pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 70
924k
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__cc
| 0.669003
| 0.330997
|
Coming of Age in Cold War America
Book review: A Girl’s Guide to Missiles, by Karen Piper
Karen Piper, a professor of literature and geology and author of several books on environmental issues, writes a personal memoir about her life, including scenes from her childhood growing up in the 1970s in China Lake, a secretive missile range in the Mojave Desert. Her narrative as she walks readers through her life folds in myriad topics relating to prevalent attitudes, beliefs, politics and culture of the era. The overarching theme seems to be how her family background in the defense industry and Christian upbringing influenced her worldview, and how she developed distance from those deep-rooted factors.
Her father worked on missiles, and he’s a major figure in her life, stirring a lot of fascination even in her adulthood about what he did during his career at the government facility and before that, flying planes and contraband in World War II. He succumbed to Alzheimer’s, providing some truly sad and reflective chapters. Background about her mother’s family’s immigration from Sweden is also a revealing glimpse into an immigrant experience during a very different era with different attitudes, and it’s telling in terms of her mother’s life choices and perhaps Piper’s own.
Piper presents many cultural and political milestones and markers that make for juicy stories. Namely the scam of Amway sales and evangelism. Piper attended bizarre religious schooling that didn’t teach much, and should definitely make us worry what Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has up her sleeve (DeVos espouses a similar brand of private religious education, not to mention is married to the son of Amway’s founder. A lot to be concerned about.)
Her historical touchpoints are also highlights, like this well-chosen Nixon quote, describing his complaints to his national security advisor: “Never forget, the press is the enemy, the press is the enemy. The establishment is the enemy, the professors are the enemy, the professors are the enemy.” Sounds familiar. These historically relevant segments – drawn from major events in the Nixon and Reagan eras, primarily, were insightful for the personal perspective she provided. They mostly worked because she looks at them through the lens of the defense industry and America’s use of missiles in general – how the kind of thinking she was raised with influenced her for the rest of her life, creeping in to illuminate aspects of national news.
The religious component was my favorite element, as she demonstrates the “strange duality” between the no-nonsense scientists at China Lake and their fervor for Christianity. “One China Laker described his surprise upon realizing how religious the community was. ‘I concluded that six days a week the folks follow the reality of mathematics, physics, and chemistry, but on the seventh day they toss reason aside.'”
Or a very funny scene when she describes her childhood fear that her acceptance of salvation as a Baptist didn’t take because she uttered it while sitting on the toilet, the only place in their tiny government house where she was afforded some privacy.
The stories from within China Lake were highlights too, but it was misleading. The memoir is ostensibly wrapped around this experience – see the subtitle – but China Lake is a minor figure. Readers hoping for more insight into this intriguing childhood setting will be mostly disappointed. It’s much more a portrait of a woman’s place in Cold War America, and the roles she took on in her work and personal life over several decades, although the storytelling makes it difficult to appreciate any message from this.
Despite the pros, I didn’t enjoy this. The narrative was all over the place. There are far too many stories being told and most weren’t strong enough to carry a narrative. It needed tighter editing to create something more cohesive and punch up the writing. The writing might be the biggest drawback. Some examples: Everyone slowly turned to stare. I was afraid they all might jump on me and eat me. Leaving aside the annoying detail of an adult thinking people might eat her for witnessing something she shouldn’t, most of the book is written in this childlike observational language. That’s fine sometimes, especially when writing about childhood, but the extent makes the entire story feel dumbed down for an author who comes across as remarkably intelligent.
Or this: “It seemed as though aliens had taken over her body, not ‘Alien’ aliens, but the happy kind. Still, I did not trust them. They wanted to take her away.” WHAT. This is from an adult perspective, not a child’s. Granted, I had an advance copy and quotes may change, and I do hope they did.
Yet in other places, the sentence structure is deliberately, unnecessarily complicated. Or it’s like this: In Germany, he had overseen labor at a concentration camp where one-third of the population of sixty thousand people had died building V-2 rockets. I had to reread that sentence, unsure what I was missing, before finally wondering, why not just say twenty thousand people? Is it really less impacting?
Weak writing coupled with many splintered forays into life incidents, the inclusion of some of which I couldn’t understand, makes the book feel overly long. Her personal stories are compelling in and of themselves to some extent but not enough to warrant a book this length. It’s partially redeemed by those connections made to political and defense-related events and the occasional meaningful observation.
There were also some odd gaps in relationships, so that we don’t see how they developed but are expected to buy the change. Much of this is a lesson in the importance of the writing rule of show, don’t tell.
Something both good and bad is another theme scattered throughout – of learning to be autonomous and take care of herself, to get herself out of that desert for good instead of depending on a man to do it for her. She writes, “For so long, I had believed that only a man could pull me out of my baby cage, my fake reality, my MK-Ultra box. I believed, like so many women, in a rescuer, someone who would take me away from China Lake. Yet men had only sent me into new altered domains, regions too difficult for me to compute.”
It’s a great lesson, but the stories of her romances were tedious and poorly described, and the MK-Ultra box in that analogy comes out of nowhere. Where was the editor?
Each section opens with a quote from the “Missile Guidebook” of her imagination, showing how missile culture has influenced her life. Occasionally a quote hits its target, like, “You are more powerful than a missile, which can only erase life and stories. You can create life and tell stories, stories that are true.” This had potential.
Some powerful historic tales get told with personal perspective along the way, but unfortunately most is lost in a scattered narrative and underdeveloped, unedited writing. 1.5/5
A Girl’s Guide to Missiles:
Growing Up in America’s Secret Desert
by Karen Piper
published August 14, 2018 by Viking
2018, americana, book review, memoir, politics
china lake, cold war, coming of age, culture, defense industry, evangelical, feminism, missiles, nixon, religion
Scenes from a House in Ekaterinburg in July, 100 Years Ago
An Intriguing Cold Case and an Exhausting Memoir
23 thoughts on “Coming of Age in Cold War America”
Fab review. I love the sound of this but don’t like sound of the writing style.
It was so terrible. I don’t know how it got published in this state. The whole thing needed to be at least ~100 pages shorter and edited much better…or at all…it read like an editor hadn’t even looked at it.
That sounds awful 😫
flyleafunfurled says:
Sounds like something I’d enjoy – requested ARC from Netgalley, so keep your fingers crossed!
I hope you’ll enjoy it more than I did!
An excellent review of what sounds like a mixed-in-quality book. I particularly liked your mentions of how some of the book is very relevant to today (evangelism, private education/DeVos, press as the enemy, etc.).
Thanks so much! It was very uneven in quality. Those bits you mention were the best parts for me, not only because her perspective was interesting but because they showed how far back some of these issues we’re struggling with today on the national stage go. This stuff has been percolating for a long time, to say the least!
janowrite says:
“Alas.” I just can’t tolerate bad writing. I stop reading. Thanks for saving me the money, as the topic looked intriguing. Writing from the child’s perspective takes a special skill, too, or it comes off a tad precious. Another great review!
Bad writing is such a dealbreaker, isn’t it?! It’s a shame because I was so excited about the topic too. I’m glad I had an advance copy but I was a little miffed about the time spent because it was quite long and I didn’t want to give up on such an interesting premise, so I saw it through instead of throwing in the towel like I should’ve! And completely agree with you, writing from a child’s perspective takes a special skill and when the tone carries over in the adult years of a life story, bad news. Thanks so much, Jan!
CharlieClaywell says:
Great review.
I’m going to have to read this book. One, because I’m interested in the religious aspect of her upbringing (the church of Christ and Baptists are religious cousins). The other reason is, I discovered a year or so ago that I lived near missile silos most of my childhood. They were located 20 miles away — and removed sometime in the eighties. Miami University now owns the site where they were kept. I learned about them through a chance conversation with a National Guardsmen. I researched it and learned it was true.
That’s fascinating, so crazy the kinds of things we end up living amidst! I had family members in the defense industry and I’m captivated by stories from it, such a weird industry. However, I would caution getting your hopes up about what’s written here about that and the religious story line, as both of those topics get extremely minor coverage despite the book being marketed with them as primary subjects. That was part of my disappointment with this overall. I can’t say the slog through this one was worth it…that’s my disclaimer! 🙂
Thanks for the tip… I may just read those two sections and not the whole book.
I’m never very keen on books where the author inserts his or her own story into history unless they’ve really played a significant role. Sometimes I think authors find themselves more interesting than readers find them… 😉
So true! They sold this one on the fascinating premise of her background that hardly factors, it turned out to be 300+ pages of rambling stories about some lady’s life. The history itself is interesting, I guess random people’s lives while it was happening…not so much
oddmanout215 says:
I heard the author on the radio the other day and was impressed by her humor and candor. But sometimes the interview is better than the book. You asked a question that I find myself asking all too often while reading recently published books: “Where was the editor?”
I felt like this one was cleverly packaged with a hook of a theme, but then she proceeded to tell 100 different stories that had nothing to do with China Lake, and the stories of her relationships and career were far less interesting than the unique angle of her childhood. It was very disappointing. But based on her work and accomplishments, she’s clearly intelligent, I think she needed a good editor to trim the fat off this one and fine tune the writing. And it’s probably more on the publisher for the bait and switch of the whole thing.
Sean D. Layton says:
Hmmm, maybe I’ll still read it to get an idea of what not to do as a writer.
It would be great for that! (see the examples I included within the review for a helpful start) But do you ever feel like, when you’re reading something poorly written, that maybe you might unwittingly absorb something from it? I actually had that thought cross my mind while reading this, I’m afraid to have this kind of bad writing anywhere in my brain…
Excellent point because that is always a possibility. I’m easily influenced by other’s works — and that’s not always a good thing!
Same here! I’m glad to hear I’m not alone in that. But sometimes it can be good if you try to reword it, make it into a little practice exercise for yourself.
You know, that could be a very useful exercise.
too bad… the subject matter seems fascinating, had a lot of potential.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2188
|
__label__cc
| 0.720568
| 0.279432
|
Empower Newsletter
Body Mind & Soul (BMS)
Queer O’clock
Emergency Response Initiative
Women’s Health and Equal Rights (WHER)
Women’s Health and Equal Rights (WHER) Initiative is a not for profit, LB (lesbian and bisexual) led organisation, focused on promoting the rights and well-being of lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women in Nigeria by addressing the psychosocial effect of the dual discrimination faced by LBQ women and their under-representation in Nigeria. WHER aims at promoting a deeper conceptual knowledge of sexuality and sexual orientation, providing access to health and other support services to LBQ women through research, advocacy, education, empowerment and other direct services. Since inception in 2011, WHER has been addressing the issues faced by women which include gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive rights abuses.
WHER Initiative envisions a Nigerian society free from all forms of discrimination and violence against women.
WHER initiative provides a platform for the promotion of a healthy well-being of sexual and gender diversity women, and the protection of our human rights through advocacy, education, empowerment, psychosocial and research.
Provide support and empowerment of sexual and gender diversity women in their quest for self-realization. Work on accomplishing social visibility, or coming out of anonymity and isolation for the purpose of sensitizing the society and reducing homo/bi/trans-phobia.
wher_initiative
Thank you for celebrating the International Human
For so many years, the role and importance of wome
Getting caught up in the cycle of living is simple
Having a spread of diverse panel for our second pa
Currently having our first engaging panel discussi
Copyright © 2020 WHER | Powered by Black Earth Digital
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2190
|
__label__cc
| 0.531435
| 0.468565
|
Lineman dies working to maintain electric infrastructure
By Ari Jamesajames@ardmoreite.com
Aug 16, 2018 at 6:00 PM Aug 16, 2018 at 6:40 PM
MARIETTA— The Red River Valley Rural Electric Association released a statement late Thursday regarding a local lineman killed while working to maintain electric infrastructure. The REA employee, identified as Ronald Moore, 45, had 14 years of service with the company.
According to the Red River Valley’s manager and CEO Brent Hartin, “Working as a lineman can be extremely dangerous. Today that danger became all too real,” Hartin said. The incident occurred around 1 p.m. on Thursday near the intersection of Highway 32 and 96. The co-op has launched an investigation to determine what led to Moore’s death.
“This is a very sad time for the co-op and we’re asking everyone to pray for the victim and his family,” Hartin said.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
The Daily Ardmoreite ~ PO Box 1328, Ardmore, OK 73401 ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Cookie Policy ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service ~ Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2192
|
__label__wiki
| 0.879155
| 0.879155
|
Archive : BMC To Spend £21m On Three New Factories
22 January 1960 Keith Adams 0
From Our Special Correspondent
The British Motor Corporation, in a long awaited announcement of the outcome of the negotiations with the Government over their £49m. expansion programme, disclosed yesterday that over the next two years they will spend nearly £21m. on building and equipping new factories to provide more than 11,000 new jobs in three areas of high unemployment-Scotland, South Wales, and Merseyside.
SPEEDY NEGOTIATIONS
Negotiations with the British Motor Corporation were remarkably speedy and lasted less than a month. It is expected that the pattern set up by the BMC scheme will be broadly followed by those still to be approved. The policy of the Government is that expansion on a firm’s present site is not always the best course either from a social or an economic viewpoint. The British Motor Corporation’s scheme is regarded as an outstanding contribution to the policy of encouraging industries to go to areas of high unemployment. It is expected that a single scheme of this sort will undoubtedly attract ancillary industries to the same parts of the country.
£26M. EXTENSIONS IN MIDLANDS NO EXTRA LABOUR
BIRMINGHAM, JAN. 21
In addition to the three new factories, the British Motor Corporation announce that another £26m. will be spent on extensions to their existing factories in the Midlands and at Oxford, but no new demand for labour will be created in these already prosperous areas. Nor will the expansion at the Longbridge factory here extend the Birmingham industrial sprawl into the Worcestershire green belt as many people feared.
In the ‘package deal’with BMC over the first of the motor industry’s big expansion schemes to be concluded, the Government have achieved their main aim of diverting new capacity to areas where the social and economic need for it is most acute. Mr George Harriman, deputy chairman of BMC, said today: ‘We may as well be frank. It was our intention to expand alongside our existing factories, but the Government wanted us to go to areas of high unemployment. After considerable negotiations conducted in a very cordial atmosphere, we have reached what I hope will be a successful conclusion.’
In a nutshell, BMC plan to raise their annual output of vehicles from 750,000 to one million within two years by extending their car and light commercial vehicle production in the Midlands and by moving the manufacture of heavy commercial vehicles and tractors from Birmingham to Scotland. They plan to build a new factory costing £8,800,000 and employing 5,600 people at Bathgate in West Lothian. Exact details of the location of the site, chosen from 12 inspected in Scotland, will not be disclosed until borings and other survey work due to begin on Sunday are completed.
Another new factory, costing £7,500,000, is to be sited between Llanelli and Trostre, near the sheet steel manufacturing resources of west South Wales. This plant, which together with an extension of the existing radiator factory at Llanelli will employ 4,200 workers, will provide pressings and major sub-assemblies for the corporation’s Midland car factories. Mr S. Samuel, Town Clerk of Llanelli, said that he had received confirmation that the site for the new factory would be immediately east of the Trostre works of the Steel Company of Wales at Llanelli.
The third of the new factories for the labour surplus areas will be a £4,200,000 plant at Kirkby, near Liverpool. employing 1,500 workers. BMC intend to relocate there the domestic appliance production of their car bodies branch, Fisher and Ludlow Ltd. at Castle Bromwich, which makes sink units, washing machines, spin dryers, vending machines and refrigerators. BMC are also to build a new works at Swynnerton, in north Staffordshire, for the packing of knocked-down sets of vehicle components for assembly oversea. This establishment will employ 1,000 workers.
The new factory buildings in Scotland, Wales, and Merseyside will be erected for BMC by the Government at a cost of £9,500.000 on a 15-year amortization basis. The new plant will provide about 75 per cent of the additional area required by the corporation for expansion, the rest coming from extensions costing £26m. at their present factories including Longbridge, Washwood Heath and Erdington (Birmingham) and Oxford. The remainder of the £49m. expansion scheme will be on oversea projects.
Labour at present engaged on processes to be transferred to the new areas will be redeployed in the reorganization of car and light commercial vehicle output.
‘We shall provide a job in the reorganization for every one of the 56,000 men we have on our books at the moment,’ said Mr Harriman. Senior executives of the corporation, he added, had discussed the developments in Wales, Scotland, and Merseyside with local trade union officials, who had unanimously welcomed their plans. The corporation have agreed with the unions that earnings of their workers in the new areas will be in line with existing local rates. In general these are considerably lower than those in existing car centres. Several hours before details of the development programme were released today, managers in each of the BMC branch factories announced the plans to shop stewards.
‘All the proposals were well received,’ said Mr Harriman. BMC hope that during their expansion they will continue to sell half their total production in export markets. This should bring their annual oversea earnings to £210m. by 1962.
Archive : Morris Men Back At Work
Archive : BMC Warning On Threat To Car Production
Archive : Automated crankshaft machining
by Keith Adams in Archive 0
Today at the Shrewsbury works of Renault Machine Tools (UK), Ltd., an in-line transfer machine, 22ft long, begins its final running trials. The machine has been specially designed and built for Jaguar Cars Ltd to [...]
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2193
|
__label__wiki
| 0.565912
| 0.565912
|
STOCKPILE RELIABILITY
SRP determines the continuing performance, reliability, and safety of fielded missile inventories. Missile systems are designed and specified to meet a minimum shelf life at the time of delivery. Shelf life is the term during which a tactical missile will remain safe for handling or operation, meets acceptable reliability levels, and performs as expected in potential tactical engagements.
SRP is the mechanism for extending shelf life and allowing continuing use. The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center is recognized worldwide for SRP testing and analyses approaches, and has partnerships with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and 14 foreign military agencies.
AR 702-6 requires SRP to be conducted and defines that SRP consists of surveillance testing, function (flight) testing, and laboratory (component) testing.
CCDC AvMC generates a customized SRP plan during development of a missile that accounts for the system’s reliability requirement, unit cost, testability, production quantity, reparability, projected life cycle, and other factors. The SRP plan is required to be published prior to full materiel release. AvMC manages execution of the SRP throughout the missile life cycle, and is responsible for issuing shelf life extension recommendations.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2194
|
__label__cc
| 0.589818
| 0.410182
|
Damages--Recovery of Medical Costs Paid by State/Common Fund Doctrine--No Reduction for Pro Rata Share of Attys' Fees
State ex rel. Raber v. Wang, 642 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 13 (App. Div. I, September 6, 2012) (J. Howe)
STATE'S RECOVERY OF MEDICAL COSTS PAID INJURED PARTY WHEN INJURED PARTY SETTLES WITH THIRD PARTY TORTFEASOR SHOULD NOT INCLUDE REDUCTION OF STATE'S PRO RATA SHARE OF ATTORNEYS' FEES
Wang was hit by a car while riding his bicycle. He suffered injuries and received $15,758.26 of medical care and treatment paid for by State-sponsored health insurance for employees. Wang later settled his claim against the car's driver for $50,000. He incurred $16,666 in attorneys' fees and $250.85 in costs in obtaining the settlement. The State sought reimbursement of $15,758.26 in medical costs from Wang's settlement and moved for summary judgment under Arizona Revised Statutes sec. 12-962(A) which allows the State to recover the reasonable value of medical care and treatment it has provided to a person injured from a third party's tortious conduct. The recovery is limited "to the extent that such person has received money in settlement of the claim or satisfaction of a judgment against the third party." (Emphasis added.) Wang also moved for summary judgment arguing among other things that if the State was entitled to recover anything, under the common fund doctrine, that amount must be reduced by a pro rata share of the attorneys' fees and costs Wang incurred in obtaining the settlement. The trial court granted the State's motion and denied Wang's motion and the Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed.
The court noted that "The common fund doctrine provides that a person who employs "attorneys for the preservation of a common fund may be entitled to have their attorney's fees paid out of that fund." LaBombard v. Samaritan Health Sys., 195 Ariz. 543, 548, , 991 P.2d 246, 251 (App. 1998). The doctrine (1) ensures fairness to the successful litigant, whose recovery may be consumed by the expenses of litigation; (2) prevents the unjust enrichment of others who benefit in the fund and should share the burden of recovery; and (3) encourages the attorney to diligently litigate a claim by ensuring payment of his or her fees. Because the common fund doctrine is a rule of equity, however, it will not be applied if a statute precludes apportionment of attorneys' fees."
Here section 12-962 limits the State's right to reimbursement to the amount of money the injured person "received" in settlement of the tort claim. Here attorneys' fees and costs were not "received" by Wang because they were deducted by his attorney before any money was disbursed to him. The court distinguished LaBombard which required a hospital lien be reduced by its pro rata share of attorneys' fees because the lien statute in question there (ARS sec. 36-931(A))attaches the hospital lien to a person's entire damage award and is not limited to what the person actually "received."
Finally, the court ruled that Arizona Revised Statute sec. 36-596.01(I) does not mandate a pro rata reduction for fees here. That statute requires the State to compromise a claim under §12-962 if, after considering certain factors, compromise is "fair and equitable." Specifically the court stated this statute "does not change our analysis because it requires the State to consider the equities of an injured party's case in determining whether to "compromise" its reimbursement claim, but it does not require compromise or a pro-rata apportionment of attorneys' fees."
Editor's Note: quoting Barry Davis' analysis of this case: "It seems to me that the approach should be to enter into an agreement with the State, BEFORE FILING A LAWSUIT, that they will share in costs and attorney fees.
Likewise I can envision situations in which the client can claim negligence on the lawyer or in the alternative have a great position for reducing the attorney fee if the lawyer does not inform the client that due to attorney fees and the state's lien he ( the client) may well receive little or no money."
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2197
|
__label__wiki
| 0.754291
| 0.754291
|
The Assyrian Genocide
The 7th of August has been designated, by the Assyrian Universal Alliance, as a Memorial Day for Assyrian Martyrs slaughtered at the hands of the Ottoman army during WW1, and those who were cruelly martyred by the Iraqi Army on August 7, 1933, one year after Iraq declared its independence. Over 6000 Assyrians were massacred just for demanding their rights. This Memorial Day does not only remember a dark time in our nation’s history, it speaks also of what is occurring today – and calls for a just intervention by all people and nations who value humanity.
The history of the First World War brings memories of one of the worst policies of systematic genocide conducted against the Assyrians, Armenians and Greeks by the Ottoman Empire. It almost eliminated the presence of all the Christians living in Anatolia. Millions of indigenous ethnic souls perished as a result of the savagery of the Ottoman Turks and Kurds. As a result of this genocide the Assyrians lost all their territories within the borders of modern Turkey. At least 750,000 Assyrians, 1.5 million Armenians and 500,000 Greeks from the Pontos region and many others were exterminated in unbelievable horror scenes of massacres and deportations, and hundreds of thousands of children and women were abducted and forced into Turkification, Kurdification and Islamisation.
The World War II Holocaust could have been prevented had mankind risen to the mission of brotherly solidarity and learned a lesson from the horrific events of the genocide committed against our three nations, preventing such acts in the future.
But, the world chose to focus on a different outcome: “The reflection of the weakness of the world's attention and responsiveness that is still feeding the aftermath of that first genocide.”
The act of genocide never stopped against our people. During the rule of the tyrant Saddam Hussein over 300 Assyrian towns and villages were leveled to the ground and their inhabitants forced to leave behind their homeland and properties. Since the American invasion to Iraq in 2003, hundreds of churches, monasteries and archeological sites have been bombed, and hundreds of Assyrians killed. From the time of its liberation, the new Iraq has witnessed a huge exodus of Assyrians from their ancestral homelands because they have been abandoned and completely marginalized by the Iraqi government and the International community.
Currently, we have witnessed the exodus of Christian Assyrians in Syria who are fleeing in masses from threats of kidnappings, rapes and murders. Behind the daily reporting of bombings and shellings, Syria will soon be emptied of its Christians.
The helpless Assyrians have been late in lobbying for recognition of the Genocide perpetrated against them by the Ottoman Turks in 1914. This is because Assyrians have experienced continued persecution and intimidation by the successive dictators and brutal regimes that have ruled the occupied Assyrian lands till this day. As well, modern Turkey’s government has continued its denial and its refusal to acknowledge its Ottoman predecessor's involvement in these crimes against humanity, therefore preventing any attempts to gain recognition by the international community.
Turkey cannot hide the truth forever; and cannot escape the fact that its Ottoman leaders wiped out a large portion of the Assyrian, Armenian and Pontic Greek population, and subsequently annihilated millions more of their future generations. Before the First World War thirty three percent (33%) of the population of Turkey was Christian. Today their number is less than 0.1 percent of the population. What happened to these citizens of Turkey who had lived there forever? How did they disappear? Would not this diversity of people be a great wealth to a country? Turkey must answer to the free world of today and apologize to the multitudes whose lives it has affected forever, and to the future generations.
We will always honour the memory of all victims of that barbarism with our untiring efforts to attain the justice of a living memory for them and to prevent any further horrors of that sort by educating all mankind towards the guiding ideals of humanity and solidarity amongst all people.
Let us do what is just for the sake of our humanity, which is incumbent of true leadership with a vision for peace and prosperity.
Glory and honour to our Assyrian martyrs.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2199
|
__label__wiki
| 0.738204
| 0.738204
|
Large-scale battery storage to transform Australia's renewable energy future
Large-scale battery storage to transform Australia’s renewable energy future
The largest lithium-ion battery will be three times more powerful than any other system in the world
10 July 2017 - The announcement that the world’s largest lithium-ion battery will be installed in South Australia by the end of 2017, will transform and fast track reliable renewable energy in Australia, as well as globally, according to a leading energy industry authority Dr Alex Wonhas, Managing Director, Energy, Resources & Manufacturing of global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon.
Under an agreement with the South Australian Government, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s Tesla, and the French renewable energy group Neoen, the battery, three times more powerful than any other system in the world, will be designed to provide power to the grid at times of generation shortfall, as well as providing stability to the network, day and night.
“The coupling of renewable energy with large scale battery storage is a fundamental requirement for an affordable, reliable and sustainable energy future for Australia,” said Dr Wonhas, who was previously Executive Director for CSIRO’s environment, energy and resources sector.
“South Australia is now set to lead the charge in battery storage that will, in turn, revolutionise the way in which renewable energy is integrated into electricity networks."
Aurecon is the Specialist and Technical Engineering Advisor to the Government of South Australia for the implementation of its Energy Plan. The company is providing advice across the entire programme, including the 100 MW battery, emergency gas generator and power supply contracts.
The July 7 announcement of the world’s largest lithium ion grid connected battery system at 100 MW/129 MWh is the culmination of three months of intensive work by Aurecon. This included evaluation and shortlisting of expression of interest submissions, development of the technical and functional requirements of the system and invitation to supply documents, evaluation of respondent proposals and negotiations to enable the final contract to be signed.
Aurecon also supported the Government to engage with various stakeholders, including the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and South Australian transmission and distribution network service providers, in order to identify and advise on grid connection and registration matters.
Engineering the journey toward renewables
“As engineers design for the future, technology and innovative solutions like this will be imperative to meeting tomorrow’s challenges,” comments Dr Wonhas. He goes on to say that in future, the role of the engineer will be to interrogate impossible challenges, including that of energy supply; and to answer “I think we can!” when others have said it’s impossible.
“I am proud that Aurecon continues to play a key role as an engineer and advisor to Australia’s energy sector, including designing a number of industry-defining renewable ‘firsts’, such as Australia’s first large-scale solar power project connected to the south-eastern grid (Royalla solar photovoltaic plant), and designing one of the largest solar farms in Australia (Bungala Solar Photovoltaic),” he said.
In addition, Aurecon is the engineering partner for Territory Generation’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for Alice Springs, which was recently given the green light by the Northern Territory Government. BESS will provide 5 MW battery energy storage and will be one of the largest grid-connected storage solutions in Australia.
The success of the solar power projects has led to a range of other appointments in the clean energy sector, including Moree Solar Project, Barcaldine Solar Farm, Sun Metals Solar Farm, Capital and Woodlawn Wind Farms.
Aurecon helps transform Australia’s energy landscape
Australia’s energy landscape transformation moves forward with the completion of the Barcaldine Solar Farm in Queensland.
A paradigm shift in energy policy signals 'good' energy
Aurecon's Dr Alex Wonhas discusses the policy direction outlined in the 2017-2018 Australian Federal Budget.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2200
|
__label__wiki
| 0.867357
| 0.867357
|
News from the Editor's Desk
by Hidden Author •
Miles and the mindset
How refreshing it was to read – on the announcement of the 2012 Miles Franklin Literary Award’s shortlist – that The Trust Company, which administers the Miles, has written to the judges ‘authorising them to use their discretions to modernise the interpretation of “Australianess” (sic) beyond geographical boundaries to include mindset, language, history and values, as in keeping with the current Australian literary landscape’. This decision follows much debate and consultation, some resistance, and a slow process of liberalisation since the mid-1990s. It is hard to imagine that doctrinaire interpretations of the notorious phrase ‘Australian life in any of its phases’ will ever again result in books with a clear Australian flavour, cast, or sensibility being excluded from the nation’s pre-eminent literary prize.
Patrick Allington – ABR’s inaugural Patrons’ Fellow – wrote about these issues at length in our June 2011 issue; his article ‘“What is Australia, anyway?” The Glorious Limitations of the Miles Franklin Literary Award’ is still available. In this issue he comments on this welcome new development.
Meanwhile, of the thirteen longlisted titles, five have been shortlisted for this year’s Miles. They are Tony Birch’s Blood (University of Queensland Press), Anna Funder’s All That I Am (Hamish Hamilton), Gillian Mears’s Foal’s Bread (Allen & Unwin), Frank Moorhouse’s Cold Light (Vintage), and Favel Parrett’s Past the Shallows (Hachette Australia). The winner, who will receive $50,000, will be announced in Brisbane on 20 June.
ABR at the Boyd
This time next month ABR will be ensconced in The Boyd, at 207–229 City Road, Southbank. We’re looking forward to taking part in the official opening on Saturday, 7 July. To introduce our readers and supporters to the new office, and to welcome those unfamiliar with the magazine, we are planning a series of talks and readings throughout the day. Readers and speakers will include Joel Deane, Morag Fraser, Lisa Gorton, Elisabeth Holdsworth, and Chris Wallace-Crabbe. Full details will appear in our July–August issue and on our website.
Amy Baillieu and Peter Rose in ABR's new office at the Boyd
National Biography Award
This year’s National Biography Award, the country’s premier award for biographical writing and memoir, has gone to Martin Thomas, author of The Many Worlds of R.H. Mathews: In Search of an Australian Anthropologist (Allen & Unwin). Mathews was one of Australia’s most significant, tenacious researchers of Aboriginal languages and culture. Dr Thomas, ARC Future Fellow at ANU’s School of History, received $26,000.
Peter Rose (chair of the judging panel), speaking on behalf of his fellow judges, Bernadette Brennan and Hilary McPhee, commented: ‘Martin Thomas’s study of a “magnificent obsession” struck us as a fine and urgent example of biography as retrieval, biography with a clear moral message, one we encourage all readers to explore.’
The judges also praised the NBA’s benefactors, Geoffrey Cains and Michael Crouch, for increasing the prize money and for giving all six short-listed authors $1000. Would that all substantial literary prizes rewarded unsuccessful shortlisted authors – especially when the organisers encourage them to attend the ceremonies, often not knowing the result. Surely this is something that the Miles Franklin Literary Award – following the NBA and, earlier, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards – should seriously consider.
2012 Seymour Biography Lecture
Now in its eighth year, the Seymour Biography Lecture – sponsored by John and Heather Seymour, presented by the National Library of Australia, with support from ABR – goes from strength to strength, and adds to the fertile conversation about this protean, adaptive form. Last year’s lecture, by Robert Dessaix, continues to reverberate (we published it in April 2012), and he will repeat it during the Brisbane Writers’ Festival.
This year’s lecturer – in keeping with the laudable alternation of local and overseas writers – is Jeffrey Meyers, who has written some forty books, including biographies of Katherine Mansfield, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Lowell, Joseph Conrad, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Professor Meyers’ interests are by no means exclusively literary: among his other books are lives of Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper, and a dual biography of Errol Flynn and his son.
Jeffrey Meyers will deliver the Seymour Lecture at the National Library on Thursday, 13 September, then repeatit at The Boyd, in Melbourne, on Monday, 17 September – part of our new events program. Full details will follow.
Community of readers
Volatile markets, disappearing chains, ubiquitous eBooks, and queasy tidings from the Hellenes don’t seem to be inhibiting local publishers – quite the reverse. There is something vivifying about a crisis. Hot on the heels of the first tranche of Text Classics – inexpensive paperbacks, often fascinatingly introduced by other writers – comes another fine imprint, the Giramondo Shorts. These are new titles, not reissues. William Heyward reviews one of the first titles, Eliot Weinberger’s Wildlife. Advances is particularly looking forward to reading The Recluse, by Evelyn Juers, who shared the Prime Minister’s Award for non-fiction in 2009.
Ivor Indyk, Giramondo’s publisher, told Advances: ‘The new Giramondo series is designed to take advantage of the new printing technologies to produce attractive short-form books – essays, novellas, memoirs – that will appeal to a literary readership. There’s an ideology behind it too, a commitment to a community of readers, and to a relaxed kind of curiosity – hence Les Murray’s quote, which each book carries, “it is time perhaps to cherish the culture of shorts”.’
Changes at ABR
Amy Baillieu is the new Deputy Editor following Mark Gomes’s departure. Amy, who holds a BA and a Master’s in Publishing and Communications from the University of Melbourne, joined us some years ago as a junior editor. Last year she became our Philanthropy Manager.
During his three years with ABR, Mark Gomes made an immense contribution to most aspects of the magazine. Mark joined us as an APAEditorial Intern and soon became Deputy Editor. When he left ABR to become an editor at the National Gallery of Victoria, he went with everyone’s best wishes.
At our recent Annual General Meeting, two of our ten serving members left the ABR board: Anna Goldsworthy and Paul Hetherington (our longest-serving board member). We thank them for their contribution and look forward to publishing them in the future. Indeed, Paul Hetherington will return next month with a review of Michael Sharkey’s new collection of poems, Another Fine Morning in Paradise (5 Islands Press).
Eleven reasons to subscribe
ABR follows its former volunteers’ careers with much interest, and we were thrilled to learn of Paul D. Carter’s success in this year’s The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award, worth $20,000, plus simultaneous publication. Paul, who volunteered for us in 2009, worked on his coming-of-age novel for some years. Amy Baillieu reviews Eleven Seasons in this issue. Courtesy of Allen & Unwin, we have ten signed copies to give to sprightly new subscribers.
Also this month, fifty renewing subscribers (thanks to Palace Films) will win double passes to Elena, the new Russian thriller directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev. Phone us now to claim your prize: (03) 9429 6700.
CONTENTS: JUNE 2012
Hidden Author
Wagnerism: Art and politics in the shadow of music by Alex Ross
by Michael Halliwell
Lowitja: The authorised biography of Lowitja O’Donoghue by Stuart Rintoul
by Michael Winkler
by Michael Halliwell, Ben Brooker, Antoinette Halloran, Helen Balzer, Katherine Vowles, Hayley Smith, Lara Stevens, Judith Thomas, Daniel Howard
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2201
|
__label__cc
| 0.572414
| 0.427586
|
Divine Entreaty
Prayers for Public and Diverse Settings
by Robert L. Menz
Robert L. Menz
“Divine Entreaty is a great resource for all who are called upon to offer prayer for gatherings that include people from diverse backgrounds. The prayers written by Dr. Menz provide us with sensitivity training and show that he is both a verbal artist and philosopher.”—Suellen Mazurowski, JD; Hilton Head, SC
“‘Teach us to pray’ was the elementary request of the first disciples of Jesus. Yet their desire is a universal one; a spiritual longing at the heart of persons of all religions and cultures. In this remarkable little volume Dr. Menz captures both the complexity of cultural sensitivity and also the commonality of public prayer. This is a resource for both guiding those who are called upon to articulate a prayer in our diverse world and encouraging business and civic leaders who feel the need for the prayers of the people to be voiced.” —James Gebhart, PhD, clinical psychologist; Columbus, Ohio
“Bob Menz and I have a friendship that goes back twenty-plus years revolving around human resource conferences and issues. Bob has shared prayers with people for decades and I would like to thank him for giving others a place to begin as we seek communication with our Creator.—Bill Henry, human resources manager; Ava, Missouri
“We live and work in a culturally, religiously, and spiritually diverse world. For those of us who are challenged by issues of diversity every day, Dr. Menz’s volume, Divine Entreaty, is a welcome resource calling our attention to the necessity of inclusiveness. Both the famous prayers of the past and those for public and diverse settings will enlighten your own sense of oneness with humanity.”—Carl Kyle, DMin, board-certified chaplain; Jacksonville, Florida
Divine Entreaty offers a collection of inclusive prayers for leadership in civic, business, education, politics, ministry, and other disciplines to adopt or modify when communities seek to clarify their purpose and capture the moment.
Robert L. Menz, DMin, recently retired from his positions as director of the Shelby County Chaplaincy Board and employee counselor/corporate employee assistance director for Emerson Climate Technologies in Sidney, Ohio. He is an adjunct faculty member at Edison Community College in Piqua, Ohio. Dr. Menz is a fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, a diplomate in the American Psychotherapy Association, and a board-certified employee assistance professional with the Employee Assistance Professionals Association. He is the author of A Memoir of a Pastoral Counseling Practice and A Pastoral Counselor’s Model for Wellness in the Workplace: Psychergonomics, both from Haworth Press; the editor of Changing Society: A Social and Spiritual Vision for the Year 2020 and Beyond from University Press of America; and a contributing author of Departures 2010: Writings by the faculty, staff, alumni, and students of Edison Community College—as well as numerous articles in professional journals. Robert and his wife Ruth enjoy traveling, communing with nature, and being grandparents.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2203
|
__label__wiki
| 0.726012
| 0.726012
|
« Food Start-Ups Focusing on Protein Sources
Some Real-Estate Startups Are Adjusting Their Business Models »
Nebraska Lawmakers Seek to Expand Startup Program in the State
By Keith Good | Published: March 15, 2019
Paul Hammel reported yesterday at the Omaha World-Herald Online that, “Evan Luxon says his small but growing startup company would still be in San Francisco rather than Omaha but for an innovative eight-year-old state program that helps entrepreneurs.
“The Nebraska Business Innovation Act, Luxon said, helped persuade him that he could relocate to his hometown and still attract the investment and skilled workers he could easily find in the Silicon Valley area to take his medical equipment firm beyond the idea stage.
“Grants from the program, he said, helped leverage private funds and federal grants that led to production of a prototype of a ‘digital drain,’ which automatically clears chest tube blockages following heart surgeries. The invention now has FDA approval and is in clinical trials, and the firm he co-founded, Centese, has 6.5 employees in Omaha.”
Mr. Hammel noted that, “On Wednesday, Luxon was among a handful of successful entrepreneurs who testified in support of a bill in the Legislature that would increase funding in the Business Innovation Act by $4 million, to nearly $10 million a year.
“Backers of Legislative Bill 334 said the extra state funding would encourage more startups in Nebraska.”
The World-Herald article added that, “When the act was passed, Nebraska ranked 49th in the nation in access to venture capital. Now, the state has risen to 31st.
“The Innovation Act provides matching seed money for companies, as well as funds for production of product prototypes, research and microenterprises.”
This entry was posted in Start-up Company Law. Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2204
|
__label__wiki
| 0.715273
| 0.715273
|
On the Basis of Sex Trailer – Felicity Jones becomes future Supreme Court Justice/Legend Ruth Bader Ginsburg
July 17, 2018 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment
Synopsis: ‘The film tells an inspiring and spirited true story that follows young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and overturn a century of gender discrimination. The feature will premiere in 2018 in line with Justice Ginsburg’s 25th anniversary on the Supreme Court.’
The movie stars Felicity Jones in the lead role, alongside Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston, Jack Reynor, and Cailee Spaeny. Mimi Leder (Deep Impact) directs from a script by Daniel Stiepleman.
The film arrives in US cinemas in December, with a February 2019 UK release date currently set. Take a look at the trailer and poster below. [Read more…]
ACTORS: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston, Jack Reynor DIRECTORS: Mimi Leder
New The Spy Who Dumped Me Trailer – Espionage comedy with Kate McKinnon & Mila Kunis
May 13, 2018 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment
Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis seem like they should make a great comedic pairing. We’ll get to see whether they are with The Spy Who Dumped Me, where the duo get in way over their heads for some buddy comedy action.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon), two thirty-year-old best friends in Los Angeles, are thrust unexpectedly into an international conspiracy when Audrey’s ex-boyfriend shows up at their apartment with a team of deadly assassins on his trail. Surprising even themselves, the duo jump into action, on the run throughout Europe from assassins and a suspicious-but-charming British agent, as they hatch a plan to save the world.’
Justin Theroux plays the ex, with Sam Heughan, Hasan Minhaj, and Gillian Anderson also starring. The film is due to hit cinemas in the summer. Take a look at the new trailer below. [Read more…]
ACTORS: Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Justin Theroux, Sam Heughan
The Spy Who Dumped Me Trailer – Kate McKinnon & Mila Kunis get caught up in some international espionage comedy
March 21, 2018 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment
Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis seem like they should make a great medic pairing. We’ll get to see whether they are with The Spy Who Dumped Me, where the duo get in way over their heads for some buddy comedy action.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me tells the story of Audrey (Kunis) and Morgan (McKinnon), two best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.’
Justin Theroux plays the ex, with Sam Heughan, Hasan Minhaj, and Gillian Anderson also starring. The film is due to hit cinemas in the summer. Take a look at the first trailer below. [Read more…]
Mute Trailer – Duncan Jones heads to a futuristic Berlin with Alexander Skarsgard & Paul Rudd
January 31, 2018 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment
Before he went off to make Warcraft: The Beginning, Duncan Jones was working on Mute. Now we’re finally getting that film, which is heading to Netflix in a few weeks time.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘Berlin, the future, but close enough to feel familiar: In this loud, often brutal city, Leo (Alexander Skarsgård) – unable to speak from a childhood accident – searches for his missing girlfriend, the love of his life, his salvation, through dark streets, frenzied plazas, and the full spectrum of the cities shadow-dwellers. As he seeks answers, Leo finds himself mixed up with Cactus Bill (Paul Rudd) and Duck (Justin Theroux), a pair of irreverent US army surgeons on a mission all their own. This soulful sci-fi journey from filmmaker Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code, Warcraft) imagines a world of strange currencies in which echoes of love and humanity are still worth listening to.
‘Mute is directed by Duncan Jones and written by Jones and Michael Robert Johnson. The film is produced by Stuart Fenegan. Charles J.D. Schissel and Trevor Beattie are executive producers. Mute will be released on Netflix, February 23, 2018.’
Take a look at the trailer below. [Read more…]
ACTORS: Alexander Skarsgard, Justin Theroux, Paul Rudd DIRECTORS: Duncan Jones
New The Girl On The Train Trailer – Emily Blunt gets involved in a travelling mystery
Paula Hawkins’ novel, The Girl On The Train, turned into a bit of a publishing phenomenon, which inevitably meant a movie adaptation would follow. Now the first trailer for the movie has arrived, which you can take a look at below.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Haley Bennett, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez and Allison Janney star in The Girl on the Train, from director Tate Taylor (The Help, Get on Up) and producer Marc Platt (Bridge of Spies, Into the Woods). In the thriller, Rachel (Blunt), who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasising about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.
‘Based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel, The Girl on the Train is adapted for the screen by Erin Cressida Wilson and Taylor. The film’s executive producers are Jared LeBoff and Celia Costas, and it will be released by Entertainment One in the UK.’
The film will be in cinemas in October. [Read more…]
ACTORS: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Haley Bennett, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Allison Janney DIRECTORS: Tate Taylor FILMS: The Girl On The Train
The Girl On The Train Trailer – Emily Blunt gets involved in a travelling mystery
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2207
|
__label__wiki
| 0.972745
| 0.972745
|
Former Thai PM to face murder charge
Abhisit Vejjajiva accused of allowing use of live ammunition against civilians during 2010 opposition Red Shirt rallies.
If found guilty, Suthep Thaugsuban and Abhisit Vejjajiva could face the death penalty or life in prison [Reuters]
Thai authorities are to file murder charges against former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy, in the first prosecutions of officials for their roles in a deadly 2010 crackdown on anti-government protests.
The protests and crackdown left more than 90 people dead and about 1,800 injured in Thailand’s worst political violence in decades.
Abhisit’s Democrat Party, ousted in elections last year, and “Red Shirt” supporters of the ruling Pheu Thai Party have blamed each other for the bloodshed since.
Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tharit Phengdit said on Thursday that investigators found Abhisit possibly culpable in the death of a taxi driver because he allowed troops to use weapons and live ammunition against protesters.
“They allowed security forces to use weapons and live ammunition that led to the death of civilians,” said Tharit.
Abhisit and former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who was in charge of the ad hoc security agency set up to contain the protests, will be summoned to the DSI office on December 12 to be formally charged.
Abhisit is currently leader of the opposition as head of the Democrat Party. The courts must accept the case before it can go to trial.
Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut called the decision “an abuse of government’s power to threaten its opponents”.
He noted that it was done while parliament is in recess so the two men’s immunity from arrest is lifted.
Tharit denied that the decision is politically motivated and said the case is significant “for society because the deaths were inflicted by an act of government officers”.
‘False charges’
The deaths occurred during the Red Shirts’ nine-week anti-government protest in the heart of the capital that had sought to force Abhisit to call early elections.
Central Bangkok was garrisoned by soldiers until they moved in to crush the protest on May 19, 2010.
The protest was staged primarily by supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and disrespect to the monarchy.
His supporters and opponents have vied for power since then, and Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra was elected prime minister last year.
A Criminal Court inquest recently found that taxi driver Phan Kamkong was killed by guns used by military personnel during the crackdown.
Chavanond alleged that the inquest was a one-sided trial in which the accused could not defend themselves, and added that no one was pinpointed as the shooter.
He insisted the security body set up to contain the protests issued no order to use force against or kill civilians, only to keep order in dealing with “Black Shirts,” armed men who served as guards for the demonstrators.
“To use the court’s inquest to conclude that the two men had the intention of murder was groundless and against the law,” Chavanond said.
He said both Abhisit and Suthep “are ready to prove their innocence,” and that “those who brought up false charges will have to take responsibility”.
DSI chief Tharit said factors leading to the planned charges include the continuing use of force over an extended period of time, and the killing of civilians without resorting to other methods of controlling protesters.
Abhisit’s opponents had been threatening to try to bring their case against Abhisit to the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands. The DSI’s actions should forestall those efforts.
Thai street protests return
Mixing red and yellow is supposed to make orange. In Thailand, it usually makes for political uncertainty and that is certainly the case right now.
From: Counting the Cost
Is Thailand an economic success story?
Thailand’s prime minister talks about a country in recovery after last year’s deadly floods.
Profile: Abhisit Vejjajiva
The privileged background of the young Abhisit may make it difficult for poorer voters to connect with him.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2208
|
__label__cc
| 0.704172
| 0.295828
|
Video: €40,000 Rolls Royce Specially Commissioned Luggage Set Detailed
Home » Rolls Royce » Video: €40,000 Rolls Royce Specially Commissioned Luggage Set Detailed
Rolls-Royce is, without a doubt, one of the most valuable brands in the world. The Spirit of Ecstasy is synonymous with luxury and one of the most desirable badges on the planet. And while the Goodwood-based manufacturer is quite skilled at putting together bespoke automobiles, it would seem like they are also quite capable of making some other items as well, for example: luggage.
The brand is offering luggage options for its patrons, individualized and adapted not only to the owner’s preferences in terms of color and materials used but also in terms of design and perfectly matched to the car. There’s a set of luggage offered for the Wraith and then there’s a set for the Phantom, each of them different, both in terms of design and pricing. The ones we’re going to take a look at here, are for the Wraith and are being detailed in the video below.
The Wraith luggage was created by observing the techniques of the Head Butler at a prestigious London hotel according to Rolls-Royce. What we’re looking at here are just two pieces of the entire six-piece collection but the two together are worth some 40,000 Euros according to Gustav. The six-piece collection includes two Grand Tourers, three Long Weekenders and a Garment Carrier and has been designed to fit perfectly into the luggage compartment a Rolls-Royce Wraith.
The Grand Tourer has carbon fiber in between the wheels, as you’re about to see, and uniquely designed wheels which feature self-leveling central monograms, something of a trademark for double-R cars and, apparently, luggage as well. The Long Weekender features a unique magnetic zip as well as distinctively crafted handles. All of this is meant to ensure that your trip is done in the utmost comfort, money be damned. After all, those buying a new Rolls-Royce won’t even notice the price tag of these bags.
More from Rolls Royce
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2210
|
__label__wiki
| 0.861185
| 0.861185
|
Hinduism Share This Page
Lord Krishna: The Master Strategist - 3
by P. Mohan Chandran
Continued from Previous Page
In modern parlance, Lord Krishna can be best described as ‘the greatest crisis manager’ and ‘strategist’ the world has ever seen. In the entire Mahabharata, which has epochal impact, there are several important characters impressing us with their responses amidst great challenges. However, Lord Krishna as a central character, time and again, comes across as a master strategist and tactful leader adopting different strategies according to situations and people he had to deal with.
In a thorough and careful reading of the major turn of events in the entire narrative of the Mahabharata, Krishna emerged as an eminent and ultimate strategist. He kept Draupadi’s frustration under check. He knew that Kauravas would never agree to let Pandavas have their share of the kingdom in a peaceful manner. Yet, he himself went to plead their cause so that peace was given a final opportunity. In the battle that ensued, he virtually led the 7 divisions of the Pandavas’ army to a decisive win against the 11 divisions of the Kauravas’ army.
Strategy & Vision
All the mighty warriors on the Kauravas’ side were defeated with specific inputs from Krishna. Krishna had great foresight, long-term planning and vision, which helped the Pandavas easily defeat the Kauravas, although the Pandavas were much weaker than the Kauravas in strength and number. In case of Bhishma, Krishna asked Arjuna to attack him standing behind Shikandi. Krishna made Dronacharya believe that his son, Ashwattama, was dead and thus misled him that led to his killing. Krishna asked Arjuna to shoot arrow at Karna when Karna was lifting the wheel of his chariot that had slumped below the earth. Krishna brought Ghatotkacha in the war to ensure Karna used his ‘Shakti astra’ exclusively reserved by him to kill Arjuna.
From the above instances, managers and leaders can learn how to deal with each person according to his/her individual merits, qualities, strengths, weaknesses and overall personality. This can happen only when the manager/leader has complete knowledge about a person, his abilities, potential, and strengths.
The following points further testify Lord Krishna as the greatest ever ‘strategist’:
—— Strategy#1: Enticing Vidura to Break the Most Powerful ‘Vishnu Dhanush’, Gifted to him by Lord Vishnu
Vidura was gifted by Lord Vishnu with a ‘Vishnu Dhanush’ (Vishnu's bow), which was 100 times more powerful than Arjuna's bow. Just one arrow from Vishnu dhanush had the ability to destroy the entire world. When Lord Krishna asked Vidura whom he would support if a war broke out between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, Vidura said he would fight for the Kauravas. When Yudhishtra sent Lord Krishna as a peace messenger to resolve the war, Duryodhana insulted Lord Krishna. When Vidura too supported the Pandavas, Duryodhana insulted him, too, in the king's assembly, calling him a maid's son. Vidura got extremely angry on Duryodhana and, exactly at that time, Lord Krishna reminded him of the Vishnu Dhanush. Vidura thanked Lord Krishna for reminding him about the Vishnu Dhanush and broke it immediately so that it would not be useful to anyone in the war. Vidura also vowed not to partake in the war and declared that he would fight neither for the Pandavas nor for the Kauravas, but would remain a mute spectator. Thus, a major battle was won by Lord Krishna.
A HR leader should know what to say and when to say it, and say it in a manner that the other person doesn’t take offense at it, but thank the person for saying it. Here, Lord Krishna reminded Vidura of the Vishnu dhanush exactly when Vidura was angry on Duryodhana and, thus, took psychological advantage of Vidura’s anger to achieve his objective, which was to destroy the Vishnu dhanush, whose potential usage could have tilted the balance heavily in favor of the Kauravas during the war. Similarly, a strategist should know when to play which card and how to play his cards safely, without displeasing anyone and at the same time, benefitting his organization, or the greater cause for which he is fighting.
—— Strategy#2: Deciding Who Among the Pandavas Would Fight Powerful Shalya
After the death of Karna, the next target of the Pandavas was Shalya, the maternal uncle of the Pandavas, who fought for the Kauravas as a result of a conspiracy by Shakuni and Duryodhana, who pulled Shalya into their camp through deceit by hosting him a very delicious, lavish and sumptuous dinner, and extracted a promise from him to fight for the Kauravas.
Shalya was no easy warrior to win against. He had the strength of 16,000 elephants and a special quality, to boot. Any opponent who confronted Shalya would lose half of his strength and Shalya would gain half of the opponent's power. So, it was a challenge and a billion-dollar question as to who among the Pandavas should fight Shalya. When Bhima told Krishna that there wasn’t much to discuss or think about this and that he would fight Shalya and kill him easily, Krishna cautioned Bhima from making hasty decisions and informed him that killing Shalya would not be a cakewalk for him. Said Krishna to Bhima, “Don't you know that Shalya has the strength of 16,000 elephants and that half of his opponent's strength would get transferred to Shalya when Shalya's opponent confronts him in the battle? So, if you lose your strength, then who will kill Duryodhana and how can you fulfill your promise given to Draupadi and win the war? Your strength is still needed to win this war. So, bear that in mind." When Nakula told Krishna that he would fight Shalya, Krishna said that he too was not the right person. Arjuna then asked Krishna the way to kill Shalya and who would be the right person to fight Shalya, and enquired if he would be so. Krishna said that Yudhishtra would be the right person to fight Shalya because Yudhishtra had all the saatvik qualities (virtues/ qualities of patience, forgiveness, mercy, righteousness, etc.), and when Shalya confronted Yudhishtra, Shalya would gain half of Yudhishtra's saatvik qualities and it would then become very easy for Yudhishtra to kill Shalya. He announced that only Yudhishtra should fight Shalya in the war. Thus, the plan to kill Shalya was hatched successfully with the help of Lord Krishna.
A HR leader should know the strengths and weaknesses of his men, while a strategist should know the strengths and weaknesses of both his men and also that of his competitors/opponents to decide the right strategy for his organization’s benefit. The above instance demonstrates how Lord Krishna did a SWOT/SCOT analysis of his resources, as well as that of his opponents, and mapped them successfully against each other to devise an infallible strategy.
—— Strategy#3 : Devising a Strategy to Kill the Invincible Bhishma
After the ninth day of the great epic war, upon Lord Krishna’s advice to Yudhishtra to meet Bhishma and ask him the secret of his defeat, they both approached Bhishma. Bhishma was the Commander-in-Chief of the Kaurava army and had caused extensive damage to the Pandava army for the first nine days of the war. He had a towering personality befitting the kings – a true soldier and an extraordinary warrior, as strong as steel in character, symbolic of truth and duty, and extremely human. He was invincible and could choose the time of his death. Yudhishtra told Bhishma that they would not be able to win the war since he was standing between the Pandavas' defeat and victory. He told Bhishma that if he thought that 'Dharma' (justice) should win, then he should give way to them, because as long as he was standing on the battleground, it was impossible for the Pandavas to win the war, even though justice was on their side. Bhishma said that he always respected and upheld Dharma, and never wanted to be a bottleneck in the achievement of Dharma. He also knew that the Pandavas truly deserved the victory as ‘dharma’ was on their side. He asked Yudhishtra to get Shikandi on the battlefield and promised him that he would put down his weapons upon seeing Shikandi and fall in the war. Yudhishtra and Krishna thanked his magnanimous gesture and left.
Meanwhile Krishna knew that it was difficult to kill Bhishma in spite of his personal assurances since Bhishma had the boon of dying at will. Krishna told the Pandavas that they had to give sacrifice of a great warrior to Goddess Kali if they had to kill Bhishma and overcome him, because only then Bhishma would have the desire to not live and accept death. Sealing Bhishma's fate was almost clinching the epic war in favor of the Pandavas. But the Pandavas were in a quandary as to whom to choose for the sacrifice. Sahadeva, one of the Pandavas, who was highly knowledgeable about the Vedas informed that it was mentioned in the Atharvana Veda that a person with 32 lakh qualities had to be given in sacrifice to Goddess Kali to fulfill their desire of killing Bhishma. The person had to be the best among 14 lokas (worlds), apart from being handsome, strong, and magnificent. Also, the person had to voluntarily consent to be offered as a sacrifice and his last wish had to be fulfilled. When the Pandavas wondered if they could find such a person in such a short span of time, Krishna revealed that there were three such warriors among the Pandavas themselves, who possessed those 32 lakh qualities. The first one was Arjuna, but Arjuna's wife Subhadra refused to offer her husband as a sacrifice, although Arjuna was ready to offer himself as a sacrifice. Moreover, Arjuna was a very critical character in the entire war. The second one was Lord Krishna himself. Krishna, too, instantly consented to offer himself as a sacrifice, saying that the war of dharma could not be stopped midway and justified that he was just a charioteer and his death would not make much difference. But Yudhishtra and Arjuna strongly objected to this, and said Krishna’s guidance was quintessential for them to win the epic war and they would not sacrifice him. The third warrior was Aravaan (also called Iravaan), Arjuna's son from Ulupi, the Naga princess. Aravaan consented to offer himself as a sacrifice as his mother had told him to ensure that the Pandavas won the war, even if it meant he had to sacrifice his own life. Arjuna, Krishna, the Pandavas, and other warriors accepted Aravaan's sacrifice. Meanwhile, he was asked what his last wish was. Aravaan said that he wanted to marry before dying. When Krishna asked him why he had such a strange wish when he was going to die in a few hours, Aravaan said he wanted someone who could cry over his dead body beating their chests, which only a wife could. But, since no woman was willing to marry Aravaan as she would become widow immediately after marriage, Lord Krishna transformed himself into a woman and married Aravaan to fulfill his last wish, as otherwise the sacrifice would have gone futile. Immediately after marriage, Aravaan’s head was severed from his body in front of Goddess Kali. Lord Krishna in the form of a woman and Aravaan's wife cried at the body of Aravaan beating his chest to fulfill Aravaan's last wish. Goddess Kali spoke to the severed head of Aravaan and told him that she accepted his sacrifice, as he had made the sacrifice to uphold dharma (justice). She asked him for a boon. Aravaan revealed that it was his deep wish to participate in the Mahabharata war until the last day of the war, but it had been abruptly terminated because of his sacrifice. He said he wanted to watch the war till the last day. Goddess Kali gave a boon to Aravaan that his severed head would have life till the war ended and that he would be able to witness the proceedings of the war till the last day of the war.
Thus, we can see that Krishna identified the weakness of Bhishma, who always wanted to be on the side of ‘dharma’ but was caught between ‘dharma’ and ‘karma’ (duty). Krishna also had plan ‘B’, which he implemented, if plan ‘A’ (Bhishma’s assurance that he would put down his weapons after seeing Shikandi at the battlefield) had failed. The plan ‘B’ was a complementary plan that would ensure that Bhishma would lose interest in living, after he fell on the battlefield. The execution of plan ‘B’ was necessary for the Pandavas’ success in war after plan ‘A’ was implemented. Krishna was always ready to sacrifice even himself to uphold dharma for a greater cause for the society/humanity. Similarly, a HR leader should always be ready to sacrifice even himself for the greater cause of his organization, protecting his employees/subordinates and putting the interests of the organization before his self-interests.
—— Strategy#4 : Devising a Stratagem to Kill the Invincible Dronacharya
Dronacharya was unconquerable and was devastating the army of the Pandavas. Lord Krishna realized that the only way to kill Dronacharya was by exploiting his weakness for his son, Ashwattama. In the midst of the battlefield, where all the think-tank of the Pandavas assembled, Lord Krishna said that the only way to kill Dronacharya was to convey to him that his son Ashwattama was dead.
Yudhishtra, the eldest of the Pandavas, was an embodiment of Satya (truth) and Dharma (righteousness). Krishna understood that Dronacharya would believe about Ashwattama’s death only if Yudhishtra uttered it and not when it was uttered by Bhima or even him. When Kauravas’ guru and Commander-in-Chief Dronacharya was leading the battle, tactful Krishna used Yudhishtra cleverly. He told Yudhishtra to authenticate the death of Ashwattama if Dronacharya came and asked him. But Yudhishtra did not want to utter a lie. So, Krishna made Bhima to kill an elephant named Ashwattama and asked Bhima to proclaim loudly to Dronacharya on the battlefield that he had killed Ashwattama. So, Bhima uttered loudly that he killed Ashwattama. When Dronacharya heard this from Bhima, he refused to believe him and went to Yudhishtra to confirm Ashwattama’s death. When Dronacharya asked Yudhishtra whether it was true that his son Ashwattama had died, Yudhishtra said, “Ashwattama died, the elephant but not the human”. However, Dronacharya heard only the first two words and the word ‘elephant’ got lost and went unheard in the din of the battle. Krishna also blew his conch at the exact time after Yudhishtra uttered the words ‘Ashwattama died’, so that Dronacharya could not hear the remaining words properly. A disheartened Dronacharya gave up his weapons, sat down and started meditating on the battlefield, when Dhristadhyumna came and slayed him by severing his head. Lord Krishna, thus, achieved the objective of eliminating the invincible Dronacharya by cleverly manipulating Yudhishtra’s integrity, honesty and righteousness for the achievement of dharma.
—— Strategy#5 : Masterminding the Death of Karna, the Great
When Karna and Arjuna were fighting, Krishna, in the midst of their war, suddenly took away Arjuna’s chariot to a different place on the battlefield, forcing Karna to follow them. At a decisive point in the war, when Karna was fighting Arjuna, his chariot’s wheel sank in the sludge of the battlefield. When Karna told Arjuna to stop the war for a moment until he lifted the sunk wheel of the chariot, Krishna ordered Arjuna to kill Karna. When Karna reminded Arjuna that it was not dharma to take advantage of the situation, Lord Krishna taunted Karna and asked him where his dharma was when Draupadi was dragged into an open court and humiliated, or when Yudhishtra was deceived in a cunning and foul play of dices, or when the Pandavas weren’t handed over their kingdom even after the exile was duly completed. He, thus, influenced the mind of Arjuna and then ordered him not to waste time, take out his arrow and kill Karna, the evil enemy.
Krishna deliberately took the chariot to a different place in the battlefield, where the soil was loose, thus ensuring that the wheel of his chariot sunk below the earth. Also, he ordered Arjuna to kill Karna when he was lifting the chariot wheel, because Krishna knew that it was impossible to kill Karna as long as he held the bow in his hand, as Karna was almost invincible.
A strategist should have infinite patience, deep insight, and foresight to ensure unfailing victory against the competitor. He should know when to attack, when to defend, and wait for the right moment to attack, when all things go against an opponent/competitor. In the case of Karna, he forgot all the mantras to summon the Brahma astra, his chariot wheel was stuck in the mud, and he was standing weaponless. It was at that exact moment that Krishna ordered Arjuna to kill him, thus striking Karna at the most appropriate moment, when triumph was guaranteed.
—— Strategy#6 : Revealing to Karna His Real Identity Before the War
Just before the start of the epic war, Lord Krishna met Karna personally and revealed him his true identity and who his real mother was. He also advised Kunthi, the mother of the Pandavas, to reveal to Karna that she was her real mother and to ask two promises from him – one that he would not kill the other four Pandavas, except Arjuna; and two, that he would not use the Naga astra (snake weapon) on Arjuna more than once. So, Kunthi went to Karna and revealed him that she was his real mother, who gave birth to him. As instructed by Lord Krishna, she also asked Karna for the two promises, which he granted.
By revealing his true identity that Karna was the eldest of the Pandavas, Krishna weakened the psychological morale and mental resolve of Karna and earned his sympathy for the Pandavas, whom Karna had all along despised and considered as his greatest enemy, since Duryodhana was his bosom friend and he hated the Pandavas. Thus, through his tactful strategy, even before the start of the war, Krishna had already ensured that at least four of the Pandavas were safe from Karna. Also, Krishna didn’t reveal to the Pandavas that Karna was their eldest brother to ensure that it wouldn’t evoke any sympathy for Karna among the Pandavas, thus playing a masterstroke. Also, if Krishna had revealed to the Pandavas that Karna was their elder brother, then all the Pandavas would have submitted themselves to the will of Karna, who would have ordered them to hand over the kingdom to Duryodhana, as he was his bosom friend, which Krishna had not wanted, as Duryodhana was an epitome of ‘adharma’ (unscrupulosity). This incident shows how tactful and astute a strategist Lord Krishna was.
Similarly, a strategist should know the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents and of his own team/organization and maneuver them deftly for the greater good of the organization. He should know when to say what and to whom to ensure the objective is successfully accomplished.
—— Strategy#7 : Advising Yudhishtra to Ask for the Five Golden Arrows from Duryodhana & Asking Draupadi to Seek the Blessings of Bhishma Five Times
During the war, after Duryodhana's 16 brothers were killed by Bhima, Duryodhana became extremely enraged and scoffed at Bhishma, provoked him and insulted him. Bhishma, in a fit of rage, promised Duryodhana that he would kill the Pandavas in the war on the ninth day. Duryodhana didn’t believe Bhishma's words. So, Bhishma created five golden arrows – produced through the power of observance of his strict chastity over the years – to kill the Pandavas and showed it to Duryodhana, who was convinced. When Krishna and the Pandavas came to know that Bhishma had vowed to kill the Pandavas, they were terrified. Krishna asked Draupadi to disguise herself and take the blessings of Bhishma five times. Draupadi disguised herself as a commoner and took the blessings of Bhishma when he was offering his prayers to the Sun god early morning. Bhishma blessed Draupadi thus: "May you live long as a 'suhaagan' with your husband". Draupadi took the blessings of Bhishma five times for her five husbands. Bhishma questioned Draupadi why she sought his blessings five times and whether it was not enough if he blessed her only once. Draupadi replied that she had five husbands and hence she sought his blessings five times. Later, she revealed that she was Draupadi. Bhishma was in a dilemma because, on the one hand, he had vowed and promised Duryodhana to kill the Pandavas, while on the other hand, he had blessed Draupadi wishing her a long 'suhaagan' life with her five husbands.
Duryodhana was scared that the five golden arrows would not be safe with Bhishma and that he would change his mind about killing the Pandavas. So, he went to Bhishma and obtained the five golden arrows from him to safely keep them in his own custody. When Shakuni saw Duryodhana with the five golden arrows, he reprimanded Duryodhana and advised him to return them to Bhishma, emphasizing that the arrows were safer with Bhishma than with him, and that Bhishma was a ‘man of his word’ and would fulfill his promise, and asked Duryodhana not to suspect him or his intentions. So, Duryodhana went to return the five golden arrows to Bhishma again for safe custody. Krishna asked Arjuna to go to Duryodhana and ask those five golden arrows from him as a ‘donation’ for Yudhishtra. Arjuna told Krishna that Duryodhana would never give away those five golden arrows. But, Krishna advised and insisted Arjuna to try once and ask Duryodhana. So Arjuna went to meet Duryodhana. As Duryodhana was about to go to Bhishma to return the five golden arrows to him, just then Arjuna entered Duryodhana's camp and said that Yudhishtra had sent him to ask the five golden arrows as a ‘donation’ for having saved his life earlier from the Gandharvas, at which time Duryodhana had promised Yudhishtra to give whatever he wanted and Yudhishtra had said that he would ask him later at an ‘appropriate’ time, and that the time had come then. Shakuni and Duhshasan shooed away Arjuna stating that they would not give away the five golden arrows to him. But Arjuna didn't relent and said he would leave only if Duryodhana himself said so. Arjuna was about to leave Duryodhana's camp, when Duryodhana stopped him and gave him the five golden arrows as a ‘donation’ to keep up the promise he had given to Yudhishtra earlier. Arjuna got the five golden arrows and showed them to Krishna and Yudhishtra. Krishna told Arjuna to destroy the five golden arrows in fire, as with it the desire of Bhishma to live would also get destroyed since the arrows were made from Bhishma's eons of observance of strict chastity. Arjuna destroyed those five golden arrows in fire.
The above incident shows how astute a strategist Lord Krishna was. On the one hand, he asked Arjuna to ask Duryodhana the five golden arrows, which had the ability to kill the Pandavas, while on the other hand, he asked Draupadi to seek the blessings of Bhishma five times, which would ensure that she led a long and happy married life with all her husbands. Thus, even if Duryodhana had not returned the five golden arrows, Bhishma would have been in a great dilemma as to whether to kill the Pandavas and keep up his promise given to Duryodhana, or to keep up his word given to Draupadi.
More by : P. Mohan Chandran
Top | Hinduism
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2211
|
__label__wiki
| 0.513653
| 0.513653
|
About Booked All Night
All of Me by A. L. Jackson - ARC Review & Release Blitz
A forbidden stand-alone romance in A.L. Jackson's Confessions of the Heart Series.
People call me callous. Arrogant. Ruthless.
I call myself tenacious.
One of the most powerful attorneys in Charleston, I don’t let anyone or anything stand in my way.
Until a chance encounter changes everything.
One glance.
One touch.
One night.
It only leaves me wanting more.
But Grace is off limits. Most people would even say forbidden.
Everyone knows an attorney can’t sleep with his client.
Too bad I already did.
And even with the threat of losing everything, I don’t know if I can stop myself from having her again...
All of Me – a Confessions of the Heart forbidden, stand-alone romance
Grace and Ian have an...interesting...first meeting. The kind you can't forget, even if you want to. Both were attracted to the other, but with Ian's lack of willingness to be involved with anyone, and with Grace's fear of being a part of a couple due to her past, things aren't looking good for them to be together.
Ian, however, is a determined man and one who is used to getting what he wants. And, in this case, he wants Grace...and, Grace wants him, so that works out ok.
Until...complications. Ex-husbands are never easy. When your abusive ex is also a well known politician capable of burying the news of your divorce, finding a lawyer to assist you in making sure you don't lose custody of your kids is, well, a bit of a problem. Especially if you slept with him (and it was amazing) before you knew he was a lawyer.
There is a lot going on in this title. Ian has...demons. Grace has a past. Working this out, and getting them together was not an easy thing. And, I have to admit, I was getting a little worried that this wasn't going to be able to be worked out...that there was possibly too much against them to work this out. But, they do. And, I must say, I enjoyed the ride of getting them there...although it is a little hard to be specific as there are a lot of twists in this, and not all of them you see coming.
So, I am going to say that this is a great forbidden romance about 2 people who maybe shouldn't be together for all the reasons...but, you are sure glad that they work it out.
I enjoyed this, and I recommend it.
Don't miss the awesome giveaway for the All of Me release! It's a Fight for Me Bundle + More of You + $50 Amazon Gift Card!
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, and FIGHT FOR ME novels. Grab A.L. Jackson’s latest novel, ALL OF ME, the second stand-alone novel in her brand-new CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART series.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson - Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.
Connect with A.L.
Newsletter: http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson
Facebook: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonPage
Posted by Booked All Night - Laura at 9:30 AM
Labels: A.L. Jackson, All of Me, ARC Review
SEARCH US!
How To Get Lucky by Lauren Blakely and Joe Arden-Release Blitz
HOW TO GET LUCKY by Lauren Blakely & Joe Arden Release Date: January 14th HEAT UP YOUR KINDLES TODAY!! HOW TO GET LUCKY is a sexy...
BookBub - Laura
Goodreads - Laura
Goodreads - Melissa
Instagram - Laura
Twitter - Laura
Twitter - Melissa
Never Miss A Thing! Follow Us By Email!
Every Sweet Regret by Lexi Ryan - ARC Review and Release Blitz
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan brings you Every Sweet Regret, a sexy standalone romance about a single dad and the reformed p...
More Than Protect You by Shayla Black - ARC Review & Blog Tour
“Shayla Black’s books are a must-read.” —Lora Leigh, #1 New York Times bestselling author More Than Protect You, an all-new must-read no...
Reclaim by Aly Martinez-Cover Reveal
Choices. Everyone makes them. From mundane to unimaginable, one choice can change the trajectory of your entire life. My mother’s choice w...
Flirting With 40 by K. Bromberg-Blog Tour
Blakely Foxx is about to turn the big 4-0 and Slade Henderson thinks she's hotter because of it. Flirting with 40 by K. Bromber...
My Fallen Saint by J. Kenner - ARC Review & Blog Tour
Charismatic. Confident. Powerful. Controlling. Meet Devlin Saint, J. Kenner’s all new tortured alpha hero. His touc...
WHAT WE'RE READING!
Laura's Currently Reading
Savage: The Awakening of Lizzie Danton
by L.A. Fiore
Share book reviews and ratings with Laura, and even join a book club on Goodreads.
Blog Post Archive January 10 - January 17 (4) January 3 - January 10 (10) December 27 - January 3 (1) December 20 - December 27 (1) December 13 - December 20 (1) December 6 - December 13 (5) November 29 - December 6 (7) November 22 - November 29 (4) November 15 - November 22 (3) November 8 - November 15 (2) October 25 - November 1 (3) October 18 - October 25 (4) October 11 - October 18 (3) October 4 - October 11 (4) September 27 - October 4 (3) September 20 - September 27 (4) September 13 - September 20 (5) September 6 - September 13 (1) August 30 - September 6 (4) August 23 - August 30 (10) August 16 - August 23 (5) August 9 - August 16 (10) August 2 - August 9 (5) July 26 - August 2 (5) July 19 - July 26 (4) July 12 - July 19 (5) July 5 - July 12 (2) June 28 - July 5 (5) June 21 - June 28 (6) June 14 - June 21 (9) June 7 - June 14 (5) May 31 - June 7 (3) May 24 - May 31 (4) May 17 - May 24 (7) May 10 - May 17 (1) May 3 - May 10 (4) April 26 - May 3 (1) April 19 - April 26 (1) April 12 - April 19 (2) April 5 - April 12 (3) March 29 - April 5 (1) March 22 - March 29 (2) March 15 - March 22 (1) March 8 - March 15 (6) March 1 - March 8 (2) February 23 - March 1 (2) February 16 - February 23 (7) February 9 - February 16 (9) February 2 - February 9 (5) January 26 - February 2 (10) January 19 - January 26 (8) January 12 - January 19 (6) January 5 - January 12 (4) December 29 - January 5 (7) December 15 - December 22 (1) December 8 - December 15 (7) December 1 - December 8 (10) November 24 - December 1 (2) November 17 - November 24 (7) November 10 - November 17 (7) November 3 - November 10 (6) October 27 - November 3 (10) October 20 - October 27 (8) October 13 - October 20 (5) October 6 - October 13 (3) September 29 - October 6 (5) September 22 - September 29 (7) September 15 - September 22 (4) September 8 - September 15 (4) September 1 - September 8 (6) August 25 - September 1 (4) August 18 - August 25 (3) August 11 - August 18 (6) August 4 - August 11 (4) July 28 - August 4 (7) July 21 - July 28 (6) July 14 - July 21 (6) July 7 - July 14 (5) June 30 - July 7 (7) June 23 - June 30 (4) June 16 - June 23 (3) June 9 - June 16 (5) June 2 - June 9 (12) May 26 - June 2 (4) May 19 - May 26 (8) May 12 - May 19 (7) May 5 - May 12 (7) April 28 - May 5 (7) April 21 - April 28 (3) April 14 - April 21 (3) April 7 - April 14 (9) March 31 - April 7 (5) March 24 - March 31 (8) March 17 - March 24 (8) March 10 - March 17 (10) March 3 - March 10 (8) February 24 - March 3 (10) February 17 - February 24 (5) February 10 - February 17 (8) February 3 - February 10 (9) January 27 - February 3 (11) January 20 - January 27 (8) January 13 - January 20 (7) January 6 - January 13 (18) December 30 - January 6 (7) December 23 - December 30 (1) December 16 - December 23 (2) December 9 - December 16 (7) December 2 - December 9 (5) November 25 - December 2 (9) November 18 - November 25 (2) November 11 - November 18 (5) November 4 - November 11 (10) October 28 - November 4 (9) October 21 - October 28 (4) October 14 - October 21 (6) October 7 - October 14 (17) September 30 - October 7 (9) September 23 - September 30 (12) September 16 - September 23 (9) September 9 - September 16 (9) September 2 - September 9 (8) August 26 - September 2 (26) August 19 - August 26 (21) August 12 - August 19 (19) August 5 - August 12 (22) July 29 - August 5 (13) July 22 - July 29 (9) July 15 - July 22 (9) July 8 - July 15 (23) July 1 - July 8 (9) June 24 - July 1 (14) June 17 - June 24 (6) June 10 - June 17 (12) June 3 - June 10 (10) May 27 - June 3 (17) May 20 - May 27 (12) May 13 - May 20 (17) May 6 - May 13 (14) April 29 - May 6 (16) April 22 - April 29 (13) April 15 - April 22 (16) April 8 - April 15 (15) April 1 - April 8 (10) March 25 - April 1 (26) March 18 - March 25 (17) March 11 - March 18 (20) March 4 - March 11 (19) February 25 - March 4 (25) February 18 - February 25 (26) February 11 - February 18 (25) February 4 - February 11 (30) January 28 - February 4 (26) January 21 - January 28 (19) January 14 - January 21 (17) January 7 - January 14 (22) December 31 - January 7 (26) December 24 - December 31 (14) December 17 - December 24 (9) December 10 - December 17 (16) December 3 - December 10 (22) November 26 - December 3 (16) November 19 - November 26 (8) November 12 - November 19 (29) November 5 - November 12 (12) October 29 - November 5 (17) October 22 - October 29 (14) October 15 - October 22 (14) October 8 - October 15 (20) October 1 - October 8 (17) September 24 - October 1 (15) September 17 - September 24 (14) September 10 - September 17 (20) September 3 - September 10 (22) August 27 - September 3 (15) August 20 - August 27 (19) August 13 - August 20 (14) August 6 - August 13 (21) July 30 - August 6 (15) July 23 - July 30 (21) July 16 - July 23 (26) July 9 - July 16 (27) July 2 - July 9 (17) June 25 - July 2 (21) June 18 - June 25 (25) June 11 - June 18 (27) June 4 - June 11 (23) May 28 - June 4 (26) May 21 - May 28 (32) May 14 - May 21 (32) May 7 - May 14 (18) April 30 - May 7 (21) April 23 - April 30 (36) April 16 - April 23 (26) April 9 - April 16 (23) April 2 - April 9 (31) March 26 - April 2 (36) March 19 - March 26 (26) March 12 - March 19 (31) March 5 - March 12 (45) February 26 - March 5 (48) February 19 - February 26 (32) February 12 - February 19 (18) February 5 - February 12 (3)
Booked All Night Review Request
ARC Policy
Disclaimers: Affiliate Links & ARC
Picture Window theme. Theme images by i-bob. Powered by Blogger.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2212
|
__label__wiki
| 0.593722
| 0.593722
|
Home>Agenda
The National Seach For The 'Faces of Farming And Ranching' Is On!
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance kicks off nationwide searchto find top ambassadors of agriculture.
National Corn Growers Association | Jun 25, 2012
When it comes to today’s agriculture, there are many examples of great farmers and ranchers all over the country doing wonderful things to bring food to the table for those around the world. But few of those farmers and ranchers are recognizable by consumers, mainstream media and influencers. In fact, the pictures and perceptions of farmers and ranchers often do not match reality.
USFRA wants to change that.
At USFRA’s Food Dialogues event in Los Angeles today, the organization announced it is looking for the “Faces of Farming and Ranching” to help put a real face on agriculture and shine a light on the heart, personalities and values that are behind today’s food.
“USFRA has started a movement to bring more farmers and ranchers together to answer people’s questions about how their food is grown and raised,” said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Many voices are leading conversations about food – and often leaving the people who grow and raise our food out. We need to find the best people to be part of these conversations and represent the real farmers and ranchers of America.”
USFRA is looking for standout farmers and ranchers who are proud of what they do, eager to share their stories of continuous improvement with others and who are actively involved today in sharing those stories. Farmers and ranchers who raise a variety of foods differently, at differing scale and in all areas of the country are encouraged to apply as it is important to show American agriculture and all of its diversity.
Entries will be accepted through September 8, 2012 at www.FoodDialogues.com. Ten to 15 finalists will be announced at the November 2012 Food Dialogues event in New York City. This national announcement will open a public online voting period where visitors can vote for their favorite candidates. Those votes will be factored into the decision to determine “The Faces of Farming and Ranching.”
Winners will be announced in early January 2013 based on votes and the recommendation of a panel of judges.
The public will get to know the USFRA “Faces” winners through national media interviews, advertising and public appearances. For their time, they will receive a $10,000 stipend as well as a $5,000 donation to their preferred agriculture-related or local charity in their name.
“We want America to see the real faces of farming and ranching,” said Stallman. “This is an excellent way for those within agriculture to step up and showcase to the country what these hard-working farmers and ranchers are really all about.”
Entrants will be required to submit an online application and include a home video of less than three minutes that describes themselves and their farm or ranch. More details are available at www.FoodDialogues.com.
The Food Dialogues Launches Conversation Between Producers, Consumers
U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance To Host "The Food Dialogues"
Aussie Farmers Apply Hadricks’ Social Media Message
Farmers And Ranchers Lead Discussion On Food Production At The Food Dialogues: Los Angeles
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2214
|
__label__wiki
| 0.997213
| 0.997213
|
New Tech Economy
Technology of Business
CEO Secrets
Global Car Industry
Alibaba's Jack Ma to step down in September 2019
image captionJack Ma said it was right to let 'younger, more talented people' step into leadership roles
Jack Ma, the executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has said he plans to step down in a year.
The news, in a letter sent by Mr Ma to Alibaba customers and shareholders, follows conflicting reports over the weekend on the timing of his exit.
Mr Ma, one of China's richest men, will hand over the reins to Daniel Zhang, currently chief executive.
Alibaba is one of the world's most valuable companies - its shares nearly doubled in value last year.
Five things about Jack Ma
Mr Zhang, who is 46, developed the company's Singles' Day promotion, which is the world's biggest one-day online retail event.
image copyrightAli Baba
image captionDaniel Zhang will take over from Mr Ma
Mr Zhang will become executive chairman on 10 September 2019, the company said in a statement.
The one year handover period is aimed at achieving a "smooth and successful transition".
Mr Ma, previously an English teacher, co-founded Alibaba in 1999 and has seen it become one of the world's biggest internet companies.
"Teachers always want their students to exceed them, so the responsible thing to do for me and the company to do is to let younger, more talented people take over in leadership roles," Mr Ma said in the letter, released on his 54th birthday.
'Superb talent'
Mr Ma, who has a current net worth of $36.6bn (£28.34bn), will remain a director on Alibaba's board until its annual shareholder meeting in 2020. He is a permanent member of the Alibaba Partnership.
The charismatic Mr Ma, who is known for dressing like a rock star, said he wanted to return to education.
"The world is big, and I am still young, so I want to try new things," Mr Ma said, adding he plans to continue in his role as founding partner.
"The one thing I can promise everyone is this: Alibaba was never about Jack Ma, but Jack Ma will forever belong to Alibaba."
He said Mr Zhang, who has been with Alibaba for 11 years, had demonstrated "superb talent" since taking over as chief executive.
Alibaba listed in New York in 2014 in what was then the world's biggest initial public offering of shares.
It reported revenues of $39.9bn for the fiscal year ended March 2018.
Five things about Alibaba's Jack Ma
'Crazy Rich Asians' puts spotlight on region's inequalities
Alibaba's Jack Ma courts US firms
Alibaba's sales surge continues
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2219
|
__label__wiki
| 0.612939
| 0.612939
|
KYLE LAFFERTY: 'THERE'S A HUNGER TO WIN'
Ben Mouncer
Forward highlights Canaries' team spirit
THE strength of Norwich City’s unity will hold them in fine stead for the upcoming season, says Kyle Lafferty.
Since joining the Canaries from Palermo in June, the 26-year-old has been hugely impressed with the spirit in the dressing room.
“This is one of the best teams for team bonding that I’ve been in,” he told Norwich City TV.
“Everyone gets on so well, and that will count for a lot when we have to dig deep.
“Seeing the way we’ve trained and worked so hard, there’s a hunger there to win as a team and fight for each other.”
“There are a few jokers in the team which is always good. The lads have been superb, and in training too it’s been easy to know the guys. At the end of the day we’re here to do one thing and I’m pretty sure we’ll be up there.”
Lafferty, who due to a leg injury is doubtful for today’s first game of the pre-season trip to Italy, was happy to get off the mark with goals against Dereham Town and Braintree Town – but was quick to highlight the importance of the team over any individual successes.
“It’s nice to score a goal no matter who you play against, but these games are all about getting the team settled, and getting to know each other and who you’re playing with, but it’s always a bonus when you score a goal,” added the Northern Ireland international.
“I feel good. Last year I matched my highest goal tally in the league in one season, so hopefully this year I can go one better and break that record.
“That’s not the most important thing though – what are most important are my performances and getting this team back in the Premier League.”
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2220
|
__label__wiki
| 0.516019
| 0.516019
|
http://www.cancerwa.asn.au/articles/news-2017/harleys-with-heart/
You are here: Home / News / 2017 / Harleys with heart
Harleys with heart
Updated 8 Nov 2017.
Pictured: Carolyn Pobjoy. Photo: 3abroad Photography
When you think of motorbikes, you don't normally think pink.
But that's not the case for Perth Harley Davidson and the Swan River Chapter of the Harley Owners Group who don their finest pink outfits in October each year for their annual Pink Ribbon Ride fundraiser for Cancer Council WA.
The ride has been taking place since 2012 and is particularly significant for Ladies of Harley Officer, Carolyn Pobjoy, who has been organising the event for the past four years.
In 2013, Carolyn's mother was suddenly diagnosed with stage four Glioblastoma Multiforme, the most common brain cancer to occur among adults. 100 new cases are diagnosed in Western Australia each year.
Sadly, within just seven short months of her diagnosis, Carolyn's mother passed away.
It was a desire to honour her mother's memory that inspired Carolyn to help others going through their own cancer journey via the fundraiser. With the help of good friend and fellow Ladies of Harley Officer, Gerda Dunkel, they began planning the first ride.
"The year I started organising the ride was the same year my mother passed away, she's my inspiration. We have all been touched by cancer in some way and for me, this is my contribution."
The Pink Ribbon Ride starts at Perth Harley Davidson headquarters in the Perth Hills suburb of Beckenham and riders continue on through to the Perth CBD and Fremantle café strip, finally finishing up in at the Roleystone Country Club.
With the aim of raising money and awareness for women's cancers, it's hard to miss the group as they thunder through the streets of Perth dressed head to toe in bright pink.
The ride has brought together people from all walks of life with a common goal of making a real difference. To date, the event has raised over $50,000 to help us fund cancer research, education and support services.
In 2015, the tight-knit Harley Davidson family were dealt a devastating blow when Gerda suddenly passed away. Known fondly as ‘Mumsy' to her friends, the Pink Ribbon Ride for 2016 was renamed Gerda's Ride in memory of her dedication and contribution to the group.
The group are getting ready for the biggest Gerda's Ride yet which will take place on October 29, but remind us that none of it would be possible without the incredible generosity of the riders.
"When you ask for $10 from a rider you'll get $50 instead. The support is just overwhelming," Carolyn said.
"When you see the members of the Swan River Chapter, Perth Harley Davidson and all of the other people who support the event with pink hair, pink beards, pink tutus, pink butterfly wings and so many other outfits, it's just incredible.
"We have members who've been diagnosed with cancer and no one would have known, as they choose to go through it on a personal journey.
"Personally, I've had friends and family who've been diagnosed. Some have survived and some haven't. Some of them are still fighting the biggest battle and the support we can give to Cancer Council WA can assist in finding the cure.
"I couldn't save my mum and I can't save everyone, but by raising funds for cancer research, I can certainly try."
Congratulation to everyone involved in the 2017 Gerda's Pink Ribbon Ride on the incredible $17,002 raised - we can't thank you enough for your support!
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2221
|
__label__wiki
| 0.626571
| 0.626571
|
In a Time of Universal Deceit, Telling the Truth is Revolutionary.
Reader Rant
Health care: High cost does not bring high quality
Despite spending more than twice as much as other developed countries, the United States still lags behind in terms of access and quality, an international survey said Wednesday. Insurance restrictions and health care costs make US patients more likely than people in 10 other countries to struggle to receive treatment, according to the annual survey of over 10,000 primary care physicians. "We spend far more than any of the other countries in the survey, yet a majority of US primary care doctors say their patients often can't afford care," said lead author Cathy Schoen, senior vice president of the Commonwealth Fund.
Despite spending more than twice as much as other developed countries, the United States still lags behind in terms of access and quality, an international survey said Wednesday.
Insurance restrictions and health care costs make US patients more likely than people in 10 other countries to struggle to receive treatment, according to the annual survey of over 10,000 primary care physicians.
“We spend far more than any of the other countries in the survey, yet a majority of US primary care doctors say their patients often can’t afford care,” said lead author Cathy Schoen, senior vice president of the Commonwealth Fund.
Some 58 percent of primary care doctors in the United States said their patients have trouble paying for care and medication, compared to five to 37 percent in the other countries.
The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, comes as US President Barack Obama faces a pitched and prolonged battle in Congress over his plans to reform the country’s health care system.
The United States is the only industrialized democracy that does not ensure that all of its citizens have health care coverage, with an estimated 36 million Americans uninsured.
Yet the country spent about 7,290 dollars per person in 2007 — more than double expenditures by Britain, France and Germany — with no meaningful edge in the quality of care as it lags behind in life expectancy and infant mortality, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Half of US doctors were found to spend “substantial” time addressing restrictions insurance companies place on the care of their patients in the study.
“The survey provides yet another reminder of the urgent need for reforms that make accessible, high-quality primary care a national priority,” said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis.
US physicians are at least four times more likely than their counterparts in countries like Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden and Britain to report major problems with the time spent getting patients needed care or medication due to the restrictions, it said.
“The patient-centered chronic care model originated in the US, yet other countries are moving forward faster to support care teams including nurses, spending time with patients and assuring access to after-hours,” said Schoen.
Almost all doctors surveyed from Britain, the Netherlands and New Zealand said they had arrangements for patients to see a doctor after normal business hours without having to go to the emergency room, a far more costly undertaking.
But only 29 percent of US physicians — the lowest ranking in the study — said they offered such an arrangement.
“Our weak primary care system puts patients at risk, and results in poorer health outcomes, and higher costs,” warned Davis.
Most US primary care physicians also lack health information technology to access test results for their patients, help reduce medication errors and improve care, the study found.
Only 46 percent of US doctors were found to use electronic medical records, compared to 99 percent of their colleagues in the Netherlands and 97 percent in New Zealand and Norway.
Eleven developed countries — Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Britain and the United States — were surveyed for the study.
The survey was conducted by mail, phone and online from February to July 2009.
© 1994-2019 Capitol Hill Blue
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2222
|
__label__wiki
| 0.640166
| 0.640166
|
Cal State University San Bernardino Cop Pulls Gun On Fellow Officer Over Disagreement Over Enforcing Mask Rules
News from California.
San Bernardino police are investigating an incident involving a Cal State University San Bernardino law enforcement officer shown on surveillance video pulling his gun and pointing it at a fellow officer.
The officer who the gun was pointed at has now hired a local attorney to represent him.
“When he told me the story, and I later realized it was on video, I could not believe it,” said attorney Tristan Pelayes, who said the officer in question is a sergeant with the department.
The incident is alleged to have happened on campus on Sept. 15. The surveillance video shows four police officers standing around having a discussion when one of them pulls his sidearm and points it toward one of the other officers. The gun was pointed at the other officer for approximately one second.
“Everybody had just gotten to work, and the sergeant in question was telling my client that the officers needed to enforce the (COVID-19) mask requirement on campus,” said Pelayes.
“My client questioned the authority for that. For instance, if we were to arrest somebody or escort somebody off the campus, what is our legal authority for that? Apparently, that conversation led to the sergeant losing his temper, and ultimately pulling a gun on my client.”
The video, provided by Pelayes, did not have any audio attached to it. Pelayes said his client accessed the surveillance video himself and used his cellphone to record a copy of it.
Pelayes said his client filed an internal complaint against his sergeant, and filed a report with San Bernardino police.
A San Bernardino police spokesperson verified that a report was taken and is being investigated as a misdemeanor charge for brandishing a weapon.
Pelayes said it should not be investigated as a misdemeanor, but rather as a felony charge for assault with a deadly weapon.
“For brandishing, I could have, for instance, a gun in my waistband. And (if) I lift up my shirt just to show you I have a gun, I just brandished a gun. But if I pull that gun out and actively point it at you, now that turns into an assault.”
A spokesperson for Cal State University San Bernardino issued a statement that read: “We are aware of the incident and an internal investigation is ongoing. Thus, we have no further comment at this time.”
Pelayes said what he saw on video is the most outrageous and egregious act that an officer can commit on a fellow officer.
Yea, stupid line. Change it to “the most outrageous and egregious act that an officer can commit on any innocent man, woman or child.”
What a swell bunch of people. Just marvelous. Heroes of the community.
ATF Games Over Revoking Use Of CHPs For Gun Sales
Ammoland.
Gun Owners of America recently filed a lawsuit against the ATF, after the agency blocked Alabama firearms dealers from allowing buyers to use their concealed handgun permits in place of going through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
Federal law says that state concealed handgun permits (CHP) that meet or exceed the requirement of section 922(t)(3) of Title 18 can be used by dealers instead of requiring background checks. Alabama’s concealed firearms permit statute meets the federal requirements because sheriffs are supposed to run applicants through NICS before issuing a permit.
The ATF discovered that some sheriffs in Alabama were not using NICS. Some of these sheriffs were running applicants through The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and other federal databases, but not NICS. Yet NCIC is the same database that NICS pulls its information from before returning with a denial or approval. The ATF decided to revoke dealers’ ability to use CHPs because of a few sheriffs’ actions.
… as ATF records show, multiple ATF employees decided it was worth the litigation risk because of “public safety.
Oh it has nothing at all to do with “public safety” and they know it. That’s a smoke screen.
But it does go to show just how much the ATF is feeling its oats.
BATFE,Gun Control
My Client Gets Shot By Police Through His Closed Front Door!
This has happened before in Greenville, S.C. Now it has happened in West Virginia.
This officer is a sociopath. He should be in prison.
The Sorry State Of The Academy
“The very idea that somehow, the Constitution legitimates rebellion against a democratically-elected government is absurd on its face,” he said. “Certainly, protest and demonstration are very much protected by the First Amendment, but there is no constitutional right to intimidate someone with a threat of violence.”
This is Michael Latner, professor of political science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
He says this about the very amendment to the constitution intended for the amelioration of tyranny, by the very fathers of the country who rebelled with arms against the tyrant and his sycophants who controlled them.
Thus you know that the academy has failed, and miserably so.
Or maybe they haven’t, and ignorance is the state they seek.
Washington, D.C., Is As Much Of A Crap Hole As Any Other Major City
BLM rioters attack police in Washington DC: pic.twitter.com/k3aRCSnkfv
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 29, 2020
Politics Tags: BLM —
Sportsman’s Guide Sucks: Muzzle-Loaders.com Does Not
A brief user experience for those who care.
I had intended to go black powder deer hunting in my home state when season opens, and ordered a muzzle loader from Sportsman’s Guide.
It occurred to me that it hadn’t arrived after about three weeks of waiting, and I had not looked at shipping information. I called and could never reach anyone live.
My wife called and finally reached someone who helped to track down the fact that the gun was in a warehouse awaiting shipment.
The lady talked to another “manager” who incorrectly thought that it was supposed to ship as powder and that it had to be sent to another warehouse.
When that fiasco got fixed, they decided that it could ship by a couple of weeks from the date of the call, but not before. For whatever reason.
We cancelled the order and I contacted Muzzle-Loaders.com. They were quick, their web site was effective, I talked to someone live, and they handled my order immediately. The best part is that it arrived when they said it would.
If you need a muzzle loaders, I recommend them. Not Sportsman’s Guide. To Sportsman’s Guide you’re a number. To Muzzle-Loaders.com, you’re a person.
Firearms,Guns Tags: Muzzle Loaders —
The Natives Are Restless
Because stealing stuff makes everything better.
BREAKING: I was jumped by BLM rioters while they were looting more than a dozen stores,
including Wal-Matt, T-Mobile, & 5-below
Though in pain, I didn’t stop reporting because
Americans need to see what the corporate media refuses to show
pic.twitter.com/VI5hl8uV3C
— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) October 28, 2020
Brownells: AR-15 Receiver Forging Marks
AR-15s
Kimber Finally Turns Southward
Many times I’ve asked to know why firearms manufacturers would continue to do business in states that hate their business, fleece them with taxes, and force them to deal with collective bargaining. I’ve specifically mentioned Kimber, among other manufacturers.
It appears that Kimber finally figured it out.
Kimber Manufacturing, a company that makes a variety of firearms and ammunition, is transitioning its corporate headquarters from New York to its facility in Troy, Alabama.
The decision to change the location of the company’s headquarters was first announced last week, and much of the work has already been completed.
A release from the company notes that “leadership, R&D and manufacturing resources” are now in place at the 225,000 square-foot facility in Troy.
Kimber is now “adding staff across all departments” to complete the transition.
The gunmaker’s massive presence in the Wiregrass is still relatively new. Governor Kay Ivey first announced it in her state of the state address in 2018. At the time, it was described as a manufacturing capacity expansion, not a new headquarters, but the executives at Kimber appear to have grown fond of the Yellowhammer State.
The gunmaker was founded in Yonkers, New York, in 1979 and remained headquartered there until its recent transition to Alabama.
The company says it completed an exhaustive search for its new headquarters, and Troy stood out for its “proximity to top-tier engineering schools as well as gun- and business-friendly support from the city of Troy and the great state of Alabama.”
State Representative Wes Allen (R-Troy) praised the move in a statement sent to Yellowhammer News on Monday afternoon.
“I am very proud that Kimber is moving their headquarters from New York to Troy, AL. Kimber recognizes our business friendly environment, our strong support of the 2nd Amendment & our hard working people,” he remarked.
“This is a testament to the conservative leadership of Mayor Jason Reeves & the Troy City Council & the Pike County Commission,” Allen added in his statement.
As for the many positions that Kimber is now seeking to fill, the company lists “CNC technicians, machinists, quality control specialists, lean technicians, design engineers, compliance analysts, customer service representatives, materials planners, maintenance technicians, finishing operators, and assembly technicians,” as among the available jobs.
“Kimber is a great place to work, especially if you love firearms,” promised Pedi Gega, Kimber’s director of assembly and product finishing, in a statement.
“We have two indoor gun ranges, one outdoor range, a state-of-the-art design and prototype fabrication center, and a dynamic team of professionals who pride themselves in producing firearms with unmatched attention to detail, design and performance,” Gega continued.
Those interested in applying for a job at Kimber Manufacturing can do so here.
Give it time. I predict there will be little left in New York. Alabama and New York had a contest. Alabama won.
Prior: Gun Valley Moves South
Firearms,Guns Tags: Firearms Manufacturers, Kimber —
ATF Interpretive Change Restricts Handgun Imports And May Require NFA Registration
Wiley Law.
Despite ATF previously stating that there is no limit to how long or heavy a handgun should be to qualify as “sporting” under section 925(d)(3), ATF private classification letters issued within the past few months indicate that the agency has shifted course by reinterpreting what constitutes a “handgun.” In company-specific letters, ATF takes the position that if a submitted firearm is too long or too heavy, it fails to meet the definition of “handgun” under the Gun Control Act, as it is not “designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand.” The Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division (FATD) of ATF—which conducts importability evaluations—says that it is taking a subjective approach to the statute by allowing individual examiners to determine if he or she can fire the weapon with one hand without difficulty.
This approach is resulting in inconsistent determinations, of which the regulated community should take note. Within the past few months, at least one HK91 pistol-style submission as light as 8 pounds, with a barrel length of 8-3/4 inches and an overall length of 21-3/4 inches, has been determined to fall outside the definition of “handgun.” This is a change from previous determinations where firearms weighing over 8 pounds, with 20-inch barrels, and an overall length of approximately 31-1/2 inches were held by FATD to be “handguns.” Since the letters are not publicly available, it is impossible for regulated companies to know the full range of FATD’s determinations. This has serious implications for regulated businesses.
In some of the new letters, ATF has begun listing the following “objective design features” when making its evaluations:
Incorporation of rifle sights;
Utilization of “rifle caliber ammunition” (both 5.56mm and 7.62mm have been considered as such);
Incorporation of “rifle-length barrel;”1
The “weapon’s heavy weight;”
Ability to accept magazines that range in capacity from 20 rounds to 100 rounds, “which will contribute to the overall weight of the firearm”; and
Overall length of the weapon which “creates a front-heavy imbalance when held in one hand.”
However, ATF also noted in the most recent private ruling that the above design features are “neither binding on future classifications nor is any factor individually determinative[.]” ATF explained without elaboration that “the statutory and regulatory definitions provide the appropriate standard in classifying the firearm.” ATF concluded that “a firearm that is too large, too heavy or . . . otherwise not designed to be held and fired in one hand (as demonstrated by the objective features) cannot be a handgun under the statutory definition and cannot be subject to importation criteria governing handguns.” In light of ATF’s subjective and inconsistent analysis of size and weight, it is difficult to predict how the agency will classify any given firearm under this standard.
As was always the intent. The bureaucratic state is always the implementing organ of communism, and law enforcement is always the underwriter of its rules and regulations.
BATFE,Politics
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2223
|
__label__cc
| 0.743355
| 0.256645
|
Social/Behavioral Sciences (2626)
Cal State University (CSU) Long Beach
Full Time Education and Training
Tenure-Track Position Opening
Recruitment Number: 2626
Position: Assistant Professor of Social Work
Effective Date: August 17, 2021 (Fall Semester)
Salary Range: Commensurate with qualifications and experience
- Ph.D. or D.S.W. in Social Work or closely related field. Degree at time of application or official notification of completion of the doctoral degree by August 1, 2021
- Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with at least two years post-master's experience in social work practice
- Demonstrated potential for teaching at the college level
- Demonstrated potential for research, scholarly and creative activities
- Demonstrated commitment to working successfully with a diverse student population
- Demonstrated teaching/training experience across the curriculum at undergraduate and graduate levels
- Experience in working with diverse populations
- Experience in one or more of these specialty areas: foundation policy and advanced policy, research methods and/or graduate level thesis advising
- Teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses related to foundation and advanced social work policy, research methods and/or graduate level thesis advising. Mode of instruction may include in-person, hybrid, online, and/or any combination thereof.
- Establish and sustain a record of research, scholarly and creative activities
- Participate in service to the school, college, university, profession, and community
CSULB seeks to recruit faculty who enthusiastically support the University's strong commitment to the academic success of all of our students, including students of color, students with disabilities, students who are first generation to college, veterans, students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and students of diverse sexual orientations and gender expressions. CSULB seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the People of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students a rich variety of expertise, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.
Over the past 19 years, our Social Work faculty has assumed leadership in attracting over $94 million dollars in extramural funds and secured almost $21 million on behalf of local Long Beach human services, community organizations and education settings. Our curriculum prepares graduate students in three specialization areas: child and family well-being, integrated health, and adulthood and aging.
The mission of the School of Social Work is to educate and graduate diverse, ethical, competent social work students able to think critically and use evidence-based practice approaches to effectively serve culturally diverse, vulnerable individuals, families and communities in a wide variety of practice areas as practitioners, leaders and social justice advocates.
The School engages in collaborative, community-based research that enhances the well-being of vulnerable populations and disadvantaged communities. It also hopes to improve service delivery systems and contribute to social work knowledge. Our School also provides service to the community and the profession through the development of ongoing relationships with various groups. Those include grassroots community leaders, community-based non-profit organizations, governmental organizations, and foundations.
Information on excellent benefits package available to CSULB faculty is located here:
https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/careers/benefits/Documents/employee-benefits-summary.pdf
How to Apply - Required Documentation:
- An Equity and Diversity Statement about your teaching or other experiences, successes, and challenges in working with a diverse student population (maximum two pages, single-spaced). For further information and guidelines, please visit: http://www.csulb.edu/EquityDiversityStatement
- Letter of application addressing the required and preferred qualifications
- CV (including current email address)
- Evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., course evaluations), if applicable
- Names and contact information for three references
- Copies of transcripts from institution awarding highest degree and MSW degree
- Finalists will also be required to submit the following:
1. A signed SC-1 form,
2. Three current letters of recommendation independently provided by references, and
3. Official transcripts (e-transcript preferred, if available)
Applications, required documentation, and/or requests for information should be emailed and addressed to:
Nancy Meyer-Adams, Ph.D., MSW, Director
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
nancy.meyer-adams@csulb.edu or 562-985-7774
Review of applications to begin August 24, 2020
Position open until filled (or recruitment canceled)
EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:
A background check (including a criminal records check and telephone reference check with most recent employer) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.
The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 as a condition of employment.
CSULB is committed to creating a community in which a diverse population can learn, live, and work in an atmosphere of tolerance, civility and respect for the rights and sensibilities of each individual, without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, medical condition, age, Vietnam era veteran status, or any other veteran's status. CSULB is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Closing Date/Time: Open until filled
Long Beach, California 90815 United States View Map
About Cal State University (CSU) Long Beach
Ranked nationally by Money Magazine as the 13th best college for your money and the 10th best public university among 727 other national universities, California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) enrolls 31,455 students in 82 undergraduate degree programs and 5,400 students in 69 Master’s and doctoral programs (total 36,856 headcounts/32,150 FTE students).
Budget and Purchasing Manager Costa Mesa, California
The City of Costa Mesa is recruiting for a highly experienced professional to ser...
Veteran Service Officer Orange County, California
VETERANS SERVICE/VETERANS REMAINS OFFICER (Administrative Manager I) This pos...
ParaEducator Education Assistant HS - Temporary Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma Public Schools Expected Start Date: February 2021, as soon as possible ...
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2224
|
__label__wiki
| 0.511813
| 0.511813
|
Manufacturing Matters
Sign up for AssembleWV action alerts today!
ACCESS TO DATA
AssembleWV and the WVMA feel its important to know the positions of legislative candidates in an effort to help voters make informed decisions about issues that impact the manufacturing industry in West Virginia. Members can click here to register to view 2018 Legislative Candidate Survey responses*.
Request Survey Access
See the scores
AssembleWV is pleased to present the 2017-18 Legislative Scorecard for the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA). the bills used to determine scores represent issues focused on improving the state’s ability to attract and retain manufacturing investment and create jobs.
Download the Scorecard
Support manufacturing in West Virginia. Request stickers today and show the vital role that manufacturing in each and every community, big or small throughout West Virginia.
Request Stickers
ABOUT ASSEMBLE WEST VIRGINIA
What is Assemble West Virginia
AssembleWV knows the vital role that manufacturing plays in each and every community, big or small, throughout West Virginia.
We believe that everyone, from the machine operator, to the small business owner, to the thousands of West Virginians who want to make manufacturing in our state everything it can be, should have a say in government policies that affect their livelihood.
We’ll let you know when issues critical to our well-being are debated at the capitol, and we’ll let you know what you can do about it.
With your help, we can make manufacturing in West Virginia as strong as it can be for our communities, our workers, and as a future economic engine for our state.
WHY DOES MANUFACTURING MATTER?
Manufacturers in West Virginia account for over 10 percent of the total output in the state, employing over 6 percent of the workforce.
Total output from manufacturing was $7.43 billion in 2015.
In addition, there were 47,100 manufacturing employees in West Virginia in 2016, with an average annual compensation of $67,399 in 2015
Manufacturers help to drive West Virginia’s economy, with $3.67 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2016.
That same year, $1.80 billion in exports was without free trade agreement (FTA) partners.
Manufacturing helps create jobs in the state, and 20.6 percent of manufacturing employment stemmed from exports in 2011.
Small businesses comprise 76 percent of exporters in West Virginia.
Facts About Manufacturing
Compete to Win
Legislative Honor Roll
The WVMA supported many key legislative initiatives during the 2017 Legislative Session. The Association vocally advocated environmental balance (HB 2506), fair practices for unemployment compensation benefits (SB 222), expanded drug testing in the workplace (HB 2857), efficiencies for heavy haul permits (HB 3064), restrictions on unmanned aircrafts over industrial properties (SB 9), a fair approach to medical monitoring (SB 236), and increases to fees assessed by the Department of Homeland Security that while an increase cost for manufacturers, provides funds necessary to modernize compliance reporting for potential contaminants (HB 3048).
While SB 9 and SB 236, did not make it through the legislative process. The majority of WVMA efforts were legislatively successful. Based on Association priorities and review of voting records, the following list represents Legislators who demonstrate a strong desire to create an environment that encourages manufacturing investment and growth in the Mountain State.
To make the Honor Roll, legislators must have scored an A or B based on the WVMA 2017 Legislative Score Card.
Simple Social Media Stream: There is no feed data to display!
The WVMA believes that it is important to invest in the economic health of our state and supports efforts to eliminate the property tax on inventory, machinery and equipment. As one of only a few states that applies this tax it puts West Virginia at a disadvantage for significant business investment and job growth. This tax must be repealed, albeit in a responsible way which could be a phase-in approach that broadens relief to all West Virginia businesses and leads to full repeal of tangible personal property tax for all West Virginians.
Workforce Pipeline Development
West Virginia’s greatest asset is our people and a long history of work ethic and commitment to quality. Recently a changing economy has left manufacturers struggling to find the workforce to meet the demands of a technology driven manufacturing environment. The WVMA supports breaking down barriers to community and technical college and improving access to post-secondary education.
Energy Diversity
West Virginia consumers should benefit from the abundant natural resources found in West Virginia. The WVMA supports strategies to lower consumer energy costs for both residential and industrial rate payers because middle-of-the pack is just not good enough for an energy producing state. Building on our rich history of coal, it is time to incorporate natural gas fired power generation and renewable development into an all-of-the above energy portfolio
© 2018 Assemble West Virginia 2001 Quarrier Street | Charleston, WV | 304-342-2123 | website by brickswithoutstraw
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2225
|
__label__cc
| 0.639982
| 0.360018
|
Home About us Ahead Of Print Instructions Submission Subscribe Advertise Contact e-Alerts Editorial Board Reader Login
Users Online:1069
2017| September-October | Volume 10 | Issue 5
Online since November 6, 2017
Archives Previous Issue Next Issue Most popular articles Most cited articles
Factors associated with malnutrition among under five-year-old children in Iran: A systematic review
Mohammad Mohseni, Aidin Aryankhesal, Naser Kalantari
September-October 2017, 10(5):1147-1158
DOI:10.4103/ATMPH.ATMPH_668_16
Background: Children are one of the most important population groups in the world and malnutrition is considered as one of death causes among them, especially those under 5 years old. The aim of our study was to conduct a systematic review of malnutrition and its associated factors among under five-year-old children of Iran. Materials and Methods: Data were collected through searching electronic databases and searching motors of PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Database, Magiran and IranMedex using key words of “malnutrition,” “under-nutrition,” “stunting,” “underweight,” “wasting,” “factor,” “children,” “under 5 years,” “Iran,” and their Persian synonyms. Some of the relevant journals and websites were hand searched. Results: Of 608 preliminarily retrieved articles, 36 were selected for the final phase of the study. The most important factors related to underweight were mother's education level, father's education level, and birth weight. In regard to wasting, gender was one of the main factors and the next four were living location, birth weight, mother's, and father's education levels. Mother education level, father education, gender, birth weight, and age group were mentioned as the most important factors resulting in stunting as well. Conclusions: In some regions with low socioeconomic status, especially rural areas, the focus should be on the improvement of households living conditions such as mothers' and children's nutrition. Improvement in parents' education, particularly mothers' education, can have a significant impact on children's health. Under 5 years old girls need more attention than boys regarding to their poorer indicators.
[ABSTRACT] [FULL TEXT] [PDF] [Mobile Full text] [EPub]
33,018 29 -
A systematic review of medical service branding: Essential approach to hospital sector
Omid Khosravizadeh, Soudabeh Vatankhah, Mohammadreza Maleki
Introduction: Understanding the branding aspects of health care and its application and development strategies is undoubtedly necessary for hospitals to achieve optimal marketing. The purpose of the present paper was to systematically review healthcare branding factors, the results of which can be useful in the understanding of these factors and improving the healthcare services. Materials and Methods: The present systematic review was conducted in 2017. Research related to branding in the field of healthcare services was searched using valid keywords, including hospital, medical service, and healthcare combined with keywords such as brand and brand building and through various databases (e. g., Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Sciences). Using a check list, analytical studies (SCORB) were evaluated qualitatively. Endnote X6 was applied to arrange and evaluate abstract titles and to remove duplicate abstracts. Results: A total of 54 papers were selected for the systematic review. The results were classified and reported based on three categories, including dimension, process/strategies, and results/benefits. The most important brand building dimension was brand equity, the most important process was stabilization of brand positioning, and the most important result was development of optimal marketing. Moreover, some of the results suggested the effect of branding on financial and clinical performance of hospitals. Conclusion: The concept of brand building in healthcare services is an emerging phenomenon, and most of the healthcare organizations have limited experience in building brand strategies and developing their services. In this regard, it is necessary for hospitals to identify comprehensively the dimensions, processes, and results of optimal branding in healthcare services and use them for planning, implementation, and management.
7,344 32 -
Radiographic lumbar spondylosis: Gender and age group prevalence in Nigeria
O Okpala Francis
Background: Lumbar spondylosis (LS) increases with, and is perhaps an inevitable concomitant of age, and is a major cause of low back pain and disability in the elderly. The prevalence in Nigeria is poorly documented, and its knowledge will assist in patient management. Objective: The aim is to study the gender and age group prevalence of LS in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective review of 368 anteroposterior and lateral lumbosacral spine spondylotic radiographs of patients of both genders. Data analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 (New York, USA). The value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The age range was 17–90 years, mean (standard deviation) was 51.96 (13.49) years. The majority (201 [55%]) were aged 45–64 years. The males (217 [59%]) were aged 17–90 years, and the mean (standard deviation) was 52.28 (14.49) years, whereas the females (151 [41%]) were aged 17–80 years, and the mean (standard deviation) was 51.51 (11.95) years. The mean ages showed no significant gender difference (P = 0.429). Male: female ratio was 1.4:1. LS prevalence increased with age, peaked at 45–54 years in females, 55–64 years in males, and steadily declined to zero, in females after 80 years, and in males after 90 years. Conclusion: LS prevalence started as early as 17 years of life, increased with age, peaked at 45–54 years in females, 55–64 years in males, and steadily declined to zero, in females after 80 years, and in males after 90 years. Sex ratio showed slight male preponderance.
Generation of electronic-waste and its impact on environment and public health in Malaysia
MD Abul Kalam Azad, Mohd Aminul Islam, MM Ismail Hossin
Generation of municipal solid waste as well as electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) is rapidly increasing in the developing countries, especially in the electronic manufacturing industries which have seen some technological growth within a short timeframe in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to find out the factors that contribute to the generation of e-waste and to present the current scenario of Malaysia's e-waste management system. The data were collected from the review of various scientific journals and the Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE) which were published and available in online currently. It was observed that recently in Malaysia, the generation of e-waste is one of the environmental problems in Malaysia. Among other factors, besides industries, use pattern for households, business entities, and institutions are the main contributors of the increased e-waste generated in Malaysia. DOE reported that, the ratio of bought and possessed electronic appliances among the respondents in Malaysia is not balance. The rate of discarding is higher than possessed rate. Remarkably, in television, 95.6% of the television sets currently possessed are bought from shops, but only 33% of respondents were using it up to now, whereas 62.60% of people are not using their televisions and they have discarded it. Consequently, the discarded rate of other electronic appliances is also almost in the same trend by households, business entities, and institutions in Malaysia. E-waste containing a lot of dangerous chemicals and metals such as Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, and Chromium causes diseases such as brain disorders, kidney, renal, and neurological damage, thus leading to even deaths, learning disabilities, lung damage, mental retardation, behavioral problems, hearing impairment, fragility of the bones, and high blood pressure. It is, therefore, recommended that government should develop the 3Rs initiatives to reduce, reuse, and recycle of e-waste. At the same time, create awareness among the society to prevent it from the negative impact on the environment through pollution and public health hazards.
Malnutrition among patients suffering from HIV/AIDS in Kermanshah, Iran
Behrooz Hamzeh, Yahya Pasdar, Mitra Darbandi, Shahryar Parsa Majd, Seyed Amir Reza Mohajeri
Background: Inadequate food intake is one of the causes of malnutrition, which is an important complication of HIV and accelerates the progress of HIV toward acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Objective: The present study aimed to assess nutritional status of people with HIV/AIDS. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study recruited 340 people with HIV/AIDS visiting Behavioral Diseases Counseling Center in Kermanshah Province. Malnutrition was measured by body mass index (BMI). Food Frequency Scale was used to assess food intake, and the amounts of food intake were compared to recommended daily allowance (RDA). The data were analyzed in Stata-11 using Chi-square, Kruskal–Wallis, and ANOVA tests. Results: Mean BMI among men and women was 22.12 ± 3.75 kg/m2 and 25.54 ± 4.66 kg/m2. The prevalence of BMI-based malnutrition was 42.21% (141 people). Of participating patients, 11.08% were underweight, 22.75% overweight, and 8.38% obese. Underweight was reported more prevalent in men than in women and also in singles than in married patients (P = 0.001). Intake of protein, folate, Vitamins A and E, and fiber was less than RDA in a significantly large number of patients. Vitamin A deficiency was more evident in men and folate and calcium deficiencies in women. Conclusion: The present study showed inadequate intake of micro- and macro-nutrients in patients with HIV/AIDS. Malnutrition was observed as varying degrees of underweight and overweight, which requires greater attention to and care for these patients.
[ABSTRACT] [FULL TEXT] [PDF]
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of green synthesized silver nanoparticles using Salvia officinalis extract
Javad Baharara, Tayebeh Ramezani, Marzieh Mousavi, Majid Asadi-Samani
Background and Aims: Free-radical-mediated peroxidation of membrane lipids and oxidative damage of DNA and proteins are believed to be associated with a variety of chronic pathological complications such as cancer. The aim of this study was to describe antioxidant and anti-inflammatory of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using medicinal plant extract of Sage (Salvia officinalis). Materials and Methods: AgNPs were synthesized using S. officinalis as reducer agents and characterized using ultraviolet-visible, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, particle seizer, and transmission electron microscopy. Toxicity of AgNPs on MCF-7 cells was investigated using 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Changes in expression of inflammation related genes include cyclooxygenase-2, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) genes were evaluated using semi-quantification reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The antioxidant potential of capped AgNPs was assessed using 1,1 diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals activity assay. Results: AgNPs successfully synthesis with an average size of 16 nm and spherical. FTIR spectrum from plant extract and AgNPs indicated the extract covered nanoparticles. AgNPs decreased cells viability with inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 25 μg/ml and 20 μg/ml after 24 and 48 h, respectively. To ascertain the anti-inflammatory genes expression, MCF-7 cells were treated with 20 μg/ml AgNPs (concentration below of IC50 value according to MTT assay). Semi-quantification RT-PCR results showed that AgNPs increased IL-8 and TNF-α genes expression 28.76% and 42%, respectively, but suppressed cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression with 20.5% comparing to control groups. Antioxidant assay of green synthesized AgNPs coated by S. officinalis extract showed free radical scavenging effect with IC50 of 830 and 800 μg/ml for DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively. Conclusion: The coated AgNPs with S. officinalis have promising potential as a source for the development of chemotherapeutic agents in future.
Assessment of level of satisfaction of national health insurance scheme enrolees with services of an accredited health facility in Northern Nigerian
Godpower Chinedu Michael, Hassan Hassan Suleiman, Bukar Alhaji Grema, Ibrahim Aliyu
Introduction: Consumer satisfaction is one of the driving goals of goods and service production. Patient satisfaction surveys, as a means of periodic evaluation of the quality of services offered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) accredited facilities, is necessary to ensure that the goals of the scheme are achieved and sustained. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 202 respondents randomly selected from NHIS enrolees attending the Staff Clinic of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. It assessed respondents' perceived waiting time, level of satisfaction at the clinic's service units, and overall clinic satisfaction using a modified general practice assessment questionnaire. Results: The mean age of respondents was 36.4 ± 8.1 with a near equal sex ratio. They were predominantly civil servants (79.2%) with tertiary education (75.7%). Most respondents (70.3%) felt waiting time was too long; with 79.7% of those, feeling they spend at least 30 min after arrival at the registration unit to see their doctor. A majority of respondents: 90.1%, 86.8%, 79%, 76.8%, 75.9%, 77.5%, and 80.6% were satisfied with the consultation time, doctors' consultation, medical records, pharmacy, laboratory, accounts, and nursing services, respectively. However, 65.8% were satisfied with the overall clinic services. The perceived sufficiency of the consultation time was associated with overall satisfaction (χ2 = 6.199, P = 0.013). Conclusion: Although 65.8% of respondents were satisfied with the clinic services, the perceived clinic waiting time was dissatisfactory; therefore, further studies on the determinants of overall satisfaction may be required if improvement in the proportion of satisfied service consumers is desired by the clinic managers.
HIV and sexually transmitted co-infections among sex workers in the Southern African economic region
Clarence S Yah, Ernest Tambo, Oluwafemi Adeagbo, Ayanda Magida
DOI:10.4103/ATMPH.ATMPH_31_17
Background: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) economic block is the most affected region by HIV epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite programmatic interventions, HIV infections remain unprecedentedly high among female sex workers (FSW) in the region. This review assesses the HIV burden and the drivers associated with FSW in the SADC region. Methods: We systematically extracted and analyzed HIV burden and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) research data on FSW indexed in various journal platform and reports from governmental and nongovernmental organizations between 2003 and 2015. Meta-analysis technique was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of the HIV burden among FSW in the region. Results: Of the 192 peer-reviewed articles and reports addressing HIV burden, only 21 articles met eligibility criteria totaling 14998 FSW. The combined overall pool HIV prevalence was estimated at 42.0% (95% CI 0.41–0.43). The estimated pooled HIV prevalence ranged from 16% (95% CI 0.13–18) in Democratic Republic of Congo, 59% (95% CI 0.57–0.62) in South Africa and 71% (95% CI 0.65–0.76) in Malawi. The most common STIs reported were syphilis, Chlamydia, and gonorrhea with little emphasis on viruses. Structural factors such as stigma and discrimination, access to healthcare services and various socioeconomic and political barriers impeded treatment and prevention. Conclusion: The HIV prevalence among FSW was 5–30 times higher when compared to the overall female reproductive age population in the SADC region. This signifies and necessitates increase evidence based HIV/STIs research and programs among FSW in the SADC region.
Social determinants of tuberculosis contagion in Malaysia
Khairiah Salwa Mokhtar, Nur Hairani Abd Rahman
Context: Tuberculosis (TB) is primarily an airborne disease caused by the infection of a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which results in more than two million deaths per year worldwide. TB infection is spread when someone with active, infectious TB coughs, or sneezes. In Malaysia, TB is fast rising as a noncommunicable disease, with a death rate higher than death of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-AIDS. For instance, in 2015 health indicators, reported by the Ministry of Health, the mortality rate for TB was 5.33%, compared to HIV/AIDS at 1.91%. Aims: This study attempts to review the social determinants of TB transmission in Malaysia. Methods: This is a qualitative study and employs in-depth interview technique for data collection. A list of 36 informants was identified and approached; 22 of them agreed to be interviewed. The elites were chosen for their background, which related to public health and TB patient management. Each interview was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The study finds that the social determinants of TB transmission are related to the following factors: unhealthy lifestyle, inconvenient working environment, negative public perception and stigma, and financial concerns. Conclusions: The identification of as many TB contributing factors as possible is crucial in developing and implementing integrated programs and initiatives that involve all stakeholders in addressing and curbing the spread of the disease.
Investigating the relationship between self-leadership and resistance to organizational changes in the nursing managers of hospitals affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 2015
Sara Moradpour, Heidar Ali Abedi, Ahmad Bahonar
Background and Objectives: Change is the only solution for today's organizations. The organization as a social entity is both affected from and affecting the environment. To change the organization, people should change. Involving people in the management of the organization is effective in reducing the resistance to change. Strategies used to change attitudes, behaviors, and recognition of the individuals resulting in their success lie in leadership. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between self-leadership and resistance to organizational change in nursing managers. Materials and Methods: This study being a descriptive correlational study used Houghton and Neck's standard self-leadership questionnaire with 35 questions and reliability of 94% as well as resistance to organizational change scale of Wayne and Andy with twenty questions and reliability of 84% to collect the data. Content and face validities of the research tools were determined through the study of theoretical foundations as well as the opinions of professors and specialists. The population (250 people) included all nursing managers (matrons, supervisors, and head nurses) of educational centers of Isfahan in 2015. One hundred and fifty-six individuals were selected through the available sampling out of the 250 people of the population (males and females). Data analysis was conducted by SPSS software, version 22; in addition, statistical tests of Pearson, t-test, variance analysis, regression model, and Mann–Whitney tests were used. Results: In general, the average rating of the research units is above average (54.0 + 3.88) in self-leadership questionnaire of nursing managers. Besides, the amount of resistance to change in 92.2% of nursing managers is at average level. The findings also showed that there is a positive relationship between self-leadership and resistance to organizational change (P < 0.001, r = 0.310) and the score of self-leadership increases with the increase in job experience (P = 0.049, r = 0.154). It was observed that with the increase in age and job experiences, the resistance to organizational change also increases in nursing managers (P < 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, resistance to organizational change was at an average level with respect to the self-leadership of the managers. Increase in age and experience of nursing managers is associated with self-leadership and resistance to change. Thus, to move toward positive and useful changes in the organization and achieve noble objectives in educational centers, it is important to attract and guide the behavior of experienced managers and increase their knowledge of organizational behavior to reduce the resistance to organizational changes.
Assessment of the birth preparedness and complication readiness among antenatal women at Ahmedabad city, India
Viral R Dave, Bhavik M Rana, Hardika J Khanpara, Kantibhai N Sonaliya, Jayshree Tolani
Introduction: Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) improve preventive behavioral practices among to be mothers; thereby leading to improvement in care-seeking during obstetric emergency. Objectives: The objective of the study is to assess the knowledge and practices with respect to BP and CR and to find the determinants affecting them. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out at urban slum area of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat, India from August 2015 to February 2016. Personal interviews of 350 antenatal women were conducted. Sociodemographic details, information of antenatal care pursuing and information pertinent to BP and CR were reviewed. Total ten variables, suggesting their knowledge and practices toward BP/CR were assessed. Correct response with at least five variables or more than that was considered as positive knowledge and practices for BP/CR. Results and Conclusion: The study sample mainly comprised of 21–25 years of age group (48%) of participants. Overall, 229 (65.43%) of total participants were found to have positive knowledge and practices in terms of BP/CR. The variables which had statistically significant effect on BP and CR were: level of education, socioeconomic class, age at the time of marriage, order of pregnancy, mode of last delivery, number of live children, history of abortion, and duration of current pregnancy. Fair numbers of women were lacking proper knowledge regarding dangers signs during pregnancy, labor or postpartum, prior identification of doctor for them as well for new born and saving money for pregnancy related needs.
The incidence and prevalence of hearing disorders in children according to the audiological screening
DE Zhaisakova, SF Kudaibergenova, ZT Mukanova, GK Djarkinbekova, Meruert B Kaltayeva, YA Kuzembayev
One of the important tasks of children's audiology is the early identification of hearing impairment in children and the timely commencement of rehabilitation activities, such as a hearing aid, and in the presence of deep hearing loss difficult to treat with traditional methods of hearing rehabilitation, cochlear implantation should be used. Currently, due to the introduction of objective methods of hearing evaluation in clinical practice,there is a real opportunity to detect hearing disorders in children from the βirst days of life including premature newborns. In this study, we analyzed data of hearing acuity audiological screening among children at the age of 0–17 years for the period from 2015 to 2016. During this period, 4,588,365 children were examined in 2015, and 4,562,489 children were examined in 2016, within the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Utilizing the information and communication technology as a learning tool for students
Shahriar Sakhaei, Hossein Motaarefi, Soryya Zinalpoor, Hassan Ebrahimpour Sadagheyani
Introduction and Objective: The use of information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate learning and training the students has led to the learning environment tend to become virtual and to change the communication and learning styles. This study aimed to investigate how students benefit from new learning technologies as a learning tool. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive–analytical study; the population included all students of the school of Medical Sciences in 2016, in Khoy, Iran. A questionnaire was used for data collecting. The questionnaire contains 50 questions regarding demographic information, the skills and the benefits of the students of computers and the Internet as the learning tools. After gathering the data, the analysis SPSS version 16 software and descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were used. Results: Students expressed their relatively high access to computers and the Internet (60.7%) and using ICT in learning (59.3%). The students' skills in the use of computers and the Internet (56%) were relatively high (97%). Most of the students used PowerPoint software as a learning tool, and the use of educational websites was relatively high in the nursing group (75%) compared to environmental health (50%). Conclusion: Considering the increased use of information technology proportionate with the students' personal skills and the effectiveness of multimedia educational software and Internet in learning, educational planners should provide access to e-learning by creating the conditions and introducing the high quality and rich educational software.
Ruptured amoebic liver abscess with perforated amoebic typhlitis: A rare entity
S Nishanth, Sudhir Kumar Jain, Chandra Bhushan Singh, Lovenish Bains
Background: Amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is the most frequent extra intestinal manifestation of Entamoeba histolytica infection. Rupture of ALA is an important cause of morbidity and mortality mainly in developing countries. In invasive amoebiasis, the trophozoites penetrate the intestinal mucosa causing amoebic colitis. Simultaneous amoebic cecal perforation and ALA rupture is a rare complication of invasive amoebiasis with a high rate of mortality which mainly occurs in malnourished patients. We report 4 rare cases of amoebic cecal perforation with ruptured liver abscess. Cases Patients and Methods: 4 unusual cases of ruptured ALA associated with perforated cecum which were operated at Department of Surgery, Maulana Azad Medical College from June 2016 to May 2017 are reported along with relevant review of literature. Results: Three patients were male and 1 was female. The mean age was 35.5 years. All cases had generalized peritonitis. Two patients had a single abscess in the right lobe, 1 had an abscess in both lobes of liver and 1 had multiple abscesses. Liver abscess in all 4 cases were amoebic as amoebic serology of pus was positive in all cases. At presentation, all 4 cases had clinical signs of generalized peritonitis. Ultrasonography for collection in peritoneal cavity showed moderate free fluid in with internal echoes suggestive of pyoperitoneum. Two patients had free air under the diaphragm. All 4 patients underwent resuscitation and then taken up for surgery. Exploratory laparotomy was done which showed pyoperitoneum. One patient had sealed perforation in the cecum, 2 had a perforation in cecum, and 1 had multiple perforations in cecum and ascending colon. Limited resection was done in 3 cases and right hemicolectomy in 1 case who had multiple perforations in cecum and ascending colon, in all 4 cases, exteriorization of bowel was done. Postoperatively, 1 patient died of respiratory failure due to bilateral pneumonia. Conclusion: Ruptured ALA along with perforation of cecum is a rare condition presenting as acute abdomen with high mortality. Surgical intervention is mandatory in all these cases.
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward onchocerciasis among local population in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
Laura Moya Alonso, Zaida Herrador Ortiz, Belén Garcia, Rufino Nguema, Justino Nguema, Policarpo Ncogo, Teresa Gárate, Alba González-Escalada, Agustín Benito, Pilar Aparicio Azcarraga
Introduction: Since 1998, the African program for onchocerciasis control has been working with ultimate goal of reducing the public health impact associated with onchocerciasis in Equatorial Guinea. Although dedicated community engagement is crucial for the success of this program, there is no information on the levels of community's knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward onchocerciasis in this country. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Bioko Island from mid-January to mid-February 2014. Sampling was carried out by multistage cluster survey. Sociodemographic characteristics, KAP, and stigma-related questions were collected through a pretested questionnaire. A bivariate analysis was performed and results were adjusted by sex and age using logistic regression. Results: A total of 140 housekeepers or head of households agreed to participate. Around 54% of the interviewees had heard about the disease, of which more than one-third identified the disease as filariasis (28/68, 41.2%). Overall, 19.3% respondents highlighted the bite of a blackfly as the main mode of transmission. From those who had a familiar affected by onchocerciasis in the past, 21 out of 32 (65.6%) pointed ivermectin as the preferred treatment and 43.8% pointed out the health center as the first choice place to seek for treatment. About 67.1% of individuals believed that having onchocerciasis would not cause any contact avoidance with other members in the community. Conclusions: People's practices toward onchocerciasis tend to be better than disease knowledge in Bioko Island. Increasing awareness through community-based campaigns and educational activities is encouraged in the current onchocerciasis preelimination stage at Bioko Island.
The effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on social anxiety of the deaf
Alemeh Dehnabi, Hamid Radsepehr, Kazem Foushtanghi
Background and Aim: Individuals with social phobia do not have flexible approach to deal with stress, and they are weak to practice social skills. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on social anxiety of the deaf. Research Methodology: In a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test study with a control group, in 2015, 24 deaf individuals in Sabzevar city were selected for sampling and were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. Subjects completed Social Anxiety Inventory (SPIN) in pre-test and post-test. Then, ANCOVA was used to analyze the data. Results: Data analysis showed that MBSR leads to a reduction in the total score of social anxiety and physiological responses component related to the experimental group compared with the control group treated. Conclusion: It was concluded that teaching MBSR resulted in decreased social anxiety of the deaf.
Lived experienced of patients with sickle cell disease anemia about disease management (a qualitative research)
Nasrin Elahi, Noorollah Tahery, Fazlollah Ahmadi, Shahnaz Rostami
Introduction and Goal: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of disorders, comprising sickle cell anemia and compound heterozygous disorders. It is the most common inherited hematological disease in the world. The objectives of this study were to describe the lived experienced patients with SCD during the evolution of a painful event and their solutions for control and manage it. We hope that with finding and cumulative of these solutions help patient with SCD for the management of their painful event. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study explored the experiences of sickle cell patients in management and control of pain and disease crisis in Iran. In-depth, unstructured individual interviews were conducted to extract the subjects' experiences of sickle cell patients in management and control of pain and disease crisis. Results: Codes extracted from the interviews led to the emergence of fore themes, which include implementation of various strategies to pain relief, awareness of pain intensifying, need to have the full support, awareness of the disease process. Conclusion: It is recommended that the instructions and programs written by nurses, be taught to patients and received feedback, to ensure that these strategies will be used.
Applying artificial neural network approach to predict nurses' job performance based on personality traits and organizational factors
Khatereh Khanjankhani, Roohollah Askari, Sima Rafiei, Mohsen Askari Shahi, Fariba Hashemi, Milad Shafii
Background: The main goal of every organization is to provide the best quality product or service which mostly depends on its employees' performance. Among various factors, both indoor environmental features in an organization and personality traits of working staff play important role in on job performance. Objective: The purpose of current study was to describe the effect of personality traits and organizational factors on nurses' job performance through applying neural network approach. Materials and Methods: This analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing staff working in inpatient medical departments of a training hospital in Yazd Province in 2016. The study questions were answered through analysis of data obtained from three standard questionnaires. Collected data were entered in SPSS version 20 and analyzed by artificial neural network approach. Results: Findings revealed that from study participants' viewpoint the highest mean score regarding to indoor organizational factors was given to helpful mechanism dimension (5.54 ± 0.79) while the least was mentioned for targeting (5.35 ± 0.81). In association with personnel personality traits, the highest and least mean scores were relatively dedicated to conscientiousness (44.5 ± 4.3) and neuroticism (31.8 ± 4.3). Results of comparing significance coefficients in neural networks depicted that from all study dimensions, agreeableness and reward have got the most importance on job performance (100% and 81.2%) while accountability and helpful mechanisms have got the least (28.5% and 16.5%). Conclusion: Strengthening staff personality traits and environmental factors of a hospital can play an effective role in improving nurses' job performance. Therefore it is suggested that hospital managers help employees to improve their performance through providing a productive work environment and manage the workplace in accordance with important organizational factors mentioned by staff and as well their personality and behavioral patterns.
Chemical composition and screening of antibacterial activity of essential oil of Pistacia khinjuk against two selected pathogenic bacteria
Reza Tahvilian, Rohallah Moradi, Hossein Zhaleh, Mohammad Mahdi Zangeneh, Akram Zangeneh, Hossein Yazdani, Majid Hajialiani
Background: Medicinal plants are considered as modern resources for producing agents that could act as alternatives to antibiotics in demeanor of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Pistacia khinjuk (combined with the dominance γ-terpinene) against P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis. Materials and Methods: The chemical composition of the essential oil was identified using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer detector (GC-MS). As a screen test to detect antibacterial property of the essential oil, agar disk diffusion and agar well diffusion methods were employed. Macrobroth tube test was performed to determinate minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Results: According to results of the GC-MS analysis, γ-terpinene (81.14%) (w/w), β-pinene (3.93%) (w/w), and α-terpinolene (2.38%) (w/w) were the abundant components of the essential oil. The MIC and MBC values were 0.015/0.031 g/ml for essential oil of P. khinjuk in case of P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis, respectively. Conclusion: We believe that the article provides support to the antibacterial property of the essential oil. In fact, the results indicate that the essential oil of P. khinjuk can be useful as medicinal or preservative composition. Fractionation and characterization of active molecules will be the future work to investigate.
The evaluation of Valsalva maneuver on pain intensity within the needle insertion to the arteriovenous fistula for patients undergoing hemodialysis in the selected hospitals in Isfahan in 2015
Elham Davtalab, Sayedali Naji
Introduction: Pain is an unpleasant feeling and it is called as the fifth vital sign. Fistula cannulation in hemodialysis patients is a very stressful and painful process. Nurses can help relieve pain with the use of nonpharmacological pain management therapies, independently. This study conducted aimed to investigate and determine the effect of Valsalva maneuver on pain intensity during cannulation of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 35 hemodialysis patients who were selected by convenience sampling in two Amin Medical Center and Hazrat-e Zahra-e Marziye Hospital in Isfahan. Data collection was performed using an interview questionnaire developed by the researcher, Abbey pain scale, and numerical pain rating. Data analysis was done using the descriptive and analytic tests in SPSS Software Version 20. Results: Paired t-test results showed that the score average of objective and subjective pains was reduced significantly after intervention compared to before that (P < 0.001). Wilcoxon test showed that the objective pain is reduced after intervention (P < 0.001). Wilcoxon test showed that the subjective intensity due to the needle insertion had a significant reduction after intervention (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Performing the Valsalva maneuver before the AVF cannulation reduces pain in patients undergoing hemodialysis.
Effect of narrative writing on quality of life in chronic renal failure patients underwent hemodialysis
Akram Ahmadzade, Sayed Mojtaba Ahmadi, Khirollah Sadeghi, Akram Sanagu, Sayed Mojtaba Amiri, Arash Parsa Moghadam, Alireza Abdi
Background: Chronic renal failure is the most common chronic disease affects the physical and psychological health of suffers and their quality of life (QOL). Recently, narrative writing is considered as a new approach to improve the problems of these patients, moreover, there is a paucity of information in this regard; hence, the current study was conducted to determine the effect of narrative writing on the QOL of hemodialysis patients. Methods: In a clinical trial, 28 hemodialysis patients of Imam Reza Hospital of Kermanshah were enrolled to the study in 2015. They are divided into two groups: case and control through randomization. The information was gathered through the short form-36 QOL questionnaire before and after intervention. Data were entered into SPSS-22 and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: The mean of QOL score for case and control groups was 94.92 and 97.53, respectively, before intervention, which increased to 98.85 in case group and declined in control group to 90.80. The analysis of covariance test showed a significant difference between two groups after intervention (P = 0.004). Conclusion: The results indicate narrative writing can enhance the QOL of hemodialysis patient; however, it is required to carry out more studies with higher sample size.
The comparison of the tuition-paid and free tuition dental students' incentives in choosing their field of study at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Southwest of Iran
Abdolreza Gilav
Background: Despite ascribed intellectual ability, academic success can be affected by progress motivation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the tuition-paid and free tuition dental students' incentives in choosing their field of study at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2016 which has been carried out in a descriptive-analytical and comparative form. Methods: The statistical population includes all 484 students who study professional doctorate of dentistry at the University. Sampling was carried out using census method. The 118 free tuition students and 58 tuition-paid students filled out questionnaires. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, frequency, frequency percentage, mean, Kolmogorov–Smirnov's normality test, and Mann–Whitney's nonparametric test for comparison of the mean were utilized using SPSS Version 21 software. Results: Having an independent clinic (0.75 ± 3.40), a high economic income (0.81 ± 3.16) and a proper social position (0.83 ± 3.09) were, respectively, the most important incentives in free tuition students to choose their field of study. In addition, having an independent clinic (0.53 ± 3.59), a proper social position (0.88 ± 3.17) and a high economic income (0.82 ± 3.09) were, respectively, the most important incentives for tuition-paid students to choose their field of the study. Discussion and Conclusion: Although access to a prestigious job and therefore, positions of high economic interests were the major motive of students in both groups, their excessive tendency toward dentistry has made the prospects of this field of study dim due to the saturation of the labor market and thus reduction of job mobility.
The effect of space face games on the amount of children attention with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders
Zahra Shahmoradi, Jahangir Maghsoudi, Mostafa Najafi, Saeed Pahlavanzadeh
Introduction: As ever play therapy using a special toy which is produced with therapeutic target in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHDs) has not been conducted, this study was carried out with the aim to determine the effect of space face games on the attention of children with ADHDs. Materials and Methods: In this research, 72 children with ADHDs referred to Isfahan's Noor psychiatric clinic were randomly placed in two test and control groups. Attention level of both groups was evaluated using continuous performance test before and after the intervention. The space face games in the test group were used for 16 sessions. Statistical analysis of data was conducted using descriptive and analytical statistics in SPSS Software Version 18. Findings: The average score of attention had no significant difference between the two groups before the intervention, but the number of correct answer in the test group was significantly more than the control group and the number of provided errors and the number of removed errors were significantly lower than the control group immediately after the intervention. Conclusion: Space face games are effective in the promotion of attention in children with ADHDs.
Evaluating the understanding of nurses regarding pain management in neonatal units and special neonatal units of Qamar Monir Bani Haeshem Hospital in Khoy, Iran, in 2016
Soryya Zinalpoor, Shahriar Sakhaei, Hassan Ebrahimpour Sadagheyani, Linda Mehdizadeh Mollabashi, Hossein Motaaref
Introduction: Pain is a mental and multi-dimension phenomena, which its measurement and definition are difficult. Inability in expressing the pain clearly is the fundamental reason for the difficulty in pain measuring. Since newborns are unable to express their pains, to evaluate their pain quantitatively, valid, and standard tools should be used. The present study aimed to investigate the understanding of nurses about babies' pain in neonatal and special neonatal units of hospitals in Khoy. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study which was performed on 66 people by census method on nurses working in neonatal units and special neonatal units of Qamar Monir Bani Haeshem Hospital. Tool for collecting data includes 5 parts questionnaires containing demographic information, 7 questions related to understanding the pain of babies, 10 questions related to the effects of pain, 9 questions related to the tools of measuring the pain with criterion (true, false, I do not know), and the final part with 28 questions related to the attitude of measuring the pain in infants (I agree, I disagree). To determine the validity of the tool content validity was used and to determine the reliability Cronbach's alpha correlation test and preliminary study were performed (α = 0.82, α = 0.86). After coding, the data were described in frequency, mean, and standard deviation table using SPSS Version 16 software. To analyze the data statistical tests such as Pearson's correlation, t-test, and ANOVA were used (P < 0.05). Results: The majority of the participants were married (97%) with Bachelor education degree (95%) working in neonatal unit (45.5%) with a mean age of 33 years and servicing year of 8 years. The awareness rate of the physiology of pain, with the highest prevalence of 42.2%, complications and pain intensity by 45.5% were at good levels, and tools for measuring pain with 54.6% were poor. Nurses' attitude toward assessing and measuring the pain of babies with 54.5% was positive. Investigating the statistical relationships between the attitudes of nurses and awareness of severity and complications of pain (P ≤ 0.001), between the age and awareness of severity and complications of pain (P ≤ 0.002), and between the servicing year and awareness of pain physiology, severity, and complications of pain (P ≤ 0.003), significant statistical difference was found. Discussion and Conclusion: Based the results, focusing on pain of the babies and the infants in nursing education programs, holding the continuing education courses regarding the pain and pain assessment, and attaching pain assessment checklist for monitoring vital signs checklist and reporting it in each shift are recommended.
Relation between subjective sleepiness and changes in some vital signs among the clinical night workers
Alireza Khammar, Raze Nabi Amjad, Mitra Moghadasi, Marzieh Rohani, Arezoo Poursadeghian, Mahsa Hami, Mohammad Khandan, Hamed Yarmohammadi, Mohsen Poursadeghiyan
Background: Individuals with shift work sleep disorder are at risk for significant behavioral and health related such as emotional, psychological, and somatic issues. Sleeping problems in the health-care workers can lead to medication error incidents, resulting in undesired patients' safety. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the subjective sleepiness and changes in some vital signs of the night shift health care workers. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study that has been done in a hospital in Iran, 2017. Clinical staffs were as the study population; all of them were in shift working schedule. Seventy-nine personnel were selected in random. Data gathered using a researcher-developed demographic questionnaire and Stanford Sleepiness Scale to measure the intensity of the sleepiness. Data were analyzed using t, ANOVA, and Pearson's tests by SPSS V20. Responders were aged 35.24 ± 6.35 (mean ± standard deviation) years. Results: Staff had the lowest amount of sleepiness at around 22:30 and the highest at the end of the shift. Sleepiness was significantly correlated with age, work experience, and body mass index (BMI), and level of education. A significant relationship was observed between age, work experience, BMI, and education level (P < 0.05). Beat and breath rates were in diverse and significant relationship with sleepiness (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Sleepiness in two studied groups was similar. Sleepiness can decrease beat and breath rates, so decision makers should pay attention to physical health of staffs, especially on health-care centers to increase staff and patients safety.
A pilot study for the detection of Listeria in cerebrospinal fluid samples from children and adults with signs of meningitis admitted in a tertiary care hospital at Piparia Village, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
S Suguna Hemachander, Krunal K Shah, Yogita Verma, Anchal Malhotra, Himani Pandya, Khyati Passi
Introduction: Human listeriosis (HL) is a foodborne illness causing life-threatening disease of fetus, neonates, elderly, and others with immunosuppression. It is a public health concern because of the severity of disease. Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) has a predilection for central nervous system and placenta. Aims: To culture, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples with special focus on the isolation of Lm. Materials and Methods: A prospective study on CSF samples with special focus on the identification of Lm by direct microscopy (wet film, Gram-stain) and culture on sheep blood agar and a plate of Listeria selective agar (Himedia). Results: 121 CSF samples were processed. Lm was isolated from blood and CSF samples from 8-day-old male neonate admitted with signs of septicemia and meningitis. The isolate was identified using Vitek 2 Compact; Biomerieux. The newborn was fed with goat milk on the 1st day after birth. Conclusions: As against the global focus on HL, documented cases from India are limited. The reasons and difficulties for poor isolation and diagnosis of Lm infections are discussed. Our single patient of neonatal meningitis as a case of community-acquired HL in our area is of significance.
Comparing the effect of endotracheal tube suction using open method with two different size catheters 12 and 14 on discharge secretion, pain, heart rate, blood pressure, and arterial oxygen saturation of patients in the intensive care unit: A randomized clinical trial
Mostafa Javadi, Hossein Hejr, Mohammad Zolad, Arash Khalili, Akvan Paymard
Background and Purpose: Performing suction with complications such as tachycardia or bradycardia, increase or decrease blood pressure, pain, discharge, and decrease arterial oxygen saturation. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of endotracheal tube suctioning to open two different size catheters 12 and 14 on the discharge, pain, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Materials and Methods: This clinical trial compared two interventions of a pre- and post-test, and sampling was random. 36 patients admitted to the ICU in Yasuj martyr Beheshti Hospital iran, in a group of suctioning with catheter size 12 and 14. Changes in heart rate, blood pressure, pain, discharge, and arterial oxygen saturation before, during, 5 min and 20 min after the suction were recorded. Data analysis was performed by analysis of variance with repeated measures and paired t-test. Results: The Heart rate increased during suction catheter 14 than to 12, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.000). Suctioning with both catheters decreased oxygen saturation, but the reduction was not significant between both (P = 0.149). Systolic pressure increased after suction, and this increase was significantly in the higher catheter (P = 0.05). Diastolic pressure increased during suction with the highest increase of 5 min. There were no significant differences between the two catheters (P = 0.186). In the third episode, the highest rated pain during suctioning was observed and the difference was significant between large and small catheters (P = 0.000). Post-suction discharge was in the higher catheter was more and statistically significant (P = .000). Conclusion: The use of small size suction catheter To a lesser extent in heart rate, blood pressure, pain and suffering oxygen saturation changed.
An investigation of the frequency of the occupational accident in Kermanshah, Iran (2009–2013)
Masoud Ghanbari, Hossein Ashtarian, Hamed Yarmohammadi
Background: Occupational accident is an inseparable part of every work especially in the industrialized sections where it has huge adverse economic and social impacts on individuals' lives. Objective: The present study was aimed at investigating the frequency of occupational accidents in Kermanshah, West of Iran. Material and Methods: All registered occupational accidents in the Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs of Kermanshahfrom 2009–2013 were analyzed in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Using the pre-designed checklists, the required information that included demographic information of the casualties, type of job and industry, type of the accident, the limb affected in the accident, and the consequences was gathered. The collected data were then analyzed using software such EXCEL and SPSS 16. Results: Results indicated that the total number of the accidents were 1888 cases with 358, 393, 489, 402, and 246 cases occurring between 2009 and 2013. Kermanshah had the highest number of accidents (776) and Dalahoo had the lowest number of accidents (31). In total, 1455 accidents occurred in the morning shift, 391 in the afternoon, and 42 in the evening. Most of the accidents occurred between 10 am and 13 pm, and the lowest number accidents happened between 4 and 7 am. The most frequent accidents that were 1222 out of 1888 cases were related to construction industry occurring mainly in the form of injuries, fractures, and poisoning. Hand, leg, head, and neck were the most affected limbs during the accidents. The main causes of the accidents were fall from the height, getting trapped in the equipment, crashing into the objects and machinery, and slip and fall. Conclusion: Based on the result of this study and the high frequency of accidents in the workplace, more attention needs to be paid on the training of workers and employers about safety, following the safety rules, using individual safety tools, and controling some of the procedures to reduce the occupational accidents as much as possible.
The impact of guided mental imagery on the sleep quality of the elderly after having heart attack
Sepideh Aghababaei, Ahmad Reza Yazdannik, Mahrokh Keshvari
Background: There are numerous factors such as cardiovascular diseases which cause sleep problems for the elderly. Relaxation is one of the components of cognitive behavioral therapy which refers to the practice of relaxation solutions to improve the sleep quality. Objectives: This paper aims to examine the impact of guided mental imagery on the sleep quality of the elderly after having heart attack. Patients and Methods: This study is considered to be a two-group random clinical trial that was carried out on sixty elderly patients suffering heart attack who have been discharged with sleep problems from selected teaching hospitals of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Participants were placed in intervention and control groups through random allocation method. Two training sessions of calm making and guided imagery protocols were applied to the intervention group. The sleep quality in research units was examined before and after the intervention using Pittsburgh sleep quality questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out by the statistical software SPSS version 16 through paired and independent t-tests. Results: The mean sleep quality score in the intervention group was significantly lower after intervention (2.6 ± 2.3) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean of changes in sleep quality score after intervention was significantly greater in the case group (−7.9 ± 2.3) compared to the control group (−2.9 ± 2.2) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The guided mental imagery program was found to be effective in improving the sleep quality of the elderly suffering heart attack. The guided mental imagery is, therefore, recommended to be considered as a part of rehabilitation care for the elderly having heart attack with sleep disorders.
Clomiphene resistant polycystic ovarian syndrome: Analysis of outcomes following laparoscopic ovarian drilling in infertile women in Ilorin, North-central, Nigeria
Lukman Omotayo Omokanye, Abdulwaheed Olajide Olatinwo, Abubakar Panti, Sabi Ibrahim, Kabir Adekunle Durowade, Olubukola Olanrewaju Oyedepo, Olufemi Ige, Majeed Babajide Adegboye
Background: Laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) is one-off treatment modality for clomiphene citrate (CC)-resistant polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) avoiding the need of medical therapy and its attendant complications. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed at determining the efficacy of LOD in women with anovulatory infertility secondary to CC-resistant PCOS and factors influencing reproductive outcomes. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of infertile women who underwent LOD on account of CC-resistant PCOS between January 2012 and December 2015 at a tertiary institution. Results: Patients aged 24–38 years (29.7 ± 3.6 years) and their body mass index (BMI) ranges from 20 to 35 (26.3 ± 4.3). The majority (90.5%) were nulliparous. Most (61.3%) had primary infertility. Their duration of infertility ranges from 1 to 13 years (4.3 ± 2.7) and ovarian volume ranges from 10 to 24 cm3 (mean, right ovary = 15.2 ± 3.2; left ovary = 16.3 ± 3.2). The number of drills per ovary ranged from 4 to 14 (mean, right ovary = 7.4 ± 2.1; left ovary = 7.3 ± 2.1) and the luteinizing hormone/follicle stimulating hormone (LH)/FSH ratio ranges from 2 to 6 (3.2 ± 1.4). All achieved spontaneous resumption of menses and ovulation with mean durations of 4.0 ± 1.8 days and 5.3 ± 3.2 weeks, respectively. Eighty-three (60.6%) clinical pregnancies were recorded, of which 68 (49.6%) resulted to live births (61 singletons and 7 twin births) and 14 (10.2%) early first trimester miscarriages. The mean time interval from LOD to pregnancy was 4.4 ± 1.1 months. There was a significant association between BMI, duration of infertility, FSH/LH ratio, and pregnancy outcomes (P < 0.05). Conclusion: LOD is the most preferred treatment modality for CC-resistant PCOS as it resulted in higher pregnancy rate.
Effects of cold alcohol compression on pain of preschoolers receiving intravenous fluid infusion
Atchariya Wonginchan, Sureeporn Thanasilp, Branom Rodcumdee
Purpose: The study aimed to determine the effects of cold alcohol compression on pain of preschoolers receiving an intravenous (IV) fluid infusion. Methods: In this quasi-experimental, four group study, 3–5-year-old children in the intervention groups (n = 20) received cold alcohol compression 1 min before IV insertion. The control group (n = 20) received conventional nursing care. The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale was used to assess pain intensity. The t-test was used to analyze pain. Results: The result indicated that the pain score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.01). Practice Implications: Cold alcohol compression is a time, cost-saving, and efficient method to reduce pain in preschoolers receiving the IV fluid infusion. Conclusion: Providing cold alcohol compression is the effective method which does not need intensive preparation.
How is training hospitals of Qazvin preparedness against disaster in 2015?
Yousef Khazaei Monfared, Zahra Jamaly, Meysam Safi Keykale, Jalal Asgary, Mitra Khoshghadam, Seyed Amir Farzam, Soheyla Gholami
Introduction: Unexpected disasters such as floods, earthquakes, severe weather changes, bioterrorism, and epidemics around the world are increasing. Iran is a disaster-prone country and one of the most prone to accidents and disasters in the world. Hence, the aim of this study is to assess the disaster preparedness of hospitals in Qazvin. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted on six hospitals of the Velayat, Rajaee, Booali, 22 Bahman, Kosar, and Ghods in Qazvin. The tools used to assess for the hospitals' risk of experiencing a disaster were observation, interviews, and a checklist of hospital disaster risk assessment which is provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), including 5 sections and 145 indices for the safety assessment of hospitals. To determine the general weight, three main parts of the questionnaire, that is, functional safety, nonstructural safety, and structural safety, were given weights of 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5, respectively, according to the original version of the indices. Each index was scored as 0, 1, and 2 based on the low, medium, and high scores. The safety scores were categorized in three groups, that is, low safety (≤34%), medium safety (34%–66%), and high safety (>66%). The data were analyzed by Excel 2007 and spss 17 software. Results: Functional, structural, and nonstructural safety scores were evaluated as 61.58% (average safety), 64.44% (average safety), and 61% (average safety), respectively. General preparedness of the hospitals we studied were 62.34%, an average safety level. Conclusions: Safety was evaluated in all hospitals at an average level. Although the hospitals' situation is not critical, because of the history of disaster in the province, it is very necessary to plan and carry out appropriate measures to improve hospital safety.
Comparison of two educational methods, lecturing and simulation, in adherence to ventilator set guidelines among emergency medicine residents
Hossein Saidi, Mahdi Rezai, Mani Mofidi, Reza Mosaddegh, Azra Riahi, Mohamad Tahmasbi Sisakht
Background: Due to developments in science, there is the need to develop approaches in the field of medical education. The utilization of educational technologies such as computers and instructional videos has been introduced rapidly into the education curriculum. This study compared video training tutorial method in ventilator settings with video traditional methods (lectures). Materials and Methods: In this statistical research, 33 assistant training groups lecture and video tutorial (video tutorial) were divided into two groups. The assistants in ventilator settings by observing the experimenter, the ventilators were assessed using the checklist. Research Findings: Adjusting the ventilator before and after training assistant was 13 (40%) and 18 (5.54%), respectively. However, in both groups after training, there was significant increase accuracy in the ventilator settings, but there was no significant difference between the two methods. Conclusion: The use of video tutorials and without training could be effective as attending lectures.
Some aspects of the providing of medical and social assistance of elderly persons in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Alfiya I Igissenova, Botagoz S Tyrdalieva, Bakhyt Zh Nysanova, Meiramkul M Shayakhmetova, Zhazira M Utepbergenova, Serik Sh Shakiyev, Galiya S Ibadullayeva
Background: The demographic aging becomes a state problem for the majority countries, Kazakhstan is no exception: sharply increased the number of elderly and senile age people, which led to a number of problems caused by the aging of society, in connection with which the relevant improvement of medical and social assistance of elderly persons based on the study needs in the medical, social and psychological assistance. Methods: In the period from May 2016 for July 2016 was carried out complex research of the needs in the medical, social and psychological assistance to elderly persons in Almaty based on a specially designed questionnaire. The objects of this study are chosen by representatives of various socio-demographic groups (60 years and older), served in the clinics of the city. In total were interviewed 2996 elderly respondents, aged 60 years and older. Results: As an object of research are determined: Respondents' assessment of their health, financial situation, satisfaction with living conditions, some lifestyle factors, questions of life quality, needs in medical and social assistance. Conclusion: The analysis results of the study confirmed the urgency of activating the provision of medical and social assistance of elderly persons as well as low attendance of employees of social service of the elderly population, require regular monitoring of the activities of local governments and institutions, as well as officials for ensuring the rights of older disabled persons in the area of social services.
The effect of life skills training program on quality of life and its dimensions in patients with type 2 of diabetes
Fariba Nasiri Ziba, Fatemeh Sadeghi Meresht, Naiemeh Seyedfatemi, Hamid Haghani
Background and Objective: Diabetes is a major cause of death and disability and worsening of public health which is a concern in the world. Patients with diabetes had significantly poorer mental health than normal subjects and patients are psychologically vulnerable. Therefore, life skills training can promote mental health and quality of life (QOL) of patients with diabetes. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of life skills training on QOL in patients with type 2 of diabetes. Methodology: This research is a quasi-experimental study in which the effect on QOL and life skills training and its dimensions in patients with type 2 diabetes referred to health centers in Babolsar city. In this study, 100 patients with type 2 diabetes selected by convenience sampling in both experimental and control groups (each n = 50) were enrolled. To prevent data leakage, two centers were selected to test samples and controls separately; in this case, the experimental group and control group were selected from Arabkheil and Bahnamir health centers. For six 90 min, sessions for test group were trained in life skills. Moreover, after 6 weeks through QOL questionnaire (short-form 36), training effects in both groups were measured and compared. Data using Chi-square tests and t-test and Fisher's exact SPSS20 were analyzed using statistical software. Results: The mean scores at posttest in QOL (P = 0.005) and of energy and vitality (P = 0.002), mental health (P < 0.001), social functioning (P = 0.041), general health (P = 0.008) was a significant difference. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that life skills education program had an impact on the QOL in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Investigating the relationship between the number of care provided and changes in the variables associated with diabetes in health homes and health centers affiliated to Lamerd Healthcare Network
Ebrahim Ezzati, Afshin Goodarzi, Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan, Foziyeh Faraji, Mahmood Rahmati, Amir Mansouri
Introduction: Diabetes influences the quality of life and the life expectancy of affected people and is an expensive disease to treat that imposes a heavy burden on the health and economy of each country. There have been few studies performed on the effectiveness of diabetes care in the clinical setting in Iran. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of care in the clinical setting. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive research, as an analysis of available data. Information about patients was extracted from the reports that submitted to Lamerd Healthcare Network. The criteria of the effectiveness of achieving the desired indicators in this study were in accordance with the goals of treatment of diabetes in country (Iran) about diabetic patients. Descriptive statistics and analytical statistics including Pearson's correlation coefficient and t-test were used to analyze the data. Results: About 59.7% of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) participants had <7% and 40.3% HbA1c >7%. About 45.3% of body mass index (BMI) participants had <25 and 54.7% of BMI >25. There was a significant relationship between the level of care and changes in hemoglobin glycolysis (r = 0.243, P < 0.05). Conclusion: In terms of achieving therapeutic goals for diabetes, blood pressure and BMI were within the acceptable range, but levels of fasting blood glucose and HbA1c were not in this range. Since there is a relationship between the changes of HbA1c and the number of physician care and health worker, it can be achieved by increasing the number of care for the purpose of treatment. Planning for weight loss in diabetic patients and increasing the number and quality of care for controlling blood glucose in Lamerd is recommended.
Gastrointestinal carriage of Salmonella species and intestinal parasites, and nasal and hand carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among asymptomatic food handlers
Lona Dash, Ashvini Khaparde, Kumar Vivek, Jayanthi S Shastri
Background: Food borne diseases continue to be a public health problem globally. Food handlers (FHs) have been implicated in food borne outbreaks. Asymptomatic carriers go unnoticed and are thus an important source of pathogens. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted to detect intestinal carriage of Salmonella species and parasites as well as nasal and hand carriage of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) among asymptomatic FHs. Personal hygiene practices followed by them were recorded. Materials and Methods: A total of 300 asymptomatic FHs were studied. A semi-structured questionnaire was filled. Nasal swabs and finger impressions were taken on mannitol salt agar plates which were incubated overnight at 37°C; colonies suggestive of S. aureus were identified and confirmed by standard biochemical tests. Stool culture for Salmonella species was done on MacConkey agar, Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate agar and simultaneously inoculated in Selenite F broth for further processing; colonies suggestive of Salmonella species were identified by standard biochemical tests and Salmonella antisera (Denka Seiken, Japan). Stool-routine/microscopy for parasites was done by gross examination, direct saline, and iodine mount followed by concentration method (saturated salt solution). An arbitrary 10-point scale used in earlier studies was utilized for classifying the level of personal hygiene of FHs. Results: Salmonella Typhi was detected in stool culture of two FHs. Intestinal parasites detected in 10 (3.3%) subjects, included Ascaris lumbricoides (5;1.7%), Entamoeba histolytica (3;1.0%), and Giardia intestinalis (2;0.66%). S. aureus carriage was noted in anterior nares (116;38.7%) and hand (83;27.7%). A total of 149 (50%) FHs were S. aureus carriers. Conclusion: This study indicates that FHs may be a potential source of food borne pathogens.
Evaluation of risk factors impact on cataract development for uranium industry workers
Zhibek S Dautbayeva, Zeynet U Ahmedyanova, Polat K Kazymbet
The abundance and rough relative risk of cataract among 544 workers at the hydrometallurgical plant of Stepnogorsk Mining and Chemical Combine, depending on the total integrated dose of external irradiation, taking into account non-radiation factors, was studied. The conducted studies showed a statistically significant high abundance of ophthalmic pathology, including cataracts among workers in the main group compared with the control group. A statistically significant trend in the increase of cataracts with an increase in the total integrated dose, smoking index of more than 20 packs/year, increase in body weight and persons suffering from hypertension. As a result of a multivariate analysis of risk factors connection to cataract, we revealed that the cumulative dose and length of exposure are the main indicators predicting the development of cataracts for uranium industry adult workers. It is known that age is a key risk factor for many diseases, including cataracts. Lens opacity is a pluricausal manifestation, which is based on the mechanism associated with the course of time.
The global public health challenge of malnutrition: Ensuring trend reversal
Saurabh R Shrivastava, Prateek S Shrivastava, Jegadeesh Ramasamy
[FULL TEXT] [PDF] [Mobile Full text] [EPub]
Swine fluand lymphoma: A short summary
Somsri Wiwanitkit, Viroj Wiwanitkit
Preventing the outbreaks of food-borne botulism and minimizing the risk of fatality
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava, Prateek Saurabh Shrivastava, Jegadeesh Ramasamy
EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES
Continue the intensity of the ongoing prevention and control measures to contain the 2016 outbreak of yellow fever in Angola
Prevention and control of Hepatitis A in developing nations: Public health perspective
Combating infectious diseases on the global scale in the era of the sustainable development goals
Necessity to strengthen prevention activities and expand treatment services to accomplish global elimination of Hepatitis C
Delivering comprehensive sexuality education among youths to eventually achieve human immunodeficiency virus-free generation
Thrombocytopenia and bleeding: Existed but little mentioned in Zika virus infection
Expanding the reach and utility of emergency medical teams to ensure appropriate management of disasters
Cardiovascular diseases in low- and middle-income nations: Responding to the leading cause of mortality
Ensuring delivery of integrated care for reducing the morbidity and mortality attributed to cardiovascular diseases
Establishing connection among all through blood donation: Current status and public health implications
Noncommunicable diseases: Strengthening the process of data collection for potential risk factors
Application of data available through health information systems in preventing maternal deaths
Prevention and control of legionellosis: A public health perspective
Elimination target for lymphatic filariasis attained in Sri Lanka and Maldives: World health organization
Responding to the rapid upsurge in the rise of overweight and obesity at global scale
Public health measures to minimize exposure to arsenic and associated morbidities
Ensuring availability of pregnancy and childbirth care services in conflict-affected regions of Syria
Global health security: Transforming commitments into practical actions
Extending humanitarian assistance to displaced pregnant women in armed conflict-affected nations
Targeting asbestos across different industries to minimize the incidence of asbestos-related diseases on the global front
Saurabh R Shrivastava, Prateek S Shrivastava, Ramasamy Jegadeesh
How can we respond to the challenge of insufficient physical activity?
Public health approach to minimize the prevalence and associated sequels of leishmaniasis in the affected regions
Mobilizing youth population to spread peace in the conflict-affected regions of Central Africa
Aiming to achieve elimination of Chagas disease: Before it acquires a status of global public health concern
Universal health coverage: Necessity, monitoring, and the vision ahead
Preventing the acquisition and progression of chronic Hepatitis B infection in middle and low income nations: World health organization
Fast-tracking efforts to accomplish the global elimination of trachoma by 2020
Strengthening civil registration system on a global scale: Offering double benefit for the policy makers and the community
Implementing maternal death surveillance and response through the Millennium Villages Project: World Health Organization
International agencies working together to empower adolescent girls in Mozambique: A community-based intervention
Whether fractional dosing of yellow fever vaccine can be recommended to meet the challenges of the ongoing 2016 West African outbreak and the resulting vaccine shortage?
Encouraging and expanding screening activities for cervical cancer in low-resource settings
Targeting cervical cancer in low and middle income nations: Necessity of a comprehensive approach
Targeting the end of the AIDS epidemic in the era of sustainable development by the year 2030
Dealing with the neglected issue of oral health: Building a global consensus
Young people acting as ambassadors for the accomplishment of women-related sustainable development goals
Offering adolescent girls' centered care in developing nations: Fighting against all odds
Medical IT curriculum for local public health promotion: Expert comments on its way for actual implementation and operating
Bordinthon Jeenpea, Suphattra Wayalun, Wasana Kaewla, Viroj Wiwanitkit
Building an effective mechanism to respond to the repeated outbreaks of cholera in the african region
Developing a mechanism to reduce after effects and track health workers affected by terrorism
Meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people in developing nations
Identifying gaps and recommending targeted strategies to ensure effective control of asthma
Sitemap | Advertise | What's New | Feedback | Disclaimer
© Annals of Tropical Medicine and Public Health
The Africa Health Research Organization Publishes the ATMPH & Wolters Kluwer - Medknow assists in the publication.
Online since 10th June, 2008
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2226
|
__label__wiki
| 0.776173
| 0.776173
|
James Franck
Born Aug 26 1882
European Refugee, Manhattan Project Veteran, Scientist, Nobel Prize Winner
James Franck (1882-1964) was a German physicist and winner of the 1925 Nobel Prize for Physics.
During the Manhattan Project, Franck served as Director of the Chemistry Division of the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory.
He also served as chairman of the Committee on Political and Social Problems regarding the atomic bomb. The product of this committee was the Franck Report, released June 11, 1945, which recommended an open demonstration of the atomic bomb’s power in an uninhabited locality rather than dropping the bomb on Japanese cities.
Franck was upset by the use of the bombs and after the war switched fields and studied photosynthesis.
Scientific Contributions
He won the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovery of the laws governing the impact of electrons on atoms, which confirmed the Bohr model of the atom.
When Germany invaded Denmark in 1940, Hungarian chemist George de Hevesy dissolved the gold Nobel Prizes of Max von Laue and Franck in aqua regia to prevent the Nazis from taking them. After the war, the Nobel Society recast Franck and von Laue's awards from the solution.
James Franck's Timeline
1882 Aug 26th Born in Hamburg, Germany.
1906 Received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Berlin.
1911 to 1918 Lectured at the University of Berlin.
Liane B. Russell
Mammalian Geneticist, Oak Ridge, TN
Shimon Peres
Administrator, Israel
Ernst David Bergmann
Chemist, Israel
George Gamow
Professor, Theoretical Physicist, Washington, DC
Chaim Richman
Physicist, Los Alamos, NM
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2227
|
__label__cc
| 0.542583
| 0.457417
|
The Battle of Waterloo: A Landmark in Britain's Geopolitical Strategy
The Duke of Wellington orders the line to advance at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815.
The Battle of Waterloo was a landmark in Britain's lasting strategy to retain a balance of power on the Continent. But the culmination of World War II brought about a fundamental change in this strategy that is now playing out as an EU referendum bill makes its way through the British Parliament....
European Disintegration
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2232
|
__label__cc
| 0.589923
| 0.410077
|
Accountable.US
Primary domain: Research
State: Washington, DC
https://www.accountable.us/
Accountable.US is a watchdog organization that works to expose corruption in Washington and across the country to ensure policymakers are acting on behalf of the American people rather than special interests.
Position: Chief of Staff
Location: Washington, D.C.
Status: Exempt; Full Time
Reports to: President
Accountable.US is a nonpartisan watchdog group that exposes corruption in public life and holds government officials and corporate special interests accountable by bringing their misconduct to light. In doing so, we make way for policies that advance the interests of all Americans, not just the rich and powerful. The organization seeks a Chief of Staff to provide overarchingsupport to the organization and its work.
Reporting to the President, the Chief of Staff will be responsible for leading and enhancing the organization's administrative infrastructure and internal processes that will allow Accountable.US to grow and fulfill its mission. The Chief of Staff will oversee the organization’s financial management, human resources, grant management, administrative and internal operations. The Chief of Staff will oversee all financial and budgeting matters, manage the operations of the organization, and spearhead projects designed to help the organization grow in a sustainable manner. In this role, the Chief of Staff must have a deep understanding of the programmatic priorities of the organization and develop a seamless infrastructure to help Accountable.US meet its goals.
The position is based in Washington, D.C., though employees at the organization are currently working remotely given the pandemic. Some weekend work may be required. Travel may also be required at a later date given the organization has a no travel policy in effect through the duration of the pandemic.
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. A flexible approach, sense of humor, and positive attitude are important.
Core Responsibilities and Tasks
Financial Planning, Compliance, and Budget Management (~50% of job)
Responsible for the management and oversight of all financial matters, including budget development, forecasting, and financial planning.
Lead and establish processes for all aspects of regulatory compliance, including annual audit, IRS reporting, and other regulatory requirements.
Establish and manage grant and contracting processes for the organization.
Human Resources Management (~25% of job)
Oversee, recommend, and advise on compensation and benefits, ensuring organization leads the industry and implements programs in an equitable manner.
Lead senior leadership team responsible for ensuring organization’s day-to-day culture and values match our goals.
Oversee all hiring, including determining priority roles and developing processes and practices to govern talent acquisition.
Oversee all professional training, development, and mentoring programs.
Lead organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice initiatives.
Manage annual employee review process development and execution, feedback cycle, and broader performance management systems and practices.
Operations (25% of job)
Manage internal team and outside consultants responsible for office management and technology support.
Required Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Ability
Bachelor’s degree required
At least 10 to 15 years of relevant work experience
Strong attention to detail and organizational management
Ability to prioritize work in a fast-paced environment
Ability to respond to crises calmly and with poise
Strong problem-solving skills
Demonstrated ability to effectively manage staff and consultants
Strong interpersonal skills with a sense of humor
Demonstrates an interest and ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Please email cover letter and resume to [email protected] with “Chief of Staff” in the subject line.
Accountable.US Careers
Accountable.US is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. Our work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2234
|
__label__wiki
| 0.965536
| 0.965536
|
Donate Nominate
About BSHOF
Inductee Class Photos
Nominees for the Class of 2020
Scholar Athletes Class Photos
Arthur ‘Swat’ McCabe
Induction Class of 2003
← Back To Inductee List
Arthur ‘Swat” McCabe and Clyde Waters were teammates on the old Endee baseball teams of the 1920’s, one of the best semi-pro outfits in the country. Waters was born in Ohio and had a long and distinguished career in a variety of sports although he made his name locally as a strong-armed catcher for the N.D. team from 1919 to 1926.
When his playing days ended, which included playing in the New York Yankees organization, he became on of the most respected sports officials in the area, particularly in football, where he worked some of the top college games in the East.
McCabe, who came to Bristol by way of Pennsylvania, had a long baseball career which included stints with the Cincinnati Reds in 1909 and 1910. He came to Bristol in 1919 and his powerful bat made him one of New Departure baseball’s favorite players.
Following his playing days, he coached the Celtics and West Ends in Bristol while becoming one of the better known bowlers in town. The McCabe-Waters Little league, the city’s first Little League, was named in honor of the Endee’s stars when it was founded in 1949.
Explore the Hall of Fame Inductees
Visit the John Fortunato “Memorabilia” Room
Located at the Bristol Historical Society
98 Summer Street Bristol, CT
Phone. 860.583-6309
Bristol Sports Hall of Fame mail address:
BSHOF
Bristol, CT 06011-2954
Support BSHOF
© 2021 Bristol Sports Hall of Fame | Bristol, CT. All Rights Reserved.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2237
|
__label__wiki
| 0.738139
| 0.738139
|
Events at Emens
Emens Home
Emens Auditorium
With their Emmy Award winning PBS special now airing across the country, and Billboard chart topping albums, it's easy to see why The Texas Tenors are America's favorite new tenors. Since their whirlwind debut six years ago on NBC's America's Got Talent, The Texas Tenors have accumulated a long list of awards, accolades and excited fans. They have performed more than 1000 concerts around the world, including a 24-city tour in the United Kingdom, Shanghai, China and collaborations with some of the most prestigious symphonies in the US. People are clearly enjoying their talent as they were recently named the #10 Classical Artist in the world according to Billboard magazine.
From Bruno Mars to Puccini, Marcus Collins, John Hagen and JC Fisher treat audiences to a unique blend of country, classical, broadway and current pop music. They use breathtaking vocals, humor and a touch of cowboy charm to create an unforgettable live show.
The Texas Tenors have also used their talent beyond concert halls. They have been featured entertainers on NBC’s The Today Show, Hallmark’s Home and Family and The 28th Annual Cinematheque Awards honoring Matthew McConaughey, to name a few. Other notable performances have included NBA games, the PBR World Championships in Las Vegas and a variety of charity events. John, Marcus and JC are always ready to give back and promote awareness for organizations near and dear to their hearts including The Child Fund International, Homes for our Troops and The Mission Project.
The Texas Tenors proudly remain self produced and managed with a commitment to quality, family entertainment for all ages. Whether it be stage, television, recording or multi-media projects, these “three friends with a dream" never forget their roots.
XX minutes
Adults $29 - $39
Youth (18 and under) $15
Pick 4+ Package $23 - $33
Groups (12+) $19 - $29
BSU Student Free (adv) / $10 (door)
Find turn-by-turn directions, parking restrictions and recommendations, shuttle service, drop-off and more. Learn more.
For patrons with special needs, we offer a variety of services including, accessible seating, Infrared Listening System, and special parking. Learn more.
Find frequently asked questions about lost tickets, refunds/exchanges, will call, age requirements and even ticket buying tips to improve your experience! Learn more.
Artist Series Event
This event is featured as one of Emens Auditorium's Artist Series events. Artist Series subscriptions allow you to reserve the same seat for each of our 6+ Artist Series performances. In addition, subscribers receive discounts on many other performing arts events throughout the season. Learn more.
Emens Box Office
1800 W. Riverside Ave.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Summer)
877-90-EMENS (toll-free)
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2238
|
__label__wiki
| 0.918301
| 0.918301
|
First blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s goes on sale
by: Nexstar Media Wire and The Associated Press
Posted: Dec 1, 2020 / 08:40 AM EST / Updated: Dec 1, 2020 / 08:40 AM EST
A company has started selling the first blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, a leap for the field that could make it much easier for people to learn whether they have dementia. It also raises concern about the accuracy and impact of such life-altering news.
Independent experts are leery because key test results have not been published and the test has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — it’s being sold under more general rules for commercial labs. But they agree that a simple test that can be done in a doctor’s office has long been needed.
It might have spared Tammy Maida a decade of futile trips to doctors who chalked up her symptoms to depression, anxiety or menopause before a $5,000 brain scan last year finally showed she had Alzheimer’s.
“I now have an answer,” said the 63-year-old former nurse from San Jose, California.
If a blood test had been available, “I might have been afraid of the results” but would have “jumped on that” to find out, she said.
More than 5 million people in the United States and millions more around the world have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. To be diagnosed with it, people must have symptoms such as memory loss plus evidence of a buildup of a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain.
The best way now to measure the protein is a costly PET brain scan that usually is not covered by insurance. That means most people don’t get one and are left wondering if their problems are due to normal aging, Alzheimer’s or something else.
The blood test from C2N Diagnostics of St. Louis aims to fill that gap. The company’s founders include Drs. David Holtzman and Randall Bateman of Washington University School of Medicine, who headed research that led to the test and are included on a patent that the St. Louis university licensed to C2N.
The test is not intended for general screening or for people without symptoms — it’s aimed at people 60 and older who are having thinking problems and are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s. It’s not covered by insurance or Medicare; the company charges $1,250 and offers discounts based on income. Only doctors can order the test and results come within 10 days. It’s sold in all but a few states in the U.S. and just was cleared for sale in Europe.
It measures two types of amyloid particles plus various forms of a protein that reveal whether someone has a gene that raises risk for the disease. These factors are combined in a formula that includes age, and patients are given a score suggesting low, medium or high likelihood of having amyloid buildup in the brain.
If the test puts them in the low category, “it’s a strong reason to look for other things” besides Alzheimer’s, Bateman said.
“There are a thousand things that can cause someone to be cognitively impaired,” from vitamin deficiencies to medications, Holtzman said.
“I don’t think this is any different than the testing we do now” except it’s from a blood test rather than a brain scan, he said. “And those are not 100% accurate either.”
ACCURACY CLAIMS
The company has not published any data on the test’s accuracy, although the doctors have published on the amyloid research leading to the test. Company promotional materials cite results comparing the test to PET brain scans — the current gold standard — in 686 people, ages 60-91, with cognitive impairment or dementia.
If a PET scan showed amyloid buildup, the blood test also gave a high probability of that in 92% of cases and missed 8% of them, said the company’s chief executive, Dr. Joel Braunstein.
If the PET scan was negative, the blood test ruled out amyloid buildup 77% of the time. The other 23% got a positive result, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the blood test was incorrect, Braunstein said. The published research suggests it may detect amyloid buildup before it’s evident on scans.
Braunstein said the company will seek FDA approval and the agency has given it a designation that can speed review. He said study results would be published, and he defended the decision to start selling the test now.
“Should we be holding that technology back when it could have a big impact on patient care?” he asked.
Dr. Eliezer Masliah, neuroscience chief at the U.S. National Institute on Aging, said the government funded some of the work leading to the test as well as other kinds of blood tests.
“I would be cautious about interpreting any of these things,” he said of the company’s claims. “We’re encouraged, we’re interested, we’re funding this work but we want to see results.”
Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer’s Association said it won’t endorse a test without FDA approval. The test also needs to be studied in larger and diverse populations.
“It’s not quite clear how accurate or generalizable the results are,” she said.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Metro police are looking for a man accused of crushing an officer in a doorway as a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters forced their way into the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6.
(NEXSTAR) - A decade or two ago, it may have been impossible to track down many of the individuals who overran and occupied the United States Capitol on January 6th. The age of social media has given investigators and amateur internet sleuths a trove of images to pore over and match.
As of Tuesday, authorities had opened about 170 investigations into people who potentially committed crimes, according to the Associated Press. That number is expected to grow.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2243
|
__label__wiki
| 0.662525
| 0.662525
|
Client: BAE Systems
Original Value: £102,270
Final Value: £102,270
Start Date: Oct 2014
Status: Completed 2015
Walney Island is situated off the Cumbrian coast, close to Barrow-in-Furness. The north end of the island includes North Walney National Nature Reserve, Walney Airfield and the Duddon Estuary.
The island is an important coastal site for birds, plants and animal species.
CCNW’s professional conservation team has extensive experience with all aspects of habitat management and creation.
The land around and adjacent to the airport is owned by BAE Systems and is part of the industrial legacy of the island. The site is next to North Walney National Nature Reserve
At the heart of this project has been the creation of over 2.5km of new footpaths, affording visitors greatly improved routes around the site. New knee rails were provided to discourage the use of informal paths, helping to protect plant and animal species.
With the footpaths, new steps were built around steep areas adjacent to existing ponds. To complement this, eroded slopes and banking adjacent the ponds were lined and stabilised. Work was also carried out to clear areas along the new footpaths and the existing ponds including removal of barbed wire fencing.
Site had suffered with unauthorised camping and off-road car use. Natural stone blocks were placed strategically around the site to discourage future site misuse.
The result is a greatly enhanced landscape with better linkages to North Walney National Nature Reserve and West Shore.
Coastal Environment
Reinstatement & Construction
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2245
|
__label__cc
| 0.505238
| 0.494762
|
Scientists revisit Anegada to study causes of catastrophic event
Scientists are currently in the Territory conducting an eight-day analysis of the geological effects of Hurricane Earl on Anegada to ascertain whether a hurricane impact was responsible for the catastrophic overwash that occurred between 1650 and 1800.
According to the Director of the Department of Disaster Management Sharleen DaBreo, this study is ongoing and relevant because scientists are concerned that the Subduction Zone in this part of the region could create a significant earthquake or tsunami event in the future.
She said Anegada is ideal to search for geological records of ancient earthquakes and tsunamis because of its close proximity to the zone.
Dr. Brian Atwater and Mr. Robert Halley of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Dr. Martitia Tuttle of M. Tuttle & Associates and Ms. Zamara Fuentes of the Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) said they are comparing Hurricane Earl’s sediment layers with those between 1650 and 1800.
Dr. Atwater said that 1650 is cited as the earliest possible date based on radiocarbon dating. He added that 1800 was calculated based on written accounts from members of the Methodist Church on Anegada.
He said, “We did find evidence of a catastrophe on Anegada, an overwash was evident on a big portion of the island, and we believe that this catastrophe can be explained by the tsunami that came from the Lisbon earthquake in 1755.”
The study, which was initiated in 2008, and subsequently in 2009, is being carried out in salt ponds that have been relatively undisturbed by crabs and other organisms because of the high salt content.
The team of scientists will present their findings to government officials. The study will then be published in the Natural Hazards scientific journal. Copies of the publication and access to the data will be given to the Government. This research is funded by US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC).
Overwash is the flow of water and sediment over the crest of the beach that does not directly return to the water body (such as ocean, sea, bay or lake; hereafter, ocean) where it originated after water level fluctuations return to normal.
A subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates move towards one another and one slides under the other.
Radiocarbon Dating, or carbon dating is probably one of the most widely used and best known absolute dating methods. It is the archaeologist's tool kit that has revolutionized archaeology by providing a means of dating deposits independent of artifacts and local stratigraphic sequences
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2246
|
__label__wiki
| 0.876272
| 0.876272
|
Applications for the Position of Press Ombudsman Are Now Sought
The Business This Week section of today’s Irish Times carries an advertisment (on page 18), under the heading used as the title to thise post, seeking applications for the position of Press Ombudsman. The advertisment is available online here (from Grant Thornton‘s recruitment arm).
The Press Ombudsman is a crucial part of the press industry’s Press Council package, and will be critical not only to the efficient working of the complaints system but also as a consequence to the public legitimacy of the entire project. According to the Press Council website [update (3 January 2008): the website has been redesigned and this link is no longer active]:
The Press Ombudsman
The Press Ombudsman will be appointed by the Press Council, is and will be the public face of Irish press regulation; s/he is the person who will receive complaints from members of the public, consider whether they are valid, and then seek to resolve them to the satisfaction of everyone involved. The Press Ombudsman will deal with the majority of complaints by members of the public, however s/he will also has the option of referring difficult cases (or cases where those involved are dissatisfied with the decision) to the Press Council of Ireland.
As I said here when membership of the Press Council itself was advertised in March, the press industry are to be applauded for going ahead with the establishment of these organs even in the absence of the Defamation Bill, 2006 (Department of Justice | Oireachtas (pdf)) which envisaged them.
Defamation, Freedom of Expression, Media and Communications, Press Council
I must be doing something right?
A voyage round the law of Contract
2 Reply to “Applications for the Position of Press Ombudsman Are Now Sought”
Pingback: cearta.ie » Blog Archive » Membership of the Press Council of Ireland
Pingback: cearta.ie » Blog Archive » Press Ombudsman
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2247
|
__label__cc
| 0.718152
| 0.281848
|
Keeping Schools Closed for the Rest of this School Year - Summer Learning Programs
The government announced we are protecting the health and safety of students during the COVID-19 outbreak by keeping schools closed for the rest of this school year.
Licensed child care centres and EarlyON programs will also remain closed for the safety and protection of children and families and staff through Stage 1 of the Framework for Reopening the Province. However, the government intends to reopen childcare in stage two using strict health measures.
Ontario also unveiled an expanded seven-point summer learning program for Ontario students to ensure those that participate remain intellectually stimulated through the summer months. To support at-home learning, the government is leveraging all tools, resources, technologies, and services to assist Boards of Education deliver equitable and effective learning through access to technology and Internet connectivity, especially for students in rural and remote parts of Ontario.
Assuming trends in key public health indicators continue to improve, summer day camps, both indoor and outdoor, may be permitted in July and August of this year with strict health and safety guidelines to be developed in partnership with local public health, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, and municipalities. Overnight camps will not be permitted to operate in the summer of 2020.
Christine Elliott, MPP
16635 Yonge St.
Newmarket, ON L3X 1V6
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2248
|
__label__wiki
| 0.637416
| 0.637416
|
ONTARIO RELEASES $35 MILLION TO HIRE MORE STAFF, IMPROVE REMOTE LEARNING IN TARGETED COMMUNITIES
TORONTO — The Ontario government is announcing the allocation of $35 million to provide additional immediate school board supports in the communities of Peel, Ottawa, Toronto and York Region to enhance public health measures and protection strategies as they confront higher rates of transmission in their communities.
This funding is part of the government's robust and comprehensive $1.3 billion plan to safely reopen classrooms across the province, including additional resources to help school boards hire more staff, keep class sizes low, and enhance cleaning in schools.
"As we find ourselves at the beginning of a second wave of COVID-19, we know there are schools in hotspot areas that need extra supports to keep students and staff safe," said Premier Doug Ford. "That's why we're immediately authorizing the release of this funding to reinforce existing investments to improve physical distancing and remote learning and hire more staff, so our kids and teachers stay safe and healthy."
To further enhance the safety of students and staff, this funding will be used for:
Providing increased distancing between students through the hiring of additional teachers, early childhood educators, and educational assistants; and
Providing increased remote learning supports, including the hiring of additional teachers, early childhood educators and educational assistants, as well as devices for students who have chosen to learn remotely.
"Our priority as we enter the flu season is to ensure our schools take every preventative measure possible to ensure students and staff remain safe," said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. "We are delivering this additional funding ― targeting those communities with higher rates of transmission ― to ensure we prevent the spread and maximize the safety of Ontario families."
Earlier this summer, Ontario unveiled one of the nation's most comprehensive plans for the safe reopening of schools in September. The plan is supported by $1.3 billion in resources to hire more teachers and increase physical distancing, support procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), enhanced cleaning of schools and buses, improving ventilation, hiring of more custodians, and adding school leadership positions and administrative support for virtual schools. The province is also providing funding to public health units to support the hiring of 625 school-focused nurses, while establishing a mandatory masking policy for grades 4-12, and a surveillance strategy to monitor the virus and detect cases and outbreaks quickly in schools.
The government launched a new voluntary interactive screening tool for students, staff, and visitors to advise individuals on whether they should attend school or child care. The tool is continually updated to reflect current public health advice.
The government also released the Operational Guidance: COVID-19 Management in Schools document. This guide was developed in consultation with public health experts, including Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, and aims to help schools identify and isolate COVID-19 cases, reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools, and prevent and minimize outbreaks.
As part of its plan to reopen schools safely, Ontario has committed to making $1.3 billion in COVID-19 resources available to school boards in support of the COVID-19 outbreak.
This $35 million investment is part of the $50 million set aside to respond to emerging challenges during the return to school.
Ontario recently launched a webpage to report COVID-19 cases in schools and child care centres. This page will be updated every weekday with the most up-to-date information available, including a summary of COVID-19 cases in schools and licensed child care centres and home care agencies.
Ontario Releases $35 Million for Schools in Priority Communities
Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
Students, parents and staff can visit Ontario’s new voluntary interactive screening tool to assist with the daily assessment of COVID-19 symptoms and risk factors that is required before attending school.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2249
|
__label__wiki
| 0.762159
| 0.762159
|
Search clintonnewsrecord.com
Clinton News Record
Share this Story: Mission to Nicaragua an eye-opener
Mission to Nicaragua an eye-opener
Kathleen Smith
Jul 19, 2019 • July 19, 2019 • 5 minute read
Local optometrist Dr. Dean Nisbett with a Nicaraguan patient in May during the campaign. SUBMITTED
Every three years a group of medical professionals travel to Nicaragua for a campaign to rural communities with limited access to healthcare.
Organized through Vancouver-based Ascenta Foundation, the group travels to Riscos de Oro with a team of volunteers.
Mission to Nicaragua an eye-opener Back to video
Each team is comprised of doctors, nurses, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, translators, drivers, cooks and security people.
Joining the campaign in May was optometrist Dr. Dean Nisbett of Huron Optometric Centre on West Street, along with the centre’s two vision therapists, Leslie Dixon-Rose and Laurie Donnelly.
“It was Leslie’s idea, she wanted to go on a mission,” Nisbett told the Signal Star. “Finally, this one came along and it was the first one for Leslie and I.”
He added, “Laurie has been on a mission before, but not eye care missions.”
Ascenta has completed missions to Nicaragua every three years and works in partnership with Calibre Mining.
In 2013, the foundation and Calibre Mining conducted a four-day medical campaign where approximately 2,100 patients were treated.
In 2016, over 2,200 patients were treated over a four-and-a-half day clinic, and three years later local experts travelled to Nicaragua to join in the efforts to provide services for rural communities.
“I’ve done a fair amount of travelling and have recognized how fortunate we are here, that we have a service that we can provide,” Dixon-Rose admitted.
Nicaragua is on the list of countries Canadians are advised to avoid, and so the volunteers were escorted by members of the military.
Transportation from the compound to the clinics in a village took 90 minutes through incredibly rough roads. They were escorted by military with heavy artillery.
“We weren’t allowed to go anywhere without a guard,” said Dixon Rose. “We couldn’t leave the compound without them.
“The first day, it was sort of unsettling but then you start to feel safe, because 24 hours a day they were around.”
Riscos de Oro is in a remote area, an hour’s drive from Rosita, which is home to the closest medical facility.
More serious medical attention must be sought in Managua, which can be a prohibitively expensive flight for local residents. They live in such poverty that they do not have electricity and running water, let alone a car to drive to receive medical services, the Goderich contingent reports.
“Some have to walk for two days to get to the clinic,” they said.
“We complain that we have to wait three hours in the ER to be seen, but these people have waited three years.”
Creating a makeshift clinic in an old school, classrooms were cleared out and residents were triaged by local nurses.
Nisbett, Dixon Rose and Donnelly, along with the team of medical expert volunteers, began their days at 5:30 a.m. and the gates to the clinics closed at 4 p.m.
While speaking to the Signal Star on their experience, Dixon Rose told the story of a woman who appeared at the gates of the clinic on the first day.
She had been kicked by her mule, her means of transportation, and had a broken pelvis and femur. The doctors saw the severity of her injuries, provided pain medication and she was taken to a hospital.
“What would have happened if that happened the week before, or the month before?” Dixon Rose mused. “It’s hard to imagine and to comprehend just not having a service available.”
The optometry team brought with them just over 800 pairs of donated glasses and sunglasses, which can be donated to Huron Optometric Centre. Once prescriptions were generated, the closest match was given to patients.
Nisbett recounted an experience with a patient who came in with cataracts, who had no vision for the past 15 years.
“In our stock of lenses, unbelievably, we had a plus 14. We put those on and she could see her daughter’s face for the first time and was touching her face. It was really moving to see that.”
During the campaign, the overall patient count was 2,353. From that list a total of 1,028 were seen in optometry and 413 pairs of glasses were distributed.
Nesbitt admitted that being around a team of volunteers creating a caring community for the residents of Riscos de Oro was a powerful experience.
An eye-opening and life-changing experience, the campaign reminded the Goderich trio of how grateful Canadians should be for the services available. The three admitted that the difference between themselves and the patients they treated on the campaign is that they born in Canada while the others were born in Nicaragua.
“A woman the same age as me has the same wants for her family as I have,” said Dixon Rose. “She wants her kids to be healthy and happy, and I want my kids to be healthy and happy.
“My situation compared to hers is so different and I don’t think you realize how many services we take for granted.”
Donnelly continued that sentiment, adding that a lasting impact of the campaign for her was that everybody was helping other people in need.
She said that being able to give back can change a person, adding that it’s important to step out of a person’s comfort zone.
“You can’t un-see and un-hear what you see and hear and it becomes the fabric of you. It makes you appreciate the life we have here more and complain less,” added Dixon Rose.
A life-changing experience for the trio, they returned to Goderich with a deeper appreciation for the medical services and home comforts available to them in Canada.
Seeing families travelling by foot with elderly family members or children, in their Sunday best to be receive medical assessment and treatment changed them.
Watching the gates close and knowing patients had to walk hours back from where they came or sleep in a field, all to have their eyes tested or have a doctor aid an ailment, changed them.
Knowing they used their expertise to help residents of Riscos de Oro live healthier, less painful lives or help them see for the first time in over a decade changed them.
“I think we got more out of helping and got more out of the experience than the patients did,” said Dixon Rose.
The campaign to Nicaragua gave so much to the local residents that they have plans to return to Nicaragua in another three years and are looking to get involved in optometry specific campaigns.
For more information on the Ascenta Foundation or Huron Optometric Centre, visit https://www.ascentafoundation.com and http://www.huronoc.ca/goderich-office.html
News Near Clinton
Follow the Clinton News Record
© 2021 Clinton News Record, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2251
|
__label__wiki
| 0.957429
| 0.957429
|
Olivia Newton-John Gives Fans an Update on Her Breast Cancer Battle: “I’m Feeling Good!”
Aug 16, 2017 10:55 am·
By Julia Birkinbine
Henry Winkler Has a Happy Day With Son Max in Rare Public Outing
Reba Mcentire Is All Smiles During Beach Vacation in Barbados!
Lisa Marie Presley Keeps It Casual While Grocery Shopping in LA
It’s been three months since Olivia Newton-John revealed she is battling breast cancer for the second time — and now, the 68-year-old actress is giving her loyal fans an update on her health. “[It’s been] 25 years since my first [diagnosis] back in 1992. I’m feeling good [and] am totally confident that my new journey will have a positive success story to inspire others,” she recently said.
Olivia (center) at a breast cancer awareness event. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
“Being on this journey again has brought me closer to what every patient and their families are going through,” Olivia continued. “I know we will find a cure for cancer in my lifetime!” The Grease star first battled breast cancer in 1992 and underwent a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy, and breast reconstruction at the time. After beating the disease, Olivia became an impassioned advocate for breast cancer research and early detection. In May, the singer announced she had again been diagnosed with breast cancer and this time it had metastasized to the sacrum, a lower back bone.
MORE: Olivia Newton-John Reveals Her Husband Is So Supportive Amid Her Breast Cancer Battle (EXCLUSIVE)
“She is doing so well,” Olivia’s only child, daughter Chloe Rose Lattanzi, 31, said following her mother’s unfortuante health news. The singer’s longtime friend John Farnham has also revealed the star is staying optimistic throughout her second cancer battle. “I’ve spoken to Olivia in the last few days, and, as always she is very positive. She told me she is feeling good and confident of a total healing,” he told News.com.au.
“The love and support from family and friends as well as people, in general, is enormous comfort to her,” he added. “I’ve also spoken to Dr. Cebon at Olivia’s Wellness Center, and he tells me that her positivity is a great asset to her and if anyone can beat this she can.” We’re thinking of you throughout your breast cancer battle, Olivia!
Click through the gallery to see more stars who’ve bravely beaten breast cancer!
The actress and fitness guru was diagnosed with a noninvasive form of the disease after having a lump removed from her breast in 2010."I've just joined a family of millions of women who have gone through this," Jane told Oprah in 2013 of her battle.
At the young age of 36, Christina underwent a "life-saving" double mastectomy after being told she had breast cancer. "I still sometimes lose my mind,” the actress recently told ET of her diagnosis. "You have a daily reminder of everything that you’ve gone through."
On Oct. 9, 2014, Barbara stunned attendees at a Breast Cancer Research Foundation luncheon by revealing she once battled the disease.
"Some years back, more than five now, I discovered a small lump in my own breast. Under the expert care of [my doctor] I had a lumpectomy. I haven't talked about it. There was no need to. There were other choices that were possible. This was mine. I told a few people and I'm fine. I wasn't worried because I knew that the advances made in treating breast cancer including lumpectomies were possible. Research made my treatment possible," she said of her diagnosis and treatment for the illness.
Cynthia — who is best known for her role as Miranda on Sex and the City — was told she had breast cancer in 2000 while getting a routine mammogram, but did not go public with her diagnosis until 2008. Since then, the actress has become a proud breast cancer activist and now serves as an ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Hoda Kotb
Hoda — co-host of the fourth hour of Today alongside Kathie Lee Gifford— underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2007 following her diagnosis. She has since become a proud advocate for breast cancer awareness and celebrated five years of being cancer-free in October 2012.
The Fried Green Tomatoes star first battled ovarian cancer in 2003 before revealing in September 2012 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer two months earlier and had undergone a double mastectomy.
Starting in 1997, the singer underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and reconstructive surgery to treat her breast cancer. While Carly had noticed a lump in her breast several years before, her doctors originally advised her against surgery. She has since said she has felt "a little angry" with herself for not pressuring the health professionals to remove the lump sooner.
Giuliana Rancic
The TV star host found out she had breast cancer after her doctor asked her to get a mammogram before continuing with IVF fertility treatments. In October 2011 Giuliana revealed she had been diagnosed with an early stage of the disease for which she was treated with a lumpectomy, radiation and a double mastectomy. Less than a year later, Giuliana returned to work at E! and welcomed her first child, Duke, with husband, Bill Rancic, via surrogate.
Joan Lunden
After an "aggressive," stage-two diagnosis in June, the former Good Morning America host underwent chemotherapy and a lumpectomy. "It gives you this much, much greater appreciation for life," she told breast cancer survivor Hoda Kotb of her battle during a recent Today interview.
Dame Maggie Smith
"The cancer was hideous. It takes the wind out of your sails and I don't know what the future holds, if anything," the British actress said of the disease during her battle. In 2007, the Harry Potter star was diagnosed with breast cancer, but insisted on continuing to appear in the beloved series and underwent a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation treatments during filming.
"I feel so fortunate and grateful to be a survivor of breast cancer. I see it as a gift," Olivia once said of her battle with breast cancer. The Grease star was diagnosed with the illness in 1992 and has since become an advocate for health awareness and breast cancer research. She was sadly diagnosed again in May 2017.
Robin — a Good Morning America anchor and former ESPN reporter — battled an early form of breast cancer in 2007, which was treated with chemotherapy and radiation. In 2013 she announced she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a medical condition that may have been exacerbated by her cancer treatments. She underwent a bone marrow transplant in October 2012.
The "Soak Up the Sun" singer was diagnosed with the disease in 2006 and has since become an impassioned activist for early detection.
"When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was shocked," Suzanne told Everyday Health in 2011 of her battle. The Three's Company star had a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy but decided to forego chemotherapy in favor of alternative treatment for the disease.
Rita Wilson
Rita was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma — the second most common type of breast cancer — after having two surgical breast biopsies in April 2015. She then underwent a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The actress confirmed she is now cancer-free in December 2015.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2252
|
__label__wiki
| 0.763377
| 0.763377
|
The company, with annual revenues of $1.7 billion in 2014, produces high-frequency electric resistant welding (ERW) process steel pipes used in oil and gas extraction and transmission at the sprawling Wilder mill alongside the Licking River.
Company and union officials blame the layoffs on the recently drop-off in profits of the oil and gas industry, as well as trade agreements that allow the import of cheaper ERW steel from China and South Korea.
"The problem is definitely two-fold," said Roger Bentley, communications director for TMK Ipsco, from the company's Houston headquarters. Bentley noted the layoffs are temporary, although there is no set time for the workers to return.
Ray Rogg, who has worked at the company for 25 years through its various owners and name changes, said the Wilder plant is rife with fear and confusion.
"When oil prices started going down, we were put in survival mode," said Rogg, who is president of United Steelworkers Local 1870.
"We've got guys here who've worked here 30 and 40 years getting laid off – things are so bad," he added.
"Oil and fracking industries affect more people than we think, and these pipe manufacturers are directly related to it, so they're seeing the brunt," said Bill Froehle, president of the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council.
"It's costing a lot of working families their income and putting them in precarious situations," he said, underscoring the paradox of how low energy prices can hurt some people and firms even as they have benefited many other families and companies.
Mill is a remnant of NKY's steelmaking past
The Wilder mill is one of the last survivors from the steel and iron works that once lined the Licking River in Newport and Covington. Another is Stewart Iron Works, a historic gate and fence maker in Erlanger.
TMK Ipsco is the American division of Russia's TMK. It was formed June 2008 when TMK purchased 10 pipe-manufacturing facilities from SSAB, a Swedish steel company that had acquired Chicago-based IPSCO in 2007.
Much of TMK Ipsco's current production capacity comes from the company's 2006 acquisition of Newport-based NS Group Inc., a producer of seamless and welded pipe. The acquisition brought together welded pipe manufacturing and finishing operations in Wilder, as the Newport plant was closed.
Roughly a year ago, the company announced plans to expand the Wilder facility with a $19.8 million development designed to be the company's first steel coating facility. The state of Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority agreed to give company $650,000 in tax credits over 10 years. Yet the project, which would have added 40 jobs, was put on hold later last year, when crude oil prices wobbled downward.
In fact, shortly after the expansion was announced, TMK was cutting hours at Wilder and two U.S. other mills by 30 percent.
A drop in oil prices before a flood of imports
Here's the two-fold problem facing TMK Ipsco.
First "the current amount of oil drilling is substantially lowered" that what it was in the start of the decade, when fracking was booming in places such as North Dakota, Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, Bentley said. A rapid increase in U.S. oil and gas production as the world economy was recovering from the Great Recession eventually combined to drive prices sharply in late 2014.
"Last year the price of crude oil was barely hanging on $60 per barrel," said Corey Walker, markets editor for the Midwest at the Oil Price Information Service in Houston. As a result, companies are reducing capital expenditures on additional oil production. Fewer new wells means less demand for the pipes made at Wilder.
Walker said many large banks and financial institutions have made it clear they believe that oil prices could continue to struggle into 2016, because global demand is not seen as sufficient to offset growing supply.
The second problem is increasing steel imports from foreign companies. The company, with support of the union, is part of a movement to stem the tide of what both groups believe are unfairly cheap imports.
Douglas A. Polk, chairman of the Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports, an industry trade group, testified to a U.S. House committee on March 15, warning that increased imports of steel could cause the American steel industry to collapse.
"In 2014, pipe and tube imports took over half of the U.S. market," he testified. Many "of these imports arrived from China and Korea, with India and Turkey following."
"Cheap imports are taking business away from us – we can't compete when labor overseas is not held to the same OSHA, EPA and pay standards," local union president Rogg said. "We may not survive."
What will happen, now the layoffs are here
As for what becomes of the TMK Ipsco workers, the president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce said his group works with other organizations, such as Kentucky Career Center, to identify companies that are hiring and matching them with workers.
"That is something that isn't often done in many areas, but it's something we do" because of the particular problems that manufacturers are currently are having finding qualified workers, chamber president Trey Grayson said.
James Brock, an economics professor at Miami University, said the economic effect of the layoffs will be cushioned by a recovering local and national economy.
"Thankfully, there are jobs and manufacturing positions opening up that these workers could fill. If this happened at the height of the economic crisis, it would be a very different story."
Speaking about the state of the energy industry, Brock said. "It looks like things will eventually pick up, and by the time things do, companies will be scrambling for workers and the cycle will begin again."
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2254
|
__label__cc
| 0.515678
| 0.484322
|
Global entertainment & media market sees its growth slow down
05 July 2016 Consultancy.uk
The $1.7 trillion global entertainment & media market growth rate is slowly decreasing as old business models are swept aside by technological disrupters. Internet access, advertising, video games and video entertainment remain relatively strong growth areas, driven by changes in demographics and technology, while publishing and music find it hard to gain traction in the new environment.
Research from PwC and Strategy& into the entertainment & media (E&M) segment, in its ‘Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2016-2020’ report, highlights that considerable changes are afoot. According to the consultancy, five key factors are complicit in the changes: demography, competition, consumption, geography, and business models. Below, the larger picture is considered along with two of the key factors affecting the market, namely demographics and business models.
The growth of entertainment and media (E&M) has been gradually slowing since a peak of 6% in 2014. This year it is projected to cross the growth rate of nominal PPP GDP as it ticks upwards, and, by 2020 a divergence of 2% is projected. The slowdown in the E&M market reflects a range of changing fundamentals, from demographics to technology.
While the global average picture sees a slowdown of compound growth, there are a range of bright spots within the global landscape where growth is considerably more robust. The percentage-point difference in growth rates of E&M spending and GDP, for 2016, in Venezuela stands at 14%, while for Argentina it stands at just above 9%. Brazil, Egypt and Russia too have substantially higher spending patterns on E&M, highlighting that, even while in recession, people are still willing to pay for entertainment.
The research also finds that growth within the E&M landscape is relatively diverse, with a number of segments, including internet (CAGR 7.8% from 2015 to 2020) and video games (4.8%) growing relatively quickly, while other segments, such as music (2.3%) and publishing (1.1%) remain relatively flat. In terms of spending on E&M, the consumer spending business model continues to pull in the largest amount at $800 billion by 2020, with a CARG of 2.6% from 2015 to 2020. Advertising, even in the face of ad blockers, will continue to grow relatively strongly at CAGR of 4.9% to around $500 billion. Internet access, however, is the fastest growing business model, with the cost of data generating CARG of 6.8% to reach close to the $450 billion.
Demographics and models
The research also considers the effect of age on E&M spending growth, finding that there is a relatively strong correlation between spending growth and the relative age. The larger the percentage of those under the age of 35 is, the larger the growth on E&M spending.
For instance, countries such as Indonesia, India, Brazil and the Philippines have relatively young populations, with 60% under 35, and relatively high rates of spending growth, at 13%, 10% and 8% respectively. China, while greying, has grown to become a middle-income economy, which may be creating the conditions for increased spending growth.
Most of the European countries, in many of which the number of those under the age of 35 is below 30%, have considerably lower levels of spending growth – at 2-3%. Japan in particular, with its rapidly aging population, will see low spending increases in entertainment between 2015 and 2020 – although even there growth remains.
Another major trend affecting the E&M market is the changes in consumer behaviour through the wider array of services that provide more selectively for their needs. Traditionally companies sold people bundles of services, from television channels to albums. The internet, and a range of streaming services, allows users to pick and choose which items they consume from a wide range of undifferentiated items.
Global subscription spending on Netflix and other OTT subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services grew by 33.8% in 2014 and 32.3% in 2015 — that’s 77% in two years. The launch of Apple Music provided a major boost to digital music streaming revenue, and other streaming companies, such as Tidal, Beatport, Deezer, Earbits, Pandora, Spotify, and Rhapsody – to name but a few – arguably saw a boost due to the enhanced awareness Apple Music created among consumers. By 2020, the streaming market will grow from $15 billion in 2015 to more than $30 billion. The fastest growing segment is the online-video streaming segment. By 2020, the entire segment will account for 4% of all consumer revenue.
The growth of streaming is not necessarily the death knell for the traditional music or television industry. Careful planning and a strong range of content rich propositions may still provide a way to retain or grow market share.
Size of independent films market nosedives in corona year The independent film industry is set to take a major financial hit from the Covid-19 pandemic, as social distancing has limited attendances when cinemas have not been closed altogether.
Cinema chain Cineworld calls in AlixPartners and PJT Partners The world's second-biggest cinema chain Cineworld has brought in a team of consultants from AlixPartners and PJT Partners to help it come through the most challenging period in its 25-year history.
Publicis Sapient launches business content streaming service Global digital transformation consultancy and agency Publicis Sapient has launched its own business content streaming service.
Strategy& news
More Strategy&
8 charts on the economic cost of Beirut's port explosion The explosion in Beirut’s port on the 4th of August 2020 sent a shock through Lebanon, killing more than 220 people, injuring more than 6,500 and leaving some 300,000 people homeless.
Biopharma must diversify to survive global health spending shift With digital technology disrupting organisations across the industrial spectrum, biopharmaceutical companies are faced with an uncertain future over the coming decade.
CEO turnover ramps up amid ethics scrutiny Increased public scrutiny of corporate behaviour and heightened fee pressures in many industries seem to have given many shareholders itchy trigger-fingers when it comes to offloading their CEOs.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2259
|
__label__cc
| 0.658373
| 0.341627
|
Contradictions in the Bible | The two stories of the Flood
There are strong arguments which show that in the book of Genesis there are two stories of the Flood and not just one, and this observation has important implications for the credibility of these stories. I will approach the two stories of the Flood from two perspectives. The first one will be the examination of the internal contradictions of each story of the Flood. The second one is the relation between the facts described by the Bible and real life.
The stories of the Flood are two different stories from two different sources, stitched together by a redactor who wanted to transform them into one fluent story but without success. The following quotation summarises well the cause of so many contradictions about the description of the Flood in the book of Genesis:
“…Genesis’ supposed flood narrative is in fact a composite of two different textual traditions, each expressing the story in its own terms, language, and emphasis. Contradictions #14-18 are therefore a byproduct of having stitched these two separate flood stories together.”[1]
One can read the biblical texts and see for oneself obvious differences in the description of the alleged event of the Flood. What was the motivation for the destruction brought by the Flood? There are two different motives for waters covering the entire earth. The first biblical text states:
“5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6; 5 NRSV)
The second text extends the motivation to animals also. This text contradicts fully the statement found in the book of Genesis according to which all animals on Earth would have eaten only plants before the Flood, because animals in order to be considered violent would have needed to be aggressive towards other animals. Those animals were mainly aggressive in connection with their feeding, killing other animals in the process.
“11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth.” Genesis 6; 11-13 NRSV)
At the first reading, seemingly the two commentaries complete each other and there is nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, it is a repetition of the story but it is also a different approach of the same theme. In verse 5, humankind was the problem, but in verses 11 to 13 all flesh is corrupted, not only humankind but animals too. There are two different motivations. Wickedness of humankind is not the same as the existence of violence generated by human and by animals.
In the second version, the author tried to explain why animals would have been wiped out from the face of the world but doesn’t explain what corruption means in the case of animals. It is a different way of thinking because humankind having consciousness could have been responsible for their behaviour but animals couldn’t.
In Genesis chapter 2, Adam and animals were created both in the same way, from the dust of the earth. One story of creation and one story of the Flood have in common a different view about the relationship between humankind and animals in which animals are seen as more related to humankind.
In point of fact, it is absurd to blame animals for their violent behaviour as far as they were created by God with a particular nature according to their kinds. God would have created the wild animals together with all other animals on the sixth day of creation, according to the book of Genesis chapter 1. He had created predator animals which eat other animals and He refused Cain’s offering which was bloodless, but He accepted Abel’s offering which implied killing of an animal therefore violence.
The motivation of the book of Genesis for the destruction of the animals through the Flood is absurd as far as many animals were predators and violence was their way of life.
Noah had to take animals with him to preserve their kinds. The number of the animals taken with Noah is different from one record to the other:
“2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 7; 2-3 NRSV)
Versus:
“19 And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive.” (Genesis 6; 19-20 NRSV)
“8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, 9 two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.” (Genesis 7; 8-9 NRSV)
“15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.” (Genesis 7; 15-16 NRSV)
It is easy to notice that in one text the number of clean animals is seven pairs of each kind and in the other text the number of all animals, including the clean ones, is two of each. Probably the difference appeared when one of the authors of the two stories noticed that Noah had to kill some of the clean animals from each kind to bring them as an offering to God after the Flood. Killing the only pair of clean animals coming out from the boat would have brought the extinction of those animals and no clean animals would have survived on Earth in order to be sacrificed under Moses’ laws. It is also possible that the late redactors of the stories of Noah have seen that contradiction and tried to rectify the absurdity. They just modified one story so it would have been in accordance with the Mosaic Law.
They kept the initial version also probably out of respect for its antiquity. The initial story of the Flood was considered by the redactors to be a human creation, not the result of God’s inspiration, otherwise they couldn’t have taken the decision to modify it.
“20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar.” (Genesis 8; 20 NRSV)
Why seven pairs of all birds? In one of the two versions seven pairs of birds would have been required for Noah’s boat but in another place, only one pair of birds is mentioned. This is a contradiction which shows the multiple authorships of the stories of the Flood and which raises serious doubts about God’s inspiration of the book. Moreover, not all birds were considered to be clean by God so not all birds would have been sacrificed to make offerings to God. In the case of birds, the need to conserve them following the sacrifice of the clean ones isn’t an explanation for the presence of seven pairs of birds of all kinds, clean and unclean, on the ark.
The difference in the number of animals which would have been on the ark is a contradiction which cast doubt on the stories of the Flood from the book of Genesis. It is an important aspect because between one pair of clean animals and seven pairs of them, and one pair of all birds and seven pairs of all kinds of birds, the number of animals which would have been on a boat with limited space is very different.
How long did the Flood last? One answer is one hundred and fifty days:
“24 And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred and fifty days.” (Genesis 7; 24 NRSV)
“But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; 2 the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rainspan> from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters gradually receded from the earth. At the end of one hundred and fifty days the waters had abated; 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.” (Genesis 8; 1-5 NRSV)
In the first verse “the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred and fifty days” no less and no more. In the second version, the waters only started to recede after one hundred and fifty days but it continued to abate for another few months. The waters would have swelled on Earth more than one hundred and fifty days if we take into consideration Genesis chapter 8, verses 3-5, hence Genesis chapter 7, verse 24 is wrong.
First the ark hit the mountain and after another two months and thirteen days the top of that mountain would have become visible. How deep was the ark sank into the waters? If the ark was about 15m tall or less an important part of its height, probably approximately 10m, was under water. When the ark hit the Ararat Mountain if it was on its peak as it should, another two months and 13 days would have been needed for the 10m recession of water. Only in “the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared”.
Keeping this rate, how long would it have taken for the waters to descend 5,137m, the height of Mount Ararat, in order to render the plains visible? 10m in 2.5 months means 10m in approximately 74 days. This also means 1m in 7.4 days. If we multiply 5,137m by 7.4 days we obtain 38,013.8 days for the recession of the waters from the Earth. If we divide 38,013.8 days by 365.25 days which is the average of the days in a year, we find that 104.07 years would have been needed until the waters would have reached approximately the levels that we know today. These figures show how aberrant is the so-called information given by the stories of the Flood from the book of Genesis. 104.07 years is a huge period of time for the life of animals which would have been on Noah’s ark and during this period of time they would have needed to be fed and watered in order to survive. The figures offered by the book of Genesis are arbitrary and they don’t reflect any reality; they are thrown randomly in order to fill the details of a legend.
In the moment when the ark hit the Ararat Mountain its peak couldn’t have been seen because it was under water, according to Genesis 8; 4-5. If the height of the water was at the same level as the peak of the mountain or a little bit higher, the ark couldn’t have hit anything else but the peak which was under water. It was impossible for the boat to hit a lower level taking into consideration that the height of the boat would have been 13.5m and the highest point on the mountain was under water. Probably, the peak of the mountain wasn’t plain and a landing on a rock looks more like a shipwreck. From the point of view of the people found on the ark the tops of the Ararat Mountain couldn’t have been seen after two and a half months because they would have been under the ark, being the place where the boat would have landed first. The episode about the landing of the ark on the Mount Ararat is inconsistent because it contains details impossible to be harmonised in a credible scene.
Let’s now imagine the life of so many animals for that period of time. They had to live and feed on the Ararat Mountain for all that time because they were isolated by water and prohibited to live in other locations. On the mountain the entire vegetation was destroyed by the waters which covered the entire geographical relief for a long period of time. When the waters receded the whole reserve of food from the ark would have been long gone.
Noah didn’t see the horizon himself and for that reason he had to send birds to discover if the land was dry or not. Why couldn’t Noah have seen the horizon and needed birds to confirm that he could land? The answer isn’t directly given by the book of Genesis but the explanation could be the unsuitability of the window of the boat for this purpose. Normally he could have seen the land through the window if that window had been big enough and placed at the right angle but it wasn’t, in spite of the fact that its dimensions would have been established by God, according to the book of Genesis.
The two stories of the Flood also diverge from each other in establishing the moment when the Flood started in relation to the time when Noah and his family boarded the ark:
“7 And Noah with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything/span> that creeps on the ground, 9 two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came on the earth.” (Genesis 7; 7-10 NRSV)
“11 In the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 The rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons, entered the ark,” (Genesis 7; 11-13 NNRSV)
The discrepancy between the two texts as to the moment when Noah and his family entered the ark is easy to notice. In the first biblical text, the waters came to the earth only after seven days since Noah and his family boarded the ark. In the second text the Flood started on the same day when Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons, entered the boat.
Those are some discrepancies in the Flood stories generated by the mixing together of two different ancient stories from two different sources, Yahwist and Priestly. They were organised together as a unique compound by a redactor who didn’t succeed in generating a consistent account. Besides those types of discrepancies there are others which concern the relationship between the biblical record and the real life.
How big was the ark? It was a relatively big boat after the description of the book of Genesis, but big or small is a degree of comparison which must be related to its assigned purpose. The comparison has to be made first with the complexity and the size of the animal world which is said to have been hosted by it, and not with another boat which wasn’t designed to carry samples of all living creatures on Earth. These are the dimensions of Noah’s ark described in the following quotation:
“Genesis 6:15 in the Bible tells us the Ark’s dimensions were at least 135 meters long (300 cubits), 22.5 meters wide (50 cubits), and 13.5 meters high (30 cubits). That’s 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high! It could have been larger, because several larger-sized cubits were used. But the 45-centimeter (18-inch) cubit is long enough to show the enormous size of the Ark.”[2]
A cubit is a measurement unit taken from the human body. It is equal to the distance between the tip of the fingers and the elbow of an adult person. More information about the cubit follows:
“Ancient measures were often based on parts of the body — palms, spans, feet, etc. The disadvantage was that everyone else would seem to have a slightly different finger span or arm length, so if you were working on a building project with other people, you would have to agree on whose arm you were going to use as the measuring standard. In order to overcome this problem measuring sticks called “cubit rods” have been produced. The “cubits roads” that have been discovered are thousands of years old and they show a bit of variation in length.”[3]
[1] contradictionsinthebible.com/the-flood-narratives/
[2] www.creationtips.com/arksize.html
Published in Chapter 2: An absurd Order of Creation - Effects before Causes
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2260
|
__label__wiki
| 0.990272
| 0.990272
|
· Posted on Sep 16, 2019
39 Side-By-Sides Of The 2019 Emmy Nominees On Their First TV Show Vs. Now
Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy have starred on TV together since 1976.
by Nora Dominick
1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus
NBC, HBO
Then: Her first TV appearance was when she joined the cast of Saturday Night Live.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Selina Meyer on Veep.
2. Viola Davis
Then: Her first TV role was as an unnamed woman in an episode of NYPD Blue.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away With Murder.
3. Natasha Lyonne
CBS, Netflix
Then: She made her first notable TV appearance as Opal on Pee-wee's Playhouse.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Nadia Vulvokov on Russian Doll.
4. Milo Ventimiglia
Then: His first TV appearance was as Party Guest #1 on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Jack Pearson on This Is Us.
5. Eugene Levy
CBC, CBC / Pop
Then: One of his first TV roles was when he joined SCTV, alongside Catherine O'Hara.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Johnny Rose on Schitt's Creek.
6. Catherine O'Hara
Then: She made her first notable TV appearance on Coming Up Rosie.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek.
7. Don Cheadle
NBC, Showtime
Then: His first TV role was in a few episodes of Fame as Henry Lee.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Mo Monroe on Black Monday.
8. Christina Applegate
Then: She made her first notable TV appearance as Stacy on Charles In Charge.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Jen Harding on Dead to Me.
9. Sandra Oh
CBC, BBC America
Then: One of her first TV roles was as a waitress in an episode of Degrassi High: School's Out.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Eve Polastri on Killing Eve.
10. Jason Bateman
Then: His first TV role was playing James Cooper on Little House on the Prairie.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Marty Byrde on Ozark.
11. Ted Danson
CBS, NBC
Then: One of his earliest roles was playing Major Collings on The Amazing Spider-Man.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Michael on The Good Place.
12. Joey King
Disney Channel, Hulu
Then: Her first TV role was on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as Emily Mason.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Gypsy Rose Blanchard on The Act.
13. Anthony Anderson
NBC, ABC
Then: He made his first TV appearance as Teddy on Hang Time.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Andre "Dre" Johnson on Black-ish.
14. Lena Headey
BBC, HBO
Then: She made her first major TV appearance in BBC's Spender as Emily Goodman.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones.
15. Michael Douglas
Then: His earliest TV role was on an episode of CBS Playhouse as a young scientist.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Sandy Kominsky on The Kominsky Method.
16. Olivia Colman
BBC, Amazon
Then: Her first TV role was on the BBC sketch comedy series Bruiser.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Godmother on Fleabag.
17. Bill Hader
Then: His first TV appearance was when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Barry on Barry.
18. Michelle Williams
NBC, FX
Then: Her first TV appearance was on an episode of Baywatch as Bridget.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Gwen Verdon on Fosse/Verdon.
19. Benicio del Toro
Then: One of his earliest TV roles was on Miami Vice as Pito.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Richard Matt on Escape at Dannemora.
20. Jodie Comer
BBC, BBC America
Then: One of her first TV roles was on BBC's Holby City as Ellie Jenkins.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Villanelle on Killing Eve.
21. Sterling K. Brown
Then: He made his first TV appearance on Third Watch as Officer Edward Dade.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Randall Pearson on This Is Us.
22. Mandy Moore
HBO, NBC
Then: Her first major TV role was when she appeared on Entourage as herself.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Rebecca Pearson on This Is Us.
23. Hugh Grant
ITV, Amazon
Then: One of his earliest TV roles was on ITV's Jenny's War as Peter Baines.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Jeremy Thorpe on A Very English Scandal.
24. Billy Porter
Then: One of his earliest TV roles was on an episode of Law & Order: SVU as Jackie Walker.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Pray Tell on Pose.
25. Robin Wright
NBC, Netflix
Then: Her first TV role was on two episodes of The Yellow Rose as Barbara Anderson.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Claire Underwood on House of Cards.
26. Tony Shalhoub
ABC, Amazon
Then: One of his first TV roles was on Spenser: For Hire as Dr. Hambrecht.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Abe Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
27. Emilia Clarke
Then: Her first TV role was on an episode of BBC's Doctors as Saskia Mayer.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones.
28. Bob Odenkirk
NBC, AMC
Then: His first TV appearance was on Saturday Night Live. He was also a writer for the show.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Jimmy McGill on Better Call Saul.
29. Niecy Nash
ABC, Netflix
Then: One of her earliest TV roles was on an episode of NYPD Blue as Tonya Dunbar.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Delores Wise on When They See Us.
30. Patricia Arquette
HBO, Showtime
Then: One of her earliest TV roles was on an episode of Tales from the Crypt as Mary Jo.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell on Escape at Dannemore. She's also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for her role as DeeDee Blanchard on The Act.
31. Mahershala Ali
Then: His first TV role was on Crossing Jordan as Dr. Trey Sanders.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Wayne Hays on True Detective.
32. Amy Adams
Fox, HBO
Then: Her first TV appearance was on That '70s Show as Kat Peterson.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Camille Preaker on Sharp Objects.
33. Peter Dinklage
ABC, HBO
Then: He made his first notable TV appearance on I'm With Her as Elliot Rosen.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones.
34. Aunjanue Ellis
Then: Her first major TV roles was as Officer Leslie Joyner on High Incident.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Sharonne Salaam on When They See Us.
35. Phoebe Waller-Bridge
BBC Three, Amazon / BBC
Then: One of her first TV roles was on BBC's How Not to Live Your Life as Felicity.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Fleabag on Fleabag.
36. Rachel Brosnahan
The CW, Amazon Prime
Then: One of her first TV shows was playing a girl on Gossip Girl.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Midge Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
37. Jared Harris
CBS, HBO
Then: One of his earliest TV roles was on Without a Trace as Father Walker.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Valery Legasov on Chernobyl.
38. Sam Rockwell
CBS, FX
Then: His first TV role was on The Equalizer as Slick.
Now: He's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Bob Fosse on Fosse/Verdon.
39. Laura Linney
Channel 4, Netflix
Then: Her first major TV roles was in the original Tales of the City as Mary Ann Singleton. She reprised her role in the 2019 Netflix version.
Now: She's nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Wendy Byrde on Ozark.
Correction: A previous version of this post included a different previous role of Patricia Arquette's.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2263
|
__label__wiki
| 0.933033
| 0.933033
|
How "Queen Of Sappy Love Songs" Delilah Conquered Radio
For decades, Delilah has brought her mix of power ballads and no-bullshit personal advice to national airwaves. How did a four-time-married, self-proclaimed Queen of Sappy Love Songs conquer radio and become America’s go-to heartbreak guru?
By Nick Murray
Nick Murray BuzzFeed Contributor
Posted on February 14, 2016, at 9:14 a.m. ET
“Hi! Good evening! Welcome aboard! Who’s this?” Delilah leans toward her switchboard, resting her head on her fist as she holds the telephone that around 50,000 listeners try to reach every night of the week. The walls of her evergreen-surrounded Port Orchard, Washington, studio are decorated in cubicle chic — family photos, children’s art, a Miss Piggy Life magazine cover — and her schnauzer, Sophie, sits still as a statue on an ottoman below the desk.
Most major radio shows employ a team of call screeners to guard their lines. But here in the basement of her farmhouse, one of the biggest names in radio answers the phone by herself, communicating with a staff in Seattle while she hears the stories of people from around the country — as many as 70 per five-hour session — and dedicates songs to them. This call is the first of the night, and two teenage girls start giggling as soon as they hear Delilah's greeting. Over about 10 seconds, the changing rhythm of their laughter reveals surprise, then joy, then anxiety as these BFFs forget what it was they wanted to tell her.
The call seems to be going nowhere, but Delilah starts prying: "Which one would be the most likely to get grounded for a month or more?” Then she hits the jackpot. "You were in a friend's car and you went four-wheeling and you didn't have four-wheel drive. Oooh, that's not good!" she says, parroting their answers back to them. "How old are you, Mariah? And how old was your friend who forgot that she wasn't supposed to be driving your grandparents' car and accidentally bumped it into something else!?"
The host has a phrase for calls like this, one of the staples of the show, where total strangers confess their deepest secrets. “It’s confession session!” she shouts, but before she hangs up, she reassures the girls that the grand theft auto “will just be our little secret.”
Not exactly. Delilah, who’s been called "radio’s Oprah," broadcasts her mix of long-distance therapy sessions and sentimental soft rock to an estimated 8 million weekly listeners on 150 stations and online anytime at iHeartRadio. Over the next two hours, Delilah talks to a first-year teacher struggling to earn the respect of 28 first-graders; an older man who can't leave his bed because of the swelling in his legs; a woman alone on the anniversary of the day she discontinued her husband's life support; and a twentysomething in tears as her fiancé yells in the background (the advice: “It doesn’t matter who’s right and who’s wrong. What matters is if you’re going to be able to work this thing out”).
Brandon Hill for BuzzFeed News
Delilah at her farm outside Seattle on Nov. 18, 2015.
Delilah has long branded herself as the Queen of Sappy Love Songs, but she pushes back against the title. "People think it's all about romance," she says, "but how many calls have you heard tonight that are about being in love?"
There hadn't been any. Most people just wanted to talk, and Delilah is the kind of person you can't resist talking to. On the air and in person, the mother of 13 is unselfishly curious and unashamed of her contradictions. She’s a love guru who has been married four times, a wholesome entertainer who swears freely, a DJ whose taste makes music snobs’ eyes roll. Upon meeting her, she's so buoyant it initially arouses suspicion. How could someone have the emotional stamina to console and consult dozens of people every night? And why have so many of us accepted her as part of our lives, sharing 30 years of secrets and memories as if she were a therapist or a nosy friend?
"It's like going to your hairdresser," Delilah tells me. "Like people who sing along with the radio, with their windows down, off-key. You forget that we all are listening to you and seeing you be a knucklehead."
When Delilah hangs up on the girls, she enters a song into a computer that's connected to a second studio in downtown Seattle, 20 miles away, where a staff of 14 handles the technical and logistical aspects of the show. Usually her most senior producer, Janey, a friend and colleague since the early ’90s, either plays it or — if she dares — explains why it doesn't fit. Tonight, Delilah's 35-year-old daughter Lonni is filling in, and reminds her mother to record the short monologue that will air before the next commercial break.
"Smoothin' off the rough edges of your day as you relax and unwind. Did you have a great day today, or did you have a tough day? I've talked to so many people tonight who had really rough days. A lot of heartache, some fussing, one couple fussin' at each other while they're on the phone with me!" A deep exhale into the microphone. "If you had a rough day I'm here to smooth off the rough edges, not that there's anything I can say or do or even a song I can play that will fix it. But I can remind you that tomorrow is gonna be a brand-new day, and whatever it is that you're going through, there's hope. And if you can find a purpose, find something to focus on where you're pouring your love and your energy into others, it's gonna get better. Not right away, but it will get better."
Now her speech slows as she delivers the line that has become her signature. She's always comforting, but when she says this, she suddenly sounds comfortable, her words evaporating as soon as they leave her lips.
"You're listening...to Delilah."
Audio: Big Shoe Productions; photo: Brandon Hill for BuzzFeed News.
Delilah Rene Luke, 55, got her first syndication deal in 1996. Though her face remains mostly anonymous, her voice has been a fixture of American life for nearly 20 years. Parents listen as they cook dinner or wash the dishes. Truckers follow her across the dial to break the loneliness of the road. At least one New York City bodega owner plays her show because it helps pacify drunk customers, and Sleepless in Seattle re-created it to connect the characters played by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. More recently, she’s aligned herself with artists like Josh Groban and Michael Bublé — "a skinny goofy Canadian kid when we started hanging out."
Those who don’t know the name almost always recognize the voice: a folksy, honeyed, sometimes firm, usually schmaltzy flow that can comfort without condescension and make you want to heed even the harshest advice. That voice is the essence of the show, and during my time in the studio, caller after caller told her how its tone alone has provided comfort at some of their lowest points. Her approach has won her legions of fans, helping her become the most-listened-to woman in radio, in the same league as personalities like Rush Limbaugh (who draws up to a massive 20 million listeners weekly), Steve Harvey (whose morning show reaches 6 million), and Ryan Seacrest (whose American Top 40 is heard by an audience about half the size of Delilah’s).
Her sustained success is noteworthy given radio’s instability. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 lifted the limit on the number of stations a single company could own, paving the way for conglomerates like iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel) to expand across the country. Many DJs lost their shows, and others were ordered to talk less and play from scripted, market-tested playlists.
“During this time of deregulation, where there was less spontaneity on the air, you had the rise of shock jocks,” explains Steve Knopper, author of music business history Appetite for Self-Destruction. “You have Howard Stern and Opie and Anthony, so there were personalities. But they weren’t quirky, regional Wolfman Jacks.”
When Premiere Networks (now a subsidiary of iHeart) signed Delilah, it encouraged her to pursue a middle path: The show would be farmed out to previously independent stations, synchronizing the airwaves in over a hundred cities. But the host could continue to select the music and chat with listeners, maintaining the appearance of the local DJ she was at heart.
"Radio stands out from other media because of the personal connection that hosts like Delilah have with their listeners,” says Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott. “They consider her a close friend and confidant, and that special relationship has never changed over the years.” Every time she steps into the studio, Delilah offers solidarity and song selections to those who need it most, whether on a local station, her website, or an iHeart stream. “Each one of these platforms,” Talbott explains, “allows her to deepen her relationship with millions of loyal fans” — fans who, despite ever-increasing options for where and how to get their music, continue to tune in to her show.
Delilah may be one of the hokiest people in American popular culture, but she’s also one of the savviest, a radio lifer who has studied the medium for almost half a century and possesses a deep understanding of both its mechanics and its potential. When considering the future of radio — and if you ask Delilah, there's no doubt it has one — her studio is an improbably good place to start.
Sylvia Owen
Delilah at KDUN AM in Reedsport, Oregon, in 1976.
Delilah was born the day after Valentine’s Day in Reedsport, Oregon, a 2-square-mile logging town that rose and fell with the timber industry. At home, her mother listened to the music of the ’40s and ’50s — big band, Sinatra, "Three Coins in the Fountain" — and her father played guitar in a country-western group. Delilah also loved to perform, but she soon had to admit that she wasn't very good. "My sister can sing," she says. "[My one brother] met his wife in a jazz band. My little brother can play the guitar; he can sing. He was a worship leader at his church. Me, no talent."
She got her first radio in 1971, also the year when she and her Girl Scout troop visited the studio of KDUN, Reedsport's lone AM station. "You know how most kids have posters of sports heroes on their walls?" she asks. "They gave me reams of the old news copy and I had those taped in my bedroom. And I would practice reading the news."
Three years later, she finally found an event suited to her skills: a speech competition. The judges happened to be two of the guys from the station. "At the end of the contest they came up to my mom and said, 'Oh my god, your daughter loves to talk.' And my mom was like, 'I know! We can't get her to shut up!' And they're like, 'No, this is a good thing!'"
When she was 14, they hired her to report school news and sports, and every week she'd leave class early to interview teachers and coaches. Back then, her own Delilah was a Portland rock DJ who went by Adrian Harris. She drops her voice to imitate his baritone: "The Nightstalker on KGW Super 62." His show would often play at her bedside. And how strong was the bond between host and listener? "Later I married him and had his son!" she blurts out, laughing. (She didn’t make the connection until after they started dating; by that point he was back to being a newscaster named George.)
Courtesy Big Shoes Production, Inc.
Delilah (second from right) and her KLSY peers in 1985.
Seattle's KLSY hired her as an evening DJ in 1982, and she came up with the concept for her current program two years later, while on 10-day maternity leave after the birth of her first son. "I just kept giving [my boss, a woman named Chris Mays] proposal after proposal after proposal of ideas to do something unique, something that had never been done before. One of my proposals was that at night I do a show for and about women's health, talking about breast cancer." Her grandma was battling the disease, which remained taboo. "You weren't allowed to talk about it on the air. It was called 'women's cancer.'"
Back to the drawing board. "Somewhere in my files I gave my last proposal to her. And she wrote on it: 'Dana' — Dana was our general manager — 'here's another damn proposal from Delilah. What are you gonna do with her?'"
They solved their problem by giving her the show. Answering phones at the station, Delilah realized that when listeners called to request songs, they also shared remarkable stories. These, she believed, ought to be played on the air.
"Casey Kasem, he had shout-outs and stuff, but those were focused on requesting a specific song," she explains. "You didn't get the why. … I had never heard anyone doing what my show does, which is put the focus on the human condition — whatever you're going through, good or bad, right or wrong, straight or gay, whatever. That human experience is the meat of the show."
Lights Out, as it was originally called, aired from 10 p.m. to midnight. When the ratings came back positive, the network gave it an extra three hours. By 1990, she had the most popular evening show in the region, drawing more listeners than any other DJ at her otherwise struggling station. The station hired a consultant to help break the slump.
"The consultant did a report where he said that Delilah 'is the tail wagging the dog,'" she remembers. "'If you're ever going to have success on this station, you need to get rid of her.' I said, 'You gotta be fucking kidding me! I'm number one, the rest of your day parts suck, so the way to make them successful is to have something crappy on at night?'" Her personality was thought to be overshadowing the rest of the DJs.
"So why don't you hire me and pay me to teach them how to have a better personality on the air?!" She's yelling now, as if the argument is still going on. "There's an idea, huh?" Her voice falls back to speaking volume. "So they fired me."
Even today, consultants sometimes push for her to repeat more songs, or emphasize the positive aspects of listeners’ stories. But by sticking to her format, Delilah has managed to outlast almost all of her industry peers. "It always cracks me up when program directors or music directors or companies will say, 'Well, we did research, and we interviewed 25 people in our focus group, and this is what they said.' And I'm like, 'I've talked to 25 people in two hours! I talk to 50, 60, 70 people a night! Five or six days a week!'"
Format switches — when a struggling station suddenly overhauls its playlist from, say, adult contemporary (AC) to Top 40 — would bump her from station to station for much of the early ’90s. She moved to Boston, but got fired when the station moved away from easy listening. Philadelphia. Same story. Back to Boston. Fired again. And then Rochester, where she lived alone and recorded the show while her husband and son remained in Massachusetts. Finally, it clicked, and soon Delilah After Dark, as it was called at the time, entered syndication; stations around the country decided they would be better off broadcasting Delilah than creating programs of their own. Twenty years later, you don't even need a radio to hear Delilah's voice: The show loops night and day on the iHeartRadio app. Some have predicted that devices like this will make FM radio obsolete, but as Delilah’s numbers remain steady, she has come to the conclusion that the opposite is true.
"In the palm of your hand, you've got computers that link to satellites, that check your heart rate and take your pulse," she says. "We've got all these other ways for people to reach out, and yet people report they're lonelier and less satisfied with life than ever. The more tools for communication we have at our disposal, the less people are communicating, and the more they turn to me. It's really an odd dynamic."
Delilah and her daughter.
In 1997, Delilah sold her syndication rights to a company in Seattle, jumping from 12 stations to over 100, and moved back to the 1,200-square-foot house where her sister had lived during her years on the East Coast. The farm she lives on today encompasses 55 acres, and its residents include 21 goats, 500 chickens, two emus, two pigs, nine horses, five sheep, a zebra named Xena, three African geese, seven dogs (only two of which are hers), and five baby goats who will wear tutus to Under The Big Top, the Halloween blowout scheduled for the weekend after my visit. The farm, maintained by friends, grows more than 20,000 pounds of corn, potatoes, apples, you name it, each year. The family's leftovers feed the aforementioned beasts. The manure then helps grow the next crop of plants. Extra eggs produced by the chickens are sold to benefit the agriculture program Delilah has built through her Point Hope charity in Ghana.
The circus theme, an exaggerated interpretation of regular life here, explains the 7-foot-tall cutout giraffes sitting outside the garage. A formal invitation advertises "games, prizes, exotic animals, clowns, cotton candy, rides, kettle corn, a kissing booth [and] a chilliest dog bar”; as Delilah walks me through the property, she points out the location for every one. She also uses a power drill to peel an apple, explains how chickens can protect fruit trees, and takes me inside a small cabin purchased from the county and relocated onto the farm. "If I weren't in radio, I would spend my full-time life teaching organic farming," she says, approaching the goat house. "If you go and stand there five minutes, they'll climb all over you."
There are also black beans and cows, which, combined, make the taco filling Delilah insists I taste as soon as we walk into her house. Facebook friends who live near Seattle can purchase the meat for $6.50 a pound; it's delicious, as are the heirloom cherry tomatoes that appear next to it on my plate. Delilah calculates that between her children and countless guests, she cooks about 9,000 meals per year. (She loves a good party, but was never a partier: "I never smoked. I ate it once in brownies and I didn't know. ... I don't really need chemicals in my bloodstream to have wicked fun or to be wicked stupid.")
As we eat, her son Zack shuffles into the kitchen. The reserved high schooler wears his hair over his ears and until recently kept a pair of dubstep posters on his bedroom wall. Later, I wonder what Delilah would have thought of her show when she was Zack's age. "I'd think I was pretty corny," she admits. And now? "I think I'm very corny. And maudlin sometimes. But I am who I am. I was corny at 16, I was just cooler. Now I don't even bother trying to be cool. … If you listen to the show for any length of time at all, I hope it doesn't take long to figure out I'm pretty real."
Zack’s brothers and sisters range from age 7 to 36. Delilah gave birth to three and adopted the rest from Ghana or through the foster care system. (One son, Sammy, died in 2012.) "I don't really know anything else, but I think it'd be lonely growing up in a more 'normal' family," Zack's older sister Shaylah tells me two days later, after her mom commandeered her to be my Seattle tour guide.
Delilah’s family has a word for these situations where they give their time, happily, but at her behest: "voluntold." Shaylah was also voluntold to run the kissing booth on Halloween, for instance, though I suspect that Zack's plan to scare the hayride by zip-lining through the woods in a lion costume might be an old-fashioned volunteer.
These two are the children from the second of Delilah's four marriages. Some suggest that the host’s romantic failures make her a bit of a hypocrite, but these breakups have only further endeared her to listeners. By speaking about them on air, she’s encouraged her faithful to do the same. Tonight, when Jennifer, a single mom, vents about the challenges of raising a baby alone, Delilah knows just what to say: "You can either look at yourself as being cheated that his dad isn't a part of his life..." She pauses. "Or you can rejoice that God has blessed you with wonderful people to help you raise your baby...WITHOUT A JERK INTERFERING!"
Everywhere in her life, Delilah strives to be the link between independent people who otherwise would be living separate, perhaps lonelier lives: Her daughter Blessing, adopted from Ghana, would never have met Kimmy, the woman who helps cook our tacos; her producer Janey, whom she stole from Boston, never would have joked with her daughter Lonni during breaks between callers, who themselves would never hear each other's stories if not for a host to encourage and air their otherwise unspeakable emotions.
She closes each show by encouraging listeners to slow down and love somebody, and this message appears alongside her own mishaps in each of her three books: Love Somebody Today, Love Matters, and Arms Full of Love, all of which sold over 100,000 copies. You might say that they share a theme. Her favorite Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 13:13: "There are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." This sort of love — agape in the Biblical Greek, deep affection unbound by romantic attachment — means everything to Delilah, a devout Christian who doesn’t identify with a particular denomination. Behind the mic, she tries to send so much of this love into the world that her listeners have no choice but to pass it on.
"People who don't know me or don't really listen to the show that much think that it's just about relationships, just about dating," she says as we return to her barn. "And it's got very little to do with dating, you know? Maybe one in five calls is about dating or romance. It's about kids and life and letting your neighbors' kids play in your yard and praying for your daughter as she's going through addiction and being there for your family and encouraging each other and recognizing that, you know, shit happens."
So how does she pick the perfect song? The process starts with a system called NextGen, the iHeartRadio network’s internet database of just about every track that can be played over the air. NextGen sorts these the way a program like iTunes does — artist, album, title — but Delilah breaks them down further: Their categories include love songs (Extreme’s “More Than Words”), make-up songs (38 Special’s “Second Chance”), breakup songs (“I Will Always Love You,” Whitney or Dolly), moving-on songs (the Moody Blues’ “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere”), sisterhood songs (Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend”). Things like that.
Her producer Janey sees every song request at the auxiliary Seattle studio, where she works alongside four other producers, two engineers, and a handful of other employees, many of whom have known Delilah for years. Janey's studio-within-a-studio, one of six rooms within the 2,000-square-foot premises, is arranged to mirror that of her boss: She sees and hears exactly what Delilah sees and hears, and if a call is compelling enough to broadcast, she quickly edits it to under three minutes. When Delilah highlights the song she wants, Janey either accepts it or calls Port Orchard — it's her job to make sure they produce playlists that will satisfy the program directors at radio stations around the country. She's the one who works with record labels and studies testing data to learn how different songs are performing.
"We insult each other, call each other silly names," says Delilah, describing the nature of these calls. "She has to balance the music, so if we just played a country crossover song I can't play another one. She's constantly minding the science of it, while all I care about is the art of it. And it's a delicate balance."
In the last decade, the music played on adult contemporary radio has gradually become faster, something Delilah attributes to middle-aged women's embrace of pop stars like Pink and Coldplay. The trend has sent Delilah's own playlists up-tempo — thus cutting into the sappiness quotient and doubling the number of insults sent back and forth with Janey.
The producers' hardest task is dealing with how the music has not only changed but multiplied. When the pair started working together in Boston, there was one feed, one broadcast. Now there are six. If you're in Houston, you may be tuned to Sunny 99.1, unaware that your Delilah show includes more country songs than the one aired in New York City on 106.7 Lite FM, which skews pop. And neither of those stations get the version that's heard on, for example, L.A.'s Christian station, 95.9 ("The Fish"), which also airs the prayers Delilah occasionally says for her listeners.
From Top: Paramount Pictures, Everett Collection, Getty Images (3)
Delilah plays 10 songs per hour — she chooses the five that follow calls; the other five differ by format, each of the above stations receiving tracks that fit their typical playlists. The country stations get all country, the AC stations get the records trending in AC, Christian music for Christian stations, and so on. In Seattle, the day staff selects this music before the show; at night, the five producers arrange it to fit alongside calls, ads, bumpers, monologues, and the rest of the music — an audio puzzle in which the pieces must be combined to fill exactly an hour, every hour. The staff expanded most rapidly after the show entered syndication, and the subsequent specialization gave the boss more time to spend with listeners.
The process becomes even more complex during the holiday season, when Delilah's ratings may increase by a quarter or more. In July, the staff begins to research new Christmas albums that will come out later in the year, and they begin to provide actual Christmas music on November 1. But the show's affiliate stations abide by their own schedules. Some take it right away. Some wait until after Thanksgiving. Some wait until after Thanksgiving but only want one-fifth Christmas songs. Janey et al. have to account for every possibility, thereby leaving Delilah free to choose which of her 30 versions of "Silent Night" is best-suited to the story at hand.
And how does Delilah, sitting here in casual clothes and liking friends’ Facebook posts while she takes calls through a headset, make these choices, pick the songs — not as a technician but a dedication maestro? It starts with a mental database of hits that goes back to her father's country music and her mother's Sinatra. "I am not able to sing lyrics, but I'm able to remember them well. So when I hear a song that lyrically speaks to me, it goes into a great vault in my mind,” she says. “So if you tell me a story or a certain phrase that sticks in my heart, I'll start singing a song that goes with it."
Among today's biggest artists are Train, Dion, Groban, Bublé, and Whitney Houston. "There are some songs that are just so damn good they go well with any call. Anything Michael Bublé sings — even though it's current and contemporary — will probably tie in to a call. There's nothing that Katy Perry sings that ties in with a call, though. Pink's got some great stuff we can tie in with calls."
Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" remains Delilah's most-requested song, even though she hasn’t played it in years. "If I never hear that song again, it will be too soon," Delilah says, noting, "I've seen the movie The Rose 25 times.” Bob Carlisle's "Butterfly Kisses" and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" have been similarly skunked: "During the Titanic era, if I heard 'My Heart Will Go On' one more time I might have jumped off the Titanic myself."
Sitting in the studio, listening to call after call, not only unedited but unfolding in real time, no sappy love songs to relieve the emotional tension — it's intense. I keep thinking back to the woman who’d taken her husband off life support, the loneliness she felt and the respite she'd been seeking. When older people admit that they're lonely, Delilah will ask if they have any nieces or nephews. This woman did, but her answer was crushing nonetheless: "They just say, 'I love you.' They don't listen."
Delilah, who got her first radio gig because she wouldn't stop talking, will always listen. And after 32 years of doing this, she knows not just exactly what to play but exactly what to say.
"You must feel like half of you has gone to heaven and the other half is here missing it. When you've lost somebody that you've spent your whole life loving, there's nothing that can be said. All that can be done is hug you and hold you and let you cry. And if I were there, I would give you a big hug and I would let you cry. And then I would ask you every embarrassing, silly story that you can recall of you and your hubby. All of the ridiculous things that you two said or did that made you wet yourself."
I first listened to Delilah on drives through southeastern New England, where most people I knew assumed she was a local star broadcasting from Providence or Hartford. Delilah was recently dropped by her Seattle affiliate after another format switch, so back in the city, on the other side of the Puget Sound, I open the iHeartRadio app and I listen on my phone. Finally, some music. Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" right away, then Maroon 5's "Sugar," likely one of the five-per-hour not chosen by the host. After the commercial, the next call is a new one — one that was either held from yesterday or recorded as I took the ferry back from Port Orchard. The caller is a young woman who wants to tell Delilah that she’s found her passion leading something called horse therapy, helping troubled kids get well by putting them on the back of a mare. You won't be surprised to learn that Delilah loves the idea.
"I get so many calls from people saying, 'I'm bored, I'm lonely, I need to do something with my life,’" she says. Her voice is in the near-shout she uses when she's making a particularly important point; this feels like the one she's been trying to make all day. "How can you be bored? There’s so many people that need you and need your affection! Go volunteer! Go do something with yourself!"
Delilah cuts the call here, and a delicate piano riff introduces the song she's chosen. "I believe that children are our future / Teach them well and let them lead the way." It's Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All." What else could it have been? ●
The BuzzReads newsletter: Making your inbox infinitely more interesting every Sunday morning. Enter your email address to sign up now!
Contact Nick Murray at nimurray50@gmail.com.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2264
|
__label__wiki
| 0.960743
| 0.960743
|
Scott Pruitt Has More Questions To Answer, EPA Ethics Officials Say
"I have now learned I was too credulous and I was not provided all relevant circumstances,” an EPA ethics official said of the EPA chief's living arrangement.
By Zahra Hirji
Zahra Hirji BuzzFeed News Reporter
Last updated on April 5, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. ET
Posted on April 5, 2018, at 5:13 a.m. ET
Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt still has ethical questions to answer over his renting of a Washington, DC, apartment last year that was owned by the wife of an energy lobbyist, according to a bombshell memo and new comments from department ethics officials.
Contrary to initial reports, the EPA’s ethics office has not cleared Pruitt of all ethics allegations. Instead, agency staff have so far only carried out a very narrow ethics assessment based on limited information, which concluded it didn’t fit the bill of a gift.
That’s according to the new memo by Kevin Minoli, the EPA’s principal deputy general counsel, who has personally come under fire for how the agency has handled the controversy. Minoli, in the new memo, said he only reviewed the living arrangement in the context of the lease he was provided, but did not assess outside circumstances raised in news reports. Minoli declined to be interviewed for this story.
Minoli was one of two EPA staffers initially asked to review Pruitt’s housing situation after it became a flashpoint in the news last week. Justina Fugh, Minoli’s colleague who was asked over the phone to review the situation, told BuzzFeed News: “I received a phone call at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday. I was at the movie theater. I had to step out and I assumed they were providing me all relevant circumstances.”
“I have now learned I was too credulous and I was not provided all relevant circumstances,” Fugh said. The EPA has not asked its ethics team to do a new evaluation, Fugh said. She declined to comment on either of Minoli’s memos.
Pruitt continues to draw scrutiny for measures he took in office, beyond his living situation or travel habits. At least five staffers at the EPA were reassigned or demoted after raising ethical and spending concerns about Pruitt, the New York Times reported late Thursday afternoon.
And for some critics of Minoli and the EPA’s handling of the review, the new memo doesn’t answer several outstanding questions and, in fact, raises new ones.
The unsettled questions: How exactly did Pruitt use the apartment apart from his bedroom? Under what conditions did Pruitt’s daughter stay in the apartment? Why didn’t the EPA do a more comprehensive ethics review? Is the agency planning to do one now? And why is an energy lobbyist’s name crossed out on the newly disclosed lease?
“This memo is odd. Rather than clearing up conflicting reports about Pruitt's actual use of the rented property, the EPA's ethics office is justifying its previous ruling, one which they admit did not include all of the facts or an analysis of other potential ethics violations,” Scott Amey, general counsel for the watchdog group Project on Government Oversight, told BuzzFeed News.
“The EPA ethics team needs to do a complete do-over based on the actual usage of the property and consider all ethics laws to determine whether Pruitt received a sweetheart deal from someone with business before his agency,” Amey added.
The Wednesday memo was first obtained by the Campaign Legal Center and shared with CNN. BuzzFeed News has confirmed its veracity with the EPA.
News of Minoli’s latest memo came hours after Pruitt’s ethics concerns came up during a White House press briefing. When asked if the president was OK with Pruitt’s behavior, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, "The president’s not. We are reviewing the situation."
However, the White House's tone on Pruitt's behavior shifted throughout Thursday, from deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley saying in the morning that he couldn't speak to Pruitt's future, to Trump saying in the early afternoon that he has confidence in his EPA chief. Gidley later told reporters that the president still does have concerns. “I mean, he reads the papers, he watches TV, he knows the reports that are floating around out there,” he told reporters en route to West Virginia for an event with the president Thursday afternoon. “And they do raise questions and we expect that Administrator Pruitt answer those questions.”
Trump, on the flight back from West Virginia, praised Pruitt.
“I think he’s done a fantastic job. I think he’s done an incredible job,” he told reporters. “He’s been very courageous. It hasn’t been easy, but I think he’s done a fantastic job.” Asked if he was bothered by reports about Pruitt’s conduct, he said he will “have to look at them,” and that he’ll “make that determination.”
At least two House Republicans have called for Pruitt to go in recent days while Democrats in both the House and Senate have also asked the EPA’s internal watchdog to look into the matter.
“The Review addressed the terms of the lease as they were written in the lease agreement only,” Minoli wrote in the recent memo. “Some have raised questions whether the actual use of the space was consistent with the terms of the lease. Evaluating those questions would have required factual information that was not before us and the Review does not address those questions.”
Pruitt rented the apartment for $50 a night for the nights he stayed there, totaling at least $6,100 in rent from March 18 through Sept. 1, 2017. His adult daughter McKenna Pruitt also stayed in a different room in the apartment for some period of time, ABC reported. The EPA has confirmed his daughter stayed at the apartment last summer while she was an intern at the White House, an agency official familiar with the situation told BuzzFeed News.
It’s unclear if she had a separate rental arrangement, and Vicki Hart, who partially owned the apartment, told ABC she was unaware of her staying there.
The living situation has raised eyebrows among ethics experts. “There’s so much drama going on with this story,” Fugh, the EPA ethics lawyer, told BuzzFeed News Friday.
Pruitt and J. Steven Hart, the energy lobbyist whose wife partially owns the apartment, insist there was nothing untoward in the rental agreement. In a recent interview with Fox News, for example, Pruitt dismissed questions about his past condo deal being improper by citing his staff’s review.
But appearances could be an issue: One client of Hart’s had a pipeline plan signed off on by the EPA while Pruitt was staying in the apartment, according to the New York Times. Top officials from OGE Energy, another client, met with Pruitt last March at a meeting set up by a lobbyist from Hart’s firm, the AP reported.
Minoli, who has served in various roles at EPA since 2000, signed an earlier memo on March 30 clearing Pruitt of any impropriety in the agreement. “The regulations issued by the Office of Government Ethics are clear that if a federal employee pays market value for something, it is by definition not a gift under those regulations.”
He added that the terms of Pruitt’s lease constituted “a reasonable market value.” The memo went on to say that, under the terms of the lease as reviewed by the department’s ethics office, it would be proper for Pruitt’s immediate family to share the space at no additional cost.
Minoli was swiftly criticized by outside ethics watchdogs for the memo.
"I’m giving this EPA press release a rating of Total Baloney,” former Office of Government Ethics director Walter Shaub tweeted Friday night. “You cannot get a whole place to yourself in that prime location for $1,500 a month, nor will you find anyone willing to hold the place open for you all month and charge you only for the nights you use it.”
Norm Eisen, who served as an ethics officer in Barack Obama’s White House, called the memo “out and out fraud.”
Minoli’s new document seemingly responds to these criticisms, including his analysis for determining if the deal was a gift, as well as specifics on what was and was not included in the initial evaluation. It also includes a copy of Pruitt's former lease, which was dated last February and in which J. Steven Hart’s name is crossed out as landlord and replaced with his wife, Vicki Hart.
“Today’s memorandum shares the factual analysis done by the career ethics officials and how that analysis supports the conclusion reached in the March 30th Memorandum that the lease did not constitute a prohibited gift,” Minoli said in a statement emailed to BuzzFeed News. He added that the new memo also responds to “the misunderstanding or mischaracterization” of the original one.
Apr. 05, 2018, at 21:05 PM
This story has been updated to include comment from Justina Fugh, and that Kevin Minoli declined to be interviewed. It also includes information that the EPA confirmed Pruitt’s daughter stayed at the apartment last summer, new details about the lease, White House reactions to the controversy, and how EPA staffers have previously raised concerns about Pruitt’s spending and travel.
Scott Pruitt’s Apartment Deal Is At The Center Of An Ethical Storm For Trump’s EPA
Zahra Hirji is a science reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Washington, DC
Contact Zahra Hirji at zahra.hirji@buzzfeed.com.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2265
|
__label__cc
| 0.736275
| 0.263725
|
Home page of news
Indeterminate status of the electronic signature in the validation report
When can an electronic signature be considered valid and meet the requirements for a qualified status? What if we get an “indeterminate” result in the protocol and the business situation requires a quick decision? In the circulation of electronic documents, as in the case of traditional documents, an expert approach is important when assessing the risk of their acceptance.
Qualified validation service
In the previous article I pointed out the fundamental differences between validation and verification (checking) of the validity of a qualified electronic signature (QES). The validation service issues a confirmation of the result of the check. In the case of a qualified validation service, such a confirmation (certified report) constitutes evidence which is difficult to challenge also in court proceedings as it enjoys a legal presumption of its veracity under the eIDAS rules (EU Regulation 910/2014).
It is certainly worth using the qualified validation service, but is this always necessary? One of the comments on the previous article rightly points out that this depends on the assessment of the risks involved in the legal action. Risks should always be considered in the context of both the possibility of undermining the validity or status of the signature and the consequences of that fact and the cost of the service itself and its availability at a time when, for example, a business decision has to be made quickly and there is no possibility or knowledge of how to use a qualified validation service. I would like to elaborate on this topic at the end of the cycle of considerations on various aspects of recognition of qualified electronic signatures and the possible risks of their acceptance. What can be particularly interesting after receiving a report issued by the QVS (qualified validation service) stating the status of the signature as “indeterminate”? This is one of three basic validation statuses defined in the ETSI TS 119 102-1 standard. The other two are TOTALPASSED (full compliance with QES requirements) and TOTALFAILED (at least one discrepancy found to preclude the signature from being considered QES valid).
Apparently, it seems that the matter of signature verification is simple, because eIDAS clearly states what the premises and circumstances and what facts had to exist for a signature to be a valid qualified electronic signature. However, the legislation does not require the creation and collection of explicit evidence of all the determinants of the validity and status of the signature, leaving some discretion and space for the presumption of certain facts. A little confusing? I hope I can explain this later.
First of all, it is worthwhile to talk about some of the determinants. eIDAS refers to them in Article 32. An electronic signature may be considered valid and eligible for qualified status if, inter alia, the following conditions are met simultaneously:
The integrity of the signed data (content) is not affected;
The certificate indicated in the signature at the time of placement of this signature was a valid qualified certificate;
The signature was made using a qualified signature creation device (QSCD);
The signature has been created as structured information using appropriate cryptographic means, methods and algorithms that guarantee the integrity of the signed content and its unambiguous connection to the indicated certificate, by which only the verification of the signature and identification of the person who signed it can take place.
A validation service operating online must be able to confirm all these requirements automatically according to an established process. When executing it, the service checks the validity and status of the certificate. It is then based on programmed “knowledge” about possible signature structures, the attributes it contains, and the cryptographic algorithms used. It analyzes whether the uniqueness of the signature is guaranteed to be associated unambiguously with a given content. In most cases the process runs smoothly and the validation service provides a report with a clear answer. A problem with the proper course of the process occurs when it is not possible to automatically confirm or deny the conformity of the examined signature with at least one necessary requirement. There may be several reasons for this. The regulations (eIDAS and the decisions) and the standards indicated therein recommend certain methods, the use of which meets the technical and formal requirements for a qualified signature. However, these recommendations do not constitute a closed list which would limit the use of other solutions for the creation of a qualified signature (the so-called principle of technological neutrality of law). Therefore, the result of the validation may be indeterminate. This happens when the cryptographic algorithms used are, as they are not widespread, not supported by the validation service, which does not necessarily mean that they are not strong enough for a signature to meet all the requirements generally set out in eIDAS Article 32. Other factors preventing unambiguous verification of the signature may be the lack (sometimes only temporary) of online access to information provided by the issuer on the validity of the certificate (CRL, OCSP service) or the lack of access to the TSL list (published by national supervisors) confirming the qualified status of the entity issuing the certificate.
“Indeterminate” status and expert risk assessment
Where a validation service can neither confirm nor deny the validity of a qualified electronic signature, an “indeterminate” result shall appear in the protocol with a possible comment indicating the reason. Sometimes it is enough to carry out a check again when access to the necessary information is restored. However, it happens that an expert assessment is necessary and, weighing the business risk, it should be decided whether or not to accept the signed document.
In such situations, additional questions arise – can one of the parties to a legal transaction refuse to recognize a “non-standard” qualified signature? In such a case, can the court question the legal effectiveness of an agreement for the validity of which the written form (electronic form) was reserved under pain of nullity? In the latter case, if compliance with the eIDAS requirements for a qualified signature is confirmed (by a validation service or expert/expert witness), the court will have no grounds not to recognize compliance with the required legal form. However, the answer to the first question is not so obvious. Acceptance of a document signed with such a “non-standard” signature depends on the situation and legal circumstances or interest of the party accepting the document. Public administration, according to Article 27 of eIDAS, should recognize “qualified electronic signatures at least on format level or using methods specified in implementing acts”. This means that a public entity cannot selectively and freely indicate which standards it recognizes and accepts but must accept all the ones resulting from the implementing acts related to eIDAS. On the other hand, it may, but does not have to, refuse to accept a document if the electronic signature is to be executed by methods not described in the above mentioned standards.
The use of a validation service that supports all the standards for qualified electronic signatures required by the eIDAS Regulation could solve the problem of formal assessment of documents received, often from abroad, by public bodies.
Electronic or paper document?
Very often I encounter specific situations where one of the parties to the exchange of electronic documents has doubts in assessing whether the signature meets the requirements for a qualified status. Many uncertainties arise simply because there are no well-established interpretations in the legal doctrine based on such a rich body of case-law as that concerning the documentation of legal transactions in paper form. However, in the case of electronic documents, as in the paper world, common sense is needed to assess the risk of their acceptance, which is de facto much lower than in the case of traditional circulation. All legal and technical considerations, including those presented by me, due to their complicated and – for many – incomprehensible matter, increase the degree of distrust in electronic documents, instead of convincing their use. I assure you that if I describe how poorly a paper document is secured against a change in integrity, what are the possibilities of challenging the originality of a handwritten signature or falsifying it, etc., then you could conclude that we should not accept any documents without notarial or graphological confirmation of their authenticity. And yet we do not do that. Often, without hesitation, we consider a paper document signed by a counterparty “on the other side of the world” and sent by courier service to be correct, and sometimes we take action only on the basis of the received scan of a contract signed on paper. Risk assessment is usually based on business experience and intuition. There is still a lack for the above in the world of electronic commerce, where we do not fully know the possible threats and ways to stop them.
I am not claiming that a qualified validation service acts as an electronic notary, but without a doubt it gives a high degree of certainty in assessing the effectiveness of a declaration of intent validated by an electronic signature. Despite some exceptions, it frees a participant operating on the electronic services market from many legal and technical dilemmas. These exceptions are when the verification status of the electronic signature in the validation report is recorded as “indeterminate”. This is what I would like to talk about in the following articles, paying particular attention to the validity of “historical” signatures, i.e. signatures that have been submitted in the past and are verified today after the certificate has expired or the recommendation for cryptographic algorithms used to create this signature has been withdrawn.
Andrzej Ruciński, Advisor to the President of the Board, Asseco Data Systems
Asseco joins the Digital Poland Association – Asseco Poland – Technology for business, Solutions for people
Asseco has implemented advanced, one-time electronic signature in Santander Consumer Bank
Secure e-documentation, or why use an electronic seal?
TLS/SSL products linking the G20 endorsed unique organisation identifier will be available through Certum’s global SSL reseller network
How to secure the form on the website in accordance with the requirements of the GDPR?
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2269
|
__label__wiki
| 0.737056
| 0.737056
|
Football: Run less, win more, says Man City's Guardiola
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FA Cup - Third Round - Manchester City v Birmingham City - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - January 10, 2021 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola REUTERS/Phil Noble
REUTERS: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said their recent upturn in form is down to his players grasping how they can dictate games without "running too much".
City struggled for consistency at the start of the season but have turned the tide with a six-game winning run in all competitions - the club's longest of the campaign.
Victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium later on Wednesday will move City four points behind leaders Manchester United having played a game less.
"The only difference is that we run less," said Guardiola.
"We were running too much. When you play football you have to walk - or run much, much less.
"Without the ball you have to run. But with the ball you stay more in the position and let the ball run, not you. And we improved in these games, in these terms."
City's 24 goals in 15 games is the fewest of any of the top nine this season. But since their 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Dec. 15 they have scored 15 in their last six games in all competitions.
"We lost it a bit this season, that was my fault, the message was not clear, but we came back a little bit to the principles," said Guardiola.
"It is normal that after good results and performances the people visualize again that we can do it again in the way we did it in the past. And that is the way we have to continue."
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2270
|
__label__wiki
| 0.949488
| 0.949488
|
Corruption Adds to Baquba’s Problems
November 15, 2007 / By Dahr Jamail
BAQUBA — Facing violence, unemployment and poverty, the capital city of Iraq’s volatile Diyala province now finds itself confronting also corruption.
This follows the failed promises of reform, reconstruction and rehabilitation at the beginning of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Billions of dollars of U.S. and Iraqi funds were set aside for rebuilding Iraq, ruined by four years of occupation, 12 years of sanctions, and 30 years of dictatorship. There is little to show for these vast amounts of aid money.
The infrastructure is clearly worse on all measurable levels than it was pre- invasion.
Under the Coalition Provisional Authority, more than 7 billion dollars went “missing” in the first year of occupation alone. Now Iraqi authorities are blamed for adding to the corruption.
Contractors in Baquba told IPS they believe the governor’s office is directly involved in the corruption.
“I’m not quite sure about the governor (Ra’ad Hameed al-Mula Jowad al- Tamimi) himself,” the owner of a security contracts company, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IPS. “What is certain is that his protection group plays a big role in taking the money using his name.”
“In contrast to all the contractors, a large number of projects go to the governor’s nephew,” contractor Abu Ahmed told IPS. “This contractor often tries to influence the monitoring committee to sign his invoice even if it is inconsistent with the specifications of the job.”
Payments for roads and bridges have been made even when the job was badly done or left incomplete, he said.
Companies and contractors submit their bids to the government committee. The committee as a whole is then supposed to examine the tenders according to the terms announced. But in Diyala province, contractors say the committee divides the projects among its members.
“Every committee member takes a number of projects, and makes deals with contractors,” co-owner of the al-Khadra company for general contractors, who did not wish to give his name, told IPS. “If the contractor does not pay them a bribe, he won’t get the contract.”
The usual rate, he said, is 10 percent of the value of the contract to be paid to the one who awards it. The company owner said he had seen this process first-hand.
“Imagine, in a project of one million dollars, the contractor should pay 100,000 dollars to be awarded the project to begin with,” he added.
Governor al-Tamimi was nearly killed Sep. 27 by a suicide bomber outside a mosque in Shifta village nearby Baquba. He was injured, but 24 people were killed, and 37 others wounded.
A city official told IPS that a senior member of the department of planning in the governor’s office has been accused of blackmailing contractors, “and his name is on the list of the minister’s council for investigation.”
Abu Shaima, who has worked for some of the companies that have been awarded contracts, said there are four contact persons “in the north” who make deals with contractors. Local workers, most of whom are now jobless, told IPS that government employment is itself affected by corruption.
“You have to pay to be a policeman,” former policeman Abu Qassim told IPS. “You bring your CV, with a few hundred dollars.” Or, he said, “the first salary will be for the officer who is in charge of nominating volunteers.”
There are all sorts of variations. “Sometimes, there are hundreds of false names whose salaries go to the senior officers. Or, one may be told that he can have half of the salary without coming to the office.” Meanwhile, basic infrastructure, from water to electricity to security, barely functions.
On Oct. 25, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was questioned by lawmakers over claims that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was shielding top ministers from corruption probes.
Senator Henry Waxman said Maliki had issued a decree requiring his approval before any minister or official in the presidential office was brought before a court on corruption charges.
Rice refused to respond directly, and instead claimed that U.S. officials took all allegations of corruption in Iraq seriously.
(*Ahmed, our correspondent in Iraq’s Diyala province, works in close collaboration with Dahr Jamail, our U.S.-based specialist writer on Iraq who travels extensively in the region)
Articles, Iraq
Fallujah Now Under a Different Kind of Siege
BOOKS-US/IRAQ: Outrage in a Time of Apathy
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2271
|
__label__cc
| 0.646238
| 0.353762
|
News Sports Business Entertainment Opinion Lifestyle Obituaries E-Edition Legals
Guest Editorial: Is a draft registry obsolete?
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., kicked off a furious national debate on gender, equality and war readiness earlier this month by posing a simple question to military leaders at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: Should women register for the military draft, now that combat jobs are open to them?
Too bad it was the wrong question. A better one is this: Why should the country require anyone — male or female — to register for a draft that’s purely hypothetical? Or this: Does it make sense to extend the Selective Service rule as a symbolic gesture of gender equality without first examining the rationality of maintaining a registry at all in the digital era?
Congress should start with the last two questions first, setting aside the role of women in the military to look dispassionately at the practicality of registration and its function as a sort of security blanket for the military. It may well be that this Cold War relic lingers on because it gives the illusion that a massive force of armed Americans could be mobilized immediately to fight whatever threat might come along. It can’t; registry aside, it takes tremendous resources to screen, train, house and feed thousand of new recruits.
Meanwhile, registration comes with a real cost to taxpayers and a steep penalty to teenagers who do not comply. In some states, young men can’t get a drivers license if they haven’t filed the necessary forms with the Selective Service System.
The reality is that the country hasn’t had an actual draft since 1973, when public support for conscription was sapped by year after bloody year of the Vietnam War. Short of an invasion by foreign troops or extraterrestrials, a draft is unlikely in the near future. Military commanders now see the benefit of a highly trained and professional all-volunteer force, while the public continues to be wary of conscription.
Yet the draft registry was reinstated in 1980, and the agency charged with its keeping keeps chugging along. Why? That’s a question the Government Accountability Office explored in a 2012 study. In a report to Congress, the GAO noted that while defense department officials cling to Selective Service as “low-cost insurance policy in case a draft is ever necessary,” they hadn’t reassessed its requirements for inductees since 1994 and therefore it wasn’t clear whether the system was even needed anymore. The national security picture has changed dramatically, as has warfare, since the Cold War ended and the war on terror began. Furthermore, the report noted that the collection of registration data is largely automatic. Much of the Selective Service staff’s day-to-day work is letting people know they have to register and training volunteers how to screen conscriptees in the event a draft is ever activated.
Though it is difficult to imagine a modern-day military scenario that would benefit from having hundreds of thousands of untrained, and possibly unwilling, young people forced into service, it is a possibility for which the country needs to prepare.
But we don’t necessarily need an active registry, or the make-work assignments required to sustain it, to effect a draft should it be required. Conscriptions are meant to backfill armies depleted by months and years of war.
The registry could be recreated well before the military had pulled together the resources to train, house and deploy hundreds of thousands of draftees.
Consider what happened when President Jimmy Carter ordered the reinstatement of the draft registry in February 1980 in response Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan. Registration forms were ready by July, and by September the Selective Service had received registration cards from 93 percent of eligible men, as the head of the Selective Service at the time, Bernard Rostker, reported in his book, “I Want You! The Evolution of The All-Volunteer Force.” And remember, this was before the Internet made things such as instant online registration a reality.
If Congress decides, practicality be damned, not to explore the relevance of draft registration, by all means it should change the law so that women must participate. Equality comes with benefits as well as responsibilities. If men must continue to comply for the sake of the nation’s peace of mind, then women should do so too. But that’s the legislative equivalent of putting the cart before the horse in an era when everyone’s driving a car.
© 2021 www.daily-times.com. All rights reserved.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2272
|
__label__cc
| 0.50639
| 0.49361
|
Amicus participation in appellate litigation: a guide
By Johanna Schiavoni | Dec. 28, 2020
self-study / Appellate Practice 1 Credit
Johanna Schiavoni
Counsel, California Appellate Law Group LLP
Johanna is a certified specialist in appellate law, and her practice at California Appellate Law Group LLP focuses on civil appeals in state and federal courts. She served as a law clerk to 9th Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown and Central District of California Judge Christina A. Snyder (ret.). She is the 2020 president of the San Diego County Bar Association.
Amicus support (or opposition) can make a difference in your appeal. Too often, counsel overlook the importance of amicus curiae letters or briefs. Since the goal is to present your case in a complete and helpful way, and ultimately to persuade the appellate court to agree with your client's position, spend the time to evaluate whether support from amicus curiae, as a "friend of the court," could aid your cause. These considerations also will keep you from being caught off guard if amici weigh in for your opponent or with a neutral brief.
As a certified appellate specialist attorney, I have represented amicus curiae and parties in litigation that benefitted from amicus support. Here are my top strategic and tactical considerations for appellate and trial counsel -- and clients -- with high-stakes appellate litigation.
General Tips for Amicus Briefs
First, here are several initial considerations applicable to all potential amicus briefs.
1. Understand how amicus curiae can be helpful. Amicus briefing is intended to aid the court. So, consider -- what would be helpful in your case? Where can an amicus provide expertise or insight not otherwise presented by the parties? While parties may recruit or solicit amicus support, an amicus brief will not be credible if it reads like a "friend of the party" brief, rather than a "friend of the court" brief.
In substance, do not regurgitate the party briefs. Amici should present a new and different take on some issue of importance. Along these lines, amici also should take care not to repeat what is said by other amici. As I describe in more detail below, using an attorney to coordinate briefs by various amici can ensure you deliver an impactful and coherent overall message to the court.
2. The right to file amicus briefs is not automatic. Judges and justices -- and their law clerks and research attorneys -- read a lot of material and only want to review amicus briefs that will aid the court's decision in some way. Although amicus briefs are expressly allowed by U.S. Supreme Court Rule 37, Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 29, and California Rules of Court, rules 8.520(f) and 8.200(c), the right to file as an amicus must be sought by permission. And some courts will rigorously analyze whether the proposed amicus brief is helpful in deciding whether to allow the brief to be filed.
3. Consider the stage of the case. When does amicus support make the most sense -- at the time you request review or when you argue the merits?
Although parties generally have an automatic right to appeal to an intermediate court, review by the highest federal or state court is only by permission. In a case where you are seeking review by a petition for certiorari (U.S. Supreme Court) or a petition for review (California Supreme Court), amicus support should elevate the conflict. Strong amicus briefs or letters can emphasize that your case is of widespread importance and is the right vehicle to take up the issue. By contrast, the absence of amicus support can have the opposite effect, i.e., of diminishing the case's importance. And, consider that amicus briefs arguing against review may not be good strategy because the absolute number of briefs can highlight the importance of the case.
When arguing the merits, an amicus brief should elucidate an important point at issue. Consider Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 (2003), an affirmative action case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision quoted a particularly impactful amicus brief submitted on behalf of 29 high-ranking retired officers and civilian leaders of the military who advocated the benefits of a highly qualified and racially diverse officer corps from our nation's service academies and training programs, achieved through "race-conscious recruiting and admissions policies." Relying in part on that amicus brief, the court concluded that "to cultivate a set of leaders with legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry, it is necessary that the path to leadership be visibly open to talented and qualified individuals of every race and ethnicity" and held that there remains a "compelling interest" in upholding the use of race or ethnicity as a factor in certain educational admission decisions. Id. at 331, 333.
4. Timing and coordination are key. Courts vary among the time to file an amicus letter or brief. In federal courts, filing deadlines may be as soon as seven days after filing of the principal brief being supported, whereas in California courts, the time to file generally is longer.
In my experience, amicus briefs have more impact when a party has a lawyer coordinating among potential amici to ensure the end result is a helpful brief or set of briefs. To that end, coordinating counsel should reach out to potential amici early in the strategic life of your appeal. Inquire about and understand the time required for a potential amicus to consider whether to file an amicus brief, obtain counsel to prepare the brief, recruit potential other signatories (individuals or entities), and secure final sign off before the brief is filed. This process can take weeks, if not months, especially for government entities or industry groups. Note, however, party counsel must understand the rules requiring disclosure of financial or drafting assistance, if provided.
5. Amici are not tied to discussing the facts or the law. One unique (and fun!) aspect of amicus briefing is that many of the rules that apply to party briefs do not apply to amicus briefs. For example, an amicus can cite or supply facts not in the record without seeking judicial notice. An amicus does not need to discuss the facts of the case or even the law -- and can assist the court in other ways. The key question here is -- what perspective or expertise can the amicus offer that will be helpful?
Types of Amicus Briefs -Helpful to Courts
Following are several areas where amicus curiae briefs can be particularly illuminating. On this score, carefully consider what information will help complete the story of the case and then consider who is in a position to clearly and credibly present the information.
6. Provide technical, scientific or specialized expertise. In cases with aspects beyond the typical purview of most appellate judges, amicus parties can shed helpful light on technical, scientific or specialized topics. The key is to explain the concepts in a manner accessible to the judicial audience, while presenting it in a neutral way supported by evidence. In Bonnichsen v. United States, 367 F.3d 864 (9th Cir. 2004), a case adjudicating the right to scientific study of a specimen of human remains appropriately 9,000 years old, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals referenced multiple amicus briefs discussing Native American burial traditions, tribal oral narrative traditions, and the scientific testing proposed to be done on the specimen. See id. at 870 n.8 & 882 nn.23, 24.
7. Employ the tools of social science. Social science can help a court by showing the impact and importance of a legal decision. In Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), in footnote 11, the U.S. Supreme Court cited to psychological studies showing that segregation of Black schoolchildren made them feel inferior, interfered with their learning, and had lasting negative impacts on them. Id. at 494 n.11. The court expressly relied on these studies in rejecting the "separate but equal" doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson, and instead, reaching its landmark decision that "in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Id. at 495.
On the contrary, do not overreach. An ineffective (and even dangerous) amicus brief portends to understand social science, but provides incorrect data, overstates the results, or overreaches beyond its expertise. In a high-profile example where this proved problematic, an amicus brief in Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013) offered voter registration data by race, which was incorrectly portrayed in the amicus brief. The Supreme Court's majority opinion cited a chart with the incorrect data, and after the mistake was later uncovered by an outside interest group, the court had to revise its opinion. See id. at 548.
8. Offer empirical data. Can an amicus present empirical data that will elucidate a key point? Perhaps an industry or advocacy group, a think tank, or academic experts can discuss research or data relevant to an issue in your case. In a recent case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the government's rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program, a group of businesses as amici offered estimates of the cost to employers of hiring and training replacement employees at $6.3 billion. See Dep't of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, 140 S. Ct. 1891, 1914 (2020).
In another landmark case, Riley v. California, 573 U.S. 373 (2014), the Supreme Court struck down routine searches of cellphones seized incident to an arrest absent a separate search warrant. In reasoning that this warrantless invasion of privacy was not authorized by the 4th Amendment, the court discussed and cited data supplied by various amici curiae showing sparse evidence of "remote wiping" of cellphones prior to a search warrant being obtained (thereby undermining one of the state's justifications for warrantless searches), and discussing the "immense storage capacity" and vast types of information ("millions of pages of text, thousands of pictures, or hundreds of videos") stored on even the most basic cellphones. Id. at 389-90, 394.
9. Bring in the perspective of other jurisdictions or otherwise disparate groups. Another area ripe for amicus support is to present a comparative analysis of how other cities, states or countries address a complex legal or regulatory point. Consider also highlighting disparate groups who share the same view in your case. In Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304 (2002), in striking down application of the death penalty against mentally retarded persons, the U.S. Supreme Court cited the amicus briefs of religious groups and of the European Union, who represented broadly different groups and countries all condemning capital punishment in those circumstances. Id. at 316 n.21.
10. Communicate the context. If the case is situated in a broader regulatory or commercial context, consider who can effectively communicate that context. On this front, I have represented amicus curiae who were highly regulated entities (e.g., skilled nursing facilities) providing perspective on how a court's decision would impact the industry, see Shuts v. Covenant Holdco LLC, 208 Cal. App. 4th 609 (2012), and a large chemical company offering its perspective on how the court's interpretation of commercial insurance policy language and development of principles around policy limit stacking would broadly affect policyholders. See State v. Continental Ins. Co., 55 Cal. 4th 186 (2012).
Consider the legal historical context as well. California's governor recently filed an amicus brief in a death penalty case discussing historical and current mechanisms in the jury trial system that lead to racially unequal application of the death penalty (jury venires, death qualification of jurors, and peremptory challenges) and advocating that requiring unanimity and proof beyond a reasonable doubt in the penalty phase of capital cases will reduce both racial discrimination and arbitrariness in jury decisions about capital punishment. See People v. McDaniel, Case No. S171393, Proposed Brief of Amicus Curiae The Hon. Gavin Newsom.
11. Utilize legislative history. Although legislative history can be discussed in party briefs, there may be reasons why it is not given in-depth treatment. In Prairie Rivers Network v. Dynergy Midwest Generation, LLC, 976 F.3d 761 (7th Cir. 2020), which raised complex issues under the Clean Water Act related to groundwater contamination, the 7th Circuit accepted several amicus briefs, including one that presented a historical analysis of Illinois groundwater regulation from before Congress' enactment of the Clean Water Act through the present day. Id. at 764. The appellate court noted the amicus brief provided additional "context to the cases cited by the parties and highlight[ed] the practical results if we decide to affirm." Id.
12. Share the practical implications. Appellate judges want to understand the practical implications of their decisions. They also want to avoid unintended consequences, which can birth more confusion or more litigation.
Good appellate strategy requires parties to think through the practical implications of the relief they are seeking. Yet, sometimes, the best messengers on the practical implications of a court's decision are the repeat players (e.g., government entities, industry groups, companies in highly-regulated industries). In Prairie Rivers Network, the Court of Appeals specifically identified as helpful an amicus brief's discussion of potential practical results of various outcomes. Id.
13. Present a different take on the issue. Amici also can be helpful by offering a different analytical approach to the issue, or by supplying factual or legal analysis insufficiently addressed by the parties. Consider, for example, if one factor is particularly important to the case but glossed over by the parties -- an amicus brief can address the point in more detail.
In sum, amici curiae should add something important to the landscape of the case. Take the time to present a concerted strategy with a coherent story that adds to the court's understanding of the issues. To be credible, the amicus must be expert in and accurately portray the information conveyed. Think of a Venn diagram -- an effective and helpful amicus brief will intersect with the case presented by the parties, but present a new and different area of expertise.
For an in-depth analysis of the strategic use and influence of amicus briefing at both the petition and merits stage in the U.S. Supreme Court, read "The Amicus Machine," by Allison Orr Larsen & Neal Devins, 102 Va. L. Rev. 1901 (2016).
Related Tests for Appellate practice
self-study/Appellate Practice
Jumbled justices
By Benjamin G. Shatz
participatory/Appellate Practice
SCOTUS preview 1: immigration and border Issues
The state of the administrative state
High court endorses 'least-worst rule'
The drawn out battle over LA's city council maps
9th mulls nationwide injunctions and mootness
The Age of the Polar Court
Test Questions:
Fill out the following questions to the best of your ability, then click the save and continue button below to receive your credits.
To take this MCLE test please sign in.
If you don't have an account, sign up here.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2274
|
__label__cc
| 0.610963
| 0.389037
|
I love a good farm shop. Some say they're farm shops but then just turn out to be a bit of a box room with a few sad vegetables but in the Dales we have some terrific farm shops. One of my favourites is Town End Farm shop at Airton near Malham, run by the effervescent and ever-enthusiastic Chris Wildman.
You may have seen Town End Farm Shop on TV when it was the venue for the Top of the Shop programme with Tom Kerridge. The drive to the shop through the stunning Malhamdale countryside and mellow lanes builds anticipation, and there's a reassuringly large car park. The entrance to the cafe goes through the farm shop, which initially seems relatively small. However, it's crammed full of really interesting produce. There are vegetables, meat and dairy products from the local area, alongside practically every condiment, cooking sauce, and food treat you can think of.
This is a genuine farm shop: Chris breeds and rear his own grass-fed lamb, traditional breed cattle and rare breed pork on his farm, and sells it in the shop. He's a fifth generation butcher and is justly proud of his Yorkshire chorizo, salami and dry-cured bacon.
The cafe is cosy, welcoming to muddy-booted walkers and locals alike, with a fantastic range of meals and excellent cakes and coffee. Chris is truly passionate about food and makes sure everything is of good quality. Upstairs is a range of gifts and locally made items.
Town End Farm Shop has another claim to fame - Chris claims to have the World's Largest Choice of Yorkshire Gins! And if that's not enough, you can also learn butchery skills and how to make salami with him!
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2276
|
__label__cc
| 0.678387
| 0.321613
|
Pen-y-Ghent by Paul Harris
Every year thousands of visitors come to the Yorkshire Dales with a sole purpose in mind: to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, covering the 24 mile route to climb Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in under 12 hours.
Along the route they take in some of the most dramatic and beautiful countryside in England, ascending over 5200 ft in total.
Most follow the same route, starting with Pen-y-Ghent, then Whernside and Ingleborough but you don't have to walk these peaks all in one go.
There are fantastic signed routes to the summit of each of them. Many start with Pen-y-Ghent, setting out from Horton-in-Ribblesdale and go by Hull Pot on the way down. The Whernside route starts at the incredible Ribblehead Viaduct. Being the highest point in Yorkshire, there are amaazing views as far as Morecambe Bay on a clear day from the summit. Clapham is the starting point for the route up Ingleborough, where you'll see remarkable limestone scenery.
While everyone appreciates that these routes are much loved, a small minority of visitors do cause problems for locals by irresponsible parking, and sometimes litter. The volume of visitors can cause issues with path erosion, and the Yorkshire Dales National Park's rangers and volunteers are kept busy repairing and maintaining the paths and rights of way. Everyone is encouraged to follow the Yorkshire Three Peaks Code of Conduct, and to consider how they can reduce their impact by using designated parking areas and planning well for their walk. Yorkshire Dales weather can change very quickly, and many people don't appreciate the huge potential difference in weather between the bottom of a peak and the summit.
Mountain Rescue Services (volunteers) are frequently called out for silly reasons - because people haven't planned properly, don't wear the right clothing or take sufficient provisions. I've heard of them getting called out to people who set out to climb a significant peak in flip flops (because it was sunny when they set out) and then struggled on scree, or because they'd run out of sandwiches! The volunteer rescuers have plenty of call outs for more serious medical reasons so it's worth being properly prepared to avoid adding to their burden.
The Three Peaks App gives information on the routes, accommodation, maps and points of interest along the way. It would be good if we could help spread the word about the Code of Conduct, to encourage walkers to make a donation to the Mountain Rescue Services, and to take a look at the Three Peaks online shop. Proceeds from items bought go to help fund the work of the rangers and maintain the routes.
Ingleborough by Paul Harris
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2277
|
__label__wiki
| 0.674558
| 0.674558
|
Eva Soltes | Episode 38
Photo credit: Jin HI Kim
The desert was to be one of the locations for a documentary Eva was filming about composer, Lou Harrison. Lou was building a straw-bale construction home in Joshua Tree and invited Eva to come along for a visit during construction. Lou passed away a year to the day after construction was completed and Eva has become the Founder and Director of Harrison House Music, Arts & Ecology. In this episode, Eva discusses her first visit to the desert and the subsequent visits that followed, the decision to move and the way in which she was introduced to a community that embraces and loves the arts. Eva also discusses one of the first impressive artists in residence and how the ecology component was added to the concept.
Over the course of her decades-long career, Eva has produced and/or directed nearly one thousand music, dance, theater and media works for national and international audiences. As a photographer her work has been published around the country and internationally in publications including: San Francisco Chronicle Magazine; San Francisco Chronicle, Guitar Player Magazine; Wired Magazine (GB); Los Angeles Times; The Bay Guardian; Oakland Tribune; Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, NY Times.
We wrap up the conversation with some insight into the planning of art and culture.
Harrison House
LOU HARRISON: A World of Music Trailer
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2285
|
__label__cc
| 0.576931
| 0.423069
|
Buck, who grew up in Cedar Rapids and graduated from Jefferson High School, was appointed to the department's helm in 2013 and confirmed in 2014. The position is appointed by the governor and must be confirmed every four years by the Senate.
As director, Buck earns $150,000 a year. He'll continue working at the department through June before transitioning to his new role, spokeswoman Staci Hupp Ballard said.
During Buck's tenure, he oversaw the implementation of a multimillion-dollar education reform law that passed in 2013. The Teacher Leadership and Compensation System created new teacher positions that craft curricula, mentor other teachers and design better tests.
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity," said Buck in a statement about his work as director. "I've worked among passionate, hard-working servants and leaders who have Iowa students' best interests in their minds and hearts."
Gov. Terry Branstad commended Buck's service as well, saying in a statement that he "has been instrumental in the implementation of Iowa's transformational education reform."
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2286
|
__label__wiki
| 0.979112
| 0.979112
|
Electoral Form Guide: Stirling
Electorate: Stirling
Margin: Liberal 1.2%
Location: Perth Northern Suburbs, Western Australia
In a nutshell: Combining Liberal-leaning coastal suburbs with Perth’s least glamorous territory around Balga and Mirrabooka, this highly marginal seat has changed hands seven times in three decades. Shadow Customs Minister Michael Keenan nabbed the seat for the Liberals on the back of the 2004 Mark Latham backlash, and just managed to hold back the tide in 2007.
LOUISE DURACK
Labor (bottom)
ELIZABETH RE
JENNY WHATELY
Christian Democratic Party
PETER CLIFFORD
MICHAEL KEENAN
Liberal (top)
Electorate analysis: The perenially marginal Perth northern suburbs seat of Stirling was created at the 1955 election to cater for post-war suburban expansion. Originally extending all the way inland to Guildford, it assumed roughly assumed its current dimensions following a redistribution in 1969. Subsequent growth in Perth’s northern corridor has been accommodated by drawing in the once rural electorate of Moore, and through the creation of Cowan when parliament was enlarged in 1984. Stirling currently extends from northern Scarborough to North Beach along the coast, and inland through light industrial Balcatta and Osborne Park to low-income Balga and Mirrabooka in the north and more affluent Dianella and Yokine nearer the city. A number of minor adjustments have been made in the redistribution. In the north 1000 voters are gained in Watermans Bay, smoothing off what had previously been a southern coastal salient of Moore. In the south-east it gains Joondanna from Curtin (over 3000 voters) and Coolbinia from Perth (2700 voters). Counter-balancing these changes are transfers of nearly 7000 voters at southern Scarborough to Curtin and 1300 at western Morley to Perth. The areas gained and lost lean towards the Liberals in similar degree, such that the effect is a negligible 0.1 per cent reduction in the margin.
Stirling was held by Labor’s Harry Webb for all but one term from its creation until 1972. The 1969 swing allowed Webb to retain a seat which had been made notionally Liberal by redistribution, but he was defeated when Western Australia bucked the national trend in 1972 (another Labor casualty being Forrest). Ian Viner held the seat for the Liberals from 1972 until 1983, surviving by 12 votes in 1974 and going on to serve as Aboriginal Affairs Minister in the Fraser government. It again changed hands with the election of the Hawke government in 1983, when Viner was defeated by Labor’s Ron Edwards. Despite an unfavourable redistribution in 1984, Edwards held the seat by narrow margins at the next three elections, surviving by just 234 votes in 1990. He finally lost to prominent radio broadcaster Eoin Cameron when WA again bucked a national pro-Labor trend in 1993. Throughout this period the coastal suburbs assumed an older and more Liberal-friendly profile, but this was counterbalanced by a redistribution before the 1998 election which removed northern coastal Waterman, Marmion and Sorrento. Labor was thus able to regain the seat in 1998, when Cameron was defeated by Jann McFarlane.
Stirling changed hands for the third time in five elections in 2004, following another swing consistent with the statewide result. There were instructive variations in the swing within the electorate, with slight swings to Labor near the coast overwhelmed by a strong move to the Liberals further inland. The Liberals’ success came despite the embarrassing withdrawal of their candidate Paul Afkos eight months earlier, after it emerged he had borrowed $300,000 from a man he knew to be a convicted drug trafficker. Afkos stood aside and was replaced by Michael Keenan, a real estate salesman, deputy director of the state party and former adviser to Amanda Vanstone and Alexander Downer. Keenan faced a strong opponent at the 2007 election in former SAS officer Peter Tinley, who was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003 for his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the electorate stubbornly refused to budge, recording a gentle 0.8 per cent swing to Labor that compared with a statewide swing of 2.1 per cent. Tinley went on to enter state politics at the November 2009 by-election for Willagee, held to replace former Premier Alan Carpenter.
Michael Keenan was elevated to the front bench after the election, assuming the positions of Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Governance. He was subsequently associated with a new faction forming around Malcolm Turnbull, which seems to have been borne out by his career trajectory since. On Turnbull’s elevation to the leadership he was promoted to the significant employment and workplace relations portfolio, but the change to Tony Abbott brought him back down a peg to justice and customs. Sharri Markson of the Sunday Telegraph reported in April 2009 that Keenan was among those unfortunately dubbed the “big swinging dicks” who were said to have agitated for the removal of Julie Bishop as deputy leader, a grouping also said to have included Christopher Pyne, Steven Ciobo, Greg Hunt, Peter Dutton, Jamie Briggs and Scott Morrison.
Labor’s candidate at the coming election is Louise Durack, executive director of People With Disabilities WA and unsuccessful candidate for Ocean Reef at the 2008 state election. Durack won preselection with the backing of the party’s national executive ahead of television presenter Janet Pettigrew, said to have been the favourite among local party branches, and WA Aids Council official Cipri Martinez. Robert Taylor of The West Australian had earlier tipped the nomination would go to Karen Brown, chief-of-staff to state Opposition Leader Eric Ripper and unsuccessful state election candidate for Mount Lawley.
Stirling was one of four Perth marginals covered by a Galaxy survey of 800 respondents in the second last week of the campaign, and it showed a 2.1 per cent swing against Labor across the four. The JWS Research-Telereach poll conducted during the final weekend of the campaign, covering 400 respondents in the electorate with a margin of error of about 5 per cent, had the Liberals leading 52.6-47.4.
Back to the Crikey’s tipping comp electorate information page
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2290
|
__label__wiki
| 0.798195
| 0.798195
|
Into the Cold: A George Smiley Primer
By David Cranmer
It has been nearly 30 years since George Smiley’s last appearance in The Secret Pilgrim. Here’s a refresher of the master spy’s collected adventures.
Call for the Dead (1961)
Samuel Fennan—a civil servant who had been anonymously accused of being a communist—committed suicide following a routine security check conducted by Smiley. Smiley’s boss, Maston, blames him for grilling Fennan excessively, but Smiley knows he didn’t interrogate the man beyond simple lines of questioning. In fact, he had let Fennan know he was in the clear. Now, because the suicide is an embarrassing detail to be swept under the rug, Smiley is being indirectly framed for Fennan’s death. One of my favorite lines in this debut adventure comes when Smiley wearily eyes his spineless boss, thinking, “You’re dangerous, Maston. You’re weak and frightened. Anyone’s neck before yours, I know. You’re looking at me that way—measuring me for the rope.”
Smiley visits Fennan’s wife, Elsa, at Maston’s encouraging, who nearly convinces Smiley that her husband was indeed driven to that point of severe depression by his meeting with Smiley. But fate intervenes when the phone rings. Smiley answers the call expecting it to be Maston, but it’s a wake-up reminder (from the dark ages, young readers, before cell phones) meant for Fennan. Why would a man planning to kill himself have requested to receive a wake-up call?
A Murder of Quality (1962)
Miss Brimley is an old friend of George Smiley (from his WWII exploits), and when she receives a letter from a woman named Stella Rode who claims her husband is trying to kill her, Brimley seeks Smiley’s counsel. Unfortunately, though, it’s too late. The woman has been murdered. Smiley agrees to take the letter to an Inspector Rigby, who Smiley takes an instant liking to—perhaps he’s looking into a mirror and sees himself. Rigby, Smiley observed, “imparted a feeling of honesty and straight dealing,” and because Rigby had heard “just a very little” of George Smiley’s service, he gladly accepts the help. Rigby and Smiley begin unraveling the threads of Mrs. Rode’s death—or as Smiley corresponds back to Brimley, “So I’ll just sniff around a bit.”
One of the joys of reading A Murder of Quality is savoring all the little morsels of invaluable knowledge—we don’t normally acquire—about Smiley, quite often from other’s perceptions:
Miss Brimley wondered what impression he made on those who did know him well. She used to think of him as the most forgettable man she had ever met; short and plump, with heavy spectacles and thinning hair, he was at first sight the very prototype of an unsuccessful middle-aged bachelor in a sedentary occupation.
Another colleague describes him even more colorfully, “Looks like a frog, dresses like a bookie, and has a brain I’d give my eyes for.”
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963)
Alec Leamas is working for The Circus (British clandestine organization), running spies in Berlin during the Cold War. He watches as one of his double agents is gunned down trying to cross into West Germany. Soon after, Leamas is recalled to England, which he assumes will be the beginning of the end of his career whereby he’ll be unceremoniously filed away at some desk job and left to rot. Instead, his boss (codenamed Control) asks him to stay out in the cold a little bit longer and help them catch a top spy. The Circus realizes that the down-on-his-luck Leamas will be too enticing for the communists to resist. Leamas further sweetens the deal by getting himself thrown in jail for six months and doubling down on his alcohol intake. It works. He’s spotted by the East German intelligence service, known collectively as the Abteilung, who slowly begin wining and dining him until he’s taken to the Netherlands and then to East Germany for further questioning.
George Smiley was the central character of le Carré’s first two novels, Call for the Dead and A Murder of Quality. The beauty of Smiley’s presence in The Spy is that he is, for the most part, just a presence in the background. He is the puppeteer, if you will, albeit a very strong mastermind who’s pulling the strings.
Control claims that Smiley isn’t particularly happy with the plan that they have concocted. Later, when The Circus meets with Leamas for a covert update, they choose Smiley’s home for the meeting—but he’s conveniently not there. Though, when Leamas is being whisked away by the enemy to begin his interrogation, Smiley is watching Leamas at the airport:
As they pushed their way through the revolving glass door, Leamas looked back. Standing at the newspaper kiosk, deep in a copy of the Continental Daily Mail, stood a small, froglike figure in glasses, an earnest, worried little man. He looked like a civil servant. Something like that.
The Looking Glass War (1965)
In le Carré’s fourth novel, The Looking Glass War, events are skewed. A spy mission has been outsourced to a commercial airline pilot whose assignment is to photograph an area near the West German border where Soviet missiles are allegedly being deployed. Later, at the airport’s bar, the pilot fervently confronts the courier, named Taylor, while other patrons listen in on the spectacle of the supposed covert operation in which Russian MIGs had come close to blowing his plane—with a full complement of unsuspecting passengers—out of the sky. Taylor, employed by The Department, gets the film handoff. Soon after, however, he is struck and killed by a vehicle, and the thirty-five millimeter of aerial photos are lost in a snowbank, ending part one of a mission of thorough futility.
Smiley was front and center for le Carré’s first two novels and had a vital role in the third, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. That book was a watershed moment in which le Carré intended to rip the lid off the espionage community by revealing its deep-rooted weaknesses. It had the opposite effect, however, making a hero out of the world-weary main protagonist, Alec Leamas, instead. The author conveys his regret in the foreword to The Looking Glass War that The Spy had “glamorized the spy business to Kingdom Come.”
Le Carré wasn’t taking any chances with the satirical follow-up exposing the apathy and incompetence that makes up the British spy community. Unfortunately, by having Smiley involved, it takes us out of the sardonic proceedings a bit too much. Le Carré was shooting for a stark contrast between the efficient Circus and the lackluster Department, but instead, it’s slightly jarring as fictional worlds collide. A misfire still worth reading.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974)
Tinker, Tailor opens in late 1973 with a discredited Smiley forcibly resigned from The Circus, along with his boss and mentor Control (who dies soon after from natural complications), after a mission goes horribly wrong—an assignment Smiley had helped shepherd. An agent named Jim Prideaux was shot and apprehended by Russian soldiers and then later tortured. Smiley now fritters his days longing for his wayward wife, Lady Ann, and fearing “that one day, out of a past so complex that he himself could not remember all the enemies he might have made, one of them would find him and demand the reckoning.”
The man who comes calling is a former subordinate and friend named Peter Guillam, who still works for The Circus, though in a more limited capacity—or, as he explains it, that “under lateralism our autonomy is cut to the bone.” The motive for Guillam’s visit: a field agent named Ricki Tarr—a scalp-hunter whose job is to recruit foreign agents and flip them for British intelligence—falls in love with a woman named Irina, who claims she has information on a mole codenamed Gerald who is at the very top of The Circus and working for a man named Karla. Irina tells Tarr, “Have you heard of Karla? He is an old fox, the most cunning in the centre, the most secret; even his name is not a name that Russians understand.” But before London can bring her in for further debriefing, she’s snatched away by the Russians.
Tarr, on the run, eventually turns to Guillam and Oliver Lacon (who oversees the spy services) with Irina’s information. Now, with a traitor in the mists and no one else to turn to, Smiley is recruited for the hardest assignment of them all: to spy on the spies.
The Honourable Schoolboy (1977)
In Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the intelligence officer was surreptitiously tapped to track down a mole—a bellicose cancer—burrowed within The Circus. Smiley pinpointed and exposed the double agent as Bill Haydon. Haydon had been recruited by a Russian operative, known only as Karla, when he was a student at Oxford, and in his succeeding 30-year tenure within the British espionage service, he had climbed to the upper ranks, nearly crippling The Circus with his duplicity. Smiley, subsequently appointed to the role of interim caretaker, has the formidable task of restoring an organization that’s been torn to tatters.
After the unmasking of the traitor, a majority of the agency’s information networks have run cold, and the organization is in danger of being shut down. The building in which Smiley and his team work has been ripped to shreds by the “ferrets” in search of wiretaps and other spy devices, serving as a sobering reminder of their state of affairs. And with the systematic clearing of dubious Circus personal, the agency has become a skeletal apparatus in fear of itself. Even Smiley feels the impact: “The circles around him grew smaller as they grew nearer, and precious few in the early days reached the centre,” le Carré writes. Smiley adheres to the old axiom, “The best defense is a good offense,” by devising a stratagem with the help of fellow confidants Connie Sachs and Doc di Salis (others include reliable standby Peter Guillam and a factotum named Fawn), focusing their energies on cases that Haydon went out of his way to bury.
Smiley’s People (1979)
Oliver Lacon of the Cabinet Office should go easy on Smiley; after all, it was Smiley who unearthed the mole in Tinker, Tailor and then re-established The Circus as a viable spy organization in The Honourable Schoolboy (1977) when it was in danger of being defunded. However, when General Vladimir, formerly of the Soviet Union and spy for the Brits, is murdered following a cryptic message that he has some vital information, Lacon pressures the retired agent—since Vladimir had been one of his contacts in the old days—to clean up the spilled milk and put it back in the bottle where it belongs.
Lacon and his bureaucratic peers have little use for the general’s intel, aside from putting it to rest quietly and maintaining the idea that he was an old fool trying to relive a glorious past. As Lacon warns, the events surrounding Vladimir’s murder could stir an unnecessary risk to the organization, particularly at this stage of its rebirth. Lacon stipulates, clearly aware of who he is addressing, not to go nosing around for additional information … just make sure all loose ends are neatly tied up.
Fat chance. When Smiley learns General Vladimir had fresh data on Smiley’s arch rival, Karla, that’s the one loose thread he can’t help but tug free. A nemesis (whose full, how-do-they-get-that-on-a-plaque title is Chief of the Thirteenth Directorate within Soviet Intelligence) stretching far back in Smiley’s career, Karla had crippled The Circus by placing a mole at the very top of the organization, ultimately discrediting Smiley and his mentor, Control. After all these years, though, Karla has gotten sloppy, and Smiley begins using Karla’s missteps, as well as a few of his enemy’s strategies, to his advantage. Le Carré writes that Smiley felt “the drum-beat of his own past, summoning him to one last effort to externalise and resolve the conflict he had lived by.”
The Secret Pilgrim (1990)
We finally see Smiley getting some well-deserved respect as a revered elder statesman who is imparting his cloak and dagger expertise to an adoring and insatiable audience. Throughout the book, le Carré uses Smiley’s lecture as a framework for a spy named Ned’s own reminisces—where Smiley strolls to and fro like an omnipresent Gandalf the Grey—building up the honor of an otherwise overlooked hero.
Pilgrim opens with Smiley addressing the class, lamenting aspects of The Circus’s past, as Ned looks on:
“If I regret anything at all, it’s the way we wasted our time and skills. All the false alleys, and bogus friends, the misapplication of our energies. All the delusions we had about who we were.” He replaced his spectacles and, as I fancied, turned his smile upon myself. And suddenly I felt like one of my own students. It was the sixties again. I was a fledgling spy, and George Smiley—tolerant, patient, clever George—was observing my first attempts at flight.
Le Carré then rewinds the clock’s hands, and we glimpse the callow Ned—a newbie operative who almost torpedoes his career before it has hardly started when he mistakes a bodyguard of a diplomat he’s trailing for a terrorist and nearly kills the bloke. His pride was wounded on that particular misadventure, but his innocence is soon lost forever when his best friend and fellow spy, Ben, goes into hiding because his entire Berlin network is compromised. Enter Smiley, who begins tugging the threads, questioning Ned, planting seeds, and generally setting him up as a Judas Goat for The Circus. Ned thinks he’s outsmarted the master spy—covered his trail—only to come up short.
Filed Under: David CranmerGeorge SmileyJohn le Carre
Book Review: Robert B. Parker’s Someone to Watch Over Me by Ace Atkins
Cooking the Books: A Catered Book Club Murder by Isis Crawford
Book Review: Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders
Book Review: Deep into the Dark by P.J. Tracy
David Cranmer
David Cranmer is the publisher and editor of BEAT to a PULP. Latest books from this indie powerhouse include the alternate history novella Leviathan and sci-fi adventure Pale Mars. David lives in New York with his wife and daughter.
There are so many good books here, and I’d forgotten about some of the earlier ones, so I might have to go back and reread those. I’m pleased that Smiley is making a return, although not entirely sure what to expect for the return. I guess I’ll just have to read it!
Albert Tucher
“Dressed like a bookie.” Is it the same colleague who mentions that Smiley allows his tailor to take “shameless liberties?”
Book Review: Last Dance by Jeffrey Fleishman
By Ray Palen
I believe a more apt title for this novel would have been—”Cold War Reboot“. This is due to the fact that the narrative and style applied by the author make the reader feel like they could be back in the 1960s. In fact, one of the characters drives a classic car that still has an…
The Edgar Awards Revisited: LaBrava by Elmore Leonard (Best Novel; 1984)
By Christi Daugherty
Before I go any further, a confession: This was the first Elmore Leonard novel I’ve ever read. Of course, I knew about Leonard’s work—I’m not a complete philistine. I knew he was the master of fast, authentic dialogue. Crime fiction’s valedictorian of voice. And I’d seen the famous films made from his books, including Get…
The Edgar Awards Revisited: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré (Best Novel; 1965)
By Philip Jett
The Cold War had grown hot. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev considered the young U.S. president John F. Kennedy to be weak and fearful of war. Consequently, the Eastern Bloc constructed an 87-mile wall of concrete and barbed wire that divided Berlin, Germany, into eastern and western sections in 1961. The Soviets believed that Kennedy and…
TV Review: The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
By Joe Bendel
Charmian “Charlie” Ross is an insecure, hard-partying actress, so there should be plenty of people in Hollywood who could handle the part. Yet, there are reasons why this John le Carré character has been such a tricky role to cast. The author himself has stated he based Ross on his half-sister, actress Charlotte Cornwell, whom…
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2291
|
__label__wiki
| 0.540238
| 0.540238
|
Tag Archive for: gender
You are here: Home1 / gender
CSA&G
Our home and our mother: The gendering of nature in climate change discourses
13th December 2020 /in News /by CSAG
By Tinashe Mawere, Henri-Count Evans & Rosemary Musvipwa
Introduction: Re/thinking climate change
Gendered scripts, gendered identities and gendered hierarchies are evident in the everyday. Gender is not inborn, but is procreated; and gendered meanings are made practical and visible through performances of the mundane (Butler 1988; Beauvoir 2010). Climate change has become an everyday discourse from which we can observe and critique the performances of gender and the re/production of gendered categories and gendered meanings. Just like nations that are recurrently configured through the iconography of familial and domestic spaces (Mawere 2019, 2016; McClintock 1993; Yuval-Davies 1997), narratives of climate change, especially those founded on Western epistemologies, have conceptualised nature and the climate within particular (white, heterosexist) familial and gendered orderings. Climate change discourses, therefore, naturalise and normalise gendered roles of feminised bodies as mothers and care givers, whose duty is based around caring for and feeding children. Within the narratives of Zimbabwean nationalism (and other nationalisms), where food and re/production are central to nationhood (Mawere 2020) feminised bodies are configured as both sources of food and sources of life (reproduction and regeneration), hence the need for their surveillance and protection is naturalised and normalised. The climate change crisis, and strategies for its mitigation, are therefore deliberately shown through the bodies of women to sensitise the importance of surveying and protecting reproductive bodies (and all feminised bodies) and to highlight the centrality (a centrality which makes surveillance and control inevitable) of feminised bodies in recovering and regeneration.
The impacts of the climate crisis, such as extreme weather, affect the entire planet and the life within it. The crisis has deprived people, animals and other living organisms of food, good health and security. However, not all people have been affected equally since the crisis (just like the other current crises like the Covid 19 pandemic) has illuminated and amplified existing social classes and the power and privileges dis/associated with them. Black bodies, and mostly black women living in poor areas and disadvantaged in various ways, who (ironically) have the lowest complicity in creating the crisis, are profoundly affected. This has made them the gaze of capitalist, western and patriarchal epistemologies and mitigation processes that are focused on production and continuities. Climate crisis-induced conflicts are widespread and disadvantaged communities live under constant threats not only of droughts, floods and heatwaves, but also of ideological bankruptcy; and mis-fitting and decontextualised mitigation strategies. These problems are forms of deprivation of the freedom to survive. Unfortunately, this maintains the entire world ecosystem, which is built around the supremacy of white, capitalist heteropatriarchy. The climate crisis constitutes what Sen (1999) called ‘forms of unfreedoms,’ and adaptation action becomes an attempt to gain liberation from climate-induced deprivations. Inequality, as a form of unfreedom, is extended by the climate crisis. While it is imperative to deal with the climate crisis, it is equally vital to be careful enough not to perform and re/produce epistemological blunders that normalise and perpetuate forms of inequality and injustice, whether obvious or insidious. In line with this Pinheiro (2020) argues “A key facet of reworking and adapting our existences involves an alertness and critical sensitivity to the connections between climate change and identity vectors such as gender.” Our imaginations of nature, the climate, the climate crisis and interventions to the climate crisis should therefore be transformative.
Studies on climate change in Southern Africa have often focused on the mainstream news media and how the media have framed and re/presented the global climate crisis. This is consistent with arguments that place the media at the centre of social, economic, environmental and political discourses (Evans 2020). Considerable literature has also been written around the subject of climate change; specifically, on how and why disadvantaged populations are the ones greatly affected by climate changes (IPCC[1] 2007, 2014, 2019). A lot of literature is also available on climate change mitigation measures and adaptative measures suggested to the most vulnerable, and focusing primarily on ‘disadvantaged’ black women. For example, Babugura (2010) argued that climate change impacts were different for men and women and hence called for “gender differentiated responses”.
Although many gender scholars have critiqued the fact that ‘gender’ is often used as a synonym for ‘women’ or framed within a women-versus-men dichotomy (Djoudi et al. 2016; MacGregor 2010), the climate change policy documents that refer to gender are still based predominantly on this view. As MacGregor noted, “Rather than theorizing gender as a social and political relationship between people with masculine and feminine identities, most analyses of gender and climate change fall into the familiar trap that gender-means-women” (MacGregor 2010:124). The challenge is that if causes of inequality and vulnerability are not considered, suggested solutions will not only fail to address the problems related to climate change, but could also exacerbate underlying forms of injustices (Djoudi et al. 2016). In the same manner, if the language of climate change continues to be gendered, climate change vulnerability is likely to be seen through a gendered gaze, and solutions are likely to be both gendered and sexist, hence perpetuating existing patriarchal injustices. We believe that the gendering of climate change is heavily present in the normative language used to frame the issue, as well in how the climate change subject is aestheticised in Southern Africa.
Studies on climate change, gender and aesthetics, especially in the context of Southern Africa, are rare. Central to observe is that art has steadily risen to articulate environmental issues and artists have long been part of the environmental movement galvanised against fossil fuels and the multilateral inaction (Evans 2020). However, it is crucial to re/think climate change discussions and focus on the language, power and gender dynamics prevalent in the narratives and aestheticisation of climate change. Such a re/thinking problematises the extent to which existing studies on climate change and climate change interventions manage to deal with questions of power and gender. It also questions how climate change concerns can adequately be dealt with outside the problems of gender and power. We argue that in order to address the issue of climate change, it is imperative to be sensitive to the gendered and sexual economies of climate change. Beyond being gender-sensitive, we believe that the language should also develop to become gender transformative. The transformative agenda entails moving “beyond individual self-improvement among women and toward transforming the power dynamics and structures that serve to reinforce gendered inequalities” (Hillebrand et al. 2015: 5). This shift is in the context that individualisation and notions of “empowerment” are often entangled with systems of racial injustice and oppression that seek to divide people (systems such as capitalism). Such systems have underwritten a very parasitic/one-sided relationship between the Global North and Global South where the West uses paternalistic policy and strategy to maintain the status quo. We argue that the transformative agenda can be achieved by questioning the power dynamics and social structures that shape behaviours, attitudes, and norms. We further argue that language is part of those structures that build unequal power boundaries.
The Language of Climate Change and the Patriarchal Gaze
Language that feminises nature and naturalises women describes, reflects, and perpetuates unjustified patriarchal domination (Adams 1990). The official construction of climate change (especially as used in UNFCCC[2] and IPCC reports and used by major scholars of climate change), makes extensive use of the dominant patriarchal language of re/production and continuity, so as to make the subject of climate change ‘sensible’ and acceptable. This language is also extended or linked to agriculture and land use, as well as land pollution, where land is imagined as having reproductive capacity if well used, and if polluted, fails to produce, reproduce and sustain and regenerate life.
In many ways, this language of reproduction and regeneration buttresses and naturalises the prevailing gender relations and binary sexual categories in society. The use of terms such as “mother-nature” or “mother-earth” and acts of rebirthing as associated with allowing natural processes of giving life to reoccur on the damaged earth is significant to gendered identities and the complex of subordination in societies. When we consider general references to mother earth we perceive ‘her’ to be a woman, we personify ‘her’ and we take note of her ‘fragilities’ as we do human mothers. We also acknowledge all that ‘she’ does in nurturing us with her various qualities. This normalises motherhood within the parameters of fecundity, care, resource/provision, sacrifice, submission; but also situates her as vulnerable and therefore requiring surveillance and protection to enable regeneration. There is also a way in which such a language vindicates articulations that discard non-heterosexual relations as they do not fall within the ‘normative’ and ‘sensible’ discourse of reproduction and regeneration. In out-casting non-heteronormative sexualities, Robert Mugabe often referred to nature and the sensible. In his castigation of gays and lesbians in Zimbabwe, he used the example of animals where reproductive organs ‘clearly’ define sexual orientation and challenged gays and lesbians to make children if they are to be recognised and accepted[3]. The ‘corrective rape’ of lesbians has also occurred on the same terrain of the sensible and ‘natural’. Gender constructions of climate change impacts, for example, have been used to refer to ‘women victims’ and thus has worked in passivising and nominalising the agency of women in addressing the climate crisis and at the same time out-casting gender minorities.
In addition, the language of climate change, especially adaptation and sustainability discourses, has always been entrenched within the normative and patriarchal systems. The historical and cultural privileging and naturalisation of male power is implicated and acted out through notions of family (Mawere 2019, 2016; Nyambi 2012; Lewis 2002; McClintock 1993). In discourses of climate change, the earth is constructed/represented as ‘our mother’ and ‘our home’. Human beings are seen (through the processes of agriculture/consumption and industrialization/modernity) as having defiled nature and therefore risk experiencing low yields of deficient foods (consumption) and limited luxuries (modernity), making future livelihoods precarious (see Beck 1992; Foster et al. 2010, Guatarri 2000).
The need to address climate change is thus anchored in the need to preserve the reproductive and generative power of ‘our mother’ (through controlling and subordinating) so as to sustain life now and for future generations. In this way, the imagination of the climate and the language of saving the climate becomes synonymous to how nations are imagined and the language used during calls to save nations (Mawere 2019, 2016). Within the scientific domain, (IPCC, UNFCCC) reports and other scientific writings on climate change have also produced nature as feminine. The sustainability discourse itself has become a dominant intellectual force because of its appeal to common sense. Underneath the common-sense idea of allowing nature regenerative and reproductive capacity lies the embedded performance and re/production of patriarchal norms and languages.
Home and mother: Mediating the marginal and the symbolic
Reporting on the Climate Action Summit 2019 with the theme, ‘A Race We Can Win. A Race We Must Win’, Tarik Alam Solangi, a Research Fellow at EMRO[4], World Health Organisation, entitles the report, ‘Fight climate change: let mother earth breathe’ (Solangi 2019). In an earlier report by Sophie Yeo and Gitika Bhardwaj, entitled ‘Climate Change is Killing our Mother Earth’, there are various voices on the impacts of climate change (Yeo and Bhardwaj 2014). Earlier in the same year, in the report ‘Saving Mother Earth from Climate Change’, Adrianna Quintero, the Director of Partner Engagement at NRDC[5] says “As we approach Earth Day and our celebration of Madre Tierra (Mother Earth), most of us can’t help but be concerned about her health and the impacts that climate change is having on her and our own lives” (Quintero 2014).The above reporting on climate change is consistent with how nature has been personified and feminised.
Nature is re/constructed as our home to entail an aspect of maintenance and sustainability, as a source that sustains, reproduces us and cares for us; and a source of life. As a powerful maternal force that reproduces life, nature is perceived as in need of protection and defense. This reinforces the patriarchal ‘protection’ of women, who are maternal figures responsible for reproduction. Man has turned up to be the defender or protector of our home (nature) as well as our homes (families), hence discourses of climate change reflect a masculine project and are embedded in patriarchy. This continues the existing discourse of specific roles for each named gender (Mawere 2019; Eisenstein 2000; Peterson 2000; McClintock 1993). There have been calls for fewer emissions to allow for the next generation and regeneration of nations. These calls clearly present a metabolic relationship between nature and human beings, but the climate change discourse also presents a gendered imagining of the climate and gendered nature/human relations that hinge on the commonsensical heteronormative politics of reproduction and regeneration.
Both home and mother have conflicting identities, where they are both marginal and symbolic spaces. Ample literature has shown home and the mother as feminine. At the same time, literature has positioned the home and mother as the source of life where everyone and everything derives sustenance and where everyone turns to for reflection and regeneration. Subsequently, the home and mother have been located in the politics of reproduction and regeneration, which again feminises the space, but also calls for their protection in order to allow continuity and continuous benefits. The dominant narrative that;
women and nature are inherently linked is a tacit acceptance of their mutual exploitation. Even as we have spent decades subjugating the power of Earth, American children have been taught to address the environment as “Mother Nature.” The idea that the Earth is a parental figure because it sustains us is a comforting analogy. But what we do not learn as children…is the harm caused by gendered and sexist language that reinforce gender stereotypes and hierarchies (Milner-Barry 2015).
The re/construction of nature is a crucial aspect in understanding the gendering of climate change discourses. To invoke the protection of nature and take the subject of climate change seriously, the images of endangered nature and climate have been imagined using the images of vulnerable nations and women. Specifically, the effects of climate change have been associated with images of poor black women. From the policy documents on climate change, African women are re/presented as individualised agents that have to be empowered. Empowerment is narrowly defined as enabling women to become active participants in the ‘reproductive’ economy, or by assisting women in the roles they play in sustaining their households and communities. Empowerment strategies typically involve assisting women with microfinance, and/or with technological fixes that would make them more resilient and functional in the reproductive economy and consumer capitalism. Such ‘empowerment’ strategies are not only microcosms of broader power relations between men and women, and between the global North and South, but also work to naturalise and sustain them.
In the context of the above, most climate change narratives are normative and part of the patriarchal surveillance that naturalises and normalises gendered roles and at the same time, authorises patrols on women and all feminised bodies. Since the feminised climate and nature are portrayed as vulnerable, it is implied that all feminised bodies are vulnerable and should be watched and protected. This authorises the policing of women and other feminised bodies in societies. Narratives approximating women to nature naturalise their subordination, since nature itself is everywhere devalued and subordinated. Thus, the capitalist exploitation, transformation and even ‘protection’ of nature relates to patriarchal contexts where women’s labour and reproductive abilities are exploited for patriarchal benefits (Tiwari 2020; Merchant 1990; Ortner 1974). The devaluation of both nature and women, as well as the subsequent connection between nature and the invented qualities expected of women, was made commonsensical, leading to terms like “virgin earth,” “fertile land,” and “barren soil,” which are still dominant (Merchant 1990). In many ways, narratives on climate change enable the naturalisation and commonsensical positioning of femininity in the home and care, hence femininity is linked to reproduction and is assigned a specific space and specific duties.
Since climate change discourses position home as commonplace for femininities, it consequently naturalises home as a space for women and all feminised bodies. This is a way of trivialising women and subordinate masculinities and deterring them from participating in the public or in what are naturalised and normalised as male spaces (Mawere 2019; O’Neill, Savigny and Cann 2016). The boundaries that are drawn for women relate to their characterisation as inferior, emotional, uncontrollable, illogical, unreasonable, beautiful but destructive if not contained, hence their limitations to venture into the public space (Mawere 2019). This characterisation of women and feminised bodies is similar to the characterisation of nature, for example, during weather coverages (Milner-Barry 2015). The above calls for intersectional approaches that consider inter-alia, class, race and gender when dealing with climate change issues.
Conclusion: Climate change, aesthetics, gender and agency in Southern Africa
It is important to critique the climate change issue on how its expression and aesthetisation draws on, and re/produces dominant discourses around gender. Re/production and regeneration are part of the heteronormative lexicon prevalent in the discourse of climate change. In dealing with the subject of climate change, it is important to question on issues of representation and who has power and agency? Whom does the language of climate change give agentive power to and who is disempowered and robbed of agency? We should be careful that how we discuss climate change and how we deal with the climate change crisis does not re/produce and transport toxic knowledges and practices about gender. Studies focussing on Africa in general and Southern Africa in particular, would add to scholarly work on climate change, aesthetics, gender and probably, the African and Southern African context would offer alternative epistemologies in dealing with the climate change issue. For this reason, forms of African expression such as graffiti, songs, drama and symbolism and imagery can be important archives on African-centred research on climate change.
Adams, C. 1990. The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory, New York: Continuum.
Babugura, A. 2010. Gender and Climate Change: South Africa Case Study. Cape Town: Heinrich Böll Foundation Southern Africa
Beauvoir, S. 2010. The Second Sex. Translated by Borde and Mallovany-Chevallier. New York: Knopf.
Butler, J. 1988. Performative acts and gender constitution: An essay in phenomenology and feminist theory. Theatre Journal: 519-531.
Djoudi et al. 2016. Beyond dichotomies: Gender and intersecting inequalities in climate change studies, Ambio 45: 248-262.
Eisenstein, Z. 2000. Writing bodies on the nation for the globe. In S. Rancho-Nilsson & A.M. Tétreault (eds.), Women, States and Nationalism: At Home in the Nation, 35-53.
Evans, H. 2020. Re-articulating Media Re/presentations of Climate Change Discourse(s) in South Africa: Climate Change Politics in the Global South, PhD Thesis. Durban: University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Foster, J. B., Clark, B., & York, R. 2010. The ecological rift: Capitalism’s war on the earth. NYU Press.
Guattari, F. 2000. The Three Ecologies (P. Sutton, Trans.). Athlone: London
Hillenbrand E, Karim N, Mohanraj P and Wu D. 2015. Measuring gender transformative change: A review of literature and promising practices. CARE USA. Working Paper.
IPCC. 2019. Climate Change and Land. An IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Geneva: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
IPCC. 2014. Climate Change 2014: Sythesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups 1, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
IPCC. 2007. Climate Change 2007: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lewis, D. 2002. Self-representation and reconstructions of Southern African pasts. Deep hiStories: Gender and Colonialism in Southern Africa, 57: 267-281.
MacGregor, S. 2010. A Stranger Silence Still: The need for feminist social research on climate change, Sociological Review, 57: 124-140.
Mawere, T. 2020. ‘Food, symbolism and gendered identities in Zimbabwean politics: Mama Grace’s ice cream and the 2017 Zanu-Pf leadership change’ (Available at https://www.justgender.org/?s=The+ice+cream, accessed 12 October 2020).
Mawere, T. 2019. Gendered and Sexual Imagi(nations): the 2018 Zimbabwean E(r)ections and the Aftermath, Pretoria: CSA&G Press.
Mawere, T. 2016. Decentering nationalism: representing and contesting Chimurenga in Zimbabwean popular culture, PhD dissertation. Cape Town: University of the Western Cape.
McClintock, A. 1993. Family feuds: Gender, nationalism and the family. Feminist Review, 61-80.
Merchant, C. 1990. The death of nature. Women, Ecology, and the Scientific Revolution. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers.
Milner-Barry, S. 2015. ‘The term “mother Nature” reinforces the idea that both women and nature should be subjugated’ (Available at https://qz.com/562833/the-term-mother-nature-reinforces-the-idea-that-both-women-and-nature-should-be-subjugated/, accessed 12 October 2020).
Nyambi, O. 2012. Debunking the post-2000 masculinisation of political power in Zimbabwe: an approach to John Eppel’s novel ‘Absent: the English Teacher’. Counter-cultures in Contemporary Africa, Postamble 8(1): 1-14.
O’Neill, D., Savigny, H. & Cann, V. 2016. Women politicians in the UK press: not seen and not heard? Feminist Media Studies, 16(2): 293-307.
Ortner, S.B. 1974. Is female to male as nature is to culture? In M.Z. Rosaldo and L. Lamphere (eds), Women, Culture, and Society. Stanford, CA: Stanford Press, pp. 68-87.
Peterson, V.S. 2000. Sexing political identities/nationalism as heterosexism. In S. Ranchod-Nilsson & M.A. Tétreault (eds.), Women, State and Nationalism: At Home in the Nation? London and New York: Routledge, 54-80.
Pinheiro, G. 2020. “Change is Coming, Whether You Like it or Not”: Greta Thunberg as a Threat to the Stability of Capitalist and Patriarchal Systems (Available at https://www.justgender.org/change-is-coming-whether-you-like-it-or-not-greta-thunberg-as-a-threat-to-the-stability-of-capitalist-and-patriarchal-systems/, accessed 28 November 2020).
Quintero, A. 2014. ‘Saving mother earth from climate change’ (Available at https://www.nrdc.org/experts/adrianna-quintero/saving-mother-earth-climate-change, accessed 12 October 2020).
Sen, A. 1999. Development as Freedom. New York: Knopf.
Solangi, T.A. 2019. ‘Fight climate change: Let mother earth breath’ (Available at https://dailytimes.com.pk/470838/fight-climate-change-let-mother-earth-breathe/, accessed 12 October 2020).
Tiwari, A. 2020. ‘‘Mother Earth’ – Is nature gendered to make men feel superior?’ (Available at https://feminisminindia.com/2020/06/24/mother-earth-nature-gendered-men-feel-superior/, accessed 12 October 2020).
Yeo, S. & Bhardwaj, G. 2014. ‘Climate change is killing our mother earth’ (Available at (7) https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/climate-change-killing-our-mother-earth accessed 12 October 2020).
Yuval-Davis, N. 1997. Gender and Nation. London: Sage Publications.
[1] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
[2] United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
[3] Speaking in Shona and commenting on gay marriages at a Zanu-Pf rally, Robert Mugabe instrumentalised the Biblical Parable of the talents and used the example of bulls and cows to evoke sensible sexual orders, “Cde Robert Mugabe speech gay marriages (2)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAw45wBj0ic
[4] Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
[5] Natural Resources Defense Council
Tinashe Mawere, Centre for Sexualities, AIDS & Gender (CSA&G), University of Pretoria, South Africa
Tinashe Mawere is currently a researcher at the CSA&G. He joined the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies and the CSA&G as a Postdoctoral researcher in May 2017. His interests are on identity constructions, nationalisms, gender and sexualities and the workings of popular culture in political and social contexts. Previously, he was a Doctoral Fellow in the Programme on the Study of the Humanities in Africa (PSHA), at the Centre for Humanities Research (CHR), and a Doctoral student in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
Henri-Count Evans, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Eswatini, Eswatini
Henri-Count Evans holds a PhD in the Discipline of Media and Cultural Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His thesis is entitled: Re-articulating Media Re/presentations of Climate Change Discourse(s) in South Africa: Climate Change Politics in the Global South. He has done research work about media practice and reporting of climate change issues and sustainable development. Henri-Count Evans has co-edited the book “Knowledge for Justice: Critical Perspectives from Southern African-Nordic Research Partnerships. Cape Town, South Africa: African Minds.”, and has been section editor for the Handbook of Climate Change Resilience published by Springer under the prestigious Climate Change Management Series. He is a lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Eswatini/Swaziland. He is also the Training Development Consultant at Climate Tracker.
Rosemary Musvipwa, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Eswatini, Eswatini
Rosemary is a Journalism and Mass Communication lecturer at the University of Eswatini teaching television broadcasting, public relations and development communication. She has an interest in research about communication and sustainable development. She has a passion for empowering and mentoring youths with critical life skills, especially young girls and women with knowledge and information about their sexual and reproductive health rights (coupled with their vulnerabilities and responsibilities). She has been part of sex education and HIV life skills training projects which involved the use of theatre, drama, song and dance in high schools in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blog.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-12-13 17:31:342020-12-13 17:31:34Our home and our mother: The gendering of nature in climate change discourses
CSA&G Statement on Gender and #ZimbabweanLivesMatter
11th August 2020 /in News /by CSAG
On 24 July the UN’s human rights office, the OHCHR, expressed concern over reports of [Zimbabwean] “police using force to disperse and arrest nurses and health workers”, for breaching lockdown restrictions while trying to protest for better salaries and conditions of work.
It also noted a “pattern of intimidation” surrounding events in May when three female members of the main opposition party were allegedly arrested and detained for taking part in a protest during the Covid-19 lockdown. Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, alleged that after State security officials abducted them from a police station, they were tortured and sexually assaulted. They were then subsequently charged with breaking the lockdown rules and faking their abduction.
If the allegations of abduction, torture and sexual assault are true, such actions are meant to frighten and silence women and present a continuation of a culture of fear and silence that existed before the new dispensation. This is counter to the country’s attempts to give voice to women and girls and to end violence against women. It therefore amounts to a negation of all the efforts for gender sensitivity, gender equality and gender justice being made by different progressive state actors and various organisations in and outside Zimbabwe.
In addition, investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and an opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume, were detained and charged for calling for citizens to protest. The state authorities have claimed that the two were arrested for calling for citizens to disobey Covid-19 regulations as well as for citizens to overthrow a constitutionally elected government. However, arresting people for encouraging citizens to express themselves on corruption has raised concern. Also, in the case of Hopewell, arresting him soon after exposing corruption by top officials has been viewed as vindictive and linked to silencing citizens. As a result of these events, the hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter has arisen, to signify regional and global concern for the lives, dignity and rights of all Zimbabwean citizens.
The Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender would like to express its concern about the above alleged and related developments in Zimbabwe, especially in the context of the hope that many had in the ‘second republic.’ In particular, the alleged use of sexual assault against any citizen detained by the state is very unfortunate and a cause for great concern. Not only is this a violation of international norms and conventions, it goes to the heart of gender oppression, regarding women’s bodies as objects which can be used to express power: male power and the power of the state.
Writing in the Journal of Global Security Studies, Volume 3, Issue 4, October 2018, Pages 417–430, Christopher J Einolf states that “Sexual torture and rape employ existing gender hierarchies to intensify dominance of the torturer over the victim and increase the pain, humiliation, and coercion of torture.”
When and where they occur, such sexual assaults have a number of dimensions. First, in some cases they are opportunistic criminal acts, undertaken by security personnel taking advantage of their positions of power. Secondly, some perpetrators used rape and sexual torture as methods of last resort, to force a confession. Third, interrogators use the threat of rape or rape of female relatives as a way to force male relatives to confess.
In all dimensions, such acts, where and when they occur, are an insult to human dignity and decency. While individuals might be targets of such acts, the acts also serve a symbolic purpose where they become examples of what happens to individuals and groups who might be seen as disobeying the state or state actors.
If the state has been abusive, or if state actors have abused their power, we believe the dignity and lives of Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova matter. The dignity and lives of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume matter. The dignity and lives of nurses and health workers matter. The dignity and lives of all Zimbabweans matter and should be properly addressed by the authorities so as to build a better Zimbabwe. We believe that the above allegations and issues are very sensitive and that justice should be correctly served so that Zimbabwe is seen as a safe place for all.
In addition to this statement, staff of the CSA&G will be writing about their own personal experiences of violence – whether this be symbolic, normative, physical or by the state. These will be published in a short collection.
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blog.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-08-11 11:04:342020-08-11 11:10:06CSA&G Statement on Gender and #ZimbabweanLivesMatter
Gender equality and chores under Lockdown
22nd May 2020 /in News /by CSAG
By Monyana Thusi*
Trying to be a feminist and a champion for gender equality in an African Christian home is wearisome work, with no pay, especially if you are not male, and you don’t pay the bond, and you are just another child to the powers that be.
Feminism is a movement that advocates for women’s rights and the equality of the sexes. Gender equality refers to a state in which access to rights, privileges, benefits or opportunities and the distribution of duties, obligations or responsibilities are unaffected by or not based on gender – at all. Most days I want to go get Bab’Credo Mutwa and Dr Maimela, my African customary law lecturer, to come and explain to my family that African cultures are not inherently patriarchal, that in the olden days men did not sit around and wait for the women to bring them a tray of food, or did they? Am I being unfair for wanting to share chores equally at home between the adults that work and the children that don’t work but go to school (and take school very seriously for that matter), and between the males and the females of the house?
I thought the struggle for gender equality with the chores would be something to work on during this Lockdown. When the president (of the Republic of South Africa) announced the Lockdown I was very interested in how the chores would be redistributed here at home, and how it would all work out during this holiday with my family, since we were all going to be home all day, every day. I must admit I had dreams: I thought we’d all have an opportunity to contribute equally since no one is going to work and no one is doing any extraordinary work to pay the bills. I was expecting to see the men work a little more than usual at home chores. I thought they would take this time to learn how to cook: they don’t cook because they don’t know how to cook. I had dreams. I must say, there’s no real reason why we can’t share chores in this house but the reality is that we women are not only expected to cook but we place the burden of cooking and feeding other human beings on ourselves, simply because we are women, and the children wash the dishes simply because they are children.
I live with my sister, the husband and their three children. They are a relatively typical black African Christian family. They are relaxed with their values so I’m not really sure if patriarchy is sourced from the faith or culture since we’re not very strict adherents of either way of life. But you know patriarchy does not need solid statutes to assert itself. Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold positions of authority and dominant position over women and children. It doesn’t creep up on you, it walks right up to you and asks you for tea simply because you are a woman. It is the ideology behind the notion that the man is the head of the house.
Some days I want to sit everyone down and conduct a gender equality lesson and say “listen, besides the idea that this could be our culture and that it was passed down to you, what exactly about this system makes sense to you?” A minute later, on those same days, it occurs to me that I could be overreacting: it’s just dishes, cooking and cleaning, and the dishes aren’t even that many, there’s only six of us – calm down.
So this is how the patriarchy operates in our lives: the women cook, my sister, myself and her oldest daughter; we are responsible for making the pots happen. We could say that the men, being my sister’s husband and the 14-year-old son, don’t cook because they can’t cook. In the case of the son, he can’t cook because he does not want to cook, he has never had to cook, no one expects him to cook and no one will make the effort to teach him how to cook. I’ve tried teaching him how to make pancakes and suggesting that he be responsible for making it easier to prepare meals. Well, no one heard me. The dishes are washed by the children, so it’s me, the 19-year-old daughter and the 14 year-old son (at least he washes the dishes). The cleaning is done by myself, my sister, the 19-year-old daughter and the 14-year-old son. Additionally, my sister only washes her clothes, her husband’s clothes and the 4 year-old child’s clothes.
Now, also interestingly, the arrangement and allocation of chores does not come from the head of the family, my sister’s husband, but from my sister. Under her system of governance the chore or the required labour always either falls to the females or to the children, unless it is washing the cars or fixing something that requires a mechanical skill (although under normal circumstances the husband will always go hire someone to do it).
This is what typically happens at the dinner table: my sister’s husband will want water or a spoon or some salt. He never gets up to go get anything himself. He always finishes eating first and even in those cases where he is done eating and wants something, my sister will get up while she is still eating to go get whatever he has requested or he will send the son instead. It has never made sense to me and every day I shake my head when I see it. But I have learned to respect my sister’s household and shut my big mouth, to respect her family, their values and the system that they have chosen to raise their children under. As long as they respect that I will not be making my sister’s husband tea, or fetching him water or participating in any of the unnecessary labour that falls on us, either because we are women or because we are children. The funny thing is, I don’t think my sister’s husband has ever said he does not want to cook or clean or get his own water.
I do not know why I thought things would work differently during this Lockdown period. I have come to accept that my sister and her husband come from a different world to mine, where it is undisputed that the man is the head of the house and his roles are non-negotiable and that this is not going to be easily changed or challenged. Theirs is a world where the man is the head of the house, the woman is the neck or heart (depending on who is speaking) and the children are, well, the children.
A “good wife” is expected to care for, cook for and look after her husband – no one needs to explain that. The husband is expected to provide or build the house, or whatever, just as long as it’s clear from whatever he does that he is the head of the house – sometimes doing nothing fits the job description. The irony of it all is that my sister’s husband is an activist for workers’ rights where he works.
I have asked my friends how their families were working out the chores. One said that his sisters do all the work and that he helps out whenever he feels like it. How nice would it be if I had the liberty to decide when I wanted to cook? I’m happy for my friends who say that in their homes they share chores almost equally, and I’m even happier for those who say there are no men in their current home circumstances – those ones are living my real life. Otherwise, I have resolved that I’m growing a beard at the end of this Lockdown.
PS: I hope I’m not going to be homeless after this!
*Pseudonym (author is a Just Leaders volunteer)
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/blog-JL.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-05-22 13:01:382020-05-22 13:01:38Gender equality and chores under Lockdown
Food, symbolism and gendered identities in Zimbabwean Politics: Mama Grace’s ice cream and the 2017 Zanu-Pf leadership change
13th May 2020 /in News /by CSAG
Introduction: Food, an inquiry
I seek to provoke deeper inquiries into the centrality of food, food substances, food and the spectacular, and ways of and the sub-texts of serving and consuming food, as well as the ways of imagining food in Zimbabwean politics. Globally, food has become an increasingly contested site for re/thinking about power, imagi/nations, re/distribution, access and agency. This work focuses on the symbolic, cultural and political significance of the ice cream served by Mama Grace Mugabe, (Zimbabwe’s former First Lady) during rallies. The acceptances and rejections of the ice cream, and Mama’s love, care, visibility and naturalized role in the nation graphically reflected the emergent factions within Zanu-Pf and also helped to widen them. To this extent, food, and specifically, the ice cream, acted as an agent of change leading to the ‘new dispensation’ led by Emmerson Mnangagwa. In addition, the ice cream or food serving in general, sprung as an agent of gendered identities as well as their re/production.
Food and the everyday
In Zimbabwe and elsewhere, food emanates as central to the socio, religious, economic and political aesthetics of groups. Food, consumption habits and culinary rituals are rooted in and exhibit social symbolisms and meanings related to kinships, friendships, political relations and class (Edwin 2008). In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, there are “various meanings that food, eating, and hunger acquire in the portrayal of Okonkwo” (Olufunwa 2000:1). The late Zimbabwean controversial writer, Dambudzo Marechera, in most of his works, especially The House of Hunger, focuses on the centrality of food in households and the emanating disorder and violence that results in the absence of food, or its unhealthy and unappetising state. Marechera shows the vulnerability and vulgarity of those who are weak, poor and feminized through food distribution and food disorders. As the narrator says “I couldn’t have stayed on in that House of Hunger where every morsel of sanity was snatched from you the way some kinds of bird snatch food from the very mouths of babes” (Marechera 1978:1). He goes on to show the politics of food even playing out in the imagery of violent gastral outlets and how that relates to the socio-economic, political and religious facets and a human di/satisfaction that goes beyond the physical. Among other works, Coming of the Dry Season (1972) and Waiting for the Rain (1981) by Charles Mungoshi imagine the importance of food through an imagination of droughts or dry seasons, poverty and deprivations. However, an analysis of the central themes in the above works reveal the concepts of hunger and food as going beyond just the physiological as hunger and deprivations relate to identity politics and issues of lack of freedoms and disempowerments. As Lewis (2016:6) argues, “Since eating is perceived to fill the place of some other desire, hunger is seen to result not only from food deprivation, but from other denied or withheld yearnings.”
Apart from being a means of life sustenance, food is also a system of communication, a body of images, a decorum of usages, situations and behaviour (Barthes 1975). In the African pre-colonial period, food was important to traditional events and meetings. In the Ibgo society in Nigeria and elsewhere, a kola nut is used by a host as a ritual for welcoming guests into his home. This is a powerful symbol of mutual respect, hospitality, friendship and community (Edwin 2008). This view is supported by Kammampoal and Laar (2019) who posit that the Ibgo consider the kola nut as very important in formal and informal gatherings and has enormous cultural capital in satisfying socio-religious functions. It is used as a token of friendship, benevolence, and honor, and is given to a visitor as a sign of hospitality, personality and civility, making it central to Igbo livelihood. The renowned writer and critique, Chinua Achebe makes the kola nut ritual central to his writings by evoking that, ‘He who brings kola brings life.’ Relatedly, Achebe notes; “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it from his own compound” (Achebe 1994:166-7). Though the language is patriarchal and centred on a man’s world, these proverbs are very powerful in revealing that food, food rituals and gatherings have social, religious, economic and political meanings and relevance. In South Africa, research on food reveals there are gendered implications of access to food and gendered labour manipulations in food production and preparation (Lewis 2016). In Zimbabwe, the Shona proverb, Ukama igasva hwunosadziswa nokudya (relationships remain incomplete until you partake of a meal) reveals the importance of food during gatherings and how the serving of food is important to kinship, friendship, loyalty and harmony. Food is central in, among others, traditional ceremonies, family gatherings, funerals and weddings. This links to Freud (1938)’s and Madeira (1989)’s sentiments that eating and drinking with someone symbolically confirms social community and mutual obligations and that food performs social interaction, status and acts both positive and negative social relationships. In the same sense, I see Grace Mugabe’s serving of ice cream at rallies as a political and gender aesthetic.
Food and Zanu-Pf’s politics of the spectacular
Historically, Zanu-Pf has used food to entice, especially the disadvantaged and impoverished people to vote for it rather than voting for opposition parties. Banking on its ability to provide food, Zanu-Pf situated itself as the mother-provider making sure that children in her nest do not starve, or do not have feelings of starvation and negligence. Those children seen as rebels or refusing to embrace Zanu-Pf are denied food provisions and considered worth dying in a way that evokes Mamdani (1996)’s notion of citizen and subject where state sovereignty use biopolitics to create some kind of ‘death worlds’ for those termed non-citizens. The politicization of food in the context of climate-change induced drought as seen through Zanu-Pf’s selective distribution of food along party lines can be used to exemplify this. Opposition supporters are denied access; they are deemed undeserving by virtue of their political identity – they deserve to die. Food politics is therefore part of the manipulation, electoral malpractices and bribery prevalent in Zimbabwean politics.
More interesting, however, is that food has also featured in Zanu-Pf internal politics, particularly its 2017 factional politics, especially in the context where Grace Mugabe (a member of the G40 Zanu-Pf faction), assumed the role of mother-provider in her contest for power and authority with the Lacoste faction headed by Emmerson Mnangagwa. The 2017 Zanu-Pf factional fights therefore, mirror the symbolism and cultural politics of food in Zimbabwean politics and Zanu-Pf politics in particular. Thus, food was instrumental as the basis for surveillance, for getting to know the loyal and disloyal. As Grace Mugabe served ice cream at rallies and other events, many expressed gratitude towards Mama’s generosity and made public spectacles of gratitude, satisfaction and loyalty to Mama’s love, care and visibility. However, emphasis on eating Mama’s provisions belittled many in the process who then became fed up with Mama and rebelled. This became a performance of refusal and rejection to toe the line, a reflection of oppositional voices and dissent and has therefore been a metaphor for change.
Apart from food being used for rallying people behind particular parties, groups and individuals, food has been used as a show of power, a demonstration of gendered and sexual identities. This complex has occurred in a context where the Zimbabwean ‘national family’ has been seen as “an imaginative construct of power relations” (Hunt 1992:196). It is sensible to argue that food has discursive underpinnings in patriarchy and issues of power and resource re/distribution. For some time, Grace Mugabe found agency and political manoeuvring within Zanu-Pf politics by re/producing and performing her gendered role of feeding and caring. However, considering Grace’s fall from grace, challenging simplistic ideas about agency forces us to question the entrapment in patriarchal networks of food sources, food re/production and food re/distribution that link with abilities to control food access and be active political agents.
It is therefore imperative to focus on the discursive underpinnings of food. The ice cream narrative reflects how a naturalized and normalized order of mother provisions, which itself is anchored on patriarchy, is used in the contest for power and authority in Zimbabwe. Food, and in this case, ice cream is packed with massive symbolic and cultural politics associated with Zanu-Pf’s politics of the spectacular and Zimbabwean nationhood. There is therefore a close relationship between food and speech (Olufunwa 2000), hence food and food ways constitute discourse and discursive subjects.
Ice cream and mother/ing the nation
Considering that nations are recurrently figured out through the iconography of familial and domestic spaces (Mawere 2019, 2016; McClintock 1993; Yuval-Davies 1997), Grace Mugabe was imagined as the mother of the Zimbabwean nation by virtue of being the First Lady. Motherhood in the Zimbabwean cultural context is associated with many positive attributes. The worthiness of a mother is framed within the mother’s ability to care for and feed her children. Grace’s distribution of food visualizes and memorializes motherhood and mother-child intimacy.
Grace owns a huge dairy farm in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central. At this farm, other dairy products such as yoghurt, and ice cream are produced. It is important to locate Grace Mugabe’s power and influence within Zanu-Pf and the nation in her innovative projects such as food production and processing at her farm. To some extent, Grace’s efforts speaks to food sovereignty as it relates to women appropriation of food, the value of women’s contributions and the recognition of their contribution to production (Sachs 2013). At the peak of Zanu-Pf’s factional battles, Grace Mugabe addressed many ‘meet the people rallies’ around the country and considering her role as the mother of the nation, the ‘meet the people rallies’ were avenues where the mother met her children and distinguished between the loyal and the disloyal. Zanu-Pf leadership was expected to attend these rallies and participate accordingly. Failure to attend was seen as a sign of insubordination and not supporting the mother’s efforts to assemble, watch over, nurture and take care of the children and one could be labelled a saboteur of the national project.
When Grace Mugabe fed people at rallies with ice cream, itself a by-product of milk, she attained the symbolic role of a mother feeding and caring for her children and a national mother feeding and caring for the Zimbabwean nation. Breast feeding is considered as a physical, psychological, economical and symbolic presence of a mother. Motherhood is associated with love, care, compassion and sustenance which allow individuals and nations to grow. To this extent, negative motherhood is associated with individual and national death. The ice cream given at rallies came from the Mugabes’ Gushungo Dairy farm, which however is more associated with Grace to underwrite, naturalize and normalize her gendered role as a mother caring for and feeding her children as well as a mother in touch with the soil and therefore with positive femininities. The meanings of land (the Gushungo farm) and the re/productive body of women (Grace) as the source of food and national sustenance is spectacularly demonstrated by Grace Mugabe’s distribution of ice cream from the Gushungo farm, giving women’s labour in general and Grace in particular, some agentive power. Through the distribution of the ice cream made at her farm, Grace shows her industrious, entrepreneurial and innovative skills and therefore, her ability to perform her naturalized role as a mother who takes care and feeds the nation.
One is forced to re/imagine the Gushungo farm as Grace Mugabe’s extended breasts from where the nation gains sustenance and livelihood, again buttressing the dominant gender categories in the re/constructions of nationhood but also subversively re/imagining the power of women in their marginalized identities. The ice cream both symbolically stands for breast milk and also as a symbol of modernity. Although this links well with Grace’s acquired identity as a modern woman associated with flamboyance, it also positions her as a powerful and innovative woman who moves beyond traditional food ways.
Anyone who fed on the ice cream was symbolically feeding on Grace Mugabe’s breasts, an act which reflected the recognition of her motherhood and her role as the mother of the nation. Since Grace Mugabe was associated with negative motherhood (Mawere 2019), this performance of her children’s loyalty, contentment and happiness helped to dispel negative images. In providing and feeding her children, Grace managed to “create sustaining relational bonds, generating a sense of security, wellbeing and contentment” (Lewis 2016:3) for herself and those whom she fed. Through the control of food distribution, which basically is a feminine and undermined role, Grace attained power and authority over Zanu-Pf and Zimbabwe, she because a central point of both life and death in Zimbabwean and Zanu-Pf politics. To some extent, this speaks to “how productive freedoms [and power] are embedded in socially neglected practices” (Lewis 2016:2-3) that are associated with the domestic space. Within the domestic space, Grace Mugabe acquired some agentive powers that made her central to both Zanu-Pf and Zimbabwean politics. Thus, by performing her socially expected role as a mother, Grace attained power and authority and managed to perform surveillance on the nation which for some time, enabled her to secure and protect her power and ambitions.
However, “Unhealthy eating habits can be seen as a form of ‘hunger’, an embodied ‘emptiness’ that results from eating food that is disconnected from relationships of responsiveness, care and intimacy (Lewis 2016). Following this argument, poisoned or contaminated food substances such as is alleged by the Lacoste faction on Grace Mugabe’s ice cream are characteristic of the hunger and the emptiness of Zimbabwean nationalism as they are indicative of self-centredness, extractive and impersonal tendencies rather than mutuality, unity and communal. Refusing Grace’s ice-cream was a performance of the rejection of a poisoned motherhood and a poisoned nationalism.
The Ice cream, Lacoste victimhood and poisoned nationhood
Positioning themselves as victims of ice cream poisoning, and a poisoned motherhood, Mnangagwa and the Zanu-Pf Lacoste faction did not see Grace’s poisoning as only physical on targeted bodies, but also as symbolic of national poisoning and destruction caused by a woman who had broken boundaries. The poisoned ice cream or food offered by the mother of the nation alludes to national food insecurity, which would negate national growth, especially within the narratives of Zimbabwean nationalism where food and re/production is central to nationhood. Thus, the absence of positive connections between the mother and the nation is mirrored through the poisoned ice cream. The poisoning or imagined poisoning of Mnangagwa’s body is characteristic of the poisoning of the national body by Grace Mugabe. Due to her alliances with the G40, who were considered undesirable elements, Grace Mugabe had become contaminated (Mawere 2019) and as a mother of the nation, her breast milk (and ice cream) was now poisoning and destroying the nation. What is more interesting is that ice cream poisoning situates Grace and women into the dominant discourses that characterize women as witches and witchcraft as a feminine characteristic (Mawere 2019; Gaidzanwa 1985).
As a response to the poisoning, immediate action (such as done to Mnangagwa to detox and save him) was supposed to be taken to detox and save the Zimbabwean nation, hence the coup d’état framed on Operation Restore Legacy which took the nation by surprise was swiftly carried out by the military junta. Even though Mnangagwa might not have been poisoned by Grace or poisoned through the ice cream, and even if his illness was just some drama, the poisonous ice cream became a metaphor for rejecting Grace’s love and care, and Grace as a mother of the nation. For the Lacoste faction, Grace’s breast was poisonous and produced poisonous milk which if the nation had continued to drink, it could have been fatally contaminated. This discourse is made reasonable through Grace Mugabe’s association with the G40, group which had been virtually homosexualized, dislocated from the Chimurenga ethic and ultimately regarded national pollutants (Mawere 2019, 2016). Thus, the same source and driver of Grace’s power, which is food distribution, was altered through a discourse of poison which sensitized that the seemingly source of life was the source of death, that the nation was drinking from a poisoned breast.
In addition to the allegations of Grace poisoning both Mugabe and Mnangagwa as fitting in with witchcraft troupes, there is also a ‘femme fatale’ idea (often depicted in film noir), that is associated with Grace. This idea positions women as tempting seductresses and their offerings as ‘toxic’ to men, as they offer a ‘dangerous sexuality’, causing powerful men to fall (Sathyamurthy 2016). The femme fatale relates to the Shona proverb, mukadzi munaku akasaroya anoba (if a beautiful woman is not a witch, she is a thief), which basically associates beauty and seduction with danger. This is interesting in relation to Grace allegedly seducing Mugabe and possibly ‘leading him astray’. Characterized as a loose, urban and flamboyant woman and nicknamed marujata or Gucci Grace, before and in her marriage to Mugabe, and postured as an adulteress (Mawere 2019), Grace Mugabe is associated with a poisonous sexuality that enables her to dominate and control men. Defying dominant feminine sexualities which are posited as private, pure and loyal provides reason for the ‘poisonous’ label given to Grace and provides justification for her rejection as mother of the nation. A revelation of female eroticism is out of touch with nation-craft as seen through various attempts to control the bodies of women and to keep women in specific spaces (Mawere 2019, 2016). It is in this sense that Operation Restore Legacy was also an operation to ‘cleanse’ womanhood and restore women to their ‘proper’ places. The refusal of Grace Mugabe’s offering or dish by the Lacoste faction can therefore be read as a refusal to be trapped by Grace’s ‘poisonous’ sexualities and an effort to decontaminate national motherhood, which is the source of national livelihood and survival.
Conclusion: The paradox
It is essential “to make food and the politics of food visible…as a way to tackle directly issues of patriarchy, capitalism, the ecological crisis, power and agency in our own spaces, and to truly decolonise food” (Andrews and Lewis 2017:7). Grace Mugabe fell into the trap of dominant discourses that provide binary spaces for men and women, and that locate the joys of motherhood in domestic spaces such as caring for and loving children. It is crucial to know that it is this effort to submit herself to the expectations of motherhood and the dictates of patriarchy that contributes to and trigger narratives that disqualify her motherhood. By trying to impress and perform the gendered role of providing as expected of motherhood, Grace’s efforts suffer a backlash as the same expectation which she had fulfilled and marked her as a mother and powerful woman became instrumental to her enemies. The same food, or ice cream which she provided to the children became a weapon in the hands of the Lacoste faction as narratives that Mnangagwa was given poisoned ice cream circulated. This meant that the nation’s motherhood was poisonous and therefore dangerous to the nation’s being. The same ice cream which Grace used to claim and perform motherhood and attain power became a metaphor for her failure as a mother, leading to the collapse of her power, that of her husband, Robert Mugabe, setting the pace for Mnangagwa’s new dispensation.
This article was first published on Gender Justice, a CSA&G project.
Achebe, C. 1994. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books.
Andrews, D. & Lewis, D. 2017. “Decolonising Food Systems and Sowing Seeds of Resistance: Disentangling knowledges about seed”, The African Centre for Biodiversity.
Barthes, R. 1975. “Towards a psychosociology of contemporary food consumption.” In Elborg Foster & Robert Forster (eds.), European diet from Pre-industrial to modern times. New York, 47-59.
Edwin, S. 2008. Subverting Social Customs: The Representation of Food in Three West African Francophone Novels. Research in African Literatures, 39(3),39-50.
Freud, S. 1938. Totem and Taboo. New York: The Modern Library.
Gaidzanwa, R. 1985. Images of Women in Zimbabwean Literature. Harare: College Press.
Hunt, L. 1992. The Family Romance of the French Revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Kammampoal, B. and Suuk Laar, S. 2019. The kola nut: Its symbolic significance in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL),7(8), 26-40.
Lewis, D. 2016. Bodies, matter and feminist freedoms: Revisiting the politics of food. Agenda, 30(4),6-16.
Madeira, K. 1989. “Cultural meaning and use of food: A selective bibliography (1973-987).” In Mary-Anne Schofield (ed.), Cooking by the book: Food in Literature and culture. Bowling Green: Bowling Green State, 207-15.
Mamdani, M. 2018. Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the legacy of late colonialism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Marechera, D. 1978. The House of Hunger. London: Heinemann.
Mungoshi, C. 1981. Waiting for the rain. Harare: Zimbabwe Publishing House.
Mungoshi, C. 1972. Coming of the dry season. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Olufunwa, H.O. 2000. Eating With Kings: Food and Ambition in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Proteus: A Journal of Ideas, 17(1), 69-71.
Sachs, C. 2013. “Feminist Food Sovereignty: Crafting a New Vision”, Paper Presented at Conference on Food Sovereignty: A Critical Dialogue. Yale University, 14-15 September. (Available at https://www.tni.org/en/briefing/feminist-food-sovereignty-crafting-new-vision, accessed 10 March 2020).
Sathyamurthy, K. 2016. “Femme Fatale: Tropes of deviant sexuality and empowerment” (Available at https://go.distance.ncsu.edu/gd203/?p=17783 , accessed 20 April 2020).
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blog.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-05-13 14:23:022020-07-08 06:55:58Food, symbolism and gendered identities in Zimbabwean Politics: Mama Grace’s ice cream and the 2017 Zanu-Pf leadership change
Locks Down and Quarantine Queens: Thoughts on Gender and Hair Fixation During a Global Pandemic
7th May 2020 /in News /by CSAG
By Gabriela Pinheiro
Throughout the month of April 2020, a quick and random survey of various social media and online news platforms has revealed a curious trend. At this time, the rapid spreading of COVID-19 has resulted in a coronavirus pandemic, killing more than 100 000 people globally[1]. Most of the world’s citizens are now living in varying degrees of “lockdown” conditions, where there are stringent limitations to personal and social mobilities, and worldwide imperatives to #stay-at-home in order to #flatten-the-curve. Given these (somewhat-apocalyptic) circumstances, it has been interesting to observe that, alongside the aforementioned coronavirus-related hashtags, others are trending including: #quarantine-curls, #buzzcut-season, #home-haircut-fail, #don’t-try-this-at-home and #lockdown-before-and-after.
Explicit references to hair, and to hair-related anxieties specifically, have dominated online spaces and interactions during coronavirus quarantine. Especially considering the increasing number of daily virus-induced deaths, and the collective sense of uncertainty, fear and grief that people are experiencing, one questions the current fixation with hair. The significance of hair to human histories, identities, societies and relationships, however, means that its focalisation during times of crisis may reflect broader sociopolitical arrangements and patterns. In this paper, current hair fixations are explored in relation to wider connections between gender and other identity markers including race, class, age and geographical positioning; illustrating the centrality of human hair to everyday life. To facilitate the discussion, I offer brief analytic insights into a series of 15 Twitter posts (or ‘Tweets’) that feature language constructing relationships between hair and coronavirus conditions such as lockdown and/or quarantine[2].
A key feature of coronavirus lockdowns is the restriction of people’s movements, allowing the continued performance only of activities and services that have been deemed “essential”. In most countries, “essential” activities and services do not include routine visits to hair and beauty salons, and/or the consumption of some cosmetics products. However, in certain countries, like the United States of America (U.S.), higher-than-usual sales have recently been recorded for at-home hair dye because “in front of dimly-lit mirrors, people are shaving their heads or dyeing their hair” (Demopoulos, 2020). In New York City (one of the worst-affected cities in the world, where almost 20 000 people have died as a result of coronavirus infection[3]), some hair professionals have reported that their clients are expressing panic at not being able to have their regular hair treatments during the pandemic. According to journalists, some stylists are even resorting to making their clients’ colour formulas and delivering customised home-hair kits. These custom hair kits are reputed to cost as much as 75 U.S. Dollars (roughly 1400 South African Rand), and include step-by-step instructions with tutorials that are also being provided using virtual platforms such as FaceTime and YouTube (Landman, 2020). In this paper, I suggest that lockdown-induced fixations with hair are not random or coincidental, but reflective of broader hair politics that illustrate the social and psychological significance of hair in everyday life.
Hair Rules: The Social and Gendered Significance of Hair
For sociological and anthropological researchers (e.g. Alubafi, Ramphalile, & Rankoana, 2018; Lester, 2013; Synnott, 1987), the emotions and symbols that become attached to human hair (such as ‘panic’, for example) are indicative of the idea that hair, a seemingly-straightforward, biological attribute, is in fact laden with psychological, political and societal meaning. Hair is deeply-rooted (pun intended) in our personal and private sense of identity, but it is simultaneously a public, physical attribute that becomes imbued with connotations, stories, experiences and values. Hence, hair symbolism is complex and nuanced, and perhaps nowhere more explicitly than in gendered domains; where boundaries between personal and political spheres are contested and blurred: hair is private, but it is also exposed to public scrutiny. Moreover, whilst hair growth occurs all over the human body, particular hair ‘zones’ carry subtle ideological significance that appears to be based largely on Western heterosexual gendered stereotypes. The gendered politics of hair are organised and naturalised so that society’s expectations and scripts for male versus female hair are often opposite and contradictory (Synnott, 1987).
Culturally[4], heterosexual, binary definitions of masculinities and femininities suggest that men are generally less closely-identified with their hair, and perhaps more concerned with facial and chest hair as key markers of androgenic hormones and maleness. Typically, men are expected to keep their head hair short, uniform and ‘neat’. Norms prescribe that men should also have some facial hair, but they are generally not pressured to remove hair from other bodily zones[5]. Conversely, social expectations and standards are different for most women, who are generally socialised to identify more intimately with their head hair. Normatively, the worth that a woman encompasses seems to depend, to a considerable extent, on the length, texture and aesthetic quality of her head hair, but her value is also contingent on the absence of hair in other bodily zones such as the armpits, legs and pubis (Synnott, 1987). The immense social and gendered significance of hair is also supported by economic consumer patterns, where there is a considerable ‘grooming gap’ in the amount of time and money that women versus men spend on hair styling and products, and where the worth of the global haircare market is estimated at 90 billion U.S. Dollars (Isser, 2020). Feminist scholars and activists, including Audré Lorde and Germaine Greer, understand hair as a symbol of women’s gendered and sexual subjugation at the hands of patriarchal values. In relation to hair, Greer (1971) states:
I’m sick of the masquerade. I’m sick of pretending eternal youth. I’m sick of peering at the world through false eyelashes, so everything I see is mixed with a shadow of bought hairs; I’m sick of weighting my head with a dead mane, unable to move my neck freely, terrified of rain, of wind, of dancing too vigorously in case I sweat into my lacquered curls. I’m sick of the Powder Room […] The rationale of depilation is crude. In the popular imagination hairiness is like furriness, an index of bestiality, and as such an indication of aggressive sexuality. Men cultivate it, just as they are encouraged to develop competitive and aggressive instincts, women suppress it, just as they suppress all the aspects of their vigour and libido. If they do not feel sufficient revulsion for their body hair themselves, others will direct them to depilate themselves. In extreme cases, women shave or pluck the pubic areas, so as to seem even more sexless and infantile. (pp. 38–61)
Greer (1971) constructs the patriarchal pressure for women to groom their head, face and body hair as unreasonable and uncomfortable. In the above statement, she highlights the manifestation of patriarchal gender codes in human hair practices, drawing clear parallels between norms for women’s sexualities and the hair prescriptions that are imposed by a codified, heterosexual society. Moreover, her words suggest that the routine hair grooming that she performs is not done because of personal choice and enjoyment. Masquerade, pretending, false and bought reinforce the sense of falsity and unnaturalness that she experiences when she engages in patriarchally-motivated hair practices, because these routines are invested in the gratification of external, societal pressure, and have little to do with her agency and personal choice as a woman. Greer (1971) also states that human hair is considered bestial, and that the qualities espoused by archetypal ‘beasts’ (aggression, acting on primal instincts and urges, assertiveness, action, etc.) are traditionally reserved for males only. These examples highlight the tension between private and public performances of hair and aesthetics, where many women feel obligated to express and present their bodies to the outer world in particular ways.
During the coronavirus pandemic, people on lockdown are spending considerable amounts of time in the privacy of their homes, as compared to their daily routines before the COVID-19 crisis began. On social media, many people’s posts have implied that the coronavirus lockdown/quarantine situation has provided a time to ‘let themselves go’ in terms of physical appearance and routine grooming practices. In line with what Greer (1971) and other feminist scholars have argued previously, this may be an indication of the idea that people (and women, in particular) adhere to traditional hair and grooming practices only because they are pressured to do so socially. In Tweet 1 (below), the Twitter user shows how dominant imaginings of human hair tend to associate its growth with bestiality, inhumanity, savagery, brutality and depravity. The user compares the ‘new’ presence and increased growth of people’s body hair (under lockdown conditions during the pandemic) to the untamed and non-anthropoid archetype of the werewolf. Interestingly, the increase in body hair is accompanied by changes to the size of people’s bodies in lockdown, illustrating how the presence of body hair is generally perceived as a symptom that someone has ‘let themselves go’ (and may therefore be ‘judged’) in physical appearance:
Tweet 1: @Roxi Horror (2020, April 7): when the quarantine ends, people may look a little different than they looked before. Remember not to judge anyone for the size of their body, any new body hair, the sharpness of their fangs, their new tail or how they howl when the moon comes out.
Other posts and interactions, illustrating the tension between private and public performances of gendered hair practices, have circulated widely on social media during the coronavirus pandemic. Aestheticians (especially in the U.S.) have reported that many female clients are anxious over growing body hair because they have to stay at home and cannot maintain their routine visits to beauty salons. In a recent news article (Demopoulos, 2020), one beauty professional stated: “We actually don’t recommend waxing at home, it’s potentially dangerous and the results will probably be disappointing. Why not go natural? It’s one less thing to deal with”. Particular aspects of this statement also support the sentiments expressed by Greer (1971). The beautician highlights the fact that when one is confined to the home (private) space, then it is more acceptable to ‘go natural’. The implication, in this instance, is that it would be unsightly and unpalatable to the public if a woman was to leave the home (private) space with normal body hair still visible. In the second portion of the statement, there is also evidence to suggest that, like Greer (1971), many women feel that routine beauty practices are burdening: something to ‘deal with’. It becomes clear that many of the beauty conventions and standards that we take for granted as normal and necessary are in fact societally-constructed and replete with sexist discourses about the way that a woman’s body should appear. During the coronavirus lockdown situation, we have been presented with a chance to reflect on the reasons why we engage in these conformist practices in the first place.
In Tweets 2, 3, 4 and 5 (below), the Twitter users show how societal rules for hair seem to be internalised so that the manipulation and control of our hair becomes more emblematic of gendered codes, and not so much a representation of personal choice. A series of analytic insights is offered below each of the posts:
Tweet 2: @readwithcindy (2020, April 8): when this quarantine is over I will be curious to see which hangs lower to the ground, my armpit hair or my saggy boobs.
In Tweet 2, the female user alludes to the fact that, because she is confined to the home space (‘quarantine’), she has been allowing her armpit hair to grow as it would naturally. Interestingly, the choice to let her armpit hair grow out is accompanied by a rejection of other gendered expectations that women encounter: in this case, the convention of wearing a bra. The implication is that her breasts will droop in the absence of their normative underwire support, and that they will hang down in the same vein as her newly-grown armpit hair. These transgressions of gendered hair norms are possible only because of ‘quarantine’ conditions, where remaining in the privacy of the home means that social expectations for hair need not be respected or fulfilled.
Tweet 3: @The Magnificent Cork (2020, April 7): I feel so sorry for women at the moment. Without their hair and nails done they actually look ridiculous. Honestly like, its lousy #lockdown.
In Tweet 3, the male user demonstrates patriarchal hair (and general grooming) expectations in action. He states that women ‘look ridiculous’ during the coronavirus lockdown because they are confined to their home spaces and thus cannot engage in routine beauty practices such as getting their ‘hair and nails done’. The user communicates his disapproval of women’s ungroomed and natural bodily states and condemns them with the word ‘lousy’. This post illustrates the patriarchal values that tend to underpin Western gendered hair norms and beauty standards: in order for women not to be ‘lousy’, or pitied by men, they should remain pristine in their physical condition at all times.
Tweet 4: @Maria Nabil (2020, April 8): Another good hair day wasted in quarantine…*blessing your timeline*.
Tweet 5: @clairequinn1352 (2020, April 13): My hair looks so good today and it is a travesty we are in quarantine.
In Tweets 4 and 5, the female users suggest that a ‘good hair day’ is ‘wasted’ in coronavirus ‘quarantine’, mainly because of the ‘travesty’ of having to stay inside without being able to show the public that their hair is groomed according to social standards and expectations. These sentiments suggest that what we do with our hair is not so much about personal choice, but about ensuring that we make good appearances in public and social realms of everyday life. These ideas are (re)articulated aptly by Juliet A. Williams, a gender studies professor from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), who reiterates that the coronavirus pandemic has created an opportunity for people to think critically about their everyday conformity to gendered aesthetic expectations (Demopoulos, 2020):
For many people the crisis is the first time they’ve ever seriously considered [the question] ‘How would I choose to look if I didn’t have to worry about what other people think? You see a much wider spectrum of self-presentation. You see a rejection of gender stereotypes: long hair, short hair, grey hair. All of the things that we do to create the illusion that there is such a big difference in the way men and women look are being taken apart.
In Tweet 6 (below), the female user illustrates that coronavirus quarantine is a ‘no rules apply’ time for conventional gendered grooming and hair practices. She has to ‘hide’ the fact that she has chosen to go braless whilst engaging in the one-hour-long exercise/outside break that still applies in some countries on lockdown. The path is ‘well-populated’ and so she is forced to conceal the appearance and movement of her natural breasts in the absence of a bra. For her, coronavirus quarantine feels like a ‘no rules apply’ time. The rules to which she is referring are gendered, hence the references to her long hair and her decision to go braless (allowed only because it is quarantine). Tweet 6 thus reiterates the ideas expressed by Greer (1971) and Williams (2020), who suggest that the gendered codes for hair performance and expression are governed by patriarchal values, and that lockdown (a condition during which people do not venture out into the public eye) presents a unique historical moment for us to think critically about why we present our hair (and our bodies) in the ways that we do.
Tweet 6: @Fleurie (2020, April 8): using my hair to hide that I’m not wearing a bra was going well until I hit a strong headwind on a very well-populated walking path LOL why does quarantine feel like a general “no rules apply” time?
Connections between Gendered and Racial Identities in Global Hair Hierarchies
Gendered hair politics are further complicated by their intersections with geopolitical, racial and classed ideologies and positionings. Modern hair hierarchies are configured largely according to the systematic hegemony of conservative, white supremacist patriarchy (Alubafi et al., 2018). In the West, ideas from popular culture dictate that long, straight and shiny hair is irrefutably feminine, sexy and valuable. These hair standards are typified in the stereotypical performances of Caucasian femininity that abound in Western popular culture and media, which are replete with gendered hair mythologies including Rapunzel, Mary Magdalene and Lady Godiva. Gendered and racialised tropes that involve hair are also popular, including the all-too-familiar Dumb Blonde woman and the Tall, Dark and Handsome man. The Dumb Blonde trope is particularly visible in the collective consciousness of white, patriarchal Americans: innocent, passive, void of intellect, seductive, air-headed, youthful (but sexually experienced and experimental) and coquettish, the Dumb Blonde trope is epitomised in both fictional and non-fictional figures like Marylin Monroe, Grace Kelly, Elle Woods and Britney Spears (Horn, 1979, as cited in Synnott, 1987). In contemporary hair politics, the rise of tropes like the ‘Karen’ (Can I Speak to the Manager?) haircut also illustrate some of the ways in which white, middle-aged women who do not have long and ‘youthful’ air are constructed as slightly ‘butch’ and as ‘ball-busters’ (Rennex, 2019).
The connections between hair, gender and politics are becoming ever-clearer during the coronavirus pandemic. In the U.S., Ainsley Erhardt (a talk show host on U.S. President Donald Trump’s favourite conservative-leaning morning show, Fox and Friends) expressed concern about how women in America were going to get their hair and nails done in the context of social distancing and lockdowns: “All my friends are saying, you know, this is not a priority — people are dying and I realize that…but they can’t get their nails done,” she said. Shortly thereafter, social media users responded with critiques that her statement and the concerns she was expressing presented as a “perfect distillation of Trump Republicanism” and “rich white lady problems”. At the time of writing, the U.S. had more than 76 000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and a total of 849 recorded deaths, which begged the question: how legitimate are concerns about our physical appearance given our current circumstances and especially the knowledge that people are dying daily? (The News, 2020). Perhaps hair fixation by politicians and popular media figures illustrates the West’s tendency to focalise ‘rich white lady problems’ at the expense of devoting attention to issues of substance and urgency.
The same anti-feminist, conservative patriarchy is internalised by other anti-feminist women: Marabel Morgan (1975, p. 114, as cited in Synnott, 1987), for example, offered the following advice on how a woman should greet her husband on his return from work (the assumption being that she does not work outside of the house): “Greet him at the door with your hair shining, your beautifully made-up face radiant, your outfit sharp and snappy…. Take a few moments for that bubble-bath…. Remove all prickly hairs and be squeaky-clean from head to toe. Be touchable and kissable”.
Owing to their dominance of global hair hierarchies, and because they find their roots in decades of racist and oppressive histories, hegemonic ideas about hair are entangled intimately with the privileges afforded by Western white patriarchy (historically and contemporarily). Hence, it is possible to view hair as a corporeal artefact that (re)produces derogatory discourses about blackness, and about black women in particular. The politics of gender, hair and race have been shaped by the early (and enduring) racist influences of colonialism and slavery. As systematic forms of oppression and exploitation, colonialism and slavery catalysed the erasure of positive ideas about natural African hair, predominantly through the exportation of Africans to the West in the slave trade. In colonial America, white slave owners characterised African hair textures as “woolly” and favoured black women with straighter hair and lighter skin for ‘employment’ as personal house slaves; whilst those black women with kinkier hair and darker complexions were confined to work in the cotton fields (Nyamnjoh & Fuh, 2014, as cited in Alubafi et al., 2018). Chigumadzi (2016) found that black people living in Brazil and the Caribbean have shared hair stories, because in the American experience, a woman with ‘good hair’ is a woman with long, shiny and straight hair. In the neo-colonial period, where white patriarchy and cultural imperialism persist, many ideas about black people’s hair continue to be informed largely by two colonial misconceptions in particular: that natural black hair is dirty or unsanitary, and that natural black hair does not grow. To elaborate on the ways in which these gendered and colonial rules continue to play out in modern hair hierarchies, Mokoena (2016, as cited in Alubafi et al., 2018) notes that:
Many black women who wear weaves and relax their hair will explain their choice by either saying that their natural hair is unmanageable or that natural hair is dirty. This is one of the most enduring stereotypes about black hair. People will even cite the anecdotal evidence that Bob Marley’s dreads had 47 different types of lice when he died. These are urban legends of the worst kind because they perpetuate the stereotype that only black hair attracts lice, and other vermin, which is scientifically untrue.
In South Africa, with its history of colonial rule, apartheid machinery employed the same discursive strategies and racist tactics to divide people on the basis of particular aesthetic features and supposed ‘biological’ differences. In this context, hair was one of the most visible and public indicators of race, second only to skin colour. It is no secret that, in the name of ‘science’ (eugenics), the apartheid government institutionalised invalid and racist measures such as the ‘pencil hair test’ in order to classify South Africans as either ‘white’ or ‘non-white’ (black, mixed race or Indian) (Chigumadzi, 2016). Black women’s hair thus became (and remains presently) one of the most highly-contested aesthetic practices in the South African imagination (Alubafi et al., 2016; Chigumadzi, 2016). Racial slurs to describe African versus Caucasian hair textures were (and are still) propagated through polarising vocabularies such as kroes-hare (meaning ‘kinky’ hair) versus lekker-hare (meaning ‘nice’ hair). These vocabularies illustrate how “distinctions of aesthetic value – beautiful and ugly – have always been central to the way racism divides the world into binary oppositions in its application of human worth” (Mercer, 1987, p. 35). In the post-apartheid era, hair politics and his(hair)stories continue to exert a profound influence in shaping many black women’s perceptions of themselves and also their relationships with their bodies; especially in relation to an ostensibly superior (and ‘more beautiful’) white other (Alubafi et al., 2018).
The interconnections between hair and race are also evident in the biologising and totalising racist discourses that continue to (re)appear in everyday talk and interaction around black women’s hair. In a recent study by Alubafi et al (2018), black women living in Tshwane (Pretoria) noted that ‘good hair’ is still largely understood to mean ‘white hair’ (sleek, long and straight). Moreover, many black women express feelings of frustration and humiliation when white people ask if it would be okay to touch their afros; that these requests from white people are inappropriate and serve only to reproduce racist ideas about which types of head hair are (ab)normal (Gassam, 2020). In these everyday interactions, a particular kind of relational and power dynamic (re)emerges, where whiteness has voyeuristic privilege, and blackness is exhibited purely to satiate white consumption, fascination, entertainment and pleasure.
One is reminded in this instance of historical figures such as Saartjie Baartman (see, e.g. Catanese, 2010). However, one also need not look very far in order to encounter contemporary illustrations of the same corporeal violences (central to which are questions relating to human hair). In the sphere of modern sport, for example, racist/sexist hair politics manifest in the ‘scientific’ (read: humiliating and discriminatory) measures that are sometimes used to evaluate women athletes; especially those who are not white. Dutee Chand is an Indian athlete who identifies as a woman, but she was recently suspected of having high levels of androgens (male hormones) and was thus subjected to a series of ‘sex verification tests’: one of which entailed the measuring of her pubic hair; the length of which was then recorded and graded according to a five-grade scale (Padawer, 2016). Similar procedures were conducted on the body of South African athlete, Caster Semenya, whose case demonstrates another example of intersectional identity discrimination (along gendered and racial axes) at the hands of conservative white patriarchy in the sporting arena (North, 2019).
Moreover, South Africa’s current education system also reveals how historical racism and sexism endure in contemporary hair politics: a case in point is exemplified by the August 2016 incident at Pretoria High School for Girls, where administration insisted that black female learners straighten their hair in order for it to adhere to the school’s code of conduct (which stipulated that girls’ hair should be ‘neat’ and ‘tidy’). These examples reflect how human hair remains fundamental to the maintenance of historical racist/misogynistic policies, and how the complex image of black hair is fraught with historic emblems of black people’s purported inferiority (Alubafi et al., 2018). Whilst many white women endure (re)articulations of sexist oppression in patriarchal matrices, it seems that “the racial implications of hair texture [and hair in general] take on added significance for black women, given the central role accorded to hair in racialized constructions of femininity and female beauty” (Caldwell, 2003, p. 18).
In Tweet 7 (below), the male Twitter user makes references to black women and the hair and grooming practices to which they must normally conform. The reference to race is made explicit through his use of the word ‘nigga’. This word is a variant of the word ‘nigger’, which has a particular history that finds its origins as a racist slur used by white people against black people in the mid-1800s. However, the term, and black people’s use of the term, have evolved to take on new meanings. One new way in which black people employ the term ‘nigga’ is colloquial, to refer to other black people in casual conversation and as a reclamation of the term as part of a positive and collective identity (see, e.g. Rahman, 2012). In Tweet 7, the black male user is referring to the ‘niggas’ (boyfriends or partners) of black women, whom he references through the word ‘ladies’ and the inclusion of a photo of a stylish black woman. In the Tweet, he suggests that quarantine is a time where black women are unable to adhere to conventional beauty standards, implying that as soon as the coronavirus pandemic is over, these women will hurry back to beauty salons to receive their usual beauty treatments. He also suggests that, in order to have sex with (or ‘give it up’ to) their ‘niggas’ (from whom they have been separated because of coronavirus lockdown), these women will need to first make sure that they adhere to gendered codes for grooming: they should be ‘fully waxed’, their nails should be done and their head hair should also be properly groomed:
Tweet 7: @B. (2020, April 8): Ladies first day out of quarantine on the way to their nigga house fully waxed, nails & hair done and ready to give it UP [photograph of stylish black woman].
Gender, Age and Hair in the Western Imagination: to Go Grey or to Die?
In Western aesthetics, there is also a clear interplay between hair, gender and the identity marker of age; where Western standards of beauty show an obsessive reverence towards youth and its preservation, and a complementary devaluing of age and elderliness. Synnott (1987) notes that grey hair is often one of the first physical and public signs of human mortality, and that grey hairs (and ageing) are often concealed through conventional dyeing practices. However, where grey hair and ageing are concerned, there is also a (gendered) double standard in most youth-focused, Western settings: for women, greying hair is generally perceived negatively, as a sign of aging: there is a loss of youthful characteristics (including women’s ‘crowning glory’) that make femininity intelligible and seductive to patriarchal masculinities.
For most Western men, however, greying hair is often regarded as ‘distinguished’; hence, the old adage: men age like fine wine, but women age like milk. The metaphorical ‘souring’ of women as they age, common in Western framings of beauty and gender, alludes to the double standards characterising gender codifications and aesthetic rules. The constraining effects of these rules featured prominently in a 1983 scandal, where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration admitted that hair dye may cause cancer, and many female consumers of Clairol’s hair dye said that they would rather die than ‘turn grey’ (Banner, 1983, as cited in Synnott, 1987). In Tweet 8 (below), it is evident that coronavirus conditions, such as ‘self-quarantine’ mean that people (and women, in particular) can get away with foregoing their usual beauty and hair colouring routines because they are not going to be seen by anybody. The female Twitter user places ‘without a bra or makeup’ next to ‘growing out your grey hair’ and this syntax shows that gender rules for hair have become somewhat relaxed whilst women are confined to their homes during a period of time when public appearances do not matter to the same degree as they would normally:
Tweet 8: @paget_brewster (2020, April 8): maybe during self-quarantine, you do a little touch up on interior house painting, without a bra or makeup, while growing out your grey hair…
Re/rou(o)ting His(hair)stories: Hair as Resistance
Human hair is very often the site of interwoven discriminatory politics, but it is also a battleground for people’s resistance to societal conventions: hence, it is far from neutral, but rather highly-ambivalent and contested. Historically, the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements of 1950s-60s America were underpinned by aesthetic ideologies and practices that encouraged black people to reclaim their natural styles, and the afro was glorified with the slogan Black is Beautiful (Synnott, 1987). As a parallel to these bodily and hair-related modes of resistance, the influence of the Black Consciousness Movement in apartheid South Africa meant that black people started to reject the primacy of white beauty rules, drawing attention instead to political blackness, and to black power, through their hair choices: as a key part of their rebellion against racial and gendered configurations, many black South Africans wore afros and other natural styles in order to symbolise a return to themselves, and a collective reframing of negative ideas about black physicality and black bodies (Biko, 2004, as cited in Alubafi et al., 2018). Furthermore, some black women in the recent study by Alubafi et al (2018) expressed that their hair still serves as a contested, ambivalent and dynamic part of their daily aesthetic lives and routines, including the resistance of pre-1994 hair imagery: importantly, they emphasised that South African black women who straighten their hair, or wear wigs and extensions, are not simply imitating their white counterparts, but that the free adoption of different styles (some of which were previously thought to be owned and worn exclusively by white women) forms a core part of the liberation of black people and black hair.
In the present era of hair and gender, the continued and gradual dismantling of dominant hair hierarchies is evident. Through their hair adornment and style choices, many black women in South Africa are gradually disrupting racist and sexist his(hair)stories, as was especially publicised and highlighted in the protest by Pretoria High School for Girls learners following the 2016 incident at their school (Alubafi et al., 2018; Chigumadzi, 2016). It is also positive to see that people’s questioning of normative hair conventions is occurring in creative domains, through film and other media. In 2020, for example, Matthew Cherry’s Hair Love was awarded an Oscar upon being recognised as the best animated short film of the season. The film has been hailed as a celebration of representation, and of a young black girl’s journey of self (and hair) acceptance (McKenzie, 2020). These forms of resistance allude to the subtle, but powerful capacities for hair to tackle and neutralise aesthetic and socio-political hegemonies in the context of global race/gender arrangements.
Other forms of hair protest include those witnessed in social movements such as the Hippie and Punk movements (Synnott, 1987), and in the growing refusal by many women to remove their body hair and/or to keep their head hair long. Within LGBTQIA+[6] and drag scenes, performance artists such as Conchita Wurst (who wears a beard) have also made significant contributions to hair resistance (Tallie, 2014). The increasing prevalence of women’s unshaven armpits, and the growing popularity of women’s buzzcuts, show how feminine shame has started to become feminist (‘crowning’) glory (Lester, 2013). During coronavirus conditions, such as lockdown and quarantine, more and more people seem to be questioning the hair practices in which they engage on a daily basis. One might argue, then, that the global pandemic has offered an opportunity for critical thought and reflection around mainstream hair norms (in relation to gender, race and other identity markers) and that the ‘letting go’ of convention might alter and (re)shape the ways in which we think about aesthetics in the post-coronavirus era.
The Psychosomatics of Hair: Loss, Locks and Life Transitions
Psychosomatically, the gendered nuances of hair are also visible, straddling both private and public spaces: In one study (Synnott, 1987, p. 383), the following was expressed by a woman who had lost all of her hair through radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer: “When you lose your hair, you feel like you have nothing to live for […] a girl just isn’t a girl without her hair”. Her sentiments and ‘feelings’ allude to the centrality of hair as a core part of her sense of self as a legitimate and worthy woman in society. Moreover, the level of pain that she experiences in relation to the loss of her hair is comparable to the grief and emptiness that is typically associated with death and mourning. According to some psychologists (see, e.g. Radin, 2019), the urge to cut one’s hair during periods of grief can be likened to shedding a layer of skin; a way to rid the Self physically of difficult emotions and experiences.
The gendered connections between grief and hair are observable across numerous cultures, where head hair among Punjabi women, for example, symbolises life and vitality and is thus left dishevelled and unwashed during the mourning of husbands (Herschman, 1974, as cited in Hirschman, n.d.). The female Twitter user who posted Tweet 9 (below) uses a simile device to show how coronavirus quarantine compares to the feelings associated with a breakup. The loss of normalcy and routine that happens during quarantine is likened to the loss of an intimate partner, and feelings including ‘sadness’ and longings for ‘revenge’ are expressed. Interestingly, the ‘revenge bod’ is polarised with the image of being ‘sad as shit and eating everything you can find, binge watching shit tv’, which shows how people’s personal and private aesthetic performances are different in private and public domains. The ‘revenge bod’ is usually created for the purpose of showing one’s ex what they are missing, and so again this communicates the idea that gendered bodily practices are largely maintained by external pressures that women feel. This is the case both during quarantine and during a breakup. The ‘chopping’ of this user’s hair is mentioned in relation to the feelings of loss, sadness and yearning for normalcy that characterise periods of grief and mourning:
Tweet 9: @Kristen Leanne (2020, April 6): Quarantine is like a breakup: one day you’re fucking sad as shit and eating everything you can find, binge watching shit tv. Next day you wanna work out and get that revenge bod…then you wanna chop your hair off and colour it [crying emoji].
Many women who have experienced other types of trauma also express desires to cut their hair or even to shave it off entirely. In popular culture, examples of this are represented in film and other media. In the 1988 film, The Accused, the protagonist decides to cut her hair into a very short style after she is gangraped and discovers that her rapists have not been found guilty (Radin, 2019). This is also evident in Tweet 10 (below), where the female Twitter user constructs cutting one’s hair during quarantine as something inevitable (‘when you cut your own hair’). The cutting of the hair is cathartic because the experience of being in quarantine is traumatic. This is likened to the gendered tropes that are common in films and other media:
Tweet 10: @CamGurrrl (2020, April 13): When you cut your own hair in quarantine pretend to be a female character who’s gone through a significant and/or traumatic event, and now has her spontaneous, tearful, cathartic haircutting scene scored by rousing music.
Another, highly-publicised and notorious example can be identified in the case of Britney Spears, who, in 2007, (in)famously shaved her own head whilst in the midst of personal trauma involving a war with the American media, a divorce, substance abuse and mental health difficulties. After years of alienation and torment as a puppet of American popular culture and media, Spears later explained that the notorious head-shave symbolised a reclamation of her personal identity and individuality, but also a physical way in which to handle the emotional pain that she was experiencing. Having been sexualised from a very young age Britney used the buzzcut moment as a mode of defiance and resistance against stigmas surrounding gender and mental health (Morrish, 2017):
She seemed to be trying, with befuddled brilliance, to tell the truth. She recoiled from celebrity culture by mortifying her own flesh. She stripped herself, publicly, of her sexuality. She presented herself as grotesque. Her mortification of the flesh at 25 is just the latest example of how bizarrely-troubling American society finds the female body.
Coronavirus lockdown/quarantine periods are also periods of transition and change, involving considerable stress and anxiety for many people. The psychological and affectual impact of this situation may be expressed through people’s decisions to change their hair or modify their physical appearance in other ways. For the remainder of the tweets (below), brief analytic comments are provided that illustrate this.
Tweet 11: @Krestamir (2020, April 6): new piercings and hair color after this quarantine [tongue emoji]
There is the implication of a transitory period for the user. She is going to have these bodily procedures performed after quarantine, showing that she will be coming out of a difficult time in her life. The tongue emoji is a performative way of communicating a particular message or emotion.
Tweet 12: @Jo (2020, Apr 8): The worst part about this quarantine is that I can’t dispel my manic energy in negative ways. No tattoos/piercings, no dyeing my hair, no impulse buying, no going to the Pub and ordering everyone shots of Jameson. What am I supposed to do? Hike? Read? Meditate? Fucksakes.
Dyeing one’s hair is constructed as a way to ‘dispel [her] manic energy’. This female user is manic because of the quarantine. Other maladaptive or destructive (‘negative’) activities or coping mechanisms are mentioned, symbolizing that cutting one’s hair is something that we often do when we are not coping. This suggests that quarantine and coronavirus pandemic are difficult to handle. There is also the polarization of healthy coping mechanisms with unhealthy ones…in society’s view, drinking, dyeing your hair, buying things impulsively and getting body modifications like piercings or tattoos are considered unhealthy. The healthy mechanisms involve hiking, reading and meditating. ‘Fucksakes’ expresses anger and exasperation.
Tweet 13: @kj (2020, April 6): btw I dyed my hair like…the 2nd day of quarantine I am not stable lmao.
Tweet 14: @emo_mom (2020, April 6): this quarantine put y’all in the same mental state you were in when you were 13, that’s why you’re listening to your “emo throwbacks” playlist and dyeing your hair
Tweet 15: @Tallulah (2020, April 4): quarantine made me do it. Instead of having a meltdown, I dyed my hair.
Evidently, hair is laden with psychology and affect: one makes changes (like cutting and/or dyeing) the hair during times of ‘instability’ (like coronavirus lockdown/quarantine conditions). In Tweet 13, the ‘lmao’ stands for ‘laughing my ass off’ and could signal the idea that the female user finds the quarantine situation absurd. In Tweet 14, the female user refers to the ‘emo’ trope, which is known to emphasise emotional expression and is usually typified by reverse mullet and jet-black or rainbow-hued hairstyles. The reference to this trope suggests that quarantine has initiated a ‘mental state’ that is highly emotional. Finally, in Tweet 15, these sentiments and ideas are reinforced: the female user cites ‘quarantine’ as the reason for a ‘meltdown’ (emotional instability) and goes on to mention changes that she has made to her hair instead.
In this paper, a series of tweets (posted during the month of April 2020, in the context of coronavirus lockdown/quarantine conditions during the global pandemic) was analysed thematically, and the analytic insights were connected to broader theory around hair politics to show that hair is significant to people in ways that are personal, emotional, psychological, social, spiritual, historical, political, economical and sexual. The ideological effects of hair are particularly evident during the global pandemic, which has presented us with an opportunity to reflect critically on the reasons, values and ideas that underpin our daily adherence to (mainly Western) aesthetic conventions. Expressed through social media platforms such as Twitter, quarantine-related hair fixations and anxieties reveal the affectual and political intricacies with which hair is imbued.
Alubafi, M. F., Ramphalile, M., & Rankoana, A. S. (2018). The shifting image of black women’s hair in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa. Cogent Social Sciences, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2018.1471184
Caldwell, K. L. (2003). “Look at her hair”: The body politics of black womanhood in Brazil. Transforming Anthropology, 11(2), 18–29. doi: 10.1525/tran.2003.11.issue-2.
Catanese, B. W. (2010). Remembering Saartjie Baartman. Atlantic Studies, 7(1), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/14788810903515592
Chigumadzi, P. (2016, October 5). White schools versus black hair in post-apartheid South Africa. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/opinion/white-schools-vs-black-hair-in-post-apartheid-south-africa.html.
Demopoulos, A. (2020, April 4). Shave it, dye it, or grow it out: there are no rules for quarantine hair. Daily Blast. https://www.thedailybeast.com/there-are-no-rules-for-quarantine-hair-so-shave-it-dye-it-or-grow-it-out.
Foley, K.E. (2017, June 11). It’s totally normal—and maybe even useful—to cut off
all your hair to deal with loss. Quartz. https://qz.com/1002590/its-totally-normal-and-maybe-even-useful-to-cut-off-all-your-hair-to-deal-with-loss/.
Fox News sparks a firestorm by talking hair, nails during global pandemic. (2020, April 8). The News. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/635330-fox-news-sparks-a-firestorm-by-voicing-concern-on-hair-and-nail-during-pandemic.
Gassam, J. (2020, January 8). Stop asking black people if you can touch their hair. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2020/01/08/stop-asking-black-people-if-you-can-touch-their-hair/#3cf5ffa350a7
Greer, G. (1971). The Female Eunuch. Paladin Books.
Hirschman, E. C. (n.d.). Hair as Attribute, Hair as Symbol, Hair as Self. 13.
Isser, M. (2020, January 5). The grooming gap: What “looking the part” costs women. Salon.com. https://www.salon.com/2020/01/05/the-grooming-gap-what-looking-the-part-costs-women_partner/.
Landman, B. (2020, March 20). People are freaking out about having bad hair during coronavirus quarantine. NY Post. https://nypost.com/2020/03/20/people-are-freaking-out-about-having-bad-hair-during-coronavirus-quarantine/.
Lester, N. A. (2013). The Why and the Where of Hair. The Lion and the Unicorn, 37(2), v–xvi. https://doi.org/10.1353/uni.2013.0018
McKenzie, J.P. (2020, February 10). Watch Matthew Cherry’s Oscar-winning short film Hair Love: it made history on Kickstarter. The Oprah Magazine. https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a30755213/matthew-cherry-hair-love-short-film-oscars-2020/.
Mercer, K. (1987). Black hairstyle politics. New Formations, 3, 33–54.
Morrish, L. (2017, February 17). What Britney’s head shave can teach us about mental health 10 years on. Konbini. https://www.konbini.com/en/lifestyle/britney-head-shave-mental-health-10-years/.
North, A. (2019, May 3). “I am a woman and I am fast”: What Caster Semenya’s story says about gender and race in sports. Vox. https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/5/3/18526723/caster-semenya-800-gender-race-intersex-athletes
Padawer, R. (2016, July 15). Indian Dutee Chand, set to run in the Olympics, has been humiliated by sex-testing. New York Times. https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/indian-dutee-chand-set-to-run-in-the-olympics-has-been-humiliated-by-sextesting-20160704-gpyeat.html.
Plantive, C. (2020, April 8). To cut or not to cut? in U.S., quarantine slows everything but hair growth. South Cape Forum. https://www.suidkaapforum.com/News/Article/International/to-cut-or-not-to-cut-in-us-quarantine-slows-everything-but-hair-growth-202004080837.
Radin, S. (2019, March 26). We asked a psychologist and hairdresser why haircuts are so emotional. Dazed Digital. https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/head/article/43790/1/psychologist-drastic-haircuts-emotion.
Rahman, J. (2012). The N Word: Its History and Use in the African American Community. Journal of English Linguistics – J ENGL LINGUIST, 40, 137–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/0075424211414807
Rennex, M. (2019, December 16). Junk Explained: Who And What Is A “Karen”? Junkee. https://junkee.com/karen-explainer/234989
Synnott, A. (1987). Shame and Glory: A Sociology of Hair. The British Journal of Sociology, 38(3), 381. https://doi.org/10.2307/590695.
Tallie, T.J. (2014, May 19). Hirsute Phoenix: Conchita Wurst, Beards, and the Politics of Sexuality. Notches. http://notchesblog.com/2014/05/19/hirsute-phoenix-conchita-wurst-beards-and-the-politics-of-sexuality/.
Waldstein, A. (2016). Studying the Body in Rastafari Rituals: Spirituality, Embodiment and Ethnographic Knowledge. Journal for the Study of Religious Experience, 2(71).
Gabriela Pinheiro is a critical social and psychological researcher. Gabriela joined the CSA&G in 2020 where she manages the Gender Justice Project in collaboration with the Irish Embassy and is also involved with other ongoing work in the CSA&G. She completed her Master’s in Research Psychology at the University of the Witwatersrand and interned at the UNISA Institute for Social and Health Sciences. Her research background includes work in the South African Higher Education sector and community engagement. She has particular interest in the study of critical social psychologies, genders and sexualities, and student health/wellbeing.
[1] At the time of writing. For updated statistics and further information, visit: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/.
[2] These Tweets were selected randomly. Using the Twitter application, the recent Tweets were filtered to show those from April 2020, before typing the following keywords into the search bar: coronavirus hair, quarantine hair and lockdown hair. This is just a small collection of Tweets related to coronavirus and hair, and an array of others can be viewed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/explore.
[3] At the time of writing. For updated statistics and further information, visit: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/.
[4] I refer in this instance to hegemonic Western standards and cultures of beauty. It is important to recognise the heterogeneity and plurality within and between different cultures when contemplating the politics of hair and beauty. In Rastafarian culture, for example, many men choose to wear their head hair long (and/or in dreadlock styles) because they believe that this is where their strength lies. This example alludes to the dynamic nature of hair politics across and within different cultural groupings (see, e.g. Waldstein, 2016). Gendered hair norms are also contested and resisted – this is discussed in later sections of this paper.
[5] There are exceptions to this uniformity, even within dominant Western beauty cultures. If we think about sport, for example, many male athletes choose to remove body hair because the practice is perceived to enhance physical performance. This alludes, again, to the plurality of hair expression by different people, even when they are see as falling within a particular group or culture.
[6] Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and allies
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blog.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-05-07 14:46:032020-05-15 08:50:09Locks Down and Quarantine Queens: Thoughts on Gender and Hair Fixation During a Global Pandemic
Reflections on what I do at the CSA&G – Vuyisa Mamanzi
22nd April 2020 /in News /by CSAG
By Vuyisa Mamanzi
I grew up in Gugulethu, a township located just outside Cape Town. I obtained my undergraduate and postgraduate education at the University of the Western Cape. I completed my honours degree in Anthropology and my research project looked at unemployment and its impact on being a ‘real man’: A study investigating coping strategies utilized by men living in Gugulethu. In 2015, I worked as a research assistant at the School of Public Health/Management Studies at the University of Cape Town, part-time. My work involved transcription, data analysis and conducting in-depth interviews on a project that focused on “Childbearing, family planning and the relationships among women living with HIV in Gugulethu”. I am completing my master’s degree, through UWC; and the research is an ethnographic study on power relations between black employers and black employees in the Nyanga mini-bus taxi industry.
I joined the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender (CSA&G) team in January 2018 as a project manager and researcher. My responsibilities included organising and overseeing the day to day logistics of the Just Leaders project. The project is a CSA&G volunteer and leadership development programme. It endeavours to build a movement of active citizen student leaders that promote social justice, critical consciousness and inclusive practices at the University of Pretoria. Our work on this project is greatly influenced by the ideology of the Brazilian educator and writer Paulo Freire, who states that “for liberation you need education that inspires you to think critically, education that frees the mind instead of numbing it”. One of the achievements that I am most proud of currently, is leading a team of three researchers in developing the Just Leaders curriculum for our 9-week entry-level course. The course looks at a range of topics such as structural violence, stigma, sexual and reproductive health and rights, social justice, access to quality education, activism and social movements, democracy and political citizenship, and leadership for change. The course is aimed at registered UP students and it has been well received. An amazing aspect of the Just Leaders programme is that it provides our student volunteers with skills and an opportunity to be drivers and agents for change. Upon invitation, we also conduct and facilitate race, sexualities and gender awareness talks/workshops on and off campus.
What I enjoy about our awareness raising and prevention work, is our pedagogical approach. Our work takes on a more intersectional approach to dynamics such as sexualities, race, class and gender which inform student experiences. The Just Leaders theory of change states:
“Through promoting social justice, critical consciousness and inclusive practices, we will co-create university environments that are responsive and transformed by just leaders.
Whether facilitating dialogues, workshops or giving a presentation for lecturers and students, our focus is situating knowledge from the students’ lived experiences by developing communities of practice where learning is contextual and meaningful. We create conducive environments for learning by removing power hierarchies and employing teachers as learners and learners as teachers philosophy. What we see happening when this philosophy is applied is that students question! We enter into conversations, where we begin to question our own privilege, power and positionality. We start confronting the uncomfortable truths about ourselves. An exploration of ‘contradiction’ takes place because we are all living in a space of contradiction. I am reminded of a lecturer, who, after one of our sessions shared that: students have the ability to intellectually grasp theories and articulate them well but struggle to practice what they learn in their daily interactions.
We also often hear these issues from students:
There’s a lack of understanding about our backgrounds and history.
In class, there is a fear of saying the ‘wrong’ thing to each other.
I grew up as a black person in the suburbs and thought racism was over.
“I’m ghetto and a cheese girl” (blackness as a layered and multifaceted phenomenon, it also includes questions of class)
“I’m white and I don’t feel I have privilege, I don’t quite get it, as I’m from a poor family”
“Black peers positioned as angry and attacking”
“Being around white people, I have had to sacrifice/compromise”
“Was bizarre to see racism at UP when I came (as white person) from a multi-racial school”
What these utterances shed light on, is the reality that we do not always get practice right. There are pitfalls, habits and places where we go to, when we are in fear; directing us, silencing us, or making us loud. Work that challenges taken for granted knowledge that has been naturalised over time through socialisation is challenging. Often time, some people are comfortable with the status quo. Our work greatly involves getting people to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and this is not always easy. For example, work around race, class, gender, sexualities is difficult. Often, when you have any form of privilege you want to hold on to it and fear of losing that privilege often makes people defensive and not open to challenging beliefs that may be harmful to others.
One of the most challenging subjects that I have had to discuss and deal with is sexual and gender-based violence. As a woman and particularly working at an institution of higher learning, it has become evident that those who are mostly at risk of gendered and sexual violence, are young women and specifically students.
In South Africa gender-based violence (GBV) has overwhelmed the country and the Post-School Education and Training System (PSET). Amidst protest action in 2016 on our campuses, institutions stressed the need for the PSET to actively address GBV on campuses (DHET, 2019). As a result, policy and programming became a vital course of action. The University of Pretoria (UP) recently reviewed and developed its Anti-Discrimination Policy, an all-encompassing policy that tackles issues around all forms of discrimination.
In alignment with above mentioned, my work at the CSA&G, also involves being part of a team that facilitates anti-sexual harassment training workshops for both students and staff members, to familiarise the campus community with the anti- sexual harassment policy, as well as to raise awareness and prevention around sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This includes working closely with the Transformation Office, tasked with driving anti-discrimination work at UP, and the #SpeakOut Office. The latter is staffed by trained and mentored student volunteers who have been capacitated to listen, support, provide relevant information as requested, and refer accordingly. Peer support allows for an informal space to unpack an experience, where one will be listened to and supported, enabling a student to make an informed decision. Rape and sexual assault may require urgent and immediate intervention and volunteers are trained to refer all students to the relevant support services at UP.
Studies have shown that a large proportion of abuse and violence that students experience is perpetrated outside the institution’s premises, often time by intimate partners, family members, friends, neighbours, acquaintances and those unknown to the complainant (Vetten, 2014). Bearing this in mind, even though cases of this nature fall beyond the jurisdiction of institutions, this does not stop us from providing information, guidance, assistance and support to students who have experienced SGBV. Given the nature our work, providing student friendly services (including HIV testing and counselling), and our visibility and the rapport we have established with students; more often than not students prefer to access our offices for information, assistance and support with regards to SGBV that may have occurred on or off campus. This proximity to students has enabled me to have first-hand knowledge of the lived experiences of students and their struggles in accessing justice through the criminal justice system.
The South African government is increasingly passing legislation to combat GBV as seen in the establishment of the police’s Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences service (FCS), the Thuthuzela Care Centres based in health facilities, and the reintroduction of sexual offences courts. In spite of these progressive policies, we continue to experience a drastic increase of SGBV. These causes include socio-cultural drivers, a weak response by the criminal justice system and lack of proper implementation of these policies. This has fuelled distrust and disappointment in the criminal justice system; therefore, discouraging reporting and further silencing survivors of SGBV. This was evident while supporting students who had fallen victim to SGBV and chose to seek justice through the criminal justice system. Two separate incidents were reported at different police stations but the outcome was the same. Our criminal justice system failed these students and justice was denied. Both students expressed feelings of disappointment, frustration and discouragement.
I observed:
The failure of the investigation officer to follow up and contact the complainant after statements were taken.
Re-traumatisation as a result of having to give a second statement because a new detective was now assigned to the case.
The incorrect recording of the initial statement and inappropriate behaviour by a warrant officer who was tasked with taking down a statement.
I understand and share some of frustration experienced by the students. I witnessed the inappropriate conduct of a warrant officer when I accompanied someone when she gave a statement about her GBV experience. The warrant officer who was taking down the statement alluded to the complainant’s attractiveness as a possible reason for her experience; and used inappropriate sexual language to describe the actions of the accused. Hearing I was an isiXhosa speaker, the warrant officer also spoke to me in isiXhosa, effectively excluding the complainant from our conversation. Not only was this disrespectful to her, I saw it as an attempt to set up an intimacy between us. This played out in two ways: the warrant officer effectively asked me out on a date and, in a subsequent text message, suggested that, between us, the complainant’s story seemed improbable.
The above narrative is not an isolated incident but an experience shared by many survivors who have tried to seek justice through the South African criminal justice system. Ross (1993) correctly identified that even though police investigators receive instructions to be ‘sympathetic’, they still hold onto myths surrounding rape, such as, women are prone to lay false complaints of rape. This is evident in the manner in which police handle women who lodge complaints. Often time, women are treated with suspicion and find themselves having to prove that they have been raped.
Myths and stereotypes about rape and rape victims worsen the plight of victims of sexual offences. They trivialise the harm of sexual victimisation and blame victims for its occurrence. The consequences of these ideas may be unsympathetic, disbelieving and inappropriate responses to victims by society in general. Our work at the CSA&G pays particular attention to the social context of violence and the ways in which this violence manifests within patterns of gender, sexism and individual institutions. In addressing GBV we look at the complex interplay of different genders, sexualities and forms of masculinities. And we focus on dismantling harmful behaviours and promoting understanding of social justice and GBV that is transformative for the world we live in (Crewe et.al, 2017).
Another project that I had the pleasure of working on is the Gender Justice project, which focuses on strengthening gender equality and social justice. Here we provide a platform for our partners in the region (Zimbabwe and South Africa); to critically and collectively reflect on the challenges in their practice and engage with new forms of evidence and trends. The aim is to develop new avenues and means through which our partners are able to work toward the attainment of more open and inclusive societies. Often time in the work we do, people with disabilities (PWD’s) and children are silenced and invisible. This became evident when some of our partners reflected on their challenges in working with PWD’s. Some of the identified challenges included difficulty in communicating with people who had speech impairments, and information that was not accessible to people who are visually impaired. It was also highlighted that PWD’s face social exclusion and they are also invisible at the family level. In our continued efforts to strengthen practice and maximise impact in working towards achieving social justice, once again it became evident that children were the most vulnerable. In relation to the SGBV cases presented during discussion by the different partners, all the survivors/victims were children. Hamida Ismail-Mauto, who works for SRHR Africa Trust (SAT) Zimbabwe, highlighted that gender inequalities at population level contribute towards extreme vulnerability of women and young girls with disabilities as they suffer rape and sexual disempowerment, mostly by family and community members who are supposed to protect them.
What has become evident in my line of work is that many of us walk and live in spaces of risk, but others disproportionally bear most of the burden of risk. We are also reminded that we all collude with patriarchy. So, in working towards dismantling any system; we need to have the will to be compassionate towards people as they are going through transformations. Often time people are challenged by something that rocks them to the core. I personally, like bell hooks, am mindful of how I confront power. Especially when one does not realise what they are participating in, is an exploitation, an oppression or hurting someone. Bell hooks exhorts us to confront and be confronted in ways that are not re-wounding or re-traumatising. Again, social justice allows communities and citizens to revitalise social belief in the alternatives to social oppression and marginalisation (Crewe, et.al, 2017).
Finally, Francis Nyamjoh while delivering the Archie Mafeje Memorial Lecture, urged us to accept that one’s independence will always be thwarted by one’s dependency on others; reminding us to see debt and indebtedness as a normal way of being human, through relationships with others.
Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender. 2017. Policy Brief Social Justice and gender Inequity. Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, University of Pretoria
Crewe, M., Burns, C, Kruger, C. & Maritz, J. 2017. Gender-based Justice: Reflections on social justice and social change. Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, University of Pretoria
DHET, 2019. Policy Framework to address Gender Based Violence in the Post-School Education and Training System.
Freire, P.1974. Education for critical consciousness. New York: Seabury.
Ross, K. 1993. Women, rape and violence in South Africa. Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape.
Vetten, L. 2014. Policy brief 72 Rape and other forms of sexual violence in South Africa. Institute for Security Studies.
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blog.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-04-22 12:11:552020-05-12 07:39:31Reflections on what I do at the CSA&G – Vuyisa Mamanzi
The privilege of thinking outside the box
21st April 2020 /in News /by CSAG
by Tshenolo Thulare
Final year BCom student at the University of Pretoria. Joined the Just Leaders volunteer programme at the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender in 2019. I am part of the Befrienders (lay counsellors) and the student research cohort. I wrote this opinion piece after being motivated by the ‘education for liberation’ topic we covered at a research methodology retreat. The experience encouraged me to be self-aware of my surroundings and I hope the opinion piece will encourage someone to practice self-awareness and be liberated.
I grew up in a black female household where I was taught to behave in a certain way.
I had a 5pm curfew because it was believed that nothing dangerous could happen to me before then. I couldn’t wear shorts: somehow that would protect me from perpetrators. However I was allowed to start wearing shorts only when I moved to Hatfield, because it was believed that perpetrators did not exist in Hatfield.
I will never know how a boy child would be raised because I am the only child. However I could tell by comments such as “boys will be boys” that a boy child would get away with a lot of things that I wouldn’t get away with, such as cat calling another girl or violating them in some way. It seemed that if I got violated, it would be my fault because I didn’t do as I was told.
There are different advantages and disadvantages to the way I was raised, advantages such as learning not to disrespect the next person because I knew I should not violate them, for example cat calling them. The disadvantage is that I was taught that it is my responsibility to make sure that the perpetrator does not violate me, by making sure that I am dressed in long, covering clothes and by coming back home before 5 pm.
These principles seemed acceptable because even my friends lived by them. When I came to university I was exposed to people of different upbringings and views about life. As soon as we started engaging on different topics, such as rape culture, that’s when I started understanding the flaws in the ideas I was raised to believe in, such as not holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
Not holding perpetrators responsible for their actions oppresses both the perpetrator and the person that is violated. The perpetrator will not learn their lesson and will continue to violate people; while the person that is violated will believe that it is their fault and that they have to follow certain steps that will prevent them from being violated again. By challenging myself, and continuing to have the conversations that require me to think about the next person other than myself, I am able to do self-introspection.
We often go to higher learning institutions with the intention of getting a career that will offer us financial benefits such as a large salary package, and we use that to measure success. The financial benefits might be obtained in ways that may be a disadvantage to someone else, such as paying someone less than what they deserve. The person that is paid less than they deserve may not be aware of that and it is up to us to speak to employers; or if we are the employers to make sure that they are paid fairly.
The higher learning institutions may have policies that are against other groups in societies such as the Afrikaans policies that non-Afrikaans speaking students will not benefit from, however a platform that provides critical thinking is provided and it is up to us to use the critical thinking to benefit people other than ourselves.
A closed-minded society is a disadvantage to minorities who might be oppressing without realising it. It is up to us to have thought provoking conversations that will make other people think outside of the box. With the knowledge I have, that other people may not have, I have to inform others and assist in transformation in relationships and in the spaces that I occupy. It may be hard, executing change, however with time and the conversations we have every day, we are able to correct ourselves before saying anything, and can act differently
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/blog-JL.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-04-21 10:26:192020-05-12 07:40:53The privilege of thinking outside the box
Positionality, Reflexivity and Power
by Martin Mushomba
I am studying for a Masters in Medicinal Plant Sciences at the University of Pretoria. I joined the Just Leaders programme at the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender- mainly because I wanted to learn more about social justice. I am part of the student research cohort. And, I wrote this opinion piece because it got me thinking about my role in the greater social justice project.
I had decided to write on my navigation on gender issues and my position amidst gender inequality, navigating this issue as what I’d label myself, a typical man trying to be part of the solution. I admit that I have been quite reluctant to put my thoughts on this issue in writing. I tried to think of a different issue I could have written about, but I couldn’t find anything compelling enough. So here it is, my reflections on Positionality, Reflexivity and Power following the recent CSA&G’s Just Leaders research cohort outing.
Many of the discussions at the outing were focused on complex issues such as race, politics and religion. I quickly noted a universal zest and passion to share and be heard when it came to gender issues. This was one issue I was reluctant to discuss in a crowd mostly composed of women. I felt that my power and position could cause a certain turbulence in the stream of egalitarian and feminist views flowing from the women in the group. Though the other men would frequently engage, I would often just listen.
Eventually, I realised that I couldn’t have been a neutral agent, hard as I tried to be. I was already a part of the mix. Being naturally pugnacious on pressing societal issues, I did at times challenge some of the views involved. I found that I often sided with the women against the men, phrasing my remarks as banter or a friendly jest. For example, one of the men in the group stated that he valued his prospective position in a marriage as being a provider, while simultaneously expressing his admiration of hard-working professional women. I challenged him on that, asking whether he would be comfortable with having a wife who earned far more than he did. I felt that was the best way to navigate that space so as to create an appropriate environment for the women who felt that men would perceive them negatively if they proved to be better providers.
When we had formal discussions on rape culture and the responsibility of men in confronting other men about rape, I listened to the women explain their hardships and fears living in a society that regularly objectifies them. While some of the men in the conversation were bold enough to stand up and offer their protection to women, I noted how this position of power was challenged and contested by the women. I had my views on the matter, but restrained myself from raising them. The women felt that the Patriarchal view of them, as “damsels in distress” or “weaker vessels” in need of male protection, was appalling. Being well aware of the environment we were in, where the women were challenging the Patriarchy woven into society, I begun to think of how they had benefitted (or allowed themselves to benefit) from the Patriarchy during that weekend.
I withheld a lot of these thoughts during the discussion, knowing my proclivity to always challenge and point out contradictions might spill out if I didn’t contain myself. I felt I had walked a very neutral line during the course of weekend. I felt I was in good standing with all the women in our cohort, but beyond that I knew that they held my views in good regard. I had registered positive responses from them when I spoke out against injustice, when I articulated my views on political and religious ideas. I’m convinced that I wasn’t so much trying to impress them. Rather I believed that I was trying to reassure them that I was informed, concerned and committed to the same egalitarian vision they held. I also registered the frustration they felt when raising the issue of rape culture in our discussion. I committed myself to not being an obstacle in them expressing the discrimination they felt. I recognised this discrimination and recognised how my position, as a man already having previously established myself in other discussions, could frustrate the points they raised.
Once the group discussion was done, I returned to the thoughts I had suppressed during the engagement.
The women were eager not to be seen as “damsels in distress” regarding rape culture, however the night before, two of them had called on us (the men) to save them from having to sleep in the company of a frog that had wandered into their room. The moment they came to us, we (the men) all volunteered to save them and two of us were dispatched to the scene, successfully de-frogging their chamber.
The rest of us (also men) remained to extinguish the bonfire that had kept us all warm. It was no issue for me contending with the smoke, as I had kept the fire going through the night with a skilful positioning of the logs, as I had the previous night. On our way to the campsite, our vans had gotten stuck in the sand. While the men came out to try free vehicles, most of the women stayed inside. When we got to the campsite, a group of us men unloaded everyone’s’ bags and on the way out reloaded them.
I considered the outing to have been a success. I met great people, engaged in great conversations and I felt that I’d navigated my position of power and privilege relatively well. However, I kept thinking about my silence regarding the “damsel in distress” issue during the discussion on rape culture. I couldn’t help but think back to how the women had benefited from me helping them. Wasn’t this them benefitting from Patriarchy? Did the appreciation I felt when helping them, or even holding myself back from criticizing their apparent contradiction, imbue me with a sense of ‘manly pride’? I certainly enjoyed it, doing things, providing help, providing views and opinions that reassured them… was I effectively navigating the space constructively or was I merely just reinforcing the Patriarchal system; that all this happened because I allowed it? Because I imposed it? Because I preferred it?
That was the issue I struggled to pen down as it presents an internal contradiction in itself. How can I strive towards social justice and equality for women if I still participate in essentially exerting myself as I see fit? How do I address Patriarchy without first addressing the manner in which I still act and manoeuvre to make women comfortable? Is it a true comfort that I am providing or a comfort within a Patriarchal system as far as I am comfortable with keeping things? Did I really challenge the status quo, or did I merely reinforce it?
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/blog-JL.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-04-21 08:31:472020-05-12 07:41:03Positionality, Reflexivity and Power
Forget about doing Gender Properly and be an Ally
We all carry misinformation and stereotypes about people. We acquire this misinformation at a young age in bits and pieces from TV, from listening to people talk, from watching the expressions on our parent’s faces, and from society at large. We also witness people being treated badly because of their sexual orientation or because they are not “doing gender properly”. “Is heterosexuality ‘compulsory’ in the sense that resistance to heterosexual identity, behaviour, and cultural image rare, costly and perhaps often virtually unthinkable” (Heath et. al, 2013).
What does it mean to do gender properly?
I grew up playing with my cousins who were boys. We were not allowed to play outside the yard, so their friends would come over to play with us. I was quite a physical and active child growing up, and I enjoyed playing the games they played, I climbed trees, played soccer, played marbles, played top, and I even got involved in a number of fights with some of the boys. Of course, this meant that at times I would get some knee bruises from falling. I would always get a hiding from my mother for these bruises and was always reprimanded for behaving like a boy. My cousins also didn’t like it when I fought with their friends. You see, as a girl child, I was expected to act, behave and play in a way that represented ‘my gender’. I was policed into doing gender ‘properly’. Reflecting back, I realise that I did not fit neatly into this ‘gender box’. Having spent most of my childhood playing with boys, I observed how they would cat call young girls whom they liked. I remember on our way to the shop one day I tried cat calling a boy too. The look on that boy! Well, my cousins were also not impressed with me at all. So I guess, yet again. I was not doing gender ‘properly’.
My experience growing up then speaks to Judith Butler’s idea that “heterosexuality, like gender identity, must be constantly achieved and reproduced in daily life by habitually enacting social practices associated with cultural gendered ideals associated with heterosexuality” (Fischer, 2013: 504). Butler and other scholars recognised that the idea of heterosexual identity was both performative and socially achieved (Fischer, 2013). Here we see that heterosexuality is not natural, or innate, but rather institutionalised through socialisation.
What does heterosexuality mean?
Heterosexuality is broadly understood or defined as an erotic attraction to the ‘opposite’ sex, meaning that men and women are viewed as complementary beings. This also speaks to the power relations embedded in heterosexuality as both an institution and a discourse: how the qualities associated with men and masculinity are more highly valued and rewarded than those associated with women and femininity. For example, men who have multiple sexual partners are often seen as ‘players’ and praised for their prowess. However, women who choose to have multiple sexual partners are not afforded the same status, instead they are frowned upon and often labelled as ‘loose’ or ‘immoral’.
Let us take a look at how the late Mam’Winnie and our ex-president Zuma were treated differently by society in “doing their gender and heterosexuality”. Julius Malema and Kopano Ratele have both recently commented on the sexual lives of these individuals, in one way or the other on social media. But what stood out for me was when Julius Malema said “They say Winnie slept with young men when Madiba was in prison and all that, they are saying all sorts of things about her. Okay, let’s say we accept that nonsense. And because she slept with young people she must be isolated, she’s immoral. How many of these men slept with young people, slept with the children of their own friends.” Let’s say we too accept that ‘nonsense’ as Julius Malema puts it. One can choose to see that from Mam’Winnie’s story, there are variations in heterosexual experiences that heterosexuality is a site of “pleasure as well as oppression”, or that heterosexual women were and are not necessarily the “cultural dupes” of compulsory heteronormativity, but could and can resist how heteronormativity regulates their social-sexual lives.
Additionally, heteronormativity creates hierarchies between heterosexuals themselves, where married monogamous heterosexuals represent the cultural ideal, while other ways of doing heterosexuality, being unmarried, promiscuous, or seeking sexual relations for commercial gain, fall outside the “charmed circle”; a group of people who are seen as or viewed as having special power or influenced, as suggested by Gayle Rubin. Scholars therefore agree that it is better to speak about “heterosexualities” to capture the diversity of heterosexual lives.
So one can argue that maybe umamWinnie, or I for that matter, or even some of you, all hold anti-heteronormative identities, that we are conscious and critical about heterosexual identities. That people like us can be understood as being “straight queers” (Heath et. al, 2013).
So, it is in our own interest to be an ally to people from diverse and oppressed groups. Ultimately, our own struggles are tied to everyone else’s. When you give support to others, you are developing allies for your groups and causes. As we all learn how to be more committed and caring to each other, we will build a strong foundation for change in our communities. The stronger the trust and commitment people have, as individuals and between groups, the more effective they will be in uniting around important issues (Axner, 1999).
James Banks, a multicultural educator, says that living in a diverse society requires that we “know, care, and act”. In other words, we need to learn about people and understand their issues, care about people with our hearts, and take the action necessary to make sure that people are treated well and that justice is done. That is, basically, what an ally does.
And like Luvvie Ajayi, a Nigerian author, speaker, and professional trouble maker, I too refuse to be quiet, because being quiet is comfortable; keeping things the way they have been is comfortable and all comfort has done is to maintain the status quo. So we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable by speaking these hard truths. And one of these hard truths is that, being an ally “is not an identity. It’s a practice. It’s an active thing that must be done over and over again. In the largest and smallest ways, everyday” (Giannaki, 2016).
In addition, constant and thorough reflection on our privilege and positionality is vital. We should also keep in mind that there is no unified heterosexual culture, sex-worker culture or gay culture (Plummer, 2018). Therefore, in realising our own ways of oppression, we will possibly become able to fight collectively against everyone’s oppression. We would understand that, for the times we need help, we would not need to look around so hard, if we made sure that we were somebody else’s ally.
Finally, Baldwin reminds us that it is not a question of whether you are black or white, gay or straight. Instead it’s a question of what do you stand for, who are you and how can you know that and operate from that position of power?
Axner, M. 1999. Interview with Arthur Himmelman.
Butler, J. 1990. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge.
Fischer, NL. 2013. Seeing “Straight”, Contemporary Critical Heterosexuality Studies and Sociology: An Introduction, The Sociological Quarterly, 54:4, 501-510
Giannaki, AF. 2016. The Role of “Privileged Allies in the struggle for Social Justice.
https://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledge_detail/jlf-16-the-role-of-privileged-allies-in-the-struggle-for-social-justice/
Heath, Melanie (coordinator), with Travis Beaver, Nancy Fischer, Bruce Nordstrom-Loeb, and Brandy Simula. 2013. “Crossing Boundaries, Workshopping Sexualities.” Working Paper on Critical Heterosexualities.
Plummer, K. 2018. Sexualities: Twenty years on. SAGE, 21 (8), 1204-1210
Smith, MD. 2007. THE CASE AGAINST “ALLIES”
http://feministing.com/2013/10/01/the-case-against-allies/
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blog.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-04-21 08:02:062020-05-12 07:40:20Forget about doing Gender Properly and be an Ally
A queer lockdown
16th April 2020 /in News /by CSAG
by Pierre Brouard
A lockdown is a very queer thing, but to be queer in a lockdown can be even trickier.
Queer people who want to come out may not because if they face hostility they cannot escape, and those who are out may suddenly find they face a new kind of scrutiny, unleavened by opportunities to leave the home even temporarily and find solace in friendship and community.
A young trans man of my acquaintance reached out to me recently to say that as he was forced to be with his family during lockdown he was faced with an extreme and intense version of their transphobia, manifesting in deliberate mis-gendering from his family, accompanied by promises (threats?) of prayer interventions to “de-trans” him.
As Mamba online noted “amid the pandemic, millions around the world are under some form of lockdown or isolation, leaving vulnerable people at the mercy of those they live with.” Citing a UK organisation, the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), they say that “If you’re a young person and you’re thinking of coming out, press pause on that until you get support.” Of course this may be possible for some, but if you are gender diverse in some way, it is often more difficult to “press pause” on how you look.
AKT also noted that for many LGBTQIA (queer) youth, homelessness is already their reality. While there are few statistics on queer-specific homelessness in South Africa, international studies have shown that queer youth are more likely to end up on the streets. And South Africa only has one shelter for queer people in crisis, the Pride Shelter in Cape Town: what might other queer people across the land do?
It is important, I believe, to see this issue against the backdrop of a broader gender violence epidemic. There is already evidence of gender-based violence (GBV) becoming worse during a lockdown: victims and perpetrators in domestic violence contexts may be forced to stay together, in pressure-cooker spaces, and opportunities to find support will be limited by the requirements to stay at home.
The South African picture seems mixed: so far domestic violence organisations report fewer calls, although they believe victims may be too scared to reach out; rape statistics seem down, and Thuthuzela Care Centres are less busy according to the Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust. A number of these organisations noted that the beginning of the lockdown was a time of great anxiety for those living in unsafe relationships and homes as they would have had to make quick decisions about where to sit out the lockdown, based on variables they could not always control.
So far, so bad.
Pivoting away from queerness as problem, I’d like to turn to the idea of queerness as opportunity. When you’ve lived your life on the margins, or been sexual in ways which are under the radar, away from the gaze of prudes, life in a time of Covid-19 can simply be a new challenge.
One thing is clear: hooking up during lockdown is not only illegal it is almost impossible to achieve, and even people who are in relationships but do not live together are faced with a complete hiatus in the intimate sphere (beyond phone/cam sex, becoming re/acquainted with one’s sex toy collection and developing a shortcut to Pornhub).
For some, who have lived through the fears of HIV, STIs and even risks associated with hook up culture, a prohibition on sex may seem like another hurdle to be negotiated, not resigned to. Jay, 28, from Spain, in a Huffpost story, had this to say:
“I already feel like I put myself at risk so much already with some of these encounters that Covid almost doesn’t feel that risky in that particular context.” Pressed to explain, he clarifies: “Crazy people, STIs, all the risks that come with walking into a stranger’s house and making yourself vulnerable. Most of the time in secret, so if something were to happen no one would know where you are.”
Obviously I’m not suggesting that queer people (or anyone missing sex, casual or not) break the requirements of a lockdown, but I’m arguing that queer people have “form” when it comes to making peace with danger, and have a rich history of counter-narratives and counter cultures to draw on.
Here are some ways in which this could play out.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if hook up culture and its apps, Grindr and Scruff come to mind, were just a tad kinder, making it possible for people to share ideas and feelings, not just nudes? This is not an attempt to sanitise queer sub-cultures, many of which have fought very hard to break the shackles of heteronormativity and moralism, but there is a case to be made that some aspects of hook up life are dehumanising, splitting the affective from the physical. A sex quarantine, which this is in effect for many people, is a chance to ask some tough questions about what makes us really feel better about ourselves.
Queer people can re-ignite debates about what constitutes family. This has crept up on us over the last decade or two, but the traditional heterosexual family (whether it’s nuclear or extended it usually involves men and women living in spaces with children they have created heterosexually) is under the microscope in ways hitherto unimaginable. And the queers have come to the party; surrogacy, co-parenting in different homes, single and polyamorous parenting arrangements, have all entered the lexicon. In addition, a group of queer people living together in a tight or loose, but unromantic, set up do often consider themselves to be family. And even those who don’t live together might see their queer kin as just that, people to draw on in good times and bad, sometimes before their biological brothers and sisters.
In the context of this lockdown, I know that I have un/consciously reached out to my queer family, especially those who are living alone, to see how they are doing. Some have lost or abandoned (or been abandoned by) their genetic family, or we have a shared experience of marginality: in these times “your people” have special needs, perhaps, and there is an intensity to video and audio calls which I cannot deny.
Such kinship is an example of social capital – “direct and indirect resources that are a by-product of social networks” – in operation. Heckman speaks of queer kinship forms as exemplars of bonding, bridging, and linking social capital.
According to Hawkins and Maurer “Bonding social capital refers to relationships amongst members of a network who are similar in some form. Bridging social capital refers to relationships amongst people who are dissimilar in a demonstrable fashion, such as age, socio-economic status, race/ethnicity and education. Linking social capital is the extent to which individuals build relationships with institutions and individuals who have relative power over them (e.g. to provide access to services, jobs or resources).”
Because queer people often live at the intersection of multiple identities and communities, argues Heckman, they have a unique position within social networks and thus a particular relationship to bonding, bridging, and linking social capital.
Deploying queer capital
Deploying queer capital in the lockdown is, of course, easier said than done.
But I would argue that bonding, bridging and linking are in the queer “wheel house”: now more than ever we need to be there for each other. But the Covid-19 experience is also a time of vigilance. Queer people must seize this moment to ask the bigger questions: can restrictions on civil liberties be used post-Covid by those who resent queer rights; will sentimentality about “family” we are seeing push back the gains of queer family forms; will ideas about “sexual safety” and “morality” be invoked to sideline sexualities and genders outside of Rubin’s charmed circle? We haven’t locked down the implications of Covid-19, perhaps only time will tell.
(If you need phone or Skype support or counselling on coming out, contact OUT in Pretoria on 012 430 3272 / 066 190 5812 or call the Triangle Project Helpline on 021 712 6699 in Cape Town.)
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blog.png 70 295 CSAG https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png CSAG2020-04-16 10:58:322020-05-12 07:40:14A queer lockdown
A magnifying glass and a fine-tooth comb: understanding girls’ and young women’s sexual vulnerability
2nd July 2020 /in /by Johan Maritz
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Nduna-Cover-thumb.png 300 300 Johan Maritz https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png Johan Maritz2020-07-02 05:14:242020-07-02 05:14:24A magnifying glass and a fine-tooth comb: understanding girls’ and young women’s sexual vulnerability
28th May 2018 /in AIDS Reviews /by Johan Maritz
https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/AIDS-REVIEW-Borders-final-April-2012-small.png 80 80 Johan Maritz https://www.csagup.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSAG-web-300x131.png Johan Maritz2018-05-28 11:19:042018-05-28 11:19:04Borders
News, Views & Events
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2292
|
__label__wiki
| 0.983655
| 0.983655
|
DC FanDome: How to watch the free virtual convention this weekend
By Debbie Fong
This year’s virtual Comic-Con is in the books, but another virtual fan convention is headed to your computer this weekend. DC FanDome takes place in two parts — the first runs for 24 hours, starting at 10 a.m. PT this Saturday, Aug. 22. The second half follows on Sept. 12.
The event, aimed at fans of DC Comics, will feature online panels, cosplay, fan art and comics, as well as special events for kids. The devoted DC fandom will be especially excited for looks at some long-awaited DC properties, including the Snyder Cut of Justice League, Robert Pattinson as The Batman and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
What is DC FanDome ?
Kinda like Comic-Con, but only for DC. So no Avengers (that’s Marvel). But if you’re a fan of DC characters such as Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman and Aquaman, you’ll want to tune in. And this fandom event should go well beyond the big names. It’ll cover the whole DC world, from comic books to movies to TV shows and video games.
Unfortunately, the convention follows reports of mass layoffs at DC. Roughly one-third of the company’s editorial staff lost their jobs, according to The Hollywood Reporter, along with the majority of the staff of streaming service DC Universe as parent company Warner Bros. shifts its focus to the recently launched HBO Max.
How do I tune in?
There’ll be online video panels and teasers to watch, links to follow for games and shopping, and more. Warning: Unlike virtual Comic-Con, which spread out over days, DC FanDome is just 48 hours, which makes for two jam-packed day-of events. So if this is your thing, don’t make other plans for Aug. 22 and Sept. 12.
“Just like a live event, the full DC FanDome experience will be available for 24 hours only,” the FanDome FAQ list warns. “If you don’t watch it during the 24 hours, you will miss it (unless you have access to time travel).”
DC has announced that the center of the experience will be called the Hall of Heroes. Its programming is an eight-hour block, which will rerun three times during the 24-hour timeline, so those in different global time zones can tune in.
Hall of Heroes will feature programming, panels and content reveals from everything DC. There will be smaller satellite worlds, such as the KidsVerse, that can be navigated to from there. Programming will be available in Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.
Who’ll be involved?
DC announced a long list of hosts, presenters and special guests. The list includes Aisha Tyler, Venus Williams, Will Arnett, Idris Elba, Ezra Miller, Jason Isaacs, Kaley Cuoco, Matt Reeves, Michael Rooker, Robin Wright, Viola Davis and Henry Winkler.
Biggest events
You can read through the entire DC FanDome schedule online, but here are some highlights:
Wonder Woman: 1984
Stars of the Wonder Woman sequel, including Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, will join director Patty Jenkins to talk about the upcoming superhero film. They’ll answer fan questions, discuss fan art and cosplay, and reveal a new peek at the film, which follows the 2017 blockbuster and moves the action to America in the go-go ’80s.
Panel: Aug. 22, 10 a.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
Warner Bros. Games Montreal announcement
The developer behind Batman: Arkham Origins will reveal a new game, which is rumored to be about villainous group known as the Court of Owls. It’ll also include question and answer session with the development team.
Panel: Aug. 22, 10:25 a.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
The Suicide Squad movie sneak peek
Gunn has promised that DC FanDome will include a look at his upcoming movie, The Suicide Squad.
“I can confirm The Suicide Squad is 100%, zero interference, no-holds-barred ME, &, again, I can’t wait for you guys to get a glimpse of it at DC FanDome,” Gunn tweeted. “(Yes, I’m pimping FanDome a lot, but that’s because I know how exciting it’s going to be – for my film & other stuff too!)”
The Suicide Squad, about a crew of DC villains, is supposed to come out in 2021. Gunn wrote and directed the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel, but signed on for The Suicide Squad after Marvel briefly fired him for off-color tweets. Producer Peter Safran has said The Suicide Squad is not a direct sequel to the original 2016 film Suicide Squad, though it features numerous returning characters played by the same actors. The similarity of the titles is confusing, but the second movie uses “The” in its title.
The Snyder Cut
The DC film Justice League came out in 2017, but original director Zack Snyder stepped down during editing when his daughter died. Some fans were disappointed in the finished film that was taken over by Joss Whedon, and clamored to see what Snyder would’ve put together if he’d had free rein. The Snyder Cut is that film, coming soon to HBO Max — and the teaser trailer for DC FanDome promises a glimpse of that long-awaited version.
Panel: Aug. 22, 2:30 p.m. PT, Hall of Heroes
Who’s Black Adam? The fictional villain/antihero has a long history in DC Comics, though his name may be not that well known to casual fans. He is an archenemy of Captain Marvel/Shazam, and his powers have ancient Egyptian roots. Star Dwayne Johnson will take part in a question-and-answer session.
Panel: Aug. 22, 3:10 p.m. PT Hall of Heroes
While Jason Momoa turned Aquaman from a Saturday morning cartoon joke into an aquatic badass in the 2018 movie, it looks as if the actor won’t be on this panel. But director James Wan and Momoa’s co-star, Patrick Wilson, who played King Orm, will dive into their favorite moments from the first film.
The Suicide Squad video game
Want more about The Suicide Squad? Rocksteady Studios tweeted that it’ll use DC FanDome to release info about a new Suicide Squad video game. The British game company created the popular Batman: Arkham video game series. Will Arnett will host the reveal.
Matt Reeves, director of The Batman, has announced he’ll be sharing more about the film. The Batman stars Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame, with Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman. While the film isn’t scheduled for release until 2021, it’s already received a spinoff show about the Gotham police department, with Reeves producing.
What’s with the September event?
On Sept. 12, DC will offer a second virtual event starting at 10 a.m. PT. It’ll be called DC Fandome: Explore the Multiverse, and instead of just a rolling schedule of panels, fans can choose their own schedule from the on-demand selection of panels.
How to stay informed
With the schedule now out, we have a lot more information than before, but we’ll continue to update this story as news is released. You can sign up at the official DC FanDome site for email about the event, and follow the DC Comics Twitter account or click on Twitter hashtag #DCFandome for updates.
Fandome
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2293
|
__label__wiki
| 0.844734
| 0.844734
|
Catholic Schools open for in-person instruction
By VERONICA AMBUUL
COLORADO SPRINGS. Roughly five months after the coronavirus pandemic caused them to switch to online instruction virtually overnight, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Colorado Springs welcomed students back for full-time, in-person instruction during the third week of August.
Having students in class five days a week this fall is only possible because of the hours of training and preparation that teachers and school administrators put in over the summer, said Holly Goodwin, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Colorado Springs.
“I want to commend our principals. They have just worked tirelessly,” Goodwin said.
Among the safety precautions being taken to minimize the likelihood of a coronavirus outbreak at the schools are temperature checks, handwashing stations, and having students wear masks any time they are moving through the school building. Older students will also wear masks in their classroom.
Teachers will be doing routine cleaning of high-contact surfaces, such as doorknobs, she said.
“Despite personal feelings about masks, we are asking that — for the safety of their classmates and teachers — kids wear masks in shared areas,” Goodwin said. “We are requesting that parents approach this from the standpoint of the common good.”
Other measures being taken include having the students eat lunch with their cohorts, with food service adapted to a “grab-and-go” model rather than a conventional lunchroom with serving lines.
Teachers are also being encouraged to hold as many classes outdoors as possible, such as music and gym, as long as the weather allows it.
Nonetheless, Catholic schools are prepared to respond if a student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19, Goodwin said.
“We will have positive cases; there’s no way around that, and we are prepared for that,” she said.
The schools in the Pikes Peak region have been working closely with the El Paso County Health Department and will continue to consult with them as the school year progresses, Goodwin said.
The health department has recently expanded their capacity to administer tests and has put teachers in the same category as first responders, giving them access to immediate testing and results, she said.
For families that have health concerns that make inperson attendance too risky, schools are still offering the option of online learning.
“For parents that want (their children) to be online, we are going to stream direct instruction from the classroom,” Goodwin said. Teachers underwent intensive training in online instruction over the summer, and the schools also purchased camera equipment to facilitate remote learning, she said.
Despite the additional responsibilities being placed on teachers for monitoring their students’ health, cleaning, etc., only a handful of the 120 across the diocese chose not to return this year, Goodwin said.
“We are truly blessed to have principals and teachers who view their vocation as a ministry,” Goodwin said. “They work with joy and and always go above and beyond.”
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2295
|
__label__wiki
| 0.92668
| 0.92668
|
India's defence industry
The private sector to the rescue
Technology outguns bureaucracy
AsiaApr 8th 2006 edition
PLANS to open up India's defence procurement, allowing the country's dynamic private sector gradually to replace over-manned and inefficient government-owned defence corporations and ordnance factories, have been tossed around since 2002. But they made little real progress till March 29th, when the army authorised the award of two $20m contracts for rocket launchers to be used in its Pinaka missile system to two Indian engineering companies, Tata Power and Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
That is hardly a big arms order, but it is significant because it is the first time that private-sector Indian companies have been appointed as prime contractors on a defence project, however small, with overall responsibility for system integration. Tata and L&T began design work on the launchers for the government's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as long ago as in 1989, but they have had to wait for their contracts till policy changes began to catch up with the army's needs for rapidly advancing technology—which the public-sector defence establishment could not meet.
Till now, defence integration work has been done by government corporations, with the private sector allowed only to supply a few components, or by overseas suppliers—especially Russia in the case of missile launchers and much else. About 70% of India's defence capital budget ($8.5 billion this year) is spent abroad because of the limitations of its public sector. The Indian private sector has been allowed only a marginal role, despite being formally given access to defence work in 2002, when foreign direct investment in defence companies was also allowed.
Since then, 28 manufacturing licences have been issued to 19 private-sector companies: but no prime contracts have been awarded until the Pinaka deal. During that time, only three small foreign joint ventures have been signed, partly because FDI equity stakes are being limited to 26% in most cases, though one of the three, between Snecma of France and government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics, has a 50-50 split on a $11m equity project. Most foreign defence contractors have felt little economic incentive to replace their currently lucrative supply contracts with manufacturing operations in India.
But that should also change in the near future, because of a government decision last year that 30% of the value of foreign defence contracts over 3 billion rupees ($66m) should be offset by purchases, investments and transfer of technology in India. This is intended to pull foreign defence contractors into joint ventures, especially companies from America—which wants the Indian government to award it large fighter aircraft, helicopter and other contracts—and other big suppliers in Russia, Europe and Israel. Eventually, this could boost India's currently tiny defence exports of under $200m a year, emulating the outsourcing success of India's information-technology companies.
“Like Israel, India has the right skills and low-cost design and testing capabilities to compete internationally,” says Rahul Chaudhry, chief executive of Tata Power's strategic-electronics division. Tata and L&T are hoping to follow their Pinaka contracts with tenders for work on a surface-to-air missile and a communication system for the army. They will be among ten to 15 companies that are to be selected by the government to compete as system integrators on equal terms with public-sector corporations. The private sector's ability to cope with rapid technological change should help India not only to fight enemies but to start shaking up its own bureaucratically protected public sector.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "The private sector to the rescue"
Ploughing on
India’s Supreme Court suspends the government’s farm reforms
A war over Battlegrounds
A popular video game sparks a moral panic in Afghanistan
Have departing American officials made Taiwan into a booby trap?
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2303
|
__label__wiki
| 0.825995
| 0.825995
|
home Economic Statistics Database Economic Statistics by Country Spain Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Year 2015
Spain Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine)
Country or Region: Spain › Change country
Economic Indicator: Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) › See all Spain indicators, › See Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) data for all countries
National or Regional Currency: Euro
Currency Symbol: EUR
Railways: total: 15,293 km ; broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified) ; standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified) ; narrow gauge: 1,954 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Roadways: total: 683,175 km ; paved: 683,175 km (includes 16,205 km of expressways) (2011)
Waterways: 1,000 km (2012)
Ports And Terminals: major seaport(s): Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona, Valencia (Spain); Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands) ; container port(s) (TEUs): Algeciras (3,608,301), Barcelona (2,033,747), Valencia (4,327,371); Las Palmas (1,287,389) ; LNG terminal(s) (import): Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartegena, Huelva, Mugardos, Sagunto
Merchant Marine: total: 132 ; by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 19, chemical tanker 8, container 5, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 43, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 9, vehicle carrier 7 ; foreign-owned: 27 (Canada 4, Germany 4, Italy 1, Mexico 1, Norway 10, Russia 6, Switzerland 1) ; registered in other countries: 103 (Angola 1, Argentina 3, Bahamas 6, Brazil 12, Cabo Verde 1, Cyprus 6, Ireland 1, Malta 8, Morocco 9, Panama 30, Peru 1, Portugal 18, Uruguay 5, Venezuela 1, unknown 1) (2010)
Other Aggregate Indicators for Spain
Geography (Location, geographic coordinates, map references, area, terrain, elevation extremes, borders, coastline and maritime claims) for Spain
Climate and Environment (climate, environmental issues, environmental agreements, natural hazards) for Spain
Natural Resources, Agricultural Products, Land Use and Water Use for Spain
Nationality, Ethnic Groups, Languages and Religions for Spain
Telephone Statistics: Number of Fixed Lines, Mobile Phone Penetration Rate for Spain
Age Structure, Median Age, Gender and Urbanization for Spain
Population Growth Rate, Birth Rate, Death Rate, Net Migration Rate for Spain
Life Expectancy Rate, Infant Mortality Rate and Total Fertility Rate for Spain
HIV, AIDS and Other Major Infectious Disease Rates for Spain
Literacy Rate, Educational Expenditure and School Life Expectancy for Spain
Gross Domestic Product (PPP, Official Exchange Rate, Real Growth Rate and Per Capita) for Spain
Industries and Industrial Growth Production Rate for Spain
Labor Force by Occupation for Spain
Poverty Line, Gini Index, Household Income and Consumption for Spain
National Budget and Public Debt for Spain
Bank Rates (Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate, Central Bank Discount Rate) for Spain
Stock of Money, Stock of Quasi Money, Stock of Domestic Credit for Spain
Stock Market Capitalization: Market Value of Publicly Traded Shares for Spain
Trade Statistics, Export Statistics, Export Partners and Products, Import Statistics, Import Partners and Products for Spain
Foreign Exchange Reserves and Gold Reserves for Spain
Exchange Rate Statistics for Spain
Electricity Production, Electricity Consumption, Electricity Exports and Electricity Imports for Spain
Oil Production, Proven Oil Reserves, Oil Consumption, Oil Exports and Oil Imports for Spain
Television and Radio Statistics (TV Stats, Radio Stats) for Spain
Internet Statistics (Internet Users, Internet Hosts, Country TLD) for Spain
Airport Statistics (Paved Runway Airports, Unpaved Runway Airports, Heliports) for Spain
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Spain
Military Statistics (Military Expenditure, Military Branches, Service Age and Obligation, Manpower Available and Fit for Military Service) for Spain
Disputes, Refugees, Human Trafficking and Illicit Drug Production for Spain
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) Listings for Other Countries
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Afghanistan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Akrotiri
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Albania
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Algeria
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for American Samoa
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Andorra
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Angola
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Anguilla
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Antarctica
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Argentina
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Armenia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Aruba
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Australia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Austria
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Azerbaijan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bahamas
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bahrain
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bangladesh
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Barbados
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Belarus
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Belgium
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Belize
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Benin
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bermuda
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bhutan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bolivia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Botswana
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bouvet Island
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Brazil
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for British Indian Ocean Territory
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for British Virgin Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Brunei Darussalam
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Bulgaria
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Burkina Faso
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Burundi
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Cambodia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Cameroon
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Canada
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Cape Verde
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Cayman Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Central African Republic
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Chad
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Chile
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for China
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Christmas Island
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Clipperton Island
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Cocos Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Colombia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Comoros
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Congo
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Congo, Republic of
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Cook Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Coral Sea Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Costa Rica
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Croatia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Cuba
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Curacao
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Cyprus
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Czech Republic
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Denmark
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Dhekelia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Djibouti
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Dominica
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Dominican Republic
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Ecuador
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Egypt
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for El Salvador
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Equatorial Guinea
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Eritrea
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Estonia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Ethiopia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Falkland Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Faroe Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Fiji
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Finland
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for France
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for French Polynesia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Gabon
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Gambia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Gaza Strip
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Georgia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Germany
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Ghana
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Gibraltar
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Greece
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Greenland
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Grenada
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Guam
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Guatemala
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Guernsey
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Guinea
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Guinea Bissau
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Guyana
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Haiti
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Honduras
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Hong Kong
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Hungary
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Iceland
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for India
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Indonesia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Iran
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Iraq
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Ireland
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Isle of Man
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Israel
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Italy
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Ivory Coast
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Jamaica
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Jan Mayen
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Japan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Jersey
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Jordan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Kazakhstan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Kenya
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Kiribati
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Korea
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Kosovo
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Kuwait
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Kyrgyzstan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Laos
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Latvia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Lebanon
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Lesotho
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Liberia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Liechtenstein
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Lithuania
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Luxembourg
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Macau
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Macedonia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Madagascar
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Malawi
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Malaysia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Maldives
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Mali
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Malta
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Marshall Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Mauritania
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Mauritius
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Mexico
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Micronesia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Moldova
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Monaco
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Mongolia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Montenegro
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Montserrat
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Morocco
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Mozambique
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Myanmar
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Namibia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Nauru
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Navassa Island
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Nepal
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Netherlands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for New Caledonia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for New Zealand
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Nicaragua
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Niger
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Nigeria
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Niue
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Norfolk Island
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for North Korea
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Northern Mariana Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Norway
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Oman
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Pakistan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Palau
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Panama
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Papua New Guinea
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Paracel Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Paraguay
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Peru
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Philippines
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Pitcairn Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Poland
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Portugal
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Puerto Rico
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Qatar
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Reunion
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Romania
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Russia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Rwanda
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Saint Barthelemy
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Saint Helena
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Saint Kitts and Nevis
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Saint Lucia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Saint Martin
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Samoa
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for San Marino
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Sao Tome and Principe
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Saudi Arabia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Senegal
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Serbia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Seychelles
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Sierra Leone
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Singapore
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Sint Maarten
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Slovakia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Slovenia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Solomon Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Somalia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for South Africa
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for South Sudan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Spratly Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Sri Lanka
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Sudan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Suriname
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Swaziland
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Sweden
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Switzerland
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Syria
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Taiwan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Tajikistan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Tanzania
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Thailand
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Timor Leste (East Timor)
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Togo
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Tokelau
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Trinidad and Tobago
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Tunisia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Turkey
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Turkmenistan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Turks and Caicos Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Tuvalu
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Uganda
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Ukraine
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for United Arab Emirates
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for United Kingdom
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for United States
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Uruguay
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for US Virgin Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Uzbekistan
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Vanuatu
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Vatican City
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Venezuela
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Vietnam
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Wake Island
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Wallis and Futuna Islands
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for West Bank
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Western Sahara
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Yemen
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Zambia
Transport Statistics (Railways, Roadways, Waterways, Ports and Terminals, Airports, Merchant Marine) for Zimbabwe
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2304
|
__label__wiki
| 0.856027
| 0.856027
|
Sky Bet League Two: February Player of the Month winner
Lincoln City winger Bruno Andrade has been named the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month for February.
@SkyBetLeagueTwo
Andrade has always had the ability to play wide or in the centre of midfield. Goals haven’t always been his forte, but they were in February. He scored six of Lincoln’s seven goals, showing off his technique, timing and tenacity...
Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley said: “Bruno worked really hard, doing extra training following the disappointment of his suspension and has done really well, he showed he has the individual brilliance to be the difference in some tight games.
“He’s had a brilliant run since he came back from being out of the team and you have to give him credit to him for that. From our point of view, one of the most rewarding parts of our job is to see someone working so hard and then reaping the rewards they deserve.”
Andrade said: "I'm very proud, especially after the month I’d just had obviously with the red card and that was the point I had to get my head down and come back fighting.
"I had something similar at Boreham Wood when I had (scored) five in five, but this one means a little more as it’s higher up and the stakes are higher as well. But I think that it’s probably the best month I’ve ever had.
"I feel like every game is important, everything we do is magnified now, we picked up a lot of draws in games that we should have seen out.
"On a personal level I think I need to keep going, there’s no point having one good game and putting your feet up and thinking 'I had a good game last week and I can relax now’ that’s not my mentality.
"My mentality is that I have to keep going week after week and just help the team out. We know what we need to do now to achieve what we want to."
Sky Sports’ EFL pundit Don Goodman said: “Andrade is on fire for a Lincoln side that are tightening their grip on automatic promotion with each passing week.
“He’s had to wait his chance in the EFL after struggling to break through with QPR, and proved himself with non-league Boreham Wood, before coming back with hunger to succeed at this level, and he deserves all of the praise coming his way.”
Sky Bet EFL trader Ivor Davies said: “Andrade scored six of Lincoln’s seven goals in February which is an impressive return for a striker let alone a winger!
“Lincoln are looking good at the top of Sky Bet League Two and are priced accordingly at 5/6 for the title and 1/16 for promotion.
Bruno Andrade
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2307
|
__label__wiki
| 0.662831
| 0.662831
|
Our District >
Awards >
2019 Educator of the Year
EANESpiration Awards
Educators of the Quarter
Every year educator at each school nominate a fellow educator as the educator of the year. From those educators a committee is formed to select the District educator of the year.
BPE's Tracie Mojica Named 2020 District Educator of the Year
Tracie began her teaching career in Eanes ISD 18 years ago at Bridge Point Elementary, and that’s where she has stayed. Currently Tracie teaches 5th grade but she has also taught 3rd and 4th grade at BPE.
Her passion for teaching and for the well-being of her students is evidenced by her relentless dedication to truly knowing her students and investing in them 100%. She is a master at building relationships and bringing out the best qualities in everyone. Tracie doesn't need a scripted lesson plan to teach a lesson; her creativity shines in the classroom as she comes up with meaningful lessons that the kids enjoy.
Tracie loves her students, parents and her job with a passion. She has been a light to be around for all in her presence.
2020 Campus Educators of the Year
Barton Creek Elementary – Leslie Abbott, Kindergarten Teacher
Cedar Creek ES– Shannon Hardiman, 2nd-Grade ELA Spanish Immersion Teacher
Eanes Elementary – Jennie George, First-Grade ELA Spanish Immersion
Forest Trail Elementary – Kelly Dunning, Art Teacher
Valley View Elementary – Brooke Anderson, Student Support Counselor
Hill Country Middle School – Sarah Yurko, Drama Teacher
West Ridge Middle School – Fred Benitez, Educational Partner
Westlake High School – Chris Hanson, Educational Partner
Leslie Abbott has six years of experience in education with Eanes ISD. She began her journey at Barton Creek Elementary School as a Teaching Assistant and moved on to become a Kindergarten teacher in 2017. Currently, she serves as a Team Leader and is a member of the UDL Early Adopters Committee. Mrs. Abbott has been recognized for her talents as an EANESpiration Impact Award recipient and Outstanding First Year Teacher by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society.
Mrs. Abbott embodies all the characteristics you would expect of an Educator of the Year. She is selfless and always ready to help others, fearless when it comes to trying new things, and patient and kind to her students. Mrs. Abbott can light up a room with her positivity, enthusiasm and spunky personality. Never shying away from a stage, you can always count on her to co-host a talent show in full costume or choreograph a flash mob dance routine to “Baby Shark” for a school assembly. She is the epitome of resilience, grit, determination, and optimism.
Cedar Creek Elementary School – Shannon Hardiman, 2nd-Grade ELA Spanish Immersion Teacher
Shannon Hardiman has served as a 2nd-grade team leader at Cedar Creek Elementary, and most recently as the English teacher for the 2nd grade Spanish Immersion program. Shannon has been a teacher for seven years and a part of the Eanes School district for six years. She has served on the Campus Leadership Team, the District ELA and District Science teams, the CCE Social Committee and as Team Leader for 2nd grade.
Shannon is described as having the ability to always be thinking of others. She earned an EANESpiration Award, for this very quality. She is always checking in with students and staff, asking how they are doing, truly goes out of her way to build strong relationships and bonds with her students and works so hard to create lessons and a learning environment which engages students in learning. Shannon has made a positive difference at CCE!
Jennie George serves as the English Partner for the Eanes Elementary 1st-Grade Spanish Immersion Program. Mrs. George has been an educator for 11 years, with 10 of those in EISD at Eanes Elementary School. She has served as a leader in a number of capacities on campus and across the district as a Central Texas Writing Project Consultant and Mentor, an EE Team Leader, an EISD ELA Leader, a Spanish Immersion Advisory Committee Member, an ELA Curriculum Writer and a professional learning leader at EE for morning meeting implementation.
Mrs. George is a voracious reader, and she has strolled down the red carpet for the 1st Grade I Love to Read Days as a variety of literary characters including Beauty from Beauty and the Beast, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, The Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid, Pink from The Day the Crayons Quit, and Wemberly from Wemberly Worried. Mrs. George's class mascot is Curious George, and she loves to encourage her students to be curious while learning and growing in her classroom. She creates a loving and welcoming classroom home for students each year, and Eanes Elementary is proud to call her their Educator of the Year!
Kelly Dunning has 15 years of teaching under her belt, with the last eight in Eanes ISD and Forest Trail. Currently she teaches Art at Forest Trail. Kelly has served as team leader for FTE’s specials department, Campus Leadership Team (as a staff member and previously as a parent) and yearbook advisor. She has represented the campus on the EISD Inclusion Committee, served as Destination Imagination campus liaison and as a former Central Texas Region DI board member. Outside of campus she has served as Girl Scout Leader, and as a member of the National Charity League.
Before SEL was SEL, Forest Trail emphasized character, and at the conclusion of every school year the students and staff of FTE receive character rocks which feature a character trait. Kelly has a collection of rocks with the words "pioneering," "perceptive," "quality" and now she has one that says "educator of the year." As a staff member who directly affects every person in the building and serves every student, she is a trusted and valued member of the FTE community. Her students are the benefactors of a master class in art history, appreciation and application every time class is in session. Kelly goes out of her way to create opportunities for every student to be involved in schoolwide events and has become famous for her Open House interactive exhibits which create memories for our families. She is a master teacher who is loved and respected by all who know her.
Brooke Anderson has served 19 years as a social worker. For the last three of those years, she has served as the Student Support Counselor at Valley View Elementary School. Mrs. Anderson is an active participant on the District SEL Committee and leads the campus SEL committee. She established the first student-led SEL committee and reestablished the 5th-Grade Safety Patrol. She serves on the Campus Leadership Team, Safety/Crisis Team and Administrative Team at VVE.
Mrs. Anderson is often the first person VVE students, staff and visitors see on campus. Rain or shine, she can be found with a bright vest, stop sign in hand and music playing at 7:10am every single school day. Mrs. Anderson is optimistic, energetic, compassionate and kind. She is intuitive and can be found helping children or adults on any given day at any given time. She is childlike and playful, professional, articulate, creative and fun. Mrs. Anderson brings a positive energy that fills the school and brightens our days. During remote learning, Mrs. Anderson provided daily connections by producing morning announcements, making personal phone calls, attending class Zoom meetings, visiting student’s homes (at a safe distance) and counseling to anyone who needed her. There isn't anything this talented social worker and inspirational person can't do! Valley View is honored to celebrate its Educator of the Year, Mrs. Anderson.
Sarah Yurko has taught drama at Hill Country for the past 13 years. During this time, she has served on the Campus Leadership Team, the District Leadership Team, written and produced many of the student productions and served on a variety of committees. When describing Ms. Yurko, the word often used is passionate. She is passionate about building strong relationships with students, tapping into student creativity and confidence, being a positive light for students and staff, and most of all passionate about the important role of fine arts in schools.
Sarah has an infectious sense of humor and is always willing to go the extra mile for others. She will put a smile on your face when she walks in the room. Ms. Yurko is a huge asset to the Hill Country Community and the campus is proud to call her their Educator of the Year.
Fred Benitez has served for 13 years in education, with four of them in Eanes ISD. Currently, he serves as an Educational Partner at West Ridge Middle School. Fred doesn’t “just” do his job and what is expected of him – he constantly goes above and beyond to help everyone. His focus on kids shines through as he also serves in other roles such as UIL Academic Coach and Ultimate Frisbee Coach.
Fred is the epitome of a team player, an innovative thinker, a kind soul and simply put...a phenomenal teacher. He is a consistent, gentle push who helps both students and staff learn and grow every day while also serving as an extremely approachable resource so staff can gain the tools needed to be the best. One of his colleagues said it well: “He continues to progress, adapt, and try new things for our school and district to grow. I am not alone in saying that we all appreciate Fred’s grind for the game that is education.”
Chris Hanson has 15 years of teaching under his belt with three of them at WHS. Currently, he is one of our Educational Partners. He has served in the inaugural class of the Institute of Excellence and the DLTF.
Chris is industrious, hard-working, intelligent, thoughtful, sincere, and challenging. Chris is known for his ability to stay calm and rational in high-stress times when it comes to technology. He is seen as a true designer for our teachers. His collaborative skills are at the highest levels.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2309
|
__label__cc
| 0.599978
| 0.400022
|
Mohamed bin Zayed, US Defence Secretary discuss current regional challenges
Published Saturday, September 08, 2018
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, on Friday, took stock of the current developments taking place in a number of countries in the Middle East region.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and the visiting top US defence official exchanged views on efforts being made to address and tackle these challenges. They also reviewed mechanisms of joint cooperation and coordination to counter extremism and terrorism and their commitment to realising security and stability in the region and the world at large.
During the meeting, which held in Abu Dhabi, the two parties also discussed ways of enhancing ties of cooperation and friendship between the UAE and US, especially cooperation and coordination in defence and military spheres.
H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs;Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the US; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority; Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court; Lieutenant General, Isa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces; and members of the delegation accompanying the US Secretary of Defense, attended the meeting.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2312
|
__label__wiki
| 0.634996
| 0.634996
|
Technology: Terms and Concepts
desalination of water
Desalination, also called desalting, is the removal of salt from seawater. It provides essential water for drinking and industry in desert regions or wherever the local water supply is brackish. Desalination plants are active in over one hundred countries around the world. Saudi Arabia produces about one-fourth of the world’s capacity of desalinated water. Israel possesses the largest desalination plant at its reverse osmosis plant in Ashkelon. Opened in 2005, it produces 130 cubic yards (100 million cubic meters) of water each year. Most of this water was produced through distillation. However, other methods, including reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, are becoming increasingly important.
Desalination has been used for many centuries. In the fourth century BC, Aristotle (384–322 BC) told of Greek sailors desalting water using evaporation techniques. Sand filters were also used. Another technique used a wool wick to siphon the water. The salts were trapped in the wool. During the first century AD, the Romans employed clay filters to trap salt. Distillation was widely used from the fourth century on —salt water was boiled and the steam collected in sponges. The first scientific paper on desalting was published by Arab chemists in the eighth century. By the 1500s, methods included filtering water through sand, distillation, and the use of white wax bowls to absorb the salt. The techniques have become more sophisticated, but distillation and filtering are still the primary methods of desalination for most of the world. The first desalination patent was granted in 1869, and in that same year, the first land-based steam distillation plant was established in England, to replenish the fresh water supplies of the ships at anchor in the harbor.
At its simplest, distillation consists of boiling the seawater to separate it from dissolved salt. The water vapor rises to a cooler region where it condenses as pure liquid water. Heat for distillation usually comes from burning fossil fuels. To reduce costs and pollution, desalination plants are designed to use as little fuel as possible. Many employ flash distillation, in which heated seawater is pumped into a low pressure chamber. The low pressure causes the water to vaporize, or flash, even though it is below its boiling temperature. Therefore, less heat is required. Multistage flashing passes the seawater through a series of chambers at successively lower pressures. For even greater efficiency, desalination plants can be linked with electrical power plants. Heat from the hot gasses that turn the generators is recycled to warm the incoming seawater. Distillation is widely used in the Middle East, where fossil fuel is plentiful but fresh water is scarce.
Reverse osmosis uses high pressure to force pure water out of saltwater. Normal osmosis occurs when pure water and saltwater are separated by a semi-permeable membrane, which permits only water to flow through. Under these conditions, the pure water will move into the saltwater side, but if the saltwater is squeezed under high enough pressure, fresh water moves out of it. Pressures on the order of 60 atmospheres (800 to 1, 200 psi [pounds per square inch]) are required to push pure water out of seawater. Reverse osmosis is widely used to desalinate brackish water, which is less salty than seawater and therefore requires pressures only about half as great.
Like reverse osmosis, electrodialysis is presently best suited for desalinating brackish water. Salts consist of ions, which are atoms that have acquired electrical charge by losing or gaining electrons. Because of their charge, ions are attracted to oppositely charged electrodes immersed in the saltwater. They move toward the electrodes, leaving a region of pure water behind. Special membranes prevent the ions from drifting back into the purified water as it is pumped out.
The desalination of seawater and brackish water is still being researched throughout the world. In the United States, desalinization research is being performed by such federal organizations as the Bureau of Reclamation within the Department of the Interior. In 2005, the Long Beach Seawater Desalination Research and Development Facility opened in California. The facility, which produces about 300, 000 gallons (1.1 million liters) of desalinated water each day, will provide the latest information and data on cost-effective and environmentally sound techniques for the desalination of seawater.
Ongoing research seeks to improve existing desalination methods and develop new ones. The costs of distillation could be greatly reduced if clean, renewable energy were used to heat the water. Solar, geothermal, and oceanic temperature differences are among the energy sources being studied. Reverse osmosis could be used on a larger scale, and with saltier water, through development of semi-permeable membranes able to withstand higher pressures for longer times. All desalination methods leave extremely salty residues. New methods for disposing of these must be developed as the world’s use of desalination grows.
"Desalination ." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. . Encyclopedia.com. 12 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Desalination ." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 12, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/desalination-0
"Desalination ." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. . Retrieved January 12, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/desalination-0
Approximately 97% of Earth's water is either sea water or brackish water (a mixture of salt and fresh water). Humans and other animals cannot drink salt water and to do so can bring on dehydration (the loss of the body's existing water) that can lead to illness and in extreme cases, death.
Desalination is the process of removing salt from seawater to make it drinkable (drinkable water is also called potable water) or to make it useable for irrigation (watering fields and crops).
Natural desalination occurs everyday as a part of the world's hydrologic cycle. As salt water from the oceans evaporates (changes from liquid to gas), the salt is left behind and the water that moves into the atmosphere is fresh water. Thus, the water in clouds that eventually falls as rain is fresh water.
Salt can also be removed from water by a series of processes known as manipulated desalinization, desalting, or saline water reclamation (salt water reclamation). All of these manmade processes are expensive in terms of how much money and energy they each require to produce a gallon of water.
Salt is composed (made up) of sodium and chorine atoms (the smallest particles of each element). Seawater contains the same kind of salt (sodium chloride) used everyday on food and in cooking. In addition, seawater also contains many small particles of the chemicals such as calcium and magnesium that also form chemicals called salts. Some of these salts come from chemicals used by industry, others from natural processes. Between three and four pounds out of every 100 pounds of atoms in saltwater (the hydrogen and oxygen atoms that together form water plus the atoms of all chemicals dissolved in the water) are combined into salts. Public health officials who test water use a different scale and label the salt in water as parts (particles) per million (ppm). Using this scale, seawater contains 35,000 ppm of dissolved salts. Brackish water typically contains less than half the amount of salt that is found in seawater, about 5,000–10,000 ppm of salt. Safe drinking water for humans, and water for most types of crops, must contain only 5,000–10,000 ppm of salt.
Methods to remove salt
There are several ways to remove salt from seawater and the method used is determined by the intended use of the water. Salt can also be removed from groundwater contaminated with saltwater. For example, if the water is to be drinkable then more salt needs to be removed than if the water is to be used for crops. Cost is also an important consideration because the more salt that needs to be removed, the greater the cost.
Stories from ancient Greece tell of how sailors obtained fresh water by first removing salt from seawater by evaporating the seawater, and then condensing (changing from a gas to a liquid) the air carrying the evaporated water. This process, because it uses the heat of the Sun is now called solar distillation. Solar distillation is similar to the natural process of the heat of the Sun evaporating water from the oceans that later condense into fresh water drops in clouds. When the water evaporates, only fresh water moves into the surrounding air because the salts are too heavy and are left behind in the ocean. Only fresh water went into the surrounding air (for example, the air over a bucket of seawater). As the air came into contact with cooler sheets or sails spread over the bucket, drops of fresh water would form and could then be collected in a separate bucket.
Other, but far less efficient ways to obtain fresh water included the use of filtering seawater. One method of filtering included the use of a wool wick (a length of rope made of wool) to absorb (siphon) the water. The salts were trapped in the wool and fresh water dripped out. Water was also poured through sand or clay to remove salts.
By the fourth century (400 a.d.) onward, people obtained fresh water by boiling salt water and using sponges to absorb the fresh water in the air above the pot. The first scientific paper on desalting was published by Arab scientists in the eighth century.
The first desalination efforts for industry started in 1869, as land-based steam distillation plants were established in Britain to prepare fresh water for ships going to sea.
Methods of distillation and filtering are still the most widely used methods of desalination used in most areas of the world.
Other modern techniques use complex machines that change the temperature at which water boils away by lowering the pressure of the atmosphere over a sealed container of water. This methods reduces the formation of crusty white salts, which appear similar to the sticky white powder found at the bottom of a pan from which all water has boiled away. These crusty white salts can clog machinery and make it more difficult to heat water. In industry, the crusty residue is called scaling, and the method of lowering the temperature at which water boils is called multistage distillation (multiple stages of distillation). The goal of multistage distillation is to reduce the boiling point of water to a temperature where it will still boil (evaporate) into a collection flask, but that it will not form a crusty salt residue. The residue forms at about 160°F (71°C) so the goal is to reduce the boiling point of water to less than 160°F. In some desalinization plants, distilled water is also filtered of other pollutants to make it ready to drink.
A process called reverse osmosis can also be used to remove salt from water. Water molecules are forced through a plastic membrane (a barrier) with very small pores (openings) that allow the passage of water, but not of salts.
K. Lee Lerner
Farndon, John. Water (Science Experiments). Salt Lake City, UT: Benchmark Books, 2000.
Postel, Sandra, and Brian Richter. Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2003.
"Chemistry Tutorial. The Chemistry of Water." Biology Project. University of Arizona.http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/tutorials/chemistry/page3.html (accessed on August 26, 2004).
"Water Basics." Water Science for Schools, United States Geological Survey.http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/mwater.html (accessed on August 26, 2004).
U*X*L Encyclopedia of Water Science
"Desalination ." U*X*L Encyclopedia of Water Science. . Encyclopedia.com. 12 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Desalination ." U*X*L Encyclopedia of Water Science. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 12, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/desalination-0
"Desalination ." U*X*L Encyclopedia of Water Science. . Retrieved January 12, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/desalination-0
Approximately 97% of Earth's water is either sea water or brackish (salt water contained in inland bodies), both of which are undrinkable by humans. Desalination is the process of removing salt from seawater. Natural desalination occurs as a part of the hydrologic cycle as seawater evaporates. Manipulated desalinization—desalting, or saline water reclamation—is an energy expensive alternative to natural desalination.
Sea water contains 35,000 parts per million (ppm) (3.5% by weight) of dissolved solids, mostly sodium chloride, calcium and magnesium salts. Brackish water typically contains 5,000-10,000 ppm dissolved solids. To be consumable, or potable, water must contain less than 500 ppm dissolved solids. The method used to reach this level depends on the local water supply, the water needs of the community, and economics. Growing populations in arid or desert lands, contaminated groundwater , and sailors at sea all created the need for desalting techniques.
In the fourth century b.c., Aristotle related tales of Greek sailors desalting water using evaporation techniques. Sand filters were also used. Another technique used a wool wick to siphon the water. The salts were trapped in the wool. During the first century a.d., the Romans employed clay filters to trap salt. Distillation was widely used from the fourth century on—salt water was boiled and the steam collected in sponges. The first scientific paper on desalting was published by Arab chemists in the eighth century. By the 1500s, methods included filtering water through sand, distillation, and the use of white wax bowls to absorb the salt. The techniques have become more sophisticated, but distillation and filtering are still the primary methods of desalination for most of the world. The first desalination patent was granted in 1869, and in that same year, the first land-based steam distillation plant was established in Britain, to replenish the fresh water supplies of the ships at anchor in the harbor. A constant problem in such a process is scaling. When the water is heated over 160°F (71°C), the dissolved solids in water will precipitate as a crusty residue known as scale. The scale interferes with the transfer of heat in desalting machinery, greatly reducing the effectiveness. Today, the majority of desalting plants use a procedure known as multistage flash distillation to avoid scale. Lowering the pressure on the sea water allows it to boil at temperatures below 160°F (71°C), avoiding scaling. Some of the water evaporates, or flashes, during this low pressure boiling. The remaining water is now at a lower temperature , having lost some energy during the flashing. It is passed to the next stage at a lower temperature and pressure, where it flashes again. The condensate of the previous stage is piped through the water at the following stage to heat the water. The process is repeated many times. The water vapor is filtered to remove any remaining brine, then condensed and stored. Over 80% of land-based desalting plants are multistage flash distillation facilities.
A host of other desalinization processes have been developed. An increasingly popular process, reverse osmosis, essentially filters water at the molecular level, by forcing it through a membrane. The pressures required for brackish water range from 250 to 400 pounds per square inch (psi), while those for seawater are between 800 to 1,200 psi. The pressure required depends on the type of membrane used. Membranes have been steadily improving with the introduction of polymers. Membranes were formerly made of cellulose acetate, but today they are made from polyamide plastics. The polyamide membranes are more durable than those of cellulose acetate and require about half the pressure. Solar distillation is used in the subtropical regions of the world. Seawater is placed in a black tray and covered by a sloping sheet of glass or plastic. Sunlight passes through the cover. Water evaporates and then condenses on the cover. It runs down the cover and is collected. The salts are left behind in the trays.
Modern desalination technology allows use of desalinated water to supplement regular drinking water. The state of Florida, for example, is using dozens of reverse-osmotic plants to treat undrinkable brackish water and then mixing the treated water with the regular water supply. The intent is to extend the local water supply. Another approach is to make traditional methods, like distillation, more economically feasible.
See also Hydrologic cycle; Saltwater encroachment
World of Earth Science
"Desalination ." World of Earth Science. . Encyclopedia.com. 12 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Desalination ." World of Earth Science. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 12, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/desalination
"Desalination ." World of Earth Science. . Retrieved January 12, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/desalination
Desalination, also called desalting, is the removal of salt from seawater. It provides essential water for drinking and industry in desert regions or wherever the local water supply is brackish . In 1991, about 3.5 billion gallons of desalinated water were produced in about 4,000 desalination plants worldwide. Most of this water was produced through distillation . However, other methods, including reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, are becoming increasingly important.
At its simplest, distillation consists of boiling the seawater to separate it from dissolved salt. The water vapor rises to a cooler region where it condenses as pure liquid water. Heat for distillation usually comes from burning fossil fuels . To reduce costs and pollution , desalination plants are designed to use as little fuel as possible. Many employ flash distillation, in which heated seawater is pumped into a low pressure chamber. The low pressure causes the water to vaporize, or "flash," even though it is below its boiling temperature . Therefore, less heat is required. Multi-stage flashing passes the seawater through a series of chambers at successively lower pressures. For even greater efficiency, desalination plants can be linked with electrical power plants. Heat from the hot gasses that turn the generators is recycled to warm the incoming seawater. Distillation is widely used in the Middle East, where fossil fuel is plentiful but fresh water is scarce.
Reverse osmosis uses high pressure to force pure water out of saltwater . Normal osmosis occurs when pure water and saltwater are separated by a semi-permeable membrane , which permits only water to flow through. Under these conditions, the pure water will move into the saltwater side, but if the saltwater is squeezed under high enough pressure, freshwater moves out of it. Pressures on the order of 60 atmospheres (800-1,200 psi) are required to push pure water out of seawater. Reverse osmosis is widely used to desalinate brackish water, which is less salty than sea-water and therefore requires pressures only about half as great.
Ongoing research seeks to improve existing desalination methods and develop new ones. The costs of distillation could be greatly reduced if clean, renewable energy were used to heat the water. Solar, geothermal, and oceanic temperature differences are among the energy sources being studied. Reverse osmosis could be used on a larger scale, and with saltier water, through development of semi-permeable membranes able to withstand higher pressures for longer times. All desalination methods leave extremely salty residues. New methods for disposing of these must be developed as the world's use of desalination grows.
desalination Extraction of pure water (for drinking, industrial and chemical uses, or for irrigation) from water containing dissolved salts, usually sea water. The commonest and oldest method is distillation. Another method is to freeze the salt solution; salt is excluded from the ice crystals which can then be melted. In reverse osmosis, pure water only passes through a semipermeable membrane against which salt water is pressurized. Other methods include electrodialysis.
"desalination ." World Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. 12 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"desalination ." World Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 12, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/desalination
"desalination ." World Encyclopedia. . Retrieved January 12, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/desalination
desalination A series of processes whereby salt water is rendered potable.
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY "desalination ." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. . Encyclopedia.com. 12 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY "desalination ." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 12, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/desalination
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY "desalination ." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. . Retrieved January 12, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/desalination
A Dictionary of Ecology MICHAEL ALLABY
MICHAEL ALLABY "desalination ." A Dictionary of Ecology. . Encyclopedia.com. 12 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
MICHAEL ALLABY "desalination ." A Dictionary of Ecology. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 12, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/desalination-0
MICHAEL ALLABY "desalination ." A Dictionary of Ecology. . Retrieved January 12, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/desalination-0
Water , Water Background Water is a chemical compound needed by most plants and animals on Earth in order to sustain life. Pure water is a tasteless, odorles… Desalinization , Desalinization Because only 1 percent of the Earth's water is fresh, it is useful to utilize the oceans as a means of supplementing the fresh-water s… Water storage , water storage See WATER INVENTORY. water storage See water inventory. Water Conservation , The hydrosphere refers to that portion of the earth that is made of water , including all oceans, lakes, rivers , streams, glaciers , and underground… Hydrologic Cycle , Water is in constant motion. Energy from the sun and the force of gravity drive the hydrologic cycle, which is the endless circulation of water betwe… Irrigation , Introduction Agriculture accounts for as much as two thirds of global freshwater use. Much of this water is applied in irrigation, which is the artif…
cossettes
metabolic water
hydrochory
hlaup
Strategies for Sustainable Water Development
Reclamation and Reuse
water scavenger
desalinate
DeSales University: Tabular Data
Desales University: Narrative Description
DeSaix, Deborah Durland
Desai, Morarji
Desai, Meghnad 1940-
Desai, Kiran 1971-
Desai, Kiran
Desai, Boman 1950-
Desai, Boman
Desai, Anita 1937–
Desai, Anita 1937-
Desai, Anita (1937–)
Desai Hidier, Tanuja
Desaguliers, John Theophilus
Desaguadero
Des Vallières, Nathalie 1952-
des Rivières, Jim
Des Prez, Josquin
Des Pres, Josquin 1954–
Des Prés, Josquin
Des Périers, Bonaventure
Des Moines Area Community College: Tabular Data
Desalle, Rob
DeSalvo, Louise A(nita) 1942-
Desando, Anthony 1965- (Anthony De Sando, Anthony de Sando, Anthony Joseph De Santis)
Desantis, Vincent P.
DeSanto, Daniel 1980(?)–
DeSanto, Susie
Desargues, Gérard
Desargues, Girard
Desarrolladora Homex, S.A. De C.V.
Desarthe, Agnès
Desarzens, Victor
Desaulniers, Janet 1954-
Desautels, Denise
Desbiens, Jean-Paul 1927-
Desbordes-Valmore, Marceline (1785–1859)
Desc, S.A. de C.V.
Descamisados
Descamps, Marie-Hélène (1938–)
descant viol
Descard, Maria (1847–1927)
Descartes and His Coordinate System
Descartes, Ren (1596–1650)
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2313
|
__label__wiki
| 0.723529
| 0.723529
|
Goddard’s birdie blitz secures Portuguese Amateur title
Harry Goddard fired off four birdies in his final five holes to claim a stunning victory today in the 90th Portuguese Amateur Championship.
The England ‘A’ Squad player carded a six-under par final round of 66 to win the event by one shot from Spain’s Eduard Rousaud and Portugal’s Pedro Lencart Silva.
The Hertfordshire golfer had opened with three rounds of 71, 65 and 67 to head into the final round at the Montado Golf Resort in a tie for third place.
And Goddard thought his chance had gone when bogeys at 12 and 13 in his final round left him with a mountain to climb.
However, three birdies in a row from 14 and then a nerveless ten-foot putt for a two on the 72nd hole was good enough to earn the 20-year-old the biggest win of his career.
Goddard admitted: “I didn’t know at the time that my putt on 18 was for a win.
“I thought I would have to hole it to get into a play-off. But as it turned out my nearest two rivals could only manage a par and a bogey at the last and my score was good enough to win.
“I’m thrilled to get over the line. I had a chance to win the Lytham trophy last year, but came up just short and it feels as if a win has been a long time coming.
“To win this event is really special.”
Goddard’s victory is the third major trophy for England squad players since the turn of the year.
Charlotte Heath claimed the Australian Women’s Amateur title last month while Ben Schmidt fought off countryman Callum Farr to win the New South Wales Amateur Championship.
Goddard – a former England boys’ international – is part of the England men’s squad set-up for 2020 and hopes this win is a launchpad for his season.
He added: “I hope I can kick on now and enjoy a really good year.”
Kent duo Joshua Bristow and Mason Essam enjoyed a good week in Portugal – Bristow finished fifth on a score of -14 while Essam was 10th two shots further back.
Tags: England Men's Squad, Harry Goddard
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2314
|
__label__cc
| 0.737291
| 0.262709
|
We have taken steps to try to ensure safety through the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more here.
"TELL THEM YOU MEAN BUSINESS" | 1-866-900-7078
Attorneys & Executives
Truck Accidents
DWI Cases
Defective Drugs & Products
Whistleblower (Qui Tam)
Morganton, NC
Roanoke Rapids, NC
Sanford, NC
46,000+ injured people helped since 1997
TELL THEM YOU MEAN BUSINESS
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY OVERVIEW
Applying for Social Security Benefits
Social Security Benefits Appeals Process
What Counts As Income and Resources?
Meet Our Social Security Legal Team
SOCIAL SECURITY & DISABILITY OVERVIEW
Home » Disability Claims » How Our SSD Lawyers May be Able to Help » Meet Our Social Security Legal Team
The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin has helped thousands of injured North Carolinians with potential claims including Social Security, auto accidents, workers’ Compensation, personal injury and product liability. In particularly complicated cases like car and work injuries, or any situation that leaves a person permanently disabled, it’s not uncommon for us to coordinate and represent all of them.
We take pride in representing each and every client, particularly in light of North Carolina’s excessive Social Security Disability hearing wait times and long history of case denials. With an average hearing wait time of over 21 months, North Carolina Disability offices have some of the longest wait times in the country. As if waiting all that time isn’t bad enough, once claimants finally get an initial hearing, more than two-thirds are denied. And more than 85% of those filing a second time are denied!
That doesn’t stop us from persevering to try to get our clients what they may deserve in our efforts to help ease their financial burdens.
Nearly every person on our team has prior Social Security Disability experience from having worked inside the Social Security Administration.
We know from firsthand inside experience how the system works, what they look for to accept a claim, the importance of filing the correct forms and meeting strict deadlines, and what medical records to present.
Meet Our Social Security Disability Team
Attorney Rick Fleming
Attorney Fleming is a firm shareholder and head of our Social Security Disability department. He is a NC State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Social Security Disability law – a claim only 47 out of the more than 28,000 North Carolina licensed attorneys can make.3 Mr. Fleming is fluent in Spanish and takes pride in representing North Carolina’s Hispanic/Latino community – a culture he admires. He is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, and the U.S. district courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina. As chair of the N.C. State Bar’s Social Security Disability Law Specialty Committee and an active member of many other advocacy organizations, Mr. Fleming is a tireless advocate for our clients and others outside our offices whose voices may otherwise go unheard.
Kevin Midkiff
Before coming to the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, Mr. Midkiff spent six years as a Disability Determination Services examiner for the Social Security Administration, rising to Level II. As a Level II examiner, Midkiff not only determined the merits of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) initial applications, but was also active in the reconsideration process and conducting continuing disability reviews. As a paralegal who works directly with our Social Security Disability clients, he is now using his prior knowledge to try to help clients get the benefits they may deserve.
“Our attorneys and our entire Social Security Disability team in general have a lot of experience not only in the legal arena but within Social Security itself. Most of the folks we deal with are hardworking people whether from an illness or injury, can’t work anymore, and just don’t know how to advocate for themselves. What layperson would? The system is very complicated and cumbersome and you need experienced people to advocate on your behalf. I know. I’ve been on the other side.”
Amy Casey
Ms. Casey has worked exclusively as a Social Security Disability paralegal for nearly 20 years. Prior to that she was a Social Security Disability Determination Services Examiner. Part of that time was spent as a Single Decision Maker Examiner – the person who has the authority to make medical determinations on certain cases without the review or signature of a medical consultant, such as a doctor.
After seeing the bureaucracy involved in making some disability determinations, she decided her knowledge and skills would better serve those seeking Social Security Disability benefits on the other side as a legal representative.
“I felt that the focus at Disability Determination Services was too numbers driven and it seemed more important to the Social Security Administration to make quick determinations – sometimes without having all the facts. As an experienced paralegal, I try to make sure that we provide as detailed information as possible on behalf of our clients, so the determiners can do the best job possible processing their claims.”
Ms. Casey finds that many formerly hopeless clients regain encouragement once she explains to them what the process entails and reassures them that they have the Farrin Social Security Disability team trying to do everything they can to try to make their claim successful.
Ms. Casey holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Wendie Roberts
Wendie Roberts worked as a Disability Determination Services (DDS) examiner for five years until she became disenchanted with its inherent bureaucracy. She left DDS to work, first as an insurance adjuster, and later as a paralegal in Workers Compensation and Social Security Disability. She has been a paralegal for over 15 years leveraging her unique experience as a DDS examiner and a paralegal to assist claimants in building their cases to try to get the benefits they may be entitled to. She takes pride in getting to know her clients and giving them her best.
“Having worked for Social Security and for insurance companies, I know how hard it can be and how long it can take for many well-deserving people to try to get benefits. I use my experience as a former SSD “insider” to try to build cases so our clients are presented to SSD in the most favorable light.”
Wendie holds two BA’s from North Carolina Wesleyan College – one in Justice & Public Policy and another in Psychology. She is also a Notary Public in the state of NC.
3 North Carolina State Bar, December 2016
How Our SSD Lawyers May be Able to Help
How Social Security Disability Contingency Fees Benefit You
Located in North & South Carolina
SEARCH OUR KNOWLEDGE CENTER
Trucking Accidents
¹Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes because each case is unique and must be evaluated separately.
²Attorney’s fee calculated on gross recovery, before deduction of any court or other costs that are incurred during the case.
Cases handled by lawyers who principally practice in our Greenville SC, Durham, Raleigh, Charlotte, or Greensboro NC offices.
J. Gabe Talton is responsible for this advertisement and practices at 280 South Mangum Street, Suite 400, Durham, North Carolina.
Copyright © 2020 Law Offices of James Scott Farrin
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2319
|
__label__cc
| 0.562535
| 0.437465
|
Diversity, The Myth of Separateness, & Earth Care
by Susanna Wu-Pong Calvert | Aug 21, 2020 | Blog, Family and Community Healing, Voices of Nature
“The myth of the separate self underlies our entire civilization, says philosopher and author Charles Eisenstein. This dualistic view of the world pits people against each other and turns nature into something we want to control. But we can choose another story — one of interdependence and connection. By doing so we become able to solve “impossible” problems, from political polarization to global warming.” Onecommune.com podcast interview with Eisenstein.
Diversity is a fact of nature and of humanity. There is no doubt that Earth’s population of human and non-human species are varied and complex on every level. Humans have an endless array of variations around personality, beliefs, preferences, inborn traits, and practices enabling a rich and vibrant technicolor of culture, entertainment, technology, services, solutions, and ideas.
As a young adult, I would sometimes wonder why others couldn’t be more like me. After all, I knew the “right” way that things should be done, and the “right” way to think about things. In my fantasy world that revolved around me and my thoughts, I believed I had all the answers.
Thankfully, we outgrow that perspective. But maybe not completely.
I say that because it seems like we still argue as if we know all the answers. Sure, most adults no longer feel like we know everything about everything, but maybe we sometimes feel we know everything about something. And on those topics, we’re right and everyone else is wrong.
This seems to be true about the diversity discussion. Everyone is an expert on race; after all, we all subscribe to a racial identity group, therefore we’re experts. We’re sure about our perspective, and everyone who disagrees with us is wrong.
But questions arise: If your belief is true, does it apply to everyone in all situations? If not, which situations or people does it apply to? Is there a possibility you are wrong, or at least wrong for certain people or circumstances?
We end up arguing, with great certainty, about things we often know relatively little about. We might even argue with the sliver of the population who is largely in agreement with us, but argue about nuances, often resulting in blame, finger-pointing, and vilification even with like-minded folk.
In the meantime, our problems and our spirits languish, and we ignore the real issues at hand.
Now that I think about it, maybe that’s the point.
What I mean is, maybe it’s too scary to really address the issue, so we’d rather distract ourselves with pointless arguing and blaming. In family dynamics, often the group focuses on blaming or trying to fix the “problem child” or the black sheep. It’s as if there is a group agreement on a subconscious level to distract ourselves to avoid addressing the elephant in the room, the topic that comes with its own trigger warning: someone’s addiction, the loss of the job, the unhappy marriage, etc.
The list of trigger warning topics within the collective narratives seems only to grow as we continually avoid facing what feel like insurmountable problems. Used to be we couldn’t talk about politics or religion, and maybe sex. Now we can’t talk about climate change, race, gender identity, or even the quality of our water, the car we drive, or why we’re hiring or promoting a certain person. We fear that person will have that other perspective, and then we’ll have a problem because it’s them versus us. When we change the topic, the camps shift. Eventually we begin to feel like we’re completely surrounded by them. We’re alone and it’s not safe.
At heart, I believe this slow death of openness and civility emanates from the myth of separateness. According to Charles Eisenstein, this myth has us believing that we’re separate from everybody and everything. When we’re separate, then we can blame, objectify, mistreat, and ignore. We can pretend that others’ experiences don’t matter, and it’s every person out for themselves in a dog-eat-dog world.
Ironically, whether we view the world from a religious or scientific perspective, we seem to have arrived at the same erroneous conclusion.
From the Christian perspective, we are all part of God, and so therefore we’re all One. Do we feel One, or do we feel alone?
From the ecological/scientific perspective, we are all part of the ecosystem which is part of Earth, so therefore we are all One. Do we feel part of nature, or separate and above?
Biologically, our bodies are comprised of an organ system which are made from a system of cells, which are made from a system of organelles, which are made of a system of molecules, which are made of a system of subatomic particles, and so forth.
As humans, we are a system of humans within a system of fauna, which are within a system of living organisms, which are within a system of living and nonliving matter which comprise Earth, which is within a system of planets and stars of the galaxy.
Think for a moment about the system of cells within an organ, such as our liver. There are a diversity of cell types within the liver, living and functioning side by side, each doing their own thing. They don’t need consensus or agreement. They do need to work together to maintain the health of the organ and the organism.
When cells start to act separate from the whole, looking out for only its own interest at the expense of all the other cells, we call that cancer. Cell self-interest above all others can result in destruction of the organ and the organism. (Note: I explore this topic of Earth and body systems in depth in our Youtube channel playlist, Our Body, Our Earth).
Like cells in the liver, we don’t have to agree; we’re all needed to do the thing that we’re here on Earth to do. We’re all part of the whole, in all our diversity and glory. We should do our parts cooperatively, or risk the health of the organ and the organism.
We forget that at our peril.
Where are we forgetting that we’re part of the collective whole, and acting like the cancer cell? Where has rugged individualism gone too far and threatened the wellbeing of the collective? Where are we avoiding finding real solutions because the challenges are too hard to think clearly about?
I’m not sure but I know that the fighting needs to stop. None of us have energy, time, or resources to waste, and life is too short. Our loved ones (Earth and each other) need us to focus on listening, providing care and understanding. It’s a spiritual and biological imperative for the diverse parts of the whole to work in harmony so we can create the beautiful community we’re meant to enjoy.
na pewno on September 2, 2020 at 1:35 am
I’m honored to obtain a call from a friend as he identified the important tips shared on your site. Browsing your blog post is a real excellent experience. Many thanks for taking into consideration readers at all like me, and I wish you the best of achievements as being a professional domain.napewno
sprawdzanie pisowni on September 2, 2020 at 7:05 am
Very educating story, saved your site for hopes to read more!spowrotem
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2325
|
__label__wiki
| 0.977917
| 0.977917
|
Grave of King Richard III may be hidden under parking lot
By | LiveScience
The Greyfriars parking lot. Up to now, the only royalty found here has been an Austrian Princess.(The University of Leicester)
Richard III's standard featuring his symbol, the white boar, and his motto 'Loyaulte me lie' (loyalty binds me).(The University of Leicester)
King Richard III of England had the honor of being memorialized in a William Shakespeare play after his death in battle in 1485. Now, modern-day archaeologists are on the hunt for the medieval king's physical resting place.
The University of Leicester, Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society have joined forces to search for the grave of Richard III, thought to be under a parking lot for city council offices. The team will use ground-penetrating radar to search for the ideal spots to dig.
"This archaeological work offers a golden opportunity to learn more about medieval Leicester as well as about Richard III's last resting place — and, if he is found, to re-inter his remains with proper solemnity in Leicester Cathedral," Philippa Langley, a Richard III Society member, said in a statement.
Richard III was King of England from 1483 to 1485. He died during the Battle of Bosworth Field during the War of the Roses, an English civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Richard III was the last English king to die in battle. Shakespeare penned "Richard III," a play about the tragic king, approximately 100 years later.
Regardless of his Shakespeare claim to fame, the king was talked about for his own right. "Richard III is a charismatic figure who attracts tremendous interest, partly because he has been so much maligned in past centuries, and partly because he occupies a pivotal place in English history," Langley said.
"The continuing interest in Richard means that many fables have grown up around his grave." Langley said, adding that some far-fetched tales include that the bones were thrown into the river Soar. [The Science of Death: 10 Tales from the Crypt]
"Other fables, equally discredited, claimed that his coffin was used as a horse-trough," Langley said.
After his death, the king was stripped and brought to Leicester, where he was buried in the church of the Franciscan Friary, known as the Greyfriars. The location of Greyfriars was eventually lost to history.
"The big question for us is determining the whereabouts of the church on the site and also where in the church the body was buried," University of Leicester archaeologist Richard Buckley said in a statement. "Although in many ways finding the remains of the king is a long-shot, it is a challenge we shall undertake enthusiastically. There is certainly potential for the discovery of burials within the area, based on previous discoveries and the postulated position of the church."
The Leicester car park will be surveyed using ground-penetrating radar on Friday. Then on Saturday -– 527 years to the day since Richard was buried -– Buckley and his team of archaeologists will start work on two trenches across the car park.
If remains that could be Richard III are found, they will be subject to DNA analysis at the University of Leicester.
Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2327
|
__label__wiki
| 0.951461
| 0.951461
|
UnitedHealth Group Executive Dr. Richard Migliori Joins Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota Board of Directors
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota announced it has named Dr. Richard Migliori, UnitedHealth Group executive vice president and chief medical officer, to its board of directors.
Migliori has more than 20 years of experience in the health care sector and has been a national leader in health care policy.
"Dick is an extremely valuable addition to our board," said Alan L. Goldbloom, MD, president and CEO of Children's of Minnesota. "He brings to the board both an executive understanding of how health systems work and a physician's perspective on delivering quality care."
At UnitedHealth Group, Migliori is responsible for efforts to link clinical excellence with outcomes to drive health care quality and efficiency. He holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Brown University and has completed a National Health Research Fellowship in immunology, transplantation and oncology funded by the National Institutes of Health. He completed his surgical training at the University of Minnesota and is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
"I've always been impressed with Children's for its commitment to families of Minnesota and pursuit of clinical excellence," said Migliori. "Much of Minnesota relies on Children's for care. When an organization has been able to generate that kind of trust, you want to be a part of it."
Children's recently announced a $17.5 million gift from UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company (NYSE: UNH), to fund the creation of a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center at Children's Minneapolis Hospital. When certification is complete this will be the first pediatric-only Level I Trauma Center in Minnesota.
About Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
Serving as Minnesota's children's hospital since 1924, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota has 332 staffed beds at its two hospitals in St. Paul and Minneapolis. An independent, not-for-profit health care system, Children's of Minnesota provides care through more than 14,000 inpatient visits and more than 200,000 emergency room and other outpatient visits every year. Children's is the only Minnesota hospital system to provide comprehensive care exclusively to children. For more information, visit www.childrensmn.org.
SOURCE Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2328
|
__label__wiki
| 0.571177
| 0.571177
|
47 years of festival history, from 1974 until 2020
1223Oct21 48th edition
About Film Fest Gent
Festival editions
In images
Public site Archive Festival editions 2018 Gevlochten liefde
Archived: Gevlochten liefde - Braided Love (2018)
director: Rand Abou Fakher
With: Anna Franziska Jaeger, Dahlia Pessemiers, a.o.
Shorts - Global Cinema
Sections of one day showing the complications of a relationship when it's built on a pain that has never been confronted.
Rand Abou Fakher (Syria, 1995). She studied music at the conservatory in Damascus and also sound engineering and optics, before she came to Belgium in 2015. She's interested in many artistic experessions and is applying for film school.
producer: Gwendolyn Lootens, Gawan Fagard
screenplay: Rand Abou Fakher
Editor: Roberto Ayllon
Cinematography: Hans Bruch Jr.
production company: Cinemaximiliaan
dialogue: Dutch
subtitles: Eng subt.
RAND ABOU FAKHER (1995): Gevlochten liefde (2018, short).
format: DCP
DVD's, books and more
Online communication by Wisefools
Keep up to date, subscribe to our newsletter
Subscribe here to receive Film Fest Gent e-mail updates.
Choose your language Nederlands Français English
year 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050 2051 2052 2053 2054 2055 2056 2057 2058 2059 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 2065 2066 2067 2068 2069 2070 2071 2072 2073 2074 2075 2076 2077 2078
Every day during the festival
Every week on wednesday
Thank you. You have been subscribed.
By accessing our website you accept the use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy. Read our privacy and cookie policy for more information.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2329
|
__label__wiki
| 0.913749
| 0.913749
|
European affairs >
Coronavirus: More than a third of people in Italy's COVID-19 epicentre estimated to have had disease
By Seana Davis • last updated: 28/04/2020
Copyright Luca Bruno/Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
More than a third of people in one of Italy's hardest-hit provinces have had coronavirus over the last two months, a new report estimates.
Authorities in Bergamo, Lombardy, made the estimation based on analysis of a COVID-19 tracking app released earlier this month.
The app allows locals to log and daily update their health status, giving authorities precious data to monitor the pandemic.
A report, based on data from April 12-20, found that 35 per cent of app users have or have had COVID-19.
The app only had data from 4 per cent of the province's 1.1 million inhabitants.
But it was extrapolated to estimate that 381,000 people in the region have been hit by COVID-19, of which 62,000 are still projected to have symptoms.
Having consulted virologists as part of the report, an estimated 10% of the population could be asymptomatic, leading to an estimated 45% of the population that could be affected by the virus, or nearly half a million people.
The report, however, outlines a key difficulty ahead, with the need for a larger sample size to provide increased accuracy. The municipality has launched a fresh appeal, urging for those who not only have experienced symptoms but those who have not, to register on the app, and log the status of their health.
In a statement to Euronews, the mayor's office said that they had eliminated clearly inconsistent answers from the database, for example, if a respondent declares that they had a fever but also had a temperature of 36 degrees.
They did acknowledge that the methodology may both overestimate and underestimate. If Bergamo citizens are seriously ill, for example, they are unlikely to fill out the forms, leading to a drop in figures. There is also no way to verify that the symptoms logged into the website are indeed confirmed cases of the virus which can lead to an apparent rise.
They did say that "response bias" is always present in questionnaires such as this and that it is limited due to checks or other methods.
They also said that the quota of symptoms is in line with other approaches, such as other demographic surveys and the Lombardy Region app.
Bergamo is the epicentre of Lombardy's COVID-19 outbreak, with 6,000 COVID-19 deaths, according to the report.
Lombardy is the worst-hit region in Italy with more than 13,000 fatalities.
UK 'coming to end' of phase one of COVID-19 response, says Boris Johnson on first day back to work
Coronavirus: France drastically limits sale of nicotine products
Belgian government pledges free masks for everyone as part of its COVID-19 lockdown exit strategy
#stayhome covid-19
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2336
|
__label__cc
| 0.564245
| 0.435755
|
Alexander rues Town's urgency after defeat
Cod Army fell to first home defeat since February
Manager Graham Alexander gave an honest assessment after this afternoon’s home defeat to Walsall.
Romaine Sawyers’ goal ten minutes before the interval turned out to be the winner as the Saddlers extended their unbeaten run.
Defeat at Highbury was the Cod Army’s first on home soil in the league since February, and Alexander rued his side’s urgency as they failed to find a way past Dean Smith’s men.
After the game, he said: “I’m very frustrated and really disappointed with the result. The performance in the first half wasn’t good enough and the tempo we played at wasn’t great.
“We let Walsall comfortably dominate the possession, but apart from the goal we didn’t really give them many chances.
“I’m not going to make up an imaginary game. We were very flat and didn’t have any urgency, composure or aggression when we had the ball.
“We’ve given a really poor goal away by not clearing it away twice, and in the end it’s cost us the points. There’s a lot of things we could have done better.
“The last half an hour or so was more like us as we were on the front foot and caused them problems, but it wasn’t to be.
“Our substitutions injected a bit of life into us and gave us a lift which we needed, and all three contributed very well to turn the performance around.
“We should have probably got a point out of it with the way we played during the last half an hour, but we didn’t cause them enough problems throughout.”
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2337
|
__label__wiki
| 0.664496
| 0.664496
|
Bad Kitty! VF-19 “Satan’s Kittens”
Flight Journal
Featured News, From the Magazine, Military
VF-19 “Satan’s Kittens” Chew Up the Enemy
“I had well over 1,000 hours of time in the air before I entered combat. Most of that was as an instrument instructor flying the SNJ. Instrument flying really teaches you the finer points of flying an airplane. It also makes you focus and for some reason I found that it carried over to gunnery work in the Hellcat as well. Every time I got behind a Japanese airplane I was very focused as my bullets tore into them!” —Lin Lindsay
Joining the fight
I joined VF-19 “Satan’s Kittens” as one of its founding members in August of 1943. We gathered at Los Alamitos, California, and “Fighting Nineteen” was supplied with a paltry sum of airplanes; an SNJ, a JF2 Duck, a Piper Cub, and a single F6F-3 Hellcat. Most of them were not much to write home about as far as fighters go except of course, the F6F. To me, the Hellcat was a thing of beauty. It was Grumman made and damn near indestructible! As a gun platform it was hard hitting with six .50 caliber machine guns in the wings, bulletproof glass up front and armor protection for the pilot. It was certainly better than anything the Japanese had, especially with self-sealing gas tanks, better radios, better firepower and better trained pilots.
Our skipper was Lt. Commander Theodore Hugh Winters, a combat veteran fighter pilot and a great leader. He worked our group up with great skill, and increased our Hellcat numbers as we learned how to fight and survive against the Japanese fighters. We also learned one of our primary purposes; stick with the dive-bombers and torpedo planes while on escort duty. Our sister torpedo and dive-bomber squadrons depended on us to shepherd them in and out of harm’s way. Tempting as it was, breaking away from them to add a small Japanese flag to the side of a Hellcat meant that those slow-moving torpedo and dive-bombers were sitting ducks. But once released from escort duty, the Hellcat showed its deadly claws when we finally entered the combat zone.
To read more, open the PDF by clicking the link: https://www.flightjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Bad-Kitty.pdf?746277
Updated: January 16, 2020 — 4:53 PM
R. Moore
Hello. My father, who passed a few weeks ago at 98.8 years old, was a member of VF-19. I have many pictures of him in the F6F, and have heard many stories. His squadron was the first to fly the F8F Bearcat – suggesting many changes that would make it a better plane. The F6F was the workhorse, though, and as he said “you haven’t lived until you had to land a F6F on a moving carrier, in high seas, at night. Part of the greatest generation, no doubt. His name was Luis Moriera (later changed to (Louis Moore).
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2338
|
__label__wiki
| 0.746153
| 0.746153
|
FTC Requires International Industrial Gas Suppliers Praxair, Inc. and Linde AG to Divest Assets in Nine Industrial Gas Markets as a Condition of Merger
Divestiture buyers set to include Messer Group GmbH and Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.
Chemicals & Industrial Gases
The Federal Trade Commission will require industrial gas suppliers Praxair, Inc. and Linde AG to divest assets in nine industrial gases product markets in numerous geographic markets in the United States, as part of a settlement that resolves charges that their proposed $80 billion merger likely would be anticompetitive.
The products at issue
The complaint alleges that the proposed merger would harm competition in markets for bulk liquid oxygen, bulk liquid nitrogen, bulk liquid argon, bulk liquid carbon dioxide, bulk liquid hydrogen, bulk refined helium, on-site hydrogen, on-site carbon monoxide, and excimer laser gases.
Headquartered in Danbury, Conn., Praxair is the world’s third-largest industrial gas supplier by revenue. Based in Munich, Germany, Linde is the second-largest global industrial gas supplier. The merger would create the largest industrial gas company in the world.
The consumer harm from the companies’ proposed transaction
According to the complaint, the proposed merger would eliminate direct competition between Praxair and Linde in each of nine industrial gases product markets, leaving limited alternative sources of supply in these markets. The proposed merger would enable the merged firm to exercise market power unilaterally because, for many customers, the merging firms are their two best alternatives. As a result, purchasers of the industrial gases at issue likely would pay higher prices.
The proposed merger would also make collusion or coordinated action among the remaining firms more likely, because it would meaningfully reduce the number of firms that compete in these markets. Coordination or collusion among industrial gas suppliers would be facilitated by the homogenous nature of the products and the availability of detailed market information. In such conditions, it would be easier for the few remaining competitors to agree on a coordinated scheme and detect and punish deviations from it.
The competition concerns and economic implications
Bulk liquid oxygen, bulk liquid nitrogen and bulk liquid argon. Known as “atmospheric gases,” these products are critical inputs in a number of industries, including oil and gas, steelmaking, health care, and food manufacturing. For most applications, bulk liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon have no viable substitutes. Bulk customers do not have enough volume to justify on-site production, and their requirements are too great for packaged gas delivery. As explained in the accompanying analysis to aid public comment, the markets for bulk liquid oxygen and nitrogen are local in nature due to the high cost of transportation relative to the value of the products, while the market for bulk liquid argon—a much more expensive product—is national. The combination of Linde and Praxair would reduce competition substantially in seventeen distinct bulk liquid oxygen and nitrogen geographic markets in the United States and in the national market for bulk liquid argon. Entry into these markets is costly, difficult, and unlikely to avert the anticompetitive effects of the merger.
Bulk liquid carbon dioxide is most commonly used in the food and beverage industry to carbonate beverages and chill or freeze food. Customers would be unlikely to substitute other products in the event bulk liquid carbon dioxide prices were to increase. The geographic markets for bulk liquid carbon dioxide are regional, and the merger raises competitive concerns for this product in nine separate geographic regions of the country. Entry impediments include both the cost and time associated with building a plant and the difficulty of securing access to raw carbon dioxide sources, making entry unlikely to deter or counteract the adverse competitive effects of the proposed merger.
Bulk liquid hydrogen is used as a propellant for rockets and space vehicles, in hydrogenation and clean energy storage, and as an active ingredient in chemical manufacturing processes. Because of the high value of this product, the market for bulk liquid hydrogen is national. The proposed merger would remove one of the few bulk liquid hydrogen suppliers from the market. New entry would not reverse the likely anticompetitive effect of the merger because it takes years to accomplish and is unlikely to occur.
Bulk refined helium has specific properties that make it uniquely suited for cooling in medical applications such as magnetic resonance imaging, as a shielding gas in welding, and as a lift agent. Helium is a rare and expensive gas, and suppliers transport it from sources to customers worldwide. Linde and Praxair are two of the largest helium suppliers in the world, and together they would control two-fifths of the global helium supply. New entry is unlikely to de-concentrate the market in the foreseeable future because sources of crude helium are controlled by market incumbents through long term-contracts. Moreover, new entry requires a local delivery infrastructure that can be time-consuming and costly to develop.
Excimer laser gases, which are mixtures of neon, halogen gases, and other rare gases, are used in the semiconductor industry to produce computer chips and liquid crystal displays, and in medical applications to perform laser vision correction surgery. There is no substitute for these precisely calibrated mixtures, and Praxair and Linde are two of only four U.S. suppliers of excimer laser gases. Entry in the manufacturing of excimer laser gases is difficult because of the challenges in securing reliable sources of neon, as well as the cost and time needed to create a facility to blend the gases and to meet customers’ strict certification requirements.
On-site hydrogen and on-site carbon monoxide, or “HyCO.” HyCO is the industry term for on-site provision of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas used by oil and petrochemical companies. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide are produced via the same chemical process, but hydrogen customers are able to recycle co-produced carbon monoxide to power the plant, whereas customers that require carbon monoxide sell off the excess hydrogen to improve their plant economics. In the Gulf Coast region, industrial gas companies need their HyCO plants near hydrogen pipelines to be viable competitors. Linde has only a small pipeline in the Gulf Coast region, and it is only able to compete in on-site hydrogen and carbon monoxide supply in a relatively small area near Houston, Texas. Other suppliers, particularly Praxair and Air Products, have extensive hydrogen pipelines in the Gulf Coast region. Outside the Gulf Coast region, Linde is a strong competitor in on-site hydrogen supply, as is Air Liquide. The proposed merger would reduce the number of significant suppliers of HyCO in the U.S. from four to three. New entry is exceedingly difficult, as the development and operation of HyCO plants demand highly specialized engineering expertise, and customers are reluctant to consider untested suppliers due to the critical nature of this input to their operations.
The settlement preserving competition
The terms of the settlement require the following divestitures:
The parties will divest to Messer Group GmbH, or an alternative Commission-approved buyer, Linde’s U.S. bulk liquid oxygen, nitrogen, and argon business, including all thirty-two of its merchant air separation units, together with sixteen of Linde’s U.S. carbon dioxide facilities, source contracts equal to all of Praxair’s helium source contract volume (less the volumes ordered divested to other companies by the European Commission and China), Linde’s U.S. excimer laser gas business, and Linde’s North American liquid hydrogen production facility, along with all related equipment, intellectual property, contracts, and other assets. Messer will form a joint venture with CVC Capital Partners to finance its acquisition of the divested assets. Messer will maintain majority control of the joint venture.
The parties will divest to Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., or an alternative Commission-approved buyer, five of Linde’s HyCO facilities outside the Gulf Coast region, along with Linde’s hydrogen pipeline in the Gulf Coast, intellectual property, customer contracts, and other assets.
The parties will also divest two of Linde’s HyCO plants back to their respective customers or to other Commission-approved buyers. The parties will divest Linde’s Clear Lake, Texas plant to Celanese Corporation and Linde’s La Porte, Texas plant to LyondellBasell Industries N.V., or to other Commission-approved buyers.
Praxair and Linde have agreed to divest the required facilities within four months of signing the Agreement Containing Consent Orders. Until the divestitures to Messer and Matheson are accomplished, Linde and Praxair are prohibited from integrating their operations anywhere in the world.
Commission staff and the staff of antitrust agencies in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the European Union, India, Korea, and Mexico worked cooperatively to analyze the proposed transaction and potential remedies.
The Commission vote to issue the complaint and accept the proposed consent order for public comment was 4-1, with Commissioner Rohit Chopra voting no and issuing a dissenting statement.
The FTC will publish the consent package in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through Nov. 21, 2018, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final. Comments can be filed electronically or in paper form by following the instructions in the “Supplementary Information” section of the Federal Register notice.
NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $41,484.
The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about how competition benefits consumers or file an antitrust complaint. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
Press Release Reference:
FTC Requests Public Comment on an Application from Praxair and Linde to Approve Sale of an Industrial Gases Plant to Celanese Ltd.
FTC Requests Public Comment on an Application from Praxair and Linde to Approve Sale of Industrial Gases Assets to a Messer Group GmbH/CVC Capital Partners Joint Venture
FTC Requests Public Comment on an Application from Praxair and Linde to Approve Sale of an Industrial Gases Plant to LyondellBasell
FTC Requests Public Comment on an Application from Praxair and Linde to Approve Sale of Industrial Gases Assets to Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.
FTC Approves Application from Praxair and Linde for Sale of an Industrial Gases Plant to Celanese Ltd.
FTC Approves Application from Praxair and Linde for Sale of an Industrial Gases Plant to LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
FTC Issues Modified Final Order Imposing Conditions on Merger of International Industrial Gas Suppliers Praxair, Inc. and Linde AG
Betsy Lordan
STAFF CONTACT:
Jordan S. Andrew
Linde AG and Praxair, Inc., In the Matter of
Related Actions
Linde AG and Praxair, Inc.; Analysis To Aid Public Comment; Proposed Consent Agreement
Statement of Commissioner Chopra in the Matter of Linde AG, Praxair, Inc., and Linde PLC
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2340
|
__label__cc
| 0.534234
| 0.465766
|
Fuqua Insights
Chatterji India entrepreneurship
The Right Advice at the Right Time Boosts Chances of Startup Survival
Professor Aaron Chatterji studies entrepreneurial performance
Aaron Chatterji is interested in how innovation becomes entrepreneurship, and how entrepreneurship yields success.
That led the associate professor of strategy at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business to study the explosive growth of the Indian tech sector. He ran a huge field study with more than 100 startup founders in Bengaluru in 2016 that was designed to see how and when advice best boosted their chances of success.
Chatterji expands on his research in this Fuqua Q&A.
What kind of advice matters and measurable effects can it have?
We know that our peers can affect us, so if you are a startup founder, your peers can affect how you think about your own company and what strategies you pursue. It’s also widely known that management quality affects firm performance, and that the resulting performance gap persists despite efforts to improve founders' business skills. We wanted to know how founders and firms can best implement management practices that have the greatest chance of leading to success.
Our findings suggest founders who receive help from active managers experience significant employee growth two years after the intervention, and are more likely to survive. We found peer advice especially shapes business performance for firms led by founders lacking business education or incubation. `Good' and `bad' advice can greatly influence entrepreneurial performance when there’s a lack of formal business training.
How did the experiment work? How did you get at these findings?
To study which founders and firms can learn and implement management practices, we conducted a randomized field experiment with more than 100 high-growth technology firms who received advice from founders who varied in their managerial experience. To do that, we co-sponsored a three-day boot camp for entrepreneurs on the corporate campus of the Indian tech giant Infosys in Mysuru with iSPIRT, a software products association. For the startup founders, it was an educational program on strategies to grow their businesses. It was a successful event and we got a lot of good feedback. But for us, it was also a laboratory to study entrepreneurship.
It’s novel research because usually you don’t have 100-plus startups in one place, and it’s very expensive to run these conferences. We wanted to use this entrepreneurial boot camp for one of the largest-ever laboratories to study high-tech entrepreneurship.
We collected lots of feedback at the event and followed up with post-surveys, trying to find out whether they changed their practices, whether they raised money or spent more time on different activities, and we correlated that with who they met. We were interested in who they talked to and how what they learned impacted their business. We wanted to know how important these boot camps are for their dissemination of knowledge, and once you create these networks in an ecosystem, how knowledge diffuses across those in a way that might affect entrepreneurial performance.
What made the tech sector in India the right setting?
Several factors. There have been a couple of high profile companies that have reached over $1 billion valuation, such as Flipkart, that are becoming household names. Also, India has a large domestic market, like China. Some of the startups that launch in India might be similar to the ones we have here in the U.S., but they can get huge domestic market share and become so valuable that they don’t necessarily need to leave India, so we need to go there to study them. Plus India has a high concentration of high-tech talent, some educated at home and some who came home after emigrating abroad. That gives Indian startups a talent pool to draw from. Finally, the government is working hard to promote entrepreneurship and has talked a lot about it, which can potentially create a nurturing environment for startups.
The objective is to understand what catalyzes high-growth entrepreneurship. We know that Silicon Valley, for example, is a hub for entrepreneurs, but it’s hard to know why people are working on one thing or another. Basically we want to understand something more about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India as it relates to tech and startups. There’s been all this great work on technology startups in clusters all around the world, but we don’t know all that much about India and it’s clearly a major center.
We’re continuing to extract findings from the data that will be useful to entrepreneurs and innovators everywhere, as well as anyone interested in the dynamic entrepreneurial landscape in India in particular.
For more information contact our media relations team at media-relations@fuqua.duke.edu.
Select TopicAccountingBehavioral ScienceBig DataDiversityEnergy & EnvironmentEntrepreneurshipFinanceHealth CareInnovationLeadershipManagementMarketingOperationsSocial EntrepreneurshipTaxes & Trade
FUQUA INSIGHTS ARCHIVE
FUQUA INSIGHTS Home
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2341
|
__label__wiki
| 0.562104
| 0.562104
|
Corporate Influence in the Media
Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership
This Page Last Updated Friday, January 02, 2009
This page: https://www.globalissues.org/article/159/media-conglomerates-mergers-concentration-of-ownership.
Some nations can influence and control their media greatly. In addition, powerful corporations also have enormous influence on mainstream media.
In some places major multinational corporations own media stations and outlets. Often, many media institutions survive on advertising fees, which can lead to the media outlet being influenced by various corporate interests. Other times, the ownership interests may affect what is and is not covered. Stories can end up being biased or omitted so as not to offend advertisers or owners. The ability for citizens to make informed decisions is crucial for a free and functioning democracy but now becomes threatened by such concentration in ownership.
The idea of corporate media itself may not be a bad thing, for it can foster healthy competition and provide a check against governments. However, the concern is when there is a concentration of ownership due to the risk of increased economic and political influence that can itself be unaccountable.
Media Conglomerates, Mega Mergers, Concentration of Ownership
Concentration of ownership is where the problem largely lies
The Quest for the Public Airwaves
The Quest for the Internet?
More Information on Ownership issues
Global conglomerates can at times have a progressive impact on culture, especially when they enter nations that had been tightly controlled by corrupt crony media systems (as in much of Latin America) or nations that had significant state censorship over media (as in parts of Asia). The global commercial-media system is radical in that it will respect no tradition or custom, on balance, if it stands in the way of profits. But ultimately it is politically conservative, because the media giants are significant beneficiaries of the current social structure around the world, and any upheaval in property or social relations—particularly to the extent that it reduces the power of business—is not in their interest.
Robert W. McChesney, The New Global Media; It’s a Small World of Big Conglomerates, The Nation Magazine, November 29, 1999
We are here to serve advertisers. That is our raison d’etre.
the C.E.O. of Westinghouse(CBS), Advertising Age, February 3, 97
Having a few huge corporations control our outlets of expression could lead to less aggressive news coverage and a more muted marketplace of ideas.
Rifka Rosenwein, Why Media Mergers Matter, Brill’s Content, December 1999
It is useful to remind ourselves that free expression is threatened not just blatantly by authoritarian governments and all those in the private sector who fear public exposure, but also more subtly by the handful of global media conglomerates that have reduced meaningful diversity of expression in much of the globe.
Gerald Caplan, Advancing Free Media, Open Markets, Open Media forum, November 1997
There have been a lot of mergers and buyouts of media and entertainment companies since the 1980s. Mainstream media has since become more concentrated in terms of ownership and the influences of advertisers and owning companies both have an enormous in how mainstream media shapes itself and society.
Mother Jones magazine reports that by the end of 2006, there are only 8 giant media companies dominating the US media , from which most people get their news and information:
Disney (market value: $72.8 billion)
AOL-Time Warner (market value: $90.7 billion)
Viacom (market value: $53.9 billion)
General Electric (owner of NBC, market value: $390.6 billion)
News Corporation (market value: $56.7 billion)
Yahoo! (market value: $40.1 billion)
Microsoft (market value: $306.8 billion)
Google (market value: $154.6 billion)
Yahoo!, Microsoft, and Google are newer media companies compared to the other traditional 5 players.
Most of these companies are in the global elite of media companies, too.
At the end of the 1990s, there were 9 corporations (mainly US) that dominated the media world:
AOL-Time Warner
General Electric (owner of NBC)
Sony (owner of Columbia and TriStar Pictures and major recording interests), and
Seagram (owner of Universal film and music interests).
As Robert McChesney, a media critic, and author of Rich Media Poor Democracy , (University of Illinois Press, 1999) describes, these are the first tier companies and following them are around 50 or so second tier companies doing media-related business at either national or regional level. All of these companies each do more than one billion dollars worth of business. (The previous link provides more information on the various firms, if you are interested.) Compared to the 1980s, this is quite a limited market in terms of diversity of ownership:
In 1983, fifty corporations dominated most of every mass medium and the biggest media merger in history was a $340 million deal. … [I]n 1987, the fifty companies had shrunk to twenty-nine. … [I]n 1990, the twenty-nine had shrunk to twenty three. … [I]n 1997, the biggest firms numbered ten and involved the $19 billion Disney-ABC deal, at the time the biggest media merger ever. … [In 2000] AOL Time Warner’s $350 billion merged corporation [was] more than 1,000 times larger [than the biggest deal of 1983].
Ben H. Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), pp. xx—xxi
When Viacom offered to buy out CBS earlier in 1999 for around $37 billion, it resulted a flurry of praises in the mainstream media in the US, which otherwise reports little on its own industry. However, as the previous link points out, there are increasingly fewer and fewer players in the media. This results in the possibility of less diversity and reduced quality of journalism as political interests may not allow certain topics to be covered. (The last link is to a speech from Barbara Ehrenreich at an awards ceremony in New York presenting stories that did not make it into corporate media due to heavy censorship. Worth listening to.)
Just as the Viacom/CBS deal fervor began to die down, we saw the largest corporate merger in history (valued at over $165 billion) between mega Internet giant AOL, and media king Time-Warner, merging to form AOL Time Warner. While corporate-owned mainstream media praised this, there were many critics commenting on the resulting lack of diversity that will impact meaningful democracy and open debate even more. (The previous link contains further links to many articles worth checking out that analyze and criticize the merger.)
That was in early 2000. Around early 2002, according to an article from The Nation magazine, the top ten media companies were now AOL Time Warner, Disney, General Electric, News Corporation, Viacom, Vivendi, Sony, Bertelsmann, AT&T and Liberty Media (see previous link). As the article’s author, Mark Crispin Miller points out, while different companies may come and go out of the top brass, the overall Leviathan gets bigger and bigger .
Not all media merger attempts are successful. In February Comcast’s $66 billion bid for Disney failed. But the fact this was attempted and would lead to more concentration if successful raised issues about concentration in media.
And as the following (cited at length) notes, the media concentration is a global issue:
It is not a matter for the United States only.
For example, in addition to its more than 11.5 million direct broadcast satellite (DBS) subscribers, Murdoch manages the assets of Hughes Electronics, DirecTV’s parent company, which gave News Corp. increased clout over programming in Latin America.
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp/FOX merger with DirecTv in December 2003 was opposed by many, to no avail.
News Corp’s Sky Latin America and Hughes Electronics' DirecTv Latin America (DLA), dominate the DTH (direct to home) sector in Central and South America. A News Corp takeover of DirecTv would put effective control of both platforms in the same hands, commented Steve Blum, in an article published in the August-September 2003 issue of The Orbiter , a bulletin that caters to the satellite sector.
Murdoch’s empire includes British Sky Broadcasting and START TV in Asia, too.
America’s first broadcast network, NBC, owns and operates more than 14 stations, along with CNBC, a business-news network, and Telemundo, the nation’s second-largest Spanish-language broadcaster. NBC has recently acquired Bravo, the Arts and Film cable network.
Viacom owns theatres in Canada (Famous Players) and other places—United Cinemas International, in partnership with Vivendi, for example.
CNN International can be seen in 212 countries, with a daily audience of 1 billion globally.
How does all of this affect concrete media coverage?
If media moguls control media content and media distribution, then they have a lock on the extent and range of diverse views and information, says [Chuck] Lewis, [executive director of the Centre for Public Integrity]. That kind of grip on commercial and political power is potentially dangerous for any democracy.
Miren Gutierrez, Fewer Players, Less Freedom, Inter Press Service, March 20, 2004
At first thought, one might ask, what is wrong with a few companies becoming so big? Isn’t that how business works? Even from a business perspective, the oligopolies or monopolies is not desirable. Considering the important role that a free and diverse media takes on in a functioning democracy, these questions become even more important. One of the major concerns that arises from such concentration is that there are very few media owners in the mainstream that reach out to the masses. As a result, there is the risk of reduced diversity of issues and perspectives as well as undue political influence and interests from a few affecting the many.
Most citizens get their views and understandings of the world around them from the mainstream media. It is therefore critical to understand some of these underlying issues. The rest of this section introduces some of these concerns.
Many of the large media company owners are entertainment companies and have vertical integration (i.e. own operations and businesses) across various industries and verticals, such as distribution networks, toys and clothing manufacture and/or retailing etc. That means that while this is good for their business, the diversity of opinions and issues we can see being discussed by them will be less well covered. (One cannot expect Disney, for example, to talk too much about sweatshop labor when it is accused of being involved in such things itself.) The wider ramifications are highlighted well in this following quote:
Vertical Integration was once looked upon with alarm by government. It was understood that corporations which have control of a total process, from raw material to fabrication to sales, also have few motives for genuine innovation and the power to seize out anyone else who tries to compete. This situation distorts the economy with monopolistic control over prices. Today, government has become sympathetic to dominant vertical corporations that have merged into ever larger total systems. These corporations, including those in the media, have remained largely unrestrained.
Ben H. Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), p. xvii
Vertical integration is also a part of a business strategy that serves to enhance market power, by allowing cross-promotion and cross-selling. Robert McChesney highlights this well:
[T]he pressure to become a conglomerate is also due to something perhaps even more profound than the need for vertical integration. It was and is stimulated by the desire to increase market power by cross-promoting and cross-selling media properties or brands across numerous, different sectors of the media that are not linked in the manner suggested by vertical integration. … When you make a movie for an average cost of $10 millon and then cross promote and sell it off of magazines, books, products, television shows out of your own company, Viacom’s Redstone said, the profit potential is enormous.
Robert W. McChesney, Rich Media Poor Democracy; Communication Politics in Dubious Times, (University of Illinois Press, 1999), p.22
McChesney then continues to also point out an example where the film, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, based on the MTV cartoon series, cost $11 million but generated a profit of $70 million dollars. Such enormous profits are common place, and hence, the lure that vertical integration and increasing market power is obviously great. Especially considering that the above-mentioned film is at a lower end of potential profits, when compared to say Disney’s Lion King that generated over $1 billion in profit:
Disney, more than any media giant is the master at figuring out new synergistic ways to acquire, slice, dice and merchandise content. Its 1994 animated film The Lion King generated over $1 billion in profit. It led to a lucrative Broadway show, a TV series and all sorts of media spin-offs. It also led to 186 items of merchandising. Wall Street analysts gush at the profit potential of animated films in the hands of media conglomerates; they estimate that such films on average generate four times more profit than their domestic box-office take.
Robert W. McChesney, Rich Media Poor Democracy; Communication Politics in Dubious Times, (University of Illinois Press, 1999), p.23 (Emphasis is original)
It is interesting to note how a film goes beyond box office take, but goes towards larger market share and profit through all the cross-selling. That is, a film may generate certain revenue, but the overall profit will be even more than the revenue.
On such television channels or newspapers/magazines owned by such large corporations, you are understandably not going to read much criticism about those companies. Furthermore, you are not likely to see much deep criticism about economic, political or other policies that go against the interest of that parent company. So, while it is understandable why a company would aim for such cross selling and integration, the threat to diversity and meaningful competition is real. For smaller companies (who might still have multi million dollars backing) without such an arsenal of distribution and cross-selling possibilities, the competition is very difficult, and they face either going out of business, or being bought out, or try to emulate them.
Interlocking directorates is also another issue. Interlocking is where a director of one company may sit on a board of another company. As pointed out by U.S. media watchdog, Fairness an Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) for example, Media corporations share members of the board of directors with a variety of other large corporations, including banks, investment companies, oil companies, health care and pharmaceutical companies and technology companies. (See the previous link for details of top media companies and the companies they are interlocked with, etc.)
Ben H Bagdikian, in his book, The Media Monopoly , details some of the impacts of this interlocking. In these cases where directors from numerous large corporations sit on each others boards and own or sit on boards of large media companies, he points out that conflicts of interest can be numerous. Furthermore, he also points out that it is difficult to show beyond doubt that these conflicts of interest make their way into media decisions:
It is not often the public hears of … clear destruction of editorial independence. In most cases there is no visible imposition of the parent firm’s policies, and the policies are often not absolute, conditioned as they are by the desire for profits. … The problem is … subtle and profound. In a democracy … a wide spectrum of ideas has equitable access to the marketplace [justifying a private publisher’s imposing his personal politics on the decision of what to print]. The effect of a corporate line [exerting control over public ideas] is not so different from that of a party line [of a country imposing controls]. … Detecting how most of the mass media impose political tests on what the public will see and hear is not as straightforward as [it may] seem. Political intervention in its most pervasive form is not open and explicit but is concealed under seemingly apolitical reasons [such as the natural choices that have to be made on the countless number of works that might not be published for legitimate non-political based reasons]. … Most difficult of all to document is the implicit influence of corporate chiefs. Most bosses do not have to tell their subordinates what they like and dislike. (Emphasis added)
The deeper social loss of giantism in the media is not in its unfair advantage in profits and power; this is real and it is serious. But the gravest loss is in the self-serving censorship of political and social ideas, in news, magazine articles, books, broadcasting, and movies. Some intervention by owners is direct and blunt. But most of the screening is subtle, some not even occurring at a conscious level, as when subordinates learn by habit to conform to owners’ ideas. But subtle or not, the ultimate result is distorted reality and impoverished ideas.
Ben H. Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), pp. 35—36, 45.
He continues to further point out that the concentrated ownership also allows criticism to be managed as well:
Corporations have multimillion-dollar budgets to dissect and attack news reports they dislike. But with each passing year they have yet another power: They are not only hostile to independent journalists. They are their employers.
Ben H. Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), p. 65.
In this respect, as the mainstream media is more corporate owned, the same market pressures that affect those companies, affect the media as well and hence, the media itself is largely driven by the forces of the market.
In the US, for example, it is very noticeable how competitive the media companies are between themselves. While competition can be a healthy aspect of news reporting and media in general, pushing for better quality, the oligopoly and concentrated control of media companies has meant that the competition has reduced itself to attracting viewers through sensationalism etc rather than quality, detailed reporting etc.
Many stations report news on the very same stories at the exact same time and have commercial breaks at the same time! The sensationalism they compete for is what they hope will drive audiences to their channel.
This type of competition affects the ability to provide quality news and affects the depth and even reputation of professional journalism.
Media executives speak in the language of war—of bombarding audiences, targeting markets, capturing grosses, killing the competition, and winning, by which they mean making more money than the other guy. Some news organisations even refer to their employees as the troops . It is hard for media workers, including journalists, to operate outside the ethos of hyper-competitition and ratings mania. As willing or unwilling conscripts in the media war, journalists imbibe its values and become warriors themselves.
Danny Schechter, Chapter 2, Peace Journalism and Media War: the Fight to Reform Journalism, What Are Journalists For?, presented on the Conflict and Peace Forums, September 1998.
As an example of influence, Disney's size and popularity provides a good example. Disney is well regarded for providing wholesome family entertainment, with numerous films, cartoons/animation movies and so on. However, with the increasing size, owning the ABC news station, and enormous vertical integration, there have been increasing criticisms of Disney as well, ranging from the subtle cultural and even racial, gender and class bias depicted in their cartoons and movies, to their ability to naturally (directly or indirectly) influence major news stories via their ABC ownership.
That is not to say that Disney is necessarily sexist, racist and so on by intent. It is possible that the drive for profits is more important and leads to less criticism, because from a business perspective, they have been very successful and implemented the most appropriate strategies to expand and grow. As Michael Eisner, CEO of Walt Disney Co. said in an internal memo:
We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make a statement. To make money is our only objective.
Michael Eisner, CEO, The Walt Disney Co., (Internal Memo). Quoted from Mickey Mouse Monopoly-Disney, Childhood & Corporate Power (see also p.29 of the transcript which is provided as a link from this previous link.)
Because it is sometimes hard to imagine criticism of Disney, especially as a prominent icon of American culture that has provided light entertainment, fun and laughter for so many, the following links provide more in-depth look at Disney in this respect, and in the light of its increasing size and influence:
Background info from Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting.
Additional info on what Disney owns from Columbia Journalism Review
A search for Disney from the Mediachannel reveals many articles
Mickey Mouse Monopoly-Disney, Childhood & Corporate Power a documentary looking at the gender, class and racial aspects of Disney movies and animation.
The Mousetrap; Inside Disney’s dream machine is issue 308 from New Internationalist Magazine, December 1998. It has a collection of articles related to Disney.
How Disney Magic and the Corporate Media Shape Youth Identity in the Digital Age by Henry Giroux and Grace Pollock, TruthOut, August 4, 2010
There may be a large number of outlets giving the appearance of diversity, but a concern is that so many are owned by one of the few media giants:
Defenders of narrowing control of the media point, accurately enough, to the large numbers of media outlets available to the population: almost 1,700 daily papers, more than 8,000 weeklies, 10,000 radio and television stations, 11,000 magazines, 2,500 book publishers … and more … Unfortunately, the large numbers deepen the problem of excessively concentrated control. If the number of outlets is growing and the number of owners declining, then each owner controls even more formidable communications power.
Ben H. Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), p. 222 (Emphasis Added)
It isn’t necessarily the corporate ownership that is problematic. For example, in U.K. the Independent Television Network (ITN), and Channel 4 are highly regarded for their quality documentaries and ITN’s evening news program was said to challenge the BBC’s news programming for quality (until ITN seemed to succumb to pressure to use that prime time for movies instead of news). More problematic is when the ownership of media (and therefore of major avenues of opinions and views etc) becomes concentrated, as pointed out by Ben Bagdikian here:
The threat does not lie in the commercial operation of the mass media. It is the best method there is and, with all its faults, it is not inherently bad. But narrow control, whether by government or corporations, is inherently bad. In the end, no small group, certainly no group with as much uniformity of outlook and as concentrated in power as the current media corporations, can be sufficiently open and flexible to reflect the full richness and variety of society’s values and needs. … The answer is not elimination of private enterprise in the media, but the opposite. It is the restoration of genuine competition and diversity.
Ben H. Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), pp. 223-224 (Emphasis is original)
This concentrated power, Ben also points out, is so concentrated, ubiquitous, and artful, that to a degree unmatched in former mixtures of entertainment, it dilutes influences from family, schooling, and other sources that are grounded in real-life experience, weakening, their ability to guide growing generations. (see p.xx of the above-cited book).
In some respects, even large media companies can be potentially beneficial. For example, with size comes that political power, and ability to provide appropriate scrutiny on wrong-doings of local businesses etc, as pointed out by Dan Kennedy:
[T]here is at least an argument to be made that only big media have the power and influence to cover the large institutions that dominate modern life. In January 2000, Jack Shafer wrote a piece for the online magazine Slate (owned by the extremely big Microsoft Corporation and thus part of a media alliance that includes NBC, MSNBC, General Electric, the Washington Post, and Newsweek) arguing exactly that.
Small, independently owned papers routinely pull punches when covering local car dealers, real estate, and industry, Shafer wrote, asserting a nasty little truth known by every reporter and editor who has ever worked for a locally owned community newspaper. Whatever its shortcomings—and they are many—only big media possesses the means to consistently hold big business and big government accountable.
Dan Kennedy, Monopoly Money, Boston Phoenix, January 17, 2002
But when big media is owned by big business, there is less criticism of big business or related political issues in big government.
Political bias can also creep in too. Media watchdog, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) did a study of ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News in 2001 in which they found that 92 percent of all U.S. sources interviewed were white, 85 percent were male and, where party affiliation was identifiable, 75 percent were Republican. While of course this is not a complete study of the mainstream media, it does show that there can be heavy political biases on even the most popular mainstream media outlets.
A year-long study by FAIR, of CNN’s media show, Reliable Sources showed a large bias in sources used, and as their article is titled, CNN’s show had reliably narrow sources. They pointed out for example, Covering one year of weekly programs [December 1, 2001 to November 30, 2002] with 203 guests, the FAIR study found Reliable Sources’ guest list strongly favored mainstream media insiders and right-leaning pundits. In addition, female critics were significantly underrepresented, ethnic minority voices were almost non-existent and progressive voices were far outnumbered by their conservative counterparts.
In the United States, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is seen as a public-funded alternative to the commercial stations. FAIR claims they have debunked the idea that PBS as a whole leans to the left; corporate and investment-oriented shows have long made up a large chunk of PBS’s news and public affairs programming, while more progressive content has frequently met resistance and censorship at the network, they say. And this is from an introduction to a September/October 2006 report where they describe the results of a study of PBS’s flagship news program, News Hour , to see if it had any bias or slants, as conservatives often accuse it of having a liberal bias.
They found that PBS was consistent with commerical stations in their biases; 76% of sources were official or elite sources; women and people of different ethnicities were far under-represented; Republican sources outnumbered Democract sources by 66% to 33%; issues such as Iraq, Katrina, and immigration all followed conservative leanings.
In a radio discussion about these findings of PBS’s conservative biases, the researchers for the study further noted that those statistics actually did not reflect an even wider bias, whereby for example, most African American people in the period of study were usually discussing Hurricane Katrina, and even then were usually presented as people on the street, whereas, they noted, it was typically the white male that would be presented as the experts with solutions.
The discussion also noted that PBS is not like a public service as it is understood in most countries; it requires the program request funding from wealthy individuals and companies that give it backing. Indeed, PBS requires major corporate funding to keep going, and so, the media experts in that discussion implied, did not offer the counter-balance to commercial stations, as they are often believed to provide.
Given that so many of the large media owners are entertainment companies, broadcast journalism and much of print journalism, as well as the book publishing industry, are increasingly criticized for having become appendages to entertainment empires. Furthermore, with various top media/entertainment companies owning shares in each others' enterprises, combined with the interlocking described above, the resulting concentration of ownership, while maybe not a monopoly in the strictest sense, tends towards oligopoly or cartel, and this leads to a common interest amongst such companies in keeping out competing enterprises and even competing ideas. The Nation magazine captures the consequence of this quite well, looking at the situation in the United States:
Of all the [media] cartel’s dangerous consequences for American society and culture, the worst is its corrosive influence on journalism. Under AOL Time Warner, GE, Viacom et al., the news is, with a few exceptions, yet another version of the entertainment that the cartel also vends nonstop. This is also nothing new—consider the newsreels of yesteryear—but the gigantic scale and thoroughness of the corporate concentration has made a world of difference, and so has made this world a very different place. … the news divisions of the media cartel appear to work against the public interest—and for their parent companies (Emphasis is Original)
Mark Crispin Miller, What’s Wrong With This Picture?, The Nation, January 7, 2002.
A U.S. Federal Court ruling on February 19, 2002, lifted barriers to two regulations that attempted to limit the power of media companies. One was that a company can reach no more than 35 percent of the country, and the other was that it cannot own a TV station in an area where they own a cable company. As a result of this decision, the concern here is that it means that those with the most money can buy other stations which will lead to further concentration and consolidation. (See also the Center for Digital Democracy web site for more on this and other such issues.)
And indeed, it was revealed in September 2006 that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) destroyed reports on media concentration’s negative impacts on local news.
Columbia Journalism Review noted how Italy’s former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, used his media tycoon status to not only help him win power, but effectively silence any critics of his policies and is worth quoting at length:
Once Berlusconi came to power, journalists on state television were required to adhere strictly to a news formula known as the sandwich, in which virtually every political story began by stating the government’s (or Berlusconi’s) point of view, followed by a sound bite or two from the opposition and concluded with a rebuttal from the government. Berlusconi himself occupied an incredible 50 percent of airtime on the state-owned newscasts, while the opposition accounted for barely 20 percent.
When Berlusconi addressed a nearly empty hall at the United Nations, Italian state TV cut and pasted into the scene the audience for the speech of Secretary General Kofi Annan, to create the impression for Italian viewers that their leader had been enthusiastically applauded by a full audience. When the Italian economy struggled through three straight years of recession and near-zero growth, Rai [the state broadcasting company] showed a world of happy prosperity.
… In fact, when Berlusconi won in 1994 and then again in 2001, … social scientists found to their surprise that the strongest predictors of a voter’s orientation were no longer class or church affiliation but what television stations a person watched and for how long. People who watched the Mediaset [Berlusconi’s company] channels were much more inclined to vote for Berlusconi; those who watched the state-owned network Rai were more likely to vote for some other party. The more hours a day people watched television, the more likely they were to vote for Berlusconi.
Alexander Stille, Silvio’s Shadow, Columbia Journalism Review, September/October 2006
Berlusconi went to extraordinary lengths to control information in order retain power, even amidst scandals:
Berlusconi concentrated his energies to an extraordinary degree on two problems: controlling information and muzzling the Italian judiciary, which threatened to send him and his closest associates to jail.
To get elected and keep his political career afloat for more than twelve years—a period in which Berlusconi and many of his associates would be tried and in some cases convicted of extremely serious crimes, ranging from bribing sitting judges to collusion with the mafia—Berlusconi needed to radically change public opinion, which had been extremely supportive of the corruption investigation before he entered politics. Through relentless daily attacks, the Berlusconi media went hammer and tong at the magistrates who investigated Berlusconi and his friends.
… Berlusconi and a series of super-aggressive newscasters he had hired introduced an unprecedented degree of verbal violence and polarization into Italian broadcast media.
… While using his own media to attack his enemies, Berlusconi co-opted many of the media outlets he didn’t own by finding ways to give their journalists money.
… Another disturbing characteristic of the Berlusconi phenomenon was how he combined his control of hundreds of seats in parliament and thousands of key positions in the state bureaucracy by using his vast media power to manufacture pseudo-scandals at will. Thus, for example, a blistering exposé of supposed judicial wrongdoing would prompt Berlusconi’s allies in parliament to call for an inquiry or disciplinary proceedings against the judges. The Berlusconi media would then cover these events, quoting members of parliament or the government, which, in turn, would give an appearance of substance and reality to their initial charges, which would lead to a new round of media stories and a new round of reaction from the political world. The charges, almost invariably, would prove after a few weeks or months or years to have no substance—a fact that would go unnoticed in the Berlusconi press (and often in other press as well)—but the country would already have moved on to a new series of equally unfounded charges.
One of Berlusconi’s legacies in Italy will be the state and perception of journalism:
One of the things that Berlusconi did by entering politics and militarizing his own media empire was to polarize the entire Italian press corps and eliminate any idea that the press might serve as an independent forum where the claims of the political world could be evaluated with an element of detachment.
… In his time, Berlusconi destroyed not only the notion of journalistic objectivity in Italy, but also journalistic autonomy. For Berlusconi, media outlets were either friends or enemies. If you published something damaging about him—the contents of an indictment or the substance of trial testimony—you were obviously an enemy. And since you were an enemy, anything that you published from that point forward could simply be dismissed as an enemy attack.
While this phenomena may be quite an extreme example of the impact of such concentrated business ownership of media outlets and its impact on democratic institutions and processes, CJR also notes that in Thailand the (now ousted) prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s fourth richest man and largest private media owner, was also able to gain power through the use of money, power and celebrity status. In addition, CJR also notes that What Berlusconi has done in this regard bears a striking resemblance to the American right’s attack on mainstream media: both undermine the idea of objective facts.
For many years now, corporate lobbyists had been lobbying to have the public airwaves sold to private corporations. While in many countries, national ownership of the airwaves can lead to propaganda avenues, many democratic countries are able to, through their governments, apply some set of standards and regulations on how radio is used to ensure people have access to it while also allowing private corporations a lot of access to it. Large, private, often multinational corporations, however, do not have such accountability. Their only real accountability is to shareholders, whose concerns are returns on investments (profit).
As Jeremy Rifkin asks, Our PCs, palm pilots, wireless Internet, cellular phones, pagers, radios and television all rely on the radio frequencies of the spectrum to send and receive messages, pictures, audio, data, etc … If the radio frequencies of the planet were owned and controlled by global media corporations, how would the billions who live on earth guarantee their most basic right to communicate with one another?
During the height of the concerns, Robert W. McChesney wrote a lot about this, including detailed history, in his book, Rich Media Poor Democracy; Communication Politics in Dubious Times , (University of Illinois Press, 1999). (See part II.)
In addition to the FCC attempting to destroy reports on some negative impacts on media ownership concentration, as noted further above, in September 2006, it was revealed that the FCC never released another damaging report that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 had similarly reduced the diversity of radio stations throughout the United States.
This concentration results from commercial ownership through buyouts and dominance by the most powerful entities and when those media interests reflect the interests of those in power, as they clearly do, it has serious implications for diversity of views, and for a healthy democracy.
The Internet is hailed as the new communications medium taking over from television eventually. While there are currently enormous problems and issues of the digital divide and while it is still in its infancy, the Internet has proved to allow enormous amounts of information to be exchanged and be made available. It is very easy to get news from half way around the world, and some see the Internet as one of the main new technological advances that will enhance and improve democracy further. Some even describe the Internet as providing a more level playing field for new, smaller and diverse groups and companies.
The potential is very exciting and numerous innovative sites, activities and other forms of organizing and action has been centered around the use of the Internet.
However, in terms of the potential for diverse news and information reaching people, as Danny Schechter, executive director of the MediaChannel.org, points out, the Internet, is not very diverse, even though it appears to be. The concentration in ownership that is restructuring old media has led to conglomeration in news transmission and a narrowing of sourcing in new media. It is cheaper for Web sites to buy someone else’s news than generate their own. Like many others, he points out how major web portals such as AOL look to lock in their audience to their site(s) and products so that they can better sell and target their audience (customers).
Furthermore, consolidations and media mergers such as that of AOL and Time Warner, have skewed the playing field . According to Jupiter Media Metrix, a company that tracks Internet and technology analysis and measurement, the [t]otal number of companies that control 60 percent of all minutes spent online in the US dwindled 87 percent, from 110 in March 1999 to 14 in March 2001 due to successes in advertising and marketing as a key to overcome the barrier to online entry. (See this press release from them for more details.) They further point out that within the 14 companies, it is heavily skewed towards the top four. Also, they suggest that key factors driving media consolidation in this way include:
Mergers and acquisitions turning already powerful companies into even more powerful media behemoths .
Major media companies have been able to invest heavily in [i]mproved quality of presentation, intensity of marketing and integration with off-line programming
Economies of scale, that also apply to online businesses as well as traditional businesses.
As Danny Schechter also points out in the above mentioned link, most news and information sites don’t provide their own news sources, but get them from the likes of Reuters and Associated Press, or, in the case of broadcast companies, their own content together with mixes of such agency content.
Into 2007, those top four have really become 3 as noted earlier (Yahoo, Microsoft, and the largest, Google). The rise in blogging and other forms of social media on the Internet has, however, enabled people to report and write more quickly about various events as they unfold. In many cases, local people are able to upload personal videos from mobile phones, etc, faster than mainstream journalists can report. In this way, some journalists are concerned about their profession’s future, or at least the impact such citizen journalism is going to have on them.
That being said, the financial and political muscle of larger media companies won’t vanish overnight, either, as the Internet is still not the primary source of information for many people. Around the world, governments are trying to stifle citizens from blogging about certain topics. Even in the US, some companies are trying to challenge how the Internet is accessed (through issues such as Net Neutrality ) and so this potential promise of citizen journalism will need to be watched with interest.
Into 2008/2009, competition for audiences between traditional media companies and Internet based news has intensified. Combined with the global financial crisis, some large traditional media companies have shrunk or folded.
In the US, for example, the majority of citizens still get their news from television, where limited headlines and sound-bites reduce the breadth, depth and context available. However, the Internet has surpassed traditional newspapers as a prime source of news, second only to television.
Perhaps ironically, as technology news site, CNet notes, just as Danny Schechter did a few years earlier (noted above), a lot of content for Internet sites come from a few traditional sources, usually those working in struggling newspaper companies and media outlets.
It is hard to know what will happen in the future. The current financial crisis is quite severe. It is possible that once again just a few media companies will survive, even larger than before, with even less diversity in news, even if there may be many outlets for these few sources, be it the Internet, or surviving media outlets.
For more information on ownership related issues, as well as the links above, you could start at the following links:
From the MediaChannel.org:
Media Concentration Watch section provides a collection of articles.
Their Media Ownership section provides information and links to articles, books and other resources, including a chart of ownership data.
Why Ownership Rules Matter looks at issues in the U.S. in particular.
From Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting:
Corporate Ownership provides numerous articles.
A search for the term ownership will result in numerous articles. (You will have to type in the search term though.)
The Nation Magazine has a chart detailing the big ten
Who Owns What from Columbia Journalism Review provides a list of major media organizations and details what else they own.
Media Giants from PBS provides links and charts breaking down what major media giants now control.
Media Links for more Information from this web sites mainstream media section.
Large, Corporate-Owned Media are “Free” Trade Proponents
Some Examples of Corporate Influence in the Media
<p>Anup Shah, <a href="https://www.globalissues.org/article/159/media-conglomerates-mergers-concentration-of-ownership">Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership</a>, <cite>Global Issues</cite>, Updated: January 02, 2009</p>
Anup Shah, Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership, Global Issues , Updated: January 02, 2009
Shah, Anup. “Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership.” Global Issues . 02 Jan. 2009. Web. 15 Jan. 2021. <https://www.globalissues.org/article/159/media-conglomerates-mergers-concentration-of-ownership>.
Created: Friday, January 22, 1999
Corporate Influence
Mainstream Media Intro
War, Propaganda and the Media
Media Manipulation
Media in USA
Human Rights Issues (11)
Regional Human Rights
Rights of Indigenous People
“Bad ideas flourish because they are in the interest of powerful groups.” — Paul Krugman
January 2, 2009 Short note added about Internet media increasing in popularity.
April 29, 2007 More about global media giants, and a note about media in Italy during Berlusconi’s reign
October 13, 2006 Added a note about PBS’s Newshour having bias, and about the FCC destroying and burying unfavorable reports
April 15, 2004 Small update regarding media concentration as a global issue
Alternatives for broken links
Sometimes links to other sites may break beyond my control. Where possible, alternative links are provided to backups or reposted versions here.
Actual link:
'And then there were eight; 25 years of media mergers from GE-NBC to Google-You Tube', Mother Jones, March 2007http://www.motherjones.com/files/legacy/news/feature/2007/03/and_then_there_were_eight.pdf
Alternative:
http://motherjones.com/corporations/2009/06/and-then-there-were-eight
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/top/features/documents/02105018.htm
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=12240
Lakshmi Chaudhry, 'Mega Media Merger Mania', AlterNet.org, February 20, 2002http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=12451
http://www.zmag.org/content/MainstreamMedia/McChesneyNews.cfm
'FCC Destroyed Media Ownership Report', FAIR, September 15, 2006http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2960
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=22&media_view_id=7890
StopBigMedia.com provides a copy of the draft reporthttp://www.stopbigmedia.com/blog/?p=24
MSNBC notes that senior managers at the agency ordered that “every last piece” of the report be destroyed.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14836500/
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2344
|
__label__wiki
| 0.809668
| 0.809668
|
War on Terror Geopolitics
Terror and Just Response
The following is an article on the globalresearch.org web site, from Noam Chomsky, a leading U.S. foreign policy critic and Institute Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He provides an extensive analysis of the disparity between U.S. government rhetoric on terrorism and the actual direction of U.S. foreign policy. The original article can be found at http://globalresearch.org/view_article.php?aid=440918059.
by Noam Chomsky
(c) Noam Chomsky, July 2002
Noam Chomsky is Institute Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a prolific writer and leading critic of U.S. foreign policy, having authored over 30 political books covering issues including U.S. interventionism in the developing world, the political economy of human rights and the propaganda role of corporate media. An online archive of his political works can be found at http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/.
September 11 will surely go down in the annals of terrorism as a defining moment. Throughout the world, the atrocities were condemned as grave crimes against humanity, with near-universal agreement that all states must act to "rid the world of evildoers," that "the evil scourge of terrorism" -- particularly state-backed international terrorism -- is a plague spread by "depraved opponents of civilization itself" in a "return to barbarism" that cannot be tolerated. But beyond the strong support for the words of the US political leadership -- respectively, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and his Secretary of State George Shultz [1] -- interpretations varied: on the narrow question of the proper response to terrorist crimes, and on the broader problem of determining their nature.
On the latter, an official US definition takes "terrorism" to be "the calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious, or ideological in nature...through intimidation, coercion, or instilling fear."[2] That formulation leaves many question open, among them, the legitimacy of actions to realize "the right to self-determination, freedom, and independence, as derived from the Charter of the United Nations, of people forcibly deprived of that right..., particularly peoples under colonial and racist regimes and foreign occupation..." In its most forceful denunciation of the crime of terrorism, the UN General Assembly endorsed such actions, 153-2.[3]
Explaining their negative votes, the US and Israel referred to the wording just cited. It was understood to justify resistance against the South African regime, a US ally that was responsible for over 1.5 million dead and $60 billion in damage in neighboring countries in 1980-88 alone, putting aside its practices within. And the resistance was led by Nelson Mandela's African National Congress, one of the "more notorious terrorist groups" according to a 1988 Pentagon report, in contrast to pro-South African RENAMO, which the same report describes as merely an "indigenous insurgent group" while observing that it might have killed 100,000 civilians in Mozambique in the preceding two years.[4] The same wording was taken to justify resistance to Israel's military occupation, then in its 20th year, continuing its integration of the occupied territories and harsh practices with decisive US aid and diplomatic support, the latter to block the longstanding international consensus on a peaceful settlement.[5]
Despite such fundamental disagreements, the official US definition seems to me adequate for the purposes at hand,[6] though the disagreements shed some light on the nature of terrorism, as perceived from various perspectives.
Let us turn to the question of proper response. Some argue that the evil of terrorism is "absolute" and merits a "reciprocally absolute doctrine" in response.[7] That would appear to mean ferocious military assault in accord with the Bush doctrine, cited with apparent approval in the same academic collection on the "age of terror": "_If you harbor terrorists, you're a terrorist; if you aid and abet terrorists, you're a terrorist -- and you will be treated like one_." The volume reflects articulate opinion in the West in taking the US-UK response to be appropriate and properly "calibrated," but the scope of that consensus appears to be limited, judging by the evidence available, to which we return.
More generally, it would be hard to find anyone who accepts the doctrine that massive bombing is the appropriate response to terrorist crimes -- whether those of Sept. 11, or even worse ones, which are, unfortunately, not hard to find. That follows if we adopt the principle of universality: if an action is right (or wrong) for others, it is right (or wrong) for us. Those who do not rise to the minimal moral level of applying to themselves the standards they apply to others -- more stringent ones, in fact -- plainly cannot be taken seriously when they speak of appropriateness of response; or of right and wrong, good and evil.
To illustrate what is at stake, consider a case that is far from the most extreme but is uncontroversial; at least, among those with some respect for international law and treaty obligations. No one would have supported Nicaraguan bombings in Washington when the US rejected the order of the World Court to terminate its "unlawful use of force" and pay substantial reparations, choosing instead to escalate the international terrorist crimes and to extend them, officially, to attacks on undefended civilian targets, also vetoing a Security Council resolution calling on all states to observe international law and voting alone at the General Assembly (with one or two client states) against similar resolutions. The US dismissed the ICJ on the grounds that other nations do not agree with us, so we must "reserve to ourselves the power to determine whether the Court has jurisdiction over us in a particular case" and what lies "essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of the United States" -- in this case, terrorist attacks against Nicaragua.[8]
Meanwhile Washington continued to undermine regional efforts to reach a political settlement, following the doctrine formulated by the Administration moderate, George Shultz: the US must "cut [the Nicaraguan cancer] out," by force. Shultz dismissed with contempt those who advocate "utopian, legalistic means like outside mediation, the United Nations, and the World Court, while ignoring the power element of the equation";"Negotiations are a euphemism for capitulation if the shadow of power is not cast across the bargaining table," he declared. Washington continued to adhere to the Shultz doctrine when the Central American Presidents agreed on a peace plan in 1987 over strong US objections: the Esquipulas Accords, which required that all countries of the region move towards democracy and human rights under international supervision, stressing that the "indispensable element" was the termination of the US attack against Nicaragua. Washington responded by sharply expanding the attack, tripling CIA supply flights for the terrorist forces. Having exempted itself from the Accords, thus effectively undermining them, Washington proceeded to do the same for its client regimes, using the substance -- not the shadow -- of power to dismantle the International Verification Commission (CIVS) because its conclusions were unacceptable, and demanding, successfully, that the Accords be revised to free US client states to continue their terrorist atrocities. These far surpassed even the devastating US war against Nicaragua that left tens of thousands dead and the country ruined perhaps beyond recovery. Still upholding the Shultz doctrine, the US compelled the government of Nicaragua, under severe threat, to drop the claim for reparations established by the ICJ.[9]
There could hardly be a clearer example of international terrorism as defined officially, or in scholarship: operations aimed at "demonstrating through apparently indiscriminate violence that the existing regime cannot protect the people nominally under its authority," thus causing not only "anxiety, but withdrawal from the relationships making up the established order of society."[10] State terror elsewhere in Central America in those years also counts as international terrorism, in the light of the decisive US role, and the goals, sometimes frankly articulated; for example, by the Army's School of the Americas, which trains Latin American military officers and takes pride in the fact that "Liberation Theology...was defeated with the assistance of the U.S. Army."[11]
It would seem to follow, clearly enough, that only those who support bombing of Washington in response to these international terrorist crimes -- that is, no one -- can accept the "reciprocally absolute doctrine" on response to terrorist atrocities or consider massive bombardment to be an appropriate and properly "calibrated" response to them.
Consider some of the legal arguments that have been presented to justify the US-UK bombing of Afghanistan; I am not concerned here with their soundness, but their implications, if the principle of uniform standards is maintained. Christopher Greenwood argues that the US has the right of "self-defense" against "those who caused or threatened...death and destruction," appealing to the ICJ ruling in the Nicaragua case. The paragraph he cites applies far more clearly to the US war against Nicaragua than to the Taliban or al-Qaeda, so if it is taken to justify intensive US bombardment and ground attack in Afghanistan, then Nicaragua should have been entitled to carry out much more severe attacks against the US. Another distinguished professor of international law, Thomas Franck, supports the US-UK war on grounds that "a state is responsible for the consequences of permitting its territory to be used to injure another state"; fair enough, and surely applicable to the US in the case of Nicaragua, Cuba, and many other examples, including some of extreme severity.[12]
Needless to say, in none of these cases would violence in "self-defense" against continuing acts of "death and destruction" be considered remotely tolerable; acts, not merely "threats."
The same holds of more nuanced proposals about an appropriate response to terrorist atrocities. Military historian Michael Howard proposes "a police operation conducted under the auspices of the United Nations...against a criminal conspiracy whose members should be hunted down and brought before an international court, where they would receive a fair trial and, if found guilty, be awarded an appropriate sentence." Reasonable enough, though the idea that the proposal should be applied universally is unthinkable. The director of the Center for the Politics of Human Rights at Harvard argues that "The only responsible response to acts of terror is honest police work and judicial prosecution in courts of law, linked to determinate, focused and unrelenting use of military power against those who cannot or will not be brought to justice."[13] That too seems sensible, if we add Howard's qualification about international supervision, and if the resort to force is undertaken after legal means have been exhausted. The recommendation therefore does not apply to 9-11 (the US refused to provide evidence and rebuffed tentative proposals about transfer of the suspects), but it does apply very clearly to Nicaragua.
It applies to other cases as well. Take Haiti, which has provided ample evidence in its repeated calls for extradition of Emmanuel Constant, who directed the forces responsible for thousands of deaths under the military junta that the US was tacitly supporting (not to speak of earlier history); these requests the US ignores, presumably because of concerns about what Constant would reveal if tried. The most recent request was on 30 September 2001, while the US was demanding that the Taliban hand over Bin Laden.[14] The coincidence was also ignored, in accord with the convention that minimal moral standards must be vigorously rejected.
Turning to the "responsible response," a call for implementation of it where it is clearly applicable would elicit only fury and contempt.
Some have formulated more general principles to justify the US war in Afghanistan. Two Oxford scholars propose a principle of "proportionality": "The magnitude of response will be determined by the magnitude with which the aggression interfered with key values in the society attacked"; in the US case, "freedom to pursue self-betterment in a plural society through market economics," viciously attacked on 9-11 by "aggressors...with a moral orthodoxy divergent from the West." Since "Afghanistan constitutes a state that sided with the aggressor," and refused US demands to turn over suspects, "the United States and its allies, according to the principle of magnitude of interference, could justifiably and morally resort to force against the Taliban government."[15]
On the assumption of universality, it follows that Haiti and Nicaragua can "justifiably and morally resort to" far greater force against the US government. The conclusion extends far beyond these two cases, including much more serious ones and even such minor escapades of Western state terror as Clinton's bombing of the al-Shifa pharmaceutical plant in Sudan in 1998, leading to "several tens of thousands" of deaths according to the German Ambassador and other reputable sources, whose conclusions are consistent with the immediate assessments of knowledgeable observers.[16] The principle of proportionality therefore entails that Sudan had every right to carry out massive terror in retaliation, a conclusion that is strengthened if we go on to adopt the view that this act of "the empire" had "appalling consequences for the economy and society" of Sudan so that the atrocity was much worse than the crimes of 9-11, which were appalling enough, but did not have such consequences.[17]
Most commentary on the Sudan bombing keeps to the question of whether the plant was believed to produce chemical weapons; true or false, that has no bearing on "the magnitude with which the aggression interfered with key values in the society attacked," such as survival. Others point out that the killings were unintended, as are many of the atrocities we rightly denounce. In this case, we can hardly doubt that the likely human consequences were understood by US planners. The acts can be excused, then, only on the Hegelian assumption that Africans are "mere things," whose lives have "no value," an attitude that accords with practice in ways that are not overlooked among the victims, who may draw their own conclusions about the "moral orthodoxy of the West."
One participant in the Yale volume (Charles Hill) recognized that 11 September opened the _second_ "war on terror." The first was declared by the Reagan administration as it came to office 20 years earlier, with the rhetorical accompaniment already illustrated; and "we won," Hill reports triumphantly, though the terrorist monster was only wounded, not slain.[18] The first "age of terror" proved to be a major issue in international affairs through the decade, particularly in Central America, but also in the Middle East, where terrorism was selected by editors as the lead story of the year in 1985 and ranked high in other years.
We can learn a good deal about the current war on terror by inquiring into the first phase, and how it is now portrayed. One leading academic specialist describes the 1980s as the decade of "state terrorism," of "persistent state involvement, or `sponsorship,' of terrorism, especially by Libya and Iran." The US merely responded, by adopting "a `proactive' stance toward terrorism." Others recommend the methods by which "we won": the operations for which the US was condemned by the World Court and Security Council (absent the veto) are a model for "Nicaragua-like support for the Taliban's adversaries (especially the Northern Alliance)." A prominent historian of the subject finds deep roots for the terrorism of Osama Bin Laden: in South Vietnam, where "the effectiveness of Vietcong terror against the American Goliath armed with modern technology kindled hopes that the Western heartland was vulnerable too."[19]
Keeping to convention, these analyses portray the US as a benign victim, defending itself from the terror of others: the Vietnamese (in South Vietnam), the Nicaraguans (in Nicaragua), Libyans and Iranians (if they had ever suffered a slight at US hands, it passes unnoticed), and other anti-American forces worldwide.
Not everyone sees the world quite that way. The most obvious place to look is Latin America, which has had considerable experience with international terrorism. The crimes of 9-11 were harshly condemned, but commonly with recollection of their own experiences. One might describe the 9-11 atrocities as "Armageddon," the research journal of the Jesuit university in Managua observed, but Nicaragua has "lived its own Armageddon in excruciating slow motion" under US assault "and is now submerged in its dismal aftermath," and others fared far worse under the vast plague of state terror that swept through the continent from the early 1960s, much of it traceable to Washington. A Panamanian journalist joined in the general condemnation of the 9-11 crimes, but recalled the death of perhaps thousands of poor people (Western crimes, therefore unexamined) when the President's father bombed the barrio Chorillo in December 1989 in Operation Just Cause, undertaken to kidnap a disobedient thug who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Florida for crimes mostly committed while he was on the CIA payroll. Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano observed that the US claims to oppose terrorism, but actually supports it worldwide, including "in Indonesia, in Cambodia, in Iran, in South Africa,...and in the Latin American countries that lived through the dirty war of the Condor Plan," instituted by South American military dictators who conducted a reign of terror with US backing.[20]
The observations carry over to the second focus of the first "war on terror": West Asia. The worst single atrocity was the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, which left some 20,000 people dead and much of the country in ruins, including Beirut. Like the murderous and destructive Rabin-Peres invasions of 1993 and 1996, the 1982 attack had little pretense of self-defense. Chief of Staff Rafael ("Raful") Eitan merely articulated common understanding when he announced that the goal was to "destroy the PLO as a candidate for negotiations with us about the Land of Israel,"[21] a textbook illustration of terror as officially defined. The goal "was to install a friendly regime and destroy Mr. Arafat's Palestinian Liberation Organization," Middle East correspondent James Bennet writes: "That, the theory went, would help persuade Palestinians to accept Israeli rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."[22] This may be the first recognition in the mainstream of facts widely reported in Israel at once, previously accessible only in dissident literature in the US.
These operations were carried out with the crucial military and diplomatic support of the Reagan and Clinton administrations, and therefore constitute international terrorism. The US was also directly involved in other acts of terror in the region in the 1980s, including the most extreme terrorist atrocities of the peak year of 1985: the CIA car-bombing in Beirut that killed 80 people and wounded 250; Shimon Peres's bombing of Tunis that killed 75 people, expedited by the US and praised by Secretary of State Shultz, unanimously condemned by the UN Security Council as an "act of armed aggression" (US abstaining); and Peres's "Iron Fist" operations directed against "terrorist villagers" in Lebanon, reaching new depths of "calculated brutality and arbitrary murder," in the words of a Western diplomat familiar with the area, amply supported by direct coverage.[23] Again, all international terrorism, if not the more severe war crime of aggression.
In journalism and scholarship on terrorism, 1985 is recognized to be the peak year of Middle East terrorism, but not because of these events: rather, because of two terrorist atrocities in which a single person was murdered, in each case an American.[24] But the victims do not so easily forget.
This very recent history takes on added significance because leading figures in the re-declared "war on terror" played a prominent part in its precursor. The diplomatic component of the current phase is led by John Negroponte, who was Reagan's Ambassador to Honduras, the base for the terrorist atrocities for which his government was condemned by the World Court and for US-backed state terror elsewhere in Central America, activities that "made the Reagan years the worse decade for Central America since the Spanish conquest," mostly on Negroponte's watch.[25] The military component of the new phase is led by Donald Rumsfeld, Reagan's special envoy to the Middle East during the years of the worst terrorist atrocities there, initiated or supported by his government.
No less instructive is the fact that such atrocities did not abate in subsequent years. Specifically, Washington's contribution to "enhancing terror" in the Israel-Arab confrontation continues. The term is President Bush's, intended, according to convention, to apply to the terrorism of others. Departing from convention, we find, again, some rather significant examples. One simple way to enhance terror is to participate in it, for example, by sending helicopters to be used to attack civilian complexes and carry out assassinations, as the US regularly does in full awareness of the consequences. Another is to bar the dispatch of international monitors to reduce violence. The US has insisted on this course, once again vetoing a UN Security Council resolution to this effect on 14 December 2001. Describing Arafat's fall from grace to a position barely above Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, the press reports that President Bush was "greatly angered [by] a last-minute hardening of a Palestinian position...for international monitors in Palestinian areas under a UN Security Council resolution"; that is, by Arafat's joining the rest of the world in calling for means to reduce terror.[26]
Ten days before the veto of monitors, the US boycotted -- thus undermined -- an international conference in Geneva that reaffirmed the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the occupied terrorities, so that most US-Israeli actions there are war crimes -- and when "grave breaches," as many are, serious war crimes. These include US-funded Israeli settlements and the practice of "wilful killing, torture, unlawful deportation, wilful depriving of the rights of fair and regular trial, extensive destruction and appropriation of property...carried out unlawfully and wantonly."[27]
The Convention, instituted to criminalize formally the crimes of the Nazis in occupied Europe, is a core principle of international humanitarian law. Its applicability to the Israeli-occupied territories has repeatedly been affirmed, among other occasions, by UN Ambassador George Bush (September 1971) and by Security Council resolutions: 465 (1980), adopted unanimously, which condemned US-backed Israeli practices as "flagrant violations" of the Convention; 1322 (Oct. 2000), 14-0, US abstaining, which called on Israel "to abide scrupulously by its responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention," which it was again violating flagrantly at that moment. As High Contracting Parties, the US and the European powers are obligated by solemn treaty to apprehend and prosecute those responsible for such crimes, including their own leadership when they are parties to them. By continuing to reject that duty, they are enhancing terror directly and significantly.
Inquiry into the US-Israel-Arab conflicts would carry us too far afield. Let's turn further north, to another region where "state terror" is being practiced on a massive scale; I borrow the term from the Turkish State Minister for Human Rights, referring to the vast atrocities of 1994; and sociologist Ismail Besikci, returned to prison after publishing his book _State Terror in the Near East_, having already served 15 years for recording Turkish repression of Kurds.[28] I had a chance to see some of the consequences first-hand when visiting the unofficial Kurdish capital of Diyarbakir several months after 9-11. As elsewhere, the crimes of September 11 were harshly condemned, but not without memory of the savage assault the population had suffered at the hands of those who appoint themselves to "rid the world of evildoers," and their local agents. By 1994, the Turkish State Minister and others estimated that 2 million had been driven out of the devastated countryside, many more later, often with barbaric torture and terror described in excruciating detail in international human rights reports, but kept from the eyes of those paying the bills. Tens of thousands were killed. The remnants -- whose courage is indescribable -- live in a dungeon where radio stations are closed and journalists imprisoned for playing Kurdish music, students are arrested and tortured for submitting requests to take elective courses in their own language, there can be severe penalties if children are found wearing Kurdish national colors by the omnipresent security forces, the respected lawyer who heads the human rights organization was indicted shortly after I was there for using the Kurdish rather than the virtually identical Turkish spelling for the New Year's celebration; and on, and on.
These acts fall under the category of state-sponsored international terrorism. The US provided 80% of the arms, peaking in 1997, when arms transfers exceeded the entire Cold War period combined before the "counter-terror" campaign began in 1984. Turkey became the leading recipient of US arms worldwide, a position it retained until 1999 when the torch was passed to Colombia, the leading practitioner of state terror in the Western hemisphere.[29]
State terror is also "enhanced" by silence and evasion. The achievement was particularly notable against the background of an unprecedented chorus of self-congratulation as US foreign policy entered a "noble phase" with a "saintly glow," under the guidance of leaders who for the first time in history were dedicated to "principles and values" rather than narrow interests.[30] The proof of the new saintliness was their unwillingness to tolerate crimes near the borders of NATO -- only within its borders, where even worse crimes, not in reaction to NATO bombs, were not only tolerable but required enthusiastic participation, without comment.
US-sponsored Turkish state terror does not pass entirely unnoticed. The State Department's annual report on Washington's "efforts to combat terrorism" singled out Turkey for its "positive experiences" in combating terror, along with Algeria and Spain, worthy colleagues. This was reported without comment in a front-page story in the _New York Times_ by its specialist on terrorism. In a leading journal of international affairs, Ambassador Robert Pearson reports that the US "could have no better friend and ally than Turkey" in its efforts "to eliminate terrorism" worldwide, thanks to the "capabilities of its armed forces" demonstrated in its "anti-terror campaign" in the Kurdish southeast. It thus "came as no surprise" that Turkey eagerly joined the "war on terror" declared by George Bush, expressing its thanks to the US for being the only country willing to lend the needed support for the atrocities of the Clinton years -- still continuing, though on a lesser scale now that "we won." As a reward for its achievements, the US is now funding Turkey to provide the ground forces for fighting "the war on terror" in Kabul, though not beyond.[31]
Atrocious state-sponsored international terrorism is thus not overlooked: it is lauded. That also "comes as no surprise." After all, in 1995 the Clinton administration welcomed Indonesia's General Suharto, one of the worst killers and torturers of the late 20th century, as "our kind of guy." When he came to power 30 years earlier, the "staggering mass slaughter" of hundreds of thousands of people, mostly landless peasants, was reported fairly accurately and acclaimed with unconstrained euphoria. When Nicaraguans finally succumbed to US terror and voted the right way, the US was "United in Joy" at this "Victory for US Fair Play," headlines proclaimed. It is easy enough to multiply examples. The current episode breaks no new ground in the record of international terrorism and the response it elicits among the perpetrators.
Let's return to the question of the proper response to acts of terror, specifically 9-11.
It is commonly alleged that the US-UK reaction was undertaken with wide international support. That is tenable, however, only if one keeps to elite opinion. An international Gallup poll found only minority support for military attack rather than diplomatic means.[32] In Europe, figures ranged from 8% in Greece to 29% in France. In Latin America, support was even lower: from 2% in Mexico to 16% in Panama. Support for strikes that included civilian targets was very slight. Even in the two countries polled that strongly supported the use of military force, India and Israel (where the reasons were parochial), considerable majorities opposed such attacks. There was, then, overwhelming opposition to the actual policies, which turned major urban concentrations into "ghost towns" from the first moment, the press reported.
Omitted from the poll, as from most commentary, was the anticipated effect of US policy on Afghans, millions of whom were on the brink of starvation even before 9-11. Unasked, for example, is whether a proper response to 9-11 was to demand that Pakistan eliminate "truck convoys that provide much of the food and other supplies to Afghanistan's civilian population," and to cause the withdrawal of aid workers and a severe reduction in food supplies that left "millions of Afghans...at grave risk of starvation," eliciting sharp protests from aid organizations and warnings of severe humanitarian crisis, judgments reiterated at the war's end.[33]
It is, of course, the assumptions of planning that are relevant to evaluating the actions taken; that too should be transparent. The actual outcome, a separate matter, is unlikely to be known, even roughly; crimes of others are carefully investigated, but not one's own. Some indication is perhaps suggested by the occasional reports on numbers needing food aid: 5 million before 9-11, 7.5 million at the end of September under the threat of bombing, 9 million six months later, not because of lack of food, which was readily available throughout, but because of distribution problems as the country reverted to warlordism.[34]
There are no reliable studies of Afghan opinion, but information is not entirely lacking. At the outset, President Bush warned Afghans that they would be bombed until they handed over people the US suspected of terrorism. Three weeks later, war aims shifted to overthrow of the regime: the bombing would continue, Admiral Sir Michael Boyce announced, "until the people of the country themselves recognize that this is going to go on until they get the leadership changed."[35] Note that the question whether overthrow of the miserable Taliban regime justifies the bombing does not arise, because that did not become a war aim until well after the fact. We can, however, ask about the opinions of Afghans within reach of Western observers about these choices -- which, in both cases, clearly fall within the official definition of international terrorism.
As war aims shifted to regime replacement in late October, 1000 Afghan leaders gathered in Peshawar, some exiles, some coming from within Afghanistan, all committed to overthrowing the Taliban regime. It was "a rare display of unity among tribal elders, Islamic scholars, fractious politicians, and former guerrilla commanders," the press reported. They unanimously "urged the US to stop the air raids," appealed to the international media to call for an end to the "bombing of innocent people," and "demanded an end to the US bombing of Afghanistan." They urged that other means be adopted to overthrow the hated Taliban regime, a goal they believed could be achieved without death and destruction.[36]
A similar message was conveyed by Afghan opposition leader Abdul Haq, who was highly regarded in Washington. Just before he entered Afghanistan, apparently without US support, and was then captured and killed, he condemned the bombing and criticized the US for refusing to support efforts of his and of others "to create a revolt within the Taliban." The bombing was "a big setback for these efforts," he said. He reported contacts with second-level Taliban commanders and ex-Mujahiddin tribal elders, and discussed how such efforts could proceed, calling on the US to assist them with funding and other support instead of undermining them with bombs. But the US, he said, "is trying to show its muscle, score a victory and scare everyone in the world. They don't care about the suffering of the Afghans or how many people we will lose."[37]
The plight of Afghan women elicited some belated concern after 9-11. After the war, there was even some recognition of the courageous women who have been in the forefront of the struggle to defend women's rights for 25 years, RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan). A week after the bombing began, RAWA issued a public statement (Oct. 11) that would have been front-page news wherever concern for Afghan women was real, not a matter of mere expediency. They condemned the resort to "the monster of a vast war and destruction" as the US "launched a vast aggression on our country," that will cause great harm to innocent Afghans. They called instead for "the eradication of the plague of Taliban and Al Qieda" by "an overall uprising" of the Afghan people themselves, which alone "can prevent the repetition and recurrence of the catastrophe that has befallen our country...."
All of this was ignored. It is, perhaps, less than obvious that those with the guns are entitled to ignore the judgment of Afghans who have been struggling for freedom and women's rights for many years, and to dismiss with apparent contempt their desire to overthrow the fragile and hated Taliban regime from within without the inevitable crimes of war.
In brief, review of global opinion, including what is known about Afghans, lends little support to the consensus among Western intellectuals on the justice of their cause.
One elite reaction, however, is certainly correct: it is necessary to inquire into the reasons for the crimes of 9-11. That much is beyond question, at least among those who hope to reduce the likelihood of further terrorist atrocities.
A narrow question is the motives of the perpetrators. On this matter, there is little disagreement. Serious analysts are in accord that after the US established permanent bases in Saudi Arabia, "Bin Laden became preoccupied with the need to expel U.S. forces from the sacred soil of Arabia" and to rid the Muslim world of the "liars and hypocrites" who do not accept his extremist version of Islam.[38]
There is also wide, and justified, agreement that "Unless the social, political, and economic conditions that spawned Al Qaeda and other associated groups are addressed, the United States and its allies in Western Europe and elsewhere will continue to be targeted by Islamist terrorists."[39] These conditions are doubtless complex, but some factors have long been recognized. In 1958, a crucial year in postwar history, President Eisenhower advised his staff that in the Arab world, "the problem is that we have a campaign of hatred against us, not by the governments but by the people," who are "on Nasser's side," supporting independent secular nationalism. The reasons for the "campaign of hatred" had been outlined by the National Security Council a few months earlier: "In the eyes of the majority of Arabs the United States appears to be opposed to the realization of the goals of Arab nationalism. They believe that the United States is seeking to protect its interest in Near East oil by supporting the _status quo_ and opposing political or economic progress...." Furthermore, the perception is accurate: "our economic and cultural interests in the area have led not unnaturally to close U.S. relations with elements in the Arab world whose primary interest lies in the maintenance of relations with the West and the status quo in their countries...."[40]
The perceptions persist. Immediately after 9-11, the _Wall Street Journal_, later others, began to investigate opinions of "moneyed Muslims": bankers, professionals, managers of multinationals, and so on. They strongly support US policies in general, but are bitter about the US role in the region: about US support for corrupt and repressive regimes that undermine democracy and development, and about specific policies, particularly regarding Palestine and Iraq. Though they are not surveyed, attitudes in the slums and villages are probably similar, but harsher; unlike the "moneyed Muslims," the mass of the population have never agreed that the wealth of the region should be drained to the West and local collaborators, rather than serving domestic needs. The "moneyed Muslims" recognize, ruefully, that Bin Laden's angry rhetoric has considerable resonance, in their own circles as well, even though they hate and fear him, if only because they are among his primary targets.[41]
It is doubtless more comforting to believe that the answer to George Bush's plaintive query, "Why do they hate us?," lies in their resentment of our freedom and love of democracy, or their cultural failings tracing back many centuries, or their inability to take part in the form of "globalization" in which they happily participate. Comforting, perhaps, but not wise.
Though shocking, the atrocities of 9-11 could not have been entirely unexpected. Related organizations planned very serious terrorist acts through the 1990s, and in 1993 came perilously close to blowing up the World Trade Center, with much more ambitious plans. Their thinking was well understood, certainly by the US intelligence agencies that had helped to recruit, train, and arm them from 1980 and continued to work with them even as they were attacking the US. The Dutch government inquiry into the Srebrenica massacre revealed that while they were attempting to blow up the World Trade Center, radical Islamists from the CIA-formed networks were being flown by the US from Afghanistan to Bosnia, along with Iranian-backed Hizbollah fighters and a huge flow of arms, through Croatia, which took a substantial cut. They were being brought to support the US side in the Balkan wars, while Israel (along with Ukraine and Greece) was arming the Serbs (possibly with US-supplied arms), which explains why "unexploded mortar bombs landing in Sarajevo sometimes had Hebrew markings," British political scientist Richard Aldrich observes, reviewing the Dutch government report.[42]
More generally, the atrocities of 9-11 serve as a dramatic reminder of what has long been understood: with contemporary technology, the rich and powerful no longer are assured the near monopoly of violence that has largely prevailed throughout history. Though terrorism is rightly feared everywhere, and is indeed an intolerable "return to barbarism," it is not surprising that perceptions about its nature differ rather sharply in the light of sharply differing experiences, facts that will be ignored at their peril by those whom history has accustomed to immunity while they perpetrate terrible crimes.
[1] Bush cited by Rich Heffern, _National Catholic Reporter_, Jan. 11, 2002. Reagan, _New York Times_, Oct. 18, 1985. Shultz, U.S. Dept. of State, _Current Policy_ No. 589, June 24, 1984; No. 629, Oct. 25, 1984.
[2] _US Army Operational Concept for Terrorism Counteraction_, TRADOC Pamphlet No. 525-37, 1984.
[3] Res. 42/159, 7 Dec. 1987; Honduras abstaining.
[4] Joseba Zulaika and William Douglass, _Terror and Taboo_ (New York, London: Routledge, 1996), 12. 1980-88 record, see "Inter-Agency Task Force, Africa Recovery Program/Economic Commission, _South African Destabilization: the Economic Cost of Frontline Resistance to Apartheid_, NY, UN, 1989, 13, cited by Merle Bowen, _Fletcher Forum_, Winter 1991. On expansion of US trade with South Africa after Congress authorized sanctions in 1985 (overriding Reagan's veto), see Gay McDougall, Richard Knight, in Robert Edgar, ed., _Sanctioning Apartheid_ (Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1990).
[5] For review of unilateral US rejectionism for 30 years, see my introduction to Roane Carey, ed., _The New Intifada_ (London, New York: Verso, 2000); see sources cited for more detail.
[6] It is, however, never used. On the reasons, see Alexander George, ed., _Western State Terrorism_ (Cambridge: Polity-Blackwell, 1991).
[7] Strobe Talbott and Nayan Chanda, introduction, _The Age of Terror: America and the World after September 11_ (New York: Basic Books and the Yale U. Center for the Study of Globalization, 2001).
[8] Abram Sofaer, "The United States and the World Court," U.S. Dept. of State, _Current Policy_, No. 769 (Dec. 1985). The vetoed Security Council resolution called for compliance with the ICJ orders, and, mentioning no one, called on all states "to refrain from carrying out, supporting or promoting political, economic or military actions of any kind against any state of the region." Elaine Sciolino, _NYT_, July 31, 1986.
[9] Shultz, "Moral Principles and Strategic Interests," April 14, 1986, U.S. Dept. of State, _Current Policy_ No. 820. Shultz Congressional testimony, see Jack Spence in Thomas Walker, ed., _Reagan versus the Sandinistas_ (Boulder, London: Westview, 1987). For review of the undermining of diplomacy and escalation of international state terror, see my _Culture of Terrorism_ (Boston: South End, 1988); _Necessary Illusions_ (Boston: South End, 1989); _Deterring Democracy_ (London, New York: Verso, 1991). On the aftermath, see Thomas Walker and Ariel Armony, eds., _Repression, Resistance, and Democratic Transition in Central America_ (Wilmington: Scholarly Resources, 2000). On reparations, see Howard Meyer, _The World Court in Action_ (Lanham, MD, Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002), chap. 14.
[10] Edward Price, "The Strategy and Tactics of Revolutionary Terrorism," _Comparative Studies in Society and History 19:1_; cited by Chalmers Johnson, "American Militarism and Blowback," _New Political Science_ 24.1, 2002.
[11] SOA, 1999, cited by Adam Isacson and Joy Olson, _Just the Facts_ (Washington: Latin America Working Group and Center for International Policy, 1999), ix.
[12] Greenwood, "International law and the `war against terrorism'," _International Affairs_ 78.2 (2002), appealing to par. 195 of _Nicaragua v. USA_, which the Court did not use to justify its condemnation of US terrorism, but surely is more appropriate to that than to the case that concerns Greenwood. Franck, "Terrorism and the Right of Self-Defense," _American J. of International Law_ 95.4 (Oct. 2001).
[13] Howard, _Foreign Affairs_, Jan/Feb 2002; talk of Oct. 30, 2001 (Tania Branigan, _Guardian_, Oct. 31). Ignatieff, _Index on Censorship_ 2, 2002.
[14] _NYT_, Oct. 1, 2001.
[15] Frank Schuller and Thomas Grant, _Current History_, April 2002.
[16] Werner Daum, "Universalism and the West," _Harvard International Review_, Summer 2001. On other assessments, and the warnings of Human Rights Watch, see my _9-11_ (New York: Seven Stories, 2001), 45ff.
[17] Christopher Hitchens, _Nation_, June 10, 2002.
[18] Talbott and Chanda, _op. cit._
[19] Martha Crenshaw, Ivo Daalder and James Lindsay, David Rapoport, _Current History_, _America at War_, Dec. 2001. On interpretations of the first "war on terror" at the time, see George, _op. cit._
[20] _Env¡o_ (UCA Managua), Oct.; Ricardo Stevens (Panama), NACLA _Report on the Americas_, Nov/Dec; Galeano, _La Jornada_ (Mexico City), cited by Alain Frachon, _Le Monde_, Nov. 24, 2001.
[21] For many sources, see my _Fateful Triangle_ (Boston: South End, 1983; updated 1999 edition, on South Lebanon in the 1990s); _Pirates and Emperors_ (New York: Claremont, 1986; Pluto, London, forthcoming); _World Orders Old and New_.
[22] Bennet, _NYT_, Jan. 24, 2002
[23] For details, see my essay in George, _op. cit_.
[24] Crenshaw, _op. cit._
[25] Chalmers Johnson, _Nation_, Oct. 15, 2001.
[26] Ian Williams, _Middle East International_, 21 Dec. 2001, 11 Jan. 2002. John Donnelly, _Boston Globe_, April 25, 2002; the specific reference is to an earlier US veto.
[27] Conference of High Contracting Parties, _Report on Israeli Settlement_, Jan.-Feb. 2002 (Foundation for Middle East Peace, Washington). On these matters see Francis Boyle, "Law and Disorder in the Middle East," _The Link_ 35.1, Jan.-March 2002.
[28] For some details, see my _New Military Humanism_ (Monroe ME: Common Courage, 1999), chap. 3, and sources cited. On evasion of the facts in the State Department Human Rights Report, see Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, _Middle East and North Africa_ (New York, 1995), 255.
[29] Tamar Gabelnick, William Hartung, and Jennifer Washburn, _Arming Repression: U.S. Arms Sales to Turkey During the Clinton Administration_ (New York and Washington: World Policy Institute and Federation of Atomic Scientists, October 1999). I exclude Israel-Egypt, a separate category. On state terror in Colombia, now largely farmed out to paramilitaries in standard fashion, see particularly Human Rights Watch, _The Sixth Division_ (Sept. 2001) and Colombia Human Rights Certification III, Feb. 2002. Also, among others, Me'dicos Sin Fronteras, _Desterrados_ (Bogota' 2001).
[30] For a sample, see _New Military Humanism_ and my _A New Generation Draws the Line_ (London, NY: Verso, 2000).
[31] Judith Miller, _NYT_, April 30, 2000. Pearson, _Fletcher Forum_ 26:1, Winter/Spring 2002.
[32] http://www.gallup.international.com/terrorismpoll-figures.htm; data from Sept. 14-17, 2001.
[33] John Burns, _NYT_, Sept. 16, 2001; Samina Amin, _International Security_ 26.3, Winter 2001-02). For some earlier warnings, see _9-11_. On the postwar evaluation of international agencies, see Imre Karacs, _Independent on Sunday_ (London), Dec. 9, 2001, reporting their warnings that over a million people are "beyond their reach and face death from starvation and disease." For some press reports, see my "Peering into the Abyss of the Future," Lakdawala Memorial Lecture, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi, Nov. 2001, updated Feb. 2002.
[34] _Ibid._, for early estimates. Barbara Crossette, _NYT_, March 26, and Ahmed Rashid, _WSJ_, June 6, 2002, reporting the assessment of the UN World Food Program and the failure of donors to provide pledged funds. The WFP reports that "wheat stocks are exhausted, and there is no funding" to replenish them (Rashid). The UN had warned of the threat of mass starvation at once because the bombing disrupted planting that provides 80% of the country's grain supplies (AFP, Sept. 28; Edith Lederer, AP, Oct. 18, 2001). Also Andrew Revkin, _NYT_, Dec. 16, 2001, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture, with no mention of bombing.
[35] Patrick Tyler and Elisabeth Bumiller, _NYT_, Oct. 12, quoting Bush; Michael Gordon, _NYT_, Oct. 28, 2001, quoting Boyce; both p. 1.
[36] Barry Bearak, _NYT_, Oct. 25; John Thornhill and Farhan Bokhari, _Financial Times_, Oct. 25, Oct. 26; John Burns, _NYT_, Oct. 26; Indira Laskhmanan, _BG_, Oct. 25, 26, 2001.
[37] Interview, Anatol Lieven, _Guardian_, Nov. 2, 2001.
[38] Ann Lesch, _Middle East Policy_ IX.2, June 2002. Also Michael Doran, _Foreign Affairs_, Jan.-Feb. 2002; and many others, including several contributors to _Current History_, Dec. 2001.
[39] Sumit Ganguly, _Ibid_.
[40] For sources and background discussion, see my _World Orders Old and New_, 79, 201f.
[41] Peter Waldman et al., _WSJ_, Sept. 14, 2001; also Waldman and Hugh Pope, _WSJ_, Sept. 21, 2001.
[42] Aldrich, _Guardian_, 22 April, 2002.
Oil Politics in Central Asia
Distortion, Deception, and Terrorism
Why is there a War in Afghanistan?
The Great Game
Reaching the Parts Other Empires Could not Reach
The Colder War
Europe’s Cry That U.S. Won’t Consult
The U.S. War on Terror and East Asia
Axis Of Evil—in Washington
Blair’s Britain Wants a Return to Age of Empire
Diplomatic Impunity
Why is America Hated in the Middle East
New Crusade: The U.S. War on Terrorism
Mourn on the Fourth of July
Sweeping Military Aid Under the Anti-Terrorism Rug
Bali and Imperialism
New World Disorder: Arms Dealers Profit from War on Terror
A New Pearl Harbor
U.S. Cold War Propaganda in the Middle East
U.S. military in Europe: The Pentagon’s Eastern obsession
Harold Pinter—Nobel Lecture: Art, Truth & Politics
War On Terrorism Leaves South Asia in Turmoil
Gates Dealing with Blowback from His CIA Policies
Posted: Saturday, July 13, 2002
Why War in Afghanistan?
Reaching Parts
U.S. Won’t Consult
Britain Wants Return to Empire
Why is America Hated
New Crusade
Just Response
Military 'Aid'
Arms Dealers Profit from War on Terror
U.S. Middle East Propaganda
U.S. military in Europe
Harold Pinter Nobel Prize Speech
South Asia in Turmoil
Gates CIA Policy Blowback
Arms Trade: Big Business
Training Human Rights Violators
Arms Sales Propaganda
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2345
|
__label__cc
| 0.625663
| 0.374337
|
BSX chief Wojciechowski on the future of ILS
By Samera Owusu Tutu2015-12-08T11:54:00+00:00
Global Reinsurance interviews stock exchange chief
How big a role has the Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX) played in the boom of ILS?
We have about 142 listed ILS vehicles right now on the BSX, they’re about $17.8bn, which equates to about of the total markets right now being quoted to be $24bn, and we’ve got 70% of the global issuances listed on the exchange. They’re coming from all over, they’re not just Bermudian companies, they’re Irish, and they are from other places as well. We saw that as a real opportunity because Bermuda is the third largest reinsurance industry in the world, it’s been operating in this space for decades. Bermuda insurers have been servicing global clients for many many years, and because of its, the infrastructure that’s developed in the country and the base level of experience there, Bermuda has become very effective in being a driver of innovation for new products.
In 2008 things changed, we started to watch the kind of structural changes happening in the market, including how capital flowed into the market. Capital was flowing into vehicles that were providing risk transfer for insurance companies – it was intuitive for us that in order for the market to continue to drive and create and innovate, capital markets would have to become involved as well.
The investment side of the market like the investment profile of ILS as a risk diversifier, and there is a lot more comfort in global capital markets. While those actually involved in creating and driving the product are looking at ways to continue to thrive they’re business, we as infrastructure providers are looking at ways to bring further support – and investors.
Why has ILS had such an impact on the (re)insurance market?
I think there are some exciting dynamics in the market where you do have investor appetite, and you do have the fuel to actually drive the industry to look at other ways to create innovation, and when I say innovation it’s basically diversifying risk.
In the broader capital market, investors were making their yields and they were quite happy, they didn’t have to take extra time to understand what risk transfer is and what cover and triggers are. But the global financial crisis really shifted the landscape, and I think that really give the impetus to the capital market looking for additional ways to invest their money, and ILS was a great answer to that. They’re very low correlation to the broader capital markets, and they’re a wonderful hedge from a portfolio management perspective. It was at the cost of the global financial crisis, but it created a new environment and since then we’ve just watched innovation start to take hold.
Has ILS shaken off its disruptor mantle and is it now being seen as part of the landscape?
When we first started this, the question was is this cannibalistic or is it complementary, and the jury was out. Some were saying it was not good, because right away it was the unknown, it was scary, and it has done exactly what many felt it was going to do. But the current situation in the market isn’t happening just because of third party capital coming in – there are a variety of factors contributing to the state of the market, third party capital is only one. What has changed is now there is an acceptance that it’s here to stay, a true acceptance that ILS is going to slowly coexist with traditional reinsurance – so much so that you see competing jurisdictions. One of our biggest competitor announcements was London saying it needs to be involved in ILS.
How does the London Announcement add to the validity of ILS?
When Lloyd’s, such a staid and respected organisation, realises that we need to somehow develop a strategy here, you know that does say something. It says that structurally there is an evolution happening in the market. Evolution is awesome for markets, because it does provide innovation, it is somewhat disruptive, but in this case it has the opportunity to actually drive very important development for countries that are developing. This innovation will force traditional structures to look beyond the traditional model. Right now, from our experience at the BSX, of the 142 listed items, they’re very heavily weighted in US property catastrophe, largely wind and largely quake – but that’s just because there’s huge losses there and it’s easy due to the infrastructure to quantify losses as they happen. But when you look at what the investment market wants, they want more profit, they want to invest in more products. The demand is out there, it’s just the supply is not.
Where next for ILS and the BSX?
I think the market dynamics are right for growth. It’s not going to happen overnight, there is structural work that has to happen. Right now, 7 of the world’s mega-cities are in the Asia region, and they’re really under-covered. So there’s work that has to be done to bring these countries in line.
We recently did our first Chinese deal: the China reinsurance listed Panda Re has started to recognise that at least in this instance ILS could work for them. But there are structural things that everybody’s going to have to work on to make the products flow a little bit more. We at BSX sit in a very comfortable position where that’s starting to happen.
Craig Landi joins Argo Group as US professional lines lead
Landi brings 30 years of experience to the Bermuda-based underwriter
UK ILS framework gathers pace with new consultation
The London Market Group commends the UK Government’s “comprehensive” document
Cat Bond issuance down by 25%, but ILS still growing
The asset class shows continuing market maturity as cedents explore a range of risk transfer alternatives
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2347
|
__label__wiki
| 0.745243
| 0.745243
|
Highly anticipated 14th 5-Year Plan may focus on 'dual circulation,' tech research independence
By Ma Jingjing and Chu Daye Source: Global Times Published: 2020/10/24 16:13:47 Last Updated: 2020/10/26 0:31:25
Five-year plan Photo:VCG
With major changes unfolding around the world and a global economy falling into deep recession due to COVID-19, China's forthcoming 14th Five-Year (2021-25) Plan is expected guide the economy for the years to come and provide the world with an understanding of how the country will achieve its development goals amid worldwide turbulence.
The fifth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, scheduled to be held in Beijing from October 26 to 29, is expected to formulate the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and discuss far-reaching targets for 2035.
The new Five-Year Plan, which is very much in the spotlight this week, will mark the next stage in China's journey toward fully building a modern socialist country, as China faces a complex external environment that is very different from five years ago.
Currently, major countries are undergoing profound changes - especially the relationship between China and the US which is increasingly complex. Globalization is encountering severe countercurrents and technological competition has intensified and geopolitical risks are on the rise.
An unmanned ship unloader collects cargo from a ship in Wuhu, East China’s Anhui Province on Tuesday. Photo: cnsphoto
"External uncertainties are furthering global economic decline in the wake of resurgences in COVID-19 cases in the US and Europe, and a 'dual circulation' strategy will be of crucial importance for China in the next five years," said Cao Heping, professor at the School of Economics of Peking University, referring to a new development pattern which has its roots in domestic development but allows domestic and international development to reinforce each other.
Specific goals focusing on every development stages will be made clear in the 14th Five-Year Plan to guide economic and social development, Cao told the Global Times on Friday. "The country used to stress economic growth driven by exports, government-led investment, innovation and consumption, but the new strategy is more precise and inclusive to resolve new problems emerging in our development," he said.
Under a "dual circulation" strategy, technological innovation will drive China's manufacturing industry and push it up the global value chain while strategically ensuring domestic supply, experts noted. Achieving independence in key areas, such as scientific research and finance, is expected to be a focus.
"Technologies relevant to semiconductors, 5G and quantum computing, among others will be likely mentioned in the 14th Five-Year Plan. Policy support involving taxes support and talent nurturing will surely be included," Li Chang'an, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics' School of Public Administration, told the Global Times on Friday.
Flexible planning
Experts said that planning for the next five years should be flexible enough to swiftly respond to uncertainties brought about by a variety of factors.
The formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan comes at a critical time with increasing risk of decoupling with the US. China has to draw up plans to address challenges in the economy, diplomacy and industrial development in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has seen the worst global recession in decades and has impacted supply chains and demand worldwide.
Analysts said supply-side structural reforms, and reforms governing population migration and fostering people's income will draw policymakers' attention.
Tourists shop at a duty-free shopping mall in Sanya City, south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 5, 2020. Hainan is witnessing a boom in duty-free sales during this National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.Photo:Xinhua
The existing trend of massive population migration between Chinese cities will continue over the next five years and the government should come up with corresponding population and land use policies, Lian Ping, head of Zhixin Investment Research Institute, told the Global Times on Friday.
Li said that China may revise economic and social development targets during the 14th Five-Year Plan to stimulate growth but they will be within a range. He projected that China may set an annual GDP growth target of 4-5 percent for 2021-25.
During the first four years of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), China maintained GDP growth of 6.6 percent, slightly higher than the target of 6.5 percent.
Despite the tremendous shock of the global pandemic, the resilient Chinese economy is the first major economy to post positive growth this year, growing 0.7 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters.
Cao said the country will conduct more reforms over the next five years to release huge domestic economic potential. After achieving the goals of securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as well as winning the fight against poverty which is soon to be realized, China will further narrow residents' income gap and improve its social security system.
By 2022 China is expected to enter the threshold of "high-income countries" as classified by the World Bank.
Dual circulation model an engine to China’s 14th Five-Year Plan
China to downplay GDP growth target in new five-year plan: economists
Posted in: ECONOMY
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2348
|
__label__wiki
| 0.984454
| 0.984454
|
Press Release / April 9, 2010
Campaigners applaud passing of landmark UK bribery bill
In the final days of business before the General Election, Parliament has passed new anti-bribery legislation, sending an unequivocal message that bribery by British companies will not be tolerated at home or abroad.
Development and anti-corruption agencies including Bond, CAFOD, Global Witness and Tearfund welcome yesterday's Royal Assent of the Bribery Act as an important step in combating bribery by UK companies. "We know from our work in Africa, Asia and Latin America that it is the poorest and most vulnerable people who suffer the most as a result of bribery,' says Laura Webster, Tearfund Head of Policy. "The party which forms the next government must show a high-level commitment to use this legislation to stamp out bribery by UK companies."
The Act brings UK laws up to date by creating a new offence of bribing a foreign public official and a corporate offence for companies that fail to prevent bribery.
"We believe that the UK has an obligation to ensure that companies based here do not contribute to corruption overseas through bribery, or other means,' says Sonya Maldar, Policy Analyst for CAFOD. ‘We welcome the Act as part of a commitment by the UK Government to tackling this issue and hope that the new government will enforce the new legislation without delay."
"Bribery undermines transparency and effective governance, discourages foreign investment, wastes public money and puts essential services at risk," says George Boden from Global Witness.
The Act will go some way to restoring the UK's international reputation, tarnished by government intervention to prevent the investigation into the BAE Systems - Al Yamamah military contract with Saudi Arabia, and past failure to bring UK laws into line with obligations under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
The agencies say it is critical that this legislation is implemented at the earliest opportunity. Non statutory guidance for business is a requirement under the Act, which can be of practical value to companies as they bring their procedures in line with the new law. However, the completion of guidance for companies must not be used to delay enforcement of this overdue piece of legislation.
Ensuring that there are sufficient resources available to enforce the Act, including funding for the Serious Fraud Office and City of London Police to carry out investigations, will be crucial if the new legislation is to have teeth.
Katie Harrison at Tearfund on 020 8943 7986
Pascale Palmer at CAFOD on 07785 950 585
George Boden at Global Witness on 0207 492 5899
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2349
|
__label__wiki
| 0.936084
| 0.936084
|
What the Nexus One isn't
Google's introduction of the Nexus One doesn't live up to many of the hopes for the device
Nancy Gohring (IDG News Service) on 06 January, 2010 08:25
Perhaps as interesting as describing Google's Nexus One, unveiled on Tuesday, is examining what the phone isn't.
Google introduced the much-hyped phone on Tuesday during a press event at its Mountain View, California, headquarters. The Nexus One was expected to be the long-awaited "Google phone," the so-called device that would be designed, branded and sold by Google. The Nexus One seems to meet two of those three.
"It's inaccurate to say that Google designed the phone," said Andy Rubin, vice president of engineering at Google, when pressed during a question-and-answer session following the unveiling of the phone. "It's Peter's work," he said, referring to HTC CEO Peter Chou. "We're just merchandising it online in our store."
Before the floor was opened for reporter's questions, Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management, had said "the phone was designed in close partnership with HTC."
However it was designed, without the merchandising component, the development of the Nexus One sounds quite similar to many of the previously released Android phones.
"It's not a change in the way Google's doing business, except for the sales channel," said Avi Greengart, an analyst with Current Analysis. "In that respect, it's a direct successor to the G1 and the Magic," he said, naming two previously released HTC Android phones.
Google plans to include additional phones made by other manufacturers into the store in the future, executives said.
Also, while the Nexus One is being sold unlocked, it is essentially a T-Mobile phone, at least initially. Customers can buy the Nexus One at a discounted price with a contract on T-Mobile's network. If a consumer buys the phone unlocked for $530, the customer can use the phone on AT&T's network, but without access to the high-speed 3G network. The phone can't be used on Verizon Wireless' or Sprint's network currently.
The Nexus One also won't support tethering, a much sought after feature. Rubin said the lack of tethering isn't a technical issue but a business issue. That could mean that operators are pressuring Google not to allow it for fear of overloading their networks.
The Nexus One also doesn't support multitouch, like its competitor the iPhone, even though Android software supports it. Rubin wouldn't be drawn on why, saying only that Google will consider adding it.
The phone does not come with any innovative pricing plans like some people had hoped. For instance, there was some speculation that Google might offer some kind of discounts in exchange for displaying ads to users.
When asked about pricing models, Rubin bristled at the description of the offered pricing models as boring. But he hinted that more options might come. "One thing we're good at at Google is iterating," he said. The first step was to get the online store up and running, from there the search giant can add more ideas.
The Nexus One also won't be available, at least initially, for consumers to examine in a store before buying. Google is going with an online-only model at least at the start, a model that has proved challenging to other mobile phone makers in the U.S.
"Google is seemingly intentionally limiting sales by only selling online," Greengart said. "That's not how U.S. consumers shop." Nokia has tried and largely failed to sell phones primarily online in the U.S.
Still, to most consumers who aren't considered "digirati," the Nexus One probably will look like a great option, Greengart said. "The combination of technologies at its price point when subsidized is very competitive," he noted. The Nexus One costs $179 with a T-Mobile contract.
The differences between it and the Droid, however, come down to processor and screen. The Nexus One has a very fast 1Ghz Snapdragon processor and a slightly better screen than the Droid. The Nexus One also has updated software, but they are relatively modest.
Tags smartphonesGoogle Androidnexus one
Nancy Gohring
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2351
|
__label__wiki
| 0.873458
| 0.873458
|
Virginia Beach Leaders Have Concerns About 5G Antennas
The challenge for the Virginia city is trying to balance being a modern destination with the lack of control over where new poles will be installed. Some have voiced concern about devices cluttering the city skyline.
by Stacy Parker, The Virginian-Pilot / July 19, 2019
Virginia Beach, Va. Shutterstock/J. Bicking
(TNS) — Wireless carriers are beginning to lay the groundwork for new technology that will allow people to use their cellphones at higher speeds.
A network of antennas attached to poles as high as 40 feet will be scattered throughout the resort area and in suburban neighborhoods across the city.
These short-range, small cell antennas that look like mini rockets enable dense population areas to handle increases in data use. They'll also serve a new, fifth-generation (5G) technology that's coming to the region. 5G uses high-frequency waves to support faster wireless connections.
For cellphone users, the goal is to ultimately boost speeds for internet browsing, video streaming, downloads and apps.
But the idea of more metal clutter in the resort area is irking some resort leaders. Utility poles and equipment already interrupt the free-flowing landscape, they argue.
"These poles, they take up space," said Billy Almond, chairman of the Resort Advisory Commission's planning and design committee. "They’re an immovable object near the bike path or pedestrian ways."
Citing safety issues, particularly on the Boardwalk, the commission is hoping to gain some control over where poles may be installed. It could be a long shot.
"From the city level, there’s not much we can do," Debra Bryan, an associate city attorney, told commission members recently.
The General Assembly began passing legislation two years ago to cut through red tape in the permitting process at the city level. It allows wireless carriers to erect 5G poles on public property with little city input.
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission also issued a ruling to support the implementation of small cell antennas across the U.S. That ruling includes a "shot clock" measure that prevents localities from stalling on requests from wireless providers.
Dozens of small cell tower applications are currently being approved each month in Virginia Beach. More are expected.
The challenge for the city is trying to balance being a modern destination with the lack of control over where new poles will be installed.
"We want the latest technology for our visitors," Bryan said. "We want them to be able to connect."
The cell antennas are not just a concern at the Oceanfront. These poles are coming to a neighborhood near you.
Tech race
Three years ago, wireless providers began urging state legislators to create regulations to streamline applications to erect cell antennas on public property. It had become too difficult for them to work with private property owners, Bryan said.
A national push to beat China in a so-called "5G race" has helped bolster the industry. Nearly two dozen states supported regulations, and a handful of cities, including Denver, Chicago and Atlanta, are rolling out 5G service today. Consumers need a new 5G phone to access the network.
Virginia was one of the first states to adopt laws on the placement of such poles on public property.
Five wireless service providers currently hold franchise agreements with Virginia Beach to install small cell antennas in the public rights of way. There are no limits as to how many can go in a given area. The range is about 1,500 feet, according to industry experts.
A small cell antenna and all its exposed elements can range from the size of a pizza box to a refrigerator. There's also underground fiber and electrical components that could be placed above ground.
When the FCC adopted the measure last year to streamline installations, providers kicked it into high gear.
They've been submitting dozens of permit applications at a time, with as many as 140 a few months ago, putting a strain on the city, Bryan said.
The documents that wireless providers file with the city include a plan for the site and traffic control during construction as well as information about the equipment to be installed.
After the mass shooting in the municipal center building where permits and inspection offices are located, reviews of the applications slowed down for a couple of weeks.
Five city employees are now tasked with inspecting new applications for poles in the public domain. But after a certain number of days — which can range from 60 to 90 depending on whether the antenna will go on an existing pole or a new one — the application is granted under state law.
"We have more to look at and we have to take less time to do it," Bryan said.
Permit fees are capped at $250 for attaching to an existing structure and $500 for a new pole. "Nothing that would allow us to fund another position in our Planning Department," Bryan said.
Poles pop up
Kendra Adams has rented a brick townhome in Southhall Quarter off First Colonial Road for 30 years. The neatly landscaped end unit is near Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital.
One day this spring, she came home and heard a loud noise. She stood on a chair in her backyard and looked over her fence where she saw men digging a hole.
She soon learned that Jacobs Engineering Group, on behalf of AT&T Wireless, would be laying underground fiber for a 5G cell tower. A site plan for the 25-foot pole that she and her neighbors obtained from the city showed the antenna would be installed a few feet from her upstairs bedroom window.
Adams wondered why the company hadn't chosen the nearby city park, or even the grassy corner several feet away, near a service drive. She worried about how it would look, whether it would pose a health risk and lower her property value.
George Okaty, Southhall Quarter Civic League president, and Adams reached out to city and state legislators when they couldn't get answers from AT&T, they said.
After listening to the neighbors' concerns, the contractor has changed its plan and will install the pole near the service drive and away from Adams' window, an engineer for the firm confirmed Wednesday.
In Virginia Beach and Norfolk, five small cell franchisees have been permitted on existing and new poles in the public rights of way. Norfolk has nearly 100 small cell antennas, including in Ghent and near Old Dominion University, according to city spokeswoman Lori Crouch.
Verizon and AT&T combined have more than 100 active permits for the equipment in Virginia Beach now. They are looking for opportunities to attach their antennas to existing street light poles, which are owned by Dominion Virginia Power, where possible, Bryan said.
If the wireless providers can’t find a pole to use, they install a new one.
Many of the existing ones on the Boardwalk can't support the weight of the antenna equipment, Mike Eason, the city's resort administrator, said at the commission meeting.
In some cases, poles look different at the site than the plans submitted in the permit application, Bryan said.
"Right now we don’t really have a mechanism to hold them accountable," she said. "An inspector comes back and says, 'What happened?' and now it's already there. I don't know what the answer is to that but hire more inspectors and go out every day and see what they're doing."
AT&T has submitted applications to attach antennas to city-owned light poles on Atlantic Avenue, and Verizon wants to put them on the Boardwalk, Bryan said.
The first pole at the Oceanfront was erected in the spring on the northwest corner of Pacific and Norfolk avenues.
It failed city inspection in May because it didn't match the site plan, Bryan said. The electrical meter wasn't mounted on the pole as presented in the application. Instead, it's on a pedestal several feet away. The city is holding their electrical permit until they fix it.
Bryan is hopeful that the city can quickly develop aesthetic criteria for the poles within federal guidelines. A committee is currently drafting the criteria, according to Bobby Tajan, the city's planning director.
Among the FCC's guidelines, the city cannot impose tighter restrictions than they have for any other utility pole.
Without much getting in the way of the antennas being erected, another alternative would be to fight the federal government to ban them.
"There are some cities that are just saying 'No,'" Bryan said. "We’re a tourist town. ... We do want our people to be connected — to take our selfies at the beach."
©2019 The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Southern California Cities Grapple with 5G Infrastructure
NOAA Official: 5G Threatens Weather Forecast Accuracy
Verizon, AT&T Expect New Generation of 5G by Early 2020
MORE FROM Network
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2355
|
__label__wiki
| 0.663428
| 0.663428
|
News + Politics
OPINION: Time to Choose—Joe Biden or Donald Trump?
Editor’s note: The views expressed in these opinion pieces are those of the authors alone and not of Hadassah, which is a nonpartisan organization that does not endorse candidates or engage in partisan activities. Recognizing the importance of the upcoming election, Hadassah Magazine is presenting these pieces because we believe our readers deserve to hear views about the candidates from female Jewish leaders.
WHY I’M SUPPORTING DONALD TRUMP
By Lauri B. Regan
Donald Trump is the most pro-Israel president America has ever had, taking unprecedented measures that help Israel and Jews everywhere survive in an increasingly dangerous world. He is also one of the most patriotic presidents in recent memory.
Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the United States Embassy there, and recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the strategically important Golan Heights. He ignored the anti-Israel United Nations resolution 2334, which passed with the unprecedented, tacit approval of the Obama administration, and proposed a peace plan that would permit Israel to extend its laws to some Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. He discontinued funding for the Hamas-supported United Nations Relief and Works Agency and closed the Palestinian Liberation Organization office in Washington.
Trump withdrew from the Obama-led Iran nuclear deal that would have enabled the world’s largest state-sponsor of terrorism to eventually obtain nuclear weapons. He slowed Iran’s hegemonic ambitions, including reimposing crippling sanctions. Trump understands that Israel is the United States’ most strategic, valuable asset in the region, playing a vital role in America’s national security—and that of world Jewry.
Trump signed the Taylor Force Act, which prohibits certain American aid to the Palestinian Authority unless that governing body stops rewarding Palestinian terrorists for killing innocent Americans and Israelis. He also signed an executive order extending civil rights laws to protect Jewish students from rampant anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Given extensive efforts across the globe—including BDS, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement—to destroy the Jewish homeland, Trump’s significant initiatives must remain in place. Yet, all of these groundbreaking policies can easily be reversed by a less-friendly administration. In a world of growing anti-Semitism—as witnessed among the founding leadership of the national Women’s March, within the Black Lives Matter movement, on college campuses and even within a wing of the Democratic Party—American Jews must prioritize protecting themselves, not the social issues that traditionally sway their votes. With a new movement by some to either defund Israel or restrict the use of United States aid, American Jews have an obligation to protect our families and frontline Israeli brethren by electing Trump, a true friend, to a second term.
Despite media distortions, Trump has never supported white supremacists. Indeed, in the aftermath of the 2017 Charlottesville rallies, he stated that “the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups…are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.” And in conjunction with his executive order addressing anti-Semitism on campus, he said, “The vile, hate-filled poison of anti-Semitism must be condemned and confronted everywhere and anywhere it appears.”
Trump loves his country and wishes to move it forward with pro-growth economic policies and opportunities for all Americans, including strengthened trade agreements, deregulation, tax reform and increased employment, along with a strong foreign policy, including on China and Iran. He has already rebuilt our economy once. We need his free-market policies to do so again, not socialist and welfare-state policies that have failed the world over.
We also need law and order and a president who supports our military and police. Jews desperately need local police forces to protect them in their synagogues and on the streets. Trump will not tolerate the tearing down of businesses—or of history. He is fighting for America’s greatness—not its transformation—while facing an unending, un-American “resistance” movement.
While some voters dislike Trump’s personality, his pro-America policies are essential for our future. Trump made America great again. As the left attempts to destroy it, transform it and socialize it, let’s keep America great—and Jews safe. Vote for Donald Trump.
Lauri B. Regan, a retired finance attorney, is the New York chapter president and board member of the Endowment for Middle East Truth and treasurer of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East. She also served on the board of the National Women’s Committee of the Republican Jewish Coalition. The views expressed here are her own, not of the organizations with which she is affiliated.
WHY I’M SUPPORTING JOE BIDEN
By Susan Stern
At this moment of profound struggle, when Americans are stretched and strained by unemployment, isolation, loss of loved ones and hunger, I am one of many who has mustered the will and the passion to come out fiercely in support of Joe Biden for president. I am privileged to lead Jewish Women for Joe, bringing together a diverse nationwide network of women mobilizing to GOTV (Get Out the Vote) and connecting Biden supporters around the country.
We are all united by the common cause of restoring decency and competence to the White House and our country. Where there is callousness, we seek compassion. Where there is mismanagement, we seek efficiency. Where there is dishonesty, we seek clean government. Most of all, we seek to replace a politics of nihilism and self-service with one of progress and public service.
Jewish women are passionate about our children and grandchildren being able to realize their full potential. We’re energized to extend the promise of America to every family and child. We need a leader who cares about what we care about, who aligns with our Jewish values. Joe Biden is that leader. He has a vision for how every American can access affordable health care, be safe from gun violence, navigate the challenges of climate change and protect a woman’s right to choose. He has the confidence to surround himself with experts to find solutions to our most pressing problems, from racial justice to foreign policy.
As Jews, we feel acutely the menace of anti-Semitism and white supremacy—and its murderous potential—which has grown more ominous during the last few years. Charlottesville, Pittsburgh, Poway, Jersey City—the list is far too long. Biden understands that, in fact, there were not “very fine people on both sides” in Charlottesville; he launched his campaign emphasizing his resolve to fight extremism and boost security funding to Jewish communal institutions.
I saw firsthand his profound commitment to our community in 2013, when he announced that at his initiative, for the first time, the administration he served would spend millions to help needy Holocaust survivors. The funds ensure a survivor in the Bronx or Boston or elsewhere can get the wheelchair or ride to the doctor he or she needs. That is the type of compassionate, problem-solving leader we need today.
On Israel, there is no greater champion than Biden, whose relationship goes back to Golda Meir, who told him Israelis are able to overcome nonstop existential threats because “they have no other place to go.” Biden has said numerous times over the years: “If there were not an Israel, the United States would have to invent an Israel to protect our interests in the region.”
As vice president, Biden played a critical role in securing American funding for the Iron Dome anti-missile system that successfully protects Israelis from Gaza rocket fire. He also helped develop the 10-year Memorandum of Understanding with Israel, an agreement signed in 2016 that provides $38 billion in direct military aid to Israel. He remains a firm supporter of the two-state solution and stands strongly against BDS, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.
These are hard times in our country as coronavirus bears down on us, the scars of racial injustice have been ripped open, protests abound, a deep recession has set in and the Supreme Court vacillates on women’s choice and church-state separation. Biden is the person we need to lead us at this moment in history. He has lived a life of service to this country, all the while being a devoted family man.
For a country in need of healing, Biden is a man who has experienced unfathomable loss but has emerged with deep empathy, and that is his strength. This is why we need Joe Biden to be our next president of the United States.
Susan Stern is a past chair of UJA-Federation of New York, a former vice chair of the Jewish Federations of North America and former chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She is the founder of the group Jewish Women for Joe. The views expressed here are hers alone.
The views expressed in these pieces are those of the authors alone and not of Hadassah, which is a nonpartisan organization that does not endorse candidates or engage in partisan activities. Recognizing the importance of the upcoming election, Hadassah Magazine is presenting these pieces because we believe our readers deserve to hear views about the candidates from female Jewish leaders.
Jan L Klatskin says
In a year of such divisiveness, I am disappointed that Hadassah has published a political opinions article. As an active member of this organization for over 30 years, I have given my time and money to advance our advocacy for women’s issues and the wonderful non-partisan, inclusive healthcare we provide. By publishing this article, you have made my job much more difficult; I am already fielding questions and arguments from our Chapter and Region members. What were you thinking?
Betsy Salkind says
There are not two sides when one is aligned with Nazis.
If you are committed to being non-partisan, you could choose to publish no endorsements. This is not neutrality, which is a questionable policy in any case (see WW2 and the Holocaust).
Juliette A Rosenthal says
Dear Hadassah sisters,
While I do support our magazine in deciding to publish this article, I must say that I feel it is dangerous for us as Jewish women to support Trump. I am always for actions that support Israel but I agree with Betsy that there are not two sides when one is aligned with White Supremacists. I am a professor of History and Political Science whose father landed on Omaha Beach and liberated the Nordhausen work camp in Germany. As Dan Silva quoted in his last book, the dynamics that we are witnessing today always mean harm for us as Jews. A vote for Biden is a vote for the integrity of the United States,for the survival of the post WWII order and ultimately for the survival of Israel.
Lorraine Nacson says
Amen, Juliette.
Devorah says
agree with Juliette. Shame on Hadassah.
Deborah Bearman Jewett says
Both of the above writers are correct. “What were you thinking?”!!
Miriam Marcus says
Thank you for representing both candidates. Too often people prefer to read only that with which they agree & therefore believe the “bumper sticker“ distortions from those who do not have our best interests at heart.
Jennifer Berman says
Phyllis Cypes says
I do not want Hadassah to be political in any way. As a Democrat I’m voting for Trump because my family in Israel and in America is safer with him as president. Biden/Obama sent Iran 2 billion to support Hamas so missiles can be fired at my grandsons in Israel. Biden said he is defunding the Police. Biden condones the Anti-semitism spewed by “The Squad:” Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Osasio-Cortez. Biden is going to take away all of our health-insurance so it can be managed by the government. That should go well.
Until President Trump reorganized the Veteran’s administration our soldiers were unable to get an appointment for months and died. And at long last we all prayed for Peace in the Middle East and
Trump negotiated Diplomatic Relations with the United Arab Emirates and other countries are in consideration.
Jacqueline Shina says
I agree with Miriam. I was happy to see the two comparisons. I have found that America is getting scary. I know people who are afraid to say they will vote for President Trump, since some people will stop speaking with them or socially ostracize them. In my opinion it reminds me of Nazi Germany. To me Americans should be able to dialogue and share their opinions. This is supposedly a free country. Also the media in general has forgotten to report Who, What, Why, When and Where. Most of the media reporting has become opinion which is not fair. That’s why I support the article which gave us both sides to consider, so that we may make informed choices!
Barbara Rosenblum says
A troubling and serious misstep for Hadassah magazine to publish these politically charged essays especially the essay by Lauri Regan which is supportive of a narcissistic, foul-mouthed president who denies science, supports white supremacists, is blatantly corrupt and threatens our basic democratic institutions, e.g. voting rights and free press. As I sit outside under a tent this Rosh Hashannah, wearing my mask in a minyan fewer than 50 people, I’ll think of the thousands of unnecessary deaths caused by an administration slow to act but quick to obstruct and deny the virus’ virulence. Hadassah, please keep to your mission.
S Finkelstein says
There is a marketplace of ideas. The phrase “competition of the market” appears in Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.’s dissent in Abrams v. United States (1919). The phrase “marketplace of ideas” first appears in a concurring opinion by Justice William O. Douglas in the Supreme Court decision United States v. Rumely (1953). This is the embodiment of our First Amendment, the same Amendment that guarantees freedom of religion, by the way. If you don’t like the idea, don’t buy it. Leave it on the shelf. If you choose to take it off the shelf, read the label. If you don’t like the ingredients, put it back on the shelf. Don’t put it in your shopping cart. But for God’s sake allow people to do so. It is a founding principle of our freedoms. When your readers say they don’t want you to publish different sides what they’re really saying is they don’t trust your readers to make up their own minds. As if this magazine is the only place might find these competing views. Absurd. And this comment is not meant to be a reflection of my own political views. It is a request that all of you who object to the publication of competing views grow up. And maybe spend a few moments to read the U.S. Consitution. You might learn something important.
I am appalled that a major event, a peace treaty between Israel and Bahrain and the UAE took place today and only Fox and CNN covered it as a main article. ABC, CBS and NBC buried it online. One channel actually had it after sports. This a major international event. Shame on most of the media for not highlighting it. To me this is blatant anti semitism. It goes along with my previous comment yesterday that the media can no longer be counted on for unbiased reporting.
Robert L Freed says
Ms. Regan asks the wrong question. It is not is Trump a good for Israel, it is is Trump good for America. I can think of countless reasons to conclude that he is not good for America.
While Israel is certainly a very important issue, it is not the only very important issue. Voting for Trump based solely on the Israel issue is hypocritical much as the evangelical who votes for him based on his stand on abortion in light of his un-Christian behavior and statements.
And whether Trump is the most pro-Israel and most patriotic president is certainly open for debate. I favor the sign that states “I will vote for any functioning adult.”
Ava Broden says
Lauri Regan’s endorsement of Donald Trump is filled with outright falsehoods, such as, “Trump has never supported white supremacists”. Really? The man who has garnered the support of white nationalists, the KKK, and neo-Nazi enablers within the White House like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller? Who claimed, after the neo-Nazi and white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, “There are good people on both sides”? She also writes, “…his pro-America policies are essential for our future. Trump made America great again.” What about his handling of the climate crisis, a pandemic that has killed over 200,000 people, racial and religious injustice, his impeachment, and the blatant corruption of his administration? She dismisses of all that by saying, “While some voters dislike Trump’s personality…”, as if it’s simply of a matter of likeability. The rest of the world pities us, or hasn’t she noticed? His policies aren’t pro-America, they are pro-Trump. Joe Biden has long been an ally of Israel, and he’s infinitely more qualified AND sane. Unfortunately, Hadassah has engaged in the worst kind of false equivalency by publishing Regan’s views.
Donna Elman Fine says
I have no problem with Hadassah publishing these two essays. What it makes clear to me is that encouraging people to vote for Trump because of his positions on the Middle East begs the question of why/ how one chooses a presidential candidate. As another person replying stated the question is what is good for the United States of America. Since Israel became a state when Harry Truman was president all presidents both Democratic and Republican have supported Israel. This should not be the issue. For me the issues are basic liberties and protections which I feel are threatened by a continuation of present policies. I might add that for me the fact that the highest position in this country is held by someone so crude and out of emotional control is an embarrassment.
Judy Kramer says
I agree with both Robert and Ava above. If Ms. Regan wants to be a one-issue voter, that is certainly her right. But trying to justify her position by defending Trump’s policies and statements on issues other than Israel, is pure Republican spin and disingenuous at best. He did not “rebuild our economy.” He inherited a quite robust economy which the Obama-Biden administration had brought back from the brink of near Depression, primarily due to Republican deregulation in the banking industry. The United States will always stand by Israel, though some administrations may be tougher than others on her. Trump’s personality is not just unlikeable; he has shown himself to be a liar, a misogynist, a shady businessman, a racist and conspiracy theorist who cares only about his own power and wealth. His disdain of science has cost hundreds of thousands of lives. If Ms. Regan wants to put Israel at the top of her priority list, so be it. But maybe she should consider putting the people of her own country a little higher.
Waldemar Kalinowski says
How blind must one be to think that Donald Trump is good for Israel, when under his command America is dangerously divided and its international stature has plummeted to the lowest point in its history.
What’s good for Israel is a strong, united and respected America, not Donald Trump’s faltering, roller coaster of a nation careening towards chaos.
While the world grapples with the CV-19 pandemic, can the United Sates afford a lying, self-obsessed, sexual predator to guide us forward?
Why would any Jewish American use the criterion of “being good for Israel” as criterion for choosing the President of the United States? Don’t we, the United States citizens, pledge allegiance to the United States of America, and not another foreign country(s)?
As an American by choice—not simply the geography of my birth or some economic necessity—I say NO to Donald Trump and to his hateful and dangerous agenda which is destroying American democracy and flirts with fascism.
oh Boo Hadassah.
Nancy Schweiss says
Ms. Regan’s endorsement of Donald Trump overlooks several important and relevant facts. She calls Donald Trump patriotic, but his actions have shown otherwise. He has shown himself unable to even comprehend sacrifices others have made for our country by demeaning the late John McCain for his incarceration as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, by calling those who died fighting for our country ‘losers’, and by failing to show respect for Gold Star Families. He has demoralized and weakened our national security and diplomacy organizations through attacks and threats against those who have served with distinction, notably Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, when he deemed that their actions weren’t sufficiently servile to his personal political ambitions.
The security of American Jews has been increasingly threatened, and that change is in very large part due to the tone set by Donald Trump. His failure to effectively denounce the antisemitic and racist ideologies espoused at the August 2017 Unite the Right rally, and his remark that there had been “fine people on both sides”, has emboldened members of hate groups. White nationalist leader and lead organizer of the Unite the Right rally Richard Spencer told The Atlantic last year that “There is no question that Charlottesville wouldn’t have occurred without Trump” and that he was “proud” of Trump’s “both sides” remark. Robert Bowers, the man accused of murdering eleven Jews as they attended services at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018, espoused the same ideologies represented at the Unite the Rally and participated in the same social media platforms as some of the rally attendees.
While certain actions taken by the Trump may be helpful to Israel, notably his dispatchment of son-in-law Jared Kushner to contribute to the building of alliances with the UAE and Bahrain, Donald Trump’s overall foreign policy has been erratic and has served neither our own nor Israel’s best interests. While Israel’s strengthened ties with the UAE and Bahrain may provide some counterbalance to Iranian aggression, Donald Trump’s ill-timed departure from the Iran nuclear deal undermines our ability to play a role in keeping Iran in check. And his accepting of Putin’s word over the assessments of our own intelligence officers about Russia’s meddling in U.S. elections is bad news for our country as well as Israel.
President Trump has shown us that he can’t be trusted with classified information that Israel has shared with the U.S. In March 2017, in a major breach of confidentiality, Trump revealed to Russian senior officials the existence of an Israeli counterterrorism investigation into the Islamic State. This disclosure not only exposed the classified findings, but also may have compromised critical Israeli intelligence assets.
Domestically and abroad, our world is less safe with Donald Trump in the White House.
Biden/Harris Would be a Disaster for the Middle East and American Jews - Truly Times - News says:
[…] Peace Plan included recognition of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. Trump’s monumental pro-Israel measures, from moving our embassy to Jerusalem, which the U.S. now recognizes as the capital of Israel, to […]
Leave a Reply to Nancy Schweiss Cancel reply
SPONSORED CONTENT: We Must Define Antisemitism to Stop Antisemitism
By Liora Rez
I Was an Optimistic, Active Senior. That was Before Covid.
By Carol Saline
Israel in a Time of Pandemic
By Uriel Heilman
Covid’s Collateral Damage: Women
By Debra Nussbaum Cohen
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2356
|
__label__cc
| 0.699985
| 0.300015
|
Donate to enable us to continue to support people with mental health problems in Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow.
We’re Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind, your local mental health charity. We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect.
Did you know that . . .
1 in 4 people are affected by mental health problems in a year
1 in 6 people in England report experiencing a common mental health problem, such as anxiety and depression, in any given week
. . . so people need our support now, more than ever.
We hold the people who use our services at the heart of everything we do. We believe in empowering people with mental health problems to support them in what they are experiencing.
How you can support us:
Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind is a charity, and we rely upon your support to make our work possible. There are lots of different ways for you to get involved. From a one off donation, to running a marathon, to leaving us a gift in your will; you can make a difference, today.
You can donate directly here.
Donations make a huge difference. The donations we get from our supporters mean that we can work to support people in need, who are often living in very difficult circumstances.
You could make a small monthly gift of £5.00, which will be used to make somebody else’s life better, and it’s less than two coffees a month.
Could you take on a charity challenge to support us? Do you want to push your self to the limit, while raising vital funds?
Get outside of your comfort zone, run a marathon, do a cycling challenge, climb the Three Peaks, and so many more!
We will support you all the way, providing you with a handy fundraising toolkit with activities and resources
Set up your fundraising page here.
We are keen to work with businesses at all levels who are up for some fundraising!
We will work to find the right fundraising activities for your staff. In the past these have ranged from taking on the Three Peaks Challenge to renovation days at our outreach centre. Get in touch to see what’s out there now which will raise money for an important cause whilst building up teams and learning new skills.
Local community is at the heart of what we do and we believe in the importance of strong partnerships to deliver our projects. If you are a community group and would like to be involved with our work we would love to hear from you. There are so many ways to work together, through talks and community events to supporting fundraising activities.
Contact our fundraising team to find out how you can best support us:
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2359
|
__label__cc
| 0.746803
| 0.253197
|
The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur
The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is one of the most tragic and fascinating myths of the Greek Mythology.
Theseus, a genuine Greek hero of the Mythology and Minotaur, one of the most devastating and terrifying monsters are the main protagonists of a myth that involves gods and monsters, heroes and kings and two of the main city–states in the Hellenic world: Athens and Crete.
The Minotaur and the Labyrinth of Crete
The Minotaur was the son of Pasiphae, wife of King Minos of Crete.
Minotaur, half man – half bull
Queen Pasiphae slept with a bull sent by Zeus, and gave birth to Minotaur, a creature half man – half bull. King Minos was embarrassed, but did not want to kill the Minotaur, so he hid the monster in the Labyrinth constructed by Daedalus at the Minoan Palace of Knossos.
According to the myth, Minos was imprisoning his enemies in the Labyrinth so that the Minotaur could eat them. The labyrinth was such a complicated construction that no one could ever find the way out alive.
Son of Minos, Androgeus, went to Athens to participate to the Panathenaic Games, but he was killed during the Marathon by the bull that impregnated his mother Pasiphae. Minos was infuriated, and demanded Aegeus the king of Athens to send seven men and women every year to the Minotaur to advert the plague caused by the death of Androgeus.
The third year, Theseus, son of Aegeus decided to be one of the seven young men that would go to Crete, in order to kill the Minotaur and end the human sacrifices to the monster. King Aegeus tried to make him change his mind but Theseus was determined to slay the Minotaur.
Theseus promised his father that he would put up white sails coming back from Crete, allowing him to know in advance that he was coming back alive. The boat would return with the black sails if Theseus was killed.
Theseus and the Minotaur
Theseus kills the Minotaur
Theseus announced to King Minos that he was going to kill the Monster, but Minos knew that even if he did manage to kill the Minotaur, Theseus would never be able to exit the Labyrinth.
Theseus met Princess Ariadne, daughter of King Minos, who fell madly in love with him and decided to help Theseus. She gave him a thread and told him to unravel it as he would penetrate deeper and deeper into the Labyrinth, so that he knows the way out when he kills the monster.
Theseus followed her suggestion and entered the labyrinth with the thread. Theseus managed to kill the Minotaur and save the Athenians, and with Ariadne’s thread he managed to retrace his way out.
Theseus took Princess Ariadne with him and left Crete sailing happily back to Athens.
Aegeus and the Sails
Theseus’ boat stopped at Naxos and the Athenians had a long celebration dedicated to Theseus and Ariadne. After long hours of feasting and drinking, Ariadne fell asleep on the shore and didn’t enter the boat that sailed to Athens. Theseus figured out that Ariadne was not with them when it was too late and he was so upset that he forgot the promise made to his father and did not change the sails.
NOTE. A different version of the myth mentions that Theseus deliberately left Ariadne on Naxos.
King Aegeus was waiting at Cape Sounion to see the sails of the boat. He saw the black sails from afar and presumed his son was dead. He dropped himself to the waters, committing suicide and since then, this sea is called the Aegean Sea.
The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur has inspired numerous artists throughout the centuries, who have created paintings and sculptures dedicated to the myth and the hero of Athens.
32 thoughts on “The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur”
one variation of the myth is that seven boys and girls were sent every NINE years
Brittanyyy
This is a very good version of the myth. i used this version the help me with my English report on a mythological hero or legend. it was very useful and very amussing. good work (Y) !!! (L)
sexy biscut
I needed info on the Minotauar but it doesn’t say anything about it .:(
This is about Theseus and the Minotaur. I suggest looking up just Minotaur. You should get the results you want 🙂
TimTam
Can anyone tell me what is Myth and Reality
It’s all myth, not much is true. They did sent 7 people into the labyrinth which no one can find, and somehow one guy did “kill” this beast, but most historians agree that they had someone in the maze sent to kill the people or they died of starvation.
WOLFKILLER101
The information about this Greek myth is partly correct but you need more detail like the fact that boys and girls were sent every 9 yrs.
Was it a myth or a legend?
and what is the difference between a myth and a legend
a myth is…
a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
a legend is…
a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.
jason matt
a myth is a story that is created to explain, entertain and educate.
coccola
i hope this story is true
If you mean true like none fictional or true like ‘I hope this is correct info.
No its not real this is just a myth the Greek made up. Yes, this is the correct story line.
The story is a myth which means it is fictional but could be based off real events, ir is just made up in general. But the story line is the correct info when it comes down to what the myth is about so you should be fine if you are using it to write about or support soemthing.
Becky 239
The story about the Minotaur was very useful . I spent lots of time looking for information but at last I found the right information . Short and sweet . Perfect for my project .
I recommend this information to those who want short , detailed and useful information .
ariestrash
Hey guys….according to the ancient Greek writers, the seven boys and seven girls were to be sent to King Minos every year NOT every nine years. So on the third year, Theseus went. So this version is correct based on the actual Greek versions of the myth!
No, you are wrong. 7 boys and 7 girls were sent to Crete every nine years. I am sure about this.
MJC12%
Yannis is wrong, ariestrash is right, but Αriestrash has a WEIRD picture.
This is copied from Wikipedia:
“Minos required that seven Athenian youths and seven maidens, drawn by lots, be sent every seventh or ninth year (some accounts say every year [13]) to be devoured by the Minotaur.”
(* 13) Servius on Aeneid, 6. 14: singulis quibusque annis “every one year”. The annual period is given by J. E. Zimmerman, Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Harper & Row, 1964, article “Androgeus”; and H. J. Rose, A Handbook of Greek Mythology, Dutton, 1959, p. 265. Zimmerman cites Virgil, Apollodorus, and Pausanias.
The nine-year period appears in Plutarch and Ovid.
Hopemarsh
As with many myths and creation stories there are often several different versions. I don’t believe one is any more correct than the other as long as the meaning and moral of the tale are grasped.
There are many different versions of each myth, there’s really no correct one.
This is the best version of this myth I’ve found so far for my literature report. Thank you
mamtet
thanks so much. it helped me a lot in my lesson about Greece.
One of my favorite myths. Other great myths I recommend include the myth of Daedalus and Icarus, the myth of King Midas, and the myth of Hades and Persephone. There are many other great myths but these mentioned and the myth of Theseus are by far my favorite. 🙂
The thing about myths is that, even if there are many differently told versions of them, none of the versions are truly correct. None of them CAN be correct because they are myths, therefore fictional.
Well said. Just like the myths of the bible and Jesus. Nothing factual , just made up stories that happened to get popular.
Thanks a lot! This really helped with my enlish project. I think this version of the story is gr8! I don’t really care if the boys and girls were sent every year or every 9 years. For the project I have to say extra things that aren’t on the power point and mentioning this argument and the fact that some versions say Theseus left Adriadne on purpose would be awesome for that, so……. ya.
Firnando Halepino
Out of all versions I’ve read of this story I think this version is the most detailed and the accurate out of all. The English they use is very easy and I think it is suitable for all ages.
yuge yujiro
what Theseus do to kill the Minotaur ? because in the story, there is no information what he did to kill the Minotaur.
Is it Knossus or Knossos?
Knossos is the correct word.
I had an oral presentation to do on Theseus and the Minotaur. I suggest this, it’s short, clear and useful congratulation to the one who wrote this article.
markayla
a myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.
Leave a Reply to maddie Cancel reply
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2361
|
__label__wiki
| 0.6874
| 0.6874
|
Trillium CNG Officially Joins Love’s Travel Stops
March 28, 2016 • by Staff
Love’s has finalized an agreement to purchase compressed natural gas provider Trillium CNG, officially adding 37 CNG stations to the company’s network of facilities.
Combined, Love’s and Trillium will operate 65 public-access CNG facilities. The two companies initially agreed to the acquisition in February. Love’s sees the acquisition as a statement of the company’s long-term commitment to CNG.
Recently, former Trillium CNG partner ampCNG took ownership of 17 public access CNG fueling stations that were part of a joint venture between the two companies.
“This acquisition shows Love’s has a long-term commitment to CNG,” said Frank Love, co-CEO of Love’s. “Together with Trillium, we can help new and existing customers extend their commitment to CNG. We will continue to make investments in the alternative fuel industry to give Customers more access to a cleaner-burning fueling solution with a stable cost.”
Related: AmpCNG Acquires Full Control of 17 Fueling Stations
Originally posted on Trucking Info
Read more about Love's Travel Stops Trillium CNG CNG Fueling Stations CNG
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2362
|
__label__cc
| 0.739816
| 0.260184
|
Create Your Haven
1181 Hughes Drive
Hamilton NJ 08690
info@greenhavengardencenter.com
We will be closing at 3:00 pm on December 24th.
We Will Reopening April 1st, 2021.
Please contact us if you have any special requests for the Spring!
During our hiatus we will be ordering shrubs, roses,
perennials, annuals, and flower and vegetable seeds.
We are happy to add your request to our order.
We are open seven
days a week!
"TO PLANT A GARDEN IS TO BELIEVE IN TOMORROW."
Shop Trees
Critter Sightings
Names #1 - 6/22/17
Gardening 101: Nomenclature and Categories
There are three kinds of people in the world: those who can do the math and those who can't.
There also seems to be some confusion about plant nomenclature and categorization so here are some of the ways plants are named and categorized. Bear in mind these are largely human definitions and they depend on conditions and climate. A plant may be in one category here, but another one in its native climate.
Woody Versus Herbaceous: Woody plants are those that have a woody structure – like shrubs and trees. The leaves may fall off in the fall, but there is still hard (woody) stems or trunks above the ground. Herbaceous plants' leaves and stems do not have a woody structure and the plants either die at the end of the season (pansies, petunias, tomatoes, etc) or the stems and leaves die back to the ground but the roots or bulbs survive underground. (Peonies, irises, grasses, tulips, daffodils, etc.)
Woody plants may be evergreen or deciduous. Evergreen means they keep their leaves or needles over the winter. They do lose them, just not all at the same time. Deciduous plants lose their leaves in the fall. (All those leaves we rake up.)
Trees versus shrubs: generally, trees are thought of as large plants with a single trunk but there are small trees with multiple trunks and large shrubs that can be trained to a single trunk. Here's what Wikipedia says, “A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized woody plant. It is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 6 m (20 ft) tall. Plants of many species may grow either into shrubs or trees, depending on their growing conditions."
Evergreen plants can be broad-leaved or needled. Broad-leaved means (duh) that the leaves are broad (think rhododendrons and most hollies). Needled evergreens have leaves that are needle shaped, like pines, junipers, hemlocks. etc. (And yes, there are some needled trees that are deciduous, just to keep us confused. The larch tree is an example.)
Herbaceous plants are commonly divided into two categories - “perennials” or “annuals.” Perennials are plants that die back to the ground in the fall but grow back every year in the spring. Technically annuals are plants that grow from seed, bloom, create seeds, and then die all in one year, but gardeners frequently refer to any plant that doesn't survive the winter as an annual. That may include plants such as tender bulbs (gladiolus) or tropical plants (caladiums) that are technically not annuals but we treat them that way in this climate.
Yes, this nomenclature is confusing. Don't annual meetings and annual reunions re-occur every year? But when it's a plant that does that we call it a perennial. Go figure.
Weed: a weed is either a plant in the wrong place (violets in the lawn, or grass in the flower-bed) or a plant whose economic value has yet to be discovered by humans.
Gardening 101: The Name Game of Common versus “Latin” Names
Plant names can be confusing. There is an agastache with four different common names: blue giant hyssop, anise hyssop, fragrant giant hyssop, or lavender giant hyssop. Conversely, many different plants can be referred to by the same name. There are at least seventeen different plants called “daisy”: common, Swan river, ox-eye, shasta, marguerite, African or cape, crown, tricolor, seaside, Angelita, Blackfoot, desert, Devil's River, Livingstone, Carmel, globe, and daisy bush. The result can be a lot of mix-ups. We have annual salvias that grow to be about 12-18” tall, and perennial salvias (also called Meadow Sage) that grow 24” tall and 18” wide. To cause further confusion - we have sages that are small annual herbs, and perennial Russian “sages” that get to be three feet tall and three feet wide.
Here is where “Latin,” “Scientific” or “Botanical” names come to the rescue. Developed by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1753, it is “the system of nomenclature in which two terms are used to denote a species of living organism, the first one indicating the genus and the second the specific epithet.” (On-line from the Oxford Living Dictionary). The specific epithet is the species, and we often add a specific cultivar designation. According to Wikipedia, “the term cultivar most commonly refers to an assemblage of plants selected for desirable characteristics that are maintained during propagation.” Thus we have Agastache foeniculum 'Blue Blazes' as one plant that will be the same plant the world over.
And those daisies? Wikipedia lists them as:
Bellis , especially Bellis perennis (common daisy)
Brachyscome, including Brachyscome iberidifolia (Swan River daisy)
Leucanthemum vulgare (ox-eye daisy)
Leucanthemum × superbum (Shasta daisy)
Argyranthemum (marguerite daisy)
Osteospermum (African or Cape daisy)
Rhodanthemum (Moroccan daisy)
Glebionis coronaria (crown daisy)
Glebionis carinatum (tricolor daisy)
Erigeron glaucus (seaside daisy)
Tetraneuris acaulis (Angelita daisy)
Melampodium leucanthum (Blackfoot daisy)
Coreopsis bigelovii (desert daisy)
Wedelia texana (Devil's River daisy)
Dorotheanthus bellidiformis (Livingstone daisy)
Scabiosa prolifera (Carmel daisy)
Globularia (globe daisy)
The scientific name often gives information about the plant, and your knowledge of Latin can help your understanding of plants, just as knowing the plant names will increase your knowledge of Latin.* More on that next week.
Gardening 101: Bad Terminology is the Enemy of Good Thinking. (Warren Buffet)
We've learned that many of our customers are confused about the terms used in horticulture. Annual? Perennial? Herbaceous? What's that? Horticulture may not have "bad" terminology but it is confusing.We hope the following definitions and explanations help.
ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS:
The terms “Annual” and “Perennial” are used only for plants that don't have a woody structure of branches and/or trunks. These non-woody plants are called “herbaceous” plants.
Annuals:
Technically annuals are plants that grow from seed, bloom, create seeds, and then die all in one year. In reality gardeners often refer to any herbaceous plant that doesn't survive the winter as an annual. Common examples of annuals are begonias, marigolds, million bells, pansies, petunias, snapdragons, sunflowers, zinnias, etc. Most commonly grown vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, carrots, and squashes are annuals too .
Perennials:
Perennials are herbaceous (non-woody) plants that die back to the ground in the fall but grow back every year in the spring. Common examples are day-lilies, hostas, irises, hardy hibiscus, peonies, and grasses like fountain grass and zebra grass. This category also includes flowers that grow from bulbs like crocuses, daffodils, and tulips.
TREES AND SHRUBS:
Trees are generally thought of as large woody plants with a single trunk but there are small trees with multiple trunks and large shrubs that can be trained to a single trunk. Here's what Wikipedia says, “A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized woody plant. It is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 6 m (20 ft) tall. Plants of many species may grow either into shrubs or trees, depending on their growing conditions. “
DECIDUOUS VERSUS EVERGREEN:
Deciduous plants are those that lose their leaves in the fall and grow new ones in the spring. Examples include woody trees like maples, oaks, elms, and woody shrubs like roses, hydrangeas, some azaleas, viburnum, etc.
Evergreen plants are ones that keep their leaves or needles in the winter. They actually do lose them, just not all at once. Evergreen plants can be a woody tree or shrub (hollies, junipers, pines, cedars, spruces, rhododendrons, some azaleas, etc.) as well as herbaceous (non-woody) plant such as some vines (English ivy and Vinca minor) and ground-covers (Pachysandra).
BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS VERSUS NEEDLED EVERGREENS:
Evergreen trees and shrubs can be broad-leaved or needled. Broad-leaved means (duh) that the leaves are broad. Examples are Southern magnolia trees, rhododendrons and most hollies.
Needled evergreens are tree and shrubs that have leaves that are needle shaped, like pines, spruces, junipers, hemlocks. etc.
NOTE BENE:
These are human definitions, not nature's, and they depend on conditions and climate. A plant may be in one category here, but another one in its native climate.
The categories are not always clear cut. For example, almost all of the needled trees are evergreen. But there is an exception. Larches are deciduous, needled trees. Their needles turn brown and fall off in autumn. Maybe it's to keep us confused.
WEEDS:
A weed is either a plant in the wrong place (violets in the lawn, or grass in the flower-bed) or a plant whose economic value has yet to be discovered by humans. Or as someone once said, "The way to tell the difference between a cultivated plant and a weed is to pull it up. If it comes back, it was a weed.”
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2363
|
__label__cc
| 0.741258
| 0.258742
|
thewayweworkbook.com
Caldecott Medalist
David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post–Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2006, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given “to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations.” Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. David Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.
Macaulay sees the world with a writer’s grace, but with an engineer’s clarity.
The Way Things Work Now
David Macaulay
The sweeping new update to the worldwide bestseller, The New Way Things Work includes all new sections on the technology that most impacts our everyday lives.
David Macaulay books
Motel of the Mysteries
Building Big
Rome Antics
Great Moments in Architecture
Why the Chicken Crossed the Road
on all things David Macaulay and more?
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2368
|
__label__wiki
| 0.867213
| 0.867213
|
First Trailer Drops For Jordan Peele's Take On "Candyman" "Guns Akimbo" Fetishizes Violence To A Disturbing Degree James Mangold To Replace Steven Spielberg As The "Indiana Jones 5" Director "The Invisible Man" Is As Smart As Is It Scary Lesli Linka Glatter Discusses "Homeland" And Her Career Behind The Camera "Wendy" Sees Benh Zeitlin Finally Put Forth A Sophomore Effort The Top 25: Best Original Screenplay Winners Berlin International Film Festival: "Death Of Nintendo" Is A Colorful Coming Of Age Story Box Office Report For February 21-23 Listen To The New Episode Of The Hollywood News® Podcast! "The Last Thing He Wanted" Inexplicably Goes Far Off The Rails Year In Advance Predictions: Netflix Again Out In Front Early? What Does The "Parasite" Win Mean For The Future Of The Academy Awards? The Top 25: Best Cinematography Winners "The Night Clerk" Makes Menial Use Of Ana De Armas And Tye Sheridan
HollywoodNews.com > MUSIC > Joe McElderry takes #1 spot on UK singles chart
Sun, Dec 27 2009 | Published in MUSIC
Joe McElderry takes #1 spot on UK singles chart
BBC reports that Joe McElderry, who won the latest “X Factor” has beat out Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In The Name,” to become the number one single of the New Year on the UK singles chart. McElderry’s “The Climb” has sold 196,000 copies in the last week beating “Killing in the Name” by over 180,000.
Currently, Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” is still at the top for the biggest selling single of the year coming in with 870,000 copies sold over the past year, but McElderry is still trying to beat this. He currently stands at 650,000 copies sold over the past year, but has only until January 1 to beat the record.
To read more go to BBC.
Tags: joe mcelderry, killing in the name, rage against the machine, the climb, x factor
Actress Lori Loughlin among parents to face U.S. college scam trial in October February 27, 2020
A federal judge on Thursday said actress Lori Loughlin in October will be among eight parents accused of participating in a vast U.S. college admissions bribery and fraud scheme to face the first trial to result from the scandal.
U.S. SEC out for justice over Steven Seagal's cryptocurrency marketing February 27, 2020
Steven Seagal, the star of action movies including "Above the Law" and "Out for Justice," has agreed to pay $314,000 to resolve charges of "unlawfully touting" a cryptocurrency offering, the U.S. securities regulator said on Thursday.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2369
|
__label__cc
| 0.733854
| 0.266146
|
Like all other County Assemblies in Kenya, the Homa Bay County Assembly was created by the Constitution of Kenya 2010, and operationalized by the County Government Act No. 17 of 2012.
Article 176 (Chapter Eleven) of the Constitution of Kenya establishes County Governments consisting of a County Assembly and a County Executive. The Chapter further sets out the roles, functions and other matters relating to the membership and operations of the County Assembly.
Section 8 of the County Governments Act provides that the County Assembly shall vet and approve nominees for appointment to county public offices, perform the roles set out under Article 185 of the Constitution, approve the budget and expenditure of the county government in accordance with Article 207 of the Constitution, and the legislation contemplated in Article 220 (2) of the Constitution, guided by Articles 201 and 203 of the Constitution, approve the borrowing by the county government in accordance with Article 212 of the Constitution, approve county development planning and perform any other role as may be set out under the Constitution or legislation.
Article 185 of the Constitution provides for the legislative authority of county assemblies, vesting the legislative authority of a county and the exercise of that authority in its County Assembly. The Assembly has powers to make any laws that are necessary for, or incidental to, the effective performance of the functions and exercise of the powers of the county government under the Fourth Schedule. It also provides that a county Assembly, while respecting the principle of the separation of powers, may exercise oversight over the county executive committee and any other county executive organs. The Assembly also receives and approves plans and policies for the management and exploitation of the County’s resources and the development and management of its infrastructure and institutions. County Assemblies are expected to conduct oversight over the County Executive, which has been expanded greatly, with extended control over critical County processes such as the budgeting process, public appointment and County legislation among others.
ABOUT HOMABAY COUNTY ASSEMBLY
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2370
|
__label__cc
| 0.627941
| 0.372059
|
Treating iron deficiency anaemia
Steve Fennell, HCPC Registered Dietician
Iron is an essential mineral that has several important roles in the body, including oxygen transport. Anaemia is a condition in which the amount of haemoglobin or number of red blood cells (and consequently their oxygen-carrying capacity) is insufficient to meet the body’s functional needs.
How does iron deficiency cause anaemia?
There are several different types of anaemia, each with slightly different characteristics and causes, but iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia. It is defined as a decrease in the total iron content of the body, which can mean your iron levels are no longer sufficient for effective red blood cell production.
Signs and symptoms of anaemia
Although iron deficiency anaemia can have very few signs, the most common symptoms include:
Feeling tired and lethargic
Dyspnoea (shortness of breath)
Your skin appearing paler than usual
If you’ve noticed a decrease in work capacity, difficulties breathing or problems affecting your immune system, this could point to iron deficiency anaemia.
What causes iron deficiency?
As the name suggests, iron deficiency anaemia occurs when there is not enough iron in the body. There are many reasons which can contribute to a state of iron deficiency, including:
Blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract, which can be caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, peptic ulcers or carcinomas
Menstruation blood loss
Increased demands of pregnancy
Iron deficiency is the most frequently encountered nutritional deficiency in the world, with some 2 billion people estimated to be affected worldwide.[1] Although its prevalence is highest in developing countries, iron deficiency anaemia affects a significant number in the developed world, with a prevalence of 2–5% among adult men and postmenopausal women. During childbearing years, there is a higher incidence of iron deficiency anaemia in women due to iron loss through menstruation and pregnancy, which can also result in complications during pregnancy.
Nonetheless, the modern western diet is rarely inadequate for iron provision unless there is a factor, such as those listed above, which results in an increased requirement.
Food sources of iron
Iron is present in food in two forms: haem and non-haem. Haem iron is derived mainly from meat sources, whereas non-haem sources of iron come from iron salts typically found in plant foods, such as beans, pulses and leafy greens.
Haem iron is better absorbed from the gut at a rate of around 15-20% compared to 5% for non-haem iron sources. Although some studies suggest vegetarians or vegans are more at risk of iron deficiency anaemia from a lack of meat in their diet, it is possible to attain enough iron via non-meat foods.
Iron rich foods include:
dried fruit, such as raisins or prunes
wholegrains, such as brown rice
fortified breakfast cereals
soybean flour
dark-green leafy vegetables
beans, pulses, nuts and seeds
How to absorb more iron from food
The degree to which iron is absorbed from the gut is also affected by interactions with other nutrients in food. Nutrients which influence iron absorption can be broadly grouped into two groups: promoters and inhibitors.
The most important promoters, which help increase the absorption of iron, include vitamin C (ascorbic acid), citric acid, and vitamin A, as well as the presences of meat.
Inhibitors, often one of a group of naturally occurring chemicals called polyphenols, calcium and phytates, decrease the rate at which your body absorbs some iron. Best-known examples include tannin, found in tea and coffee, and compounds found mainly in the husks of grains. Whilst this does not mean you should necessarily avoid foods with iron inhibitors, you should aim to limit your consumption at the same time as iron-rich foods.
What can be done to treat anaemia?
If you are concerned about your iron levels or are experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend you contact your GP. They may perform a verbal and physical examination or request a blood test to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment usually involves taking iron supplements to replace missing iron and making necessary changes to address the underlying cause. If inadequate intake is suspected, advice may also be given on how to include more iron in your diet.
[1] https://www.nutrition.org.uk/attachments/article/546/Iron%20deficiency%20anaemia%20and%20school%20children%20%282%29.pdf
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2374
|
__label__wiki
| 0.569575
| 0.569575
|
Theme Group
CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS AND COHORTS
TRANSLATIONAL DIAGNOSTICS
The Diagnosis and Prognosis theme links the basic science theme to clinical services. There is a strong history of cutting-edge neuropathology research in Southampton which has significantly advanced the field. There are established clinical services in place for evaluation of dementia diagnosis and provision of care. Existing strengths include dementia diagnostic imaging, with an imaging physics department that has expertise in structural and functional imaging, modelling and scientific computing. The neuropsychology team within this theme provide clinical diagnostic support to the region, and have interests in diagnostic test development within a clinical environment.
The group links to clinical dementia services across the region, and offers diagnostic and support services for all types of dementia including young-onset dementia. There are established research cohorts that provide a wealth of clinical, imaging and neuropathological data including prospectively acquired biobank samples. iDeAC has already enhanced the collaborative links within this group across the other themes, and a number of new projects have been initiated via the iDeAC development workshops.
Dr Ian Galea
Dr Ian Galea is a clinician scientist who is internationally recognised for his work on the blood-brain barrier and haemoglobin neurotoxicity. His group work at the interface of laboratory and clinical medicine, with expertise in scientific measurement in health and disease. Of special interest to dementia researchers is a high-throughput urine test to measure systemic inflammation and a refined imaging method to measure blood-brain barrier permeability of the human brain. He is principal investigator of a study collecting cerebrospinal fluid, serum, urine and brain tissue samples, for use in neurodegenerative disease research.
Sofia Michopoulou
Sofia is a principal clinical scientist, one of the medical physics experts (MPE) for nuclear medicine and the deputy lead for nuclear medicine physics. She supports the general nuclear medicine, SPECT/CT and PET/CT services at UHS and leads the introduction of new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.
Dr Rosaleen McCarthy
Professor Rosaleen McCarthy is the lead neuropsychology consultant and head of the neuropsychology department. Her research interests are in disorders of memory as well as in impairments of perception, language and attention. She works with people who have younger onset dementia, cerebra-vascular disease, head injuries, epilepsy and brain tumours. She collaborates with the neurologists in diagnosing complex cases.
Dr Tony Birch
Dr Tony Birch is a clinical scientist specialising in measurement of fluid flow in the brain. His particular expertise is the application of transcranial Doppler ultrasound to measure the velocity of blood flowing in the major arteries at the base of the brain. As well as performing these measurements as a clinical service, he provides a transcranial Doppler training course for health professionals from across the UK.
Dr Anton Page
Dr Anton Page is the Head of The Biomedical Imaging Unit, a joint University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS)/University of Southampton (UoS) facility for high quality/high resolution diagnostic and research microscopy. Accredited under UKAS to ISO 15189, this core facility carries out research work for UoS, other universities and research institutes, industry and artists, together with diagnostic microscopy for UHS, and other hospitals both nationally and internationally.
Using electronic patient records to examine patient outcomes in Dementia with Lewy bodies
Research - Diagnosis and Prognosis
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common neurodegenerative cause of dementia. However, people with DLB often experience missed or delayed diagnosis. The Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) system allows research and service improvement work to take place that has previously not been possible, by allowing access to deidentified patient records. In this project we will use CRIS to explore patient outcomes in Dementia with Lewy bodies within Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, including duration of disease, mortality and rates of hospital admission. We will also explore early clinical features using Natural Language Processing, in collaboration with other UK centres.
Deep tissue theranostic imaging
Funded by a recent Transformative Healthcare 2050 award from the EPSRC an interdisciplinary team of Southampton based scientists and researchers are developing new fibre lasers and novel methodologies that will allow early detection, imaging and treatment deep inside tissues up to several millimetres and ultimately up to several centimetres. The imaging process is aimed to be completely non-invasive and non-destructive, whilst providing near instant results. The simplicity and morpho-chemical nature of the imaging without the use of labels means it can be applied to a host of medical areas to deliver diagnostic/prognostic capabilities in an accessible manner. While the initial target is diagnosis of musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis from outside the body, imaging across the skull into the brain to detect early onset of neurodegenerative diseases may also be possible.
Harnessing the heart-lung-brain interactions in the search for vascular biomarkers for neurological dysfunction
As an interdisciplinary team from University Hospital Southampton & University of Southampton comprising specialists in cardiothoracic surgery, ophthalmology, cardiac perfusion, imaging, mathematics and neuroanatomy we are in the optimal position to conduct a study in order to investigate the heart-lung-brain interactions and their effect on the variability of cerebral blood flow in anaesthetised patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and different levels of hypothermia. By systematically and methodically being able to control elements of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems function we can isolate the different signals transmitted from the brain blood flow and prove that spontaneous cerebral vasomotion as a key motive force for the clearance of fluid from the brain is present and is initiated in the wall of the cerebral arteries.
Blood-brain barrier integrity in dementia
Clinical Academic Training Posts - Diagnosis and Prognosis
Several studies suggest that blood-brain barrier integrity is impaired in Alzheimer’s dementia. In this project it is hypothesized that dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can be used to demonstrate this phenomenon, comparing Alzheimer’s dementia, Lewy body dementia and control individuals. The relationship of blood-brain barrier permeability to systemic inflammatory status as measured by urinary neopterin-to-creatinine ratio and blood cytokine assays is being investigated. Patients are being followed up to determine whether a baseline MRI assessment of blood-brain barrier integrity is predictive of future cognitive decline. The Academic Clinical Fellow working on the project may come from Psychiatry or Neurology backgrounds.
Biomarkers for dementia
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an ambitious academic clinical fellow to work at the interface of cardiothoracic surgery with medical physics and neuroscience for identification of novel aspects of the function of the cerebral vessels that could be used as early biomarkers for dementia.
Content only available to registered users.
Imaging Physics Group
The Imaging Physics Group within the Medical Physics department at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) provides scientific support and research leadership for a number of diagnostic techniques that provide valuable data for dementia research.
Biomedical Imaging Unit
The Biomedical Imaging Unit (BIU) provides state of the art facilities and research and diagnostic services (accredited under ISO 15189) in high quality and high resolution light, x-ray and electron microscopy, with a special emphasis on 3D imaging.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2377
|
__label__wiki
| 0.943797
| 0.943797
|
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II
Remembering Star Wars Rogue Squadron II
A look back at the launch title that made all of our jaws hit the floor.
By Jonathan Drake
Posted: 17 Nov 2011 12:05 am
The anniversary of Nintendo's GameCube is fast approaching, and in celebration IGN Nintendo is continuing its look back at all of the GCN's launch titles. Today we've finally landed on Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader - a follow-up to the N64 hit and a title that absolutely floored Nintendo fans back in the day.
We got our first glimpse of Rogue Squadron II at Nintendo's Space World trade show in 2000, when it was premiered alongside the company's new home console. All we were shown was a single cutscene onstage, featuring some shots of an X-wing fleet and the Death Star, with a promise that the saga would continue soon. After the show there was only a short, playable demo. Though it wasn't much, it was all we needed, and anticipation for the title skyrocketed.
The idea of a new Star Wars game co-developed by Factor 5 and LucasArts launching the Big N's next piece of hardware was enough to get Nintendo and Star Wars fans alike excited. Could the new system allow the world of Star Wars to finally be fully realized within the context of a video game? Would you get to blow up the Death Star into a million little pieces? And, most importantly, could the game ever live up to our high hopes? With its launch release the following year, the answer to all of these questions turned out to be a resounding yes.
Have you played Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader?
Your first mission? An all too familiar trip down nostalgia lane and to the deadly Death Star. As Luke, you pilot your X-wing over the giant, mechanical behemoth, taking down TIE fighters and gun towers and dodging laser blasts as you weave in and out of the trenches
While the original Rogue Squadron on N64 did justice to the aerial battles in Star Wars like no console game had done before, Rogue Squadron II took things a step further. Controlling the various aircrafts was similar to Star Fox 64's all-range mode, only the title traded Star Fox's on-rails missions in favor of the freedom to explore and hunt down enemy ships as you saw fit. The difficulty level was high and perfect, pushing gamers to bring their A game to up their rank and unlock hidden content.
The fast-paced flight simulator was a smash hit at launch, winning high reviews and fan favor all across the globe with its electrifying action and visuals that were highly advanced for the time. Even as a launch title, the graphics remained some of the best on the system, and they've aged surprisingly well.
Though relatively short, the game's 10 levels were still riveting, putting you behind the visor of Luke or Wedge and dropping you in the middle of notable encounters from the entire original trilogy. It was thrilling, and though certain things about the gameplay mechanics and controls haven't aged as well as they could have, even now it's still a highly enjoyable game. If you have access to a GameCube or Wii and a used game store, we highly recommend giving this old school launch title a ride.
What are your fondest memories of Rogue Squadron II? Did you get it at launch? Does it still hold up to this day? Let us know in the comments below.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Jump into the cockpit of an X-wing and join Luke Skywalker and the Star Wars galaxy's most daring pilots as they face off against the Empire.
Genres:Action, Flight
Platforms:GameCube
Developers:LucasArts, Factor 5
Publishers:ACE (2), LucasArts
Features:Number Of Players, Memory Card, DualShock, Stereo Surround, Memory Blocks, Dolby Pro Logic II, 480p
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2380
|
__label__cc
| 0.621913
| 0.378087
|
I Love Harlequins
Oh when the Quins, go marching in...
HARLEQUINS FAN NEEDED
Harlequins FC
Harlequins Rugby Links
Wayne Smith denies Harlequins offer
March 18, 2016 isport
Wayne Smith has tuned down the chance to coach Harlequins and has signed an all new 2 year contract to stay with the All Blacks.
Harlequins wanted him in place for director of rugby Conor O’Shea, who is all set to take charge as Italy head coach. The team was in talks with the man who helped New Zealand win successive World Cups campaigns. Attention would now hit on ex All Blacks lock Todd Blackadder, who is leaving his role in responsibility of Super Rugby team the Crusaders at the end of the present campaign in New Zealand.
Smith stated that for him to think about something like Quins, it had to be pretty special and something his family thought was special as well. Whilst he and his family enjoyed coming over for the Autumn Internationals in Europe (which you can buy tickets for on this website), it’s a big difference between coming for a few weeks and actually starting a whole new life here.
He also said that he still had a lot of work over several weeks for the All Blacks, and saw it is a long process and this would change all the time as priorities became clearer.
Meanwhile, Harlequins’ Karl Dickson stated that it was quite tough seeing his team’s slide in the Aviva Premiership Rugby table from the sidelines in recent weeks, but following an all-star demonstration on his comeback against Bath Rugby, the scrum-half is enjoying the scope to get back amongst it.
Conor O’Shea’s team secured their 2nd victory in 7 games earlier on Friday with a 35-28 win at the Stoop, but they were made to work for it in the 2nd half against Mike Ford’s team – who brilliantly fought back to have a losing bonus-point.
Previous Post: Harlequins FC snap up talented Scottish teen
Next Post: Harlequins Sees A Good Team Performance This Season
ayaestate Theme Powered by WordPress
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2381
|
__label__wiki
| 0.827096
| 0.827096
|
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ at Tribeca 2017: Watch the Panel Discussion Live
Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, and Samira Wiley are just a few of the folks in attendance at the panel going live at 7 p.m. EST.
Maya Reddy
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
The much anticipated adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s classic novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” is making its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival with a panel discussing the timely world premiere. Featured in one of the series of Tribeca Talks happening at the Festival, the panel for “The Handmaid’s Tale” will hold a conversation with its executive producers and the majority of its main cast.
Atwood’s book was published in 1985, quickly cementing itself and its author as required feminist reading of the 20th century. The story follows Offred, a woman designated to the lower caste of the Handmaid in a dystopian world called Gilead. “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a story about confronting the patriarchy in a world that doesn’t feel so distant from our own.
READ MORE: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Inspires Abortion Rights Protestors to Wear Red Robes in Texas
Elisabeth Moss stars as Offred, in her first major TV role since her Emmy-nominated performance on “Mad Men.” She and the rest of the acclaimed cast will be reflecting on the book that became a feminist standard, and how something written over 30 years ago still holds so much weight nowadays.
The conversation will be held with cast members Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O.T. Fagbenle and Max Minghella. Executive Producers Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Reed Morano will also be joining.
The live-stream goes live at 7 p.m. EST. Check out the conversation below, once it goes live.
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
This Article is related to: Television and tagged 2017 Tribeca, Elisabeth Moss, Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2383
|
__label__cc
| 0.718167
| 0.281833
|
Infosecurity Magazine Home » Opinions » Networking in the Time of COVID-19
4 May 2020 Opinion
Networking in the Time of COVID-19
Jesper Andersen President and CEO, Infoblox
I’m writing this from home.
“So what,” you may be thinking, “I’m reading this at home.”
As companies around the world have sent employees home to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are living through a global experiment to find out what happens when millions of people transition to working remotely overnight.
The ability of companies to become “virtual offices” almost immediately is due in large part to the dramatic transformations that have taken place in the technology sector over the past decade. Driven by the development of computing- and storage-as-a-service models, these innovations have shifted enterprise technology out of on-premise hardware and onto cloud-based platforms. In doing so, they have enabled workers to access data, run analytics, and collaborate with colleagues from anywhere in the world—including their homes.
The COVID-19 pandemic is showing us that this transformation remains incomplete. Recent questions about the resiliency of our networking infrastructure—including residential internet and corporate networks—demonstrate that networking is one of the few remaining bottlenecks in the true digital transformation of the modern workplace.
These limitations result in challenges to productivity and access for workers trying to log in from offsite locations and new devices, and open up networks to additional security risks. Inherent physical limits like latency and bandwidth hamper the speed and responsiveness of our networks; and the complexity of modern networking functions and our modern enterprise network ecosystem results in a patchwork of networking and security solutions provided by a multitude of vendors that are challenging to conduct in harmony.
Modern networks have become so complex that, even in normal times, the tasks of maintaining uninterrupted service, troubleshooting problems and protecting individual devices and overall network security have the potential to overwhelm IT professionals. Now, with work from home being the default across virtually the entire economy, the nearly complete decentralization of enterprise networks poses a real threat to business continuity and data security.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The reality is that in today’s cloud-based environment, these limitations don’t need to exist. Like computing and storage has done in the past, networks can be managed as a service, allowing managers to spin up and down critical functions automatically and as needed for individual users and branch offices.
When it comes to latency, there are a number of opportunities to put cloud-based applications near users as cloud providers or independent co-location vendors have provided points of presence (POPs) around the world.
Indeed, the world is increasingly becoming covered with high-bandwidth internet connections. This is one of the promises of 5G mobile technology—soon these connections won’t even need to be hard-wired.
The biggest challenge is no doubt the complexity of the current enterprise network. Networking represents a much broader set of functions than a normal computing operating system or data storage facility.
Networking typically includes DNS and IP address management services to facilitate network connections, switching and routing to organize the flow of data, load balancing and proxy servers to maintain reliability, WiFi to provide access, firewalls to provide security and numerous other functions.
Traditionally, many of these functions have been performed by different networking vendors, and while some—like Cisco with networking hardware—have risen to dominate a particular niche or part of the networking ecosystem, no single company has become a market leader across those various networking functions.
This evolution has resulted in a networking environment that is inefficient and resource intensive, and can have security gaps that leave remote users exposed to cyberthreats.
The networking systems of the future will have to be designed and developed to be intuitive, useable, reliable and secure—which means putting them on the cloud and building them with simplicity and ease-of-use in mind.
Virtualizing old software and putting it on the cloud—as several members of the previous generation of networking companies are doing—won’t solve the problem. That approach simply dresses up cumbersome and costly software as state-of-the-art cloud networking—which it is not.
Actually tackling this challenge requires significant commitment and investment to build cloud-native, cloud-managed networking systems that use micro-services to leverage the power of open source software—just as was done in computing and storage—to connect and secure users whether they are accessing the network from the main office or their living room.
There is no shortcut to building a cloud-native platform, but the sea-change that networking-as-a-service will bring to the way networking and security services are provided will reward the first movers and make obsolete those who have not put in the research and resources to develop next-generation platforms.
The COVID-19 outbreak has exposed a weakness in the infrastructure that is driving the digital transformation. Focusing on networking and security wherever the user is—whether that’s in a physical office or quarantined at home—will be the challenge and opportunity for networking companies of the future.
Interview: Deborah Golden, US Cyber Risk Services Leader, Deloitte
Information and Data Sharing Crucial in #COVID19 Efforts
Global Academics Cite Concerns Over #COVID19 Contact Tracing App Security
Preparing for Tomorrow: Cybersecurity in a Remote World
Top Ten: Things We Learned in Q1 2020
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2384
|
__label__wiki
| 0.814054
| 0.814054
|
Historic Climate Change Agreement Adopted In Paris
The accord "saves the chance of saving the planet," says one advocate.
By Lynne Peeples
Francois Mori/AP
After two weeks of tense talks, word-wrangling and marathon overnight meetings, diplomats in Paris agreed to a global climate change accord on Saturday evening -- a day after the summit's scheduled conclusion.
Leaders and experts cheered the historic agreement that emerged from the 21st Conference of the Parties, or COP21, calling it ambitious and realistic, and a crucial step in protecting the Earth for future generations.
"The decisive deal for the planet is here," French President François Hollande told delegates Saturday morning, shortly before releasing the final draft. Outside, thousands of protesters had begun filling Paris streets in an appeal for a strong climate pact.
Some advocates, however, lamented that the deal falls short. They pointed to a lack of a specific timescale for phasing out fossil fuels, for example, as well as weak language on monitoring and verifying countries' greenhouse gas emission reductions.
"This agreement won't save the planet, not even close," Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, a climate advocacy group, told The Huffington Post in an email. "But it's possible that it saves the chance of saving the planet -- if movements push even harder from here on out."
Activists demonstrate near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Saturday, Dec.12, 2015, during COP21.
Still, no one seems to be denying that the accord represents a major milestone, especially after more than two decades of United Nations climate talks that broadly failed in their chief objective to stabilize the warming of the atmosphere.
For the first time, rich and poor countries across the world have agreed to take steps to limit and adapt to climate change -- from reducing their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to helping one another adapt to rising seas, devastating droughts, food shortages and other impacts of global warming.
As the Paris text states, climate change "represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies and the planet," and "requires the widest possible cooperation by all countries."
The final agreement, which spans 31 pages, sets a cap on global warming at "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Any greater rise, scientists have warned, could trigger catastrophic climate change. The text also adds an aspirational commitment to aim for even greater reductions, enough to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) and thereby help protect low-lying nations most threatened by sea level rise.
"The scientific evidence coming in, particularly since the release of the last IPCC report, really does point in the direction that 2 degrees Celsius of warming presents more risks than had been widely appreciated," said Guido Schmidt-Traub, executive director of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, referencing the most recent findings from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose assessments form the scientific backbone for climate negotiations.
But perhaps the greater debate these past weeks in Paris is just how to achieve either goal. The current set of emissions-reduction pledges submitted by participating countries would only limit global warming to roughly 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.9 degrees Fahrenheit), leaving a substantial gap -- regardless of which warming limit is considered. And the Paris text doesn’t hide that fact, stating that “much greater emission reduction efforts will be required."
We're at a moment in time where the issue of climate change has registered so centrally in the consciousness of people around the world. Rachel Cleetus of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Climate and Energy Program
Michael Mann, director of Penn State University's Earth System Science Center, emphasized that COP21 is just "the beginning of a process." The global commitments "get us roughly half way" to where the world needs to be, Mann told HuffPost in an email. "The most important thing to come out of the conference is an agreement to improve on these commitments substantially in the years ahead."
Robert Stavins, director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, agreed. He highlighted the accord's call for countries to review their annual emissions and ramp up their pledges accordingly every five years, beginning in 2023. Also key, he noted, is the fact that nearly 190 countries, representing 96 percent of global emissions, have submitted Intended Nationally Determined Contributions -- a significant improvement compared to the Kyoto Protocol's coverage of 14 percent of global emissions. That climate accord only obliged developed countries to pitch in. What's more, major carbon contributors such as the U.S. and China refused to sign on.
The shift from previous summits may be at least partially attributed to mounting scientific evidence and global awareness concerning the pace of and problems posed by climate change. And this change in tone is not just evident in the actions of the public and politicians, suggested Schmidt-Traub, but also of major corporations. Monsanto, for example, is among companies pledging to go carbon neutral within the next decade. “That’s making a huge difference,” he said.
"We're at a moment in time where the issue of climate change has registered so centrally in the consciousness of people around the world," added Rachel Cleetus, the lead economist and climate policy manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists' Climate and Energy Program. "These climate impacts we are seeing are exacting a toll on people everywhere. We're seeing the western U.S. in a multiyear drought. We're seeing sea level rise cause worsening flooding."
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, talks with China's Special Representative on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua prior to the opening of the COP21 conference in Le Bourget on Saturday, Dec.12, 2015.
While every country may be confronted by climate change consequences, some developing nations represent the most vulnerable to and least able to cope with the impacts. These countries are also generally the least prepared to invest in renewable energy to help fend off further warming. Compared to fossil fuels, clean energy products remain more capital intensive -- a particular challenge for poor nations that face high interest rates. (A loan to India, for example, is far more risky than one to Germany.)
To help, rich countries have been called to provide $100 billion a year to support poor countries in their transitions to clean energy and their measures to adapt to climate change. By 2025, according to the agreement, these nations will revisit that figure, with the option of ratcheting up their financing.
The accord also includes a mechanism to address the losses and damages caused by climate change, although the parties agreed that this "does not involve or provide a basis for any liability of compensation." Such liability would have been a deal-breaker for the U.S. and other large emitters, according to Stavins, who suggested that the new climate accord "hit everything" he had been watching for ahead of the meetings.
"This is a broad foundation for meaningful progress," he said. "Anyone who suggests this is a success or a failure is only speaking based on ideology, not reality. Only 10 to 20 years from now, when we look at the implementation of all this, will we really know."
Read More COP21 Coverage
The Paris Climate Agreement Is One Huge Step For Mankind
Speaking with One Voice to Solve the Climate Crisis
Work Starts Tomorrow, But For Today, Congratulations
Bernie Sanders Isn't Too Impressed By The Historic Climate Agreement
Lynne Peeples
Environment and Public Health Reporter, The Huffington Post
Cop21 France Climate Change
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2385
|
__label__wiki
| 0.838727
| 0.838727
|
Vick: 'I won't disappoint'
by Daily News staff, Posted: August 14, 2009
New Eagles quarterback Michael Vick returned to the NFL with his introductory press conference at a jam-packed NovaCare Complex auditorium, meeting with the local and national media.
"I'm glad to have an opportunity at a second chance and I won't disappoint," said Vick, wearing a pinstriped suit and flanked by coach Andy Reid and adviser Tony Dungy.
Outside the gates, there were about 50 people, many protesting but others supporting Vick. One man has a put bull, wearing a No. 7 Falcons jersey.
Vick struck several themes, in which he expressed contrition, and called being in position to return to the NFL "a surreal feeling."
* "It was a point in my life before I was even convicted or before the allegations even came out that I knew it was wrong and I felt it was wrong," Vick said. "Just when I was trying to turn the corner, it was too late. Everything happens for a reason. There's a reason I was sent to Kansas, a reason I was convicted. I was conscious of that fact. To this day, I have to deal with that shame and embarrassment."
* "We all used the excuse that it was part of our culture. I don't think that is an excuse. I was abiding by that rule at the time. When I went to prison, I had plenty of time to think about what I did. Saw people's reaction … Now I understand people care about their animals, their health, their welfare, the protections of their animals. Now I do."
* "I was wrong for what I did. Everything that happened at that point in time was wrong. I can't understand why I was involved to this day … I was a naive to a lot of things. If I can help more animals than I can hurt then I have contributed and I have done my part."
* "I now know playing in the NFL is a privilege and not a right. I want to do whatever is necessary and be the best ambassador to the NFL and in the community."
Early Birds Newsletter
Eagles news in your inbox year-round
Vick also said he would contribute to the community and make a "conscious effort" to continue his work with the Humane Society.
"My actions will speak louder than my words, to be proactive, involved in community. People will see that in due time. I have been working with the Humane Society, working with certain inner cities and communities to make sure we attack the problem."
Owner Jeffrey Lurie, an acknowledged dog lover, had some harsh comments for Vick's actions, calling them horrific and not meeting the basic standards of human decency. Lurie made a 14-minute opening statement, detailing his feelings.
"His legend, he will be successful if he can diminish the level of animal cruelty and that's it," Lurie said. "If he is not proactive, he will not be on the team, because that is part of the agreement."
Lurie also tried to look forward. He described a lot of soul searching and a long meeting with he and Vick. Lurie said it was the first he had been so involved in the process of signing a player.
"My hope as we go forward is Michael will prove his value in society," Lurie said. "Whether he becomes a good football player again, it's possible. He's got an opportunity to become a good member of society. That's the goal here."
Vick, who has not played in an NFL game since December 2006, is expected to practice with the Eagles for the first time tomorrow. He is eligible to play in the third preseason game against Jacksonville. His regular season debut is still up in the air, pending review by comissioner Roger Goodell. It could come as late as Week 6.
"I've been away from game for two years. Have to crawl before I can walk," Vick said. "I can't imagine trying to be a starter for a football team. As much God-given ability as I have, I don't think I could do it. I think I could, but wouldn't want to risk it. I need time to get my feet wet ... I thought this was a perfect scenario, a perfect situation to learn from Donovan [McNabb] … I want to get with Coach Reid and Donovan and become a complete quarterback."
Vick said he has tested his physical skills, although it will take time to get acclimated.
"I am ready to go," Vick said. "I stayed in shape, did all the things to keep up my physical physique. It was hard when I was away, but last two months, I have done the things to maintain my weight, my build, my speed. I think I have tested the waters and I feel great."
Vick was asked about the reaction he expected from the fans.
"Hopefully, it's positive … Fans expect a lot of the players. We have to put on a great performances, put on a how and ultimate winning games. Sometimes they're good to you, sometimes they're not so good. That is part of the game, that is part of this business."
Reid struck on the theme of second chances, as he did after last night's game.
"The majority of the public wants Michael to do well," Reid said.
As for joining the Eagles, Dungy expressed that Vick was in the right place. He said he would be available to help Vick and the Eagles in whatever way he was asked.
"I am really happy that things turned out this way," Dungy said. "I am proud of the Philadelphia Eagles. I know they didn't do this as a charity measure … They also stepped out to give a man a second chance and I think that is important. I think this is going to work out great. I didn't think he could be with a better organization … Have a great support system here in place for him."
Asked why he landed with the Eagles, Vick said: "I know everyone is thinking why Philadelphia. It's a flagship organization, great tradition, great staff, a winning team. They have a great team in place and want to be a part of that … I want to give the team every opportunity to win a Super Bowl. I'm considering this my first year, just trying to fit in wherever I can and get acclimated and do whatever I can to help this team succeed and reach the Super Bowl."
Vick's former team, the Atlanta Falcons, issued a brief statement: "Michael is going to a first-class organization and will receive tremendous support from Eagles Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie, Team President Joe Banner, Head Coach Andy Reid and Quarterback Donovan McNabb. Michael has been given a good opportunity to restart his career in the NFL, and we wish him well."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released this statement: "I have said several times in recent weeks that I want Michael to be one of the NFL's success stories as an individual and as a football player. I believe he can accomplish both goals with the Eagles organization which has done an outstanding job in the community and on the field these last 15 years under the direction of owner Jeffrey Lurie. I know the Eagles will provide strong support but, ultimately, Michael's success is up to him and the decisions he makes."
To read our earlier post about the McNabb-Vick relationship, more reaction and a little bit about last night's game, click here.
Posted: August 14, 2009 - 11:36 AM
Daily News staff
Eagles head-coaching candidate Arthur Smith lands job with Falcons after interview with Jeffrey Lurie
Les Bowen
NFL playoff picks: Vegas Vic likes the Saints, but is staying away from the Chiefs
Vegas Vic
Eagles coaching search: Jets hire Robert Saleh, Birds interview Arthur Smith with Jerod Mayo on deck
EJ Smith
Sweet home, Alabama? Nick Saban’s staff is an option for Jeff Stoutland, as the Eagles search for a head coach
Eagles interview Carolina offensive whiz kid Joe Brady, with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on deck
Troy Aikman: ‘Difference of opinion’ at Eagles quarterback position fueled Doug Pederson’s firing
Paul Domowitch
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2388
|
__label__wiki
| 0.967505
| 0.967505
|
Stop Brexit: 700,000 sign UK petition to stay in EU
An anti-Brexit protester waves an EU flag outside the Houses of Parliament in London
LONDON (Reuters) - More than 700,000 people have rushed to sign a petition on the British parliament's website calling for the government to revoke its divorce notice to the European Union and remain in the bloc.
Attracting thousands of signatures every few minutes, the petition took off in the hours after Prime Minister Theresa May made a televised address to the country late on Tuesday, criticizing squabbling lawmakers for failing to agree an exit strategy and telling parliament to make a final choice.
"It is high time we made a decision," May said, telling Britons: "I am on your side."
EU leaders will tell May on Thursday she can have two months to organize an orderly Brexit but Britain could face a disruptive ejection from the bloc next Friday if she fails to win backing from parliament.
More than 17 million Britons voted in favor of leaving the EU in a 2016 referendum while 16 million voted to remain, with May serving notice of the UK’s intent to leave under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty the following year.
The "Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU" petition on the parliament website had attracted 706,096 signatures by 1048 GMT, backed by support on social media, although the site appeared to be regularly crashing due to the large numbers trying to sign.
"The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people'. We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU," the petition said.
Parliament must consider holding a debate on all petitions that gain more than 100,000 signatures.
Supporters wrote on Twitter that the petition showed the strength of feeling against May's strategy while backers of Brexit said it needed to attract more signatures than the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the EU three years ago before anyone should take any notice.
More than 1.8 million people signed a petition calling for U.S. President Donald Trump to be prevented from making a state visit to Britain, leading to a debate in parliament in 2017.
More than 4 million people signed another petition in 2016 which called for another EU referendum in the event that neither the remain or leave camps achieved 60 percent of the vote.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Giles Elgood)
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2389
|
__label__cc
| 0.523188
| 0.476812
|
How a global bank revolutionised its lending business with process automation
Johannesburg – August 17, 2016 – A global bank headquartered in Western Europe began automating its lending business in the mid-1990s. In the beginning, it focused on one aspect of the overall process—generating loan contracts and collateral documentation. The bank first deployed a DOS-based system, but by the year 2000, had upgraded to the industry-leading HotDocs. In stages over the next several years, the bank made HotDocs available to 9,000 global customer representatives as a web application.
The HotDocs factor
From an efficiency standpoint, HotDocs offered the bank a dramatic improvement over its previous, manual approach, which involved a loan expert creating a list of document specifications, which were then passed along to the word-processing pool. The pool would manually create the documents, which were then passed back to the loan expert for editorial review, following which, the documents were sent back to word processing, and so on. While the approach eventually yielded transaction-ready documents, it was expensive, time consuming and prone to human error. In contrast, HotDocs enabled any customer representative to simply enter the transaction-specific data into a single interview and then, in seconds, generate the contract and collateral, which could then be reviewed by an expert before execution. Not only was this process much faster and less expensive, but it also yielded higher-quality documents with less risk, a benefit that correlated with the reduction of human interaction in the process.
Automating the rest of the commercial loan process
In addition to the reduction in risk of having a controlled, automated process, along with improvements in efficiency and quality of documentation that HotDocs afforded the bank, bank management wanted to automate other aspects of the lending business. Data routing had yet to be automated, and the approval process was difficult, involving the manual synthesis and analysis of hundreds—or in some cases, thousands—of discrete data items. To solve these and other issues, the bank created and deployed a proprietary workflow platform. This platform provides a framework for the bank’s lending business by organising it into a structured process (workflow) that gathers data in stages, routes the data for management review, provides essential data analysis and flagging, and generates transaction-ready documents.
The workflow
The bank’s workflow begins with the opening of a case file and proceeds with the gathering of basic case information—the name of the business requesting the loan, the amount of the loan, etc. The workflow also references both internal and external credit systems to build the profile of the loan applicant. The next stage of the workflow involves the gathering and analysis of case-specific data. For this functionality, the bank built another proprietary technology that it dubbed Expert Loan, a system that gathers highly structured, loan-specific data and analyses it for compliance to predefined standards.
Expert Loan
Built on the HotDocs platform, Expert Loan is an analytical, data-gathering sequence that branches into vertical industries—for example, hospitality, dairy, automobile dealers, etc. Beyond data gathering, Expert Loan provides analysis of data sets, designed specifically to flag potential problem areas with a particular applicant.
Interactive data gathering
Altogether, Expert Loan includes fields for more than 6,000 discrete data items. However, a commercial loan for a particular type of business—say, a hotel—might require only a few hundred data items. Asking thousands of unnecessary questions during a loan application would, no doubt, be inefficient, but it could also be confusing and misleading. By using HotDocs to build Expert Loan, the bank was able to take advantage of HotDocs interviews, which are highly interactive. Questions that should be asked under any circumstances can be grouped together in forms that are displayed for each new applicant. Conditional questions may or may not be displayed within a form, depending on the answers to other questions, or they can be grouped with questions having the same conditional profile into forms that are only displayed if certain conditions exist.
Loan approval analytics
Because commercial loans potentially involve very large amounts of money, the bank applies stringent approval standards. One of these standards involves comparing and analysing data items for internal consistency. For example, a hotel applying for a loan of £2 million to upgrade facilities would be consistent if the hotel has, say, 200 rooms. However, if the hotel has only 20 rooms, a loan of £2 million might be inconsistent. While this is a simple example, Expert Loan includes highly sophisticated business rules that can flag any of thousands of different obscure inconsistencies that an actual loan officer might miss. By scripting the requisite business logic into the Expert Loan interview, the bank is able to colour-code answers as a means of flagging possible inconsistencies. For example, an answer that is consistent with guidelines will be coded in green, an answer that may be inconsistent with guidelines will be coded in amber, and an answer that is inconsistent with guidelines will be coded in red. Should a customer representative recommend a loan to an approval officer despite the occurrence of amber and/or red answers, the customer representative can provide a written explanation of why the loan should be approved, regardless of inconsistencies with standards. Expert Loan’s built-in logic ensures that obscure inconsistencies in a data set won’t be missed, a possibility that could yield a catastrophic outcome.
Improved efficiency for loan approval officers
Prior to the deployment of Expert Loan, customer representatives would write a report explaining why a loan was being recommended for approval. In an effort to avoid a loan officer needing further clarification of data points in a loan application, customer representatives would make these reports comprehensive and extensive. The challenge for loan approval officers was to extract relevant facts from these lengthy, written reports. Expert Loan solved this problem by enabling approval officers to review only the data points of a loan application. Color-coding individual data items further streamlined and safeguarded the approval process.
One of the key functionalities of the bank’s workflow system is fraud prevention, particularly in the form of collusion between a borrower and a customer representative. One way that the workflow prevents collusion is through rights management. While a customer representative is able to access a particular loan interview in Expert Loan throughout the data-entry process, once the completed interview has been submitted for approval, the customer representative is locked out of the interview. After a loan has been approved, the customer representative can re-enter the interview; however, the data set on which the loan has been approved is locked down. Any additional fields that require answers can be accessed by the customer representative.
With the complete data set approved, the workflow allows for the documents to be generated, a process that takes just seconds. Documents are saved directly to the PDF file format and are profiled back into the workflow, which provides versioning control for HotDocs templates, documentation and data sets.
The bank has utilised HotDocs as an integrated part of its credit processes for more than a decade and has produced millions of loan and collateral documents for its customers. HotDocs provides the bank with several integral pieces of its loan approval workflow, including complex data-gathering, sophisticated data analysis and automated document assembly.
|
cc/2021-04/en_head_0004.json.gz/line2390
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.