pred_label stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob float64 0.5 1 | wiki_prob float64 0.25 1 | text stringlengths 72 1.01M | source stringlengths 37 43 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__cc | 0.58004 | 0.41996 | Good camera implementations in games are super interesting, often hiding a lot of subtlety from the player in order to present the best view of the action. Don’t believe me? Check out this quick run-down of some of the camera-modes in Super Mario World.
Since cameras are good sport to figure out (and a few of my students have asked recently), I thought I’d quickly talk about what I’ve been doing with mine. It’s probably worth mentioning that this is pretty simple, so this write-up is unlikely to contain any surprises for the seasoned dev. Hopefully it’ll still be useful if you’re just starting to think about this stuff, though.
What Does My Camera Need To Do?
The inspiration for my current project is obviously the early Zelda games, but Link Between Worlds on the 3DS is probably the best thing to compare against, as it’s 3D and on “modern” hardware.
Zelda-type camera implementations have discreet modes depending on what the player is doing / what type of gameplay is in the area. You can roughly list the main ones as:
Free Follow: The camera will track ground height and try to move in front of the player’s direction of travel so they have a better view of what’s in front of them.
Locked Follow: Similar to free, except ground-height will be ignored. Think of dungeon rooms with multi-height platforms… the camera’s height may or may not be fixed in these locations, depending on gameplay. But most commonly it’s fixed to one height.
Both of these modes can be restricted to an area. IE: the camera movement will be clamped to predetermined bounds. This is most obvious in the Dungeons where you transition between rooms — the camera doesn’t show you the next room until you go through a door — but the same happens in outdoor areas. You’ll often transition (with a forced scroll) from a wooded area to a “village” or some such. I’ll be doing the same thing in my game to cover up the level streaming between outdoor zones.
Focus: Player has interacted with an object, and/or a conversation is happening, so the camera moves the focal point away from the centre of the screen to an area above the dialog box. Or, tracks back from its leading position to re-focus on the player.
Combat: Similar to Focus, but tracking the player and the object they’ve locked on to, with priority given to the locked-target’s location.
D-Pad Override: In the follow modes — and possibly combat, I’d need to check — the player can manually move the camera using the D-Pad, but it will bounce back when they let go. This is also bounds restricted, depending on location.
You can also argue that the transitions in and out of these modes are also discreet states that require handling (and they will, in code), but for simplicity I’m going to skip over those here.
My first pass at writing this camera system was to break down the camera logic into a state machine, roughly along the lines above, and start building functionality. This was a mistake. It lead me down the path of writing each discreet camera mode as its own, “sub-”state machine, which just overly complicated everything.
I quickly threw that away and started again with the simplest state:
Free Follow
The major thing we want here is to “lead” the player — to make sure that the camera gets in front of the player in order to show them more of where they’re heading. This means:
The camera needs to be able to move faster than the player (so a tweakable is getting exposed here)
The distance the camera can get ahead of the player needs to be defined (another tweakable) and observed.
The camera needs to know which direction the player character is traveling.
Note that third point. We don’t want to know what the character in the world is doing, we want to know the player’s intention.
If the camera is attached, in some way, to the rotation of the character in the world then this will probably feel laggy. The character isn’t going to “flip” from one direction to the next, instantly. Instead it’s (most likely) going to rotate over a few frames to look smoother on the eye. This smoothing is acceptable in terms of moving the character, but it’ll make the camera do long, slow arcs, as it follows the rotation. This will probably look wrong, and definitely feel weird.
Getting the player’s intention is as simple as reading the current stick input. This gives us a direction vector, which we can normalise, and then multiply out by any distance we want. The result of this — when added to the player’s current position — is a new, “wanted” position, with no other considerations taken into account.
If you imagine a circle of such wanted positions — one for each direction the player could be heading in, centered around the player — then this ring represents the limits of where the camera can move when it’s leading the player:
To move the camera from its current position to our new “wanted” position, we need to work out the trajectory to move along. We’re not going to jump to the outer ring in one go, but rather in a series of small steps.
We can do this by subtracting the wanted position from the camera’s current position, which gives us a directional vector between the two locations.
To move along this direction vector, we normalise it, multiply it by: (camera’s movement speed * DeltaTime) and then add the result to the camera’s current location. This gives us an intended “final position”.
Yup, we’ve made a really slow homing missile. Simples.
Now we have the “final position” all that’s left is the conditional stuff:
If the final position is too far away from the player (outside the ring we identified in the first step) then we need to limit it. One way is to check the Size() of the vector between the intended final position and the character, and use GetClampedToSize() to find the position on the outer ring, if it’s too long.
If we’re going to track the ground height, then we need to make a few choices. We could use a fixed height between the camera and the player character, but this feels a bit off to me when the character can jump.
We could just raycast from the camera’s position, down to the ground, and then fix our height based off that, but then we’re going to get lots of weird issues when the camera “falls off” a cliff that the player is looking out over.
So instead I opted to raycast down from the player character — ignoring whether they are jumping, or not — and finding the height of the ground directly underneath. The new camera height is just this, plus a fixed amount, but this may cause issues if there are areas in the world with very sharp inclines. In my case this isn’t a problem, I’m making the world and I’ll avoid doing this, but as a belts and braces thing I lerp between changes in height so it’ll always be smooth.
The last thing to think about is how to handle when the player has moved the left stick on the gamepad — giving us a new wanted position — but the player character is unable to move in the world, or the character is moving very slowly. As it stands the camera will continue to move toward its outer limits at a fixed speed, which (in my game) looks wrong.
The way I’ve opted to fix this is in the step where I calculate the trajectory between the camera’s current position and the new wanted position. Rather than multiplying this trajectory by: (camera’s movement speed * DeltaTime) I also take into account how much they’ve moved the stick on the gamepad, and how quickly the character is moving in the world. This looks a bit more like: (camera movement speed * (Stick Input * Speed of character in the world)) * DeltaTime
’ve not mentioned the bounds checking in any of this, as it’s simply a Clamp(). How you get the bounds into the camera system is down to you. I have an area controller which contains this data, and I grab it via the game mode.
There are other niceties we can think about that are down to personal taste:
Maybe the camera will lerp back from a leading position to centre on the player character after a period of inactivity?
Maybe there’s a small dead zone around the player, so not all movements force the camera to move?
Maybe the camera moves faster when it’s behind the player, than it does when it’s in front? A sorta “catch-up” mode.
Maybe the camera can take into account hot-spots in the world? Other NPCs, or parts of the environment could “attract” the camera’s wanted position, as it leads the player, to indicate clues or areas that might be worthy of attention.
There’s plenty of ways we can plus this...
Locked Follow
As you can guess, this isn’t really a special mode, it’s just deciding if we’re going to track ground height at any given point. We can do this with trigger areas in the world, or even at the game mode level. In my case I ended up making a sub-class of my camera specifically for dungeons, but mainly because I wanted to split out how I transition between rooms. On reflection, there was absolutely no need to do this.
In my game I remove control from the player when they’re in a conversation, so the main focus mode is simply a lerp to a focal point that’s either determined by the object that’s being interacted with, or the mid-point between the character and the NPC they are conversing with.
To make this look nicer, I use easing curves on the lerp.
When returning to follow (locked or free), I’ve not had to do anything. It actually looks better to have the camera move from where it is, rather than refocus on the player. I might change this in the future, though.
I’m not finished with combat at the minute, but the way I intend to do this is by modifying the camera’s wanted position to either be a point between the character and NPC, or on a circle around the NPC. Basically, I want the camera to focus on the thing the player is attacking, not the player’s character in the world, so biasing toward the NPC seems the way to go here. I’ll update this post once I’ve written it.
D-Pad Override
This is pretty simple. Any input from the D-Pad creates an additional direction vector which I add, as a final stage, to what we’ve calculated as the camera’s “final” follow position. Because the D-Pad is digital, I ramp the length of this vector up as the button is pressed, and down when it’s released, to smooth the additional movement. Just be careful to ramp the vertical and horizontal directions separately, to avoid weird results.
By clamping the length of D-Pad’s direction vector (which is inherent in how I ramp it up and down over time), nothing breaks by just adding it. Height is unaffected, but there could be a case where the camera clips against a cliff edge when pushed too far. Fortunately, my world isn’t tall enough for this to be a problem and I only let the player manually move the camera short distances.
This override is ignored in focus modes, as it’s not useful.
Bear in mind, this sort of follow cam may not be for you. I’m specifically emulating a Zelda-type implementation with the express desire to lead the player and frame important things in the best way, without manual control.
UE4 has a camera boom system which you can easily point straight down to avoid having to do any of this work, or even attach it to something that follows the character in the world, but in my opinion, it’ll not have some of the niceties that the player will feel even if they’re not aware of them.
The real magic is in that list of things we could do to plus this system (some of which are above), and how we transition between the camera’s discreet modes in a smooth and seamless way.
Which I’m leaving down to you :D
Previous Post: "Devlog: November" | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1167 |
__label__wiki | 0.86906 | 0.86906 | Nash, Anderson, Tippett Represent UCA at Preseason Conference
UCA had three players represented on Aug. 1 in the selection of the Southland Conference preseason All-Conference volleyball teams: senior Megan Nash, junior Samantha Anderson, and junior Haley Tippett.
Nash was named to the first team, while Anderson and Tippett were named to the second team.
For players such as Nash, the recognition is appreciated, but dims in comparison with the ultimate goal.
“It feels good to be recognized, but at the same time the preseason stats aren’t important to me,” Nash said. “Anything can happen and change throughout the season, and all that matters is the team as a whole and the mindset of winning the championship.”
In 2016, Nash averaged 1.14 blocks per set and had nine double-doubles during the season. She was also named to the All-Southland Conference first team for the 2016 season.
Anderson averaged 2.67 kills per set last season, second-best on the team, only behind Tippett.
According to ucasports.com, she had ten or more kills in 15 matches and averaged 4.62 kills and 1 block per set in the Southland Conference tournament last year.
Outside hitter Tippett led the Bears in total kills with 292 and 2.81 kills per set, with 31 service aces.
She was also effective on defense, as she finished second in total digs for UCA with 327 and digs per set with 3.14. She had 13 double-doubles and one triple-double in 2016.
These players have become leaders for the team through their success. With Nash being the only senior on the squad, she wants to lead by her actions.
“I try to lead by example,” Nash said. “Younger players look up to everything you do and say, so physically showing them how we act and the standard of the program is important.”
Though the team is young, the players have seen growth in the team throughout the course of the off-season.
“We have grown with experience,” Nash said. “We are still a young team, with me as the only senior, but the juniors and sophomores have a few years under their belts and that makes a big difference.”
These three Bears especially played with intensity in 2016, and are just as focused for 2017, partly because of the opportunity to play with the same group of players again.
Only one player from last year’s squad is gone this year: graduate Rachel Sharp.
“We’ve been working our butts off for seven months to get back to this time of year,” Anderson said. “This is our favorite time of year, and I just get excited to be back out on the court and feel the camaraderie within the team.”
The Voice: Emergency scholarship exposes need for aid changes
‘The Way WE Talk’ Screening Highlights National Stuttering Awareness Month | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1173 |
__label__wiki | 0.935924 | 0.935924 | 'The most dangerous criminals in our country': Federal, provincial politicians clash on vaccinating prisoners in Canada's correctional institutions
Federal and provincial Conservative leaders are taking aim at the federal government for commencing vaccinations of prisoners in correctional institutions this week.
Correctional Service Canada (CSC) confirmed Wednesday that vaccination of inmates in federal facilities will begin on Friday, starting with 600 “highest-risk inmates,” using the Moderna vaccine.
Not one criminal should be vaccinated ahead of any vulnerable Canadian or front line health worker.https://t.co/4B22ELE2uf
— Erin O'Toole (@erinotoole) January 6, 2021
Once news broke of federal inmates beginning to receive COVID-19 vaccines, federal Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole tweeted out a statement saying, “not one criminal should be vaccinated ahead of any vulnerable Canadian or front line health worker.”
At a press conference on Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he “didn’t believe” that the federal government would distribute COVID-19 vaccines to “the most dangerous criminals in the entire country” so soon.
“I imagine whoever the minister is in change of that has dropped the ball,” Ford said. “I still can’t believe it’s going to happen.”
“How do you square this? How do you put them ahead of long-term care patients? How do you put them in front of all the most vulnerable and we’re scraping every vaccine we can get?”
The Ontario premier went on to say that he encourages Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to stop these vaccines from being delivered to federal correction institutions.
“We all make mistakes, I make mistakes, but..let’s correct it,” Ford said. “It’s not good, not good at all to give the most dangerous criminals in our country vaccines over the most vulnerable people out there.”
Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O'Toole speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill August 25, 2020 in Ottawa, Ontario. (Photo by Dave Chan / AFP) (Photo by DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
‘The language of resentment and fear really has no place in this discussion’
Minister Blair shot back at the comments by provincial and federal Conservative leaders on vaccinating inmates.
“I think that all of us, including the province of Ontario, have a lot of work to do to make sure that we have an efficient and effective rollout of the vaccine for all of those who need it,” Blair said.
“I would also simply remind the premier and the Conservative leader that frankly, the language of resentment and fear really has no place in this discussion. It really needs to be based on the advice of our pubic health authorities.”
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has set the recommendations to guide vaccine delivery across Canada. The four groups NACI has recommended distributing initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine to are:
Residents and staff of congregate living settings that provide care for seniors
Adults 70 years of age and older, beginning with adults 80 years of age and older, then decreasing the age limit by five-year increments to age 70 years as supply becomes available
Health care workers (including all those who work in health care settings and personal support workers whose work involves direct contact with patients)
Adults in Indigenous communities where infection can have disproportionate consequences
NACI recommends that the second stage of immunizations in Canada include:
Health care workers not included in the initial rollout
Residents and staff of all other congregate settings (e.g., quarters for migrant workers, correctional facilities, homeless shelters)
Essential workers (e.g., police, firefighters, food production)
The second stage, as outlined by NACI, is when there is sufficient supply available to vaccinate the four populations that are recommended to receive the initial doses.
Earlier this week Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, vice-president of logistics and operations at the Public Health Agency of Canada and head of vaccine distribution efforts, said Canada is expected to receive 208,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine per week for the rest of January and an additional 171,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine the week of Jan. 11.
Blair stressed that this these initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine that will be distributed in federal correctional institutions will only be used for those identified as “particularly high risk.”
“We have a responsibility there to make sure that we provide them with appropriate and adequate care and apply exactly the same criteria that the [National Advisory Committee on Immunization] has articulated for them, as they have for other Canadians,” Blair said.
According to the latest data from the Correctional Service Canada, there have been 1,149 positive COVID-19 cases in inmates to date and three death. There are currently 144 active cases across Canada.
Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada May 1, 2020. REUTERS/Blair Gable
‘They can't do anything to protect themselves’
Last month Emilie Coyle, executive director of the Canadian Association of the Elizabeth Fry Societies, which monitors the conditions of confinement in Canada’s six federal institutions for women, explained that people in prison are “sitting ducks” living in a congregate environments.
“People in prison are extremely vulnerable,...they can't leave, they can't do anything to protect themselves,” Coyle said. “Our position has strongly been you must come to your conclusions around how you're going to handle this pandemic rooted with the humanity of the people at the core.”
“Unfortunately, we seem to think of prisoners as disposable human beings but they are, by and large, people who have suffered and are vulnerable in their lives, which has led them to becoming criminalized in the first place.”
Coyle added that the population that Canadian Association of the Elizabeth Fry Societies works with have suffered trauma, including gender-based violence, physical violence and poverty.
“We're talking about people who have been criminalized for our failings as a society, and then we're further punishing them by making them vulnerable to a lack of care in the prisons when we deal with the pandemic, so this has been a real frustration for us,” she said.
Since March 2020, the Canadian Association of the Elizabeth Fry Societies has been calling for the depopulation of prisons in an effort to help keep people safe. Coyle highlighted that limited movement has impacted the mental health of inmates and restricted volunteer programs due to COVID-19 measures are impacting their ability to prepare for parole, which leads to delays in that process.
Union calls for correctional officers to be prioritized
The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers is also asking for more clarity around the Correctional Service Canada’s vaccine plan.
“We don’t have many details on what’s going to come next,” a statement from Jeff Wilkins, national president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officer reads.
“Will the Correctional Officers be vaccinated before any of the general population of inmates who are under 70 years of age?... Will CSC prioritize vaccinations where there are outbreaks?”
Correctional Service Canada has identified that staff will be vaccinated by their home province or territory.
“CSC and [the Public Health Agency of Canada] are working closely with the provinces and territories to facilitate access to the COVID-19 vaccine for staff in accordance with the priority groups identified by NACI,” a news release from Correctional Service Canada reads.
The union is calling for correctional officers to be vaccinated at their workplace as soon as possible, adding that they are “disappointed” they were not consulted about this vaccination program.
“It’s time the Federal Government and the Correctional Service of Canada starts recognizing the dedication of its employees,” a statement from Wilkins reads. “Our members are working in institutions right now that have been declared as pandemic sites, and they are not being afforded the protection of a vaccine. They should be a priority.”
“Since March, Correctional Officers have been on the front line to protect the Canadian population. As front-line workers, they had to work with COVID-19 infected people, placing them at high risk for infection. We didn’t get any compensation for this, no hazard pay, which was given to other front-line workers.” | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1176 |
__label__cc | 0.723315 | 0.276685 | Jerry Seinfeld Reveals Why He Needed To Write A Rebuttal To The ‘Putz’ Who Claimed NYC Is Dead
by: Mike Redmond October 1, 2020
Responding to social media posts seems like something that Jerry Seinfeld would never bother with in a thousand years, and yet, the stand-up comedian did just that when he wrote a scathing rebuttal to a LinkedIn post declaring that New York City is “dead” because of the pandemic. While promoting his new book on 60 Minutes, Seinfeld opened up about the reasoning behind his passionate defense of the Big Apple for the New York Times, and it came down to a simple realization: Somebody had to do it:
“When you were a kid, remember kicking over the anthill? That’s what just happened to us. They just kicked over the whole anthill,” he tells Wertheim. “And what do the ants do? ‘All right. Hand me the next crumb. Let’s get back to work.'” Seinfeld says he has nothing against the author of the essay on LinkedIn, “He’s fine. I didn’t like that nobody was rebutting it. Then I realized, ‘Oh, I guess that’s my job.’ Somebody, a real New Yorker, has to answer this.”
While he says he has nothing against the author, Stand Up NYC comedy club co-owner James Altucher, Seinfeld notably didn’t take the opportunity to walk back calling him a “putz.” In fact, he doubled down. “That’s who that guy is for the rest of his life. ‘Oh, look who’s here. The putz from LinkedIn,'” Seinfeld told 60 Minutes.
Published back in August, Seinfeld took Altucher to task for feeling the city and moving to Florida after giving up on New York City. “Imagine being in a real war with this guy by your side,” Seinfeld wrote. “Wipe your tears, wipe your butt and pull it together.” However, the piece drew mixed reactions. While some praised Seinfeld for defending his hometown, others found it tone deaf that a millionaire who owns a three-story garage in the Upper West Side just for his car collection is telling people to “bounce back” while the pandemic is causing large-scale unemployment and economic hardships.
(Via CBS News)
Tags: jerry seinfeld | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1179 |
__label__wiki | 0.503553 | 0.503553 | Outside Lands Reveals 2016 Lineup: Radiohead, Lionel Richie + More
Photo of Radiohead's Thom Yorke by Rick Kern
San Francisco's Outside Lands has revealed its 2016 lineup, with Radiohead and some of this year's usual suspects topping the bill, including LCD Soundsystem, Lana Del Rey, J. Cole and others.
Also on the roster are Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, Ryan Adams, Major Lazer, Chance the Rapper, Miguel, Halsey, Big Grams, Miike Snow, Jason Isbell, Foals, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, St. Lucia, Vince Staples, Jack Garratt, LANY, Wet, Frances, Låpsley and more.
Set for Aug. 5-7 at Golden Gate Park, tickets go on sale this Thursday (April 7) at 10 a.m. PST.
See the full lineup below.
Natalie Lafourcade
Also featuring The Muppets’ Dr. Teeth And The Electric Mayhem | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1183 |
__label__cc | 0.723613 | 0.276387 | Poll shows Americans overwhelmingly prefer "Merry Christmas"—so why don't we hear it more?
Christmas wins in this just-released Rasmussen poll, and it's not even close:
As Americans crowd stores nationwide, most still prefer being greeted by signs that say ”Merry Christmas” rather than ”Happy Holidays.”
According to the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, just one-out-of-four Adults (24%) like ”Happy Holidays” instead. Sixty-nine percent (69%) prefer that stores use signs that say ”Merry Christmas.” (To see survey question wording, click here.)
These figures are consistent with surveys during the holiday season for the past few years.
(Most Prefer ”Merry Christmas’ to ”Happy Holidays’, November 28, 2010. Links in original).
Rasmussen's subscription-only Platinum Service crosstabs reveal that this pro-Christmas preference is especially pronounced among two groups usually slobbered over by campaign consultants: 18-29 year olds (71%) and women (71%).
Interestingly, it's less emphatic among blacks (53%), although still strong.
But although this result is not close, and has been absolutely consistent over time, "Christmas" still does not appear in the public square three times as often as "Holidays". I'd be surprised if it appears a tenth as much.
Funny thing. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1185 |
__label__wiki | 0.786907 | 0.786907 | Rotunda’s Rebirth
by Teresa A. Sullivan
Restoring the Rotunda is the first major phase of our larger Jeffersonian Grounds Initiative. Dan Addison
In June, thousands of alumni will return to the Grounds to reconnect with classmates and friends during Reunions. Those who have not visited the University in a few years will undoubtedly notice some considerable changes to the exterior of the Rotunda.
President Teresa A. Sullivan Jane Haley
Among other improvements, the building has a new copper roof, now painted white; restored copper cornices; a new 32-pane circular skylight at the center of the dome, known as an oculus; 16 intricately carved Carrara marble capitals that have replaced the old, crumbling capitals; new clocks and dials in the north and south porticos; and a restored plaster Beaux Arts eagle on the ceiling of the south portico. But the most exciting changes to the Rotunda are those yet to be unveiled, those on the inside.
After two years of renovation, we are now entering the final phase of a project to transform the most iconic building on Grounds and one of the most important in Virginia and the nation. When the Rotunda reopens in the fall, it will once again serve as the center of student life at the University, hosting classes and offering spaces to students for studying and for socializing.
Nearly two centuries ago, Thomas Jefferson designed the Rotunda as a library with classroom space, and purposefully put it at the heart of the University. Since then, it has burned and been rebuilt, and been renovated and repurposed many times. Though it has always remained the physical and emotional center of the University through the years, it has not always played a vital role in the day-to-day lives of students.
When Alderman Library was built in the late 1930s, regular student use of the Rotunda subsided, with the exception of a few special events. In fact, many alumni report that they never set foot inside the Rotunda when they were students on Grounds, thinking of it less as a living building and more as a museum that tourists can visit when touring the Academical Village—a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Monticello.
The reopened Rotunda will feature new study and learning spaces for students. What was previously known as the President’s Reception Room—the Upper West Oval Room—will now become a student study area with comfortable furniture. The first gallery will have similar furnishings, and the Dome Room will have more tables and chairs for study use.
Rooms throughout the Rotunda will be used for seminars, dissertation defenses and student meetings. The Upper East Oval Room will remain the Board of Visitors meeting room, while the Dome Room will be available for dinners and receptions, lectures and other events.
Thanks to the generosity of alumni, parents, students and others who are passionate about UVA and its architectural heritage, we are only $1.3 million away from the original goal of raising $50.6 million for the Rotunda renovation. The Commonwealth funded about half of the renovation, and private donors are funding most of the remainder. The majority of the gifts have come from “University 200” donors, who are alumni and UVA families who have given $100,000 or more to the project. Other significant gifts have come from private foundations and UVA organizations.
Restoring the Rotunda is the first major phase of our larger Jeffersonian Grounds Initiative, a project to renovate all of the original University buildings and Grounds and care for them in perpetuity. This effort is an important part of our preparation for the University’s bicentennial, which is now less than two years away. The celebration will begin Oct. 6, 2017, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the laying of UVA’s cornerstone, and will continue until 2026.
The Rotunda is a building that manages to be both simple and majestic, combining a reverence for the past with a vision for the future. The building symbolizes what the University contributes to our world—conserving the past for future generations and preparing those generations to face a future they will help form.
As we prepare for UVA’s bicentennial, and for its third century of excellence as one of the world’s premier universities, the Rotunda renovation and the larger Jeffersonian Grounds Initiative will ensure that Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village, praised by UNESCO as a “work of perfection,” remains the centerpiece of life at the University.
Summer 2016 / President's Letter
Grounds & the Physical Plant
Education building renamed for Walter N. Ridley
The surreal semester and what comes after: UVA confronts the coronavirus
The camera sees what we can’t | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1189 |
__label__cc | 0.689901 | 0.310099 | DC Universe by Alan Moore TPB – Alan Moore
A new version of this collection, now featuring all those Wildstorm stories you wanted!
…I kid, since I don’t think Moore’s Wildstorm stuff, maybe excepting Voodoo, is bad, but there’s also the double extra super irony here that Moore left the mainstream for his ABC line when Wildstorm was wrapped under the DC banner, so this collection sort of doubles down on poking the hoary ol’ Moore beast as a reminder of all of his stuff they own.
Setting creators’ right and squabbles aside (not that Moore’s reaction was without merit), this is a killer collection of stuff for a good price: $25 bucks for 400+ pages, printed on glossy but flippable stock, in a solid softcover. I’d also say there’s been some great color touchup work done here, as checking out some of the originals, some important dynamics (like Mogo’s colors…) just aren’t there, and the more intricate artwork from guys like Kevin O’Neill and Joe Orlando looks that much sharper. And in case you missed the previous edition’s Brian Bolland cover – we get a pretty awesomely bizarre Frazier Irving cover for this collection (only bizarre because Irving’s work generally is) – Bolland’s version is included as an interior page to separate out the short bits that were backups in other issues. When Alan’s work was either the main feature or entire issue, though, the cover is reprinted, which is another plus.
Overall, this trade, for Moore fans, can’t be beat. If you’ve already hunted down the individual issues, fair enough, but even if that’s the case, collecting all of these odds and ends in one location is a huge convenience, and for those who maybe only own the previously reprinted issues – like Whatever Happened to The Man of Tomorrow? – getting a peek at Alan’s other DCU stuff (…plus Wildstorm) is a treat. I wouldn’t say it’s all his best work, of course, and a lot of it is just sort of incidental, Future Shock-y kind of stuff, but it’s still generally better and more imaginative than the vast majority of comic writing done for the Big Two (which, eh, is dismissive of the difficulty of writing these interweaving soap operas month to month, but it’s sort of a wholly different genre than what Moore would write…). The Wildstorm stuff is certainly aimed toward a different crowd, but I think it’s another interesting side of Moore’s style to experience. Otherwise, the only DC thing I think you’d be missing in this set would be The Killing Joke, but that’s easily available in its own printing.
Note that the above is more a review of the value of the set; the contents are reviewed individually here: | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1192 |
__label__wiki | 0.645713 | 0.645713 | №4(20) /
The Salaries of Service Tatars in the 18th Century
2019, Vol. 5. №4(20)
Author: Zaytuna A. Tychinskykh
For citation: Tychinskikh Z. A. 2019. “The salaries of Service Tatars in the 18th century”. Tyumen State University Herald. Humanities Research. Humanitates, vol. 5, no 4 (20), pp. 112-126. DOI: 10.21684/2411-197X-2019-5-4-112-126
Zaytuna A. Tychinskykh, Cand. Sci. (Hist.), Senior Researcher, Ethnoarcheological Research Group, Tobolsk complex scientific station of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; zaituna.09@mail.ru; ORCID: 0000-0002-5378-8909
State support was an important factor in the relations between the authorities and the serving population, including such a special category as the serving Tatars. This article discusses how the system of service Tatars came into life in the 18th century. Due to the poor knowledge of the subject, the question of salaries is one of the key elements in identifying the place and role of service Tatars in the system of military corporations in Siberia.
The study has revealed that the changes in the salary system that took place during the 17th-18th centuries served as an indicator of the degree of incorporation of service Tatars into the structure of the military organization of the Russian state. Despite the general trend of the 18th century to the unification of the state support of irregular troops, the service Tatars retained their own hierarchy in the distribution of wages for a long time. The reason is to be found in the peculiarities of the management system and corporate isolation, determined by the confessional affiliation of the service Tatars. Another peculiarity was that the serving Tatars, unlike other categories of serving people, practically did not receive any bread allowance — it was replaced by “arable land”.
In 1725 and 1737, staff schedules were introduced, which influenced both further unification of employees of various categories and the gradual equation in system of the allowance.
Ethnic history
serving Tatars
Cossack teams
staff reforms of 1725 and 1737
Andronikov I. A. 1911. Materials on Land Tenure and Economic Life of Settled Foreigners of the Tobolsk District. Tobolsk. [In Russian]
Bahrushin S. V. 1955. “Siberian Tatars in the 17th century”. In: S. V. Scientific Works. Vol. 3, part 2, pр. 153-175. Moscow: Izdatelstvo Akademii Nauk SSSR. [In Russian]
“The affairs of the education of municipal Cossack teams”. State Archive in Tobolsk. F. 329. Op. 13. D. 7. L. 402. [In Russian]
“Journals of the Tobolsk Provincial Board”. State Archive in Tobolsk. F 329. Op. 10. D. 159. [In Russian]
Zuev A. S. 2007. “Established reform of the Siberian Cossacks in 1737”. Novosibirsk State University Bulletin. Series: History and Philology, vol. 6, no 1. Accessed 19 April 2019. https://statehistory.ru/3249/SHtatnaya-reforma-Sibirskogo-kazachestva-1737-goda/ [In Russian]
Alekseev V. V. (ed.). 1995. History of the Cossacks of the Asian Part of Russia. Vol. 1. Ekaterinburg. [In Russian]
Katanaev G. E. 1908. A Brief Historical Review of the Service of the Siberian Cossack Army in 1582-1908. Saint Petersburg. [In Russian]
Nikitin N. I. 1988. Service people in Western Siberia in the 17th Century. Novosibirsk: Nauka. [In Russian]
Ogurtsov A. Yu. 1993. “Staff reform of 1736-1737 and Cossacks of Western Siberia”. In: The Cossacks of the Urals and Siberia in 17th-20th Centuries, pp. 69-79. Ekaterinburg. [In Russian]
“Service records of the Cossack teams, petitions for rewarding of individuals and for determination on service of the Cossack children”. State Archive in Tobolsk. F. 329. Op. 13. D. 34. [In Russian]
Solodkin Ya. G. 2015. “Were the Cossacks of the Siberian Tatars of the end of 16th-17th centuries?”. Voenno-yuridicheskiy zhurnal, no 8, pp. 29-32. [In Russian]
Solodkin Ya. G. 2016. “Service Tatars and early Russian colonization of Siberia (late 16th — early 17th centuries): military aspects”. Srednevekovye tyurko-tatarskie gosudarstva, no 8, pp. 233-239. [In Russian]
Tychinskih Z. A. 2010. Service Tatars and Their Role in the Formation of the Ethnic Community of Siberian Tatars (17th-19th centuries). Kazan: Fen. [In Russian]
Tychinskihh Z. A. 2000. “On the features of the Tatar Cossacks”. Proceedings of the 3rd Siberian Symposium “Kul’turnoe nasledie narodov Zapadnoy Sibiri”. Russkie starozhily, pp. 113-115. Tobolsk-Omsk. [In Russian]
Tychinskihh Z. A. 2016. “Service Tatars: the origin and transformation of ethnocosmology strata (the case of Western Siberia)”. Srednevekovye tyurko-tatarskie gosudarstva, no 8, pp. 240-247. [In Russian] | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1193 |
__label__cc | 0.589498 | 0.410502 | Kristin Cavallari, Jay Cutler’s New Agreement Over Custody, Buying New House
Kristin Cavallari is able to move forward with buying a new home after her estranged husband, Jay Cutler, refused to release funds for her to make the purchase.
Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler’s Messy Split: Everything We Know
Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler. Shutterstock (2)
“The judge was able to order the release of the frozen assets so Kristin is going to be able to buy the house she wants to,” an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly. “Things have not improved between Kristin and Jay.”
The Very Cavallari star, 33, and Cutler, 37, have also reached a temporary custody agreement for their children, Camden, 7, Jaxon, 5, and Saylor, 4 according to E! News. The outlet reported on Friday, May 1, that the kids will remain at their Nashville, Tennessee, home with Cavallari and the former NFL player switching off every other week to stay with them. When the Hills alum moves into her new residence, the children will go back and forth between her home and Cutler’s. Cavallari is hoping to close on her new home within a month.
The E! personality had been planning to move since November 2019. According to court documents obtained by Us earlier this week, “things were so bad in the marriage” that Cavallari had signed a contract for a new property last fall. The former Chicago Bears quarterback “never objected” to it but, ultimately, the pair decided against it as they “attempted to salvage the marriage.”
Everything Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler Have Said About Their Relationship
However, the duo began discussing splitting in March and filed for divorce on April 24, two days before they both announced their separation via Instagram.
“With great sadness, after 10 years together we have come to a loving conclusion to get a divorce,” the joint statement read. “We have nothing but love and respect for one another and are deeply grateful for the years shared, memories made, and the children we are so proud of. This is just the situation of two people growing apart. We ask everyone to respect our privacy as we navigate this difficult time within our family.”
Cavallari decided she still wanted to purchase the same home she had her eye on in the fall. In the court documents obtained by Us earlier this week, the reality star claimed Cutler tried “to intimidate” her into accepting his parenting plan for their kids and refused to allow her to buy the home unless she agreed to his plan.
Kristin Cavallari’s Complete Dating History: From Reality Stars to NFL Athletes
The designer, who asked for primary custody of their children in her divorce filing, signed a contract to buy a $5.5. million home in Franklin, Tennessee, on Monday, April 27.
In the meantime, she and Cutler have been living separately since April 7 — the day they returned home from the Bahamas. The former couple have been spending three days a week each with their children in their home, with Cavallari staying with a friend when it’s Cutler’s turn to be with the kids. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1201 |
__label__wiki | 0.774195 | 0.774195 | The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
Cited as: SI 2006/1031
S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S
2006No. 1031
3rdApril2006
1stOctober2006
1. Citation, commencement and extent
3. Discrimination on grounds of age
4. Discrimination by way of victimisation
5. Instructions to discriminate
6. Harassment on grounds of age
DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING
7. Applicants and employees
8. Exception for genuine occupational requirement etc
9. Contract workers
10. Meaning of employment and contract work at establishment in Great Britain
11. Pension schemes
12. Office-holders etc
13. Police
14. Serious Organised Crime Agency
15. Barristers
16. Advocates
18. Trade organisations
19. Qualifications bodies
20. The provision of vocational training
21. Employment agencies, careers guidance etc
22. Assisting persons to obtain employment etc
23. Institutions of further and higher education
24. Relationships which have come to an end
OTHER UNLAWFUL ACTS
25. Liability of employers and principals
26. Aiding unlawful acts
GENERAL EXCEPTIONS FROM PARTS 2 AND 3
27. Exception for statutory authority
28. Exception for national security
29. Exceptions for positive action
30. Exception for retirement
31. Exception for the national minimum wage
32. Exception for provision of certain benefits based on length of service
33. Exception for provision of enhanced redundancy payments to employees
34. Exception for provision of life assurance cover to retired workers
35. Restriction of proceedings for breach of Regulations
36. Jurisdiction of employment tribunals
37. Burden of proof: employment tribunals
38. Remedies on complaints in employment tribunals
39. Jurisdiction of county and sheriff courts
40. Burden of proof: county and sheriff courts
41. Help for persons in obtaining information etc
42. Period within which proceedings to be brought
43. Validity of contracts, collective agreements and rules of undertakings
44. Application to the Crown etc
45. Application to House of Commons staff
46. Application to House of Lords staff
47. Duty to consider working beyond retirement
48. Duty to consider working beyond retirement - transitional provisions
49. Amendments, transitionals, repeals and revocations
SCHEDULE 1-
Norwegian part of the Frigg Gas Field
Part 1-
Pension schemes - general
Excepted rules, practices, actions and decisions relating to occupational pension schemes
Excepted rules, practices, actions and decisions relating to contributions by employers to personal pension schemes
Questionnaire of person aggrieved
Reply by respondent
Validity of contracts, collective agreements and rules of undertakings
Validity and revision of contracts
Collective agreements and rules of undertakings
Duty to consider working beyond retirement
Duty to consider working beyond retirement - transitional provisions
Amendments to legislation and related transitional provisions
Repeals and revocations
A draft of these Regulations was laid before Parliament in accordance with paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the European Communities Act 1972 1, and was approved by resolution of each House of Parliament;
The Secretary of State, who is a Minister designated for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 in relation to discrimination 2, makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2(2):-
Citation, commencement and extent
(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, and shall come into force on 1st October 2006.
(2) Any amendment, repeal or revocation made by these Regulations has the same extent as the provision to which it relates.
(3) Subject to that, these Regulations do not extend to Northern Ireland.
(1) In these Regulations, references to discrimination are to any discrimination falling within regulation 3 (discrimination on grounds of age), regulation 4 (discrimination by way of victimisation) or regulation 5 (instructions to discriminate) and related expressions shall be construed accordingly, and references to harassment shall be construed in accordance with regulation 6 (harassment on grounds of age).
(2) In these Regulations-
"1996 Act" means the Employment Rights Act 1996 3;
"act" includes a deliberate omission;
"benefit", except in regulation 11 and Schedule 2 (pension schemes), includes facilities and services;
"commencement date" means 1st October 2006;
"Crown employment" means -
(a) service for purposes of a Minister of the Crown or government department, other than service of a person holding a statutory office; or
(b) service on behalf of the Crown for purposes of a person holding a statutory office or purposes of a statutory body;
"detriment" does not include harassment within the meaning of regulation 6;
"employment" means employment under a contract of service or of apprenticeship or a contract personally to do any work, and related expressions (such as "employee" and "employer") shall be construed accordingly, but this definition does not apply in relation to regulation 30 (exception for retirement) or to Schedules 2, 6, 7 and 8;
"Great Britain" includes such of the territorial waters of the United Kingdom as are adjacent to Great Britain;
"Minister of the Crown" includes the Treasury and the Defence Council;
"proprietor", in relation to a school, has the meaning given by section 579 of the Education Act 1996 4;
"relevant member of the House of Commons staff" means any person who was appointed by the House of Commons Commission or who is a member of the Speaker's personal staff;
"relevant member of the House of Lords staff" means any person who is employed under a contract of employment with the Corporate Officer of the House of Lords;
"school", in England and Wales, has the meaning given by section 4 of the Education Act 1996 5, and, in Scotland, has the meaning given by section 135(1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 6, and references to a school are to an institution in so far as it is engaged in the provision of education under those sections;
"service for purposes of a Minister of the Crown or government department" does not include service in any office mentioned in Schedule 2 (Ministerial offices) to the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 7;
"statutory body" means a body set up by or in pursuance of an enactment, and "statutory office" means an office so set up; and
"worker" in relation to regulations 32 and 34 and to Schedule 2, means, as the case may be-
(a) an employee;
(b) a person holding an office or post to which regulation 12 (office-holders etc) applies;
(c) a person holding the office of constable;
(d) a partner within the meaning of regulation 17 (partnerships);
(e) a member of a limited liability partnership within the meaning of that regulation;
(f) a person in Crown employment;
(g) a relevant member of the House of Commons staff;
(h) a relevant member of the House of Lords staff.
(3) In these Regulations references to "employer", in their application to a person at any time seeking to employ another, include a person who has no employees at that time.
Discrimination on grounds of age
(1) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person ("A") discriminates against another person ( "B") if-
(a) on grounds of B's age, A treats B less favourably than he treats or would treat other persons, or
(b) A applies to B a provision, criterion or practice which he applies or would apply equally to persons not of the same age group as B, but-
(i) which puts or would put persons of the same age group as B at a particular disadvantage when compared with other persons, and
(ii) which puts B at that disadvantage,
and A cannot show the treatment or, as the case may be, provision, criterion or practice to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
(2) A comparison of B's case with that of another person under paragraph (1) must be such that the relevant circumstances in the one case are the same, or not materially different, in the other.
(3) In this regulation-
(a) "age group" means a group of persons defined by reference to age, whether by reference to a particular age or a range of ages; and
(b) the reference in paragraph (1)(a) to B's age includes B's apparent age.
Discrimination by way of victimisation
(1) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person ("A") discriminates against another person ( "B") if he treats B less favourably than he treats or would treat other persons in the same circumstances, and does so by reason that B has-
(a) brought proceedings against A or any other person under or by virtue of these Regulations;
(b) given evidence or information in connection with proceedings brought by any person against A or any other person under or by virtue of these Regulations;
(c) otherwise done anything under or by reference to these Regulations in relation to A or any other person; or
(d) alleged that A or any other person has committed an act which (whether or not the allegation so states) would amount to a contravention of these Regulations,
or by reason that A knows that B intends to do any of those things, or suspects that B has done or intends to do any of them.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to treatment of B by reason of any allegation made by him, or evidence or information given by him, if the allegation, evidence or information was false and not made (or, as the case may be, given) in good faith.
Instructions to discriminate
5.For the purposes of these Regulations, a person ("A") discriminates against another person ( "B") if he treats B less favourably than he treats or would treat other persons... | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1204 |
__label__cc | 0.663021 | 0.336979 | April 2, 2020 August 4, 2020 Posted in RevelationTagged Antipas, Balaam, compromise, Nicolatians, Pergamum, pleasure, power, progress, Satan's Throne, suffering
This post is the fifth post in a series through the book of Revelation. Follow this link to a video recording of this post.
The Revelation John received was sent as a circular letter along a logical postal route through Asia Minor which started at the bustling city of Ephesus, moving north to ancient Pergamum, inland through Thyatira, and southeast to the wealthy city of Laodicea. This letter contained a prophecy from Christ to these seven churches to comfort them during the tyrannical reign of emperor Domitian (AD 90-92), to correct their perspective in their fight against evil, and to charge them to remain faithful to Christ. There is a reward for those who remain loyal to the end!
The Seven churches in Revelation 2-3 (Asia Minor, present-day Turkey)
Pergamum was a magnificent ancient city which exited from the springs of civilization in Asia (around 500 BC). This city set on a hilltop overlooking the Caicus plain below. Pergamum (modern-day Bergama) lay about 55 miles north of Smyrna, inland from the Aegean coast. The archaeological findings in this great city are rich in religious artefacts, including statutes and temples of Zeus, Athena, Dionysos (Baccus in Roman mythology), and especially Asklepios, the god of medicine, whose cult was strong and accounted for the prestigious school of medicine in Pergamum. Asklepios’ serpent was a prominent brand in the city, displayed on many of the coins pressed there.
Apart from the medical school, the city was famous for its vast library, university, big parchment industry and the large amphitheatre overlooking the valley. It was also a strategic Roman stronghold and inland regional administration, boasting the first Asian temple of the Imperial Cult in honour of Augustus (AD 29).
In this ancient citadel which worshipped Domitian as king and lord, valued entertainment, education and science, was a vulnerable church who received this letter of comfort and correction, a charge to not compromise of their devotion to Christ in word or in deed (Revelation 2:12-18).
The Revelation of Jesus Christ (2:12). Christ is revealed as the one among them with the sword – sharp and double-edged. This description of Christ’s character in the judgment of the world, and in particular the church, occurs seven times in Revelation (Rev. 1:16; 2:12, 16, 35; 6:8; 19:15, 21). Roman officials had the right to carry this sword – and with it the right to life and death. Christ here implies that his judgment can lead either to life (salvation through repentance) or death (judgment if the accused does not repent) – the reader or hearer must choose. This brief revelation of Christ among them sets the stern tone of the rest of this short letter.
Commendation (2:13). As in the previous two letters, Christ comforts the church by his awareness of their works and world. “I know your works, and where you dwell – where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast to my name…” Christ honours their “works” of witness, their allegiance to him (“my name”), as well as holding on to “my faith” – true Christian faith undefiled by other religions. This is praiseworthy in a city dedicated to the worship of Domitian who claims to be sovereign king and lord of all (“where Satan’s throne is”), along with all the other gods. Their confession and faith are pure in a defiled city.
Jesus mentions the martyrdom of Antipas. Being the regional seat for Roman administration, Pergamum held the court which tried rebellion against Rome. Where the accused was found guilty, an opportunity was given time to repent or face immediate execution by the Roman proconsul. Antipas refused to worship Nero during his reign (AD 54-68) and was tried before the proconsul at Pergamum. He refused to recant his oath that “Jesus is Lord” and was executed in the cruel and unusual way of being burned to death in a brazen bull-shaped altar designed to cast out demons. The goal was to intimidate the church, but Christ commends the Pergamum believers for remaining faithful to him despite these horrific trials.
Antipas was martyred in Pergamum during emperor Nero’s reign (AD 54-68).
Condemnation (2:14-15). Yet the believers in Pergamamum started to compromise. “Some (held) to the teachings of the Balaam”, a non-Jewish prophet who had a tremendous impact on Israel during their Exodus (Numbers 22-25; 38:8,16), and his influence remained a snare even to the New Testament church (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:1, 11; Revelations 2:14). I’ve written on “The Error of Balaam” before. Still, I will summarise here: Balaam was an extremely gifted man of God who could hear and speak the pure words of God accurately, but he led an independent lifestyle. With his mouth, Balaam worshipped the God of Israel, but he lived his life like the immoral Canaanites “who ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality” (2:14). The “teachings of Balaam” was that God’s people are chosen, holy and saved in God’s eternal covenant and therefore, nothing can change that reality – not even their sensual lifestyle.
Christ implies there were groups within the Pergamum church which worshipped and associated with the church but chose to blend with the rest of the population by participating in their pagan, secular feasts to avoid social and economic isolation and persecution.
Secondly, Christ condemns “those who hold the teachings of the Nicolatians” which the Ephesian church hated (2:6). Not much is known about this sect, apart from what we can derive from the name: “Nico” means conqueror, “laity” refers to the ordinary people. It seems that in the Pergamum church, some asserted power in the world’s way, who claimed rights and privileges with power over others in an undue way. As in the gospels, Christ condemns this style of leadership – “the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves” (Luke 22:24-28).
Warning (2:16). Christ charges the church to “Repent”, or else he will “soon make war against (them) with the sword of his mouth”. This is strong language, a stern warning hinting to the judgment against the 24’000 “men who were joined with Balaam” (Numbers 25:5). The reason is that the church is Christ’s witness of his kingdom – a living community that displays what he and his coming Kingdom are like. Therefore the compromise of Balaam (right professing but immoral living) and the compromise of the Nicolatians (abusive leadership misrepresenting Christ’s character of loving, servant leadership) is a wrong witness of who Christ is and what his kingdom is like. This congregation, although professing right, have some who lived like the world they are in. Their witness is compromised, and Christ calls them to repent or be removed.
Promise (2:17). To the one who conquers Christ will give of his “hidden manna” (referring to the manna preserved in the ark of the covenant Exodus 16:33-34) – a sign of God’s providential grace. Also, the promise of “a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” This white stone, a tesseron, was customary given to special guests invited to partake of feasts in the pagan temple at Pergamum – consisting of the meats offered to the idols. This tesseron would bear the secret name of the deity represented by the god, revealed only to the recipient. Christ’s promise of the “white stone” implied an invitation of intimate communion with him – even now. And this invitation is “to all who has an ear to hear.”
But what should this church overcome? The spirit of compromise – the seduction to worldly sensuality (of Balaam) and power (of the Nicolatians). The tendency to think that mere cognitive faith (agreement to Biblical truths) results in right-standing with God. Christ desires a renewed heart resulting in holy living as a witness to his kingdom.
A secret tunnel for worshipers to a temple in Pergamum.
Many writers have noted that “Pergamum” comes from the Greek word “gamos”, meaning marriage. This church professed to faithful to Christ but was married to the world regarding power and pleasure, according to the culture in which they lived.
Like the ancient Greeks in Pergamum, we too live in a world which values pleasure, power, scientific progress and independence. The invitation to us today is clear: to recognize where we, the church, are “married to the world” in this regard, and repent.
Turn your heart, that you too may share in the intimate pleasures of Christ reserved for those who live devoted to him.
17 thoughts on “The End? No more Compromise.”
Pingback: The End? The Beast and his Mark – walklikejesus
The End? Faithful until death. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1207 |
__label__wiki | 0.894773 | 0.894773 | CONSTITUTION HILL & WELLINGTON ARCH WALKLONDON's - ROYAL LONDON WALK
Constitution Hill and the stome pillars of Memorial Gate
Wellinton Arch, passage way into Hyde Park for walkers, cyclists and horses.
Wellinton Arch, Hyde Park Corner. On top, the largest bronze statue in Europe
Opening Hours and Costs: Constitution Hill is a free public space, Wellington Arch Times and Costs
Facilities: Small Shop
Events: Small exhibition
Further Information: Wellington Arch
and WELLINGTON ARCH
In the mid seventeenth century, Charles II purchased a section of land between St James’s Park and Hyde Park so he could walk on ‘royal soil’ all the way from Westminster in the east to Kensington in the West. The King used his new park, which he called Upper St James's Park, for entertaining his guests and more importantly for his daily health walk or ‘constitutional’.
Today Constitution Hill is the official route that connects The Mall with Hyde Park Corner. Walking west, the walled gardens of Buckingham Palace are on the left and Upper St James Park, which is now called Green Park, is on the right.
Towards the Hyde Park end of the road there are the Memorial Gates; stone pillars which honour the five million men and women from India, Africa and the Caribbean who served with the Armed Forces during the World Wars.
Wellington Arch, commissioned by George IV and completed in 1830, was originally designed as a grand outer entrance to Buckingham Palace from the Royal Parks. Sixteen years later, in celebration of his victories during the Napoleonic war, a colossal 20 ton statue of the 1st Duke of Wellington mounted on his charger, Copenhagen was placed on top of the arch.
Due to traffic congestion, in 1883 the Arch it was dismantled and re-built as short distance away on its present site at the top of Constitution Hill. Wellington’s equestrian stature was, due to its controversial size, removed from the top of the arch and taken to Round Hill, near the military town of Aldershot in Surrey.
In 1912 The Quadriga, commissionsed by Edward VII was placed on top. Depicting the angel of peace descending on the chariot of war, it is the largest bronze sculpture in Europe.
Today the interior is open to the public and the balconies offer amazing views across London into Buckingham Palace gardens, the Royal Parks and Houses of Parliament. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1208 |
__label__cc | 0.50273 | 0.49727 | Identifying FDI spillovers
Yi Lu, Zhigang Tao, Lianming Zhu
Institute for Research in Contemporary Political and Economic Affairs
This paper improves on the strategy used in the literature to identify the spillover effect of horizontal foreign direct investment (FDI) by taking advantage of the plausibly exogenous relaxation of FDI regulations on China's World Trade Organization accession at the end of 2001. In addition, to understand the (aggregate) FDI spillover effect, the paper evaluates two underlying explanations (the agglomeration effect versus the competition effect, the former of which is further moderated by the absorptive capacity of domestic firms) by distinguishing different types of FDI along various dimensions. Finally, the analysis uses an array of performance measures, including total factor productivity, exporting performance, wages, R&D investment, and firm survival, with one single data set to offer a fuller and more nuanced picture of the impact of FDI on domestic firms.
Journal of International Economics
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.01.006
Agglomeration effect
Competition effect
Difference-in-differences
FDI spillovers
10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.01.006
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Identifying FDI spillovers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Total Factor Productivity Business & Economics
World Trade Organization Business & Economics
Agglomeration Effect Business & Economics
Firm Survival Business & Economics
Lu, Y., Tao, Z., & Zhu, L. (2017). Identifying FDI spillovers. Journal of International Economics, 107, 75-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.01.006
Identifying FDI spillovers. / Lu, Yi; Tao, Zhigang; Zhu, Lianming.
In: Journal of International Economics, Vol. 107, 01.07.2017, p. 75-90.
Lu, Y, Tao, Z & Zhu, L 2017, 'Identifying FDI spillovers', Journal of International Economics, vol. 107, pp. 75-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.01.006
Lu Y, Tao Z, Zhu L. Identifying FDI spillovers. Journal of International Economics. 2017 Jul 1;107:75-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.01.006
Lu, Yi ; Tao, Zhigang ; Zhu, Lianming. / Identifying FDI spillovers. In: Journal of International Economics. 2017 ; Vol. 107. pp. 75-90.
@article{2495d0df0599453c906d0e731318cf42,
title = "Identifying FDI spillovers",
abstract = "This paper improves on the strategy used in the literature to identify the spillover effect of horizontal foreign direct investment (FDI) by taking advantage of the plausibly exogenous relaxation of FDI regulations on China's World Trade Organization accession at the end of 2001. In addition, to understand the (aggregate) FDI spillover effect, the paper evaluates two underlying explanations (the agglomeration effect versus the competition effect, the former of which is further moderated by the absorptive capacity of domestic firms) by distinguishing different types of FDI along various dimensions. Finally, the analysis uses an array of performance measures, including total factor productivity, exporting performance, wages, R&D investment, and firm survival, with one single data set to offer a fuller and more nuanced picture of the impact of FDI on domestic firms.",
keywords = "Absorptive capacity, Agglomeration effect, China, Competition effect, Difference-in-differences, FDI spillovers",
author = "Yi Lu and Zhigang Tao and Lianming Zhu",
doi = "10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.01.006",
journal = "Journal of International Economics",
T1 - Identifying FDI spillovers
AU - Lu, Yi
AU - Tao, Zhigang
AU - Zhu, Lianming
N2 - This paper improves on the strategy used in the literature to identify the spillover effect of horizontal foreign direct investment (FDI) by taking advantage of the plausibly exogenous relaxation of FDI regulations on China's World Trade Organization accession at the end of 2001. In addition, to understand the (aggregate) FDI spillover effect, the paper evaluates two underlying explanations (the agglomeration effect versus the competition effect, the former of which is further moderated by the absorptive capacity of domestic firms) by distinguishing different types of FDI along various dimensions. Finally, the analysis uses an array of performance measures, including total factor productivity, exporting performance, wages, R&D investment, and firm survival, with one single data set to offer a fuller and more nuanced picture of the impact of FDI on domestic firms.
AB - This paper improves on the strategy used in the literature to identify the spillover effect of horizontal foreign direct investment (FDI) by taking advantage of the plausibly exogenous relaxation of FDI regulations on China's World Trade Organization accession at the end of 2001. In addition, to understand the (aggregate) FDI spillover effect, the paper evaluates two underlying explanations (the agglomeration effect versus the competition effect, the former of which is further moderated by the absorptive capacity of domestic firms) by distinguishing different types of FDI along various dimensions. Finally, the analysis uses an array of performance measures, including total factor productivity, exporting performance, wages, R&D investment, and firm survival, with one single data set to offer a fuller and more nuanced picture of the impact of FDI on domestic firms.
KW - Absorptive capacity
KW - Agglomeration effect
KW - Competition effect
KW - Difference-in-differences
KW - FDI spillovers
U2 - 10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.01.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.01.006
JO - Journal of International Economics
JF - Journal of International Economics | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1209 |
__label__cc | 0.602053 | 0.397947 | What Does A Democratic Socialist Believe In?
What is the problem with socialism?
Is socialism good for the economy?
What do Democratic Socialists of America stand for?
What are pros and cons of socialism?
Which is the main goal of a socialist system?
What governments are socialist?
Is Denmark socialist or capitalist?
What does it mean to be a socialist?
Whats the difference between communism and socialism?
What do the Socialists believe in?
What are the 3 main goals of socialism?
What happens in a socialist country?
Does the US have a Socialist Party?
Is Bernie a socialist?
Has socialism ever worked in a country?
What are the three major criticisms of socialism?
What is the downside to socialism?
Under socialist planning, government commands were used to allocate employment and thereby did not permit the hiring or firing of workers for strictly economic reasons.
The problem with this was inefficient production, underemployment, and misallocations of labour..
In theory, based on public benefits, socialism has the greatest goal of common wealth; Since the government controls almost all of society’s functions, it can make better use of resources, labors and lands; Socialism reduces disparity in wealth, not only in different areas, but also in all societal ranks and classes.
The Democratic Socialists envision a humane social order based on popular control of resources and production, economic planning […] and racial equality. I share an immediate program with liberals in this country because the best liberalism leads toward socialism.
List of Cons of SocialismIt gives the government much if not full control. … It demands higher taxes. … The rights of workers might be too much. … People have to deal with bureaucracy. … It can result to lack of motivation. … It can result to unnecessary spending by the government.
Socialism is a political movement that centers on changing the economic means of ownership and production. Its main objective is to foster a cooperative economy through the creation of cooperative enterprises, common ownership, state ownership or shared equity.
Marxist–Leninist statesCountrySinceForm of governmentRepublic of Cuba1 January 1959Unitary one-party socialist republicLao People’s Democratic Republic2 December 1975Unitary one-party socialist republicSocialist Republic of Vietnam2 July 1976Unitary one-party socialist republic1 more row
Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy”.
Socialism is a political, social and economic philosophy encompassing a range of economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production. It includes the political theories and movements associated with such systems. Social ownership can be public, collective, cooperative, or of equity.
The main difference is that socialism is compatible with democracy and liberty, whereas Communism involves creating an ‘equal society’ through an authoritarian state, which denies basic liberties. … Communism is a political and economic ideology – closely associated with the state Communism of the Soviet Union and China.
Socialism is an economic and political system. It is an economic theory of social organization. It states that the means of making, moving, and trading wealth should be owned or controlled by the workers. This means the money made belongs to the workers who make the products, instead of groups of private owners.
The three main goals of socialism are 1) distribute wealth equally among the people, 2) government control of society and 3) public ownership of most land.
A socialist country is a sovereign state in which everyone in society equally owns the factors of production. The four factors of production are labor, capital goods, natural resources and entrepreneurship. In a socialist country, people account for individual needs and social needs.
The Socialist Party USA, officially the Socialist Party of the United States of America (SPUSA), is a democratic socialist political party in the United States. SPUSA was founded in 1973 as a successor to the Socialist Party of America, which had been renamed Social Democrats, USA a year before.
He is a self-described democratic socialist, though his policies match Nordic Model-esque social democratic ones. Bernie Sanders is an independent senator from Vermont who has served in government since 1981. In 2016, Sanders campaigned for the Presidency of the United States in the Democratic primaries.
Although not in every country, socialism has worked in China for several years, and it’s still working. The same too was recorded in Denmark. Socialism makes tax to be at a high rate, but the good part of it is that you have excellent and quality health care and other services.
Three major criticisms of socialism are that socialist countries have a tendency to develop too many layers of bureaucracy, capitalism seems filled with faults, and in the eyes of socialism’s critics, the smooth running of an economy is too complex to be directed by central planners.
Disadvantages of socialism include slow economic growth, less entrepreneurial opportunity and competition, and a potential lack of motivation by individuals due to lesser rewards.
Question: How Governments Are Formed?
Who is in charge of the UK? The Prime Minister is the
Quick Answer: Is Ponyboy Guilty Or Innocent?
Does ponyboy Stay Gold? Stay gold. As he lies dying
Quick Answer: When Was The First Computer Made?
Who developed first computer? ENIAC, designed by John
Question: What Is A Ordinal Scale Of Measurement?
What is an example of ordinal measurement? | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1210 |
__label__cc | 0.559333 | 0.440667 | Home » Crypto » FinCEN Deals Major Regulatory Blow to ICOs and Exchanges
FinCEN Deals Major Regulatory Blow to ICOs and Exchanges
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been proclaiming for a while that initial coin offerings (ICOs) are securities. Now, in the latest regulatory backlash against ICOs, the federal bureau charged with enforcing the nation’s laws against money laundering has decided that, effectively, anyone who sells tokens is an unregistered money transfer business.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) made public a letter on March 6, 2018, that Drew Maloney, FinCEN’s assistant secretary for legislative affairs, sent to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden last month.
The letter summarizes FinCEN’s interpretation of the current laws and regulations as they relate to ICOs. According to FinCEN, anyone issuing an ICO is a money transmitter subject to the Bank Secrecy Act. As such, they are required to register with the federal government, collect information about their customers, and take steps to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism by their customers.
The letter reads, “… a developer that sells convertible virtual currency, including in the form of ICO coins or tokens, in exchange for another type of value that substitutes for currency is a money transmitter ….”
Exchanges also qualify as money services businesses (MSBs) according to FinCEN. “An exchange that sells ICO coins or tokens, or exchanges them for other virtual currency, fiat currency, or other value that substitutes for currency, would typically also be a money transmitter,” wrote Maloney.
An ICO registered as a security, however, would not be considered a money transmitter. Maloney stated that FinCEN was working closely with the SEC and the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to “clarify and enforce” the legal and reporting obligations of businesses involved in ICO activities.
It is worth noting that according to February 6, 2018, senate testimony by SEC Chair Jay Clayton, no ICOs that raised capital in 2017 had so far registered or made clear that they had any plans to register with the SEC.
FinCEN’s letter comes less than a week after reports surfaced that the SEC sent a wave of subpoenas to ICO projects demanding details of the structures of ICO sales and pre-sales. If ICOs are deemed securities, all ICO issuers that sold to U.S. citizens could be criminally guilty of a felony for violating U.S. securities laws and possibly subject to five years in prison.
Now, with FinCEN jumping into the regulatory landscape, things are getting even stickier for ICOs. If what FinCEN is saying holds merit, anyone who sells tokens to U.S. residents while, at the same time, failing to register with FinCEN as an MSB and failing to perform the know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance obligations could also face several years in prison under a felony conviction.
Employees and investors of ICO companies could be held criminally liable, too. Worse, the federally related offense of wire fraud, which includes sending money over the internet to avoid reporting requirements, could easily be tacked on to all the above. (In November 2017, Western Union, the world’s biggest money transfer company, had to pay $586 million on charges of wire fraud.)
In a blog post response, blockchain advocacy group Coin Center, who published the FinCEN letter, took issue with FinCen’s assessment, including the way in which FinCEN classifies the roles of miners (those who create virtual currency) and developers.
Coin Center called for more clarity on the issues through open consultation and discussion: “This is a complicated and consequential legal interpretation, and one that should be discussed, unpacked, and eventually finalized in a more formal and transparent setting …”
It is likely that regulatory laws surrounding ICOs will only be settled in court, perhaps even the Supreme Court. In the meantime, any projects considering raising funds through an ICO will have to think carefully about how they structure that ICO and whether they even want to sell tokens to U.S. citizens to begin with.
« PikcioChain Receives Huge Pre-ICO Boost by Winning a Place on BNP Paribas’…
Popular Social Networks in Russia to Accept Bitcoin » | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1212 |
__label__wiki | 0.92581 | 0.92581 | bruce mckinnon wikipedia
Net Worth is calculated through any ways. "[41], For the 6th Critics' Choice Television Awards, the series received three nominations, for Best Drama Series, Aden Young for Best Actor in a Drama Series, and Clayne Crawford for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Worked on the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico to earn money to move to New York and study with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse. Except for few, celebs have adjusted well. "[31] Matt Roush of TV Guide called Rectify "One of TV's truest, finest and deepest dives into pure character drama. In 1945, he was awarded the Military Cross. Sign up and add shows to get the latest updates about your favorite shows - Start Now. How close will the show stay to the comic storyline? Trust us. [16] In 1996 he was granted an honorary doctorate by St. Mary's University for his work and in 2011 he was made a member of the Order of Nova Scotia. Read all about Bruce McKinnon with TVGuide.com's exclusive biography including their list of awards, celeb facts and more at TVGuide.com J. Official Sites. "[34], Abigail Spencer was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013. Salary, royalty, profit earnings and many other things are factored in. He was re-elected on four successive occasions, and served from 1979 to 1980 as Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs in the short-lived minority government of Joe Clark. Sharon Conley as Sondra Person, a district attorney. 2020. As a youth he also lived with his family in Kingston, Ontario, and Truro and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Some of the actors, despite having private jets speak about climate change and stuffs which is pretty laughable. I have no clue. Some of MacKinnon's images have received wider attention, sometimes beyond Canada's borders. Download the TV Guide app for iPhone, iPad and Android! After the war, he remained in the Canadian Army. Stars and celebrities have adapted well to the new change in the way we communicate. The 24th. I mean people that have a little interesting life; they turn it into a Netflix series or any kind of reality TV show and Boom! Boxed competitively in college and once auditioned for a role while sporting two black eyes and a broken nose as the result of a bout. Fought in the National Collegiate Boxing Championships as a middleweight. Let’s start to read as below. TV Show ∙ Mar 15, 2020. He then taught at Sangster Elementary School in Colwood. The Best Shows and Movies to Watch This Week: Jim Carrey's Joe Biden Is Visited By the Ghost of Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton in the. [1] He studied Fine Arts at Mount Allison University and graphic design at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. "[28], The fourth and final season received universal acclaim with a Metacritic rating of 99 out of 100 based on 11 reviews. Keep track of your favorite shows and movies, across all your devices. Bruce MacKinnon CM ONS (born 1961) is a Canadian editorial cartoonist for The Chronicle Herald in Halifax, Nova Scotia. See full bio » More at IMDbPro » Contact Info: … McKinnon was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1972 federal election as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Victoria, British Columbia. Bruce McKinnon might have a wife or a husband. Studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre under Sanford Meisner. In 2014, after a reservist on ceremonial sentry duty at the nation's National War Memorial was killed by a shooter who then broke into the parliament building and had a gun battle with security, MacKinnon depicted the bronze World War I soldiers of the memorial extending their hands to the murdered man. It could be a painful reality but that’s the way it is. Some of the big shot stars really have brought an island and they have a great time in their private island. Attended Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States; attended University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Allan Bruce McKinnon, PC MC CD, (11 January 1917 – 19 September 1990) was a Canadian politician. Know more about Bruce McKinnon Wiki, Net Worth, Age, Family, Children Son Daughter, Parents Father Mother, Siblings Sister Brother, Partner. Originally entered college as a forestry major. Many people crumble with the fame and do really stupid outrageous things. Many celebrities really work hard to maintain a body and physique that looks attractive. [5], Since becoming the paper's regular cartoonist, MacKinnon has achieved status as one of Canada's finest editorial cartoonists, called by the Canadian Encyclopedia, "among the new breed of distinguished artists" in Canadian editorial cartooning. MacKinnon was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, where he attended high school and later studied arts at St. Francis Xavier University. Most of the celebrities have a normal childhood and life. Jayson Warner Smith as Wendall Jelks, a death row inmate who antagonizes Daniel and Kerwin. [19][20] In response to the Las Vegas mass shooting, MacKinnon drew a cartoon depicting Uncle Sam using his body to shield a spokesman for the National Rifle Association and reassuringly saying, "Everything's okay... you're safe..." while they are surrounded by the sprawled, bloody corpses of the shooting victims. Aden Young. In fact, there was so much about this show that mirrored my own life I began to wonder how much of my story had crept into the script." [45] The series is available to stream on Netflix in the United States and other regions, though not the UK. [21] That cartoon was widely shared in 2017, and again in 2018 following other gun attacks. Born in Canora, Saskatchewan, he served with the Royal Canadian Artillery and was officer with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Search the latest about Bruce McKinnon on Bing. Learn more about Bruce McKinnon at TVGuide.com with exclusive news, full bio and filmography as well as photos, videos, and more. [11] Both a popular and at times controversial cartoonist, he was named Best Political Cartoonist in Halifax for several years running by The Coast newspaper before it elevated him to their Hall of Fame, thus retiring him from further contest. So, we don’t know when Bruce McKinnon celebrates the birthday. Sometimes, because of one person, the whole family including siblings, their parents get the attention which is sweet at times and not so good most of the times. [13] Production for the second season began on February 3, 2014, in Griffin, Georgia. Most of the times one of the celebrity is famous and then because of him/her, other members get famous as well. "[23] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "it remains as riveting and unique as ever. After the war, he remained in the Canadian Army. After nineteen years on death row, analysis of DNA evidence from his trial contradicts the prosecution's case, and an appeals court vacates the judgment of his original trial. Adelaide Clemens. Some of the celebs are really blessed in that department because they stand at 6 feet and above. Celebrities have a lotta cars and big mansions. Conrad, Margaret, "The Art of Regional Protest: The Political Cartoons of Donald McRitchie, 1904-1937", Acadiensis, 1991, 29. was killed by a shooter who then broke into the parliament building, "Bruce MacKinnon, Martha Wilson to get honorary NSCAD degrees", "Bev leaves me holding the bag — full of goodies", "Herald's Bruce MacKinnon wins 4th National Newspaper Award", "Editorial Cartoonist is named journalist of the year at National Newspaper Awards Gala", "Herald Cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon wins World Press Freedom Award", "Bruce MacKinnon Takes Second Place at International Awards Event", "StFX to welcome home alumni from North America and Beyond", Order of Canada's newest appointments include Olympians, jurists, researchers, https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0oMybcIAAErzA5.jpg, https://ca.news.yahoo.com/halifax-artist-apos-cartoon-response-170259767.html, https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLZidUsVYAAnSv8.jpg, https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DorPeyXVsAAHSes.jpg, https://smu.ca/academics/archives/j-bruce-mackinnon.html, "Bruce MacKinnon selected to exhibit at Andy Warhol Museum", Fans of Bruce MacKinnon, Editorial Cartoonist Facebook page, Editorial cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon on Twitter, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bruce_MacKinnon&oldid=935822175, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 January 2020, at 23:13.
Hypixel Maps List, Siren Is Ben's Mom A Mermaid, Origen Del Apellido Jaramillo, Kodak Black Net Worth 2020 Forbes, Indoor Rabbit Cage Argos, Ssn Generator For Paypal, Chris Osgood Wife, Feed The Birds Chords Ukulele, Russell Galbut Billionaire, | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1214 |
__label__cc | 0.651472 | 0.348528 | El Paso Wills & Trusts Lawyers
Estate Administration in El Paso TX
Estate Administration in El Paso, Texas
Find the right Estate Administration attorney in El Paso, TX
If the decedent had the foresight to draft and execute a will in El Paso, Texas, the estate is typically administered in a way that follows the instructions the will lays out, as closely as possible.
Most commonly, a will names a person to serve as executor, whose job it is to ensure that the estate is properly administered.
The executor is usually whoever stands to obtain the most money or property if the will is given effect, since that is the person who likely has the most incentive to do their part in seeing that the probate process plays out to completion.
If an El Paso, Texas will does not appoint anyone to serve as executor, or there is no will, the court has to choose someone to fill that role.
This is most often the person who stands to gain the most from the will, or who would inherit the most under Texas's intestacy laws. Intestacy is the system that every state has in order to deal with the property of people who die without a will. It usually distributes the property to the closest living relatives of the decedent, assuming they can be located.
In cases where the will doesn't name an executor, or the person named is unable to take on that role for whatever reason, any person who has some direct stake in the decedent's estate (either because they're named in the will or stand to inherit by intestacy) can petition an El Paso, Texas court to be appointed executor.
Can a El Paso, Texas Estate Administration Attorney Help?
If you are the administrator of an estate, and are not a legal and/or financial professional, you might encounter legal or tax issues with which you are unfamiliar. An El Paso, Texas attorney would be very helpful in such a situation.
Life in El Paso
El Paso, Texas is a large city in (and the county seat of) El Paso County, in the far western tip of Texas. It is the 5th-largest city in Texas, and the 22nd largest city in the United States, with a population of over 620,000. El Paso is right over the U.S. border from Juarez, Mexico.
The two cities are directly adjacent, and a great deal of cultural and economic exchange occurs between the two. For this reason, they are typically treated as part of the same metropolitan area (referred to as El Paso-Juarez). With a population of over 2.3 million people, El Paso-Juarez is one of the largest international metro areas in the world.
El Paso is an important entry point into the U.S., and Juarez serves the same role in Mexico. There is a significant amount of trade between the two cities, which accounts for a significant amount of the economic activity in both cities.
Additionally, Fort Bliss, an U.S. Army base which serves as home to the Air Defense Artillery Branch, is a major contributor to El Paso's economy.
Given its size and economic diversity, El Paso, Texas attorneys have plenty of work to keep busy, which ensures that they are constantly challenged, forcing them to become proficient in as many areas of law as possible. Accordingly, it's nearly certain that there's at least one El Paso, Texas lawyer who can help you with your legal issues.
El Paso Charitable Giving Attorneys
El Paso Probate Lawyers
El Paso Drafting Trusts Attorneys
El Paso Power of Attorney Lawyers
El Paso Contested Wills Attorney
El Paso Drafting Wills Lawyer
El Paso Estate Planning Attorney
El Paso Living Will Lawyer
Estate Administration Lawyers in Benbrook
Estate Administration Lawyers in Harlingen
Estate Administration Lawyers in Diboll
Estate Administration Lawyers in San Diego
Estate Administration Lawyers in Alvarado
Estate Administration Lawyers in Sunnyvale
Estate Administration Lawyers in Amarillo
Estate Administration Lawyers in Abilene | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1220 |
__label__cc | 0.510183 | 0.489817 | New Efforts Against Bullying Miss Big Picture, Students Say
Syra Kayani|January 24, 2013
Bullying has been a hot issue at Wilde Lake for the past few weeks. Around the school hang signs to remind students to “Stand Up” and not “Stand By.” Mr. Fowlin‘s compliment, “You Are Beautiful,” is now a lingering whisper through the halls. On the surface, bullying seems a problem Wilde Lake can solve.
But in another world, the online world of messaging and commenting and posting pictures, bullying remains rampant, according to Senior Julia Brouwers.
“I think students are bullied mostly online . . . The school does a good job monitoring the amount of bullying activity at the Lake, though who knows how long it will last,” said Brouwers.
Sophomore Wade Keith believes that Mr. Fowlin’s message had a positive influence on students’ attitudes and behavior, but he is skeptical about the permanence of that impact.
“It helped a lot. It’s not gonna last though, they never do. At least not for some people.” Though he feels, “It’s definitely made a big difference in my behavior.”
In his seminar, Mr. Fowlin defines his idea of bullying based on personal experiences.
“I don’t use the word bullying because it’s mainly the idea of cruelty . . . Instead of bullies, I classify people as thinkers and non-thinkers,” said Fowlin.
In the classical sense, bullying is “unwanted negative attention. It can be verbal or physical. It’s an uneven, negative relationship,” according to Mrs. Dixon.
But bullying has evolved past the physical and verbal into the electronic. It has taken a new face, one that many students feel has yet to be recognized: cyberbullying.
Brouwers believes that the public nature of online bullying makes this form more dangerous and damaging.
“It feels like you’re being attacked by everyone when you are being bullied online . . . When you see it online it feels like the truth because it’s out there in writing and anyone can see it,” said Brouwers.
According to guidance counselor Mrs. Macer, one of the biggest problems is the difficulty of tracking and resolving issues concerning online bullying.
“Bullying online is not something the counselors or administrators can really monitor or do anything about. It is only addressed if a parent or students brings it to the attention of the guidance or administration,” said Mrs. Macer.
But, according to Brouwers, the most disturbing part about this topic remains that students do not realize how their words and actions can impact others.
“We’ve been exposed to it so much that our generation is desensitized to the effects of it . . . Students don’t realize when they are being mean to each other, and ultimately how they are hurting others.”
Mr. Fowlin, as well as several other staff and students at the Lake, agree that, “It’s the technology. When we become disconnected with each other, it becomes easier to say things to people that you would otherwise be afraid to say straight to their face.”
No matter how much bullying evolves or changes, the school will always attempt to inform the students and prevent them from becoming disconnected from the consequences of their actions, according to Mrs. Malloy.
“Howard County recognizes that this isn’t a new thing, and that is why schools bring in people like Mr. Fowlin to raise awareness and help students understand what bullying really is,” said Mrs. Malloy. “Tolerance, civility, and acceptance . . . If you promote these, bullying would take care of itself. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1221 |
__label__wiki | 0.53673 | 0.53673 | Picture This: Ruth Brown From an Early Childhood of Extreme Contrast to Master of Spooky Picture Books
Romona Williams October 9, 2014 October 9, 2014
Ruth Brown is the master of spooky picture books. She has written and/or illustrated dozens of books for young children covering a wide variety of topics, but her creepier works are the most distinctive with their balance between fear and charm.
Brown was born in Devon, England in 1942. The first five years of her life were spent playing and exploring the surrounding countryside, and as she describes it “The cottage, the garden and surrounding country were one big fascinating playground which has stayed with me always.” This sentiment is palpable in the majority of her books with their focus on nature, feral animals, and domestic scenery.
In 1947, her family moved to post WWII Germany when her father got a job with the Control Commission. Brown states that “It was an early childhood of extreme contrasts – the freedom of my first five years in the country and then the contrast of post-war Germany.” Perhaps her early exposure to the aftermath of war equipped her with an inclination to include scary elements in so many of her picture books.
She studied at the Bournemouth College of Art, the Birmingham College of Art, and the Royal College of Art, after which she began work as a freelance illustrator. Later, her friend and fellow writer Pat Hutchins piqued her interest in writing her own books and in 1979 her first of many works was published: Crazy Charlie.
In the spirit of Halloween (and also because the dark stories are my favorites), let’s take a look at her spooky titles, shall we?
Toad uses evocative language to drive home the point that Toad is gross. He is “odorous, foul and filthy”, “nasty, septic, toxic, and bitter”, and “worm-slurping”. The adjectives are punchy and fun to say, and they hang overhead Toad on each watercolor, swampy page. The pages are so saturated that you can feel the mud squishing beneath your feet. A touch of danger takes form as a pair of reptilian eyes come closer and closer to him with each turn of the page, until the final reveal of an alligator snapping its jaws shut over our disgusting little hero. A hero so nasty that the “monster” spits him out. Toad then happily settles back into the sludge and feels “carefree and self-confident”, demonstrating that facing danger can result in survival.
One Stormy Night follows a small, white dog seeking shelter on a windy, frigid night. He is chased away by every other animal until sunrise, when he returns to his tomb. It was a ghost dog. The imagery is in shades of grey, white, black, yellow, and blue until the shift to include warm shades of greens and reds on the final pages. The art also includes precise detail, including the texture of tree bark, the tiles on the rooftops, the individual hairs on the animals’ bodies, even single straws of hay. This story borders on the bittersweet as you realize the dog is a spirit visiting its old home and returning to his family’s tomb. One Stormy Night is a narrative that introduces a scary scene (a dog being pursued through a stormy night) and gives a heartwarming yet eerie conclusion.
The Ghost of Greyfriar’s Bobby follows a similar theme of dogs that have passed on. The first pages display bright, vivid watercolors of two kids on vacation in England listening to a story about an Old Jock and his dog Bobby. This color scheme is consistent until the crushing scene with the old man and his pet guard the cattle pen in the winter cold. The fluffy, white flakes of snow gathering into the drifts look magical, until you focus on the hardened faces of the man and the dog. They look chilled to the bone sitting in the snow storm. Bobby’s story is told with a backdrop of white and grey as he sits by his owner’s grave, but the bright palette returns as the town comes together to help him. Scenes of the townspeople feeding and playing with him are light and every face has a smile. Brown’s retelling of Greyfriar’s Bobby, while about a dog’s spirit haunting a town, is uplifting rather than scary.
Last is the classic A Dark, Dark Tale. Following a dark, weather worn aesthetic, the reader is brought along a black cat’s journey further and further into the back room of a remote, seemingly abandoned mansion. Each step of the progression is shrouded in fog, dense woods, thick curtains, or heavy doors. Suspense is built through each cobwebby corridor, until the cat finally locates a small box in the back of a closet that turns out to be housing a sweet little mouse. Whether the cat eats the mouse or they’re friends is a matter of opinion, but it’s another case of fear building up and then having it’s air let out in a light anti-climax.
A natural question that arises after reading a spooky juvenile book is “what are the positive and negative aspects of introducing kids to fear?” This is a question that reiterates throughout every form of media, including whether kids should be exposed to violence in movies, disturbing scenes in video games, fighting in comic books, etc. But the essential question that it boils down to is “should we introduce children to concepts that might scare them?”
The answer is yes. Being brave is handling a situation even though it scares you. Without familiarizing ourselves with the sensation of fear, we cannot tackle the world’s problems. An element in fear in children’s books plays an integral role in character development. As Tomi Ungerer said, “In my children’s books, you’ll always find an element of fear. I think children are thrilled with fear, and they have to be taught how to get over it. Why am I the pedagogues’ nightmare? They think I traumatize children. They think children should be loved and protected. But if you do only that, they’re not ready for life.” Ruth Brown’s work holds true to this idea of the thrill of fear, and is adorable to boot.
Romona Williams
Romona Williams is an ex-librarian, current tutor, and constant writer. She can usually be found in antiquarian bookstores, curiosity shops, and carnivals after dark.
ljb2016@protonmail.com
Truly, Truly Outrageous- IDW Publishing Announces A Jem and the Holograms Comic
The DC Daily Planet: My First Book of Girl Power | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1223 |
__label__cc | 0.557683 | 0.442317 | Where are the Laborers?
For 10 July 2018, Tuesday of week 14 in Ordinary Time, based on Matthew 9:32-38
As they were going out, a demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.” Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
By: Ms. Marlene Laurendeau, O.P. calling in from Brunswick, Maine, USA
Marlene Laurendeau grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, being taught by the Dominican sisters of San Rafael; lived many years raising a family in Indiana; and in semi-retirement she and her husband moved to Maine, where he died five years ago. After the loss of their spouses and through CatholicMatch.com., she and her current spouse were united, and they enjoy commuting between California, Maine, and New Hampshire! Marlene is currently working on a masters degree in theological studies through the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., and she serves her Maine parish as a Eucharistic minister and group facilitator.
« The Hemorrhaging of the World » Gathering the Scattered | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1224 |
__label__wiki | 0.66879 | 0.66879 | Country Saddened By Loss Of Tom ‘Cat’ Reeder
WHISNews21 | July 7, 2012
COUNTRY MUSIC SADDENED BY THE PASSING OF TOM ‘CAT’ REEDER
Tom ‘Cat’ Reeder died on Saturday June 30, 2012 at the age of 77, in Fairfax, Virginia after suffering a heart attack the week before. There will be a private family service in Alabama where he will be buried. At this time, there are no public memorial services scheduled. Thanks for Eddie Stubbs (WSM Air Personality) for providing me the above info. Tom “Cat” Reeder, longtime country music broadcaster and host of The Tom “Cat” Reeder Show on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, died Saturday in Virginia. He was 77. Reeder joined the WAMU lineup in 2001, becoming one of the hosts of Bluegrass Overnight and, later, the host of his own program. He hosted his final show on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country on June 19 of this year. “We are saddened to learn of the loss of our friend and colleague, Tom. His voice and inimitable style on the airwaves will be sorely missed by his loyal fans both locally and throughout the global bluegrass community,” said Caryn G. Mathes, general manager of WAMU 88.5 and WAMU’s Bluegrass Country. A native of Abbeville, Ala., Reeder began his career in radio in 1956 at WARL in Arlington, Va., and moved to WDON in the 1960s in Wheaton, Md., to take over the morning drive-time slot with The Tom Reeder Show. “He was a simple country guy, not hard to understand, and when you heard him on the air, he was your friend,” said Gary Henderson, host of The Gary Henderson Show on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country. “That was his real forte.” Reeder built a reputation as a broadcaster who preferred traditional country music to modern sounds. He not only connected with listeners, but also earned the respect of musicians and record labels, as well as sponsors, who clamored to have him read their messages on-air during his popular programs. In 1990, Reeder was inducted to the Country Music Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Nashville. “He didn’t play the modern country music. It had to have roots. If it was traditional country, he would play it,” said Henderson, who remembered Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, and Jimmy Dean as musicians Reeder liked to play on-air. Reeder met Dean while in the Air Force. Along with artist Clyde Beavers, Reeder co-founded Kash Records. He operated his own publishing company, Tom-Cat Publishing Company, and emceed shows around the country, including the National Championship Country Music Contest for more than 20 years. Reeder signed off each show with the tune of “Tom Cattin’,” written for him by Tom Brunley and recorded by Buck Owens. He delivered the same daily farewell: “I hope you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live. Bye bye, darlin’.”
When country music was really country music, Tom Cat was at the top of the list. He was there for all of us when we needed our records played. It just had to be country or he wouldn’t play it. When certain DJ’s would not give us the time of day, and you would be surprised to hear some of the names who are now in the DJ Hall of Fame, but they wanted to play the big label artists, he never turned us away. It was tough to accept those DJ’s who passed us by, but then we would call Tom Cat and asked if he got our new record, and he would “sure, let’s talk on air about your new song. I’ve got it on the turntable now.” Not just my records but the list of artists is as long as the country music industry has been in existence. He brought all of our hopes up by giving us the opportunity that is not given to so many young country artists in this new music they call country. He would have never PLAYED A JASON ALDEAN RECORD-NEVER. It is all rock and he disliked artists who carry the name of country with their music, and never knew what country should be. He was a savior to so many of us who felt at times that our music was not good enough because so many of the radio stations would not play our music or give an interview. He gave many of us the jump start we needed when we would be turned down by the big jocks. He never turned down a good country record, and trust me when I say there were plenty of great country records back when I was recording.
There was no such things a rock producers producing country records as there is now. Oh, I could go on and on, but this personal note is about a long time friend who was part of the cornerstone of country music being heard. Ask Stonewall Jackson, Jean Shepard, Bill Anderson, Little Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price, and so many others. The list of survivors who play traditional country is getting shorter each year, and I could name a few of my friends who are playing real country music.
Tom Cat Reeder gave me hope to stay in Nashville and record and tour because he made me a believer, and the same goes for many of my artists friends who know what I am saying is true. Thanks Tom Cat. He was a man of his word, and his word was make it country and I will play it. He stuck to his word.
HE WILL BE MISSED AND IS MISSED.
God Bless Tom Cat.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN THE PEACEFUL ARMS OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOR.
Please keep Tom Cat’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
Marty Martel
Artists Remembered Comments Off on Country Saddened By Loss Of Tom ‘Cat’ Reeder Print this News
Happy Birthday To A Legendary Music Promoter (Newer)
(Older) Allen Karl Talks About RhonBob Promotions
The Perfect Couple Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan Together Till The End I was sittingRead More
Mac Davis and Helen Reddy Die On The Same Day At the Same Age
This has been a pretty sad week for music as two ever-popular artists passed onRead More
Rhonnie Scheuerman Sadly Passed Away July 17th
The Life of A Good Hearted Lady In A Rough and Tough Business finally EndsRead More
Charlie Daniels Dies Of Hemorrhagic Stroke At 83
Highlights From ‘CMT Giants Kenny Rogers Benefit”
Hear Kenny Rogers say ‘Goodbye’ In Forgotten Ballad
Marty Martel a Legend In The Music Business Dies
Eddie Cunningham Pays Tribute to Chris Darrow
IDSS Hall Of Fame Member Lance James Dies
No Comments to Country Saddened By Loss Of Tom ‘Cat’ Reeder
Sad to hear about Tom ‘Cat.’ Did many interviews on radio with him. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1226 |
__label__wiki | 0.931649 | 0.931649 | Keating On Kerr
Sir John Kerr died in Sydney on April 7, 1991.
During the Condolence motion in the House of Representatives, the then Treasurer, Paul Keating, intervened in the debate after hearing the Opposition Leader, Dr. John Hewson, speak.
Listen to Prime Minister Bob Hawke
Listen to Opposition Leader John Hewson (14m – transcript below)
Watch Hewson (14m)
Listen to Deputy Prime Minister & Treasurer Paul Keating (4m – transcript below)
Watch Keating (4m)
Transcript of Opposition Leader John Hewson’s speech to the House of Representatives on the condolence motion for Sir John Kerr.
Dr HEWSON (Leader of the Opposition) —The death of the Right Honourable Sir John Kerr on 24 March marked the passing of a great Australian. His greatness will be measured not by the verdicts of his contemporaries nor by our words here today but by history’s judgment of the breadth of his achievements and on his quiet but unmistakable moral courage. That is exactly the way Sir John would have wanted it. At his memorial service last Saturday, one of his sons, Philip, recalled his deep love of history. It is appropriate, therefore, that history will be the judge and will, I believe, judge him favourably.
Mr Speaker, I do not intend to record the detail of Sir John Kerr’s many achievements in his academic, professional and public life. The Prime Minister (Mr Hawke) has already cited many of them and others will undoubtedly recall even more. My purpose today is a quite different one. I want to set out briefly what seemed to me to be the attributes that made Sir John Kerr a great Australian and that explain why he was held in such great affection by those who knew him well.
There is no such thing as an ordinary Governor-General. But of all the extraordinary men who have held that high office in Australia, Sir John Kerr stands out. He stands out because of his extraordinary achievements prior to his viceregal career; he stands out because he was Governor-General during an extraordinary period in Australia’s political history, and he stands out because he brought such extraordinary insight and courage to the discharge of his duties.
Let me say at the outset that it would be a travesty of Sir John’s life and his achievements in so many fields if our reflections on him become little more than an excuse to try to rewrite the history of the 1975 constitutional crisis. Sir John’s actions in November 1975 are, of course, a source of continuing debate and, regrettably, still some rancour.
Certainly no assessment of Sir John Kerr’s life and his achievements can neglect the high drama of late 1975, but his greatness is not dependent on his actions at that time. His greatness was, I believe, enhanced by the moral courage he showed in 1975. But it is not those events alone that mark him as a great Australian. It is his achievements throughout his life and his basic human qualities that are the true measure of the man and the true mark of his greatness.
First, Sir John Kerr was a true nationalist who loved his country without deluding himself about its shortcomings. He described himself in later years as a Europhil who still calls Australia home. His achievements were the product of his own hard work; he owed nothing to patronage or to favour or to privilege. The achievements of his life, therefore, were the product of a country that gave him a fair go and that allowed him to fulfil his extraordinary talent. In turn, he never forgot what Australia had made possible for him. He remained throughout his life distinctly and proudly Australian.
Second, Sir John was an internationalist ahead of his time. He recognised long before most others and quite early in his own life that Australia could never have an effective foreign policy if it failed to perceive the winds of change in its own regional neighbourhood. For example, as early as his time at Fort Street Boys High School he won the Evatt Memorial Prize for the best essay on the subject, `Should Australia become more enterprising in the Pacific?’
His wartime service in the Army’s Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs created an intense interest and expertise in the processes of decolonisation. He became principal of the Australian School of Pacific Administration from 1945 to 1948 and implemented far-sighted and very progressive views on what was needed to achieve effective autonomy and independence in the Pacific territories, and Papua New Guinea in particular. In the late 1950s Sir John became energetically involved in planning for the future of Papua New Guinea, and it was fitting that in September 1975 he was present as Governor-General at Papua New Guinea’s independence celebrations.
Third, Sir John provided the Australian legal profession with a unique quality of leadership born of his outstanding legal knowledge, his willingness to promote sensible change and his capacity to galvanise potentially divided opinions in a common cause. His brilliant university career was followed by a distinguished period as a barrister, as a legal administrator, as a judge, as Chief Justice and as Governor-General. In all these phases he was a towering and inspiring figure in the profession. He was at various times President of the Law Council of Australia, foundation President of the Law Association for Asia and the Western Pacific, and President of the New South Wales Bar Association. In all these leadership roles he challenged his own professional colleagues, insisting that standards be maintained but never afraid to promote the cause of reform, especially in administrative law and judicial reform. In both areas he has left an indelible mark.
Fourth, Sir John Kerr had an intellectual fearlessness and a moral courage which few Australians have surpassed. His intellectualism was not of the ivory tower kind; it was intensely practical. It was concerned in particular with how the administration of law affected ordinary people, their rights, their aspirations, their values. Sir John’s clear sense of duty and moral courage was evident throughout his career. It was evident in his struggle against communism in the trade union movement during the 1950s; it was evident in his work as a judge on the Commonwealth Industrial Court; it was evident in his law reform work; it was, above all, evident in the constitutional crisis of 1975.
I said earlier that Sir John Kerr’s actions in November 1975 enhanced his greatness but did not alone create it. This is not the occasion to debate in depth the rights and wrongs of the decision made on 11 November 1975. But, in so far as they involve Sir John Kerr, the following needs to be said: Sir John Kerr was required to involve himself in a crisis that was not of his making. At a critical moment in our history, no Governor-General was better qualified in terms of legal expertise and practice to cope with such a constitutional crisis than was Sir John Kerr. He did his duty well as he saw it, knowing full well that many of his oldest friends would revile him for it. He acted properly and courageously in the discharge of his duties.
It is most revealing to note that two of the most important writers on the reserve powers of the Crown under the Westminster system were men of the Left: Dr H. V. Evatt in Australia, with whom Sir John Kerr shared a close personal and professional relationship, and the Canadian socialist and constitutional expert Dr Eugene Forsey. Dr Evatt was not alive to comment on Sir John Kerr’s action. Dr Forsey was, and his verdict was clear. Dr Forsey wrote in the epilogue to Sir John’s book Matters for Judgment:
Never for a moment did I doubt the correctness of the action Sir John took. For the life of me, I could not see, and still cannot see, what else he could have done in the circumstances. The constitutional right of the Senate to refuse, or defer, supply seems to me incontestable. Perhaps it should never have been given that right. But it was.
Dr Forsey’s conclusion is one I heartily share. His verdict was that Sir John Kerr’s actions in November 1975 were `constitutionally correct, necessary and inescapable’. The French put it well when they say, `We owe respect to the living and to the dead nothing but truth’. In his lifetime Sir John Kerr did not always get the respect that his talents and public service deserved. In death, this Parliament and all Australians owe it to him to record the truth about his life and not to indulge in myth making.
Let us be honest about a few things. Let us acknowledge openly that Sir John Kerr became the easy target for many whose personal ambitions for power were frustrated by his action. It was easier to blame the umpire than to try to understand why the Australian people voted as they did in December 1975. It was easier for politicians at the time to make Sir John Kerr the issue than to admit their own failings. Let us recognise that for too long there was an excessive focus on how the 1975 constitutional crisis was resolved-not on how it arose and how it escalated. Without that escalation there would have been no constitutional crisis in 1975. It escalated because a Prime Minister, denied Supply by an upper House, failed to do his constitutional duty of either resigning or advising a dissolution of the lower House. Yet it was Sir John Kerr alone who became the focus of the blame for the crisis.
Let us concede that if there are defects in our Constitution, it is our responsibility to fix them and not to blame honest men and women who implement the Constitution as it stands. Above all, let us consign for ever to the dustbin of history all those myths that embittered opponents of Sir John’s actions have created or have encouraged over the years-myths such as that Sir John acted without legal authority, or that he deliberately acted in a politically partisan way, or that he alone was responsible for dividing the nation, or the familiar but irrational taunt that he was somehow a traitor to his class. If ever there was a case of embittered men and women playing the man and not the ball, it was the case of Sir John Kerr and his role in the 1975 crisis. The myths about 1975 that some people still try to cultivate reflect only on them, and not on the integrity and not on the contribution of Sir John Kerr.
Sir John Kerr was a great Australian, not just because of the qualities and achievements I have touched on: his patriotism, his foresight about our region, his legal career and his moral courage. He will also be remembered as a great Australian because of his human qualities: his love for his family, his joy in living, his sense of humour, his capacity for warmth and friendship, his kindness and compassion, and his humility-all the qualities so movingly referred to by his friends and family at his memorial service last Saturday. Two of them referred in particular to the words of one of Sir John’s friends, the poet James McAuley, who wrote of him:
He is in fact a soft-hearted person who greatly dislikes taking part in the infliction of hurt on anyone, though in the end he will do what a commonsense practical judgement seems to require as right and necessary.
That is an epitaph that most of us would happily settle for.
Of all Sir John Kerr’s great human qualities, however, none was greater than his lack of bitterness and his basic humanity. Few Australians in our history have been the subject of such an intense personal vilification as that directed at Sir John Kerr. None has been as dignified as he in his refusal to respond in kind. Indeed, he relied on the power of rational and substantive argument. Those who vilified him in such a personal and vindictive way or who insisted that we all maintain our rage against him will have to live with their own conscience. But Sir John’s conscience was always clear and he never stooped to returning their bitter words.
In Sir John Kerr’s passing Australia has lost one of its most outstanding citizens. Lesser people have tried to tear him down. Some will continue to try. But they will not succeed, because in the cool light of history Sir John Kerr’s achievements and human qualities will be seen for what they truly were. Sir John began his book Matters of Judgment with a quote from the American Declaration of Independence, which reads:
Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Sir John Kerr’s private life and public career were inspired by that ideal.
To Sir John’s wife and children, who were the real centre of his life, I convey the deep sympathy of all members on this side of the House and our admiration for his distinguished contribution to Australian life.
Transcript of Treasurer Paul Keating’s speech to the House of Representatives on the condolence motion for Sir John Kerr.
Mr KEATING (Treasurer) —I would also like to pass on my condolences to Sir John Kerr’s wife and family and lament the fact that he died a controversial figure in what has become generally recognised as a tragic completion of a very promising career. The Leader of the Opposition (Dr Hewson) has just made a very partisan and militant speech, without which I probably would not have spoken on the condolence motion. However, I think a few things need to be said as a result of his remarks. The Leader of the Opposition was not here in those times, and one needed to be here then to understand the ambience and the sequence of the events.
Sir John Kerr was a person of substance. He was very interested in public affairs and public life. He is like a lot of frustrated people of quality: they want to be in public life, but never ever make the jump; they never quite take the chance. He was such a person. For him it was always a dalliance at the edge of public affairs. He became Governor-General on the recommendation of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam because he was known to him and known also for his interest in public life and public affairs. It was with that in mind that I think the government of the day had great expectations of him at least having a role in public life, a role which otherwise had been denied to him over the course of his career. It was not that it had been a public life without distinction, because his service as the Chief Justice of New South Wales and as a barrister of note meant that he was a very well regarded person. As the Prime Minister (Mr Hawke) said earlier, he was well regarded legally in all quarters. He had a reasonably close affinity with the labour movement; that is why he was trusted by the Australian Labor Party.
The fact of the matter is that the Labor Party makes the political heroes in this country. When people cross the Labor Party they wear the crosses it puts on them, whether it be Billy Hughes or Joe Lyons-that is the truth of it. Sir John Kerr has worn the admonition of the Labor Party. That is really what the Opposition is talking about now. He does so for one reason-he deceived his Prime Minister. He did not tell him that he was prepared to sack him.
I was at Government House with the then Prime Minister on the last occasion he saw Sir John Kerr, at an Executive Council meeting of three to appoint the Chairman of the Darwin Reconstruction Authority. The meeting was filled with bonhomie, cordiality and the like. As we left and walked down that long corridor at Government House, the Prime Minister was saying complimentary things to the Governor-General. The Prime Minister intimated to me that the Governor-General was a very proper person who would observe the constitutional position and prerogatives, including telling the Prime Minister what he intended for him.
Had the Prime Minister known that he intended to deceive him and dismiss him, another course of action would have been available to him. That is the nub of Sir John Kerr’s problem with the Labor movement and those who support it, and it will last forever. It is a sad thing for him, but it is a fact.
Anyone who has made a contribution to this country is to be admired. In a personal sense, Sir John Kerr did not come from privileged circumstances, but he surmounted any difficulties in those circumstances. He was a person of substance. But, in the end, one has to follow that substance with integrity. He lacked the integrity in dealing politically with the Prime Minister and he has suffered history’s admonition as a result.
Published in Audio, Kerr, News and Video | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1227 |
__label__cc | 0.695587 | 0.304413 | Campus Sexual Violence Prevention Program Elements, Partnerships and Modalities
The following charts describe program elements, partnerships and modalities that are common and widely used on college campuses across the country. The strategies discussed below have not necessarily been evaluated and are not necessarily best practice, evidence-based or evidence-informed; rather, they provide an overview of what many campuses are doing in practice.
Anti-oppression work
Examines sexual violence in the context of an anti-oppression framework, “actively working to acknowledge and shift power towards inclusiveness, accessibility, equity and social justice; being conscious and active in the process of learning and recognizing that the process as well as the product is important; and creating a space where people are safe, but can also be challenged.” (Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance, 2009. Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence & Intimate Partner Violence, retrieved from http://www.communitysolutionsva.org/files/Prevention_Guidelines_20092.pdf.)
Theory and Assumptions
Since sexual violence exists and persists in the context of a wide variety of oppressions, SVP efforts that are infused with anti-oppression work will address the root causes of sexual violence and provide linkages between and among different social justice movements.
“Sexual violence prevention is intrinsically linked with ending all forms of oppression including sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, transphobia, ableism, adultism and ageism, among others. It is important that prevention initiatives acknowledge and address these inequalities.” National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2012). Qualities and abilities of effective and confident prevention practitioners. Retrieved from http://nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Guide_Qualities-Abilities-Effective-Confident-Prevention-Practitioners.pdf.
Notable Examples and Resources
Humboldt University Stop Rape: Response & Prevention
Portland Community College Sexual Assault Free Environment (SAFE)
Challenges and Gaps
An anti-oppression framework is inherently political in nature, and some stakeholders may not agree with the analysis. Besides addressing sexism and heterosexism (examples, according to the CDC and othersources, include: reducing hostility toward women, challenging hegemonic gender ideals, links between homophobic bullying and sexual harassment), there is no empirical evidence that addressing other forms of oppression will prevent sexual violence.
By linking sexual violence prevention with other social justice movements, there is an opportunity for broader alliances and collaboration in which sexual violence prevention is included. This analysis often is used in community-based rape crisis centers and aligns well with people in non-dominant (marginalized) groups and with feminist understandings of sexual violence.
Teaches safe and positive options that may be carried out by an individual to prevent harm or intervene in situations where there is a risk of sexual violence against another person, and sometimes to intervene against attitudes and norms that are risk factors for sexual violence perpetration, such as hostility toward women. Effective bystander intervention training prepares participants to recognize situations of potential harm, overcome barriers to intervening, identify safe and effective intervention options and take action.
If people are trained to be active bystanders, they may prevent instances of sexual violence from occurring. Moreover, if people are trained to recognize and intervene against cultural norms and attitudes that support or tolerate sexual violence, they can change norms over time and create a culture in which sexual violence and attitudes that support it are not tolerated.
Some programs have materials and evaluation data demonstrating shifts in attitudes, knowledge and behavioral intent. Examples:
Green Dot evaluation on three college campuses: Coker, A., Fisher, B., Bush, H., Swan, S., Williams, C., Clear, E., & DeGue, S. (2014). Evaluation of the Green Dot bystander intervention to reduce interpersonal violence among college students across three campuses. Violence Against Women. Advance online publication. Retrieved from http://vaw.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/08/13/1077801214545284
Bringing in the Bystander evaluation with student leaders: Banyard, V., Moynihan, M., & Crossman, T. (2009). Reducing sexual violence on campus: The role of student leaders as empowered bystanders. Journal of College Student Development, 50(4), 446-457. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/csd/summary/v050/50.4.banyard.html
Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) is among the most widely implemented bystander intervention programs on college campuses. MVP has been evaluated in military, high school, and college contexts, but none of these evaluations has been published in a peer-reviewed academic publication.
https://www.justice.gov/ovw/protecting-students-sexual-assaultSummaries of the Bystander Approach can be found through Not Alone (https://www.justice.gov/ovw/protecting-students-sexual-assault) and on
PreventConnect (http://wiki.preventconnect.org/Bystander+Intervention._
There is also a wide variety of “home grown” and student-developed bystander campaigns implemented at many campuses.
Many campuses attempt to encourage bystander intervention through one presentation, often as short as an hour, which is not sufficient dosage to change behaviors. The implementation of bystander intervention programs varies widely and is not always done systematically.
Bystander intervention programming can lead to changes in attitudes, skills, intentions, and some behaviors, which, in theory, may help contribute to a community that is intolerant of sexual violence. However, there is no strong evidence that this type of programming reduces sexual violence perpetration behaviors.
Bystander intervention is appealing to a wide variety of audiences because it offers people a way to get involved in SVP without implicating them as either a potential perpetrator or a potential victim. It can also help make the issue of sexual violence relevant to everyone, even if they do not feel like sexual violence directly affects them. The positive messaging resonates well with many campuses, and it can be easier to build campus buy-in with this strategy than with others.
Some bystander intervention programs have shown increases in participants’ self-reported bystander behaviors, and many have demonstrated changes in attitudes about violence. If enough people act as bystanders both in situations of potential violence and against sexist, homophobic, and other oppressive language and behaviors, the bystander intervention approach can lead to cultural change. A culture of bystander intervention is a culture with community norms that do not tolerate sexual violence or attitudes that support it. The bystander program can also address the roots of violence and understand how that feeds sexual violence.
Connecting alcohol education and policy with SVP
Alcohol education programs, policies (including amnesty policies) and frameworks may include a component around sexual violence prevention in alcohol education frameworks, policies and programs. Alternatively, a survivor may be given information about alcohol treatment.
Alcohol is a risk factor for perpetrating and/or experiencing sexual violence and may contribute to an environment that is conducive for perpetration. Some believe that if there is less alcohol, there is an overall safer school climate.
Abbey, A. (2002). Alcohol-related sexual assault: A common problem among college students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Retrieved from https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsas.2002.s14.118
Abbey, A. (1991). Acquaintance rape and alcohol consumption on college campuses: How are they linked? Journal of American College Health, 39(4),165-169. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07448481.1991.9936229#.VCwzHy5dUwI
Abbey, A., Zawacki, T., Buck, P., Clinton, M., & McAuslan, P. (2001). Alcohol and sexual assault. Alcohol Research & Health, 25(1), 43-51. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-1/43-51.htm?utm_content=buffer0ecca&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer
Lippy, C. & DeGue, S. (2014) Exploring Alcohol Policy Approaches to Prevent Sexual Violence Perpetration, Trauma, Violence and Abuse. Advance online publication. Retrieved fromhttp://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1524838014557291?journalCode=tvaa
Alcohol use does not cause sexual violence; it is a tool that perpetrators can use to facilitate it.
If SVP is inappropriately addressed only as part of alcohol programming rather than integrated into a comprehensive campus strategy, sexual violence may be seen primarily as an alcohol issue. Online modules may reinforce incomplete or harmful messages (e.g. when messaging encourages women to limit alcohol consumption as means to reduce risk, the burden of prevention is placed on potential victims, rather than potential perpetrators). Conflating the role of alcohol use in sexual violence may excuse violent behavior, contribute to a culture of victim blaming and prevent survivors from seeking services or reporting sexual violence. Although these issues are not all directly related to primary prevention of perpetration, they contribute to a social environment that is tolerant of sexual violence and that fails to hold perpetrators accountable, which increases risk of sexual violence perpetration.
Although institutions may have informal amnesty practices that prioritize the response to sexual violence over underage alcohol violations, survivors and students in general are often unaware of these practices, if they exist.
There is also no evidence that social norms campaigns related to alcohol and sexual abuse reduce likelihood of perpetrating sexual violence.
There is evidence that restricting access to alcohol on campuses or in specific residence halls is associated with decreased sexual violence victimization, but the effect depends on how accessible alcohol is in the community surrounding the campus (Lippy & DeGue, 2014).
More broadly, alcohol amnesty policies and practices that do not excuse sexual violence perpetrated using alcohol can contribute to a community that appropriately sanctions sexual violence perpetrators.
Consent education
Typically focuses on increasing knowledge about the elements of consent (making sure one is not pressuring anyone or being pressured into sexual activity), the importance of consent, supporting consistent community sanctions and making consent a community norm.
People do not fully understand the concept of consent and how it applies to different situations—that all parties must agree to all sexual activity, that consent can be withdrawn at any time, that consent must be freely and capably given and that sex without consent is always rape. If consent is fully understood, then there will be less sexual violence. Often, consent education programs assume that students have not been engaging in sexual activity before coming to college.
University of Oregon Sexual Violence Prevention & Education campaigns.
University of Wisconsincampaign.
The New School Radical Consent.
On different conceptualizations of consent:
Beres, M. (2007). ‘Spontaneous’ sexual consent: An analysis of sexual consent literature. Feminism & Psychology, 17(1), 93-108. Retrieved fromhttp://fap.sagepub.com/content/17/1/93.short
Yes Means Yes: Lafrance, D., Loe, M., & Brown, S. (2012). “Yes means yes:” A new approach to sexual assault prevention and positive sexuality promotion. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 7(4), 445-460). Retrieved fromhttp://www.colgate.edu/docs/d_offices-and-services_deanofthecollege_meetthedeans_dean-brown/pdf-1-18-13-02.pdf?sfvrsn=2
There is also a wide variety of “home grown” and student-developed consent education campaigns implemented at many campuses.
California passed a law that requires colleges to develop and implement an Affirmative Consent policy in order to receive state funding.
Students state there is a strong disconnect between people who are professionals developing “consent campaigns” and what students think is relevant and important.
Consent campaigns typically focus on making consent a community norm; however, some do it from a liability or punitive perspective.
Campuses should be wary of reinforcing the myth that sexual violence happens through miscommunication or misunderstanding, rather than an intentional decision to disregard victims’ wishes.
Education on consent does not necessarily comprehensively address the opportunity to promote healthy sexuality and talk about sex as a collaborative process, rather than an exchange.
There is no evidence of the effectiveness in reducing sexual violence with consent campaigns.
Consent education can serve as health promotion, which is aspirational and communicates what a community is for, not just what it is against. There is potential for consent campaigns to evolve into direct discussions with students about respectful, collaborative sexuality and mutual sex, including skills to encourage active and respectful participation in sexual behavior. This can contribute to relationships and communities that are tolerant of only this kind of collaborate, mutual sex, and thus intolerant of sexual violence.
When campus communities and policies uphold a standard of affirmative consent in determining responsibility for sexual violence, more perpetrators can be held accountable in internal proceedings. Again, this can create a community that is intolerant of sexual violence, which may lead to reduced perpetration.
Engages men who identify as being interested in preventing sexual violence. May include exploring masculinity and gender socialization and how these link to risk factors for perpetrating sexual violence. May also include support groups for men.
Since a majority of sexual violence perpetrators are men, but most men do not perpetrate sexual violence, men are an important part of the solution to preventing sexual violence. Including men in SVP efforts can help make the issue of sexual violence relevant to everyone, instead of just a women’s issue.
The Men’s Project
Beyond Tough Guise
School chapters of Men Against Rape
Men-of-Strength (MOST) clubs
Healthy masculinity presentations
“Bro Code” workshop
A Call to Men presentations
Academic courses on men and masculinity
Texas Council on Family Violence’s //Guide to Engaging Men and Boys in Preventing Violence Against Women & Girls//
Carmody, M. (2013). Young men, sexual ethics and sexual negotiation. Sociological Research Online, 18(2). Retrieved fromhttp://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.5153/sro.2932
MY MASCULINITY HELPS
Reimagining Masculinities Initiative at University of Illinois at Chicago
Many efforts to engage men are focused on limited audiences like fraternities or athletic teams, when norms change and gender equity are important for all men (and others) on campus.
Although men have an important role in prevention, engaging men should not be considered the primary task of prevention. Changing gender-related risk factors for sexual violence perpetration requires involvement from people of all genders.
There is a tension between underlying motivation of targeting men because they are most often the perpetrators (though most men are not sexual violence perpetrators) and wanting to engage men in a positive, constructive way.
There is a wide variety of strategies and objectives for engaging men; some are more effective than others. For example, Jewkes, Flood & Lang recommend that programs engaging men should explicitly address attitudes, norms, and behaviors related to ideals of masculinity.
Including men in prevention work is necessary to prevent sexual violence perpetration.
Engaging people of all genders with the objective of changing gender norms and ideals has the potential to lead to effective and sustained gender transformation.
Because gender impacts risk factors across the socio-ecological model, gender transformation can reduce various risk factors on multiple levels.
Engaging men as part of this work can help change SVP from a women’s issue to a campus-wide issue.
Some engaging men programs have given participants course credit for SVP curricula, which enables higher dosage programming and increased participant and the ability to make and measure longer-term change.
Strategies that promote gender equity, as used in the context of SVP, seek to deconstruct collectively learned biases and/or norms that support gender-based oppression. Strategies that promote gender equity take a social change perspective to dismantle gender-based oppression by advancing behaviors, norms, policies, practices and structures that ensure equitable access to status, resources, opportunities and rights for all.
Because individuals across the gender spectrum create and transmit culture, strategies that promote gender equity can engage single gender or mixed gender audiences.
Gender-based oppression contributes to conditions that tolerate, facilitate and excuse sexual violence. Moreover, because sexual violence is motivated by power and control, making access to power and rights more equitable will decrease community acceptance of sexual violence. Thus, increased gender equity will lead to reduced sexual violence victimization.
Sexual Violence Prevention Services at the University of Kansas
Feminist student groups
Title IX enforcement and Know Your IX
V-Day campaign and V-Men
Healthy masculinity presentations and groups (see engaging men section)
Academic courses on gender and oppression
Violence prevention through a women’s centerorgender equity center
Black, K. & McCloskey, K. (2013). Predicting date rape perceptions: The effects of gender, gender role attitudes, and victim resistance. Violence Against Women, 19(8), 949-967. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24048185
Gender equity is often a component of other programs, such as engaging men, consent education or bystander intervention programs, but it is not typically the sole or primary focus of prevention programs on campus. Those that do focus primarily on gender equity are often women’s empowerment programs, which by nature exclude people who do not identify as women. Gender equity is a broader goal than SVP, so priorities of gender equity programs can shift away from sexual violence. Also, gender equity programming may or may not be inclusive of people with non-binary gender identities.
People of all gender identities are agents of change in the community, and changes in gender norms need to come from people of all genders.
Gender equity approaches may maintain close ties with feminist roots of anti-rape movement.
Gender inequity is a root cause of sexual violence and other violence against women.
People with non-gender-conforming identities may be at higher risk for sexual violence; increasing gender equity may help address this increased risk.
Articulating a gender analysis is an important component of a comprehensive SVP strategy.
Teaches people to identify and critique negative sexualized mass media and understand its impact.
People exposed to uncensored, sexualized and sexually objectifying media without sufficient ability to analyze and critique their messages may develop high-risk attitudes regarding sexual violence. Equipping the public with skills to analyze and deconstruct media messages that promote norms supporting sexual violence can contribute to SVP. Many college students are at an ideal time in their lives to critically analyze such messages, both cognitively and because they are prime media targets and consumers.
New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault curriculum
Basics of media literacy
Common examples of instruction materials include Dreamworlds and Killing Us Softly.
There is also a wide variety of “home grown” and student-developed media literacy campaigns implemented at many campuses.
While media literacy is a well-known and well-developed approach in many fields, it is less utilized for SVP. Additionally, because media are changing day-by-day and even minute-by minute, media literacy requires continual updates to curricula, heavy staff time and a significant amount of resources.
To conduct media literacy activities focused on SVP also requires expertise around issues like racism, classism and other manifestations of oppression, as the issues are intersectional and cannot be approached in isolation.
There is no evidence that media literacy activities prevent sexual violence perpetration.
Media literacy is a popular and effective way to engage young people, as it allows for use of popular culture and helps those using the strategy “stay current.” It also offers an opportunity to take an intersectional approach to SVP, as many media messages combine sexual violence and issues like racism. It is often a great place to start in prevention programming in terms of identifying the problem and facilitates moving to a positive approach, exploring how to replace negative media messages with positive messages. It also helps reveal how societal and environmental factors shape individual attitudes and behaviors and how culture can be supportive of sexual violence perpetration. It is possible that people with strong media literacy related to sexual objectification and violence can shape and change media messaging in the future, contributing to societal level change.
Risk reduction (RR)
Mitigates variables that may increase the likelihood of perpetration or victimization, helping individuals and communities manage the structures or conditions that facilitate sexual violence with a goal to increase safety. May include a campus escort program, education on how to create individual and community safety plans and how to recognize and interrupt situations of harm and/or communications systems that notify the entire campus of immediate threats to security. While the goal of risk reduction is not always primary prevention of sexual violence perpetration, it is an important component of comprehensive prevention efforts.
Targeted RR education can help students to identify sexual violence as a potential danger, increase awareness of the problem, strengthen resiliency, understand the impact of the harm on them as individuals and on the community and build skills to combat sexual violence.
Self-defense, healthy sexuality, bystander intervention and public safety programs are all examples of RR.
Research on self-defense and actual resistance behavior:
Gidycz, C. & Dardis, C. (2014). Feminist self-defense and resistance training for college students: A critical review and recommendations for the future. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 15(4), 322-333. Retrieved from http://tva.sagepub.com/content/15/4/322
Brecklin, L. & Ullman, S. (2005). Self-defense or assertiveness training and women’s responses to sexual attacks. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20(6), 738-762. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15851540
Research on alcohol consumption and vulnerability to sexual victimization:
Testa, M. & Livingston, J. (2009). Alcohol consumption and women’s vulnerability to sexual victimization: Can reducing women’s drinking prevent rape? Substance Use & Misuse, 44(9-10), 1349-1376. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2784921/
There is a wide range of self-defense and risk reduction programs, and some of them may be used to justify victim blaming and detract from primary prevention of perpetration. It is important that any self-defense classes or other risk reduction strategies are informed by feminist and anti-oppression theory in order to avoid this possibility.
SVP activities can also become focused on only one type of risk within the umbrella of risk (such as alcohol misuse), or on risk reduction instead of primary prevention of perpetration, rather than in addition to it. Such narrow focus may undermine the comprehensiveness of prevention efforts.
RR can be used for the empowerment of individuals and can increase in safety as part of a holistic prevention strategy. RR can also be used to create institutional and organizational environments that are more prohibitive of sexual violence.
Sexual health promotion
Approaches that promote healthy sexual behaviors, norms and relationships. This is a positive approach that answers the question of what to promote, rather than just what to criticize.
Healthy sexuality should always include consent; in this way, sexual health promotion can be similar to consent education.
Healthy sexuality is an essential component of overall health. It includes freedom from sexual and relationship violence. Promoting positive behaviors and norms around sexuality and relationships will reduce risk factors, increase protective factors and create community environments in which sexual violence cannot occur.
Defining sexual health:
PreventConnect podcast on Promoting Sexual Health Among Youth
PreventConnect webinar: Let’s Talk About Sexual Health to Support Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention
Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force Sexual Health Work Group
World Health Organization definitions of sexual health
National Sexual Violence Resource Center article, “An overview on healthy sexuality and sexual violence prevention”
Sexual health promotion practitioners have been trying to incorporate sexual and domestic violence more. For example, several states have sexual health plans that include sexual violence, and many states have passed comprehensive sexuality education laws that include sexual and domestic violence.
Regarding colleges, healthy sexuality education and campaigns usually come out of the health education office or similar offices.
University of Oregon SexPositive mobile app
University of Oregon Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team
PreventConnect has a list of additional resources.
Sexual health and SVP have traditionally been siloed, but both fields are working to bridge the two issues.
Sexual health work has traditionally focused on issues like teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDs. The focus on these traditional issues has been a barrier for getting SVP on sexual health agendas.
Many colleges promote abstinence only, which fails to provide a framework that distinguishes between consensual and coercive sex.
There is no evidence that promoting sexual health reduces sexual violence perpetration.
Many students find sexual health particularly salient, and students are leading the way in pressuring their campuses to teach about healthy sexuality and relationships, include it in policies, etc. There is currently a clear opportunity to leverage student interest in healthy sexuality to ensure that messaging about the centrality of consent reaches a wide audience of students.
One particular field, sex positivity, combines messaging of healthy sexuality with the assertion that any form of sexual desire and sexual diversity are acceptable, provided that sexual expression involves only consenting adults and does not lead to serious harm. Sex positivity is catching on as a trend amongst college-aged youth, especially in new and social media. Sexual health promotion can build on the popularity of sex positivity to emphasize the centrality of consent.
Social norms change
According to the formal behavioral theory, social norms change aims to correct harmful misperceptions of group norms, resulting in decreased problem behavior or increased prevalence of healthy behaviors. In addition to this technical definition, a broader definition that is commonly used is that social norms change aims to identify and modify commonly accepted attitudes and beliefs that support sexual violence.
The formal theory assumes that peer pressure is the primary influence on shaping people’s behavior and that many behaviors are influenced by incorrect perceptions of how peers think and act. The broader definition also assumes that peer norms and other social norms have a strong influence on individuals’ behaviors. However, the broader definition focuses on identifying and changing harmful norms, rather than correcting misperceptions of norms.
Many campus-based awareness campaigns related to bystander intervention, consent education and alcohol-related risk reduction intend to change social norms. For example, Red Flag, White Ribbon and Green Dot spread messages throughout a community to challenge problematic norms and promote positive ones.
The “Social Norms Approach” is the formal theory as described in Berkowitz, A.D. (2010) “Fostering Healthy Norms to Prevent Violence and Abuse: The Social Norms Approach.”
Annotated bibliography and other resources:
RAINN’s Social Norms Poster Campaign
Articles by Alan Berkowitz
Earlier, problematic work (see challenges and gaps): Fabiano, P., Perkins, H.W., Berkowitz, A., Linkenbach, J., & Stark, C. (2003). Engaging men as social justice allies in ending violence against women: Evidence for a social norms approach. Journal of American College Health, 52(3), 105-112. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07448480309595732#.VBsfoS5dUwI
Research connecting social norms to rape proclivity: Bohner, G., Siebler, F., & Schmelcher, J. (2006). Social norms and the likelihood of raping: Perceived rape myth acceptance of others affects men’s rape proclivity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 286-297. Retrieved from http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/3925/4925HomeComputer/Rape%20myths/Social%20Norms.pdf
Effects of perceived norms on bystander intervention: Brown, A. & Messma-Moore, T. (2009). Personal and perceived peer attitudes supporting sexual aggression as predictors of male college students’ willingness to intervene against sexual aggression. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25(3), 503-517. Retrieved from http://jiv.sagepub.com/content/25/3/503.abstract
While the Social Norms Approach is based on strong evidence for other health areas, the problem of sexual violence may not necessarily result from misperceptions of actual beliefs as defined in the theory. There may be overly broad applications of the approach.
Many social norms that are risk factors for sexual violence perpetration, such as male sexual entitlement and the inferiority of women, are deeply ingrained and difficult to change by the time people get to college.
It is difficult to change broad social norms using prevention programs that are used mainly to effect individual change.
Many campuses are small, tight-knit communities with their own social norms. Because many communications and policies can reach entire campus communities, there is real potential to have enough reach to change social norms that support sexual violence risk factors.
Campus-based groups and constituencies
Typically focus on outreach, education and mobilization of either “high risk” or potential people of influence, often through the Greek or athletics systems. There is a great amount of leadership in SVP and activism through women’s, health, LGBTQ and multicultural resource centers. In addition, many academic programs (education, women’s studies, etc.) are interested in sexual violence research.
With recent attention on sexual violence, there have been some efforts to organize faculty and alumnigroups.
By reaching constituencies that have potential influence, SVP programs can help those groups create change within the group, and thus affect the broader campus community. Also, by reaching audiences that are at higher risk, there is an opportunity to reduce violence in those settings.
Research has shown that fraternity men are significantly more likely than other college men and the general population to approve of coercing women to engage in sexual behavior (Boeringer, 1999; Foubert et al., 2007; Murnen & Kohlman, 2007), and many SVP efforts’ target audience is fraternity men.
Fraternity and Sororities Sexual Assault Prevention Initiative from Emory University.
University of Wisconsin offers Greek Men for Violence Prevention, a two-credit social work class offered for fraternity men at UW-Madison.
The North American Interfraternity Council (NIC) is directing the Presidential Commission on Sexual Violence and Abuse Prevention, related to hyper-masculinity, rape supportive attitudes and sexual assault and abuse on college campuses (Sept. 2014 – March 2016).
NCAA. (2014). Addressing sexual assault and interpersonal violence. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Sexual-Violence-Prevention.pdf
Mentors in Violence Program (MVP): training male college and high school student-athletes and other student leaders to use their status to speak out against rape, battering, sexual harassment, homophobia and all forms of sexist abuse and violence.
Campus-based women’s centers, though often underfunded, are actively advocating for strong, survivor-centered response and prevention on campuses. A SAFER report states that students overwhelmingly see women’s centers as an essential resource.
Many students are not part of the targeted groups or are not influenced by those constituencies. While Greek organizations and/or athletics may have some influence among the broader campus community, many other students who are impacted or potentially impacted by sexual violence may not be reached.
Many of these efforts are focused on students, not faculty and staff, who are also very important audiences with potential power and influence.
Collaborating with campus-based groups is an opportunity to leverage the commitment, support and influence that each group has on its own members and on the campus as a whole. By targeting messages to specific audiences, prevention efforts can potentially be more effective. By including a diverse set of campus groups (athletics and Greek communities, women’s centers, LGBTQ, disabled student centers, cultural resource centers, etc.), much of the campus community can be accessed.
Rape crisis centers (RCCs) and other community-based groups/businesses
Collaborate with community-based entities to ensure prevention messages and activities extend to the entire environment where rape happens and where students live and work.
Using different skills sets and backgrounds in a multi-disciplinary approach helps to maximize resources and reach students effectively in the overall community context in which they are living. Moreover, a wide variety of sectors should have an interest in SVP and should participate in SVP efforts, because the risk and protective factors for sexual violence perpetration are also risk and protective factors for other negative behaviors and outcomes that impact other sectors.
Collaboration with local RCCs
County-level task forces
Community and campus shared awareness events
Bar bystander projects (e.g. Raise the Bar Chapel Hill, Arizona Bar Bystander Project)
Collaboration with local businesses, law enforcement, LGBT centers, cultural centers, veterans’ programs, faith-based organizations, independent living centers, farmworkers’ associations, city councils, hospitals, high schools and other colleges.
Collaboration with agencies that respond to sexual violence is not primary prevention, but is an important component of comprehensive prevention, as it affirms that addressing sexual violence is a community priority. Some examples of response collaborations:
Coordinated community response (CCR)
Sexual assault response teams (SART)
Domestic abuse response team (DART)
Working within different systems can cause delays. Having a multitude of opinions can sometimes stall the process during collaboration and necessitate compromises that may serve goals other than or in addition to SVP. Different entities have unique functions, values, focus and level of resources, making collaboration challenging at times.
This approach allows and supports community-driven and community-informed programming through a participatory process of collaboration with multiple stakeholders. Ultimately, it can lead to long-term systemic changes in how sexual violence is addressed and prevented throughout the community.
The experiences of marginalized communities can be brought to the forefront, allowing for more diverse representation.
Collaborating with RCCs and other community-based groups can increase the effectiveness and impact of SVP programs across the social-ecology model.
Includes campaigns, events and movements that are led by students and may or may not include partnerships with campus administrators.
When students come together based on a perception of inequalities or injustices in society, there is the potential for student leadership to change power relations and create positive changes (Social Movement Theory).
SAFER, Know Your IX, student organizations on campus, like PAVE (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment) on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus.
Some students are unable to see beyond their own experiences, making it difficult to develop systems, practices and programs that can be applied to diverse communities and experiences. Students often do not have the skills or support needed to navigate complicated campus systems and power dynamics. High student turnover means administrations may choose to wait for student activists to graduate rather than engage to create long-term changes.
Student activism is an important aspect of involving students in policy and actions that affect their lives. Student-led efforts are more likely to be timely and relevant to the student body, as well as attentive to the risk and protective factors that are most salient to their community. Students are more likely to listen to their peers and want to be engaged in peer-led efforts. When appropriate, long-term support is available from faculty, staff or community-based mentors, students can both gain leadership skills and make tangible contributions to SVP in their college community.
DISSEMINATION MODALITIES:
Educational or awareness campaigns that are sustained over a period of time focus on increasing understanding of SVP-related topics, such as what constitutes sexual violence, changing social norms, promoting recognition of perpetrator tactics, enhancing understanding of consent and advancing pro-social behaviors of individuals and communities.
Awareness building activities contribute to a campus climate where students know that the community talks about sexual violence, supports survivors, encourages students to be activist-leaders and creates an environment on campus in which people do not feel ashamed.
It’s on Us
“These Hands Don’t Hurt” campaign
V-DayVagina Monologues
Greeks Against Sexual Assault
Silent Witness Project
The Clothesline Project
The Red Flag Campaign
Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming
Turn Off the Violence Week
Students Against Violence Everywhere
Educational video screenings
Posting informative posters around campus
Incoming student orientation sessions
Awareness building activities as isolated events likely do not prevent individual perpetration and need to be combined with other prevention approaches in a comprehensive prevention strategy.
Some awareness campaigns may have unintended consequences, such as campaigns that discuss and attempt to discredit rape myths actually reinforcing rape myths.
Awareness activities can contribute to a climate that is intolerant of sexual violence as demonstrated through events and campaigns that support prevention messages, help to increase visibility of sexual violence, frame the issue as important to the community, create a climate that honors survivor voices and experiences and help students to feel part of a social movement.
In-person workshops that can consist of one or multiple sessions. They can include lectures, facilitated dialogue, interactive activities and other didactic methods.
If workshop participants can increase their knowledge, improve their attitudes and build their skills related to SVP, there will be less sexual violence perpetration and improved community norms.
Peer Educational Workshops:
UW-Madison’s Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment or Greek Men for Violence Prevention
Sexual Assault Peer Advocates through the Respect Program at Emory University
Peer Education Program at Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center at the University of Michigan
Educational workshops are resource intensive and tend to create change only for participants. Thus, workshops would have to be repeated many times to reach entire campus communities.
Many educational workshops are delivered in one session, but one-session workshops have been shown to be ineffective. The effective prevention requires at least 7-9 sessions for any educational workshop.
In isolation, educational workshops create only individual- and sometimes relationship-level change, but not community, institutional, or societal change.
Educational workshops give program implementers an opportunity to tailor each workshop by responding to the specific needs, abilities and questions of the participants. Working directly with participants may also give program implementers an opportunity to monitor community norms through observing participants. Workshops also allow participants to practice the skills they are building, shape the conversation and receive feedback on their participation.
Online orientations
Provide a computer-based, introductory session for incoming students that addresses sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
Online modules offer a way to provide information on required topics to all incoming students without being in the same room. Providing students with information will prevent sexual and other kinds of violence.
Many universities build their own online orientation programs that include reporting requirements, how to support to a survivor, bystander intervention and services available on and off campus.
There are also many online orientation programs that can be purchased, such as:
AlcoholEdu® for College and Haven by EverFi
“Think About It” (Campus Clarity)
MyStudentBody
Every Choice
See also, Online Orientation Programs.
Online modules are typically a “program in a box” and are not tailored or relevant to the student body or particular campus culture. Students report that they often perceive online modules to be elementary and inauthentic; many students click through modules without taking them seriously. Some online modules have problematic content (e.g. placing responsibility on women not to drink to prevent rape).
Orientation program packages are expensive and inaccessible to many campuses.
Online modules do not offer the opportunity to have facilitated, in-depth discussions on the topics, a requirement for changing behaviors and beliefs.
Online modules are a way to reach all students with the same information and at a lower cost than having all students participate in in-person educational workshops. Some online modules use interactive formats that are more engaging than others.
A 2014 evaluation of an online orientation program, RealConsent, showed desirable outcomes among male college student participants. The study showed improvements in risk and protective factors for sexual violence perpetration, increased self-reported intervening behaviors, and decreased self-reported perpetrating behaviors. (Salazar, L.F., Vivolo-Kantor, A., Hardin, J., & Berkowitz, A. (2014). A web-based sexual violence bystander intervention for male college students: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(9). Advance online publication. Retrieved from https://www.jmir.org/2014/9/e203/)
Policies as part of a prevention strategy
Institutional policies can address sexual violence prevention and response on campus, as well as related issues, like regulating response to underage drinking. These policies articulate the campus community’s commitment to address and prevent sexual violence.
Having written, accessible, transparent, campus-wide policies helps students understand their rights, offers clear guidelines about how victim safety and perpetrator accountability will be ensured and sends a powerful prevention message about what will or will not be tolerated on campus.
Policies affect the entire school environment, and can create community and institutional change.
What Makes A Better Sexual Assault Policy?
Guide and checklist on developing sexual violence policies and procedures for schools.
Students advocating around policy: Know your IX
Connection between policy and education: Borges, A., Banyard, V., & Moynihan, M. (2008). Clarifying consent: Primary prevention of sexual assault on a college campus. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 36(1-2), 75-88. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19042464
Students and staff are often unaware of policies, and administrations are often not held accountable to their sexual violence policies, limiting the policies’ effectiveness.
There is a great need to contextualize reporting numbers, as they influence policymakers’ decisions, and reporting trends can be counter-intuitive. For instance, an increase in reports of sexual violence often indicate survivors’ increased trust in campus services, rather than an increase in incidence of sexual violence.
Schools often address sexual violence only in their sexual misconduct policies, overlooking opportunities for prevention.
Schools may conflate alcohol and sexual violence policies, assuming that sexual violence results from alcohol misuse and can be prevented by addressing alcohol misuse alone.
There are no consistently applied standards for sexual violence policies within and across institutions of higher learning, leading to discrepancies in how sexual violence is addressed.
Schools with fewer resources are often unable to dedicate adequate time and resources to developing student-informed and survivor-centered prevention policy.
Policies help institutions to be compliant with federal regulations and institutionalize the campus’ commitment to addressing sexual violence.
Addressing the need for policies is a way to engage and build buy-in with community colleges, trade schools, religious schools, tribal schools and other schools that may have limited financial resources.
There are many opportunities to engage students in creating, modifying and updating policies.
Campus-wide policies can impact an entire school environment, which can reduce community-level risk factors for sexual violence perpetration.
Professional and volunteer training
Can include capacity-building training for faculty, administration, staff and community partners or SVP program delivery training for faculty, peer educators and other volunteers.
School faculty, administration and staff are influential on campus and tend to have an incomplete understanding of the issues of sexual violence and SVP. Educating them will inform their practices related to SVP. Volunteers and other program implementers need training in order to successfully implement SVP programs and influence campus norms.
“I’m Here For You” program at Loyola University in Chicago
This is a top-down approach that may not be effective in the absence of bottom-up demand for SVP. Training does not guarantee that influential people will align their actions with SVP principles, as their actions may not be guided by a lack of understanding of SVP, but by other pressures that training does not address, such as PR concerns.
Volunteer training necessitates volunteer management and oversight, and the quality of training will affect the quality of program delivery.
Increased understanding of sexual violence and SVP among influential members of a campus community can help inform campus policies, procedures and norms to be less tolerant of sexual violence and more supportive of prevention and survivors. Providing training to high-level campus administration and faculty can increase institutional buy-in to SVP and inform institutional policy. Training program implementers can increase SVP programs’ capacity to have a broader reach in the campus community.
Draws upon marketing research and behavior change theory to develop strategies to shift behaviors. Key components include directing the campaign toward a target audience, conducting formative research and pre-testing of messages, developing strategies to address barriers and competition to adapting new behaviors and using a standard marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion) (Lefebre & Flora, 1988). Social marketing is not merely the use of social media to promote a concept, but a strategy to change specific behaviors.
Social marketing is based on marketing principles where the campaign promotes a behavior for the audience to adopt. For SVP, it is important to tailor the desired behaviors to be appropriate for the intended audience.
Social marketing campaigns are often developed for a specific school. Examples and articles include:
Know Your Powerbystander social marketing campaign
Potter S. J., (2012). Using a multi-media social marketing campaign to increase active bystanders on the college campus. Journal of American College Health, 60(4), 282-295. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07448481.2011.599350 – .VJn4sF4B0
Potter, S. J. & Stapleton J., (2011). Bringing in the target audience in bystander social marketing materials for communities: Suggestions for practitioners. Violence Against Women, 17(6), 797-812. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21727157
Potter, S. J., Moynihan, M. M., & Stapleton, J. G. (2011). Using social self-identification in social marketing materials aimed at reducing violence against women on campus. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(5), 971-990. Retrieved from http://jiv.sagepub.com/content/26/5/971
Potter, S. J., Moynihan, M. M., Stapleton, J. G., & Banyard, V. L. (2009). Empowering bystanders to prevent campus violence against women: A preliminary evaluation of a poster campaign. Violence Against Women, 15(1), 106-121. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19052283
Potter, S. J., Stapleton, J. G., & Moynihan, M. M., (2008). Designing, implementing and evaluating a media campaign illustrating the bystander role. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 36(1-2), 39-55. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19042462
Indiana Campus Sexual Assault Primary Prevention Project
Haas, E., Mattson, M., & Wilkinson, K. (2011). “Flirting is not consent. Ask everyone, every time.” Designing, implementing, and evaluating a health communication campaign to prevent sexual violence. Cases in Public Health Communication & Marketing, 5, 47-74. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/1293706/Flirting_is_Not_Consent._Ask_Everyone_Every_Time_Designing_Implementing_and_Evaluating_a_Health_Communication_Campaign_to_Prevent_Sexual_Violence
Linkages to actual reductions in sexual violence are not demonstrated. Many campaigns are called “social marketing” but do not use the research and tools to create behavior change.
Campaigns must go beyond increasing awareness and articulate clear desired behaviors, be adapted for each audience (which is time consuming) and be tested to ensure messages are appropriate and effective for the audience.
Some social marketing research indicates an increase in bystander behaviors that are supportive of SVP. In combination with other strategies, social marketing can reinforce messages to support the adoption of positive behaviors on campuses. Social marketing can reach a broad audience on campus and beyond with relatively few resources.
Theater-based programs
Part of a larger trend of using the arts to promote SVP, a theater-based approach uses performance to promote positive and challenge negative norms that contribute to SVP.
Performances allow audience members a safe space to rehearse assertive communication strategies and inspire social and political change. Viewing and participating in performances can change participants’ beliefs about bystander interventions.
InterACT Performance Troupe and research article: Ahrens, C., Rich, M., & Ullman, B. (2011). Rehearsing for real life: The impact of the InterACT sexual assault prevention program on self-reported likelihood of engaging in bystander interventions. Violence Against Women, 17(6), 760-776. http://vaw.sagepub.com/content/17/6/760
McMahon, S., Postmus J.L., Warrener, C., & Koenick, R.A. (2014). SCREAM (Students Challenging Realities and Educating Against Myths) theater utilizing peer education theater for the primary prevention of sexual violence on college campuses.Journal of College Student Development, 55(1), 78-85. Retrieved from http://vpva.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2015/01/McMahon-Postmus-Warrener-Koenick-2014.pdf
Sex Signals scripted and improvisational show
Christensen, M.C. (2011). Using feminist leadership to build a performance-based, peer education program. Qualitative Social Work, 12(3), 254-269. http://qsw.sagepub.com/content/12/3/254
Theater programs must ensure that material being presented to students is relevant and accounts for cultural differences (including but not limited to race/ethnicity, membership in student groups or “cliques,” age and other identities). Challenges arise in particular when students are not involved in developing the performance material.
Re-traumatization may occur for audience members who are survivors.
Sometimes theater programs unintentionally reinforce rape myths.
Theater programs provide an opportunity to have student buy-in from early planning stages if students are fully integrated in the creation of the theater piece. They can also allow marginalized voices and experiences to be highlighted in a safe space. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1230 |
__label__cc | 0.702884 | 0.297116 | Home Authors Posts by TJ
Big Up Africa: “CLV” by Alec Lomami
When most people think of Africa, they think roaring lions, golden sunsets, vast savanna landscapes and… well, you know the rest of it. While it’s true that many of these things really are a part of the African fabric, that’s not all there is to us – trust us. Africa has always been home to a rich and dynamic pop culture and we are a continent of creators, thinkers and achievers. Africa is a beautiful place and our weekly Big Up Africa feature is here to profile someone or something that makes us extremely proud.
This week, we’re celebrating a piece of art – not necessarily fresh out the oven though – in the form of a music video. When I first watched it, the thing I loved most about it was the way it was able to be international without losing its African flavor. It’s a video by Congolese-born rapper Alec Lomami (do yourself a favor and google him – he’s one fresh young fella) and it’s called CLV, which is “C’est La Vie”, the French for “such is life”. The director is Tlhonepho Thobejane and it’s shot and edited by Christian Denslow. We really hope you enjoy it. If you associate Africa only with the stuff I mentioned in my first sentence, then you definitely have to watch!
Fury follows Shia LaBeouf’s transformation
Ah yes! The soothing sounds of Christians squabbling and fighting among themselves. It never gets old… Not.
If you’re au fait with pop culture and mainstream entertainment, you will know that the big story of the moment is the debate raging in Christian (and non-Christian) media circles about whether Shia LaBeouf is really a Christian now or not. For those of you not familiar with the name, Shia LaBeouf is best known for playing Sam Witwicky in the 2008 film Transformers, a role he reprised in two sequels of the franchise. His latest film, Fury, sees him team up with megastar Brad Pitt and Logan Lerman. Sure, he’s had his run-ins with the law but nobody can take away from him the thirty plus films he has under his belt. That’s quite a body of work – and it doesn’t hurt to have Steven Spielberg in your corner!
Now, onto this juicy business about him becoming a Christian. This month, in an interview with Interview Magazine, Shia had this to say about his experience on his latest project: “I found God doing Fury. I became a Christian man, and not in a f*****g b******t way – in a very real way. I could have just said the prayers that were on the page. But it was a real thing that really saved me”. A number of varying opinions and commentaries have popped up since the interview, with some celebrating this as great news and an addition to the Christian community (read God’s Kingdom) while others have discounted his comments as nothing more than the empty grandstanding of an insincere entertainer.
Whether Shia has really become a Christian or not is irrelevant. What a moment like this does, though, is shine the spotlight yet again on how sadly divided Christians are. Regardless of the actor’s sincerity or lack of it, Christ died and rose for Shia as much as He did for anyone else. His arms are as much open to receive Shia or anyone else who turns to Him in faith as they are to anybody else. The true state of our hearts is only known to God and we should never forget that Christ made it a part of His business to spend time with the very people everyone else was quick to dismiss and spit on.
Am I saying we should believe everything we hear? No. What I am saying, though, is that this story shows us just how personal a decision for a life of faith in Christ is. Many of us hide behind stories of how ‘bad’ and ‘hypocritical’ church folk are and, while this may be true in many cases, it’s not the real message or the real story. The story of Christ’s love is one of a loving Saviour who invites all of us – regardless of who we are in life, famous or not – to an adventure, a relationship and a journey. Our invitation is for you to make this decision for Christ. It’s a thing of sheer beauty.
If there is a list of the most commonly asked questions of the human soul, I’m pretty sure that “who am I?” features up there with the best of them. This question is complex, most probably because it’s one that is never really asked out loud. It’s deeply personal but at the same time pushes us to look for answers in spaces that make us uncomfortable and that logic tells us do not exist. It’s a question that forces us to consider that perhaps the spiritual is real and that there could just be more to what we see with our eyes.
When you look into that mirror, who do you see? Do you see a random individual whose existence came about because of an equally random cosmic event or is there more to you? Is there something within you – though you don’t know what it is – that tells you that you are here for a reason and that something or someone put you here?
In a simple and visually appealing way, this short video – courtesy of Elevation Creative – offers a perspective that seems simple, yet beautiful.
But is it too simple? Too good to be true? Impossible to believe with all the trouble we see all around us in this world?
Big Up Africa: The 48 Hour Film Project 2014
This week on Big Up Africa, we check out a very exciting initiative that – though it isn’t originally from Africa – may give African filmmakers an opportunity to shine. One of the most challenging things for young artists anywhere in the world is to find platforms where they can hone their skills and showcase their work. Many aspiring filmmakers, for example, find the cost of film school prohibitive and so are limited in their capacity to grow. Enter the 48 Hour Film Project, an incredibly challenging competition which gives would-be filmmakers – you guessed it – 48 hours to make a movie, from concept to finished product.
According to the press release, “The 48 Hour Film Project is the oldest and largest timed film competition in the world. This project’s mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. The tight 48-hour deadline puts the focus squarely on the filmmaking, emphasizing creativity and teamwork and “doing” instead of “talking.” The emphasis is also on building communities of local creative people, facilitating making new connections, showcasing skills, and celebrating what creativity and teamwork can accomplish in just one weekend.”
African cities taking part in this year’s edition of the 48 Hour Film Project are Cairo (September 11 – 13), Cape Town (October 31 – November 2), Durban (October 10 – 12), Gaborone (October 10 – 12), Johannesburg (November 21 – 23), Lagos (date TBA), Nairobi (November 21 – 23) and Tunis (September 19 – 21).
If you’re keen to find out more about the project, the prizes and possibly want to be part of next year’s competition, visit www.48hourfilm.com.
I Don’t Need A Saviour
I love it when people are authentic. I’d rather deal with someone who tells me upfront that he can’t stand the sight of me than someone who greets me with broad smiles and calls me “brother” then turns around and assassinates me with his words the moment I leave. It’s always good to start off from a place of honesty than one of deceit.
When it comes to issues of faith and belief, the same kind of thinking applies, I think. I know many people who say they don’t buy into religion and I can really respect that. They are being honest about how they see things and that is an admirable thing. The reason why I say this is because, for a long time, I carried the title of a believer or ‘religious person’ but most of what I did was to please people. I attended all the church meetings, bought all the sermon tapes and DVD’s but, in reality, there was no conviction that was sincere and heartfelt. But, as anyone who has lived their life in pursuit of pleasing people will tell you, it’s not worth it. Human approval isn’t a goal worth living for. Better to live a life of conviction than to be pretentious.
Speaking of conviction, I have close friends who don’t believe that any kind of religion or faith is necessary as long as you do good works and live a good life. The whole idea of salvation – a key concept within the Christian experience – makes no sense to them because, as far as they are concerned, they are good people. “Why should I come and surround myself with a bunch of unforgiving hypocrites in a church every Sunday when I can just live a good life? I don’t need saving.”
This is actually a really valid question. Why? Firstly, there are some really horrible Christians in this world. If being a Christian produces such nastiness in people, why would anyone want to convert to that kind of thing? Secondly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with aspiring to a good life or to doing good works. How could anyone fault that in a world full of so much evil? Some of the most generous and inspiring people alive today have probably never seen the inside of a church building.
I do think my friends slightly miss the point though. Faith in Jesus Christ is just that – faith in Jesus Christ, not faith in Christians. Christians are just as much in need of help as those who do not carry that ‘title’. It’s not so much about attending church or even about being good as it is about a relationship, based on faith, with Jesus Christ.
How often do we, when we have been close to someone who has had a positive impact on us, say to them, “Wow, I’m so happy to know you. My life wouldn’t be the same without you.” In a sense, we are crediting them with having saved us in some way. When you spend time with a good person, their goodness rubs off on you somehow. They make you better, not because you were bad before but because nobody is perfect and we can all be better. Whatever we expose ourselves to influences us. For me, faith in Christ is the same but on a deeper level. It’s about discovering a relationship with a perfect person and allowing Him to transform us.
I’d be so bold as to say we all need a Saviour, but perhaps not in the simplistic “turn or burn”, “fire and brimstone” way that it’s been sold to us. What are your thoughts?
We’re All Poor
We’ve all seen the pictures and videos. We can’t escape the billboards or avoid the television commercials. Without realizing it, we’ve been conditioned to accept that the picture of poverty is of the teary-eyed, starving African child with arms outstretched , desperately hoping to get something to eat. It’s true that this type of poverty exists in the world. It’s very real, very painful and should never be ignored. In fact, it’s for this type of problem that organizations like the UN have established observances like the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Poverty is so much more, though.
There are so many ways to define poverty. It can be defined simply or in very deep and philosophical terms. One specific definition stands out for me and it is the one I’d like to use for the purposes of this post. Simply put, poverty is “the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount”. Based on this, the net widens to include so much more than the starving African child.
Have you ever wondered why the celebrity with more than a million followers on Twitter overdoses on lethal drugs? Or why the wealthy business mogul who seems to have it all fails to sleep at night? Why are stats for teenage suicides in Japan – supposedly one of the most advanced and prosperous countries in the world – so high? It’s because, whether we have all the money in the world or none at all, our lives are defined by something more significant than the size of our bank accounts and the possessions we have. There is an emptiness we all feel and a void that longs to be filled. In some way, we’re all poor.
Please don’t get me wrong: this is not an attack on wealth and the wealthy nor is it a downplaying of the tragedy of abject poverty. We must target the sort of destitution that leaves children cold, hungry and unclothed. It will be a beautiful day when we no longer have to watch TV ads pleading with the world to take a moment to ‘consider’ the hungry children of the world. Poverty must be eradicated.
But may we never forget that a human life is as much spirit and soul as it is flesh and bones. There are deeper levels of poverty in this world than what we are led to believe. That poverty too must be eradicated.
It is this deeper, intangible level of poverty and inner hunger that Jesus Christ seeks to address with these words: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)
Do you sometimes feel like there is something like a void in you that needs to be filled? What do you do about it?
Tragic N12 Crash in Alberton
It’s been a sad day in Alberton, a town located about 15 kilometers from Johannesburg, South Africa. On the morning of 14th October, the driver of a petrol tanker lost control of his truck and hit more than fifty cars, leaving a gruesome trail of destruction behind him. It is now alleged that the truck driver was speeding way above the limit and failed to manoeuvre the vehicle at about 7:30am, causing the accident. At the time of writing this piece, two fatalities have been confirmed.
Tragedy and pain are an unbearable part of life and there really are times where words fail to express what we feel. For the vast majority of the people involved in this crash, today probably started off as just an ‘ordinary’ day. People likely had plans of what the day was going to look like and things they were going to do later. But all that changed in a moment. For some, life may never be the same again.
At 1Africa, we want to take a moment to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15) and express that our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected directly and indirectly by this tragic N12 crash.
Life is a precious, fragile thing and should never be taken for granted.
“Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
Work Hard. Be Diligent.
Work. Depending on your experiences, background and upbringing, this word either traumatizes you or energizes you when you read it. When we look into God’s Word though, work is essentially a good thing. In fact, the very first thing recorded as having been done by God was work. After He was done creating, the Bible says that “on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.” (Genesis 2:2)
One of the great journeys of life is ‘discovering’ one’s purpose, i.e. the work that one was created to do. We all have gifts and talents. Some may seem grand and some may seem somewhat insignificant but they all matter in the big picture. However, it’s not enough to just discover our gifts. Once we have discovered (and I’m not suggesting that this discovery comes easily at all), we have to work hard and be diligent in growing and making full use of what God has given us.
“Observe people who are good at their work— skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don’t take a backseat to anyone.” (Proverbs 22:29 – The Message)
Nyerere Day: Generation with a Cause
In most African cultures, the role of the father is prized and precious. The father is generally regarded as the head of the home and the one to whom everyone looks for leadership, wisdom and protection. A far higher honour than this might probably be to be known as Father of the Nation. In Tanzania, this title (Baba wa Taifa in Kiswahili) belongs to the late Julius Nyerere – leader of Tanzania (and Tanganyika before that) from 1960 to 1985. On the 14th of October each year, Tanzania remembers him by celebrating Nyerere Day.
Talking about politicians – especially those no longer with us – is tricky territory. On the whole, they are viewed as controversial and, by the time many of them leave office, they have lost the trust and confidence of the people who voted them into power.
In spite of this, it is still possible to learn some good things from every leader. The generation of Nyerere and other champions of African independence certainly left the younger generation with some important lessons about courage and having a pioneering spirit. Perhaps, in this era where information is readily available and young, urban Africans potentially have more access to opportunity than in the pre-independence days of a much younger Nyerere, it is easy to discard the values of courage, sacrifice and persistence.
The reality, however, is that values are values. Principles remain. Though times may change and each new generation faces its own unique set of challenges, it would be great if the new generation of African youths took the good from leaders like Julius Nyerere. Maybe, using the positive lessons of the past may be just the fuel needed to propel Africa into a brighter future.
Happy Nyerere Day, Tanzania!
Ebola: Global Threat?
Most of us have probably heard the phrase “knowledge is power”. If this is true, then it follows that ignorance is weakness. At 1Africa, while we are all about celebrating the creativity and energy coming out of our beautiful continent, we talk about serious matters too.
Ebola is the big headline currently. Once viewed as “Africa’s problem”, it is being taken more seriously now, particularly since it has become a very real threat in places like Europe and the US. For all intents and purposes, Ebola is now a global threat.
If you’re reading this and haven’t quite gotten your head around what Ebola is, here, courtesy of the BBC, is a short video that explains in about a minute what the virus is all about.
In moments like these, fear has the potential to grip us all and make us paranoid. Yes, it is important – especially if we are in affected or at-risk regions – to take precautions and do all we can to protect ourselves. But we must not be paralyzed by fear because fear cripples.
There is so much to be afraid of in the world. The list just never ends! If it’s not terrorists, it’s deadly viruses. If it’s not natural disaster, it’s the fear that your friendly next door neighbour might not be who he says he is. In a world full of so much fear, Jesus Christ had the boldness to say these words: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Where do you turn to when you are afraid? | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1231 |
__label__cc | 0.699498 | 0.300502 | Talking Smart without Looking Dumber Than the Other Guy
Ed, my neighbor next door, has threatened to throw his television out the window. He is frustrated over the NHL hockey situation so far this season. I offered to go with him to some Melville Millionaire hockey games, but Ed doesn’t want to be seen in public with me. Some of his friends would tease him relentlessly for being in the company of a pastor, even a retired one.
Ed talks to me privately across the yard fence, but as little in public as possible. Ed tells me it is not personal. It is a safety measure, because he would be mortified if people thought he was getting religious at this late date in life. He has a reputation of being as far from church-going as one can get and he wants to keep it that way. I respect his need to not be seen with me in public. I’m not out to needlessly embarrass anyone, especially a neighbor next door.
Ed is so frustrated with the lack of hockey on television that he has tuned in to the American presidential debates. Ed says that he dislikes so much talk and so little action. “I wish they would let Obama and Romney play a little one-on-one hockey, or even have an arm wrestle to liven things up. The whole point of the debates seems to be talking smart without ever looking dumber than the other guy,” Ed observes. Even Ed would agree that it is a time of change and uncertainty both for hockey fans and for the one to be elected as president of the U.S.
I have shared with Ed that there are three months of the year that seem to me to be fall-a-part months. Things can crumble, landslide, and break down anytime of the year, but in my mind, October, November, and December win the prize for instability. In nature, during these months, growth and life turn into dead leaves and hibernation. The wise Canada geese leave for more stable and secure climates and we humans set our minds on facing cold, snow and ice. The wisest people to be found in the last three months of the year are those who enjoy and thrive on winter activities like curling, hockey, snowmobiling etc.
It could be argued that one never knows from one day to the next what the weather or world affairs will bring, because change and instability can and do come at anytime. There is no limit on change and decay. There is no stability in being a president, for even though you are one today, you may not be one tomorrow.
Many of us like the feeling that there is an anchor that cannot be moved. We seek the foundation that cannot be shaken, cracked or crumbled. In a world full of change and decay, we find our comfort and hope in our God “who changes not.” God’s word says it this way, “I the Lord do not change.” A little change may be good for us but it doesn’t take much to alarm us, unless God is our solid hope.
Isaac Watts expressed it this way, “O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Still be our guard while troubles last And our eternal home!”
A New Musical Instrument Can’t Make Up For a Lack of Talent!
Hard to Mind Your Own Business when Public Meltdowns Happen | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1243 |
__label__cc | 0.682712 | 0.317288 | AG has been shortlisted for five awards in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers awards 2016, outlining the firm's commitment to shaping the future of legal services
AG has been shortlisted for five awards in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers awards 2016
The firm is delighted to have been shortlisted for five awards, highlighting a range of innovations in Legal Expertise as well as Business of Law categories, marking the most successful year for shortlistings since the report began in 2006, when Addleshaw Goddard was named "Most Innovative law firm."
The FT Innovative Lawyer awards is a unique analysis of the legal industry, assessing lawyers on their innovation both for clients and in their own businesses. The FT researches how each initiative delivers tangible results to clients, by measuring improvements in value, time and resources.
In 2015 the firm received recognition in the following categories:
Innovation in Client Service – "Standout" for the CDC's work with Barclays
Innovation in Technology – "Standout" for the TST's use and customisation of the High-Q platform
Innovation Dispute Resolution – "Standout" for our role alongside Noerr successfully defending KWL in its dispute with UBS
The awards will be held on 5 October 2016 at the Natural History Museum in London. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1245 |
__label__wiki | 0.562257 | 0.562257 | Murder leads to compensation award
Murder leads to compensation award https://www.aelegal.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/b2.jpg 900 577 aelegal aelegal https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/44494a43a2a6ed30dcc9c0628bf134b4?s=96&d=mm&r=g September 2, 2020 August 28, 2020
Penny 2020 [WACIC] 8
The case of Richard Penny (the Applicant) was assessed by a Criminal Injury Compensation Assessor and delivered on 21 May 2020. In January 2017 the Applicant made an application for compensation under the Criminal Injury Compensation Act 2003 (the Act) in relation to the murder of Charmaine Lois Winmar (the Deceased) on 18 May 2013. On 20 April 2016 Kevin James Corbett (the Offender) was found guilty of the murder.
By way of brief background, the Offender and the Deceased were in a relationship between 2012 and the early parts of 2013. During this time the Deceased had often complained to others that the Offender had hurt her and that he was controlling, possessive and jealous. In February 2013 the Offender was incarcerated on unrelated charges. The Offender and the Deceased initially continued their relationship by sending letters and talking over the phone, however the Offender soon became jealous and possessive and the tone of his letters and phone calls became more aggressive. On 4 April 2013, the Offender telephoned the Deceased and threatened to kill her. In subsequent telephone calls he left messages indicating the number of days he had before being released and saying that when these days passed the deceased would be dead. Between 1 and 18 May 2013 the Offender called the Deceased’s phone 1,400 times and sent abusive messages. A month after his release, the Offender went to the Deceased’s residence and found her with the Applicant. The Offender proceeded to strike the Deceased multiple times and with multiple weapons, ultimately killing her. The Applicant was also struck by one of the weapons and lost consciousness and did not have any recollection of the events.
The Deceased and the Applicant had met in 2002 and shortly thereafter began a relationship that lasted for eight years. The couple resumed their relationship in 2013 shortly before the events described above. During their eight-year relationship there were six reported incidents of domestic violence committed by the Applicant against the Deceased, including one in which the Applicant was charged for assault occasioning bodily harm.
The Applicant made an application for compensation under sections 12 and 17 of the Act for personal injuries suffered as a result of the Offender’s actions as well as under section 35(2) for the mental and emotional distress he suffered from his partner’s murder. In this case the Assessor awarded the Applicant $25,000 in compensation for his injuries, bearing in mind the maximum compensation awardable is $75,000. In determining the amount of compensation the Applicant should receive, the Assessor gave consideration to the nature of the relationship between the Applicant and the Deceased, and in particular to the history of abuse and domestic violence. The Assessor also determined that but for her murder, the Deceased would have been entitled to seek compensation against the Applicant for her injuries and as such, the Assessor reduced the amount of compensation citing that the Applicant should not stand to benefit from her death.
The Applicant’s award was reduced by $10,000 in light of his previous actions against the Deceased, bringing his total compensation down to $15,000.
Devastating wrist injury to international hairdresser – a hairy experience!
House Fire Causes PTSD | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1249 |
__label__cc | 0.737387 | 0.262613 | Joshua Tibatemwa (Class of 2015): From Mombasa to Rio 2016
Joshua-portrait.jpg
Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” It was this quote that Joshua Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza used in his speech when graduating from the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa in 2015. And it seems that he has taken those words to heart even outside of his academic pursuits. Selected to be part of the Ugandan Olympic team, Joshua competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a swimmer; his time at the Academy helped him achieve this lofty goal:
“The Academy taught me that difficulty is not necessarily a bad thing. Difficult tasks and challenges teach you how to focus yourself and be efficient in what you do. I needed that.”
The Academies pride themselves on providing its students with a diverse and well-rounded education, attempting to instil a passion not only for academic success, but excellence in community service, athletics and the arts as well. Joshua’s journey is a testament to this balanced approach:
“The Academy taught me how to balance several things at once, which is of the utmost importance in university. No one pushes you to do things in university so you must be proactive if you want to make the most of the experience, and the Academy definitely taught me to be proactive […] the Academy grew me as a person, not just academically.”
Mom 201702 Joshua Tibatemwa Olympics.jpg
Joshua’s ability to find academic and athletic success at the Academy in Mombasa allowed him to pursue even bigger challenges, like competing at the Rio Olympics, a feat made even more memorable when he was asked to be Uganda’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies:
“The opportunity to bear my country’s flag on such a momentous occasion [was the most memorable]; I can honestly say I never expected to do something like that.”
Beyond his Olympic aspirations, Joshua is currently studying computer science and economics at Grinnell College in Iowa, USA. He plans to attend graduate school and eventually settle in Uganda in order to focus on creating a more holistic approach to education in his homeland.
Mom 201702 Joshua Tibatemwa.jpg
“If I want things back home to change, I have to work to be the change. There is no point in going abroad and becoming successful and neglecting the positive change you could make back home. Therefore, I would dedicate my resources to developing a new curriculum that pays attention to academics but also pays attention to other often ignored aspects of life such as cultural interactions, sports, tolerance of people different from you, etc.”
For Joshua, his academic and athletics pursuits have taught him valuable lessons in maintaining balance, while overcoming challenges. To those beginning their own journeys, he would offer these words:
“Do not dwell too much on your failures. They are an inherent part of life. [And] do not attempt to handle too many things at once. Depth is better than breadth in certain circumstances.”
By Uzma Rajan | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1252 |
__label__wiki | 0.594764 | 0.594764 | Ahli United Bank March 15, 2007 No Comments
AHLI UNITED BANK WINS “BEST BANK IN THE MIDDLE EAST” AWARD FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Ahli United Bank (AUB), one of the region’s leading banks, has been awarded ‘Best Bank in the Middle East 2007’ by the reputed magazine, Global Finance for the second year in a row, an honour achieved by very few other banks.
Global Finance, a prestigious New York based international magazine, selects the top performers in the Gulf region and in 24 other countries after a study of banks across the region. Industry analysts, banking professionals and consultants assist the jury to select the winners based on factors such as growth in assets, profitability, strategic initiatives, customer service, competitive pricing, and innovative products.
“We are proud to have won this award for a second consecutive year. Winning the award again demonstrates the continuing success of our business strategies and the soundness of our management principles,” said Fahad Al-Rajaan, Chairman, Ahli United Bank.
“Over the past year, we have continued to perform exceedingly well, expanding further in the region and consolidating our businesses in the different countries,” he added.
In 2006, AUB together with its associate banks and other Gulf financial institutions acquired an 89% stake in Delta International Bank, Egypt, marking the Group’s foray into this rapidly developing country. In the same year, AUB signed a US$ 1.2 billion syndicated deposit facility that was heavily oversubscribed and had the participation of 51 banks from across the Globe. The syndicated deposit facility was a reflection of the confidence that the industry had on AUB’s strategic direction. Also in 2006, AUB signed a US$ 200 million finance agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank, finalising what was the largest such investment done by the IFC in the region to date.
AUB achieved record results in 2006 with net profits rising 25% to US$ 207.5 million and net assets rising 49% to US$ 20.8 billion.
Ahli United Bank March 4, 2007 No Comments
AHLI UNITED BANK WINS SHAIKHA SABEEKA AWARD FOR WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
Ahli United Bank B.S.C. (AUB) has won the Shaikha Sabeeka Award for Bahraini Women’s Empowerment. The announcement was made by HH Shaika Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa at a ceremony held at the Supreme Council, Riffa. AUB won the award in the private sector category ahead of 8 other private sector institutions.
Neville Pearsall, Group Head of Human Resources, AUB said, “It is an honour for AUB to win an award of this nature. Over 35% of the bank’s staff are women and an increasing number are being promoted into professional and managerial key, decision making positions. At AUB we operate on a system of meritocracy whereby competent staff are rewarded and recognised for their achievements irrespective of their gender. Part of that recognition involves providing our staff with opportunities to develop and fulfil their career potential, and this applies equally to men and women. This is an essential requirement if we are to empower all our employees to do the very best they can, every day – which is what is required in a dynamic, growing business such as AUB.”
Faiza Saeed, Training and Development Manager, AUB urged other private sector organisations to follow suit and strengthen women’s empowerment and participation in the workplace. “At AUB, we strongly believe in the importance of equality between men and women. We have a long-established policy of fully opening the educational and advancement doors for all to reach their maximum career potential and to take on the positions that they deserve. It is indeed gratifying to see our efforts rewarded by this first of its kind award in Bahrain and the Arab world.”
The Shaikha Sabeeka Award for Bahraini Women’s Empowerment, is dedicated to celebrating and recognising the role of women in the workplace and in society as a whole. A panel of distinguished Bahraini and Arab personalities selected the winners from amongst thirty Bahraini organisations participating in this year’s programme.
AUB was provided with a cash prize of BD 10,000 and a certificate signed by HH Shaikha Sabika. AUB will use the cash award to further the objectives of the prize in raising awareness of the importance of women’s roles in the workplace and enhancing gender equality in the Bahraini society as a whole. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1254 |
__label__wiki | 0.651848 | 0.651848 | The use of mental health services, psychological distress, loneliness, suicide, ambulance attendances and COVID-19
The material below first provides a short overview on the use of mental health services; this is followed by an analysis of trends in the level of psychological distress and a description of trends in the number of suspected suicides in 2020.
While there has been a rise in the use of mental health services there is no evidence to date that COVID-19 has been associated with a rise in the suspected suicide rate.
Use of mental health services Expand
The AIHW has been compiling detailed data every week on the use of mental health services and the various crisis help lines since April 2020 as part of the National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring Project. These data are shared within government to inform the mental health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There have been notable rises in the use of crisis lines and mental health services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, calls to Lifeline in the 4 weeks from 10 August to 6 September 2020 were up 15.3% compared with the same time in 2019. Contacts to Beyond Blue (total of call, web chat and email) were up 38.6% over the same period while contacts (total of call, web chat, email and circles sessions) to the Kids Helpline were up 24.5%.
It is not clear to what extent this rise in contacts is driven by rises in psychological distress rather than a higher proportion of people seeking assistance for other reasons such as loneliness and concern about contracting COVID-19. Given that a range of survey data indicate that there have been rises in the level of psychological distress in 2020, increased contact with the crisis lines is almost certainly indicative of a rise in the need for assistance as a result of the pandemic.
The crisis line data also shows variation by state and territory with greater rises in the use of crisis lines evident in Victoria (and to a lesser extent New South Wales) when comparing the 4 weeks from 10 August to September 2020 to the same time in 2019, than in other jurisdictions combined.
There have also been rises in the use of Medicare subsidised mental health services. For example, the total number of mental health related MBS services provided in the 4 weeks to 6 September 2020 was 12.5% higher than in the equivalent period in 2019. The equivalent increase in Victoria over this period (20%) was considerably stronger than in other jurisdictions.
There has been strong take-up of MBS mental health services provided through telehealth—over a third of all MBS mental health services in the 4 weeks to 6 September 2020 were provided through telehealth.
Psychological distress Expand
Psychological distress is commonly measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale—10 items (K10). The K10 questionnaire was developed to yield a global measure of psychosocial distress, based on questions about people’s level of nervousness, agitation, psychological fatigue and depression in the past 4 weeks. The Kessler 6 Scale is an abbreviated version of K10.
There is a correlation between high levels of psychological distress and common mental health disorders. As a result, instruments such as K10 and K6 can be used to track probable changes in the incidence of these disorders. This is important, as there is an association between mental health issues and deaths by suicide. Data from the Queensland Suicide Register for 2014–16 based on police and coroners reports, suggest that ‘mental health conditions were prominent in those who died by suicide, with 51.5% reportedly having a diagnosed mental health condition.’ (Leske et al. 2020). Around 64% of people who died by suicide in 2019 had mental and behavioural disorders recorded as an associated cause of death (ABS 2020).
There are several ways to gain insights into the level of psychological distress in the community, and monitor trends over particular time periods.
One way is to look at trends in the use of mental health services. The AIHW has been compiling data each week on the use of mental health services and crisis lines during the pandemic. While this approach is useful, it is not a direct measure of the level of psychological distress as it does not capture those who do not seek out or do not have access to mental health services and crisis lines.
Another way to analyse trends in the level of psychological distress since the onset of the pandemic is to use sample surveys. This approach has been challenging since the onset of COVID-19 due to the fact that face-to-face surveys are very difficult to undertake at this time and pose a potential health and safety risk to interviewers and interviewees. This has led to a number of online surveys being conducted but many of these surveys are not based on probability sampling. In some cases, samples are drawn by inviting all members of the public above a certain age to respond, with unknown response rates. Other samples are drawn from panels where individuals opt-in online. While this sort of approach can provide some useful information, especially regarding associations between factors that may affect outcomes for respondents, results may not be representative of the Australian population. A major report on online panels for the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR 2010) noted that:
Researchers should avoid nonprobability online panels when one of the research objectives is to accurately estimate population values. There currently is no generally accepted theoretical basis from which to claim that survey results using samples from nonprobability online panels are projectable to the general population. Thus, claims of “representativeness” should be avoided when using these sample sources.
Given the need for representative data, the AIHW collaborated with the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University to include questions on loneliness and the level of psychological distress using the Life in AustraliaTM Panel, managed by the Social Research Centre. Importantly, this panel exclusively uses random probability-based sampling methods and covers both online and offline populations (that is, people who do and do not have access to the internet). In addition, as a panel it is possible to obtain longitudinal data including from the same respondents prior to the spread of COVID-19 which provides richer information than a series of cross-sectional snapshots, especially with regards to changes through time. Data on psychological distress were collected in April, May and August with further data collections planned for November, 2020.
Pre COVID–19 snapshot
To understand how COVID-19 may have affected Australians’ levels of psychological distress, it is important to look at data from before the pandemic. This is possible using results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ National Health Survey, which is conducted approximately every 3 years. It is particularly important to consider any existing trends prior to the pandemic—for example, if psychological distress was generally increasing among Australians in the years before COVID-19. Tables 1 to 3 show the proportion of males, females and people with high or very high levels of psychological distress as measured by the Kessler 10 Scale from 2004–05 to 2017–18. While the results vary by age, there is no consistent trend over this period. It is worth noting, however, that young women aged 18–24 consistently have higher levels of psychological distress than other groups. Having said that, there have been small increases in the proportion of both males and females with high or very high levels of psychological distress from 2011–12 to 2017–18, albeit with important fluctuations through time. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) also shows rises from 2010 to 2019 (AIHW 2020).
Psychological distress and loneliness under COVID-19
The ANU poll results that are based on just over 3,000 respondents suggest that the proportion of the population experiencing severe psychological distress as measured by the Kessler 6 Scale rose from 8.4% in February 2017 to 10.6% in April 2020 with a subsequent fall to 9.7% in May 2020 (still significantly higher than in February 2017). However, there is a distinct pattern by age (Biddle et al. 2020b):
For those aged 45 to 54 years there was essentially no difference in this measure of psychological distress between February 2017, April 2020, and May 2020 (Kessler 6). For young Australians (18 to 24 year olds in particular, but also all those aged under 45), there was a significant worsening in psychological distress between February 2017 and April 2020.
However, between April and May 2020, there was a slight improvement in psychological distress for young Australians, though psychological distress is still significantly and substantially above what it was in February 2017.
For older Australians (those aged 55 years and over), there was a slight improvement in the level of psychological distress between February 2017 and April 2020, and a further improvement between April 2020 and May 2020 (Biddle et al. 2020b). Based on a smaller ANU Pulse Survey, there was some evidence of further improvements in the level of psychological distress in late June/early July, however this was prior to increased COVID-19 infection rates and a second lockdown in Victoria.
The ANU also asked also respondents whether ‘In the past week, how often have you felt lonely?’ Analysis summarised in Biddle et al. (2020b) shows that those who experienced loneliness had higher rates of psychological distress than those who did not.
Between April and May, however, there was a significant decline in experiences of loneliness, with 36.1 per cent of the sample saying that they experienced loneliness at least some of the time, compared to 45.8 per cent in April.
However, there was a distinct pattern by age with 18–24 year olds the only group to show no statistically significant reduction in the level of loneliness from April to May despite the fact that this group had a higher proportion of respondents saying that they felt lonely at least some of the time in April (63.3%) than any other age group.
There was a rise in reported loneliness from 36.1% in May 2020 to 40.5% in August. However, this rise only occurred in Victoria where ‘the proportion of the population who were lonely at least some of the time increased from 35.7% in May 2020 to 44.5% in August’ (Biddle et al. 2020c). In ‘the other seven States and Territories, there was no significant difference between loneliness in May 2020 (37.1%) and August 2020 (38.8%)’.
According to Biddle et al. (2020c):
Females continue to experience higher rates of loneliness than males (44.8 per cent in August for females, compared to 35.7 per cent for males), as do those aged 18 to 24 years. Between May and August 2020, however, the largest increase in loneliness was amongst those aged 75 years and over, with a more than 10 percentage point increase from 22.6 per cent in May to 33.2 per cent in August.
The ABS has also asked around 1,000 respondents about their level of psychological distress using Kessler 6 through their Rapid Surveys, which are based on a probability sample. However, the ABS sample does not have information from the same individuals prior to the spread of COVID-19. The results suggested higher levels of distress in April 2020 when compared with equivalent results from the 2017–18 National Health Survey (NHS). However, results in June (24–29 June) had improved so that according to the ABS:
Most of the results for June 2020 aligned with the results from the 2017–18 NHS. The only area that differed was in relation to feelings of nervousness. One in four Australians (25%) felt nervous at least some of the time in June 2020 compared to one in five (20%) in the 2017–18 NHS (ABS 2020).
One of the advantages of the data collected through ANU poll is the fact that longitudinal data are available. This makes it possible to model the factors that appear to be contributing to rises in the level of psychological distress during the pandemic. In this modelling (Biddle et al. 2020b), the strongest predictor of psychological distress (K6) is where people say that their stress has worsened (this is not that surprising). Increased loneliness is also a strong predictor of K6 scores even when other factors like changes in employment status are controlled for. This suggests that increased loneliness during the pandemic is of concern and that this is not just being driven by job loss.
Job loss itself was a predictor of K6 scores in May. Controlling for other factors, people who were employed in February 2020 but not in May had higher levels of psychological distress. Interestingly, in all the models those who live outside capital cities had lower rates of psychological distress than those who lived in capital cities, controlling for other factors. This probably reflects the fact that the economic impact of shutdowns has been higher in the major cities than it has been in regional or remote areas and that infection rates have also been higher. ABS employment data, for example, shows faster falls in employment in the major cities than in regional or remote areas.
Once you control for things like relationships worsening and stress rising and employment loss then young people were no longer worse off than older people when it comes to K6 scores. This suggests that rises in the level of psychological distress among young people are being driven by things like increased stress and job loss.
One final point worth noting is that in the regression analysis of K6 scores, previous K6 scores in February 2017 had a significant predictive effect on K6 scores for May 2020. This shows that people who are already experiencing high levels of psychological distress can be particularly vulnerable when the situation worsens.
More recent data show that after improving from April to May the level of psychological distress worsened from May to August and remains higher than it was prior to the pandemic. However, the worsening from May to August was concentrated among women with males showing no change from May to August (Biddle et al. 2020c). In addition while the initial rises in the level of psychological distress were higher among young people (particularly those aged 18–24), the only age group to experience a rise in psychological distress from May to August was people aged 75 and over (Biddle et al. 2020c). However, the level of psychological distress remains considerably higher among young people.
To test whether outcomes have worsened in Victoria relative to the rest of the country since the reintroduction of lockdowns, in July Biddle et al. conducted a Difference-in-difference analysis using linked data for May and August (that is, data across these months for the same people). This showed, a significant worsening in Victoria relative to the rest of the country on several outcomes including: psychological distress, loneliness, life satisfaction, satisfaction with direction of country, likely to be infected by COVID-19 and hours worked (Biddle et al. 2020c).
Table 1: Proportion of persons with high/very high psychological distress, by age group and year
Source: ABS 4364.0.55.001 - National Health Survey
Table 2: Proportion of males with high/very high psychological distress, by age group and year
Table 3: Proportion of females with high/very high psychological distress, by age group and year
Data on suspected deaths by suicide Expand
There has been considerable commentary since the start of the pandemic on its potential to impact on the incidence of deaths by suicide. Much of this commentary has been based on modelling based on previous experience including the relationship between unemployment and deaths by suicide. A ‘living systematic review’ (John et al. 2020) based on evidence until 7 June, has concluded that:
There is thus far no clear evidence of an increase in suicide, self-harm, suicidal behaviour, or suicidal thoughts associated with the pandemic. However, suicide data are challenging to collect in real time and economic effects are evolving. Our LSR will provide a regular synthesis of the most up-to-date research evidence to guide public health and clinical policy to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on suicide.
It is true that some key risk factors associated with deaths by suicide have worsened since the onset of COVID-19. For example, there has been considerable job loss and rises in the level of psychological distress. On the other hand, it is possible that a general sense of ‘we are all in this together’ could have a protective impact. From February to May 2020 there were rises in the level of trust in others and in governments in Australia (Biddle et al. 2020). In addition, some care is required as the vast majority of people who experience unemployment or high levels of psychological distress or mental health issues will never experience a suicide attempt. That said, it is very important to monitor trends in risk factors and trends in deaths by suicide in real time.
Another factor that should be considered is the impact of both JobKeeper and the JobSeeker supplement. This is important given the association between the risk of dying by suicide and socioeconomic outcomes. Modelling undertaken by the ANU suggests that not only are levels of poverty and housing stress lower than they otherwise would be a result of these payments they are also lower than they were prior to the spread of COVID-19 (Philips et al. 2020). Households who mainly relied on the JobSeeker payment prior to COVID-19 and the introduction of the JobSeeker supplement saw their poverty rate fall from 67% prior to COVID-19 to 6.8% (Phillips et al. 2020). On a similar note Biddle et al. (2020d) found that real incomes actually rose for those in the bottom decile of the income distribution from February to August 2020. Using data from the Taking the Pulse of the Nation Survey, Botha et al. (2020) have shown that the level of psychological distress among the unemployed has fallen since May. The ANU modelling suggests that the protective impact of JobKeeper and the JobSeeker supplement on housing stress and poverty have been reduced somewhat by the changes to these payments announced in July (Phillips et al. 2020).
In Australia, data on suspected suicides in 2020 have been released for Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales from their respective suicide registers. In all cases there is no evidence to date of any increase relative to previous years. It is true that these data are not based on final determinations on the part of Coroners, but in the case of the Victorian Suicide Register:
…data changes are usually quite minor: analyses have shown that over time, the VSR coding team are consistently better than 95% accurate in identifying the cohort of deaths that are ultimately determined to be suicides (Coroners Court 2020a,b,c).
In recent years differences between the numbers in the Queensland Suicide Register and the data released by the ABS are quite small (Leske et al. 2020).
The number of suspected deaths by suicide in Victoria from 1 January to 31 October 2020 (580) was similar to the equivalent period in both 2019 (600) and 2018 (587). The monthly data show considerable volatility which: ‘demonstrates the importance of not attributing too much significance to the suicide frequency in any one month’ (Coroners Court 2020c).
Consistent with data from previous years, around three-quarters of suspected suicides in 2020 were among males with most deaths by suicide for both males and females occurring among those aged between 25 and 55 (Coroners Court 2020c). Although in most age groups the number of suspected deaths by suicide is consistent with previous years, numbers of suspected suicides among males aged under 18 years, males aged 65 years and over and females aged 35–44 years are somewhat elevated compared with what would be expected based on previous years. However, it is not possible to discount the effects of random fluctuation; the deaths are currently under coronial investigation to identify any potential underlying issues. The proportion of suspected suicides in metropolitan and regional areas in 2020 is similar to earlier years with approximately two-thirds occurring in metropolitan locations (Coroners Court 2020c).
Data from the Queensland Suicide Register (Leske et al. 2020) show that the number of suspected suicides from 1 January to 31 July 2020 (454) was similar to that of the same period in 2019 (445) and 2017 (456).
In analysing trends in the number of deaths by suicide it is important to take population into account given strong population growth in Australia—it is important to focus on trends in suicide rates. Monthly age-standardised suspected suicide rates in Queensland in 2020 for both males and females are similar to the previous 5 years; see Figure 1 and Figure 2 replicated with permission from Leske et al. (2020) and including updated data for August 2020.
Figure 1: Monthly age-standardised suspected suicide rate per 100,000, Queensland males, 1 January 2015–31 August 2020
Figure 2: Monthly age-standardised suspected suicide rate per 100,000, Queensland females, 1 January 2015–31 August 2020
While data for Queensland does not show rises in suspected suicide rates compared with previous reports the following is worth noting (Leske et al. 2020).
The 2020 iQSR data show that up until 31 July 2020, police officers mentioned COVID-19 in 32 of 454 suspected suicides (7%). In four instances, it was unclear if COVID-19 contributed to the suspected suicide. COVID-19 did appear to contribute towards 28 suspected suicides. COVID-19 may have influenced suspected suicides through affecting mood, coping, stress and anxiety (14 people); employment (11 people); social isolation (8 people); changes in access to healthcare support and items (5 people); relationship breakdown (1 person) and finances (1 person). There was overlap (e.g. access to healthcare items and losing employment influenced mood).
This information indicates that support offered to people who report that COVID-19 has impacted on mental health, employment, social connectedness, relationships, access to healthcare, and finances is valuable. Support for these concerns may prevent further suicides from occurring in similar circumstances.
The newly established New South Wales Suicide Monitoring System, launched by the NSW Government on 9 November 2020, reported 673 suspected suicides in NSW from 1 January to 30 September 2020. This is similar to the 672 suspected suicides reported for the same period in 2019 (NSW Ministry of Health 2020). Three-quarters of suspected suicides in 2020 were among males and more than half of all suspected suicides occurred among those aged between 25 and 55 (NSW Ministry of Health 2020).
The Chief Coroner of New Zealand also released annual provisional data on suspected suicides for the year to 30 June 2020 in 21 August this year. The data show that the provisional suicide rate is at its lowest in 3 years. According to the Coroner:
In the year to 30 June 2020, 654 people died by suicide, compared to 685 the year before—a decrease of 31 deaths, and a drop in the suicide rate from 13.93 deaths per 100,000 to 13.01.
The Coroner further noted that:
There was a decrease in the number of young people dying by suspected suicide, particularly in the 15–19 age range (down from 73 to 59) and the 20–24 age range (down from 91 to 60). Both rates decreased from 23.14 to 18.69 [deaths per 100,000] and from 26.87 to 17.77, respectively.
However, there was an increase in suspected suicides in the 80–84 age range, with 12 more people dying by suicide in the past year (18) than the year before (6). The rate increased from 6.49 to 19.48.
A key goal of the Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring Project is to establish suicide registers in all jurisdictions. Registers now exist in Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and New South Wales. The AIHW is currently working with South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory to help establish suicide registers.
Ambulance attendances Expand
A key part of the National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring Project is the compilation and coding of data from ambulance attendances by Turning Point. This coding exercise is quite large as not only do Turning Point have to code data for 2020 they also have to code data for previous years to allow for analysis of trends.
The AIHW asked Turning Point if they could prioritise the coding of data for Victoria. Importantly, Turning Point are able to separate suicide attempts from self-injury and suicide ideation. Figure 3 shows monthly data on the number of ambulance attendances related to suicide attempts from January to June for 2020 and the equivalent periods in both 2019 and 2018. As the chart shows there is no clear difference from 2019 to 2020. The total number of ambulance attendances related to suicide attempts in Victoria from January to June 2020 was 2% lower than for the equivalent period in 2019. The number of ambulance attendances relating to suicidality (thinking about suicide) was also fairly similar across the 2 years (it was 4% higher in 2020).
Interestingly there was a pick up in the total number of mental health attendances (up 13% in the first half of 2020 compared with the same time in 2019). This is consistent with the overall greater use of mental health services in 2020 that is evident in other data. This highlights the fact that greater use of, and need for, mental health services does not necessarily equate to trends in the number of suicide attempts. The vast bulk of people who use mental health services will never have a suicide attempt but timely access to mental health services could reduce the number of deaths by suicide.
The number of self-injury ambulance attendances are up (17.6%) compared with 2019. This highlights the fact that self-injury and suicide attempts are not the same thing.
Figure 3: Monthly (Jan–June) ambulance attendances for suicide attempts, Victoria
AAPOR (American Association for Public Opinion Research) 2010. Report on Online Panels.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2020. Causes of Death, Australia 2019, ABS Catalogue number 3303.0.
ABS 2020. 4940.0 - Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, 24–29 June 2020.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2020. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019. Drug Statistics series no. 32. PHE 270. Canberra AIHW.
Biddle N, Edwards B, Gray M, and Sollis K 2020a. Initial impacts of COVID-19 on mental health in Australia. COVID–19 Briefing Paper, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National University, Canberra.
Biddle N, Edwards B, Gray M, and Sollis K 2020b. Mental health and relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID–19 Briefing Paper, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National University, Canberra.
Biddle N, Edwards B, Gray M, and Sollis K 2020c. Tracking outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic (August 2020) – Divergence within Australia. COVID–19 Briefing Paper, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National University, Canberra.
Biddle N, Edwards B, Gray M, and Sollis K 2020d. Hardship, distress, and resilience: The initial impacts of COVID-19 in Australia ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods.
Botha, F Butterworth, and Wilkins, R (2020). Mental distress in Australia over the course of the first wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Melbourne Institute Research Insights 24/20.
Chief Coroner of New Zealand, Media Release 21 August 2020.
Coroners Court of Victoria 2020a. Monthly Suicide Data Report, Report 1 -27 August 2020.
Coroners Court of Victoria 2020b. Monthly Suicide Data Report, Report 2 – 5 October 2020.
Coroners Court of Victoria 2020c. Monthly Suicide Data Report, October 2020 update – 12 November 2020.
John A, Okolie C, Eyles E et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-harm and suicidal behaviour: a living systematic review [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review] F1000Research 2020, 9:1097.
Leske S, Adam G, Schrader I, Catakovic A, Weir B, & Crompton D (2020). Suicide in Queensland: Annual Report 2020. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University.
NSW Ministry of Health 2020. NSW Suicide Monitoring System, Report 1 – October 2020.
Phillips B, Gray M, and Biddle N 2020. JobKeeper and JobSeeker impacts on poverty and housing stress under current and alternative economic and policy scenarios, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1255 |
__label__wiki | 0.95377 | 0.95377 | Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. delivers virtual remarks during the Air Force Association's virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 14, 2020. AFA video screenshot.
The Air and Space Forces Want to Break the Mold. Here’s How They’re Starting.
Sept. 14, 2020 | By Rachel S. Cohen
The Department of the Air Force’s top officers are beginning to lay the groundwork for changes to how they manage and provide air and space forces to commanders around the world.
In his first month as Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. has warned that the service needs to overhaul its inventory and quicken the pace of warfare, or risk falling behind other global powers.
To get after that goal, the service’s operations policy team is thinking of new ways to bring in, train, and employ Airmen for global operations, Brown said. Their findings may affect the fiscal 2022 budget request, which is due early next year, and could soon shape deployments overseas.
“Under the leadership of [Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Lt. Gen. Joseph T. Guastella Jr.], we’re going to conclude that sprint, sit down with Gus on Friday, and say, when are we going to get this thing done so we can go ahead and deliver?” Brown said Sept. 14 during AFA’s virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference. “My goal is to get this done by the end of the year. We want to make our force generation and force presentation model easy for us to understand and to articulate inside our Air Force, [and] easy to understand in our joint force.”
The plan could debut around the same time as the Joint Staff’s fresh take on joint warfighting, due out in December. Some new ideas will roll out at this fall’s Corona meeting of the service’s top generals, Brown added.
The Air Force is also considering a shakeup of its Air Staff to update how it handles policy areas from manpower to nuclear operations. Those changes could mirror how Air Combat Command has streamlined its intelligence and cyber forces as well as its various fighter, attack, search-and-rescue, and other aircraft.
Proponents say combining pieces of the Air Force make Airmen consider how various fields connect and how they could affect or bolster each other in combat. Brown has foreshadowed hard decisions ahead to cut certain aircraft and other parts of the force. He wants to focus on what’s most valuable for fights against digitally savvy, advanced militaries like Russia and China, like smarter sustainment, technology-driven training, and evolutions in unmanned aircraft, artificial intelligence, and networking.
“It’s better to have a force of quality than a force of quantity that is missing parts like manpower, sensors, command and control, weapon systems, and sustainment,” he said.
Brown stressed that internal Air Force reorganizations should complement work underway on the Joint Staff and in the other services to best reflect the roles and missions of each.
“We do have some overlap. Some of that’s good, but some of it may be redundant. We need to eliminate some of those redundancies,” he said. “It may drive some levels of reorganization, and if we do reorg, form must follow function. Any efficiency we gain, we need to turn into an opportunity to repurpose manpower, so we can put that manpower against emerging missions or underresourced missions.”
At the same time, the Air Staff can also learn from how the Space Force is standing up its own policy shop for the first time. Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, the Space Force’s operations boss, told Air Force Magazine on Sept. 11 that he is avoiding the traditionally separate offices used for operations, cyber, and nuclear policy.
Instead, he wants to split staffers into three areas: those who track current operations and geopolitical conditions, those who analyze that data to see how it affects the force, and those who plan for the future.
It’s a more holistic approach to combat planning than the military usually employs, and Saltzman hopes it will make the Space Force faster and smarter.
“The ‘what’ bin, they’re the ones that are collecting all the information. What’s going on in the world? What are the conditions that are affecting us? What’s the environment look like? What missions are going on? What are the people doing? What’s the adversary doing? … So we have situational awareness about all of the activities that affect the Space Force and its mission,” Saltzman said.
“The ‘so what’ is making meaning out of that. What are the impacts? If the Russians are conducting this exercise, what does it mean for the Space Force? What does it mean for the joint force? If there’s an environmental condition, whether it’s a hurricane or whether it’s space weather that’s affecting us, how is it affecting us?” he continued.
The “what next” team comes up with courses of action and force management ideas to improve the service’s training, resources, and organization.
“I’m not looking at the badges they’re wearing or what job they had before they came to the staff,” Saltzman said. “I’m taking all of that expertise and dividing them along those three lines.”
He added that Space Force deployments won’t change much in the short term. Most space missions, from satellite operations to rocket launches, are handled from control centers on domestic soil.
Airmen with the 16th Expeditionary Space Control Flight and the 609th Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, became the first deployed service members to join the Space Force on Sept. 1. Those Airmen handle work such as finding and analyzing electromagnetic interference with U.S. satellites that affects operations in the Middle East.
“Right now, with our current capabilities, it’s just one of our mission sets, or just a small handful of our missions that we actually need to go overseas to perform. The vast majority of the capabilities, we can do from our garrison locations,” Saltzman said. “Because the numbers are so small, we don’t have to go through a radical shift in how we deploy. We still leverage the Department of the Air Force capabilities for assigning and determining what are the requirements, and then we deploy people as necessary, if they have to go to a forward location to accomplish their mission.”
That could change as the Space Force matures and gains new abilities over time, he added. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1257 |
__label__wiki | 0.890321 | 0.890321 | Snowboard Pioneer Jake Burton Carpenter Dies At 65
2018 Olympic U.S. Snowboard Team Uniform Unveil
Jake Burton Carpenter, who is considered the godfather of snowboarding, has died following a bout with cancer. Carpenter was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2011 but was given a clean bill of health after a few months of treatment. Earlier in November, he told the staff of Burton, the company he founded, that his cancer had returned.
Carpenter started Burton in 1977 to promote snowboarding and helped turn the niche sport into an international sensation. Snowboarding has become so popular that it is now an Olympic event.
“I had a vision there was a sport there, that it was more than just a sledding thing, which is all it was then,” Burton said in 2010. “We’re doing something that’s going to last here. It’s not like just hitting the lottery one day.”
Burton co-CEO John Lacy mourned Carpenter's passing an email to the staff.
"It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news that Jake passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his family and loved ones as a result of complications from recurring cancer. He was our founder, the soul of snowboarding, the one who gave us the sport we all love so much."
He told employees that the best way to celebrate Carpenter's life was by going out to ride.
“As a start of our celebration of Jake’s life, I’d encourage everyone to do what Jake would be doing tomorrow, and that’s riding. It’s opening day at Stowe, so consider taking some turns together, in celebration of Jake.” | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1262 |
__label__cc | 0.706327 | 0.293673 | Covid-19 coronavirus and businesses in Slovakia: force majeure
The coronavirus has a serious impact on the world’s economy and people’s social lives. Closures of factories and ports, restrictions on transport of goods and workers, a declining demand in energy and reduction of public expenditure are adversely influencing inter-continental supply chains and impacting various sectors, including the manufacturing, transport, tourism and retail industries.
Following the initial spread of the epidemic, during a meeting in Geneva on 30 January 2020 the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency. Recently, the first cases of the virus have been reported in the Slovak Republic.
Within the framework of commercial relations, the question has recently been raised as to whether the epidemic caused by the coronavirus may be considered a force majeure event and, as such, what impact this could have on contractual obligations. For example if we consider a situation where a Slovak manufacturer purchases components from a third party in another country or even a Continent, assembles them in Slovakia and resells the finished product, and the governments close borders or restrict access to certain regions due to the coronavirus outbreak, can a Slovak manufacturer claim that it was unable to deliver the contracted product to its customers in time due to the epidemic caused by the coronavirus?
In general, the debtor is required to fulfil its contractual obligations (debt) duly and on time. If it fails to fulfil its obligations in this way, it is in default until the obligations are duly performed or until the obligations are discharged in another manner (Section 365 (1) of the Commercial Code). The default of the debtor entitles the creditor in particular to damages under Section 373 of the Commercial Code and eventually to a contractual penalty, if so agreed.
For commercial relations, the claim for damages is based on the principle of strict liability. This means that no fault is required. Liability can only be relieved in circumstances that exclude liability (liberation reasons), referred to in Section 374 of the Commercial Code. To consider an event as a circumstance excluding liability, the following conditions must be satisfied:
(a) it must be an obstacle that arose independently of the obligated (liable) party's will (independence);
(b) it must prevent this party from performing its obligations, provided that it cannot be reasonably expected that the obligated party could avert or overcome such an obstacle or its consequences (insurmountability); and
(c) the occurrence of such an obstacle must have been unpredictable at the time the obligated party undertook to perform such obligations (unpredictability).
In the case of international trade it should be noted that, under Section 736 of the Commercial Code, circumstances excluding liability (or responsibility) do not include the non-granting of an official licence required to fulfil the obligation (e.g. an export licence).
The occurrence of “force majeure” does not automatically extinguish the liability to fulfil its obligation. The liability exclusion effects are in place only as long as the obstacle connected to these effects persists. If an obstacle ceases to exist, the party concerned must fulfil its obligations. If such an obstacle were of a permanent character, the impossibility to perform its obligations and frustration would also be an issue. In such a case, the obligation of the liable party would cease to exist and no liability for damage would arise (Section 352 et seq. of the Commercial Code).
For the sake of completeness, we state that circumstances excluding liability do not affect the obligation to pay a contractual penalty (Section 300 of the Commercial Code). This means that if the parties have agreed to a contractual penalty, the liable party must pay the penalty even upon the occurrence of a force majeure event.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) can be considered without any doubt an obstacle that occurred independently of the will of the obligated party, which, at the time of undertaking the obligation, was not foreseen by the obligated party (at least in the period before December 2019). However, does the coronavirus or the measures taken in relation to it prevent contractual obligations from being fulfilled?
Fortunately, in our area, there have not been many natural disasters that could be considered force majeure events that would prevent contractual obligations from being fulfilled. Nevertheless, a few examples can be found to demonstrate the approach of Slovak courts on this issue:
Adverse climate conditions and poor harvest – the defendant, an agricultural company, failed to fulfil its obligations and failed to deliver the agreed quantity of crops due to adverse climate conditions and extremely poor harvest. The court did not consider this a force majeure event excluding liability because, in the opinion of the court, it was predictable and surmountable. According to the court, it can reasonably be assumed in agricultural production that poor harvest may occur. In addition, the court concluded that the defendant company was obliged to deliver the crop and not to produce it. The defendant was therefore obliged to secure the supply by other means, for example by purchasing from another grower.1
Currency depreciation – the defendant did not deliver lumber under the contract with the plaintiff. It justified this failure by a 100% increase in the transport rates on German transport flows. The court described the event as foreseeable because the increase in transport rates could be expected due to the devaluation of the German mark at that time. While it was difficult to predict when and to what extent this would happen, this was not decisive. The defendant should have considered the possibility of this happening when concluding the purchase price. In addition, according to the court, the defendant could have fulfilled its obligation if it had sent the consignment through Austria or Switzerland, which were not affected by the increase in transport rates.2
Theft of goods – Samsung (the defendant) ordered from the plaintiff the transport of electronics from Slovakia to Bulgaria. The plaintiff secured the transport with the defendant. The vehicle, including the goods, was stolen during transportation. The defendant claimed damages from the plaintiff. The plaintiff in turn claimed damages from the defendant. The contractual relationship was governed by the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR). According to Art. 17(2) of the Convention, similarly to the Commercial Code, the carrier is to be relieved of liability as it could not have foreseen the circumstance and prevented the consequences of this circumstance. According to the court, the theft of the vehicle and the goods in this circumstance constituted a liberating reason and relieved the carrier of liability for damages.3
In connection with force majeure events, it is also necessary to mention certificates of facts important in legal relations arising in international trade issued by the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Section 5(2)(g) of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Act). The Chamber of Commerce will issue a certificate of the occurrence or circumstances of “force majeure” and their consequences in relation to the impossibility to fulfil contractual obligations to a Slovak entrepreneur who is exposed to sanctions from his contractual partner. The Chamber of Commerce does not assess whether the event is indeed a force majeure event under the law or the contract. However, it certifies that such an event has occurred and that there is a causal link between the occurrence of such an event and the impossibility of fulfilling the obligation under the contract in question. This certificate may be considered an authentic instrument. This means that the court will consider these facts proven and the burden of proof will shift to the other party to prove the opposite (Section 205 of the Civil Procedure Code).
In each situation it will always depend on the specific circumstances as well as whether and how the parties have regulated the issue of force majeure in their contract. Force majeure does not necessarily have to be a natural phenomenon, but can also entail human action (e.g. theft). However, the above-mentioned court decisions indicate that the courts will strictly consider the issue of insurmountability. The burden of proof will therefore lie with the party invoking force majeure to prove that those circumstances actually prevented it from fulfilling its obligations and that this obstacle could not have been overcome, for example by the performance of a substitute subcontractor.
1Decision of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic of 25 January 2012, file no. 23 Cdo/3066/2010 (due to the same laws in the given period, Slovak courts also rely on decisions of Czech courts when interpreting Slovak laws).
3Judgment of the Bratislava Regional Court of 23 April 2015, file no. 1Cob/301/2013. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1267 |
__label__wiki | 0.773896 | 0.773896 | Home World News East Africa
VIDEO: At least 6 killed in suicide attack on Mogadishu checkpoint
in East Africa, World News
BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:34 A.M.) – At least six people were killed, with dozens of others injured, after a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a checkpoint in Mogadishu, Tuesday.
Mogadishu mayor spokesperson, Abdifitah Halane, said that “One soldier and five civilians were among those who died in this attack and dozens of others were injured.”
“It was the checkpoint where the suicide bomber rammed with his car and exploded,” Halane explained.
No group has claimed responsibility for the assault yet, but it is most likely perpetrated by ISIS or the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab group.
ALSO READ Russian military to receive first S-500 in 2021
Tags: MogadishuSomalia | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1270 |
__label__wiki | 0.906472 | 0.906472 | PHOTOS: NASA's Giant Crawler Goes for a Test Drive, Continues Upgrades for SLS
By Mike Killian, on March 3rd, 2014
Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the B and D truck sections of crawler-transporter 2, or CT-2, are being raised up to prepare for installation of new roller bearing assemblies. Work continues in high bay 2 to upgrade CT-2. The modifications are designed to ensure CT-2’s ability to transport launch vehicles currently in development, such as the agency’s Space Launch System, to the launch pad. Photo Credit: NASA / Dimitri Gerondidakis
It will be several years before NASA’s two giant crawler-transporters are put to use again, but work at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been underway for some time to make them ready for NASA’s next generation of human-spaceflight vehicles—the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft—and recently the work done on crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2) passed the first phase of an important milestone test in the behemoth vehicle’s upgrading development.
The test, carried out by the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, put the new traction roller bearings on CT-2 to work on two of the massive vehicle’s truck sections, A and C, for a drive outside of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building last month. Both left- and right-hand steering was tested as the mammoth 5.5-million-pound beast moved along crawlerway C (between the Vehicle Assembly Building and Ordnance Road for those familiar with the area). Visual inspections of the roller bearing pumps, valves, and lines were also conducted to make sure the new roller assemblies received the required flow of grease from the grease injectors, and the temperature of the roller assemblies was measured with handheld infrared temperature monitoring devices.
The crawler at work for the last space shuttle mission with Atlantis (STS-135). Photo Credit: Mike Killian / AmericaSpace
“The temperature of the roller assemblies were monitored and recorded using newly-installed thermocouples,” said Mike Forte, a senior project manager with QinetiQ on the Engineering Services Contract. “We were looking for any anomalies and establishing a baseline operating temperature for the new roller assemblies. We also closely monitored the system for any unanticipated vibrations or noise, which are indications of problems.”
NASA has two crawlers, but in order to support a 21st century spaceport the agency is upgrading each for different tasks. One of the crawlers will be dedicated to NASA’s SLS / Orion human spaceflight program, while the other crawler will be upgraded for moving various types of rockets and spacecraft, such as SpaceX Falcons and Dragons (SpaceX is currently negotiating a lease agreement with NASA to use former shuttle Launch Complex 39A).
Both CT-1 and CT-2 have served NASA well for over 40 years, traveling the freeway-wide gravel track between the VAB and Launch Complex 39 with skyscraper-size, Moon-bound Saturn V rockets and space shuttles. They remain the largest self-propelled land vehicles in the world, but that’s not currently good enough to move the SLS. With the space shuttles the crawler moved a total of 12 million pounds three to four miles to launch pads 39A or 39B, a slow-motion (but very impressive) drive which took around six hours from start to finish. The whole SLS / Crawler vehicle (the rocket, spacecraft, mobile launch platform, and crawler itself) will weigh some 18 million pounds when rolled out to the pad in a few years, which is 6 million pounds more than the crawler’s current lifting capacity.
“The crawler is like a locomotive. It’s diesel-electric — there’s two diesel engines, which produce DC current — which is what makes us move,” explained crawler manager Ray Trapp in 2010. “The steering and the jacking and elevation of the crawler, the chassis and the mobile launcher, it’s all done by hydraulics. All of that basically is drive-by-wire, so there’s a steering wheel in the cab. You have to plan ahead, because obviously it doesn’t turn on a dime, you have to really be on your game and be thinking ahead about where you want to be, one, two, three minutes ahead of time.”
The three-story-tall, 31-foot-long, 113-foot-wide crawler, which was originally built by the Marion Power Shovel Company at a cost of $14 million ($100 million today), can move along at a blazing speed of 2 mph—without a rocket sitting on its back. With the 6-million-pound shuttle stack the crawler moved along at 0.8 mph. Such blazing speeds obviously require lots of fuel, and the crawler can carry along 5,000 gallons of it at a time. Its gas mileage, however, is not its best selling point, as the crawler only gets 42 feet per gallon, or 125.7 gallons per mile, while moving along on 456 tred-belt shoes. Incredibly, each shoe is 7.5 feet long by 1.5 feet wide, and each shoe weighs one ton.
The giant crawler parked next to the crawlerway after delivering space shuttle Endeavour to pad 39A for STS-126. Photo Credit: Mike Killian / AmericaSpace
In addition to the 88 new traction roller bearing assemblies, CT-2 also now has a modified lubrication delivery system and a new temperature monitoring system that includes 352 new thermocouples. The crawler’s control rooms and cabins have new touch screen displays, and both engine rooms—each with two engines—are being modernized to support the new responsibilities that lie ahead. Each vehicle also has new AC generators, and their DC generators are being upgraded.
Now back in the VAB, CT-2 is currently receiving more new roller bearing assemblies on the B and D truck sections, with the second test scheduled to take place next November after installation of the second set of bearings is completed. Future tests, according to Forte, will be used to establish permanent operational warning and shutdown limits for a fully-loaded crawler-transporter.
“A couple of us were sitting around about quarter to midnight or so, and an e-mail came in from our launch director, Mike Leinbach, and he said, ‘You guys have got to come out here and see this.’ And we ended up staying for hours, because it is absolutely incredible to see.” — Ken Ham, STS-132 Commander
BELOW: Photos of some recent work to CT-2, including its test drive last month. Photos courtesy of NASA.
March 3rd, 2014 | Tags: crawler-transporter, CT-2, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Launch Complex 39, Mike Killian, NASA, Space Launch System (SLS), VAB, Vehicle Assembly Building | Category: Heavy Lift Vehicle, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Launch Complex 39, Mike Killian, NASA, News, SLS, Space, Space Launch System, Spaceflight, Technology, USA
Experts Emphasised Need for Long-Term Vision and More Funding for NASA During Recent Congressional Hearing
‘Does Anyone Read Me?’ 45 Years Since Apollo 9 (Part 2) | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1272 |
__label__cc | 0.567273 | 0.432727 | Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (enlarged prostate)
Prostate is a male genital gland situated below the bladder, around the urethra, the tube from which the urine flows out. The prostate produces a secretion (prostatic fluid) which participates in the formation of the seminal fluid. At birth, the prostate is of the size of an almond.
During puberty, the volume of this gland increases owing to the presence of the male hormones (androgens) acting as the stimulant.
Around the age of 50, among the majority of men, the volume of the prostate continues to increase while squeezing the urethra and thus stems numerous urinary problems.
First of signs of obstruction
Total obstruction
A common pathology, present in 50% of men over 50 years and 88% of men with more than 80 years.
The irritation in the bladder that follows the failure to discharge provokes disorders very frequently.
Weak urinary stream
Hesitancy while urinating
Dribbling after urination
Necessity of efforts while urinating
DIAGNOSING BPH
The medical examination in this case involves performance of a physical abdominal examination, especially in the abdominal rectal area, which gives an idea about the volume of the prostate gland and highlights the presence of suspicious nodules; a questionnaire, called I-PSS, to analyze the severity of the symptoms shall also presented to the patient. After that, it is necessary to prescribe some further investigations, like a urine test with eventual urine culture, PSA measurement (prostate-specific antigen), kidney function tests and a Uroflowmetry (test that measures the speed of the urinary stream during urination, the test is culminated by simply urinating into a special instrument called a flow meter). After that, depending on the clinical and therapeutic needs, a transrectal prostate ultrasound, abdominal ultrasound, urodynamic examination with a pressure-flow relationship curve may also be requested. Among the most common complications of BPH is an increased risk of urinary tract infections due to retention of urine in the bladder. There are two types of treatments: the medical and the surgical. The Medical treatment employs drugs to alleviate the symptoms, such as alpha-blockers. These relax the prostate and bladder’s neck musclese and thus increase the flow of urine flow. Besides the alpha-blockers, the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are used. The therapy of association between alpha-blockers and 5α-reductase inhibitors has proven successful in drastically reducing the volume of the prostate. In case of failure of medical treatment a surgical treatment may become necessary. This involves the resection of the portion of the prostate through urethra. It is important not to overlook the first signs of a possible urinary tract disturbance, and if any persistence of symptoms is found, it is appropriate to undergo a medical examination. Ascertaining the cause of the problems at an early stage allows one to take prompt action in order to prevent or at least slow down the progression of the disease into a more serious condition, which could have an impact on the personal and social life of the individual.
BPH is neither cancer, nor an early stage of cancer | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1280 |
__label__wiki | 0.520962 | 0.520962 | A Manufacturing Company Supports Families Moving Internationally
This manufacturing company is headquartered in Europe, and has locations across Asia and North America.
Global Mobility Flex Model
Thriving in a New Culture Programs for long-term international assignees and their partners
Thriving in a New Culture Programs for Children/Teens
Virtual Country Briefings for Short-Term Assignments
Throughout our partnership across the last 20 years, this manufacturing company has expanded both its production operations and business locations globally. To support their growth, they have increased their number of international assignments significantly and required a flexible partner who can provide customized training for every member of the family.
An established brand with worldwide reach, this company strives to provide the highest level of global mobility support to employees. They required a consulting and training partner that could equip their assignees and families with the skills to integrate and adapt to new global locations. They were seeking cross-cultural training services that were adaptable depending on each international assignee’s circumstances, experience, family needs, and assignment destination.
It was quite a luxury to step out and reflect on our decisions as a family, and a nicely facilitated process to help us think more about what we want to get out of our assignment. I really appreciate that I went through the training with my spouse.
— Vice President, Thriving in a New Culture Participant
Figuring Out the Solution
Based on a collaborative needs assessment it was determined that the manufacturing company needed global mobility support for:
Preparing and supporting global talent on assignment
Preparing and supporting assignee families for a successful international relocation
Strengthening global teams by building trust, clear communication, and active collaboration
Preparing & Supporting Talent for Global Success
For over 20 years we have helped the manufacturing company prepare and support their international assignees through:
Customizable Thriving in a New Culture programs, which equips participants with strategies to minimize culture shock, establish credibility, create trust, and communicate effectively with locals.
Virtual Country Briefings for Short-Term Assignees, which is a two-hour virtual training on their assigned country.
Pre and/or Post Assignment coaching that helps assignees understand and prepare for what to expect when they arrive in their new location.
Supporting Families on International Assignment
The manufacturing company understands and values the need for the whole family to successfully transition and adapt to their host country. The “Thriving in a New Culture” program for kids and teens, meets children where they are, with topics that are of interest to them, and focuses on the foundations necessary for successful international integration. It provides youth with practical strategies to adjust and settle into a new country, allows space for them to express what moving means to them, and prepares them for the physical and emotional realities of an international move.
Strengthening Global Teams
Aperian Global has collaborated with the manufacturing company to customize team development programs such as a team Thriving in Denmark program for a group of U.K. leaders. This program included team foundations for developing skills to effectively perform on a multicultural team. Leaders established a desired future state for their teams and gained practical skills for building team trust.
Over the last two decades, we have successfully helped prepare and support more than 700 global employees and families as they have expanded the company’s global presence with headquarters in Europe, and locations in North America and Asia Pacific. Their products are now sold in more than 140 countries.
Out of 304 Thriving in a New Culture participants:
97% agreed the program provided them with practical skills, knowledge, and strategies.
97% agreed that the program will positively impact their effectiveness when interacting with people from other cultures.
94% agreed they feel better prepared to live and work in their assigned country.
Our partners know that great opportunities come when you invest in your employees moving on an international assignment. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1282 |
__label__wiki | 0.844626 | 0.844626 | Government Action Plan
59th anniversary of APS: Speeding up transition to digital technology
Published on : Tuesday, 01 December 2020 15:09 Read : 2 time(s)
ALGIERS- Algeria Press Service (APS), which celebrates Tuesday its 59th anniversary, is resolutely pursuing the modernization process, particularly through the implementation of several projects to adapt to the accelerated transition to digital technology that all media around the world are experiencing.
The APS was created in Tunis on December 1, 1961 at the initiative of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) to be the voice of the Algerian Revolution on the international media scene.
In the aftermath of independence, with rudimentary means and a reduced staff, APS took up the challenge and began to build and strengthen itself to become, over the years, a true national information agency, covering all the provinces of the country and accompanying the work of national construction in the political, economic, social, cultural and sports media.
Faced with technological challenges, the multiplication of electronic information sites and the emergence of social networks, the Agency has embarked on a vast process of modernization of its equipment and training of its human resources in order to assert itself as a reference media and provide its subscribers (media, institutions, companies and embassies) and the general public with diversified, reliable, credible and real-time information of the essential national and international news 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
With this in mind, in 2017, APS has equipped itself with a new editorial platform to manage the entire information production process (text and multimedia) for the benefit of its subscribers. It has a dozen information sites (a generalist site in Arabic, French and English, in addition to a site in Tamazight and 8 sites dedicated to the eastern, western, central and southern regions of the country).
In addition to its website, the Agency has varied its product and content through video, photo, computer graphics services and is working to strengthen its presence on social networks, which have become essential in the media landscape.
This deployment has enabled a significant increase in the consultation and access to the APS product, whose content disseminated on several media has greatly increased in visibility.
In the same vein, the Agency is working on a web TV project to broadcast programs continuously, first in Arabic, then in Tamazight, French and English later, with the aim of further strengthening its public service missions.
It also plans a redeployment of its offices abroad, in line with Algeria's interests, as part of a new strategy, in accordance with the new international situation.
APS currently has a staff of 455 employees, including 221 journalists and 27 translators, in addition to technical and audiovisual teams.
Today, as it did during the crucial phases of the country's history, APS is working to accompany the deep reforms brought about by the popular movement of February 22, 2019.
"I am convinced that the Agency, which has many distinguished journalists, will carry out, with greater maturity and high professionalism, its mission of information to meet the challenges imposed by the positive developments in the country," said Minister of Communication, Government Spokesman, Ammar Belhimer, during his visit to the headquarters of APS in January 2020. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1283 |
__label__wiki | 0.519538 | 0.519538 | Chevy Bolt EV might not come to UK
200-Mile Single-Charge Range May Not Be Enough To Reach London
Sep 22nd 2015 at 8:03AM
Anyone expecting the upcoming James Bond movie to feature scenes with the suave namesake cruising around London in a Chevrolet Bolt (yes, there are some of us around) will likely be disappointed. That's because it is apparently doubtful that the General Motors flagship division will make right-hand-drive versions of the electric vehicle for the UK. So we'll have to suffice with the dashing spy ripping around town in Aston Martins and the like. The UK's Autocar reported from the Frankfurt Auto Show and quoted a Chevrolet spokeswoman saying the Bolt with be "a global vehicle," though she wasn't more specific, or specific enough for the British.
Indeed, GM is prepping to sell the Bolt in the US and will also distribute the EV in Europe with an Opel nameplate. This is how it worked with the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in (known as Opel Ampera across the Pond). That said, the fine citizens of the UK will be left out of the opportunity to buy the electric vehicle, which may make a pretty big splash thanks to a single-charge range of about 200 miles, or more than double anything that's not a Tesla Model S. The Bolt will sell in the US for $37,500 before government incentives kick in.
It was announced this past February that the Bolt will go into production at GM's Orion plant near Detroit at some point. For a time, GM thought of changing the name because of potential confusion with the Chevy Volt, but GM confirmed this past spring that the name will stick. The car is expected to go on sale in 2017.
All Chevrolet Models
More Chevrolet Information
News Source: Autocar via Green Car Reports | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1285 |
__label__wiki | 0.650372 | 0.650372 | French Carsharing Drivy Raises $35M in Funding
French peer-to-peer carsharing service Drivy has closed a $35.2M round of funding, which was led by Cathay Innovation and Nokia Growth Partners, according to a report by The Pe Hub Network. Other participants included Bpifrance’s Ecotechnologie Fund, Via-ID (Mobivia group), and Index Venture.
Drivy will use the investment to expand into three new markets in Europe by the end of 2016, including the United Kingdom, according to the report. Additonally, the funding will be used to increase innovation and product development, says the report.
Founded in France in 2010, Drivy currently operates in France, Germany, and Spain. In the last six years, it has grown to about 850,000 users, says the report.
Related: French Carsharing Drivy Launches in Germany
“Drivy combines the quality of carsharing user experience and the scale of peer-to-peer marketplaces, with 3-digits growth every year,” Paulin Dementhon, CEO and founder of Drivy, told The Pe Hub Network. “We have met all conditions to accelerate international expansion — great apps, a worldwide insurance partnership, and a strong management team. We will also continue to reduce friction in the rental process thanks to mobile and telematics, with Drivy Open self-service rentals spearheading this effort.”
Click here for the full Pe Hub Network report.
Read more about Funding Carsharing Peer-to-Peer Drivy | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1286 |
__label__wiki | 0.795788 | 0.795788 | A Nuclear Posture Review for NATO
EU / NATO
Disputes Continue at UN First Committee
NATO Completes Annual Nuclear Exercise
Oliver Meier and Paul Ingram
NATO leaders seem ready to adopt a new Strategic Concept defining the alliance’s core mission for the next decade when they meet at the Lisbon summit November 19-20. Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen submitted his draft to member states on September 28; a more extensive conversation will take place in the NATO Council among foreign and defense ministers on October 14.[1]
This schedule does not give the 28 member states much time to reach compromise, a point worth emphasizing in light of the serious remaining divisions on a number of key problems. Not least among them is the future role of nuclear weapons in NATO’s defense posture, which Rasmussen, at a September 7 press briefing in Washington, called a “very central question.”[2]
Rasmussen admitted “that there are different positions when it comes to our nuclear posture.” In fact, the divisions among the allies are so serious that NATO defense ministers decided at their June 2010 meeting in Brussels to delete all references to NATO’s nuclear policies from the final communiqué as there was no agreement on the wording.[3] Rasmussen said that his “task will be to find the right balance and platform on which we can trace consensus,” but it is highly unlikely that he will come up with a formula that will satisfy the divergent views on all the political and strategic elements of NATO’s nuclear policy needed to develop military guidance. Thus, allies will probably merely agree to a lowest common denominator around the fundamentals of alliance nuclear policy within the new Strategic Concept, confirming a continued if reduced reliance on nuclear deterrence within a broader suite of capabilities for the immediate future but leaving many key issues ambiguous or open.[4] “We will adopt a new strategic concept which, in broad terms, will give direction,” Rasmussen said at the September 7 briefing. “And then, of course, it is for follow-up negotiations to produce more concrete facts and figures.”
This phased approach presents an opportunity for NATO to commit itself in principle within the Strategic Concept to reducing the salience of nuclear weapons in its deterrence posture. Practical details of that policy, including the future of nuclear sharing arrangements and NATO’s future declaratory policy, should be discussed among all allies in the context of a full review of NATO’s nuclear posture.[5] The alliance could launch that review at the Lisbon summit and conclude it within the following 12 months. Such an initiative would follow a similar effort recently completed by the United States and result in public policy guidelines determining the parameters of NATO’s nuclear policy. In order to bring NATO’s nuclear posture in line with requirements of the 21st century, such a review should:
• reduce NATO’s reliance on nuclear weapons, open the way for transparency and reductions of U.S. and Russian tactical nuclear bombs, and endorse the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons, in line with the policy of its member states to encourage moves toward global nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation;
• comprehensively address all political and military aspects of NATO’s nuclear policy, including declaratory policy, and thus reduce the commitment to ambiguity about the conditions under which the alliance might use nuclear weapons; and
• be conducted in an open and consultative manner by a group of member states’ political representatives separate from the Nuclear Planning Group, which has had rather limited and more technical ambitions, but with military advice and within a clearly defined time frame.
Without such a thorough, public review, the Strategic Concept itself will likely establish only general principles and be too nebulous to shape operational doctrine. That would leave the real operational decisions to be made behind closed doors in a “business as usual” mode by the nuclear hawks among the military establishment at NATO headquarters and within national military establishments, which have an interest in maintaining the status quo.
The Need for a New Nuclear Posture
The alliance can no longer avoid a fundamental reform of its nuclear weapons policy. First, the policy is outdated. Despite a drastic reduction in the number of nuclear weapons deployed in Europe, NATO’s core nuclear policy remains largely unchanged since the 1991 Strategic Concept was adopted soon after the end of the East-West confrontation. Although this policy was responsive to the dramatic transformation taking place at that moment, NATO policy since then appears stuck in a time warp. Despite its overwhelming conventional superiority over any potential foe, NATO remains attached to a position of strategic ambiguity, maintaining the option to use nuclear weapons in response to any kind of attack, be it nuclear or conventional. The alliance confirmed this policy in its current Strategic Concept, adopted in 1999, long after Russia had become a partner, after very little discussion of nuclear policy within the review process. This has weakened the credibility of NATO members’ efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Given NATO’s strategic position, there would be no significant sacrifice and a great deal to gain diplomatically and politically if the alliance were prepared to limit its options, much as the U.S. government itself has done in its latest Nuclear Posture Review (NPR).
The alliance retains around 200 free-fall U.S. nuclear bombs, deployed on aging aircraft in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, whose pilots could be expected to deliver these weapons in times of war. In the eyes of many, these nuclear sharing arrangements, invented under conditions of the global nuclear standoff to ensure a tight coupling between Western European and U.S. security, look anachronistic in today’s world. These arrangements have been criticized repeatedly by the majority of member states of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) as being at odds with treaty obligations.[6]
Second, NATO needs to respond to the new nuclear arms control agenda as outlined by U.S. President Barack Obama. NATO has so far been unable collectively to endorse the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons, which the United States and most allies now are pursuing. A number of member states want NATO to play a stronger role in arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament. From this perspective, the world’s most powerful alliance needs to be seen to engage in efforts to prevent further arms races, specifically nuclear arms races. Otherwise, it might be perceived as an organization pursuing military hegemony.
Third, NATO has to bring its policy in line with the one enunciated in the U.S. NPR Report, which has updated U.S. nuclear weapons policy by reducing Washington’s reliance on nuclear deterrence. For example, the United States has now declared that it will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states that are party to the NPT and in compliance with their nuclear nonproliferation obligations and also declared that it is the goal of the United States eventually to limit the role of nuclear weapons solely to deterring nuclear weapons use.[7] For NATO to have a less restrictive policy than the principal state deploying nuclear weapons on its behalf is, for all practical purposes, strategically meaningless. Maintaining a “first-use” policy also would give the impression of obstinate resistance to the disarmament agenda for no good cause.
There may be several reasons for NATO to consider its own leadership contribution to Obama’s agenda. Such leadership would likely be greatly appreciated by many within the Obama administration at this moment, as they themselves are more directly constrained by hostility within Congress and the need to display a commitment to strong defense. Furthermore, NATO is responding only to the strategic situation in Europe, arguably a great deal more secure than that in many other regions and independent of strategic relationships for which the United States needs to account when considering its global posture.
Fourth, the nuclear status quo in the alliance is politically untenable because the dual-capable aircraft designated to deliver U.S. bombs in Europe are aging, and current host states will likely not have the political and financial capital to drive through investment decisions within the next decade on their replacement.[8] Germany has already indicated that it does not intend to replace these aircraft, although there are proposals to extend the life of the current systems; other host countries will face difficult domestic challenges if they choose to procure new aircraft. A refusal by some NATO member states to accommodate host-nation concerns by blocking alliance-wide change and effectively pressuring them to procure nuclear-capable delivery systems against the expressed will of their parliaments and publics could severely harm alliance cohesion.
Several key western European allies, including three of the five nuclear host nations, have been champions of change. The German government has been most vocal and, with the support of all its significant political parties, has adopted a formal policy that advocates withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons from Germany and Europe. Others, most notably host nations Belgium and the Netherlands, but also Norway and Luxembourg, support the German push for a thorough review of NATO’s nuclear posture.[9] Although host countries are obviously motivated in part by the coming issue of investment in dual-capable aircraft, western European countries generally are keen for Europe to play its role in supporting Obama’s vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
NATO allies generally recognize that this time “a status quo oriented ‘don’t rock the boat’ approach might not work, as a number of political and military developments require an open discussion.”[10] Yet, there are differences as to how far-reaching the reforms should be. In many people’s minds, certain factors counterbalance the need for a radical reduction of NATO’s reliance on nuclear deterrence and, in particular, a change in nuclear sharing practices.
Some in central and eastern Europe, particularly in the Baltic states, fear that changes in NATO policy and doctrine could signal a weakening of collective defense commitments and a further U.S. decoupling from Europe, a process they perceive started as attention moved away from Europe around a decade ago.[11] Although rarely willing to declare this directly in public, they worry about emboldening a resurgent Russia within their region. Opposition to change comes not so much from an attachment to particular deployments or from specific worries about balancing nuclear forces, but rather from concerns about signaling, local strategic balances, and the long-term credibility of alliance cohesion.[12] Nevertheless, central European caution with regard to changing NATO’s nuclear posture does not mean that these countries oppose a review of nuclear policy. Thus, in a September 9 telephone interview, a source close to the Polish government said, “Poland is ready to work within the framework of follow-on discussions after the Lisbon summit, without precluding any outcome of such discussions.”
Some in Turkey are said to be worried about a possible weakening of U.S. defense commitments and the potential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran. Officially, however, Turkey emphasizes the need for nuclear weapons reductions; one indication of Ankara’s nuanced position is that the Turkish air force has not been providing dual-capable aircraft to participate in nuclear sharing for some time.[13]
Before they agree to a reduction in the role of nuclear weapons in NATO’s posture, these countries are looking to the alliance to put in place stronger non-nuclear instruments of reassurance to fill a “commitment gap” they fear could result from a withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons from Europe.[14]
French objections are another hurdle. Even though France does not directly participate in NATO nuclear policy, “Paris sees little need to review NATO’s current nuclear posture,” a French diplomat said in a telephone interview September 7. Others close to French policymaking have privately expressed the view that France is not overly concerned about political pressure being exerted on it to make deeper cuts, but it is concerned that its European allies could move away from supporting the policy of nuclear deterrence, with implications for alliance cohesion.
The other European nuclear power, the United Kingdom, has an ambiguous position with regard to NATO nuclear policy. The new coalition government has been keen to show continuity in the disarmament diplomacy pursued by its predecessor but is strongly attached to nuclear deterrence. Officials have privately expressed concerns that the desire for progress on disarmament in Europe may lead to hasty decisions.[15] The new government appears to have a greater desire to coordinate with the French on these and related matters.
Those that believed that Washington’s leadership was essential to changes in NATO’s nuclear posture were disappointed by the results of the U.S. NPR. The Obama administration appears to be agnostic with regard to the future deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Europe or has been unwilling, at least up to now, to express a view publicly. The NPR Report states simply that “[a]ny changes in NATO’s nuclear posture should only be taken after a thorough review within—and decision by—the Alliance.”[16] Although Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton argued at the informal April meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Tallinn, Estonia, that NATO should remain “a nuclear alliance,” she did not take an explicit position on the nature of any continued deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, rather focusing on the importance of maintaining the principle of burden and responsibility sharing.[17]
Ahead of the Tallinn meeting, Rasmussen stated his personal preference for maintaining the current nuclear sharing arrangements and indicated that they might even be useful in deterring unconventional threats, a position that apparently also reflects the opinion of some senior members of the international staff at NATO headquarters. A number of NATO member states, however, have directly criticized Rasmussen for this approach.[18] During his September visit to Washington, Rasmussen predicted that NATO “will not give up nuclear capabilities as an essential part of our deterrence policies.”[19] Yet, many member states are unhappy with the way Rasmussen is handling the Strategic Concept review, saying that he does not consult adequately with capitals and tends to inject his personal opinions into the debate. Thus, Rasmussen has been described as acting more as a general than a secretary and has been ridiculed as “the 29th member state.” During the first 12 months of deliberations on the new Strategic Concept, which was launched at the April 2009 summit in Germany and France, expectations had been raised that this process was to be the most open and participative of any NATO has conducted. Yet now, during the final stages of deliberations, the doors in Brussels have been slammed shut again, as officials responsible for finding support among key member states seek consensus.
A Minimalist Strategic Concept
NATO member states are currently discussing which aspects of NATO’s future nuclear posture need to be determined by the new Strategic Concept and which ones can be left to the follow-on process after the Lisbon summit. NATO would be well advised to take a “minimalist approach,” as one diplomat described it, to the nuclear language in the new Strategic Concept, on the basis of a “first, do no harm” principle, focusing on those aspects of NATO’s nuclear posture that are not under dispute. To a certain extent, this is inevitable because the new Strategic Concept will be much shorter than the 1999 version. Several diplomats predicted that the new concept might contain only two to three paragraphs on NATO’s new nuclear doctrine. One section would outline the alliance’s approach to nuclear deterrence, and another section would “balance” these statements by outlining NATO’s role in disarmament, arms control, and nonproliferation. Thus, in a September 6 speech to Germany’s ambassadors, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle argued that the joint letter by him and his counterparts from Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway ahead of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Tallinn had the purpose of ensuring “that disarmament and arms control will remain a key issue, also within NATO’s new Strategic Concept that is to be adopted at the Lisbon Summit in November.”[20]
There is no debate as to whether NATO should remain a nuclear alliance, if only because the three nuclear-weapon states—France, the United Kingdom and the United States—have pledged to use their nuclear assets for the protection of NATO allies. Rasmussen said he expects NATO allies to state that “as long as nuclear weapons exist, the alliance will remain a nuclear alliance, while gradually reducing the role and number of nuclear weapons.”[21] Beyond this, a few other principles should guide deliberations on what the Strategic Concept should say on nuclear policy.
First, a new concept should not preclude changes in NATO’s nuclear posture, which would come as the result of a formal review with adequate time for consideration. Any attempt to close down debates could damage the longer-term support for NATO’s nuclear posture and for the alliance more generally.
Second, the new concept needs to reflect the widespread support within NATO for the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, the dominant paradigm on nuclear issues ever since Obama’s April 2009 speech in Prague. At the 2010 NPT Review Conference in May, states-parties endorsed this goal. All NATO members are also NPT parties. During his September 7 briefing, Rasmussen said he expects the Strategic Concept to “endorse the grand vision of a world without nuclear weapons.” The French diplomat, however, cautioned that if nuclear weapons are discussed in NATO, the discussion must take place against the background of the current and future strategic situation. “We do not want ideological debates about Global Zero,” he said, referring to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. “This also applies to substrategic weapons. If the Strategic Concept addresses this question, it would also have to speak about Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons as well. These are currently not addressed at all.”
To be sure, a failure by NATO’s new Strategic Concept to endorse Obama’s goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and to explicitly reduce the salience of nuclear weapons would cast serious doubt on the credibility of its members and on the ability of the alliance to act cohesively on all matters surrounding nuclear weapons.
Third, the new Strategic Concept should move beyond the current unequivocal commitment to ongoing deployment of U.S. nuclear forces in Europe, stated in Article 63 of the 1999 concept as follows: “Nuclear forces based in Europe and committed to NATO provide an essential political and military link between the European and the North American members of the Alliance. The Alliance will therefore maintain adequate nuclear forces in Europe.” Retention of such a formula would go against the stated preferences of a number of member states and thus weaken alliance cohesion. The only appropriate approach at this stage would be to leave such a question to a review of nuclear posture in 2011, along with a necessary debate over declaratory policy.
What the Review Should Do
A minimalist Strategic Concept would provide “a framework that is both durable and flexible.”[22] By committing the alliance to reducing its reliance on nuclear weapons and initiating a process to implement such a policy, it would reflect the most important political changes that have taken place since 1999. Such a process, a “NATO NPR,” should not be seen as “reopening” the Strategic Concept. On the contrary, a NATO NPR would consider the posture of the alliance in the light of the general principles contained within the Strategic Concept; it would not revise them. It is therefore not too early to consider what ought to be covered by a NATO NPR and what its principles might be as its framework within the Strategic Concept is hammered out over the next month or so. Previous Strategic Concepts have been implemented through military guidance, an opaque process free from any significant accountability and often ignoring the political implications of NATO’s military posture. The fact that the current MC 400, which translates the political principles in NATO’s Strategic Concept into guidance for military commanders, is almost 20 years old and has been revised only twice underlines the urgency of a thorough review. A true NATO NPR by contrast would be more open-ended, focusing on political and military aspects. Five principles should guide a NATO NPR.
First, a NATO NPR should be comprehensive and address operational and political aspects of NATO’s nuclear sharing policies. All options, including a continuation of current practices, their reform, and their demise should be on the table.[23]
Second, the strategic issues facing NATO are clearly linked to other unresolved issues, such as support for strategic missile defense and the broader alliance relationship with Russia. For example, the Polish source pointed out that, “from a Polish perspective, the question of the commitment of the alliance to the deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe cannot be seen in isolation. Any change in the nuclear posture would have an impact on other aspects of the Strategic Concept.”
Although a NATO NPR undoubtedly will sit within broader discussions, it would be a mistake to allow the review to be held hostage to unneeded linkages. According to several sources, France has already conditioned its consent to a NATO endorsement of strategic missile defense (another topic that is up for decision at the Lisbon summit) on a U.S. commitment not to change NATO’s nuclear posture drastically. The French diplomat stated that Paris has no fundamental problems with the alliance endorsing strategic missile defense at the Lisbon summit, but warned that “such a system has to be effective and affordable.” He argued that “missile defense is a complement to NATO’s nuclear deterrent, but cannot be a substitute for it. Thus, we think that a possible endorsement by NATO of such a missile defense system should not have any impact on NATO’s nuclear posture.” This stands in contrast to the U.S. desire, as outlined in the NPR Report, “to increase reliance on non-nuclear means,” including missile defenses, to deter regional threats of aggression.[24]
If there was a decision to subsume the NPR into a broader strategic review to address strategic conventional capabilities and missile defense alongside nuclear posture—an option that, according to diplomatic sources, is being considered—there would be a serious risk that agreement would be impossible. The Strategic Concept will recognize the strategic links; it might be advisable to establish parallel tracks on other specific issues, such as NATO’s role in arms control.[25] Such an approach would ensure that NATO nuclear policy is not perceived as the only “unfinished business” by the time alliance heads of state and government meet in Lisbon.
Third, in line with the new Strategic Concept, a NATO NPR would have to outline in greater detail the implications of a reduced reliance on nuclear weapons. There is broad agreement that tactical nuclear weapons no longer serve any conceivable military purpose. The United States in particular would prefer to gradually replace the residual political functions of forward-deployed tactical nuclear weapons with other, non-nuclear means of assurance. This has implications too for NATO’s declaratory policy. NATO still practices a policy of “studied ambiguity,” which resists clarifying the circumstances under which the alliance might use nuclear weapons. It aims to maximize the utility of nuclear deterrence by accentuating uncertainty in the minds of any adversary and complicating his calculations of when the alliance might use nuclear weapons. In particular, NATO implicitly retains the option of using its nuclear forces to respond to a non-nuclear attack. But this policy is now directly at odds with the revised negative security assurances contained in the U.S. NPR Report, which are discussed above. The United Kingdom’s review of its nuclear declaratory policy, likely to conclude in October, is expected to follow a similar formula.
Given that NATO nuclear assets are tightly controlled by the U.S. president and the British prime minister, it would be logical for NATO to have at least as tight a declaratory policy. The Polish source said that “it is an open question whether NATO will take on board the extended negative security assurances the United States has adopted in the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review. It is also not clear whether this issue will be dealt with in the Strategic Concept or in the context of discussions after the summit.”
The group of experts headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright recommended that NATO bring its negative assurances into line with the U.S. policy.[26] Such a course of action, however, would bring its own problems because NATO could be split over assessments of whether a target state is in noncompliance with nonproliferation obligations, how serious a particular breach of international obligations might be, and which institution has the authority to make such judgments. Such debates would remind many of the deep rifts in the alliance before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.[27]
This possibility would seem risky enough that NATO members would be well advised to instead adopt a clear-cut “sole purpose” policy and declare that nuclear weapons would be used only in response to an attack by a nuclear-armed state. It would be reasonable for NATO to have a more restrictive declaratory policy than any of its nuclear members because the NATO policy would apply only to the subset of nuclear assets that are currently assigned to the alliance and applicable to the European theater.[28]
Guidance for Nuclear Sharing
Fourth, a NATO NPR will have to give guidance on future operational aspects of nuclear sharing arrangements, including the future deployment of nuclear weapons on member states’ territory. This issue is perhaps the most contentious and has been uppermost in the minds of those discussing the nuclear aspect of alliance policy for the last year or so. It would seem appropriate to consider the option of a time frame for withdrawing remaining U.S. nuclear weapons, long enough to have a thorough debate about alternative ways to provide assurance and to reinforce Article 5 collective defense commitments but short enough to consider the option of avoiding the replacement of the dual-capable aircraft and thus avoiding a divisive debate. A joint declaration by NATO member states at the next NPT review conference, in 2015, that the alliance will no longer practice nuclear sharing and that nuclear weapons will no longer be deployed on the territory of non-nuclear-weapon states would be an excellent NATO contribution to the global nonproliferation efforts of its member states.
Fifth, a NATO NPR should be conducted in an inclusive, open, and timely fashion, taking full account of the politics of the situation. In the past, NATO nuclear policies have been determined in private by the U.S. Department of Defense and within NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group and High-Level Group of defense ministry representatives. Military considerations have trumped political arguments within NATO’s nuclear discourse, creating a credibility gap between the diplomatic positions of its members and actual alliance policies and deployments. This undermines policy and leads to a skeptical attitude toward alliance members within the wider international community. Thus, South Africa at the NPT review conference pointed out that “[w]hile some argue that steps have been taken since the end of the Cold War to reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons, the continued reliance on such weapons in strategic doctrines, regrettably, would seem to indicate the opposite.”[29] The Polish source argued that “given the fact that foreign ministers were already addressing the alliance nuclear posture in Tallinn, it will be difficult to avoid a political process after the [Lisbon] summit.” The North Atlantic Council would be the natural choice within the alliance to be the principal political facilitator for decisions over a NATO NPR.
This also would ensure that France, which has recently returned to NATO’s integrated military structure but is still not a member of the Nuclear Planning Group, was no longer excluded from formal discussions over nuclear posture, ensuring greater chance of French buy-in and, ultimately, long-term cohesion of the alliance more generally. The Polish source echoed the sentiment of several diplomats and officials interviewed when he said that a NATO NPR “should be inclusive, involving all alliance members.” The French diplomat, however, pointed out that there is currently a debate in Paris about whether France would support a NATO NPR, to be launched at the Lisbon summit. “The French government has not made up its mind whether it wants to be part of such a process, should it be agreed at Lisbon,” he said. “Allies have to be aware that such a process could lead to difficult and long discussions among them,” he cautioned.
The deferral of difficult conversations from the Strategic Concept to a NATO NPR should not be an excuse for an open-ended process that unduly delays or avoids decisions. Thus, the Polish source pointed out that Warsaw preferred “to have a time frame for such discussions, defining milestones, yet avoiding deadlines.” Twelve months should provide a sufficient opportunity to arrive at a new consensus on future NATO nuclear policies. Thus, a NATO NPR could be adopted at NATO’s fall 2011 meetings.
It would be important for the process to be transparent and involve relevant stakeholders. The “public diplomacy” phase of the group of experts process could serve as a model. Thus, NATO could set up a NATO NPR Web site and stimulate debate within the media to enhance the legitimacy of the outcome.[30] Given the acute interest that many parliamentarians have shown in the issue, NATO should be particularly interested in involving national parliaments, their committees, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in the process.
A 21st-Century Force Posture
NATO policy up to now has shown all the hallmarks of being dominated by military considerations and far-fetched worst-case scenario planning, with the consequence that its nuclear posture, particularly in recent years, has been a handicap to crucial diplomatic agendas aimed at promoting global security through managed nuclear disarmament and strengthened nonproliferation efforts. A review of NATO’s nuclear posture would be an opportunity to overcome this dynamic and establish NATO as an institution that bolsters the international nonproliferation regime. In addition, although there are clearly elements of fundamental consensus around the need for some form of nuclear deterrence in the near future, there is little or no chance of reaching sufficient agreement on the operational aspects prior to the Lisbon summit. That meeting has other major considerations to debate, not least the issues of Afghanistan and the broader nature of the alliance itself.
The starting point for such a nuclear review must be an awareness that NATO members “cannot and should not avoid a re-examination” of NATO’s current nuclear doctrine and “what it means in practice,” as the statement of more than 30 senior European political, military, and diplomatic figures that are members of the European Leadership Network on Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation recently put it.[31] Most European allies support Obama’s vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. NATO will have to reflect these changes, by reducing reliance on nuclear weapons and more actively supporting global disarmament and nonproliferation efforts, if it is to remain relevant in the 21st century. Nuclear weapons were a central component of NATO capabilities in the past, but clinging to them now because of nostalgia or an inability to evolve could represent a major stumbling block for successful transformation.
Decisions will be made by consensus, but this should not be seen as an opportunity to block evolution. To do so would greatly damage alliance cohesion because in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, there now exists broad parliamentary and popular support for a withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons from their territories. The most politically viable course of action may turn out to be a decision to phase out nuclear sharing in the medium term and to develop more credible non-nuclear instruments that would provide assurance and spur a constructive dialogue with Russia over European security. A NATO NPR could be just the right vehicle to build consensus behind such an approach.
Oliver Meier is a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg and an international correspondent and representative of the Arms Control Association. Paul Ingram is executive director of the British American Security Information Council. The authors would like to thank the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for its support, which made research for this article possible.
1. See Oliver Meier, “NATO Struggles to Define New Nuclear Doctrine,” Arms Control Today, September 2010.
2. Elaine Grossman, “NATO Chief Anticipates Diminished Reliance on Nuclear Arsenal,” NTI: Global Security Newswire, Sept. 8, 2010, http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20100908_9517.php.
3. Karl-Heinz Kamp, “NATO’s Nuclear Weapons in Europe: Beyond ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’” NATO Research Paper, No. 61 (September 2010), p. 2 n.4, www.ndc.nato.int/download/downloads.php?icode=208.
4. Many of the assessments are based on interviews with diplomats and officials in Brussels and NATO capitals, many of whom did not want to be cited because of the sensitivity of discussions.
5. For the most extensive discussion, see Simon Lunn, “Reducing the Role of NATO’s Nuclear Weapons: Where Do We Stand after Tallinn?” RUSI Briefing Note, June 2010, www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/Reducing_the_Role_of_NATOs_Nuclear_Weapons.pdf.
6. See Peter Crail, “NPT Parties Agree on Middle East Meeting,” Arms Control Today, June 2010.
7. U.S. Department of Defense, “Nuclear Posture Review Report,” April 2010, p. 15, www.defense.gov/npr/docs/%20nuclear%20posture%20review%20report.pdf (hereinafter NPR Report).
8. See Malcolm Chalmers and Simon Lunn, “NATO’s Tactical Nuclear Dilemma,” RUSI Occasional Paper, March 2010, pp. 21-26, www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/NATOs_Nuclear_Dilemma.pdf.
9. Foreign ministers of Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway to Anders Fogh Rasmussen, February 26, 2010, www.minbuza.nl/dsresource?objectid=buzabeheer:200281&type=org.
10. Kamp, “NATO’s Nuclear Weapons in Europe,” p. 2.
11. Central and eastern European politicians and scholars complained to Obama in a July 2009 open letter “that central and eastern European countries are no longer at the heart of American foreign policy.” David Hayes, “East-central Europe to Barack Obama: An Open Letter,” July 22, 2009, www.opendemocracy.net/article/east-central-europe-to-barack-obama-an-open-letter.
12. See Lukasz Kulesa, “Reduce U.S. Nukes in Europe to Zero, and Keep NATO Strong (and Nuclear): A View from Poland,” Polish Institute of International Affairs, March 2009, www.pism.pl/zalaczniki/Strategic_File_7.pdf.
13. See Mustafa Kibaroglu, “Reassessing the Role of U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Turkey,” Arms Control Today, June 2010.
14. For a list of measures to “compensate” for such a withdrawal, see Ian Anthony and Johnny Janssen, “The Future of Nuclear Weapons in NATO,” Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung International Policy Analysis, April 2010, pp. 29-32, http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/id/ipa/07151.pdf.
15. At the time of this writing, the government is undergoing a Strategic Defence and Security Review that will have important implications for the United Kingdom’s contribution to NATO. The strongest public indications of the new government’s position on nuclear diplomacy are from Foreign Secretary William Hague’s speeches, notably his speech of May 26. In that speech, which came during the final week of the NPT review conference, he announced a ceiling on the United Kingdom’s nuclear warheads and committed to a review in declaratory policy. See Hansard, May 26, 2010, cols. 180-181.
16. NPR Report, p. 32.
17. See Lunn, “Reducing the Role of NATO’s Nuclear Weapons,” p. 6.
18. Oliver Meier, “NATO Chief’s Remark Highlights Policy Rift,” Arms Control Today, May 2010.
19. Grossman, “NATO Chief Anticipates Diminished Reliance on Nuclear Arsenal.”
20. “Speech by Guido Westerwelle, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Opening of the Ambassadors Conference at the Federal Foreign Office,” September 6, 2010, www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/en/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2010/100906-BM-BokoEroeffnung.html.
22. See Steven Andreasen, Malcolm Chalmers, and Isabelle Williams, “NATO and Nuclear Weapons: Is a New Consensus Possible?” RUSI Occasional Paper, August 2010, p. 1, www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/NATO_and_Nuclear_Weapons.pdf.
23. Lunn, “Reducing the Role of NATO’s Nuclear Weapons,” pp. 8-9.
25. The NATO group of experts tasked with developing elements of a new Strategic Concept has recently recommended that NATO should revive the Special Consultative Group on Arms Control. See NATO Group of Experts, “NATO 2020: Assured Security; Dynamic Engagement,” May 17, 2010, pp. 43-44, www.nato.int/strategic-concept/expertsreport.pdf.
26. NATO Group of Experts, “NATO 2020,” pp. 43-44.
27. The authors thank Otfried Nassauer for this point.
28. These assets are the 200 or so U.S. free-fall bombs deployed in Europe and an unknown number of sea-launched ballistic missiles deployed on U.S. and British submarines.
29. “Statement by Ambassador Jerry Matjila, South African Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, in Main Committee I of the 2010 Review Conference of Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” New York, May 7, 2010.
30. The NATO group of experts made its final report and some supporting materials available electronically. See www.nato.int/strategic-concept/.
31. European Group Statement on NATO Nuclear Weapons, Sept. 29, 2010, www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1287 |
__label__wiki | 0.666797 | 0.666797 | Aussie biz goes big and beats world on AI deployments
Artificial intelligence adoption high and rising in Australia, with two thirds of local businesses already using the tech
George Nott (CIO) 18 January, 2017 12:41
Australian businesses are ahead of their global counterparts in the deployment of artificial intelligence and are spending big on the technology, according to a report.
Nearly two thirds of the 200 large Australian businesses (those with more than 1,000 employees and $500 million annual revenue) surveyed said they were already using AI, compared with only a quarter of businesses globally.
Most commonly the technology is being used on these shores for big data automation, predictive analytics and machine learning, research by Infosys found.
“Though many Australian’s may not recognise it, AI is all around us,” said Andrew Groth, senior vice president, Infosys Australia and New Zealand. “Adoption is on the rise and we are excited to see the investments in AI that businesses are gradually making to derive meaningful and creative change. The achievements are remarkable and the opportunities AI is bringing forth are vast.
“As we are seeing AI mature and gain momentum, our research shows that the next four years will witness further spikes in interest, and general bullishness about the significant value and benefits that can be obtained through AI adoption.”
AI big spender
The average amount being spent on AI by Australian organisations was $8.2 million, the second highest globally after the US.
The automation of business processes was reported to be the key driver in implementing AI by 66 per cent of local firms, followed by cost savings (62 per cent), improved decision making (55 per cent) and to boost employee productivity (54 per cent).
Of those businesses that had already deployed AI in some way, cost savings was the most common benefit experienced, followed by process automation and increased revenue.
Read more CIO’s top priorities for 2017
Many of those that hadn’t invested yet believed they needed to: almost half (47 per cent) of Australian business leaders believe that the future growth of their organisation depends on AI adoption.
Lack of skills
As is often the story in Australia, a lack of skills was perceived as a barrier to adoption by many businesses. Some 23 per cent said they had no AI related skills within their organisation, the highest of the seven countries surveyed and way above the global average of 10 per cent.
Groth added that this highlighted the need for a greater focus on STEM education in Australia.
Read more Meet the Australian cricket team's secret selector
“There is a need for changes to school and university curricula to be more experiential and to engrain an ethos of lifelong learning and upskilling within the next generation of Australia’s workforce. It’s the responsibility of our government, businesses, educators and the community to enable us to reskill many times during our work lifetime,” he said.
Machine learning set to be 2017’s megatrend
2017 will be the year of AI: alternative intelligence
Infosys chief steps down amid rift reports
Tags predictive analyticsskillsinfosysspendingAImachine learning | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1288 |
__label__cc | 0.731422 | 0.268578 | Car of the Month : February 2008
1 February 2008 Keith Adams 0
Cruelly overlooked by Jaguar aficionados, the XJ-S was probably the best Grand Tourer you could have for the money during the 1970s and ’80s. However, the time is coming for these magnificent cars, and Richard Bremner has made sure he’s in the pound seats for the renaissance by picking up the best example be could find.
However, the way it was bought was far from conventional, even if many of the site’s readers will be familiar with it.
Words and pictures: Richard Bremner
LIKE so many people who acquire classics, I didn’t quite mean to buy this one. But I succumbed to the temptations eBay, which is where pictures of this chestnut metallic XJ-S (not these ones – Ed) leapt out at me. It was partly the quality of the picture that caught my eye, but also this incredibly clean and shiny car, and its backdrop – if the surroundings are well-to-do, I figure, there’s a chance that the owner might have been able to afford to maintain it properly. Though that doesn’t always apply of course.
Anyway, it was enough to get me to click on the page, where I was able to savour the sight of a 1981 Jaguar XJ-S 5.3 V12 HE with 19,000 miles on the clock. Judging by the rest of the pictures and the history, the mileage looked genuine. Bidding had already reached over £8000 – a lot, for a fixed-head XJ-S – and in the end it didn’t sell.
Out of curiosity I emailed the owner to find out what is reserve was, which turned out to be £9000. And though as I say that’s a lot for one of these Jags, a bit of research soon revealed plenty of 50-60,000 mile cars that were in good condition but far from as exceptional as this car, for £6-6500. And you’d never get one of these more used examples to the condition of this 19,000-miler for £2500-3000, I argued to myself as I constructed an excuse to at least have a look.
However, for logistical reasons I couldn’t go and see it, which is how a very knowledgeable friend came to be travelling to South Wales one Saturday morning, and how he came to leave me a message saying that he’d paid a deposit. Which was a slightly startling turn of events – my bluff was being called. ‘If you want an XJ-S,’ his message said, ‘this is the one – it’s absolutely superb.’ And so I ended up buying it (the deposit was returnable, but I couldn’t resist indulging) and a fortnight later I was on a train to Wales to collect a car that I’d never seen and didn’t know I really wanted.
I’ve blown hot and cold over XJ-Ss over the years, amazed at the value and performance they offer, but worried by a stellar reputation for creating giant repair bills out of nowhere. And I also wondered whether I really wanted the wheels of your archetypal self-made, cigar-chomping businessman from the 1980s. But when I saw the car it was easy to forget all that – there was no rust, no fresh paint, no deterioration anywhere, really, and an engine bay almost totally dirt and stain-free. This was something exceptional, which was just as well given what I was paying.
‘You’ll get 22mpg on a long run,’ it’s owner cheerily told me as I left his drive, and that’s exactly what the Jag returned on the journey to London, though I used far from all of its satin power. Not that I bought an XJ-S V12 to enter economy runs. The plan is to use it on some classic car events in the summer, and attempt to maintain it in time-warp condition.
So far, it has cost me a service, new tyres (two were fitted on the day it was made, and had gone hard), attention to the charging system and the straightforward repair of a power steering leak, but it’s now running magnificently, and attracts a surprising amount of attention on the road. Not that that’s what I was after, but I guess it reflects the fact that you don’t see these long-bonneted beasts so often these days and that the XJ-S is quite an unusual-looking device. I’m sure it will only become more so as the years go by.
Blog: Time for a great read
Concepts and prototypes : Meet the LM family
by Keith Adams in Austin/MG Maestro (LC10) 22
Sometime in 1979, the Austin-Morris product planners would have met with BL’s upper management to explain the LM10 strategy. This model set perfectly demonstrates how the Montego saloon and estate were developed from the Maestro [...] | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1289 |
__label__wiki | 0.572146 | 0.572146 | By Joe Navarro
Read by Dave Clark
Joe Navarro HarperAudio, HarperCollins 9780062846877
From the world’s #1 body language expert* comes the essential audiobook for decoding human behavior “The ultimate body language reference. I’ll be both referring to and recommending this book on a daily basis for many years to come.” —Amy Cuddy Joe Navarro has spent a lifetime observing others. For 25 years, as a Special Agent for the FBI, he conducted and supervised interrogations of spies and other dangerous criminals, honing his mastery of nonverbal communication. After retiring from the bureau, he has become a sought-after public speaker and consultant, and an internationally bestselling author. Now, a decade after his groundbreaking book What Every BODY is Saying, Navarro returns with his most ambitious work yet. The Dictionary of Body Language is a pioneering “field guide” to nonverbal communication, describing and explaining the more than 400 behaviors that will allow you to gauge anyone’s true intentions. Moving from the head down to the feet, Navarro reveals the hidden meanings behind the many conscious and subconscious things we do. Readers will learn how to tell a person’s actual feelings from subtle changes in their pupils; the lip behaviors that betray concerns or hidden information; the many different varieties of arm posturing, and what each one means; how the position of our thumbs when we stand akimbo reflects our mental state; and many other fascinating insights to help you both read others and change their perceptions of you. Listeners will turn to The Dictionary Body Language again and again—a body language bible for anyone looking to understand what their boss really means, interpret whether a potential romantic partner is interested or not, and learn how to put themselves forward in the most favorable light. *GlobalGurus.org
From the world’s #1 body language expert* comes the essential audiobook for decoding human behavior
“The ultimate body language reference. I’ll be both referring to and recommending this book on a daily basis for many years to come.” —Amy Cuddy
Joe Navarro has spent a lifetime observing others. For 25 years, as a Special Agent for the FBI, he conducted and supervised interrogations of spies and other dangerous criminals, honing his mastery of nonverbal communication. After retiring from the bureau, he has become a sought-after public speaker and consultant, and an internationally bestselling author. Now, a decade after his groundbreaking book What Every BODY is Saying, Navarro returns with his most ambitious work yet. The Dictionary of Body Language is a pioneering “field guide” to nonverbal communication, describing and explaining the more than 400 behaviors that will allow you to gauge anyone’s true intentions.
Moving from the head down to the feet, Navarro reveals the hidden meanings behind the many conscious and subconscious things we do. Readers will learn how to tell a person’s actual feelings from subtle changes in their pupils; the lip behaviors that betray concerns or hidden information; the many different varieties of arm posturing, and what each one means; how the position of our thumbs when we stand akimbo reflects our mental state; and many other fascinating insights to help you both read others and change their perceptions of you.
Listeners will turn to The Dictionary Body Language again and again—a body language bible for anyone looking to understand what their boss really means, interpret whether a potential romantic partner is interested or not, and learn how to put themselves forward in the most favorable light.
*GlobalGurus.org
“The ultimate body language reference. I’ll be both referring to and recommending this book on a daily basis for many years to come.” —Amy Cuddy, New York Times bestselling author
Author Bio: Joe Navarro
Joe Navarro worked for twenty-five years as a special agent with the FBI in the area of counterintelligence, and he was a founding member of the FBI’s elite National Security Division Behavioral Analysis Program, which focused on the behavior of spies, terrorists, and criminal behavior. Since retiring, Navarro has lectured widely on nonverbal communication and has been featured in major media outlets throughout the world. He is the author of Three Minutes to Doomsday and the international bestseller What Every BODY Is Saying, among other books.
AE Catalog ID: L3B557 AE Catalog ID: L1B5582 | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1296 |
__label__cc | 0.617379 | 0.382621 | Monarch pilots raise questions about lost pay in reaction to Budget
Following Philip Hammond’s Budget announcement of a review of airline insolvency arrangements to protect the public, pilots have raised concerns the proposals do not appear to include staff.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has said that it’s important the process is reviewed, and staff of collapsed airlines should also be considered in this process.
“I welcome the review announced by the Chancellor. The recent example with Monarch showed there are definitely some flaws in the way we carry out insolvency arrangements when it comes to the collapse of an airline, particularly regarding staff. I have written to the Chancellor to ask him to ensure that this aspect is part of the review’s terms of reference.
“Monarch pilots lost their jobs and livelihoods, and with them, a significant amount of money in wages following the collapse.
“We are also concerned about the decision to wet-lease aircraft from airline carriers, including non-EU carriers, to repatriate customers, while Monarch pilots and aircraft remained grounded. The reasons for this were bureaucratic, and the rules could certainly be changed to at least give pilots a few more days’ employment. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1298 |
__label__wiki | 0.685602 | 0.685602 | From time immemorial burials have occurred in the crypt of Bath Abbey. Prior to 1844 the occurrence of an entry in the burial register indicates that the burial took place in the Abbey.
Layout of the Abbey and the floor memorials
There were only between 20 and 50 burials per year in the period 1600-1844. The main exception was in 1643, probably due to the typhus epidemic during the Civil War. Those buried were nationally or locally prominent people and parishioners.
The entries in the register are mainly (90%) for burial within the Abbey. However some entries are explicit in stating that the burial was elsewhere: the churchyard (7.8%), the skullhouse (1.5%) and St John’s Chapel. The numbers buried in the churchyard are low until the 1730s, this ceasing in 1763. The skullhouse was used only in the period 1774-1780. Its location has yet to determined; it may have been in the crypt.The Bathwick registers have a number of burials of people designated as being from Abbey parish. Burials at the Abbey & St James Poor House in Widcombe started in 1784 and ceased in 1857.
Of the burials, about 4% have a corresponding name on a wall memorial. After the opening of Bath Abbey Cemetery in 1844 (see separate section) only a few further burials occurred in the Abbey; the last burial in the Abbey occurred on 29 Jan 1845. The entries in the register thereafter are annotated as the burial having occurred in the cemetery.
Number of burials per year by burial location 1700-1800
The number of burials per year was quite low compared to parishes such as St Swithin’s and St James’, reflecting the small size of the parish. Nonetheless, as is evident from other registers, burials of Abbey parishioners were also occurring in other burial grounds with significant numbers at Bathwick and the Abbey (& St James’) Poor House in Widcombe. The last burial in the Abbey occurred on 29 Jan 1845, a few months after Bath Abbey Cemetery opened.
The burial registers for the Abbey have until recently been un-indexed and with the need to consult the microfiche copies at either Bath Record office or the Somerset Heritage Centre.
Transcripts of the Register of Bath Abbey 1801-1840 and of the Register of Bath Abbey & St James Burials (Poor) at Widcombe 1784-1840. E S Jenkins (1980).
The Registers of the Abbey Church of SS Peter and Paul Bath, edited by Arthur J Jewers, Vol II (London, Harleian Society 1901)
Bath Abbey - Alphabetical index of baptisms, marriages and burials, 1743-1940 – Somerset Record Office D\P\ba.ab/2/9/1 (microfiche).
The National Burial Index 3 has 2,397 entries for Abbey parish for the period 1668-1945 provided by the Somerset & Dorset Family History Society but these records are not complete; there should be over 5,000 entries alone for those buried in Bath Abbey cemetery. In addition the list of years covered indicates that the records are incomplete. There are over 3,000 records in the transcript by Arthur Jewers which covers the period 1569-1800.
The Abbey is rich in internal memorials and these are documented in: Memorial Inscriptions in Bath Abbey, by J Dunn 1914 [Bath Record Office and Bath Central Library]. See also Somerset Record Office Somerset Record Office DD\TB/20/2. However, these wall memorials have not been photographed and mapped systematically.
In addition, where a flat slab on the floor served as the memorial, there is Inscriptions on the Flat Stones in the Bath Abbey Church copied by Charles P Russell (Parish Clerk) at the Time of the Restoration of the Church in 1872. [Bath Record Office] This is handwritten and has an accompanying map (see figure above).
Bath Abbey – Burial Register Name & Memorial Indexes. Widcombe Association 2013. Contains name, floor memorial and wall memorial indexes, the memorial indexes based on the prior documentation of floor and wall memorials. For an entry in the burial register any floor and/or wall memorial reference is given. [Bath Record Office]
Wall Memorial Index
Floor Memorial Index
Wall Memorial Sections | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1300 |
__label__cc | 0.678079 | 0.321921 | Bathford Parish Council, supported by 60 witnesses, applied for the footpath alongside the Bathford Railway Bridge and across the Avon to be registered. If it had not been registered, it would have been lost as a public right of way. BANES has now confirmed that there have been no objections from Network Rail or anybody else and the route will now be recorded on the Definitive Map. Thanks to all those who supported the application.
The Full Order Can be downloaded
Some younger parishioners with a passion for skateboarding gave a very good presentation to the Parish Council at the last meeting. We are currently investigating the possibility of locating one on the playing field, in the far corner away from properties. Funding will be the ultimate decider, if anybody has any views either way or is aware of funding opportunities please get in touch with the clerk; clerk@bathford.net
Bathford Parish Council received a total of £11,316 via the Community Infrastructure Levy. To date none of this has been spent, it must be spent on infrastructure projects. If you would like more information please contact the Clerk.
The Inspector at the non-statutory enquiry has rejected the Parish Council’s application for the site to be designated a town or village green and many will be disappointed. The points that we needed to establish for the case to proceed, and which were contested between the parties, were that
The application was made within the qualifying period
The land owner was not able to satisfy the inspector that signs had been erected within the qualifying period
That the installation of the gas pipe in 2010 did not deal a fatal blow to the application
We were able to establish all those points. We were not able to establish sufficient use, as per the legislation, over the qualifying period of 20 years. The standard of proof required was extremely high and it was not clear how, without precise memory and records, , sufficient use could be established. In addition, we were surprised that the inspector discounted any use of the land for the purposes of getting to the River or ByBrook for canoeing purposes.
The PC would like to thank all those who contributed time and effort in presenting our case.
The inspector’s report (all 71 pages) is available below
Withy Bed – Inspector’s Report
Withy Bed – Appendices | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1301 |
__label__wiki | 0.716692 | 0.716692 | CommonGround raises $19M to rethink online communication
CommonGround, a startup developing technology for what its founders describe as “4D collaboration,” is announcing that it has raised $19 million in funding.
This isn’t the first time Amir Bassan-Eskenazi and Ran Oz have launched a startup together — they also founded video networking company BigBand Networks, which won two technology-related Emmy Awards, went public in 2007 and was acquired by Arris Group in 2011. Before that, they worked together at digital compression company Optibase, which Oz co-founded and where Bassan-Eskenazi served as COO.
Although CommonGround is still in stealth mode and doesn’t plan to fully unveil its first product until next year, Bassan-Eskenazi and Oz outlined their vision for me. They acknowledged that video conferencing has improved significantly, but said it still can’t match face-to-face communication.
“Some things you just cannot achieve through a flat video-conferencing-type solution,” Bassan-Eskenazi said. “Those got better over the years, but they never managed to achieve that thing where you walk into a bar … and there’s a group of people talking and you know immediately who is a little taken aback, who is excited, who is kind of ‘eh.’”
CommonGround founders Amir Bassan-Eskenazi and Ran Oz. Image Credits: CommonGround
That, essentially, is what Bassan-Eskenazi, Oz and their team are trying to build — online collaboration software that more fully captures the nuances of in-person communication, and actually improves on face-to-face conversations in some ways (hence the 4D moniker). Asked whether this involves combining video conferencing with other collaboration tools, Oz replied, “Think of it as beyond video,” using technology like computer vision and graphics.
Bassan-Eskenazi added that they’ve been working on CommonGround for more than year, so this isn’t just a response to our current stay-at-home environment. And the opportunity should still be massive as offices reopen next year.
“When we started this, it was a problem we thought some of the workforce would understand,” he said. “Now my mother understands it, because it’s how she reads to the grandkids.”
As for the funding, the round was led by Matrix Partners, with participation from Grove Ventures and StageOne Ventures.
“Amir and Ran have a bold vision to reinvent communications,” said Matrix General Partner Patrick Malatack in a statement. “Their technical expertise, combined with a history of successful exits, made for an easy investment decision.”
Will Zoom Apps be the next hot startup platform? | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1304 |
__label__wiki | 0.692198 | 0.692198 | Dr. Boyce Speaks On BET & TJ Holmes. Says “Either Grow Up Or Give Up”
/in Hot Topics /by
By Dr. Boyce Watkins
I’ve done a lot of work with various media outlets over the years, but it has left me relatively unsatisfied. The reason for my concern is that, as a business school professor, I tend to notice ownership structure, incentives and the role that capitalist organizations have played in the oppression and control of black people. Like infants being fed Vodka in their baby bottles, black people are consistently doused with an overwhelming amount of unhealthy propaganda, leading many of us to live our lives as the intellectual version of the walking dead.
There is no network that embodies this problematic disparity more than Black Entertainment Television (BET). I love BET for what it could have been, but I hate the network for what it chooses to be. BET has become a case study for all that can go wrong from a one-dimensional focus on corporate profitability with almost no concern for the externalities being created by destructive and irresponsible content. Even worse is that BET is ultimately run and controlled by Viacom, a company headed by executives who don’t have to go home to gun violence, sagging pants, educational underachievement and all the other cultural deformities that come from consuming weaponized psychological poison for the entire day.
One ray of hope for BET was the new show, “Don’t Sleep!” hosted by TJ Holmes. Almost no new show in the history of BET has generated as much buzz in the black community, at least among those with more than a 10th-grade reading level. Like the drunk a*s uncle who suddenly decides that he wants to take care of his kids, BET claimed that it was trying to turn over a new leaf and give us something that makes the black community better and not worse.
The problem for BET, similar to the uncle who suddenly decides to be a father, is the lack of trust. The network has abused our brains with the kind of garbage that could serve as a How-to Guide for the Willie Lynch syndrome and produced its content with almost no degree of corporate accountability. I even remember watching the rapper Wiz Khalifa perform a song (“On my Level”) where he bragged to an audience full of teenagers about “being sloppy drunk looking for the keys to my car.” Most of us turned off BET years ago and can’t even find it on our cable guide. Like the ex-girlfriend who slept with your best friend and stole your money, most of us feel that we escaped from the BET psychological plantation and can’t quite stomach the idea of coming back.
But TJ’s show seemed different and special. Holmes took his powerful brand away from the lilly white safe havens of CNN and brought it back to his community. Many of us hearing about the amazing guests and quality conversations on the show were saying, “I think I’m going to take a look.” The trust was coming back, and people were ready to take notice.
But before you could say the words, “I heart coonery,” BET cut TJ’s show back from five half-hour days a week to just one day per week (extending the show to one hour), simultaneously attempting to argue that the change means that they are giving TJ more time on the air instead of less. Sorry BET, but most of us know that five and a half hours per week is more than one. This is something we learned when we chose to pick up a math book instead of watching 106 & Park
So, BET allows for a show that significantly changes the direction of the network, the host does a great job, the show has solid ratings in spite of mediocre lead-ins and they kill it in just a month? The problem here is that the network should have at least given TJ three months on his original schedule to build an audience for the show instead of expecting him to overcome thirty years of misdirection in just a month. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that this show was actually set up for failure.
http://www.blackloveandmarriage.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/logo.png 0 0 http://www.blackloveandmarriage.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/logo.png 2012-11-19 05:59:452019-01-18 15:14:57Dr. Boyce Speaks On BET & TJ Holmes. Says “Either Grow Up Or Give Up”
Derrick Rose and Girlfriend Mieka share pics of their new baby “PJ... Black Support For Gay Marriage Is Steadily Growing | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1307 |
__label__cc | 0.708166 | 0.291834 | TRAVEL ADVISORY: For important information and updates regarding COVID-19, click here.
At Bluegreen Vacations, we’re in the business of creating lasting vacation memories. Our purpose is to provide our owners and guests with a great vacation experience, every time.
We believe in the power of vacation. We believe that vacations provide life-enriching experiences that, when shared with loved ones, can serve to strengthen bonds and provide a lifetime of cherished memories.
We provide our valued owners with the opportunity to create unique vacation experiences at beautiful resorts and popular destinations across the U.S. and Caribbean, and deliver quality and value.
Established in 1966, Patten Realty, Inc. was a land management company that was later renamed Bluegreen Vacations®. Since that time, Bluegreen has grown to become a leader in vacation ownership. Our 220,000+ owners and their guests enjoy vacation experiences across a range of exciting destinations. They relax in style at unique resorts featuring spacious accommodations with all the comforts of home, plus vacation-enhancing amenities and a staff dedicated to making every stay a memorable one.
These values lie at the center of our company’s DNA. They provide a clear path towards achieving our purpose, which is to provide our owners and guests with a great vacation experience, every time. They also serve as a guideline for our associates in their interactions with each other.
Customer Obsession
If it matters to our customer, it matters to us.
We strive to exceed expectations in everything we do.
Surprise & Delight
We want our customer care to be remarkable and memorable.
We are always looking to be better and develop our talent.
We keep things as simple as possible.
We do what is right, even when no one is looking.
We believe in one another.
We act with a sense of urgency and anticipation.
Bluegreen Vacations and our associates regularly donate resources, funds and their time to support a range of charitable and philanthropic organizations.
Our philanthropy centers around our understanding that we are a part of the communities where we live and work. We believe in initiatives that effect a positive change, assist and empower those in need and protect and conserve the environment through social responsibility and sustainable practices.
This global federation works to protect and care for children who have lost parental care, or who stand at risk of losing it. They work with communities, partners and states to ensure that the rights of all children, in every society, are fulfilled. They also work with families to help them build their capacities so that children are well cared for and families stay together.
Families experiencing crises or extreme hardship may have difficulty caring adequately for their children. When children can no longer live with their families, SOS works with communities and state partners to provide children with loving and supportive alternative care.
Christel House has been Bluegreen Vacations’ Charity of Choice since 2000. Christel DeHaan, a pioneer in the vacation industry and co-founder of Resort Condominiums International (RCI), founded Christel House in 1998. Christel House programs focus on education, nutrition and health care, life-skills training, character development and self-esteem to help break the cycle of poverty for children around the world and help them to become self-sufficient, productive members of their societies. Four nonresidential Christel House Learning Centers in Mexico, India, South Africa and the United States serve approximately 2,000 children.
All proceeds and contributions go directly to Christel House programs, while Ms. DeHaan underwrites all administrative costs. Bluegreen Vacations raises funds for Christel House through voluntary payroll deductions, golf tournaments, raffles and activities at our resorts.
JA’s volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and use experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential.
They are the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement’s programs—in the core content areas of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy—ignite the spark in young people to experience and realize the opportunities and realities of work and life in the 21st century.
Associate Giving
Every year, Bluegreen Vacations associates get the unique opportunity to share which organizations mean the most to them. These are chosen to be a part of the Charity of the Month Program—a program that highlights a different organization each month for a year. This gives associates, and Bluegreen Vacations as a whole, an opportunity to have a broader impact in the community and stronger source of pride for the company. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1311 |
__label__wiki | 0.605694 | 0.605694 | Geography Club (US Cinema/VoD)
November 18, 2013 By Tim Isaac 1 Comment
Starring: Cameron Deane Stewart, Meaghan Martin, Justin Deeley, Andrew Caldwell
Director: Gary Entin
Certificate: PG-13
Based on Brent Hartinger’s popular book, Geography Club follows high school student Russell (Cameron Deane Stewart), who’s just figuring out his sexuality but not ready to tell the world about it yet. He’s also involved in a fledgling relationship with star quarterback Kevin (Justin Deeley), although the sportsman is absolutely determined nobody will find out about it.
Russell ends up getting involved with the new Geography Club, which has nothing to do with geography. It’s actually just a boring name to stop anyone bothering them, as it’s really a secret club for LGBT teens to talk about their problems and connect. However their secrets may be difficult to keep and they may have to face whether they want to come out in the open. [Read more…]
Lucas Till & Joel Courtney Join Sins of Our Youth
August 8, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment
An interesting cast for Sins Of Our Youth is coming together, with Lucas Till (X-Men: First Class, Paranoia), Joel Courtney (Super 8) and Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club) set to star in the teen drama. The film is based on an original screenplay by Edmund Entin, with Gary Entin set to direct.
Sins of Our Youth is about four teenage boys who accidentally murder a young boy while recreationally shooting assault rifles. The film follows the perilous decisions they make in the wake of the murder, as they deal with desperation, paranoia, and fear that their lives are over due to the certain eventuality of the death penalty. Eventually the four teenagers construct a plan that leads them down an even darker path.
Mitchel Musso (Hannah Montana: The Movie), Bridger Zadina (Terri), Grant Harvey (Save the Date) and newcomer Dani Knights are also set to star. Shooting will begin this week on location in and around Las Vegas, Nevada. Anthony Bretti is the executive producer and Frederick Levy is the co-executive producer.
There is a little gay interest in this, as this will be the second movie from Edmund and Gary Entin following Geography Club, which is about a group teens who set up a ‘Geography Club’ – something though know nobody else will want to join – as a cover for people secretly dealing with their sexual identities. The film was recently acquired by Breaking Glass for US release.
ACTORS: Lucas Till, Joel Courtney, Ally Sheedy DIRECTORS: Gary Entin
Geography Club Trailer – Keeping your sexuality hush hush with a secret school society
There ought to be more gay-themed teen movies. One that’ll hopefully arrive soon is Geography Club, which has just released its first trailer – and you can watch that below.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘Based on Brent Hartinger’s best-selling critically acclaimed novel, Geography Club is a smart, fast, and funny account of contemporary teenagers as they discover their own sexual identities, dreams, and values. 16-year old Russell is still going on dates with girls while having a secret relationship with football quarterback Kevin, who will do anything to prevent his football teammates from finding out. Min and Terese tell everyone that they’re just really good friends. And then there’s Ike who can’t figure out who he is or who he wants to be. Finding the truth too hard to hide, they all decide to form the Geography Club, thinking nobody else in their right mind would ever want to join. However, their secrets may soon be discovered and they could have to face the choice of revealing who they really are.’
As you can see from the trailer, familiar faces such as Scott Bakula and Glee’s Alex Newell also make an appearance in the movie. It feels like it could be pretty fun, with a serious side as well as plenty of rom-com humour. [Read more…]
DIRECTORS: Gary Entin FILMS: Geography Club | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1316 |
__label__wiki | 0.786003 | 0.786003 | Book Buzz: The Book of Longings: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd
“Imaginative . . . charts a young woman’s struggle to confront the ways in which society dictates what she can and cannot do.” —Time
In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything.
Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history.
Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.
“I kept having to close this novel and breathe deeply, again and again. A radical reimagining of the New Testament that reflects on women's longing and silencing and awakening, it is a true masterpiece.”
—Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed
The Book of Longings: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd
Sue Monk Kidd's debut, The Secret Life of Bees, spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has sold more than 6 million copies in the U.S., was turned into an award-winning major motion picture and a musical, and has been translated into 36 languages. Her second novel, The Mermaid Chair, was a #1 New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a television movie. Her third novel, The Invention of Wings, an Oprah's Book Club 2.0 pick, was also a #1 New York Times bestseller. She is the author of the acclaimed memoirs The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, a groundbreaking work on religion and feminism, and the New York Times bestseller Traveling with Pomegranates, written with her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1320 |
__label__cc | 0.583459 | 0.416541 | ').html() ); //dialogArea this.jsForm = this.jsForm.wrap(' '); var data = this.jsForm[0].outerHTML; sl.log("openDialog data", data); var dialogData = { contentClassName: "sl-dialog-medium", html: data, buttons: {} //dialogCallback: jQuery.proxy(this.dialogCallback, this) }; var dialog = new Dialog(dialogData); this.currentDialog = dialog.createDialogWithHtml(); //var currentDialogHTML = this.createDialog(dialogArea); //this.currentDialog = jQuery(currentDialogHTML) //this.activateButtons(); }, dialogCallback: function () { }, activateButtons: function (html) { this.currentDialog.find(".btn_css") .attr("href",null) //debugger; //this.currentDialog.on({"click": function() { // alert("hey"); //debugger;}});//, ".btn_css", //jQuery(this.clickHandlerPublish,this) this.currentDialog.on({"click": jQuery.proxy(this.clickHandlerPublish,this)}); }, clickHandlerPublish: function (event) { var target = jQuery(event.target) if (target.text() == "Publish"){ this.submitDialogHandler() //jQuery("#form").submit(); } } }) Non-Discrimination Statement
Bossier Parish School Board Notice of Non Discrimination
The following statement is presented for information to all students, parents of students, employees of the Bossier Parish School Board, and/or any other third party involved with the Bossier Parish School Board, Bossier Parish, Louisiana. This notice is to be permanently posted and displayed in a prominent place within each Bossier Parish School Board facility.
The Bossier Parish School Board fully demonstrates its intent to comply with the requirements of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (hereinafter “Title IX”), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (including sexual harassment and sexual assault); Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, nationality; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age.
The Bossier Parish School Board also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Bossier Parish School Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policy:
For questions/concerns regarding Title IX:
Name and/or Title: Bettye McCauley
Director of Student Services/Title IX Coordinator
Address: P.O. Box 2000 – Benton, Louisiana 71006-2000
bettye.mccauley@bossierschools.org
For questions/concerns regarding Title VI and/or Age Discrimination Act:
Name and/or Title: Sherri Poole
sherri.poole@bossierschools.org
For questions/concerns regarding Section 504
Name and/or Title: Jennifer Campbell
Section 504 Coordinator
jennifer.campbell@bossierschools.org
For questions/concerns regarding Title II
Name and/or Title: Terrie Johnson
Supervisor, 9-12 Instruction
Address: P. O. Box 2000 – Benton, Louisiana 71006-2000
terrie.johnson@bossierschools.org
Procedures for Title IX, Title VI, and Age Discrimination Complaints
These procedures apply to complaints alleging a violation of Title VI (discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, including racial harassment), the Age Discrimination Act (discrimination on the basis of age), and Title IX (i.e., discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment and sexual assault).
Title VI provides that “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” from the U.S. Department of Education.
The Age Discrimination Act provides that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” from the U.S. Department of Education.
Title IX provides that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” from the U.S. Department of Education.
One form of sex discrimination is sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is conduct that is sexual in nature, is unwelcome, and denies or limits a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from a school’s education program. Both male and female students can be victims of sexual harassment, and the harasser and the victim can be of the same sex. The conduct can be verbal, nonverbal, or physical. Sexual harassment includes conduct that is criminal in nature, such as rape, sexual assault, dating violence, and sexually motivated stalking. Even if a school reports possible criminal conduct to the police, that does not relieve the school of its responsibilities under Title IX. One form of sexual harassment occurs when a teacher or other school employee conditions an educational decision or benefit on the student’s submission to unwelcome sexual conduct. If this occurs, it does not matter whether the student resists and suffers the threatened harm or submits to and avoids the threatened harm. Sexual harassment also occurs when a teacher, school employee, other student, or third party creates a hostile environment that is sufficiently serious to deny or limit a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the school’s program. Whether such a hostile environment has been created depends on the particular circumstances of the incident(s). The conduct does not necessarily have to be repetitive. If sufficiently severe, single or isolated incidents can create a hostile environment.
The following procedure will be utilized in the below listed sequence to resolve complaints pertaining to alleged violations of Title IX, Title VI, and the Age Discrimination Act as administered by the Bossier Parish School Board. For allegations that employees have been subjected to discrimination, please see Employee Grievance Procedures, Office of Human Resources.
Any student, parents of students and/or any other third party involved with the Bossier Parish School Board, Bossier Parish Louisiana; believing his or her rights have been violated under Title IX, Title VI, or the Age Discrimination Act is encouraged to immediately report the alleged acts of violation to the appropriate center or school level official, i.e., teacher, counselor, assistant-principal, principal or any other designated school employee.
Any administrator or other school personnel who receives notice of an alleged violation of Title IX, Title VI, or the Age Discrimination Act shall immediately report such allegation(s) to the Building Level Administrator for investigation and resolution.
The allegation, having been investigated, reviewed, and discussed with the opportunity to present witnesses and other evidence, may be upheld and necessary corrective action taken to preclude reoccurrence, or the allegation may be dismissed as having no substance as a violation of Title IX and the matter closed. Complainants will be notified in writing within five (5) business days of the decision by the Building Level Administrator. (Each allegation will be recorded, filed, and retained by the Building Level Administrator.)
The complainant, if not receiving desired satisfaction in step Three (3), may request in writing an appeal of the school-level decision with the Director of Student Services/Title IX Coordinator, Bossier Parish School Board, P.O. Box 2000, Benton, Louisiana 71006-2000; telephone number (318)549-5010, within five (5) working days after receiving the written decision by the Building Level Administrator. The complainant may present witnesses and other evidence as described in step Three.
The complainant, if not receiving desired satisfaction in step Four (4), may request (to the Director of Student Services/Title IX Coordinator) an appeal with the superintendent of schools. (Request for the appeal will be made by the Director of Student Services/Title IX Coordinator who will obtain the appointment within ten (10) working days of receipt of request, at a date and time mutually agreeable to all parties). The complainant may present witnesses and other evidence as described in step Three.
The complainant, if not receiving desired satisfaction in step Five (5), may request in writing to the superintendent of schools an appeal before the Administrative Committee of the Bossier Parish School Board for reconsideration of the appeal decision by the superintendent of schools. This appointment will be made by the superintendent of schools within ten (10) working days, and the complainant will be notified of the appointment by U.S. Mail. The complainant may present witnesses and other evidence as described in step Three.
The Administrative committee of the Bossier Parish School Board will present its recommendation to the full board for final resolution. The complainant will be notified in writing of the final decision within five (5) working days of the decision by the Bossier Parish School Board.
The Bossier Parish School Board prohibits retaliation against any individuals that file complaints or participate in investigation of complaints. Bossier Parish School Board provides assurance that steps will be taken to prevent recurrence of any form of harassment and to correct its discriminatory effects on the complainant and others if appropriate.
Download the Non-Discrimination Statement and Procedures for Discrimination Complaints | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1324 |
__label__wiki | 0.900711 | 0.900711 | Home » Book » This Is What It Feels Like (Hardcover)
This Is What It Feels Like (Hardcover)
By Rebecca Barrow
This tender story of friendship, music, and ferocious love asks: what will you fight for, if not yourself? You Don’t Know Me But I Know You author Rebecca Barrow’s next book is perfect for fans of Katie Cotugno and Emery Lord.
Who cares that the prize for the Sun City Originals contest is fifteen grand? Not Dia, that’s for sure. Because Dia knows that without a band, she hasn’t got a shot at winning. Because ever since Hanna’s drinking took over her life, Dia and Jules haven’t been in it. And because ever since Hanna left—well, there hasn’t been a band.
It used to be the three of them, Dia, Jules, and Hanna, messing around and making music and planning for the future. But that was then, and this is now—and now means a baby, a failed relationship, a stint in rehab, all kinds of off beats that have interrupted the rhythm of their friendship.
But like the lyrics of a song you used to play on repeat, there’s no forgetting a best friend. And for Dia, Jules, and Hanna, this impossible challenge—to ignore the past, in order to jump start the future—will only become possible if they finally make peace with the girls they once were, and the girls they are finally letting themselves be.
Rebecca Barrow writes stories about girls and all the wonders they can be. A lipstick obsessive with the ability to quote the entirety of Mean Girls, she lives in England, where it rains a considerable amount more than in the fictional worlds of her characters. She collects tattoos, cats, and more books than she could ever possibly read. You can visit her online at www.rebecca-barrow.com.
“A realistic, impassioned portrait of young women coming into their own in all their messy glory.”
“This is a story with a diverse cast of young women taking charge of their own destinies... A fun girl-power novel for teens who like their rock hard and their main characters tough.”
“This Is What It Feels Like is real, raw, and explores a much-needed narrative: black girls who rock. Rebecca Barrow is a writer to watch.”
— Brandy Colbert, author of Little & Lion
“Bold and bighearted and so much fun, This is What it Feels Like is the smartest, most honest look at female friendship that I’ve read in a long, long time. This book made me want to call all my best girls and tell them how much I love them.”
— Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days and How to Love
“This is What it Feels Like is a poignant and heartfelt exploration of friendship and love. Rebecca Barrow perfectly—and poetically—captures that spark inside that challenges us to be brave and dares us to be happy.”
— Courtney Summers, author of All the Rage
“A luminous story about friendship, first love, and learning how to stand on your own. Rebecca Barrow’s This is What it Feels Like left me not only inspired but empowered to dream boldly and love deeply.”
— Ashley Herring Blake, author of Suffer Love and How to Make a Wish
Praise for YOU DON’T KNOW ME BUT I KNOW YOU: “[Barrow] steadily resists cliché and tired tropes all the way to the novel’s deeply felt, unflinching conclusion. This compelling, closely observed debut charts its appealing characters’ difficult journey with clarity and honesty.”
“It’s unfair to call this simply a book about teen pregnancy... Barrow has crafted soulful, complex characters who will resonate with readers who’ve had to contemplate the weight of their decisions upon their futures and themselves.”
“Audrey’s emotions swing wildly; she candidly portrays the all-consuming and delicate nature of her situation and the choice she faces. Debut author Barrow opts for realism over a scared-straight approach to teen pregnancy, which readers will appreciate.”
“In both its humor and in its aching, You Don’t Know Me but I Know You is the most honest book I’ve read in ages.”
— Emery Lord, author of The Start of Me and You and When We Collided
“Both relentlessly honest and relentlessly hopeful, You Don’t Know Me but I Know You stands out as a book that cares profoundly about the power of friendship and the thrill of getting to know yourself. Above all else, it’s a testament to the bravery, brightness, and beauty of teenaged girls.”
— Corey Ann Haydu, author of OCD Love Story and Life by Committee
“You Don’t Know Me but I Know You is a heartfelt, powerful examination of family: the one we’re born to, the one we choose, and the one that chooses us. Rebecca Barrow’s novel feels all at once heartbreaking, hopeful, and true.”
— Janet McNally, author of Girls in the Moon
“Honest, nuanced, and achingly authentic, You Don’t Know Me but I Know You is both sensitive and unflinching in its portrayal of life-shattering choices and their aftermaths. It’s populated with strong female friendships that feel more like a sisterhood.”
— Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Firsts
Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Pregnancy
Young Adult Fiction / Performing Arts / Music | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1325 |
__label__wiki | 0.659719 | 0.659719 | Ollie Watkins awarded Fuller's Man of the Match in Cardiff
Winger the fans' favourite after performance in Cardiff defeat
After doing his best to rescue The Bees from a defeat in South Wales, Ollie Watkins was voted Fanscore Man of the Match with Fuller's on Saturday evening.
Joe Ralls and Danny Ward scored goals before half time to condemn Brentford to only their first defeat in ten matches in the Sky Bet Championship. The away side had chances to get back into the game, including strikes from Neal Maupay and Sergi Canós, but couldn't find make the breakthrough they needed.
Ollie's performance saw him win 37.8% of the vote, more than double that of second place Daniel Bentley and Nico Yennaris in third.
In the fans' league, bubbss6 remains top of the monthly score card on 848, although two of last month's top three are in hot pursuit. Both JoeA97 and Irish Bees are in the top ten after finishing second and third for October. This Season's league leader Mark Allerton is now 149 points clear at the top, with the rest of the top five separated by less than 100.
Fanscore allows fans to play against friends and family in mini-leagues on our Smartphone app with points awarded for predicting the half-time and full-time match scores, plus the first goal scorer and time, and the Man of the Match.
The app, which was launched last season, means you can stay in touch with Brentford wherever you are with the latest news, scores, tables, interviews, highlights, and much more all in one place.
Visit the Play Store or iTunes App Store now to download. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1326 |
__label__wiki | 0.83654 | 0.83654 | Ted Nolan thinks fans will cheer for the Sabres tonight. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Ted Nolan believes Buffalo wants Sabres to win
BUFFALO – Deep down, Sabres coach Ted Nolan probably knows the scene inside the First Niagara Center could get ugly for tonight’s anticipated matchup with the Arizona Coyotes, a contest between the NHL’s two worst teams.
With a prized, potentially franchise-changing prospect – either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel – essentially guaranteed with a loss, fans could do the unthinkable – root against the 30th-place Sabres, who trail Arizona by five points with nine games left. There have been some odd cheers recently.
These are bizarre times, indeed, especially for Nolan, who’s trying to win games with his team’s rabid fan base rooting for him to fail.
“I can’t control what other people think and what other people do,” Nolan said Wednesday. “The only thing I know is what I feel. I’m not speaking for anyone else. I’m just speaking for myself. Who wants to finish last? I never went into anything my entire life wanting to finish last.
“You go into it with the right intentions. It’s the integrity of the game that’s in mind for me. So you just got to do what you have to do and feel what you want to feel. If somebody wants to finish last, good for them.”
The “vast majority” of fans, Nolan believes, don’t come to watch their team lose.
“I just don’t think it’s in the feelings of this city,” he said. “I never felt it. That’s why I don’t think it’s there.”
Nolan, of course, hasn’t said anything negative about the fans all season. That’s not his style.
“I’m positive everything will be normal,” he insisted Wednesday.
Clearly, tonight’s tilt is anything but normal. Games between two awful teams rarely warrant attention. But Nolan, like a lot of coaches, has tunnel vision.
“He’s probably blocking it out like everybody else does,” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. “Every coach blocks it out. You got so much going on in your day-to-day (work).”
Still, some players know tonight’s atmosphere could be interesting. Not everyone can block it out.
“Oh yeah, it’s impossible not to think about,” Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. “There’s been hype about it. It’s not hype from anyone that’s positive. It is what it is. You can’t really control what the fans are going to do.”
Doan thinks fans “have to right to do whatever they want to do.”
“I’m sure it’s not going to be near as bad as anyone thinks it is, and it’s going to be one of those things that as a player you’re not going to really notice,” he said.
Losing has taken its toll on Doan, a respected 19-year veteran. The Coyotes had dropped eight straight games and 18 of 19 before winning 5-4 in overtime Tuesday in Detroit. They had five goals in their previous five games.
Like the Sabres, they’re terrible. They plummeted to 29th after selling off assets prior to the trade deadline.
“By no means am I enjoying the losing at all,” Doan said. “It’s awful, it’s disgusting. I hate it. At the same time, you love the fact you get to play in the NHL and you love the game of hockey and you want to keep playing.”
That’s why both teams haven’t quit on the season.
“You don’t accept losing,” Sabres captain Brian Gionta said. “You’re not content with game in and game out, coming up short, no matter how close it is or what you’re doing, you got to find ways to get wins. That’s what this league is about. That’s our main focus, game in and game out, is trying to get a win. It’s not good enough to be close.”
Doan added: “Nobody wants to be in the position our two teams are in. Not one player. You’re embarrassed. You have to be. No one ever wants to be considered the worst. Obviously, both teams are being considered the two worst teams in the league. That’s not a good feeling.”
The man with his fingerprints all over both teams will be in the building tonight, according to the Buffalo News. Former Sabres general manager Darcy Regier, the godfather of tanking, is now Arizona’s senior vice president and assistant GM.
He brought his blueprint to the desert.
Regier hasn’t been seen in these parts since the Sabres fired him Nov. 13, 2013. He started the Sabres’ deep rebuild two years ago, trading captain Jason Pominville and later warning some “suffering” lied ahead. Within months, the Sabres had become a laughingstock filled with castoffs and youngsters in over their heads.
They strategically timed this rebuild to reap the benefits of a deep draft in June. Now, 16 months after he left town, Regier’s plan is about to come to fruition.
The Sabres can still catch the Coyotes. The teams play again Monday in Arizona. But a seven-point deficit would likely be too much for them to overcome.
“You want to finish as high as you can,” Gionta said. “In a season like this, you got to find little things to kind of set your sights on, and that’s definitely one of them.”
Author Bill HoppePosted on 03.26.15 09.24.16 Categories Arizona Coyotes, Eichel, Gionta, McDavid, Nolan, Pominville, Regier
2 thoughts on “Ted Nolan believes Buffalo wants Sabres to win”
EJ King says:
Sure we do…..just next year!
Sabres75 says:
Gionta’s comments are what bugs me about July 1, 2014. Did we really need to risk this tank by signing guys like Gionta and Moulson ?
Did they build a winning culture for the Sabres ?
Will Gionta try and score tonight and be happy the Sabres finish in 29th, so he can feel good for 5 minutes ?
Previous Previous post: Sabres goalie Matt Hackett ready for start, must deal with soreness
Next Next post: Sabres goalie Matt Hackett to start against Coyotes | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1333 |
__label__cc | 0.517686 | 0.482314 | Feed-In tariffs (FiT) guide
Feed-In Tariffs for Business Energy
All businesses are looking for ways to cut unnecessary costs, making excessively high business energy costs a great place to start. There are a growing number of energy suppliers offering competitive tariffs, including those which supply green energy. Many companies have even made money via Feed-In tariffs, by selling their own surplus green energy back to the grid.
Although the Feed-In tariff scheme has now closed to new entrants, there are still excellent energy deals available. Here, we take a closer look at how the Feed-In tariffs work, whether there are any new options available and how your business can reduce its own energy bills.
How do feed-in tariffs work?
If a business installed its own renewable energy technology, it was possible for any surplus energy to be resold back to energy suppliers. These tariffs were more commonly known as FiT tariffs and were paid to suppliers via a government subsidy, which was introduced as part of the Paris Agreement. The aim of this agreement was to reduce the environmental impact across the globe, by reducing each nations carbon footprint.
What are feed-in tariffs?
The idea of FiT tariffs was to reduce the reliance on energy from outside the UK, which is produced by burning fossil fuels. Instead, the governments aim was to encourage businesses to switch to producing their own green energy via technology such as solar panels and wind turbines. This was encouraged by offering an incentive for the sale of excess energy to the National Grid. Businesses were able to receive grant payments for generating their own renewable forms of energy and also receive an income by sharing excess energy.
The FiT tariffs fall into two possible categories, export tariffs and generation tariffs. Businesses which are signed up to generation tariffs are paid for each kWh of energy produced, whether it is used by the business or sold to the grid. In comparison, export tariffs pay businesses based on the amount of surplus electricity which is sent to the National Grid.
Is there still a feed-in tariff available?
As you can imagine the FiT tariff scheme was extremely popular and it closed to new applications on March 31st 2019. However, if your business installed an eligible renewable energy system before 31 March 2019 and your application was processed for the scheme before 31 March 2020, you will still be eligible to receive payments.
The original goal was for 750,000 businesses to install renewable solar PV systems before March 2020. However, this number was achieved ahead of time, partly due to the reduction in installation costs, which meant the scheme ended a year ahead of schedule.
What has replaced the feed-in tariff?
Although the original FiT tariff has closed, there is a new scheme available known as the Smart Export Guarantee Scheme (SEG). All larger energy suppliers with more than 150,000 customers must offer at least one SEG tariff, with smaller energy suppliers offered a choice of whether to opt into the scheme.
The SEG scheme is open to businesses which have any of the following renewable energy systems installed, a wind turbine, solar PV panels, anaerobic digester, micro combined heat and power, or hydro power. The technology must meet the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) standards and you must have an AMR or smart meter installed,
which can deliver half hourly meter readings to your supplier. The SEG scheme pays businesses for the surplus energy, which is exported to the National Grid, with payments based on the exact measured amount. The various suppliers set their own tariff rates for SEG payments, so it is worth comparing the options available.
If you are currently participating in the FiT scheme, you will not be able to join the new SEG scheme. The SEG rates tend to be more generous than those offered under the FiT tariff and the new scheme is only available to those with equipment installed after 31 March 2019.
How long do feed-in tariffs last?
Businesses which were able to sign up to the FiT scheme before the deadline will still be eligible to receive payments until their energy production system are typically 20 years old. Although, some businesses will be able to receive payments for a total of 25 years depending on the technology installed and when it was installed.
How can I reduce my business energy bills?
Although the feed-in tariff scheme is no longer open to new applications, it is still possible to join the SEG scheme and the payments available will vary between suppliers. There are no set minimum tariffs under the SEG scheme, so it is important to compare suppliers to ensure your business is paid the most for the surplus energy it produces. To find out more about how we can help you compare energy tariffs to find the most competitive deals, please contact our team today.
Compare business energy today! | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1335 |
__label__wiki | 0.996024 | 0.996024 | Nobel Prize winner Frances Arnold will join Alphabet's board
chemistry nobel frances arnold
Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP
Google parent company Alphabet announced on Monday that Frances Arnold, a scientist at the California Institute of Technology, will join the company’s board of directors.
Arnold, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018, will be one of three women on Alphabet’s 11-person board.
Pichai’s announcement marks his first official move since taking over for founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin last week.
Google parent company Alphabet announced in a press release Monday that scientist Frances Arnold would join the company’s board of directors effective immediately. In a tweet, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said that „Frances brings incredible academic and industry expertise“ and that he looks forward to looking with her.
In the press release, Arnold said: „I’ve long admired Alphabet’s commitment to technology and research, and to improving the lives of people around the world, and I’m excited to be a part of that.“
Arnold currently works at the California Institute of Technology and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018 for her work developing a novel method of bioengineering that is „used in hundreds of laboratories and companies that make everything from laundry detergents to biofuels to medicines,“ according to a press release from the school.
The move marks Pichai’s first official move as Alphabet CEO, a role he recently stepped into when Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced their resignation as Alphabet CEO and president, respectively. Page and Brin both remain on Alphabet’s board and maintain controlling shares of the company. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1336 |
__label__wiki | 0.942287 | 0.942287 | Getting personal with Lorenzo Dickerson
Lorenzo Dickerson has been making films about local African-Americans for four years. Photo by Eze Amos
Samantha Baars
Local filmmaker, age 35
Though he only began teaching himself the art of filmmaking four years ago while researching his ancestry, Lorenzo Dickerson’s calling has always been storytelling.
“I enjoy bringing awareness to stories that either have been forgotten or that people have never known about,” says Dickerson about his films. “That’s really where my passion is and what I like to do for the local area—make people aware of the rich history of what’s happened here.”
A member of Western Albemarle High School’s class of 1999, Dickerson pursued a master’s degree in marketing at Strayer University in Herndon. By day, he is currently the web content and social media manager for the Albemarle County Public Schools system. His background lies in figuring out the right story to tell, whether in his day job or in his documentary films, which explore local African-American history.
Dickerson’s fourth film, Albemarle’s Black Classrooms, which premieres this weekend at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, details the history of education for African-Americans in Albemarle County from 1910 to the present, including massive resistance to desegregation in local schools. He speaks with alumni from Burley High School, which combined Jefferson and Esmont high schools and Albemarle Training School into a single high school for black students in the area in 1951. Jackson P. Burley Middle School now stands on the school’s site on Rose Hill Drive.
“The film talks a bit about how schools can sometimes become resegregated due to [white] students leaving public schools to go to private schools,” he says. “The purpose of the film is to bring awareness to the history behind these schools, the people who went there and what they endured during that time.”
His 2016 documentary, Anywhere But Here, a compilation of interviews with African-American male inmates at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, was shown at last year’s Virginia Film Festival. And The Color Line of Scrimmage tells the story of the undefeated 1956 football team at segregated Burley High School.
“I’m changing because I’m learning a lot more about the local area and the people who are here,” he says. “It wasn’t taught in schools.”
SHOW TIME: The February 25 premiere of Albemarle’s Black Schools is sold out, but a second showing will take place February 26. Go to maupintown.com for ticket information.
Lorenzo Dickerson’s top five films:
Tags: Albemarle's Black Classrooms, Anywhere But Here, Burley High School, Lorenzo Dickerson, The Color Line of Scrimmage, virginia film festival
In brief: Garrett fires back, starter homes for the rich and more
Bellamy asks court to dismiss petition | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1338 |
__label__wiki | 0.727371 | 0.727371 | Calvary Chapel Magazine: The latest in Calvary Chapel news world wide
Calvary Chapel Articles
Missionary Prayer
Download Our Tract
Faith Sharing Tools
Ministry Help
Broken and Surrendered
The early years of the life of Pastor Chuck Smith
Pastor Chuck Smith: The Making of a Man
Story by Debra Smith
A Mother’s Secret Promise
Two months before Chuck was born in 1927 in Southern California, his 3-year-old sister Virginia contracted spinal meningitis. As the girl went into a seizure and then disconcertingly stilled, her mother scooped Virginia into her arms and darted down the street to the parsonage. As the pastor began to pray, Virginia’s father entered the room. Chuck later tearfully recounted: “When he came in and saw her lifeless body, he fell on his knees and started crying—realizing she was gone. Then she opened her eyes—and she was healed. So that made a dramatic change on the family.” Chuck’s mother was already a devoted believer, but his father then became one as well. And unbeknownst to Chuck, his own life was also radically impacted.
As a toddler, Chuck was taught by his mom how to memorize Scripture. She prompted him to recite Bible verses aloud while they did chores and grocery shopped, and she read Bible stories to him and Virginia every night. He regarded biblical characters as heroes and even friends: “I ran with David” mentally, Chuck later said. But despite his mom’s faithful discipleship, the young man’s priorities were athletics and academics. Then two years after yielding to Christ as Lord and Savior at age 14, he attended a summer youth camp. He wasn’t initially interested in going—he had made plans to surf. But his pastor urged him to utilize the scholarship a lady in the church had donated. While there, Chuck was challenged to live his life in light of eternity. His dream heretofore had been to become a surgeon, which he felt would guarantee him success and affluence. But meditating on the preacher’s words, Chuck was drawn to the pastorate.
Arriving home, 16-year-old Chuck timidly approached his parents. He feared his announcement would deeply disappoint his mother, whom he loved intensely. After conveying that he intended to spend his life leading God’s people rather than practicing medicine, Chuck was surprised at his mother’s simple smile. Not until years later did he learn the full story: On the day of Virginia’s healing, his mom had silently devoted herself and the life of her unborn child—Chuck—to God’s service in vocational ministry. However, Chuck clarified, “I didn’t know that until she was on her deathbed. She didn’t want that to influence me; she wanted it to be the Lord” directing his life’s course.
In 1945, Chuck moved one hour northwestward to study at Los Angeles’ L.I.F.E. Bible College. In addition to gaining preaching experience and growing in awareness of the Lord’s nearness while there, he began to recognize how his values and beliefs differed from the Foursquare Church—the Pentecostal denomination in which he was raised and educated. After graduating, though, Chuck felt confused and aimless. He didn’t feel ready for the responsibilities of a senior pastorate, but he saw no other opportunities for Christian service. So he got a job and stayed near the Bible school, hoping his presence would remind professors and others of his availability should any vocational ministry opportunities arise. Soon, he met Kay—first noticing her at a Sunday night church service, then speaking to her at a ball game the next week. Her beauty attracted him; her devotion to Christ interested him deeply. Six weeks later, they were married.
In a few weeks, the Smiths moved to Arizona. Kay’s sister had arranged for Chuck to pastor a new Foursquare church plant, which could pay only $15 weekly—a scant amount, even in 1948. In hindsight, they were grateful for the opportunity to learn to live on little. Handling money with wisdom and integrity, Chuck reflected, would become essential in the ministry to come.
After pastoring two different churches in Arizona for a total of nearly four years, the couple moved with their two children to Corona, CA. Chuck became overconfident, he said: Rapid church growth in Tucson, AZ, had left him with self-assurance that he had the ability to build a thriving ministry anywhere. But in Corona, he and Kay found themselves unable to build the same rapport they had enjoyed with those in Arizona. Adding to his sense of defeat, he soon lost the full-time grocery store job he also worked in order to make ends meet. Chuck resigned and left the church, feeling crushed. In his mind, he was done not just with that particular fellowship—but with vocational ministry altogether.
He later reflected on his life until this point: “I had always been athletic—captain of the football and baseball teams, played tennis, loved to surf. I thought I had a lot to offer. I was strong, athletic, full of ideas, and had all kinds of energy. I was certain I would go out and turn the world upside down for our Lord. The Lord let me labor for 15 years, as I used up all my ideas, energy, talents, and abilities. I had nothing to show for it. I became so discouraged. I was defeated. I had passed the prime of my youth, losing a lot of my energy and giving up on most of my ideas.”
Chuck was a bored and restless delivery-truck driver about three months later when he received a phone call from Dr. Van Cleave. A Bible college professor whom Chuck greatly respected, Van Cleave believed that learning to serve God effectively consisted primarily of failing—in order to be broken of self-reliance and come to the beginning of God-reliance. As one of Chuck’s biblical heroes, the apostle Paul, said:
A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. … And He [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:7b, 9a
Dr. Van Cleave encouraged Chuck to apply for a pastorate in nearby Huntington Beach, CA, and the opportunity led the Smiths into years of fulfilling ministry. There Chuck used a commentary on the Gospel of John to begin preparing sermons that became different than anything he had previously experienced: expositional Bible teaching.
Almost by accident, it seemed to him, he stumbled from delivering fiery, topical sermons intended primarily to stir emotions to conveying calm, verse-by-verse sermons intended chiefly to teach God’s Word. The change excited Chuck greatly, as he perceived parishioners to be growing spiritually more rapidly and deeply than ever before.
After teaching through John and then Romans in Huntington Beach, Chuck pastored two more California churches. Later he wrote of an attendance competition that he was being pressured to participate in during those years: “I was so sick of contests and of trying to hype the people for this kind of thing.” He prayed and sensed the Lord impress upon him Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (KJV). Then, perceiving the Holy Spirit directing his thoughts to Zechariah 4:6b: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts,” Chuck gratefully determined not to participate—but just to continue preaching God’s Word. As months passed, Chuck remarked, “All the other churches were getting involved in the contest, and we were getting involved with the Lord.” In time, he remembered, “I received a beautiful letter of congratulations. ‘Your church has won first place with the greatest increase in attendance during the contest period.’ I was supposed to attend a rally and pick up a trophy.” He responded with another letter: “I thank you for the honor, but it would be embarrassing to bring a trophy to the church, inasmuch as none of them knew a contest was going on. The Holy Spirit added to the church daily such as should be saved.” The experience underscored his reliance on the Lord.
In 1965, he accepted leadership of a non-denominational church plant in Corona. The decision was difficult: After 17 years within the stability of an established church network, the Smiths were returning, with four children, to the city where Chuck felt he had previously failed. But, confident that the opportunity was from the Lord, they chose to trust Him and embrace the risk. The adventure started beautifully. Within a year, however, a disagreement with another church leader led to an impasse. So in 1965, Chuck assumed his eighth pastorate—of an independent church called Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA. Attendance was approximately 25. But unbeknownst to all, the Jesus Movement was about to break upon them.
We Would Appreciate Your Feedback
contact@calvarymagazine.org
3625 Latimers Knoll Court, Fredericksburg, VA 22408
Tues-Fri—10:30 am to 5:30 pm, EST
© 2020 Calvary Chapel Magazine. All rights reserved.
Calvary Chapel Magazine is a 501(c)3 non-profit ministry.
Provided by Pritchard Websites
Want to get more
Christ-centered content? | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1340 |
__label__wiki | 0.683574 | 0.683574 | WPAC – Improper assessment
By Gordon Murray
June 30, 2015 - The European Commission’s directorate-general for competition is investigating whether the UK government’s support of the biomass conversion of Lynemouth Power Station (LPS) complies with EU state aid rules, putting in jeopardy a project that would consume 1.5 million tonnes of wood pellets annually.
Located on the northeast coast of England, some 50km from the Scottish border, LPS was commissioned as a 420MW coal-fired plant in 1972 as part of an aluminium smelter owned by Alcan. After the smelter closed in 2012, Alcan sold the power station to RWE Supply and Trading. The station remains coal-fired but RWE intends to convert it to biomass and operate it to provide base-load power.
In May 2014, the UK government selected LPS to receive support under its Final Investment Decision Enabling for Renewables (FIDeR) scheme. The UK government introduced the FIDeR scheme as an incentive for developers to invest in low-carbon electricity by establishing a strike price for renewable electricity. The strike price for biomass conversions is set at £105/MWh with the contract duration capped to March 2027. By the time it is completed, the Commission’s state aid investigation will have delayed the project by at least a year, lessening the time available for a return on investment.
The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (the Treaty) prohibits governments from providing state aid (i.e. financial aid) to individual companies so as to prevent them from gaining advantage over their competitors and distorting markets.
The Treaty provides for Member States to grant state aid legally where it helps market or equity objectives that the market would otherwise fail to deliver – such as promotion of research, development and innovation, environmental protection, and so forth. The Commission is responsible for enforcing the Treaty.
In its assessment of the UK government’s support of LPS, the Commission has identified two issues that may violate state aid guidelines. First, the Commission believes that the assumptions used for calculating the internal rate of return were too conservative – that thermal efficiency and load factor were under-estimated; and wood pellet costs may have been over-estimated. These assumptions might result in significant changes to the IRR, and lead to over-compensation.
The second issue is that the Commission believes the amount of feedstock required to operate Lynemouth entirely on biomass (approximately 1.5 million tonnes/year) will distort the global wood pellet market – for pellet buyers and for the competition for raw materials, including for other industries such as pulp and paper and board manufacturing.
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada recently responded to the Commission’s public consultation on its findings regarding the UK government’s support of LPS. WPAC argued that with respect to the issue of LPS, the biomass conversion project is essential. Our industry cannot afford to lose a potential new customer for 1.5 million tonnes of wood pellets annually.
First, WPAC argued that pellet costs for the project had not been overestimated. The Commission suggested that long term price of wood pellets should be as low as $160/tonne. WPAC pointed out that the wood pellet sector operates with low margins. At a price of $160/tonne, pellet producers would be losing money. Producers may sell occasional spot cargoes below cost to satisfy short-term cash flow needs, but they need a higher price in order to sustain their businesses.
With respect to the issue of possible distortion of the biomass market, WPAC argued that such risk is non-existent as evidenced by the following:
According to a study by Pöyry, the southeast United States, Western Canada, and Russia collectively have 50 million oven dry tonnes (m ODT) of surplus biomass feedstock (SE USA – 20 m ODT; W Canada – 14 m ODT; NW Russia – 16 m ODT). Moreover, the North American pulp and paper industry is declining due to falling demand for writing paper and newsprint, further reducing demand for feedstock.
The wood pellet industry’s fibre paying capacity is substantially lower than that of either the pulp and paper industry or the board industry. Wherever a board pulp mill or a board mill exists, pellet plants are economically unable to compete for feedstock.
Bill Mauro, Minister of Natural Resources and Forests for Ontario, has invited investors to develop a wood pellet industry in his province. Ontario has some 11 million cubic metres (equivalent to approximately five m ODT of wood pellets) of surplus feedstock available.
The Commission relied on 2011 and 2012 wood pellet production and consumption data for its evaluation. Yet from 2012 to 2013, wood pellet imports to the EU grew by a further three million tonnes and from 2013 to 2014, by another 540,000 tonnes. Total North American pellet exports grew from 3.2 million tonnes in 2012 to 4.5 million tonnes in 2013, and 5.6 million tonnes in 2014.
In Canada, one million tonnes of new pellet production capacity is presently under construction and will be operational in 2015: Rentech – 550,000 tonnes; Pinnacle – 250,000 tonnes; Groupe Savoie – 30,000 tonnes; and Pacific BioEnergy and Canfor Joint Venture – 175,000 tonnes.
In the United States, four million tonnes of new production capacity is presently under construction and will be operational in 2015: Zilkha – 275,000 tonnes; Solvay Biomass Energy – 240,000 tonnes; Drax – 900,000 tonnes; Fram – 150,000 tonnes; German Pellets – 578,000 tonnes; Low Country – 70,000 tonnes; E-Pellets – 450,000 tonnes; Enviva – 1,000,000 tonnes; and Enerpellets USA – 250,000 tonnes.
About 90 per cent of international wood pellet trade is confirmed by long-term bilateral contracts. LPS will not interrupt existing long-term contracts. There is more than enough new North American capacity coming online in 2015 to feed more than three power plants the size of Lynemouth.
The wood pellet industry cannot afford to lose a project that will consume 1.5 million tonnes of wood pellets annually. WPAC is convinced that the Commission’s assessment of the UK government’s support of LPS view is in error. We can only hope that the Commission takes our comments and those from other supporters seriously and that the Commission amends its findings in favour of the UK government and LPS. •
Gordon Murray is executive director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada. He encourages all those who want to support and benefit from the growth of the Canadian wood pellet industry to join. Gordon welcomes all comments and can be contacted by telephone at 250-837-8821 or by email at gord@pellet.org.
Overseas softwood wood chips fall 11% in eight months, hardwood chips up slightly
United Airlines buys $30M stake in Fulcrum BioEnergy | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1342 |
__label__cc | 0.561702 | 0.438298 | You are here: Home / Cancer Champions / Michael Douglas
Cancer Type – Throat / Tongue Cancer
Short Bio – Michael Douglas an accomplished actor made a scene when he announced his cancer diagnosis in 2011, bringing major awareness to cancer caused by HPV. Read his story here…
Story – Doctor’s found a walnut sized tumor on the back of Micheal Douglas’ tongue, right before he was headed on a press tour for the film, ‘Wall Street’. The actor was forced to open up to the public and originally claimed he was suffering from throat cancer. He was quoted in his first announcement of his disease, “without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus.” This statement quickly highlighted Douglas as the poster image for head and neck cancers caused by HPV around the world, and could be associated with the tipping point of HPV awareness.
However as recently as 2013, this statement was retracted and Mr. Douglas stated to People Magazine, that his surgeon recommended that they explain to the public that it was throat cancer to avoid questions about details of possible facial disfigurement if his tongue had to be operated on.
At an American Cancer Society event where he was honored with the Marvin Hamlisch Memorial Award, Michael Doulas clarified his position on his particular cancer, “Head and neck cancer can be caused by many things, including HPV virus, smoking, alcohol, drug abuse, genes, environment and stress,” the star continued. “I do not know what caused my particular cancer. If I did I’d have a Nobel Prize. I do know that I am here today because of all the incredible advances in cancer research and treatment. Early awareness is a key factor. If this episode contributes to public awareness, all the better.”
After radiation and chemotherapy to treat the tumor on his tongue, Michael Douglas is cancer free. Being one of the first to be associated with cancer caused by HPV (whether or not it was), we thank you Micheal for bringing awareness to this life-altering prognosis. People don’t want to talk about this stuff, and what you went through has helped others find hope.
Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/MichaelDouglasOfficial/
Image Credits – Georges Biard / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Born Michael Kirk Douglas, September 25, 1944 (age 75), New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
Citizenship The United States, British (Bermuda)
Education Allen-Stevenson School, Choate Rosemary Hall
Alma mater The University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A. 1968)
Occupation Actor, producer
Spouse(s) Diandra Luker (m. 1977; div. 1995), Catherine Zeta-Jones (m. 2000)
Children 3, including Cameron Douglas
Parent(s) Kirk Douglas, Diana Dill
Relatives Joel Douglas (brother), Peter Douglas (half-brother), Eric Douglas (half-brother), Anne Buydens (stepmother)
Back to Actors Main Page | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1344 |
__label__cc | 0.535053 | 0.464947 | Home » Publications » Frailty and disability in Ireland, North and South
Frailty and disability in Ireland, North and South
27th November 2014, CARDI
Ms Siobhan Scarlett, Trinity College Dublin Dr Bellinda L King-Kallimanis, Trinity College Dublin Professor Ian Young, Queen’s University Belfast Professor Rose Anne Kenny, Trinity College Dublin Dr Matthew DL O’Connell, Trinity College Dublin
http://www.cardi.ie/sites/default/files/FrailtybriefFINAL-lowres.pdf
Frailty and disability in Ireland
FrailtybriefFINAL-lowres.pdf
Frailty press release FINAL Nov 14.docx
Older people in Northern Ireland are three times more likely to be frail than those in the Republic of Ireland, a study by researchers at Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast has found. The study also found that women and those from lower socio-economic groups in both countries are more likely to be frail.
The findings of the study led by Dr Matthew O’Connell (TCD) and funded by CARDI, are based on analysis of data from the Health Survey Northern Ireland and the first wave of data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).
The results show the prevalence of frailty in older people is significantly higher in Northern Ireland and highlight that frailty is a strong predictor of disability in older age. Rates of disability in older people in Northern Ireland are almost twice those in the Republic of Ireland. The study finds that rates of frailty increase with age and that women are more likely to be frail than men. It also finds frailty is higher for older people in lower socio-economic groups.
The prevalence of frailty among people aged 60+ in NI (21%) is much higher than in ROI (7%).
Among people aged 60-64, the rates of limiting disability are 43% in NI and 25% in ROI. In the 80+ group, 54% in NI and 29% in ROI have a limiting disability.
Women are more likely to be frail than men: 22% compared with 19% in NI and 7% compared with 6% in ROI.
Prevalence of frailty rises with age. In NI 16% of people aged 60-64 are frail and 36% aged 80+. In ROI 3% of 60-64 year olds and 15% of those aged 80+ are frail.
In NI 17% of people aged 60+ in high social class are frail, as are 29% of those in low social class. In ROI only 3% of high social class are frail compared with 10% in low social class.
Read the research brief here.
CARDI / datamining / data-mining / CARDI datamining / frailty, disability | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1345 |
__label__wiki | 0.574892 | 0.574892 | Polish bishop dies from the coronavirus
Vatican City, Oct 21, 2020 / 10:00 am (CNA).- A Polish bishop died from COVID-19 Tuesday at the age of 83.
Bishop Bogdan Wojtuś died at noon local time Oct. 20, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Gniezno.
Wojtuś, a retired auxiliary bishop of Gniezno archdiocese, was admitted to hospital on Saturday after testing positive for the coronavirus.
His funeral will take place in Gniezno cathedral Oct. 24. Afterwards, he will be laid to rest in a crypt alongside other auxiliary bishops in the church at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Gniezno, central-western Poland.
Wojtuś was named an auxiliary bishop by Pope John Paul II in 1993, serving until 2012, when he reached the retirement age of 75.
A number of Polish bishops have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks amid a surge in cases in Poland. They include Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, president of the Polish bishops’ conference.
Gądecki paid tribute to Wojtuś Oct. 21, describing him as “a man of great spirit, unwavering faith and deep love for the Church.”
A spokesman for the Polish bishops’ conference has denied claims that bishops contracted COVID-19 as a result of their plenary meeting in Łódź on Oct. 5-6. He pointed out that not all the infected bishops attended the meeting.
At least 13 other Catholic bishops have died from the coronavirus worldwide. They include Archbishop Oscar Cruz, former president of the Philippines bishops’ conference, Brazilian Bishop Henrique Soares da Costa, and English Bishop Vincent Malone.
Italian Bishop Giovanni D’Alise of Caserta, in southern Italy, died Oct. 4, a few days after being admitted to hospital after contracting the coronavirus.
Archbishop Kondrusiewicz: Reconciliation is crucial in Belarus
Pope Francis gives financial aid to families of shipwreck victims
Documents seized from office managing St. Peter’s as Pope Francis appoints commissioner
Vatican City, Jun 30, 2020 / 04:35 am (CNA).- Pope Francis has appointed a commissioner to reform the administration of the office responsible for the upkeep of St. Peter’s Basilica, where documents and computers were seized by order of judicial … […]
Pope Francis: Fatima reminds us to care for the faith of children
Vatican City, May 14, 2017 / 06:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday Pope Francis reflected on the May 13 canonization of the child visionaries St. Francisco and Jacinta Marto, saying that their faithfulness, despite their young age, reminds us to pay special attention to children in the ministry of the Church.
“In Fatima the Virgin chose the innocent heart and the simplicity of little Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia, as guardians of her message. These children received it worthily, so to be recognized as reliable witnesses to the apparitions, and to become models of Christian life.”
“With the canonization of Francisco and Jacinta, I wanted to propose to the whole Church their example of adherence to Christ and of evangelical witness, and I also wanted to propose to the whole Church to take care of children,” he said May 14.
The holiness of these children is not a consequence of the apparitions they received, he said, but of the “fidelity and ardor with which they returned the privilege they received of being able to see the Virgin Mary.”
“After the encounter with the ‘beautiful lady,’ as they called her, they frequently recited the Rosary, they did penance and offered sacrifices for the end of the war and for the most needy souls of divine mercy.”
This is what made them saints, he said.
Pope Francis addressed around 25,000 people in St. Peter’s Square Sunday afternoon before praying the Regina Coeli.
In his greeting, he expressed his gratefulness to God for the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Fatima May 12-13 for the centenary of the apparitions, going “to the feet of the Virgin Mother as a pilgrim of hope and peace.”
He also thanked the bishops of Portugal, and in particular the Bishop of Leiria-Fátima, António Augusto dos Santos Marto, as well as the local authorities and everyone who helped to organize the visit.
“Last night I returned from the pilgrimage to Fatima,” he said, pausing to add a greeting to “the Madonna of Fatima!” followed by cheers from those present.
“In Fatima, I was immersed in the prayer of the holy faithful people, a prayer that flows there for a hundred years as a river, to beg Mary’s maternal protection on the whole world,” he went on.
“From the very beginning, when in the Chapel of the Apparitions I stayed for a long time in silence, accompanied by the prayerful silence of all the pilgrims, a together and contemplative climate was created where the various moments of prayer took place.”
And at the center of all of this, he said, was the Risen Lord present in the Eucharist.
Even 100 years after the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima there is still a great need for prayer and penance for the grace of conversion, Francis said. We also need prayers “to implore the end of so many wars that are everywhere in the world… and which disfigure the face of humanity.”
“Let us be guided by the light coming from Fatima. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is always our shelter, our consolation, and the way that leads us to Christ,” he said.
Following the prayer, the Pope spoke with sympathy for the people affected by wars and conflicts in the Middle East, both Christians and Muslims, who suffer from violence and discrimination.
“My solidarity accompanies the memory of prayer,” he said, thanking all those who provide humanitarian aid and encouraging “the various communities to follow the path of dialogue and reconciliation to build a future of respect, security and peace.”
He also mentioned the beatification in Dublin May 13 of Jesuit priest John Sullivan, who lived during the 19thh and 20thh centuries in Ireland. He was devoted to the teaching and training of young people, the Pope said, “and was loved and respected as a father to the poor and the suffering.”
Pope Francis concluded his address by mentioning the celebration of Mother’s Day in several countries. “Let us remember with gratitude and affection all moms, even our moms in heaven, trusting them to Mary, the mother of Jesus,” he said, concluding with a moment of silent prayer for mothers.
On World Mission Day, pope urges Catholics to share Christ’s love with all
Vatican City, Oct 20, 2019 / 04:48 am (CNA).- Jesus Christ desires that all people know him and his love, and every Catholic has the mission of sharing this love with the world, Pope Francis said Sunday at Mass for World Mission Day.
“Those who … […]
May Bogus and all who have perished due to Covid-19 rest in peace. Bishops are no more worthy of a special mention than ordinary lay citizens to be sure. This notwithstanding, the Polish episcopate’s shocking support for the incumbent PiS government and the latter’s breathtaking mismanagement of the pandemic and virus denial makes such news unsurprising. Indeed, the bishops gathering in Lodz earlier this month, when community transmission around the country was rampant, was totally irresponsible and foolish. Add to this some Polish dioceses organising youth rallies, retreats, conferences etc, and you not only have thoughtless conduct but perhaps also reprehensible and illegal behaviour. Ignorance and stupidity, episcopal or otherwise, are not virtues!
Respectful farewell to Bishop Bogdan Wojtuś. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon the departed soul.
Polish bishop dies from the coronavirus - Catholic Mass Search
THURSDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit
The Apocalypse and the triumph of secularism
Russell Shaw September 5, 2013 0
Recently I read about a group in Switzerland that’s agitating to remove all reference to God from the Swiss national anthem. Since the national anthem of the United States says nary a word about God, […] | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1350 |
__label__cc | 0.745636 | 0.254364 | In his book, Evangelicals at an Impasse: Biblical Authority in Practice (John Knox Press, 1979), Robert K. Johnston, dean of North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, puts his finger on an embarrassing situation. While Evangelicals are all committed to a high view of Scripture, to the absolute authority of Scripture, they disagree on almost everything else.
This is an overstatement, of course. You can take the affirmations of the Apostles’ Creed, and there may be one or two statements at most which any orthodox Christians would quarrel with. There is at the heart of the gospel a core of Christian commitment that all Christians who are committed to Scripture affirm. On the other hand, we as Evangelicals come to a tremendous variety of conclusions on almost every sort of thing when we approach Scripture. The subject at hand is but one illustration of this disunity.
To begin with, it is important to affirm that people on both sides of the debate are committed to the authority of Scripture. It is unfair to say that one side or the other accepts Scripture and the other does not. This accusation has been made many times in this debate as in others, but it really doesn’t help to do so. If you take this position, you end up not have any discussion at all.
Today we seldom debate questions concerning forms of church government. People used to take these matters very, very seriously indeed – whether you should have bishops, or whether you should have elders, or whether you should have deacons, or whether you should be more organized according to congregational pattern. Which is the scriptural form of church organization? It probably does not make a lot of difference to most Evangelical Christians today. And yet, blood has been spilt, literally and figuratively, over an issue like that, on the basis of how people have approached Scripture.
The Traditional View stresses submission and dependence. A woman’s role in relation to home, church and society is to be in submission to her husband (or to male leadership) and dependent upon him/them. She has her own sphere and freedom to exercise her spiritual gifts; but it is ultimately under the leadership of the male, who takes the lead in the home and in the church, that her gifts are expressed. This view is based on hierarchical understanding of the relationship of God to Christ to man to woman, stemming from Paul’s argument in I Corinthians 11, where he presents what we might call a chain of hierarchy: Christ is subject to the Father, man to Christ, and woman to man. This is the accent of the Traditional View.
The Egalitarian View argues that there is no scriptural reason for women not to share in leadership in the church, or to participate in a marriage relationship that is based on a principle of mutual submission and interdependent love. The accent in the egalitarian View is on mutual submission – not the submission of one party to the other, but each party to one another – both in the church and in the home.
Each side has its texts from the New Testament. The Traditional View usually focuses on five or six texts, starting with I Corinthians 11:2-6, which teaches that the head of the woman is the man; and I Corinthians 14:33-35, which says that women are to keep silence in the church; and moving on to I Timothy 2:11-15, where keeping silence in the church is defined as not teaching or holding a teaching office; and to Ephesians 5:22-33, where Paul argues for a hierarchical relationship in the family (the responsibility of wives is to submit to their husbands; husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church). There are perhaps one or two other texts, like 1 Peter 3:1-7, where again wives are exhorted to be submissive to their husbands, and husbands to be considerate to their wives as they honor them as the weaker sex.
The Egalitarian View also takes these texts seriously, but it does not begin with these. It points out that if you leave these texts to the side until the end of the discussion, you will come out with a different conclusion. If you look at these texts first, you have basically programmed yourself to come to the Traditional View; but if you put these texts aside for the time being and first study all else that the Bible has to teach theologically about the role of men and women – in society and in the created order, in the Old Testament people of God and the New Testament people of God, in the church and the home – then you come to a different position.
The Egalitarian View would likely start with a study of Genesis 1, 2, and 3. If you look at Genesis 1:26-28, you will see that God made man as male and female (not simply male) in his image. It isn’t simply man who is in the image of God – man as male – but man as male and female. Both man and woman have a direct relationship with God, and each shares jointly the responsibility of bearing children and having dominion over the created order.
There has been much debate about what the phrase, “in the image of God,” means. I think it means to be the representative of God in creation, as the image of, say, a king, or even a deity, is the representation of the presence and authority of the king or deity (see David J. A. Clines, Tyndale Bulletin, 19, 1968, pp. 53-103.) In creation, we are to represent God, be his image in the world, and therefore have certain responsibility over the created order. In any event, whatever the image of God means theologically, it is jointly shared by male and female.
In Genesis 2:18-24 the same point is underlined. Both male and female are from God, and both as one flesh are heirs of the grace of God. It is only the result of the Fall (Genesis 3:16ff) that the woman becomes subordinate to man. There is not even a hint in the narrative of Genesis that woman is in any way subordinate to man prior to the Fall.
Note, however, that in Genesis 3:16 the subordination of woman is not prescribed, but predicted. It, along with other situations, like having to clear your garden of thorns and weeds, and having to work harder because of the effect that sin has had upon the created order, is a result of the Fall, rather than prescribed as a part of the created order. Furthermore, subordination in Gensis 3:17ff is primarily related to the husband/wife relationship. There is no hint here that all women should be, or would be, under the authority of men.
The egalitarian apologist argues further that in Christ there is a new creation; the results of the Fall are reversed. Paul makes this very clear in Galatians 3:28, where he says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Whatever inferior positions people might have in society, these have been abolished in Christ. Under Roman law, there was a radical distinction between slave and free; in the synagogue there was a radical distinction between Jew and Gentile; and in general society, synagogue, Roman law and everywhere else there was a radical distinction between male and female. Greeks in the synagogue were subordinate to Jews; slaves, to free men; and males had the domination over females here as almost everywhere in the first century.
But in Christ, Paul says, these things have been done away with! So whatever the norms for general society, in the new creation, the church, there is the beginning of the new created order: man and woman are one. They are equal.
This new creation, the defender of the Egalitarian View would go on to point out, was demonstrated in Jesus’ life. Whatever difficulty some egalitarians have with Paul, they certainly don’t have any with Jesus! There is not one hint anywhere in the teaching of Jesus that he ever suggested the idea that women are to be dependent on men, or to be in submission to men, or in any way were to be regarded as inferior in terms of their relationship within the discipleship community or in the world outside. Quite to the contrary, there are a host of illustrations that set Jesus over against his Jewish context, as well as the pagan world outside of Palestine.
He had women disciples; rabbis did not have women disciples. He talked with women in public; rabbis did not approve of speaking to women in public. He touched women; rabbis would condemn that. He had friendships with many women like Mary and Martha; women travelled with him; some wealthy women supported him and his disciples in their ministry and were identified with him. Women were standing by the cross, and women were also the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
Women were regarded by Jesus as equal to men even in the question of divorce. Among the striking features of Jesus’ teaching on divorce is that he takes the woman and the man as being on the same footing (Mark 10:11-12). This is quite contrary to Jewish law. And again, there is not a negative thing said about women, nor is there any hint of a hierarchical relationship between men and women in marriage.
But this is true not merely of Jesus. As you look at the early church, there are many examples where women were, in fact, engaged in significant ministries in the church, even in the roles of leadership. For example, it is very clear from 1 Corinthians 11 and from Acts 21:9 that women prayed and prophesied in the early church. Without entering into a long discussion on the meaning of “prophecy,” we may assume that it at least includes what we know as “preaching” today. It may be more than that; but it is at least that. It is very clear, then, that women in the early church did lead in public prayer and did prophesy; otherwise Paul would not be concerned about their wearing veils, which was a symbol of their authority to do this (1 Cor 11:10).
Again you find women sharing in the deaconate in the early church. Paul in Romans 16:1-2 mentions his good friend Phoebe, who is called “a deacon.” Translations tend to call her a “deaconess” or simply a “servant” of the church: the word used is the same word that is translated elsewhere “deacon”; and it is the same word that is normally translated in the New Testament as “minster.” It is linked with the foundation idea of what it means to be a minister of Jesus Christ (cf., Mark 10:45). Paul also speaks of Phoebe’s being a “helper” in the church (Greek prostatis, better translated “guardian” or “protector”), and that again is a word implying a position of leadership in the early church. (Other texts that speak of women sharing the deaconate are 1 Timothy 3:11, 1 Timothy 5:3-16 and Titus 2:3.)
Third, a study of the New Testament data concerning life in the early church finds women engaging in evangelism and teaching. Look at all the women mentioned among Paul’s companions. For example, in Philippian 4:2,3 you have a pair mentioned, Euodias and Syntyche, who “have laboured side by side with me in the gospel.” Now what does that mean? Certainly it must mean that they were engaged, along with Paul, in pioneer evangelism. That’s the normal understanding of that particular Greek idiom. The context makes it very clear what these women were. One of the problems of the Philippian church was that they had tremendous influence; and because they were not presently in agreement on some important issue, the friction between them was causing some very negative things to happen in the life of the church.
Fourth, the Holy Spirit is given, in the teaching of the New Testament, to both men and women without distinction. And fifth, the gifts that the Holy Spirit brings to the church, sent from the risen Lord, are given to men and women without distinction. You can find an example for every gift listed in any of the lists of gifts fulfilled in the life of a women mentioned in the New Testament, with one possible exception – and that’s only a possible exception – the gift of an apostle. (But Romans 16:7 mentions a couple who are “well known among the apostles” – and in the Pauline understanding of what an apostle is, this probably ought to be interpreted as meaning that they were well known as apostles – one of them is named. Andronicus, the other Junia. The second name could be male or female. If femal—and this is the only form of the name attested outside of the New Testament – it would be an example of a woman apostle in the early church. That is debated, so I will leave it open that there is one possible exception; but there are no others than I am aware of.) There is not a hint that any of the gifts of the Spirit are given to men and not at the same time given to women.
Sixth, men and women have a common call to grow in spiritual maturity and to develop their spiritual gifts. There is no distinction between male and female in this regard either. If a woman has been given a gift to prophesy, or to teach, or to administer, or to do something else, then she has a responsibility from God to use that gift for the glory of God and the service of his people. It is not optional, not something that can be put on a back burner. She has a responsibility under God to do this. If she does not, she is not playing her part as a member of the body of Christ, and the church suffers as a result.
It is frequently suggested nowadays that the husband has the primary spiritual responsibility for his wife. I cannot find any place in the New Testament where this is suggested. As a priest before God, the wife has full access to the presence of God for herself. (The New Testament does not teach “the priesthood of all male believers”!) And as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ she has the responsibility for her own spiritual growth.
Even the passages used by those who hold the Traditional View contain certain elements that seem to contradict the idea that women in the church and in the home are always to be in submission to men and under the leadership of men. For example, in I Corinthians 11:11-12, Paul stresses the principle of interdependence of men and women. Verse 5 makes it clear that women were permitted to pray and prophesy in public worship. Therefore, whatever I Corinthians 14 means, where Paul says women are not to speak, and I Timothy 2, where Paul says that he doesn’t permit a women to teach or to exercise authority over men, you cannot understand these as absolute prohibitions. You must understand these texts in terms of what women actually did in the early church and in terms of other fundamental theological principles.
Again, in Ephesians 5, Paul does not begin his thought with verse 22 (as in most traditional paragraph arrangements and in the traditional interpretation), but rather with verse 21. If you begin the thought there, you come to a different conclusion. Paul says, “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” That’s the motto or keynote of all that Paul says about men and women in their relationships in the following verses. There is to be a mutual submission as one in Christ, as members of the body of Christ, as under the lordship of Jesus Christ, each in mutual submission to one another. Verses 22 through 24 develop this in relation to the wife. She is to manifest this mutual submission in Christ by being submissive to her husband, in spite of the temptation she might have, because of her new-found freedom in Christ, to lord it over him or to assert her independence.
Verse 25 through 33 work out the same mutual submission in relationship with her husband, who follows the example of Christ, who was not “head” in the sense of “ruler,” but in the sense of “servant.” The Son of Man came to serve rather than to be served, and so it is with the husband who is the “head” of his wife.
Someone might object, “How do you explain Paul’s apparent restrictions on the ministry of women?” Women are not to speak (I Corinthians 14) or to teach (I Timothy 2). My answer is that you understand these in light of the clearer passages of Scripture, which speak about what women actually did. In some people’s minds, of course, the I Timothy 2 and I Corinthians 14 passages are the clearer passages; and if you begin there, it is hard to get out of your mind that these are not the clearer passages. But if you can psychologically put them aside for awhile and go through all the other New Testament material, it becomes clear that I Corinthians 14:33-34 and I Timothy 2:8-14 are the difficult passages, since they seem to contradict what Paul teaches elsewhere.
How does this solve the problem? Some Bible scholars simply snip these verses out of Paul’s letters. Paul must have been consistent, they argue; therefore, he didn’t write I Timothy. There is actually a slight textual evidence in favor of the view that Paul didn’t write I Corinthians 14:33ff (cf. F.F. Bruce I and 2 Corinthians). Personally, I accept both passages as being Pauline, but I would also argue that Paul did not contradict himself; therefore, one must subordinate what these passages say to the clearer teaching of what Paul teaches theologically.
Second one should seek to understand these passages in the context of Paul’s dealing with specific problems in the life of the church. In I Corinthians 14:33-40, Paul is concerned with orderly worship. The principle is that all things are to be done “decently and in order.” People were speaking in tongues without interpretation, they were prophesying without waiting for one another, and the church was in disarray administratively. One problem was related – and it is not exactly certain what the problem was – to certain married women interrupting the service by asking questions. It might be that the church was divided like orthodox Jewish synagogues are today (as well as some churches in the Orient) with the men and women sitting on different sides of the room. You can imagine women calling across to their husbands or somehow interrupting the service by asking questions! We cannot be certain that this was the background; the historical evidence is unclear. But whatever the background, Paul was dealing with the question of order; he was not laying down a canon law for the church until the end of time.
In regard to the I Timothy 2 passage, there would be no point in saying women should not teach unless they were doing it. In the context, certain women were clearly teaching heretical things. There was no secular or religious education for women in the ancient world. The synagogue did not permit women to study the Torah. This put women in a very vulnerable situation. In response to this concrete situation Paul suggests that women should not teach in the church.
Does this mean that this passage is a law for all times, that it is intended to separate between men and women in the exercise of their spiritual gifts in the church? Not at all. Paul is addressing a specific problem. Today, women have, in the general society, in the church, and in theological institutions, the same opportunities to study and to develop their teaching gifts as men. Does Paul’s limitation of the role of women in the church at Ephesus apply to this changed situation? I think not.
Let me conclude by listing a few hermeneutical principles, which I think lead to an egalitarian point of view regarding the role of women today and which help to sort out some of the attendant problems.
First, there is the well-known contextual principle, namely that a text must be treated within its immediate context, within its full unit of meaning. We must be aware of the danger of “proof-texting,” of taking portions of Scripture outside their literary and theological context and using them to support ideas that are quite far from their original meaning. I have already illustrated this in the interpretation of Ephesians 5:22ff. One must begin with verse 21; and if you understand verse 21 as laying down the fundamental theological principle, you come to see the passage as teaching mutual submission of husband and wife, rather than the subordination of women to men.
The same principle is helpful in understanding the reference to women “keeping silent” in I Corinthians 14. You must begin with the beginning, verse 40, which says that all things must be done decently and in order. Again, you realize that Paul is concerned about church order, not about church law.
Second, there is the linguistic principle. One must look at the original Greek or Hebrew lying behind a particular text. Here one must recognize that there is a sexist bias in modern and ancient translations of the Bible. The fact is, nearly all translations of the Bible thus far – all the ones most of us are familiar with – have been done exclusively by males, who, unfortunately, are often insensitive to women. Why should Phoebe be called a “servant” and “succourer,” rather than a “deacon” and a “guardian” (Romans 16)? There is no grammatical reason, only theological prejudice. Why in I Timothy 3:1 should one translate the passage “If any man desires the office of a bishop,” rather than “any one”? I will admit that most elders and bishops in the early church were males, and that Paul seems in this passage to assume that the people being talked about were males. But the fact of the matter is, you do not have to translate it that way. A simple pronoun is used, and “any one” is a good English translation.
The third principle is the well-known historical principle. One must take the historical, as well as the literary, context into consideration. This means that you must understand what the New Testament teaches in the light of the position of women in first century Judaism. Ecclesiasticus 42:13-14 says, “Better is the wickedness of a man than the woman who does good, and it is a woman who brings shame and disgrace.” That represented a fairly typical male Gentile view as well. Jewish males don’t have a monopoly of prejudice against women!
When our daughter was about six months old, an elderly Christian man looked at her on one occasion and asked, “Boy or girl?” Answer: “Girl.” “More sin and evil in the world,” he replied. My wife smiled and replied, “No, more sweetness and joy!” It became very obvious as we spent some time with this man and his wife that they both really believed this. And I’m afraid there are many people who, psychologically if not actually, would affirm this, who actually live this way.
Then there is the synagogue prayer, which remains today in the Jewish prayer book, and which existed at least as early as the second century A.D. “I thank thee, Lord, that thou hast not made me a Gentile…thou hast not made me a slave…thou hast not made me a woman.” You have to understand Galatians 3:28 as Paul’s, or, shall we say, the early church’s, response to this fundamental idea. Galatians 3:28 may actually be an early baptismal formula that Paul is simply quoting. But it is a response to this particular idea: the church is setting itself over against the synagogue and affirming the unity of humankind in Jesus Christ.
Another example is the word kephale, which is translated “head” in I Corinthians 11:3 and Ephesians 5:23. There is no historical evidence that kephale was ever used anywhere in Greek literature in the modern sense of “decision-making.” Thus, the idea that the husband as “head” should be the decision-making person in the marriage relationship is quite anachronistic. The ancients did not think in terms of making decisions in the “head”; decisions are made “in the heart,” both in the Hebrew Old Testament and the New Testament, as well as in secular Greek.
Again, the prohibition regarding women’s teaching in I Timothy 2:8-15 must be interpreted within the context of Judaism, where there was no possibility for a woman to give or receive formal religious instruction; and in the context of the early church, where the women were teaching, though these women at Ephesus were teaching false doctrine. The scandal of the early church was that it was much freer than the general society in regard to the relationships between the sexes. Because of this, it was constantly being accused of being too loose in its morality. Therefore, Paul says, on certain occasions, “Let the law of love take precedence over the law of liberty.” This is a principle Paul applies to other circumstances (e.g., to the question of foods to be eaten), and here he applies it to the role of women.
Fourth, one should seek to interpret a particular text within the context of an author’s writing as a whole. You read the difficult in the light of the clear, rather than vice versa. As F.F. Bruce points out in his new commentary on Galatians, Galatians 3:28 must be the theological starting place. Here you have an unequivocal statement, a theological statement if there ever was one, of absolute equality in Christ in the church. And, by definition, this means a denial of discrimination either for Gentiles, slaves or women. Everything else that Paul writes must be understood in the light of this clear statement of a fundamental Christian principle.
Fifth, there is a principle of the analogy of faith. One assumes the consistency of Scripture as a whole. You must not interpret a particular text in a manner that contradicts a major tenet of God’s word. Certainly at the heart of Jesus’ teaching and example is the principle that those who are leaders ought to be servants (Mark 10:35-45, etc.). This is the model Jesus taught. Whatever conception you might have of a husband being the head of his wife, as such he must be a servant-leader.
Again, consider what the Bible teaches about creation and redemption. You must understand its teaching about the role of women as fitting into that. To undercut the clear teaching of Scripture concerning the sharing of the divine image and the rule over creation by man as male and female by the use of a few ambiguous texts is certainly a travesty of God’s word! Or the doctrine of God: God in orthodox Christian theology is not male or female. We find ourselves tin the awkward situation of having to choose between male and female pronouns, but there is no hint in the Bible anywhere that God is regarded as either a male or a female. There are feminine as well as masculine images used of God in the Bible, and others that are not tied to the idea of sex at all.
Sixth, one is informed by the history of biblical interpretation, which maybe shed light on a passage at hand. People who take the traditional view need to be aware of the fact that up until the middle of the nineteenth century most Christians believed that slavery was a divine institution because Paul says very emphatically that slaves are to obey their masters! A few verses from Paul and Peter (Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:22-24; I Pet 1:18-25) were used as proof-texts to oppose a small band of forward looking Christians and others of their day who felt that the whole idea of slavery as an institution was an affront to the dignity and worth of man as made in the image of God. Furthermore, the very texts we have been looking at have been used in the past to argue that women should not be formally educated. That battle has been won, and it is good to know that it was an evangelical college in North America, Oberlin College, a century and a quarter ago, that was the first academic institution ever to accept women to study at the university level. Nearly all Christians today rejoice in the fact that women now are affirmed in professions, in secular leadership, in government, even as heads of government; that women have the vote; that women are welcomed into the work force. Few, if any, traditionalists argue that we should stop educating women, encouraging them to be lawyers and doctors and teachers, or being allowed to vote. I think we should learn from this.
The most difficult thing about the Egalitarian View is that it is the minority view historically, and perhaps even today. We must remember, however, that some 150 years ago, believing that slavery was an evil, and that black Africans were “men made in the image of God” just like white Europeans, was the minority view in the church. But that view was the correct view. This we all recognize today.
It is possible that 150 years from now it will be equally obvious that the denial of full equality of women in the body of Christ was just as wrong? I hope so, with all my heart.
Leadership in Church / Ministry, Theological Studies
Holiness Perspectives on Headship and Women's Equality
Who Are the Women in I Timothy 2:1-15 (Part II) | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1352 |
__label__cc | 0.627517 | 0.372483 | The Dow is nearing 26,000 points, posting a near full recovery from late 2019 lows.| Source: Shutterstock
Meteoric Dow Awaits After Fully Recovery from 2018 Bottom
September 23, 2020 UTC: 12:37 PM. March 31, 2019 UTC: 4:32 AM. by Joseph Young
In one spectacular quarter, the U.S. stock market has almost fully recovered from its 2018 correction with the Dow Jones nearing 26,000 points and the S&P 500 surpassing November levels.
Since December 24, the Dow Jones has rebounded from 21,792 points to 25,928 points by 18.9 percent and the S&P 500 demonstrated a similar performance, rising from 2,351 points to 2,834 points by 20 percent.
Strong recovery of the Dow Jones since December, recording a 18.9% increase (source: Yahoo Finance)
While strategists remain cautious on the near-term performance of the Dow due to geopolitical risks arising from the U.S.-China trade war and the weakening economy of the eurozone, the strength of the U.S. market could establish a robust foundation for a rally throughout 2019.
Biggest Quarterly Gain For the Dow and S&P 500
According to the WSJ, the U.S. stock market recorded its biggest quarterly gain in about a decade, primarily triggered by the highly anticipated decision of the Federal Reserve to maintain its benchmark interest rate until the year’s end.
A key concern for many investors in recent weeks has been the rapid rise in the value of stocks within a short time frame that could reduce some of the appetite of retail investors in the U.S. market.
In December, many investors re-entered their positions in the U.S. stock market essentially out of fear of missing out, or FOMO, as the Dow nearly reached bear market levels in the 21,000-point region.
Earlier this week, Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management CEO Phil Blancato suggested that while investors oversold equities in December, throughout January and February, many investors overbought.
For the momentum of the Dow and the rest of the U.S. market to continue, a strong stimulus would be needed amidst the global economic downturn.
“The irrational moment of December was just that, a moment driven by tax selling, algorithms and people being extremely emotional about the headlines. While December was oversold, January and February were overbought. The reason why is, while stocks got cheap for a brief amount of time, the economy is not strong enough to drive a 12 percent return on the stock market in an environment like this,” Blancato said.
There are hopes that the stimulus could be a comprehensive deal with China which reportedly is at its final stage of compromising on industrial policy changes and enforcement strategies of the trade deal.
Some have speculated that the struggle of the domestic economy of China could push both negotiators for a deal in the months to come.
The proposal of some Federal Reserve officials to extend its decision to maintain its benchmark interest rate until 2020 could also fuel the confidence of investors in the stock market.
On March 25, Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans said that he does not foresee a rate increase until the second half of 2020.
UBS Global Wealth Management chief investment officer Mike Ryan told the WSJ that the officials of the Federal Reserve are finally acknowledging global economic data and the expectations of investors in the U.S.
The abrupt decline of the Dow and the S&P 500 in December is said to have been caused by the fear of investors regarding a potential rate hike, which seems highly unlikely to occur at this point until the year’s end.
Not All Optimistic
The Dow has tested the 26,000-point level throughout the past month and has remained relatively stable right below 26,000 points.
Some strategists do not anticipate the Dow to recover beyond key levels in the short-term due to the lack of stimuli in the domestic market.
“We’re not anticipating that we’re going to see a big enough earnings surprise to boost stock prices much higher than they are now,” Tracie McMillion, head of global asset-allocation strategy for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said.
Apple Kills its AirPower Charging Mat to Do Something It’s Never Done Before
Italy’s Trump-Bashing Ex-PM Yearns for Era When Obama Ruled the World | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1353 |
__label__wiki | 0.994185 | 0.994185 | Courtney Love regrets fling with star
Courtney Love has opened up about her life’s “great shames” and one of them is a fling she had with a British comedian.
by Ian Mohr, New York Post
Courtney Love has called her 2004 album, America's Sweetheart, "one of my life's great shames" - along with dating British star Steve Coogan or using crack.
The Hole rocker wrote on Instagram of her critically maligned solo record, "Maybe one day I won't hate that record. It has some good songs … But like Steve Coogan, or crack, it's one of my life's great shames. Just the period, sloppiness, men, money, drugs, nightmare."
But she added: "Although Chateau Miraval (where we made it) doesn't suck."
Love has previously recalled of recording at the property: "I just wanted to be in a chateau for six months and do drugs."
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana with Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain. Picture: Terry McGinnis/WireImage
RELATED: Prince Andrew wanted to have sex with Courtney Love
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought the storeyed French chateau years later, and married there in 2014. The property has since reportedly been a bone of contention in their never-ending divorce.
Meantime, Love and UK star Coogan reportedly dated briefly around 2005. She later told Love Magazine of the relationship: "All it was was a couple of shags at the Sunset Marquis [hotel]," and that she wasn't familiar with Coogan's most famous TV character, Alan Partridge. "I had never seen Alan Partridge. But I was in a band with people who did know about Alan Partridge, so I had to make a record with them constantly saying to me: 'Back of the net!'" she reportedly told the mag.
Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge.
Love's album America's Sweetheart was panned as, "collapsible, frantic and depressingly repulsive" by music site Pitchfork upon its release.
Love has also been romantically linked to Edward Norton and Andre Balazs, after the death of her husband Kurt Cobain. A rep for Coogan did not immediately get back to us.
Originally published as Courtney Love regrets fling with UK star
courtney love steve coogan | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1357 |
__label__wiki | 0.667459 | 0.667459 | For Every One (Hardcover)
I envy those people that can make you feel understood even when they've never met you by putting just the right string of words together. It's books like these that show how even when the world is divided there are certain feelings and drives that can hold us together. This is a book that is, as it claims to be, for every one; for all ages, and for any one creative or not. I believe that every one can find at least one sentence that will speak directly to them. Whether it helps you for a moment or maybe sets you out on a new life path, this book is absolutely worth reading and rereading as often as necessary.
— Kaitlyn
“A lyrical masterpiece.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
Originally performed at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers, this stirring and inspirational poem is New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds’s rallying cry to the young dreamers of the world.
For Every One is just that: for every one. For every one person. For every one dream. But especially for every one kid. The kids who dream of being better than they are. Kids who dream of doing more than they almost dare to dream. Kids who are like Jason Reynolds, a self-professed dreamer. Jason does not claim to know how to make dreams come true; he has, in fact, been fighting on the front line of his own battle to make his own dreams a reality. He expected to make it when he was sixteen. Then eighteen. Then twenty-five. Now, some of those expectations have been realized. But others, the most important ones, lay ahead, and a lot of them involve kids, how to inspire them. All the kids who are scared to dream, or don’t know how to dream, or don’t dare to dream because they’ve NEVER seen a dream come true. Jason wants kids to know that dreams take time. They involve countless struggles. But no matter how many times a dreamer gets beat down, the drive and the passion and the hope never fully extinguish—because just having the dream is the start you need, or you won’t get anywhere anyway, and that is when you have to take a leap of faith.
A pitch-perfect graduation, baby, or inspirational gift for anyone who needs to me reminded of their own abilities—to dream.
Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a Kirkus Award winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Reynolds is also the 2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His many books include When I Was the Greatest, The Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), Look Both Ways, and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Young Adult Nonfiction / Inspirational & Personal Growth
Young Adult Nonfiction / Poetry
Young Adult Nonfiction / Holidays & Celebrations
Paperback (April 2nd, 2019): $7.99 | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1359 |
__label__cc | 0.709911 | 0.290089 | Cheap flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Buenos Aires (AEP)
Home South America Argentina Buenos Aires Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Cheap flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Heathrow (LHR) to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP)
How far in advance should I book a flight from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery?
When searching for a good deal, it’s best to be prepared for potential fluctuations in price. We recommend booking at least 61 days in advance, which can save you up to 11% on flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery compared to booking the week you need them. Waiting 61 days out may not be for everyone, so we have options available for flights within the next two weeks, with the lowest price starting at £712. For sooner than that we have options available in the next 3 days from £712.
What is the cheapest month to fly from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery?
The best pricing can be found in the month of May. Prices to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery from Heathrow average £604. You can even find prices in May for less than £604, as users have found deals to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery from as low as £439. The month of December appears to be one of the more expensive times to travel to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery from Heathrow. Flying in the targeted month can save you up to 45%.
When is the cheapest time to fly from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (LHR - AEP)?
Regardless of the time of day you decide to fly, the ticket price will remain around the same. Book flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery as you normally would.
Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery 2021 flight deals
Cheap flights to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery from Heathrow found for this year
One-way flights to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery from Heathrow
The cheapest one-way flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
LHR - AEP
Useful info, stats and facts about Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery flights.
From Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Are flight prices decreasing from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery due to COVID-19 (coronavirus)?
At this time, Cheapflights has noticed price decreases for many domestic flights due to COVID-19. Travel is not necessarily recommended at this time, and flights may be prone to cancellation: please check with local authorities in both Heathrow and Aeroparque Jorge Newbery for travel alerts, and be sure to review the airline's cancellation policy and travel advisories before booking. For more information, please view our post on what to know about COVID-19 (coronavirus) and travel.
Can I find flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery for under £732 on Cheapflights?
Yes, there are multiple flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery for under £732. The cheapest flight booked recently is on Multiple Airlines for just £731, but on average you can expect to pay £731.
Are there direct flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery for under £732 on Cheapflights?
There are no direct flights from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, but Cheapflights can provide you with all the information you need to find the fastest route with the fewest stops.
Does it rain more in Heathrow or Aeroparque Jorge Newbery?
In Heathrow, there will be less rainfall in Heathrow compared to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery over the next 24 days.
Is Heathrow weather warmer or cooler than Aeroparque Jorge Newbery?
You can imagine temperatures to be in the 29 °C range in January. The weather in Aeroparque Jorge Newbery is generally hotter than Heathrow's. As flight availability is subject to become more limited as peak season approaches it is ideal to book in a timely manner.
Flights to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery from Heathrow
Flights to Heathrow Flights to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Flights from Heathrow
Car Rentals at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Car Rentals in Argentina
Alternative routes for Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
London to Buenos Aires from £451 pp
Destination information for Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Things to know before you go. Useful info for your trip from Heathrow to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
£1 = $116.91
Average temperature for January in Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Avg rainfall for January in Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Airports servicing Buenos Aires
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP)
Flights from Newcastle to Amsterdam
Flights to Protaras
Flights from Heathrow to Sochi International | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1361 |
__label__wiki | 0.563971 | 0.563971 | Cheap flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International
The best prices from Isle of Wight to St John's International are usually found in September or October, booked 60 days in advance, depart on a Tuesday or Monday and return on a Thursday
Home North America Canada Newfoundland and Labrador St John's St John's International Cheap flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International
Isle of Wight (LON) to St John's International (YYT)
LON - YYT
From Isle of Wight to St John's International
One-way flight from Isle of Wight to St John's International
What is the cheapest day to fly return from Isle of Wight to St John's International?
Saturday flights are generally found to be more expensive for flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International. This shouldn’t discourage you from searching, as you can still find great deals by being flexible with your options. Use our search form to find deals on tickets to St John's International.
How far in advance should I book a flight from Isle of Wight to St John's International?
To save up to 52% on this flight, we recommend booking at least 61 days prior to travel. The price may fluctuate and will likely increase closer to your departure date. Users on Cheapflights have found tickets from Isle of Wight to St John's International from £647 1-2 weeks out and tickets from £842 for flights departing within the next 72 hours.
What is the cheapest month to fly from Isle of Wight to St John's International?
Flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International lean towards being more expensive in December. Prices are generally better when you fly from Isle of Wight to St John's International in September, with the cheapest ticket starting at £409.
When is the cheapest time to fly from Isle of Wight to St John's International (LON - YYT)?
A simple way to save on the total cost of your ticket is to fly from Isle of Wight to St John's International at midday. If you’re flexible enough to do this you can expect to save up to 26% on your trip compared to booking a flight in the afternoon.
Isle of Wight to St John's International 2021 flight deals
Cheap flights to St John's International from Isle of Wight found for this year
Direct flights to St John's International from Isle of Wight
Save time with Isle of Wight to St John's International direct flight deals
One-way flights to St John's International from Isle of Wight
The cheapest one-way flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International
LHR - YYT
Useful info, stats and facts about Isle of Wight to St John's International flights.
Are flight prices decreasing from London to St John's due to COVID-19 (coronavirus)?
At this time, Cheapflights has noticed price decreases for many domestic flights due to COVID-19. Travel is not necessarily recommended at this time, and flights may be prone to cancellation: please check with local authorities in both London and St John's for travel alerts, and be sure to review the airline's cancellation policy and travel advisories before booking. For more information, please view our post on what to know about COVID-19 (coronavirus) and travel.
Which airlines flying from London to St John's have flexible cancellations due to COVID-19?
Some of our airline partners flying from London to St John's have new flexible policies in place due to COVID-19. Air Canada, WestJet, and Lufthansa are some of the carriers where you may find flexible cancellation policies. You can use our site to filter for airlines like Air Canada with this kind of flexibility.
Can I find flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International for under £439 on Cheapflights?
Yes, there are multiple flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International for under £439. The cheapest flight booked recently is on Multiple Airlines for just £425, but on average you can expect to pay £483.
Are there direct flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International for under £586 on Cheapflights?
Cheapflights has 3 direct flights from Isle of Wight to St John's International under £586. A good price for a direct flight from Isle of Wight to St John's International is less than £1,567.
Is London weather warmer or cooler than St John's?
You can imagine temperatures to be in the 23 °C range in July. The weather in St John's is generally colder than London's. As flight availability is subject to become more limited as peak season approaches it is ideal to book in a timely manner.
How long does is the flight from Isle of Wight to St John's International?
For as low as £491, Air Canada can have you in St John's International from Isle of Wight in 5h 40m. This flight may include one or multiple stops.
What are the cheapest airlines to flying from Isle of Wight to St John's International return?
Currently priced at £462, Air Canada will fly you from Isle of Wight to St John's International and back. In addition to Air Canada, many other airlines offer competitively priced options for your trip. Search Cheapflights for deals from WestJet and Lufthansa - these airlines can fly you to your destination from £474 and £492, respectively. Users have found that Air Canada is 28% cheaper than the other options available to this destination.
What are the cheapest airlines to fly from Isle of Wight to St John's International one-way?
One-way options have recently been found by users for as low as £329 on Lufthansa.
Flights to St John's International from Isle of Wight
Flights to Isle of Wight Flights to St John's International
Car Rentals at St John's International Car Rentals in Canada
Destination information for St John's International
Things to know before you go. Useful info for your trip from Isle of Wight to St John's International
Top 3 airlines flying from Isle of Wight to St John's International
The chart below displays the airlines Cheapflights users travelling from Isle of Wight to St John's International choose most often. Cheapest and average prices are based on aggregated data from the past 12 months.
Flights to Preveza
Flights to Cardiff
Flights from Gatwick to Malaga
Flights from Manchester to Bangkok
Flights from Isle of Wight to Lester B. Pearson Intl | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1362 |
__label__cc | 0.601214 | 0.398786 | TOP ROW (Left to Right): (1) Carter Snyder-Samuelson | (2) Mai | (3) Logan Lovelace | (4) Kameryn Lee
BOTTOM ROW (Left to Right): (5) Benny VanDerburgh | (6) Koach Baruch | (7) Sam Aldave | (8) Drak Druella
We are proud to introduce our 2020-2021 Trans Seminarian Cohort, our 8th class!
Sponsored by CLGS, The Freedom Center for Social Justice, and the National LGBTQ Task Force, the Trans Seminarian Cohort is a program for transgender and genderqueer seminarians in the United States. Our goal is to support trans and genderqueer students during their training for religious leadership so that they might complete their degrees; feel equipped to follow their vocation; and embrace the fact that their impact as faith leaders can and should extend beyond their chosen settings for ministry and service to include the welfare of the broader communities in which they live. This is the only program that we are aware of that addresses the unique challenges and gifts of trans* seminarians.
(1) Carter Snyder-Samuelson – he/they – Union Theological Seminary
Carter Snyder-Samuelson (he/they) is a 3rd year Master of Divinity student at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. They are pursuing ordination in the United Church of Christ, hoping to combine chaplaincy work with sustainable agriculture and horticultural therapy. Before coming to Union, he worked as an apprentice for three years at Fort Hill Farm in New Milford, CT. Carter currently lives in NYC with his fiancée and their new rescue puppy, Tobie. Carter loves cooking and sharing food and dancing in the kitchen.
(2) Mai – they/he – Wake Forest University School of Divinity
“I am J Mai. I am Black-Vietnamese transgender royalty confrontationally and unapologetically located in the South. My pronouns are they/he, but homie, sib, fam, king, heaux, and b*tch (affectionately) are cool too. I am an accidental divinity school student at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, studying at the intersections of decolonial Black, Queer, and Trans liberation theologies. A licensed minister, aspiring abolitionist, community organizer, and lover of all things Black, Trans, and Queer- I believe that the bodies and experiences of Black Trans and GNC folks are sacred portals to the Divine. I just wanna thrive, love on my communities, and do right by my ancestors.”
(3) Logan Lovelace (he/him) is a second-year (Middler) Master of Divinity student at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA and is a postulant for the priesthood with the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. He received his bachelor’s degree at North Park University in Chicago, IL. Logan is enthusiastic about hiking, good food, traveling, and encountering God in the people he meets. He believes God is a God of love, is present in all places, and is uniquely revealed in all creation.
(4) Kameryn Lee – she/her – Pacific School of Religion
Kameryn Lee (she/her) is a first-year seminarian at the Pacific School of Religion, where she is finally beginning her journey in graduate theological education in the Certificate of Sexuality and Religion program. She is a southern girl from the countryside of North Carolina, and was raised in the Missionary Baptist Church. Kameryn’s academic expeditions have focused on science, technology, and medicine. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and both Master of Science in Public Health and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of North Carolina. Currently, Kameryn lives in Ocean City, Maryland, where she practices gynecologic surgery and provides medical care for transfolx. The joys of her life are spending time with her 17 year-old daughter and rendezvousing with God at the beach.
(5) Benny VanDerburgh – he/they – University of Chicago Divinity School
Benny VanDerburgh (he/they) is in year two of his MDiv at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He will be seeking ordination in the United Church of Christ, and has also been educated and supported in his call by The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is building an interfaith family, writes poetry, and calls Maine home. Previously, he studied and taught comics, among many other paths and gigs. He cares a lot about kinship, anarchist methods and modes, non-linear understandings of time, social movement histories, and dignity therapy.
(6) Koach Baruch (FB) Frazier – he/they – Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Koach Baruch (KB) Frazier (he/they) is a transformer, heartbeat of movements, healer, musician and co-founder of the Tzedek Lab, a network of practitioners working at the intersection of dismantling racism, antisemitism and white supremacy. A collaborative leader, rooted in tradition, curiosity and love, Koach strives to dismantle racism, actualize liberation and transform lives both sonically and spiritually. Koach lives with their wife, LaJuana in Philadelphia where he is a student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
(7) Sam Aldave – they/he – Duke Divinity School
Sam (they/them/he/him) is a trans masc nonbinary graduate student who has spent the majority of their life in the Tar Heel State (North Carolina). After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010, he taught elementary school in Charlotte, NC before obtaining a master’s degree in education policy & management from Harvard University in 2014. Following a few years as a teacher coach and trainer, Sam chose to pursue their spiritual calling and enrolled in their current Master of Theological Studies program at Duke Divinity School. Sam is a Gemini (with a Sagittarius sun and Leo moon), an enneagram type 7 and an all-around people person. When he can find down time, Sam likes to hang out and play with his dog, Bud, spend time with his two partners, Heidi & Margo, chat with friends, read and write poetry, make music, bike, and, of course, enjoy a good Netflix or Hulu marathon.
(8) Drak Druella – he/him – Claremont School of Theology
Drak (he/him/his) is currently a student at Claremont School of Theology pursuing a Master of Divinity in Interfaith Chaplaincy. He will graduate after the summer of 2021, after which he plans to pursue a residency in chaplaincy as a first step on the path to becoming a certified chaplain. Drak began his transition from female to male 30 years ago, at a time when there were fewer resources available for trans people. It is his desire to affect further change within the medical system as a chaplain around education and resources centered on trans issues. Currently, he lives with his wife, Jessie, and their dog, Jonas, and cat, Zendo, in Pomona, California. Although free time is limited these days, when he does have it, he enjoys taking walks or practicing the piano for church where he directs music. He hopes to learn how to become a more skilled spiritual leader in advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community through the Trans Seminarian Cohort.
Posted in Announcements, Blog Posts, Trans Seminarian Cohort, Transgender Roundtable | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1366 |
__label__wiki | 0.941891 | 0.941891 | Paradise’s Anne Stearns wins Curry 8 Golden…
Paradise High Athletic Stearns was just one of eight recipients of the Curry 8 Golden Flow Award that included basketball shoes covered in 24 karat gold — she was the only athletic director to win one of them. (Rick Silva — Paradise Post)
PARADISE — Paradise High School Athletic Director Anne Stearns has had a challenging time since she took over the job in August 2018. But every so often Stearns gets recognized for her efforts. In 2019, she was named Chico Sportsperson of the Year by the Chico Enterprise-Record.
Late last year, Stearns was honored by NBA star Stephen Curry and the Positive Coaching Alliance with the Curry 8 Golden Flow Award.
Stearns was just one of eight recipients of the award that included basketball shoes covered in 24 karat gold — she was the only athletic director to win one of them.
Paradise High Athletic Stearns was just one of eight recipients of the Curry 8 Golden Flow Award that included basketball shoes covered in 24 karat gold -- she was the only athletic director to win one of them. Here is the Golden Ticket that comes with shoes. (Rick Silva --- Paradise Post)
Here is one of the shoes that came with the Curry 8 Golden Flow Award. The shoes covered in 24 karat gold. Stearns always got $1,000 donated to the PHS Volleyball program. (Rick Silva --- Paradise Post)
She said that she got the news from Under Armour right before the winter break and didn’t really know what it meant, but because she was focused on school prior to the break she didn’t look into it much — not even web search.
About six days ago, she started to look into it.
“I was so overwhelmed by being nominated and then getting the award,” she said. “I couldn’t even imagine who nominated me.”
She said that turned out to be Under Armour’s Stacy Ulrich whose job was dealing with catastrophic events.
Stearns said that the two really connected during the post-fire.
Stearns said what the award recipients would receive was kept under wraps for “a really long time.”
All she knew was that they were to video their reactions to what they had received which Stearns’ son did.
“I was awestruck,” she said. “They are beautiful, 24-carat gold basketball shoes.”
She also received $1,000 to support the Paradise high school volleyball program.
“It’s one of those things where you always think you are doing things for the greater good,” she said. “So when you get recognized for doing what I consider to be my job, I am excited for it, and I am humbled by it.”
But she said that it’s hard to accept the award at this time.
“I just want to get the kids back on the field and back on the court,” she said. “So it is hard to take something like this because I feel like I am not doing my job.”
Right now that job is focused on getting athletes eligible to play so when it’s time to start, they can play. That’s something they have never been as committed to as they are right now.
“I think that is fantastic,” she said. “But I still want to see that basketball game, or football game, or volleyball game.”
But for Stearns, since Nov. 8, 2018, her job has been in constant crisis mode. The 2018-19 sports calendar was impacted by the fire and 2019-20 and 2020-21 have been impacted by COVID-19.
She knew that the job would be tough when she started in August 2018.
“It’s never stopped,” she said. “It’s strange to me that it’s only been two and a half years in. But to come into a situation where you are always in crisis because of COVID — and now this extra COVID part.”zx
She notes that people talk about getting back to normal, but she isn’t sure what that is.
“It’s crazy to me to think of normalcy and that I don’t know what normalcy is,” she said. “I don’t know what’s normal.”
She joked that when normal does return, it will be boring.
“Is it me? Am I this really bad omen, do they not want me to be athletic director? Is that why all of the awful things keep happening?” she said. “Maybe I should just quit so everyone can go back to normal.”
Jokes aside, she does hope that high school athletics can get back to normal.
“I am excited about that because you put so much effort into all of these things that are going wrong, fixing problems and in constant crisis,” Stearns said. “So for me I am excited to have normalcy maybe in a couple of years where I can give back to my coaches and athletes, all of my focus.” | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1368 |
__label__wiki | 0.901489 | 0.901489 | Carrie Fisher’s Brother Todd ‘Cried’ Watching His Sister in ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’
Dec 22, 2019 10:48 am·
Now that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out in theaters, people are touching on late star Carrie Fisher‘s role in it, especially her brother Todd, who got quite emotional watching his sister on screen.
Todd, 61, attended a screening of the latest film in the epic franchise in Los Angeles earlier this month, and reveals that he couldn’t hold back the tears while watching his big sister. “I cried,” he admitted to the NY Post. “Carrie is the heart and soul of the storyline.” The actress appears in the movie as her iconic character Princess Leia via previously filmed footage.
Exclusive:The Women Of 'Star Wars' Finally Come To Power — And It's About Time
This isn’t the first time that Todd has seen Carrie on the big-screen after she passed in 2016. Back in 2017, she appeared in Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Carrie is comatose for most of the film. “They shot those scenes of her in a coma before she was ever in a coma,” Todd explained to the post. “So then I found myself, [remembering] her in a coma in real life. And in that case, life had imitated art.”
Lucasfilm/Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
Just one day after Carrie passed away, her mother Debbie Reynolds, also died. “A lot of people asked me when they died, ‘How do you deal with it?’” Todd said. ”Part of it is the faith that we all shared, my mother, my sister and I — the idea that we shall meet again, and they’re not far from you. They’re just in a different space or a different dimension. There are a lot of words you can attach to [that]. The word ‘force,’ for example, is [‘Star Wars’ creator] George Lucas’s choice word, but you could interchange the word ‘faith.’ I find a lot of that comforting, frankly.”
The Postcards from the Edge author was 60 when she passed away after suffering a heart attack. Her mom was 84 upon her death following a stroke. “I do miss them both tremendously,” Todd previously told ABC News. “At the same time, I have so much left behind by them both, and so many great memories.”
Exclusive: Debbie Reynolds' Greatest Failure Revealed As TV Memorabilia Goes Up For Auction
We will always remember Carrie or Debbie and all that they did. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1372 |
__label__cc | 0.63492 | 0.36508 | Use of antidepressants in bipolar disorder with caution is advised. Bipolar disorder is a disease that causes abrupt variations in mood, from depression to mania. During obsession (a manic episode), a person with bipolar disorder may encounter an elevated state and racing feelings. They may feel irritated and talk promptly and for lengthy periods. During a manic incident, a person with bipolar disorder may follow risky behaviors, such as wasting exorbitant amounts of money or involving in unsafe sex.
Depression in bipolar disorder can be difficult and may even produce suicidal feelings. While antidepressants tackle depression, a person with bipolar disorder also encounters bouts of mania. For this purpose, antidepressants aren’t always the most efficient treatment. Antidepressants improve the number of neurotransmitters in the brain. They involve serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The usage of antidepressants for bipolar disorder has been uncertain because antidepressants have triggered manic events in a tiny percentage of characters with bipolar disorder. Let us have a look at these use of antidepressants in bipolar disorder with caution.
What Have Researches Shown Linked to Antidepressants and Bipolar Disorder?
The ISBD organized a task force to examine antidepressant use in people with bipolar disorder. Members evaluated more than 173 inquiries on bipolar disorder and antidepressants and determined that they couldn’t conclusively prescribe antidepressants to treat bipolar disorder. Other significant findings incorporate that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and bupropion were less prone to cause manic experiences than other medications, such as tricyclic antidepressants. The task force issued their conclusions in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Experts at Brown University presented research on bipolar disorder and antidepressants at the 2013 American Psychiatric Association conference. The scientists didn’t find a more unusual rate of hospital readmission rates in cases who took antidepressants, associated with those who did not. They studied 377 patients and discovered that 211 of the patients came back to the hospital within a year after release.
Are Antidepressants Used to Treat Bipolar Disorder?
Antidepressants aren’t regularly the first drugs a doctor would order to treat bipolar disorder. The original group of medications to treat bipolar dysfunction is mood stabilizers, like lithium. Sometimes a doctor will designate a mood stabilizer and antidepressant collectively. It decreases the danger of manic episodes. Mood stabilizers aren’t the only medicines used to handle bipolar disorder. Anti-seizure medicine also is used to manage bipolar disorder. Although produced to treat seizures, these drugs sustain nerve membranes and inhibit the liberation of some neurotransmitters, which supports patients with bipolar disorder. These medications include Divalproex, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and oxcarbazepine. These medications modify several neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, and usually make people drowsy. Many physicians do blend small doses of antidepressants with mood stabilizers to treat bipolar disorder. Some antidepressants get utilized more often than others.
Antidepressants Used for Bipolar Disorder
Antidepressants have not been well-researched in the therapy of bipolar disease. But psychoanalysts and other mental health providers do sometimes order them in sequence with other drugs to treat bipolar disorder. These antidepressants have more uncertainty of triggering mania, so they get used only if other antidepressants didn’t operate for a patient.
What Side Effects Can Antidepressants Cause?
Antidepressants can create various side effects. These include:
Taking medications at regular intervals is often a hurdle for those struggling with bipolar disorder. One day they may appear “normal” or fine and feel like they don’t need their medication anymore. Or they could seem so sad or hyper that they are not ready to take their medicine. Suddenly discontinuing antidepressant drugs can make bipolar symptoms more dangerous. Those with bipolar disorder shouldn’t quit taking their antidepressants unless a physician tells them to.
The effectiveness of antidepressant side effects in bipolar disorder is possibly the most contentious topic in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Earlier, clinical investigations have shown high rates of antidepressant use in bipolar disorder. In one research, for example, about 80 percent of patients with bipolar disorder had been used with antidepressants at some period, as opposed to only about 50 percent receiving mood stabilizers. Moreover, when mood stabilizers get used, they are regularly coupled with antidepressants. It could be a dilemma since, if antidepressants have mood-destabilizing results, they can prevent the benefits of mood stabilizers, thus leading to medication nonresponse. In that same research, only about one-third of patients with bipolar disorder had ever got treated with mood stabilizers solely, which means that only they had accepted a fair analysis of a mood stabilizer (i.e., in the deficiency of an antidepressant). Other investigations indicate that antidepressant usage in academic stations tends to be somewhat more moderate than found in the community and some educational groups, where caution gets employed in using antidepressants, the standards of use are lower still. Until 2002, all bipolar treatment guidelines prescribed antidepressant treatment as the first-line treatment of bipolar depression. The fundamental matter that some of us have focused on two issues: First, multiple, long-term, randomized investigations have confirmed a lack of effectiveness of antidepressants in the inhibition of depression in bipolar disorder, and no randomized data survive to the contrary; second, some observational information, including the only possible randomized investigations, show that antidepressants seem to get correlated with long-term worsening of the development of illness (essentially rapid-cycling) in about one-third of bipolar cases. Thus, our business has been over long-term use in particular. Deliberations such as these have led to some information about prospects with antidepressants in bipolar disorder.
Conclusions on Antidepressants and Bipolar Disorder
Antidepressants are an alternative to handle bipolar disorder, but they aren’t usually the unique medication used. They get regularly prescribed with other medicines, such as a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic. It can check manic experiences and help people better regulate their moods.
use of antidepressants
antidepressants pills
antidepressants for anxiety and depression
antidepressant drugs bipolar disorder | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1375 |
__label__wiki | 0.664031 | 0.664031 | Four CODEPINK Activists Arrested Today as Pompeo Testified to Congress on Use of Force Policy on Iraq and Iran
Contact: Ariel Gold | ariel@codepink.org | 510 599 5330
Medea Benjamin | medea.benjamin@gmail.com | 415 235 6517
Friday, February 28, 2020, Washington, D.C.—Activists from the peace organization CODEPINK were arrested by Capitol Police before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the House Foreign Affairs Committee at 8:30 AM Friday during a hearing titled, "Evaluating the Trump Administration's Policies on Iran, Iraq and the Use of Force.”
Capitol Police abruptly removed CODEPINK members from the hearing, before placing four members — Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold, Leila Zand, and Helen Schietinger — under arrest. CODEPINK Co-Founder Medea Benjamin and National Co-Director Ariel Gold were immediately placed in handcuffs. The four were taken to the police station, where they were processed and released. Gold and Benjamin are required to appear in court at a later date. Both Zand and Schietinger were released after paying a fine. Zand, an Iranian-American born in Iran, is coordinating CODEPINK’s next citizen diplomacy delegation to Iran this May.
The group attended the hearing wearing t-shirts reading, “Peace with Iran,” and held up signs before being escorted from the hearing. “By tearing up the Iran nuclear deal, imposing crippling sanctions, and carrying out the illegal assassination of General Solemani, Pompeo and the rest of the administration have manufactured a crisis with Iran — a conflict the American people do not support,” said Medea Benjamin, co-director of CODEPINK and author of Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “Given the havoc the U.S. has wreaked in the Middle East, Pompeo and his cronies have a lot of nerve demanding that Iran behave like a ‘normal nation.’ Let’s start by calling out the US and its allies, such as Saudi Arabia and Israel, for engaging in violent, repressive behavior.”
The Trump administration’s campaign of maximum pressure has intentionally crippled the Iranian economy, including its healthcare system. Pompeo’s testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee comes in the midst of a worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus where Iran, partially because of US sanctions, is experiencing a far higher fatality rate than other similarly developed countries. Iranian doctors have complained about a shortage of antiviral medicines and ventilators, all of which are hard to purchase due to sanctions. In February 2019, Pompeo bragged to CBS that “things are much worse for the Iranian people [with the US sanctions],” indicating that the suffering being imposed upon the Iranian people is intentional.
“I recently returned from a visit to Iran in October 2019 where I saw first-hand the effects of US sanctions on ordinary Iranians and their fear of a war with the US. As a Jewish American, I visited multiple synagogues and historical sites in Iran dating back to 4000 BC,” said national CODEPINK co-director Ariel Gold, who was arrested during the hearing as Pompeo began his introductory remarks. “Upon return to the US, it was heartbreaking and terrifying to hear the Trump administration threatening to bomb such sites and to learn that the Iranian people, including friends I made while there, are currently unable to access life-saving medications to treat such ailments as leukemia, epilepsy, eye injuries from chemicals used in the Iran-Iraq war, and now the coronavirus. As someone who is deeply concerned with the dignity and humanity of all people and the prevention of unnecessary wars, I can not stay quiet while Pompeo spouts lies, hatred, and warmongering.”
“Sanctions are collective punishment of innocent civilians, which is a war crime. The effects of this punishment are evident in the coronavirus’s mortality rate in Iran,” said CODEPINK member Leonardo Flores. “By devastating Iran’s economy and health infrastructure, the Trump administration has made it more likely that the virus will become a global pandemic. We are nearing the seventeenth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq and our leaders continue making the same mistakes of attempted regime change and applying deadly sanctions. This has to end.”
CODEPINK supported the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 and predicted the escalation towards war when President Trump pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and unilaterally reimposed the previously suspended nuclear-related economic sanctions. CODEPINK calls on the Trump administration to re-enter the nuclear deal, lift the sanctions, and work with Iran to stop the global spread of the deadly coronavirus. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1378 |
__label__cc | 0.731565 | 0.268435 | Each of those sites is "great real estate'' located in the center of its trade area, Buring said.
The Wolfcreek store stands across N. Germantown Parkway from the Wolfchase Galleria mall. It is the second big-box store from the road next to Best Buy. The Sports Authority in East Memphis is near the center of the county at Poplar and I-240 and next to a Target.
And the store in Southaven is close to Goodman Road and near a Walmart, he said.
The Collierville space could be more challenging to fill because its location is not as central as the other sites, Buring said.
Each store is 40,000 to 45,000 square feet.
Forbes, a business magazine, reported that all 450 stores could close since the company quit trying to reorganize under bankruptcy. The chain will sell its assets at auction. Potentially, a buyer could come forward to keep the doors open. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1384 |
__label__wiki | 0.883963 | 0.883963 | "I was flabbergasted," recalled the Burlington Township resident a decade later. "I had no idea what to do or say. I got out of the car."
On Thursday, Bancroft unveiled its new sensitivity training program for first responders before a class of two dozen police officers from the Camden County Police Department. They were the first to receive the 90-minute program from the Cherry Hill-based nonprofit, which serves people with developmental disabilities, such as autism.
One in 41 school-age children in New Jersey are diagnosed with autism, increasing the likelihood that first responders will encounter a person who is unable to communicate verbally or respond to police commands. Though police quickly backed down after Meade explained what was happening, altercations sometimes end badly.
SHOULD YOU INTERVENE? Witnessing public outbursts
In 2013, a 21-year-old Camden resident with autism was shot in the arm after he was mistaken for an intruder by an off-duty Camden police officer. The young man had run away from his caretaker and across the street to the officer's home. The man's caretaker was shot in the chest and seriously injured.
On Thursday, Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson said he could not comment on the specific facts of that case but said the officer is no longer on the force. He said the Bancroft training is an important tool for police officers asked to handle incidents "in the least intrusive, most peaceful way possible."
"It was a tragic incident," Thomson said. "I don't know if it could have been avoided. I'm not parsing out the facts or passing judgment on it, but ... if there is a way to avoid it, that's what this is all about today."
The Bancroft program is the latest in the department's efforts to train officers to defuse tense situations instead of reacting to them. Last week, 36 Camden County officers received three days of crisis intervention training from a Milwaukee-based company to help them respond appropriately to people with emotional and mental disturbances, or to those under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
On Thursday, Bancroft trainer Karen Parenti shared de-escalation tips for dealing with a person with autism experiencing a meltdown. Techniques include backing away and remaining calm, giving the person additional time to calm down, responding with empathy and asking, "How can I help?"
In some cases, when personal safety is at stake, responders can provide clear, nonthreatening directions, explain what will happen if the person doesn't follow directions, and direct the person to put down any objects he or she might be holding.
Rex Carney, vice president of external affairs for Bancroft, said the agency provides services for 1,700 people in its schools, day and residential programs and group homes. The nonprofit is offering the training to 15 South Jersey municipalities, including Medford, Cinnaminson, Collingswood, Voorhees, Haddonfield and Cherry Hill.
"They got back to us immediately," Carney said. "There seems to be a really strong interest in this training."
Today, at 6-feet-4 and 220 pounds, 19-year-old Daniel Meade is too big for his father to sling over his shoulder. He's doing well in Bancroft's school and residential program.
"Now, it's 100 percent better," said his mother, Tina Meade. "I do see people being much more understanding (and) caring. All the awareness out there has really made a difference."
When he lived at home with his parents and sister, he sometimes erupted in tantrums that led the family to call 911. When they moved to the township, they alerted their local police and fire departments that they had a child with autism who would sometimes wander and walk into neighboring houses.
When first responders are called to a scene, Tina Meade suggested, they shouldn't just rush in and grab the person or shout commands. Instead, ask the family for suggestions, use nonverbal cues to help the person understand and remain calm.
"You can yell at him, but he may not understand what you're saying," Tina Meade said. "It's just going to escalate the situation."
Kim Mulford: (856) 486-2448; kmulford@gannettnj.com | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1386 |
__label__cc | 0.544102 | 0.455898 | TNAU comes out with solution to extend shelf life of fruits, vegetables
Sneha L
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has come up with a solution that would prevent the loss of fruits and vegetables during the post-harvest season. Around 30 to 35 per cent of fruits and vegetables (worth Rs. 2,40,000 crore) are lost every year in the country during the post-harvest period.
In order to prevent the loss, TNAU’s Nano Science Technology Department has been researching since 2012 to find a way to enhance the shelf life of fruits. It is during this process, the University of Guelph, Canada and TNAU developed the Hexanal technology.
“Hexanal or the Enhanced Freshness Formulation (EFF) concentrate mixed in water can be sprayed at trees, 30 days and 15 days before the harvest by farmers. Otherwise, post-harvest the fruits can be dipped in the EFF solution by the traders. Either way, the fruit’s shelf-life will be extended,” says Prof G.J. Janavi of TNAU.
“Most useful application of EFF is in export of fruits. Also, farmers and traders are benefited as glut is prevented. When the supply is higher than the demand, farmers and traders usually face loss but this method delays the ripening of the fruit and sustains it for a while. So, the farmer doesn’t have to unload everything at the market and face a loss instead he can store his fruits for future business and maintain a equilibrium,” she said.
The solution has been most successful with mangoes and bananas. Meanwhile, research scholars and PG students across agriculture colleges are encouraged to research about the effect of the EFF solution on fruits like papaya, acid lime and guava.
Farmers of Theni, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts who have used the solution in their farms bear testimonials to the efficiency of EFF technology. It has been learnt that the farmers are happy with the outcome as well as the fresh and glossy look the solution gives to the fruit.
While the procedure of making this compound has not been disclosed, it is learnt that the mixture has undergone various bio-safety tests to ensure that no damage is done to the environment.
“The compound is mostly organic. Many examinations were conducted to make sure that the product does not harm the earthworms, honey-bees and other organisms including human cell lines,” Janavi said.
Research on the solution would conclude by March next year and the solution would hit the market. The university would prepare the EFF solution, which might cost Rs. 500 a litre. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1387 |
__label__wiki | 0.830624 | 0.830624 | Chicago’s Congress Center on Block
Several programs sponsored by the former Triple Net Properties, now known as Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors L.L.C., have put the Class A, 523,000-square-foot Congress Center in Chicago up for sale. Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P. will be handling the marketing.A source familiar with the building told CPN that Triple Net
Several programs sponsored by the former Triple Net Properties, now known as Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors L.L.C., have put the Class A, 523,000-square-foot Congress Center in Chicago up for sale. Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P. will be handling the marketing.A source familiar with the building told CPN that Triple Net is its first owner, having bought the building for $136 million in January 2003 from Development Resources Inc. shortly after it was completed. The 16-story building is being sold subject to existing financing. Congress Center (pictured), at 525 W. Van Buren St., has 16 stories of office space and is approximately 79 percent leased to tenants including the U.S. federal government, Akzo Nobel Inc., North American Company for Life and Health Insurance, and Amtrak.In a prepared statement, HFF managing director Jaime Fink said, “Congress Center offers excellent credit tenancy coupled with tremendous upside potential through the lease-up of vacant space, which includes two full-floor availabilities.” Those two floors, which are contiguous, are about 33,000 square feet each.A Cushman & Wakefield Inc. report on Chicago’s West Loop submarket notes that the 2007 EOY vacancy rate was 11.3 percent, which was the lowest it had been since 2000. Average asking rents were $34.08, compared to $31.64 in 2006. In 2007, the submarket experienced nearly 2.7 million square feet of leasing activity, on a base inventory of just over 33 million square feet. with net absorption being 463,000 square feet. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1388 |
__label__wiki | 0.539081 | 0.539081 | Make a difference in a child's life!
President - Board of Directors: Michael Deotte, Director of Communications for the University of Connecticut School of Business in Storrs, CT serves as the President of the Board of Directors. Michael is a member of the American Marketing Association, the Graduate Management Admission Council, the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He served as Secretary of the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective. Michael is an adoptive parent of two young boys.
Secretary - Board of Directors: John Pica-Sneeden, Executive Director of CTGLC and owner of Surroundings Floral in Broad Brook, CT has experience in teaching art, singing and floral design. As a former member of the East Windsor, CT Board of Education, the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, the Capital Education Council, the East Windsor, CT Economic Development Commission and the East Windsor, CT Education foundation, John has honed his leadership and strategic planning skills. He brings all of these skills to the board of Creative Arts for Developing Minds. John is the adoptive father of five children, four of whom are special needs children.
Founder and CEO: Nan Arnstein, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Creative Arts for Developing Minds is a former foster child who credits her survival to her involvement in music, especially the piano. She has served as Chief Financial Officer for Simpson Healthcare Executives, Thornton Medical Communications and as owner of Numbers by Nan, a controller-for-hire small business. Nan has served as a board member of EVE’S Fund and as President of the Central Connecticut Chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association. Nan founded Creative Arts for Developing Minds as a way to give back to an under-served population with which she is familiar. Nan is a staunch advocate for and supporter of the needs and welfare of children in foster care. Nan is a member of the Children's Behavioral Health Advisory Council for CT and of the Regional Advisory Council - Region 6 for the CT Department of Children and Families. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1390 |
__label__wiki | 0.788974 | 0.788974 | Arthur impressed with Pakistan's future stars
Pakistan’s head coach Mickey Arthur expressed his excitement at watching young cricketing talents emerging in the country after he paid a visit to the Under-19 High Performance Skill and Training Programme currently being held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.
“I think the quality of the cricketers, facility and coaches have been brilliant. I have followed them when we were at the World Cup and obviously they had a great series in South Africa, with some really good players making their mark,” said Arthur.
Arthur named some rising fast bowling stars who could go on to make it big in international cricket. He also praised the level of fitness maintained by the rookie players, who defeated South Africa U-19 7-0 in the one-day series in the rainbow nation.
“I have certainly seen some guys here with immense talent, there have been some players that have looked really good. I mean you can talk about Naseem Shah, Haider Ali, Amir the left-arm spinner. That is the kind of skill set we are looking to create in our setup and these guys are very good young cricketers,” he added. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1393 |
__label__cc | 0.618855 | 0.381145 | Form vs. Function
Critiquing the Wild Writer:
It's Not What You Say, But How You Say It
(or "Just Honest, not Brutally Honest")
by Andrew Burt
The Internet has been wonderful for us writers, among other things, opening the floodgate so we can participate in on-line critique groups and get feedback from authors worldwide. And sometimes there are other reasons why it's a good thing they live in Antarctica, such as when they shred your novel and you want to take a swing at them with your aluminum bat...
In my years of shepherding tens of thousands of authors in the Critters Writers' Workshop on the Internet--and similarly for a good decade before that running an Internet service provider for tens of thousands of users exchanging messages--the most common complaint I've had the "joy" of dealing with has been of the "what so&so said was devoid of content, and mean-spirited, and I want you to beat them up for me" variety. I've traced the source of these complaints, almost universally, to one root cause: Failure to communicate.
The underlying problem is rarely that the "attacker" said something vacuous or even incorrect. As judge and jury, I try to view what they say in a neutral way, allowing great latitude for freedom of speech. I almost always find that the critiquer had some valid points. Well, it's their opinion so it's valid by default; but you know what I mean. There's a kernel of truth in what they say.
The problem is How They Say It.
When I point out what's going on, the reviewers invariable defend what they said. "But it's true that..." And perhaps it is. The problem is in how they phrased it. It's the old Form vs. Function dichotomy. The content may be fine, it's the presentation that's lacking.
I know, it's easy to write something like this (which is the beginning of an actual critique):
Use a spell-checker! NOTHING detracts so much from a story as bad spelling and/or grammar! For example, you spelled 'incessant' as 'incesint'. AGH! Also, you must put in commas where two independent clauses are joined in a sentence.
Are these factually correct statements? Probably. Did the author grasp this from this critique? No. The author complained to me that the critiquer must have had a vendetta. The author didn't want to hear the message, and used an extremely convenient excuse not to--that the message wasn't really meant to be taken at face value, but was merely some kind of revenge thing. It wasn't, but that's lost when you employ this tone.
"You need to," "have to," "should," "must," "can't," "don't," "!", ALL CAPS, the imperative mood--these are harsh and demanding. Readers (especially authors having their babies appraised) react to the haughty tone, and often ignore the message.
So what should you do? If the manuscript is so awful, so riddled with typos and grammos that you feel personally insulted they had the nerve to waste your time and you want to grab the author by the throat, my advice has always been, Skip that manuscript. Pick another one if you have choices or if you don't, make polite excuses why you didn't have time to read it. If you feel you absolutely must offer a critique, then Suggest, don't demand. You don't know their circumstances; they may be a twelve-year-old quadriplegic trying very hard. Think of it as a twist on the old adage: "If you can't say something nicely, don't say anything at all."
"I'm not sure but," "you might consider," "have you thought about," "another idea could be," "possibly," "maybe,"... these are the hallmarks of a tactful, softer phrasing:
I noticed a number of what seemed to be spelling and grammar errors in your piece. For example, I thought you meant "incessant" for "incesint"; and my ear wanted to hear a comma between the independent clauses in your sentence, "I came I saw I conquered" (which I would write, "I came, I saw, I conquered" -- unless you're shooting for a run-on sort of style for literary effect, in which case, though it didn't work for me, "nevermind" :-).
The entire point of communication is to communicate. This point seems frequently forgotten.
Your job as critiquer is not to crush the fragile ego of a budding writer, but to help them become a better one.
Yes, sometimes whacking the reader over the head is an effective means of conveying your message: If you're in a position of power correcting a grievous mistake (coach reproaching a team member, or commander vs. soldier); or where offense is implicitly accepted as possible (editorial exhorting readers to vote against ballot proposal X); or a situation where offense isn't likely in the first place (a mass-market "how to" book, or yours truly writing this article to a wide, generic audience).
Critiques are none of the above. An author offering you a piece for critique is not empowering you over them as a lord and master (and acting as such is asking for trouble); nor is offense implicitly expected from a critiquer (dislikes, disagreement, sure, but not rudeness); nor is the author a generic audience to you--indeed, they're a very personal, one-on-one audience.
A request for critiques is a request for constructive criticism, not destructive, both in content and phrasing.
Remember, Write for your audience. In a critique this means, without any exception I can think of, that you need to phrase your critiques delicately, tactfully, carefully. This isn't the same as only saying nice things; no one is asking you to lie or withhold your opinions. It's "merely" being polite when you say you didn't care for something. Is this hard? Damn right. Wouldn't it be great if you could just say what you meant? Sure. But who ever said critiquing was easy?
"But readers and critics are harsh," you say. "An author has to develop a thick skin." Yes, but readers and critics (as opposed to critiquers) have a right to be harsh. Readers pay money for the author's work, and may rightfully feel cheated if it didn't fulfill its promise. A critic's job is to tell readers whether something's worth their money or not. Neither reader nor critic owe anything to the author. A critiquer's duty, on the other hand, is not to thicken the author's skin. Your duty is to help the author improve their piece.
Of course, you can take the cop-out approach, and say, hey, I'm a blunt, gruff sort of person, I tell it like it is, that's just who I am, live with it. Well... if you do it that way--to be blunt--you're wasting your time. Don't bother with the critique, since the author won't hear you. They're too busy with their rising blood pressure and thoughts of playing Mark McGwire with your head.
You won't have communicated. So what was the point?
Yeah, you might feel better for having vented. But, criminy, go punch a hole in your drywall or something instead. Don't take out your frustrations on an author.
"No, honest," you say, "I didn't mean to! I really was trying to communicate what I thought were the flaws, and oh boy, did it have flaws..." Ok! Great! Just consider that the method that works is to be tactful about it, not blunt. Put another way, skip the "brutal" part of "brutal honesty" in a critique since simple honesty does the trick.
Remember, the pied piper led the rats and children away with a sweet tune, not barked insults.
It's not what you say. It's how you say it.
(For dessert, I suggest you have a look at the The Diplomatic Critter document for some more specific tips.
There are also some examples of problem resolution cases I've dealt with and specific wording suggestions.
For those with a mathematical bent, here's a mathematical look at the matter.
And when you're done with that, you can run your critique through Aburt's experimental Diplomacy checker to see if it finds any red flags.)
Copyright 2000-2015 Andrew Burt | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1396 |
__label__wiki | 0.703848 | 0.703848 | Life looking up at last for Mojo as he's found a stable home
By Lisa Smyth
Mojo has not had an easy time of late - but now things are finally looking up for him.
The handsome 20-year-old pony has been offered a second chance of life after the volunteers at Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary came to his rescue.
He was handed over just before Christmas suffering from an excruciatingly painful eye condition. "His owner didn't want him any longer and he was abandoned at his livery yard," explained centre manager Lyn Friel.
"We were approached to see if we would take him on. As you can see, his right eye was badly damaged. He was suffering from a nasty condition called uveitis.
"It was obviously causing him a lot of pain. He had his head down and was constantly blinking, as you can imagine you would as it would have felt like there was something in it.
"He needed surgery to have his eye removed and had to stay with the vet for two weeks, but it turns out it was the greatest gift we could have given him.
"He is no longer in pain, he is much happier and is looking forward to his new life in his new home."
Ms Friel said Mojo was one of the almost 100 horses and ponies at the Co Antrim sanctuary. "He is such a lovely pony," she added. "In fact, if all the horses and ponies we had were like him we would have no problem rehoming them. We're delighted he will be going to a good home where he will be loved, cared for and wanted and he will be able to spend the rest of his life taking it easy."
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/life-looking-up-at-last-for-mojo-as-hes-found-a-stable-home-34358995.html | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1397 |
__label__wiki | 0.841507 | 0.841507 | COWBOY ART; FRANK MCCARTHY RIDES THE WAVE THAT FREDERIC REMINGTON BEGAN
By Stewart McBride Staff correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
Sedona, Ariz.
If it sells, podner, it's art. Ro clear the corral for a new breed /f roughriding Carav ggios, the American cowboy artist.
Art mirrors culture, so it should come as no surprise that the recent shift in centers of power and population from the Northeast to the Sunbelt has nurtured a new school of artists who are painting and selling old myths and new realities of the Wild West. In a repival of the tradition of 19th-century illustrators Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, today's ''cowboy artists'' are rendering well-crafted frontier caricatures of trappers, gamblers, and cattlemen. It might be a heroic explorer set against majestic mountains and candelabra cactus, or perhaps a solitary wrangler with a haunting Edward Hopper loneliness. Regardless of the mood (and sometimes artistic quality), Western subject matter is a hot commodity.
''Anything with a tepee in it will sell these days,'' says Frank McCarthy, one of America's most successful cowboy artists. McCarthy, an Eastern-transplant-turned-armchair-cowboy, low lives in nothern Arizona and peddles his portraits of pensive mountain men and charging cavalry for between $ 30,000 and $40,000, seven times the price he was getting a decade ago.
It's hard to say exactly what is fueling the prairie-fire market for cowboy art. Nostalgia? Investors looking for the next trendy blue-chip paintings? WHatever the reason, the fact is that the value of cowboy art has soared nearly tenfold in 10 years. Some artists have been doubling their prices annually.
Former Texas Gov. John B. Connally paid cowboy artists perhaps the Longhorn State's highest compliment seven years ago when he began auctioning off Western paintings side by side with quarterhorses and Santa Gertrudis cattle at the now-annual Western Heritage Sale and Auction in Houston. Last year at the auction Clark Hulings's ''Kaleidoscope,'' a 29-by-46-inch oil painting of a border town market scen', sold for a record $31O,000, more than twice the price of the most expensive racehorse.
Connally and other prominent public figures who have collected Western art over the years (such as the late President Lyndon Johnson; industrialist Leonard Firestone; C. R. Smith, former American Airlines president and secretary of commerce) are partly responsible for turning the cowboy art movement into the respectable stampede it is today. US Sen. Barry Goldwater, another booster, has served on the exhibition jury for a Cowboy Artists of America show, and wrote a foreword for a recent CAA catlog.
But if these painters are so famous, why hasn't anyone ever heard of Frank McCarthy, Joe Beeler, John Clymer, Gordon Snidow - the Rembrandts and Rubenses of contemporary Western art?
''Cowboy art,'' Sheldon Reich suggested in ARTnews, ''is like an underground movement - it's a separate but flourishing cultural manifestation, which has virtually nothing to do with the elite establishment of the East or West Coast. This, incidentally, is not to state such pictures do not enter collections on both shores - they do. If Remington had only realized what he had started.''
With characteristic cowboy bravado, CAA president Joe Beeler boasts: ''No art group in the history of art has accomplished what we have in such a short time.'' Beeler is overseeing the construction of a $2 million museum for cowboy art in Kerrville, Texas, 60 miles north of San Antonio; it is expected to open in the spring of 1983. Meanwhile, many museums have begun to build reputations around their Western art collections: the Whitney Gallery of Western Art in Cody , Wyo.; the Gilcrease Institute in Tulsa, Okla.; the Woolaroc Musuem in Bartlesville, Okla.; the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth; the Jocelyn Art Museum in Omaha; the Montana Historical Society, in Helena; the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, in Oklahoma City.
In addition to CAA, a whole alphabet soup of organizations has bubbled up: the National Academy of Western Art (NAWA), the Society of American Historical Artists (SAHA), and Western Artists (WA). If you'd like to read all about it, of course, there are such magazines as Artists of the Rockies and the Golden West, Art West, and Southwest Art. And if you decide to lay your money down, there is an ever-growing string of exclusively Western art galleries appearing in places like Albuquerque, Taos, and Santa Fe, N.M.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Kansas City - even Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.
''It's not hoity-toity art,'' says Doug Hancock, a mustachioed salesman for the Husberg Fine Art Gallery, one of the most respected in the Southwest. ''A lot of the people who collect it know nothing about art, but they love this stuff and it seems to capture the romance, glamour, and adventure'' of America's past.
The Husberg Gallery is in Sedona, a hamlet nestled among the ponderosa pine and sandstone buttes of Oak Creek Canyon in northern Arizona. It is home to 9, 000 people and more than a dozen art galleries. It is said to be the birthplace of the cowboy artist movement.
Both McCarthy and Beeler live in Sedona, and in 1965 Beeler met there with four other cowboy artists in Bird's Oak Creek Tavern and founded the Cowboy Artists of America, to uphold ''authentic -representation of the life of the West as it was and as it is.'' The rest is history, and high-rolling history at that. In 1924 Hollywood brought its camera crews and hopalong cowboys here and used this now-famous Red Rock Country as backdrop to a series of Westerns, ''Broken Arrow,'' ''3:10 to Yuma,'' ''The Rounders,'' ''The Cowboy and the Redhead.'' At the time only the lizards and a few hundred people lived in dry, dusty Sedona. Deep-water wells were eventually drilled, and a small colony of retirees and artists followed.
Joe Beeler, a crusty old painter and part-time cowboy, claims to have been the first artist to move into town, about 21 years ago. Son of a hard-rock miner , Beeler was born in Joplin, Mo. ''There was Indian blood in my family and I grew up going to Cherokee powwows,'' he recalled on a recent afternoon. ''I was drawing cowboys and Indians when I was seven years old.''
Beeler got a fine arts degree at Kansas State University, did graduate work at the Art Center in Los Angeles, and served as a combat artist for the armed forces' Stars and Stripes newspaper while serving in the military. ''But I did a share of cowboying, too. There are cowboy artists painting today who haven't cowboyed, and there are some pretty good cowboys who can't paint. The trick is to combine the two. The same division existed back with Remington and Russell, the guys who got this whole thing started. Remington was an Eastern artist who made periodic trips to the West, and like a reporter, recorded what he saw. Russell was a Westerner born and bred. Today people are still fighting over who made the most impact.''
Before founding the CAA, Beeler was a painter in search of patrons. ''When I started out,'' he says, ''the only people who bought my paintings were cowboys and ranchers. There were no collectors, organizations, or galleries that handled this kind of stuff. When we started our organization it was more social than anything else. We thought it would be fun for a bunch of us guys to get together and philosophize. We're all pretty amazed at the route it has all taken. None of us foresaw the success it would have. There was a whole audience of people ignored by the abstract trend in art who were looking for something more representational. People could admire our stuff without having a doctor of arts degree.''
The recent fanfare has its dark side as well. ''With all the hoopdeedoo over Western art, people forget that what we do is fine art,'' he protests. ''There is no magic, no hocus-pocus. We paint things we see and feel strongly about. As far as prices, we artists are usually the last ones to figure out why they are going through the ceiling,'' says Beeler, getting a little hot under the collar. ''Ask the collectors and dealers and the auction guys. They've done more to stir up . . . '' He pauses and reflects. ''Well, I best stop there.''
Frank McCarthy comes from the West - west of Long Island Sound. He grew up in Scarsdale, N.Y. His first contact with cowboys came at the Saturday afternoon movie matinees. ''And one of the first books I ever read was Will James's 'Smoky ,' the story of a cowboy and his horse,'' McCarthy said recently in a back studio at the Husberg Gallery. Its walls are covered with handsomely framed oil paintings of wagon trains, calf ropings, and Canadian Mounties tending their huskies.
As McCarthy leans forward in his armchair, beside an old easel and jar of paintbrushes, he looks less like a cowpuncher than one of those dapper, outdoorsy grandfather types in the L. L. Bean catalogs. He wears a cerulean blue shirt, and his manicured salt-and-pepper beard frames a deeply tanned complexion.
Like Beeler, McCarthy's talent for painting showed through in grade school. He spent summers at the Art Students' League of New York, and eventually earned an illustration degree from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. The film industry caught wind of his knack for capturing dramatic detail and hired McCarthy to create those anonymous works of art hung in cinema lobbies: movie posters.
''I began to develop a real mastery of wars and crowd scenes, you know, whole cavalries going over the hill. They (the film companies) wanted things larger than life, things that couldn't be photographed. In 'Khartoum,' you couldn't count how many Arabs I had on both sides of that river. And those underwater battle scenes from James Bond's 'Thunderball,' that was pretty wild stuff, too.''
McCarthy's reputation grew; he became the illustrating world's hired gun who could take on any subject. ''I did people landing on the moon, and Australian dingoes chasing kangaroos. I did Charlton Heston in 'The Ten Commandments.' You know, a little bit of everything. But my interest in Westerns kept growing,'' says McCarthy. ''I did the posters for 'Duel at Diablo,' with James Garner, and 'Hallelujah Trail,' with Burt Lancaster.''
McCarthy's commercial work took him into record album covers for movie sound tracks. He even fathered a whole genre of paperback illustration. ''For historical novels, the publishers wanted a single cover illustration showing not only portraits of the main characters, but the plot line as well. I was once asked to do a guy and a gal in a clinch along with a battle scene. A montage was the only answer. I was one of the first to do it and now it's used all the time.''
In 1969 McCarthy placed one of his Western paintings in a prominent New York gallery. Five years later he had made enough from his art sales to leave his Connecticut home and his career as a commercial artist and move to Arizona. ''We had seen a photograph of Sedona in Arizona Highways (magazine), and came through here in 1971 taking pictures as research for my paintings. Within three days of our arrival we had bought property.''
In 1974, when McCarthy settled in Sedona, one of his 24--by-36-inch paintings sold for around $4,500. In eight years his prices have increased nearly sevenfold. ''On average, today, the 24-by-36s go for $30,000 and the 24-by-48s go for $40,000,'' he says. ''I can get a couple thousand for my little ones, the vignettes with figures but no background.''
What is causing the Western art craze sometimes baffles even McCarthy. ''I really don't know. People can't relate to that abstract stuff and I suppose they can understand this art. Most people have seen Western movies, and this sort of painting is realistic and romantic. My paintings are selling all over the country, even back East. Now you tell me why everybody on Cape Cod is wearing Western clothes, and disco has turned into country western,'' he says.
No tellin' why, he says, but the orders keep coming in. ''At any one time there are 150 people waiting for one of my paintings. Sometimes they ask specifically for a cavalry painting, but I never do any commissions. I paint cavalry, mountain men, or Indians, in the order that inspires me,'' says McCarthy, who paints anywhere from 12 to 15 -major works each year.
As realistic as the final product may be, he claims to always begin with an abstract design, patterns of dark and light. ''This one started off as a series of triangles,'' says McCarthy, pointing to a buffalo stampede in a calendar collection of his prints. ''People never believe me, but often I feel like a real abstract painter.''
Nevertheless, cowboy art is anything but highbrow, admits McCarthy, who turns a cold shoulder to the New York critics. ''They're snobs. Look at Andy Wyeth, one of the greatest, and they panned him. If the critics talk about me, I don't read it. I don't even know if they've heard of me in New York. The only feedback I like to hear is from a customer saying: 'I want another one, Frank.' ''
Finding new views of the iconic American West
Why a Wyoming sheriff banned cowboy boots and hats
Bully watch: Raising a cowboy unafraid to wear blue nail polish | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1401 |
__label__wiki | 0.759055 | 0.759055 | https://www.concordia.ca/content/shared/en/news/main/stories/2014/11/24/fast-furious-and-energy-efficient.html
Fast, furious and … energy-efficient: the Concordia Society of Automotive Engineers
The student association soars after strong competition finishes
By Malcolm McLean
“SAE is attracting more students, giving them a chance to pick up a wrench and apply what they’ve been learning.” — Andréa Cartile, Concordia SAE president. | Photo by Concordia University
Winners know they can’t afford to rest on their laurels. So, after an impressive year of success, the Concordia Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is already back to work, building on the foundation of existing designs and documentation with exciting new ideas.
“There’s continuity, taking what works from the previous design and focusing on improving the rest,” said Andréa Cartile, the society’s president.
Concordia SAE is a chapter of SAE International, which challenges students to design, manufacture, test and compete vehicles. SAE’s four teams have their eyes on the prize in four different areas: AeroDesign in the air, Formula Racing on the track, Baja in extreme environments and Supermileage at the frontier of energy efficiency.
Supermileage — 1st place in student exhibit
This year’s big breakthrough for the Concordia Supermileage team happened in April during the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress and Exhibition in Detroit, Michigan, where they placed first in the Student Exhibit Competition.
“We were evaluated on vehicle design, team management and presentation quality, among other things. The judges were from Chrysler, GM, Ford, NASCAR and others. This was the first time Concordia University participated at this event,” says Patrick Leclerc, mechanical engineering student and Supermileage coordinator.
At the SAE International Supermileage competition in Marshall, Michigan in June, the team finished 10th place overall with a fuel economy of 448 miles per gallon, its best result in over 15 years. It also won the Endurance Trophy for the most durable and reliable vehicle — so durable and reliable that the vehicle’s many track runs required the creation of an extra column on the results table.
In August, Supermileage sponsor NOK-Freudenberg invited the team to the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the Concordia team was featured in Autoline.tv.
Formula Racing — 15th in design
Concordia’s Formula Racing team attended the Formula SAE competition in Brooklyn, Michigan in May, ranking 15th in the design component. The top teams included Munich, Stuttgart and fellow Montrealer L’Ècole de technologie supérieure (ÉTS). Much of last year’s team is back and working on the 2014-2015 vehicle. “We’re taking a very serious engineering approach, where everything is validated, and changes are made only where it is clearly demonstrated why. That, along with the actual performance of their vehicles, is the notable feature of teams that win these competitions,” says Cartile, also a Formula team member.
AeroDesign — 4th in oral presentation
The AeroDesign team is gaining new members and enjoying forward momentum. In March at the 2014 SAE Aero Design West competition in Fort Worth, Texas, a respectable 14th-place finish was achieved by explaining in great detail the reasons for and implications of a fatal electrical failure. However, the team was encouraged by reaction to their oral presentation, which received a 4th place win in that category. This year, a new test plane is being developed, and the target is a top-five ranking at the next competition.
Baja — aiming for top ten
For the Baja team, whose vehicle performance and durability are tested in an extreme environment, the results of the team’s new data acquisition system, backed up by extensive validation and testing, are leading to substantial incremental vehicle improvements. This has raised the team’s hopes of making the top 20 at the 2015 SAE Baja competition and the top 10 at the 2015 Épreuve du Nord in Quebec City.
SAE background
One of the oldest student associations at Concordia, “SAE is attracting more students, giving them a chance to pick up a wrench and apply what they’ve been learning, and to work with others in teams on real-world engineering challenges,” says Cartile.
The SAE competitions draw more than 4,500 students from 500 universities around the world every year and provide students with the opportunity to fully experience engineering theory as applied to real applications.
“This kind of hands-on experience in aerospace and vehicular engineering does not come through courses alone,” says Cartile. “People find this motivates them tremendously to learn, as they apply it to real-world engineering problems, cooperating intensely as a team and competing keenly with the world.”
Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science
Concordia engineering students clinch first place at Detroit auto show | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1405 |
__label__wiki | 0.558934 | 0.558934 | Should You Be Taking Vitamin D?
What to know about the risk of low levels, and who should be tested
By Janet Lee
Vitamin D has been promoted as a cure-all. You may have seen headlines claiming that taking vitamin D can help prevent or even treat COVID-19, but there’s no solid science to support that yet. A paper recently published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health indicated that while everyone should strive to get enough of the vitamin, there’s still a dearth of research showing a beneficial effect on COVID-19.
But there's a connection between vitamin D levels and the risk of respiratory infections in general. The vitamin plays many roles throughout the body. “It supports a range of antiviral responses,” says Adrian Martineau, Ph.D., a clinical professor of respiratory infection and immunity at Queen Mary University of London. It boosts the ability of lung cells to fight bacteria and viruses, among other things, he says.
Foods That Strengthen Your Immune System
Foods That Fight Fatigue
The New Nutrition Label Makes Healthy Eating Easier
6 Food Additives to Watch
Answers to Common Questions About Coronavirus and the Food You Eat
Martineau was the lead author of a 2017 analysis of 25 studies looking at the vitamin and respiratory illness. Published in BMJ, it involved almost 11,000 people of all ages, and concluded that taking a D supplement (anywhere from less than 800 to more than 2,000 IU daily) reduced the risk of having at least one respiratory tract infection. Those who were very deficient in the vitamin (defined in this study as having blood levels below 25 nmol/L) saw the most benefit.
This anti-inflammatory vitamin also puts the brakes on your immune system. “That might seem like a bad thing, but not all immune responses are helpful when your body mounts them, which is particularly well-illustrated in COVID,” Martineau says. In many cases, severe COVID-19 symptoms result from the body’s overly exuberant response to the virus (what’s called a cytokine storm). The result is that the immune system attacks “friendly” tissues instead of targeting just the virus.
The Risks of Very Low Levels
Martineau’s findings match those of many other studies showing the benefit of raising low levels of vitamin D for a variety of health conditions. It’s well-known that having too little of it weakens bones, and some studies suggest there may be a link between a deficiency and a higher risk of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and more.
“There’s no question that additional vitamin D is helpful if someone is low or deficient,” says F. Michael Gloth III, M.D., an associate professor in the division of geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins University’s medical school. “But no trial has shown any benefit for giving vitamin D in any population that’s already getting enough.”
In 2018, long-awaited results from a study that looked at the effects of vitamin D and fish oil pills in more than 25,000 people ages 50 and older were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Known as the VITAL trial, it found that taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily didn’t cut cancer or cardiovascular risks compared with a placebo. But few of the people in the study had low blood levels of vitamin D.
Still, some research questions how helpful it is to raise low vitamin D levels. For example, doctors commonly recommend that older adults take vitamin D pills to help prevent falls and fractures. But a 2018 analysis of 81 studies, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, failed to support this, although only a few of the trials included people with really low levels.
Moreover, too much vitamin D may actually contribute to fractures. A 2019 study published in JAMA found that people who took 4,000 or 10,000 IU a day saw a reduction in bone density compared with those who took 400 IU. (But other research shows that taking vitamin D with calcium may lead to slight reductions in fracture risk.)
What Tests Can Reveal
The most common way to measure vitamin D levels is with a blood test for 25(OH)D [25-hydroxyvitamin D], but it’s not perfect. “There are many different versions of the test, and the results can vary,” says Mark Moyad, M.D., director of complementary and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center, who specializes in studying vitamins, minerals, and supplements. You can get different results from different labs and even after multiple tests at the same lab.
“Many of us in geriatrics, for better or worse, do screen and do treat” vitamin D deficiencies, says Veronica Rivera, M.D., an assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She admits that the evidence about testing and treatment is unclear. “If I’m doing yearly labs on someone, I may add it in. If they’re having falls, I may check it. If someone has osteoporosis or osteopenia, I would definitely screen,” she says. “The evidence is still conflicting, but I think the safe approach is to keep everyone at sufficient levels and to make it easy.”
Another confounding factor is that “normal” D levels may differ depending on skin color. We make vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Darker skin makes it harder to synthesize the vitamin, leading to lower levels, but researchers are still trying to understand the health implications of that and the need for supplements.
“The vitamin D test may also be exposing an existing health disparity,” Moyad says. In the VITAL trial, he notes, Black people had the lowest D levels and higher rates of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. It may be that those conditions contribute to low levels of the vitamin. And in general, people of color don’t get the same quality of healthcare as white people. “When patients, regardless of race or ethnicity, have better access and equitable opportunities to improve their health,” Moyad says, “their vitamin D levels can also increase without initially or only relying on supplements.”
Deciding on Supplements
Ultimately, whether to get tested or take a supplement and how to do it comes down to having a discussion with your doctor.
The National Academy of Medicine recommends 600 IU of vitamin D a day up to age 70; 800 IU daily after that. “The magic number is probably between 800 and 2,000 IU a day,” Gloth says.
“No matter your age, you should know what your blood level is,” says Christina Barth, R.D.N., a lecturer in nutrition at Arizona State University. If it’s not optimal (50 to 80 nmol/L), turn to food first and then a supplement if necessary, she says. Choose vitamin D2 or D3 for the best absorption.
To help you and your doctor decide whether you need a supplement, consider the following factors:
• How much sun do you get? Just 15 to 20 minutes a day (on your face, arms, legs, or back, without sunscreen) can give you a healthy dose of vitamin D. But if you've been confined indoors, the way many people have been this year, you may not be able to rely on the sun for your D. You also may need longer sun exposure to produce vitamin D in the winter or if you have darker skin. But more time in the sun means more exposure to UV rays, which can raise skin cancer risk.
• What’s your diet like? Many foods are fortified with vitamin D, but it may still be challenging to get enough from food alone. Cow’s milk and plant milks are fortified with it, as are some juices and cereals (all contain about 100 IU per cup). Fatty fish (450 IU per 3 ounces) and egg yolks (41 IU) also have D. Mushrooms naturally increase their D levels when they’re exposed to UV light (366 IU per half-cup).
• How old are you? About 80 percent of older adults don’t get enough D in their diet, and with age, skin becomes less able to make the conversion.
• Do you smoke? That dangerous habit depletes many vitamins and can limit your body’s ability to make D.
• Are you obese? People who are carrying extra weight have lower levels of the vitamin. Losing weight may boost D counts.
• Are you physically active? Blood levels of vitamin D may increase with more activity.
• How’s your gut? People with bowel disease or metabolic problems that affect nutrient absorption may run low on the vitamin.
Janet Lee, L.Ac., is an acupuncturist and freelance writer in Los Angeles who contributes to Consumer Reports on a range of health-related topics. She has been covering health, fitness, and nutrition for the past 20 years and has worked as an editor at several magazines.
8 Healthy Eating Strategies to Try Right Now
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: 9 Recipes to Get You Started
Shop Smarter for Supplements
15 Supplement Ingredients to Always Avoid | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1410 |
__label__cc | 0.541913 | 0.458087 | Entrepreneurial Solutions to Adverse Selection Problems
A new working paper is out by my colleagues at Mercatus -- "How the Internet, the Sharing Economy, and Reputational Feedback Mechanisms Solve the 'Lemons Problem.'" The lead author Adam Thierer has been doing some great work at Mercatus on entrepreneurship and public policy, and his Mercatus book is must reading for all who are interested in the vitality of economic life -- Permissionless Innovation.
In the early 2000s, I actually work with one of our PhD students -- Mark Steckbeck -- on the topic of how reputational feedback mechanisms were emerging in e-commerce to address adverse selection problems. Our paper "Turning Lemons into Lemonade" was published in 2004 and focused on the reputational feedbacks on E-Bay by way of a case study of the sale prices of high end photography equipment.
But what is most striking about all of this when you study it closely is two things -- even Akerloff's original paper, he actually implies the solution to the "lemons problem" at the end of the paper, but the popular understanding of the literature is that this was a market failure that required a government solution, and in 1940s Hayek had already pointed out the critical importance of reputation in dynamic market competition in his essay "The Meaning of Competition". As Hayek wrote:
In actual life the fact that our inadequate knowledge of the available commodities or services is made up for by our experience with the persons or firms supplying them — that competition is in a large measure competition for reputation or good will — is one of the most important facts which enables us to solve our daily problems.
Posted by Peter Boettke on May 27, 2015 at 09:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Methodological Suspicions Bleeding Into Ideological Suspicions
As anyone who has a pulse and is interested in the public/popular discourse about economics as a science knows, Paul Romer has caused quite a stir with his "mathiness" charge against leading figures in the modern economic theory of growth.
Unlike in the past, however, this debate/discussion has not been restricted to the scientific journals, but has resulted in a dialogue in the blogosphere. This is the nature of things these days, where discussions which were at one time limited to the journals and books among the learned few, now are discussed in public and often with a bit more vitriol than one has been accustomed to since the 19th century (when in books major thinkers often took a gloves off intellectual fighting style).
The discussion has made some reference to past thinkers, but not in any serious way I'd argue. A fuller discussion of these issues would need to take into account the earlier criticisms of "mathiness" raised by such Nobel Prize winners as Hayek, Buchanan, Coase and North, as well as the even earlier warnings by Frank Knight and Ludwig von Mises. I'd also like to see acknowledged the warnings about excessive formalism by the 2nd John Bates Clark medal winner -- Kenneth Boulding -- who in his review essay of Samuelson's Foundations published in the JPE in 1949 raised the potential for this problem as the by-product of the Samuelsonian project. I think the discussion would also be enhanced by an acknowledgement of the arguments made in Alan Coodington's "Creaking Semaphore and Beyond: A Consideration of Shackle's 'Epistemics and Economics', British Journal of Philosophy of Science, and especially the point that Coordington raises about syntactic clarity and semantic clarity in relationship to formalism.
It is my sincere hope that the raising of the problems associated with "mathiness" by such an accomplished theorist such as Paul Romer, would lead to a more open and productive dialogue on methodology. The reality is that since the 1980s, economists don't really talk about methodology and philosophy of science anymore. It sort of stopped after McCloskey's The Rhetoric of Economics. They talk about advances in method, but economic methodology as a subject has been relegated to philosophers, intellectual historians, and heterodox economists. The elite economists don't discuss methodology, they just do what economists do --- a sort of methodological conventionalism. And that conventionalism is model and measure. Mary Morgan's excellent The World in the Model is perhaps the best discussion of how economists think. But you don't really have economists of the stature of Paul Samuelson and Milton Friedman in the contemporary era doing what those two did -- making methodological arguments for formalism and instrumentalism. And you also don't have economists of the stature of Buchanan indicting the profession as he did in "What Should Economists Do?"
As a result, challengers to the existing status quo of research in contemporary economists have had to deal with the claim that they were methodological suspect, analytically suspect, and ideologically suspect. Opponents suspicious on any one of these had good reasons to discount the arguments being made, but if you are assumed to be guilty of all three, then you are justifiably ignored. Certainly this presumptions can be justified in many cases of critics of contemporary practice in economics, but not in all cases. Romer's criticisms might open up the intellectual space for an improved discussion of methodology and analytics, and hopefully from that a transparent and productive discussion of the broader social philosophic implications of some economic arguments and debates. But, unfortunately, it is unclear this is how it will go because even Romer has a hard time not sliding from the healthy culture of criticism in a science to the unhealthy and unproductive culture of skepticism. Consider his treatment of Friedman and Stigler:
Milton Friedman’s famous essay, “The Methodology of Positive Economics,” was a restatement of an attack that Stigler had already launched Chamberlin’s model of monopolistic competition. Stripped to its essentials, it was a syllogism:
Major Premise: Better theories have more unrealistic assumptions.
Minor Premise: Perfect competition has assumptions that are more unrealistic than monopolistic competition.
Conclusion: Perfect competition is the better theory.
For the history of the Stigler-Friedman attack on monopolistic competition, including a review of the Stigler-Friedman correspondence on this methodological line of attack, see for example Craig Freedman’s book, Chicago Fundamentalism. Or go back and read Stigler’s papers, starting with the lectures that he gave at LSE in 1948 that are collected in Monopolistic Competition in Retrospect.
Publishing a book in 1949, with a title that suggests a post-mortem, is pure Stigler. Of course, the tide of history shows that he was wrong, because monopolistic competition has all corners of the profession that the University of Chicago does not control. But Stigler has the last laugh, because for him it was not about economic theory. It was about saving the free world and I think his judgment was that this attack served the political purposes he intended it to have; and that what economic theorist think today hardly matters at all.
See Freedman’s book for more on the history of campaign that Stigler and Friedman undertook because they honestly believed that the future of individual freedom was threatened by the call for a more active government that followed in the wake of the Great Depression. In this campaign, they singled out Keynesian and Chamberlinian theory as the two types of theory that had to be destroyed, so that Marshallian theory could be restored to its dominant position in economics.
With this motivation in mind, it is worth re-reading Friedman’s chapter on methodology to see that it was designed specifically as an attack on Chamberlin and an insistence on a return to the style of economic theory of Alfred Marshall.
In this sort of narrative, the scientific merits of a position are not what drives the advancement of one position over another, but shrewd manipulation of science for political purposes. This is, of course, popular now-a-days with the work on "agnotology" and in the social sciences claims about a neoliberal conspiracy emerging from Chicago, UVA, UCLA, Rochester, etc., with origins in Vienna and LSE and well funded by mid-western businessmen in dark suits. Of course, we could also be talking about men in suits walking the halls of power in be they local, state or federal government and finding the right intellectual handmaidens to give them the intellectual fire-power or legitimating cover for the expansion their will to power -- but lets not go there for now.
It is unclear that truth and the science will be advanced if we retreat into such exercises in name-calling and demands for expulsion from the scientific community. Rather, it does seem clear that we have severe disagreements among the ranks of economists --- not just among the elite practitioners but all the way down throughout the profession. Perhaps this gives us an opportunity to promote a more pluralistic economics discourse. And, as I have said before, this doesn't mean that each individual scientist must be a pluralist. No, in fact, science advances when individuals are willing to make bold conjectures. What matters is that the institutions of the profession encourage constant contestation of ideas and challenges to the existing status quo and the challenges being offered to it.
Critical to cultivating a constructive discourse in contemporary economics is a cultural of criticism, not a culture of skepticism. I hope Romer's challenging of "mathiness" will lead to such a culture of criticism, but I fear it will reinforce a certain culture of skepticism which will continue to erode the intellectual vibrancy of economics and political economy.
Posted by Peter Boettke on May 22, 2015 at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
In Memoriam: Dr. John Templeton (1940-2015)
The F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics lost a good friend and committed supporter with the recent death of John M. (“Jack”) Templeton, Jr., M.D., the president and chairman of the John Templeton Foundation.
The compassion and purpose that marked Dr. Templeton’s career in medicine drove him as head of the John Templeton Foundation to consider how to best increase prosperity and freedom for all people. I’m sure that compassion combined with his appreciation of Hayek’s famous quote that ‘the economist who is only an economist is likely to become a nuisance if not a positive danger’ led to the Templeton Foundation’s support of the F. A. Hayek Program’s interdisciplinary scholarship on the causes of economic progress and the institutional arrangements that support free and prosperous societies.
Dr. Templeton advanced research in this area significantly, and we are so honored and tremendously grateful to carry on his legacy through our work that is generously supported by the John Templeton Foundation. On behalf of the faculty and students of the F. A. Hayek Program, I extend our sincere condolences to Dr. Templeton’s family. He will be greatly missed.
Before There Was "I am John Galt" There was "I am Ned Ludd"
Well the analogy doesn't quite work, but mythologies and social change are often critical factors. In Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, the producers in society go on strike and refuse to the let the moochers and the looters live off their creativity and wealth creation. The fictional character John Galt leads the rebellion, and eventually as the producers continually go on strike the parasitic system collapses.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, I listened with great interest the NPR segment yesterday on the Luddites, featuring the brilliant economic historian Joel Mokyr. As Mokyr explained, General Ned Ludd actually didn't exist as a real person, but was a mythology and that the various workers took on the persona of Ned Ludd in angry letters to factory owners or in crowds -- shouting out "I am Ned Ludd" before breaking into factories and destroying the new machines that were substituting for labor.
I think this could be a fascinating research topic in political economy --- the social construction of mythologies in moments of critical social change. Can you think of some related to the communist revolution?; the anti-commuinist movement; the union movement; the anti-union movement; the Civil Rights movement; the women's movement;, etc.
There Is No Magic Bullet in Development
That is what Marshall Poe concludes as the punch line for Robin Grier and Jerry Hough's The Long Process of Development. As he puts it, development in the Grier and Hough story is about style of governance and the passage of time:
If autocratic governments do nothing but take rents, the societies they rule will not develop, not ever, no matter how long or hard the governments try to development them. If they are even semi-popular and pro-trade, they will develop, though it will take a very, very long time. There's no magic bullet. You can't simply import democracy and capitalism and hope for a rapid transition to freedom and prosperity. The process of development takes centuries.
Listen as well to the linked podcast by Robin about the book at the New Books Network.
Scalable and Sustainable? We will see ...
Can targeted aid lift individuals out of extreme poverty? And are randomized controlled experiments the most effective way to scientifically study development?
Nature reports on a large multi-country study that was published in Science. Co-author Dean Karlan is quoted as saying: ""We finally have truly credible evidence that a programme for the poorest of the poor can really help them meaningfully reduce their poverty. Until now, we haven’t really been able to go to a government outside Bangladesh and say, we’re confident this works."
The story and the rhetoric around the story was also picked up on NPR. "They haven't been taking the scientific method to problems of poverty," Karlan is quoted as asserting again.
'We Don't See What We Don't Expect to See' and what that means for innovation in science, commerce, policy
Mapping narrative research with complex adaptive systems theory.
Innovation in Helping the World's Poor
At the Mercatus Center over the past decade or more we have engaged in various research initiatives. One of the first was our Global Prosperity Initiative. This project was an outgrowth of my involvement through Mancur Olson's research center in the late 1990s with a USAID project on incorporating institutional analysis into development policy. After Mancur's premature death in 1998, the project continued at IRIS but eventually a segment of the project was transferred to GMU/Mercatus in cooperation with IRIS at U of Maryland and I was the PI. We mainly engaged in theoretical research on the role of institutions, but also field assessment of investor roadmaps in transitioning and developing economies -- mainly red-tape analysis.
Clearly the "big push" influenced development projects were not as successful as hoped, and so a more microeconomic and entrepreneurial project was to be examined. Development we argued was basically about individuals being able and wiling to "bet on ideas" in the marketplace, and to find the financing to bring those bets to life. The institutional analysis of development suggested that impediments to this "betting on ideas" needed to be reduced. So an examination of the costs of doing business was the first step, and the second step was to reduce those costs. But such changes often were undermined by reluctant political interests. So wasted money on "big push" type projects might have been slowed, but wasted money on "institutional transformation" increased.
Peter Leeson and Chris Coyne saw this up close and personal during their field work in Romania, and they wrote an excellent though too often neglected book, Media, Development and Institutional Change that explains the reform dilemma in detail. As economist who had studied Gordon Tullock's transitional gains trap, we were well aware of the costs of defeating entrenched special interests. Working through government agencies, even if in the right direction, had costs associated with it that often times swamped the benefits of the feasible change.
Aiding the world's poor effectively through government sponsored programs -- whether interventionist or free market -- faces multiple problems in terms of incentives and knowledge. Chris Coyne has documented the crashing of good intentions against the hard rock of incentives and knowledge problems across a variety of circumstances and proposals to provide humanitarian assistance in his aptly titled Doing Bad By Doing Good. So it was with great interest that I followed Alex Tabarrok's link today to GiveDirectly.
Of course, I was aware of GiveDirectly because of Chris Blattman's work on direct cash transfers to the world's poor. Also listen to Blattman's EconTalk episode.
Such a simple basic idea has the possibility of radically changing the entire way development assistance is thought of -- and along with Michael Clemens's ideas on emigration, has the potential to radically change development policy and the fate of billions of desperate souls. After so much disappointment in the effort to tackle the problem of poverty in the world, perhaps we are rediscovering what has always worked -- trade, migration, and direct cash transfers.
Coming to a Library Near You -- The Economic Role of the State
Publication date is July 2015, please get your library order in.
Click here for the Edward Elgar pre-publication site and how to order for your library.
BTW, Pete Leeson is featured in the new Levitt and Dubner, When to Rob a Bank, 314-319 discussing Pirate Economics 101.
Happy Birthday Professor Hayek!
Today is Hayek's 116th birthday and his ideas and personal history have become a growth industry. At the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics and Economics are hopefully contributing to the growth in the realm of ideas with our teaching, scholarship and professional engagement with editing journals and leadership in scientific associations.
I am currently writing a book on Hayek's ideas that will be published by Palgrave-Macmillan in the Great Thinkers in Economics series.
Don Boudreaux just published a wonderful introductory work with the Fraser Institute on Hayek's economics as well.
Forthcoming in the RAE will be a symposium on Hayek's Nobel Prize in 1974 and his analytical legacy in economic science featuring Israel Kirzner, Edmund Phelps, Eric Maskin, Vernon Smith, and a previously unpublished piece by James M. Buchanan. There is also a forthcoming issue of Advances in Austrian Economics dealing with Hayek's legacy in philosophy, politics and economics.
And next fall Richard Epstein has agreed to give a public lecture on the continuing relevance of Hayek's The Constitution of Liberty.
Our purpose is not hagiographic, but instead to continually work to build a progressive research program in the sciences humaines et sociales, and to educate a new generation of teachers/scholars in this mainline tradition of political economy. That, we would argue, is the most fitting tribute we can make to the amazing legacy of scholarship and intellectual courage that Hayek represented in his lifetime. So thank you Professor Hayek for your example, but more importantly for the fresh and wonderful ideas you developed and for the open avenues of inquiry that continue to flow from those fundamental contributions to the study of man.
Nobody can be a great economist who is only an economist – and I am even tempted to add that the economist who is only an economist is likely to become a nuisance if not a positive danger.
- F. A. Hayek, “The Dilemmas of Specialization” (1956) | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1413 |
__label__cc | 0.559376 | 0.440624 | Seven firefighters injured while battling seven-alarm fire in New York
Source: QNS.com
PHOTOS: Firefighters on Saturday morning extinguished a seven-alarm fire that started late Friday night in a Flushing storefront and extended into an adjacent building, according to the FDNY. After receiving a call just before midnight on Friday, Jan. 8, regarding the blaze at a three-story building located at 136-15 37th Ave., approximately 50 units and 200 FDNY personnel responded to the scene to fight the fire. The blaze was first classified as a two-alarm fire at 12:11 a.m. on Jan. 9, before slowly progressing to a seven-alarm classification by 5:19 a.m. Seven firefighters sustained minor injuries while battling the inferno and have been transported to local hospitals. While a collapse zone has been established, units were still operating at the scene at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9, according to the FDNY. The fire was extinguished just before 9 a.m., according to the FDNY. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1420 |
__label__wiki | 0.795932 | 0.795932 | Schwartz On Security: Online Privacy Battles Advertising Profits
Do businesses have the right to make money from the unregulated buying and selling of personal information?
Are people being hurt when their browsing habits and personal details are collected by online advertising groups?
Privacy rights organizations say yes, that people's sensitive information shouldn't be left in the hands of businesses that benefit from buying and selling it. Online advertising and financial services groups, however, argue that tracking is essential for delivering more relevant advertising, and of course it's the uptake of this advertising that keeps the lights on at many a Web site.
Those opinions come from the 442 comments received by the FTC after it released, in December 2010, its proposal for a privacy framework for public feedback. In the framework, the FTC proposes regulating companies that handle or collect people's personal information, and providing options such as Do Not Track for consumers to opt out of online tracking.
As that proposal suggests, the currently unregulated, free-market approach to selling people's personal information is drawing intense scrutiny. That's due in no small part to The Wall Street Journal's July 2010 What They Know investigative reporting, which detailed the array of cookies and surveillance technologies being used to monitor the who, what, and where of Web site visits. The latest technology can even function in real time, correlating email addresses, movie preferences, income, medical conditions, and more, while resisting attempts to be deactivated.
Online tracking isn't a small business. Notably, the Journal's investigation found that the top 50 Web sites -- which account for about 40% of all page views -- kept close tabs on their users, installing on average 64 different pieces of surveillance technology. For comparison's sake, noted the reporters, Wikipedia installed none.
Furthermore, a thriving micro-economy has emerged in which collected information gets traded on stock-market-like exchanges. According to the report, "in between the Internet user and the advertiser, the Journal identified more than 100 middlemen -- tracking companies, data brokers, and advertising networks -- competing to meet the growing demand for data on individual behavior and interests."
These businesses like life just the way it is, thank you very much. In particular, the Interactive Advertising Bureau -- its nearly 500 members sell and support interactive advertising -- "believes that the appropriate approach to addressing consumer online privacy issues is through industry self-regulation and education," according to its comments on the proposed FTC privacy framework. Self-regulation, it said, will "address privacy concerns while ensuring that the Internet can thrive, thereby benefiting both consumers and the U.S. Economy." | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1422 |
__label__cc | 0.641827 | 0.358173 | Home » accolades: awards and recognition
accolades: awards and recognition
Hear, hear. Vocollect has won two international awards for the design of its new T5 wearable computer. The International Forum Design competition has recognized the unit in its "Computers" design category. The second award, which will be presented next month, comes from the RedDot Design competition, which includes entries from 40 different countries.
Moving forward. Global transportation and logistics company SEKO has received Owens Corning's Transportation Systems Excellence Award. This year, the award was given to 44 of Owens Corning's nearly 350 transportation service providers to recognize their achievements in logistics. SEKO was chosen for its consistently high levels of quality in the provision of air and ocean export forwarding, import management and customs brokerage services.
Wrapping up another award. Sealed Air Corp., a company that makes protective packaging materials and systems, has been named to Fortune magazine's annual list of most admired companies. Sealed Air took the top spot in the "Packaging, Containers" category, receiving the highest scores in that category for innovation, employee talent, quality of management, long-term investment, and quality of products and services.
The distinguished gentleman. Richard Metzler, chief commercial officer for Greatwide Logistics Services, has been named a Distinguished Logistics Professional by the American Society of Transportation & Logistics (AST&L). To earn this distinction, an individual must have more than 20 years of experience in the field of transportation/logistics and must have made a significant contribution to the industry. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1425 |
__label__wiki | 0.961391 | 0.961391 | As U.S. Census wraps today, another 'significant' undercount for Detroit
This Detroit freelancer is a former reporter and editor at the Detroit Free Press and Newsday.
By Vickie Elmer
Amid a timeline shortened this week by a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Detroit faces a significant undercount of its population because the Census Bureau understaffed its operations locally, a city official charges.
Detroit billboard encourages Census participation. (File photo)
Detroit’s Census team is now scrambling to connect with residents to hit today's new deadline for the 2020 count, said Victoria Kovari, the mayor's executive director of a $3-million Detroit 2020 Census campaign. That deadline moves up two weeks by the high court’s decision Tuesday, which let the Trump administration cease counting households.
Thursday's deadline "really does risk a significant undercount in places like Detroit and other cities with high hard-to-count populations,” Kovari said in an interview Wednesday.
“The Detroit operation from the Census Bureau side was short-staffed and in a lot of disarray,” she added. “There’s a lot to be concerned about in the whole Census, beyond the timing issue.”
Ten years ago, the Census Bureau had a regional office in Detroit covering three states, plus four other outreach offices, according to Kovari. This year, it moved the regional office to Chicago to cover nine states and had only one Detroit office. She was told the Census Bureau hired 2,400 temporary staff in Detroit, down from approximately 3,600 in 2010.
The “disarray,” Kovari said, included not hiring temporary staff in a timely manner and not opening its office until June. The Census Bureau’s top manager in Detroit resigned in July and was not replaced until the end of August, added the mayoral aide.
The Census Bureau ordinarily would run its once-a-decade count from April through July. But because of the covid-19 pandemic, that timeline was extended into the fall.
Victoria Kovari: "There's a lot to be concerned about." (Photo: LinkedIn)
A Census spokeswoman defended the effort here.
"We’re not going to get into a public debate with the City of Detroit. We’ve done seven different mailings," and followed up with media advertising and six visits to households, she said.
The Census needed fewer people this year because it switched from a paper system to one based on smartphones and apps. This meant each temporary worker could handle more household outreach every day. "They weren’t understaffed. We just didn’t need as many people as in 2010," the spokeswoman said.
A thornier issue
The once-a-decade count hired around 535,000 temporary workers in 2010, similar to its workforce for the 2000 Census. But in 2020, temporary staff for the Census hit a high of 288,204 the week of Aug. 9-15. By mid-September that had declined to 229,102, according to the Census’ weekly tally.
Charges that the Census Bureau was understaffed have risen from other organizations this year. The political atmosphere around the effort – the Trump administration wanted a question about citizenship on the form, a case it took to the Supreme Court last year – combined with fears of Covid-19 to make the count more difficult on multiple levels.
Kovari, whose sister is a Census enumerator in suburban Oakland County, said the Census did bring in staff from around the state in late September to set up in front of restaurants and food distribution sites. “They definitely had people from the suburbs come to Detroit, particularly for apartment buildings, which are the hardest to count,” she said.
Still, she noted the staffing shortages in Detroit, and said it took her a year to connect with and have a conversation with local or regional Census officials.
A job ad for census workers (File photo)
One temporary Census worker in Oakland County confirmed that her co-workers were asked to count in Detroit in the early fall. “It looked like there were plenty of people who still wanted to work,” and some also were invited to count Native Americans in Arizona or Montana, said Joan Ritter of Birmingham. She said the remaining cases in Oakland County were scarce and “scattered about” in several cities, so she turned in her Census counting materials a week or so ago.
Detroit had planned around 20 events for later in October, many of them around the city’s Halloween in the D celebrations. The city was going to give $25 gift cards to residents at food donation locations at churches to increase the count.
“We were kind of shocked” at the Supreme Court overturning lower court, said Kovari, a lifelong Detroiter who lives in the Green Acres neighborhood. Since Januyary 2014, she has been an executive assistant to the mayor and general manager at the Department of Neighborhoods.
She hopes to send volunteers to a rapper’s event Wednesday and to some food pickups in the city Wednesday and Thursday.
Detroit falls behind
In Detroit, 50.8 percent of housing units have been counted through residents responses online or by mail or phone, the city reported, compared to 71 percent for the state of Michigan. The total does not include homes and individuals or families counted by temporary Census workers.
Detroit participation is far behind other major cities, including Chicago, Washington D.C. and New Orleans, despite Detroit’s investment in initiatives and incentives to drive Census response. The data comes from the city of Detroit dashboard as of Oct. 13 and includes a breakdown by Census tract and city council district. It compares Detroit to other major cities.
The likely undercount is important to Detroit because of the city’s high poverty rate, its reliance on federal funding for housing, road, school lunches and other improvements and because Detroit has come to serve as a symbol of both comeback and urban problems.
Detroit estimated that it lost hundreds of millions of dollars after the 2010 Census, when 64 percent of households were counted, down from 70 percent a decade earlier.
“We have a great deal of concern for what this means” in Detroit and in its elected representation in Lansing and Washington, D.C., said N. Charles Anderson, president of the Urban League of Detroit, which works for civil rights and civic engagement.
"The Census count has a 10-year lifespan,” he said. For the Trump administration “the compromised Census count will live on in infamy.” | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1426 |
__label__wiki | 0.819729 | 0.819729 | Top 15 Graduate Degree Programs for Teaching
If you’re interested in a career in education, earning a master’s degree in teaching could be the perfect path for you to take. While you typically have to have a teaching degree to become a teacher (or pursue an alternate route to certification), most states require public educators to hold only a bachelor’s degree. However, there are a number of reasons why you might need a master’s degree in teaching, including expanding your advancement opportunities and increasing your salary potential.
At the top graduate degree programs for teaching in the nation, you’ll find exceptional features such as small class sizes, a strong reputation among peers and employers and a wide array of degree options.
Stanford University in California offers the best master’s in teaching degree program in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. The publication also recognized the institution as a whole as the country’s best college for veterans, the second most innovative school, the fourth best value in education and tied for fifth place among national universities. The Princeton Review also recognized the school for a number of achievements, including being among the schools with the best quality of life, the best financial aid and best career placement services. Stanford University’s history of excellence dates back to 1891, and the school recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. The school prides itself on small class sizes, with a student to faculty ratio of just four to one. Stanford University also offers highly-ranked graduate programs in subjects such as business, engineering, law, medicine, science, psychology, computer science, mathematics, English, history and many more.
The graduate teaching degree program is part of the Stanford School of Education. Students can choose from a number of degree paths. These include elementary and secondary routes in the teacher education program; international comparative education; international education policy analysis; curriculum and teacher education; learning design and technology; policy organization and leadership studies; and an individually-designed Master of Arts in Education. In addition to ranking Stanford University’s graduate education program number one, U.S. News & World Report also gave the school high marks in specific degree paths, such as:
Education policy (first place)
Curriculum and instruction (tied for second place)
Educational psychology (third place)
Education administration and supervision (tied for fourth place)
Secondary teacher education (fifth place)
Elementary teacher education (eighth place)
Stanford University follows a quarter-based academic calendar. Earning a master’s in teaching degree requires at least three to four quarters of full-time study, depending on which program a student is completing.
College of Education: Stanford School of Education
Second on our list of the 15 best graduate programs for teaching is Harvard University in Massachusetts. Harvard University dates back to 1636, making it the “oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.” U.S. News & World Report ranked Harvard University as the best value in education in the country as well as the second best national university and one of the most innovative schools in the nation. The private institution accepts just six percent of applicants. Around 97 percent of first-time undergraduate students at Harvard University choose to stay at the Ivy League institution beyond their freshman year, and a full 86 percent of Harvard University students graduate from the institution within four years. Small classes are so common at Harvard University, with its student to faculty ratio of just seven to one, that more than 73 percent of courses offered have fewer than 20 students enrolled.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Harvard University second in the nation for its education policy program, tied for fourth for its educational administration program and 11th place for its higher education administration. At the Harvard Graduate School of Education, students can choose from 13 graduate programs. These degree programs include:
Education Policy and Management
Human Development and Psychology
International Education Policy
Mind, Brain and Education
Technology, Innovation, and Education
Prevention Science, a counseling degree
An interdisciplinary Specialized Studies option
Harvard’s graduate school also offers education students a wide range of career services, spanning everything from job search assistance to teaching license program support. The Harvard Graduate School of Education also offers excellent financial aid opportunities. Three-quarters of students in the school of education receive some form of financial aid, and half of these aid recipients benefited from the school’s need-based grant program.
College of Education: Harvard Graduate School of Education
3. Johns Hopkins University
One of the larger programs on the list, Johns Hopkins University’s graduate education program tied for second place on U.S. News & World Report’s list. The private Maryland institution opened in 1876, after its namesake, entrepreneur Johns Hopkins, allocated $7 million dollars of funding for a university and other philanthropic projects in his will. Today, the university has earned recognition for excellence in a wide range of measures from numerous authorities. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Johns Hopkins University 10th among national universities and 20th among the best value schools in the nation. The Princeton Review identified Johns Hopkins University as one of the best northeastern colleges and the top colleges that pay students back. The university as a whole has a 13 percent acceptance rate, and its 97 percent freshman retention rate suggests that the students who are admitted choose to stay. At the undergraduate level, Johns Hopkins University has a student to faculty ratio of eight to one, but the student to faculty ratio at the graduate school of education specifically is just 1.2 to 1.
The small class sizes at the graduate level are impressive, but this is just one of several factors that make Johns Hopkins University one of the best graduate teaching programs in the nation. The Johns Hopkins School of Education offers numerous well-regarded graduate-level degree paths. The Master of Arts in Teaching program offers concentrations in elementary and secondary education. The Master of Science in Education degree path includes specialization options such as reading, technology, gifted education, educational studies and school administration and supervision. Aspiring school counselors can pursue the Master of Science in Counseling degree with a school counseling concentration. There’s also a Master of Science in Special Education degree option for teachers who aim to work with children with disabilities. In addition to its on-campus offerings, the Johns Hopkins School of Education also offers online versions of its Master of Science in Education – Technology for Educators, Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Master of Science in Education – Educational Studies degrees as well as the interdisciplinary Master of Education in the Health Professions program.
College of Education: Johns Hopkins School of Education
4. University of Wisconsin—Madison
The first public school on our top 15 list is the University of Wisconsin—Madison. In addition to taking fourth place on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top schools for a master’s degree in education, the University of Wisconsin has also earned coveted spots on the publication’s national universities, top public schools and best undergraduate teaching lists. The University of Wisconsin—Madison has a reputation for providing both a fun college experience and an excellent education. Though The Princeton Review ranked the school number-one on its list of party schools, it also ranked the University of Wisconsin—Madison highly on lists like Best Midwestern schools, Great Financial Aid, Colleges That Pay You Back and Their Students Love These Colleges. At the undergraduate level, the school accepts 49 percent of the more than 32,000 annual applicants. The University of Wisconsin—Madison’s history dates back to 1848. The school is known for championing the Wisconsin Idea, a commitment to service throughout the state. Another claim to fame for the institution is that two University of Wisconsin—Madison students founded the satirical news publication The Onion in 1988.
At the UW-Madison School of Education, graduate students can choose from more than a dozen education options. In addition to educational leadership, educational psychology, curriculum and instruction and educational policy, the school is home to departments such as art, dance, theatre and drama, kinesiology and counseling psychology. The School of Education has a student to faculty ratio of just 4.1 to one and 119 full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty on staff. The two master’s in teacher preparation programs in secondary education and special education are popular among students, as is the Master of Science for Professional Educators degree program, which offers 90 percent of its coursework in an online format. The University of Wisconsin—Madison is high-performing in a number of specialties. U.S. News & World Report rated the school in first place for Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Psychology, second for Educational Administration and Supervision, third for education policy, and Secondary Teacher Education, fourth for Elementary Teacher Education, tied for sixth for Student Counseling and ninth for Special Education.
College of Education: School of Education at University of Wisconsin—Madison
Tuition: $11,870 (in-state); $25,197 (out-of-state)
5. Vanderbilt University
IMAGE SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Next on our list of the top 15 graduate degree programs for teaching is Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University. The private institution dates back to 1873, when its namesake, 79-year-old Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, donated the $1 million gift that funded the school’s founding. In addition to ranking Vanderbilt University among the top five on its list of graduate education programs, U.S. News & World Report has also recognized the school as one of the top national universities, most innovative schools, best colleges for veterans and best schools for teaching undergraduate students. The Princeton Review also awarded the school high marks in a number of areas. Most notably, The Princeton Review ranked Vanderbilt University number one on its College City Gets High Marks list, second on its Happiest Students list, fourth on its Great Financial Aid list, seventh on its Best Quality of Life list and eighth on its ranking of the Best-Run Colleges.
Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development offers 17 master’s degree programs. Students can also pursue joint degree options in education and medicine, public policy or theological studies. Those who begin their undergraduate education at Vanderbilt University can apply to the fifth year early enrollment program and get a head start on earning their degree in child studies, education policy, higher education administration, leadership and organizational performance or teaching. U.S. News & World Report ranked Vanderbilt University highly in several specializations, including:
Educational Administration and Supervision (first place)
Special Education (second place)
Education Policy (fourth place)
Elementary Teacher Education (fifth place)
Curriculum and Instruction (sixth place)
Educational Psychology (eighth place)
Higher Education Administration (eighth place)
Secondary Teacher Education (ninth place)
The student to faculty ratio at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development is just 2.5 to one, so graduate students can look forward to small class sizes and personal attention.
College of Education: Peabody College of Education and Human Development
6. University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania isn’t just one of the best graduate education programs in the United States. The private Philadelphia institution is among the top 10 best colleges for veterans and national universities as well as the 11th best value school in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. The University of Pennsylvania’s undergraduate business program is ranked the best in America, while dozens of the school’s graduate program offerings in business, the natural and social sciences and the humanities have earned high rankings. The Princeton Review has also rated the University of Pennsylvania highly, including it on the publication’s Best Northeastern, Colleges That Create Futures, Green Colleges, Best Career Placement and Colleges That Pay You Back lists. The institution’s history dates back to its founding in 1740. Today, the University of Pennsylvania is home to four undergraduate schools and 12 graduate and professional schools. The institution employs more than 4,600 faculty members and features a student to faculty ratio of six to one.
Students at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education can choose from 18 master’s degree programs as well as a variety of Ed.D. and Ph.D. doctoral programs. Some of the graduate degree offerings include the Penn Residency Master’s in Teaching Program, the International Educational Development Program, School Leadership, Teach For America, Education Entrepreneurship and the Executive Program in School and Mental Health Counseling. Students who aren’t able to commit to an on-campus master’s degree program can earn a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate by pursuing online studies at the University of Pennsylvania. The school also offers on-campus executive format degree programs designed for busy professionals in degree paths such as Education Entrepreneurship, School and Mental Health Counseling and Higher Education Management. U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Pennsylvania’s graduate education program tied for fourth place in the specialization of Higher Education Administration and eighth place in Education Policy.
College of Education: University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
7. Teachers College, Columbia University
The seventh-ranked school on our list, Teachers College, Columbia University, is also the largest. More than 4,900 students are enrolled in a graduate education degree program at Teachers College, Columbia University. The college identifies itself as “the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States,” and offers only degree programs in education, health and psychology, and only at the graduate and doctoral levels. Teachers College, Columbia University was founded in 1887. Though Teachers College is affiliated with Columbia University, it is actually a separate entity from the Ivy League institution and has its own separate President and Board of Trustees. Like Columbia University, however, Teachers College is a research institution. Researchers at Teachers College, Columbia University are currently investigating methods of developing advanced math educational materials for young students, educating elementary school students about nutrition and health, teaching high schoolers about government financial matters like the national debt and implementing science-based teaching approaches to better educate students who have autism. The school employs 150 full-time faculty members, giving it a student to faculty ratio of just 4.6 to one.
Because the institution is designed for educating those who already have an undergraduate degree – and often, careers in education – the school is an excellent choice for students who want to earn their degrees part-time. Nearly three-quarters of students at Teachers College, Columbia University study part-time while working in the education industry. The tuition rate of $1,454 per credit is the same whether you study full-time or part-time, so students who need to work toward their degree at a slower pace don’t have to spend more money to do so. With 63 different programs of study available at the master’s degree level, there are plenty of academic options. Some of the popular teacher education and certification programs at Teacher’s College, Columbia University include Bilingual/Bicultural Education, Early Childhood Education, School Psychology and specialized coursework in teaching students with a variety of disabilities. Students can also take specialized programs of study, like English Education, Mathematics Education, Music Education, Science Education and Teaching of Social Studies. U.S. News has recognized Teachers College, Columbia University for excellence in a number of specialties. The institution tied for second place in Curriculum and Instruction and took second place for Elementary Teacher Education, fifth place for Education Policy and sixth place for Educational Administration and Supervision and Secondary Teacher Education.
8. Northwestern University
Northwestern University in Illinois is the smallest school on our top 15 list, with just over 300 students enrolled in its graduate education program. The private institution also has the highest tuition rate on the list – but don’t let that deter you from pursuing an outstanding graduate teaching education here. In addition to ranking Northwestern University tied for eighth place among the best graduate education schools, U.S. News & World Report also ranked the institution as the 18th best value school in the country. Northwestern University also made The Princeton Review’s list of Colleges That Pay You Back. The School of Education and Social Policy is just one of 10 graduate and professional schools within Northwestern University. The university accepts just 13 percent of applicants. Northwestern University’s history dates back to 1850, when a group of nine founders – including John Evans, namesake of the town of Evanston – began making ambitious plans for the school. The school opened its doors in 1855 with just two instructors and 10 students.
The graduate programs at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy include both master’s degrees and Ph.D. offerings. Its Master of Arts in Learning Sciences degree program delves into the science behind teaching and learning over an 11-month period of full-time study. The Master of Science in Education degree programs prepare elementary and secondary school teachers for certification or offer certified teachers the opportunity to explore advanced studies or develop their leadership skills. There’s also a Multidisciplinary Program in Education Sciences, a Master’s in Learning & Organizational Change and a Higher Education Administration and Policy Program. While Northwestern University as a whole features a low student to faculty ratio of just seven to one, its graduate education programs provide even more personal attention, with a student to faculty ratio of just 1.9 to one. The School of Education just celebrated its 90th anniversary, having opened as a separate college within Northwestern University in 1926.
College of Education: Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
9. University of Washington
Next on our list is the University of Washington, a public institution in Seattle that first opened its doors in 1861. In addition to ranking the University of Washington tied for eighth place on its graduate education list, U.S. News & World Report recognized the institution as tied for 16th place among the Top Public Schools and tied for 54th place among National Universities. The Princeton Review ranked the University of Washington 10th among the Top 50 Green Colleges and 19th among the Top 25 Entrepreneurship programs for undergraduates. The publication also placed the school on lists like Best Western colleges and Colleges that Pay You Back. The University of Washington also landed a coveted top 10 spot on Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 2015 global rankings list. The University of Washington also has campuses located in Tacoma and Bothell in addition to its main Seattle campus. The College of Education is just one of 16 schools that make up the University of Washington.
Students at the University of Washington’s College of Education can pursue a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in curriculum and instruction, educational leadership and policy studies, educational psychology or specialized education. They may also choose to pursue a one-year Master of Teaching in elementary or secondary education. U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Washington highly in a number of specializations, including Elementary Teacher Education (seventh), Special Education (seventh), Secondary Teacher Education (eighth), Educational Administration and Supervision (tied for ninth) and Education Policy (tied for 11th). With more than 50 full-time faculty currently employed at the University of Washington College of Education, the full-time student to faculty ratio is just 4.2 to one. In addition to being the second-ranked public school in the world for graduate teaching studies, the University of Washington College of Education is known for its strong focus on research and on diversity in the field of education.
College of Education: University of Washington College of Education
10. University of Texas—Austin
The University of Texas—Austin isn’t just 10th on the list of the top 15 graduate degree programs for teaching. The public institution is also the most affordable school to make the list, with an in-state tuition rate of just over $8,400 and an out-of-state cost of just over $16, 300. U.S. News & World Report ranked the university tied for 14th among the Most Innovative Schools, tied for 18th among the Top Public Schools, tied for 32nd among the Best Colleges for Veterans and tied for 56th among National Universities. The Princeton Review ranked the University of Texas—Austin 23rd on its Colleges That Pay You Back w/o Aid list and awarded the school a place on its Green Colleges, Colleges That Pay You Back, Colleges That Create Futures and Best Western schools lists. The University of Texas—Austin’s history dates back to its founding in 1883. Today, the university is one of the biggest schools in the United States, with a total enrollment of more than 50,000 students.
The University of Texas—Austin’s College of Education is one of 18 schools within the university. The college’s graduate offerings include Master of Arts and Master of Education degree programs, in addition to Ph.D. programs of study and undergraduate majors. The school naturally offers graduate education programs in traditional subjects such as elementary education, but also offers academic paths in STEM education, learning technologies, cultural studies in education, preparation for teaching in an urban environment and more. The University of Texas—Austin has the third best Educational Administration and Supervision graduate program in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. The publication also recognized the school as having the fourth best Special Education program, the sixth best Educational Psychology program and the seventh best Curriculum and Instruction program. The school has a 4.0 to one student to faculty ratio, with 108 full-time faculty employed at the College of Education.
College of Education: College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin
Tuition: $8,402 (in-state); $16,338 (out-of-state)
11. University of California—Los Angeles
Another highly regarded and surprisingly affordable school is the University of California—Los Angeles, where in-state students pay just over $11,200 in tuition annually. The public institution was founded in 1919 and is gearing up to celebrate its 100th anniversary in the not-too-distant future. Between its North Campus, home of the arts, social sciences and humanities departments and its South Campus, home of the natural sciences and mathematics department, UCLA offers close to150 academic programs and departments. U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of California—Los Angeles tied for second place among the Top Public Schools in America, tied for 14th place among the Best Colleges for Veterans and tied for 24th place among National Universities. The Princeton Review named UCLA 10th on its list of Colleges That Pay You Back w/o Aid and included the school on its Green Colleges, Colleges That Pay You Back and Best Western colleges.
Graduate education students at the University of California—Los Angeles can pursue academic Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees in Higher Education & Organizational Change, Human Development & Psychology, Social Research Methodology and Social Sciences & Comparative Education. The school also offers professional Master of Education (M.Ed.) programs in Student Affairs, Principal Leadership and Teacher Education, as well as six doctoral education programs. Students in the teacher preparation program can choose from subject area pathways such as English, mathematics, science, social science and music. Student teaching is an important part of the degree program, as is coursework in subjects that range from language and culture to methods of teaching mathematics. U.S. News & World Report ranked UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies third among Higher Education Administration programs, ninth among Educational Policy programs and 11th among Educational Psychology programs. The student to faculty ratio in UCLA’s graduate education program is 8.7 to one.
College of Education: UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies
12. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Among the top 12 graduate education degree programs in the nation is the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, a public school that dates back to 1817. U.S. News & World Report named the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor fourth in the nation among the Top Public Schools, tied for seventh among the Best Undergraduate Teaching, tied for ninth among the Most Innovative Schools, 17th among the Best Colleges for Veterans and tied for 27th among National Universities. The Princeton Review ranked the institution third on its list of the best 25 undergraduate schools for entrepreneurship as well as naming it to its Best Midwestern, Colleges That Create Futures, Colleges That Pay You Back and Green Colleges lists. The University of Michigan has produced a number of famous alumni, including former United States President Gerald Ford, actor James Earl Jones and National Football League quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.
The School of Education is just one of 19 schools and colleges that make up the University of Michigan. Students can choose from three academic tracks at the master’s level: the Master of Arts with teacher certification in elementary or secondary education, the Master of Arts in educational studies and the Master of Arts in higher education. The School of Education became its own college within the University of Michigan in 1921, but its history – and particularly, its close ties to public education – dates back much farther. In fact, in 1817, the University of Michigan’s first charter assigned the institution responsibility for all public instruction across the state, though that’s no longer the case. U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Michigan highly in several graduate education specialties, including:
First in the nation among Higher Education Administration programs
Second among Secondary Teacher Education programs
Second among Educational Psychology programs
Third among Elementary Teacher Education programs
Fifth among Curriculum and Instruction programs
Sixth among Education Policy programs
College of Education: University of Michigan School of Education
Tuition: $30,434 (in-state); $61,224
13. University of Oregon
Tied for 12th place on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the best master’s in education programs is University of Oregon. The residential public school has a total enrollment of close to 25,000 students and accepts 74 percent of applicants. U.S. News & World Report also awarded the University of Oregon a spot on its Top Public Schools, Best Colleges for Veterans and National Universities rankings. The Princeton Review also ranked the school highly, including it on its Best Western and Top 50 Green Colleges lists. The University of Oregon is home to nine schools and colleges. As a tier-one research institution, the University of Oregon is a member of the Association of American Universities, with a research operating budget of $932 million and access to 30 different research facilities. Although the school offers more than 300 degree and certificate programs, it manages to keep class sizes small. The overall student to teacher ratio is 18 to one, and the median class size is just 19 students.
At the graduate level, class sizes are even smaller. The student to faculty ratio for master’s-level students at the College of Education is just 4.4 to one. The School of Education, as it was called at the time, was established in 1910, more than 30 years after University of Oregon’s 1876 founding. The school switched to its current name in 1968. Today, the University of Oregon College of Education offers Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.) and Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree programs in Curriculum and Teacher Education, Educational Leadership, Special Education , School Psychology, Communication Disorders and Sciences, Couples and Family Therapy and Prevention Science. The University of Oregon landed the coveted third in the nation spot on U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of graduate programs with a special education concentration. Despite being called the College of Education, the school produces graduates who find employment as teachers, administrators, educational research scientists, social service professionals, psychologists, therapists and clinicians.
College of Education: UO College of Education
14. Arizona State University
Another of the most affordable schools on the list is Arizona State University in Phoenix. At around $10,600 per year for in-state students, Arizona State University provides a highly ranked education at a great value. The public research institution was founded in 1885 and today accepts 83 percent of applicants. With a total enrollment of nearly 52,000 students and a massive undergraduate population of more than 41,000 students, Arizona State University happens to be one of the nation’s largest schools in terms of undergraduate enrollment. U.S. News & World Report ranked Arizona State University as the most innovative school in the country as well as including the school on its Top Public Schools, Best Colleges for Veterans and National Universities lists. The Princeton Review also recognized Arizona State University on a number of fronts, including the school on its Best Western, Colleges That Pay You Back, Colleges That Create Futures and Top 50 Green Colleges lists.
Graduate education students at Arizona State University are part of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, named for the late educator and philanthropist, Mary Lou Fulton. The school offers more than 50 master’s, doctoral and graduate certificate programs in education. Popular courses of study include the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degrees in early childhood education, elementary education, and secondary education. ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College also offers degree paths for aspiring special education teachers, instructional coordinators, school counselors and principals and administrators. To make sure students attain real-world education, teaching certification programs at Arizona State University include field placement, clinical experiences or student teaching degree requirements. While Arizona State University doesn’t require students to submit Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) test scores, the school does require three letters of recommendation, among other admissions requirements. With 99 full-time instructors on staff, ASU’s graduate education program has a student to faculty ratio of just 1.6 to one.
College of Education: Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
Tuition: $10,610 per year (in-state, full-time); $27,086 per year (out-of-state, full-time)
Completing our top 15 graduate degree programs for teaching list is New York University. The private institution located in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, has offered students an outstanding education since its founding in 1831. In addition to listing New York University on its list of the best graduate education programs, U.S. News & World Report also recognized the school as the 13th most innovative institution in the nation, the 22nd best college for veterans and the 36th best national university. The Princeton Review also awarded New York University high scores on lists such as Best Northeastern, College City Gets High Marks and Lots of Race/Class Interaction. New York University is an international research institution, with 11 academic centers scattered across the globe and research programs headquartered in more than 25 nations. The school’s total enrollment of more than 57,000 students makes New York University the largest private college in America, yet it still offers small class sizes and a total student-to-faculty ratio of just 10 to one.
Graduate teaching students at New York University are part of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development – one of the 18 schools and colleges that make up NYU. The school offers 29 master’s degree programs related to education. Some such programs are expected courses of study like Early Childhood Education, Childhood Education, Secondary Education and Special Education. Other graduate programs at NYU are subject-specific, including Art + Education, Dance Education, Music Education, English Education, Math Education, Science Education and Social Studies Education. Graduate students at NYU can also earn degrees in specialized programs like Games for Learning, Digital Media Design for Learning, Environmental Conservation Education and Educational Theatre. The student to faculty ratio in New York University’s graduate education program is just 5.3 to one. In total, NYU’s Steinhardt School is home to 11 academic departments, 17 research centers, nearly 300 full-time instructors and more than 5,800 students.
College of Education: Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
Editor’s Note: This ranking of the top 15 graduate degree programs for teaching is intended as a guide to help prospective students find the right school and degree program for them. The data presented in this list was drawn from authoritative sites such as U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review and the official school websites of the institutions listed. Students who are interested in one or more of the programs above should continue their own research into the listed institutions before choosing a college.
Krystle Dodge
https://www.degreequery.com/author/krystle-dodge/
Top 20 Colleges for Hospitality and Hotel Management Degrees
Top 10 Careers for Extroverts
Top 10 Highest Paying Science Careers
Top 10 Highest Paying Social Science Careers | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1427 |
__label__cc | 0.748623 | 0.251377 | One-year ago this month, our wonderful charity changed its name from the British Dental Health Foundation and became the Oral Health Foundation. It was a new name, a new look, and a world of new ways in which our charity would be able to help improve oral health all around the world. A little over 12 months on from this monumental moment in our history, we look at what we have achieved so far and what there is still to come.
Meanwhile, National Smile Month, our biggest oral health campaign of the year, is a little over three weeks away! In the issue, we take a look at National Smile Month, what it’s all about and more importantly, how you can get involved and help us campaign for better oral health and wellbeing.
We also have some exciting fundraising stories from Brighton and Reading, both of which are doing great work to raise valuable money and awareness for our Mouth Cancer Action programme. Finally, in this edition of Word of Mouth, we share our view on the Sugar Tax, following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s spring budget, which failed to address some of the concerns about the new levy while we also report on a new film by Plymouth University’s Peninsula Dental School which hopes to tackle the city’s problem with tooth decay.
Download: Word of Mouth: April 2017 | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1428 |
__label__wiki | 0.632892 | 0.632892 | 'It felt like my bones were breaking': Nurse with coronavirus thought she was going to die
Kristina GoetzLouisville Courier Journal
LOUISVILLE – The day after Easter, Meghan Harpole was breathing 52 times a minute.
The assistant nurse manager sat on the edge of her bed, slipped on a pair of yoga pants and pulled a hoodie over her head. A hot shower hadn’t helped the cough that seized her body in such a violent tear that she threw up.
She’d had the coronavirus 20 days now.
Surely, the worst was over.
Her symptoms had started March 26. The next day she told her boss at a local emergency room that her arms were so heavy she felt exhausted.
Initially, she’d had a fever and not much else.
But days three to 11 were a blur of high fevers, vomiting, diarrhea and such savage coughing that she crawled on the floor one night and asked her 13-year-old son, Gentry, to beat on her back. She was choking on her own phlegm.
“My body hurt so bad it felt like my bones were breaking,” she said.
Meghan, 43, vomited for three straight days and was so dehydrated an emergency room nurse — a former co-worker — came to her Louisville home to hook up an IV.
She clipped a portable pulse/oxygen monitor to her finger. It dipped to 91 but never below.
Meghan sobbed on FaceTime with her brother’s wife, Jackie Beckley. The pair had been best friends since Meghan was 16.
Jackie thought Meghan seemed lifeless, her skin gray. Meghan had a defeated look in her eyes.
Nursing friends checked on Meghan at all hours. They encouraged the power yoga enthusiast to do headstands so the infection would drain to the top of her lungs so she could cough it out.
“I thought I was going to die,” she said.
By day 13 — or maybe it was 16, she’d been sick for so long she couldn’t be sure — Gentry showed signs of the virus, too. Low-grade fever. Sore throat. Body aches.
She called his pediatrician.
It was too risky to bring him in for a test. He might infect other children. He likely had the virus, too, so he’d need to quarantine.
Gentry’s symptoms didn’t worsen the way Meghan’s had. And her own symptoms seemed to ease.
She’d done everything she could to stay out of the hospital. She’s a single mom. And since Gentry had the virus, too, no one could take care of him if she lay in a hospital bed.
Meghan had signed legal papers with the state health department for court-ordered quarantine.
So, friends and family added grocery items to their Kroger Click Lists, dropped off meals on the front steps and later at the end of the sidewalk. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
They called every day. Jackie and her daughter wrote uplifting messages in sidewalk chalk outside their front door.
Meghan improved so much that she stopped checking her oxygen levels at home. She even did some yoga.
But by Easter weekend, the cough returned, mercilessly. And by that Monday she coughed so hard she threw up again.
Gentry urged her to check her oxygen level. So, in her yoga pants and hoodie, she clipped the pulse/oxygen monitor to her finger.
She couldn’t believe what she saw.
“No,” she said to herself. “87% is hypoxic.” Not enough oxygen in the body.
“All of a sudden I started seeing the patients I take care of and the patients on the news. They go in and get intubated.
“Oh my God, this is it. I may not make it. I may be on a ventilator. I may not be able to see my son for weeks.”
She walked into the living room and told Gentry she had to go to the hospital — 87% was dangerous.
She knelt to the ground.
“You know I love you,” she told him. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And you’re the best part of my story. So, I just need you to be real brave right now and know in your heart that everything is going to be OK.”
He wasn’t crying but looked at her with a puzzled, wide-eyed look.
“Mom, just promise me you’re going to be OK,” she heard him say.
Staying Apart, Together: A newsletter about how to cope with the coronavirus pandemic
Sign up here to get Staying Apart, Together twice a week in your inboxes.
She promised she would do everything she could.
Gentry got tears in his eyes.
What he didn’t tell her was that he was worried she might die. And that if she was dying, he wasn’t sure someone would bring him to see her.
He could tell she was scared but didn’t let on.
They hugged and kissed goodbye, and as soon as Meghan shut the front door, she sobbed.
“I can’t imagine being 13 and thinking my only person may die,” she said. “I just can’t.”
She called Jackie to let her know. They had a plan if Meghan was put on a ventilator. People would sign up to sit in the driveway so Gentry could see them from the front door — every day until she got home.
“I realized the limitations I had and the support I could actually give,” Jackie said. “You know, it’s strange. Normally you can hold someone’s hand. You can take them to the hospital, and you could give that support.
"But you’re on the phone, talking. Or you’re looking at each other through FaceTime. And you’re just numb. You don’t know what to think or do. You’re helpless.”
Meghan called her boss in the emergency department to let her know she was coming. They were ready when she arrived.
Nurses swarmed her room. They inserted an IV, ordered a chest X-ray and a breathing treatment and put her on oxygen. Meghan’s levels rose.
Gentry called every half hour. The first time, he was elated she could still talk.
But he worried what the X-ray might show.
“We have lived in this city our entire lives,” she told him. "We have lots of people that love us. And everything is going to work out. I promise you.
"You’ve got to believe we are loved, that you’re going to be taken care of and the people here who love me are going to take care of me. We’re going to get through this.”
The X-ray showed pneumonia in a small part of her lung.
“When people come in like this, they stay,” Meghan heard the doctor say. “Things can go bad.”
Meghan got emotional. If she stayed, no one could take care of her son. He was positive for the virus, too. And he was alone.
Meghan stayed in the emergency room for five hours.
The doctor agreed to let her go home but warned her she might be back.
She went home with oxygen, breathing treatments and antibiotics.
Meghan called Gentry from the car to let him know she was on her way home.
When she got in the door, he held her tight.
“She’s very important,” Gentry said. “Everything.”
Meghan set an alarm on her phone. For the first 24 hours she checked her oxygen level every 30 minutes.
“I was too scared not to,” she said. “I didn’t want to leave my son a motherless child.”
She didn’t want him to find her dead.
Meghan has been tested five times for the virus. Four have come back positive.
She’s waiting for the results of the fifth.
She’s lost 16 pounds and has just started to eat again. Gentry’s symptoms have dissipated.
As a nurse for 21 years in emergency rooms in nine states, Meghan never once worried about protecting herself — until the virus.
“I’m actually scared of the long-term effects,” she said. “Am I going to have asthma? Am I going to have problems breathing? Am I going to have a low immune system? No one knows enough about the virus to know the long-term effects of what this has done to me.”
Meghan is eager to get back to nursing. She will when she’s well.
She’s resting now and following her doctor’s orders. This week, she felt well enough to argue with her teenage son about how many days it had been since he took a shower and how long he’d been playing his Xbox.
In fact, Meghan feels better than she has in a month.
But she’s not taking any chances.
Follow Kristina Goetz on Twitter: kgoetz@courierjournal.com. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1437 |
__label__wiki | 0.719589 | 0.719589 | 'My heart hurts': Cristina Cuomo reveals 14-year-old son Mario has COVID-19
Rasha Ali / USA TODAY
The Cuomo family has another member who's come down with COVID-19.
On Wednesday, Cristina Cuomo shared a photo of her son 14-year-old son, Mario, with husband Chris Cuomo to Instagram, commemorating Earth Day and revealing that their child has become infected with coronavirus.
Cristina, who was also diagnosed with COVID-19 and been battling the disease for the past 10 days, said she's currently working to help her son through it as well.
"This virus has created a different version of me. My hope is to be stronger, healthier, smarter about the virus at large. After 10 days of ups and downs, feeling good one-day and terrible the next, I am now working hard to get my son, Mario, through the virus," Cristina wrote.
She noted her heart hurts for her son and even though kids are "more resilient" when diagnosed with COVID-19, it still affects them severely.
"This virus does not discriminate. While kids are more resilient, they can suffer same severity of symptoms. I’m applying a modified version of my remedies for his protocol with a focus on lots of vitamins," Cristina wrote.
"Since his sense of smell and taste have disappeared, I am feeding him healthy foods that I normally can’t get him to touch. I kept a diary of the past week including my remedies and things that I did to stay sane through it all," she continued, sharing a link to her website.
On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, show kindness toward our planet and every creature who inhabits it, as the transcendent photographer, adventurer, preservationist and raconteur Peter Beard advised us. My old friend’s recent death offers an eerily timely punctuation on this virus and a reminder that we can’t forget to protect one another, and the animals that roam the Earth. This virus has created a different version of me. My hope is to be stronger, healthier, smarter about the virus at large. After 10 days of ups and downs, feeling good one-day and terrible the next, I am now working toward getting my son, Mario, through the virus. My heart hurts more than my head over his infection. This virus does not discriminate. While kids are more resilient, they can suffer same severity of symptoms. I’m applying a modified version of my remedies for his protocol with a focus on lots of vitamins. Since his sense of smell and taste have disappeared, I am feeding him healthy foods that I normally can’t get him to touch. I kept a diary of the past week including my remedies and things that I did to stay sane through it all. Link in bio, as they say.
A post shared by Cristina Cuomo (@cristinacuomo) onApr 22, 2020 at 10:41am PDT
Cristina Cuomo's post was timed to Earth Day. "On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, show kindness toward our planet and every creature who inhabits it, as the transcendent photographer, adventurer, preservationist and raconteur Peter Beard advised us," she wrote. "My old friend’s recent death offers an eerily timely punctuation on this virus and a reminder that we can’t forget to protect one another, and the animals that roam the Earth."
Both Cristina and Chris Cuomo have been battling COVID-19. While the CNN anchor has finally emerged from quarantining in his basement, Cristina is still experiencing symptoms.
"I feel pretty good today," she told Entertainment Tonight on Friday.
Cristina said her symptoms started around Day 18 of her husband's coronavirus diagnosis.
"I was highly congested, had a terrible sinus headache, and I just thought, 'You know what, I'm so run down. I'm not getting enough sleep, I'm feeling a lot of stress from caregiving and managing the kids and my own business that it just caught up with me,' " she said.
Chris Cuomo revealed more details about he and his wife's COVID-19 diagnosis in a conversation Thursday night with Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta on his show, "Cuomo Prime Time."
"This was tough for Cristina to get it," Cuomo said. "We have a lot of fear because we don't have a lot of facts."
He said that they have "completely different symptoms."
"She's stronger than I am. She's got a stronger immune system, a stronger constitution and a stronger character," Cuomo said. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1438 |
__label__wiki | 0.58647 | 0.58647 | AAS Bn. Marines conduct basic water, amphibious operations [Image 4 of 9]
U.S. Marines with Assault Amphibian School Battalion, Training Command, drive an AAV-P7/A1 Amphibious Assault Vehicle into the water during basic water and amphibious operations at the 21 Area boat basin on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Oct. 1, 2019. This training is meant to teach students basic amphibious operations like going to and from shore. The mission of the battalion is to teach Marines in Amphibious Assault Vehicle operations and maintenance while assisting in the development of formal training and logistical evaluations of new AAV systems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alison Dostie)
This work, AAS Bn. Marines conduct basic water, amphibious operations [Image 9 of 9], by LCpl Alison Dostie, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Supporting the warfighter
AAS Bn. Marines conduct basic water, amphibious operations | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1439 |
__label__wiki | 0.671225 | 0.671225 | EAA Careers
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is a growing and diverse organization of members with a wide range of aviation interests and backgrounds.
Founded in 1953 by a group of individuals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who were interested in building their own airplanes, EAA expanded its mission of growing participation in aviation to include antiques, classics, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft, ultralights, helicopters, and contemporary manufactured aircraft.
Membership in EAA enables you to share the spirit of aviation with the most passionate community of recreational pilots, builders, and restorers.
EAA is the only association that offers the fun and camaraderie of participating in the flying, building, and restoring of recreational aircraft with the most passionate community of aviation enthusiasts.
Join EAA Now Renew EAA Membership
Join our EAA Family
Together we fly. Welcome home.
EAA members represent every aspect of aviation and often have multiple interests. We fly them. We fix them. We even build them.
EAA has grown from a handful of aviation enthusiasts to an international organization representing recreational aviation.
Join one of the most unique nonprofit organizations in the Midwest. EAA is a people-driven association that invests in its employees.
EAA strives to be a strong community partner by supporting charitable and cultural efforts within the greater Fox Valley area and other communities.
Get all the official news surrounding EAA and its programs. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1443 |
__label__wiki | 0.871108 | 0.871108 | ורד שנבל
Born in Tel Aviv, 1973, Vered grew up in Raanana and went to Oustrovsky high school. She served in the Air Force as a training instructor.
After graduating from “Koteret” school of media and journalism, Vered gained a BA in social science.
After graduation, she started working as a reporter for the Tel Aviv newspaper before moving on to the “Tapuz” website as a sub editor, and after that a sub editor of Woman’s world (Olam Hisha) magazine.
In 2002, she moved to New York as a reporter for Woman’s World Magazine.
When she returned to Israel, Vered wrote for the magazines Menta and Atmosphere.
While doing that she was also exposed to the television world due to a number of drama series she wrote and developed. She also started to write a personal column in Timeout kids magazine.
In July 2013, her first Novel Time To Begin was published (“Kineret Zamora Bitan publishing”).
In the last 3 years, except for her column, she has focused only on literary writing.
She is currently writing her second novel.
Vered Scnabel lives in Ramat Hashaon, is married to Yaron and mother to Yoav, Edo & Naomi. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1447 |
__label__wiki | 0.564733 | 0.564733 | Online proctoring keeps remote exams secure but raises privacy questions
Instructional challenges sparked by COVID-19 keep coming—among the latest is how to use online proctoring fairly and securely
The shift to remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges, and a key question in particular is how campus leaders can ensure the integrity of student work during exams.
To answer this question, many colleges and universities are turning to a solution that online degree programs have been using for years: online proctoring.
Although online-only institutions have used online proctoring successfully to prevent students from cheating for many years, the technology represents a culture shock for some students not accustomed to learning online, who have raised concerns about the privacy of online monitoring during exams.
How online proctoring works
Sending students to physical testing centers isn’t practical when they’re spread around the world, and during a pandemic it might not be not safe or responsible. Online proctoring from companies such as ProctorU, Respondus, and other providers uses live proctors, artificial intelligence, or a combination of the two to discourage students from cheating during online exams — and to catch them if they do happen to cheat.
Related content: Best practices in online proctoring
ProctorU, for instance, offers three proctoring solutions for exams with different stakes. The most secure option uses live proctors to verify the identity of test takers, scan their physical environment to make sure there are no cheating aids, and monitor students throughout the exam to make sure they’re not cheating. For low-stakes exams, the technology can flag potentially suspicious behavior for an administrator to review later. In both cases, the testing sessions are recorded using a student’s own webcam and microphone.
Advocates of the technology note that students would not feel their privacy was being compromised if they were taking an exam in person at a testing center. Online proctoring, they say, helps make sure that students’ work is their own — just like proctoring at a test center or in a classroom.
Anthony Babbitt, who is working toward a Ph.D. in higher-education administration, said he believes online proctoring “will play an important role in American education in the future.”
In completing his undergraduate degree from Charter Oak State College in Connecticut, Babbitt took several online exams monitored by ProctorU. “I had nothing but good experiences with them,” he says. “My interactions with the [proctors] were pleasant. You can talk with them and type directly to them in a chat window. If a test requires ProctorU, I would consider that test to be valid.”
Leann Poston, a licensed physician who holds an MBA and a master’s degree in education, earned her MBA online from Wright State University. “Most professors used online proctoring software,” she says. “After the test started, I didn’t really think about the webcam being on while I took the test. I appreciated the university’s effort to maintain the integrity of the testing environment, while allowing me the convenience of taking the test from home.”
Concerns about online proctoring
Although many students report positive experiences with online proctoring, there are some who don’t feel comfortable with the technology. These critics say there is a difference between being watched when you’re in a neutral facility and being watched in your own home.
For instance, some students might feel uncomfortable or ashamed about revealing their living conditions to a complete stranger. Others are worried about private footage being recorded and stored on company servers.
In a recent exchange about online proctoring on the website Reddit, a poster asked: “Isn’t it creepy that some stranger on the internet is watching you take an exam? Exams give people anxiety, and when a random stranger is watching my every move, it could make it worse.”
One respondent to the post noted that with artificial intelligence technology instead of a live monitor, “students would no longer have to worry about some random stranger watching them, as only the professor is able to see all the recordings.” Another wrote: “I figured that someone was going to watch me take an examination—whether live or in person, there was going to be a proctor. I didn’t find it creepy at all. … I admit I don’t have test anxiety, but I would think being in your own home, taking the test alone, would be less stressful than being in a lecture hall crammed with students.”
This past spring, the University of California Santa Barbara Faculty Association Board wrote a letter to campus administrators arguing that the use of ProctorU “violates our students’ rights to privacy,” turning the university into a “surveillance tool.”
“We recognize that … there are trade-offs and unfortunate aspects of the migration online that we must accept,” the letter stated. “This is not one of them. We are not willing to sacrifice the privacy and digital rights of our students for the expediency of a take-home final exam.”
Scott McFarland, ProctorU’s chief executive, says the university is still using ProctorU, but he admits the letter prompted the company to take a closer look at its privacy language.
In response, ProctorU has published a “Student Bill of Rights for Remote and Digital Work” to make it easier for students to understand their rights and how their data will be used. Drafted in consultation with students, faculty, and administrators at colleges and universities nationwide, the document outlines seven “essential rights” that students should expect while participating in online learning and assessment.
Among these rights, students should have their work presumed to be honest and accurate, understand what data is being collected from them and how it’s stored, and expect that online proctoring companies will comply with federal and state laws and institutional policies regarding student and data privacy.
Instances of cheating are not likely to disappear. What’s important, says McFarland, is that some measure of control be put into place so that students are on a level playing field, particularly for end-of-course exams or high-stakes entrance exams like the MCAT and LSAT.
“If anyone gets a grade, credit, or degree by taking shortcuts, it hurts everyone — the people who didn’t cheat, the cheater, and the institutions that stand by the quality of their programs,” he says.
Return to multi-page format
The former editor of eSchool News and eCampus News, Dennis Pierce is now a freelance writer. He has spent the last 20 years as an education journalist covering issues such as national policy, school reform, and educational technology. Dennis has taught high school English, math, and SAT prep. He graduated cum laude from Yale University. He welcomes comments at dennisp@eschoolmedia.com. | cc/2021-04/en_head_0000.json.gz/line1448 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.