards (2001a) and Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (2000c).
and Learning, Achieve, Inc., the Fordham Foundation, the American Federation of Teachers, and Editorial Projects in Education, which produces the annual Quality Counts reports for Education Week.
Variation Among States
In our review, we found that existing state science standards vary widely in organization, format, breadth, and depth. Many standards do not reflect current knowledge of how students learn and develop scientific understanding or the fact that science is a network of mutually supporting ideas and practices that develop cumulatively. Indeed, it is difficult to compare one set of standards to another because they are organized and presented in such different ways. This occurs because, as Archibald (1998, p. 4) notes, “There is no standard language or model for content standards.”
State standards vary considerably in terms of features that affect their usefulness for developing curriculum materials, planning instruction, and creating assessments. While all state standards contain recognizable descriptions of academic content, these descriptions differ in important ways. One of the most important differences is in the specific content that states expect students to know. Some state standards focus on declarative and procedural knowledge—that is, knowing scientific facts, formulas, and principles and making accurate measurements and computations. These standards usually include such words as “define,” “describe,” “identify,” or “state.” Other standards include schematic or strategic knowledge—that is, posing scientific questions, designing investigations, and developing explanations and arguments. These standards may include such words as “explain,” “analyze,” “justify,” “predict,” “compare,” and “support.”
Another important difference is the scope of the basic content units that are included. Some standards describe topics broadly; others describe content in more specific, small units. Standards also differ in terms of the grade ranges that are used to locate content. Some descriptions are specific to a single grade level; others cover two- or three-year grade spans. States that use the latter approach must, under NCLB, specify grade-level content expectations for every grade in the span. The committee concurs with this requirement, noting that without it there could be a tendency for curriculum and instruction to focus more heavily on topics covered in years in which students would be assessed rather than on the full range of knowledge and skills contained in the standards.
The descriptions of content have many other differences. For example, some state standards establish priorities by identifying selected concepts or topics as of greatest importance, but most states give no guidance about the relative importance of topics, tacitly implying that everything mentioned is of equal importance. Likewise, few states make any attempt to limit the scope of their standards on the basis of an analysis of available instructional time. Some standards documents indicate interconnections among topics and attempt to integrate related
components of science, but this is not the norm. Illinois explicitly attends to these interconnections in organizing its standards; state goal 12 reads, “[Students will] understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences.”2 Only a few state standards attempt to show how scientific topics are related to material in other disciplines, such as mathematics. New Jersey science standard number 5.3, for example, states: “All students will integrate mathematics as a tool for problem-solving in science, and as a means of expressing and/or modeling scientific theories.”3
While most state science standards are limited to descriptions of science content, some go further to describe aspects of content that are relevant to teaching and learning. For example, some standards give suggestions regarding lesson structure (how scientific information is organized and presented) or instructional approach (how teachers interact with students about science content). Some standards include helpful information about the structure and transmittal of scientific knowledge, and a few describe desired student attitudes toward science. In addition, some standards contain assessment-related information, such as conditions for student performance (how students demonstrate their scientific understanding). This information is helpful both for teachers and assessment designers. Box 4-1 includes a small portion of the Rhode Island science standards that illustrates this point.
Finally, there are some useful features that the committee found in only a few state standards, such as examples of real-world contexts in which scientific principles apply. Many of these examples are found in the elementary or early middle grades. Delaware and Nevada both provide such contexts in their science standards. The standards of one or two states contain lists of required or expected scientific terminology. For example, Utah’s standards include lists of science language that students should understand and use in meeting specific standards. Box 4-2 includes a portion of the Utah state science standards in which guidance is given to teachers on important terminology that students should learn and be able to use. Some states make explicit the connections between the science standards and the curriculum. For example, Florida requires publishers to align textbooks with the state standards. An increasing number of states, including Alaska, Florida, and Indiana, also include in their standards student understanding about the history of science or the role of science in contemporary society.
The one general principle that emerged from the committee’s review of state science standards is the importance of clear, thorough, understandable descriptions. For standards to play a central role in assessment and accountability systems, they must communicate clearly to all the stakeholders in the system—
See http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/science/word/goal12.doc [12/12/04].
See http://www.state.nj.us/njded/cccs/s5_science.htm#53 [12/8/04].
BOX 4-1
Assessment-Related Information in the Rhode Island Science Standards
Here is an example of a state science standard that includes examples of classroom work and assignments that might be suitable. Performance expectations are suggested, and each standard includes an “embedded assessment” and a summative assessment.
By the end of the eighth grade, all students will know that the sun is a mediumsized star located near the edge of a disk-shaped galaxy (Milky Way) of stars, part of which can be seen as a glowing band of light that spans the sky on a very clear night. The universe contains many billions of galaxies, and each galaxy contains many billions of stars. To the naked eye, even the closest of these galaxies is no more than a dim, fuzzy spot.
Suggested Activity: Visit planetarium, contact NASA for computer program, pictures, etc. Help students locate the Milky Way and prominent galaxies in the night sky.
Embedded Assessment: Look at photographs, identify the differences between a galaxy and a star.
Summative Assessment: Using a diagram of our own galaxy and the approximate position of our solar system, explain the phenomenon known as the Milky Way.
Theme: Systems
Process: Developing Explanatory Frameworks
NASA Space Grant Program Center located at Brown University (863-2889) has celestial maps and other resources available for teachers.
SOURCE: http://ridoe.net/standards/frameworks/science/default.htm.
teachers, assessment developers, students, parents, and policy makers—what students are expected to know and be able to do. In other words, they must be elaborated.
Other Evaluations of State Science Standards
Besides conducting our own examination of sample science standards, the committee relied on two comprehensive reviews by other groups that provide a good starting point for thinking about the features of high-quality standards. The reviews were conducted by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Fordham Foundation; each used its own criteria for making judgments about the
quality of standards.4 The AFT reviewed state content standards in English, mathematics, science, and social studies in 1996 and updated this review in 1999 and 2001 (American Federation of Teachers, 1996, 1999, 2001). The AFT review criteria have evolved from one review to the next, but they typically involve a small number of broad themes that are applicable to all four subject areas. The principal criteria are that standards should define core content, be organized by grade level, provide sufficient detail, and address both content and skills. The AFT reviews also examine curricula, assessments, and accountability systems separately, and some of the evaluative criteria that are applied to these other components are also relevant to standards.
The Fordham Foundation commissioned content experts to review content standards in English, history, geography, mathematics, and science using subject-specific criteria (Finn and Petrilli, 2000). Instead of the few, broad criteria used by the AFT, the Fordham Foundation used 25 detailed criteria, ranging from the structure and organization of the standards to the specific science content and cognitive demand—what, exactly, students were expected to do (Lerner, 1998, 2000). The Fordham review was done from the perspective of a scientist “who has no official connection with K–12 education,” whereas the AFT reports were written from the perspective of science educators.
These reviews produced markedly different results. In some cases, the same state received a top grade in one review and a bottom grade in another, according to an Education Week story (Olson, 1998). This contradiction points to a divergence of views about what students should know and be able to do, as well as to a divergence of views about how this information should be communicated to educators and the public.
Regardless of the criteria that were used, all the evaluations found considerable variation in quality among state standards. While the reviews showed that the states made progress in improving their standards over time, the most recent evaluations still found room for improvement. In a paper written for the National Education Goals Panel, Archibald (1998) described the state of content standards as one of “startling variety.”
Other groups have suggested criteria for developing or reviewing content standards and frameworks (Education Week, 2004; the National Education Goals Panel, 1993; Blank and Pechman, 1995; Pacific Research Institute, 2004, available at http://www.pacificresearch.org/pub/sab/educat/ac_standards/main.html). Although these efforts provide additional ideas about the features of good standards, they do not lead to any convergence of opinion.
The Council for Basic Education also commissioned a review of state standards, but this review focused only on English/language arts and mathematics, not science.
Guidance for Teachers on Science Terminology in the Utah Science Standards
This standard for a first-year biology course provides guidance to teachers on the specific terminology that students need to learn and use to indicate mastery of a set of standards.
Objective 1: Summarize how energy flows through an ecosystem.
Arrange components of a food chain according to energy flow.
Compare the quantity of energy in the steps of an energy pyramid.
Describe strategies used by organisms to balance the energy expended to obtain food to the energy gained from the food (e.g., migration to areas of seasonal abundance, switching type of prey based upon availability, hibernation or dormancy).
Compare the relative energy output expended by an organism in obtaining food to the energy gained from the food (e.g., hummingbird energy expended hovering at a flower compared to the amount of energy gained from the nectar, coyote chasing mice to the energy gained from catching one, energy expended in migration of birds to a location with seasonal abundance compared to energy gained by staying in a cold climate with limited food).
Research food production in various parts of the world (e.g., industrialized societies’ greater use of fossil fuel in food production, human health related to food product).
Objective 2: Explain relationships between matter cycles and organisms.
Use diagrams to trace the movement of matter through a cycle (i.e., carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, water) in a variety of biological communities and ecosystems.
Explain how water is a limiting factor in various ecosystems.
HIGH-QUALITY SCIENCE STANDARDS
What should effective standards look like? NCLB contains no specific requirements concerning the format in which science standards should be presented, what topics they should emphasize, or how detailed they should be. The law leaves to states the prerogative to develop standards in their own ways and to develop their own consensus views of what students should know and be able to do in science. Because of the central role of standards in both the education and the assessment systems, review and revision of standards documents should be the impetus for substantive discussion among educators, parents, and others, about priorities for science learning.
Distinguish between inference and evidence in a newspaper, magazine, journal, or Internet article that addresses an issue related to human impact on cycles of matter in an ecosystem and determine the bias in the article.
Evaluate the impact of personal choices in relation to the cycling of matter within an ecosystem (e.g., impact of automobiles on the carbon cycle, impact on landfills of processed and packaged foods).
Objective 3: Describe how interactions among organisms and their environment help shape ecosystems.
Categorize relationships among living things according to predator-prey, competition, and symbiosis.
Formulate and test a hypothesis specific to the effect of changing one variable upon another in a small ecosystem.
Use data to interpret interactions among biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., pH, temperature, precipitation, populations, diversity) within an ecosystem.
Investigate an ecosystem using methods of science to gather quantitative and qualitative data that describe the ecosystem in detail.
Research and evaluate local and global practices that affect ecosystems.
Science language that students should use:
—predator-prey, symbiosis, competition, ecosystem, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle,
—oxygen cycle, population, diversity, energy pyramid, consumers, producers,
—limiting factor, competition, decomposers, food chain, biotic, abiotic, community,
—variable, evidence, inference, quantitative, qualitative.
SOURCE: http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=3520.
After reviewing the evaluations of the AFT, the Fordham Foundation, and the Council for Basic Education, Archibald (1998, p. 5) proposed that the evaluation of standards needs a “theory of design for content standards that would link purpose, content and organization.” While this remains an unrealized goal, the committee suggests that a first step in this direction is to derive a set of guidelines for standards that can help identify the essential features that standards should possess. It would be very inefficient for each state to develop such a theory of design on its own. Education policy and research organizations could assist states by bringing together experts and state education leaders to develop guidance on the structure of quality science standards. The U.S. Department of Education also
might provide some guidance to states, not on the content of their science standards, which they are prohibited by law from doing, but on the nature and characteristics of well-formulated science standards. We note here that this discussion relates primarily to content standards; issues specific to achievement standards are discussed at the end of the chapter.
Content Standards Must Support Accountability Actions
In a standards-based accountability system such as NCLB, content standards are the explicit reference point for action. Rather than serving as loose guides, content standards must be a consistent reference point, as the U.S. Constitution is for the nation’s judicial system. State content standards define what students should know and, therefore, what teachers should teach. They also are used for developing assessments and setting achievement targets that will be used to judge student achievement, identifying successful and unsuccessful schools and districts, reporting to the public, triggering interventions (including reorganizations and reconstitutions), and issuing sanctions and rewards. In addition, standards are the reference point for developing improvement strategies to enhance curriculum and instruction and to make school and district operations more effective. Although science is not currently included in the NCLB accountability requirements, it may be in the future; moreover, states may use results from science assessments for their own accountability purposes. The committee assumes that because the results from state science assessments will be publicly reported, they will become part of the accountability system, even if the results are not included in calculations of adequate yearly progress.
Key Features of Content Standards
The committee has compiled a list of characteristics that science content standards should have. Science content should:
be clear, detailed, and complete;
be reasonable in scope;
be rigorously and scientifically correct;
have a clear conceptual framework;
be based on sound models of student learning; and
describe performance expectations and identify proficiency levels.
Each of the characteristics is described below, and examples of current state standards are used to illustrate many of them.5 We were unable to identify any complete set of state science standards that meets all of the criteria we describe. We did, however, find examples of standards that embody one or more of these
State standards are continually being revised, and it may be that exemplars used in this report are no longer part of the identified state’s curriculum framework.
features, and we use them to illustrate some key points, although they may fall short in other regards. It was not possible to include examples from all of the state standards that meet a particular criterion, and many examples could be found of other state standards that meet many of the criteria we discuss. Similarly, our including a state’s standards in this document does not constitute an endorsement by the committee of that state’s standards as a whole.
Clear, Detailed, and Complete
To serve as the basis for curriculum development, the selection of instructional resources, and related activities, science standards must describe the desired outcomes of instruction in clear, detailed, and complete terms. Clarity is important because curriculum developers, textbook and materials selection committees, and others need to develop a shared understanding of the outcomes their efforts are designed to promote. If the standards are incomplete—for example, if they omit important aspects of science—the curriculum will contain similar gaps. We do not suggest that, to be complete, standards should include everything that is known about student learning in this area. That would be both impractical (since it would lead to encyclopedic standards documents) and impossible (since understanding of student science learning is still developing). Rather, we suggest that the standards should reflect careful judgment about which aspects of science students need to learn. One means of paring this very large domain down to a manageable size to serve as targets for instruction and assessment is described by Popham et al. (2004) (see Chapter 2, the instructionally supportive design team model).
However, completeness means more than covering the important science content. It also means providing enough information to communicate a standard well. For example, a complete description of a standard should include as much information as possible about related concepts and principles that are necessary for students to develop an understanding of the standard, prerequisite knowledge that students will need, subsequent knowledge that will build on the standard, expectations for student performance that demonstrates mastery of the standard, and connections to related standards. Sufficient detail is necessary to enable educators to determine whether potential curriculum units and materials promote the goals that the standards are supposed to represent. This is best communicated by concrete examples of student work at all levels of achievement.
In addition, the standards must provide a complete description of the domain of science as a school subject. If standards are incomplete, they will not provide a common reference for all users. One way that standards can be incomplete is by using broad, general, or vague language that leaves interpretation to the individual. This defeats the purpose of having standards. When describing student performance objectives, if standards use precise terms, indicating whether students are expected to know, explain, communicate about, compare, differenti-
ate among, analyze, explore, design, construct, debate, or measure, they are far more useful. California’s science standards, although they describe the content to which students should be exposed, do not make clear what it is that students must be able to do to demonstrate mastery of the standards (see Box 4-3). Merely indicating that students will “know” a given topic is not enough.
Science standards must be clearly written so that they are understandable to science educators, parents, and policy makers. The American Federation of Teachers (1996) said standards should use “clear explicit language … firmly rooted in the content of the subject area, and … detailed enough to provide significant guidance to teachers, curriculum and assessment developers, parents, students
Lack of Clarity in the California Science Standards
The California standards are specific about content, but the language and the lack of clarification about what it means to “know” make the standards an inadequate guide for curriculum or assessment.
Plate Tectonics and Earth’s Structure
1. Plate tectonics accounts for important features of Earth’s surface and major geologic events. As a basis for understanding this concept:
Students know evidence of plate tectonics is derived from the fit of the continents; the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges; and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones.
Students know Earth is composed of several layers: a cold, brittle lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle; and a dense, metallic core.
Students know lithospheric plates the size of continents and oceans move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle.
Students know that earthquakes are sudden motions along breaks in the crust called faults and that volcanoes and fissures are locations where magma reaches the surface.
Students know major geologic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions.
Students know how to explain major features of California geology (including mountains, faults, volcanoes) in terms of plate tectonics.
Students know how to determine the epicenter of an earthquake and know that the effects of an earthquake on any region vary, depending on the size of the earthquake, the distance of the region from the epicenter, the local geology, and the type of construction in the region.
SOURCE: http://www.human-landscaping.com/BA_collaboratory/standards.html.
and others who will be using them.” The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (1993) described this quality as “sufficient precision” to be used for the intended functions.
Reasonable in Scope
The pressure for clarity and completeness has to be balanced against the reality of the school day and year. The consensus-building process that is used to develop standards can result in an unrealistically large document. The tendency to resolve disagreements about priorities by including more things in the standards should be counterbalanced by a realistic appraisal of the limitations dictated by the length of the school day and year. If the standards contain more material than can be covered in a year, administrators and teachers become de facto standard setters by virtue of their choice of textbooks, curriculum materials, and lessons.
Efforts should be made to restrict the scope of standards. Furthermore, since it is difficult to know exactly how much content can be covered in the available time, it is important to indicate priorities among topics to give guidance to teachers and assessment developers who have to make choices.
If the scope of science content has to be limited, it should favor overarching principles and powerful ideas that have explanatory power within and across scientific disciplines—the “big ideas” of science discussed in earlier chapters. Standards developers should not let content area specifics overwhelm broader understandings. An example from the Washington state standards demonstrates a good way to meet this criterion (see Box 4-4).
Rigorous and Scientifically Correct
To support curriculum-related functions, science standards must be rigorous and scientifically correct. Since standards are the reference point that guides other elements of the system, errors and omissions in the standards will be replicated in curricula, instruction, and assessments. Rigor also entails a focus on important scientific understandings rather than trivial facts or formulas in isolation. The standards should reflect the manner in which scientific knowledge is organized, so that curricula can be structured in appropriate ways.
State science content standards should be accurate in describing the nature of science and scientific investigation, and they should be thorough in covering the basic principles in the fields they address. Lerner (1998, p. 3) objects to standards that are mere lists of facts because “lists tend to obscure the profound importance of the theoretical structure of science.”
A Clear Conceptual Framework
Standards should embody a clear conceptual framework that shows how scientific knowledge is organized into disciplines, how large principles subsume
Thoroughness in Covering Basic Principles in the Washington Science Standards
These standards specify precisely what students should be expected to do to demonstrate mastery of the standards.
EALR 1—Systems: The student knows and applies scientific concepts and principles to understand the properties, structures and changes in physical, earth/space, and living systems.
Component 1.1 Properties: Understand how properties are used to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects and how characteristics are used to categorize living things.
Understand sound waves, water waves, and light waves, using wave properties including amplitude, wavelength, and speed. Understand wave behaviors including reflection, refraction, transmission, and absorption.
(6) Describe how sound waves and/or water waves affect the motion of the particles in the substance through which the wave is traveling (e.g., air molecules vibrate back and forth as sound waves move through air).
(6) Describe the behavior of sound and water waves as the waves are reflected and/or absorbed by a substance.
(8) Describe how the observed properties of light, sound, and water are related to amplitude, frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves (e.g., color and brightness of light, pitch and volume of sound, height of water waves, light waves are faster than sound waves).
(8) Describe the behavior of light waves when light interacts with transparent, translucent, and opaque substances (e.g., blue objects appear blue in color because the object reflects mostly blue light and absorbs the other colors of light, transparent objects transmit most light through them, lenses refract light).
(8) Describe the changes in speed and direction as a wave goes from one substance into another.
Analyze sound waves, water waves, and light waves, using wave properties including frequency and energy. Understand wave interference.
(10) Describe the relationship between the wave properties of amplitude and frequency and the energy of a wave (e.g., loud vs. soft sound, high vs. low pitch sound, bright vs. dim light, blue light vs. red light).
(10) Explain the relationship between a wave’s speed and the properties of the substance through which the wave travels (e.g., all sound regardless of loudness and pitch travels at the same speed in the same air, a wave changes speed only when traveling from one substance to another).
(10) Predict and explain what happens to the pitch of sound and color of light as the wave frequency increases or decreases.
(10) Compare the properties of light waves, sound waves, and water waves.
(10) Describe the effects of wave interference (constructive and destructive).
Physical Systems
Wave Behavior
SOURCE: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/Science/default.aspx.
smaller concepts, and how facts and observations support scientific theories. The framework also should reflect the way science is understood by students and how their understanding develops over time. In addition, the framework should be coherent—the content should be presented in a logical order; there should be connections between the standards for one year and the next (whether standards are written at every grade level or in grade-level bands); there should be connections among curriculum, instruction, and assessment and the standards; and the progression of content should be developmentally appropriate for the students.
Standards should have a clear internal structure to provide a framework for developing curriculum and organizing instruction, as well as to provide a reference point for reporting student results. Topics should be organized into conceptually coherent units that make sense to stakeholders. Standards also should convey which subscores are meaningful in terms of the content domain. It may be adequate to report a single judgment for all of science, but more detailed information about subtopics or subdomains can shed more light on the developmental trajectory of a student. Subtopic results can show where a student is having difficulty, and they also can reveal patterns of difficulty among individuals or groups of students that point to a need for curricular or instructional improvements. If results are to be used by teachers to improve instruction, their content has to be organized in ways that will be helpful to them.
Sound Models of Student Learning
Effective standards should reflect what is known about how students learn science. For example, content should be organized in the standards to match the way students actually develop scientific understanding. Similarly, it would be a mistake to establish a standard that research had shown was inaccessible to most students of a given age.
To the extent possible, the standards should reflect what is known about how students learn science. For example, standards should clarify the way understanding builds on prior knowledge and experience. Similarly, standards can illustrate the way ideas are applied in multiple contexts as a basis for developing deeper understanding. When appropriate, standards should explicitly mention the kinds of cognitive tools that characterize the work of scientists and the ways in which students learn science. As states begin to elaborate standards for specific audiences, they should think about other learning principles that are particularly relevant for instructional planning, such as the importance of interactions with peers and experts in developing understanding through collaborative work.
Another function of standards is to support instructional planning and the setting of instructional priorities. In a standards-based system, teachers should refer directly to standards documents, as well as to the curriculum and instructional resources, to decide what to teach and how to teach it. Thus, standards become directly relevant to instructional decisions.
Describe Performance Expectations and Identify Proficiency Levels
If content standards are to fulfill their role of supporting assessment development and the setting of achievement standards, they must describe examples of performance expectations for students in clear and specific terms. Moreover, it is helpful if the central standards document suggests the basis on which distinctions between levels of proficiency can be made, even before specific decisions are made about how the achievement standards will be set. An exhaustive description of every performance level for every standard is unrealistic. However, if the developers of content standards have clear beliefs about aspects of scientific knowledge and skills that should be associated with basic, proficient, and advanced performance, they should indicate this as a guideline for the setting of achievement levels.
ELABORATING STANDARDS FOR PRACTITIONERS
To be effective, state science standards need to be more thorough and thoughtful than most are at present. However, that does not mean that science content standards alone would be adequate to serve the needs of teachers, test developers, students, parents, and policy makers. Supplementary material must be developed to help communicate the standards widely and to elaborate on them for practitioners, policy makers, and others. Users of the standards need guidance in applying them, in part because research has not answered every conceivable question; standards will, and should, inevitably leave room for judgment at the school district, school, and classroom levels. Each state will develop its own strategy for elaboration, based on its existing resources, but it is important that the elaboration process be as inclusive as possible, so that all relevant stakeholders become familiar with the standards. It is also important that the supplementary materials be designed to “stretch” the standards to meet the needs of different audiences. A few examples illustrate the type of materials we have in mind.
The state may need to elaborate on the standards to help teachers apply the curriculum and develop instructional plans that link the standards. These materials may contain references to approved curricula, suggested lesson activities, and sources of supplemental lesson materials, and they would certainly contain examples of student work that satisfy the standards. They may also contain information about the prior knowledge and experiences that students need to learn the information embodied in a given standard, sources of difficulty that students commonly encounter with the content, common misconceptions that they hold about the topic, connections between this standard and others in science, and connections between this standard and standards in other disciplines. There is no common label to describe such elaborations, but a good descriptive term might be standards-based lesson support. As teachers work with students, particularly as they assess student understanding in class, they will learn more about the prior
knowledge and experience students need to master a given standard, the sources of difficulty students have, and relevant misconceptions. This knowledge should be shared with others as part of an ongoing process of elaboration. Ultimately, it should find its way back into revisions of the standards themselves.
For test developers, the state may need to provide a measurement-oriented document that focuses on the content that has high priority for assessment, the manner in which student understanding should be determined, the balance among presentation options, constraints regarding test administration and scoring, and reporting requirements. Standards-based assessment guidelines would be a suitable label for such a document. It would contain information on which to build more detailed assessment blueprints or specifications. It also would contain necessary background information required to develop a request for proposals for an assessment contractor.
The committee suggests that states consider, as they elaborate on their standards, a model that can be used not only for organizing and elaborating standards but also as the conceptual framework for assessment. We have described why systems for science education and assessment should be organized around the big ideas of science. These central principles can be introduced early and progressively refined, elaborated, and extended throughout schooling. Organizing standards around these central principles and developing learning progressions make clear what could be taken as evidence at different grade levels that students are developing as expected and building a foundation for future learning.
Organizing standards around big ideas represents a fundamental shift from the more traditional organizational structure that many states now use, in which standards are grouped under discrete topic headings. In reorganizing their standards, states may find that they will need to add to, elaborate on, delete, or revise some standards to better represent the kinds of scientific knowledge and understandings that are the basis for these big ideas. This process is likely to mean a shift in state standards from broad coverage to deep coverage around a relatively small set of foundational concepts that can be progressively refined, elaborated, and extended.
The committee recognizes the challenges inherent in trying to organize standards in this way. It is a time-consuming process that requires the combined expertise of science teachers, scientists, curriculum developers, and experts with knowledge of how children learn in specific domains of science. The strand maps in the Atlas for Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2001) may provide a useful starting place for thinking about state-level learning progressions (Figure 4-1). These maps show how students’ understanding of the ideas and skills that lead to literacy in science, mathematics, and technology grow over time. Each map contains explicit connections to ideas represented on other maps, as understanding these connections is a critical part of developing science literacy.
FIGURE 4-1 A strand map for cell functions. SOURCE: LaPointe, Mead, and Phillips (1989). Reprinted by permission of the Educational Testing Service.
ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS
The term “standards” is often used loosely in a way that does not distinguish between content and achievement standards. However, both kinds of standards are important, and they must work together. We turn now to some issues that relate to the setting and use of achievement standards. Achievement standards are means of defining levels of performance. Because there are a variety of ways to set them, they can take a variety of forms. In some contexts—licensure tests for airline pilots and surgeons, for example—they are used to mark a minimum level of acceptable performance. In other settings, more general descriptions of performance that sort students into achievement levels, such as basic, proficient, and advanced, are used. Achievement standards are important for many reasons:
They provide teachers with targets for instruction by specifying what, and how much, students must be able to do to demonstrate mastery of the content standards and the achievement level that is called for.
They provide clear directions to test developers about the kinds of performance situations and tasks that will be used to make judgments about student proficiency.
They provide a tool for evaluating the alignment between standards and assessments that is more precise than an analysis of the content match between the two.
They help standard setters by suggesting the basis on which judgments about levels of proficiency should be made.
They provide a framework for aggregating data drawn from different sources of information to document performance.
They help to clarify for the public what it means for a student to be classified at a particular level.
Before considering the NCLB requirements for achievement standards, it is useful to note the different ways in which the term “achievement standard” is used. To test developers and psychometricians, an achievement standard is represented by the point on a test score scale that separates one level of achievement from another (a passing score from a failing one, for example). To educators involved in the development of curriculum and instruction, the term can mean a description of what a student knows and can do to demonstrate proficiency on a standard. To others, it can mean examples of student work that illustrate a particular level of performance. Hansche (1998) defines achievement standards (which he refers to as performance standards) as a system that includes performance levels (labels for each level of achievement), performance descriptors (narrative descriptions of performance at each level), exemplars of student work that illustrate the full range of performance at each level of achievement, and cut scores that differentiate among the achievement levels. The key characteristics
Criteria for Good Performance (Achievement) Standards
Performance standards clearly differentiate among levels. Performance descriptors should be easy to apply to collections of student work. When they apply the descriptors for the performance levels, teachers, parents, and students should clearly see why certain sets of student exemplars or student profiles are assigned to one performance level and not to another.
Performance standards are grounded in student work but not tied to the status quo. The system should reflect the major concepts and accomplishments that are essential for describing each level of performance. Student work that reflects the diverse ways in which various students demonstrate their achievement should be used to inform the descriptions during various stages of development, illustrating where students should be as a result of the educational process rather than where they are now.
Performance standards are built by consensus. The system of standards must be arrived at by the constituency who will use them. It must be built around agreed-upon statements of a range of achievement with regard to student performances. Not only should teachers and students understand the standards, but the “end users,” such as colleges and universities, technical schools, and employers, should also understand what performance standards mean for them.
Performance standards are focused on learning. Performance descriptors should provide a clear sense of increased knowledge and sophistication of skills. Descriptors that simply specify “more advanced” at each successive level are not particularly useful. The “more” should be clearly described or defined to show progression of learning. Cut scores on assessments must be based on this learning, and exemplars of student work should illustrate learning at each level.
SOURCE: Hansche (1998). Reprinted by permission of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
that systems of achievement standards should have, as conceived by Hansche, are shown in Box 4-5.
Three of the four components of the assessment system—labels, descriptors, and exemplars—should be created before assessments are developed. Bond (2000) argues that test development can be improved if test developers are given copies of the achievement standard descriptors and exemplars of what satisfactory performance looks like before test development begins. Test developers can use the content specifications, the assessment framework, and the performance descriptors to create items that assess all levels of performance.
The cut score—the numerical cutoff marking the divide between levels of performance deemed acceptable for particular purposes—is defined in the context of a particular instrument and is usually developed after the assessment is
administered and scored. NCLB requires that states develop science achievement standards by the 2005–2006 school year, but does not require states to set cut scores until after they administer their first science assessments in 2007–2008.
Establishing Achievement Levels
Current methods for setting achievement levels fall into two categories: test-based methods and student-based methods. Test-based methods are those in which judgments are based on close examination of individual items or tasks that help to refine understanding of the performance of students who fall close to the border between two achievement levels. Student-based methods, by contrast, are procedures by which judgments are made about the skills or knowledge (or both) displayed by sample groups of students, generally by teachers who know them well. Methods that combine the test-based and student-based approaches also have been developed (Haertel and Lorie, 2004; Wilson and Draney, 2002). Each is likely to yield somewhat different results and no single method is recognized as the best for all circumstances (Jaeger, 1989).
Variability in Achievement Standards
While the language of standards-based reform has focused on setting high standards and helping all students move toward those levels, definitions of proficiency are not consistent from state to state or, in some cases, from district to district. For example, one study found that definitions of proficiency range from the 70th percentile or higher to as low as the 7th percentile. In other words, in one state, 30 percent of students in a particular grade may be identified as proficient in a subject, while in a neighboring state, 93 percent are identified as proficient. Such stark contrasts are likely to indicate that expectations—and perhaps the purposes of testing—are different in the two states, not that students in one state are vastly more competent in the assessed domain than students in the other. Judgment is a key part of the standard-setting process, and the variability this introduces must be factored into planning. Different groups of human beings will not produce exactly comparable results using the same process, and this source of error variance must be taken into account in the process by which the results are validated (Linn, 2003). In one study in which the standards set by independent but comparable panels of judges were evaluated, the percentages of students identified as failing ranged from 9 to 30 percent on the reading assessment and from 14 to 17 percent on the mathematics assessment (Jaeger, Cole, Irwin, and Pratto, 1980).
The method chosen to set achievement standards will also have an impact on the standards. An early study in which independent samples of teachers set standards using one of four methods showed considerable variability in the levels set (Poggio, Glasnapp, and Eros, 1981). On a 60-item reading test, the percentage of students who would have failed ranged from 2 to 29 percent across the standard-
setting methods. Some researchers have suggested that variability can be minimized if multiple methods are used in setting achievement standards and a panel then uses these results to set the final standards.
Establishing the Validity of Achievement Standards
A critical aspect of the standard-setting process is the collection of evidence to support the validity of the standards and the decisions that are made in using them (Kane, 2001). A first step in doing this is to examine the coherence of the standard-setting process—that is, the standard-setting methods should be consistent with the design of the assessment and the model of achievement underlying the assessment program (Kane, 2001). Evidence regarding the soundness of the design and implementation of the standard-setting study is needed; this could include reviews of the procedures used for selecting and training judges and for crafting descriptors for the achievement levels. Researchers advocate that descriptors for the achievement levels be developed before the cut scores are established so that the judges have a clear definition of each of the levels.
Evidence of the extent of internal inconsistency, or variability, in judgments is needed as well. Variability among judges can be examined at the different stages of the standard-setting process. For example, after training, judges can be asked to independently set cut scores in the first round of the process. Each judge can then be provided with information on the cut scores set by other judges; after a group discussion, the judges can be asked to review their own cut scores and make any modifications they deem necessary. The variability of the judges can also be examined after this second round. Judges can be shown impact data (demonstrating the effects of setting cut scores at particular levels, for example) and then be asked to discuss how this affects their chosen cut scores. Afterward they could have another opportunity to make modifications to their cut scores if they wish. The variability can be examined again at this point.
The consistency of the standards set by independent sets of judges representing the same constituencies should also be evaluated. This would require forming independent panels of comparably qualified judges to set standards under the direction of comparable leaders using the same method, procedures, instructions, and materials. The variance in the standards set by the independent panels provides a measure of the error present with panels and standard-setting leaders (Linn, 2003). Supplementary data should also be collected regarding the judges’ level of satisfaction with the standard-setting process as well as their degree of confidence in the resulting cut scores. Surveys and interviews can provide these data.
Evidence of external validity is also needed. NCLB requires states to participate in biennial administrations of the state-level National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics at grades 4 and 8. In the near future, states will also be able to participate in administrations of NAEP in sci-
ence, which will allow them to use these results in evaluating the stringency of their achievement standards.
Setting Achievement Standards for a System of Assessments
Although there are many different ways to set achievement standards, further options are needed. The most common methods used to set achievement levels, such as the modified Angoff or bookmark methods, were designed for use on a single test. Although the committee did not evaluate them, we identified several methods for setting achievement standards when multiple measures are used. These methods include the body of work method (Kingston, Kahl, Sweeney, and Bay, 2001); the judgmental policy capturing method (Jaeger, 1995) and the construct mapping method (Wilson and Draney, 2002). All of these methods have been tried with some success on a limited scale; however, this is an area in which research is clearly needed, as states will need help in implementing standard-setting strategies or systems of assessment that include multiple measures of student achievement.
QUESTIONS FOR STATES
In responding to the requirements of NCLB, states will need to review their science standards and the documents that serve to elaborate the standards, and they may need to modify them in significant ways. We urge states to use the principles outlined in this chapter as a guide, and we pose questions that states can use as they consider possible improvements to their science standards.
Question 4-1: Have the state’s science standards been elaborated to provide explicit guidance to teachers, curriculum developers, and the state testing contractors about the skills and knowledge that are required?
Question 4-2: Have the state’s science standards been reviewed by an independent body to ensure that they are reasonable in scope, accurate, clear, and attainable; reflect the current state of scientific knowledge; focus on ideas of significance; and reflect current understanding of the ways in which students learn science?
Question 4-3: Does the state have in place a regular cycle (preferably no longer than 8 to 10 years) for reviewing and revising its standards, during which time is allowed for development of new standards as needed; implementation of those standards; and then evaluation by a panel of experts to inform the next iteration of review and revision? Has the state set aside resources and developed both long-and short-term strategies for this to occur?
Next: 5 Designing Science Assessment »
Systems for State Science Assessment Get This Book
In response to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), Systems for State Science Assessment explores the ideas and tools that are needed to assess science learning at the state level. This book provides a detailed examination of K-12 science assessment: looking specifically at what should be measured and how to measure it.
Along with reading and mathematics, the testing of science is a key component of NCLB—it is part of the national effort to establish challenging academic content standards and develop the tools to measure student progress toward higher achievement. The book will be a critical resource for states that are designing and implementing science assessments to meet the 2007-2008 requirements of NCLB.
In addition to offering important information for states, Systems for State Science Assessment provides policy makers, local schools, teachers, scientists, and parents with a broad view of the role of testing and assessment in science education.
Front Matter i–xviii
2 A Systems Approach to Assessment 21–37
3 Science Literacy: Implications for Assessment 38–53
4 The Centrality of Standards 54–76
5 Designing Science Assessment 77–113
6 Implementation and Support 114–135
7 Issues of Equity and Adequacy 136–145
8 Evaluation and Monitoring 146–160
9 Supporting the Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of State Science Assessment Systems 161–170
Appendix A Practical Tips 185–201
Appendix B Background Papers 202–209
Appendix C Biographical Sketches of Committee, Staff, and Working Group Members 210–220
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How the Navy built a better jet
By: E.R. Johnson, Aviation History Magazine July 5
An F3H-2 McDonnell jet lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Saratoga in the Mediterranean Sea. (U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation)
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, especially in aviation history.
An extraordinary example occurred near Naval Air Station North Island near San Diego during the early 1950s: While performing flight testing from an aircraft carrier, the catapult bridle — a device that connected the airplane to the catapult shuttle — had jammed the nose gear strut of a Chance Vought F7U-3 Cutlass, so that the gear would neither fully retract nor extend.
Repeated efforts by the pilot to shake the bridle loose proved futile. Because attempting to land on the jammed nose strut was deemed unsafe, the pilot of the Cutlass was directed to fly over the base, point the aircraft out to sea and eject.
Minutes later, after a successful ejection and seat separation, a crash crewman riding in a truck watched the pilot make a safe parachute landing in a nearby field.
The crewman jumped out of the truck and ran up to the pilot. Pointing overhead, he exclaimed, “Your buddy’s still up there!”
Giving the man a confused look, the pilot said, “Buddy? I don’t have a buddy up there.”
But looking up, following the man’s finger, he saw it — his Cutlass — descending and turning back toward where the two men stood.
Both were frozen in place as they watched the jet continue to circle and lose altitude. Coming in lower, the unpiloted F7U-3 missed colliding with the central cupola of the famous Del Coronado Hotel by scant feet, then moments later neatly landed on Imperial Beach.
Damage was so slight that the aircraft was later repaired and returned to service.
An F7U-3 Cutlass flying over New Jersey in 1955. (U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation)
When jet aircraft began making their appearance during World War II, officials at the U.S. Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics weren’t completely sure they could be safely operated from the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Development trials carried out in 1946-47 with the McDonnell FD/FH-1 Phantom and the North American FJ-1 Fury demonstrated that carrier-based jet operations were practical.
In terms of performance, however, no truly combat-capable jet fighter emerged until Grumman F9F Panthers and McDonnell F2H Banshees began reaching operational units in 1949 and 1950
Even though these new jets were considerably faster than the prop-driven planes they replaced, they still didn’t measure up to swept wing, land-based jets (e.g., the F-86 and MiG-15) entering service at the same time.
The deficit in naval air superiority was never more apparent than during the Korean War, when Navy and Marine Corps aircraft were forced to either avoid airspace within the range of marauding MiGs or rely upon protection from U.S. Air Force F-86s.
The need to close the air superiority gap confronted the Bureau of Aeronautics with highly complex problems.
At a minimum, any new carrier-based fighter needed to be fast enough to engage enemy aircraft traveling at transonic speeds (more than 600 mph at 40,000 feet) and, in due course, supersonic speeds (more than 660 mph at 40,000 feet).
The Navy fighters should be equipped with radar for night and all-weather operations, and had to be capable of operating from carrier decks ranging in length from 820 feet (Essex class) to 900 feet (Midway class).
Modifications that would improve the carrier fleet’s ability to handle higher-performance jets (i.e., angled decks, steam catapults, etc.) were still years away, and the Navy’s hoped-for “super-carrier” program was abruptly canceled in 1949 as a cost-cutting measure. In fact, no carrier built specifically to handle jets would join the fleet until the mid-1950s.
Undeterred, the Bureau of Aeronautics and its partners in industry met this challenge by generating 11 different fighter designs between 1948 and 1958: eight under new type designations (F7U, F4D, F3H, F10F, F11F, F8U, F5D and F4H) and three more as subvariants of existing types (F9F-6, 7 and 8; F2H-3 and 4; and FJ-2, 3, 4 and 4B).
All 11 reached flying prototype status, and remarkably all but two actually achieved operational carrier service, albeit short-lived in some instances.
Vought F7U-3 "Cutlass" jets from Fighter Squadron 124 during the 1950s. (Part of the R.L. Lawson Collection Naval Aviation News, U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command)
F7U Cutlass
The mass of aeronautical test and research data captured from Germany at the end of World War II had a sweeping impact on military aircraft developments in the United States. Designed to meet a mid-1945 naval requirement for a 600-mph carrier fighter, Chance Vought’s F7U Cutlass owed much of its unique configuration to data on tailless aircraft acquired from the German Arado company. The data suggested that elimination of the horizontal tail would avoid the extreme nose-down forces experienced by conventional airplanes at speeds above Mach 0.75.
The twin-engine XF7U-1, which first flew in September 1948, featured a low-aspect-ratio wing swept to 38 degrees with vertical tail surfaces mounted on the wings at mid-span. Roll and pitch control was combined in “ailevators” (i.e., elevons) located on the trailing edges of the outboard wing panels. For slow flight, during takeoff and approach, the wing included large full-span leading edge slats, but no flaps.
Powered by two Westinghouse J34 engines, the three XF7U-1s were followed by 14 F7U-1 production models. After lengthy trials, the F7U-1 was deemed generally unsuitable for carrier operations due to poor pilot visibility during landing approach (caused by the very high angle of attack needed at low airspeeds), poor wave-off characteristics and arresting hook problems.
The similar F7U-2 was canceled, but the improved F7U-3 flew in December 1951 with more powerful Westinghouse J46 engines and a totally redesigned nose that housed a radar and fire-control system for all-weather operations. Other enhancements included wing pylons for either external fuel tanks or air-to-ground ordnance. Standard air-to-air armament consisted of four 20mm cannons. Beam-riding Sparrow missiles were added in the -3M version.
The Navy ordered 180 F7U-3s, followed by 98 missile-carrying F7U-3Ms, the last delivered in 1955. F7U-3s and -3Ms served with 10 fleet fighter squadrons between 1954 and 1957, some of which were redesignated as attack squadrons.
Though it turned out to be a maneuverable and stable weapons platform, the subsonic Cutlass was plagued by the need for excessive maintenance as well as a high accident rate, and by the mid-1950s it was obsolete compared to newer supersonic designs reaching advanced stages of development.
Douglas F4D-1 "Skyray" fighter landing on board the aircraft carrier Bon Homme Richard on Aug. 30, 1957. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command)
F4D Skyray
Another product of captured German research — Messerschmitt this time — the Douglas F4D Skyray emerged from a 1947 design competition for a delta-wing naval fighter.
The delta configuration was seen as a means to produce a plane optimized for high rate of climb yet fast enough to intercept enemy aircraft before they reached their targets. Early on, however, the Douglas team abandoned the pure delta-wing approach in favor of a tailless planform with swept wings of extremely low aspect ratio. In a related program, the Navy was sponsoring development of the J40 power plant by Westinghouse, a 10-stage axial-flow turbojet with which it planned to power the Skyray and at least two other fighter projects on the drawing boards.
When the J40 program fell seriously behind schedule, the XF4D-1 made its initial flight in January 1951 with an Allison J35 engine. Problems with the J40 led to a complete abandonment of the program, and in March 1953 a decision was made to equip the Skyray with the more reliable Pratt & Whitney J57.
Although the first J57-equipped F4D-1 flew in June 1954, extended acceptance trials delayed production models from reaching operational units until April 1956, eight years after the aircraft was first ordered. Deliveries to Navy and Marine fighter units continued through December 1958, when production terminated after 420 F4D-1s had been built.
The Skyray was the first Navy fighter capable of exceeding Mach 1 in level fight, and in 1958 set the climb-to-height record, reaching 15,000 meters (49,212 feet) in 2 minutes 36 seconds. It was also the first naval fighter to serve as part of Air Defense Command, which had responsibility for protecting the continental United States from attack.
F4D-1s were armed with four 20mm cannons, 24 2.75-inch unguided rockets and two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, or they could carry up to 4,000 pounds of air-to-ground ordnance on wing racks. The last examples left active service in early 1964.
F3H-2 "Demon" fighters from Fighter Squadron 141 in flight on Feb. 13, 1961. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command)
F3H Demon
The Demon was originally conceived in response to a mid-1948 Navy requirement for a carrier-based day fighter that would be comparable in all respects to contemporary land-based fighters (specifically the Air Force’s North American F-86A, which by that time had been tested and ordered into production).
After beating out 11 competitors, McDonnell was issued a contract to build two XF3H-1 prototypes in September 1949. The F3H utilized a conventional planform with wing and tail surfaces swept to 45 degrees, and like the Skyray was to be powered by a single Westinghouse J40 turbojet. While the prototypes were still under construction, the bureau added the requirement that production Demons be designed with all-weather capability as F3H-1Ns.
In what turned out to be a costly mistake, the F3H-1N was ordered into production even before the first XF3H-1 flew in August 1951. The J40-equipped F3H-1Ns were not only seriously under-powered, but the engine proved to be so unreliable that all 56 aircraft were ultimately grounded.
Rather then cancel the entire program, a decision was made in 1953 to substitute the Allison J71 engine (basically an upgraded J35).
The first J71-powered F3H-2N flew in April 1955, and deliveries to squadrons began in early 1956. The -2s appeared in three subvariants: F3H-2Ns, armed with four 20mm cannons and two infrared Sidewinders; F3H-3Ms, additionally armed with beam-riding Sparrows; and F3H-2s, optimized as strike fighters to carry up to 6,000 pounds of ordnance.
Total F3H production stopped in early 1960 after 519 had been built, and the last examples were withdrawn from operational service in September 1964.
The Demon, in its final variants, was basically a good weapons platform, but because of an overlong gestation period it was unavoidably overtaken by the F8U and F4H.
Grumman F9F -6 "Cougar" jet fighters in formation over Japan's Mount Fuji on Dec. 12, 1954. They belonged to Fighter Squadron 153 off the aircraft carrier Yorktown. (National Archives)
F9F Cougar
In late 1950, the appearance of the MiG-15 in Korea, combined with delays in existing Navy fighter programs, prompted bureau officials to press for development of a swept wing derivative of the Grumman Panther.
The XF9F-6 was essentially an F9F-5 fuselage adapted to a wing and horizontal tail both swept to 35 degrees. The fuselage was extended 2 feet in the middle to permit greater internal fuel (in lieu of tip tanks), and an uprated Pratt & Whitney J48 engine increased thrust by 1,000 pounds. Work proceeded rapidly, and the first Cougar prototype was flying by September 1951.
In testing, the XF9F-6 proved to be 100 mph faster than the Panther, and after initial stability problems were solved by the addition of an all-flying stabilizer and spoilers, the Cougar showed above-average carrier handling characteristics.
Cougars were ordered into production as the F9F-6 (J48) and F9F-7 (identical except for the Allison J33) and began reaching squadron service in November 1952. First flown in December 1953, the F9F-8 had a fuselage stretch of 8 inches for more fuel and a 15- square-foot addition to wings that produced a noticeable saw-tooth leading edge. F9F-8s were later retrofitted with nose-mounted refueling probes and were capable of carrying Sidewinder missiles.
The F9F-8B was fitted with a low altitude bombing system (LABS) so that it could operate in a strike fighter role. By the mid-1950s, the Cougar was the most numerous fighter in the naval inventory, but its service life was comparatively brief: It was phased out of frontline squadrons by 1959.
Cougars continued to serve in Navy and Marine reserve units until the mid-1960s.
North American FJ-4B "Fury" fighters from Strike Fighter Squadron 146 fly in formation on Feb. 13, 1961. (National Archives)
FJ Fury
In early 1951, the circumstances that gave rise to the Cougar also led bureau officials to seek development of a navalized version of North American’s excellent F-86 Sabre.
Right after the project was initiated, the Navy issued a contract for 300 airplanes as the FJ-2, and the first prototype, basically a J47-powered F-86E with catapult points and a V-frame arrestor hook, flew in December 1951. Production FJ-2s had other refinements such as folding wings, lengthened nose wheel strut, four 20mm cannons, no dihedral in the horizontal tail, a modified canopy and stronger landing gear.
When the Korean War ended, production was cut back to 200 planes. Unlike the competing F9F-6, FJ-2s revealed poor carrier handling traits and from 1954 to 1957 served only with six land-based Marine squadrons.
Work on the follow-on FJ-3 began in mid-1952, and the first example flew in July 1952. The -3 came with a more powerful Wright J65 engine, an enlarged nose intake and wing modifications that improved carrier handling qualities.
Delivery to fleet squadrons began in September 1954, and the type ultimately equipped 19 Navy and four Marine squadrons. The last batch of 80 aircraft was delivered as Sidewinder-carrying FJ-3Ms, with production ending in August 1956.
Like that of its Cougar stablemate, the service life of the FJ-3 was short, with all examples withdrawn from operational squadrons by 1960.
Though still in the Fury series, the FJ-4 of 1954 was essentially a completely new airframe. A new fuselage contour allowed 50 percent greater fuel capacity, and a new thin-section wing (similar to the F-100’s) incorporated leading edge droops coupled to the trailing edge flaps for slow speed control. Armament included four 20mm cannons and four Sidewinder missiles.
The prototype FJ-4 flew in October 1954, and production models began to reach operational units in 1955, ultimately equipping one Navy and three Marine fighter squadrons.
The FJ-4B was a dedicated ground attack version, flying for the first time in December 1956.
In addition to a stiffened wing and a low-altitude bombing system for tactical nuclear weapons, the -4B could also carry up to five Bullpup air-to-ground missiles and had air-to-air refueling capability.
After FJ-4Bs were issued to nine Navy and three Marine attack squadrons, production ceased in May 1958. The phase-out of FJ-4s and -4Bs began in 1959, and all had been withdrawn by the end of 1962.
McDonnell F2H-3 "Banshee" fighters from Fighter Squadron 31 fly over the Mediterranean Sea on Jan. 26, 1954. Note different color schemes. This photo was taken while the Navy was changing its planes from blue to grey. (National Archives)
F2H-3 Banshee
The unexpected setbacks in the F7U, F4D and F3H programs in 1950-51 induced bureau officials to ask McDonnell to develop an all-weather version of its twin-engine, straight-wing Banshee. The F2H-3, introducing a longer fuselage, more wing area, redesigned tail surfaces and an APQ-41 radar system, flew in early 1952 and entered service later that same year.
The F2H-3 was followed in 1953 by the F2H-4, which had a better radar system and slightly uprated J34 engines. Both types equipped 12 Navy and two Marine squadrons, forming the fleet’s all-weather fighter capability until replaced by Skyrays and Demons during the mid- to late 1950s.
The last examples were withdrawn from frontline service in 1959, and a small number served with Navy and Marine reserve squadrons until 1961.
F10F Jaguar
The variable-sweep Grumman Jaguar represented an interesting attempt to develop a fighter with good handling characteristics in either high or low airspeed ranges. Based on experimental data amassed in the 1940s, Grumman conceived a jet fighter design with wings that could move fore and aft from 13.5 to 42.5 degrees.
Like the contemporary Skyray and Demon, Grumman’s project was planned around a single J40 engine. The Navy, encouraged by the design work, placed an initial order for a prototype and 30 pre-production models. When it made its first flight in May 1952, however, the XF10F-1 had materialized as a large (33,000 pounds loaded), highly complex aircraft with poor flying characteristics.
The Navy canceled its order, but the prototype was flown for several years at Edwards Air Force Base to evaluate the properties of variable-geometry flight.
A U.S. Navy Grumman F11F-1 Tiger in flight. (U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation)
F11F Tiger
The Tiger began in 1952 as a company-funded effort by Grumman to explore the possibilities of applying area rule and a thinner wing section in order to obtain supersonic performance from the Cougar.
Though designated the XF9F-9, the design that evolved in the spring of 1953 bore no resemblance to the previous F9F series: a slim fuselage designed in accordance with area rule, with lateral intakes moved well forward; narrow-chord, shoulder-mounted wings that featured full-span slats and flaps and spoilers for roll control; main landing gear that retracted flush into the fuselage; and a low-mounted, all-flying stabilizer. Power came from an afterburning Wright J65 engine.
Armament consisted of four 20mm cannons and four Sidewinder infrared missiles. The first prototype flew in July 1954 before an afterburning engine was available but nevertheless achieved Mach 0.9 on the first flight. Once they were fitted with afterburners, prototypes easily exceeded Mach 1 in level flight.
The Navy ordered the Tiger into production under the new designation F11F-1, but protracted carrier evaluations and resulting modifications delayed their entry into service until early 1957.
Production ceased in January 1959 with the delivery of the 199th aircraft. F11F-1s equipped seven Navy fighter squadrons until 1961, when they were withdrawn from frontline service and used as jet transition trainers until mid-1967.
Despite their brief service, however, from 1957 to 1969 Navy Tigers became familiar to thousands of spectators when they were used by the Blue Angels flight demonstration team.
In an effort to get more life out of the design, Grumman initiated a project in 1955 to equip the Tiger with the General Electric J79. The resulting F11F-1F, or Super Tiger, flew in May 1956, and during testing in 1957 achieved a maximum speed of Mach 2.04 (1,320 mph) and climbed to an altitude of 80,250 feet.
By that time, however, the F8U was already entering service and the multirole F4H was in advanced stages of design. As a result, the smaller, mission-limited F11F-1F was not ordered.
Cmdr. R.W. "Duke" Windsor in an F8U-1 Crusader, August 1956. It was the first operationally equipped jet plane to fly faster than 1,000 mph. (National Archives)
F8U Crusader
In the fall of 1952, the Bureau of Aeronautics circulated a new requirement for an air superiority fighter that could climb to 25,000 feet in one minute and accelerate to an intercept speed of Mach 1.2. In May 1953, after considering 21 proposals from eight different manufacturers, the bureau selected Vought’s entry, designated the XF8U-1, as the winner.
Designed around the Pratt & Whitney J57 engine (14,500 pounds static thrust in afterburner), the XF8U-1’s most outstanding feature was a variable-incidence wing in which the entire center section could be raised in flight to increase angle of incidence by 7 percent during takeoffs and landings.
In addition, while in the raised position, wing camber was increased by full span leading edge droops and ailerons that automatically lowered to 25 degrees. It had a long area-rule fuselage, and the cockpit was placed well forward behind a nose that housed a fire-control radar and incorporated a chin-type air intake below the radome.
Armament consisted of four 20mm cannons, two Sidewinder missiles and 32 2.75-inch unguided rockets in a retractable pack. The Navy ordered three prototypes in mid- 1953, and the first XF8U-1 flew in March 1955. Testing revealed the need for very few changes.
Production F8U-1s began reaching operational units in March 1957 and equipped nine Navy and Marine fighter squadrons by the end of the year.
Between 1957 and 1962, Crusaders were produced in four more versions: The F8U-1E had an improved fire-control radar; the F8U-2 featured an uprated J57 engine, ventral strakes on the tail to enhance high speed stability and the ability to carry two additional Sidewinders; the F8U-2N included improved radar and avionics for better all-weather capability and an approach power compensator (a computer stabilization system that controlled airspeeds during carrier approaches); and the F8U-2NE, the first version with substantial air-to-ground capability, introduced an all-new search and fire-control radar and infrared scanner, an avionics package for Bullpup air-to-ground missiles contained in a hump on the wing center section, plus provision to carry eight Zuni unguided air-to-ground missiles and 4,000 pounds of bombs on external racks.
In mid-1962, under a new designation system, the F8U became the F-8 (the F8U-1 became the F-8A; the F8U-1E became the F-8B; the F8U-2 became the F-8C; the F8U-2N became the F-8D; and the F8U-2NE became the F-8E). To extend the Crusader’s service life, 89 F-8Ds were remanufactured as the F-8H, 136 F-8Es as the F-8J, 87 F-8Cs as the F-8K, and 61 F-8Bs as the F-8L. F-8s served with distinction throughout the Vietnam War, and the last example was withdrawn from active service in 1976.
In 1956, although Crusader production was already underway, Vought began planning a Mach 2 successor to be powered by the Pratt & Whitney J75 engine. The resulting XF8U-3, although it bore a superficial resemblance to the F8U-1, was in effect a complete redesign. The first prototype, flying in mid-1958, was followed by two more prototypes. However, despite impressive performance (Mach 2.21, combat ceiling of 60,000 feet), the XF8U-3 was canceled in late-1958 in favor of the two-place F4H-1.
The Douglas Aircraft Company built four F5D-1 Skylancers. They were created for the Navy as an all-weather fighter interceptor that never made production. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
F5D Skylancer
The XF5D-1 started life as the XF4D-2N in 1953; the only characteristics it actually shared with the Skyray were its tailless planform and J57 power plant.
The XF5D’s 8-foot-longer fuselage was designed in accordance with area rule, and the wing section was considerably thinner. When the first Skylancer prototype flew in April 1956, it logged a 35 percent increase in performance over the F4D-1, but offered no important advantage over the F8U-1, which by that time was in full production.
Two prototypes and two service-test F5Ds were ultimately built and used in various military test programs during the 1960s, one serving with NASA until 1970.
An F-4B (F4H-1) Phantom II fighter completes a sweep of "time to climb" rein project "High Jump." (National Archives)
F4H Phantom II
In late 1953, after McDonnell’s proposal for a twin-J65-powered F3H lost out to Vought’s XF8U-1, the Navy encouraged the company to rework the design into an all-weather attack aircraft, the XAH-1. But soon after McDonnell submitted its attack proposal in mid-1954, the Navy revised its requirements again, this time for a two-seat, all-weather interceptor armed only with missiles.
Authorized as the YF4H-1, the mock-up was completed in November 1955, and shortly thereafter a decision was made to drop the J65s in favor of bigger General Electric J79s, which had the power to give the plane Mach 2 performance.
However, wind tunnel testing subsequently indicated that the YF4H’s planned aerodynamic configuration would be unstable at high speeds and therefore Mach limited.
To correct the problem, the horizontal stabilizer was given 23 degrees anhedral and the outer wing panels 12 degrees dihedral plus saw-tooth leading edges, which produced a look that would characterize the design. The YF4H featured other innovations such as “blown” flaps and slats, which used engine bleed air to keep the airflow attached to the wing at high angles of attack, and combination “flaperons”/spoilers for roll control.
The first YF4H-1 flew in May 1958, and initial flight trials were completed by the end of the year, after which the YF4H (later named Phantom II) was declared winner of the Mach 2 fighter competition and ordered into full production. Forty-five development aircraft were built as the F4H-1F, and subsequent production aircraft were manufactured as the F4H-1.
With the 19th development aircraft, the cockpit was elevated and the canopy enlarged, and a bigger, more bulbous radome was added to the nose. Carrier suitability tests commenced in early 1960, and the type began reaching transitional training units in early 1961, followed by deliveries to operational squadrons in mid-1961. In 1962 the F4H-1F became the F-4A and the F4H-1 became the F-4B.
By 1966, 29 Navy and Marine squadrons were flying F-4Bs. That same year, the F-4B was succeeded in production by the F-4J, which featured improved avionics and radar, more powerful engines and larger wheels to permit an increase in landing weight.
Navy and Marine Phantoms were introduced to combat in 1965 over Vietnam and served widely in both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations until American participation in the conflict ended in 1972.
In the early 1970s, 228 F-4Bs were upgraded as F-4Ns, which entailed a number of electronic enhancements and structural strengthening to extend service life; and in an analogous program instituted during the mid-1970s, 264 F-4Js became F-4Ss with new avionics and major structural improvements. The last F-4Ns and F-4Ss were retired from active Navy service during 1985-86, and from the last Marine squadron in 1992.
This is what happened when an Air Force pilot got assigned to a Navy carrier
Ron Williams remembers his temporary duty assignment flying Douglas A-3B “Whales” from a carrier as the most challenging two years of his career
By: Chester Peterson Jr., Aviation History Magazine
Persistence Pays Off
The sheer determination of the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics and American aircraft manufacturers during the 1950s finally paid off. By 1960, their efforts had not only closed the air superiority gap with the U.S. Air Force, but in the F8U and F4H had produced arguably two of the best all-around fighters in the world.
This was verified in the early 1960s when, confronted with the likelihood of conducting conventional (nonnuclear) air combat operations in remote areas of the world like Southeast Asia, naval aviation was better prepared than the Air Force, which had, during the same time frame, accumulated more than 5,000 fast but generally mission-limited Century Series fighters.
The final confirmation came in early 1962: The Department of Defense informed the Air Force top brass that their next-generation fighter would be a Navy design—the McDonnell F4H-1.
The aircraft carrier Enterprise underway on April 10, 1962. The planes on deck include McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II fighters, North American A3J-1 Vigilante attack planes and Douglas A4D-2N Skyhawk attack planes. (National Archives)
E.R. Johnson is a U.S. Navy veteran, a past president of the Arkansas Aviation Historical Society and a major in the Arkansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. For further reading, he recommends: United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, by Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, and The History of U.S. Naval Air Power, edited by Robert L. Lawson. This article was published originally in the January 2008 issue of Aviation History, a sister publication of Navy Times. To subscribe, click here.
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Young Man Surrenders in CSUN Gun Scare
Library set to reopen at normal time Wednesday
By Olsen Ebright and Jack Noyes
Published Sep 27, 2011 at 12:27 PM | Updated at 5:29 AM PDT on Sep 28, 2011
CSUN Warns of Possible Gunman on Campus
//www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/as-seen-on/CSUN_Library_Locked_Down_Los_Angeles-130674893.html
Campus police search the library at California State University, Northridge after a report of a possible gunman on campus. (Published Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011)
A young man who may have muttered something about a gun in the California State University, Northridge library, triggering a daylong law enforcement response, was detained Tuesday night after turning himself to police.
A university spokeswoman said the person was being questioned by police. The "person of interest" was described earlier Tuesday as white, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with short spiky hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the words "human rights violation, Carmen Ramos Chandler of CSUN said.
The name of the suspect was not released and at 10 p.m. police still had not booked the man into custody.
Police used bomb-sniffing dogs Tuesday at the campus library to search for a man who allegedly indicated he had a gun on campus, according to police.
"So they're going to go through there with the bomb dogs, and make sure that there are no weapons or no devices -- we have no information that there are, but we just want to make sure because part of what the suspect mentioned -- the individual -- was that he had a gun," said LAPD Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese before the suspect turned himself in to authorities.
"LAPD and CHP and campus police had searched the library and checked the campus and found nothing threatening," said Carmen Ramos Chandler of Cal State Northridge Police around 5 p.m. Everything was back to normal by 9 p.m., Chandler added.
Earlier in the day, CSUN campus security released a photo of the suspect taken before he entered the library and allegedly started making threats and acting oddly. At 9:30 p.m. Chandler said it was still under investigation whether the released photo was of the man who turned himself in to police.
"No one saw a gun, but it was a precautionary measure just in case," said Chandler.
Someone had approached the man, who appeared to be "in distress," and asked if he was OK, Chandler told City News Service. Apparently, that is when he indicated he had a weapon, though none was seen.
CSUN police warned faculty, staff and students to be on the lookout for the man. Anyone with information can contact police at 818-677-2111.
The gun scare started with initial reports to university police about 10:30 a.m. The school sent out an emergency notification about 11:50 a.m. The school also used robo-callers to give updates to students.
"I wouldn't say freaked out," said freshman Juan Carlos Cortez. "It is nerve-racking to have someone in the library with a gun but stay calm. That's always the key."
By about 1 p.m., a preliminary search of the building had been completed, and the man had not been found, Chandler said. Officials requested that a police canine team conduct a search, said Chandler.
"...we are continuing to closely monitor the situation on campus. The campus community has been helpful in providing leads, and we are following up on all of them," wrote the university in a 4:51 p.m. update.
The rest of the university remained open, although anyone who felt uncomfortable was allowed to leave campus, according to the school's website.
Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously reported that the man threatened to take people out. The specific wording of the man's threat has not been verified.
Copyright City News Service / NBC Southern California
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Amazon Takes Over the College Bookstore
Published Feb 2, 2015 at 4:07 PM | Updated at 4:19 PM PST on Feb 2, 2015
Amazon has made a deal with three universities to manage "co-branded websites" selling textbooks and basically everything a college bookstore sells from textbooks to sweatshirts to Red Bull, according to reports.
The Seattle-based company will open up two distribution centers at Purdue University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst and offer its next-day delivery, according to the Wall Street Journal. At the University of California Davis, Amazon will be working with the bookstore rather than opening with a distribution center.
Companies running college bookstores isn't new. Bookstore Barnes & Noble and education retailer Follett Corp. already dominate the $10.3 billion market, so Amazon would be considered a latecomer -- but a latecomer that most college students already use, according to college officials who also estimate that students will be saving $300 to $400 a year by using the new Amazon Campus bookstore.
Amazon will be giving the two college distribution centers a 0.5 to 2.5 percent for purchases made through the site and that will at least be $1.45 for UMass Amherst and $1.7 million for Purdue, the WSJ reported.
"Suge" Knight Charged With Murder in Deadly Hit-and-Run
The next-day delivery to code-activated lockers on campus still only applies to students who are Amazon Prime members and pay a $49 fee each year, but there is also a free six-month trial for student who don't want to commit.
“College campuses are an opportunity for us,” Ripley MacDonald, director of Amazon student programs. told the WSJ. "We hope students like it and continue being Amazon customers.”
The next-day delivery is attractive and students already tend to be familiar with Amazon.
Warren Sapp Arrested for Assaulting Prostitute in Ariz.: Police
“Many of our students, we found, were Amazon customers anyway, so it made sense for us to do a deal with them,” Mitch Daniels, Purdue president and former Indiana governor, told the WSJ.
For Amazon, this move isn't really about making a lot of money in the short term or at the college bookstore. Instead, it's about creating and nurturing lifelong customers.
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The Crown season 3: Who is in the cast, and what will happen?
It's going to look a bit different.
By Alex Lilly
If you're lovers of all things royal like us, you've no doubt binge-watched the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown. If you haven't (seriously, sort that out), the series follows the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the third series will be hitting our screens in 2019.
However, with a new cast and a whole new series of events, The Crown isn't going to look like its first two series. Here's everything we know about what's to come.
What will The Crown series three focus on?
Showrunner Peter Morgan has written all of the series three episodes and The Sunday Times has reported that the series will cover 'The Wilson Era', when Harold Wilson was prime minister from 1964 to 1970 and 1974 to 1976. And while he has worked chronologically in the past, there are rumours of a time jump.
Series three and four will follow some of the biggest moments of Prince Charles' life and producer Suzanne Mackie has revealed that a young Duchess Camilla will be introduced as well.
"Peter's already talking about the most wonderful things," Mackie said. "You start meeting Camilla Parker Bowles in season three."
Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, then Camilla Shand, met at a party in 1971 and that was the kick-start to their scandalous and highly publicised relationship.
We'll get to see young Charles and Camilla!
The series will also most likely cover the decolonisation of Africa and the Caribbean, the birth of the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward in 1964 and Prince Charles' coronation as the Prince of Wales in 1969.
The show's history consultant, Robert Lacey also shared a big plot point for one of the main characters.
"And in season three, without giving anything away—it's on the record, it's history—we'll see the breakup of this extraordinary marriage between Margaret and Snowdon. This season, you see how it starts, and what a strange character, a brilliant character Snowden was."
Thankfully, series three and four are being shot back-to-back, so we won't have to wait too long until series four, when polarising Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Lady Diana Spencer are meant to appear on the scene.
We won't be seeing Diana for a little while.
Who are the new cast of The Crown?
Seeing as each season covers roughly 10 years, it was decided that the actors playing the famous figures would be replaced after two series.
Olivia Colman was the first new cast member to be announced as the new Queen Elizabeth, taking over from Claire Foy.
After it was announced she would take on the iconic role, Olivia Colman said, "I'm so thrilled to be part of The Crown. I was utterly gripped watching it. A proper 'Just one more' feeling. I think Claire Foy is an absolute genius. She's an incredibly hard act to follow. I'm basically going to rewatch every episode and copy her!"
Taking over from Matt Smith as Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is Tobias Menzies who you may recognise as Edmure Tully in Game of Thrones and his dual role as Frank Randall and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall in Outlander.
Both starred in the television series, The Night Manager and Menzies has highlighted he's looking forward to working with his co-star again.
"I'm thrilled to be joining the new cast of The Crown and to be working with Olivia Colman again. I look forward to becoming her 'liege man of life and limb,'" he said in a statement.
Our first look at Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth.
Screen legend Helena Bonham Carter will replace Vanessa Kirby as Elizabeth's rebellious younger sister, Princess Margaret.
"I'm not sure which I'm more terrified about – doing justice to the real Princess Margaret or following in the shoes of Vanessa Kirby," Helena said in a statement.
"The only thing I can guarantee is that I'll be shorter than Vanessa."
As for the role of her husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones or Lord Snowdon, he will be played by Ben Daniels who is taking over from Matthew Goode. And he sounds pretty excited for it.
"After being glued to the first two seasons of The Crown, I am beyond thrilled to be joining the cast of this incredible piece of television. Snowdon was such a dynamic and complex man. I'm really looking forward to playing him."
Netflix released two more sneak previews of the new players which is making us even more impatient for the new series.
As previously mentioned, we'll be seeing more of the Queen's eldest son, Prince Charles in the next series, and British actor, Josh O'Connor will be stepping into the role.
The 27 year-old will play Charles between the ages of 16 and 22 and confirmed that he will be a large part in the series.
"I am thrilled to be joining the firm for the next installment of The Crown. Seasons three and four will follow some of the most turbulent events in the Prince of Wales' life and our national story and I'm excited to be bringing to life the man in the midst of it all. I'm very aware it's a formidably talented family to be joining, but reliably informed I have the ears for the part and will fit right in."
Can you see the resemblance?
← Slide →
Call the Midwife actress Erin Doherty will play Charles' younger sister, Princess Anne and is excited to explore her character.
"She is a women of great strength and heart- I feel privileged to fight her corner."
As for the Queen Mother, Marion Bailey will succeed Victoria Hamilton in the role.
The actress, who has appeared in numerous British films and television programs such as Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie's Poirot, said that, "We have a tough act to follow but what a gift to be playing the fascinating and greatly loved Queen Mother. Thrilled to be on board and working with such a top notch team."
British Royal FamilyStars of ‘The Crown’ Claire Foy and Matt Smith are surprisingly bad at royal trivia
TVYour First Look at Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Daniels in The Crown Season 3
The Crown,
Claire Foy,
Helena Bonham Carter,
Olivia Colman,
undefined: Alex Lilly
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U.S. Man Who Sought Bin Laden 'Not Crazy': Brother : The Two-Way U.S. Man Seeking Bin Laden 'Not Crazy': Brother
U.S. Man Who Sought Bin Laden 'Not Crazy': Brother
Dr. Scott Faulkner, brother of Gary Brooks Faulkner, the American who reportedly told the Pakistani authorities holding him that he was seeking Osama bin Laden in order to kill him, said of his brother: "He's not crazy. He's very smart..."
CNN has been showing an interview with the doctor.
In it, Dr. Faulkner said:
"The fact again is that he doesn't meet any DSM IV criteria for mental illness. He's not psychotic. He's not schizophrenic. He doesn't hear voices. He's a very passionate person."
Gary Brooks Faulkner in a Jan. 2006 Larimer County, Colo. Sheriff's Office photo. Larimer County Sheriff's Office/AP Photo hide caption
Larimer County Sheriff's Office/AP Photo
Despite the doctor-brother's assessment, many people who come across this story will no doubt question the mental health of a man, a private citizen, who leaves Greeley, Colo. for Pakistan with the intent of finding and killing bin Laden.
The Associated Press reported that Pakistani officials at first didn't believe Faulkner when he told them why he was in Pakistan:
The 50-year-old Faulkner, who has a lengthy arrest record and served time in Colorado prisons, arrived June 3 in the town of Bumburate and stayed in a hotel there. He was assigned a police guard, as is common for foreigners visiting remote parts of Pakistan.
When he checked out without informing police, officers began looking for him, according to the top police officer in the Chitral region, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan. Faulkner was found late Sunday in a forest.
"We initially laughed when he told us that he wanted to kill Osama bin Laden," Khan said. But when officers seized the weapons and night-vision equipment, "our suspicion grew." He said the American was trying to cross into the nearby Afghan region of Nuristan.
The physician described his brother, a construction worker, as a Christian on a mission.
He said his brother had decided to kill the al Qaeda leader because of the 9/11 attacks and for disparaging comments the doctor said bin Laden made about the "God of the Bible."
"My brother took that very personally," said Dr. Faulkner, who also identified himself as a Christian.
"As a Christian he felt not afraid that he could boldly step out, that doors would be opened for him. And I agree with him. The fact that he's been over there six times and has not received a scratch tells me that somebody's looking after him."
Dr. Faulkner described his brother as being "like a bulldog."
He also said his brother has failing kidneys and requires dialysis.
The CNN clip ends with Dr. Faulkner making a point many Americans would like agree with though many others would find it repellant:
"As an American, he's doing something that we would all wish to do. If we saw Osama walking down the sidewalk, you and I, well I know I would put a bullet in the guy's head."
Gary Brooks Faulkner
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Sarah Silverman: Playing The Dummy For Laughs Comedian Sarah Silverman is known for delivering closely observed social commentary in a disarming, politically incorrect style. She tells stories about her childhood and her career in a new memoir, The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee.
The Best of Fresh Air 2010
This week we're revisiting some of the most memorable Fresh Air conversations of 2010.
Sarah Silverman: Playing The Dummy For Laughs
Sarah Silverman: Playing The Dummy For Laughs 12:27
< Sarah Silverman: Playing The Dummy For Laughs
December 31, 201011:40 AM ET
DAVID BIANCULLI, host:
This is FRESH AIR. I'm David Bianculli of tvworthwatching.com, sitting in for Terry Gross. Happy New Year.
We wrap up a week of our best interviews from 2010, and herald the new year with two female comics who broke barriers a generation apart. First, Sarah Silverman.
Her fearless social comedy turns off some people, but has also won her devoted fans. On the surface, her comedy may seem offensive to Jews, African-Americans, Latinos, gay people, but that's because she's in persona as someone who is clueless, uninformed but certain in her beliefs. Her Comedy Central series, "The Sarah Silverman Program," ended a three-season run this year.
Not being shy about herself, Sarah Silverman has titled her new memoir "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee." Terry Gross spoke to her last April, when the book was published.
A little later, we'll hear about the bedwetting problems that plagued her when she was growing up, but let's start with a clip from "The Sarah Silverman Program." Sarah is in a restaurant, at a table with her sister Laura, who is played by Silverman's real sister Laura; and Laura's boyfriend, Officer Jay McPherson, played by Jay Johnston.
(Soundbite of TV show, "The Sarah Silverman Program")
Mr. JAY JOHNSTON (Actor): (As Jay McPherson) Did you tell Sarah the news?
Ms. LAURA SILVERMAN (Actor): (As Laura Silverman) Oh, it's nothing.
Mr. JOHNSTON: (As Jay) Nothing? What, have you flipped your lid or something? Come on, tell her.
Ms. L. SILVERMAN: (As Laura) Well, I'm creating a Holocaust memorial for Value Village.
Mr. JOHNSON: (As Jay) How adorable is that?
Ms. SARAH SILVERMAN (Actor): (As Sarah Silverman) Why would you have a memorial for something that never happened?
Ms. L. SILVERMAN: (As Laura) That's not funny, Sarah. You know, a joke like that just demonstrates that you don't understand what it really means to be a Jew.
Ms. SILVERMAN: (As Sarah) I think I know what it means to be Jewish, Laura. Check this out. Excuse me, these pancakes are ishy.
Mr. JOHNSTON: (As Jay) Laura is right. You really should be more interested in the Holocaust. I mean, I'm not even a Jew, and I love the Holocaust - uh, love reading about it because it's so interesting and stuff, the things that happened.
Ms. L. SILVERMAN: (As Laura) You know, you should really think about becoming more invested in our history. You know, there's a great class that you could take...
Ms. SILVERMAN: (As Sarah) Oh, Yawn Kippur. You know, Laura, I am getting extremely bored at you, and I will not tolerate it. Never again!
TERRY GROSS, host:
Sarah Silverman, welcome back to FRESH AIR. So I have to ask you, are you good for the Jews or bad for the Jews?
Ms. SILVERMAN: I'm good for the Jews, I believe.
GROSS: How do you know? How do you know?
Ms. SILVERMAN: I think that whenever a Jew has any kind of notoriety, good or bad, the Jews find it to be good. You know, it's like - you know Son of Sam? Jewish.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Ms. SILVERMAN: You know, so I think Jews tend to hold me in fairly high regard. I don't think that I - you know, and also because Jews tend to be able to take a joke. You know, it's kind of like, there's a difference between...
GROSS: When it's coming from Jewish people.
Ms. SILVERMAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah, or it's good-hearted.
GROSS: I want to play another example of your humor. And this was -people might remember in the 2008 presidential campaign, that in support of Barack Obama you did a video called "The Great Schlep" - to get out the older Jewish vote in Florida. And the excerpt we'll play explains the premise of "The Great Schlep." So here it is. This is Sarah Silverman.
(Soundbite of video, "The Great Schlep")
Ms. SILVERMAN: If Barack Obama doesn't become the next president of the United States, I'm going to blame the Jews. I am, and I know you're saying, like, oh my God, Sarah, I can't believe you're saying this. Jews are the most liberal, scrappy, civil-rightsy people there are.
Yes, that's true, but you're forgetting a whole large group of Jews that are not that way, and they go by several aliases: Nana, Papa, Zaidie, Bubbe, plain old Grandma and Grandpa. These are the people who vote in Florida, and the Florida vote can make or break an election.
If you don't think that's true, why don't you think back to two elections ago, when a little man named Al Gore got (bleep) by Florida? I'm making this video to urge you, all of you, to schlep over to Florida and convince your grandparents to vote Obama.
GROSS: So that's Sarah Silverman. So what kind of reaction did you actually get from the two audiences that this was aimed at - the grandchildren who were supposed to convince their grandparents to vote, and the grandparents who were supposed to be convinced to vote for Obama?
Ms. SILVERMAN: You know what? It was universally positive. It really was. I don't remember...
GROSS: Wow, have you ever had anything that was universally positive before?
Ms. SILVERMAN: No, no. And you know what? I mean, I said stuff like: Get off your fat Jewish asses. And you know what I mean? And like, I made -but I guess you're right. Coming from a Jew, you know, it eases the blow.
GROSS: OK, so you've titled your book "The Bedwetter," and some of your book is devoted to the fact that when you were young, you used to wet your bed just about every night, which was a horrible humiliation for you, particularly for like, sleepover parties, camping trips. How long did this last?
Ms. SILVERMAN: You know, I was a bedwetter until I was about 15, and it was humiliating. You know, I was sent to sleepover camp since I was 6, and you know, it's a recipe for disaster. But, you know, I guess the silver lining is, there's not much to lose after that - in life, you know?
Ms. SILVERMAN: I think, you know, doing stand-up when I got a little older, the prospect of bombing was like - who cares? You know?
GROSS: As long as you're not peeing on stage accidentally.
Ms. SILVERMAN: Please, yeah.
GROSS: So what did you do to cover up when you were young, and you were going to sleepover parties or summer camp?
Ms. SILVERMAN: A lot of it was just denial. I think I pretended it didn't happen more often than not. You know, at camp I would just make my bed over it. I would take my clothes off and put it deep into the hamper, and I probably reeked of pee.
At sleepovers, I would kind of pinch myself awake and try to not drink anything too late. Eventually, your body gives in when you're a little girl, and you fall asleep even deeper than ever. So it was usually unfruitful - or fruitful, in a bad way.
GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guest is Sarah Silverman, and she has a new book called "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee."
In your book, you write about how, before you were born, your parents had a baby who died as an infant. The baby was staying over at your grandparents' house, and got accidentally strangled in the crib by the way it...
Ms. SILVERMAN: Yeah, it was a faulty crib, and yeah. He - it had broken, and the baby had slipped down into the corner, and had suffocated in that space.
GROSS: A really horrible thing. Did your parents talk to you about this as a child?
Ms. SILVERMAN: You know what? Maybe they did. The way I remember it is my oldest sister, Susan, who was older than Jeffrey, she knew the story. And we were all very young, and she kind of told my sister Laura and I -told it to us almost like a ghost story. You know, we were kids.
And that chapter's actually called "The First Time I Bombed" because it's about how, you know, my father taught me how to swear when I was little, and I saw how adults would be shocked but give me - you know, I got approval from it. And it was addicting.
You know, I saw this way that I could get approval, and I killed all the time, you know, as a very young kid. And I call that chapter "The First Time I Bombed" because my sister told us the story of Jeffrey, and shortly after, my grandmother, who picked us up for our Sunday breakfast at a local diner, and she said, everybody buckle up. And I - thinking I was going to kill, I said, yeah, we don't want to wind up like Jeffrey.
And just silence. And my sisters turned and looked at me like I was crazy, and my grandmother just burst into tears, which I had never seen before, and I thought - what did I do, you know?
GROSS: That interested me so much, since so much of your humor is about saying things that seem horribly inappropriate and potentially offensive, but it's not personal in the way that this is.
I mean, your grandparents felt so guilty because the baby died at their home. And so this was hurtful in a way that your humor now is not. What did you learn from that experience?
Ms. SILVERMAN: I think - you know, I've been called edgy, but you know, in all honestly, I think that there is a safety in what I do because I'm always the idiot. And unless you're listening to the buzzwords and not really taking into account the context or the content of it, you see that I'm the idiot always, the ignoramus in the scenario. So no matter what I talk about or what tragic event or, you know, off-color, dark scenario is evoked in my material, I'm always the idiot in it, you know.
GROSS: Because your persona is the idiot, yeah.
Ms. SILVERMAN: Yeah, yeah.
GROSS: So can I ask you a personal question? Do you want to have children?
Ms. SILVERMAN: Probably. I love children. I'm embarrassingly baby-crazy. I could be in the middle of any intense conversation, and if somebody walks by with a baby, I'm gone, you know, just - but and also, you know, I'm - I'm not going to have a baby. You know, I happen to think that there are already tons of perfectly good babies out there already born. And I don't necessarily need to see a little me and like, do it right this time. I'm already trying to do it right this time with me.
You know, so I can see myself adopting. I'm not in a rush to do it. I'm 39, I know, but I do love kids, and I'm very good - I've got a lot of really good moves.
Like, a 3-year-old girl - 3 to 5 or 6, I've got a really great move. This is what I do. I go: I'm going to tell you something, but you can't tell anybody - and I know you're not supposed to tell kids to keep secrets, but that's part of the rebellion.
And then they go, OK. And I say: I'm a princess.
Ms. SILVERMAN: But I dress normal because I want people to treat me regular. And their brains explode. It's really fun.
Ms. SILVERMAN: And I went really far with it with my friends Sam and Nicki's daughter. I did that whole thing where I say I'm a princess and don't tell anybody, and I said when I come visit you in New York, I have some of my old princess stuff that doesn't fit me anymore. Would you be interested in it? Yes, yes I would.
So I came to New York, and I bought a bunch of 3-year-old, you know, size three little-girl princess stuff, and I took it out of the package and mussed it up and put it in a trash bag, and brought it over. It's the little pleasures.
GROSS: Sarah Silverman, it's been great to talk with you. Thank you so much.
Ms. SILVERMAN: Thank you so much. It's always exciting to be on FRESH AIR with Terry Gross because I'm an avid listener and fan.
BIANCULLI: Sarah Silverman's memoir is called "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee." Next up after a break, comic Joan Rivers. This is FRESH AIR.
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Remembering A Soldier Who Died For His Country Before Becoming A Citizen George Rincon and Yolanda Reyes remember their son, Diego, an Iraqi war veteran who was killed in action in 2003. The family came to the U.S. in 1989 as immigrants from Colombia.
Sharing And Preserving The Stories Of Our Lives
Remembering A Soldier Who Died For His Country Before Becoming A Citizen
Remembering A Soldier Who Died For His Country Before Becoming A Citizen 2:49
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< Remembering A Soldier Who Died For His Country Before Becoming A Citizen
It's Friday, which is when we hear from StoryCorps. And as we head into Memorial Day weekend, we hear about a man who died for the country he loved even though he wasn't a citizen. When the Iraq War started, almost 40,000 members of the military were not citizens. Army Pfc. Diego Rincon was one of them. His family came to the United States from Colombia in 1989, and he was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2003. Rincon's parents came to StoryCorps to remember him.
YOLANDA REYES: We came here when he was 5 years old. And Diego started speaking English faster than we did. He was often letting me know, when I finish high school, I'm going to join the Army.
GEORGE RINCON: Before he went to Iraq, he got the green card. But he said to me, Dad, don't do the citizenship until I return. We'll do it together.
REYES: The last time we spoke, he said, I wrote you a letter. Do not open it if you're not ready. A week later, I got the letter, and it was different from the rest. He was talking about this feeling that he had that he was going to die. He asked for forgiveness for anything wrong that he had done. And he said that he loves me. This letter was like a bucket of icy water.
RINCON: He died March 29.
REYES: I remember I was sitting on the steps, and the chaplain came into the house.
RINCON: He said, Mr. Rincon, I'm sorry, your son is dead.
REYES: I didn't believe what they told us, so I called the Army, and I asked for pictures of his body. I looked at the pictures, and I destroyed them.
RINCON: Sometimes I wake up in the morning thinking that this is a nightmare and he's coming back, but I had my baby for 19 years. And it was a blessing.
REYES: Because of what happened to Diego, there's always that question. What if we hadn't come here? But at least he was doing something with honor, with pride. He was doing something for America.
RINCON: And he got citizenship the day of the funeral. That is something that - it's a piece of paper, but it means a lot for us. He always will be our hero.
INSKEEP: George Rincon and Yolanda Reyes remembering their son, Diego Rincon, was killed in Iraq in 2003, a death that helped to get a bill passed granting immediate citizenship to immigrant soldiers who die in combat.
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Saturday Sports: The Start Of The NBA Season And The NFL NPR's Scott Simon speaks with ESPN's Howard Bryant about the start of the NBA season and the lack of breakout teams in the NFL.
Saturday Sports: The Start Of The NBA Season And The NFL
Saturday Sports: The Start Of The NBA Season And The NFL 3:50
< Saturday Sports: The Start Of The NBA Season And The NFL
November 10, 20187:54 AM ET
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
SIMON: Olympus has fallen - at least slipped a little. The Milwaukee Bucks clobbered the Golden State Warriors in Oakland on Thursday, 134-111. And also, where are all the premier franchises in the NFL? Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine joins us. Howard, thanks so much for being with us.
HOWARD BRYANT, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott. How are you doing?
SIMON: I'm fine. And as they say in Milwaukee, fear the deer.
BRYANT: (Laughter) Fear the deer.
SIMON: Was that a fluke on Thursday? By the way, the Bucks have an absolutely great player - well, more than one, but absolutely great player. He has an unfortunate name that owes to his Greek heritage. And I know you're a classical Greek scholar, so I'll leave you to say Giannis' name.
BRYANT: So you're going to force me to say Giannis Antetokounmpo? Yes, I did...
SIMON: Way to go, Howard.
BRYANT: ...I did it right. That's two in a row - exactly. He is the Greek Freak. He is a spectacular basketball player who was really passed over by virtually every team because they didn't think his game was polished enough. And then, boy, he took over and really raised his level of skill. I mean, he's an unbelievable basketball player.
And what happened the other night in Oakland is not a fluke. Sure, Golden State did not play very well, that's for certain. But last year, we saw it in the seven-game series between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, and Milwaukee is knocking on the door. They're one of those teams that you're going to have to watch out for because LeBron James isn't here anymore. He's in the Western Conference with the Lakers.
And so we like to talk a lot about how the Boston Celtics are the favorites and how this team is supposed to be the one that's going to match up best with the Warriors, but I really enjoy what's taking place in the NBA right now, especially in the Eastern Conference because you've got Toronto that now has Kawhi Leonard, who got traded over from San Antonio. You've got the Celtics, who are a wonderful ensemble cast who haven't really put it together yet. They got hammered last night in Utah. And you've got Milwaukee, who had this fantastic win. They lost in Boston last Thursday. And then they come into Oakland, and they beat the best team in the NBA.
So certainly, there are a lot of teams to look out for. And, believe me, Milwaukee is definitely one. Fear the deer, indeed.
SIMON: Yeah, fear the deer.
Let's talk football for a moment. We're past the halfway mark of the NFL season. Maybe the LA Rams, but other than that, not a breakout team, right?
BRYANT: Well, you know, for everything that we talk about with the Golden State Warriors and the Warriors being this team that nobody can beat and that there's no suspense, there's plenty of suspense in the NBA. But when it comes to football, Scott, I got to tell you, the NFL has gone out of its way to promote mediocrity.
The league is set up, pretty much, for everyone to go 8-8 this year, and maybe 12-4 next year and then maybe 8-8 the next year. And so it really does take about half a season to find out who's going to be good. And so we're starting to reach Thanksgiving. We're starting to get into that, what I call, separation time, where you're going to see who's really good.
The Rams were undefeated; the Saints beat them. I think the Saints may be the best team in football right now. You've got the NFL champs, the Philadelphia Eagles - they're 4-4. The Patriots are still really good. The Chiefs are outstanding; they lost to the Patriots. The Steelers were fantastic the other night...
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: ...Against Carolina.
But as of today, nobody's really that good. But then again, nobody is really that bad either. I'm thinking in about three weeks, after Thanksgiving, you'll start to see who's going to emerge. Last year, nobody thought that the Eagles were Super Bowl favorites, and they ended up winning the whole thing.
SIMON: Yeah. Well, we know it's hard to have - almost impossible - a dynasty these days. But it's hard, even, to put two championships together, isn't it?
BRYANT: Well, absolutely. And that's why what the Patriots have done has been so fantastic.
SIMON: Well, Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. Thanks so much for being with us, Howard.
BRYANT: No, my pleasure.
(SOUNDBITE OF HUNTERTONES' "PARUSHA")
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Archived Posts:
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Olmstead Decision and Mental Health Systems Reform: Honberg
NYAPRS Note: The following timely piece underscore the great impact Olmstead Plans can have on reshaping state mental health service systems and references Delaware’s plan as a particularly ambitious model.
This year’s April 25-6 NYAPRS Executive Seminar will feature a plenary session with Delaware’s mental health commission Kevin Huckshorn, plan monitor Robert Bernstein (who is also the executive director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law) and Sam Bagenstos, who led the reinvigoration of the US Department of Justice’s Olmstead enforcement when he was DOJ’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division.
For more details, please go to http://www.nyaprs.org/e-news-bulletins/2013/savethedateNYAPRS.cfm
The Olmstead Decision and Mental Health Systems Reform
By Ronald S. Honberg, Director of Policy & Legal Affairs National Alliance on Mental Illness January 6, 2013
In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in which it found that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives people with disabilities, including people living with serious mental illness, the right to receive services in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs. This decision, commonly referenced as the Olmstead decision, is increasingly being used as a tool for reforming public mental health services.
Since 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has been particularly active in enforcing the Olmstead decision. In states such as Georgia, Delaware, Oregon and North Carolina, DOJ has used its Olmstead authority to push for the development of comprehensive community-based services as alternatives to institutional placements for those deemed ready to live in the community.
For people living with mental illness and family members, these developments are welcome, though they are not without peril. Putting more resources into community-based care inevitably means putting fewer resources into state hospitals. Indeed, for reasons having to do more with budgetary than legal pressures, states have eliminated 4,000 hospital beds in recent years, and more hospital cuts and closures are on the horizon.
There is general agreement that most people who live with serious mental illnesses can live in the community with appropriate services and supports. And there is agreement that institutional placements are not conducive to achieving recovery and independence. But there is also awareness that the absence of comprehensive community-based services and supports, including inpatient beds for those who need them, can have horrendous consequences such as homelessness, incarceration and high rates of suicides.
Four years of budget cutting since 2008 have led to profound reductions in both community and inpatient mental health services. While cuts of this kind, imposed with a meat cleaver instead of a scalpel, are ill advised and produce suffering, taxpayers and policy makers have the right to expect public mental health funds to be invested wisely in services and programs that work. The Olmstead decision creates opportunities for states to consider carefully how their public mental health dollars can be most wisely spent.
As an example, consider the agreement reached between the Justice Department and the state of Delaware. The investigation was precipitated by concerns about conditions in the state’s psychiatric hospital. However, the actual investigation extended beyond the walls of the hospital, with particular focus on the need to increase and improve treatment and services in the community so that individuals with serious mental illness do not have to go unnecessarily to psychiatric hospitals or jails.
The agreement reached between the Justice Department and the state contains a schedule, with numerical targets, specifying steps Delaware will take to implement a comprehensive system of community-based mental health care. The elements of this system include numerical targets and deadlines for establishing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, making available housing vouchers and subsidies for permanent supportive housing, creating supported employment services, implementing family and peer support services, and developing crisis stabilization units and mobile crisis teams, among other services.
The effective implementation of comprehensive, community-based systems of care for people with serious mental illnesses has been hamstrung by lack of good data on needs, services and outcomes. As stated in NAMI’s report, Grading the States 2009, “If you can’t see the problems, how can you fix them?”
An agreement reached in one phase of the Justice Department’s investigation of Oregon’s mental health system illustrates the importance of good data. The health system in Oregon is undergoing a significant transformation, with expansion of Oregon’s Health Plan and efforts to more effectively integrate physical and mental health care. In recognition of this, the agreement directs the state to collect data on a variety of system development and program outcome measures to serve as the basis for further negotiations on the design and characteristics of a comprehensive system of community-based mental health care. Although the need for better services immediately is apparent, the agreement recognizes that long-term improvements require good information and careful planning.
Mental health care has historically occurred outside the mainstream of American health care, but there are signs that this is beginning to change. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), for example, emphasizes the importance of including treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders in all aspects of the health care system, including plans offered through state health insurance exchanges and expanded Medicaid programs. The Olmstead case can serve as a valuable tool for facilitating the integration of mental health care into mainstream health care. Time will tell whether hope will become reality.
http://blog.specialneedsalliance.org/2013/01/the-olmstead-decision-and-mental-health-systems-reform/
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Yuja Wang swings for the fences
Yuja Wang performs Chopin's Sonata No. 3 in B minor during a solo recital Sunday afternoon at Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Yuja Wang performs Chopin's Sonata No. 3 in B minor Sunday afternoon at Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Yuja Wang performs a solo recital presented by the Philharmonic Society at Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Yuja Wang performs at Segerstrom Concert Hall Sunday afternoon.
Yuja Wang performs Chopin's Sonata No. 3 in B minor during a solo recital Sunday afternoon.
Yuja Wang performs a solo recital at Segerstrom Concert Hall Sunday afternoon.
Yuja Wang smiles after her performance Sunday afternoon at Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Yuja Wang is a hot item in classical music these days and her recital Sunday afternoon for the Philharmonic Society of Orange County was one of the most anticipated events of the young season. She hadn’t been here in a while, having canceled her last two scheduled local performances. The 26-year-old Chinese pianist came ready to prove herself with a challenging agenda – treacherous, poetic and exhausting – that she’ll take to Carnegie Hall later this month.
She strolled onto stage at Segerstrom Concert Hall in a little red dress, skin-tight, and stiletto heels (it wasn’t the little red dress that caused a controversy at the Hollywood Bowl in 2011, but it was little enough). It is a testament to her talent that one soon forgot about the attire. She came out for the second half in an even smaller black dress, but never mind.
In a word, this was an astonishing concert. It matched virtuoso fireworks with the quieter, more sensitive playing necessary for Chopin. It entertained as well as enriched. It was also nice that Wang included three works from the 20th century, including one by a living composer.
She opened with Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 3, a brief, spiky work from his youth, which Wang gave its percussive due, while also coaxing fleeting shadows and full, rounded lyricism. She’s no mere pounder.
She followed it with a fully integrated account of Chopin’s big Sonata No. 3. She didn’t dawdle or even linger much, but it didn’t matter. This was a strongly narrated performance, the narration accomplished through an array of color and touch, lovely but compact phrasing and crisp, clean virtuosity. The slow movement enchanted with its otherworldly hush. The finale thrilled with its whir of notes dashed off in a smooth legato.
Wang’s sense of rhythm is one of her strongest points; her playing Sunday had a kind of swing to it, accomplished by her inflection of accents and emphases and just-so tempos (she never rushes, even in musical avalanches). Her playing of Nikolai Kapustin’s jazzy Variations, Op. 41, (the theme is the opening bassoon melody from “The Rite of Spring”) had all the stylish pizzazz that a real, hard-driving jazz musician would bring to it.
She immediately submerged in Chopin’s Nocturne No. 1, Op. 47, but didn’t stay there, gradually building to a surprising, almost angry climax. She doesn’t fool around. Chopin’s Ballade No. 3 became a layer cake of colors and sub-clauses, always indelibly moving forward within a voluptuous rubato. Even the ornaments were strongly directed within the flow.
She saved Stravinsky’s famously difficult Three Movements from “Petrushka” for last, and nailed it. Again, this was no mere technical feat. Wang showed a keen musical understanding of the work, painting in the timbres from the orchestral original, poking at accents to rocket the lines ahead and finding the grooves – once more, a kind of swing. I’ve never heard the piece played better.
The audience, which seemed a bit slow to warm to Wang, had caught on by this time, and received two encores for their efforts: Vladimir Horowitz’s “Carmen Variations” (wow) and Chopin’s Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 (a most delicious and delicate dessert).
Power restored to most in Fullerton after outage that affected 13,902 customers
‘American Idol’ runner-up Alejandro Aranda returns for first post-‘Idol’ Southern California shows
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Wireless Future Project
7/17 FCC Comments on Preserving the 2015 Open Internet Order
Regulatory/Legislative Filings
The Open Technology Institute and the Wireless Future Program at New America submitted the following comments to the Federal Communications Commission calling on the agency to retain its 2015 Open Internet Order and its strong network neutrality rules as part of the FCC's proposal questioning the necessity of the rules.
WiFu underscored the importance of a common regulatory framework for wireless and wireline broadband internet access and explained how the prevalence of mobile broadband use supports the Commission's finding that the two be regulated equally in the 2015 Order. WiFu also argued that mobile broadband internet access service is a "commercial" mobile service and therefore should be subject to common carrier regulation under Section 332 of the Communications Act.
The 2015 Open Internet Order protects consumers and the free market principles that have made the internet a robust engine of innovation and job creation. The majority of Americans only have one choice for a high-speed internet provider, leaving those broadband companies with immense power over the individuals who live in the areas they cover, even on top of the gatekeeper power they enjoy even in markets with more than one provider. Consumers have to pay these companies for their service or they are left without access to tools for education, employment opportunities, healthcare, commerce, government services, and news and information that the internet provides. The power broadband companies hold over consumers is not merely theoretical. History shows that without strong net neutrality rules, broadband companies will discriminate between certain bits of online traffic. Internet service providers have blocked or throttled against traffic for content including voice services and video streaming services for both affiliates of the broadband companies and for unrelated online services as well. Such discriminatory practices harm consumers who pay for access to the internet without manipulation from internet service providers and also distort the market by allowing BIAS providers to dictate winners and losers in the massive online marketplace.
The Commission took action in 2015 to classify broadband internet service as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act, giving the agency sound legal grounds to protect consumers and regulate the broadband industry. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Commission’s authority to reclassify broadband as a Title II service last year in a sweeping victory for internet freedom. The Commission’s move to classify broadband as a telecommunications service is therefore necessary to sustain basic protections for both consumers and edge providers against discriminatory practices by the broadband ISPs that control the on-ramps to the internet.
If the Commission moves to reverse the classification of broadband as a Title II service it would also undermine consumer privacy, damage efforts to bring broadband access to low-income Americans, and dampen investment in the internet economy. Without Title II jurisdiction over broadband providers, the Commission will have no authority to police the privacy practices of internet service providers, companies that gather large amounts of consumer private information. Similarly, the FCC’s ability to offer subsidies for standalone broadband service through its recently-modernized Lifeline program is contingent on Title II classification. The Commission’s move in 2016 to update the program to enable recipients of the subsidy to choose standalone broadband programs along with bundled voice and broadband and voice-only programs marked a significant move forward to bridging the digital divide. The Commission’s ability to offer standalone broadband service would be under substantial threat in the absence of Title II classification.
The Commission should also retain its authority to protect the public from interconnection abuse. Some of the most flagrant cases of consumer harm took place as a result of disputes among access internet service providers and the transit providers, content delivery networks, and edge services with which they interconnect. The Commission must not lose its clear authority to protect against these harms.
OTI also supports regulatory parity between fixed and mobile BIAS providers. There is a strong public interest in ensuring that all Americans have largely the same expectations, opportunities and access to content and services online no matter how they connect to the Internet. The Commission must maintain a common regulatory framework for fixed and mobile BIAS providers. Divergent rules for fixed and mobile networks would run contrary to consumer experience and also distort markets for competing broadband internet access services. The recent trends of mass adoption of mobile computing devices, the nationwide deployment of high-speed 4G/LTE networks and incoming 5G technologies, the massive offloading of mobile device data traffic over unlicensed Wi-Fi/wireline connections, the resulting rapid convergence of mobile and wireline networks, and new technologies that facilitate consumers switching back and forth seamlessly between truly mobile (carrier) and nomadic (wireline via Wi-Fi) networks, all support a common regulatory framework.
Any technical differences between BIAS networks—whether cable, satellite, mobile LTE or some other technology—are best accommodated by a Reasonable Network Management exception that is flexible but also strictly limited to purely technical (and not business) considerations. The same fundamental principles and obligations should apply to all broadband ISPs, even if the resulting rules are applied differently based on what is reasonable network management for a particular Internet access technology.
OTI also strongly believes the Commission has no basis to find that mobile broadband is less of a “commercial” mobile service (CMRS) now than it was in 2015. Today there is no networked service more open, interconnected and universally offered than mobile broadband Internet access service. Mobile carriers integrate VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling, over the internet, to any IP or NANP user. And applications such as Google Voice give both IP- and NANP-addressed users the capability to communicate and interconnect. Whether or not the classification of mobile BIAS as a “private” mobile service (PMRS) was plausible in 2007, in 2017 the NPRM’s proposal to redefine mobile BIAS as a "private" radio service (akin to a private taxi or push-to-talk workplace network) – and not as a “commercial” service (akin to the mobile calling and texting services) – only serves to reinforce the fact that the more consistent and natural interpretation of the Act is the one adopted by the FCC in 2015 and upheld by the D.C. Circuit Court in 2016.
Like the 2007 Wireless Declaratory Ruling, the current NPRM struggles to justify the classification of mobile BIAS as a “private” mobile radio service (PMRS). What is most obvious in 2017 is that mobile BIAS is not remotely comparable to PMRS. Even if the Commission reverses its 2015 finding that mobile BIAS meets the literal definition of CMRS, the clear and extensive record of technological and marketplace changes since 2007 must lead the agency to conclude that mobile BIAS is the “functional equivalent” of CMRS.
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The twin towers are where prisoners leapt from Borthwick Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland.
By CARLOTTA HOLTON
The writer, a resident of Chester Township, is the author of horror stories. Her latest book, “Grave Matters,” has just been published. She can be reached at salempact@verizon.net.
Carlotta Holton COMMENTARY
COLUMN: Getting the royal treatment at Borthwick Castle
Staying overnight in a castle has always been on my bucket list. Scratch it off; I’ve been there and done that and it was oh, so memorable!
Situated 13 miles southeast of Edinburgh, Scotland, Borthwick Castle, circa 1420, sits in a glen in the town of Midlothian. It’s what one would expect of lodging in a castle replete with twin towers – a gorgeous bucolic landscape, a bloody history, dungeons and of course, the requisite ghosts.
Castles symbolize history and mystery and romance. Our castle was no exception. Built by Sir James Borthwick on land that was gifted to him by James I as payback from the King for serving as a hostage, it is situated on a knoll on the periphery of the romantic Scottish borders once immortalized by Sir Walter Scott.
It is U-shaped in plan and has walls up to 14 feet thick at lower levels. A curtained stone wall with a verdant garden and stream surrounds the towers. A round tower that is a gatehouse can also be rented.
In the 1970’s the castle was fitted with electricity and plumbing and central heating. It has been run as a hotel since 1973.
Amidst the howling winds of October, we were taxied into the castle’s main level in the north wall. A small heavy, wooden door opens into the Great Hall, 50 feet in length and 37 feet high at its center. This is where the edict for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots hangs on the battered wall.
It was here in 1567, that she sought refuge with the Earl of Bothwell a month after their marriage. She later fled – disguised as a pageboy – on the approach of the Earl of Morton’s confederate Lord sent by her cousin, Elizabeth escaping the 1,000 soldiers. Many people believe her ghost still haunts the castle.
Nearly 100 years later, the scars of fired cannons bear history as well. Oliver Cromwell’s attack on the castle in 1650 besieged it as his Parliamentarian forces marched through Scotland en route to Edinburgh.
During our visit there was a chill in the air and our host suggested a seat before the blazing fireplace where two sets of armor stand guard in alcoves above the floor. A faded tapestry enhanced one of the walls and two black leather sofas and an ornate Victorian sofa form an arc that faces the fireplace. The lengthy dining table was set with silver candelabras to accommodate the diners.
If it’s atmosphere a couple seeks, this is the place for you. Walks in the lovely countryside were enhanced by heather strewn about the fields which lead to the Borthwick Parish Church where many brides hold their weddings. The effigies of a Lord and his Lady lying in the nave are regarded as the best of their kind in Scotland.
One can arrange to ride horses, golf or shoot clay pigeons on the premises as well. The castle is only a half hour’s drive into Edinburgh which is filled with shops, restaurants and the Royal Mile to the palace. Many enjoy visiting the Glenkinchie distillery as well.
We were told that Scotland has more sheep than people and while the menu did not offer haggis, we were served a choice of slow Braised Cheek, Pan Roasted Sirloin of Black Angus beef with textures of onion, pickled girolles and truffle jus or lamb.
Following the meal our host gathered us around the fireplace and told us the story of The Red Room. We had made friends with the young couple who were staying there, and after helping ourselves to some scotch, we waited for the tale to begin.
It seems that Lord Borthwick was a difficult man. When he held prisoners in the dungeons, he would offer freedom if they managed to jump from one tower to another – a span of 20 feet. This was also to be accomplished by having one’s hands and feet bound. Disgusted with the living conditions, this offered the prisoner a quick death.
His cruelty knew no bounds. He had impregnated Ann Grant, a villager and one of the servants. Legend has it that as she was sleeping in the Red Room, he had two knights murder her with a sword.
Soon after the bodies were disposed of, there appeared a figure of a supine woman with a huge belly and a sword protruding from that spot on the marble fireplace mantel. The Lord frantically brought in chemists to try to absolve the stain. It didn’t work. Then he hired someone to try to chisel it away. Each effort resulted in a darker permanent etching. Exasperated, the Lord closed the chamber.
Many of us did not want to retire this evening – particularly the Scottish couple in the Red Room. Bed chambers were reached by winding narrow staircases. Furnished with four poster beds, the alcoves were turned into showers. Our room was in one of the towers and the wind viciously whistled all night. Imaginations afire, we all had a restless night worrying was it nature or the supernatural playing tricks on us all?
Borthwick Castle
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Watch: Swapna Barman’s mother’s reaction…
Squash star Joshna Chinappa is set to perform her best in the upcoming Asian Games 2018 Indonesia and eyeing to bag another gold medal for the country. World number 17 player will be hoping big from the upcoming event as she has big hopes on her shoulders. Asian Games 2018 will be held from August 18 to September 2, 2018, in Indonesia's Jakarta and Palembang.
11 August 2018,
Asian Games 2018 Squash: Joshna Chinappa braced for to performance in Jakarta
Indian squash champion Joshna Chinappa has gear up to represent the country at Asian Games 2018 Indonesia. 31-year-old Joshna Chinappa comes from Karnataka’s Kodagu district and has bagged many international titles. Joshna Chinappa reached the 10th spot in world rankings in 2016 and currently holds the 17th position.
She made the country proud at International events like Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018, Asian Squash Title 2017, NSC Series No.6 in 2009, British Junior Open 2005, Asian Junior 2005, World Junior Championship Belgium 2005, British Open Junior 2004, SAF Games Pakistan 2004 and many other big tournaments.
Chinappa along with Dipika Pallikal Karthik won a gold medal in the women’s doubles event at Commonwealth Games 2014 and this time at the Asian Games 2018 Indonesia, the nation will be hoping another gold medal from the squash player.
The 2018 Asian Games, officially known as the 18th Asian Games and also known as Jakarta Palembang 2018, is a pan-Asian multi-sport event scheduled to be held from 18 August to 2 September 2018 in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang.
For all the latest Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Palembang News, download NewsX App
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Street of the Iron Po(e)t, Part VII
By Henri Cole
I returned to the Montparnasse cemetery today, to visit the polished black-granite sepulcher of Susan Sontag, who died, in 2004, at the age of seventy-two, from a rare blood malignancy. “Cancer = death,” she wrote in her journal thirty years earlier, after being diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer, which required a radical mastectomy. Though Sontag lived with cancer for many years, she never admitted that it was possible she might not survive, except in her private journal, where she was less victorious, saying, “People speak of illness as deepening, I don’t feel deepened. I feel flattened. I’ve become opaque to myself.”
Because death was not a subject she discussed with her son, the writer David Rieff, he was forced to improvise after she succumbed, so he shipped her body on the same Air France flight that she’d taken many times from New York to Paris, a city she found rapturous. And ten years later, I am a literary tourist at Montparnasse. Cemeteries, after all, are for the living. The leaves were turning in the wind, and grit from the narrow walkways blew in my eyes as I searched for Sontag’s grave. Those buried near her are named Flamery (as in flamme, meaning flame, ardor, or passion) and Testu (perhaps pronounced like têtu, which means obstinate or stubborn). A stubborn passion or obstinate flame is a good thing to accompany a writer for all eternity.
In the nineteen-eighties, during the height of the AIDS epidemic, when I was a young man living in Manhattan, Sontag published her important story “The Way We Live Now,” which depicts the responses of a group of New Yorkers when they learn that their friend has AIDS. Like Sontag, the story’s protagonist believes that his will to live counts more than anything else, and that if he really wants to live, and trusts life, he will live. But he is mistaken—all the determination in the world and a “utopia” of friends cannot suppress the terrible H.I.V. virus. When one of the protagonist’s friends brings him a little Guatemalan wooden sculpture of St. Sebastian, he explains that, where he comes from, Sebastian is venerated as a protector against pestilence—symbolized by the arrows lodged in his body. All we usually hear about the early Christian martyr is that he was handsome (with eyes searching upward), bound to a post, and shot with arrows—but there is more to his story. In fact, when Christian women come to bury him, they find he is still alive, so they nurse him back to health. It is for this reason that Saint Sebastian remains a protector against plagues.
At the Louvre, there is an excellent depiction of Saint Sebastian by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506), who lived during a time of incurable diseases. The Saint is observed from an unusually low perspective, and two archers represent the profane pleasures, in contrast to the faithful Sebastian. A small fig tree is growing at his feet, a sign of his sweetness and the salvation to come.
At the end of Sontag’s short story, she observes that “the difference between a story and a painting or photograph is that in a story you can write, He’s still alive. But in a painting or photo you can’t show ‘still.’ ” Thankfully, in a poem, too, you can say, He is still alive, or, I am living still.
Not far from Sontag’s pollen-coated grave are the remains of the Peruvian poet César Vallejo, who died, at the age of forty-six, of an unknown illness that was probably malaria. Vallejo wrote in a poem, “Today I like life much less / but I’d like to live anyway… / I’d like to live always, even flat on my belly.” He shared Sontag’s desire to live no matter what, even if it meant being uncomfortable or unhappy. Fighting for life until the very end: this is their fraternity.
Walking home late yesterday, I stopped to observe the stately buildings along the Seine. Everything had a pinkish glow, and as I stood admiring the view a tall, mannish woman approached holding a large bottle of beer and a cigarette. She spoke with a deep voice, exhaling smoke, and there was a strange acknowledgement between us, as if we’d met before, though we hadn’t. Her face and hands were dirty, and she motioned for me to follow, so I accompanied her to a corner of park, where we were joined by two of her friends, who rubbed their hands anxiously and looked at one another. I thought that they might be the Three Graces, the charities known in mythology—Charm, Beauty, and Joy—one of them giving, one of them receiving, and one patiently in wait. Alcohol and life on the street had made the two men softer than their female companion. When I realized that what they wanted was for me to open their beer bottle, I promptly unscrewed it and handed it back to the man with shaky hands, but he insisted I take the first swallow, so I did. A little later, when I left them, one of the Graces was already sleeping under a purple blanket.
My father was a farm boy from Rockingham, North Carolina. His parents were sharecroppers. They received a house and groceries in exchange for labor. They grew peaches and tobacco. Both of my parents had high-school educations and took classes at night school to improve themselves. The military enabled my father to see the world, including Paris. He received a bronze star for exemplary conduct in ground combat during the Rhineland Campaign. Many of his ancestors were classified as “mulatto” by the American census, and lived in the Wolf Pit township, in the dusty sand hills of North Carolina, where Father is buried. The gravestones of his ancestors are made of poured concrete and have misspellings, but they are darkly beautiful.
A few days ago, there was a large manifestation near Hôtel des Invalides, built by Louis XIV for wounded and homeless veterans, and as a monument to his own glory. At the center lies a wedding-cake-style gold dome, which took twenty-seven years to build and marks the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte. Also housed in the galleries is one of the most comprehensive museums of military history in the world.
It was Sunday, and I was out for a walk when suddenly I was swept along by the protesters carrying pink and blue flags. (France is the flag nation of the world!)
Eventually, I realized that the protesters were against same-sex marriage and adoptions by same-sex couples. In France, any surrogacy arrangement, whether commercial or altruistic, is considered illegal. All the pink and blue made me think of the French-American sculptor Louise Bourgeois, who used these colors, but these were not friends of Louise Bourgeois, shouting, “Neither from a father nor from a mother!” “One man and one woman!” “A mother is not a father or like any other!” There were tens of thousands of protesters—angry men, women, and children—because a bill had been passed by the National Assembly and the Senate granting same-sex couples the right to marry and jointly adopt children, and it was supported by the French President.
A couple days later, the first official same-sex marriage ceremony took place in Montpellier, a university town in the South of France, between two men, named Bruno and Vincent, and there were two hundred policemen at their wedding to protect them. Again I thought of Louise Bourgeois and her handsome “I Do” print, which she produced to benefit the Freedom to Marry campaign in the United States. It’s an abstract depiction, made of dyes on cloth with embroidery, of two flowers joined on a single stem.
When I was a young man, during the seventies and eighties, gays and lesbians were not encouraged by society to love, marry, and reproduce. I think this is why, in part, I am so pessimistic about love, human relations, and the possibility of happiness. But this new law is a real advancement for the human condition, and France is the fourteenth nation worldwide to permit same-sex marriage.
To celebrate, I went out and bought a split of champagne, Moët & Chandon, and sat up late drinking and reading Willa Cather’s novel “My Ántonia,” a portrait of a pioneer woman in whose character the strengths and passions of America’s early settlers are rendered. On the horizon, the top of the Eiffel Tower kept me company with its sparkling lights that suggested freedom.
See more entries from Henri Cole’s ongoing Paris Diary.
Henri Cole teaches at Claremont McKenna College. His most recent book is “Nothing to Declare.” He recently received the Award of Merit in Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Paris Diary
A revolutionary class of “living drugs” now promises to cure once incurable cancers. But can we afford them?
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Home » About Dr. Jacono » News and Media » Celebrity Neck Lifting
Celebrity Neck Lifting
Celebrity Neck Lift Photos Before and After
Celebrity Neck Lift Photos – Micro Neck Lifts – Neck Lift Photos Before and After – How Much Does a Neck Lift Cost
The demand for neck lift surgeries is up over 20% according to Dr. Andrew Jacono
Requests for Necklines of Salma Hayek and Other Notables Shift Perception of Youth South of the Jawline
New York, NY (August 7, 2013) – Beauty is no longer defined by the face alone. According to Andrew Jacono, MD, FACS, director of the New York Center for Facial Plastic and Laser Surgery, there has been a recent spike in requests for neck lifts, many of which have been inspired by the faces that grace the pages of patients’ favorite glossy magazines. Interestingly, Dr. Jacono has noticed a large number of women citing Salma Hayek as their inspiration, specifically requesting a neckline resembling that of the star.
“While I’ve consistently fielded requests over the years from patients asking for the nose of this celebrity or the cheekbones of that celebrity, the requests for the necklines of celebrities are fairly new,” says Dr. Jacono. “It’s no longer uncommon to get those patients who wake up one morning and suddenly realize that their necks are making them look old. And once it’s caught your eye, you’ll start to survey necks everywhere, including in magazines and on TV.”
According to Dr. Jacono, Hayek’s neck is a prime example of a desirable neckline due to its lack of wrinkles and creping, the first telltale signs of aging. Combined with strong muscle tone and even coloration and texture that mirror that of the face, the appearance of youth is preserved.
Today’s patient is increasingly realizing the importance of not only a facelift, but a neck lift as well, in order to present a more youthful appearance. Dr. Jacono has seen a 20 percent increase in neck lift procedures in his New York-based practice in the last year, making neck lifts his most requested procedure behind his MADE facelift for patients in their late 40s and 50s. This trend is in line with the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s survey that noted the most common facial cosmetic surgical procedures undergone by women in 2012 were face and neck lifts.
“There are many wonderful non-surgical treatments available now for wrinkle reduction and skin tightening. I have seen a noticeable increase in patients seeking facial fillers, Botox, Fraxel, Sculptra and the skin-tightening Ulthera treatment in my New York City office, and most patients are highly satisfied with the youthful appearance these procedures restore to their aging skin,” explains Dr. Jacono. He educates patients that while non-surgical treatments are a wonderful alternative to surgery for patients with only subtle signs of aging, they won’t fight neck laxity. In these cases, a neck lift is the only solution for a permanent youthful result.
To combat “turkey neck,” Dr. Jacono uses cutting edge, minimally invasive techniques and technology to create a defined natural jawline with little recovery time. A neck lift requires that the excess neck skin be removed, and the muscles under the neck that support this area be tightened. “By tightening the neck muscles we are rebuilding the beams of the neck so it cannot fall again, and this prevents the tight look that only working on the skin creates,” says Dr. Jacono. To accomplish this, Dr. Jacono uses hidden incisions behind the ears and endoscopic technology so that the incisions are one-third the length of older neck lift procedures. “Patients always comment that people think they look healthy, like they have lost weight, have been exercising or have been on a vacation, but never that they had a neck lift.”
About Dr. Andrew Jacono
Dr. Jacono is a facelift expert, recognized as a Top Doctor by the US News & World Report. A Dual Board Certified, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon with offices in Manhattan and Great Neck, NY, Dr. Andrew Jacono is Section Head of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at North Shore University Hospital Manhasset, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and Director of The New York Center for Facial Plastic & Laser Surgery in New York, NY. His recently released second book is titled The Face of the Future and he is the creator of J PAK SYSTEMS – convenient, homeopathic remedies to help optimize healing after aesthetic injectable and surgical procedures.
With surgical privileges at six New York area hospitals, an extensive background in Head and Neck Surgery with subspecialty training in Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Jacono is recognized amongst his peers for his innovative surgical techniques and skills. His clinical research has been presented at countless national meetings and symposiums and he has authored numerous manuscripts and published articles in leading medical journals on a variety of surgical techniques, including minimally invasive endoscopic facial plastic surgery and lip augmentation. To learn more about Dr. Jacono and his practice, visit www.newyorkfacialplasticsurgery.com.
Credit: Samira Shamoon / INK & ROSES (August 7, 2013). Celebrities Driving 20 Percent Increase in Demand for Neck Lifts, Says Top New York City Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr. Andrew Jacono. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/8/prweb11007382.htm
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https://www.nhregister.com/connecticut/article/TRAVELERS-CHAMPIONSHIP-Lee-Westwood-returns-for-11427903.php
TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Lee Westwood returns for first time since 2005
Joe Morelli, Register Staff
Published 12:00 am EDT, Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Lee Westwood, of England, hits on the 12th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club, Thursday, June 13, 2013, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
CROMWELL -- Lee Westwood couldn't believe it's been eight years since his one and only appearance at the Travelers Championship.
"Is it?" Westwood responded when told the year was 2005. He did recall the back nine at TPC River Highlands. Wednesday's Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am gave Westwood a chance to re-familiarize with the front nine at TPC River Highlands.
"I enjoyed it last time I played it. I like the golf course," Westwood said.
Westwood, the No. 12 ranked player in the world, hopes to earn his sixth top-10 finish of the season beginning today. Westwood tees off on No. 10 at 7:50 a.m.
This year, he had four straight top-10 results, including a tie for eighth at both the Masters and the Players Championship. Westwood tied for 51st in 2005 at River Highlands.
Coming off a tie for 15th at the U.S. Open last weekend, Westwood will join the rest of the field attacking the pin placements at the TPC course.
"Some fairways you go, 'Wow, this is a big fairway' because obviously, they were narrow and tight last week and there were massive penalties for missing it. I don't think I missed many (Wednesday). Obviously, you will look for more under par scores this week. You don't want U.S. Open stress too often. It would drive you mad if you played that kind of test all the time. It's nice to be back on a course where under par is going to win."
Westwood was a member of the PGA Tour when he last played the Travelers. He's been just a member of the European Tour until this year when he moved to West Palm Beach, Fla.
"Normally after the U.S. Open, I would go home (overseas) and play the French Open, the Irish Open things like that," Westwood said. "Now that I have moved to the States, it makes it easier for me to stay on after the U.S. Open and play this event."
Westwood has 15 top-10 finishes in major championship events, yet he has failed to win one yet as he approaches 40.
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The Sheriff's Office has asked anyone with information to call the Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911 referencing case number 2018-5333. Or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).
Boys say strange man tried to lure them into his truck
A man in a black pickup truck yelled, 'Get in the truck' to two boys as they walked home from a bus stop.
Observer Staff
Read more about Observer Staff
Two elementary school boys were walking home from a bus stop the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 17 when an unfamiliar man driving a pickup truck pulled up beside them and said, 'Get in the truck,' according to a Flagler County Sheriff's Office news release.
The boys yelled loudly and ran home, and the truck sped off.
The boys told their parents, saying that the driver of the truck was black and about 20-30 years old. The truck was black with chrome wheels. The boys were at Rolling Sands Drive and Roxboro Drive when he stopped beside them.
“These boys did the right thing by removing themselves from danger and telling an adult they can trust,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the news release. “Please talk about personal safety with your children. Remind them to always use the ‘buddy’ system and walk with a friend or parent. It is important that they are aware of their surroundings, don’t talk to strangers, and report suspicious activity to a trusted adult, the police or the Sheriff’s Office.”
Deputies were able to get surveillance footage showing a truck that matched the description of the one the boys had seen and was in the area at about the time the boys were dropped off by the school bus.
The Sheriff's Office has not gotten other similar reports, according to the news release. Deputies have been patrolling the area to identify the pickup truck and the suspect.
The Sheriff's Office has asked anyone with information to call the Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911 referencing case number 2018-5333. Or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers tipsters may be eligible for a reward up to $5,000.
Click here to see more Palm Coast news
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by Beatles
Many books have appeared over the years about the Beatles lyrics — about the words of those songs which the whole world knows and sings, and will sing for ever, as long as we have the breath to hum the tunes. But no one has ever tried to track down and publish the original versions of the classic songs — showing the words in the Beatles’ own handwriting, how they first wrote them, how they scribbled them down on pieces of paper or backs of envelopes, with all the crossings out and changes.
By revealing and publishing these original manuscripts for the first time we gain a unique insight into the creative process of Lennon and McCartney, how they did it, what they were thinking, how they changed their minds, and then came up with the words we now all know.
Such a book has never been published, firstly because of copyright reasons, with ownership divided between Michael Jackson and Sony, and secondly because no one has been able to track them all down. The author of the only authorised biography of The Beatles, Hunter Davies, has sought out nearly one hundred Beatles lyrics. His expert introduction describes the creativity of the greatest ever rock band — then he lists and illustrates each song, in chronological order, putting each song in context: what the Beatles were doing at the time, how and when they came to write and then record it, how the original version differs from the final one. The wonder is that almost every Beatles song has a great story behind it — whether it is ‘In My Life’, ‘For No One’, ‘Yesterday’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, or ‘Yellow Submarine’.
Genre: The Arts / Music / Individual Composers & Musicians, Specific Bands & Groups
On Sale: 25th September 2014
They were just scraps of paper set for a cleaner's furnace - but now The Beatles' lyric sheets are precious jewels that reveal the secret history of the world's greatest band... beneath the scrawls and corssings-out lies a shadow history of The Beatles
Painstakingly researched and skilfully laid out over 350 engrossing pages, Davies gives us an incredible insight into the remarkable creative process of the band, and tells the story of the Beatles' lives through their work
Colm O'Regan, HOT PRESS
This is not just one for the Beatlemaniacs and it is liberally illustrated with lyrics as they were originally written on table napkins, notepads, or on the back of a birthday card
RTE GUIDE
No Lennon/McCartney obsessive should be without Hunter Davies' The Beatles Lyrics
Olivia Cole, GQ Magazine
This delightful book will appeal to the millions of Beatles fans around the world who will surely enjoy reliving these iconic songs and learning something of their history
SIXTYPLUSSURFERS
He wrote the first comprehensive biography of The Beatles and now, in The Beatles Lyrics, Hunter Davies returns to examine each of the band's songs in forensic details, offering insights into the creative process and putting the songs in their social and personal context
You may never read a more comprehensive, unpretentious account of the creative processes behind a band's body of lyrics. It seems fitting that band should be The Beatles... The book runs chronologically from A to Z through every self-penned song the Beatles recorded in their eight action-packed years together. With all those original handwritten manuscripts, it's a must buy for die-hard Beatles fans and, no doubt, many calligraphers too
Joe Dermody, IRISH EXAMINER
Fascinating facsimiles of scribbled lyric notes jotted onto scraps of paper... afford insights into the development from the germ of an idea to a finished song
THE INDEPENDENT 'Books of the Year'
Even fans who think they know it all already will treasure this forensic exploration of the Beatles' songs...a handsome coffee-table book by Hunter Davies that manages to shed new light on the creative process behind such songs as Eleanor Rigby, Across the Universe and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds...a treasure of a book, a forensic, song-by-song exploration of the band's creative process
Paul Howard, THE IRISH TIMES
Davies has tracked down and reproduced more than 100 of the Beatles' original handwritten manuscripts for their songs, nearly all of which are reproduced for the first time in this handsome coffee-table tome. Each song is given its context: what the band were doing at the time, how and when they came to write and record it, how the original version differs from the final one. A pretty essential addition to the library/bathroom of any serious Beatles fan
What's amazing is that these songs were so often scribbled down on whatever bits of paper were at hand - pages from notebooks, hotel stationery, backs of envelopes - and it's fascinating to see them with their hasty revisions, crossings out, lines being rewritten, ideas rethought even before they are fully complete, almost as if The Beatles can't keep up with their own creative momentum, colourful doodles and stoned illustrations accompanying some of them
Allan Jones, UNCUT
A fascinating look at how these classics came into being as the manuscripts show how lines were altered and whole verses dumped
A forensic song-by-song exploration of the band's writing process... If you're a songwriter, the song manuscripts along are fascinating, and if you're a Beatles fan, the info here can't help but give you a fresh insight into their music
[Davies] has managed to track down handwritten versions for 100 of the band's 182 lyrics, and it's undeniably fascinating to observe these scribbled seeds, particularly when they contain alterations, crossings-out and abandoned verses... The other main attraction of the book is Davies' unrivalled access to the group. As the only authorised Beatles biographer during the band's existence, he spent time observing Lennon and McCartney as they wrote songs, and his vivid account of the pair holding court amongst friends in the latter's music room... is just one of several fascinating behind-the-scenes moments
Andy Gill, THE INDEPENDENT
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Family Article (2)
Grove Art Online (11)
Art of the Middle East/North Africa (11)
Eighteenth-Century Art (11)
Nineteenth-Century Art (10)
Collecting, Patronage, and Display of Art (10)
Graphic Design and Typography (1)
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1700–1800 (11)
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1-11 of 11 results for:
Eighteenth-Century Art x
Patron, Collector, or Dealer x
(7) Abdülaziz [‛Abdul-‛Azız], Sultan
Çigdem Kafesçioglu and Walter B. Denny
Ottoman family
II. Family members.
(5) Ahmed III [Ahmet], Sultan
‛Alawi family
Marianne Barrucand
[‛Alawī; Filālī]
Islamic dynasty and rulers of Morocco since 1631. Like their predecessors the Sa‛dis, the ‛Alawis are sharīfs (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad), and both dynasties are sometimes classed together as the ‘Sharifs of Morocco’. From a base in the Tafilalt region of south-east Morocco, the ‛Alawi family was able to overcome the centrifugal forces exerted by the Berber tribes who had destroyed the Sa‛di state in the first half of the 17th century. To restore political authority and territorial integrity, Mawlay Isma‛il (reg 1672–1727) added a new black slave corps to the traditional tribal army. Although royal power was weak during the 19th century and the early 20th, when the French and Spanish established protectorates, the ‛Alawis’ power was fully restored after independence from the French in 1956.
‛Alawi building activities (see Islamic art, §II, 7(v)) were concentrated in the four cities that have served as their capitals: Fez and Marrakesh at various times from ...
(2) Bayezid II [Bayezit; Bayazid], Sultan
Dalton, Richard
Francis Russell
(b ?1715; d London, Feb 7, 1791).
English draughtsman, engraver and dealer. As agent to a number of patrons and subsequently librarian to George III, he was one of the most influential figures in the sphere of collecting in England for some four decades. He was the son of the Rev. John Dalton and younger brother of the Rev. John Dalton, poet and divine, whose connection with Algernon Seymour, Earl of Hertford (later 7th Duke of Somerset), forwarded Richard’s early career in Italy. He had arrived there by 1739 and may have trained in Bologna; by 1741 he was studying under Agostino Masucci in Rome and was already active as a dealer, selling a collection of prints in that year to Henry Clinton, 9th Earl of Lincoln, and cultivating the patronage of Sir Erasmus Philipps, Bart.
In 1749 Dalton visited Calabria and Sicily and then, in his capacity as travelling draughtsman, joined the party of James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont, on a tour of Egypt, Turkey and Greece. He was possibly the first English artist to record the ancient monuments of these places. A selection of drawings executed on this tour was engraved by Dalton and published in ...
Denon, Baron (Dominique-)Vivant
Joanna Barnes
(b Givry, nr Chalon-sur-Saône, Jan 4, 1747; d Paris, April 28, 1825).
French museum director, writer, graphic artist, collector, archaeologist and diplomat. He was the son of a provincial aristocrat. He went to Paris to further his law studies c. 1765 but entered the studio of Noël Hallé. He became Gentleman-in-Ordinary to Louis XV and was appointed keeper of the collection of engraved gems and medals that Mme de Pompadour had left to the King. In 1772 he entered the diplomatic service as attaché to the French embassy at St Petersburg, he was subsequently posted to Stockholm, Geneva (where his disrespectful engraving Repast at Ferney, of 4 July 1775, angered Voltaire) and, from spring 1776, Naples. There he became acquainted with Sir William Hamilton, the British ambassador, and made many drawings of his future wife Emma. Denon began to acquire a diverse collection of paintings and engravings as well as antiquities from excavations at Nola, Catania, Agrigento, Pompeii and Herculaneum. He purchased the painting of the ...
(6) Mahmud II, Sultan
(1) Mehmed II [Meḥemmed; Mehmet], Sultan
(4) Murad III [Murat], Sultan
[Osmanlı]
Islamic dynasty that began to rule in Anatolia in 1281; at its greatest extent in the 16th century the Ottoman empire also included the Balkans, the Crimea, Iraq, Syria, the Hijaz, Egypt and North Africa. It lasted until the promulgation of the Constitution of the Turkish Republic in 1924.
Çigdem Kafesçioglu
The Ottomans claimed descent from the eponymous Osman (‛Uthman), a Turkish ruler active in north-west Anatolia at the end of the 13th century and beginning of the 14th. His small emirate grew at the expense of the declining state of the Saljuqs of Anatolia ( see Saljuq family, §2 ). Ideologically based on the concept of religious warfare (Turk. gaza, from Arab. ghazw), the state expanded rapidly to the west over Byzantine territory in Thrace and the Balkans, and to the east over the Turkish principalities of Anatolia ( see Beylik ). The first major expansion took place under Osman’s son Orhan (...
(3) Süleyman [Sulaymān II; Soliman], Sultan
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In This Article Performance Art
Modernist Avant-Garde Performance
Post-1945 Proto-Performance
Performance in Japan (1954–1970)
Situationist International (1957–1972)
Happenings (c. 1958–1970)
Destruction in Art (1950s–present)
Grupo Neoconcreto (1959–1961)
Viennese Actionism (1960–1971)
Aktual Group (1960–1975)
Arte Destructivo (1961)
Fluxus (1962–1978)
Gorgona Group (1959–1966) and OHO-Group (1965–1971)
Body Art (1967–Present)
Books, Essays, Anthologies, Exhibitions: 1950s–2010s
Performance-Related Mediums
Photography and Performance Art
Digital New Media
Identity Politics, Cultural Constructs, and Affective Experience
Performance, Medicine, and the Body without Organs
Trauma and Performance
Collectivism, Social Intervention, and Activism
Gender and Art in the 17th Century
Kristine Stiles
LAST MODIFIED: 30 January 2014
This article offers a wide range of resources for understanding the rich genealogy of global performance art that emerged as a discrete genre within experimental art in the post-1945 period. While the historic avant-garde initiated performance as a theatrical genre in the visual arts before World War II, live art appeared internationally in relation to the physical act of painting and in reponse to artists’ augmentation of viewer interaction in the early 1950s. The use of the body in art may also be understood as a response to the ontological threat of the Holocaust and nuclear weapons and to unprecedented changes in society and culture, including advances in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, from the advent of poststructuralist thought to the etiology of trauma, and breakthroughts in genetic and biomedical engineering. From its inception, live, performed art included all variety of media: photography and film, slide projection, kinetic sculpture, and eventually the addition of radio and television, video, digital media, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, the Internet, and social media. Many performance artists introduced animals in their work, while others protested this aspect. Artists creating performances also played a precipitating role in the use of human and animal fluids, live tissues, living organisms, and bacteria in art, as well as in the development of bioart, which followed scientific breakthroughs in cloning, DNA sequencing, and biomedicine. These discoveries led to social transformations such as the alteration of gender, sexual transitions in which performance artists have also been at the forefront. In what some have theorized as the post- or trans-human era of techno-scientific amplifications of the body, performance art has been responsive to the cyborg age, corporeal enhancement and redesign, uploaded forms of consciousness, implant and wearable computers, and an array of mental and physical supplements that increasingly render the body ambiguously human. However hybrid, performance art is foremost a medium of the body in all its aspects and augmented states. The very presentation of the body raises ethical questions regarding social mores that determine cultural concepts, from identity, sexuality, gender, race, ethnicity, and class to a host of other social constructions. Recognizing the artist’s subject-to-subject relation to a viewer, artists using their bodies initiated participatory involvement with the public. Such interaction was intrinsic to the very definition of a “happening,” from which much performance art that encourages direct social response has evolved. Performance art engages the public in questioning institutional forms of oppression, from patriarchy, racism, and the moral strictures of the heteronormative family to organized religion and nationalism; and from capitalism and communism to war and global colonization. In many respects, performance art has been a practice of artists on the Left, some of whom have run afoul of the law by challenging conventional, yet controversial, social norms. Causing controversy associated worldwide with the “culture wars” such actions have led to widespread misconceptions about the medium, including the presumption that a performance is identical with the life of the artist. But while an event in an artist’s life, art actions diverges from life as metacomentary on life and what it means to be an embodied subject in society.
The author would like to thank Assistant Professor Jasmina Tumbas (SUNY, Buffalo), and Lauren Reuter and Jacqueline Samy (Duke University) for research assistance.
The following volumes have been selected for their broad overviews of performance art throughout the world. Lippard 1997 is unsurpassed as an annotated bibliography of international experimental art, covering the plethora of post-studio art that emerged between 1966 and 1972. Now canonical, Goldberg 2011 begins a comprehensive survey of performance art with the history of the modernist avant-gardes, and closes with contemporary performance art. Gray 1993 provides an inclusive bibliography on performance art from 1909 to the mid-1970s. Huxley and Witts 1996 presents fifty critical, theoretical, and some canonical 20th-century texts on performance. Ramirez and Olea 2004 is an invaluable assembly of primary documents on and writings by Latin American artists and critics. IRWIN 2006 offers a comprehensive history of contemporary art in the former Soviet Union and central and eastern Europe, from the 1950s to the present. Stiles and Selz 2012 provide writings by an international selection of performance artists, with an introduction to the history of performance art from the 1950s to the present. Shanken 2009 surveys the international production of art involved with movement and electronic media from the 20th century through the mid-2000s. Wu and Wang 2010 present English translations of difficult to find primary documents and review Chinese avant-garde art from 1976 until 2006. With a survey text by Amelia Jones, Warr 2012 assembles documents and images of international performance art, artists’ writings, and criticism since the mid-20th century.
Goldberg, RoseLee. Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present. 3d ed. London and New York: Thames & Hudson, 2011.
First published in 1979 as Performance: Live Art, 1909 to the Present, each successive edition (1988, 2001, and 2011) has been expanded, including proto-theatrical performances of the historical avant-garde up through performance in the present, and includes color and black-and-white illustrations and revised bibliographies. See also Goldberg’s biennial Performa, held in New York City (2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011). These catalogues document this performance series with many illustrations and scholarly essays (e.g., Performa 09: Back to Futurism. New York: Performa, 2011).
Gray, John. Action Art: A Bibliography of Artists’ Performance from Futurism to Fluxus and Beyond. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1993.
Organized in three sections: Action Art 1909–1952; Action Art 1950s–1970s; and Biographical and Critical Studies. Five appendixes and four indexes follow. Topics covered include futurism, Dada, cubism, Russian performance, the Bauhaus, Black Mountain College, Gutai, happenings, Fluxus, Viennese Actionism, destruction in art, and the Dutch Provos.
Huxley, Michael, and Noel Witts, eds. The Twentieth Century Performance Reader. London and New York: Routledge, 1996.
Compilation of fifty critical and theoretical texts on performance, with contextual summaries, cross-references, suggested readings, and a chronology, including artists, playwrights and poets, dramaturges, dancers, and historians—such as Laurie Anderson, Adolph Appia, Antonin Artaud, Judith Butler, Jerzy Grotowski, Bill T. Jones, Tadeusz Kantor, Allan Kaprow, Yvonne Rainer, Hans Richter, Konstantin Stanislavski, Stelarc, and Raymond Williams, among others.
IRWIN, ed. East Art Map: Contemporary Art and Eastern Europe. London: Afterall, 2006.
IRWIN, a Slovenian artists group and member of Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK), collected essays (by such critics as Eda Čufer, Jürgen Harten, Lutz Becker, Boris Groys, Marina Gržinić, Slavoj Žižek, and Susan Buck-Morss) on experimental art, especially performance and conceptual art, from throughout eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Volume also includes interviews, short texts on individual works of art, and difficult-to-find photographic documents, and artists’ biographies.
Lippard, Lucy, ed. Six Years: The Dematerialization of the Art Object from 1966 to 1972. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.
First published in 1973, Six Years is an inclusive, chronological compilation (by year and month) of documents, fragments of statements and interviews, texts, art works, concepts, and much more on artists throughout the world who pioneered performance, minimal, earth, process, and conceptual art. Contains a provocative Preface and sobering Postface that addresses how quickly the art market co-opted conceptual artists’ utopian aims.
Ramirez, Mari Carmen, and Héctor Olea, eds. Inverted Utopias: Avant-Garde Art in Latin America. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2004.
An invaluable scholarly history of the Central and South American, Mexican, and Caribbean avant-gardes, covering every medium from painting to performance and conceptual art. Contains biographies, ephemera, lavish color illustrations, and black-and-white documentary photographs, with scholarly essays by the editors, as well as by Benedito Nunes, Angel Rama, Marcelo Pacheco, Marta Traba, Ana Maria Belluzzo, Olivier Debroise, Ariel Jiménez, Luis Péres Oramas, Saúl Yurkiévich, Paulo Herkenhoff, Guy Brett, Max Bense, and Justo Pasto Mellado.
Shanken, Edward A., ed. Art and Electronic Media. London and New York: Phaidon, 2009.
With an introductory survey by Shanken on international media art, the volume includes excerpts from canonical documents on art, technology, and electronic media, much of which involves performance art. Innovative chapter topics range from “Motion, Duration, Illumination,” “Charged Environments,” “Networks, Surveillance, Culture Jamming,” and “Bodies, Surrogates, Emergent Systems” to “Simulations and Simulacra” and “Exhibitions, Institutions, Communities, and Collaborations.” Many color and black-and-white photographs, primary documents, and artists’ biographies.
Stiles, Kristine, and Peter Selz, eds. Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art: A Sourcebook of Artists’ Writings. Rev. ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012.
Revised, expanded, and reedited from the original 1996 publication, the second edition includes a chapter on “Performance Art” (chapter 8), with an introduction to the history of performance. Video and multimedia performance appears in chapter 5, “Art and Technology,” and conceptual performance in chapter 9, “Language and Concepts.” See also Stiles’s “Performance,” in Robert S. Nelson and Richard Shiff’s Critical Terms for Art History (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003), pp. 75–97.
Warr, Tracey, ed. The Artist’s Body. Survey text by Amelia Jones. London: Phaidon, 2012.
Originally published in 2000, this updated edition provides a broad survey of international performance art with excerpts from original documents written by performance artists, critics, and art historians; includes artists’ biographies, bibliography, and many color and black-and-white photographs. See also Jones’s “Body” in Robert S. Nelson and Richard Shiff’s Critical Terms for Art History (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003), pp. 251–266.
Wu Hung, and Peggy Wang, eds. Contemporary Chinese Art: Primary Documents. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2010.
Exhibition catalogue with a chronology, manifestos, artists’ writings, and a few Chinese state documents, as well as over 120 illustrations and critical historical introductions to the chapters. Some of the most significant work during this period is by performance artists.
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Adornment, Dress, and African Arts of the Body
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Floods in Texas, Oklahoma Kill 10
Twister Kills 15 in Mexican Border Town
IRS Hacked for Data on 104,000 People
Cameron to Introduce EU Referendum
Charter Moves to Buy Time Warner Cable
Court Denies Obama Immigration Request
Justice Dept., Cleveland Reach Settlement
India Seeks Relief as Heatwave Kills 700
Spain Swings to Left in Local Elections, Al-Shabab Says It Killed Kenyan Officers
Turkmenistan Erects Gold Statue of Leader
Galapagos Volcano Threatens Iguanas
Apple Invents New Job for Design Guru
‘New Yorker’ Cartoons Largely White, Male
Harden Lifts Houston to Avoid Elimination
Water, water everywhere. Last year’s drought in the region is no more: Several people have been swept away by days of torrential rains. At least 170 flights into Texas airports were cancelled, and workers battled blocked roads to try to restore power to 100,000 homes. Barack Obama promised federal help for Texas as the tragic stories poured in: A homecoming queen, a 14-year-old boy and a veteran firefighter were among the confirmed dead, and at least a dozen are still missing, meaning the death toll is likely to rise.
High Waters
Reuters, WP
It was over in six seconds. But the tornado that killed at least 15, including three children, in Ciudad Acuña will be remembered for years. A baby is missing, nearly 90 have been hospitalized and 60 homes have been destroyed after ferocious winds — unlike anything seen in over a century — hit the border town made famous in films like Desperado. The devastation, coinciding with deadly floods in the American Southwest, will see President Enrique Pena Nieto visit northern Mexico, where he is pledging national assistance.
Deadly Touchdown
CNN, DW
Financial aid turned into a financial raid. A record-finding tool called Get Transcript meant to be used for downloading old returns for use in mortgage and loan applications has instead been hacked by identity thieves, who downloaded personal financial information on a hundred thousand taxpayers — only half the number they attempted to access before the tool was shut down — using previously stolen information like social security numbers and purchasing histories, which may indicate organized crime connections. The IRS will be mailing letters to anyone who was affected starting this week.
Tax Attacks
Forbes, CNN
They could be on the fast-track out. Prime Minister David Cameron is set to announce a public referendum Wednesday on the UK remaining part of the EU. Cameron’s conservatives, who have a slim majority, are hoping to push the bill through the House of Commons and hold a public vote as early as 2016. Scotland voted to remain in the UK last year, but it’s now grumbling that the UK’s component parts should have veto power over a Brexit. It’s a non-starter, but it could pave the way for Scotland’s independence in case of UK secession.
In or Out
BBC, FT (sub)
Is the fourth time a charm? Time Warner Cable’s recent history is filled with feints, but Charter Communications is nearing a deal. America’s third-largest cable provider has tried three times to join up with TWC, but now a $56 billion buyout is in the making, including a stock-and-cash deal, a simultaneous merger with Bright House Networks — and a $2 billion breakup fee if the deal doesn’t work out. If the deal goes through, it would consolidate three of the top 10 U.S. cable companies serving a whopping 23 million customers.
Dial M for Merger
Quartz, FT (sub), Reuters
They’re not crossing the border yet. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to lift a hold on the president’s executive action on immigration that would delay deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants. While the New Orleans court agreed that the 26 aggrieved states had the right to challenge the program as an executive overstep, it doesn’t mean the reforms are dead in the water. But the administration will have to work hard to show the delays will be harmful — and not just to Obama’s potential legacy.
NYT, WSJ
They need to change their ways. Federal investigators reportedly found a pattern of unconstitutional policing and excessive force that will require the Ohio city’s police to adopt mandatory reforms. The settlement comes just after the acquittal for manslaughter of Michael Brelo, one of 13 officers who fired 137 rounds into a car, killing two unarmed black occupants. Details of the city’s agreement may come today, with officials expected to ask that Cleveland welcome independent monitors to oversee policing changes, backed by court orders for better training and revised use-of-force policies.
Cop Drama
NYT, WP
The mercury has surged as high as 118 degrees Fahrenheit, killing hundreds across the subcontinent. Most of the victims have been homeless, dying from direct sun exposure, and two taxi drivers have succumbed in Kolkata, leading to restrictions on uncooled cabs. Authorities are struggling to get drinking water to the masses, warning folks to stay inside during peak hours and promising to compensate victims’ families. But with temperatures likely to remain high until the start of monsoon season next week, they also fear the death toll will rise.
Deadly Temps
DW, CNN
Anti-establishment candidates win in Spain’s local elections. (NYT)
Al-Shabab claims to kill 25 Kenyan police officers. (Al Jazeera)
Russia takes to the sky for four-day air force exercise. (BBC)
Family suspects B.B. King was poisoned, lawyer dismisses claim. (The Guardian)
U.S. reporter’s espionage trial begins in Iran, closed to public. (WP)
He’s ushering in a golden era. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov says his goal was merely “to serve the people and the Motherland” with a new 69-foot gilded monument of himself poised astride a horse and carrying a dove. The former dentist, in power since 2006, insists it was a response to public demand for his likeness. But the leader of the famously repressive Central Asian state — with the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves — apparently didn’t have time on Monday to serve his people by attending the unveiling.
Idolize
Mashable, Quartz
Beware the big, bad wolf. A mile-high peak in the Galapagos Islands, the Wolf volcano, began erupting yesterday for the first time in 33 years, threatening the world’s only population of pink iguanas. The reptiles — numbering fewer than 100 — were discovered in 1986 on Isabela Island, the largest in the archipelago that famously inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution with its biodiversity. The lava is reportedly flowing down the southern face of the volcano, away from where the lizards live, and Galapagos National Park officials have flown out to investigate.
Reptile Dysfunction
SMH, The Week
His new title doesn’t really compete with the old one: Sir Jony Ive. But the British-born designer credited with creating Apple’s distinctive aesthetic has advanced from routine management as Senior VP of Design into a brand new role as Chief Design Officer. The promotion will see Ive undertake big-picture thinking full-time — similar to the role once filled by founder Steve Jobs — and lead the company’s present and future projects. Analysts see this as a symbolic vote of confidence as Apple speeds ahead.
Bloomberg, BI
This isn’t very funny. Proceedings of the Natural Institute of Science may be a semi-satirical journal, but it offered real data in its analysis of all the characters in cartoons published by The New Yorker in 2014. Of 1,810 humans represented, 71 percent were male — with women often represented as wives and assistants — and 95 percent were white. There might be a simple solution to redrawing the gender lines: Only 12 of 70 cartoonists were women, but they proved much more likely to draw female characters.
Vox, TPM
They changed this rocket’s fuel. After a weak performance in Saturday’s devastating Game 3 loss, Rockets star James Harden caught fire with a playoff career-high 45 points in yesterday’s win-or-go-home game in the Western Conference finals. The Warriors, who were shaken in the second quarter when league MVP Stephen Curry missed 12 minutes after landing on his head in a collision, lost 128-115. As the series returns to Oakland, Houston hopes to become the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series after trailing 3-0.
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Christian Loucq appointed Pact chief operating officer
Home » Our Stories » News & Announcements
Christian Loucq, M.D., who joined Pact nearly two years ago as its officer in charge of global engagement and strategy, has been appointed the international NGO’s chief operating officer.
Pact president and CEO Mark Viso made the announcement today to Pact staff in more than 30 countries.
“Christian’s strategic and tactical execution of Pact’s vision and his outreach to like-minded partners, donors and other supporters have both helped Pact measurably transform more lives than ever,” Viso said. “In his new role, Christian will be better positioned to help Pact transform itself and the international development landscape to the benefit of exponentially more people seeking to own their futures.”
As Pact’s new COO, Loucq will oversee day-to-day operations of worldwide program staff as well as management and administrative functions at the Washington, D.C., headquarters. In addition, Pact’s world-renowned signature initiative Mines to Markets will report directly to Loucq.
“I am delighted to work so much more closely with so many key staff and functional areas throughout Pact,” Loucq said. “We all share the same desire to deepen and expand our work, partnerships and impact, and I look forward to helping us all realize those goals.”
Loucq joined Pact in April 2015 from the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies, better known as SEED, where he served in the COO role. He had earlier been the top executive of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul, Korea, and director of Path’s Malaria Vaccine Initiative. He is a trained medical doctor and epidemiologist.
Pact works in more than 30 countries, employing 4,500 staff. Pact works in partnership with USAID, DFID, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ITRI, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Chevron and many other corporations.
Pact is a recognized global leader in international development, specializing in the areas of health, livelihoods and national resource management. Our uniquely integrated approach, always adapted to local needs, is transforming lives in each of the nearly 40 countries where we work.
We welcome inquiries from the media. In addition to our in-country development specialists who can speak knowledgeably about local conditions, Pact employs a range of international development experts in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more.
Molly Derrick
mderrick@pactworld.org
Access our digital press kit
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Games/
Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4) Games/
Jordan Minor Ratchet & Clank (for PlayStation 4) Ratchet & Clank reimagines the duo's first adventure with the power of the PlayStation 4.
Ratchet & Clank (for PlayStation 4)
By Jordan Minor
August 26, 2015 1:00PM EST
View All 5 Photos in Gallery
Enhanced versions of classic levels. Modernized controls. New weapons. Visuals comparable to the upcoming feature film.
Hard to tell just how different it is from the original game.
Ratchet & Clank reimagines the duo's first adventure with the power of the PlayStation 4.
After 13 years of action-platforming on PlayStation platforms, Ratchet and Clank are finally coming to the big screen. But that doesn't mean the franchise is forgetting its video game roots. When Ratchet & Clank arrives in theaters next April, it will be accompanied by a PlayStation 4 reimagining of the duo's original adventure, and I recently got to check out Insomniac's upcoming remake.
For Honor (for PlayStation 4)
Bloodborne (for PlayStation 4)
Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack (for PlayStation 4)
Star Wars Battlefront (for PlayStation 4)
Destiny (for PlayStation 4)
Final Fantasy XV (for PlayStation 4)
Tearaway Unfolded (for PlayStation 4)
The Order: 1886 (for PlayStation 4)
A Whole New World?
I only played a small portion of the new Ratchet & Clank ($39.99), it was an early demo, but it was clear the scope and beauty of the world on the PlayStation 4 are leagues beyond what was possible on the PlayStation 2. The level I played had me hopping across a floating train in the middle of a futuristic metropolis, a scenario from the first game. The world I sped through was shiny and bright, bouncy and colorful, and filled to the brim with lively details all around me. Another demo I saw featured a giant boss in a fiery cave. The atmosphere, while moody and menacing, was still cartoony enough that I didn't bat an eye when a dance party soon broke out. The game apparently shares some of its visual assets with the upcoming animated film, and the quality was high enough that I could see why.
Ratchet Revamped
Games have changed a lot since 2002, the year the first Ratchet & Clank arrived. Both the movie and the game will flesh out the story of the original tale, but the game will flesh out the gameplay, as well. The representative giving the demo noted that I instinctively figured out the controls almost instantly. Maybe he was just being nice, but the controls have been modernized to the point that anyone familiar with shooter and action games should have no problem blasting targets and traversing environments. If the game uses any of the DualShock 4's unique features, I didn't notice it in this demo.
Between the shootouts were light platforming and puzzle solving sequences. I jumped, double jumped, and hovered across sections of the moving train. I used my wrench to detach cars and send bundles of pipes tumbling onto enemy heads. I even used zip lines to swing through swathes of the city.
However, as with most Insomniac games, from Resistance to Sunset Overdrive, the wacky weapons are really where it's at. The game includes revamped versions of classic guns from the original Ratchet & Clank, as well as brand new blasters. I mostly used a new gun called the Pixelizer. True to its name, this weapon reduces enemies to piles of retro blocky bits.
Going Hollywood
Because of its tie-in status, the rep jokingly referred to Ratchet & Clank as "the game based on the movie based on the game," and lamented the team couldn't fit that on the box as a subtitle. And unlike previous games in the series, there's no cheeky double-entendre to be found either. But based on what I played, Ratchet & Clank stands on its own without its connection to the film. It's the next Ratchet & Clank game, from the original creators, for the first time on a next-generation console.
My limited experience with both this demo and the series as a whole makes it difficult to determine at this time just how substantial this remake is, but it's hard to imagine fans being disappointed. Ratchet & Clank for PlayStation 4 will launch sometime in the first half of 2016.
Bottom Line: Ratchet & Clank reimagines the duo's first adventure with the power of the PlayStation 4.
Mighty No. 9 (for PlayStation 4)
Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4) Games
Jordan Minor
Former PCMag intern Jordan Minor is a senior editor at sister site, Geek.com, and really just wants to use his fancy Northwestern University journalism degree to write about video games. He's previously written for Kotaku, The A.V. Club, Cards Against Humanity, and 148Apps. In his spare time, he also writes dumb screenplays that occasionally become... See Full Bio
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Ratchet & Clank (for PlayStatio...
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We Have Only This Life to Live
The Selected Essays of Jean-Paul Sartre, 1939-1975
Introduction by Ronald Aronson
Edited by Adrian van den Hoven and Ronald Aronson
Category: Philosophy | Literary Collections | Literary Criticism
About We Have Only This Life to Live
Jean-Paul Sartre was a man of staggering gifts, whose accomplishments as philosopher, novelist, playwright, biographer, and activist still command attention and inspire debate. Sartre’s restless intelligence may have found its most characteristic outlet in the open-ended form of the essay. For Sartre the essay was an essentially dramatic form, the record of an encounter, the framing of a choice. Whether writing about literature, art, politics, or his own life, he seizes our attention and drives us to grapple with the living issues that are at stake.
We Have Only This Life to Live is the first gathering of Sartre’s essays in English to draw on all ten volumes of Situations, the title under which Sartre collected his essays during his life, while also featuring previously uncollected work, including the reports Sartre filed during his 1945 trip to America. Here Sartre writes about Faulkner, Bataille, Giacometti, Fanon, the liberation of France, torture in Algeria, existentialism and Marxism, friends lost and found, and much else. We Have Only This Life to Live provides an indispensable, panoramic view of the world of Jean-Paul Sartre.
Published by NYRB Classics
Jun 04, 2013 | 592 Pages | 5 x 8 | ISBN 9781590174937
People Who Read We Have Only This Life to Live Also Read
“Nothing disproves the ill-informed criticisms that philosophy is an obscure field better than a philosopher’s writings on allegedly non-philosophical topics. This collection of essays from the existentialist philosopher counters such claims and attests to philosophy’s continued relevance without explicitly setting that goal. Now-commonplace subjects, like New York City and jazz, in Sartre’s hands become telling indications of the differences between American and European metropolitan lifestyles, their solitary versus communal tendencies.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“For my generation [Sartre] has always been one of the great intellectual heroes of the twentieth century, a man whose insight and intellectual gifts were at the service of nearly every progressive cause of our time.” —Edward Said
“One of the most brilliant and versatile writers as well as one of the most original thinkers of the twentieth century.” —Times (London)
“Sartre minced no words, and his easy, natural way of writing enabled him to expound on diverse subjects. [Here] existentialism is clear and logical. Sartre wrote essays probing every political and social theme of his time, providing a remarkable view of history. His literary criticism should be the established standard for book reviewing.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Our teachers are those who bring us something radical and new, finding those ways of thinking that correspond to our modernity, our difficulties as well as our vague enthusiasms. That’s what Sartre was for us twenty-year-olds. Who except Sartre knew how to say anything new?” —Gilles Deleuze
“Jean-Paul Sartre dominated the intellectual life of twentieth-century France to an extraordinary degree.” —Tom Bishop, New York Times
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Christmas: Trump visits US troops in Iraq
Washington, Dec 27 : US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have made an unannounced Christmas visit to US troops in Iran and greeted them.
They visited Iraq on Wednesday, where he defended his decision to withdraw forces from neighboring Syria and declared that the Islamic State is “very nearly defeated” while making his first visit to a conflict zone as commander in chief.
They travelled there "late on Christmas night" to thank troops for "their service, their success and their sacrifice", the White House said. Mr Trump said the US had no plans to pull out of Iraq, a report in BBC said. The US still has some 5,000 troops in Iraq to support the government in its fight against what remains of the Islamic State (IS) group.
However, a planned meeting between Mr Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi was cancelled. Mr Mahdi's office said it was because of disagreements on how to conduct the meeting. UNI
trumpDonald Trump
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Making Strategy Personal
Posted on June 23, 2015 February 2, 2016 4:48 pm
Meet Brendan F. Tansill, EVP Business Development and chief strategy officer at EVO Payments International. Overseeing all global mergers and acquisitions activity, corporate strategy and national sales accounts for EVO puts Tansill in an unusual position to observe the relationship between innovation and a company’s strategic mission. In the latest installment of PYMNTS.com’s Commander in Chief Series, Tansill discusses how strategy fuels innovation in payments and not the other way around.
What does a day in the life of a Chief Strategy Officer look like?
Pretty busy!
It’s mostly about execution, which seems like a weird thing for a strategy guy to be doing. But that’s really what I do. And that can run the gamut – from hands-on management of the relationships with financial institutions that have already agreed to partner with us, or identifying new financial institutions in new markets that represent attractive partnership candidates for us – and then sorting out how to best approach them.
My days also start early! I’m on the phone generally pretty early given the time difference between my office in New York and our European offices where much of our expansion activity has been taking place here lately.
What is the most difficult part of your job and why?
Strategy sits at the core of a successful company, and therefore requires participation or buy-in from all segments of its operations. Product, sales, risk, finance, technology and legal, among others, must share in the strategic vision. We’re pretty collaborative too, which means driving towards consensus which can take time. But we genuinely feel that getting buy-in across the various internal stakeholders enhances the probability of success since it drives greater commitment within leadership across the various functional areas of the company.
What do you wish you had more time to do?
Get out and meet even more people face to face.
I do a lot of this already because I am strongly of the opinion that business is best conducted in person – that messaging and communication are best achieved with eye contact and direct, personal interaction. It’s critical that our strategic partners understand and appreciate that we care about them and that is sometimes hard to do over the phone, even when video is involved.
I also believe the only way to identify future partners is to meet them face-to-face in their home market, where relationships can form and begin to grow. And since EVO has ambitions to operate in every significant payments market in the world, I have a feeling that I am going to be spending a lot of time away from home and from my other professional responsibilities, going forward. But I strongly believe that, when it’s all said and done, it will be well worth it.
What is the most important strategic consideration for CSOs in payments and commerce today and why?
Strategy is fundamentally a forward looking concept and payments, perhaps more so than any other industry in which I have spent time, changes at an incredible rate. Consumers are constantly looking for more convenient and secure modes of payment. Electronic payments have migrated from almost exclusively point-of-sale to the massive emergence of eCommerce to the adoption of alternative payment tools (i.e., smartphones) and integrated point-of-sale solutions.
The question for payments companies is what role they choose to play in innovation. We firmly believe that our merchant customers are best served by being the best possible partner for our fellow payments companies. We have made significant investments to ensure that other companies, many with very exciting product offerings that are heavily valued by merchants, can quickly and securely integrate to EVO’s payments infrastructure and make their solutions available to our nearly 500,000 merchant customers around the world. It is impossible for one company to do it all, and we believe that having a culture of collaboration is beneficial to EVO, our payments partners, and most especially our merchant customers.
Strategy is only as good as its execution. What do you do in order to ensure that your ideas don’t collect dust on the virtual bookshelves of executive management?
Great question! And, it’s why I spend a lot of time getting my hands dirty with execution.
Communication is key. We have weekly executive meetings among the senior leadership at EVO to ensure that we are all firmly aligned in our thinking and what we expect to accomplish during the week. This is standard practice across most companies. Perhaps more unusually, we have biannual meetings in which our business leaders from all of our global operations convene at our office in New York to share ideas to make EVO a better company. For example, we think it is critical that our leadership in Ireland meet with our leadership in Poland to discuss products that are gaining traction with customers, emerging technologies, and general industry trends. Finally, in my capacity as the steward of Strategy, I also sit on the boards of all of our international operations to ensure that my learnings from one market are readily communicated to other markets. As I mentioned, this requires lots of travel, but the time investment is more than compensated for in the resulting strength of our company.
What is the biggest strategic blunder you’ve observed over the years and what would you have done if you were in charge?
To be a good partner, a level of humility is of critical importance. Case in point – as an international company, we emphasize local leadership. Every market in which we operate is run by highly talented executives that are native to that market, and ideally have a historical relationship with our partners there. I have seen multinational companies take the opposite approach, exporting talent from their home market. Some executives prefer to have “trusted eyes and ears on the ground.” I believe EVO has been successful, in part, because we have empowered talented people who understand the markets in which they operate and we have supported them by providing guidance and sharing our experiences from other markets around the world.
What is the most strategic decision you’ve made today?
I am answering this question from a plane, flying to meet senior management of a very exciting prospective partner for EVO in a market that has long been a core target of ours. Developing relationships takes time and requires commitment, and trips like these are absolutely critical to the successful future expansion of EVO Payments International.
Brendan F. Tansill
EVP Business Development and chief strategy officer, EVO Payments International
Mr. Tansill is responsible for all global mergers and acquisitions activity, corporate strategy, and national sales accounts. Prior to joining EVO, Mr. Tansill was an investment professional at CCMP Capital Advisors. Mr. Tansill received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and his Master’s in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
To get a glimpse into the minds of other C-suite players to get a sense of their roles, click here.
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Press releases Overview
Press Releases & Events
Stock, Dividends & Bonds
PMI Recognized as a Global Leader in Tackling Climate Change
MAKES CDP ‘A LIST’ FOR CLIMATE PERFORMANCE AND SCORES 100% FOR CARBON DISCLOSURE IN THE S&P 500
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2015-- Philip Morris International Inc. (“PMI”) (NYSE / Euronext Paris: PM) is recognized as a leading global business taking proactive steps to address climate change and reduce its carbon footprint. The company is named today as the only consumer staples company in the S&P 500 on both the CDP Climate “A” List for top performers and the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) for quality and transparency of reporting. The 100% score for carbon disclosure is the highest ever recognition PMI has received in the annual CDP ratings.
CDP, formerly known as the “Carbon Disclosure Project” is the leading international not-for-profit organization assessing the work of thousands of companies worldwide in the area of climate change. PMI is recognized on the CDP Climate “A” List in their Global Climate Performance Leader Report, released on November 4, for top performance in measuring, verifying, managing and reducing our carbon footprint. The company also earned its leading place on the CDLI by disclosing high quality carbon emissions and energy data for 2014 through CDP’s climate change program. The CDP assessment is compiled at the request of 822 investors who represent US$95 trillion in assets -more than a third of the world’s invested capital.
“We are delighted to make the CDP Climate Disclosure Leadership Index for the S&P 500 and to be recognized as a top performer on CDP’s Climate “A” list. This demonstrates the hard work and commitment across PMI, setting tough targets and doing what it takes to achieve and exceed them. As we prepare to join government leaders in Paris later this month at COP21, the UN Climate Change conference, the CDP results demonstrate that businesses like PMI are playing their part to mitigate and adapt to climate change,” said Andrew Harrop, Head of Environmental Sustainability at PMI.
Speaking following the announcement of the CDP S&P Leadership Index results, Paul Dickinson, executive chairman and co-founder of CDP said: “As the world looks beyond the Paris climate change negotiations and prepares for a low carbon future, reliable information about how companies are responding to the transition will be ever more valuable. For this reason we congratulate those businesses that have achieved a position on CDP’s Climate Disclosure Leadership Index.”
CDP is the leading international not-for-profit organization assessing the work of thousands of companies worldwide in the area of climate change. CDP assesses corporations’ efforts in this area and provides them with a credible global benchmarking system for environmental performance.
The CDP Climate “A” Listers include 113 companies, which represent the top 5% of those who participated in this year’s survey.
CDP performance scores provide a tool for institutional investors and stakeholder to assess corporate efforts to mitigate climate change as well as corporate preparedness for changing market demands and emissions regulations. Scores are communicated to investors and decision-makers via various channels, including Bloomberg terminals.
CDP’s annual global climate change report, and the scores of all companies taking part in climate change program this year, is available on CDP’s website.
PMI’s CDP results for 2014, please click here.
Overview of PMI’s sustainability efforts is available here.
CDP and the ‘Road to Paris 2015’ commitments agreed with their strategic partner, We Mean Business Coalition are here.
PMI’s commitment to science-based targets to limit climate change as part of the ‘We Mean Business Coalition’: http://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/
Philip Morris International Inc.
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is the leading international tobacco company, with six of the world's top 15 international brands, including Marlboro, the number one cigarette brand worldwide. PMI's products are sold in more than 180 markets. In 2014, the company held an estimated 15.5% share of the total international cigarette market outside of the U.S., or 28.5% excluding the People's Republic of China and the U.S. For more information, see www.pmi.com.
Source: Philip Morris International Inc
Philip Morris International media office
T: +41 (0)58 242 4500
E: media@pmi.com
ABOUT OUR MOBILE APP
Our Investor Relations mobile application provides simple, comprehensive and up-to-date access to PMI’s disclosed investor relations materials as well as to live and archived audio webcast playback of earnings calls and investor presentations.
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Former domestic intelligence chief Hans-Georg Maaßen and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer | Bernd Von Jutrczenka/AFP via Getty Images
Seehofer popularity drops amid intelligence chief scandal: poll
Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc also took a hit in the wake of Hans-Georg Maaßen’s removal, survey finds.
By Judith Mischke
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer's approval ratings have taken a hit in the aftermath of a scandal over the country's intelligence chief, according to a new poll published Friday.
About 59 percent of Germans participating in a poll by German public broadcaster ARD said they believed Seehofer was "a bad choice" to lead the interior ministry. Only 28 percent said they supported Seehofer, a drop of 11 percentage points since April.
The low for Seehofer, who is also the leader of Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU), comes just weeks ahead of a Bavarian election in which his party — which has dominated the wealthy southern state’s politics since World War II — looks likely to lose its absolute majority.
Seehofer came under fire in recent weeks for backing intelligence chief Hans-Georg Maaßen when he came under attack for questioning the authenticity of a video showing a foreigner being chased at a far-right rally in Chemnitz, as well as allegations he provided the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party with confidential government material.
Merkel's governing coalition removed Maaßen from his job earlier this week, but granted him a better-paid, more senior position as state secretary in Seehofer's ministry.
The heavy blowback over the decision also translated into a drop in support for the chancellor's conservative bloc, according to the new poll, which found that only 28 percent of respondents said they would cast their vote for her alliance if an election were held on Sunday. The result marks the bloc's worst performance in the ARD poll since 1997.
The AfD became the country's second most popular party after Merkel's conservatives, polling at 18 percent, one percentage point above the center-left Social Democrats. The far-right party overtook the SPD for the first time in a national poll in February earlier this year.
Far right
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A brother and sister flee gang violence in El Salvador and start over in the US
May 08, 2017 · 5:00 PM EDT
By Deepa Fernandes
Kevin Alvarez Mejia leaves his house on the way to school in Riverside, California. He fled El Salvador with his sister after being threatened by a gang member.
Deepa Fernandes/PRI
Kevin Alvarez Mejía spent his tween years trying to avoid running into gang members up in the remote El Salvadoran mountain village where he was born and raised. Gang members lurked around, and if they saw him out on the street, they would sidle up and ask him if he was one of them. So, Kevin said, he stuck to two outings: to school and to church.
But one day they got him.
“It was on the road right below my house where the gang members caught me and beat me up,” Kevin said. “They told me I had a few days to leave the colonia where I lived or they would kill me.”
Kevin, just 13, was scared, he took the threat seriously. He knew he had to get out of there quickly. “I begged my sister to come with me so I wouldn’t have to leave by myself,” Kevin said.
The very next morning Kevin and his sister Sandra, 14, left in a taxi for the Guatemalan border. They had just become two of the unaccompanied Central American minors heading out of trouble and toward the United States.
Sandra Mejia writes poems in English and Spanish, attends Patriot High School in Riverside, California, and cooks dinner for her younger brother after school every day. A year ago, when she was 14 years old, they fled gang violence in El Salvador and crossed the border into the US alone.
Death threats from gangs are not uncommon for youth in El Salvador, according to government officials. “We know that violence is a big problem here,” said Aquiles Magana, who directs a new government agency that deals with issues of migration.
“At some point we are declared the most violent country on the planet. The next day we are second,” he said referring to El Salvador’s high homicide rate.
Rick Jones, with Catholic Relief Services in San Salvador, said the kinds of death threats youth like Kevin Alvarez received are very real.
“Most of the young people that we see that are leaving are leaving because of threats of violence,” Jones said. His job is to vet cases of people who come to his agency for help, and then, if he believes they are truly in danger, help them find safety. For kids who've been targeted it's hard to hide as the gangs and their networks are spread across the entire country.
“We get people constantly,” Jones said. “Personally I've known of six cases in the last three months of people [saying] ‘I’ve gotta leave and I've gotta leave tomorrow.’”
Crossing through Guatemala and Mexico, Kevin's goal was to make it to California to find his dad. He and Sandra hadn't seen him since he left when they were tiny. They carried a photo with them to help recognize him. In the end, it wasn't that hard to track him down. The siblings were briefly detained in Texas until immigration officials approved their transfer to the custody of their father.
Kevin Mejia works with a tutor at his middle school. Life in Riverside isn’t riddled with threats from gangs, but it also isn’t easy. While the siblings live with their father and his new family, they miss their mom and siblings back home.
Almost one year later, Kevin is in his final month of eighth grade in Riverside, California. He attends Jurupa Valley Middle School, where he gets personal tutoring and an aide follows him to class to help with translation if he can’t follow. He has a pending asylum case which will determine if he can stay in the US.
Sandra is writing poems in English and Spanish, attends Patriot High School, and cooks dinner for her younger brother after school every day.
Life in Riverside isn’t riddled with threats from gangs, but it also isn’t easy. While the siblings live with their father and his new family, they miss their mom and siblings back home. Kevin misses his mom’s hand-made tortillas. He even misses having to go collect the wood that burns in the outdoor fire on which she cooks the tortillas.
Isabel Mejía, back in the mountain village in El Salvador, also misses her two youngest children a lot. She works six days a week on a coffee estate. The family has a mud brick home with an outdoor shack as the kitchen. There is no running water, a truck comes once a week and the family buys what water they can afford. Mejia says her family is poor.
“All we eat is little beans and tortillas, that’s it,” she said. Sundays, however, are different. In addition to the beans and tortillas, Mejía cooks some rice with carrots, and makes a tomato salsa. Her children and grandchildren are all excited for the Sunday extras.
Isabel Mejia makes tortillas in an outdoor kitchen hut in a Salvadoran mountain village. Her son fled gangs. Tues on @pritheworld. @IWMF pic.twitter.com/7qmlsDY0j7
— Deepa Fernandes (@deepafern) May 9, 2017
There are many mouths to feed in Mejía’s home. She lives with her 79-year-old mother and one of her daughters, Daisy, who has her own child. Another daughter is visiting with her child. Her sons all have kids too.
Daisy said life is hard. “If we want to bathe we have to get up at 5 a.m. and it takes us two hours to get there,” she said. “And we come back all bathed, but then we’re all sweaty too.”
This was Kevin and Sandra's life too, until they left. Mejía said she knew her children had no option but to leave. She worries a lot about them, and she’s often sad.
“I was fat but now I’m really thin,” she said. “Even my children see me and say, ‘oh Mama, you’re so thin.’ ‘Yes,’ I tell them. ‘I miss you a lot, and you know how we live here. Here just about everyone goes hungry.’”
It’s hard to feel the danger that Kevin and his mother felt. This sleepy little village doesn’t seem like gang turf. But Mejía says the dangers are all around.
“Three months ago they assassinated two kids right here,” she said. “It’s really the young ones these gangs in El Salvador are after, like exactly the age of my kids.”
The road leading to her home, curving around the mountain, is deserted. It’s rocky and dusty.
“Kids can’t go to visit another village, the outskirts of our town are dangerous,” Mejía said. “They have to stay home or they’ll be targeted.”
Why don’t parents protect their children from the gangs, I ask her.
“Well, here we can’t protect our children,” Mejía said. “As a mother, a single mother, I can’t protect them against all this violence we have here in El Salvador. I can’t protect them.” All she could do was mandate they stay at home unless they were going to school.
Also: Why would any parent send their kids on the deadly trip to cross the Mexico-US border? Here's why.
While Kevin’s new, and temporary, life in Riverside is clear of dangers, this 14-year-old is often lost in thought. He thinks about his friends back home, his mom. But, he said, he can’t forget the fear he felt.
“I think if I wasn’t here right now, I’d be dead, because they just killed my cousin,” he said. “They went to his house — he lives right near our church — and the gang members were dressed as the police and they took him out of his house and killed him. All because he didn’t want to join.”
Kevin is eating beans, tortillas and an omelet. He sits by himself at the family table and stares vacantly ahead. His cherubic shy smile has disappeared.
“And that would have happened to me if I didn’t leave."
More: Getting an education is the latest battle for migrant children who crossed US border
The reporting for this story was supported by the International Women's Media Foundation as part of its Adelante Latin America Reporting Initiative.
Trump administration moves to stop more immigrants from seeking US asylum
Students at this Minneapolis charter school prep for immigration raids
Trump's hard-line immigration policies build on the history of former US presidents
Detention centers are ‘worthy of your disgust’ in their own right, says Jewish Latina activist
Conflict & JusticeConflictGlobal Nation
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Marika Koroibete
The Rugby Championship International Super Rugby NRC
2017 v Argentina, Canberra
Fiji-born and raised Marika Koroibete first came to notice in Australia as an NRL star. Koroibete played six seasons in the NRL, with the Wests Tigers and the Melbourne Storm, scoring 46 tries in 74 games. In May 2016, the flying winger announced he would move to the 15-man game, signing with the Melbourne Rebels. Later that year, Koroibete was a surprise selection for the Spring Tour, playing for a Wallaby XV against the French Barbarians, but forced to wait for a Test debut. His patience proved more than worthwhile when Koroibete exploded onto the international scene halfway through the 2017 Rugby Championship, debuting against Argentina in Canberra.
Koroibete won his first Test cap off the bench against Argentina in Canberra, before being given his first start against South Africa in Bloemfontein and scoring a double. Koroibete finished the year with eight Test caps to his name.
He started on the wing in 11 of his 12 Tests, scored three tries, and only missed the 6-9 loss to Wales in Cardiff.
The Rugby Championship 2020 season
International 2020 season
Super Rugby 2019 season
Kicks In Play
Successful Tackles
Missed Tackles
Marika Koroibete will made his National Rugby Championship debut in 2017. Koroibete, a rugby league convert, has enjoyed his maiden rugby season with the Rebels, to finish the year as the team’s leading try scorer.
NRC 2018 season
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by Linn Persson | Nov 19, 2018 | Award, Business, Entrepreneurship, Innovate46 | 0 comments
The top 13 Swedish innovators and entrepreneurs to watch in the U.S.
Might these entrepreneurs be the founders of Sweden’s next unicorns?
New York City, December 2018.
This year marked a milestone for Sweden as it claimed its position as a “Innovation Nation” and “The Startup Capital of Europe” in international media. Sweden was not only recently ranked as the second most innovative country in the world by the annual Global Innovation Index (GII), it also managed to produce some of the largest tech exists on the stock market this year through the listings and acquisitions of Spotify and iZettle. Being home to more unicorns per capita than any other European country to date, Sweden has undoubtedly caught the eye of American investors and venture capitalists looking for the next Swedish startup wonder.
Uniquely positioned as a bridge between the Swedish startup ecosystem and the American business community, the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York (SACCNY) works closely with many promising entrepreneurs, supporting them throughout their journey across the Atlantic and has compiled a list of the most promising Swedish entrepreneurs to keep an eye on this year. Take a look at the list and make sure to remember their names!
Christopher Ahlberg, Recorded Future
Cyber-security specialist and named among the World’s Top Young Innovators by Technology Review, Christopher Ahlberg has made himself a name among several national intelligence agencies and on the dark web. After finishing his studies at Chalmers University of Technology, Ahlberg founded his first company, Spotfire, offering a Data Visualization and Analytics Software. Today Ahlberg is the CEO and Co-founder of Recorded Future, a threat intelligence analytics platform with customers and partners such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency and Fujitsu. The platform powered by machine learning automatically collects and analyzes potential threats from technical, open and dark web sources, enabling users to react to security alerts. Christopher Ahlberg was also one of the Award nominees for the Anders Wall Award in 2018.
Johan Attby, Fishbrain
Prior to his current company, Johan Attby founded Tific – a support automation and self-service solutions startup which was acquired by American investors in 2011. Today, Johan Attby acts as CEO and Founder of Fishbrain, one of the fastest growing and most popular apps for sportfishing in the U.S.. The app currently has more than 4 million users and has received funding from many eminent investors such as Northzone, Industrifonden and B Capital. The app is designed to connect anglers on a social networking platform where they can share their experiences, find new fishing spots and receive tips and tricks from each other.
Pål Borge, Fredrik Rosén and Sarandis Kalogeropolous, Kronaby
After a tough period for Sony in the mobile phone industry, these three Sony executives decided to make use of their extensive knowledge in developing mobile phones and smart watches at Sony for more than 15 years by starting the new Internet-of-Things company, Kronaby. With great connections from Sony, the founders managed to secure solid contracts with several suppliers and backers from the start, the Chinese component manufacturer Goertek being one of the first who went in with 95 million SEK. The idea behind the products is to offer timeless and beautiful watches which honor the classic features of a timepiece while combining it with human technology and all the features that a designed smart watch has. The latest models of Kronaby have been launched in Europe and the U.S. and are compatible with IOS and Android. They also have a battery life of approximately 2 years. Future plans include integrating wireless payments into the products.
Rickard Carlsson, Detectify
Former elite skier and management consultant at McKinsey, Rickard Carlsson decided to change course and take on new challenges when he became CEO of Detectify five years ago. During this time, he has managed to grow the startup from 4 employees to 35 and become an award-winning web security company attracting customers such as Trello and King. Moreover, Detectify provides cloud-based, online security scanners alerting customers about website vulnerabilities. Detecify was recently selected as advanced technology partner by Amazon cloud services and the company is expected to truly accelerate its international expansion shortly. Most recently, Carlsson was named one of Sweden’s “supertalents” by magazine, Veckans Affärer.
Christer Fåhreaus, Flatfrog
With more than 18 years of experience in founding and developing companies in various industries such as optics, biotech, image and signal processing, Fåhreaus has managed to receive numerous awards for scholastic and entrepreneurial achievements. Some of these companies include Cellavision, Anoto, Precise Biometics and C-pen. In 2002, Christer Fåhreaus was named “IT Person of the Year” and is currently active with his company, Flatfrog. Flatfrog develops and offers a range of touchscreen modules for large and flat displays, enabling an interactive experience based on in-glass technology. The company has partnered up with several big corporations such as Dell, LG and Intel and the technology is also used in Samsung’s new products.
Fredrika Gullfot, Simris Alg
Combining state-of-the-art technology, branding and design, Fredrika Gullfot has set her sights on challenging the Omega3 industry with a superior and sustainable alternative to fish oil. With a background in bio technology, Fredrika Gullfot saw the potential in algae which could be used in dietary supplements offering a non-GMO alternative to traditional supplements and founded Simris Alg in 2010. Simris Alg went public on First North in 2016 and has already started its expansion to the U.S.
Kristina Lagerstedt, 1928 Diagnostics
Kristina Lagerstedt is the CEO of 1928 Diagnostics, a Gothenburg-based med-tech/bio-IT company fighting the worldwide antibiotic resistance issue through a digital software service predicting and identifying virulence factors and outbreaks. 1928 Diagnostics was named second best tech company by DI Digital Startup Tour and nominated for Startup of the Year and Growth Company of The Year in The Serendipity Challenge in 2017. Kristina Lagerstedt has 15 years of experience in clinical research at Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SU) within molecular biology and genetics and is currently focusing on expanding operations in the U.S.
Lisa Kristina Lindström, Doberman
At the age of 20, Lisa Kristina Lindström went to the hospital for a routine surgery but ended up being paralyzed and wheelchair bound for several years to come. This sparked her fighter spirit and has paved the way for her to go from HTML coder to praised CEO and digital frontrunner. Today Lindström is the CEO of Doberman, a widely celebrated creative design firm with offices in Stockholm and New York. During her time as CEO, Lindström has managed to significantly increase the profit and turnover by actively demonstrating superior customer experience and digital innovation as well as working closely with clients such as SVT, DN, Apoteket and Posten. The agency has also been recognized with several design awards and was appointed Sweden’s best design agency for nine consecutive years by Dagens Industri. Lindström was also an Award nominee for the Ander Wall Award for Exceptional Entrepreneurship in 2018.
Jens Nylander, Automile
Most prominently known for his first company Jens of Sweden (JOS), a mp3 player company which Jens Nylander founded at the age of 23, the entrepreneur has become a frequent figure in Swedish Media. Jens Nylander is also the founder of premium quality earphone brand JAYS which is listed on NASDAQ since 2011. Today the serial entrepreneur is based in Silicon Valley and serves as CEO and Co-Founder of Automile, a smart, mobile-based solution connecting drivers and fleet managers to their vehicle data.
Willem Sundblad, Oden Technologies
Sundblad is the Founder and CEO of Oden Technologies, an Industrial Internet of Things company helping manufacturers eliminate waste through data acquisition and analytics. Most recently, Willem Sundblad was named as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for his work in transforming the manufacturing industry and he is also a contributor for Forbes.com, where he writes about the future of manufacturing. Oden Technologies has raised $5.9 million in venture capital from prominent investors such as EQT ventures, Atomic and Saul Klein and has offices in London and New York. Sundblad also received the prestigious Anders Wall Award for Exceptional Entrepreneurship at Innovate46 this year. Read the press release here.
Toni Petersson, Oatly
Toni Petersson’s path to becoming CEO of one the most controversial non-dairy food manufacturing companies in Sweden, was not completely straight-forward. Petersson actually has a past as a musician with a record deal in Japan and later even entered the restaurant industry in Malmö with the Japanese restaurant concept Izakaya Koi, which was expanded into an entire lifestyle brand prior to joining Oatly. When first being recruited to come to an interview for the position, Toni Petersson was very reluctant of the idea but ended up accepting the offer and quickly grew the company’s revenues from 200 million SEK to over 640 million SEK in a few years. Oatly produces various liquid oat foods and organic products for people who are lactose intolerant or simply dairy-averse. The company has become a huge success in Sweden and many other countries, most recently in the U.S. where it has gained significant exposure and recognition.
Ola Sars, Soundtrack Your Brand
After a night out in Ibiza Ola Sars decided to quit his job at a fancy marketing agency in Sweden in order to start his first company Tonium Pacemaker, the world’s first portable DJ mixer. Although backed by many heavyweights such as Max Martin and Industrifonden, the company had to be put down 5 years later. But convinced by the technology behind the music software platform, Ola Sars bought this fraction of the company and developed it into the music streaming service Beats Music in collaboration with Dr. Dre and record company boss Jimmy Iovine. Eight months before Beats Music was acquired by Apple, Ola Sars had decided to leave the company. Although missing out on the opportunity of a billion-dollar deal, the music-tech guru wasn’t let down by it. Today Ola Sars is the CEO and Founder of Soundtrack Your Brand, a B2B music platform aimed at businesses wishing to play, curate and organise music for their premises.
Alexander Wallin, Sprinklebit
Already at the age of 14, Alexander Wallin gained interest in the stock market and how to make better trades. This interest resulted in a successful portfolio which paid for his education in San Diego, California and after researching crowd source investments during his exchange semester at Harvard, Wallin realized the potential in building a social investment platform. This platform became Sprinklebit, which today has a partnership with one of the largest banks in the Nordic region offering it to its customer base consisting of 7.2 million users. The app is also available in the U.S. and Asia and most recently Sprinklebit announced its plans to offer a crypto currency exchange platform integrated in the app.
The entrepreneurs have been selected based on these criteria:
Exceptional entrepreneurial capacity and ability to create and lead a successful business.
Exemplary ambassador for entrepreneurship
The entrepreneur has identified and created a product, technology or service which generates increased customer satisfaction or who has recognized an innovative market niche
About the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, New York (SACCNY):
The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, New York (SACCNY) is a non-profit membership organization located in New York City. It was founded in 1906 and was the first Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in the United States. SACCNY is the largest and most active Chamber of its kind in the US and one of the largest Swedish Chambers of Commerce in the world. Today the Chamber acts as unique platform to facilitate collaboration and transatlantic trade and business expansion through a series of pinnacle events such as the Chamber’s three conferences and its latest initiative–Gateway—an innovation platform facilitating business success in the United States.
Interested in learning more about SACCNY or how we can assist your business, visit our website: https://www.saccny.org or e-mail us at: info@saccny.org
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Black Friday as Myth-Buster
After the Thanksgiving Day gluttony is over and after our teams have either won or lost (Our biggie between the Lions and the Packers went horribly awry for my loved ones, poor dears.) and after we've taken our tryptophan-induced naps, the next fun thing to think about, talk about or plan for is Black Friday, our annual Big Huge Shopping Extravaganza. It's the day when primitive survival skills kick in and the absolutely-must-haves traditionally go nuts and stampede in scenes that make even NatGeo-watchers go "Wow!".
(Rumor has it that Black Friday is the one day of the year when China pays homage to US. They would make it a national holiday, except everyone is busy at work manufacturing things for our Christmas rush.)
There's a myth in this country that goes like this: America is broke. Aside from a paltry few tax-evading King Midas wannabes, nobody else has anything much. That's the story.
Our jobless, our homeless, our soup kitchens, our empty former homes, our overflowing ERs--that's all real. Painfully real. But what's also real is the hefty percentage of 99 Percenters who spread out at the stroke of Black Friday to go whole hog spending astonishing amounts of ready cash and pay-later credit on stuff.
It's an American tradition contrived and perpetuated by the merchant class and, really, who are we to tell people (other than Congress) how to spend their (our) money? But a group known as "Occupy Black Friday" , an off-shoot of Occupy Wall Street, while admirably opposing the longer open hours which would take employees away from their own families on Thanksgiving, and endorsing the efforts to buy locally, took it one step further and came up with the idea of boycotting, instead of occupying, the major chains on That Day. (The Occupying part wouldn't work at all, you see, since millions of shoppers would already be camping out and milling around, waiting for the doors to open.)
Attempting to show the strength of the masses by boycotting major retailers on that all-important shopping day is one of those ideas that seems okay on the face of it, but which, in reality, is doomed from the start. It's a whisper in the wind, a dusky dot in the night sky, and here's why: I've been boycotting "Black Friday" for years now and nobody has ever noticed. Multiply me by, say, several hundred thousand and we still wouldn't be noticed. It's a happy tradition, the official start of the Christmas shopping season. Even in the worst economic downturn in decades, it's still a force bigger than all of us.
Okay, granted, this year, for whatever reasons, it seemed more intense than fun. A woman took to pepper-spraying other shoppers threatening to get too close to the prize she was after. A man slipped a DVD under his shirt, not to steal it but to prevent it from being stolen from him, and got himself shoved to the ground and bloodied for his efforts. People were knocked around and bruised. There were grim reports of shootings and parking lot robberies. But to the victors went the spoils and it's those success stories that make it all worthwhile. (More to come the day after Christmas. Another happy tradition.)
As might be expected, the activities at "Occupy Black Friday" came to the attention of the folks over at Fox "News" . Their idea of the perfect smack-down was to tell people to go out and shop 'til they drop. That'll show those damned Occupiers. Hah!
Now, I really hate to think Fox had that much influence, but this year Black Friday alone took in $11.4 billion, a 6.6% increase over last year, while the Thanksgiving weekend broke all sales records with a staggering $52.4 billion spent over four days. It was a jump of 16% over last year's sales, with record numbers of shoppers spending even more bucks on average.
No stats yet on the sales outcomes of Small Business Saturday, a truly sensational idea, even if it did come from American Express.
Today is Cyber Monday (designated by the online merchants who felt left out, no doubt), the lead-in to Cyber Week (Because why stop the momentum of a very good thing?), and on to Christmas, the Big Kahuna of cash heavy, gift-giving holidays.
So about that whole "America is broke" business. We're looking into it. We'll have to get back to you on that.
Labels: Black Friday, China, Cyber Monday, Cyber Week, Fox News, midnight, Occupy Black Friday, Occupy Wall Street, Small Business Saturday
Feeling Guilty about Giving Thanks. It's a Liberal Thing
This year we've decided to stay home for Thanksgiving. Our nearest family is 350 miles away but every year but one (and now this one) we've managed to be together for this holiday. We'll be seeing them all in three weeks or so for the Christmas holidays, but I'm missing them acutely today.
My guy and I have always done the planning and the cooking so I've never had much time to think about the Giving Thanks part, even though it's always in the background as we putter happily around the kitchen, never deviating from the traditional meal they've come to expect -- nay, demand: Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, mashed turnips, sweet potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberries, tossed salad, Ambrosia salad, rolls, Apple pie and Pumpkin pie. (Food that could kill if taken in large doses over too long a period. I get it. Nobody cares.)
So this morning, since there was no real call to duty, I woke up thinking not about what I had to do first, but about Detroit, Father Cunningham, Eleanor Josaitis, and Focus:HOPE. In the announcement of her death in August, Eleanor was what the NYT called a "housewife-turned-activist". (I know. Me too) Father Cunningham ("guardian of the poor" in his NYT obit.) was her parish priest and good friend. Together they created a non-profit organization to help the poor and disenfranchised and it has been a beacon of light shining in the gloom of Detroit for 43 years.
Eleanor Josaitis and Focus: HOPE students
From the Times obituary:
After racial hostility exploded into riots across Detroit in 1967, [Josaitis] uprooted her husband and five children from Taylor, Mich., moved to the city and set out to help heal it.
“You have to have the guts to try something, because you won’t change a damn thing by sitting in front of the TV with the clicker in your hand,” Mrs. Josaitis said in a 2004 profile in the magazine Fast Company.
In 1968, she joined with her priest, the Rev. William T. Cunningham, to establish Focus: Hope. The organization called them “an unlikely pair,” describing Father Cunningham as an “outspoken visionary” and Mrs. Josaitis as “the practical operations manager.”
Focus: Hope says it now provides food to 43,000 people a month and operates job training programs that have prepared 11,000 mostly minority and poor residents of metropolitan Detroit for careers in engineering, machinist trades and other fields. With its own 40-acre office campus, it employs 285 people.
Well, that was as near ago as this summer. This is now: Yesterday the headline in the Free Press read, "Funding Cuts hit Focus: HOPE. Layoffs ahead, training programs suspended." The reason? Nearly 6 million needed dollars in jobs program funding are being held up while members of Congress fight over who gets what, if anything. From the Free Press:
The work force development programs affected are the Information Technologies Center, Machinist Training Institute, Fast Track math and reading program and the Center for Advance Technologies, which is a college program.
As many as 1,200 students a year have enrolled in the programs. Since 1981, when Focus: HOPE began its job training programs, 11,000 students have completed programs, according to agency officials.
Jones said that Focus: HOPE had expected to receive $5.86 million in funds under the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 for its job training programs on Oct. 1 -- the beginning of the fiscal year. It's about one-sixth of Focus: HOPE's estimated $35-million budget.
Jones said the agency's programs are a casualty of the debate over federal spending in Washington.
Every day we're hearing about the Republican's insistence that in this terrible economy the obvious solution is to cut all those bloated social programs. They're digging their heels in, refusing to move on anything until the poorest of the poor, or even the richest of the poor, are reduced to a choice of either begging in the streets or taking the slave-wage jobs now so popular overseas. It's a cold, miserable world we've allowed to let happen and the people affected so cruelly by the actions of our chosen leaders deserve a whole lot better.
That's where my Thanksgiving guilt comes in. We cook that huge meal for our family, and they're grateful and we enjoy doing it, but always in the back of my mind I'm thinking of the people who have no family, who will have no dinner, who don't even know what tomorrow will bring. I've never been able to sit down to a fully-laden table without thinking those thoughts. But they pass, don't they, and tomorrow is another day.
I've done that whole round-the-table "what are you thankful for this year?" thing and -- I'll put this mildly: I don't get off on it. "I'm thankful for my dear family and for my good health and all these good eats, and if the Lions win I'll really be thankful...".
And as this is going on, I'm thinking "Oliver Twist".
I give thanks to people like Eleanor Josiatis, housewife-turned-activist, who saw a need and did something about it. She took a step and another step and then went on to devote her whole life working toward bettering the lives of people who needed someone like her to come along and move them toward hope.
To religious activists like the late Father Cunningham and to Rev. Ed Rowe, who I guarantee is in a soup kitchen right now getting ready to feed people a dinner with a few more fixings than yesterday's, offering the kind of reliable sustenance that comes more than just twice a year.
To liberals everywhere who see the need to keep fighting for the kind of justice that will move men, women and children out of poverty and into a life that not only promises hope but delivers it.
Thank you, my beloved heroes. To you I give thanks.
Labels: Congress, Detroit, Eleanor Josaitis, Father Cunningham, Focus: HOPE, programs for poor, Reverend Edwin Rowe, Thanksgiving Day
Eyes on the Prize, Occupiers. The 99-Percenters are counting on you.
For a couple of months now, we on the left have been marking the heady, exhilarating, organic spread of the Occupy Wall Street Movement and getting it that something unstoppable seems to be happening. Think of it: The dedication, the precision, the impossible successes coming from a movement organized by ordinary hoi polloi. No backing by agenda-driven billionaires, no pseudo-intellectual input from think-tanks, no take-over by shady cabals. It's the stuff of miracles.
It's the kind of citizen-driven wildfire effort we haven't seen in this country since the days of the Civil Rights Movement. Just as the march on Selma was the catalyst for a nationwide awakening to the need to end the rampant, blatant, often lethal, civil rights abuses in the South, the occupation of Wall Street woke us up to the possibility that change could come to the poor and middle classes suffering from decades of ruthless economic abuses perpetrated by the power brokers.
As we already know from past history, change of this magnitude takes vast crowds of hopelessly burdened people finally coming to the end of their patience, finally committing to a cause so essential to their well-being the only acceptable outcome is success. It takes crowds so huge they can't be ignored. Crowds, in this case, not just on Wall Street but spread across the country in every city, every town, every public square.
What we couldn't foresee was that the OWS Movement would move as quickly worldwide. With that revelation came a clearer sense of responsibility, of stewardship, even in a movement that strives to remain leaderless. (Remarkable, considering how easy it would have been to give in to egos, to celebrity, to the kind of fame that inevitably drags down instead of lifting up or moving forward.)
When ordinary Wisconsin citizens stormed the State House in Madison in the dead of winter early this year to protest the attempted theft of their bargaining rights, the die was cast. They overtook the castle and they stayed. Their occupation of the Peoples' House opened doors to those in other beleaguered states--Michigan, Indiana, Ohio--and when attention had to be paid, when concessions, however slight, were made; when recalls were threatened and then carried out, it was like manna to a starving nation. It energized us all.
But there comes a point when every such movement goes from simmer to a rolling boil, requiring an ever-watchful eye in order to prevent it from spilling over and ruining the entire project. With the OWS movement, it was only a matter of time before the cops would get pushy, before the city fathers would lose patience, before the opportunists with agendas of their own would infiltrate. Past history dictates that much of the purity of any grand movement will be lost to influences beyond the movement's control. The ones that succeed are ready for whatever comes and take steps to move past it. They succeed because they never take their eyes off the prize.
Huge movements like these -- Civil Rights, anti-Vietnam War, OWS -- begin with and are sustained by a red hot anger. It takes a hefty resolve on the parts of many to keep the anger laser-beamed to the source without allowing it to resort to the kind of rage that turns violent. It's an uphill battle, never made easier by time. As the days and months go by without some kind of resolution, one side or the other is going to blow. It happened in Oakland last week after a month-long confrontation with police. Increasingly, we're seeing police in riot gear, warranted or not. Rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray are the weapons du jour.
Different factions are losing patience and are disrupting Occupy meetings, even when the organizers are on their side, as happened in Seattle with the "mic check" shout-out.
Winter is coming and the Movement is in danger of losing momentum. Freezing temperatures will empty parks and squares within weeks and much of the activity will be moving indoors, out of sight. It can't come soon enough for a host of mayors, including NYC's Mayor Bloomberg, who held a presser this AM announcing the plan to get the protesters out of Zuccotti Park so that crews can give it a good cleaning. He took the opportunity to announce also that, while he's a big supporter of First Amendment rights, he won't be allowing overnighters at Zuccotti anymore. Before the presser, the police were taking box cutters to the tents and arresting protesters who had been lulled into thinking it was okay to just hang around for a while. A court order, issued soon after Bloomberg spoke, rescinded his actions, giving the use of the park back to the OWS bunch. Bloomberg's office says they'll go back to court. For now, Zuccotti Park is empty and any clear vision of the First Amendment is muddied once again.
Update: The park is open but no more camping. No more tents. Sometimes you take your victories in smaller doses than you had hoped. Onward.
So where do the Occupiers go from here? Protesting in parks and on the sidewalks outside buildings, carrying predictable signs, remaining lawful within established confines -- is that all there is? How long before those efforts become ho-hum and easily ignored?
Is it time now? Is this the point where the actual revolution begins? Occupy Wall Street is planning a MASS NON-VIOLENT DIRECT ACTION on Thursday,. November 17. It's the next step for them and, as with any step forward in the revolutionary process, it's not without its risks.
Poster by R Black. Can be used freely, but cannot be sold.
So where will they go from here? Are there real Anarchists out there? Infiltrators? If so, how many? How are they when it comes to stamina? Will violence erupt? Will wiser heads prevail? Will a clear leader emerge?
What will it take for this Movement to succeed? Every report of infighting (and there is and always will be infighting), every report of concerted efforts by detractors (and there are and always will be detractors) needs to be offset by reports of solid consequential successes. Every move needs to be shining a spotlight on the goal.
The goal is to rescue the country from the One Percenters and their enablers so that we can revive it and rebuild it. Anything else is ineffective, unproductive diversion, of no good use to the 99 percent who are finally beginning to see that change they can believe in is not only possible but probable. What cruelty if, after all this, we veer off and let ourselves down.
Posted by Ramona Grigg at 7:10:00 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: 99 percenter, Civil Rights Movement, Eyes on the Prize, Mayor Bloomberg, NYC, Occupy Wall Street, one percenter, OWS, Wisconsin protests, Zuccotti Park
A Simple Plea: Do Not Lay Hands Upon Our Children
Every hour of every day, children in our keep are being harmed. Throughout the history of the world, adults have used their size and their physical and psychological power as weapons against our most precious assets--our children.
Hurting them is not accidental, it's the goal, but all it takes to muddy the waters is the argument about degree. Is spanking abuse? Is yelling? Is fondling? If there are no cuts and bruises how bad is it, really?
In the past few weeks the stories have been coming at us, fast and furious.
On November 5, Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was finally charged with serial sex abuse of minors after years of sexual contact with children as young as nine years old. (complete Grand Jury report is here.) During those years several adults were suspicious of his activities but didn't come forward.
One boy's mother, after finding out Sandusky had shared a shower with her son, told him he must never do it again. She tries to make him promise not to shower with young boys at all. She fails. He tells her, "I understand I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. I know I won't get it from you. I wish I were dead." That was in 1998.
Sandusky was caught in the act at least twice during those years and hauled on the carpet. In 2002 an eyewitness went to Paterno's office and reported an incident involving actual intercourse between Sandusky and a ten-year-old boy. The eyewitness was never questioned, but was told that Sandusky's locker room keys had been taken away from him and the incident had been reported. Nothing else happened.
Now Joe Paterno, a beloved long-time coach, has been fired after evidence surfaced proving he knew of at least one instance of the abuse and did nothing about it. On hearing the news of his firing, crowds of students gathered in protest, not against Paterno but against the board's decision to let him go. (It's been said there was a small contingent protesting at the same time against the sexual abuse, but it apparently wasn't worthy of a news story because it's not out there anywhere.)
A Texas family judge, William Adams, is caught on videotape beating his disabled daughter with a thick belt, striking her hard at least 20 times. The girl's mother is seen hitting her once with another belt, telling her to "take it like a grown woman". The incident was secretly taped by the girl in 2004, when she was 16 years old. The girl recently put the videotape on YouTube (after her father dared her to do it, she says), but no charges will be issued against the judge because the tape is more than five years old, beyond the Statute of Limitations.
The story was detailed last week in the U.K-based Mail Online. The story itself is horrific enough, but buried inside was this bit of nasty business:
As a result of the furor, the video was being examined by the District Attorney and previous controversial judgements Judge Adams made in cases involving children have come to light.
In a court judgement last October, Judge Adams said that a child's statements 'amounted to no evidence' despite the fact the child's words had been confirmed by third party witnesses and recorded on video several times. The young person had also been interviewed by a child psychologist who believed the child.
Judge Adams also agreed with a lawyer who claimed all children are 'fantasizers' and their testimony should just be ignored.
Michael Pearl, a preacher at the Cave Creek church in Tennessee, wrote a book called "To Train up a Child", advocating corporal punishment modeled on “the same principles the Amish use to train their stubborn mules”. This from a November 6 NYT article:
More than 670,000 copies of the Pearls’ self-published book are in circulation, and it is especially popular among Christian home-schoolers, who praise it in their magazines and on their Web sites. The Pearls provide instructions on using a switch from as early as six months to discourage misbehavior and describe how to make use of implements for hitting on the arms, legs or back, including a quarter-inch flexible plumbing line that, Mr. Pearl notes, “can be rolled up and carried in your pocket.”
So far, three child deaths have been attributed to the use of the methods in that book, yet Preacher Pearl and his wife, Debi, have appeared on shows like Anderson Cooper 360 to defend their methods and their book. As a compelling visual, "Pastor Pearl" brings a length of the plumbing line to demonstrate that it might sting but it won't do damage to muscle or bone.
In the NYT account, there is this paragraph, describing the condition of a child who had been murdered by her parents:
Late one night in May this year, the adopted girl, Hana, was found face down, naked and emaciated in the backyard; her death was caused by hypothermia and malnutrition, officials determined. According to the sheriff’s report, the parents had deprived her of food for days at a time and had made her sleep in a cold barn or a closet and shower outside with a hose. And they often whipped her, leaving marks on her legs. The mother had praised the Pearls’ book and given a copy to a friend, the sheriff’s report said. Hana had been beaten the day of her death, the report said, with the 15-inch plastic tube recommended by Mr. Pearl.
This controversy brought Michael Pearl into the spotlight, not as an accomplice or the devil incarnate, but as a minor actor, the requisite media shock blast in a compelling, agonizing tragedy. He and his wife were wined and dined, all expenses paid, to appear on television as a defender of corporal punishment in the wake of a terrible, preventable tragedy. Never mind that the parents, now murderers of an innocent child, saw something in Pearl's book that gave them permission to abuse their children. The mere sight of Pearl handling a 15-inch length of plumbing tube while defending its use is the kind of hold-your-nose moment we've all come to recognize as an odious but reliable tool to increase nightly ratings.
A 7th Grade Special Education student was raped twice in the course of two years by a fellow student. School officials didn't believe her story and after the second accusation, she was expelled and made to apologize to the boy who raped her.
The girl was first raped at Republic Middle School in the spring of 2009, according to the lawsuit. After the mother notified the school, the girl described the rape and "multiple sexual assaults" she'd experienced at school that year to Duncan, Mithelavage and Ragain. They then told the mother that they thought that her daughter made it all up.
During subsequent meetings described in the lawsuit as "intimidating interrogations," the lawsuit says the officials told the girl that they thought she was lying about the rape. The girl's mother was later told that her daughter recanted her story during one of those meetings.
The family's lawyers note in the lawsuit that the girl's school file contains a psychological report describing her as adverse to conflict, passive and "would forego her own needs and wishes to satisfy the request of others around so that she can be accepted."
Following instructions from the school, the girl wrote an apology to the boy she accused of raping her and had to personally give it to him, according to the lawsuit. She was then expelled for the remainder of the 2008-09 school year. The school also told "juvenile authorities" that she filed a false report.
In the moment, as we bring ourselves to watch or read the sad, horrific details in these stories and so many others, we tell ourselves we can't stand it. Enough. We rail, we wail, we pontificate. Something must be done! But it goes on. It ever goes on. Because once a fuss is made, once we as a nation howl at the moon and do the requisite teeth-gnashing, the moment passes and we move on nearly residue-free until it happens again.
We could stop it if we forced the courts and thus the perpetrators to recognize that child abuse in any form is a major crime. When the victims are helpless children, their abuse has to be considered a crime worthy of punishment so severe the offenders assaulting them will be stopped forever. The sentencing guidelines need to be so stringent there won't be a judge in the land who will ever again dismiss abuse as mere necessary punishment or childhood imagination.
But it won't happen until we can get past the widespread approval of spanking as a useful punishment. There is no cause, ever, to lay hands on a child and cause pain in order to get the point across. Radical, I know, but think about it: There are millions of children who grew up to become adults without once being spanked or hit or injured by a parent. I was one of them, and I know for a fact I'm not alone. Each child of mine can make the same claim.
Every child has worth. Every child needs to feel loved, to feel secure, to feel as if their world is a good place to grow up in. And only those who have already become adults can make that happen.
Posted by Ramona Grigg at 12:30:00 PM 7 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Anderson Cooper, child abuse, Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno, Michael Pearl, Penn State, sexual abuse, spanking, Texas judge William Adams
FRIDAY FOLLIES: On Limousine Meals, the Crush of Wine, Absurdity, and Occupation
I'm not one to laugh at the plight of others, especially at elderly ladies whose family makes a request for meals on wheels, and I'm certainly not going to do it now, but can I at least laugh at the picture in my mind of people delivering those charity meals to limousines that will then whisk them off to a millionaire's mansion?
The bankrupt Crystal Cathedral, the Rev. Robert Schuller's megachurch in Garden Grove, CA, is about to be sold to pay off its debts, and is facing a court battle over whether many millions of church-donated dollars have been deliberately diverted to keep the family in a lavish lifestyle.
It's a sad and sorry thing, that, but sometimes it's the little things that become the final straw. For the Friends of the Schullers, it may just be something as simple as a request for "Meals on Wheels".
Dr. Schuller's wife, Arvella, in her 80s, is home-bound and in need of daily meals. The family is apparently unable to provide them, considering their current penury, so an email went out to certain of the members asking for some help:
The email states that the Schullers do not want get well cards sent because they would like to "keep her situation under the radar."
"However, they would appreciate meals over the next three to four weeks," the email states. "They are to be sent to the church in order to be transported to Arvella. The limo drivers could pick up the dinners or meet in the Tower Lobby around 4:30 p.m."
The message also requests that the meals be low in sodium and include items such as fruit, meats, soup and egg dishes such as quiches.
Well, imagine their surprise when not everybody jumped at the chance. Member Bob Canfield says he was outraged when he got the message.
"These are millionaires who have limos and chauffeurs," [Canfield] said. "Why in God's name would they want the congregants to deliver meals? It's ludicrous"
. . . Canfield said he and other members of the congregation are upset the request came at a time when their church is in bankruptcy and information coming out through court documents has suggested that the Schullers took nearly $10 million from the church's endowment funds. They've completely depleted the church's funds," he said. "But they have shown that they have absolutely no remorse for what they've done. They're still being chauffeured around in limos. We, the congregants, have nothing."
This is the stuff of movies -- the irony, the spoiled rich kids, the classic fall from grace -- but I'll leave that to others to sort out and make the most of it. I'm still imagining the limos pulling up to the glorious glass edifice, the cathedral of 10,000 windows, the people gently placing their care packages onto the leather seats, waving farewell as the long, shiny gas guzzler winds its way out of the complex and works its way to the portico of the mansion, where members of the domestic staff are waiting to carry the meals inside before they get cold.
So we'll leave the land of 10,000 windows and move to the eerie tale of 7000 self-destructing wine bottles. It happened in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and, again, it's the kind of story some might not find the least bit funny.
The man stocking the shelves at a wine shop said he heard a little sound and felt a little shift and "booked out of there" as dozens of shelves filled with thousands of bottles of wine ranging from $4 to $150 crashed to the floor, creating gushing rivers of wine that flowed out of both the front and back doors.
There were no customers in the store yet and nobody was hurt. "Luckily," Jak Phillips at Time Newsfeed wrote, "insurance covered the losses and the shelf has long since been replaced and restocked, meaning there was no cause for sour grapes."
Okay, then. I'll pretend I didn't read about $150 bottles of wine and the fact that insurance covered it all.
But leave it to the Herman Cain Presidential Campaign folks to bring me back and make me laugh out loud. I'm sorry, I just can't watch that smoking, leering Herman commercial often enough. Here it is again. There's something absurdly Buñuelish about it. It's great theater when we're heading over the cliff into the Sea of Insanity.
I was looking at some pictures I took last year and realized these four were speaking to me about current events:
It takes just one. . .
to start an Occupy Movement.
Tell that to the Fence Sitters
Still waiting for a Miracle.
Halloween was last week and as many pumpkins as I have carved, (triangle eyes and nose with a grinning mouthful of broken teeth is my signature) I've never come close to the artistry of Roy Villafane.
Cartoon of the Week
Adam Zyglis - The Buffalo News
Labels: 7000 bottles of wine, campaign manager, Crystal Cathedral, Herman Cain, leering, Occupy Movement, Robert Schuller, smoking, wine bottles breaking
Feeling Guilty about Giving Thanks. It's a Libera...
Eyes on the Prize, Occupiers. The 99-Percenters a...
A Simple Plea: Do Not Lay Hands Upon Our Children...
FRIDAY FOLLIES: On Limousine Meals, the Crush of W...
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