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Holocaust survivor Steen Metz encourages students to remember
Stefanie Pehr
Steen Metz talks to sophomores about his experiences during the Holocaust.
Kate Schneider, Editor in Chief
We have learned about Anne Frank, read “The Book Thief” and seen “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” From the time we enter fourth grade to the time we graduate, the Holocaust is a subject that will be covered countless times in classrooms. Students equate the word alone to terms like cruelty and terror.
No matter how many movies, books or lessons we encounter about the horrible genocide, nothing is more inspiring and thought provoking than hearing first hand experiences. Last Tuesday, Oct. 21, Steen Metz visited BG for his second time, talking to English classes about his journey.
Metz is a guest speaker and author of “A Danish Boy in Theresienstadt: Reflections of a Holocaust Survivor.” He has held over 100 presentations, reaching about 10,000 students. His message? To remember and share.
“I made it my mission in life to help educate students like yourself,” Metz said. “Yes, the Holocaust did take place. Never forget that. It is important that we continue to talk about it.”
Born in Denmark, only a small percentage of the population was Jewish. When Germany invaded Denmark in 1940, Denmark surrendered, yet things stayed normal for Metz and his family. For the next three years Metz was about to continue going to school and his father was able to practice law.
However, on Oct. 2, 1943, Metz and his family were forced out of his home. He refers to it as “The Fatal Morning.” He was only eight years old.
“The Germans started rounding up the Jews,” Metz said. “I had no idea what was going on. I did not know I was Jewish, I had not been brought up in the Jewish faith. Was it a crime to be Jewish? Of course not. But it is a crime to be Jewish according to Hitler and his regime.”
Metz and his family were directed to boxcars, which were referred to by survivors as “cattle cars.” For three days, they were stuck in the cramped area with no windows, food or bathrooms. They arrived in Czechoslovakia, 550 miles from Denmark, at a camp called Theresienstadt. He stayed at that camp for about two years. His father died of starvation after about six months of enduring grueling work and physical abuse.
Even as a child, Metz worked at the camp. He was a messenger who worked three or four hours a day, delivering papers from one German officer to another. He passed the time playing soccer with Czech boys using a ball made of rags and string.
“One day my friends didn’t show up,” Metz said. “I was quite sad and I told my mother. My mother knew what happened to them, but she didn’t tell me. She wanted to protect me. My friends were sent off to Auschwitz, an extermination camp.”
Theresienstadt was used as the “Model Camp” for the Germans. For one day, everything was clean, the old and frail were hidden, buildings were painted and flowers were planted. On June 23, 1944, doctors came from the Red Cross and Switzerland to evaluate how the Germans were treating the Jews.
“It was one big hoax,” Metz said. “They only went where the German officers wanted to take them. They didn’t see that there was no plumbing or food. It was used as propaganda. The Germans even imported French children into the camp for the day because they looked healthy. The whole thing was a hoax.”
Finally, on April 15, Metz and his mother were liberated by Red Cross buses that took them back to Sweden. Once there, he received tremendous support and reconnected with family who had escaped from Copenhagen. He returned to school and went to a commercial college. He travelled to England, and then Canada where he met his wife before moving to the US. For fifty years he worked for food companies because he wanted to make sure “everyone always had enough to eat.”
“Even after returning home to Denmark with my mother, we did not speak of what had happened,” Metz said. “No survivors did. We all wanted to forget. But I learned to never forget and look forward.”
After many years of living in America, Metz decided it was time to share his story. He wanted to write a novel, giving voices to the thousands of Danes who were taken to camps during the Holocaust. In 2009 he traveled back to Czechoslovakia for the first time since 1945, and all of the memories returned to him.
“Going to Theresienstadt again was one of the most moving experiences I have ever had,” Metz said. “There were memorials with 15,000 names of children who lived in the camp.”
Although going back to those awful years was difficult, it had to be done, according to Metz.
“I didn’t start talking about the Holocaust again until I started researching for my book,” Metz said. “All survivors need to be ready to remember, and I was finally ready to share.”
Since writing the book, Metz has found a passion in public speaking. He encourages students to share what they have heard with others, so the stories of the Holocaust never die.
“I am lucky that I am alive to tell my story,” Metz said. “I lived a very happy life. It is my mission and passion to talk to students, it is very, very important to me. I want you to go home and talk to your family and friends. Today you listened to a survivor and I want you to make sure you spread the message. Talk to at least three people. Together we can spread the stories to hundreds of thousands of people. Never forget so history will not repeat itself.”
DECA prepares for virtual State competition
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Unique Winter Play format seeks creative minds
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Mostrando 1 - 8 de 8 Para Buscar: '" Ciencia y tecnología = Science and technology Congresos y asambleas = Congresses and conventions"', tiempo de consulta: 0.11s
International Congress on the History of Science (7)
ICOHTEC Symposium (1)
Union International of History and Philosophy of Science, Division of History of Science (7)
Materias sugeridas:
Ciencia y tecnología = Science and technology (8)
Historia = History (7)
Materias sugeridas
Technological drive from the past to the future? : 50 years of ICOHTEC : The 45º ICOHTEC Symposium : 17-21 July 2018 : [abstracts]
por ICOHTEC Symposium
XIXth International Congress of History of Science, 22 - 29 August 1993, Zaragoza (Spain). Book of abstracts - symposia / Union International of History and Philosophy of Science, Division of History of Science; Mariano Hormigón, Elena Ausejo y Jean Dhombre, eds.
por International Congress on the History of Science
Union International of History and Philosophy of Science Division of History of Science 1993
XIXth International Congress of History of Science, 22 - 29 August 1993, Zaragoza (Spain). List of participants / International Union of History and Philosophy of Science, División of History of Science
XIXth International Congress of History of Science, 22 - 29 August 1993, Zaragoza (Spain). Exhibition of books and Journals of History of Science and Technology/ International Union of History and Philosophy of Science, División of History of Science
XIXth International Congress of History of Science, 22 - 29 August 1993, Zaragoza (Spain). Book of abstracts - scientific sections / Union International of History and Philosophy of Science, Division of History; Mariano Hormigón, Elena Ausejo y Jean Dhombre, eds.
XIXth International Congress of History of Science, 22 - 29 August 1993, Zaragoza (Spain). Symposia Survey papers - Plenary lectures / Union International of History and Philosophy of Science, División of History of Science; Mariano Hormigón, Elena Ausejo y Jean Dhombre, eds.
Notas post-congreso : XIXth International Congress of History of Science, 22 - 29 August 1993, Zaragoza (Spain)
XIXth International Congress of History of Science, 22 - 29 August 1993, Zaragoza (Spain). Program / Union International of History and Philosophy of Science, Division of History of Science
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People who work in innovative areas know that legal systems usually lag behind after technical developments. This means that businesses must either operate in a legally grey area, or they have to limit their business so much that they are fully legally compliant, which hampers innovation. Neither situation is satisfying. Our aim is to help those people solve this situation.
The Blockchain Arbitration Forum has been founded for the following purposes:
Arbitration = Private Courts
Most jurisdictions in the world and every jurisdiction within the EU allows for private court proceedings, so-called arbitration. Summoning an arbitral tribunal requires that the parties to the dispute consent to such a proceeding, for example in via an agreement. Once they have done so, state courts are no longer competent for disputes between those parties, for example arising from such an agreement. Instead, the parties will have a hearing in front of the private arbitral tribunal. The ruling of an arbitral tribunal is binding and can be enforced.
The advantages of using arbitration are obvious:
Leverages modern communication technology instead of paper correspondence, e.g., e-mail and video conferencing
Competent arbitrators chosen by the parties
Arbitration & Dispute Resolution
As an alternative to arbitral proceedings, the parties can also choose other forms of dispute resolution, e.g. mediation. There are no binding decisions in case of mediation, instead, the mediator tries to find a solution which pleases both parties. Mediations are usually faster and cheaper than arbitral proceedings.
The Blockchain Arbitration Forum will organize events which shall attract both lawyers and techies. We strive to close the gap between both professions and are convinced that the best way of doing this is to make people talk to each other. The events, of course, do not have a geographical focus, and therefore a live-stream shall be available whenever possible.
The Blockchain Arbitration Forum is a natural platform for educational offerings, such as trainings, webinars and classes, that bridge the gap between law and technology. The BAF brings together representatives of both sides – law and technology – with scientific as well as with more practical backgrounds. By providing an educational curriculum that matches the highest quality standards, law firms, individual lawyers, arbitrators and other ADR experts will look for BAF certified trainings in order to future proof their own ADR services.
Since we both have researchers and practitioners as members, we offer them the possibility to publish their ideas and impulses on our platform. Selected publications will also be available in print.
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Congrats Cleveland, The Cavs Are NBA Champions!
Published on June 23, 2016 October 10, 2018 by exaircorp
Living in Cincinnati, it’s somewhat of an unwritten rule for sports fan that we don’t root for any Cleveland professional sports teams. Take for example the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, in-state rivals that just happen to both play in the AFC North division of the National Football League. Both of these teams were also founded by the same coach, Paul Brown, and share the same color orange in their uniforms. In Major League Baseball you have the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians. The Reds were the first professional baseball team with the Indians following suit just a few yeas later. Although not league or division rivals, they still compete in interleague games dubbed by fans as the “Ohio Cup” or the “Battle of Ohio”.
When it comes to basketball, Cincinnati doesn’t have a professional team anymore so there isn’t any real feel of loyalty to any particular franchise. In Cleveland though, they have the Cavaliers who have been successful over the past few years, albeit with a little bit of controversy from one of their own – Lebron James, who was raised nearby in Akron, Ohio. I am a long time basketball fan who appreciates great talent. What I don’t care for is the “me first” attitude that has become all too common lately with professional athletes. The “King”, as James refers to himself, abandoned “his City” back in 2010 to join the Miami Heat organization to chase an NBA championship. He made the announcement in a live broadcast event called “The Decision” in which he announced he was ‘taking his talents to South Beach (Miami) and promised “not one, not two, not three…… championships”, which drew critics in the national media, as well as drawing the ire of fans back in Ohio. While he did help guide the Heat to the title in 2012 and 2013, he also lost a couple Finals appearances in 2011 and 2014.
At the end of the 2014 season, James did a little bit of soul searching and decided to return home to Cleveland to deliver a championship. His first year back, 2015, the Cavs finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and made their way to the NBA Finals. During the Finals run though, the Cavs lost their starting point guard and their starting shooting forward to injury. Needless to say this completely changed the teams dynamic, as without the extra support, Lebron was only able to carry his team two victories and they lost the series 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors.
Fast forward to this year. For the majority of the year, the two best teams in the NBA were the same as last year with Golden State leading the Western Conference and the Cavaliers leading the East. The Warriors broke an NBA record for the most wins during a regular season, finishing with a 73-9 record, breaking the 72-10 record previously held by the Chicago Bulls (led by the greatest of all-time, Michael Jordan – IMHO). Both teams had their struggles through their respective playoff runs but as fate would have it, would meet again to determine a champion. Golden State hosted the first two gams and pretty much manhandled the Cavs before heading to Cleveland with a 2-0 record. Game 3 was the polar opposite of the first two games, as Cleveland was able to secure game 3 with a 120-90 victory. The next game seemed to end all hope for the Cavs as Golden State dominated the final quarter to lead the series 3-1 before heading back to California.
Now, there has NEVER been an NBA team come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the title, so things were looking pretty bleak for Cleveland. It seemed the man who promised so much to “His City” was once a again going to fall short of delivering that elusive Championship. But as fate would have it, somehow, someway, the Cavs were able to regroup and come out completed dialed in and focused on the goal at hand. Well, really it came down to 2 key players for the Cavs, the starting point guard and Lebron James. Both players played out of their minds and willed their team to victories in game 5 and game 6, setting up a much anticipated game 7 finale.
Game 7 held up to the billing, it was awesome, even if you’re just a casual sports fan. The contest went back and forth with neither team getting out to more than an 8 point lead. The game came down to the last minute as both teams were tied with the Cavs point guard hitting a clutch 3-pointer that gave Cleveland the lead. The Cavs were able to hold on and win by 4 points, securing Cleveland’s first championship in almost 50 years. Lebron finished with a triple-double, only 1 of 3 players to hold that honor in Game 7 of the finals and was named the series’ MVP. Lebron’s average for the Finals were 30.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.5 assists. Basically, he lead every recorded stat out of every player, he undoubtedly led “his” team to the title. It really was a fun series, even for the casual fan.
So congratulations Cleveland!
EXAIR has played a part in the fun of the NBA as well. Our Line Vac Air Operated Conveyors have been incorporated into a specially designed Gatling gun used to launch T-Shirts into the crowd at Milwaukee Bucks’ games. We’d like to see the Cavaliers get one of these too!
Check out this video:
Justin Nicholl
mailto:justinnicholl@exair.com
@EXAIR_JN
Categories Compressed Air•Tags air conveying, cavs, Cleveland cavaliers, Conveying System, conveyor pneumatic tube, exair, exair line vac, hopper loader, industrial conveyor, jsnicholl, Line Vac, linevac, material handeling, NBA, pneumatic carrier, pneumatic conveying, pneumatic conveying system, pneumatic conveyor, t shirt cannon, tube conveyor, vacuum conveyor
Previous Patented Nozzle is a 2016 Flow Control Magazine Innovation Awards Nominee!
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Rondam Ramblings
Preaching the gospel of evidence, experiment and reason since 2003.
I watched Bird Box so you don't have to
If you like a badly made, entirely predictable, not-very-scary, high-concept pseudo-horror thriller that scrapes the very bottom of the genre-cliche barrel, then go ahead and watch Bird Box, the latest craze movie from Netflix. If you just want to know what all the fuss is about (because FOMO) and what the title refers to, then read on. I will save you two hours of your life that I wish I had back.
Needless to say, this post contains spoilers. Not that this matters very much. The Big Reveal at the end is exactly what you would expect from a movie that revolves entirely around people having to go about their daily lives blindfolded for five years. And no, I have not yet given anything away, other than that you can in fact predict the ending after watching the first five minutes of the film.
So in the first five minutes we learn that 1) Sandra Bullock has to take her two young children on a very dangerous journey down a river, 2) they have to wear blindfolds or they will die, and 3) they aren't taking anyone else with them. Then we flash back five years to before They came and learn that They are... well, we never really find out what They are. All we know is that if you catch a glimpse of one of Them you go crazy and kill yourself. Which is actually a not-entirely-unreasonable premise for a horror movie, except for one thing: not only do we never learn what They are (aliens? supernatural beings? a defense department research project gone wrong?), not a single character in the film ever expresses even the slightest bit of curiosity about the answer to this question. Our collection of protagonists makes exactly one attempt (and an extremely lame one at that) to figure out a way to actually "combat" Them. I put "combat" in scare quotes because the only thing they actually do is try to find out if it's safe to look at Them through a security camera feed. (You get two guesses what the answer turns out to be.)
Since you have now been adequately warned about spoilers I'll go ahead and tell you: the way they conduct this experiment is to strap a volunteer to a chair set up in front of the computer screen displaying the feeds from the security cameras. And then they all leave this person alone in the room until they hear a thumping sound, which turns out to be the volunteer flailing around and, very conveniently, managing to tip the chair over at the precise moment that the rest of the crew bursts back into the room, and at the precise location where his fall will smash his skull open on some stonework and kill him so that no one has a chance to save him so they can ask any embarrassing (or, worse for the plot, enlightening) questions.
So the ground rules established for the world are: They are deadly to look at, even through a video camera, and they can (apparently) fly (Their arrival is always heralded by a gust of wind, rather like a dementor)... and that's it. But They can't go inside. That's all we ever learn. Instead of a film about people trying to figure out how to fight these things, it's instead a movie about people flailing around trying to get to the grocery store when they can't see. Seriously. Like a full quarter of the movie is about this.
There are a few other elements that get thrown into the mix: not everyone who catches a glimpse of Them dies. Some people get turned into psuedo-zombie evangelists who go around trying to get survivors to look at Them (because "They're beautiful!") These pod-people can act like regular folks for a while, so it's hard to tell them apart from actual survivors who need help. This leads to some heart-wrenching decision making that sometimes goes wrong. Oh, and when They are nearby, birds will squawk and flap around, so Sandra Bullock acquires some pet birds, and before she goes down the river she puts them in a cardboard box with air holes (bird box, get it?) to take with them as an early warning system. Not that this actually seems to do any good. Despite having the birds around, it's not safe to look at the outside world even for a moment because, although They are not always present, They have a knack for showing up a the most inopportune moments, and the birds are apparently not reliable enough to allow taking even the slightest chance. So there's a lot of time spent flailing around and paying out fishing line to try to find one's way back from whence one came.
Oddly, though, despite the fact that a lot of effort seems to go into finding ways to get around without being able to see -- including echolocation and the aforementioned fishing line trick -- one handy gadget that is unaccountably absent is a good long stick. You'd think that after five years the heroes would either have the echolocation trick honed to a fine art, or they would have made themselves some nice white canes and they would never leave home without them. But no.
Despite all this, Bird Box could still have been a reasonably satisfying thriller, except for one thing: because the opening scene includes only three characters, Sandra Bullock and her two kids, it's not hard to figure out the fate that befalls every other character that is introduced in the rest of the movie. So we don't have to wonder if the the black guy gets it. The only thing we get to speculate about it when it will happen. In what order will the other characters be dispatched so that we can finally get to the trip down the river and maybe see something that we didn't already know was coming half an hour ago. (In retrospect, we should have turned this into a drinking game. It would have helped take the edge off.)
Alas, the trip down the river is just as hackneyed and cliched as the setup. Here is all you need to know: it's cold. It takes a long time. There are rapids. Someone has to take their blindfold off to navigate the rapids. Everyone ends up in the water, some more than once. And neither children nor birds nor leading characters die.
Yes, the birds, still in their titular cardboard box, manage to somehow not only survive being dunked in a class 5 rapid, but to be recovered afterwards, still in the box (whose lid was not actually secured in any visible way), by people wearing blindfolds! If that doesn't make you groan, nothing will.
In the end there is very little redemption. Sandra Bullock has gotten a little less grinchy about being a mother, and at the end finally gives the kids proper names after having called them simply Boy and Girl for their entire lives. But that's pretty much it. Everyone else we've met is dead (and that's not even a spoiler!) We are no closer to knowing anything about Them than we were at the beginning, so humanity is still fucked.
Except blind people. I guess that's supposed to be the big reveal.
Good review. The movie had the feel of having been "written" by machine learning algorithms, recycling plot elements from previous films with the objective of maximizing viewership, kind of like an adult version of one of those surprise egg videos.
Ron said...
> Good review.
Are you a Turing Machine?
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China Airlines Places Year's Largest Boeing 747-400 Order
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today confirmed China Airlines' order announcement for 10 Boeing 747-400s, valued at approximately $2 billion at list prices. The order consists of six 747-400...
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Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, a unit of The Boeing Company [NYSE:BA], has been awarded a U.S. Air Force contract option to build a third satellite in the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite, or WGS,...
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High Dive
Jonathan Lee
**Named a Best Book of the Year by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle**
“Devastating . . . Inspired . . . We make so many complex emotional investments in the lives of Lee’s characters that it takes a monk’s restraint not to flip to the very end of the book before you get there.” —Jennifer Senior, New York Times
In September 1984, a bomb was planted at the Grand Hotel in the seaside town of Brighton, England, set to explode in twenty-four days when the British prime minister and her entire cabinet would be staying there. High Dive not only takes us inside this audacious assassination attempt—a decisive act of violence on the world stage—but also imagines its way into a group of unforgettable characters. Nimbly weaving together fact and fiction, comedy and tragedy, the story switches among the perspectives of Dan, a young IRA explosives expert; Moose, a former star athlete gone to seed, who is now the deputy hotel manager; and Freya, his teenage daughter, trying to decide what comes after high school. Over the course of a mere four weeks, as the prime minister’s arrival draws closer, each of their lives will be transformed forever.
A bold, astonishingly intimate novel of laughter and heartbreak, High Dive is a moving portrait of clashing loyalties, guilt and regret, and how individuals become the grist of history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY NOV 9, 2015
You had to remember you were at war." This is what Dan, an IRA volunteer in Belfast, tells himself in March, 1984, not long after his 24th birthday, which was also the day he found out he would be planting a bomb intending to kill Margaret Thatcher and as many members of her cabinet as possible. In September of that same year, an actual slow-release time bomb did explode at the Grand Hotel, in Brighton, England, killing five people but missing the prime minister. That explosion is the real-life event at the heart of this brilliant, urgent, unstoppable novel, Lee's first to be released in the U.S. Having second and even third thoughts about the mission, Dan reckons with himself: "The truth was that on an operation you felt clean of guilt and will. It was day-to-day Belfast life that made you dirty." Interspersed with Dan's mounting internal struggles and resolve are the lives of Freya Finch and her father, who's called Moose, both of whom work at the Grand Hotel and are busy getting ready for the prime minister's arrival. Freya has just graduated from high school and is restless and uncertain. Her father's in a similar position, though it's the middle-aged version, in which he's grappling with the limitations of his health, his appeal to women, and his ability to understand his newly adult daughter. From its breathless first scene, in which the IRA "interviews" Dan at age 18, testing his instincts and intuition, to seeing Freya and Moose navigating the mundane tasks of everyday service work (the reader knowing all the while just how precarious their lives are), this is an incredible novel of rare insight, velocity, depth, and daring.
Penguin Random House LLC
Mhp92 , 01/06/2017
Disappointing throughout!
I was truly excited to sit down and devour this book. Unfortunately, the book is primarily character development and the portion that deals with the bomb planted in Margaret Thatcher's hotel is truly minimal. I am an avid reader in multiple genres, and rarely do I struggle to finish a book, but this one was a chore to finish.
More Books by Jonathan Lee
The Great Mistake
Who Is Mr. Satoshi?
Wer ist Mr Satoshi?
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A Collection of the Most Celebrated Voyages & Travels, from the ..., Bind 4
Af R. P. Forster
vided there was finery enough) they made no scruple of putting on, and blending with their own greasy dress. So that when a party of them thus ridiculously metamorphised first appeared before Mr. Brett, he was extremely surprised at their appearance, and could not iinmediately be satisfied they were his own people.' • In a wood near the town, above two hundred horsemen appeared with a number of trumpets, drums, and standards, and paraded about each day with the intention of intimidating the English. But Mr. Brett barricadoed the streets, and knowing the horse durst not attack him, the removal of the treasure was therefore conducted without hurry or confusion. When this business was finished Mr. Anson sent his prisoners on shore, who loudly extolled his kindness and humanity. The party on duty in the town were at the same time ordered on board, after setting fire to the place, and sinking six vessels which were found in the harbour. The plunder amounted to upwards of 30,0001. and the whole loss to the Spaniards was estimated at a million and a half of dollars.
Mr. Anson on proceeding to sea, fell in with the Gloucester, which had taken a prize worth 12,0001. The squadron now steered northward to cruise for the Manilla galeon, bound to Acapulco. It however was necessary first to water the ships, for which purpose, the island of Quibo was chosen. Here they scuttled and sank two of the prizes, and then set sail to the coast of Mexico. After cruising for some time for the galeon, one of the boats surprised three negroes in a canoe, from whom they learned that the galeon had reached her port, but that she was ordered to sail back to Manilla on the 14th of March. This news was joyfully received, as she would be a more valuable prize on her return, when she had usually a richer cargo than any other vessel in any part of the globe.
The ships were judiciously arranged so as to observe the galeon, and when the time of her sailing arrived, all was impatience and alacrity; but a barge which was sent to reconnoitre was seen from the shore, and the galeon was detained, and not permitted to sail till the following season. When Mr. Anson learned this circumstance he determined to sur
prise the place, but found that the state of the winds rendered this impracticable.
The commodore now ordered the vessels to rendezvous at a port thirty leagues to the westward of Acapulco, and that the Tryal's prize, and the Carmelo, and Carmin, should be sunk. After procuring wood, and water, preparations were made for crossing the Pacific ocean; but as the cutter had been left opposite Acapulco, the ships steered in that direction to take her up, and to land a number of prisoners they had on board. Not finding the cutter at her station, it was concluded she had been taken, but being driven to the southward she was found, the men being quite exhausted, having been at sea above six weeks. In the South Seas the Gloucester lost all her masts, had seven feet water in her hold, and a crew so weakly, that they were unable to work her. This determined Mr. Anson to remove her people on board the Centurion, and order her to be burnt. This was effected with difficulty, the men being so weak with the scurvy, not less than ten or twelve dying every day.
Driven about with the winds, and unable to make land, a general despondency seized the whole crew, who saw nothing but destruction as the ship was very leaky, and no hands able to work the pumps. In this dreadful situation they fortunately fell in with the island of Tinian. The sight of beautiful lawns and woods, and herds of cattle feeding, was a joyful and reviving spectacle. There was no inhabitants on this delightful island, except a few Indians employed in jerking beef, which was a happy circumstance, considering the defenceless state of the Centurion. The sick now recovered with wonderful rapidity. Here was a beautiful watering place, where tents were pitched until the ship was repaired, watered, and provided with provisions. But while all the crew were happy and jovial, a storm arose which drove the Centurion to sea, and being badly manned, it was believed in a few days, by the commodore and others left on shore, that she had perished. The carpenters and smiths were therefore employed in lengthening the bark, and rigging her for sea, intending to sail to China. However, at the end of twenty days, the Centurion returned, to the inexpressible joy of all parties.
A View of the Watering. Vor al Trian?
Published by Mackenzie dhen?
The health of the crew being fully re-established, the Centurion sailed from Tinian, to Macao, but during the voyage, the ship laboured much in a hollow sea, which injured the rigging, and increased the leak. On coming to anchor in Macoa road, Mr. Anson enquired of the governor, how he should act to avoid giving offence to the Chinese, as his being a war-ship, he was determined not to pay the duty imposed upon merchant vessels. The governor advised him to carry the ship to a harbour about six miles from Macao, but declined supplying him with provisions unless he could procure an order from the viceroy of Canton. Mr. Anson therefore resolved to visit the viceroy, but the Chinese custom-house officer would not permit the boats to leave the ship; but when Mr. Anson threatened to go by force, permission was granted. However the officers and supercargoes of the English ships, advised him to leave the business to the management of the Hong merchants. After the delay of a month, these merchants resigned their commission, telling Mr. Anson, that they durst not approach such a great man as the viceroy. Threats were now employed, and a Chinese officer undertook to deliver a letter to the governor at Canton. In two days a mandarin of high rank, with a great retinue, arrived for the purpose of inspecting the Centurion. Mr. Anson received him in state, having dressed an hundred of his crew in the marine uniform.
* This mandarin appeared to be a person of very considerable parts, and endowed with more frankness and honesty, than is to be found in the generality of the Chinese. After the proper enquiries had been made, particularly about the leak, which the Chinese carpenters reported to be as dangerous as it had been represented, and consequently that it was impossible for the Centurion to proceed to sea without being refitted, the mandarin expressed himself satisfied with the account given in the commodore's letter. And this magistrate, as he was more intelligent than any other person of his nation that came to our knowledge, so likewise was he more curious and in- . quisitive, viewing each part of the ship with particular attention, and appearing greatly surprised at the largeness of the
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Redeeming Judas
in Religion
Unrelated to the post below, Canada observed a day of mourning for the tsunami victims yesterday. I did not know about this until early today, and I feel rather bad about that.
The disaster continues to occupy the efforts of dozens of countries, and pledges of support are now into the millions, thanks especially to the Australians (who have really stepped up) and to the Germans. The number of dead has started to level off below 200,000, but extreme challenges remain. And as if the region hasn’t taken enough, a cyclone has started to form near Sri Lanka.
Keep following the South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami blog for more news.
Judas, as you know, is the apostle who betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver. According to Dante, you’ll find him in the lowest circle of hell. I’ve never understood that judgement.
You see, Judas repented. When he realized what he had done (which, incidentally, led directly to Christ’s crucifixion and the redemption of humanity), he went back to the authorities and told them that he’d convicted an innocent man. He begged them to let Jesus go. When they refused (for their own political reasons), he threw down the pieces of silver, which were collected and used to buy the potters field, to use to bury dead strangers.
Judas repented, and any true and complete repentence given before death is sufficient to allow you into heaven. Ask the second of the two thieves crucified alongside Christ. Whereas one spat at and derided Jesus for not using his power to bring them down from their crosses, the other said that he had deserved his fate because of the life he had led. He asked for forgiveness, and Jesus gave it. The second thief knew he’d lived a bad life and was truly sorry for it. He knew he didn’t deserve forgiveness, but the Lord gave it to him anyway.
On the other hand, Judas despaired, and he hung himself. Suicide is a mortal sin, even if the motivations for it are understandible. So, from where I’m sitting, if Judas is in hell, it’s not because he betrayed Christ, but because he despaired over it and killed himself.
This has never struck me as fair. My mother says that Judas is one compelling argument for Purgatory. She was raised Baptist and is now an Anglican. She is not supposed to believe in purgatory.
I’m going to tell you a story now, and I want somebody to tell me who wrote it. It’s not mine; I heard it quoted by an Anglican priest during a sermon years ago. I’m under the impression that it’s by Madeleine L’Engle (author of A Wrinkle in Time and many books about theology). I don’t remember the whole text, so I’m going to paraphrase.
Judas awoke at the bottom of a deep pit, surrounded by damp and darkness. Overwhelmed by regret and despair over what he had done, he lay on his back and cried. He cried for years and years. The tears just would not stop.
Finally, after many years had passed, he stopped crying, and he lay on his back, staring up at the darkness. It was then he realized that he was not in complete darkness, but that high above him a light shone, as dim as a star in the sky. He spent more time, years, contemplating that light, before he finally decided to take a closer look. He got to his feet.
The walls of his pit were slippery and smooth. His feet could not find purchase for long, and more often than not he would slip and fall back to the ground, sometimes from a great height. At one point, he had managed to claw and maneouver his way close to the light before his footing gave, and he fell all the way back to the bottom of the pit. He lay there and cried for years more.
Finally, he got up, and climbed the walls of the pit. He managed to hold on until he reached the light, and he passed through the light. He found himself in a hallway, at a door to a large dining room with a huge table, set for supper, seated for thirteen people. Twelve were at their seats.
At the head of the table, Jesus stood up, indicated the remaining chair, and he said, “come, Judas, sit with us. We could not begin without you.”
Who wrote this? I would greatly appreciate it if somebody told me. I’m betting it’s an Anglican. Our church has been dialing back on the fire and brimstone of Hell, turning into a vision of nothingness or, in the case of C.S. Lewis, a version of Purgatory (see The Great Divorce). Redemption through repentence — true repentence, not one motivated out of fear or pain but from understanding the damage your sin has caused — is always possible, even after death.
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2007: Poking the Resting Soul of Galileo
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‘The Day of the Doctor’ (TV)
‘THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR’
“Gallifrey Falls…No More!” – Celebrating 50 Years of ‘Doctor Who’
23rd November 2013!
It’s so strange to think how much time has passed since ‘the day of the Doctor’. We’ve had the 50th anniversary! It’s come and gone. So much had happened in the lead-up to that special day in the history of ‘Doctor Who’. I was in Chichester for the weekend when I watched what was on that night.
The original DVD of ‘The Day of the Doctor’ was a 1-disc DVD set. ‘The Day of the Doctor’ has now been re-released as part of the ’50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition DVD’ of ‘Doctor Who’ and is on Disc 2.
So, did I enjoy ‘The Day of the Doctor’ by Steven Moffat? Yes I did, on some level. But to be honest, I enjoyed ‘The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot’ by Peter Davison more, as I found it better than ‘The Day of the Doctor’.
This story celebrates the new series of ‘Doctor Who’, whereas ‘The Light At The End’ by Big Finish celebrated the classic series. This is a shame as I wanted all the Doctors and companions to be in the TV story.
I liked how the story opens with the original 1963 William Hartnell titles and music. I also liked that opening shot of a policeman at 76 Totter’s Lane and of Coal Hill School to match ‘An Unearthly Child’.
The TARDIS gets picked up, as the Eleventh Doctor and Clara are taken to the International London Museum by U.N.I.T. They have to solve a mystery involving a Time Lord 3D painting where they meet the Tenth and War Doctors.
I enjoyed Matt Smith as the Doctor. I’ve grown to like him and he has improved for me over the years. I love his relationship with Clara. He gets to wear his fez and I liked it when he meets the Tenth Doctor. There’s a sense of friction as well as being brothers between these two young Doctors.
I was so pleased to see David Tennant return as the Tenth Doctor, as he’s one of my favourite Doctors. It’s like David has never been away. He has a flirtatious relationship with Queen Elizabeth I and I liked it when he meets Matt’s Doctor. I liked the comedy moments between the two Doctors.
I love Jenna Coleman as Clara. She’s so lovely and it’s a relief to have her as a clear character and a good friend of the Doctor, compared to when she was the ‘impossible girl’ in Series 7. I loved Clara’s scenes with Matt Smith’s Doctor and she has her own voice throughout this 50th anniversary special.
Billie Piper returns as well, but she’s not playing Rose Tyler I’m afraid. Here she plays ‘The Moment’, a weapon of mass destruction that the War Doctor steals from Gallifrey. She takes the form of Rose and challenges the War Doctor in the decision he has to make to blow up Gallifrey in the Time War.
John Hurt guest stars as the War Doctor. John Hurt turns out to be the 8½ Doctor between Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston; and is the Doctor who fought in the Time War. John is great as the War Doctor, but I would have liked Christopher Eccleston to be in this as he was supposed to be.
The Daleks make an appearance in this 50th anniversary special as they fight and exterminate the Gallifreyans during the Time War. The battle scenes with the Time War and the Daleks are amazing!
There’s also the return of the Zygons, the shape-shifting monsters who appeared in ‘Terror of the Zygons’. It was amazing to see the Zygons in this story and they have a diabolical plan to invade the Earth.
The story’s guest cast also includes Joanna Page as Queen Elizabeth the 1st; Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart (the Brigadier’s daughter) and Ingrid Oliver as Osgood, who works for Kate Stewart in U.N.I.T.
A highlight for me was the Black Archive scenes where we get to see U.N.I.T. photos of the Doctor’s companions on display, both classic and new. There are some lovely photos of Sarah Sutton’s Nyssa there.
At the end, all of the Doctors appear to save Gallifrey. This was a nice gesture, but I felt disappointed as I didn’t feel the classic Doctors appeared in this story since they were cameos mostly from archive footage of previous stories.
Tom Baker makes an appearance, not as the Fourth Doctor but as the Curator of the London Museum. It’s great to see him in this 50th anniversary special of ‘Doctor Who’ and he has a nice scene with Matt Smith’s Doctor.
The episode ends with a dream sequence as all of the Doctors stand on a cloud. It was a nice way to end the episode, although I could tell the Doctors weren’t the real actors and had CGI make-up on them.
After seeing ‘The Day of the Doctor’, I saw the ‘BBC Three Live After Party’ featuring many of the Doctors and companions. It was a rather rushed and poorly organised programme, but I was glad to see the companions including Sarah Sutton who put a smile on my face.
After that, I enjoyed seeing ‘The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot’ by Peter Davison. You can now see this on the ’50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition DVD’. This made the 50th anniversary of ‘Doctor Who’ for me as many of the Doctors and companions were in it, both classic and new.
The DVD special features on this episode are as follows. On the original ‘The Day of the Doctor’ DVD, as well as ‘The Night of the Doctor’, there’s also ‘The Last Day’ prequel. There’s also the ‘Behind the Lens’ making-of documentary; the ‘Doctor Who Explained’ documentary and two anniversary trailers.
On Disc 2 of the ’50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition DVD’ of ‘Doctor Who’, there’s also the ‘Script to Screen’ behind-the-scenes featurette; two ‘Cinema Intros’ with Strax and the Doctors and the ‘Tales From The TARDIS’ documentary (also on ‘The Time of the Doctor’ DVD).
‘The Day of the Doctor’ was the highlight of the 50th anniversary for many ‘Doctor Who’ fans. For me personally, I don’t think it’s the best anniversary special I’ve seen. But I enjoyed seeing David Tennant and Matt Smith’s Doctors in it. ‘The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot’; ‘The Light At The End’ and the ‘Destiny of the Doctor’ CD series made the 50th anniversary of ‘Doctor Who’ for me!
‘The Day of the Doctor’ rating – 7/10
‘DOCTOR WHO – THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR’
Is This Really The Day of the Doctor?
This ‘Doctor Who’ novelization is dedicated to the memory of Sir John Hurt.
In all the ‘Doctor Who’ reviews I’ve done on my ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog, you may have picked up that I’m not really a fan of the Steven Moffat era. It’s just something about his era that doesn’t work for me. It’s a shame as Steven Moffat is a clever guy and I was hoping his era would be better than it was.
I’ve now finished reading/listening to the ‘Doctor Who’ Target novelization/audiobook of ‘The Day of the Doctor’ by Steven Moffat. This is one of four Target novelizations on four new series episodes released in April 2018. The others were on ‘Rose’, ‘The Christmas Invasion’ and ‘Twice Upon A Time’.
Over the years, I’ve had a chance to reflect on the 50th anniversary celebrations that happened with ‘Doctor Who’ in 2013. I’ve made it no secret that I didn’t find ‘The Day of the Doctor’ a satisfying episode to celebrate 50 years of a TV series that I grew to love and enjoy. Other fans would disagree.
Reading/hearing this Target novelization/audiobook has given me a chance to share more on why I don’t think ‘The Day of the Doctor’ is as good as other anniversary celebrations in ‘Doctor Who’. I consider other anniversary celebrations in that 50th year to be better than the actual TV celebration.
Personally, I enjoyed the ‘Destiny of the Doctor’ audio series by Big Finish/AudioGo and ‘The Light At The End’ by Big Finish more than the actual ‘Day of the Doctor’ episode. I also prefer ‘The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot’ by Peter Davison more than ‘The Day of the Doctor’, which ties into the TV episode.
Even the ‘Prisoners of Time’ graphic novel of ‘Doctor Who’ by IDW Publishing is what I consider a better 50th anniversary special compared to ‘The Day of the Doctor’. The reason why I prefer those anniversary specials than ‘The Day of the Doctor’ is because they embraced 50 years of the TV show.
‘The Day of the Doctor’ doesn’t really do that as a 50th anniversary special. It does feature all the ‘thirteen’ doctors saving the day at the end (sort of, via a number of video clips from previous stories), but the story focused more on the Time War and the new series Doctors than on the classic.
I don’t consider just focusing on the Time War and the new series Doctors to be enough to justify celebrating 50 years of the series. Sarah Sutton said ‘the key is in the title – 50th anniversary’. I concur. ‘The Day of the Doctor’ should be embracing everything ‘Doctor Who’-related over 50 years.
I enjoyed ‘The Three Doctors’ and ‘The Five Doctors’ more than ‘The Day of the Doctor’ because those stories were trying to embrace everything ‘Doctor Who’ in the 10 years or 20 years the show had been running. They are flawed stories, but at least they had all of the Doctors featured in them.
Mind you, I can’t blame Steven Moffat for the mountain he had to climb in terms of delivering a satisfying 50th anniversary special of ‘Doctor Who’ for TV audiences to enjoy. Getting all of the ‘thirteen’ Doctors in a single TV episode is tricky, considering the first three actors have passed away.
Again, it is difficult to tell a 50th anniversary special within one episode lasting for about 77 minutes in length. But here’s an idea on my part. Instead of telling ‘The Day of the Doctor’ in one episode, why not tell the story in five episodes. That way, you’d get a very exciting epic in a five-parter on TV.
Just imagine what ‘The Day of the Doctor’ would be like had it been made as a five-parter. The Doctor could travel across the universe to visit various companions and ask for help. He could’ve visited Steven Taylor on the planet of ‘The Savages’. He could’ve restored Jamie and Zoe’s memories.
The Doctor could reunite with Jo Jones as he did in ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’. Perhaps the Doctor could meet Leela and Romana in the Time War or reunite with Nyssa on ‘Terminus’ and Tegan on Earth. The Doctor could reunite with one of the five Peris and perhaps reunite with Ace on Gallifrey.
And there is a way around getting the classic series Doctors back despite them looking older. Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann could return as holograms in a ‘Star Trek’-styled holodeck. They can all be Curators of the Museum just like Tom Baker was in the actual story.
But then again, we shouldn’t have been surprised ‘The Day of the Doctor’ ended like it did. Steven Moffat is not your traditional ‘Doctor Who’ writer. He prefers to experiment with new ways of telling ‘Doctor Who’ stories. Sometimes they come out with varying results. Sometimes not always excellent.
It’s like what Peter Jackson said in that special video he did with Peter Capaldi. Some of Steven Moffat’s stories are great; some are not great. Peter Jackson hits the nail on the head with that statement. Such a pity then that Steven Moffat has become such an overrated ‘Doctor Who’ writer.
‘The Day of the Doctor’ novelization is Steven Moffat’s first foray into writing a ‘Doctor Who’ book for the series. It’s an interesting departure for Steven Moffat from writing TV episodes. I recall in ‘Doctor Who Magazine’ that Steven Moffat was into reading ‘Doctor Who’ Target novelizations once as a kid.
Before reading/listening to the Target novelization/audiobook, I thought that this would give Steven Moffat a chance to expand on the TV episode and improve upon some of the weaker aspects of the story. Perhaps I would enjoy ‘The Day of the Doctor’ in novelization form as opposed to the TV form.
Steven Moffat could rectify on anything I found unsatisfying when I saw the TV episode. He could tell the same story, but at least he could provide extra treats for ‘Doctor Who’ fans to enjoy and embrace more of the show celebrating its 50 years as opposed to what was shown in the TV version.
So therefore with all of that out of the way, let’s finally talk about ‘The Day of the Doctor’ novelization/audiobook itself. (Pause) To start off with, WHAT IS WITH THE VERY BIZARRE CHAPTER LISTING OF THIS BOOK?!! Look at this chapter list in the photo below!!! It’s numbered out of order!!!
Who structures chapters in a book like this?! Steven Moffat obviously! And yeah, I get that it’s supposed to be a new way of telling a story and how to produce a book. But it’s going to be pretty frustrating and confusing for people who pick up a copy of the book from the bookshelves in a shop.
Someone’s going to complain that there’s a printing error with the chapter list of this book with the chapters being numbered out of order like they are. But no! It’s how Steven Moffat wants us to read the book! It’s designed to be numerically out of order! Why couldn’t this be from Chapters 1 to 12?!
Maybe the idea is that I’m supposed to read the book out of order by starting with Chapter 1 in the middle of the book and work my way from there. Perhaps I should do that the next time I read the book. Oh wait! It doesn’t work like that! Since guess what! There isn’t a Chapter 9 in the book! At all!
Apparently according to the book, Chapter 9 is listed as highly confidential. Well to be accurate, it’s supposed to be blocked in our memories by the Silence. Personally, I think the reason why Steven Moffat did not include a Chapter 9 is because Christopher Eccleston said “No!” to return as the Doctor.
Yeah! Apparently the chapter numbering is supposed to reflect the numbers of the Doctors, including David Tennant as 10, Matt Smith as 11 and even Jodie Whittaker as 13. I’m surprised Steven Moffat didn’t have a chapter called ‘Chapter War’ to reflect that John Hurt is the War Doctor.
But even that approach doesn’t work either! Because Chapter 1 doesn’t feature the First Doctor; Chapter 2 doesn’t feature the Second Doctor, Chapter 3 doesn’t feature the Third Doctor, etc. The Twelfth Doctor appears in the novel, but he is in Chapter 7 and not Chapter 12 as you would expect!
I honestly wouldn’t mind this approach to writing a ‘Doctor Who’ Target novelization if it was a new creative form of writing on Steven Moffat’s part. But there are other things in this book that get me frustrated. These include changes to certain scenes and the omissions of some of my favourite scenes.
Back to talking about chapters, there are these inter-chapter notes that provide as introductions to each of the chapters in the book. This is much in the same manner as the inter-chapter notes in ‘The Sands of Time’ book. However the way that Steven Moffat does it in his novelization is very unusual.
The inter-chapter notes are narrated by someone in the first person. I’ll reveal who that person is later on in the review. But he’s supposed to be in charge of these so-called ‘Doctor Papers’ that provide as chapters to the book. But the way some of these inter-chapter notes are written is pretty bizarre.
For example, the narrator is breaking the fourth wall a lot to us as a reader. Now this is supposed to be a novelization in book form, unless you have a Kindle version of it. But there are pieces of the inter-chapter notes that can contain a lot of humorous lines. Sometimes the lines often slow down the book.
Here’s how the first inter-chapter notes go…
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t you say this is long-winded before we get into the story? I know this is to inject humour for us as readers to enjoy. I’m not opposed to humour in ‘Doctor Who’. On the contrary, I welcome it. But it’s got to be humour that’s applied properly in terms of the story.
You don’t apply humour for the silly effect. Donald Cotton’s novelization of ‘The Myth Makers’ works well for me because the narrator Homer is allowing you to enter the story without any distractions of unnecessary humour. The humour in these inter-chapter notes feel like it’s taking you out of the story.
I enjoyed Russell T. Davies’ novelization of ‘Rose’ so much because he was able to deliver both the humour and the storytelling at a fast pace as well as allow you to absorb the ‘Doctor Who’ worlds he created. The extra material added in the book did not have distractions in it to prevent the enjoyment.
Steven Moffat’s balance of humour and storytelling in ‘Doctor Who’ is often uneven. I want to enjoy the story but the sometimes often unnecessary humour stops me from having a chance to experience it in novelization form. If you’re questioning what occurs in the story, then you’re not experiencing it.
In the inter-chapter notes, there are strange taglines to the ‘FEED CONNECTING, FEED CONNECTED, FEED STABLE’ stuff. These include notes to ‘hold the book straight and turn off your mobile phone’ as well as a warning that I am ‘within ten feet of a Cyberman’. How does this progress the story forward?
I found those taglines baffling and strange to read. I would question what the significance of these taglines are whereas I really shouldn’t. Perhaps Steven Moffat is appealing to the younger audiences as I’m sure these Target books are supposed to be. But surely better material can be given to the kids.
Let’s talk about the audiobook. The story is narrated by Nicholas Briggs who voiced the Daleks and the Zygons in the TV story. I was looking forward to hearing Nick Briggs voice the Daleks during the Time War segments of the story for this audiobook. But guess what! The Daleks don’t have any dialogue!
WOW! I mean…WOW!!! How could Steven Moffat not feature having the Daleks say anything during the Time War segments of the story, especially when Nick Briggs is reading the audiobook? Actually I take it back, there is a moment where a Dalek does speak but it’s during a flashback! Yeah! A flashback!
It’s when the Doctor reflects on the day he caused the destruction of the Time War (which I think is well-written for the War, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors). The Dalek that speaks is the Emperor Dalek and it’s taken from a scene in ‘The Parting of the Ways’ and it features the Ninth Doctor. And that’s it!
No other Dalek voices are heard in this audiobook. You’d think there would be more Dalek dialogue in a novelization/audiobook of ‘The Day of the Doctor’, would you? I wouldn’t consider a flashback to ‘The Parting of the Ways’ featuring the Emperor Dalek to count as part of ‘The Day of the Doctor’ tale.
To be fair though, Nick Briggs does have more to do than just be the narrator. He gets to be the voices of the Eleventh, the Tenth and the War Doctors of this story, to which he does very well. And Nick Briggs gets to voice one of the Zygons which was good to hear. A pity it was not for some more Zygons.
And this leads me to another problem I have with the audiobook as well as the novelization. In the book, during the inter-chapter notes, I discovered that they’re being read by the Curator. This is only revealed to us as an audience at the end of the final inter-chapter notes before the very last chapter.
Now I couldn’t tell this at first when reading/listening to the book/audio because Nick Briggs doesn’t use the Tom Baker voice as the Curator. He uses his normal voice throughout. Now it is a good build-up in terms of the Curator’s reveal before we know who was talking to us in the inter-chapter notes.
But like I said, I couldn’t tell it was the Curator due to Nick Briggs using his normal voice for those inter-chapter notes. Which begs the question – why didn’t Nick Briggs use his Tom Baker voice to speak as the Curator during the inter-chapter notes? It would make sense while reading the audiobook.
It’s not just the Curator though. In most of the chapters, each of them are narrated by a certain incarnation of the Doctor. This includes ‘The Night of the Doctor’ narrated by Eight; ‘The Flight of the Doctor’ by Eleven; ‘The War of the Doctor’ by War; ‘The Love of the Doctor’ by Ten; etc and so forth.
Now wouldn’t it have been interesting if the Doctors reading the chapters were voiced by Nick Briggs as those Doctors in certain chapters. It would certainly make things less confusing. I often found that the chapters were being read in the third person instead of the first person by the different Doctors.
Oh yeah that’s another problem I have with this book. Steven Moffat seems to make out that when a different Doctor is reading a certain chapter; he usually refers himself in the third person than the first. The inter-chapter notes say it’s up to the reader to identify who the author of each chapter is.
Now it’s going to be confusing for the reader when he/she doesn’t realise that it was the Doctor talking at the end when he’s mostly narrating a chapter in the third person. I know the Doctor’s an alien but there are instances where he narrated in the first person instead of the third like ‘The Entropy Plague’.
Oh and when Steven Moffat writes the War Doctor, the Tenth Doctor and the Eleventh Doctor interacting each other, he doesn’t refer to them as Doctors War, Ten or Eleven. He simply refers to them as the Doctor, the Doctor and the Doctor. Why?! I mean, yes the Doctors are the same person.
But in terms of reading the book, it gets confusing. Terrance Dicks referred to the Doctors as Doctor One, Doctor Two and Doctor Three in his novelizations of ‘The Three Doctors’ and ‘The Five Doctors’ because he wanted to clarify to the audience reading which one of the Doctors was talking in the story.
Steven Moffat doesn’t do that for the readers of this book. It seems less user-friendly and not for the uninitiated reading this ‘Doctor Who’ book. Thankfully Nick Briggs’ voices for each of the Doctors helped me to identify which of the Doctors was talking whilst reading/listening to the book. But still!
Chapter 1 of this book, sorry Chapter 8 (you see why the chapter listing gets confusing) is mainly ‘The Night of the Doctor’ mini-episode featuring the Eighth Doctor. I like how this scene was written in novelization form and how the Eighth Doctor experiences rescuing Cass before the crash on Karn.
The decision that Eight makes to regenerate and become the War Doctor seems rather strange in the book. At first, he refuses to be more involved in the Time War. But then it seems like he’s being manipulated by something else to change his mind suddenly and decide to become further involved.
Oh and we get the reveal of what was in that potion that the Sisterhood of Karn gave to the Eighth Doctor to regenerate. Do you know what this potion is? Are you ready for this? Here we go! It turns out the potion given to the Eighth Doctor was…just lemonade and dry ice! What?! I mean…WHAT?!!
How come that feels so lazy in terms of a reveal of a regeneration potion? Steven Moffat could have provided something more exotic than that. A special kind of herb or something. I feel that the mystery of what that potion had been was taken away for me. Lemonade and dry ice just feels so silly in concept.
During the bit where the Eighth Doctor lists his companions, including Charley, C’rizz, Lucie, Tamsin and Molly, he also mentions Fitz from the BBC Books stories. How come Steven Moffat didn’t have Eight also recall Benny, Izzy, Mary Shelley, Liv and Jen (an Eighth Doctor companion I co-created 😀 )?
At the beginning of Chapter…11…yes I was right there (the second chapter), the Eleventh Doctor seems to think he’s talking to Clara whereas she isn’t there and he’s talking to himself. He also hears the War Doctor’s voice rebuking him inside his head since he’s denying his existence every time.
There’s something omitted in the book from the TV story that made me appreciate the TV story more. In the TV story, Clara and the Eleventh Doctor hugged each other when they reunited in the TARDIS. This doesn’t happen in the book. Honestly, I liked that moment. Why wasn’t that bit included in the book?
The book also features appearances of Mr. Armitage, the Brigadier and River Song in the story. Now this I did like, especially since Mr. Armitage would be present at Coal Hill School where Clara works during Series 8. The Eleventh Doctor talks to Mr. Armitage via TARDIS phone when he asks for Clara.
The Brigadier appears mostly in flashback scenes where Kate Stewart recalls her dad. It’s intriguing that Kate Stewart remembers seeing the Doctor as Tom Baker with her dad, the Brigadier, as well as Sarah Jane Smith. I assume this all took place during the events of ‘Robot’, not ‘Terror of the Zygons’.
The new scenes with River Song are ones where she’s spending her ‘married’ life with the Eleventh Doctor (I think). It turns out in the story that River Song made the Eleventh Doctor forget how many children were killed on Gallifrey by using a therapy robot. This was intriguing to discover in the book.
The Moment character as played by Billie Piper in the TV story doesn’t feature much in the novelization. Due to the story being told by various Doctors in each chapter, the Moment’s role gets reduced. She’s there when the War Doctor activates the Moment but she’s not in the dungeon scenes.
This is a shame for me. I liked the Moment scenes when she’s encouraging the War Doctor on his journey to find out whether he should press the button or not to end the Time War. The Moment in the novelization also comes across more cheeky, playful and relishing death than shown in the TV story.
I do like it when the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors are recalling seeing someone who looked like Rose Tyler in the barn when he was the War Doctor. They’re puzzled since they wouldn’t have met Rose then before he was the Ninth Doctor. The connection is made pretty early on rather than later on in the story.
Other scenes get omitted in the novelization from the TV story. These include the Eleventh Doctor’s dream at the end of the story as well as the War Doctor’s regeneration into the Ninth. This makes ‘The Day of the Doctor’ less of a traditional ‘Doctor Who’ novelization compared to others I’ve read.
Although saying that, there are some references to the Ninth Doctor after he regenerated where he smashed every mirror in the TARDIS to avoid seeing his new face and thinking of how many children he must save to make up for the ones killed on Gallifrey. It would’ve been nice to see it in the TV tale.
The chapter called ‘400 Years of the Doctor’ features the journey from Richmond to the Tower of London being expanded upon for the War, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. It also has the chapter read by the three Doctors’ various points of view which often made it very confusing for me to read/hear.
There’s also a moment where the Tenth Doctor gets aggressive towards the Eleventh Doctor when he forgot how many children were killed on Gallifrey. Do you know what? I prefer the TV version of that scene. That subtle anger from Ten to Eleven was pretty powerful on TV compared to the novelization.
It transpires the First and Second Doctors were colour-blind during their tenures and that their eyesight was monochrome. Okay look, the reason why ‘Doctor Who’ stories from the 1960s were black-and-white was because they didn’t have colour television back then. There’s no need to be obvious!
By the way, my favourite scene from ‘The Day of the Doctor’ TV episode isn’t featured in the novelization. I’m talking about the Black Archive scene where they featured photos of companions, classic series and new series, including Nyssa of Traken. How come Steven Moffat didn’t include that?!
But the Black Archive happens to contain VHS cassettes of the two ‘Dr. Who’ movies starring Peter Cushing. Wait a minute! The Peter Cushing movies exist in the ‘Doctor Who’ universe? And they’re just considered movies and not an alternative universe as I seemed to have suggested for my timelines?
Okay. That’s a bit unusual. It does make me wonder how the film companies could’ve got the stories of ‘The Daleks’ and ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ to make them into movies in the ‘Doctor Who’ universe. Perhaps the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors pitched them since they seem to love those movies.
In fact, how come Steven Moffat didn’t include Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy hiding underneath shrouds in the Under-Gallery from ‘The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot’? He seems to have made in-jokes with the Peter Cushing films. Why not for Peter, Colin and Sylvester in the book?
Is Steven Moffat embarrassed by Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy these days? (realises) Oh silly question! I forgot! He’s the one who deleted Peter, Colin and Sylvester’s phone messages when they had tried to get into the episode as well as deleted their ‘three Daleks’ scene. 😀
‘The Wedding of the Doctor’ chapter is pretty bizarre itself in the book. It’s supposed to have a wedding in it with the Tenth Doctor and Queen Elizabeth I. Yet there’s no wedding featured or referred to in the chapter. It seems that the Doctor is embarrassed about getting married to the Queen.
Beforehand, the Tenth Doctor’s encounter with Queen Elizabeth is elaborated on. It seems she had him tortured and sentenced to death by beheading before they had their picnic together. It’s also suggested that Queen Elizabeth may be the true mother of Susan Foreman…I DON’T WANT TO GO THERE!!!!!
In the book, the Tenth Doctor had a horse called Alison whereas in fact it’s actually male. This echoes something when the Eleventh Doctor rebuked the Preacher for calling the horse ‘Joshua’ instead of ‘Susan’ in ‘A Town Called Mercy’. If a woman calls herself ‘Bill’, why not a horse call himself ‘Alison’?
Regarding the marriage between the Tenth Doctor and Queen Elizabeth I, earlier on, Clara presses for information from the Eleventh Doctor on his marriage to the Queen. I couldn’t help but feel that Clara was too jealous about the Doctor being married to Queen Elizabeth whilst reading/hearing the book.
The Eleventh Doctor mentions to Clara that he’s been married a lot and is possibly married to Captain Jack Harkness. Although that’s a little difficult to accept concerning the relationship the Doctor had with Captain Jack in his Ninth and Tenth forms. However I could have missed something.
It’s also indicated that the Eleventh Doctor can’t wear the fezes he has in the TARDIS because they were presents from ‘Tommy’. I had no idea who he was talking about, but it turns out that the Tommy he was talking about was Tommy Cooper. I wish I could’ve appreciated the joke at the time.
The chapter called ‘Dearest Petronella’ is a chapter in the form of a very long letter by (presumably) the real Osgood (or not) to the Zygon Osgood (or not). It’s a chapter that more or less sets up what happens to Osgood in ‘Death In Heaven’ as well as ‘The Zygon Invasion’/’The Zygon Inversion’.
Osgood senses that her Zygon duplicate likes being her and she gives her permission to carry on. This would explain why there were more Osgoods during ‘The Zygon Invasion’ story in Series 9 which had me confused when I watched it. I hope it’ll be made clear by the time I re-watch the TV story again.
Before that, the chapter called ‘In The Absence of the Doctor’ are accounts given by Kate Stewart and Osgood on what happened in the Black Archive scenes without the Doctor present. Although it was confusing to read since I didn’t realise that it was Zygon Kate and Zygon Osgood at the very end.
Apparently Zygon Kate killed Atkins in the story. It also gets revealed that Osgood and McGillop (the one who moved the ‘Gallifrey Falls’ painting from the London Museum to the Black Archive) may have romantic feelings for each other. This was unusual to discover as it’s rare to find in Osgood’s character.
Osgood’s not usually the romantic type, is she? She also gets to see in McGillop’s mind, with Zygon Osgood’s help, to find out when he was ordered to move the painting by the Doctor. She also gets too much information about McGillop’s infatuation of her, which I believe is too much information to read.
During the scenes where the War Doctor and Clara interact with each other, the War Doctor seems to find Clara’s voice familiar as he recites “Fear makes companions of us all.” This is a subtle hint to the speech made by Clara to the Doctor as a little boy when she visited him in that barn during ‘Listen’.
In fact, Steven Moffat makes a point to mention footer notes for readers to refer to other ‘Doctor Who’ novelizations including ‘Doctor Who and the Silence In The Library’ and ‘Doctor Who – Listen’. A pity I can’t read these books, as they either exist in ‘alternate realities’ or sometime during early 2195!
Like I said, the Twelfth Doctor makes an appearance in the story by appearing in the War Room to coordinate the disaster relief when all of the Doctors are saving Gallifrey at the end. This was a nice moment. It does make up for being more than just a cameo in showing the eyes of the Twelfth Doctor.
In fact, there are many moments in the story where all of the ‘thirteen’ Doctors are helping out to save Gallifrey and its people from numerous natural disasters caused by shifting the planet into another dimension. This is actually much better than simply having footage from previous episodes.
But it’s only the First Doctor who gets something to say from the classic Doctors in the novelization as well as the new series Doctors. I was expecting the Fifth Doctor to say “Soon be there!” from ‘The Five Doctors’ in the book. Sadly it didn’t occur. Most of the classic series Doctors don’t say anything.
In the last inter-chapter notes, it seems that the Doctor’s other incarnations had visited the Under-Gallery for a tea party before the War Doctor, the Tenth Doctor, the Eleventh Doctor and Clara had theirs. It would’ve been really nice to read that scene during the book instead of it being referred to.
It gets revealed that Clara often meets the Curator for tea but he pretends not to remember her. This was intriguing as I wonder how many times Clara has seen the Curator for cups of tea. Maybe it’s during school trips at Coal Hill School. I’m not sure, but it was interesting to discover in the book.
Another thing about the Curator I felt Steven Moffat could’ve taken advantage of was explaining why he looked like an older Tom Baker. He could’ve homed in on it by referring to that last scene of the older Tom Baker at the end of the 2017 version of ‘Shada’, leading into ‘The Day of the Doctor’ itself.
Sadly this didn’t occur in the novelization. It’s still unclear whether the Curator is a past or future version of the Doctor. I can assume he’s a past version following that last scene in the 2017 version of ‘Shada’ or he could be a future version taking on the form of Tom Baker at the end of his life. It’s not very clear.
The last chapter of the book features the Thirteenth Doctor meeting Cass before she dies with the Eighth Doctor. This is unusual to have a chapter featuring Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor, especially as this is in a book before Series 11 is shown on TV. It’s a very risky and daring move on Steven Moffat’s part.
Actually come to think of it, I wonder if Steven Moffat based the Thirteenth Doctor scene from the trailer announcing Jodie Whittaker’s announcement as the new Doctor in July 2017. That would make sense to me. The last chapter of the book also has the Thirteenth Doctor interacting with the Moment.
The last page of the book, page 232, is a number of tallies of 5 with the words ‘HELP ME’ on it. Here’s a photo image of the page for you to see.
Now this is essentially an appendix in the book where the Curator asks the reader to refer to it concerning the absence of Chapter 9. This is to indicate that we have read Chapter 9 whereas in actual fact the Silence have made us forget reading the chapter. I’m not sure this works in reading the book.
But here’s something that shouldn’t really work. From looking at page 232, you wouldn’t think it’s possible for it to be read in an audiobook of the novelization. (Pause) Nick Briggs managed to do it! I’m not even joking here! Nick Briggs reads page 232 to finish off ‘The Day of the Doctor’ audiobook.
He does it by reading the page as “One, One, One, One, Dash; One, One, One, One, Dash; One, One, One, One, Dash; One, One, One, One, Dash…” before a scary voice echoes over the tallies of five saying ‘HELP ME’!!! This freaked me out as the audiobook ended. Enjoy your nightmares as you listen to that! 😀
Okay, in all honesty, ‘The Day of the Doctor’ novelization/audiobook is not bad. But it can often be at times frustrating. The structure of the book including the chapter listing; some of the story changes made and the omission of many scenes makes this less a Target novelization of a ‘Doctor Who’ TV episode.
But I’ll give credit to Steven Moffat. At least he tries to be creative, even though it does vary at times. He provides detail to many scenes in the book. It’s just a shame that a lot of the detail featured in the book isn’t what I expected from watching ‘The Day of the Doctor’ on TV and on DVD.
So does this book change my mind about ‘The Day of the Doctor’ being a proper 50th anniversary special of ‘Doctor Who’. Not really. But I have to admit, it makes me appreciate the TV version of the story more. ‘The Day of the Doctor’ is a fairly decent novelization/audiobook. But it’s not as good as the ‘Rose’ novelization/audiobook.
‘Doctor Who – The Day of the Doctor’ rating – 5/10
For the First Doctor was
‘Doctor Who and the Invasion from Space’ (Novella/Audio)
‘A Stain of Red in the Sand’ (ST/Audio)
For the Third Doctor was
‘A True Gentleman’ (ST/Audio)
For the Fourth Doctor was
‘The Invasion of Time’ (TV)
For the Fifth Doctor was
‘The Sirens of Time’ (Audio)
For the Sixth Doctor was
‘The Wings of a Butterfly’ (ST/Audio)
For the Seventh Doctor was
‘At Childhood’s End’ (Book/Audio)
For the Eighth Doctor was
‘The Many Lives of Doctor Who’ (Comic)
For the War Doctor was
‘The Nightmare of the Warrior’ (Z)
For the Ninth Doctor was
‘Rose’ (TV)
For the Tenth Doctor was
‘Last Chance’ (Audio)
For the Eleventh Doctor was
‘The Horror of Time’ (Z)
For Clara was
For River Song was
‘The Wedding of River Song’ (TV)
For the Twelfth Doctor was
‘Deep Breath’ (TV)
For the Thirteenth Doctor was
‘Scratchman’ (Book/Audio)
‘The Sons of Grekk’ (Annual/Audio)
‘Blue-Road Dance’ (ST)
‘The Three Companions’ (Audio)
‘The Sinestran Kill’ (Audio)
‘Qualia’ (ST)
‘The Carrionite Curse’ (Audio)
‘The Two Masters’ (Audio)
‘The Company of Friends: Mary’s Story’ (Audio)
For the Ninth Doctor is
‘Battle Scars’ (ST/Audio)
‘The Beast of Babylon’ (Puffin/Audio)
For the Tenth Doctor is
‘The End of Time’ (TV)
For the Eleventh Doctor is
‘The Time of the Doctor’ (TV)
For Clara is
For River Song is
‘The Lady in the Lake’ (DRS) (Audio)
‘Lights Out’ (Puffin/Audio)
‘Avatars of the Intelligence’ (LWM) (Book)
Return to The First Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Third Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Fourth Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Fifth Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Sixth Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Seventh Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Eighth Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The War Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Ninth Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Tenth Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Eleventh Doctor’s Timeline
Return to Clara’s Timeline
Return to River Song’s Timeline
Return to The Twelfth Doctor’s Timeline
Return to The Thirteenth Doctor’s Timeline
4 thoughts on “‘The Day of the Doctor’ (TV)”
Timelord 007 August 9, 2018 at 7:40 am
Bloody hell Tim this novel seem a bizarre mind melt buddy, it’s Moffat & his ego trying to be clever but instead makes this a very uneven toned story.
Queen Elizabeth might be Susans mother what in God’s name is Moffat thinking? Oh again he’s trying to be clever but it comes across as lazy writing to get a cheap gag.
Think I’ll skip this one Tim i don’t think it help my moods or blood pressure lol i think I’d be ranting at the changes too much.
This is one of my favourite reviews Tim, i like your subtle humour & how you explained the differences of the novel to episode, your idea for a five part story would’ve been amazing & far more satisfying than what we got which felt crammed.
The Tim Bradley campaign for future showrunner starts here.
Tim Bradley Post author August 9, 2018 at 9:25 am
Glad you enjoyed my review on ‘The Day of the Doctor’ novelization/audiobook. Very pleased that this is one of your favourite reviews by me. This is the longest review I’ve ever done on a ‘Doctor Who’ novelization/audiobook. I’ve had to rewrite it a number of times in order to make sure I hadn’t missed anything out I wanted to say about this novelization/audiobook.
Yeah I think Steven Moffat is letting his ego come across in his writing for the 50th anniversary special of ‘Doctor Who’ both in TV form and novelization form. I think that’s another reason why I don’t consider ‘The Day of the Doctor’ a good episode to celebrate 50 years of the show, since Steven Moffat’s ego in terms of writing gets in the way of letting the episode embrace all of ‘Doctor Who’s history. Again, Steven’s attempts of applying humour to the story in novelization form does make it uneven as you say. I think Steven Moffat would be better writing a comedy spoof series of ‘Doctor Who’ rather than writing the actual show itself, especially as he wrote the Comic Relief special, ‘The Curse of Fatal Death’.
I don’t think it’s confirmed that Queen Elizabeth I is Susan’s mother in the novelization. It’s hinted at, but you are right it comes across as being lazy in terms of writing. It’s like how that lemonade and dry ice potion for the Eighth Doctor to regenerate comes across as being lazy. It’s such a shame as Steven Moffat seems to come up with clever ideas for ‘Doctor Who’ in terms of writing, yet he doesn’t seem to take it seriously as he should. He often spoils the mysterious aspects of the show that were important from its beginning in 1963.
I don’t blame you for skipping this ‘Doctor Who’ novelization/audiobook, Simon. It’s not the best one I’ve come across and even I got slightly annoyed by some of the changes made to certain scenes as well as the omissions by Steven Moffat. The hug between the Eleventh Doctor and Clara and the Black Archives moment showing photos of past companions, classic series and new series, including Nyssa of Traken, were some of my favourite scenes in the TV story even if they were small moments.
Glad you like the subtle humour I put into my review for this novelization/audiobook. I assume ‘The Five(ish) Doctor Reboot’ jokes I put in the review about Steven Moffat’s ‘shame’ of Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy made you laugh.
Also pleased you like how I explain the differences between the TV episode and the novelization/audiobook of this story. Like I said, I prefer the TV episode more than the novelization/audiobook. If I’d been writing this novelization of the story, I would’ve done things differently to how Steven Moffat approached it in terms of writing.
Glad you like my idea of making ‘The Day of the Doctor’ a five-part story instead of a single episode. It just would’ve included every aspect of the 50th anniversary of ‘Doctor Who’ had ‘The Day of the Doctor’ been a five-parter and would have felt less crammed in as you say.
Thanks for your comments, Simon. Glad you enjoyed my ‘Day of the Doctor’ novelization/audiobook review.
I’m currently reading/listening to the ‘Twice Upon A Time’ novelization/audiobook by Paul Cornell. Honestly, I’m enjoying that more than I enjoyed ‘The Day of the Doctor’ novelization/audiobook. Paul Cornell’s writing seems and feels clearer to me so far as opposed to Steven Moffat’s writing.
Timelord 007 August 9, 2018 at 12:13 pm
Soon as you said five parter i was like yup that is exactly what they should of done, not many shows make 50 years & wouldn’t minded a reduced number episodes for series 7 say 10 instead of 13, Torchwood third season Children Of Earth was a five episode arc which i find to be the shows best season, they missed a huge trick there Tim.
Yeah i find cutting scenes with past companions out insulting to a episode which should celebrate ALL the shows history not just the new series, that dry ice lemonade drink regenerates the Doctor really IRKED me, glad not in the episode, the Doctor is at the point of death but is given dry ice lemonade which triggers a regeneration………(apologies) but what a load of bullshit….seriously Moffat thought that a great idea, he’s the most overrated hack the shows ever had, you put more heart, emotion & character drama in your stories in one episode than he has over 7 years as showrunner.
I shall hopefully start Stockbridge Terror soon, i have sadly had a relapse with my mental health & was quite ill yesterday because my body suffered shock trauma because i couldn’t cope with all family dramas, it overwhelmed me & caused me to relapse, so hopefully your story help me forget about my current situation & i can see were Billy, Nyssa & The Doctor next adventure entails.
Tim Bradley Post author August 9, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Glad you agree with me on my thoughts about ‘The Day of the Doctor’ being a five parter. I’m surprised the production team didn’t take that opportunity to celebrate 50 years of ‘Doctor Who’ by dedicating five episodes of a story for that special anniversary. You’re right about ‘Torchwood: Children of Earth’. Had Russell T. Davies been in charge of the 50th anniversary celebrations, he would’ve taken the amount of time and effort to make those celebrations worthwhile and for it to live to its fullest. That’s something Steven Moffat doesn’t seem to do with his ‘Doctor Who’ episodes. The production team certainly did miss a huge trick there.
Had I handled Series 7 of ‘Doctor Who’, I would have made every episode be a tribute to each era of the show. For Episode 1, it would be for the William Hartnell era and I would’ve featured Steven. For Episode 2, it would be for the Patrick Troughton era and I would’ve featured Jamie and Zoe. For Episode 3, it would be for the Jon Pertwee era and I would’ve featured Jo Jones. For Episode 4, it would be for the Tom Baker era and I would’ve featured Leela and Romana. For Episode 5, it would be for the Peter Davison era and I would’ve featured Nyssa and Tegan and so on and so forth. It would all build up to the 50th anniversary special which could be a five-parter if I was given a week by the BBC to transmit it in the run up to the 23rd of November 2013. I would’ve also put in a quest theme throughout Series 7 and the 50th anniversary special story to make the celebrations worthwhile. I’ve thought this out, haven’t I? 😀
I was very disappointed the Black Archives scene that showed photos of past ‘Doctor Who’ companions from the classic and new series wasn’t featured in the novelization/audiobook. If it had been included, I would’ve given this novelization/audiobook the benefit of the doubt. But as it’s not included, it just makes ‘The Day of the Doctor’ novelization/audiobook less enjoyable than the TV episode seems to be (for the most part).
I’m pleased you find my stories have more heart, emotion and character drama compared to what was in the Steven Moffat era episodes. I try my best to pour out my love in the ‘Doctor Who’ stories I write. I just can’t comprehend how ‘Doctor Who’ under Steven Moffat’s era felt inferior compared to Russell T. Davies’ era. I’m glad I was brought up on Russell T. Davies’ era of ‘Doctor Who’, otherwise had I been brought up on Steven Moffat’s era first, I’d probably switch off. I’d like to think Chis Chibnall’s era of ‘Doctor Who’ will restore my faith in the new series with his style of writing. I hope it will but that’s something for me to find out and look forward to in October this year.
That’s okay about ‘The Stockbridge Terror’. I certainly hope you’ll get to enjoy that six-part adventure by me when you get to read it. I think you’ll enjoy it, especially with the ties it has to ‘Circular Time’ and ‘The Stockbridge Trilogy’ by Big Finish as well as the comic book stories set in Stockbridge with the Fifth Doctor including ‘The Tides of Time’, ‘Stars Fell On Stockbridge’ and ‘The Stockbridge Horror’. It should be a pretty exciting adventure especially with featuring the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa and Billy as well as Maxwell Edison, Andrew and the Sontarans.
Thanks for your comments, Simon.
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Censure or Expel
Capitol Building
US Capitol Violence
Constitution of US
Petition to Mitch McConnell, Charles E. Schumer, Mitt Romney, Chuck Grassley, Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, Rick Scott, Shelley Moore Capito, John Cornyn, James E. Risch, Roy Blunt, John Boozman, Mike Braun, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Tom Cotton, Kevin Cramer, Steve Daines, Joni Ernst, Deb Fischer, Lindsey Graham, Cindy Hyde-Smith, James M. Inhofe, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman, Mike Rounds, Richard C. Shelby, Dan Sullivan, Roger F. Wicker, Todd Young
Tell Sen. McConnell to strip Cruz (R-TX) and Hawley (R-MO) of their committee assignments.
Senator McConnell, Today you gave an impassioned speech in the well of the Senate asking for the members of your caucus to respect the will of the states, to respect the will of the people, and to respect the sanctity of law. You asked for your members to be part of the unity to bring our country back together during a painful and difficult year. You pleaded with your caucus to respect both “we the people” as well as respect your wishes as their leader. Two of your members stand out as Senators who neither respect you and your leadership nor the will of the States, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO). Based on the fact that they clearly have no respect for the will of the States and the people who represent them, as a result of their disrespect of you and your request to preserve our democracy, as a result of the chaos and lawlessness that they spurned that placed capital police, Members of Congress, and their staff in danger and fear, based on their disrespect for their oath to protect and defend the Constitution and what it represents, our Democracy, we request that in the 117th Congress you strip these two Senators of their committee assignments. These members have disrespected our nation and no longer deserve to sit in any committee in any position of authority until they can prove once again that they respect the people and the government that those seats represent. Remove Senator Cruz and Hawley from all committee assignments!
Vets for America
Petition to Mike Garcia
Rep. Mike Garcia (CA-25) must recant his support for Trump, or Resign.
This past week, Congressman Mike Garcia (CA-25) joined an unprecedented challenge to the Electoral Count mounted by 140 Republican House members and 12 Republican Senators to object to the results of the 2020 Election in the states of Arizona and Pennsylvania, on the basis that they were not "regularly given," despite numerous State and Federal Court Rulings to the contrary.ArtII.S1.C2 of the United States Constitution--which Rep. Mike Garcia has sworn to uphold--explicitly states each state is entitled to appointed electors according to their own laws, so as Federal Representative, he lacks legal standing to object. Instead, he claims to be ostensibly fulfilling his "duty to protect the rights of the men and women of California's 25th District." He won reelection of this hotly contested district by a mere 333 votes precisely because moderate Republicans.His continued defense of these baseless and blatantly false claims were a major contributing factor to the unprecedented storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, which led to the deaths of five people, including a Capitol Hill Police Officer, Brian Sicknick, who died of his injuries after being bludgeoned with a fire extinguisher by a pro-Trump mob. This act was denounced as an act of domestic terrorism by GOP Spokesman Michael Ahrens, Rep. Will Hurd (R) (TX-23), among others. Additionally, Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) reported to Hugh Hewitt that senior White House aides told him that President Trump encouraged the violence and was 'delighted' and 'excited'. Given the fact that he has given ideological cover for what his own Republican colleagues have called an act of domestic terrorism, I believe he has violated his Oath of Office, in which he is required to uphold the "Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." I believe that by his actions, he has violated the spirit of this oath, and several Americans are dead because of it. I believe this to be moral cowardice in the face of a grave threat to our democracy. As a resident, a voter, and a registered Republican of his District, whose rights he claims to protect by this action, I am asking him to publicly recant his previous support for Trump, publicly recant his opposition to the Electoral Count in Pennsylvania and Arizona, and publicly apologize to his constituents for using their reputation to defend this unprecedented action, or resign.
Kevin de Bree
Petition to President Joe Biden
Establish a US Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation
On May 25, 2020 Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Each of us witnessed the abomination on video. Watched and attempted to process what we saw with our own eyes and what was undeniable. Mr. Floyd's death sparked protests against systemic racism that began in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, subsequently spread to cities across the United States, and ultimately across the world. We all know that what we are witnessing is wrong, and we cannot stand by silent, complicit to injustice. We are honor bound to act as rational, caring individuals. All of us watched the growing list of people, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and countless others who have been subjected to brutality. What we are witnessing in real time is a symptom of systemic institutional racism that we as Americans have failed to address, and we are at a nexus in history. Where do we wish to go, and who do we want to be? What side of history, do we want to be on? 2020 has been brutal, for all of us. We lost civil rights luminaries Congressman John Lewis, who exhorted us to get into "good trouble, necessary trouble." We lost C.T. Vivian, Bruce Boynton, Lucille Bridges, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, and Airickca Gordon-Taylor. Their dreams, our dreams, will never die. We will continue the struggle! There is hope, and we can be part of the solution, part of envisioning and actively creating the just world that we wish to live in together. A world where all of us are acknowledged for our worth, a world that says we matter and have value, and have equitable access to the benefits of all our world has to offer. We need to bring our country together to have a national dialogue that will result in coherent public policy to address the effects of systemic racism, and we need to do it now! We support Representative Barbara Lee's H.Con.Res.100 Urging the establishment of a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation introduced in the House of Representatives on June 4, 2020 and urge our Representatives in the House to cosponsor the legislation (to send an email to urge your Congressperson to cosponsor legislation click here). We support Senator Cory Booker's S.Con.Res.50 A concurrent resolution urging the establishment of a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation introduced in the Senate on December 3, 2020 and urge our Senators to cosponsor the legislation (to send an email to urge your Senator to cosponsor legislation, click here). We, the undersigned, urge President Joe Biden to issue an Executive Order within the first 100 days of the Biden/Harris administration to establish a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation. Furthermore, we advocate for national leadership to provide concrete actions in public policy to address systemic racism in our political, legal, environmental, economic, health, and social institutions. We are doing this together, because we care about each other and understand that your struggle, is my struggle, is our struggle, and together, it can be done. #USTRHT
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Ghana won’t be able to fix its economy if it uses last decade’s rule book
Cutting tax won't work when public finances are under strain from the commodity and energy crises, writes Julians Amboko
Ghana’s 2008 general election remains one for the history books. The electorate voted out a government (the New Patriotic Party) that had presided over:
a decline in the number of the unemployed masses (averaging a 7.9 per cent year-on-year fall in the number of unemployed between 2001 and 2008);
a more stable monetary environment with a decline in annual inflation from 32.9 per cent in 2001 to 16.5 per cent in 2008 on the back of decelerated growth in money supply from the highs witnessed between 1993 and 2000
a decline in imports as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product (from 64.8 per cent in 2001 to 44.5 per cent in 2008);
labour productivity that grew faster than during the preceding administration (2.9 per cent per annum versus 1.1 per cent), and
a reduction in the average time required to start a business by 47.6 per cent between 2003 and 2008 to 11 days.
This is not to suggest that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presided over a golden age for Ghana’s economy, not at all. In fact, pervasive allegations of a lacklustre fight against corruption could well have cost NPP the re-election in 2008.
It says, however, that eight years later, with a macroeconomic environment that is less than flattering and growth engines in dire need of rebooting (following the precipitous plunge in commodity prices and paralysis from the energy crisis), it should not be surprising that NPP won the presidency last year with the most decisive victory since 2004.
In President Nana Akufo-Addo’s inaugural speech, however, he seemed to be reading from the old NPP rule book and the question that begs is whether it can deliver within a new set of circumstances.
Figure 1. Average yearly change in unemployment
Source: International Labour Organisation, World Bank
Figure 2. Imports as a percentage of GDP
Why the pledge on tax cuts could be difficult to keep
One of the key take-homes from the speech was the pledge to reduce taxes in a bid to restore the economy’s growth momentum. This pledge is important for two reasons:
One, it felt starkly reminiscent of the raft of tax cuts under former President John Kufuor’s administration, including the reduction of corporate tax from 32.5 per cent to 28.0 per cent and withholding tax from 7.5 per cent to 5.0 per cent in 2005, and could imply the NPP economic rule book has not changed much since the last time it was in power.
Two, and more consequentially, the economy might not have the fiscal space requisite for supporting tax cuts in an environment where subdued commodity prices have depressed government revenue. The economy is under strain from a ballooning debt (the government debt to GDP ratio stands at 66 per cent against sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 41.1 per cent, whilst between 2010 and 2014 the stock of domestic debt grew four-fold to $8.2 billion, according to the IMF).
Unless the wider policy mix undertakes accompanying slashes in government spending, the economy could be skating on thin ice with a budget balance that could roil further into deficit if it engages in an exercise of lone ranging with tax cuts. What’s more? The NPP Manifesto is ambitious in expenditure and tax cuts could have the net effect of necessitating high deficit financing of government expenditure over the next four years.
The general tone in the second review of the Ghanaian economy under International Monetary Fund’s Extended Credit Facility is one of greater need for higher revenue and proposes measures such as reduction in tax exemptions with a view to realizing this target.
The counter argument to this view is that the new administration could be banking on the possibility that tax cuts will rev up the economy and private sector enough to offset losses in revenue. Whereas this hope might not be unfounded, the timing of the same threatens to derail efforts aimed at strengthening the economy’s fiscal position and mitigation of vulnerability to pressures from rising debt.
The data in the first paragraph, on inflation, imports as a percentage of GDP and duration taken to start a business are sourced from World Bank Development Indicators.
Featured image credit: Accra market, by Francisco Anzola, under a CC-BY-2.0 licence
Julians Amboko is a Research Analyst with StratLink Africa Ltd, a Nairobi-based financial advisory firm focusing on emerging and frontier markets. He covers macroeconomic research and analysis for Sub-Saharan Africa, including markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Angola. He tweets at @AmbokoJH
January 25th, 2017|Leaders|1 Comment
Ghana won’t be able to fix its economy if it uses last decade’s rule book – Africa Macro January 28, 2017 at 8:16 am - Reply
[…] This post was first published on the LSE Business Review […]
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The price Asian venture capitalists pay to work in Silicon Valley
They pay higher valuations due to their lower social status rather than social network disadvantages, write Jing Zhang, Poh-Kam Wong and Yuen-Ping Ho
Do ethnic minority investors behave differently from more mainstream investors? This study on venture capitalists (VCs) in Silicon Valley over the period 1976-2004 found that they were, perhaps unsurprisingly, more likely to invest in immigrant Asian entrepreneurs than mainstream VCs. What is surprising, however, is that when Asian venture capitalists did invest in mainstream ventures, they paid higher valuations than mainstream VCs, even though the reverse is not true: mainstream VCs did not pay higher valuations compared to Asian ones when they invested in Asian ventures. These asymmetrical findings suggest the “premium” that Asian VCs have to pay to compete in the mainstream venture market is due to their lower social status rather than their social network disadvantages.
Asian VCs in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley accounted for 47 per cent of total US VC investment in 2015, up from around 33 per cent at the height of the dot-com boom during 1999 to 2000. There are more than 30 professional and networking associations targeting immigrants in Silicon Valley, composed of more than 33,000 members.
Asian entrepreneurs featured prominently among foreign-born entrepreneurs who started ventures in Silicon Valley, with close to 21 per cent of all entrepreneurial founders being immigrant Asians. Among them, Chinese and Indians comprise the largest and fastest-growing Asian ethnic groups. Indeed, the development of ethnic professional networking organisations in the 1990s (e.g., Monte Jade for the Taiwanese, TiE for Indians, and Hua Yuan for Mainland Chinese) and the emergence of new successful role models were likely to have accelerated the entrepreneurial pursuits of these two groups of immigrant Asians in Silicon Valley. At the same time, there has been a growing presence of VC funds that are run by general partners who are Asians, particularly Chinese and Indian entrepreneurs who founded and successfully exited the first wave of Asian-led high-tech ventures in Silicon Valley in the 1980s. This study has therefore chosen to focus on the behaviour of these two groups of Asians.
Asian VCs investment behaviours
The role of minority entrepreneurs has received much public attention in recent years. In contrast, little is known about the role of minority venture capitalists (VCs). Using data from Dow Jones VentureSource, this paper set out to compare the investment behaviour of Asian VCs (Chinese and Indian) versus mainstream VCs (white Caucasian) in Silicon Valley from 1976 to 2004.
Out of a total of 2,670 business ventures identified, 15.8 percent were Asian led, with the incidence of Chinese (10.2%) being higher than that of Indians (5.7%). Table 1 below shows the distribution of ventures into four cells according to the source of first-round funding and the type of venture: Group A (Asian-led ventures funded by Asian VCs), Group B (Asian-led ventures funded by mainstream VCs), Group C (mainstream ventures funded by Asian VCs), and Group D (mainstream ventures funded by mainstream VCs).
Table 1. Number of deals, mean, and standard deviation of pre-money valuation (US$ million) for first-round investment
In Table 1, comparing Groups A and C, 54 per cent (=42/(42+36)) of the Asian VCs’ funds went to Asian-led ventures. Meanwhile only 12 percent (=139/(139+984)) of the investments by mainstream VCs went to Asian-led ventures, as seen in Groups B and D.Table 1. Number of deals, mean, and standard deviation of pre-money valuation (US million dollars) for first-round investment
Table 1 also shows that the mean pre-money valuation by Asian VCs in mainstream ventures (Group C) seems higher than that in any of the other three groups, which appear to have similar levels. Pre-money evaluation is operationalised as the difference between the amount of money received by the venture in its first funding round and the post-money valuation of the venture after the injection of investment from VCs during the first funding round. In addition, the pre-money valuations by Asian VCs are significantly higher than by mainstream VCs when investing in mainstream ventures (i.e., Group C is larger than Group D), but mainstream VCs do not offer higher valuations than Asian VCs when investing in Asian-led ventures (i.e., Group B is not larger than Group A).
The above findings were found to remain valid when they were tested using more robust regression analysis that control for a wide range of factors, including the effects of VC size, VC experience, funding environment, time period of funding, and industrial sector.
The results of this study suggest the need to take into account both the advantages and disadvantages of using co-ethnic ties to make investment. In essence, ethnic investors are driven by two competing forces when funding co-ethnic entrepreneurs.
On the one hand, an ethnic social network reduces information asymmetry and increases trust and solidarity between entrepreneurs and investors; ethnic investors would then have a higher ability and, hence, likelihood to invest in co-ethnic entrepreneurs compared to non-ethnic investors.
On the other hand, according to social status logic, a high reliance on ethnic ties may lead to a vicious circle, whereby ethnic investors’ lower social status as an immigrant community will be reinforced, thus constraining their ability to compete on equal footing in the mainstream business world. To break out of this social status constraint, ethnic investors would have to pay a premium when they do invest outside their ethnic networks. In contrast, mainstream investors do not pay a premium above what is paid by Asian investors when they invest in Asian ventures.
Further scrutiny of the data reveals matching behaviour within the Indian, mainland Chinese, and Taiwanese Chinese groups — all investments by Indian VCs were in Indian-led ventures, while 89 percent of investments by Chinese VCs were in Chinese-led ventures. Moreover, all investment by mainland Chinese VCs were going to ventures led by mainland Chinese (seven deals), while the majority of Taiwanese VC investments were in Taiwanese-led ventures (26 out of 31 deals, with the others going to ventures led by Indians and Singaporean Chinese). The findings suggest that a social network could be formed based on a refined ethnic definition, and the network boundary is clear.
Investment performance of Asian VCs
Does it pay off for Asian VCs to invest in mainstream ventures? Table 2 below suggests that Group C did not outperform the other groups. Instead, Groups B and D seemed to outperform Groups A and C. This indicates that mainstream VCs’ investment performance was better than Asian VCs in both Asian-led and mainstream ventures. Although it is hard to judge whether VCs picked winners or built them, the data at least to some extent rule out the alternative explanation that Group C was composed of better quality ventures worthy of higher valuation.
Table 2. Proportion of IPO or acquired ventures in each group
By offering fresh insights on the roles of immigrant investors, this study seeks to contribute to the growing literature on ethnic entrepreneurship and hopes to inspire more work to shed light on an important actor – immigrant investor – that has hitherto been under-researched. The study is also timely in the light of the recently announced US presidential executive order on immigration that blocks entry to the U.S. for citizens from some countries, which has received very strong reaction from executives of high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. This and similar political developments in some European countries are certain to re-ignite the debate on the roles that immigrants play in the economic and social development in the host country.
This blog post is based on the authors’ paper Ethnic Enclave and Entrepreneurial Financing: Asian Venture Capitalists in Silicon Valley, in Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2016, Pages 318–335.
Featured image credit: Oriented.com Happy Hour, San Francisco, by Vera Yu and David Li, under a CC- BY-20 licence
Jing Zhang (j3zhang@odu.edu) is an assistant professor in entrepreneurship at Old Dominion University’s department of management. Her primary research interests deal with entrepreneurship, technological innovation, knowledge management, and international business. Dr. Zhang has more than 20 refereed publications in leading management and entrepreneurship journals. She earned her doctoral degree from National University of Singapore, and previously worked at Iowa State University (USA), Lancaster University (England), City University London (England) and Lenovo Co. (China). Dr. Zhang is a member of the Academy of International Business (AIB), Academy of Management (AOM), International Association of Chinese Management Research (IACMR) and the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA). Her publications can be found here.
Poh Kam Wong (pohkam@nus.edu.sg) is Professor at the NUS Business School and Director of the NUS Entrepreneurship Centre, where he spearheads the university’s experiential entrepreneurship education programs and assists CEO of NUS Enterprise in overseeing the NUS StartUp Runway, which provides incubation space, seed funding and mentorship for start-ups by NUS students, professors and alumni. He obtained two BSc.’s, an MSc. and a Ph.D. from MIT. He has published extensively in leading international refereed journals on entrepreneurship and innovation (Google Scholar Citations count 8934, H-Index 40 as of mid-Feb 2017), and has consulted widely for international agencies such as the World Bank, OECD and ADB, various government agencies in Singapore, and many private corporations in Asia. He was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at U.C. Berkeley, a visiting scholar at Stanford University and Oxford University, and a Pacific Leadership Fellow at UC San Diego. An active angel investor with investment in over a dozen high-tech start-ups in Singapore, Silicon Valley, China and India, he was the founding chairman of Business Angel Network (Southeast Asia) and Asia Business Angels Forum, and is an advisor for a number of venture capital funds. He received the Public Administration Medal (Silver) Award from the Singapore Government in 2013 for his contribution to education in Singapore, and the “Entrepreneur for the World” Award (Education Category) from the World Entrepreneurship Forum in 2015. He is currently a member of the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS). His publications can be downloaded here.
Yuen-Ping Ho is Associate Director at the Entrepreneurship Centre, National University of Singapore, where she manages the Research division. She has extensive experience in innovation and entrepreneurship research with publications in journals such as Small Business Economics, Scientometrics and Technovation. Her current areas of research are focused on measurement of S&T and innovation, growth dynamics of young firms, university technology commercialisation and public-private innovation collaborations.
February 27th, 2017|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Centre for Rural Economy
The City, the Country and Resources
Posted on 7th April 2020 by Adrienne
Shane Finan is a visual artist from Ireland. He works with mixed media installation to create places. He writes computer programs for these installations, linking the places that he makes to contemporary technology. In April 2020, he was due to begin a residency with Visual Arts in Rural Communities (VARC), collaborating with Kielderhead Wildwood Project, Northumberland Wildlife Trust as part of the residency programme ENTWINED. Rural. Land. Lives. Art. The residency has been postponed, but he is sharing some of the background research and development from his project to date (more information https://varc.org.uk/shane-finan-the-wood-wide-web/).
In 2014, after a frustrating period of unemployment, I gained a role as a graphic designer with a print firm in Tallaght, in an industrial estate in south Dublin. Having lived in the city for nearly two years, I had familiarised myself with the passages and rhythms of the city structure. But the time spent in an industrial estate opened my eyes to a supply chain that I had previously been unaware of.
Tallaght is an industrial suburb of Dublin that links the city to the countryside. There are many industrial estates in Tallaght that include manufacture and distribution.
Credit: Shane Finan
One of the first things I noticed was the flow of resources to the various industrial units in the area where I worked. The lorries and trucks delivered raw materials, such as glass, fibres, food, plastics or car parts from other parts of the country. Assembly was carried out in the industrial estate, with clients usually based inside the city as the final destination for goods. This dreary industrial estate is one of the general supply lines for the city.
What was striking was the way the chain operated. The cost to the final recipient for any work carried out was high, considering the supply chain and the people involved in moving goods from one place to another. This is natural in supply chain economics, but I had never seen it as acutely before, and it made me realise two things.
The first was the economic imbalance between city and country. Those suppliers who brought materials from rural areas were paid at a lower rate, despite bearing the burden of importing the raw materials, and of transporting them to the south Dublin estate. This imbalance was a micro climate of the macro level economic flow in globalised capitalist markets.
The second was that resourcing was required to operate in the countryside, via an industrial estate, to service a city’s requirements. Because of the need of space and cheaper labour, this meant that there was a necessity for resources to come from areas where they could be manufactured, mined, or otherwise sourced.
Both of these points made me suddenly aware of the fragility of the city, and of its reliance on the countryside and communication infrastructure for resources and supplies. Although on a macro scale, most of these supplies come from international markets, even on a micro (national) scale, this meant that the city of Dublin could not function without these supply chains. More poignantly, the grittiness and dishevelled nature of the work in the industrial estate was an enormous contrast to the “clean” image of the city.
Dublin port is a major shipping area. The ports provide a route of transmission for goods and services that translate into the “clean” city image.
I grew up in the countryside, and had always been aware of the imbalance of cost of living and salaries between the city and the rural. However, this time spent in the industrial estate made me far more aware of the existence of the seen and the unseen in the city: The engine that makes sure the car keeps running.
This fragility was something I learned more about when working on a European Union project proposal about port security. On this proposal, my eyes were opened to the macro-level array of supply chains that exist in ports throughout Europe, and their own fragility. The shipping container industry changed international trade and made possible the macro-level supply chains that supply cities and countries today (Levinson, 2006). Shipping containers are big business, but to maintain supply lines in international trade they are also regulated only insofar as they can be based on the availability of people. Security breaches, like human trafficking or movement of illicit materials, is very difficult to track.
These micro and macro level observations made me acutely aware of a type of balance in supply that I had never considered before: Without the countryside the city cannot function. And more than this: Without the grit of an industrial and agricultural underbelly, the pristine, techno-utopic city would not exist. These might seem like obvious statements to any scholar of globalisation, but their effects were never as strongly felt by me personally until I was wrapped in those structures.
Later in 2014, after an accident on the factory floor led to a co-worker nearly losing his arm, I left the company (still probably in a state of shock) to leave behind the industrial grit and position in the link between country and city. I was lucky to be hired by Trinity College Dublin to manage a European project at this time, and so moved from the semi-city industry to the city proper again.
The experience has not left me, however. I see pieces of the work that I was involved with in strange places – on the seats of Ryanair airplanes, or the side of construction machinery on building sites. I am aware of that link, from country to city, and aware of what it costs people who live in that world between worlds.
But more than everything else, I am aware of the mask that is created between the “grit” of the country and the “cleanliness” of the city. David Batchelor wrote about the desire for a pristine state of existence for modern people in his exploratory book Chromophobia. In it, he outlines how the contemporary citizen strives for a clean, white, dirt-free environment (2000). His exploration of this idea is poignant because it shows up the falseness of the quest for the pristine. He also highlights how the move away from “dirt” is perceived as a move toward civility.
The city operates in this way. This is why there is outrage in cities when there is a visible grime. Cities hide their “dirt”, for example when the Australian government built false partition buildings to hide slum aboriginal neighbourhoods when pitching for the 2000 Olympic Games (Pilger, 2002). Many cities worldwide, including recently in the USA, ban homelessness and force homeless people out of city centres, not fixing the problem but removing its visibility (Lam, 2019).
The end result is a removal of responsibility, a separation between the “dirt” and the “clean”. This is important in any philosophy that suggests a closer connection to nature. This connection between rural and urban has been intentionally eroded in a dream of a pristine city reality. Although an illusion, the dream is, as Kant may have described it, a “Regulative Ideal”. It is an unattainable goal, but one that nonetheless guides the philosophy of the expansion of cities.
Our fear of ‘dirt’ relates to a fear of the rural, something that has developed in post-industrial western culture
This idea was exemplified in the satirical video artwork The Dust Channel by Roee Rosen, which I was lucky enough to see in Friche la Belle de Mai, Marseilles in 2018. In this video, an operetta about Dyson Hoovers, a couple slowly remove all dirt, filth and grime from their contemporary apartment, creating a clean environment (Rosen, 2016). Simultaneously, police come and joyfully cart away the musicians playing in the opera, all of whom gradually take on the image of refugees or (in this case) Palestinians. The dirt is removed, along with the culture, the music, the history. And all that remains is the Dyson-inspired clean world. Or at least this is the illusion (the video proceeds after the end of the opera to show a Dyson Hoover channel-hopping as it searches for the best news and entertainment about vacuum cleaners amid images of protest and unrest).
By using satire, intense imagery, and a unique imagination, Rosen highlighted the illusion of the pristine as a Regulative Ideal, a false concept of a perfect world. I believe the perfect world has more dirt, not less. It is one where the natural and the city collide, where the desire for the pristine is one of the ideas that dies away.
As I write this, COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in Europe (in the last month it has forced the curator that I am working with to be grounded in her home in Turin before postponing our exhibition launch indefinitely in Clare, Ireland). I have had to postpone my planned residency at Kielder. Uncertainty is everywhere. The pristine is suddenly more valuable, as hand sanitisers sell out and public spaces are seen as unsafe.
In an even stranger turn of events in this saga, the spread of the virus has also amplified xenophobia, in this case anti-Chinese sentiment. Rumours abound about how this manifested, and who may have been to blame. As the first cases occurred in China, this is where the diatribe is directed. In Europe, north Italy has become a pariah for the unclean – in the first two weeks of the pandemic in Ireland, most cases reported were from people who had recently travelled to north Italy.
COVID-19 exemplifies the disconnection between the rural and the urban, between nature and people. In the anthropocentric view, we hold a belief that this type of pandemic is beyond us – our medical incisiveness and antibacterial advancements have, we believe, kept us safe. But in truth, they are potentially making us less so. Although immunity cannot shield us from all disease, our own immune systems need to be practiced if we are to overcome major outbreaks. By killing 99.9% of bacteria, we may have left room for the feared 0.1%.
In each area, we have lost sight of the importance of the network. Divisions are created between the city and the rural, between the civilised and the wild. These divisions only serve to increase our reliance on a system that has already failed us.
Batchelor, D. (2000). Chromophobia: Reaktion books.
Lam, K. (2019, 15/12/2019). Cities are criminalizing homelessness by banning people from camping in public. That’s the wrong approach, report says. USA Today. Retrieved from https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/10/homeless-camping-bans-criminalization-report/4378565002/
Levinson, M. (2006). The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger: Princeton University Press.
Pilger, J. (2002). Globalisation; the New Rulers of the World. In: UK.
Rosen, R. (2016). The Dust Channel. In. Marseilles: Friche la Belle de Mai.
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Did you know?… Georgia vs. Baylor
Murray Poole
College Football Sports No Comments
In 1989, Ray Goff was Georgia’s head football coach, and his first game at the helm in Athens came against Baylor and its Hall of Fame coach Grant Teaff – a 15-3 Bulldogs victory.
Georgia defeated Baylor 16-14 in the 1978 season-opener, the first of five triumphs by “The Wonderdogs,” who posted a 9-1-1 regular season, that were won by seven or fewer points.
Georgia has played at least one football game against 10 teams from Texas – Baylor, Hardin-Simmons, Houston, North Texas, Rice, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU & Texas Tech
Baylor has won the national championship in women’s basketball three times this century under the watch of Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey, cutting the nets in 2005, 2012 and 2019.
One of the greatest gridiron standouts of all time, Chicago Bears NFL Hall of Fame, Super Bowl champion middle linebacker Mike Singletary, was an All-American at Baylor in 1979 and 1980.
Hall of Fame Bears coach Grant Teaff, who led the Bears to two Southwest Conference titles, coached his first game against Georgia in 1972 – a 24-14 win for Vince Dooley’s Bulldogs.
Georgia vs Baylor Grant Teaff Kim Mulkey Mike Singletary Ray Goff
Author / Murray Poole
Murray Poole is a 1965 graduate of the University of Georgia Journalism School. He served as sports editor of The Brunswick News for 40 years and has written for Bulldawg Illustrated the past 16 years. He has covered the Georgia Bulldogs for 53 years.
prev Daily Dawg Thread 01 January 2020: Zachary Evans to announce decision tomorrow at Under Armour All-America Game
UGA Football Sugar Bowl Injury Report: Will D’Andre Swift be good to go? next
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You are here: Home / Soup Du Jour / Statement from Sen. Linda Stewart on signing of HB 7069
Statement from Sen. Linda Stewart on signing of HB 7069
“I would like to thank the Governor for visiting Senate District 13, but I’m very disappointed that he used the signing of HB 7069 as the reason to stop by.
“This bill is an unwise experiment in education policy opposed by our state’s teachers, parents, professional administrators and superintendents. That’s why I urged him to veto it. Many of those that have opposed HB7069 have dedicated their lives to educating the students in Florida’s schools. HB7069 was secretly produced, and passed as a 278-page bitter pill that flew in the face of every tradition of transparency and openness required by our state’s laws and constitution.
“Let’s be clear about what HB7069 actually does: it enriches the for-profit education industry at the expense of Florida’s traditional public schools. The same schools that educated the vast majority of Floridians for generations despite daunting odds and an indifferent legislature for the past two decades.
“The legislation you signed today gives to the charter school industry a free hand, and promises them a bountiful reward. It allows corporations with no track record of success, no obligation to struggling students, and no mandated standards of accountability to flourish, with the sole obligation to their shareholders. Not the public. Not to well-intentioned parents desperate to see their children succeed – but to a group of investors who have made a business decision to add these companies to their portfolios because they are interested in making money.
“I would remind those who stand to profit personally from this legislation, some of whom hold high office, that an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
Filed Under: Soup Du Jour Tagged With: HB 7069, Sen. Linda Stewart
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CROSSWALK BEACONS & SIGNS
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs)
Circular Flashing Beacons
LED-Enhanced Signs
SCHOOL ZONE BEACONS & SIGNS
School Zone Flashing Beacons
Radar Speed Signs
StreetHub Remote Connectivity
WARNING BEACONS & 24-HOUR FLASHERS
24-Hour Flashing Beacons
Wrong-Way Driver Systems
Advisory Speed Signs
Emergency Vehicle Warning Systems
SPEEDCHECK SIGNS
”Your Speed” Radar Signs
Variable Speed Limit Signs
Customer / Product Support
Carmanah Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2010 Results
VICTORIA, BC, CANADA (March 30, 2011) – Carmanah Technologies Corporation (TSX: CMH) (“the Company” or “Carmanah”) today reported its fourth quarter and fiscal year financial results for the period ended December 31, 2010.
Sales for the three months ended December 31, 2010 were $9.3 million, up 36.1% from $6.8 million for the same quarter in 2009. Net loss for the quarter, primarily due to non-recurring items, was $4.1 million compared to a net loss of $0.9 million in the same period of the prior year. Sales for fiscal 2010 were $33.9 million, up 7.3% from $31.6 million in 2009. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2010, primarily due to non-recurring items, was $5.0 million, compared to a net loss of $0.6 million in fiscal 2009. Excluding non-recurring items, a non-GAAP measure, the net loss for the year ended December 31, 2010 was $1.3 million, a 28.4% improvement over 2009 on the same basis.
Non-recurring items in 2010, on a pre-tax basis include a $3.0 million non-cash charge related to the elimination of the capitalized deferred development costs, $0.8 million in restructuring costs, and $1.5 million in expenses related to a terminated Merger Agreement with Lightech Electronics Industries Ltd. (“Lightech”). Non-recurring items, on a pre-tax basis, in 2009 include a non-cash gain of $0.7 million on the disposal of a subsidiary, a $1.4 million non-cash foreign exchange gain resulting from the conversion of the Company’s reporting currency from Canadian dollars to US dollars, and $0.7 million in restructuring costs.
“Looking beyond the non-recurring items that contributed to our net loss and the Q4 non-cash losses, the annual results for 2010 are positive. Overall revenues grew 7% over 2009,” stated Ted Lattimore, Chief Executive Officer. “Our outdoor Illumination area lighting product sales grew by 43% year over year and we successfully completed our Illumination development roadmap investment. We expect this strategic product segment to start growing substantially over the next 3-5 years, paralleling the off-grid LED lighting market adoption curve, and contributing positively to both revenue and earnings.”
It was a year that tested and proved the mettle of the Company. “Carmanah and its people were dealt its most harsh circumstances in years; the thrill of an anticipated acquisition – unraveled by the anguish of the termination of the Lightech agreement and the action of an opposing shareholder; coinciding with a wrenching restructuring and downsizing, and the further realization that an investment in the Company’s core Illumination product line is taking longer to be rewarded than planned. What was the response? Remarkably, achievement of the largest revenue quarter of the year and setting a revenue trend in the first quarter of 2011, that is even higher” said Lattimore. “The revenue success was not unexpected, and if anything, overdue. The work we put into stabilizing and preparing our Illumination, Signals and Mobile distribution and partner network, to meld in an acquisition, created no distraction or concern within our sales channels, and strengthened their position and offerings relative to competitors. Our commitment to industrial grid-tie power systems projects in Ontario, Canada, within the provincial government’s Feed-In-Tariff (“FIT”) program is now being rewarded and putting a fast start to 2011. The clarity of purpose and line of sight decision making within the new divisional organizations requires fewer staff and is more inclusive of operational management. This divisional organization has created proud ownership amongst the staff and they have embraced the opportunity to control their destiny. In turn, this has provided the executive with the time and motivation to deal with the shareholder and Lightech issues. I’m completely impressed with the reaction of the staff and our partners, the commitment they have to their company and relationships, and the momentum they are building together; as we wrap up this near term challenge” Lattimore continued.
With regards to the lawsuits involving Lightech, “Management is aggressively defending its rights and taking all measures to bring the matter to an end,” Lattimore stated. “In 2010 we embarked on our previously announced non-organic growth strategy with the signing of a definitive agreement to purchase Lightech Electronics subject to several conditions precedent of which the main one was the successful completion of an equity offering. As a result of steps taken by a previously unknown significant shareholder, for the Company not to proceed with the equity offering, our Board of Directors determined after careful deliberation that it had no choice but to bring the Lightech agreement to an end in accordance with its rights under the Lightech agreement. That unfortunately resulted in legal actions initiated by both Carmanah and Lightech. Both actions are in the early stages of the litigation process.”
“2011 performance is planned on a more focused sales approach and additional efficiencies resulting from the restructuring initiatives we completed in 2010,” Lattimore continued.” For the first quarter of 2011, we are targeting revenues in excess of $9.5 million and we anticipate positive pre-tax income, as we expect to benefit from a continued increase in Illumination and Grid-tie revenues and reduced operating expenses. Now that contracts are working their way through the FIT program process in Ontario, we see an inflow of million dollar contracts to the Solar Power System division of our business during at least 2011. For 2011, we anticipate organic revenue to increase 15-20%, gross margins to be in the low 30% range, and lower overall operating expenses. This should enable us to achieve profitable operating results.”
Financial Condition at December 31, 2010 compared to December 31, 2009
Cash and cash equivalents of $5.7 million, down $ 3.0 million from $8.7 million
Working capital of $7.5 million, down $5.2 million from $12.7 million
Continued debt-free operations
Fourth Quarter 2010 compared to fourth quarter 2009
Sales: $9.3 million, up $2.5 million or 36.1% from $6.8 million
Gross margin : 26.0%, down from 27.4%
Operating costs, excluding non-recurring items (a non-GAAP measure): $3.2 million, up $0.3 million or 10.7% from $2.9 million
Net loss, excluding non-recurring items (a non-GAAP measure): $0.8 million, down $0.1 million or 19.3% from $0.9 million
Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure): $0.4 million, down $0.1 million or 15.7% from $0.3 million
Fiscal 2010 compared to fiscal 2009
Sales: $33.9 million, up $2.3 million or 7.3% from $31.6 million
Gross margin: 33.3%, down from 33.9%
Operating costs, excluding non-recurring items (a non-GAAP measure): $12.7 million, down $0.1 million or 1.2% from $12.8 million
Summary of operations:
Sales for the fourth quarter were $9.3 million, up 36.1% from the fourth quarter of 2009 and up 8.7% from the third quarter of 2010. Broken down by product sector, sales are as follows:
Signals, $4.2 million, up 3.6% from $4.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 and down 17.6% from the third quarter of 2010
Illumination, $1.2 million, down 10.0% from $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 and up 57.8% from the third quarter of 2010
Grid-tie, $2.9 million, up 245.6% from $0.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 and up 70.2% from the third quarter of 2010
Mobile, $1.1 million, up 58.5% from $0.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 and up 2.5% from the third quarter of 2010
Sales for fiscal 2010 were $33.9 million, up 7.2% from fiscal 2009. Broken down by product sector, sales are as follows:
Signals, $18.5 million, down 2.3%
Illumination, $4.7 million, up 43.2%
Grid-tie, $5.7 million, up 15.2%
Mobile, $5.0 million, up 21.8%
Gross margin percentages for fiscal 2010 were 33.3%, down from 33.9% for fiscal 2009. Broken down by product sector, gross margin percentages are as follows:
Signals, 38.1% up from 37.6%
Illumination, 27.3% down from 43.2%
Grid-tie, 20.0% down from 27.8%
Mobile, 36.2% up from 20.8%
Product development initiatives during fiscal 2010 included:
On March 18, 2010, the Company announced that it has joined forces with Sabik Oy (“Sabik”) of Finland to deliver a complete range of marine lighting solutions under the Carmanah/Sabik brand.
On May 11, 2010, the EverGEN™ 1710 Illumination area lighting product line was launched. This was accompanied by a limited time “See the Light” marketing program designed to seed the market with deployed installations in order to provide demonstration sites.
On October 12, 2010, Carmanah announced a strategic partnership with Trojan Battery Company, the world’s leading manufacturer of deep cycle batteries. Under the agreement, Carmanah will use Trojan’s deep cycle batteries to provide energy storage for its EverGENTM portfolio of outdoor solar LED lights.
During the second half of 2010, the EG300-series roadway Illumination products were developed. These products, which provide a high lumen output at a competitive price, were formally launched in January 2011.
During fiscal 2010, a further $1.6 million was invested to finalize Carmanah’s Illumination product roadmap. These costs were capitalized in the past and with the off-grid LED lighting market now being estimated to not be in the early adoption phase until 2013-2015, these capitalized costs have been eliminated in 2010.
Through the partnership with Sabik, Carmanah expanded its short range marine Signal product line to also include Sabik’s long range marine Signal products.
Significant sales that were announced during fiscal 2010:
On June 2, 2010, the Company announced that, through the partnership with Sabik, Carmanah received four one-year Standing Offers worth over $1.0 million (CAD) from the Canadian Coast Guard (“CCG”) to supply a range of solar-powered LED marine signals for aids-to-navigation (“AtoN”) lighting on Canadian waterways.
On June 15, 2010, Carmanah announced that through its marine partnership with Sabik Oy, the Company is providing solar LED marine lanterns for marking oil spill containment booms in the Gulf of Mexico. The lanterns helped to keep marine traffic safe while containment and cleanup work continued in the area.
On September 23, 2010, Carmanah received orders totaling over $1.1 million from the United States Coast Guard (“USCG”) for marine signals as part of the USCG’s seasonal stock-up. More than 2,500 Carmanah/Sabik M700 series solar LED marine signals were delivered to USCG stations in 25 US states along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes regions. The orders were part of an ongoing USCG initiative to replace incandescent signals with self-contained solar LED signals.
On November 1, 2010, through the partnership with ADB Airfield Solutions (“ADB”), Carmanah received a purchase order in excess of $0.3 million from the Venezuela Air Force for a joint solar and AC-powered airfield signal system as part of an infrastructure upgrade at an undisclosed base.
On May 4, 2010, an unnamed Southwestern, US power generating facility which serves the electrical power needs of approximately four million people in several states ordered $1.0 million of Carmanah’s EverGEN™ 1530 Illumination products to light up its perimeter security fencing.
On November 9, 2010, Carmanah announced that a major electric company in the United States is illuminating a power generating facility parking lot with solar-powered LED lighting systems provided by Carmanah. The power generating facility was installing the Carmanah EverGEN™ 1530 solar LED lighting systems as part of a pilot project to evaluate the effectiveness of solar-powered LED lighting, while at the same time saving electricity. The new solar lights were selected to help underscore the power company’s commitment to renewable energies and sustainable business practices while presenting an economical alternative to traditional grid-powered lighting systems for situations where grid power may be difficult or costly to access.
On December 1, 2010, Carmanah announced that it is providing 70 EverGEN 1710 solar LED lighting systems to illuminate Haxton Way Trail for the Lummi Nation Indian Reservation, Lummi Nation, Washington. The EverGEN solar lighting systems are being deployed to improve the safety of pedestrians that use the popular three-mile long pathway, which stretches across environmentally-sensitive wetlands.
Grid-Tie
On July 7, 2010, Carmanah was awarded a $1.5 million (CAD) contract by the Town of Markham, Ontario, Canada to supply, install, and commission a 250 kW solar photovoltaic grid-tie system for the Town’s newly re-located Emergency Operation Centre.
On August 24, 2010, Carmanah completed installation for a 38 kW solar grid-tied photovoltaic system designed for the newly constructed Dr. David Suzuki Public School in Windsor Ontario. Capable of delivering to 10 per cent of the facility’s total energy needs, the new solar PV system is expected to serve as both a sustainable, revenue-generating power source as well as a functional learning tool for the students.
On December 6, 2010, Carmanah was awarded four contracts with a combined value in excess of $5.0 million (CAD) by Northland Power Inc., Canada’s largest independent power producers, to design, supply and install two 500 kW, a 250 kW and a 10 kW solar PV rooftop system for a national retailer and distributor.
Restructuring activities during 2010 included the following:
On September 14, 2010, Carmanah announced the acceptance of the resignation of its Chief Operating Officer.
On November 10, 2010, the Company completed restructuring activities in order to reduce its operating costs. These activities primarily consisted of staff reductions related to a planned reduction of research and development investment, as a significant amount of development projects within the illumination product roadmap have been completed or were nearing completion.
As at December 31, 2010, Carmanah employed 65 employees compared to 107 as at December 31, 2009.
Divisional re-alignment:
Starting in the fourth quarter of 2010, the Company divided its business into two divisions: Signals & Illumination and Mobile & Grid-Tie as it believes that this divisional reporting format better reflects how it views and manages the business. Until the end of the third quarter of 2010, the business segments were referred to as Signals & Illumination and Systems & Other.
Non-organic growth initiative – Lightech:
During 2010, the Company embarked on its non-organic growth strategy. On September 21, 2010, the Company announced that it had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Lightech, pursuant to which its wholly-owned subsidiary Carmanah Lightech would acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Lightech (the “Lightech Acquisition”). Lightech is an Israeli corporation engaged in the business of designing and manufacturing power supplies for LED lighting. The aggregate purchase price payable to security holders of Lightech was $18.5 million, of which $12.3 million was to be satisfied in cash and $6.2 million was to be satisfied by the issuance of 8.6 million of the Company’s common shares. Upon execution of the Merger Agreement, the Company paid a cash advance of $625,000 (the “Signing Payment”) (of which half was paid directly to Lightech and the balance was paid to an escrow agent).
On October 25, 2010, Carmanah announced that it had received a formal request for the calling of a special meeting of its shareholders from a corporation holding approximately 9.5% of the Company’s issued and outstanding common shares. The requisition stated that the business to be transacted at the meeting was to consider an ordinary resolution directing the Company not to proceed with the proposed public offering and to remove the Company’s board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) if the Board of Directors did not agree to be bound by the outcome of such an ordinary resolution.
On November 10, 2010, having considered advice from the lead agent for the Offering, as well its financial advisor, the Board of Directors concluded that, despite its reasonable commercial efforts, the Company would not be able to complete the Offering by December 31, 2010 because, among other reasons beyond its control, of the uncertainty over the results of the shareholder meeting to approve the ordinary resolution directing the Company not to proceed with the Offering and/or replace the Board of Directors. Having determined that the Company would be incapable of completing the Offering by December 31, 2010, the Company provided a notice of termination to Lightech on the same date.
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Company is entitled to full repayment of the Signing Payment upon termination of the Merger Agreement as a result of an inability to complete the Offering. As of December 31, 2010, Lightech had not repaid the Signing Payment and on January 4, 2011, the Company announced that it had filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada against Lightech seeking restitution of the Canadian Dollar equivalent of the Signing Payment (plus interest and costs).
On January 28, 2011, the Company announced that Lightech and certain of its shareholders had filed a Statement of Claim in the District Court for Tel-Aviv Yaffo, Israel against the Company, Carmanah Lightech and certain of its officers alleging a breach of the terminated Merger Agreement, among other things, and is claiming damages of $6.0 million. As of the date hereof, both actions are in the early stages of the litigation process. Carmanah maintains that it properly terminated the Merger Agreement and has engaged Israeli council to fully and vigorously defend the Israeli claim.
Subsequent to December 31, 2010:
On January 6, 2011, Carmanah announced that the ADB/Carmanah team has been awarded a $0.5 million project for solar powered aviation lights at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. On January 19, 2011, the Company announced the launch of the EG300 series Illumination light; a new generation of solar-LED outdoor lighting systems designed to meet the specific roadway performance features required for customers in global sun-belt regions where core infrastructure development is underway, including regions such as Latin American and the Caribbean.
On February 2, 2011, Carmanah announced that the City of Los Angeles has selected Carmanah EverGEN 1710 solar powered lights for a $0.5 million project to light a popular bicycle path.
On February 10, 2011, Carmanah announced that its EG340 series Illumination lights, the Company’s latest product was chosen by the City for the Parque Caneguin, Mexico to light its historically significant heritage park located in Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City. This order represents one of the initial launch installations within a key market for the new EG300-series product. Parque Caneguin is also recognized by the Insistuto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (“INAH”) as a Mexico City, Mexico heritage site as well as being valued by the community as the “lungs” of the district.
Non-GAAP Measures
Management believes that the non-GAAP measures presented provide useful information by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of Carmanah’s core operating results and that these non-GAAP measures will allow for a better evaluation of the operating performance of the Company’s business and facilitate meaningful comparison of results in the current period to those in prior periods as well as future periods. Reference to these non-GAAP measures should not be considered as a substitute for results that are presented in a manner consistent with GAAP. These non-GAAP measures are provided to enhance investors’ overall understanding of Carmanah’s current financial performance.
A limitation of utilizing these non-GAAP measures is that the GAAP accounting effects of the non-recurring items do in fact reflect the underlying financial results of Carmanah’s business and these effects should not be ignored in evaluating and analyzing Carmanah’s financial results. Therefore, management believes that Carmanah’s GAAP measures on net loss and the same respective non-GAAP measure should be considered together.
Non-GAAP measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. One such non-GAAP measure used for assessing financial performance is Adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income before interest, income taxes, amortization, restructuring charges, goodwill, intangible impairments, discontinued operations and acquisition costs.
(US$ thousands)
Q4 Fiscal
Net loss
$(4,147)
$(901)
Add/(deduct):
Restructuring charges
Intangible asset impairment
Acquisition costs
Discontinued operations
Adjusted EBITDA
Complete set of Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis
A complete set of the annual 2010 Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion & Analysis are available on Carmanah’s corporate website. To view these documents, visit: www.carmanah.com/Company/Investors/Financial_Reports.aspx. Both documents for the year ended December 31, 2010 will also be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
About Carmanah Technologies Corporation
As one of the most trusted names in solar technology, Carmanah has earned a reputation for delivering strong and effective products for industrial applications worldwide. Industry proven to perform reliably in some of the world’s harshest environments, Carmanah solar LED lights and solar power systems provide a durable, dependable and cost effective energy alternative. Carmanah is a publicly traded company, with common shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “CMH”. For more information, visit carmanah.com.
Carmanah Technologies Corporation
“Roland Sartorius”
Roland Sartorius, Chief Financial Officer
Investor Relations: Roland Sartorius, CFO
investors@carmanah.com
Public Relations: David Davies
ddavies@carmanah.com
This release may contain forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “expects,” “plans,” “estimates,” “intends,” “believes,” “could,” “might,” “will” or variations of such words and phrases. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Carmanah to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which are described under the caption “Forward-looking statements” and “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in Carmanah’s Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, as filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The risk factors identified in Carmanah’s Annual Information Form are not intended to represent a complete list of factors that could affect Carmanah. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Carmanah does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
Carmanah Technologies Corp.
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Home » Aston Martin » 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish
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2018 Aston Martin Vanquish
· Comments Closed · Aston Martin
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish is a super promoter, which was launched in 2001 by the British Automaker Aston Martin as the successor to Virage. The first generation of Auston Martin V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum and presented at the Motor Show 2001 in Geneva, was manufactured from 2001 to 2005. The prototype, built by Ford Motor Company and Indian designer Dilip Chhabria, was led by James Bond in 2002. Film Die Another Day. In 2004, a more powerful version called Vanquish S became the flagship, followed by the Aston Martin DBS V12 in 2007.
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Model
Aston Martin Vanquish 2018
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato volante
The 2nd-generation Vanquish was introduced in 2012, followed by the second generation Vanquish S with a more powerful engine and improved aerodynamics. An overall new Vanquish of the third generation is expected to come onto the market in 2019.
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Design
The 2018 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish was designed by Ian Callum and is strongly in line with the DB7 Vantage production. However, the car had a strong impact on the prototype Project Vantage Concept, which debated in January 1998 with a V12 engine at the North American International Auto Show. Since the car had a strong aluminum / carbon composite construction, a bundle chassis with a 5,935 cc (5.9 L, 362.2 cu) V12 engine. 2018 Aston Vanquish is available in 2 + 0 and 2 + 2 seating configurations.
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Exterior
The exterior styling of the Vanquish is an evolution of the DBS with many styling styles, such as the elongated side panels inspired by the Aston Martin One-77. The luggage cover contains an integrated rear spoiler, which is designed so that it can be made impossible; This was done on behalf of Mr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin. The car has an exposed carbon fiber that looks like its carbon fiber. The Vanquish uses the new VH Generation4 platform, which is lighter and uses more carbon fiber than the VH Generation2 platform used in the DBS.
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Interior
Aston Martin Vanquish2018 model had a completely new interior based on the exclusive One-77. The standard interior is handcrafted leather and Alcantara finished and available in a variety of colors. The center console has a revised infotainment system compared to the DBS. The car was available as a 2-seater or 2 + 2.
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Engine
The Vanquish has an upgraded version of the Aston Martin using V12 engine’s flagship AM11, namely the “AM28” with an output of 565 hp (421 kW, 573 hp) at 6750 rpm and a torque of 620 Nm (457 lb⋅ft) at 5,500 rpm. The Vanquish can accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 295 km / h. Like most Aston Martins, the engine is mounted in the middle for better weight distribution, with the power at the rear wheels.
The Vanquish has a weight distribution of 51/49 front and rear and a tracking weight of 1,739 kg (3,834 lb). It uses a fully catalyzed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves. The Vanquish uses an updated Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic transmission. It was the first Aston Martin model with Launch Control. The combined space of the cabin and a 368-liter boat is more than 60% larger than that of the DBS.
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S (2017-2018)
On November 16, 2016, Aston Martin announced the new Vanquish S model. The Vanquish S has the same AM29 V12 engine, now up to 595 hp (444 kW, 603 hp) and a new aerodynamic package. The Vanquish S can now accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in 3.5 seconds, the top speed remains unchanged at 324 km / h. The proposed 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish MSRP was £ 199,950 in the United Kingdom, € 262,950 in Germany and $ 312,950 in the United States, and deliveries of the car started in December 2016.
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Coleman P. Burke (‘70), of Hobe Sound, Florida, has spent 40 years engaged in environmental issues as a director of the National Audubon Society, the National Forest Foundation, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, the New York Botanical Garden and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Burke also is a member of the Leadership Council of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. As a member of the international multidisciplinary society, the Explorers Club, he also has led two expeditions for dinosaur fossils in the Santa Cruz Province in Argentina and explored rivers in Tierra del Fuego.
Burke is the founder and managing partner of Waterfront NY, Bulgroup Properties and North River Company, commercial real estate companies with holdings in New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, California and Vermont. Before establishing Waterfront, Burke was a partner at the law firm of Burke & Burke for 13 years. He also has created the Coleman and Susan Burke Foundation, named after him and his wife of nearly four decades.
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AZ Supreme Ct.
SCOTTSDALE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO 48 OF MARICOPA COUNTY 44 31 14 89 40 96 92 214 25 11 69 210 28 68 83 93 80 205 66 v. KPNX BROADCASTING COMPANY KPNX
Supreme Court of Arizona,En Banc.
SCOTTSDALE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 48 OF MARICOPA COUNTY, Arizona; Avondale Elementary School District No. 44 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Balsz Elementary School District No. 31 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Creighton Elementary School District No. 14 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Dysart Unified School District No. 89 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Glendale Elementary School District No. 40 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Mobile Elementary School District No. 96 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Pendergast Elementary School District No. 92 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Tolleson Union High School District No. 214 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Gilbert Public Schools of Maricopa County, Arizona; Liberty Elementary School District No. 25 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Peoria Unified School District No. 11 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Paradise Valley Unified School District No. 69 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Mesa Unified School District No. 4 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Phoenix Union High School District No. 210 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Osborn Elementary District No. 8 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Isaac Elementary School District No. 5 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Kyrene Elementary School District No. 28 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Alhambra Elementary School District No. 68 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Cartwright Elementary School District No. 83 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Cave Creek Unified School District No. 93 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Chandler Unified School District No. 80 of Maricopa County, Arizona; Glendale Union High School District No. 205 of Maricopa County, Arizona; and Roosevelt Elementary School District No. 66 of Maricopa County, Arizona, Plaintiffs, Counterdefendants-Appellees, v. KPNX BROADCASTING COMPANY, an Arizona corporation; KPNX Broadcasting Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Broadcasting Company, a division of Gannett Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation; and Kim Stafford, an individual, Defendants, Counterclaimants-Appellants.
No. CV-97-0112-PR.
Decided: March 20, 1998
Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C. by Gary L. Lassen, Gordon Lewis, Phoenix , and Quarles & Brady, by Charles W. Herf and Jennifer N. MacLennan, Phoenix, for Plaintiffs, Counterdefendants-Appellees. Brown & Bain, P.A. by Daniel C. Barr and Cheryl L. Nackino, Phoenix, for Defendants-Counterclaimants-Appellants.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
¶ 1 KPNX Broadcasting Co. and one of its reporters, Kim Stafford, (“defendants”) requested the twenty-five school districts involved in this case (“plaintiffs”) to provide them with the birth dates of all active and substitute public school teachers in the districts. The districts declined to provide the birth dates and, instead, filed a declaratory judgment action in superior court. The court held that, on the facts of this case, the teachers' privacy interests in their birth dates outweighed the public interest in disclosure. On appeal, the court of appeals held that the teachers had no privacy interests in their birth dates because the birth dates were available from other sources. We granted review and conclude that the trial court's judgment was correct.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
¶ 2 In October 1994, defendants received a tip that a substitute school teacher in a Maricopa County school district was caught masturbating in a classroom full of children. Upon further investigation, defendants learned that this substitute teacher was a registered sex offender.
¶ 3 In November, defendants sent letters to all Maricopa County school districts requesting the names, addresses, places of employment, and birth dates of all teachers, pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (“A.R.S.”) §§ 39-121 to 39-124 (“Public Records Law”). Defendants sought to use this information to conduct criminal background checks on all Maricopa County teachers.
¶ 4 Plaintiffs released the names of all teachers in their twenty-five districts, along with each teacher's place of employment and business address but refused to disclose the teachers' home addresses and birthdates based on confidentiality and privacy grounds. Defendants dropped their request for home addresses and pursued only the release of the birth dates.
¶ 5 Plaintiffs filed a complaint in superior court seeking a judicial declaration that the Public Records Law did not require disclosure of their teachers' birth dates. The trial court conducted a balancing test, pursuant to Carlson v. Pima County, 141 Ariz. 487, 687 P.2d 1242 (1984), weighing the teachers' confidentiality and privacy rights against defendants' public purpose.
¶ 6 The trial court found that:
1) birth dates, like social security numbers, are private information and provide significant identifying information allowing access to extensive personal data in a computerized society;
2) disclosure of birth dates is offensive although it may be available from other public sources;
3) there is a difference in the release of the teachers' birth dates through other public sources and compelling the plaintiffs to release the teachers' birth dates, which were given with an expectation of privacy;
4) the teachers' expectation of privacy in their birth dates is evidenced by the fact that they only give them to obtain medical benefits and retirement plans, and some school districts have teacher personnel policy agreements which require written authorization by the teacher before release of most information;
5) “[w]hile the fact that birthdate information is available from other public sources may reduce the expectation of privacy, it is not dispositive”;
6) “the fact that birthdate information may be obtained elsewhere actually reduces the public need for the disclosure of the information by the school districts”;
7) defendants did not have any basis to believe that any misconduct had occurred;
8) the Arizona Department of Education and plaintiffs already do what defendants propose to do, i.e., run criminal background checks on teachers;
9) the release of birth dates would “constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy”; and
10) the “teachers' privacy interests far outweigh the speculative public purpose proffered” by defendants.
¶ 7 Defendants appealed. The court of appeals held that the teachers' birth dates are neither private nor confidential because they “may be obtained through the inspection of other public records.” Scottsdale Unified Sch. Dist. v. KPNX Broad. Co., 188 Ariz. 499, 505, 937 P.2d 689, 695 (App.1997). Because of this finding, the court held that the Carlson balancing test was inapplicable. The court of appeals ordered the release of the birth dates. Plaintiffs petitioned us to review the court of appeals' opinion. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Ariz. Const. art. 6, § 5(3), Ariz. R. Civ.App. P. 23, and A.R.S. § 12-120.24.
ISSUE PRESENTED
¶ 8 We granted review on the following issue:
Does the potential of obtaining personal information through other public sources eliminate the need for a court to balance a public employee's legitimate privacy interests against the public's need for disclosure?
I. Issue
¶ 9 The issue presented by the court of appeals' opinion is purely a question of law and we thus review it de novo. See, e.g., Transportation Ins. Co. v. Bruining, 186 Ariz. 224, 226, 921 P.2d 24, 26 (1996). Under Arizona's Public Records Law, “public records and other matters ․ shall be open to inspection by any person.” A.R.S. § 39-121. There are many statutory exceptions to this public right of inspection. See, e.g., A.R.S. §§ 8-120 and 8-121 (adoption records), § 39-123 (home address and home telephone number of peace officer), and § 44-1525 (information and evidence of consumer fraud investigation conducted by State Attorney General). This public right of inspection may also be curtailed in the interest of “confidentiality, privacy, or the best interests of the state.” Carlson, 141 Ariz. at 490, 687 P.2d at 1245. If these interests outweigh the public's right of inspection, the State can properly refuse inspection. See id. The State has the burden of overcoming “the legal presumption favoring disclosure.” Cox Arizona Publications, Inc. v. Collins, 175 Ariz. 11, 14, 852 P.2d 1194, 1198 (1993) (citing Mitchell v. Superior Court, 142 Ariz. 332, 335, 690 P.2d 51, 54 (1984)).
¶ 10 In this case, the court of appeals held that there was no reason to apply the Carlson balancing test because, as a matter of law, the teachers did not have a confidentiality or privacy interest in their birth dates because those birth dates were available from other public sources. See Scottsdale Unified, 188 Ariz. at 505, 937 P.2d at 695. The question of whether under the Public Records Law a person loses a privacy interest in information because the same information may be available from other public sources is a question of first impression in Arizona. We therefore turn for guidance to federal cases that have addressed the analogous question under 5 U.S.C. § 552, the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”). See Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community v. Rogers, 168 Ariz. 531, 540-41, 815 P.2d 900, 909-10 (1991).
¶ 11 The Supreme Court of the United States has stated that “[i]n an organized society, there are few facts that are not at one time or another divulged to another.” United States Dep't of Justice v. Reporters Comm. for Freedom of the Press, 489 U.S. 749, 763, 109 S.Ct. 1468, 1476, 103 L.Ed.2d 774 (1989) (footnote omitted). The Court has held that “[a]n individual's interest in controlling the dissemination of information regarding personal matters does not dissolve simply because that information may be available to the public in some form.” United States Dep't of Defense v. Federal Labor Relations Auth., 510 U.S. 487, 500, 114 S.Ct. 1006, 1015, 127 L.Ed.2d 325 (1994); see also Reporters Comm., 489 U.S. at 762-63, 109 S.Ct. at 1476.
¶ 12 We agree with and adopt the analysis by the Supreme Court for use by Arizona courts in cases arising under our own Public Records Law. Reasonable people do not expect that their privacy interest in information disappears merely because that information may be available through some public source. In other words, although X may be able to obtain private or confidential information about Y from a public source, X cannot require everyone subject to the Public Records Law to divulge that information simply because it is otherwise obtainable. We conclude that the court of appeals erred when it held, as a matter of law, that a person's privacy interest in information is eliminated simply because that information may be available from some other public source.
II. Other Issues on Appeal
¶ 13 Because the court of appeals held that the teachers lost any claim of confidentiality because their birth dates are available from other sources, it did not clearly address whether birth dates might otherwise be considered private or confidential information under the Public Records Law. For the same reason, it also did not review the Carlson balancing test applied by the trial court. The districts recognized that if they prevailed on the issue presented in the petition for review, those issues would have to be addressed. Accordingly, the districts preserved those issues, which were fully briefed in the court of appeals. See current Rule 23(c)(1), Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure. While we could now remand this case to the court of appeals as the special concurrence suggests, considerations of judicial economy persuade us not to do so, but to resolve the case here. See Ariz. R. Civ.App. P. 23(i)(3).
A. Privacy Interest in Birth Dates
¶ 14 Whether a person's birth date may be subject to a privacy claim is a question of first impression in Arizona. We again look for guidance to federal cases construing the FOIA. Although we have never defined the meaning of privacy under the Public Records Law, the Supreme Court, interpreting the FOIA, has stated that information is “private if it is intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person or group or class of persons: not freely available to the public.” Reporters Comm., 489 U.S. at 763-64, 109 S.Ct. at 1477 (footnote omitted) (internal quotations omitted). The Court has also stated that the privacy interest encompasses “the individual's control of information concerning his or her person.” Id. at 763, 109 S.Ct. at 1476.
¶ 15 One federal case directly addresses the issue of whether birth dates are private or confidential information. In Oliva v. United States, the court held that disclosure of birth dates and social security numbers would violate the FOIA as it “would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.” 756 F.Supp. 105, 107 (E.D.N.Y.1991) (citation omitted). It found that “social security numbers, and dates of birth, are a private matter.” Id. (emphasis added).
¶ 16 The Supreme Court's definition of privacy in this context, along with Oliva, demonstrates that birth dates are in fact private information. Birth dates are information usually restricted to a class of persons, typically family members and friends. The only instance when one divulges this information occurs in the business or workplace context where the information is a prerequisite for certain benefits, such as employee retirement and benefits calculations, the purchase of health or automobile insurance, credit application, etc. The public availability of birth dates does not negate privacy interests. All it means is that there are some temporary or specific situations where we willingly waive that interest.1
¶ 17 The trial court found that the teachers had an expectation of privacy in their birth dates, evidenced by agreements between the teachers and plaintiffs which required permission to release this information. The record amply demonstrates a variety of legitimate reasons why the teachers desired to protect their birth dates from release. Moreover, Arizona Administrative Code § R2-5-105(D) specifically enumerates the employee information that the State of Arizona will release upon a Public Records Law request. That list does not include birth dates. The trial court likened birth dates to social security numbers, which the FOIA protects from disclosure. Like social security numbers, birth dates may be used to gather great amounts of private information about individuals.2
¶ 18 With both a name and birth date, one can obtain information about an individual's criminal record, arrest record (which may not include disposition of the charges), driving record, state of origin, political party affiliation, social security number, current and past addresses, civil litigation record, liens, property owned, credit history, financial accounts, and, quite possibly, information concerning an individual's complete medical and military histories, and insurance and investment portfolio.
¶ 19 Based on the foregoing, we conclude that a person, including a public school teacher, has a privacy interest in his or her birth date. The question then becomes whether that interest is sufficient in a given case to outweigh disclosure, which is presumptively required where public records are concerned.
B. Trial Court's Application of Balancing Test
¶ 20 The trial court appropriately conducted the balancing test pursuant to Carlson, 141 Ariz. at 490-91, 687 P.2d at 1245-46. In reviewing the trial court's findings of fact, we apply two different standards of review. We will uphold its findings of fact unless clearly erroneous. See Arizona Bd. of Regents v. Phoenix Newspapers, Inc., 167 Ariz. 254, 257, 806 P.2d 348, 351 (1991). We are, however, free to draw our own conclusions of law from these facts. Id. Thus, whether plaintiffs wrongfully denied defendants access to public records “is an issue of law which we review de novo.” Cox Arizona Publications, 175 Ariz. at 14, 852 P.2d at 1198 (citation omitted).
¶ 21 None of the trial court's findings of fact set forth earlier are clearly erroneous. However, one finding of fact made by the trial court is irrelevant to the balancing test: namely, that the Arizona Department of Education and plaintiffs already conduct criminal background checks on teachers. The purpose of the Public Records Law, like the FOIA, is “to open agency action to the light of public scrutiny.” Department of Air Force v. Rose, 425 U.S. 352, 361, 96 S.Ct. 1592, 1599, 48 L.Ed.2d 11 (1976) (citation omitted) (internal quotations omitted); see also Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. v. Purcell, 187 Ariz. 74, 81, 927 P.2d 340, 347 (App.1996) (it is well-settled that Arizona evinces a general “open access” policy toward public records). The Public Records Law exists to allow citizens “to be informed about what their government is up to.” Reporters Comm., 489 U.S. at 773, 109 S.Ct. at 1481 (citation omitted) (internal quotations omitted). Given this purpose, “the public interest in disclosure is not diminished by the possibility or even the probability that [the agency] is doing its [ ] job right.” Washington Post Co. v. United States Dep't of Health & Human Serv., 690 F.2d 252, 264 (D.C.Cir.1982) (footnote omitted).
¶ 22 With regard to the public interest asserted by defendants, we note that if given the birth dates, defendants plan to run criminal background checks on the teachers to see if any of them have criminal records. Clearly, the public has an interest in knowing whether the districts employ teachers with criminal records who might pose a threat to public school children.
¶ 23 The trial court found that defendants have no reason to believe that any of the thousands of teachers involved in this case have been involved in inappropriate behavior. Defendants correctly point out that they did discover misconduct by a teacher who is a registered sex offender. Perhaps there are others, but defendants have produced no evidence or even a tip about any specific individual. Defendants, of course, are not required to prove that there are teachers that pose a threat to public school children. But when defendants are unable to provide any basis at all for believing that such a teacher might exist among the thousands of individuals whose legitimate expectations of privacy are sought to be invaded, the public interest in disclosure is at best speculative.
¶ 24 While the teachers' expectation of privacy may be diminished because the information is available elsewhere, the trial court also found that the availability of the birth dates through other avenues reduces the need for public disclosure. Federal cases construing the FOIA have so held. See Dobronski v. FCC, 17 F.3d 275 (9th Cir.1994); Multnomah County Med. Soc'y v. Scott, 825 F.2d 1410 (9th Cir.1987). Under this component to the balancing test, the public interest increases when there is no other available way to obtain the information and correspondingly decreases when “alternative means” of receiving the information exist.3 See, e.g., Dobronski, 17 F.3d at 280; Multnomah County Med. Soc'y, 825 F.2d at 1416. Because defendants do not dispute that the information sought is otherwise available to them, the need for public disclosure is reduced.
¶ 25 From the facts presented, the minimal public interest shown by defendants does not override the privacy interest of the teachers. On the facts of this case, plaintiffs correctly withheld the teachers' birth dates from defendants and the trial court correctly sustained that action.
¶ 26 The opinion of the court of appeals is vacated and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. Because defendants are not prevailing parties, their request for attorneys' fees is denied.
¶ 27 We granted review on the single issue of whether the Carlson balancing test applies even when the information is available through other public sources. The court of appeals held that it did not apply, and we are of the unanimous view that it does. To that extent, I join in part I of the court's opinion.
¶ 28 Because the court of appeals held that the Carlson balancing test did not apply, it did not review the balancing performed by the trial court. I would remand to the court of appeals so that it can decide this issue in the first instance. Since we only granted review on whether Carlson ought to apply at all, the balancing was not at issue here. Instead of remanding, this court chooses to review the trial court's balancing on its own. While we have the authority to do that, the issue is complex enough that we would profit from its examination by the court of appeals. On subsequent petition for review, the parties could focus our attention on the balancing issue. My concerns with the majority's current approach are many.
1. While the federal Freedom of Information Act can be helpful in other contexts, it is not that helpful in deciding whether a birth date raises privacy interests sufficient to overcome the presumption of open records. Freedom of Information Act cases concerning invasions of privacy arise under an exemption, 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6), that does not exist under the Arizona statute. It would be well to focus the parties' attention on this distinction.
2. In Cox Arizona Publications, Inc. v. Collins, 175 Ariz. 11, 852 P.2d 1194 (1993), we rather strongly held that once records are characterized as public, there is a presumption of disclosure and the burden of overcoming that presumption falls upon the public official who seeks to block access. Id. at 14, 852 P.2d at 1197. But here, the court says that because KPNX gave no basis for its suspicion, the public interest in disclosure is speculative. Ante, at ¶ 23. The result is that we here give greater protection to birth dates than we gave to police reports in Collins. I would like the parties to explain this result.
3. The weighing here is not easy. There are substantial interests on both sides of the question, and if they are evenly weighted, the legal presumption in favor of disclosure of public records might make a difference. In light of the closeness of the question, I would much prefer to decide this issue when the parties have focused on it following a decision by the court of appeals.
¶ 29 I would thus remand to the court of appeals for initial resolution of this issue.
1. These may include voter registration records (as proof of age) and credit reports (which obtain birth dates from credit applications).
2. Defendants point out that social security numbers are protected by a federal statute and thus differ from birth dates. See 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(viii)(I). However, this only applies to those social security numbers that are “obtained or maintained by authorized persons pursuant to any provision of law enacted on or after October 1, 1990.” Id. Social security numbers held by the federal government that do not meet the above criteria have been protected from disclosure by case law. See, e.g., IBEW Local Union No. 5 v. United States Dep't of Hous. & Urban Dev., 852 F.2d 87, 89 (3d Cir.1988), modified on other grounds sub nom. Sheet Metal Workers Int'l Ass'n v. United States Dep't of Veterans Affairs, 135 F.3d 891, 1998 WL 47645 (3rd Cir.1998); Oliva, 756 F.Supp. at 107.
3. The availability of the information elsewhere, however, does not affect the question of whether the information is private.
MOELLER, Justice.
ZLAKET, C.J., and FELDMAN, J., and JOSEPH W. HOWARD, Judge, concur. CHARLES E. JONES, V.C.J., recused himself in this matter. Pursuant to Art. 6, Section 3 of the Arizona Constitution, JOSEPH W. HOWARD, Judge, Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two, was designated to sit in his stead.
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Posts tagged: residential survellience at a designated loaction
The Politically Motivated Arrest of Kovrig & Spavor
The Chinese government makes it really hard to believe that its detention – and now arrest – of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor is anything but politically motivated. It adamantly protests the charge that Kovrig and Spavor’s detention is somehow related to the troubles Huawei Technologies is facing in North America; it denies that this is tit-for-tat diplomacy.
But it’s actions reflect otherwise. The initial detention of Kovrig and Spavor on December 10, 2018, came only days after Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer and the founder’s daughter, was arrested by Canadian authorities in preparation for extradition to the United States. And now, the formal arrest of the two Canadians – after 5 months in detention without access to a lawyer – came only hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting U.S. telecom companies from purchasing foreign equipment from companies deemed a national security threat and the United States Commerce Department officially listing Huawei as such a threat. Not only does this lock Huawei out of the U.S. market, by being listed as a security threat, Huawei will also no longer be able to purchase key component parts from U.S. tech companies such as Intel, Qualcom, Broadcom and Google; parts that are integral to the future success of its business.
Canadians Michael Kovrig (L) and Michael Spavor (R)
On Thursday morning, less than 12 hours after the U.S. government issued its announcements, the Chinese government announced that Kovrig and Spavor had been formally arrested on charges of stealing state secrets, Article 111 under China’s Criminal Law (translation courtesy of China Law Translate). Kovrig is suspected of “gathering state secrets for transmission outside of China” and Spavor is suspect of “stealing and providing state secrets for transmission outside China.” Although the prosecutors are required to issue an arrest warrant upon arrest, it is unclear if this was done or to whom it was given (see Article 93 of China’s Criminal Procedure Law (CPL), Art. 93 – translation courtesy of China Law Translate). Professor Maggie Lewis does a great analysis of what the world can expect at this stage of the case.
Canadian Embassy in Beijing
But here is the rub that makes it increasingly hard to believe that the Chinese government’s actions against Kovrig and Spavor are not retaliation for what is happening to Huawei. The Chinese government decided to arrest Kovrig and Spavor one month earlier than they had to. Because Kovrig and Spavor were being detained under Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location (RSDL), under Chinese Criminal Procedure Law, the public security authorities had up to six months – or until around June 10, 2019 – before they had to request the official arrest of the two (CPL Art. 79). Once the prosecutors formally arrest the suspect, the time frame to investigate becomes much tighter. As a result, it is a rare occurrence for China’s public security bureaus not to take full advantage of these six months. But it appears that announcing the arrest of these two only hours after the U.S. declared Huawei a threat to national security was more important.
This isn’t to say that the U.S. is innocent of gaming the Huawei situation as a way to gain leverage against China in the current trade battle. But what is different here is that Chinese government is dealing with two lives; two people who could end up in a prison for a very long time basically as pawns in this game. Trade disputes can be settled. But the criminal justice system is a body on to itself. And once it is engaged, especially in China, it’s hard to turn back.
Criminal Justice, Foreign Policy, Trade, Trump Administration | Canada, China, Huawei, Kovrig, Meng Wenzhou, residential survellience at a designated loaction, RSDL, Spavor, state secrets, trade war, Trump, U.S.
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The Shakers – Live from Lonely Town – DAY 1
Inspire to Create. Nourish to Grow
Tape is a Beast
Recording Peter Frampton
Oct 24, 2010 | Album, Engineered, Mixing, Produced, Recording
Peter Frampton has reunited with legendary producer-engineer Chris Kimsey for his latest album ‘Thank You Mr.Churchill’ released earlier this year. Kimsey played a crucial role in Frampton’s seven legendary ’70s albums — including Wind Of Change, Frampton Comes Alive! and I’m In You.
Frampton, while in the midst of a 46-date summer tour, explained that the kinship between him and Kimsey goes as far back as his Humble Pie days: [“Chris Kimsey and I started out virtually together. He’d been this assistant engineer on these Humble Pie records working under Glyn Johns. And I said, ‘I’m gonna do my first solo record,’ and he said, ‘I’m just about ready to start engineering in my own right.’ So that was it, I said, ‘Why don’t we do it together, y’know?’ And I knew him, so it was not like it was someone that I hadn’t spent time with. He — obviously — and I worked (together) for many albums — including Frampton Comes Alive! He went on and did the (Rolling) Stones for years.”]
* Frampton says the chemistry between the two is no different than during their 1970’s heyday: [“It’s pretty phenomenal and I have to say that he knows me so well that he knows my capabilities. He knows when to push me. He knows that two or three takes down it’s gonna click. And he’s right. He’s proved himself right (laughs) so many times already on this record, and he also know when to say, ‘I don’t think you’re gonna be happy with this. Let’s move on to something else and come back to this a little later.'”]
* Frampton’s new album features collaborations with legendary Motown house band the Funk Brothers, Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, and Frampton’s first collaboration with 21-year-old son Julian.
* Kimsey engineered all of Frampton’s classic ’70s catalogue: Wind Of Change (1972); Frampton’s Camel (1973); Somethin’s Happening (1974); Frampton (1975); Frampton Comes Alive! (1976); I’m In You (1977): and Where I Should Be (1979) — which Kimsey produced with Frampton.
* Apart from that, Kimsey is best known for his engineering and production work on such Rolling Stones classics as Sticky Fingers, Some Girls, Emotional Rescue, Tattoo You, Undercover, Steel Wheels, Flashpoint, and Stripped, among others.
* Kimsey isn’t the first Frampton Comes Alive! Alumnus that Frampton has reunited with in recent years. Starting with his 1992 comeback tour, longtime guitarist/keyboardist Bob Mayo was a fixture at nearly all of Frampton’s shows until his death in 2004. That same year, drummer John Siomos, who had become an EMT worker in New York City, also died after reestablishing a friendship with Frampton.
* After nearly 30 years apart, bassist Stanley Sheldon teamed up with Frampton once again to cowrite and perform on “Ida y Vuelta (Out And Back)” from Frampton’s last album, the 2006 Grammy Award-winning instrumental collection, Fingerprints.
* Among the albums that Kimsey has engineered include ELP’s Brain Salad Surgery; Bill Wyman’s Monkey Grip; Bad Company’s Burnin’ Sky; as well as producing Joan Jett And The Blackhearts’ Glorious Results Of A Misspent Youth; Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe’s self-titled album; Knebworth: The Album, Duran Duran’s Liberty and Ordinary World; and INXS’s Full Moon, Dirty Hearts, among many others.
PreviousCounterPunch Interview (part 2)
NextThe Rolling Stones Reissiue ‘Some Girls’
‘Pink Floyd The Later Years’ Box Set
Rolling Stones Outtake Featuring Keith Richards & Kristi Kimsey on Vocals
The Blues Queen Biography
Dec 17, 2020 | Article, Book
Nov 20, 2020 | Live Sessions, Mixing
Sep 10, 2020 | Album, Produced
Aug 11, 2020 | Article, Education, Visconti Studio
Nov 30, 2019 | Album, Article, Produced
Book of Shame
Video | Flare Voyant – Ephemeral Romance (EXCLUSIVE)
Lil and Ollie
Partial Discography
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Faith and Science
Gilbert Dunachie
I have started this page because of a number of concerns which I would like to share and on which I would like to raise awareness. If you are interested, you are invited to join the discussion and share your own views using the form below.
Last Summer Aline and I experienced one of those events which happen from time to time when one has to say “There is a reason we met!”
We were on holiday at a beautiful spot in Scotland. As I went to buy ice-creams we noticed that all the benches by the loch were occupied. I suggested to Aline that she ask the couple sitting in the middle of a bench if they would mind making room for the two of us. When I returned with ice-cream, I found that a great conversation was in progress which became increasingly fascinating. The gentleman, in his late 80’s was explaining the substance of the talk he was giving at a conference that evening. It became apparent that it was a Christian seminar and we became completely immersed until we realized three hours had passed and it was time to go. Just before parting the gentleman said “Do you believe in evolution?” No one had asked me that question for a very long time. I said something to the effect that I did but didn’t think it was any threat to my faith. He responded “It really is not true.” Since that meeting I have spent some time studying the subject more thoroughly with the result that I am now convinced that it cannot be accepted as proven science and that it has, in fact, become a substitute religion.
I would never suggest that belief in Darwin’s theories would preclude salvation and I would not question the faith of the many Christians who can accept Darwinian theories. I am concerned however, about the damage that is being done by those who wish to destroy Christianity, notably scientists who wish to promote their personal faith that there is no God. Richard Dawkins appears to be the High Priest of this faith and he has many followers. It is almost 30 years since his book, “The Blind Watchmaker”, was first published to great acclaim in the press by many notable reviewers, scientists and others who presumably are believers. Many other books have followed from Dawkins and others intent on preaching atheism rather than science.
Most people do not think about this very much but Darwin’s theories on the origin of species have never been proved by convincing evidence and the evidence for an all powerful creator is now overwhelming. I now find that this daily brings me a greater appreciation of the wonders of God’s creation.
If you have not given this much thought, I would like to make you aware of what has been going on in the last century and a half since Darwin published his book “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life” and what the situation is today. An early change, in 1872, was to shorten the title of the book to “The Origin of Species” for the 7th edition!
I can remember, in my extreme youth, being taught in biology class that the smallest element in the body was the single cell which consisted of a blob of glutinous matter that was able to constantly multiplying by simple division. It was little more than half a century ago that scientists discovered that the simple cell is of incredible complexity. In fact, each of the +/- trillion cells in our bodies contain a computer with a data bank of about 1.5 gigabytes (DNA) with complex programmes and machines that produce complex structures of proteins. All within these microscopic “blobs”.
The psalmist said. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” but he had no idea of just how wonderfully. Charles Darwin also had no idea of the complexity of life or of this amazing DNA which is essential for every life form and that in every cell there exists the instruction for manufacturing the material components of every living creature from the smallest microbe to the most complex life form of immense size. Darwin was concerned that no record or transitional evidence had been found in the fossil record to demonstrate evolution of new species. Darwin said that this evidence should be found in “innumerable transitional forms”. After 150 years of searching by many scientists, no such record has been found.
Today, the scientific community, particularly in biology science, is in a state of uncertainty which is not often revealed to the general public and in fact many scientists remain in total denial and even demonstrate violent reactions to those who demolish these theories which have become their dogma.
To start things rolling, you might like to follow some of the links to websites, talks, articles, books and authors and relevant supporting information. Authors are not necessarily Christians. If you care to comment we can engage in some discussion on this page. As we proceed I hope to introduce you to some of the amazing things that confirm the wonders of God’s creative power.
Some Books: These also available on Kindle.
Darwin’s Black Box: Michael J Behe,
The Edge of Evolution:Michael J Behe,
Shattering the Myths of Darwinism: Richard Milton,
Darwin’s Doubt: Stephen C Meyer,
Signature in the Cell: Stephen C Mayer,
Some Websites:
Phillip E. Johnson
http://www.darwinontrial.com
This website explores the life and writings of Phillip E. Johnson, Professor of Law, Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and author of Darwin on Trial and other books.
Some Talks:
Coments/Discussion
Please use this form to send your views.
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Day 7 – Kingsman: The Golden Circle
It should have been called Kingsman: The Burt Reynolds Mustache
Movie Title: Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Running Time: 2 hr. and 21 min.
Who did I watch with?: Stephie
This review contains spoilers for Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle opens with Charlie, the rejected Kingsman, turned supporter of Valentine in Kingsman: The Secret Service leading a mission against Galahad to try and get information out of him. The one big difference between Charlie then and Charlie now is that now he has a robot arm. Yes, you read that right. A robot arm. Mayhem ensues and Charlie uses his newfound powers to strike a serious blow against the Kingsman on behalf of international drug kingpin Poppy played by Julianne Moore.
Unlike the rapid pace of the first film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle opts for a slow build. Very slow. Most of the big action set pieces that were distributed over the course of the first movie take place over the last half hour of this movie. In place of the action we have character development that is hit or miss. Eggsy is now in a relationship with Princess Tilde, the woman he rescues at the end of the first film. He has dinner with her family as her father tries to grill him about Indian finances, Frida Kahlo, Moorish revival architecture, and the origins of Bluetooth when disaster strikes. Eggsy meets up with Merlin before heading to America to meet up with the American equivalent of the Kingsmen, the Statesmen. On the other hand we get to watch Julianne Moore ruthlessly operate a drug cartel, which is a sight to behold.
The Statesmen soon reveal that they are in possession of the presumed deceased Harry Hart, who was shot in the face during the events of the first film. I was not initially very happy that they brought him back. It takes courage to kill off a character you are billing as your lead and have him ably replaced. His story arc is long and not very interesting, but culminates in a nice payoff once he gets back in the game.
One of the beautiful things about this movie is the amount of times it manages to work in a variation on Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver. I wasn’t counting while I was watching, but thinking back I think I heard six. I’ve loved this song ever since I saw Me First and the Gimme Gimmes cover it in blistering style after announcing that it was not in fact a cover, but an atrocity. The other beautiful thing is the presence of Elton John who is awesome. Elton, kidnapped by Poppy during Valentine’s kidnapping spree, serves as her personal entertainment and when he gets his revenge it is delightful.
On the downside there are several scenes or entire portions of the movie that could have been cut out or reworked to pick up the pace. It did not need to go to Glastonbury Music Festival to drum up drama and the implementation of the tracking device was…strange. The action set pieces are not as creative as the first movie until we get to the last half hour and then the movie goes mental. Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges are also significantly underused.
Lastly, the movie has some social commentary on the war on drugs, which by any measure has been an abysmal failure. After people become infected the President in the movie, who is similar in temperament to our current Commander-in-Chief, advocates letting all the victims die because they are all worthless drug addicts. By letting them die we are “winning” the war on drugs. People aren’t just left to die, they are put in cages, and stacked on top of each other in a football stadium. A montage of the various victims shows how people from all walks of life use drugs for different purposes and that it does not make them degenerates. They are still people. The end of the movie satirizes American greed one another character implies that he can’t wait until the drug addicts are dead because it will positively impact his stock prices. It is interesting social commentary given all the demonization that occurs in today’s media and political climate.
While the movie has a slow build a lot of the character development hits its mark though certainly not all of it works out well. Once the action kicks in there are some incredible sequences. Julianne Moore is great as Poppy and watching her chew the scenery as the business leader of a drug cartel is fantastic. It is not as good as Kingsmen: The Secret Service, but it is still a worthy successor. See it, but only after you watch the first movie.
Tomorrow’s Movie: Mother! (2017)
Today’s Run:
Today was a walking day and I did about 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. There is still a lot of snow on the road, so once again, I feel like I went at it harder, but didn’t get much result in terms of distance increase. Tomorrow is a resting and fasting day and then I’ll be run/walking three miles on Tuesday with a weigh in. Bring it on.
Author cinemastreetmarathonPosted on January 8, 2018 February 27, 2018
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The abortion lobby says yes. But the numbers tell a different story. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a study specific to Texas that assessed the state’s postponement of surgical abortion during the early months of COVID. The conclusion of the study seems certain that late-term abortion numbers increased as a result (something the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute and National Abortion Federation jumped on immediately).
Back in March, Texas was one of multiple states that deemed abortion a “nonessential service.” Reading the AMA study with no other background information would indeed raise most people’s suspicions about the effect of this executive order. But there’s more to the story; as National Review points out:
“[…] the study indicates that significantly fewer second-trimester abortions took place in Texas during February 2020 and March 2020 than during February and March of the previous year. In fact, when the totals from all the months analyzed in the study are considered, the overall number of second-trimester abortions performed in Texas actually decreased compared to 2019. Some Texas women might have obtained second-trimester abortions in other states, but between February 2020 and May 2020, the study reports that less than 9 percent of abortions performed on Texas women took place in other states. With that in mind, any overall increase in second-trimester abortions in the state likely was considerably lower than media coverage suggests.”
Now, Let’s Get Hypothetical
The historical analysis above disproves the claim that pro-life actions during the early months of the pandemic increased late-term abortions. But let’s say, hypothetically for a moment, that the abortion lobby’s claim was true. Let’s say that women who became pregnant at the beginning of the pandemic were denied first-trimester abortions in large numbers and subsequently sought late-term abortions when restrictions lifted. The question would be… was the pro-life movement wrong to deem abortion “nonessential” and restrict its access, same as other “elective procedures?”
Decidedly not. And philosophically, here’s why:
Abortion is just as wrong in the first trimester as it is in the second.
Anyone who believes abortion is wrong has decided that external characteristics or qualities (size, stage of development, location, dependency, etc) are not what make the preborn people who are deserving of human rights. Late-term abortion (abortion after 20 weeks) is uglier to many people because the baby can feel pain, sleep & wake, noticeably kick & move, and weighs nearly a pound. But humans are equally valuable at all stages of our lives because these factors, though they pull more at our heartstrings, aren’t what make us human. Our human DNA is the only thing every single one of us has in common. Any step we take away from that foundational truth is dangerous, and historically proven to be so.
Because abortion is fully wrong at any stage, the pro-life movement should restrict it wherever and whenever possible.
Policy-wise, there’s a right and a wrong way to go about abolishing abortion (trust us – the pro-life movement has been debating it for decades). A total ban starting tomorrow would be great, obviously – we, as a society, have never been more ready to embrace and support women facing unplanned pregnancies. But culture doesn’t change overnight, and we support an incremental approach as a realistic path to making abortion illegal and unthinkable. That said, any opportunity to save women and babies from abortion is a worthy one.
Intent is everything.
In our hypothetical case, our response to an unforeseen pandemic decreased first trimester abortions and increased second trimester ones. A crucial follow-up question would be: was that our (hypothetical) intent? Of course not. In this case, or any other, “look what you made me do” doesn’t exactly hold up in court. The real-life intent of restricting abortion during the onset of COVID was first and foremost to keep abortion facilities from hoarding much-needed medical supplies that belonged at hospitals (which they were absolutely doing). Seeing as abortion is nonessential every day of the week, COVID or not, this response wasn’t exactly a stretch.
Blog, Blogroll, Closing Abortion Facilities, college, Featured, high school, Med & Law, Middle School, ProLife Laws, Supporters
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January 31, 2018 January 31, 2018 Tom
Here is something to think about.
The traditional Greenhouse Theory for the changing climate proposes the earth and its climate are warming at alarming rates, caused by human activity and excessive fossil fuel emissions. The carbon dioxide resulting from the emissions are forming an enlarging envelope in the atmosphere around the earth. This envelope acts like a greenhouse, trapping heat, which is the cause of the 20th century spike of the global temperatures. Their solutions target reducing fossil fuel emissions and developing alternate energy sources through government regulations and global treaties.
This citizen agrees with the basic Greenhouse Theory, but proposes their solution targets the wrong cause of the increased fossil fuel emissions. The root cause of the increased emissions is the impact of exponential growth of the human population. More humans require more energy products. The observed increased emissions are simply the result of the additional energy products required to service the growing population. Until zero-emission energy sources are economically available, the correct target is to reduce the rate of global population growth, and until that occurs, the emissions will continue to increase.
We all agree that emissions may be reduced through further improvements and efficiencies in alternate energy sources, with the goal being zero emissions. However, the majority of these alternate sources are not economically competitive without subsidies. Alternate energy sources will not be able to produce enough power to service the predicted population growth. Experts predict that fossil fuels will continue to dominate the future energy mix, although their share will decrease to 74% of the total. Therefore, fossil fuel emissions will continue to grow.
If the world had not had an almost four-fold increase in the world’s population in the 20th century, by adding 4.45 billion humans, this would not be an issue today.
Global Population Growth
Most anthropologists agree the human form evolved about 3 million years ago. A precarious life with poor shelter and food supply resulted in a low population growth rate. As living conditions improved, human population grew. Some authorities have estimated the total world population at A.D. 1 was about 300 million,
Living conditions slowly improved, until the Industrial Revolution in the 17th & 18th centuries when dramatic improvements resulted in increased population survival rates. The world population increased to about 760 million in 1750.
Global population increased at markedly higher rates beginning in the 19th century. In 1800, the global human population was 0.9 billion. In the next 127 years, that doubled to 2 billion in 1927. That doubled again in the next 47 years to 4 billion population in 1974. In only 43 years, that has almost doubled again to 7.5 billion today in 2017. During the course of the 20th century, the world’s human population mushroomed from 1.65 billion to 6.1 billion. This remarkable 270% increase corresponds exactly to the period when the global temperatures spiked. It begs the question if the two are not related.
With present population growth rates, 83 million more humans are added to the globe each year. The United Nations Department of Economic & Social Affairs has forecast the current world population of 7.5 billion to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, then to 9.7 billion in 2050, and 11.2 billion in 2100. This alarming increase defines the primary issue. The increase of population and its resulting consumption are parts of the problem–neither can be ignored and both are exacerbating the human impact on Earth.
It logically follows that when the global population increases, more energy is required to provide power for additional manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation. If the rate of population growth is not controlled, the growing greenhouse effect will only continue to worsen.
The Human Effect
Much has been previously published about the ever-increasing growth of human population and its impact on the future world. Most of these predict dire social changes resulting in widespread famine, insuffient fresh water, and shortages of natural resources, which will be the cause of civil strife and wars. Little has been written about the effects of population growth on climate change, which this essay discusses.
Humans require, and consume, energy products throughout their lifetime to survive. More humans will require more energy consumption. Additionally, as human standards of living improve, more energy per capita will be consumed.
Inserting more humans into a shrinking greenhouse will cause it to get warmer. Consider the amount of radiant heat and carbon dioxide one human body emits in a lifetime. Also, consider the amount of heat and emissions resulting from all the power needed to support one human in their lifetime. Then consider the impact of additional billions of increased population to understand the amount of increased heat and emissions resulting from uncontrolled global population growth.
Energy Use Predictions
Experts have predicted that highly developed countries will see a slight decline in future fossil fuel usage due to efficiencies and alternate energy sources, but developing countries will offset that decline as they increase energy demands and advance to becoming developed countries.
These changes will result in total energy demand increasing at a reduced rate of 0.7% annually. Demand for electricity will outpace the demand for all other energy sources by two to one. Fossil fuels will continue to dominate the energy mix, but their share will decrease to 74% of the total. The simple fact remains, that more humans will require more energy — and more fossil fuel emissions.
However, efficiencies in alternate energy sources are improving. Solar and wind will represent 80% of the added supply, but will only source 34% of the total electric generation. New solar technology (even without subsidies) is now competitive with natural gas fuel. Other emission-free energy sources may help such as nuclear or hydroelectric generation, but all the new sources will not overtake or replace the use of fossil fuels.
The simple fact remains, that more humans will require more energy consumption — and more fossil fuel emissions — although efficiencies in alternate energy sources are improving. An example is electric generation, where new solar technology (even without subsidies) is now competitive with natural gas fuel. Other low-emission energy sources such as wind may help, but will not overtake or replace the use of fossil fuels.
Efficiencies in energy conservation and the improvement of alternate renewable and emission-free energy sources will help limit the growing fossil fuel emissions — however, the energy demand of the predicted population growth will exceed the efficiencies in in energy consumption and the development of alternate energy sources. Energy from fossil fuels are predicted by experts to continue playing a major role for the next 30-40 years
The primary issue is how to control future global population growth, which is a very sensitive and complicated social issue and far beyond the scope of this essay.
With the forecasts that fossil fuels will continue to be required for power generation, reducing the future global population growth rate is the correct primary target, and the most difficult to attain. It will require global cooperation and the participation of each nation to educate their citizens about family planning and to encourage families to have fewer children.
The future global population growth rates are also major concerns among social planers, who consider the effects will negatively affect the global economy and political instability.
Global cooperation is also required to achieve improvements in power generation and energy consumption. No new solutions to the energy issue are presented — only a repeat of previous suggestions. There must be more consideration of emission-free energy sources, such as solar, wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, geothermal, and tidal.
Some of these sources may prove not to be economic without subsidies. A specific example is the distillation of ethanol from agricultural products (primarily corn). It’s considered a poor choice because the product is sourced from an otherwise valuable food product. The increased demand has driven up the price of corn and the primary beneficiaries are only the Midwestern
farmers. The finished product is a low-energy fuel that dilutes the octane of gasoline. Ethanol is difficult to transport and it is not cost-competitive without subsidies. It is used only because of government mandates. This citizen believes it is a poor political solution to the problem.
Another example is wind-generated electricity. The recent growth in wind generation has not been driven by consumer demand, but by billions of dollars of government subsidies, without which, it would not be viable.
Climate changes are documented for eons of geologic history of the earth without the effects of human activity. Experts argue the causes of current changes in the climate could result from naturally occurring changes, unaffected by human activity.
Some conclude the climatic changes could result from changes in solar radiation reaching the earth. The variation of solar radiation could result from changes in sunspot activity, or changes of the earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun, or wobbling of earth’s rotational axis, or changes in the intensity of earth’s magnetic shield, or natural volcanic eruptions polluting the atmosphere.
Recently, NASA has reported information from a satellite that records carbon dioxide (CO2) levels around the earth. It recorded a sharp spike in atmospheric CO2 during 2015-2016. It was the largest annual increase in 2000 years, and NASA concluded the increase had nothing to do with human activity — but it was caused by the side effects of the naturally occurring El Nino oceanic event. They concluded that El Nino causes changes in the trade winds, which result in climatic changes around the globe. These climate changes resulted in extreme droughts in either tropical rain forests, causing many trees to die, or being severely stressed. Trees normally absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, and use the carbon to grow new wood, and release the unused oxygen into the atmosphere. Because so many trees either damaged or died, the amount of CO2 absorbed decreased and that was the cause of the spike in atmospheric CO2.
These are all documented natural conditions, which have occurred in the past and present, and are capable of causing dramatic climate change today and in the future.
Experts readily admit there may be no human solution to these mega issues, other than learning how to live with the changing climate. They argue the need to understand the real cause of any climate change before trying to correct the wrong target.
Tagged ClimateChg
Three Questions to Debunk the Left
Free Cheese in a Mouse Trap
December 10, 2017 August 23, 2020 Tom
October 5, 2015 November 9, 2015 Tom
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Film At Lincoln Center Staffers Vote 29-To-4 In Favor Of Forming A Union
Alice Tully Hall, a signature building on the campus of New York's Lincoln Center. AP Photo/Craig Ruttle
A recent movement toward unionization by workers at media brands and cultural institutions continued today as staffers at Film at Lincoln Center voted 29 to 4 in favor of forming a guild.
The National Labor Relations Board election included workers in film programming, development, communications and public-facing theater operations.
According to a news release from organizers, four additional employee ballots were set aside due to eligibility questions. The ballots remain unopened and their status will be resolved at a later date.
Film at Lincoln Center recently wrapped up a singular version of its annual New York Film Festival, which conducted screenings online and at drive-in locations outside of Manhattan due to COVID-19 precautions. The pandemic has forced all of Lincoln Center’s tenants to shut their doors in a devastating blow to their finances. In addition to its repertory houses, FLC has also derived revenue from commercial bookings over the past decade at the multi-screen Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center on West 65th Street.
Liv Tyler Reveals Coronavirus Diagnosis, Says Illness "F's With Your Body And Mind Equally"
At the film festival, online screening tickets were sold to filmgoers across the U.S., opening up new opportunities and virtual and drive-in attendance marked a significant uptick from 2019. New Directors/New Films, rescheduled from last March, will follow a similar model when its delayed edition is held in December.
In late-March, as the severity of the crisis became clear, about half of half of Film at Lincoln Center’s 50-member staff and all of its part-timers were furloughed or laid off. Esteemed publication Film Comment, in print for nearly 60 years, has also been on hiatus as part of the cutbacks.
“We work at this organization because we love both the institution and the work we do,” said Dan Sullivan, an assistant programmer. “We want nothing more than the ability to concentrate on doing our jobs well, especially under these historically difficult circumstances. But in order for that to happen, we need the leverage and security that a union will bring.”
The union, part of the Technical, Office, and Professional Union Local 2110 UAW, will be officially certified in about a week. Staffers will then prepare for contract negotiations with the organization. The fledgling guild local joins workers at museums and media brands, from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts to Slate to the Los Angeles Times, who have also voted to unionize in recent years.
A rep for Film at Lincoln Center did not immediately respond to Deadline’s request for comment on the vote.
“We believe that unionizing will make Film at Lincoln Center stronger and help align our workplace more fully with the values of equity and diversity represented in our programs,” says Devika Girish, the assistant editor of Film Comment and FLC. “We are excited to see what we can achieve together to consolidate FLC’s place as a leader among arts organizations.”
Union ballots were mailed out to all eligible staff on October 19 and were counted today via Zoom by the National Labor Relations Board agents.
Film at Lincoln Center
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Welcome to our archives. No new posts are allowed here.
Debate Politics Forum
Marjh: the outbreak of a fierce battle with the Americans in afghanistan
Thread starter nerehan14
nerehan14
Very Conservative
A fierce battle broke out between the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate of the American occupation forces, backed by Afghan soldiers clients in the Directorate of Marjh Helmand province.
Was said in the Linker, the accident occurred at approximately twelve noon yesterday on a road between the areas, "Mullah Dost Mohammad, school ambassadors, when he was left U.S. soldiers with a view to the operations of their positions, came under armed attack by the Mujahideen, and caused the outbreak of battle strong between the parties in the area.
The battle lasted two hours, killing at least (5) U.S. soldiers were killed and a number of other surgeries severe, says the Mujahideen of the area after fierce battle, the soldiers supporters others to the battlefield, where they were, in turn, to an armed attack, but it did not have accurate information about the numbers.
Residents say: During the battle, one of which landed Qmaev occupation forces on the house for the people of insulation, wounding a boy, were wounded, one of the Mujahideen in this battle and his health condition is stable.
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Posted on November 15, 2018 by insights ias
Insights Daily Current Affairs, 15 November 2018
Paper 1:
Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
Rs 75 commemorative coin to mark anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Bose
For Prelims and Mains: Features of the commemorative coin, flag hoisting by Bose, its significance, impact and the outcome.
Context: The Union Ministry of Finance has decided to release a Rs 75 commemorative coin on the occasion of 75th anniversary of the hoisting of Tricolour for the first time by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Port Blair.
Hoisting of Tricolour:
During his visit to Andaman in on December 30, 1943, Subhash Chandra Bose hoisted the Tricolor for the first time at Cellular Jail of Port Blair, much before India attained Independence declaring the island as the free territory from the British rule.
On the same occasion, he announced the freedom of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the first Indian Territory, from the British rule. The island at that time was liberated from British rule by Japan which captured it during the World War – II.
Bose named Andaman Island as Shaheed and Nicobar Island as Swaraj and appointed INA General AD Loganathan as the governor of the Islands. Azad Hind Government was not merely a Government in Exile anymore but had its own land, own currency, civil code and stamps.
Sources: the hindu.
Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
‘Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme”
For Prelims: Key features of the scheme, NCDC.
For Mains: Significance of the scheme of the role of youth in cooperatives, hurdles and measures needed.
Context: To cater to the needs and aspirations of the youth, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has come up with a youth-friendly scheme ‘Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme” for attracting them to cooperative business ventures.
The scheme would encourage cooperatives to venture into new and innovative areas.
NCDC has created a dedicated fund with liberal features enabling youth to avail the scheme. The scheme will be linked to Rs 1000 crore ‘Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF)’ created by the NCDC. It would have more incentives for cooperatives of North Eastern region, Aspirational Districts and cooperatives with women or SC or ST or PwD members.
The funding for the project will be up to 80% of the project cost for these special categories as against 70% for others. The scheme envisages 2% less than the applicable rate of interest on term loan for the project cost up to Rs 3 crore including 2 years moratorium on payment of principal. All types of cooperatives in operation for at least one year are eligible.
About NCDC:
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1963 as a statutory Corporation under Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. It has many regional centres to provide the financial assistance to Cooperatives/Societies/Federations.
Sources: pib.
Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
India votes against UNGA draft resolution on use of death penalty
For Prelims: Key facts on the resolution.
For Mains: Significance of the resolution, India’s views, capital punishment- arguments in favour and against.
Context: India has voted against a United Nations General Assembly draft resolution on the use of death penalty, saying it goes against the statutory law of the country where an execution is carried out in the “rarest of rare” cases.
UN Against Death Penalty:
The draft resolution, taken up in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) of the General Assembly was approved with a recorded vote of 123 in favour, 36 against and 30 abstentions.
The draft aimed to ensure that it is not applied on the basis of discriminatory laws or as a result of discriminatory or arbitrary application of the law.
The resolution sought to promote a moratorium on executions with the aim of abolishing death penalty.
India was among the countries that voted against the resolution, which would have the Assembly call on all States to respect international standards on the rights of those facing death penalty.
India’s views:
India has voted against the resolution as a whole, as it goes against statutory law in India. The death penalty is exercised in ‘rarest of rare’ cases, where the crime committed is so heinous that it shocks the conscience of the society.
Indian law provides for all requisite procedural safeguards, including the right to a fair trial by an independent Court, presumption of innocence, the minimum guarantees for defence, and the right to review by a higher court.
Topic: transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
Mega Food Park
For Prelims: Mega food park scheme and mega food parks in the country.
For Mains: Need for Mega food parks and other related agricultural issues.
Context: Maharashtra’s second Mega Food Park has been opened in Aurangabad District. It is promoted by M/s Paithan Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd, the Park.
Facts for Prelims:
A 3rd Mega Food Park has been sanctioned by the Ministry in Maharashtra and is under implementation in Wardha District while the first Park was inaugurated on 1st of March 2018 in Satara district.
About Mega Food Parks:
Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing Mega Food Park Scheme in the country.
The Scheme of Mega Food Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastages, increasing farmers’ income and creating employment opportunities particularly in rural sector.
These food parks give a major boost to the food processing sector by adding value and reducing food wastage at each stage of the supply chain with particular focus on perishables.
A maximum grant of R50 crore is given for setting up a MFP, in minimum 50 acres of contiguous land with only 50% contribution to the total project cost.
Mode of operation:
The Scheme has a cluster based approach based on a hub and spokes model. It includes creation of infrastructure for primary processing and storage near the farm in the form of Primary Processing Centres (PPCs) and Collection Centres (CCs) and common facilities and enabling infrastructure at Central Processing Centre (CPC).
The PPCs are meant for functioning as a link between the producers and processors for supply of raw material to the Central Processing Centres.
CPC has need based core processing facilities and basic enabling infrastructure to be used by the food processing units setup at the CPC. The minimum area required for a CPC is 50 acres.
The scheme is demand-driven and would facilitate food processing units to meet environmental, safety and social standards.
Topic: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Young Champions Awards
For Prelims: Young Champions Awards, AIM, ATLs and their key features.
For Mains: Need for innovation and efforts by government in this regard.
Context: NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission and UNICEF have announced Young Champions Awards on occasion of Children’s Day.
The awards were presented to the top six most innovative solutions from across the country, which were shortlisted through the Atal Tinkering Marathon.
On October 2 last year, AIM’s Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) had launched a six month long nationwide challenge called the Atal Tinkering Marathon, across six different thematic areas, namely, clean energy, water resources, waste management, healthcare, smart mobility and agri-technology. The objective was to encourage students to observe community problems and develop innovative solutions.
What are ATLs?
With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India.
Objective: The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.
Financial Support: AIM will provide grant-in-aid that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.
Eligibility: Schools (minimum Grade VI – X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society can set up ATL.
Significance of ATLs:
Atal Tinkering Labs have evolved as epicenters for imparting these ‘skills of the future’ through practical applications based onself-learning.
Bridging a crucial social divide, Atal Tinkering Labs provide equal opportunity to all children across the spectrum by working at the grassroot level, introducing children to the world of innovation and tinkering.
Need for such labs:
As the world grapples with evolving technologies, a new set of skills have gained popular acceptance and have come to be in high demand. For India to contribute significantly during this age of raid technological advancement, there is an urgent need to empower our youth with these ‘skills of the future’.
Equipped with modern technologies to help navigate and impart crucial skills in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the ATLs are at the vanguard of the promoting scientific temper and an entrepreneurial spirit in children today.
Topic: Awareness in space.
GSAT-29
For Prelims and Mains: Key facts on GSAT- 29 and GSLVMk 3, significance of the launch.
Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its latest communication satellite, GSAT-29, from its second developmental flight GSLV-MkII D2.
About GSLV Mk III:
GSLV Mk III is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Two massive boosters with solid propellant constitute the first stage, the core with liquid propellant form the second stage and the cryogenic engine completes the final stage.
About GSAT-29:
GSAT-29 is a multiband, multi-beam communication satellite, intended to serve as test bed for several new and critical technologies. Its Ku-band and Ka-band payloads are configured to cater to the communication requirements of users including those from remote areas especially from Jammu & Kashmir and North-Eastern regions of India.
In addition, the Q/V-Band communication payload onboard is intended to demonstrate the future high throughput satellite system technologies. Geo High Resolution Camera will carry out high resolution imaging. Optical Communication Payload will demonstrate data transmission at a very high rate through optical communication link.
Significance of the launch:
The success of GSLV MkIII-D2 marks an important milestone in Indian space programme towards achieving self-reliance in launching heavier satellites. The success of this flight also signifies the completion of the experimental phase of GSLV Mark III.
UP cabinet approves renaming of Faizabad as Ayodhya, Allahabad as Prayagraj:
Context: Uttar Pradesh Government has approved renaming of Faizabad and Allahabad divisions as Ayodhya and Prayagraj respectively.
What next? Now, the proposal will now go to Central before the city is officially renamed.
Justification for name change:
Allahabad’s ancient name was ‘Prayag’, but was changed after 16th-century Mughal emperor Akbar built fort near ‘Sangam’, the holy confluence of three rivers viz. Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Akbar named the fort and its neighbourhood ‘Ilahabad’. Later, Akbar’s grandson Shah Jahan renamed the entire city as ‘Allahabad’. But the area near the ‘Sangam’, the site of the Kumbh Mela, continues to be known as ‘Prayag’.
Ayodhya has been associated with Lord Ram and is known as his birth place. Ayodhya has been the capital of various dynasties, including the Ikshvaku dynasty of which Lord Ram is a descendent.
Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary:
Why in News? Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary in Vedaranyam Range has been closed for a week in view of water-logging caused by a heavy spell of rainfall. S study notes that the water quality at the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary might be unsafe for avifauna to feed and breed.
It is located in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu spreads across an area of 30 sq.km and comprises sandy coastal, saline swamps and thorn scrub forests around the backwater.
It is a protected area and a Ramsar site.
It harbors the single-largest stretch of the unique dry-evergreen forest in the country besides open grasslands and tidal mudflats is of interest to tourists.
Around 100 species of birds including the Greater Flamingo, Painted Stork, Little Sting, Sea Gull and Brown-headed gull have been making their presence felt since September.
Blackbuck (Antilope Cervicapra) is the flagship species of the sanctuary.
Other important animals are the spotted deer, black-napped hare, wild boar, Indian jackal, feral horses, palm civet, short-nosed fruit bat, jungle cat and monitor lizard.
CategoriesCURRENT AFFAIRS, CURRENT EVENTS Tagscurrent affairs, current events
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News » Family
In Supporting Civil Unions for Same Sex Couples, Pope Francis is moving Catholics Toward a More Expansive Understanding of Family
Pope Francis (Source:Associated Press)
Julie Hanlon Rubio, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University
Pope Francis referred to gay people as "children of God" in a recently released documentary, "Francesco." He further noted that "a civil union law" needs to be created so gays are "legally covered." The Vatican later confirmed the pope's comments, but clarified that the church doctrine remained unchanged.
Public support for civil unions from Pope Francis is not entirely new. When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, and again in a 2014 interview, he spoke about civil unions for same-sex couples.
While the Vatican is right in saying that church doctrine remains the same, as a theologian who has been writing about Catholicism and family for over two decades, I see in the pope's comments evidence that Catholic understanding of who counts as family is evolving.
From judgment to mercy
Traditional Catholic doctrine holds that marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation of the family. Sex outside of marriage is judged to be immoral and, while gay people are not seen as inherently sinful, their sexual actions are. Same-sex marriages and civil unions, the Vatican says, are harmful to society and "in no way similar" to heterosexual marriages.
Yet in his comments made public on Oct. 21, the pope framed his support for civil unions in the context of family. "They're children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable because of it," he said in a news-breaking interview used in the documentary.
In researching for a book on Pope Francis, I found that he has consistently offered compassion for Catholics without traditional families. Soon after becoming pope in 2013, in response to a journalist's question about a gay person, he famously said, "Who am I to judge?"
Mercy over judgment has been the mark of his papacy. The pope's priority on extending mercy, theologian Cardinal Walter Kasper explains, especially pertains to families.
Surveys commissioned by the Vatican in 2015 found that Catholics desire more acceptance from the church for people who are single parents, divorced or have live-in relationships. Knowing that people often feel judged because their families aren't perfect, Francis has tried to make them feel welcome. He has stressed that the doors of churches must be open to all.
When, in discussing same-sex civil unions, Francis said that gay people have "a right to a family," he seems to have implied that civil unions create a family. Though he is not changing Catholic moral teaching, I argue that he is departing from traditional Catholic rhetoric on the family and offering an inclusive, merciful vision to guide church practice.
From family structure to family action
Changes in Catholic teaching in the 20th century paved the way for Francis' recent moves.
In a 1930 Vatican document on marriage, Pope Pius XI defended the traditional family structure against perceived threats of cohabitation, divorce and "false teachers" who asserted the equality of men and women.
Three decades later, at Vatican II, a meeting of the world's bishops from 1962 to 1965 that led to sweeping reforms in the Catholic Church, emphasis shifted to the role families could play in shaping society. Marriage was defined as an "intimate partnership of life and love," and the family was praised as "a school of deeper humanity" where parents and children learn how to be better human beings.
Pope John Paul II, who was pope from 1978 to 2005, is often viewed as a foil to Pope Francis. In his writings, he defended heterosexual marriage and traditional gender roles, as well as rules against divorce, contraception and same-sex relationships. Yet the former pope contributed to shifting the Catholic conversation to ethical actions families can take.
In this regard, John Paul II's most important document on the family Familiaris Consortio, 1981, gave families four tasks: growing in love, raising children, contributing to society and praying in their home. He taught that being a family means engaging in actions related to these tasks.
Catholic scholars like Mary Doyle Roche have since built on his framework to urge families to become "schools of solidarity" in which parents and children learn compassion for others.
Though same-sex couples remain excluded from official Catholic teaching, Catholic theologians such as Margaret A. Farley have suggested that these families, too, could prioritize love, social action and spirituality. Gay couples, she argued, "deserve the same protection under the law" as heterosexual couples. They also have the same moral obligations to each other and to the common good.
Pope Francis on inclusion
Pope Francis built on work done at Vatican II and the decades following it. One of his favorite ways of describing the church is as a "field hospital" that goes where people are hurting.
Though he has addressed many important social issues during his papacy, including economic inequality and climate change, he called the world's bishops to special meetings in Rome only to discuss families. He urged them to find creative ways of ministering to people who feel excluded because they are not living in line with Catholic doctrine on marriage.
Themes of welcome and inclusion for single parents, divorced and remarried people and cohabiting unmarried couples were amplified in the document Francis wrote in 2016, "Amoris Laetitia," or "The Joy of Love."
For instance, theologian Mary Catherine O'Reilly-Gindhart sees Francis saying that cohabiting unmarried couples "need to be welcomed and guided patiently and discreetly." This allows priests to meet couples where they are rather than shaming them or forcing them to hide their living situations.
What's the future of the church?
Francis' critics worry that the pope is watering down Catholic doctrine on marriage and family. But what I argue is that Francis is not changing doctrine. He is encouraging a broader view of who counts as families inside and outside the church.
In the same documentary in which Francis made his remarks on same-sex civil unions, he also criticized countries with overly restrictive immigration policies, saying, "It's cruelty, and separating parents from kids goes against natural rights." He was referring to the right to family, which "exists prior to the State or any other community."
[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation's newsletter.]
The comments in the documentary show a persistent move toward welcoming families in contemporary Catholic thought. Francis proposes that a welcoming church should support all families, especially those who are hurting. Similarly, as he says, governments should do the same — including supporting gay and lesbian couples.
Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University is a member of the Association of Theological Schools
The ATS is a funding partner of The Conversation US.
Julie Hanlon Rubio, Professor of Christian Social Ethics, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University
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Copy-It-Right!
Copying-it-right: Archiving the Media Art of Phil Morton – jonCates (2008)
By joncates 1 Comment
Below is a hypertextual version of the talk I gave @ DOCAM‘s Media In Motion Symposium in Montreal on October 29, 2008 at McGill University. This web version is linked to references and sources but of course also differs slightly from the presented version…
In 2007 I initiated the Phil Morton Memorial Research Archive in the Film, Video & New Media department @ The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. This Archive contains Phil Morton‘s “personal video databank” which stretches across 30 years of Media Art Histories that are specific to the early Video Art and proto-New Media Art communities in Chicago.
These communities were organized around shared ethical commitments and theorypractices, one of those being Phil Morton‘s COPY-IT-Right ethic.
Schools such as The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and The University of Illinois at Chicago acted as incubators for the ideas and approaches that these communities shared. Students and faculty formed new departments and organizations that would develop into internationally recognized homes of artistic experimentation and technological development.
During the most active period of the early 1970’s until the 1980’s the people whose developing paths crossed and became deeply interwoven, forming the closely knit fabric of these communities were people such as: Dan Sandin, Jane Veeder, Timothy Leary, Jamie Fenton, Larry Cuba, Ted Nelson, Tom DeFanti, Kate Horsfield, Lyn Blumenthal and Gene Youngblood.
You may be familiar with some of those names, but the name Phil Morton may be unfamiliar to you. This is the situation that first began my interest in this project. I was unfamiliar with Phil Morton‘s name. I wanted to see his work and wondered how had this Media Art History gotten lost, forgotten or repressed?
A few the reasons for this situation are that: Morton vehemently advocated for Free Culture and Open Source approaches to Media Art before such terms were in use. He experimented relentlessly with boundaries, ignoring as many distinctions between personal, professional, political, aesthetic and technological categories as possible. He immediately moved to include analog and digital computing into his artistic work and academic curriculum with very few antecedents to rely on or refer to. In doing so he purposefully and playfully explored what we would now refer to as New Media Art, an art that was radically open, remixed, collaborative and conversational.
Phil Morton working on a Sandin Image Processor
I will quickly sketch out a bit of biography of Phil Morton and the collaborative Media Art communities he worked within. As I do this I will be foregrounding examples of his COPY-IT-RIGHT ethic, an anti-copyright licensing system proposed by Morton and used in his individual and collaborative Media Artworks. I will contextualize COPY-IT-RIGHT in relation to current forms of resistance to intellectual property regimes. The continuum of alternatives to copyright will then provide a set of open questions that we can continue to discuss…
Phil Morton founded the Video Area in 1970 at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Video Area was the first department in the United States to offer a BA and MFA degree in Video Art. Morton also founded The Video Data Bank, one of the world’s leading collections of Video Art. Morton developed the “COPY-IT-RIGHT” ethic, an anti-copyright approach to making and distributing Media Art. The Archive seeks to coordinate and share Morton’s Media Art work and associated research online in various formats under the COPY-IT-RIGHT license.
The Distribution Religion as rereleased by criticalartware
In 1973, Morton and Dan Sandin created plans for coping Sandin’s Image Processor, a patch-programmable analog computer optimized for video processing and synthesis. Morton and Sandin called this document The Distribution Religion. Sandin open sourced his Image Processor, releasing the Distribution Religion freely and incorporating any new modifications into the document. The Distribution Religion was also released under Morton’s COPY-IT-RIGHT ethic and as such presents an important predecessor to current Free and Open Source approaches to Media Art.
Morton was the first person to copy the Sandin Image Processor. It was in fact, his idea. As Dan Sandin states in his interview with criticalartware from 2002, Morton asked Sandin if he could copy Sandin’s recently completed Image Processor and Sandin replied:
“…you definitely have permission to build a copy, but i actually don’t know if you can build a copy. I didn’t want t be insulting, but i didnt really know what it took, because you’re so immersed in this stuff, in designing and building it, its hard to figure out what resources are actually necessary to do a copy. We talked about it a little bit and he built the first copy. As part of that process of building the first copy we did a documentation that was sufficient so that other people could copy it. It took a year’s worth of Friday afternoons where I’d show up at Phil’s house and we’d work on his I.P. for awhile and he’d produce part of the documentation and I’d work on it. We developed a format and a way of doing it. I wont say it was intensive work every Friday afternoon but it took a year of getting together and fiddling at it. By the end of that we actually accomplished a document which enabled a large number of people. In a period of a few years, 20 or so copies of the I.P. were built. Almost all of them by individuals or small arts institutions.” – Dan Sandin interviewed by criticalartware (2003)
Morton proudly referred to himself as the ‘first copier’ of Sandin’s Image Processor. The Sandin Image Processor offered artists unprecedented abilities to create, process and affect realtime video and audio, enabling performances that literally set the stage for current realtime audio-video New Media Art. The proto Open Source license developed by Sandin and Morton for The Distribution Religion, the technical plans for building copies of a Sandin Image Processor, anticipated many artists’ current approaches to Free and Open Source Software development, distribution methods and Do-It-Together (DIT) collaborations.
NOTES ON THE AESTHETICS OF ‘copying-an-Image Processor’ by Phil Morton
In the introduction to The Distribution Religion, Morton wrote with emphasis:
“First, it’s okay to copy! Believe in the process of copying as much as you can; with all your heart is a good place to start – get into it as straight and honestly as possible. Copying is as good (I think better from this vector-view) as any other way of getting ‚’there.’ ” – NOTES ON THE AESTHETICS OF ‘copying-an-Image Processor’ – Phil Morton (1973)
This position as articulated by Morton in The Distribution Religion constitutes an important aspect of his COPY-IT-RIGHT ethic, namely, that copying is right, morally correct and good. In fact, for Sandin and Morton, copying is not only good it is necessary for their process, for their project, because it was conceived of (conceptually and technically) as expandable.
The Distribution Religion introduction by Dan Sandin
The Sandin Image Processor is a modular system that is expandable or extendable via the creation of new modules, components and plugins developed by the community of co-developers who recreated and reimagined the possibilities of the system.
systems diagram of the classic configuration of a Sandin Image Processor
Morton became known and recognized for his use of the Image Processor. Many of Mortons projects relied heavily on the Sandin Image Processor, as you can see on the Archive‘s blog. Currently 5 of his collaborative projects are downloadable on the Archive blog. Over 500 physical video tapes from the era of interest to my research (the early 1970’s and 1980’s) are in the Archive. The Archive consists of mostly 3/4 inch tape but also open reel and VHS. Additional tapes from the 1990’s and associated paper files, notes, documentation of process and photos are also in the Archive. Tapes from the era of interest to my primary research do not each individually constitute individual works of art but are rather process oriented themselves, consisting of raw materials, various versions, final edits and subsequent remixes. This quality of the Archive is what makes it particularly useful as a Research Archive in that it can be used to study the collaborative processes engaged in by the artists involved. This process can be viewed from initial acquisition of footage to various forms of Image Processing being run on the footage, to the processed footage being incorporated into an edited version, final edits and remixes.
These works were made under Morton’s COPY-IT-RIGHT license. In her 2003 interview with criticalartware, Jane Veeder explains Morton’s COPY-IT-RIGHT ethic this way:
“Phil was really famous at the time for copying everybody’s work‚ he was always famous for copying people’s tapes. There was that early counterculture [sense], and it’s strong in the digital realm as well, that counterculture sense that information should be free. Now it’s actually gaining momentum. Look at the open source software development movement. Look at Linux (a lot of people find fault in Linux but nevertheless), it’s certainly got a lot farther than people thought at the time, and I am sure there are many that are threatened by it. Phil had an expression that was, ‘Copy it right.’ The idea was to make a faithful copy‚ take care of it, show it to people‚ and that justified making a copy of anything.”
With Veeder’s first hand knowledge of the meaning of COPY-IT-RIGHT explained in the terms she uses, it is clear that COPY-IT-RIGHT is an anti-copyright approach coming from a counter-cultural position that preceded and anticipated cultural projects such as FOSS and unlike FOSS could also be called pro-piracy. But the ethic of COPY-IT-RIGHT emphasizes a moral imperative to freely and openly distribute creative works as widely as possible in the hostile environment of copyright and intellectual property regimes.
I am using the phrase “intellectual property regimes” intentionally in this discussion to point towards the technosocial, cultural or artistic role of archives, that is if to put the issue in simplified terms an archive should function as a primarily protected intellectual property asset, a collection of such assets locked and gated away behind layers of copyright protection or if archives should function as and available resources that can allow materials to be further extended and engaged with in open and unforeseen ways. With the Phil Morton Archive my task is the facilitate the latter of the 2 simplified options. That is to say, the Archive most not become another indexed and cataloged set of materials in a library sciences style approach that would seal and stabilize the ownership of these media objects but rather that they must remain engaged in artistic dialogues that continue their ability to be used, reused and understood as processes of constant becoming.
As Janice T Pilch states in her essay “Collision or Coexistence? Copyright Law in the Digital Environment” intellectual property regimes are most “often associated with efforts to wipe out music and film piracy” in terms of file sharing and copying of digital files online or in peer to peer networks. This is an important point for me in terms of the Phil Morton Archive, as his initial personal database, his COPY-IT-RIGHT ethic and his formation of the Video Data Bank were conceived of for the purpose of exactly this find of sharing, copying and exchange of Media Arts. These globals regimes, such as those defined in the United States and filtered through a great deal of corporate interest, began to be more firmly established in the 1980s through The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (The GATT), the 1990’s through the formation of the World Trade Organization and the WTO‘s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement) and most recently the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). DMCA is the most wide reaching and expansive of these laws and has recieved widespread criticism for it’s severity and general purpose applicability.
Various forms of resistance to copyright have been identified by scholars such as Debora Jean Halbert in her 2005 book Resisting Intellectual Property. Halbert investigates a number of areas with a focus on the ways in which intellectual property regimes limit creativity and the exchange of information while increasing suspicion. Halbert’s work is very inspirational for me as is the work of Florian Cramer who has consistently stated in his writing and posts to nettime that the General Public License of the Free and Open Source Software movement can and should be applied to more that simply software.
Among the most widely know alternatives to copyright is the Creative Commons. In 2002, Lawrence Lessig defined many of his ideas of Creative Commons in his “The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World”. In a section entitled “Creativity in the Dark Ages” Lessig discusses creativity in the Dark Ages before the internet, which he defines as the “1970’s”.
He claims to detail 2 forms of creativity, i.e. in “The Arts” and in “Commerce”. His claim of discussing “The Arts” is met only by his ability to very briefly outline the conditions of mainstream media, in particular through summarizing the developments of cable television in the United States. He does not engage Media Art History nor Video Art History through any discussion of any of the alternative artist-made media of the late 1960’s or 1970’s. This oversight puts Lessig at a disadvantage by limiting his ability to encounter work such as Morton’s COPY-IT-RIGHT which directly critiqued copyright prior to the popularity of Free and Open Source approaches or Creative Commons (CC). As a result Lessig imagines Internet technologies to present radically new abilities for exchange, sharing and collaborative or collective authoring of media. The physical and technologically mediated networks that Morton and his collaborators used to “bicycle” tapes and to copy them in order to further redistribute and remix these materials is overlooked by Lessig but provides an important foundation for current internet-based, digital and New Media Art related systems that setup alternative conditions of production, distribution, use, reuse, exhibition, etc.
As Matteo Pasquinelli has written in “The Ideology of Free Culture and the Grammar of Sabotage” the Creative Commons initiative faces “a growing criticism that comes especially from the European media culture.” The European media culture critics cited by Pasquinelli include Florian Cramer, Anna Nimus, Martin Hardie and Geert Lovink. Among the critiques, Pasquinelli defines 2 positions. The first focuses on the fact that the producer-centered ethic of Creative Commons does not recognize or include a critical rethinking of the uses of media produced under a CC license (and therefore continues to contribute to a sociopolitical imbalance in the technosocial creation/construction of “producers” and “consumers”) while the second position highlights the related fact that CC is consistent with existing copyright laws and therefore does not provide a real alternative. Pasquinelli advocates instead for “a tactical notion of autonomous commons can be imagined to include new projects and tendencies against the hyper- celebrated Creative Commons.” To imagine an autonomous commons Pasquinelli refers to the concept of ‘Copyfarleft‘ by Dmytri Kleiner. Copyfarleft opposes systems of private control over the means of publication, distribution, promotion and media production. This opposition takes the form of a critique of ownership of material assets, recognising class issues and allowing workers to reclaim production. Copyfarleft issures that products such as Media Art works that are made under Copyfarleft remain free and as Pasquinelli states “can be used to make money only by those who do not exploit wage labour (like other workers or co-ops).” This explicitly ethical sociopolitical position connects back to COPY-IT-RIGHT as Morton’s position was also an “ethic” that opposed private property, ownership and economic exploitation on the basis of technologies.
COPY-IT-RIGHT predates Free and Open Source, Creative Commons and Copyfarleft but as these 3 and other examples show, COPY-IT-RIGHT was a concept that anticipated these licensing models of digital media and materials. While COPY-IT-RIGHT and Morton’s individual and collaborative works were not born-digital, they could be said to have been “already-digital”. In the so-called “Dark Ages” of the 1970’s, Morton anticipated the upcoming personalization of desktop computing in the 1980’s and the digital video of the 1990’s.
I have been and will continue to think and feel through these issues outloud rather than presenting definitive position statements. It is my sincere hope that this process can open a space for an ongoing conversation. Working in the field of Media Art Histories and New Media Art, both academically and artistically, I approach these issues from the perspective of a maker and identify with the work of Phil Morton. that sense of identification led me to conduct Media Art Historical research into his work, to literally rediscover a lost or forgotten Media Art History specific to Chicago but relevant and interconnected internationally.
this presentation will also be available online on the Archive blog and I hope that we can continue the conversation there:
https://copyitright.wordpress.com
1 Response to “Copying-it-right: Archiving the Media Art of Phil Morton – jonCates (2008)”
Copy-It-Right « The Zero Of Form Pingback on Nov 13th, 2008 at 3:58 am
« presenting @ DOCAM’s Media In Motion
RYRAL – Tom DeFanti, Phil Morton, Dan Sandin and Bob Snyder (1976) »
Phil Morton on Vasulka Archive
Phil Morton on Wikipedia
Phil Morton videos on Google Video
The Film, Video & New Media Department
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1976 1982 archive article audio Bob Snyder Chicago context Copper Frances Giloth COPY-IT-RIGHT criticalartware Dan Sandin Diane Kirkpatrick distributed creativity Electronic Visualization Event Electronic Visualization Lab EMU Synthesizer EVE EVL Film Video & New Media Department GRASS John Mabey jonCates Marisa Plumb Media Art Media Art Histories New Media Art performance Phil Morton realtime reflection resource RYRAL Sandin Image Processor Siggraph synthesizer The Phil Morton Memorial Research Archive The School of the Art Institute of Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago Tom DeFanti video Video Art
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RESAAS Appoints Global Marketing Veteran to VP Role
RESAAS Services Inc. (TSX-V: RSS, OTCQB: RSASF), a cloud-based technology platform for the real estate industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of global marketing veteran Bill Bishop as the Company’s Vice President of Marketing effective September 3rd, 2019.
Mr. Bishop is an international marketing strategist, having worked with many Fortune 500 brands in fast-paced industries.
Mr. Bishop brings more than 25 years of experience in the digital marketing landscape. This spans both high-growth technology companies and global corporations, with a particular focus on cloud-based solutions and SaaS-based revenue models.
“Bill has an outstanding reputation and a known track record for implementing strategic marketing initiatives that produce results,” said RESAAS CEO, Tom Rossiter. “Bill’s extensive experience within the technology and SaaS sector will make him an invaluable addition to our growing and experienced RESAAS leadership team.”
Most recently, Mr. Bishop was Chief Marketing Officer at a leading developer of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) mobile technology. Prior to this, Mr. Bishop held a series of senior management level roles in multi-national companies, which include:
Creative Director of TBWA, voted global advertising agency of the year;
Director of Brand Strategy at DMB&B, part of Publicis Groupe;
Managing Director of Cossette, one of Canada’s leading marketing agencies;
Global Director of Marketing at a multi-national clean-tech company;
“I am very excited to have joined the highly-talented and motivated team at RESAAS at this pivotal moment in its development,” said Bill Bishop, VP of Marketing at RESAAS. “RESAAS is significantly changing how real estate professionals access new information and unlocks limitless new opportunities for real-time data visibility.”
Mr. Bishop joins other recent veteran additions to the RESAAS management team, which include Annie Chan as Chief Financial Officer in November 2018, and Sascha Williams as Chief Operating Officer in May 2019.
RESAAS Announces Partnership with DocuSign to Accelerate the Digitization of the Real Estate Industry
RESAAS Announces Addition of MLS Veteran to Advisory Board
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Samantha has always loved animals but it was her experiences in high school that led her to pursue a career with them. “I volunteered at a shelter when I was a senior,” Samantha said. “Then volunteering turned into schooling, which turned into internships, so here I am.” The third year student attends the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine and has turned her hobby into a passion. “Veterinary medicine is the perfect mix of science and mystery,” she said.…
Ukachi has always had an interest in taking care of animals. She knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the medical field so she decided to pair her passion and learning into a career in veterinary medicine. The student joins Craig Road Animal Hospital as a D.V.M. extern all the way from Statesboro, Georgia. She would like to eventually join a small animal practice. She is anticipating to graduate from the University of Georgia in the…
Jessica comes to Craig Road Animal Hospital from Vancouver, Canada. She is taking part in our externship program while she is working towards her DVM. Jessica has worked with an array of animals including marine mammals, sea turtles, dogs, cats, and cows. She recalls when she was younger, her six month old pet puppy had fallen into the pool and had almost drowned. “He spent three days in an oxygen cage, had pneumonia and was close to death,” she said.…
Blog, Cats, Externship
Hailing from Oak Ridge, New Jersey, Elizabeth Ashman was introduced to us through our externship program here at Craig Road Animal Hospital. The fourth year student will become a D.V.M. after graduating from Ross University in September 2015. Concentrating on general practice and internal medicine, Ashman said that working in the field is one of her true passions and finds it to be extremely rewarding. She loves working on all animals and has even worked with big cats like snow leopards and lions…
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Get Crypto
Free Crypto
US: New bill would legally recognize digital signatures on a blockchain
Republican Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ) has referred a new bill to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that, if passed, would recognize digital signatures on the blockchain as enforceable by law.
This is particularly important for the enforceability of smart contracts, which automate transactions or other contractual obligations according to binding, pre-specified rules. Smart contract advocates have long used the adage “code is law,” and the new bill, if approved, could make this a statutory reality.
According to public records, the bill was referred to the committee on Oct. 2. A summary of the bill, H.R. 8524, outlines its aims as follows:
To amend the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act to clarify the applicability of such Act to electronic records, electronic signatures, and smart contracts created, stored, or secured on or through a blockchain, to provide uniform national standards regarding the legal effect, validity, and enforceability of such records, signatures, and contracts, and for other purposes.
Congressman Schweikart’s co-sponsor on the bill is Congressman Darren Soto (D-FL), who has a long track record of developing and helping to pass blockchain-related legislation.
This includes, most recently, updating the Consumer Safety Technology Act to include the Digital Taxonomy Act and the Blockchain Innovation Act.
On Sept. 24, Congressman Schweikart had introduced the Digital Commodity Exchange Act of 2020. The legislation would create a single, opt-in national regulatory framework for digital commodity trading platforms under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Again, Congressman Soto is a co-sponsor, alongside Mike Conaway (R-TX), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Austin Scott (R-GA).
The Blockchain Caucus, of which both Schweikart and Soto are co-chairs, was created in 2018. It faces the uphill battle of proposing legislation that can deftly navigate the complex and overlapping jurisdictions of different federal regulators in the United States vis-a-vis new financial technologies.
With this latest proposed bill on digital signatures, the Congressmen are in tune with similar developments in other countries; the United Kingdom has been reviewing its legal frameworks to clarify the interaction of smart contracts with British courts since 2018.
Digital Signatures Law Smart Contracts United Kingdom United States
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Seeing the Syrian Conflict through Narrative
by halverson | Jul 27, 2011 | Analysis, Framing, Government, Islam, Narrative, Politics, Religion | 2 comments
By Jeffry R. Halverson
Unlike the protests of the Arab Spring in Tunisia and Egypt, the campaigns underway against the Assad regime in Syria have a distinctly sectarian character. The Assad regime is dominated by the Alawites, a little-known esoteric Shi‘ite sect. However, the majority of Syria’s population is Sunni Muslim (approx. 75%). And caught in the middle of the conflict are Syria’s Christians (10% of the pop.), Druze, Twelver Shi‘ites, and others, including a small number of Jews. In July of 2011 alone, at least 30 people were killed in violent clashes between pro-regime Alawites and anti-regime Sunnis in the city of Homs.
Conflict between the two religious communities is nothing new. During the reign of Hafez Assad (d. 2000), the Alawite regime perpetrated an infamous massacre of Sunni Muslims in the city of Hama, just north of Homs, that claimed between ten thousand to forty thousand lives. And back during the reign of the Sunni Ottoman Empire in Syria, Alawites were not recognized as Muslims or People of the Book, but rather as heretics with no legal status. The history of conflict and tense relations between the Alawites and Sunnis in Syria is obviously long and complex. Yet, these complexities aside, the sectarian dimension of the Syrian conflict reveals much about the significance and power of narrative.
For those interested in politics, democratization, and international relations, looking at the role of narrative in the Syrian uprising is particularly informative. Indeed, by framing the conflict in Syria in sectarian terms (as I did above), we see the belligerents through their religious affiliations and the differences that exist between them and little else. The Alawites have different doctrines, rituals, practices, institutions, and so on, than do the Sunni Muslims. The variety of differences in the area of religion can be distracting and misleading though.
These differences, and the broader implications they have had, are actually all symptoms of a conflict of narratives, albeit profoundly shaped by the accidents and currents of world history. Without narrative, all of the doctrines, rituals, or institutions would be nothing beyond what is observed by a person that does not know the narratives involved, and they would carry no substantive meaning or significance. For example, without narrative, the act of wudhu or ritual ablutions by a Sunni Muslim becomes simply a hygienic act of washing.
To illustrate the conflicting narratives that exist between the Sunnis and the Alawites, I have radically paraphrased and structurally simplified the core underlying narratives at play in both sects.
Sunni Muslims: The One Deity revealed His Will to His Final Prophet and humanity must follow that revealed knowledge to select wise leaders, create a just and righteous society, and earn salvation after death in Heaven through steadfast effort and intention.
Alawites: The Triune Deity (think “Holy Trinity”), incarnated during the time of the Prophet, revealed esoteric knowledge of the true religion through the Family of the Prophet and select initiates, and, through this secret esoteric knowledge, initiates can attain salvation and their souls will transmigrate into more perfect forms.
[Note: Alawites historically practice taqiyya and avoid exposing their beliefs and practices to outsiders, thus scholars debate the actual tenants of the Alawites]
These serve as starting points for notions of identity, institutions, worldviews, and customs. Due to the particularly insular nature of the Alawite narrative, and the Sunni rejection of them as fellow Muslims, the Alawites have existed as a minority in Syria (indeed, a more precarious minority than Christians, who are at least “People of the Book” as an Abrahamic pre-Islamic religion) and the Alawites have acted in ways that support their interests, such as serving the French colonialists or supporting Baathism and crushing Sunni Islamism.
Religion, at its most skeletal level, is narrative. More specifically, I mean to say (tipping my hat to Bruce Lincoln) that “religion,” at its core, is a particular, communally-shared narrative (or narratives) attributed to a transcendent source (e.g. deity, ancestor, totem etc). This makes these particular narratives qualitatively different than those attributed to a mundane human author or folk culture (where anonymity may rule the day). Practices, community and institutions all start and take shape from there. Due to this exceptional attribution (“Allah revealed these stories to our leader on the mountain”), the narrative(s), and the beliefs or rituals or institutions that the narrative(s) supports, carries transcendent authority.
These two qualities distinguish religion, or (for the sake of convenience) a “religious narrative,” from all other narratives. This is one of the principal reasons why older religions, such as Judaism or Christianity, are privileged in our society over younger religions, such as Mormonism (LDS). The narratives of the older religions are protected by the ambiguities and gaps of the past, lost in history (as well as longstanding communities and institutions), and the rhetorical tricks that these obscurities of the past have allowed contemporary adherents and institutions to enjoy. But how does this business of religion and narrative relate to Syria?
When we look at the conflict between the Alawites and the Sunnis in Syria through the lens of narrative , we can see people following different or conflicting narratives. There is no empirical verifiable evidence to support the religious claims of either group (or any other religious sect for that matter); there are only the narratives (and that is what matters) that they tell to relate a certain depiction of the past, explain the origin and meaning of their communal identity, or rituals, or extol the authority of their texts and traditions and the ongoing authority of those texts and traditions in the 21st century, et cetera. The rival conceptions of authority and identity that the Alawites and Sunnis profess put them at odds with each other and delineate them as two factions, consisting of individual human beings, engaged in hostilities throughout the years.
When we see the conflict through the lens of narrative, we can also see certain solutions. Namely, a narrative lens suggests that the key to a vibrant democratic-nationalist society in Syria, where citizenship displaces sect, is the formation and adoption of a resonant narrative that offers an alternative reference point for the formation of Syrian identity. As an example of one such successful narrative, one that has largely displaced religious (or sectarian) or ethnic narratives and fostered a democratic society, we can look to the United States of America. That said, the success of that narrative (as we know) in the United States has not been a simple or bloodless process at all, nor will that process be so in Syria (nor should we expect it to be). It is, however, an effort worth supporting.
Jane Gaffney on July 28, 2011 at 7:14 pm
THE SYRIAN CONFLICT AND NARRATIVE: NOT ABOUT RELIGION
The one and only shared Syrian narrative that is pertinent to current events is that of the bankrupt Baathist-nationalist-Arab-socialist authoritarian ideology and it is inaccurate to explain either today’s events or earlier brutal mass repression in Hama in terms of Alawite on Sunni violence or that it is “religious” in nature. Yes, much of the highest leadership within this avowedly secular regime and the senior ranks of the officer corps are of Alawite origin though over the past several decades many have married into the old Sunni elites and live their lives in Damascus as Muslims.*
Identifying Alawites and Sunnis as communities does not make any competition or conflict religious in nature. Other communities, such as the disenfranchised Kurds, are ethnic rather than religious groups. People simply don’t dwell on the theological or cultural nature of what makes other groups “different” beyond competing corporate interests.
It is the regime’s political and economic policies that have determined the support for or challenge to the government and it cuts across sectarian and ethnic lines. The original Baath socialist program destroyed the economic base of Syria’s mainly Sunni merchant, industrial and feudal landlord class as well as others in the traditional trades in cities like Hama, but it greatly benefited the country’s impoverished peasants and tribesmen, most of whom were also Sunni, though their ranks included the majority of largely poor and rural Alawite and Druze populations as well. With government support, education, health and infrastructure development, these groups prospered and supported the Baathist regime.
Over the last couple of decades, however, these benefits and services for ordinary Syrians, even party members, gradually evaporated, the economy stagnated while the corrupt elite got progressively wealthier. As a result, ordinary Syrians, especially frustrated youth, were no longer willing to sacrifice the freedoms and opportunities for the future enjoyed by youth elsewhere in the world.
So, who is worried about regime change and why? Ordinary Alawites likely feel they would be targeted by other Syrians by virtue of the regime’s Alawite leadership. Kurds don’t believe regime promises that they will get their Syrian nationality back or given the cultural rights they demand. Christians, who have faired well as a community in non-economic terms, look at what happened in Iraq and fear what might come next. Even a good number of Sunnis take seriously the possibility of exchanging a repressive secular regime for a repressive Islamist one.
What is interesting in the current struggle is that both the regime and the opposition present themselves within the broader Syrian and Arab historical narrative, as well as the contemporary aspirations for political and economic freedoms and human rights. As for the regime, however, no one is buying their promises of reform!
*Decades ago, former President Kamal Al-Asad sought and received from Shia clerics a ruling that Alawites were indeed Muslims, not members of an unrecognized and separate religion. In northern Lebanon, a significant portion of the Alawite community has more or less adopted Twelver Islam rituals and theology, receiving religious direction from the country’s Shia clerical establishment.
Jane Gaffney on August 2, 2011 at 5:50 pm
CORRECTION TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENT
I mistakenly provided the first name Kamal to the current Syrian President’s father. The correct name is Hafiz.
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evolutionary psych, leadership, Personality, Political November 9, 2017 July 25, 2018
Can evolutionary psychology and personality theory explain Trump’s popular appeal?
One year ago today, Donald J Trump, a man with no political or military experience, defied expectations, winning the election to become the 45th president of the United States. Nearly 63 million voted for him, including, and in spite of his reputation for sexism, over half of all white women. In an open-access paper in Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, Dan McAdams, one of the world’s leading experts in personality psychology, proposes an explanation for Trump’s popular appeal that is grounded in evolutionary psychology, personality theory and the social psychology of leadership.
Trump encapsulates, and his personality is perfectly suited to, “dominance-oriented leadership”, McAdams explains, in contrast to “prestige leadership”, as exemplified by Barack Obama.
Prestige leadership emerged more recently in our evolutionary history and is grounded in the cultural transmission of ideas and skills. Individuals who acquire expertise, and who have the ability to effectively organize other experts, are respected for their knowledge and wisdom and seen as legitimate leaders for this reason.
In contrast, dominant leadership is based on fear and power and dates farther back in our evolutionary past. To many Americans, Trump’s bombastic style and persona and proclamations have a “primal appeal”. Describing Trump as more “overtly aggressive” than any other political figure, “physically big and dynamic”, “insulting” and “egregiously self-promoting”, McAdams likens Trump’s “incendiary tweets” to the “charging displays” of an alpha male chimp, “designed to intimidate”.
Key to the dominance approach to leadership is the derogation of experts – Trump has previously stated he knows more than military generals and has no need for economists. Related to this is the espousal of an essentialist view that sees some individuals as inherently superior to others. Trump consistently boasts about his superior intelligence and abilities over others. He displays what social psychologists call “hubristic pride” – celebrating who he is (brilliant and powerful, in his view), rather than the work and effort he has invested (upon which “authentic pride” is based).
The dominant leader is especially appealing in a climate of fear. Trump has pushed this view – highlighting the dangers of outsiders, be they Mexican immigrants or Islamist terrorists, while also speaking of the economic “carnage” afflicting the country. Throughout his life, Trump has advocated a Hobbesian view of human culture. Even as long ago as 1981, he said “Man is the most vicious of all animals, and life is a series of battles ending in victory or defeat”. Against the enemies he invokes, and in these dangerous times, Trump “confidently assures Americans that he will deliver them from the chaos,” McAdams writes.
Trump’s personality is perfectly suited to this particular approach to leadership, McAdams observes. He has an unusual mix of extremely high extraversion, low agreeableness, and extreme narcissism. The first two traits contribute to his ability and willingness to forge opportunistic, short-term coalitions, but then to drop them as soon as they no longer fulfill his needs, just as alpha chimpanzees do with their potential rivals. Indeed, McAdams observes that “the case of Donald Trump shows how much humans turn out to be like chimps.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s narcissism (and his essentialist view of ability and status) is likely appealing to voters who crave authoritarian rule – that is, submission to a strong leader, adherence to strict rules, and an aggressive, intolerant approach to outsiders and liberals (polls suggest authoritarianism has risen in the US over the last decade). A leader who believes confidently in, and frequently brags about, his own abilities, and strength and power, is highly appealing to these voters who have what social psychologists call a right-wing authoritarian attitude and social dominance orientation, meaning they believe strongly in the superiority of their own group over others, and who want a leader who endorses and represents this superiority.
McAdams concludes by writing that he does not wish to dismiss or denigrate the many other explanations put forward for the rise of a man described by people from all political persuasions as “a serial liar, a sexual predator, a swindler, a narcissist, and a bully”. There are “many reasons” McAdams writes, [but] “the view advanced here is that Trump holds a deep and primal appeal for millions of Americans at this time in our history because of how effectively he channels the psychology of dominance – a way of thinking and feeling about leadership in groups that traces back many millions of years in human evolution, to our primate heritage.”
—The Appeal of the Primal Leader: Human Evolution and Donald J. Trump
Image: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
A 30-minute lesson in the malleability of personality has long-term benefits for anxious, depressed teenagers
The brief session taught the teenagers that you can exert control over the kind of person you want to be. By Christian Jarrett
Moderate alcohol consumption improves foreign language skills
It may be that the anxiety-reducing effects of a relatively small amount of alcohol help us to speak in a foreign tongue. By Emma Young
15 thoughts on “Can evolutionary psychology and personality theory explain Trump’s popular appeal?”
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appliedpyschologysolutions says:
So that confirms it. Trump is a chimpanzee. Well that explains a great deal, not only about him, but about the selfish, self – centered attitudes(evolutionary advantage), held by those who voted for him…!!!! A backwards leap for mankind in a world that so desperately needs to adopt a planetary and inclusive humanistic world view if our beautiful planet and it’s life is to survive the next mass extinction event we seem to be walking into with eyes wide open…
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I find the fact that anyone even needs to ask the question, astounding and breathtaking. Trump got in because he represented the opposite of the left wing control on free speech. That is the explanation in its simplest terms. The public has had a growing resentment that they are not permitted to deal with or discuss problems, if they involve protected groups. The left vastly underestimated the effect of 30 years of closing down any and every attempt to deal with the real and pressing problems created by amongst other things, mass immigration and the failure of select aspects of multiculturalism.
Brexit was an identical situation, people voted to leave, because it was the first time that they had a means of expressing an opinion that was not able to be censored by the left wing authodoxy. How is it possible that people don’t realise this still? If you close down debate, people become more extreme in response. People saw problems in their day to day lives, but have been repeatedly told that they were not allowed to think those thoughts and never express them in public. For the poor especially, issues have been flatly ignored. I have a Pakistani friend who got so angry that no-one was dealing with the 50% male and 75% female unemployment rate in his community, that he voted out on brexxit. Even though it would have little effect on that issue, he just wanted some kind of political voice.
I would like to see a psychological analysis of the effects of this taboo culture. Trump was a symptom of a problem that we were not allowed to discuss. For most people, in the media, academia and the middle/upper classes, they can’t understand what the general population are talking about, precisely because they almost never come in to contact with any of the negative sides of the issue. Hence, to a leftwing psychology professor, the idea that community enforced sexism, homophobia, violence, crime, NHS and education pressure and ignored cultural sexual exploitation as in Rotherham, Oxford and Luton, could be a problem, is evidently mad and indicative of underlying right wing extremism. Psychologists rarely get impacted by any of the main repercussions of the huge changes that have taken place in the US and the UK, because they don’t live for long in poor neighbourhoods, they aren’t in contact with people and they don’t lose anything.
Psychology needs to examine the varying class perspectives in finding the reason for Trump’s popularity. He says things that other politicians are too frightened to say, he talks of issues that most people know exist, but which police, tv presenters and academics, would never dream of raising, for personal fear of career damage. It has been said many times, but the right is birthed by the left. The more you try to deny a self evident truth, the more you make the opposite position attractive. Trump is attractive, because he is not concerned with left wing taboos and/or he thinks dealing with problems is more important that denying them, in the hope that it will somehow halt the move to the right. For the first time, the public saw a difference in the candidates, one told the truth, all the rest shook with fear in case what they said damaged their career chances. Is it surprising that they picked Trump. Why would the public vote for cowards, they’re the last type of person you want leading your country.
So in summary, 30 years of left wing pressure on free speech+fear of career/social damage+persisting, but ignored problems=Trump’s election success.
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socialpsych says:
Lots of fancy theories and ‘explanations’ for why the US ended up electing a ‘chimp’ to the office. Did Trump made up all the fears and worries that he appealed to? Did he trick millions of people into making an ‘irrational’ choice? We are sitting here taking the real life ‘success’ of Trump and taking pride in our social psychological theories in how wonderfully it explains it all.
It is time social psychologists to leave the comfort of their theories. The reality out there does not have to fit into those theories, the theories should better reflect the reality itself. Those explanations tell us nothing we don’t know. Only describing Trump as a phenomenon in its own lingo, that’s all.
This article exemplifies the nonsense that psychology is. Each attribute described as “evidence” here applied equally to Obama (see his comments that he knew more than his policy director, speechwriter etc), and there is plenty of evidence Obama was narcissistic and arrogant (someone who wasn’t wouldn’t even get a look-in as POTUS).
The writer wouldn’t dare compare Obama to a chimp because it is obviously insulting, but biased and tendentious groupthink allows the writer to compare Trump to a chimp. That does not improve a flawed and false argument. Comparing humans to animals is never a clever argument.
The article is not falsifiable, hence it is hocus pocus (pace Popper).
The problem is, that almost every leader has strong narcistic traits. You can see that in big companies as well as politicians as well as in police officers. But still there is differences in the styles of leadership, and I think there are quite some differences between Obama and Trump, starting by non-verbal behaviour and choice of words, ending with the party they represent.
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Israel Guided Tours > Herodium
Herodium (Hebrew: “Herodion”) was a fortified desert palace built about 2,000 years ago. It is 10 km away from Jerusalem and 5 km SE of Bethlehem, on the edge of the Judean Desert. It is also known as the burial site of King Herod.
The History of Herodium
Some 2,000 years ago, king Herod was appointed by the Romans to rule Judaea and decided to turn a hill near Bethlehem into a fortified desert palace. To achieve this task, he raised the hill to the shape of a volcano, and built a grand palace on it. He humbly named the site after himself, and eventually was also buried in it. A century later, Jewish rebels seized the mountain and again, like in Masada, lost to the Romans.
Centuries later, like in Masada, monks resettled on the site, forming a monastery and possibly a leprosy center in the Byzantine period. Following the Muslim conquest, the site was abandoned again, and never resettled. Its Arabic name (“Furedis”) hinted to its original name. Since the 19th century, several archaeological expeditions have been excavating the site, unfolding various remains of its golden and turbulent past.
Was Herod’s Tomb Found in Herodium?
The most famous archaeological discovery made at the Herodium so far, was the extraordinary finding made by Prof. Netzer from the Hebrew University. In 2007, Netzer and his team uncovered a sepulchre with 3 royal-scale burial coffins (Sarcophagi) on the slopes of Herodium’s citadel. These tombs were published as the lost burials of King Herod and some of his family members. The discovery led to an influx of visitors to the site, although not all scholars agree this is fact Herod’s lost tomb.
Touring Herodium
In recent years, Herodium is witnessing an unpresented development. A new visitors’ center at the entrance displays a model of the site. It is followed by a movie on the funeral of King Herod, with detailed virtual reconstructions.
Near the tomb, a large scale model presents its assumed original shape. Unique colorful frescoes were discovered in the theatre next to it. The site also presents the Herodian bathhouse and palace, whose triclinium was converted into a synagogue by Jewish Rebels. Beneath the citadel, an impressive set of Water cisterns attest to Herod’s scale of engineering and ingenuity.
Setting a Bar-Mitzvah in the Synagogue of Herodium
Although less famous than Masada, Herodium also witnessed a dramatic clash between the Romans and the Jews, both during the Great Jewish Revolt, and the Bar-Kokhva revolt. The living room in Herod’s palace converted into a synagogue, and the ritual bath next to it, is evidence of the Jews clinging to their faith and tradition, even in harsh conditions.
Being so, this site is a remarkable location to set a Bar or Bat-Mitzvah ceremony. Reading from the Torah in a 2,000 year old synagogue is a very unique way to mark the child’s festive day. This location connects the event to some of the oldest and most dramatic chapters in Jewish history.
Danny “the Digger” Herman’s personal experience at Herodium
I was an advanced archaeology student when the grand tomb was found in Herodium. Fascinated by the discovery, I joined the workers and am proud to say that I personally uncovered one of its corners. Nevertheless, I am among those suggesting Herod’s tomb has yet to be found, elsewhere in Herodium. Furthermore, in 2014 I raised $25,000 for new research on Herod’s tomb, However, to my great disappointment the grant was rejected by the expedition.
I still believe that Herod’s tomb is yet to be found, and hope that someday research will be done at the alternative site I propose.
Presenting Herodium on “The Watchman” show, 2019
Contact Us to Inquire About a Tour to Herodium
Alternatively, email, whatsapp or call us!
Live Shooting
(2/2019) Ring of Pilatus found in Herodium?
In 1969 Prof. G. Foerester of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University conducted archaeological excavations at Herodium / Herodion, a fortified desert palace complex built by King Herod in the first century and named after him. Among the hundreds of artifacts uncovered in these excavations was a copper alloy sealing ring left in a destruction layer of the site that dates to year 71 CE and attributed to the Roman conquest of the site. The finds were all stored at the Hebrew University, yet recently the ring was cleaned and re-examined, and proved to bear an image of
Bruce B., Service Manager, Motorola
Danny, It was great to meet you last week. I truly enjoyed the tour of Jerusalem. You need an excellent job of getting through 4000 years of history in two hours – with excellent detail. .. Thanks again. Bruce
Dianne H, UK
Dear Danny – just a quick message to thank you so much for organising Noam to take me round yesterday. I had such a wonderful time – Noam was absolutely brilliant and I’ve learnt so much. We managed 7 hours in the heat but it was so worth it. I’ve told Noam that I’ve got to come back and will do another tour. Thank you again. Best wishes Dianne
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Unearthing early American life in St. Mary’s City
Kenneth K. Lam 2 Comments Maryland, The Baltimore Sun Archaeology, history, St. Mary's City
St. Mary’s City is an archaeological jewel on Maryland’s Western Shore.
Tim Riordan, right, Director of Archaeology at the Historical St. Mary’s City Museum, examines a piece of pre-historic Native Indian artifact unearthed by St. Mary’s College anthropology student Tong Mu, left, at the Calvert House dig site. The Historical St. Mary’s City and St. Mary’s College have conducted archaeology field school since 1971 to unearth and conserve historic artifacts from sites at and around the Calvert House, Maryland’s first statehouse. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Leyna Sapsai, of White Plains, Md., a sophomore History major at St. Mary’s College screens dirt for historical artifacts at the archaeological dig site at Calvert House. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Drill bits are used to measure the gauge of the interior hole of pieces of colonial clay pipes to help with dating. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Bags containing historical artifacts unearthed from archaeological dig sites in Historic St. Mary’s City are stored and waiting to be cleaned and conserved. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Bags of archaeological artifacts such as glass, ceramic, clay pipes and animal bones are labeled with the date and location of their discovery before cleaning begins. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Erin Crawford, a Junior anthropology student at Towson University, cleans historical artifacts unearthed from archaeological dig sites in Historical St. Mary’s City. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Erin Crawford, a junior anthropology student at Towson University, cleans a possible 300-year-old cow’s tooth unearthed from archaeological dig sites in Historical St. Mary’s City. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
A piece of colonial ceramic unearthed from a dig site in Historical St. Mary’s City is cleaned with water in the first step of its conservation. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
A piece of wire, tube cleaning snake, scissor and tooth brush are some of the tools used to clean archaeological artifacts unearthed from dig sites. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
The dirt blockage in a piece of colonial clay pipe is cleared with water and a piece of wire. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Heather Rardin, an archaeology laboratory assistant at the Historical St. Mary’s City’s museum photographs a 17th century glass bead to document its conservation process. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Each piece of Colonial artifacts in the collection of the Historical St. Mary’s City’s museum are labeled with it’s own location number identifying where it was found. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Silas D. Hurry, Curator of Collections and Archaeological Laboratory Director at the Historical St. Mary’s City’s museum is surrounded by colonial artifacts unearthed in St. Mary’s City. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
An almost intact iron Hoe is one of the most exciting items found this July during Historical St. Mary’s City’s Historical Archaeology Field School. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Seventeenth century free blown wine bottle glasses unearthed from the St. John’s archaeological dig site, are first socked in deionized water during their conservation process. The piece of archaeological glass on left has a patina that was formed over time by chemical reaction with compounds in the soil where it was found. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Pieces of archaeological glass, unearthed from the St. John’s dig site, go through the vacuum consolidation process where air, in the form of bubbles, is removed by vacuum to allow a plastic polymer consolidant to fill the cracks in the glass in order to preserve its physical integrity.(Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Sorted and documented ceramic artifacts at the Historical St. Mary’s City’s museum. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
A North Devon gravel tempered butter pot (c. 1675-1700) in the collection of the Historical St. Mary’s City’s museum. It was unearthed in the 1970s. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Glass medicine bottles (c. 1700-1730) in the collection of the Historical St. Mary’s City’s museum. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
A free blown wine bottle identification mark, dated 1724, once belonging to William Deacon, the 18th century Royal custom collector in St. Mary’s City. The glass bottle was found near the Maryland Dove archaeological site and is now in the collection of the Historical St. Mary’s City’s museum. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
The decorative maskette from the neck of a Rhenish stoneware jug (c. 1650-1700) from the collection at the Historical St. Mary’s City’s museum. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
Founded in 1634, St. Mary’s City was the fourth permanent English settlement in North America. It served as Maryland’s first capital for 61 years before the government was relocated to Annapolis.
With the seat of government gone, St. Mary’s City was abandoned for the most part and the 17th-century town withered away. The remaining inhabitants returned to their agricultural roots.
The remains of the former capital and governor’s house lay relatively undisturbed for the next 250 years under fields of tobacco, corn and wheat. Today the city is a rare resource for the study of early American society.
Historic St. Mary’s City was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1969 and a complex of living history museums were established. The museums’ archaeologists and researchers are tasked to excavate, preserve, research and interpret the archaeological treasures that are still being unearthed today. They have recorded over 300 archaeological sites while investigated about 30 percent of the city.
Every summer, for over 40 years, Historic St. Mary’s City and St. Mary’s College of Maryland have hosted a rigorous ten week Archaeology Field School that attracts students from all over the United States and other countries. And on the last weekend of every July, the Tidewater Archaeology Weekend allows visitors to work side-by-side with archaeologists and students at dig sites and offers special inside’s look tours of the museum’s collections and the archaeology laboratory.
« August 29 Photo Brief: Fast-food workers protest, aerial view of Burning Man 2013, all eyes on Syria » At violent summer’s end, weary city grapples with the toll
Lolly Vann
Sep 10, 2013 @ 15:54:45
Beautiful Photos. Thanks for showing us the up close and personal lab work that goes on after the archeological shovels are stowed.
susan erichsen
Wonderful pictures! Thanks for posting them and just a small note that Historic St. Mary’s City Museum is on the Western Shore of Maryland.
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Clifford Stein
Associate Director of Research
Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research and of Computer Science
cliff@ieor.columbia.edu
http://www.columbia.edu/~cs2035/
Financial and Business Analytics Affiliated Member
Education Affiliated Member
Professor Clifford Stein joined Columbia University’s Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Department in 2001, where he has been conducting research in the areas of combinatorial optimization, scheduling, and network algorithms. Prior to joining Columbia, he spent nine years as an assistant and associate professor in the Dartmouth College Department of Computer Science.
Professor Stein has published many influential papers in the leading conferences and journals in his field, and has occupied a variety of editorial positions. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation and Sloan Foundation. He is the winner of several prestigious awards including an NSF Career Award, an Alfred Sloan Research Fellowship, and the Karen Wetterhahn Award for Distinguished Creative or Scholarly Achievement. He is also the coauthor of the textbook Introduction to Algorithms, with T. Cormen, C. Leiserson, and R. Rivest. This book is currently the best-selling textbook in algorithms and has been translated into eight languages.
He was elected chair of the IEOR Department in July 2008.
Discrete Mathematics for Computer Scientists. Addison Wesley.
Introduction to Algorithms. MIT Press.
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Home Business CAC implements CAMA 2020, introduces self-service portal — Registrar General
CAC implements CAMA 2020, introduces self-service portal — Registrar General
emmitops
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), has commenced the implementation of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA 2020), the CAC Registrar-General, Alhaji Garba Abubakar has said.
Abubakar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, in Abuja, that the commission had also launched a new self-service portal that allows for end-to-end electronic submission by customers.
NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari, on Aug. 7, 2020, signed into law the CAMA 2020, which repealed and replaced the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.
Public debate on the new law had been robust since its promulgation, with some describing it as a timely and progressive development in the Nigerian business and economic landscape.
Abubakar told NAN that the new law took effect on Jan. 1, and that the CAC had given registered companies till March 31 to update their information.
According to him, the new law provided a robust framework towards reforming identified legal, regulatory and administrative bottlenecks, which had hitherto slowed down the wheel of doing business for over three decades.
“The Honourable Minister approved the Companies Regulation 2021 towards the end of December 2020 and the approval says it is effective from Jan. 1, 2021.
“Already the implementation has started and we have upgraded software that allows you to register your company electronically.
“The law has come with a lot of innovations and changes to some of the old provisions off CAMA 1990, so we needed to make some changes to bring them up-to-date, consistent with the new law.
“We needed to make necessary changes to the Registration software to accommodate the reforms introduced by the new law, and that took some time.
“The portal started working on Jan. 3 and customers are already using it; so from the comfort of your home or using your own phone, you can now register your company”, he said.
Abubakar noted that the new CAMA would strengthen the regulatory and oversight powers of CAC and provide for greater disclosure and accountability by registered entities.
He explained that the commission now had an integrated system that had reduced the time and processes for company registration, in line with the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) campaign of the federal government.
He said that unlike previous procedures, where certificates were being printed by the commission and then sent to customers through designated courier companies, the new system allowed for end-to-end electronic submission.
“When you file, you get your certificate electronically; and you can either print it or save it, and you get your certified extract, your certified Memorandum and Articles of Association electronically.
“For the first time, post-incorporation filings are also been done electronically, in the past they were done manually.
“The upgrade has also introduced a new interface that allows for post-registration; so when you register your company, you can change your directors without having to come to CAC.
“Unlike the formal system, where the applications are in silos, where you have different applications for registration, document upload and document archival, the new system is integrated, he said.
As part of the reforms, Abubakar said all documents issued after registration now come with a QR Code that allows one to scan to confirm their authenticity.
He explained that the electronic system of operations allowed officers of the commission to work from home, any day of the week, even during holidays.
“This is one of the best innovations you can have anywhere in the world, as the system we have built is comparable to any other registry you can have anywhere in the world.
“In fact, our own is even different in so many areas, because as at today, there is no registry that uses QR Code for validation.
“Also, the public search is available once you can enter the name or address, it gives you information about such a company for free.
“If you want to view the details of the company, there is a paid service portion you can click on, where you can view such information for a fee of N1,000, he said.
Abubakar also said that CAMA 2020 enabled individuals to register their businesses with the CAC, without going through a lawyer or any other stipulated professionals.
He said it was now also possible for an individual to form and incorporate a private company, unlike before when sole member of a company was impossible.
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39.44(1)(a)2. 2. Is an American Indian.
39.44(1)(a)3. 3. Is a Hispanic, as defined in s. 16.287 (1) (d).
39.44(1)(a)4. 4. Is a person who is admitted to the United States after December 31, 1975, and who either is a former citizen of Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia or whose ancestor was or is a citizen of Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia.
39.44(1)(b) (b) There is established, to be administered by the board, the minority undergraduate retention grant program for minority undergraduates enrolled in private, nonprofit higher educational institutions in this state or in technical colleges in this state.
39.44(2) (2) Funds for the grants under this section shall be distributed from the appropriation under s. 20.235 (1) (fg), with 50 percent distributed to the eligible private institutions and 50 percent distributed to the eligible technical colleges. The board shall audit the enrollment statistics annually.
39.44(3) (3) An institution or school receiving funds under sub. (2) shall:
39.44(3)(a) (a) Award grants to eligible students on the basis of financial need.
39.44(3)(b) (b) Demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that such funds do not replace institutional grants to the recipients.
39.44(3)(c) (c) Annually report to the board the number of awards made, the amount of each award, the minority status of each recipient, other financial aid awards made to each recipient and the total amount of financial aid made available to the eligible students.
39.44(4) (4) The board shall notify an institution or school receiving funds under sub. (2) if a student's name appears on the statewide support lien docket under s. 49.854 (2) (b). An institution or school may not award a grant under this section to a student if it receives a notification under this subsection concerning that student, unless the student provides to the institution or school a payment agreement that has been approved by the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) and that is consistent with rules promulgated under s. 49.858 (2) (a).
39.44(5) (5) By November 1, 2001, and annually thereafter, the board shall report to the department of administration on the effectiveness of the program under this section.
39.44 History History: 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 27; 1993 a. 399; 1995 a. 27, 404; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2011 a. 32.
39.44 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. HEA 12, Wis. adm. code.
39.45 39.45 Independent student grants.
39.45(1)(a) (a) “Institution of higher education" means a public or private nonprofit educational institution meeting the requirements of s. 39.30 or 39.435 for the purpose of awarding grants under those sections.
39.45(1)(b) (b) “Resident student" has the meaning specified in s. 39.30 (1) (e).
39.45(2) (2) There is established, to be determined by the board, a grant program for resident students who are current recipients of aid to families with dependent children under s. 49.19.
39.45(3) (3) Grants under this section shall be awarded on the basis of financial need, as determined by the board, to resident students enrolled for at least 6 academic credits in the 2nd or 3rd year in programs leading to an associate degree or the 3rd, 4th or 5th year in programs leading to a bachelor's degree. Except as provided in sub. (5), no grant may exceed $4,000 per academic year. Students may apply for grants, upon a form prepared and furnished by the board, on or after February 1 of any year for the fall semester or session of the upcoming academic year. No student is eligible to receive a grant under this section for more than 3 academic years.
39.45(4) (4) The board shall give preference, as much as practicable, in awarding grants under this section to students enrolled in courses likely to increase the immediate employment opportunities of such students. The board shall publish a list of such courses and shall include courses that have an occupational or vocational objective in areas with existing labor needs.
39.45(5) (5) The board may award supplemental grants of between $500 and $1,000 per child per semester or session to students for the cost of child care for preschool children of the students. The student shall demonstrate, as determined by the board, financial need for the supplemental grant. In awarding grants under this subsection, the board may not exceed 20 percent of the appropriation for a given fiscal year for the grant program.
39.45(6) (6) From the appropriation under s. 20.235 (1) (fc), the board shall use available funds to make grant awards under this section, but no award may be made before March 1 for the fall semester or session of the upcoming academic year.
39.45(7) (7) The board shall promulgate rules to administer this section, including criteria and procedures for repayment of grants awarded under this section, including interest, by certain grant recipients who no longer reside in this state or do not successfully complete requirements for a degree. The board shall deposit in the general fund as general purpose revenue-earned all repayments of grants awarded under this section and the interest on the grants.
39.45(8) (8) No student is eligible for an original grant under this section after the 1996-97 academic year.
39.45 History History: 1989 a. 336; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27.
39.46 39.46 Contract for dental education.
39.46(1)(1) On or before July 1 of each year, the board shall initiate, investigate, and formulate for procurement a contract for dental education services in accordance with this section. Thereafter, the board shall conduct a biennial analysis of the program and include a report on its findings and recommendations in its reports under s. 15.04 (1) (d). At the state auditor's discretion or as the joint legislative audit committee directs, the legislative audit bureau shall postaudit expenditures under this section. Section 16.75 (1) to (5) are waived with respect to such contract.
39.46(2) (2) The contract under this section shall be between this state and a private nonprofit institution of higher education in this state which operates a dental school that is accredited, as defined in s. 447.01 (1), and shall relate, in all provisions, exclusively to the providing of dental education in the dental school of such institution. The contract shall require:
39.46(2)(a) (a) That no courses of instruction in subject matters of a religious nature be included in any instructional program or curriculum administered in or by the dental school, and that no such courses be required for admission to or graduation from the dental school.
39.46(2)(b) (b) That applicants for admission to the dental school who are residents of this state be accorded preference over other applicants having substantially equal academic qualifications and credentials.
39.46(2)(c) (c) That for purposes of this section the nondiscrimination provisions of s. 16.765, expanded to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, be limited to apply only to the operation of the dental school and that no such prohibited discrimination be practiced with respect to admissions to the dental school.
39.46(2)(d) (d) That the dental school administer and operate its courses and programs in dentistry in conformity with academic and professional standards, rules and requirements and seek progressively to enrich and improve its courses of dental education, research and public service by full and efficient use of budgetary and other resources available to it. In monitoring compliance with this paragraph the board may rely on 3rd-party evaluations conducted by appropriate and recognized accrediting bodies.
39.46(2)(e) (e) That all sums to be received by the dental school under the contract be used exclusively in providing undergraduate education in dentistry.
39.46(2)(f) (f) That the dental school may not assess tuition for a Wisconsin resident enrolled at the school in an amount that exceeds the difference between the tuition assessed a nonresident student enrolled at the school and the amount specified to be disbursed under s. 20.235 (1) (d) for each Wisconsin resident enrolled at the school.
39.46(2)(g) (g) That the dental school make every effort to ensure that at least 5 percent of the total enrollment of the school consists of minority students.
39.46(3) (3)
39.46(3)(a)(a) In the contract under this section, the state shall agree, subject to availability of appropriations for such purpose, that it will pay to the dental school of the contracting institution, on account of its furnishing of such dental education, research and public service courses and programs, an amount for each resident of this state who is regularly enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in dentistry in the school.
39.46(3)(b) (b) The state shall remit payments directly to the dental school of the contracting institution in monthly installments upon submission of installment bills or statements. The state shall audit these bills or statements semiannually.
39.46(4) (4) A student's qualification under this section as a resident of this state shall be determined in accordance with s. 36.27, so far as applicable. No amount may be computed based upon the enrollment of any student who is not a full-time dental student. The number of full-time resident students shall be determined 2 weeks following the late registration period each semester.
39.46 History History: 1973 c. 90; 1973 c. 335 s. 13; 1975 c. 39; 1977 c. 29; 1977 c. 196 s. 131; 1985 a. 29; 1989 a. 31, 349; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 2013 a. 8.
39.465 39.465 Scholarship program.
39.465(1)(1) Definitions. In this section:
39.465(1)(a) (a) “Actual practice total” is the total number of months that a student upon graduation practices in a health shortage area in this state. For purposes of this paragraph, a fraction of a month is counted as one month.
39.465(1)(c) (c) “Repayment liability percentage” means the percentage that results from dividing the difference between a student's required practice total and the student's actual practice total by the student's required practice total.
39.465(1)(d) (d) “Required practice total” means the total number of months a student upon graduation is required under sub. (3) to practice in a health shortage area in this state.
39.465(2) (2) Scholarships. In consultation with the department of health services, the board shall establish a program for awarding an annual scholarship, including a stipend, for each year of a student's enrollment but not exceeding 4 years. The board shall pay the scholarships from the appropriation account under s. 20.235 (1) (dg).
39.465(3) (3) Eligibility; agreements.
39.465(3)(a) (a) A student is not eligible for a scholarship under the program established under sub. (2) unless he or she is a resident of the state and enters into an agreement with board in which he or she agrees upon graduation to practice in a health shortage area in this state for a period equal to 18 months multiplied by the number of annual scholarships the board awards to the student under the program.
39.465(3)(b) (b) An agreement under par. (a) shall specify that if a student fails to practice in a health shortage area in this state for the period required under par. (a), he or she is liable to the state for an amount equal to the total dollar amount of annual scholarships awarded to the student multiplied by the student's repayment liability percentage.
39.465(4) (4) Geographic diversity. The board shall make every effort to ensure that students who are awarded scholarships under the program established under sub. (2) practice upon graduation in geographically diverse health shortage areas in this state.
39.465 History History: 2019 a. 9.
39.47 39.47 Minnesota-Wisconsin student reciprocity agreement.
39.47(1)(1) There is established, to be administered by the board, a Minnesota-Wisconsin student reciprocity agreement, the purpose of which shall be to ensure that neither state shall profit at the expense of the other and that the determination of any amounts owed by either state under the agreement shall be based on an equitable formula which reflects the educational costs incurred by the 2 states, reflects any differentials in usage by residents of either state of the public institutions of higher education located in the other state, and reflects any differentials in the resident tuition charged at comparable public institutions of higher education of the 2 states. The board, representing this state, shall enter into an agreement meeting the requirements of this section with the designated body representing the state of Minnesota.
39.47(2) (2) The agreement under this section shall provide for the waiver of nonresident tuition for a resident of either state who is enrolled in a public vocational school located in the other state. The agreement shall also establish a reciprocal fee structure for residents of either state who are enrolled in public institutions of higher education, other than vocational schools, located in the other state. The reciprocal fee may not exceed the higher of the resident tuition that would be charged the student at the public institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled or the resident tuition that would be charged the student at comparable public institutions of higher education located in his or her state of residence, as specified in the annual administrative memorandum under sub. (2g). The agreement shall take effect on July 1, 2007. The agreement is subject to the approval of the joint committee on finance under s. 39.42.
39.47(2g) (2g) Prior to each academic year, the board and the designated body representing the state of Minnesota shall prepare an administrative memorandum that establishes policies and procedures for implementation of the agreement for the upcoming academic year, including a description of how the reciprocal fee structure shall be determined for purposes of sub. (2), and the board shall submit the administrative memorandum to the joint committee on finance. If the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the board that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the administrative memorandum within 14 working days after the date of the submittal, the administrative memorandum may be implemented as proposed by the board. If, within 14 working days after the date of the submittal, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the board that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the administrative memorandum, the administrative memorandum may be implemented only upon approval of the committee.
39.47(2m) (2m) No resident of this state whose name appears on the statewide support lien docket under s. 49.854 (2) (b) may receive a waiver of nonresident tuition under this section, unless the resident provides to the board a payment agreement that has been approved by the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) and that is consistent with rules promulgated under s. 49.858 (2) (a).
39.47(3) (3) At the end of each semester or academic term, each state shall determine the number of students for whom nonresident tuition has been waived under the agreement. Each state shall certify to the other state, in addition to the number of students so determined, the aggregate amount of its reimbursement obligation. The state with the larger reimbursement obligation shall pay as provided in the agreement an amount determined by subtracting the reimbursement obligation of the state with the smaller reimbursement obligation from the reimbursement obligation of the state with the larger reimbursement obligation. The agreement shall provide a reasonable date for payment of any such sums due and owing, after which date interest may be charged on the amount owed. The methodology for determination of the appropriate interest rate shall be included in the agreement. Any payments received by this state under this subsection shall be deposited in the general fund.
39.47 History History: 1973 c. 90; 1977 c. 29; 1979 c. 221; 1983 a. 27; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 184; 1995 a. 27, 404; 1997 a. 27, 200; 1999 a. 9; 2007 a. 20.
39.48 39.48 Armed forces. If a student who is a member of a national guard or a member of a reserve unit of the U.S. armed forces withdraws from a private nonprofit college or university located in this state, or from a school approved by the department of safety and professional services under s. 440.52 or the educational approval board under s. 38.50, 2015 stats., or authorized by the distance learning authorization board under s. 39.86, after September 11, 2001, because he or she is called into state active duty or into active service with the U.S. armed forces, the college, university, or school shall do all of the following:
39.48(1) (1) Reenroll the student beginning in the semester in which he or she is discharged, demobilized, or deactivated from active duty or the next succeeding semester, whichever the student prefers.
39.48(1m) (1m) Give the student the same priority in registering for courses that the student would have had if he or she had registered for courses at the beginning of the registration period.
39.48(2m) (2m) At the student's request, do one of the following for all courses from which the student had to withdraw:
/statutes/statutes/39 true statutes /statutes/statutes/39/iii/44/1/b Chs. 36-39, Educational Institutions statutes/39.44(1)(b) statutes/39.44(1)(b) section true
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Deborah is a German play by Salomon Hermann (von) Mosenthal (1821-1877)[1]
3 Performance history of all versions of the Rebecca/Deborah/Leah story in South Africa
Based on the story of the travails of the Jewess "Rebecca" in Sir Walter Scott's famous novel Ivanhoe, Mosenthal's German version was first performed in Budapest and Vienna in 1849 and in Berlin in 1850. Published in Pesth (Pest, Hungary) by Heckenast and in Leipzig by Wigand in 1850.
Besides many other theatrical works based on Ivanhoe, there were a number of English, French and Italian works inspired by Rebecca's story and Mosenthal's play.
It was directly translated into French as Debora by Léon Halévy (published in 1860) and into Italian as Deborah by
The most famous and popular adaptation seems to have been Leah, the Forsaken, a play in five acts by Augustin Daly (1838-1899)[2] (also found as Leah the Forsaken, or The Jewish Maiden's Wrongs and often referred to simply as Leah). Daly, like Mosenthal, renamed the main character and tapped into the trappings of Victorian melodrama. His play is often billed as an original play and was first performed in New York in 1862, followed by a run in the Adelphi Theatre, London during 1863-4. It would become immensely popular, having been performed on occasion well into the 21st century[3].
Two other English versions of the Mosenthal play opened in 1864: Deborah, or The Jewish Outcast, written by an unnamed author, opened at the Grecian Theatre, Hoxton, in February while Deborah, the Forsaken, or The Jewish Maiden's Wrong! (on occasion Leah the Forsaken, or The Jewish Maiden's Wrongs), by Charles Smith Cheltnam (1823-1912)[], opened at the Princes Theatre Glasgow on 18 May 1863, then played at the Royal Victoria Theatre in Waterloo in July, becoming almost as well-known as Daly's version.
Performance history of all versions of the Rebecca/Deborah/Leah story in South Africa
1867: Daly's play was first performed in South Africa as Leah the Forsaken, or The Jewish Maiden's Wrongs by "Le Roy's Original Company" in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town on 18 and 25 February, with The Legend of St Croix ("A gentleman of Port Elizabeth").
1875: Performed as Leah, or The Forsaken by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 5 April, with The Illustrious Stranger (Kenney and Milligen).
1875: Performed as Leah by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 28 June, accompanied by Perfection, or The Lady of Munster (Bayly) and a recital of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven by Sutton Vane.
1875: Performed as Leah, or The Jewish Maiden by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 24 July. The afterpiece of the evening was apparently The Illustrious Stranger (Reece) , but the entry for this date in F.C.L. Bosman (1980:p.325) is rather confusing, giving the afterpiece as Brown and the Brahmins or Captain Pop and the Princess Pretty eyes (sic!) or The Illustrious Stranger" - i.e. giving the whole of the burlesque's pedigree.
1878: Leah, the Forsaken performed on 30 and 31 August by the Smith and Thatcher Company in the Athenaeum Hall, Cape Town, with Ada Ward, Henry Smith and Richard Thatcher. (The second evening included a "screaming race" on the bill.)
Nadia Valman. 2007. The Jewess in Nineteenth-Century British Literary Culture, Cambridge University Press: p.34-39[4]
Jonathan M. Hess. 2018. Deborah and Her Sisters: How One Nineteenth-Century Melodrama and a Host of Celebrated Actresses Put Judaism on the World Stage, University of Pennsylvania Press.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salomon_Hermann_Mosenthal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustin_Daly
https://www.worldcat.org/title/deborah/oclc/614407116
Review: 'Leah, the Forsaken' is an 1862 Drama With Modern Resonance" New York Times, February 21, 2017 [5]
D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.221-2, 323-340, 350, 359, 363, 372.
Retrieved from "https://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php?title=Deborah&oldid=201281"
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More than 87,000 infected in a single day in India
5 September 2020, Kathmandu
More than 87,000 people have been infected with coronavirus in India in a single day.
Until the filing of this report, the number of coronavirus cases has rached 4,020,239 after 87,115 cases were detected in the past 24 hours.
This is the highest number of infection cases in Asia and the third in the world after Brazil and America.
Among those infected, 3,104,512 have recovered from the virus while 846,092 are undergoing treatment at various isolation centers across the country.
Likewise, the number of deaths from coronavirus has crossed 69,000 in the country. With 1,066 new deaths in a single day, the number of deaths in India has reached 69,635,according to Worldometer.
Broke out in Wuhan City of China in last December, the coronavirus has killed 878,075 and infected 26,772,989 across the world.
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Russia bars entrance to Chinese citizens for all purposes
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree that temporarily prohibits Chinese citizens from entering Russia for tourism, work, as well as for private purposes, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said.
From February 20, according to the decision of the operational headquarters to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country, the entry for Chinese national to Russia will be limited. In addition, in connection with the spread of COVID-19, Russia is suspending the acceptance of documents, processing and issuance of invitations to Chinese citizens for private and educational purposes.
The Chinese coronavirus epidemic broke out at the end of 2019 in China. As of February 18, 2020, more than 1,700 people died, over 71,000 were infected with the new virus.
Most of the infected reside in China. The outbreak of coronavirus was first recorded in Wuhan, China at the end of December 2019. In addition to the PRC, cases have been identified in more than 20 countries.
Another Russian national infected with coronavirus
According to the Russian Embassy in Japan, a second Russian, the spouse of the Russian woman, who also had symptoms of coronavirus on Monday, February 17, was infected with coronavirus on board the Diamond Princess cruise liner, which was anchored in Japan due to quarantine.
Common signs of infection include:
respiratory symptoms
In more severe cases, infection can cause:
and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
covid-19 symproms new virus coronavirus new disease new infection chinese economy russia and china chinese citizens
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Author`s name Lyuba Lulko
EU launches expansion for the sake of disintegration
Brussels is launching a new wave of EU expansion. The initiative should, however, exclude Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, even though the countries have been waiting for their "hour of triumph" for years and years. Instead, however, Brussels is going to invite fragments of the former Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, to join the EU.
Europe does not need Ukraine's mess and chaos
There are six contenders: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Formal difficulties already exist for Kosovo and Metohija, which EU old-timers - Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Slovakia - do not recognise as an independent state.
Will Macedonia change its name in favour of Greece? What will Cyprus say that has an unresolved problem with the "independence" of Northern Cyprus? Most importantly, will Serbia recognise Kosovo's independence? Brussels suggests it will by 2025.
There are many questions as far as the popular sentiment is concerned. According to Eurobarometer, 68% of the population of Germany spoke against further expansion in 2014, 67% - in Austria and Luxembourg, 65% - in France, and 60% - in Belgium.
There are many skeptics in candidate countries as well. According to the monitoring of the Regional Cooperation Council, only 26% of respondents in Serbia believe that being a member of the European Union would be good. The number of EU supporters in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina is 44 and 31 percent respectively, which is not large at all.
Why does the EU need to expand? The draft strategy of the association, quoted by Eurobserver, says that the reliable prospect of expansion is a key factor in the transformation of the region that has geostrategic significance.
That is, in case of success, Germany and France will receive sales markets of the above-mentioned countries, as well as cheap skilled labor force, plus a part of natural resources of the Western Balkans.
In addition, Serbia and other Orthodox countries of the Western Balkans will be withdrawn from Russia's influence. "The European Union will not leave abandoned the countries that Brussels does not control, especially against the background of Russia's growing influence," Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies, Timofei Bardachev, told Pravda.Ru.
The strategy of Brussels is as follows: more countries - more money. The West has the political elites of the Western Balkans under control for a long time already. They willingly dance to the tune of Washington and Brussels, but the state of economic affairs in those countries leaves much to be desired.
The European Union project is in crisis, and the crisis may trigger its disintegration, Igor Shatrov, deputy director of the National Institute for the Development of Modern Ideology, told Pravda.Ru.
"Even if Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania are admitted to the European Union, they will not have full-fledged membership, but a special status with limited rights, without participation in the euro zone," said Timofei Bardachev. By 2025, the European Union will have two camps with the center and the periphery.
Indeed, the Netherlands and Denmark, where eurosceptics won elections, may revise their presence in the EU, while nationalist governments of Hungary, Poland and Slovenia may suspend their membership.
Lyuba Lulko (Stepushova)
Topics europe kosovo poland hungary balkans moldova ukraine georgia european union
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Five breakout stars of the 2020 season
No Comments on Five breakout stars of the 2020 season
As 2020 heads further into its final weeks, league seasons across the world are coming to an end. It has been one of the most disrupted years in history with many competitions being halted for several months, starting later or just not starting at all, as was the case in the lower tiers of Norwegian football.
For this blog, I have selected five players who have shone this year dispute the disruption. I have gone for players who are have broken through this year – whether that is finally nailing down a first team spot or making their debuts in professional football.
Remember, I am only including players who compete in countries which have a calendar year season. So in this article that is Sweden (3 weeks of the season left), China (playoff final this week), Iceland (season prematurely ended) and USA (regular season over).
Two of the list have left Premier League sides to move abroad but that’s not what I will be focusing on today. Instead, if you want to follow the Premier League, there are odds out now for the top contenders so you can direct yourself to that page. For now, let’s move on and start dissecting the players a little bit.
Ashley Coffey // 26 // Forward // IFK Haninge (Sweden 3)
27 appearances // 23 goals // IG: @acoffey9
Ashley Coffey (right)
With just three matches to play, Coffey leads the way in the Ettan Sodra goalscoring charts. As much as a golden boot would look great on the footballing CV, the forward from Leeds remains focused on helping his side earn promotion.
IFK Haninge currently sit fourth in the southern division of Sweden’s third tier. They are three points off the promotion spots, with the top two sides going up but it is fair to say they would not be in contention was it not for the English striker.
It is Coffey’s second season in Sweden, having exploded on the scene with 12 goals in 11 matches last year for fourth-tier side Huddinge IF (read my interview with Coffey here).
He has taken the step up a division in his stride, firing a remarkable 23 goals in just 26 league matches, including a very impressive three hat tricks. It has led to press interest in Sweden, where the striker announced his intentions to continue to progress up the leagues in his new home. He is targeting the top-flight which would see him have to give up his role at an international school.
His record is made even more impressive by the fact that he came from playing for Whitby Town of the seventh-tier of English football.
If he can score this many goals living his double life, then just imagine the amount he would score in full-time football?
Tyias Browning // 26 // Defender // Guangzhou (China 1)
16 appearances // 6 clean sheets // IG: @tybrowning
Tyias Browning
Former Everton defender Browning made 13 appearances in all competitions last season for Guangzhou Evergrande but just four of those appearances came in the Chinese Super League as his side were crowned champions.
Of course, he had played his part in their victory, but you could not blame the former England U21 international for not feeling like he had personally helped them win the league. That would not be the case if Guangzhou were to win the league playoff final on Thursday. This year, Browning has been the club’s best centre-back, playing in 16 of their 19 games so far. The club have lost just two matches all year with Browning having been absent for both, reaffirming his importance to the side.
Back in England, he had featured at right-back, especially in his early days, but the permanent move to centre back in China has seen him take his game to the next level and he is competing against some elite level players.
His side have already come out on top of Nico Yennaris’s Beijing Guoan, eliminating them in the semi-finals. Now all that stands in their way of back-to-back titles is Thursday’s match at home to Jiangsu Suning, having drawn the away leg 0-0.
The next step for Browning would be making his international debut for China, having already had his first senior call-up.
Kian Williams // 20 // Winger // Keflavík (Iceland 2)
16 appearances // 6 goals // IG: @kpjwilliams
Kian Williams (right)
Williams returned to Iceland this year having made a solid start following his move abroad in July 2019. Having found his feet at Magni, he joined Keflavík for the 2020 season, linking up with a side who had ambitions of promotion.
It seemed unlikely at first, losing twice in their opening five matches, but a strong end to the campaign, bolstered by Williams’ impressive performances, saw them lift the second division title. This was after the Icelandic FA’s decision to end the season two weeks early but Keflavík were top of the league with a game in hand regardless.
Williams seemed to play his best football this year when he came up against his compatriots. He scored a brace against Vestri and another double against Víkingur Ólafsvík who had four Englishmen in their starting line-up. It was in the match against Vestri that he scored his incredible goal of the season contender.
What a strike! Goal of season is done for this year in Inkasso.
First of two goals today for @kpjwilliams
Wow! #MSM #playerpathways 🇮🇸 pic.twitter.com/MNtvqgop01
— Mccreery Sports Mgmt (@mccreerysports) July 26, 2020
The former Leicester City man also popped up with several key assists as he built up a connection with the league’s top scorer, Australian forward Joey Gibbs.
Perhaps a crack at the top-flight beckons next season for the 20-year-old?
Francis Jno-Baptiste // 21 // Forward // Östersunds (Sweden 1) & AFC Eskilstuna (loan, Sweden 2)
23 appearances // 7 goals (combined stats) // IG: @officialfjb
Francis Jno-Baptiste
It had been a lowkey arrival in Swedn for Jno-Baptiste. Arriving at Östersunds in January 2019 from Crystal Palace’s academy, he made just five appearances in his first year. The second year has been very different.
Starting the delayed campaign out on loan with AFC Eskilstuna in the second division, it did not take him long to score his first senior goal, a long range strike in his third match of the loan spell.
🇸🇪 What a goal from Francis Jno-Baptiste, great precision on the strike 🔥 A first goal for the former #CPFC man in Sweden 👏🏼 #superettan pic.twitter.com/SrOND45NT1
— English Players Abroad (@EnglishAbroad1) June 27, 2020
He then followed that up with two more strikes, not a bad return for a side battling against relegation. After impressing out on loan, he was recalled to Östersunds and given a chance to compete for game time in the top-flight and so far, he hasn’t disappointed.
Having not scored a senior goal before this year, the 21-year-old returned to fire four goals in 14 matches (7 starts), helping his side move up the table and away from relegation trouble.
This year has been an undoubted breakout year for the forward and with three games still yet to play, he could help Östersunds secure a top half position. Alongside his compatriot Blair Turgott, the pair have played a big part in the club’s improved second half of the season and rise up the table.
Jack Gurr // 24 // Defender // Atlanta United 2 (USA 2)
16 appearances // 1 goal // 3 assists // IG: @jackwilliamgurr2
Jack Gurr
Gurr is everything you would want from a modern day full-back. A very valuable threat going forward with superb crossing ability but also equally as reliable going the other way. It’s easy to forget this was his first season in professional football.
Joining the B team of MLS giants Atlanta United who compete in the country’s second-tier, Gurr made the step-up from playing a couple of seasons in what is effectively the country’s fourth division. This came after four years playing college soccer, having formerly been part of Gateshead’s academy near his hometown of Newcastle.
It was not a great season for Atlanta United 2, winning just three of their 16 games and subsequently not making the playoffs but it didn’t stop Gurr from making an impact. He created 36 chances (6th highest in league), made 102 crosses (2nd highest) as well as providing three assists and even scoring one himself. However, he did not do himself a disservice at the back either, making 31 clearances and boasting a tackle success rate of 80%.
We have seen in the past with fellow Englishman Laurence Wyke making the step up to play for Atlanta United in MLS and it would not be surprising to see Gurr do the same.
Tags Ashley Coffey, Francis Jno-Baptiste, Jack Gurr, Kian Williams, Tyias Browning
← Veron Parkes & Andrew Mills make professional league debuts → Every English player abroad on FIFA 21 Ultimate Team
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Smallholder Contract Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
In recent years, product supply chains for agricultural goods have become increasingly globalized. As a result, greater numbers of smallholder farmers in South Asia (SA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) participate in global supply chains, many of them through contract farming (CF). CF is an arrangement between a farmer and a processing or marketing firm for the production and supply of agricultural products, often at predetermined prices. This literature review finds empirical evidence that demonstrates that the economic and social benefits of CF for smallholder farmers are mixed. A number of studies suggest that CF may improve farmer productivity, reduce production risk and transaction costs, and increase farmer incomes. However, critics caution that CF may undermine farmers’ relative bargaining power and increase health, environmental, and financial risk through exposure to monopsonistic markets, weak contract environments, and unfamiliar agricultural technologies. There is consensus across the literature that CF has the best outcomes for farmers when farmers have more bargaining power to negotiate the terms of the contract. In reviewing the literature on CF, we find a number of challenges to comparing studies and evaluating outcomes across contracts. This literature review summarizes empirical findings and analyses regarding contract models and best practices to increase farmers’ bargaining power and decrease contract default.
Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Executive Summary
Introducing technology that is designed to be physically appropriate and valuable to women farmers can increase yields and raise income. But gender issues for agricultural technology projects in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are extremely complex. The EPAR series on Gender and Cropping in SSA offers examples of how these issues can affect crop production and adoption of agricultural technologies at each point in the crop cycle for eight crops (cassava, cotton, maize, millet, rice, sorghum, wheat, and yam). This executive summary highlights innovative opportunities for interventions that consider these dimensions of gender. We encourage readers to consult the crop specific briefs for more details. We find that involving both men and women in the development, testing, and dissemination of agricultural technology has been shown to be successful in helping both benefit. Nevertheless, a consistent finding throughout the Gender and Cropping in SSA series is that maximum benefits from technological innovations cannot be realized when upstream factors like education, power, and land tenure heavily influence outcomes. Addressing these more basic upstream causes of gender inequality may be even more important in helping households increase productivity and maximize the benefits of technological interventions.
Agricultural Research and Development Hours by Crop
This research brief reports on full time equivalent (fte) positions devoted to research and development of major food and cash crops in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data on fte by country and crop were collected from individual Agricultural Science and Technology Indicator (ASTI) country briefs. ASTI data are obtained from unpublished surveys conducted by CGIAR centers. Our report includes 23 countries in SSA.
Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Overview
A widely quoted estimate is that women produce 70 to 80 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) food. Increasing farmer productivity in SSA therefore requires understanding how these women make planting, harvesting, and other decisions that affect the production, consumption, and marketing of their crops. This brief provides an overview of the gender cropping series highlighting similar themes from the various crops studied, presenting an overarching summary of the findings and conclusion of the individual literature reviews. The studies reviewed suggest that differential preferences and access to assets by men and women can affect adoption levels and the benefits that accrue to men and women. Findings show that women have less secure access to credit, land, inputs, extension, and markets. Similarly, women’s multi-faceted role in household management gives rise to preferences that may very well be different from those of men. Participatory Breeding and Participatory Varietal Selection are two methods shown to be successful in developing technology that is more appropriate and more likely to avoid unintended consequences. Regularly collecting gender-disaggregated statistics can also result in a greater understanding of how technology has affected both men and women. Agricultural technology has the potential to enhance both men’s and women’s welfare and productivity, but unless gender is sufficiently integrated into every step of the development and dissemination process, efforts will only achieve a fraction of their total possible benefit.
Gender & Cropping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cotton
Estimates suggest that women grow 70-80 percent of Africa’s food crops, which may constrain their involvement in cash crop production, if food crop production places additional demands their time, resources and labor. There is little evidence regarding women’s motivations or decisions to grow cash versus food crops. Similarly, the policy literature on cotton production and markets in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) does not explicitly address the issue of gender, further limiting the information available on the impact of cotton production on women. This brief provides an overview of the role of women in cotton production, and provides a framework for analyzing barriers to women and technology’s impact on women throughout the cropping cycle. We find that women are typically not the primary cultivators of cotton, and that cotton production is a household cultivation strategy, especially in West and Central Africa. Cotton cultivation often provides access to fertilizers, pesticides and extension services that are otherwise unavailable to households. Women have benefitted from household cotton income when they have input in intra-household resource allocation decisions or when they are able to grow cotton on personal plots and have control over the income it generates. Women also benefit from cotton when it offers them the opportunity to engage in paid labor. The data suggests, however, that cotton cultivation can negatively impact women when it increases their unpaid agricultural labor burden or exposes them to harmful chemicals.
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Yong Nyuk Lin
by Sutherland, Duncan
Yong Nyuk Lin (b. 24 June 1918, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaya–d. 29 June 2012, Singapore1) was the minister for education in the first cabinet of the People’s Action Party. He later took on the health and communications portfolios. In these capacities, he increased access to education, sought to establish sustainable population growth, and improved public transport and traffic congestion.2
Education and business career
Yong, who was of Hakka descent,3 was educated bilingually before he attended Raffles College in Singapore,4 where he was captain of the tennis club.5 He graduated in 19376 and became the science master at Seremban’s King George V School the following year.7
At his father-in-law’s urging, Yong joined Singapore’s Overseas Assurance Corporation (OAC) in 1941.8 During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore (1942–45), Yong briefly sold homemade stationery gum with his future brother-in-law Lee Kuan Yew.9 Subsequently, he became the OAC’s general manager and the first local associate of the London Chartered Insurance Institute.10 He also headed the Raffles College alumni association11 and represented the alumni on the University of Malaya Council.12
Contributions to public service
Yong became an executive committee member of the Malayan Democratic Union in 1947.13 Despite his family’s misgivings, he was persuaded to help Singapore, which was on its road to self-government, by leaving his job and standing for Parliament.14 After being elected the People’s Action Party assemblyman for Geylang West in 1959,15 Yong received the education portfolio.16
To realise the government’s goal of universal primary education, Yong doubled the number of places by splitting schools into morning and afternoon sessions17 and launched a major programme of school-building18 and teacher training.19 Under Yong, the number of teachers in government and government-aided schools increased from 10,061 in 1959 to 13,982 in 1963, and the primary and secondary school populations grew from 305,081 in 1959 to 413,341 in 1963.20
Yong furthered the government’s objective of a shared national identity by establishing parity and coherence between the four language streams. He introduced multilingual integrated schools21 and the first Malay and Tamil secondary schools;22 extended free textbook loans to non-English government and government-aided schools;23 and standardised curricula, syllabuses and examinations.24 Certain changes to the Chinese-medium school system sparked protests, but Yong held firm.25 Another aspect of nation-building was in promoting Malay, the new national language. He also formed the Adult Education Board,26 which had thousands of language students at 150 centres.27
Opportunities for higher education were widened with Chinese-medium upper-secondary classes (equivalent to the English-medium pre-university level)28 and free tuition for local Malays.29 To produce the workforce that Singapore needed at that point in its development, he encouraged the study of mathematics, science and vocations with bursaries and scholarships.30
In 1963 he moved on to lead the Ministry of Health,31 which was being reorganised and expanding its services.32 The department increased public cleanliness by implementing a hawkers’ code to raise hygiene standards,33 banning cattle from restricted areas34 and reorganising refuse collection.35
To address the shortage in medical staff, he introduced gestures of recognition such as Nurses Week,36 eased administrative burdens37 and expanded training schools to increase student intakes.38 Yong expanded hospitals39 and reduced waiting times as well as overcrowding by transferring outpatient services elsewhere.40 Children’s health was improved with an effective immunisation campaign against diphtheria, polio and cholera, and the expansion of school dental clinics.41
In 1966 the Ministry of Health formed the Singapore Family Planning and Population Board42 to control Singapore’s unsustainably high birth rate of 29.9 births per thousand population.43 The board offered advice and subsidised contraceptives to all eligible married women, and vigorously encouraged their use.44 The board’s efforts were effective: By 1967 the birth rate had fallen to 25.9 per thousand population.45 In 1967, however, Yong stirred controversy by announcing the government’s intention to legalise abortion.46
Yong was transferred to the newly formed Ministry of Communications in 1968.47 Among the projects the department handled during his tenure were the creation of Singapore Airlines48 and the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore;49 the expansion of civil aviation50 and Singapore’s container port facilities;51 and the early feasibility studies of the Mass Rapid Transit.52
Much of his energies were devoted to traffic and public transportation. Singapore’s bus service, which was then divided into 11 companies, lacked coherent schedule and fare structures.53 It needed improvement in order to reduce car usage.54 Yong thus consolidated the 11 firms into four,55 and created the Singapore Bus Service monopoly in 1973.56 As change proved frustratingly slow, scores of civil servants, policemen and army mechanics and engineers were seconded to restructure administration and operations.57 Complaints diminished, but the increase of fares in 1974 was unpopular among the public. The fare increase was attributed partly to rises oil prices and wages.58
In order to reduce traffic and congestion, Yong hiked the cost of car registration by 30 percent,59 encouraged car-pooling,60 suppressed the pirate taxi trade,61 and introduced school buses and bus lanes.62 The biggest anti-congestion measure he implemented was the Area Licensing Scheme, which drew international attention.63 Launched in mid-1975, the scheme charged drivers a fee to enter the central business district during morning peak hours. This scheme was the forerunner of the Electronic Road Pricing system. Concurrently, the ministry introduced a costly and unsuccessful Park and Ride programme,64 but the Area Licensing Scheme reduced traffic65 and similar schemes were later adopted in Norway.66
Post-ministerial life
He continued as minister for communications until July 1975.67 The following month, Yong was appointed as the high commissioner to Britain.68 However, Yong resigned from this position a year later and returned to Singapore.69 He became chairman of the People’s Scholarship Fund,70 and left Parliament in 1979.71 He subsequently served on the Presidential Council for Minority Rights72 and oversaw the construction of a hotel and shopping complex at Marina Square.73
Yong was honoured with the Order of Nila Utama (second class) in 1990.74
Parents: Yong Thean Yong and mother (unknown)75
Wife: Kwa Geok Lan (m. 1939)
Daughters: Siu Len and Siu Li76
Duncan Sutherland
1. Au Yong, J. (2012, June 30). Pioneer Yong Nyuk Lin dies, aged 94. The Straits Times, pp. 2–3; Leong, W. K. (2001, December 10). Insurance sector honours pioneer after 4 decades. The Straits Times, p. 6; Teo, E. (2012, August 6). IN’s guide to Singapore’s old guard. The Straits Times, pp. 10–11. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Au Yong, J. (2012, June 30). Pioneer Yong Nyuk Lin dies, aged 94. The Straits Times, pp. 2–3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. Lam, P. F. (1996, February 4). Hakkas: China’s. The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Two newcomers in straight fight in Geylang West. (1959, May 19). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. Raffles College Union. (1963, February 25). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884—1942), p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Raffles College exams 1937 results. (1937, March 18). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884—1942), p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. Au Yong, J., & Chan, R. (2012, June 30). Friends pay tribute to pioneer minister. The Straits Times, p. 12; Two newcomers in straight fight in Geylang West. (1959, May 19). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Two newcomers in straight fight in Geylang West. (1959, May 19). The Straits Times, p. 4; Leong, W. K. (2001, December 10). Insurance sector honours pioneer after 4 decades. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Lee, K. Y. (2015). The Singapore story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore: Straits Times Press, p. 67. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705092 LEE-[HIS])
10. Insurance firm manager quits to work for PAP. (1959, March 1). The Straits Times, p. 8; Leong, W. K. (2001, December 10). Insurance sector honours pioneer after 4 decades. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
11. Graduates to confer in Singapore. (1950, December 1). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. 4 for talks at Cambridge. (1952, December 12). The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
13. Two newcomers in straight fight in Geylang West. (1959, May 19). The Straits Times, p. 4; Insurance firm manager quits to work for PAP. (1959, March 1). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
15. The results: All you. (1959, May 31). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
16. Moving-in day for ministers. (1959, June 6). The Singapore Free Press, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
17. Au Yong, J. (2012, June 30). Pioneer Yong Nyuk Lin dies, aged 94. The Straits Times, pp. 2-3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lee, K. Y. (1998). The Singapore story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore: Straits Times Press, p. 327. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 LEE-[HIS])
18. Schools of the future may all be multi-storyed. (1960, October 12). The Straits Times, p. 4; The skyscraper school will cost $660,000. (1960, October 14). The Straits Times, p. 8; Minister sees new sites. (1960, November 4). The Straits Times, p. 18. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
19. Yong: Govt plans to build 19 new schools a year. (1960, August 10). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
20. Ministry of Education. (1963). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, p. 6. (Call no.: RCLOS 370.95951 SIN-[AR]); Ministry of Education. (1960). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, p. 3. (Call no.: RCLOS 370.95951 SIN-[AR])
21. Two-in-one school scheme. (1959, August 9). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
22. State’s first Malay secondary school ready. (1961, October 12). The Singapore Free Press, p. 1; Yong: Govt plans to build 19 new schools a year. (1960, August 10). The Straits Times, p. 4; Leaving exams in 4 languages. (1960, March 31). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
23. Ministry of Education. (1960). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, p. 2. (Call no.: RCLOS 370.95951 SIN-[AR])
25. Students’ boycott a failure: Minister. (1962, May 22). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
26. Way now clear for language institute. (1960, May 13). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
27. 6,000 students get ready for their language examinations. (1960, October 26). The Singapore Free Press, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
28. Accord on Chinese secondary education, (1961, October 6). The Straits Times, p. 4; Au Yong, J. (2012, June 30). Pioneer Yong Nyuk Lin dies, aged 94. The Straits Times, pp. 2–3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
29. New rules on bursaries for Malay students. (1968, October 10). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
30. Singapore govt hands out 88 study awards. (1964, November 28). The Straits Times, p. 10; Government bursaries for technical students. (1960, April 22). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
31. Sam, J. (1963, October 18). 3 new ministers. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
32. Goh, S. T. (2004). Walk like a dragon: Short stories. Singapore: Angsana Books, p. 24. (Call no.: RSING S823 GOH)
33. A drive to control 30,000 unlicensed hawkers. (1967, February 24). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
34. Law to curb straying cattle takes effect in Singapore. (1965, January 2). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
35. Ministry of Health. (1965). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, p. 61. (Call no.: RCLOS 354.59570677 SMHAR); Ministry of Health. (1966). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, pp. 26–27. (Call no.: RCLOS 354.59570677 SMHAR-[AR])
36. Project a new image, nurses are told. (1964, July 16). The Straits Times, p. 18. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
37. Ministry of Health. (1965). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, p. 209. (Call no.: RCLOS 354.59570677 SMHAR); Ministry of Health. (1966). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, p. 3. (Call no.: RCLOS 354.59570677 SMHAR)
38. Ministry of Health. (1965). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, p. 139. (Call no.: RCLOS 354.59570677 SMHAR)
39. All government hospital beds except Woodbridge to go up in Singapore. (1965, February 21). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
40. Better medical care for sick in S’pore. (1964, July 11). The Straits Times, p. 11; Attention now for outpatients within 15 mins. (1964, November 17). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
41. More school dental clinics are planned. (1964, March 14). The Straits Times, p. 4; Au Yong, J., & Chan, R. (2012, June 30). Friends pay tribute to pioneer minister. The Straits Times, p. 12. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Ministry of Health. (1963). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, pp. 64, 88. (Call no.: RCLOS 354.59570677 SMHAR)
42. S’pore plans to halve birth rate. (1966, January 13). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
43. Ministry of Health. (1965). Annual report. Singapore: Government Printing Office, p. 22. (Call no.: RCLOS 354.59570677 SMHAR)
44. S’pore will halve birth rate by 1970. (1967, January 14). The Straits Times, p. 8; SFPA to continue operating three non-govt centres. (1965, September 30). The Straits Times, p. 7; Yong ‘clears air’ on family planning. (1964, April 17). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
46. Legal abortion ultimate weapon: Yong. (1967, September 6). The Straits Times, p. 10; SMA to debate Govt’s abortion proposal. (1967, October 20). The Straits Times, p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
47. Government of Singapore. (2014, October 1). Heritage. Retrieved 26 May 2017 from Ministry of Transport website: https://www.mot.gov.sg/About-MOT/Corporate-Profile/Heritage/; RAF airfields may be put to civil use. (1968, June 18). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
48. For the record. (1972, September 27). The Straits Times, p. 13. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
49. Second satellite station in final planning stage. (1972, March 18). The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
50. New air charter policy to boost traffic. (1971, November 27). The Straits Times, p. 1; Yong opens new airport terminal complex. (1971, December 18). The Straits Times, p. 36. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
51. Container wharves: PSA plans new extension. (1970, November 2). The Straits Times, p. 17; Chandran, R. (1972, June 24). Big leap into the container era. The Straits Times, p. 11. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
52. Poteik, C. (1974, August 29). MRT: Govt to make further study. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
53. Uniform bus fares by next July. (1970, September 17). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
54. Lim, S. K. (1972, December 19). A review to get to the roots of traffic problems. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
56. Wong, L. W. (1973, November 1). 40 jumbo buses roll out new image. The Straits Times, p. 6; Poteik, C. (1973, July 1). Better deals for bus commutators. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
57. Govt to invest in S.B.S. (1974, July 27). The Straits Times, p. 1; Rescue vehicles. (1974, July 30). The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
58. Bus fares go up 10 cts. (1974, February 4). The Straits Times, p. 1; Students: Let us work out no-price-hike bus service. (1974, February 12). The Straits Times, p. 9; Students to hand out 20,000 protest leaflets. (1974, February 14). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
59. Raman, P. M. (1974, January 2). Cars now dearer by 20 to 22pc. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
60. Raman, P. M. (1974, May 29). Yong’s new shock for motorists. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
61. Lines of attack against the transport service snags. (1970, July 23). The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
62. Poteik, C., et al. (1970, September 3). House gives big yes to transport white paper. The Straits Times, p. 2; Success so bus lanes to stay: Yong. (1975, March 18). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
63. All eyes on S’pore CBD scheme. (1975, February 24). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
64. Road pricing team for Europe. (1990, March 24). The Straits Times, p. 23; Park and ride from today. (1975, May 16). The Straits Times, p. 1; Raman, P. M. (1974, May 29). Yong’s new shock for motorists. The Straits Times, p. 1; Success. (1975, June 2). New Nation, p. 1; Gamboa, E. (1983, August 16). Whatever happened to fringe carparks? The Straits Times, p. 12. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
65. Rodrigues, C. (1976, April 9). Our ALS gets a pat on the back. The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
66. Leong, C. T. (1998, August 30). Time’s up: Goodbye. The Straits Times, p. 33. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
67. Fong, L. (1975, June 3). Cabinet surprise. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
68. Kwee, M. (1975, August 15). Yong to go to London as S’pore’s envoy. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
69. Yong: So happy to come home. (1976, August 2). New Nation, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
70. Balakrishnan, N. (1984, November 18). Our first cabinet: Where are they now? The Straits Times, p. 23; People’s Scholarship Fund at $2.5m. (1977, July 26). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
71. Hoe, I. (1979, January 18). I just want to fade out. New Nation, pp. 10–11. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
72. Another 3-year term. (1982, July 26). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
73. Ong, C. (1980, September 19). Ex-civil servants join S’pore Lands. The Business Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
74. National Day Honours List 1990. (1990, August 9). The Straits Times, p. 26. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
75. Page 2 Advertisements Column 1. (1937, December 28). The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
76. Au Yong, J. (2012, June 30). Pioneer Yong Nyuk Lin dies, aged 94. The Straits Times, pp. 2–3; Untitled: Yong Nyuk Lin. (2012, July 3). The Straits Times, p. 22. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Doraisamy, T. (Ed.). (1969). 150 years of education in Singapore. Singapore: Teachers Training College, pp. 60—61, 69.
(Call no.: RSING 370.95957 TEA)
Family planning for 180,000 women. (1965, September 29). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Lim, L. C. (Ed.). (2007). Many pathways one mission: Fifty years of Singapore education. Singapore: Ministry of Education, Curriculum, Planning and Development Division, p. 194.
(Call no.: RSING 370.95957 MAN)
Quek, P. L. (1981, April 12). Exit from high office: The morning after. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Reds’ school plot. (1961, November 28). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Saw, S. H. (2005). Population policies and programmes in Singapore. Singapore: ISEAS, pp. 43, 60.
(Call no.: RSING 363.96095957 SAW)
Sharp, I. (1974, March 4). Buses give Lee a bumpy ride. Far Eastern Economic Review, 83, 26—27.
(Call no.: R 330.95 FEER)
Sharp, I. (2005). The journey: Singapore’s land transport story. Singapore: SNP Editions, pp. 46—52, 77—79, 202.
(Call no.: RSING q388.4095957 SHA)
Soh, T. K. (1971, July 1). Final action against pirate taxis. The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Tan, J., Gopinathan, S., & Ho, W. K. (Eds.). (1997). Education in Singapore: A book of readings. Singapore: Prentice Hall, pp. 7—9.
(Call no.: RSING 370.95957 EDU)
Tan, N. (1991). Health and welfare. In E.C.T. Chew & E. Lee (Eds.), A history of Singapore. Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 348.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 HIS-[HIS])
Wilson, H. E. (1978). Social engineering in Singapore: Educational policies and social change, 1819–1972. Singapore: Singapore University Press, p. 234.
(Call no.: RSING 379.95957 WIL)
Yeoh, B. S. A., Kai, H. P., & Fu, K. (2008). From colony to global city: Public health strategies and the control of disease in Singapore. In M. J. Lewis & K. L. MacPherson (Eds.), Public health in Asia and the Pacific. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 195–196.
(Call no.: R 362.1095 PUB)
The information in this article is valid as at 2017 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
Personalities>>Biographies>>Political Leaders
Yong, Nyuk Lin, 1918-
Political leadership--Singapore
Education ministers--Singapore--Biography
Law and government>>Political process>>Leadership
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The Vigilante Corps (VC) was originally a network of volunteers set up by the government in April 1964 to guard key ...
Established on 27 October 1954, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) was Singapore’s first polytechnic. Initially concerned with ...
Kynnersley Report, 1902
In 1902, the Legislative Council appointed a commission to study and report on the system of English education in the ...
Education Ordinance, 1957
The Education Ordinance, which applied to all schools in Singapore, was enacted on 13 December 1957. The ordinance (replaced ...
Clean Air Act of 1971
The Clean Air Act was passed by parliament on 2 December 1971. It was Singapore’s earliest attempt to control industrial ...
Primary School Leaving Examination
The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is a national examination held annually for pupils at the end of their ...
Ida Simmons
Ida Mabel Murray Simmons (b. 1881 or 1888, unknown–d. 7 January 1958, Stirling, Scotland) was a public health matron ...
Environmental Public Health Act
The Environmental Public Health Act became law on 2 January 1969. The act was aimed at setting up a standard code to ...
Former Singapore Armed Forces Non-Commissioned Officers Club
The Singapore Armed Forces Non-Commissioned Officers (SAF NCO) Club was set up in 1974 to strengthen the bonds among ...
Dental health campaign
The islandwide dental health campaign was launched in February 1969 as part of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to inculcate ...
National Junior College
National Junior College (NJC) was opened in 1969 as Singapore’s first junior college. It moved to its current location ...
Mosquito bus
The so-called “mosquito bus” is a small, seven-seater motor bus commonly seen on Singapore roads in the 1920s and 1930s. ...
Lim Chong Yah
Lim Chong Yah (b. 1932, Malacca, Malaysia–) is an eminent economist and academic best known for serving as chairman ...
Teachers’ Training College
Established on 1 March 1950, the Teachers’ Training College (TTC) was Singapore’s first permanent, fulltime training ...
Ruth Wong
Ruth Wong Hie King (b. 10 June 1918, Singapore–d. 1 February 1982, Singapore) is widely regarded as a pioneer educator ...
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education (GCE) was introduced in 1951 in the United Kingdom. In Singapore, GCE examinations ...
Premiership of Lee Kuan Yew
The premiership of Lee Kuan Yew, which lasted over three decades from 5 June 1959 to 28 November 1990, was a dynamic ...
Edusave
Established in 1993, the Edusave scheme aims to provide Singaporean students with a holistic education. The scheme maximises ...
Singapore’s separation from Malaysia
On 9 August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state. The separation was ...
First Light Rail Transit system
The Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system, also known as the Light Rail Transit system, is a fully automated rail service ...
Howe Yoon Chong
Howe Yoon Chong (b. July 1923, China–d. 21 August 2007, Singapore) was the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the ...
Ho See Beng
Ho See Beng (b. 5 February 1918, Fujian, China–d. 5 December 2008, Singapore) served as a labour union leader and member ...
I have feedback on this infopedia article: Yong Nyuk Lin
Community and Social Services
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Business and Investment investment Investment Alexander Segovia El Salvador's Government House of Representatives Millennium Challenge Corporation investor public-private partnership Carlos Guerrero Consejo Nacional para el Crecimiento (El Salvador) Fomilenio El Salvador Gobierno de los Estados Unidos Barack Obama Cámara Salvadoreña de la Industria de la Construcción
From a press release by the Presidency of El Salvador:
A delegation from the National Council for Growth will make an official visit to Washington DC from 24 to 26 June, where meetings will be held with senior government officials and the Congress of the United States, under the framework of the first 18 months of the Partnership for Growth.
This is a mission where the two sectors which make up the Council for Growth will report on progress in El Salvador in the context of the Partnership for Growth and the efforts made to attract private investment both domestically and from abroad. In addition, approaches will be made to various agencies of the U.S. government and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
A fundamental aspect of the visit is to make representations to the Government of the United States and the MCC in order for the country to receive a second grant, a Fomilenio 2.
El Salvador's Government Consejo Nacional para el Crecimiento (El Salvador) House of Representatives Gobierno de los Estados Unidos Millennium Challenge Corporation Francisco de Sola Carlos Guerrero Roberto Murray Meza Francisco Javier Calleja Malaina José Roberto Dutriz Ricardo Poma Alexander Segovia Alberto Arene Secretaría Técnica de la Presidencia Gayle Smith Barack Obama Liliana Ayalde U.S. Agency for International Development Inter-American Development Bank Luis Alberto Moreno Promotion of Investment El Salvador
El Salvador United States of América
public-private partnership investment Investment economic growth policies Economic Policy Lobbying Business and Investment
Difficulties in Investing in Central America
Employers in the region are complaining about a lack of long-term development policies, and are asking for Government transparency, effectiveness and legal certainty, so that they can continue investing in the region.
During a meeting between businessmen and government called 'Expanding opportunities: promoting the private sector and job creation', entrepreneurs from different sectors shared their concerns and views on the investment climate in the region.
FOMILENIO II For El Salvador Signed
The United States will spend $277 million on investment in public infrastructure, with an additional contribution from the Salvadoran government of $88 million.
From a statement issued by The Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC):
Washington, D.C.—The Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a $277 million compact with the Government of El Salvador, the second-largest investment in Central America by the U.S.
El Salvador: Agreement for Fomilenio II
The United States Embassy in El Salvador has announced the approval of a second phase of the Millennium Challenge, through an investment of $277 million.
From a statement by the US Embassy in El Salvador:
MCC Will Sign Second Compact with El Salvador
The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will proceed to signing a second Millennium Challenge Compact with El Salvador.
El Salvador: No News is Bad News
The new government in El Salvador is keeping almost the same ministerial team as the Funes administration, ensuring the continued deterioration of the economy and lack of eligibility for investment.
Unfortunately "dedollarization" has been ruled out by the elected President Sanchez Ceren, which, as the next president lamented, implies that "you cant resort to a monetary policy." Our opinion is -on the contrary- that formal dollarization in force in El Salvador is a barrier to greater government fiscal outrages.
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12 January 2021 à 09:32
It's today and live! Don't miss UniFrance's industry day : Beyond Borders 2021
UniFrance presents the 23rd Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris
Digital Market News #2
Beyond Borders 2021 - Insights on French film export
18 French animated short films eligible for the Oscars 2021
After the US, launches temporary covid-relief support to US arthouse cinemas in Canada
23 December 2020 à 10:48
International press roundup: December 2020
UniFrance presents the book "25 ans de cinéma français à l'étranger"
28th French Film Festival in Japan
Short film awards: November 2020
MyFrenchFilmFestival.com
Anurag Kashyap, Jury member
The Indian director is a member of the Filmmakers Jury.
Anurag Kashyap directed his debut feature, Panach, in 2000. The film has still not had a theatrical release, as it has been banned by the Indian Censorship Commission. Kashyap followed this with Black Friday, a film based on the series of bomb attacks carried out in Bombay in 1993, which was selected for the Locarno International Film Festival in 2004 and awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in 2005.
In 2009, he wrote and directed Dev.D, a modern adaptation of Devdas, a novel by Sarat Chattopadhyay, and a great classic of Bengali literature. Widely considered as one of Indian cinema's revolutionary films, DevD received accolades worldwide.
After Gulal (2009), That Girl in Yellow Boots (2011), and Gangs of Wasseypur (I & II), selected for the Directors' Fortnight in 2012. Kashyap returned to Cannes in 2013, where his latest feature, Ugly, was selected for Directors' Fortnight, along with 3 films on which he acted as co-producer: The Lunchbox by Ritesh Batra (Critics' Week), and The Congress by Ari Folman (also in Directors' Fortnight). and Monsoon Shootout by Amit Kumar (Midnight Projections). Kashyap was also associated with another Cannes title, Bombay Talkies, which he co-directed with four other Indian directors, and which was selected for the Special Screenings sidebar.
Anurag Kashyap has been a member of the Juries of the 66th Venice Film Festival and the 2013 edition of Sundance. His filmography makes him an important figure of the new wave of Indian cinema, which he represents throughout the world.
Author : Manon Jessua
Latest update : 04 December 2013 à 08:41 CET
Linked to this news article
Linked films (1)
Linked individuals (1)
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Principal (music)
Find sources: "Principal" music – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The section principal in an orchestra, as well as any large musical ensemble, is the lead player for each respective section of instruments. For example, there are multiple sections in an orchestra. The strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion sections all have subsections. The first violins, second violins, violas, cellos, double basses, flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, trombones, French horns, tubas, and percussion are all subsections, each led by a principal player. The principal for each section is normally the most skilled and valuable player, selected through an audition process. [1]
The section principal demonstrates leadership not only through a high standard of playing, but also through verbal communication and body language. The role of section principal entails not only demonstrating a high standard of playing, but to be a team leader with competent people skills.[2] Principals often serve the function of verbally communicating directions from the conductor to the rest of their section. Additionally, they are in charge of deciding bowings.
During rehearsals, principals often are expected to contribute musically and technically to the music-making process by making appropriate suggestions to the tutti players. Section players look to the principal to obtain entrance cues, and orient their playing to their leader's style, dynamics, articulation, and phrasing, among others. [1]
In addition to leading the section, principal players are responsible for playing any solos written for that voice in a given musical score. The principal first violin is called the concertmaster (or "leader" in the UK) and is considered the leader of not only the string section, but of the entire orchestra, subordinate only to the conductor.
^ a b Horvath, Janet. "Team Orchestra- What Does a Section Leader Do?". www.interlude.hk. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
^ Kees Boersma, "How to be an effective orchestral section leader", The Strad, 2014-12-11
This music-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Principal_(music)&oldid=963978105"
Musical terminology
Music stubs
Articles needing additional references from August 2011
This page was last edited on 22 June 2020, at 21:55 (UTC).
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Total Price Loss Coverage
Pick a county South Dakota State Total Aurora County, South Dakota Beadle County, South Dakota Bennett County, South Dakota Bon Homme County, South Dakota Brookings County, South Dakota Brown County, South Dakota Brule County, South Dakota Buffalo County, South Dakota Butte County, South Dakota Campbell County, South Dakota Charles Mix County, South Dakota Clark County, South Dakota Clay County, South Dakota Codington County, South Dakota Corson County, South Dakota Custer County, South Dakota Davison County, South Dakota Day County, South Dakota Deuel County, South Dakota Dewey County, South Dakota Douglas County, South Dakota Edmunds County, South Dakota Fall River County, South Dakota Faulk County, South Dakota Grant County, South Dakota Gregory County, South Dakota Haakon County, South Dakota Hamlin County, South Dakota Hand County, South Dakota Hanson County, South Dakota Harding County, South Dakota Hughes County, South Dakota Hutchinson County, South Dakota Hyde County, South Dakota Jackson County, South Dakota Jerauld County, South Dakota Jones County, South Dakota Kingsbury County, South Dakota Lake County, South Dakota Lawrence County, South Dakota Lincoln County, South Dakota Lyman County, South Dakota McCook County, South Dakota McPherson County, South Dakota Marshall County, South Dakota Meade County, South Dakota Mellette County, South Dakota Miner County, South Dakota Minnehaha County, South Dakota Moody County, South Dakota Pennington County, South Dakota Perkins County, South Dakota Potter County, South Dakota Roberts County, South Dakota Sanborn County, South Dakota Shannon County, South Dakota Spink County, South Dakota Stanley County, South Dakota Sully County, South Dakota Todd County, South Dakota Tripp County, South Dakota Turner County, South Dakota Union County, South Dakota Walworth County, South Dakota Yankton County, South Dakota Ziebach County, South Dakota South Dakota NRCS
Total Price Loss Coverage payments in South Dakota totaled $154 million from 1995-2020‡.
From 1995 to 2020, the top 10 percent of Total Price Loss Coverage payment recipients were paid 64 percent of Total Price Loss Coverage recipients.
Top 1% 17% 76 $26,596,001 $349,947
Top 2% 28% 153 $42,389,477 $277,055
Top 10% 64% 765 $98,331,664 $128,538
Top 11% 66% 841 $102,070,776 $121,368
Top 14% 72% 1,071 $111,512,736 $104,120
Top 15% 74% 1,147 $114,149,253 $99,520
Remaining 80% of recips. 19% 6,120 $29,209,896 $4,773
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Chronic therapeutic brain stimulation: History, current clinical indications, and future prospects
Nrupen Baxi, Ali Rezai, Alon Y. Mogilner
First performed over 50 years ago, chronic electrical stimulation of the human brain has only recently begun to achieve its clinical potential. The dramatic benet of the technique in the treatment of severe movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), essential tremor, and dystonia, has spurred its use in a number of other disease conditions. These include epilepsy, chronic pain, and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), treatment-resistant depression, and Tourette’s syndrome, while other emerging indications await.
Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1201/b17978
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Chronic therapeutic brain stimulation: History, current clinical indications, and future prospects'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Treatment-Resistant Depressive Disorder Medicine & Life Sciences
Essential Tremor Medicine & Life Sciences
Tourette Syndrome Medicine & Life Sciences
Somatoform Disorders Medicine & Life Sciences
Dystonia Medicine & Life Sciences
Deep Brain Stimulation Medicine & Life Sciences
Movement Disorders Medicine & Life Sciences
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Medicine & Life Sciences
Baxi, N., Rezai, A., & Mogilner, A. Y. (2014). Chronic therapeutic brain stimulation: History, current clinical indications, and future prospects. In Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine (pp. 213-226). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17978
Chronic therapeutic brain stimulation : History, current clinical indications, and future prospects. / Baxi, Nrupen; Rezai, Ali; Mogilner, Alon Y.
Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine. Taylor and Francis, 2014. p. 213-226.
Baxi, N, Rezai, A & Mogilner, AY 2014, Chronic therapeutic brain stimulation: History, current clinical indications, and future prospects. in Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine. Taylor and Francis, pp. 213-226. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17978
Baxi N, Rezai A, Mogilner AY. Chronic therapeutic brain stimulation: History, current clinical indications, and future prospects. In Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine. Taylor and Francis. 2014. p. 213-226 https://doi.org/10.1201/b17978
Baxi, Nrupen ; Rezai, Ali ; Mogilner, Alon Y. / Chronic therapeutic brain stimulation : History, current clinical indications, and future prospects. Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine. Taylor and Francis, 2014. pp. 213-226
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author = "Nrupen Baxi and Ali Rezai and Mogilner, {Alon Y.}",
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booktitle = "Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine",
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AB - First performed over 50 years ago, chronic electrical stimulation of the human brain has only recently begun to achieve its clinical potential. The dramatic benet of the technique in the treatment of severe movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), essential tremor, and dystonia, has spurred its use in a number of other disease conditions. These include epilepsy, chronic pain, and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), treatment-resistant depression, and Tourette’s syndrome, while other emerging indications await.
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Personal Website for Eli Nachmany
Eli Nachmany is a Closter, NJ native
Eli Nachmany’s Homepage
Eli Nachmany is a law student in the Harvard Law School Class of 2022. He is interested in sports law and administrative law, as well as football operations and data analytics. Eli served for two years in the Trump Administration, working as the Speechwriter to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and as a domestic policy staffer in the White House Office of American Innovation. He frequently writes about law, public policy, and sports business. Eli is a Certified BBQ Judge with the Kansas City Barbeque Society.
Legal Scholarship
To Delegate or Not to Delegate: Celebrating a Scholarly Exchange About Originalism and the Nondelegation Doctrine, JOTWELL (October 7, 2020) (reviewing Ilan Wurman, Nondelegation at the Founding, 130 Yale L.J. __ (forthcoming 2020), available at SSRN), https://conlaw.jotwell.com/to-delegate-or-not-to-delegate-celebrating-a-scholarly-exchange-about-originalism-and-the-nondelegation-doctrine/.
Navigating the Separation of Powers Labyrinth in Creating an Independent Oversight Body for the NCAA, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Online (Aug. 31, 2020), https://harvardjsel.com/2020/08/navigating-the-separation-of-powers-labyrinth-in-creating-an-independent-oversight-body-for-the-ncaa/.
Legislative Hurdles and Unintended Consequences: Potential Pitfalls of Vice President Biden’s Interest in Cabinet Restructuring, U. Chi. L. Rev. Online (May 9, 2020), https://lawreviewblog.uchicago.edu/2020/05/09/biden-cabinet-enachmany/.
Note, The Senate vs. the Law: Challenging Qualification Statutes Through Senate Confirmation, 43 Harv. J.L. & Pub. Pol’y 575 (2020).
Commentary, See You in Court? How the University of Memphis and James Wiseman Defying the NCAA Has Sparked Discussion about Association Rules, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Online (Nov. 10, 2019).
Legal Blog Posts
Securing the Critical Minerals Supply Chain, Lawfare (Oct. 21, 2020), https://www.lawfareblog.com/securing-critical-minerals-supply-chain.
Life After Seila Law: The Emerging Presidential Removal Power Docket at the Supreme Court, Federalist Soc’y Blog (Sept. 23, 2020), https://fedsoc.org/commentary/fedsoc-blog/life-after-seila-law-the-emerging-presidential-removal-power-docket-at-the-supreme-court.
The Chevron Chicken and Egg Problem: A Riveting En Banc Grant in the Tenth Circuit, Yale J. on Reg.: Notice & Comment (Sept. 7, 2020), https://www.yalejreg.com/nc/the-chevron-chicken-and-egg-problem-a-riveting-en-banc-grant-in-the-tenth-circuit-by-eli-nachmany/.
“Better Than Nothing”: Supreme Court in Mazars Devises a New Four-Factor Test for Congressional Subpoenas of a President’s Personal Documents, Federalist Soc’y Blog (Jul. 13, 2020), https://fedsoc.org/commentary/fedsoc-blog/better-than-nothing-supreme-court-in-mazars-devises-a-new-four-factor-test-for-congressional-subpoenas-of-a-president-s-personal-documents.
Six More Years of Turducken: EA Sports and NFL agree to extend Madden until 2026, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Highlights (May 29, 2020), https://harvardjsel.com/2020/05/nfl-madden-extension-2026/.
Antitrust Arguments Against NFL Relocation Take a Hit as Raiders, NFL Prevail Over City of Oakland, Sports Law. Ass’n Sports L. Blog (May 11, 2020), https://blog.sportslaw.org/posts/antitrust-arguments-against-nfl-relocation-take-a-hit-as-raiders-nfl-prevail-over-city-of-oakland/.
Forced Blackout: What Contract Law Tells Us About Coronavirus and the NBA Broadcast Deals, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Highlights (Mar. 18, 2020), https://harvardjsel.com/2020/03/forced-blackout-what-contract-law-tells-us-about-coronavirus-and-the-nba-broadcast-deals/.
Lucky 7s: NFL Looks to Expand Playoffs to Seven Teams per Conference in New CBA, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Highlights (Feb. 23, 2020), https://harvardjsel.com/2020/02/lucky-7s-nfl-looks-to-expand-playoffs-to-seven-teams-per-conference-in-new-cba/.
A Wild Card Proposal: Should the NFL Get Rid of Divisions and Change its Playoff Format?, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Highlights (Dec. 15, 2019), https://harvardjsel.com/2019/12/a-wild-card-proposal-should-the-nfl-get-rid-of-divisions-and-change-its-playoff-format/.
Be Like JuJu: How NFL, MLB Players Can Best Capitalize on Latest Venture, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Highlights (Nov. 19, 2019), https://harvardjsel.com/2019/11/be-like-juju-how-nfl-mlb-players-can-best-capitalize-on-latest-venture/.
Not Yet Over the Goal Line: Understanding What Happened with the NCAA Compensation Vote and What Comes Next, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Highlights (Nov. 2, 2019), https://harvardjsel.com/2019/11/not-yet-over-the-goal-line-understanding-what-happened-with-the-ncaa-compensation-vote-and-what-comes-next/.
It’s in the Game?: EA CEO expresses interest in NCAA Football’s return, as legal questions loom, Harv. J. Sports & Ent. L. Highlights (Oct. 25, 2019), https://harvardjsel.com/2019/10/its-in-the-game-ea-ceo-expresses-interest-in-ncaa-footballs-return-as-legal-questions-loom/.
President Trump’s Forward-Thinking Federal Workforce Policy, Nat’l Rev. (Jun. 30, 2020, 2:01 PM), https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/06/president-trumps-forward-thinking-federal-workforce-policy/.
Elite Law Schools Shortchange Students by Veering Left, Nat’l Rev. (Nov. 15, 2019, 6:30 AM), https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/11/elite-law-schools-shortchange-students-by-veering-left/ (co-authored with Jacob Richards).
Movement on Income Share Agreements should be promoted, not discouraged, Des Moines Register (Oct. 1, 2019, 4:40 PM), https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/2019/10/01/movement-income-share-agreements-should-promoted-not-discouraged/3835054002/.
What’s next? The GOP has big opportunities in 2017 and beyond, Washington Examiner (Nov. 30, 2016, 11:38 AM), https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/red-alert-politics/whats-next-gop-big-opportunities-2017-beyond.
Gorsuch’s View on Regulatory Agencies Serves College Students Well, Washington Square News (Feb. 21, 2017), https://nyunews.com/2017/02/21/gorsuch-could-be-a-student-ally-not-antagonoist/.
Inside the Inauguration, Washington Square News (Jan. 23, 2017), https://nyunews.com/2017/01/23/inside-the-inauguration/.
Personal Website for Eli Nachmany, Blog at WordPress.com.
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Ctrl + ← Marriage, Divorce And White Progress
Dec. 7, 2014 , at 10:06 AM
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It’s Incredibly Rare For A Grand Jury To Do What Ferguson’s Just Did
The Most Conservative And Most Liberal Elite Law Schools
Missing records: Given the recent news about indictments (or lack thereof) in the killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, this analysis by The Wall Street Journal is particularly important. Rob Barry, Coulter Jones and Nathaniel Lash used data from 105 of the largest police agencies in the U.S., covering from 2007 to 2012, and found more than 550 police killings were either missing from the FBI’s records or not clearly attributed to the agency whose officers were involved.
White progress, quantified: Chris Rock’s recent interview in Vulture captured considerable attention, particularly his comments on President Obama and racial progress: “To say Obama is progress is saying that he’s the first black person that is qualified to be president. That’s not black progress. That’s white progress. There’s been black people qualified to be president for hundreds of years.”
Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post tried to measure whether Rock was right by using public opinion polling data on discrimination from the General Social Survey. Ingraham found that in 1990, more than 60 percent of white Americans said they would disapprove if a family member were to marry a black person. By 2008, that figure had fallen to 25 percent. Other questions that reveal a similar decline in white discrimination could be a source of optimism — if only they didn’t simultaneously point to the racist opinions still held by a considerable percentage of white Americans.
Dropping divorce rates: In a single chart, Claire Cain Miller at The New York Times laid conventional “wisdom” to rest by showing that the divorce rate is not climbing. In fact, it’s been falling for the three decades since it peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s. And no, that’s not because fewer Americans are getting married.
Second time around: Remarriage is still a big part of American life — according to Gretchen Livingston at the Pew Research Center, 4 in 10 new marriages in the U.S. include at least one partner who was married before. Because she used data from the American Community Survey, Livingston wasn’t able to look at trends among homosexual couples, but she did notice some interesting trends about the age of second spouses in heterosexual relationships: 18 percent of men who remarry have a second wife who is six to nine years younger, and 20 percent remarry a woman at least 10 years their junior.
An increasingly rare breed of Democrat: In 1960, 100 percent of governors’ mansions, U.S. senators’ seats and state legislative majorities in the South (outside of Florida and Virginia) were held by Democrats. Writing for The New York Times, Nate Cohn charts the slow and steady demise of the Southern Democrat over the past 54 years, culminating in 0 percent representation in high-profile offices in the region after Sen. Mary Landrieu’s loss in Saturday’s runoff in Louisiana.
Mo’ Muhammed?: In Britain, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) gathers data on all kinds of things, including unemployment, crime and the percentage of women who smoke while pregnant. But I’ve been told by an ONS official that its most downloaded data set (by far) is the yearly release of British baby names. So, it’s unsurprising that the website, babycentre.co.uk, was keen to publish some numbers of its own on the topic of newborn nomenclature. And it’s also not too surprising that it got them wrong. A survey issued by the site found that once you combined all the possible spellings of the name, more British newborns were called Muhammad than anything else. But using data from the ONS, George Arnett at The Guardian pointed out that the finding was flawed. If you choose to combine the number of babies called Muhammed, Muhammad, Mohammed, etc., to reach a total, then why not also combine the number of babies named Ollie and Oliver, for example? Once you do that, Arnett found, Muhammed (whichever way it’s spelled) is not the most popular baby name in the U.K.
I would add that even if Muhammed were to become the most popular baby name in the U.K., it wouldn’t necessarily indicate an enormous shift in British demographics, as some articles have subtly implied. True, immigration and family size play a role, but as we’ve pointed out, parents tend to be less creative when it comes to boys’ names. That’s particularly true of Muslim parents, for whom the name Muhammed carries a special weight.
2,158,456,394(ish): When YouTube created its view counter, it didn’t anticipated that an online video could ever reach the popularity that Psy’s “Gangnam Style” has (the Korean singer’s music video had been watched more than 2.1 billion times at the time of this writing). Lily Hay Newman at Slate writes that YouTube had to update its view counter to handle the traffic, and she explains why 32-bit integers are so problematic.
Roundup (311 posts) Ctrl + ← (71) Ctrl-Back (69) Marriage (18) Divorce (5) Chris Rock (1) Gangnam Style (1) Southern Democrats (1)
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Madison High School
Sugar-Salem High School
Things to Do in Rexburg
The 10 Worst Potholes in Rexburg
by The Dealio
City of Rexburg Prepares for Solar Eclipse
Sugar-Salem track and field coach Brett Hill on success, true coaching
by The Dealio 4 years ago 3 years ago
It was the morning of the state meet. The young, inexperienced, cross-country team from Firth High School stood at the starting line. They were dwarfed by Grangeville High School, most of whom were well-built, athletic juniors and seniors with the face and chest hair to attest to their titanic reputation.
“I looked at my kids,” Coach Brett Hill told Explore Rexburg. “They all looked like they were in fourth or fifth grade.”
Not entirely convinced of his own team’s success, Hill had nonetheless shared some inspirational quotes with his team the night before. He also showed them some magic tricks, representing that the impossible is possible.
Whether it was the pep talks, or the inspiring instruction from their coach throughout the season, that morning, the Firth boys’ cross-country team was undeterred.
“Coach, we’re going to win today,” they told him. “We’re ready. We’re going to win today.”
It was this race and these boys that taught Coach Brett Hill, current coach and teacher at Sugar-Salem High School, that you don’t coach an athlete. You coach the mind.
The legacy of Brett Hill
Brett Hill comes from a successful, athletic background himself. He attended and graduated from Malad High School where he was heavily involved in sports, in particular excelling as a wrestler and a runner.
He also went on to run for four years at Utah State, as a steeplechaser, along with his friend and teammate Darren Scott.
“Utah State saw something in us,” Hill says. “We were underdeveloped, we weren’t running a lot of miles, we weren’t heavily trained. They brought us in and the two of us had a really good career.”
“That’s kind of their recipe and their formula there,” he added. “Find kids from small schools with untapped potential.”
In 1986, Hill furthered his athletic career when he made the Pan American team, and made some national qualifying marks in the steeplechase.
“It was pretty neat to don a U.S.A. uniform and travel with the U.S.A. team,” Hill said.
But the legacy of Brett Hill deepened when he decided to go into teaching, and especially coaching. He coached for a few years at Rich High School outside of Bear Lake before moving up to coach at Firth High School for seventeen years.
As his children graduated high school and moved on to college at BYU-Idaho, Hill and his wife followed them up and he found himself at home upon his arrival at Sugar-Salem High School, where he teaches math and is head coach of track and field.
“I think Sugar’s almost the perfect-sized school,” Hill says. “Firth was a little small. I also went and taught at Madison for one year, and I found that was almost too large. Sugar is the perfect fit in between. I has all the programs my kids could ever want and need, plus there’s still a lot of the personal feel.”
For Hill, the relationship between the teachers and students is just as important as the opportunities for the kids to participate in programs.
“My formula for success is making a program that is conducive to bring kids to it,” Hill says. “Some kids come out for the social aspect, some kids come out because they want to be competitive. And when you get numbers out, you will find those diamonds in the rough.”
With the opportunities and the more personal relationship between teacher and student at Sugar, Hill has developed, as he did at Rich and Firth, a competitive program. He is optimistic about possibly bringing home state banners for both the boys’ and the girls’ teams. And with Hill’s record of a career 35 state championships, we can realistically expect the same out of his runners.
“When I was at Firth, I always looked at the Sugar crew and thought, ‘Wow, what a stellar group of kids,’” Hill says. “They were clean-cut, they were hardworking kids, and they always had a lot of talent.”
“I always thought, ‘Man, if I go somewhere, that would be a good place to go,’” he added.
A good thing going
Brett Hill says he doesn’t know what happened that morning when the Firth kids competed at State, but his runners pulled off a huge upset. It would be the first of many state titles that team would win throughout their career.
“They developed that attitude of belief in themselves,” Hill says, reflecting on that day. “They were the ones that taught me it’s far more important to believe than to actually train. I mean, you’ve got to do both. But that intrinsic belief is so important.”
Between the sturdy programs, the great support from the parents, and especially the kids he coaches, Hill says he is happy at Sugar-Salem. And he plans to continue what he has been doing.
“We’ve got a good thing going here,” he acknowledged. “I love teaching. I love coaching. You know how when you serve, what you feel like? That’s what I get to feel every day.”
Sugar-Salem High School, Sugar-Salem Sports
Local high school student promotes kindness campaign
Sugar-Salem basketball camp to start next week
This week: Madison and Sugar-Salem Varsity Baseball (4/30 – 5/5)
This week: Madison and Sugar Varsity Baseball (4/23 – 4/28)
This week: Madison and Sugar Varsity Baseball (4/2-4/7)
99 Date Ideas
7 fun winter activities to do in Rexburg
4 hot springs near Rexburg you must visit
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100 Hikes within 100 Miles of Rexburg
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AIRBOY : the French edition
Posted byIzod January 15, 2016 Posted inUncategorized
Writing comics or creating ludicrous illustrations doesn’t monopolize all my time. I also do production work as an “OMAC” (One Man Army Corps, the Kirby fans got the ref) in the publishing and press fields. As part of that other side of me, I just wrapped translating and re-lettering the Image Comics mini Airboy, by James Robinson and Greg Hinkle.
It’s not the first time I’m doing that. That way (from English to French) or the other way (French to English). In the past, I’ve worked on the english version of Badass (Delcourt in France, Dynamite in the US) and a Mad Max Special that DC Comics produced for the Warner Bros special edition DVD/BluRay of Fury Road. I was also very much involved with all the titles imported from the States by the now defunct Atlantic BD line.
As a matter of fact, it’s what led me to translate and re-letter Airboy.
Moïse Kissous, Jungle Comics’ boss (and late Atlantic BD founder) wrote me back last summer. He wanted to do American comics again. I suggested Airboy which just came out at that time. Getting the license and the material took a while, but it finally happened and I spent a few days working on that local edition. This is something I really like to do.
Especially with Airboy. I absolutely love it. I was never a fan of James Robinson, but with this series, he won me over. It’s crude, brutally honest and introspective to a fault.
It’s not your regular comic book. It really came from another reality. And that’s why everyone should read it.
It gives a lot of information on what it is to be a writer in today’s competitive comic book industry. All of it with humor and lots of illegal stuff (lol). I’m very proud that the French audience can now discover it and that I have a small part in that.
The French edition from Jungle comes out in April. The US version is still available at a comic shop near you.
ONE-HIT WONDER LIVES!
#TEASETHURSDAY
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Andie MacDowell - Film & Theater Personalities, Career and Facts
Home › American › Andie MacDowellApril 21, 1958156 views
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Rosalie Anderson MacDowell, who is popularly known as Andie MacDowell, is an American model and actress
Famous Film & Theater Personalities, Actresses
City/State South Carolina
Spouses Paul Qualley (m. 1986–1999), Rhett Hartzog (m. 2001–2004)
Childrens Margaret Qualley
Birth Place Gaffney, South Carolina, United States
Father Johnston
Mother Pauline
Sun Sign Taurus
Born in Gaffney, South Carolina, United States
Famous as Actress
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Who is Andie MacDowell?
Rosalie Anderson MacDowell, who is popularly known as Andie MacDowell, is an American model and actress. She became known for her role in the 1989 movie ‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’, an award winning American drama film that revolutionized the independent film movement in the early 1990s. Later she acted in ‘Shortcuts’ and the romantic hit movie ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ which helped her rise to popularity. She has also appeared in ‘Cedar Cove’, a well-known American-Canadian drama television series focusing on the professional and personal life of a Municipal Court Judge named Olivia Lockhart. As a model, she has worked for Calvin Klein Inc., a prestigious fashion house founded by the renowned fashion designer Calvin Klein. Since 1986, she has also been the spokeswoman for L’Oréal, a cosmetics company of French origin, known to be the world’s largest. Some of her recent acting assignments include ‘Jane by Design’ an American comedy TV series in which she played a major role. The show was based on the life of Jane Quimby, a schoolgirl mistaken for an adult, which gets her working in her dream job with a world famous fashion designer. Later MacDowell appeared in ‘Magic Mike XXL’, a 2015 American comedy drama film.
Andie MacDowell was born on 21 April 1958 in Gaffney, South Carolina, the United States. Her father Marion St. Pierre MacDowell worked as a lumber executive, and her mother Pauline Johnston as a music teacher. She hails from a family of mixed ancestry, including English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and French heritages.
She attended Winthrop University, a liberal arts university located in South Carolina. Being from a humble background, she had to support herself with minimum wage jobs during her college years. After two years, she decided to drop out after she managed to be spotted by a model agency and signed a contract.
Andie MacDowell began her modeling career with L’Oreal and Calvin Klein Inc. among other reputed brands. Her modeling assignments soon led her to the world of acting.
She made her film debut with a role in ‘Greystoke-The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes’, a 1984 British adventure film which was directed by Hugh Hudson. The film was based on the novel ‘Tarzan of the Apes’, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The film starred also renowned actors such as Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm, James Fox and Cheryl Campbell.
She rose to popularity after her role in ‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’, a 1989 American film that was based on the story of a man who filmed women discussing their sexuality. It also tells the stories of married couples whose relationships are impacted because of him.
Andie MacDowell later appeared in a lead role in the award winning film ‘Short Cuts’, a 1993 comedy-drama film, which was directed by Robert Altman. The film tells several stories which are centered on the topics of death and infidelity.
In 1994, MacDowell appeared in a major role in the award winning British romantic comedy ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral.’ The film was directed by Mike Newell. It focuses on the emotional adventures of a man named Charles and his circle of friends, as each of them encounters romance in their lives.
Andie MacDowell also acted in a lot of other successful films in the 1990s. They include ‘Bad Girls’ (1994), ‘Multiplicity’ (1996), ‘The End of Violence’ (1997) and ‘Just the Ticket’ (1999).
She has also appeared in a few television programs, the most recent one being the American-Canadian TV series ‘Cedar Cove’ (2013-15). The show was about Olivia Lockhart, a Municipal Court Judge, whose role was played by MacDowell. The show, based on a novel by Debbie Macomber, focuses on Lockhart’s personal and professional life, as well as the lives of the townsfolk surrounding her.
Some of her more recent works include ‘Breaking at the Edge’ (2013) and ‘Magic Mike XXL’ (2015).
*‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’, a 1989 American independent film which was directed by Steven Soderbergh, was the first significant work of Andie MacDowell’s career. The story is about a man who films women while they discuss their sexuality, and how he impacts the relationships of married couples.
The film not only won the ‘Palme d’Or’ the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival, but it also revolutionized the independent film movement of the early 1990s. It received mostly mixed reviews.
*‘Short Cuts’, an American comedy-drama which was released in 1993, is also regarded as an important work in MacDowell’s career. The film, which was directed by Robert Altman, was actually inspired by nine short stories as well as a poem by Raymond Carver.
In addition to MacDowell, the film also starred actors such as Matthew Modine, Julianne Moore, Fred Ward, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Penn. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. The cast was awarded a Special Golden Globe Award for their ensemble acting. At the Venice Film festival, the film was awarded with the prestigious Golden Lion and the Volpi Cup as well, for the Best Ensemble Cast.
‘Magic Mike XXL’ a 2015 American drama film, is the most recent significant work of Andie MacDowell. The film was a commercial success, and it grossed a worldwide total of $122.5 million, against a budget of $14.8 million. It received mostly mixed reviews from critics.
Along with her fellow actors, Andie MacDowell won the Golden Globe Special Ensemble Cast Award for the movie 1993 movie ‘Shortcuts.’
Andie MacDowell married Paul Qualley in 1986. They had a son and two daughters, Justin, Rainey and Sarah. The couple split up in 1999.
Later in 2001 she married her childhood friend Rhett Hartzog with whom she split up in 2004.
She got engaged to businessman Kevin Geagan in 2006. However, they split up later.
// Famous American
Andie MacDowell awards
1994 Short Cuts (1993) Winner
Andie MacDowell biography timelines
// 21st Apr 1958
// 1986 To 1999
// Taurus Celebrities
Andie MacDowell's FAQ
What is Andie MacDowell birthday?
Andie MacDowell was born at 1958-04-21
Where is Andie MacDowell's birth place?
Andie MacDowell was born in Gaffney, South Carolina, United States
What is Andie MacDowell nationalities?
Andie MacDowell's nationalities is American
Who is Andie MacDowell spouses?
Andie MacDowell's spouses is Paul Qualley (m. 1986–1999), Rhett Hartzog (m. 2001–2004)
Who is Andie MacDowell childrens?
Andie MacDowell's childrens is Margaret Qualley
How tall is Andie MacDowell?
Andie MacDowell's height is 173
Who is Andie MacDowell's father?
Andie MacDowell's father is Johnston
Who is Andie MacDowell's mother?
Andie MacDowell's mother is Pauline
What is Andie MacDowell's sun sign?
Andie MacDowell is Taurus
How famous is Andie MacDowell?
Andie MacDowell is famouse as Actress
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Home News & Update English Man Killed At Wedding Procession
Man Killed At Wedding Procession
In Hapur a wedding turns tragic when an open fire took place, killing a man and injuring four others, including a minor. The incident that took place on Sunday witnessed armed assailants opened fire at the ceremony killing Sudheer. The victim was attending a relative’s wedding when multiple masked men entered the venue and opened fire, police said. According to them, Sudheer was allegedly the target of the attack.
Hapur Superintendent of Police Sanjiv Suman said, “We received information that there was an attack during a wedding ceremony and that one person had succumbed to injuries. Chaos ensued after the firing at the function. Three injured people are out of danger while the minor continues to be critical. The victim had appeared as a witness in a prosecution case where his testimony aided the conviction of the accused. The case had been filed in Faridabad itself. Prima-facie, it appears that the accused in this case have a connection from that court case since Sudheer was the only target. We are trying to ascertain further details".
According to the police, the wedding procession had left from Faridabad to Nangla Udayrampur in Hapur. A part of the wedding formalities were taking place inside the pandal when the gunmen entered and opened fire.
The police are yet to determine if the shooting was carried out by the accused on bail or hitmen allegedly hired by them. A family member from the bride's side Dharam Singh who was present at the occasion said: "During the 'Vidai' function, some miscreants opened fire at the groom's side. A person called Sudheer died in the incident. There must have been six to seven bullet wounds on his body."
Injured persons have been admitted to hospital and further investigation is on in the matter.
Pre Wedding Photoshoot Of Indian Couple In A Mud Pool Takes Twitter By Storm
Violation Of Celebratory Firing At Wedding: Photographer Shot Dead
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An IoT botnet is partly behind Friday's massive DDOS attack
Malware that can build botnets out of IoT devices is at least partly responsible for a massive distributed denial-of-service attack that disrupted U.S. internet traffic on Friday, according to network security companies.
Since Friday morning, the assault has been disrupting access to popular websites by flooding a DNS service provider called Dyn with an overwhelming amount of internet traffic.
Some of that traffic has been observed coming from botnets created with the Mirai malware that is estimated to have infected over 500,000 devices, according to Level 3 Communications, a provider of internet backbone services.
About 10 percent of those Mirai infected devices are participating in Friday's DDOS attack, said Dale Drew, the company's chief security office in Periscope livestream. However, other botnets are also partaking in the attack, he added.
DDOS attacks and botnets are nothing new. However, the Mirai malware appears especially worrisome for its awesome power. An attack on the website of cybersecurity Brian Krebs last month managed to deliver 665Gbps of traffic to Kreb's site, making it one of the largest DDOS attacks ever recorded.
Unlike other botnets that rely on PCs, the Mirai malware targets internet-connected devices such as cameras and DVRs that have weak default passwords, making them easy to infect. Adding to the worry is that the developer behind Mirai has released the malware's source code to the hacker community.
Security firm Flashpoint said it has been able to confirm that some of the Mirai-infected machines involved in Friday's attack are DVRs.
The botnets participating in Friday's assault, however, are separate and distinct from those used to take down Kreb's website back In September, the security firm said.
Both Level 3 and Flashpoint have said copycat hackers have been trying to exploit the Mirai code since it was publicly released.
Friday's attack is still ongoing, according to Dyn. Its engineers are trying to mitigate "several attacks" aimed at its infrastructure. The company has also reportedly said that the DDOS attacks are coming from "tens of millions of IP addresses at the same time."
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/31340...os-attack.html
norival1992 - 07-13-2017, 02:21 PM
We already know at least one method the hackers are using. According to security intelligence firm Flashpoint, their researchers have observed a Mirai botnet attacking Dyn. A significant proportion of the DDoS attack traffic targeting Dyn is being sourced from compromised IoT devices participating in Mirai botnets.
carlosramirezr04 - 12-20-2017, 06:05 PM
leenguyen - 01-23-2018, 09:17 AM
Who did this?
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Zentralbureau (Russia)
From GAMEO
Zentralbureau was the executive body and office of the Bureau der Molotschnaer Mennonitischen Vereinigung. It was referred to as Mennozentrum.
Cornelius Krahn
Krahn, Cornelius. "Zentralbureau (Russia)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 17 Jan 2021. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zentralbureau_(Russia)&oldid=96935.
Krahn, Cornelius. (1959). Zentralbureau (Russia). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 17 January 2021, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zentralbureau_(Russia)&oldid=96935.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1139. All rights reserved.
©1996-2021 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
Retrieved from "https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zentralbureau_(Russia)&oldid=96935"
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Etherborn Review
by Justin McKay July 23, 2019
Etherborn is a new title brought to you by Altered Matter. It has garnered up enough anticipation for its release, and I can see why. Etherborn is an experience. I can happily say that when playing it, whatever was going on in the real world at the time, I didn’t know about it. I was that immersed in the first playthrough.
It plays like an M.C. Escher piece. At one moment, you’re walking along a pathway with a wall to your side, then you walk up a ramp and your character is now walking along that same wall as if it were the floor. It isn’t a camera trick as gravity affects your positioning. What was a safe area can now result in you falling to your death. Well, you can’t die for good, but you can trigger a respawn. Etherborn is a mixed breed of environmental platformer meets puzzle game. Your character doesn’t articulate or have any distinguishing features. They are a sentient being, driven by a voice who narrates their path as if in a dream.
The star of the game is the environment. And the puzzles, of course. These landscapes are simply stunning, and you can explore almost any part of them through a series of deceptive angles and interaction with objects that change your position on the 3D stage.
I said at the beginning that Etherborn is an experience, but that explanation doesn’t do it justice. I believe it’s something you need to explore for yourself rather than be told by someone else – hence the lack of story in the game. There is one present, and it refers to humanity, but I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself.
Your physical goal in the game is to obtain orbs of light to place on switches and unlock new areas. These switches release new platforms for you to progress on your journey. There is a tree of life theme that is the hub of the game. Each time you complete a level, you will unlock another area that appears in the shape of an orb and located on that very same tree.
While somewhat ethereal at times, it’s a puzzle game at heart, and there are no pointers on what to do next – you need to explore and figure it out. Perhaps that’s what you’re looking for, and for me, a lot of the time I enjoyed it. There are moments when your brain packs up, and you just aimlessly stare at the screen, walking around plateaus numerous times and trying to figure out how to get to the other side. It got to the point where I didn’t know what to do. I would attempt to jump off platforms or apparent gaps, carelessly believing that was the way forward. Clearly, it wasn’t, but I spent plenty of time wandering around. The solution’s usually apparent once you know it, but most things are easy when you already know the answer.
The visuals aren’t next generation high-res imagery, but the scenes are just gorgeous. They are vibrant and enticing – the opening of the game where you begin in a pool of water sets the mood immediately. I found myself just walking around the levels just for fun. They aren’t limitless open worlds, but with the added twist of gravity shifting, it opens up new opportunities. It reminds me a little of Fez to some degree.
The camera follows the protagonist pretty well but sometimes has a mind of its own. There are a few moments when it doesn’t keep up or seems to stray, and you have to use the right analogue stick to balance it out. It corrects it well though – things have improved since Super Mario 64 and getting stuck behind a tree.
Other than the narrator, there isn’t any additional dialogue, nor are there overpowering sound effects. Instead, it is the music that matches the visuals and carries the game forward. When experiencing your surroundings, the music is calm and relaxing. When wandering around aimlessly, the music maintains that calm and prevents you from throwing a tantrum because you don’t know what to do next. Well, that’s my excuse.
To get ahead in this game, you have to look at things differently and not on face value. I’m not teaching you a moral lesson on life but just about perception with each level. The time I spent on some areas for it just to be a case of jumping off a ledge then flipping the whole level around was annoying. That’s on me and my limited thinking though, not the game design.
There are a lot of decent physics-based puzzle games out there, and the Switch is suited to this genre – especially with the Joy-Cons and portable play. Etherborn doesn’t make use of this the way it could, but then again, it isn’t a Switch exclusive but a multi-platform release.
Developer: Altered Matter
Publisher: Altered Matter
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch
I'm not entirely sure if 'people' created Etherborn or not. It's so out there, so genius in its design, that I would encourage taking your time with this game. The solutions aren't always intuitive, and that can be a little frustrating as sometimes you just want to progress. But generally speaking, this is an enigmatic puzzler worth experiencing.
Justin McKay
Absolutely gorgeous environments
Genius level design
Calming and stimulating soundtrack
Problem-solving using physics
The narrative is not entirely captivating
Character animation a little simple
Puzzles can be quite frustrating
8.0 4.00 5
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San Francisco “Poop Patrollers” Making $185,000
San Francisco, California is not the city portrayed on the television show Full House. It is a city of debauchery, sodomy and crap, literally. Now, because the city has decriminalized public urination and defecation, they are spending $1 million to clean it up by paying a limited amount of workers $185,000 per year to clean up poop.
We previously reported that the city was receiving some 20,000 complaints about feces in public.
They even lost a major medical convention over the issue.
Then the mayor came out with a brilliant method of dealing with it.
London Breed is the newly elected Mayor of San Francisco and though she knows the problem exists, she has a very odd way of trying to deal with it.
Her plan? Ask the city’s estimated 7,500 vagrants to kindly stop with all the street-squatting and clean up after themselves.
As was reported earlier:
When pressed about whether her plan calls for harsher penalties against those who litter or defecate on city streets, Breed said “I didn’t express anything about a penalty.” Instead, the mayor said she has encouraged nonprofits “to talk to their clients, who, unfortunately, were mostly responsible for the conditions of our streets.” –NBC Bay Area
“I work hard to make sure your programs are funded for the purposes of trying to get these individuals help, and what I am asking you to do is work with your clients and ask them to at least have respect for the community — at least, clean up after themselves and show respect to one another and people in the neighborhood,” Breed told NBC, referencing her conversations with nonprofit groups aimed at serving the homeless.
Now, it looks like instead of those pooping in the streets cleaning up their own mess, taxpayers will pay to clean up the crap to the tune of $185,000 per worker.
Breed has announced the “poop patrol” for San Francisco. Now, this should come as no surprise to a city that houses open sodomites who engage their bodies constantly with human waste, but for some of us, not only is the problem of human feces on the streets an issue, but so is robbing taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean it up rather than dealing with those who do it.
“We’re spending a lot of money to address this problem,” Breed said.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
San Francisco Public Works has a $72.5 million-a-year street cleaning budget — including spending $12 million a year on what essentially have become housekeeping services for homeless encampments.
The costs include $2.8 million for a Hot Spots crew to wash down the camps and remove any biohazards, $2.3 million for street steam cleaners, $3.1 million for the Pit Stop portable toilets, plus the new $830,977-a-year Poop Patrol to actively hunt down and clean up human waste.
(By the way, the poop patrolers earn $71,760 a year, which swells to $184,678 with mandated benefits.)
Sh*tty policies lead to sh*tty consequences. Just like Mayor de Blasio and the NY Crazy Council, San Francisco thought it was a good idea to decriminalize public urination and defecation. Now they have to spend nearly $1M to clean up poop. https://t.co/pjWNCVwMVO
— Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) August 14, 2018
Wouldn’t it just be cheaper and cleaner to rent port-a-johns? Maybe that’s me, but honestly one would think people would have enough decency to find a public restroom and relieve themselves, but not in the city of Sodom.
On top of that, the San Francisco Chronicle adds:
At the same time, the Department of Public Health has an additional $700,000 set aside for a 10-member, needle cleanup squad, complete with it’s [sic] own minivan. The $19-an-hour needle cleanup jobs were approved as part of the latest budget crafted largely by former Mayor Mark Farrell.
Again, if that is a public health hazard, why are people not being held accountable? Perhaps it’s due to the entire wickedness of the city? People are just fine with lawlessness and tyranny in their town and now it’s being turned into a literal dung pile.
Article posted with permission from Sons Of Liberty Media
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Home Agriculture
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Non Government Organizations - MIL OSI
MIL-OSI NGOs: We must protect those defending the land and environment in Colombia
Source: Amnesty International –
The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined the vital importance of the home as a space in which we can evolve and feel safe. It has also, however, highlighted the situation of millions of people for whom their home is, paradoxically, the most insecure place for them.
This includes people living in some of Colombia’s most natural resource-rich areas. For them, defending their homes has become a lethal activity.
According to the most recent information from Global Witness, Colombia is the world’s most dangerous country for human rights defenders. For those defending rights to land, territory and the environment, the situation is even worse.
Their demand is simple: to live in peace in their home. But, for them, that home is not a physical space with a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen; it is their territory, with its rivers, forests, plants and animals.
This territory is also their hospital, where they find healing for their physical and psychological wounds. It is their sacred temple, used for rituals and to connect with deities. It is their supermarket, because the land gives them their food. And it is where friendships are forged, because everyone sees themselves as part of the same environment.
According to the most recent information from Global Witness, Colombia is the world’s most dangerous country for human rights defenders
Afro-descendant, indigenous and rural farming communities exercise collective ownership of the land and territory and it is they that are defending the resources that keep our planet – and us – breathing.
“The Amazon is important to me because it’s my home but it’s also home to many others. Those who don’t live in the Amazon are still linked to it, even if they don’t know it, because it helps them breath, it is one of the lungs of the planet,” defender Jani Silva told me as we sailed down the Putumayo River.
And yet the natural wealth that offers them a way of life on the land is, paradoxically, the very thing that is putting them in most danger because armed groups and businesses want to exploit it and unscrupulous authorities are failing in their duty to protect them.
Over the last year I’ve had a chance to meet many people who, like Jani, have been putting their lives on the line to defend their home and the environment for decades. Their stories have been captured in Amnesty International’s new report “Why do they want to kill us?”
Many of them have paid a high price for their courageous work. Jani, for example, had to leave her community in 2018 because of constant threats and attacks from armed groups that invaded her territory following the departure of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after the signing of the Peace Agreement in 2016.
But these threats have made her even stronger and more determined.
“No one’s going to stop me,” she says. “As long as there are abuses in the territory, I’ll keep denouncing them. One day, I’ll be able to go home.”
Jani’s story of pain and courage is repeated across the country.
Danelly Estupiñán, who defends the rights of Afro-descendant communities in the western city of Buenaventura, has also had to leave her home because of the threats she has suffered.
She says the attacks are in retaliation for her opposition to several infrastructure projects in this large port city. Fighting for recognition of the ancestral rights of Afro-descendant communities puts her in danger. The authorities have provided her with bodyguards but Danelly says that is not enough. What is needed, she says, is for the state to address the structural causes of violence against the communities.
“These protective measures don’t mitigate the risk because the attacks aren’t really aimed at me, they’re aimed at the work I do. Anyone doing the same work would suffer the same attacks,” Danelly explains.
In other areas of Colombia, including those where coca is grown and where the armed conflict is ongoing, the situation is even worse.
María Ciro, a human rights defender I met in Catatumbo, in the east of the country, explains that the region’s communities live not only with the threat of armed groups and the army, but also with a lack of humanitarian aid from the government, which prevents them from finding viable substitutes for their illicit crops.
“People have taken refuge in their homes, which means they can’t work in the fields or obtain food to eat,” María told me.
People like María, who are working to defend these people, are stigmatized by the perception that rural farmers are linked to drug trafficking.
Colombia is a country of paradoxes. On the one hand, it has some of the highest standards and the most protocols and institutions protecting human rights defenders, but at the same time more people are killed there than anywhere else for trying to protect the land and environment
Indigenous community leaders also spoke to me about the attacks against them.
Mauro Chipiaje, an indigenous community leader from the Meta region, told me that once they were able to return to their territory in 2015, after decades of displacement, they realized that the environment had been destroyed and that other people were taking over. Today, they are fighting to get their homes and their lives back.
Colombia is a country of paradoxes. On the one hand, it has some of the highest standards and the most protocols and institutions protecting human rights defenders, but at the same time more people are killed there than anywhere else for trying to protect the land and environment.
One problem is that the authorities are not listening to the communities about the protective measures they need. Another is our apathy and failure to understand that all those who defend the land, territory and environment are protecting not only their own homes, but the very nature that keeps all of us on this planet alive.
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Fernando Ravsberg Opinion
Cuba’s Citizens Freer Movement
December 1, 2011 December 3, 2011 Circles Robinson 1 Comment
Fernando Ravsberg
Cubans boarding a train. (Photo: Raquel Perez)
HAVANA TIMES, Dic 1 — The recent reform of the law that limited migration from the provinces to the capital seems a step in the right direction, though it still doesn’t completely respond to the spirit of the constitution entitling Cubans to live wherever they see fit.
In any case, we have to recognize that it’s far more flexible than the previous law, whose application is said to have led to the deportation of tens of thousands of citizens [from Havana] back to their places of origin, mostly in the eastern provinces.
The memories I have of those days are not fond ones. I recall running from here to there trying to cover stories about the eviction of “illegal” families. In the outlying Diezmero neighborhood, residents protested and the police backed off, though not after leaving behind a kicked-in door, furniture lying out in the rain and children crying.
“They say we’re illegal, but we’re not illegal in our own country,” explained distraught community members. I thought they were right, legally and morally, because those who come from the eastern provinces are the grandchildren of the men and women who fought most forcefully against the Batista dictatorship.
It’s logical for a government to try to achieve a balance between the populations of the cities and the countryside, the social consequences of uncontrolled migration can be seen in any stroll through the favelas throughout Brazil, the cantegriles in Uruguay or the callampas of Chile.
Still, even granting this need for balance, repression never provides lasting results. It only attacks the effects, leaving intact the initial social problems that gave rise to them. The government can “repatriate” thousands, but they’ll return if the living conditions in the provinces are not improved.
The majority will have less and cheaper immigration paperwork. Photo: Raquel Perez
Very few people would even initiate such migratory adventures if they could find comparable opportunities in their places of origin.
A good example would be the Varadero beach resort; no one wants to migrate to the capital from there, despite it being a provincial town.
The Right to Travel Abroad
Cubans are also hoping for a new policy with regard to foreign travel, one with procedures that are more flexible, cheaper and rational. Above all, people want to see a policy based on rights expressed and codified in the law rather than the discretionary authority of officials armed with semi-secret regulations.
It’s said that some regulations will disappear, such as the requirement for a “letter of invitation,” through which a foreigner — even if they are a criminal, as long as they’re foreign — must become a type of guardian of a Cuban who wishes to travel.
Odds have it that we will also see the elimination of the permiso de salida (exit permit), which currently gives the government the right to decide whether citizens can travel. In the future, control would be realized using a computer program, a tool that’s more effective than the endless paperwork presently required.
It’s speculated that the majority of Cubans will be issued a passport that will “enable” them to leave the country at any time, while those in the military and other very specific groups will be required to go through the old procedures.
The issue of Cuban professionals will be much debated in the search for solutions that combine the individual interests of university graduates with the collective economic needs of the society that provided them training.
The state doesn’t want to lose its professionals after paying for the costs of their education; but then too, no college degree should become a life sentence, no matter how strategic the knowledge of a person.
Cubans migratory movements will be controlled by computers. Photo: Raquel Perez
It seems that the most likely option will be to ask medical professionals — doctors included — to work for a minimum amount of time in Cuba to compensate the nation for what it has afforded them, after which time they will be free to come and go like any other citizen.
Another important step being debated is the possibility of minors traveling abroad temporarily. Up until now, children and adolescents have only been able to leave Cuba if their parents were permanently emigrating.
This is a sensitive issue because what’s still vivid in the minds of many Cubans is the memory of “Operation Peter Pan”, through which the US government, the anti-Castro opposition and the Catholic Church airlifted 14,000 children from of the country without their parents.
Travel restrictions in Cuba exist within the context of the 50-year confrontation with the United States. In fact, Washington continues to maintain specific policies to encourage the emigration of Cuban doctors serving in other nations.
It’s true that the revolution is not only what its leaders decide it should be; it’s also what its enemies force it to be. Still, it’s all something quite different from trying to convince Cuban citizens that immigration policy is necessary to prevent air-traffic congestion around the world.[*]
A Havana Times translation of the Spanish original published by BBC Mundo.
[* – “If the entire world’s 6 billion inhabitants could travel wherever they wanted, air-traffic congestion would be enormous…” replied the president of the Cuban National Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon, responding to a question in 2008 concerning the right of Cubans to travel.]
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One thought on “Cuba’s Citizens Freer Movement”
Julio de la Yncera
Also very important is the right for Cubans who are outside Cuba to return as they like and to simply come and go as is normal in any other country for any Cuban. The government should have never restricted migration of people in any way also the elimination of all the fees charge to come and go and of visiting family members. Immigration should never be a cash cow for any government. It should be in line with the rest or the majority of the international community.
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Ranking the 50 worst Premier League transfers of all time
257dBill Barnwell
Last-gasp strike earns Lille win against Reims
Bill BarnwellESPN Staff Writer
Bill Barnwell is a staff writer for ESPN.com.
Having looked over 28 years of transfer data for my list of the 100 best Premier League transfers -- 100-51 here and 50-1 here -- it is time to go in the opposite direction. Say goodbye to Thierry Henry and hello to Bebe. It's time for the 50 worst transfers in Premier League history.
Ranking the best Premier League transfers of all time: 50-1
Ranking the best Premier League transfers of all time: 100-51
Top free agents in 2020: Cavani, Willian, Giroud, Silva lead the way
I tried to keep the rules for determining the worst transfer simple. In short, I wanted to measure the impact a player had on a club versus the impact he would have been expected to have when he signed originally. I paid special attention to anyone whose story or impact off the pitch was particularly notable. And while I considered only a player's performance as a Premier Leaguer in the best transfers piece, in this feature I factored in what he did after relegation if it continued to make the transfer look worse, most notably with anyone whose wages continued to drag down his team.
One more note: All the transfer values in this column are from Transfermarkt. Some of that data might be at odds with what was publicly reported at the time.
Eric Djemba-Djemba (Manchester United) is the patron saint of these sorts of lists, but I really think it's more about his name than anything else. The Cameroonian cost only £4.1 million when he was signed by United in 2003, and as a 22-year-old, he was more of a prospect than a realistic replacement for Roy Keane. If he were named Eric Stevens and arrived from Bradford City, Djemba-Djemba would not get the same sort of attention he has since leaving United.
Several strikers who flamed out in a short time span miss out, including Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Norwich City), Jozy Altidore (Sunderland) and Andreas Cornelius (Cardiff City).
I'm not quite prepared to rule on most of the transfer flops of the 2019-20 campaign given the unique position we find ourselves in because of the coronavirus outbreak, so Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham) Joelinton (Newcastle) and Moise Kean (Everton) get a pass, at least for now.
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Some of the Premier League's worst-ever transfers are truly hard to explain. ESPN.com Illustration
50. Marcelino, DF, Newcastle
Signed from Real Mallorca (Spain) for £6 million, 1999
At a time when English football was still relatively insular and distrustful of foreign players, Marcelino became the caricature of what could go wrong if a team dared look outside the British Isles for talent. The Spain international couldn't stay healthy early in his tenure on Tyneside, and after Ruud Gullit was sacked, Sir Bobby Robson simply didn't trust him.
Having developed a reputation as a "bottler," he spent four years with the club but played just 17 matches, including zero across his final two years in the Premier League. While Marcelino helped Rafa Benitez prepare for his time managing Newcastle and returned to watch his old team play, supporters still asked about the finger injury that cost the defender more than two months on the sideline.
49. Dennis Wise, MF, Leicester City
Signed from Chelsea for £3.2 million, 2001
Signed as a 35-year-old to replace Neil Lennon in midfield, Wise immediately presided over Leicester's relegation from the Premier League. He then showed up to training camp the next summer in Finland and punched teammate Callum Davidson in a card game spat, breaking the Scottish player's cheekbone. The punch cost Wise the £3m remaining on his Leicester deal and is likely the best thing he ever did for the club, which soon entered administration.
48. Park Chu-Young, FW, Arsenal
Signed from Monaco (France) for £5.9 million, 2011
The South Korea international was one of several signings Arsene Wenger seemed to make in a panic at the end of the 2011 summer transfer window, just days after his club had been ripped to shreds in an 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford.
While the club signed future manager Mikel Arteta and academy boss Per Mertesacker, they also added overmatched left-back Andre Santos and striker Park over the two-day span, with the latter leaving his hotel in the middle of a medical with French side Lille to sign for the Gunners. While Santos had his own issues, Park played a total of eight minutes in the Premier League over two-plus seasons with the club.
47. Milton Nunez, FW, Sunderland
Signed from PAOK Salonika (Greece) for £2.4 million, 2000
Also known as Tyson Nunez, the Honduran made just one substitute appearance during his time on Wearside, which is fitting for a player whom Sunderland signed by accident. Sunderland manager Peter Reid was reportedly attempting to sign 6-foot-0 future MetroStars striker Adolfo Valencia to his team, but he mistakenly ended up with 5-foot-4 Nunez instead.
The whole situation ended up in a lawsuit, although Nunez wasn't totally sidelined during his time with the Black Cats. He scored a brace in a 3-2 Honduras road win at RFK Stadium against the U.S., which was the last World Cup qualifier the U.S. lost on home soil for 15 years.
46. Yannick Bolasie, FW, Everton
Signed from Crystal Palace for £26 million, 2016
While Everton's recruitment in the Farhad Moshiri era has been inconsistent at best, few would have argued with the signing of the 27-year-old Bolasie from Crystal Palace when it happened. Sadly, the winger tore his ACL months after arriving and hasn't been the same player since.
The Congo international missed nearly a full year and has made just 29 appearances over four seasons at Everton, with the club loaning him to Aston Villa, Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon. Bolasie, reportedly earning something close to £80,000-per-week, has produced more loans (three) than league goals (two) during his time at Goodison Park.
45. Angel Di Maria, FW, Manchester United
Angel Di Maria was never the same player after his house was burgled. Nigel French/EMPICS Sport
Signed from Real Madrid (Spain) for £67.5 million, 2014
One of the most significant examples of United's habit of getting the least out of world-class players, Di Maria got off to an impressive-enough start at Old Trafford after being signed for a British transfer record. The Argentine was named club Player of the Month in October but, after missing time with a hamstring injury, never seemed to regain his old form.
His family was understandably unsettled by an attempted robbery in February, while the star winger was scapegoated for Louis van Gaal's uninspiring debut season. He was sold to PSG after one season at a loss of £10.8m, at which point Di Maria returned to his old self.
44. Afonso Alves, FW, Middlesbrough
Signed from Heerenveen (Netherlands) for £15.3 million, 2008
Sometimes, you mine the Eredivisie for its top scorer and come away with Ruud van Nistelrooy. Other times, you end up with Alves, who had scored 44 goals in 39 matches for Heerenveen before joining Middlesbrough in the winter transfer window. He was actually decent in his first half-season with the club, scoring six goals in 651 minutes, but the subsequent year was a disaster.
In 2008-09, Alves scored just four times in 31 appearances for a Boro team that netted just 28 goals all season, the fewest of any Premier League club. Gareth Southgate's team unsurprisingly went down, with Alves taking much of the blame before leaving for Al-Sadd.
43. Per Kroldrup, DF, Everton
Signed from Udinese for £6.1 million, 2005
Few players have had briefer Premier League careers than the Denmark international, who joined high-flying Everton in summer 2005 and immediately suffered a groin injury. When he recovered, manager David Moyes inserted him into the lineup for a Boxing Day fixture against Aston Villa, which Everton lost 4-0.
After one January appearance as a sub in the FA Cup, Everton cut their losses and sold Kroldrup to Fiorentina for £3.6m. The 6-foot-4 defender had a fine career outside of England, but even he admitted he couldn't cope with English football.
42. Ben Gibson, CB, Burnley
Signed from Middlesbrough for £15.2 million, 2018
When Sean Dyche shelled out a club-record £15m to sign Gibson, Burnley thought they were signing an emerging central defender on the fringes of the England team. Over nearly two full seasons, though, Gibson has made a total of one Premier League appearance, scoring in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Everton. He was last seen training with Middlesbrough and has likely completed his Clarets career.
41. Oumar Niasse, FW, Everton
Signed from Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia) for £16.1 million, 2016
Another recent Everton flop, Niasse has had a tenure with the club that has been downright bizarre. Signed by Roberto Martinez during the winter transfer window, Niasse played only 131 minutes over five matches before being told he had no future with the club by new boss Ronald Koeman.
After outlasting Koeman on Merseyside, Niasse became a bit of a cult hero and scored eight times in 22 appearances. Since then, though, he has played just 77 minutes over two seasons, mixing in a scoreless loan spell at Cardiff. His Everton career will end this summer.
40. Corrado Grabbi, FW, Blackburn
Signed from Ternana (Italy) for £10.2 million, 2001
With the days of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton gone, you can understand why the recently promoted Rovers made their move to sign the 25-year-old Grabbi, who had finished second in Serie B after scoring 20 goals for lowly Ternana the prior season.
Graeme Souness was hoping to come away with a budding star, but Grabbi failed miserably in England and scored just once in his debut season, losing his place to Andy Cole. Grabbi finished his run in England with two Premier League goals in 950 minutes across three seasons before returning to his home country.
39. Fernando Torres, FW, Chelsea
Fernando Torres was a British-record transfer. Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
Signed from Liverpool for £52.7 million, 2011
Most of the players on this list have not been up to the standards of the Premier League, but Torres is a different sort of problem. While he was one of the best strikers on the planet during his time at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, he was surprisingly ordinary after signing for Chelsea.
Torres scored 65 league goals in 7,856 minutes for Liverpool, or about once every 120.8 minutes; after signing for Chelsea, he netted a mere 20 league goals in 6,824 minutes, which was closer to once every 341 minutes. He was 26 upon his arrival, so it wasn't as if Chelsea signed a player who should have been past his peak. It just never seemed to come together in West London for the World Cup winner, who scored just once in his first half-season and never topped eight Premier League goals in his time with the club.
Chelsea eventually let Torres, the most expensive player on this list, leave on a free transfer. His tenure didn't live up to expectations, but fans still have some fond memories of his time with the club, most notably his goal at Barcelona that sealed a place in the 2012 Champions League final.
38. Andy Carroll, FW, Liverpool
Signed from Newcastle United for £36.9 million, 2011
The player signed to replace Torres didn't turn out too well, either. There was understandable shock when Liverpool broke their club record for the second time in a matter of hours, but while the £22.8m move for Ajax's Luis Suarez turned out to be a work of genius, Carroll's signing proved to be a misstep.
The 22-year-old had really spent only one half-season as a starting striker for Newcastle in the top flight, scoring 11 goals in 19 games, but injuries and coaching changes marginalized the lanky striker. He scored just six goals in 44 matches for Liverpool before being shipped off to West Ham.
37. Juan Sebastian Veron, MF, Manchester United
Signed from Lazio (Italy) for £38.3 million, 2001
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In hindsight, it does seem a little curious that Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to break up that famous midfield of Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and David Beckham by making Veron the most expensive transfer in English history at the time. Veron was a more complete player than any of the four, but as Gary Neville said with the benefit of hindsight, he wasn't a like-for-like replacement for either of United's central midfielders.
Ferguson saw Veron as a unique difference-maker and famously defended the player in an expletive-filled rant to the media, but despite winning Player of the Month in his first full month with the club, Veron seemed to wither by the end of his first season and never seemed to find the right role with the club. United cut their losses after two years and sold him to Chelsea for £19.3m.
36. Andrea Silenzi, FW, Nottingham Forest
Signed from Torino (Italy) for an unknown fee, 1995
One of the top scorers in Serie A in 1994 and a one-time Italy international, Silenzi was unfairly positioned as the replacement for Stan Collymore, who had just been sold to Liverpool. Ostracized as the first Italian in Premier League history, Silenzi failed to score in 12 appearances, only three of which were starts. Forest then sent Silenzi back to Italy on a loan from which he never returned.
35. Didier Ndong, MF, Sunderland
Signed from Lorient (France) for £18 million, 2016
34. Papy Djilobodji, DF, Sunderland
I'll link these two players because they both went through a similar saga. Sunderland signed Ndong and Djilobodji in summer 2016. Neither impressed as Sunderland finished with just 24 points and were relegated. Ndong was a much better player than Djilobodji, but both of their Stadium of Light careers ended the same way. They each went on loan during Sunderland's infamous follow-up season, when they were relegated for a second consecutive campaign. Both were released after failing to report for training over the summer, a tactic the club likely preferred to get their respective wages off the books.
33. Massimo Taibi, GK, Manchester United
Signed from Venezia (Italy) on a free transfer, 1999
Other sources have suggested Taibi cost £4.5m, but at any price, his brief run as United goalkeeper was a disaster. Ferguson signed Taibi to compete with Mark Bosnich and Raymond van der Gouw as the Scot tried to replace Peter Schmeichel. The Italian started only four matches for United, allowing 11 goals in the process, most notably that famous gaffe against Southampton's Matt Le Tissier.
That came in Taibi's third appearance, and while the 6-foot-3 keeper blamed his studs, there were no such excuses when Taibi allowed five goals against Chelsea in his fourth and final appearance for United. Ferguson's other keepers allowed only 34 goals across their other 34 games, though, as United comfortably won the league.
32. Francis Jeffers, FW, Arsenal
Signed from Everton for £13.8 million, 2001
Arguably the first significant transfer misfire of the Wenger era, the 20-year-old Jeffers was famously signed to serve as the "fox in the box" for an Arsenal team that had only the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp to rely upon for scoring. Jeffers had some injury issues even before signing for the Gunners, but the reality is that he just wasn't a great player. He scored six Premier League goals in three consecutive seasons for Everton as a teenager, then never topped that mark in any season at any level afterward. He scored just four goals in 548 minutes for Arsenal before beginning the itinerant phase of his career.
31. Kostas Mitroglou, FW, Fulham
Kostas Mitroglou was a record signing for Fulham. Gualter Fatia/Getty Images
Signed from Olympiakos (Greece) for £13.7 million, 2014
With Fulham attempting to avoid relegation, the addition of Mitroglou seemed like a coup. The Greece international had scored 30 goals in his prior 36 appearances for Olympiakos, which led the Cottagers to shell out a club-record fee to sign him in January.
But if you don't remember Mitroglou's career at Craven Cottage, well, you aren't alone. Fulham sacked Rene Meulensteen and replaced him with Felix Magath, whose hyper-emphasis on fitness led the German to omit Mitroglou from the team. The striker played just 153 scoreless minutes for relegated Fulham and never appeared for the club again. He went back to Olympiakos on loan and then to Benfica before being sold to the Portuguese club for £6.3m in 2016.
30. Marco Boogers, FW, West Ham
Signed from Sparta (Holland) for £653,000, 1995
Things started bad and didn't get much better for Boogers, who was sent off in his second appearance for the Hammers after an attempt to saw off Gary Neville's leg at the knee. Boogers would make just two more appearances for West Ham and finished his Premier League career with 100 total minutes on the pitch.
When he returned to Netherlands during his four-game suspension for the Neville tackle, a misheard quote from West Ham's press officer led the Sun to publish a headline suggesting Boogers had left the club to live in a Dutch caravan. The story wasn't true, but, after a knee injury, he did return to his homeland to finish his career.
29. Nikola Zigic, FW, Birmingham City
Signed from Valencia (Spain) for £6.3 million, 2010
Six-foot-7 Zigic scored the opener in Birmingham's 2-1 Carling Cup final win over Arsenal, but the rest of his Birmingham tenure was less notable. He scored five goals in his first season as the club were relegated, and while he managed 28 goals over three years in the Championship, Birmingham simply couldn't get rid of the Serbia international.
Zigic was reportedly on £50,000-a-week and had no clause to reduce his wages in the case of relegation. With no takers, he lingered for years. It peaked with what manager Lee Clark called "the worst training session I have ever come across" in 2013.
28. Michael Owen, FW, Newcastle United
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You can't fault Newcastle for trying. With Alan Shearer entering his final year at the club, they tried to sign the best possible replacement for their club legend by bringing Owen back to England. Injuries had blunted his impact during a lone season in Madrid, but the pacey English star was still only 25 and had scored 70 goals across his final four seasons with Liverpool.
Everything went wrong for Owen during his first two seasons with the club, when he suffered thigh and foot injuries before tearing his ACL in the opening moments of England's 2006 World Cup game against Sweden. Owen played just 14 games over those first two years on Tyneside and, while the next two were better, he still managed only 19 league goals over 4,073 minutes and a total of 26 over his four years in black and white.
27. Owen Hargreaves, MF, Manchester United
Signed from Bayern Munich (Germany) for £22.5 million, 2007
While Hargreaves had battled injury issues before making his move to England in summer 2007, nobody could have anticipated just how badly the England international would fare in his struggle to stay healthy. Hargreaves won the double in his debut season for United, but his career was basically over at 27.
The Canada-born midfielder would make just five more appearances in the Premier League, four of which came over his final three seasons with United. After one subsequent 14-minute appearance for Manchester City, Hargreaves retired.
26. Seth Johnson, MF, Leeds United
Signed from Derby County for £10.4 million, 2001
Another English midfielder whose career was cut short in his 20s by injury, Johnson is most famous for the perhaps-apocryphal story surrounding his signing with Leeds. As it goes, Johnson arrived for his negotiations with Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale hoping to come away with £13,000-per-week. Ridsdale's initial offer was £30,000-per-week, and when Johnson gasped, Ridsdale misconstrued the sentiment and upped his offer to £37,000-per-week. It became the perfect encapsulation of how Leeds' spending spree at the turn of the century went disastrously wrong.
Johnson struggled to stay healthy, and once the club entered administration and were relegated to the Championship, they were stuck in an impossible situation. He had made 59 appearances for the club, but with the 60th set to trigger a £250,000 payment to Derby that Leeds couldn't afford, Johnson sat on the bench for the remainder of the season. He would return to Derby on a free transfer, in part because he was impressed with the club's training facilities. They had been funded by Johnson's sale to Leeds.
25. Sergey Rebrov, FW, Tottenham
Sergey Rebrov never delivered at Tottenham. Phil Cole /Allsport
Signed from Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) for £16.2 million, 2000
Rebrov was part of a famous strike partnership with Andrey Shevchenko at Kyiv. While Shevchenko starred at Milan before disappointing at Chelsea, Rebrov went directly into the anonymous English phase of his career.
Spurs were hoping to see the striker who scored 10 times in the Champions League during his final season with Kyiv, but Rebrov managed just 10 Premier League goals over 59 appearances, including one in 30 during his second season. Spurs then loaned him to Fenerbahce for the remainder of his contract.
24. Roberto, GK, West Ham
Signed from Espanyol (Spain) on a free transfer, 2019
The only player signed in the present season on this list, Roberto's career with the Hammers was short but disastrous. Taking over for injured Lukasz Fabianski, calamitous performances saw Roberto allow 14 goals (including an own goal) across his seven starts. West Ham claimed just one point from those matches, and Roberto's struggles led the club to sack manager Manuel Pellegrini and director of football Mario Husillos.
The Hammers had a 31% chance of going down when the Premier League season was stalled and, given they were averaging 1.2 points per match without Roberto, it would be fair to pin a significant amount of blame on him if they do go down. Other players have cost more and failed to live up to much higher expectations, but very few players can inspire total regime change and open up the possibility of relegation in 686 minutes of football.
23. Giannelli Imbula, MF, Stoke City
Signed from Porto (Portugal) for £21.8 million, 2016
Stoke aren't the sort of club who would typically spend this much money on any one player, so there was a lot of pressure on club-record signing Imbula to make an immediate impact after Stoke signed him away from Porto. Charlie Adam compared Imbula to Patrick Vieira when he signed for the club in 2016, and given that Vieira was 40 years old at the time, it was probably fair.
Imbula became the symbol of Stoke's rapid decline and departure from the Premier League, as the midfielder made just 26 appearances over his two years with the club. He was dropped to the U-23 team and loaned out as Stoke were relegated. Imbula then helped Vallecano get relegated from La Liga before being sent home from his loan in Serie A with Lecce after three appearances. Stoke cancelled Imbula's contract by mutual consent with 18 months to go.
22. Saido Berahino, FW, Stoke City
Signed from West Bromwich Albion for £12.5 million, 2017
I would argue that once-promising Berahino did more to consign Stoke to the Championship. In 28 matches and 1,214 minutes for Stoke in the Premier League, he failed to score even once. After scoring three goals in the second tier the next season, the club terminated Berahino's contract after he was arrested on charges of driving drunk.
21. Eliaquim Mangala, DF, Manchester City
Mangala looked to be a rising superstar when City spent more than £40m to buy him from Porto, but Mangala was inconsistent under Manuel Pellegrini and frozen out under Pep Guardiola.
The defender started just four more league matches under the former Barcelona manager and was loaned to Valencia and Everton. Mangala was allowed to leave for Valencia on a free transfer this summer and has the third-largest gap between his transfer fee and subsequent sale return of any player in Premier League history.
20. Jack Rodwell, MF, Sunderland
Jack Rodwell was tipped for the top at an early age. Michael Regan/Getty Images
Signed from Manchester City for £11.3 million, 2014
It's unclear whether the one-time England international simply stalled after his rise at Everton or really wasn't all that good in the first place. Sunderland signed Rodwell after a two-year spell at Man City and gave him a contract worth £70,000-per-week, crucially leaving out a clause that would have reduced his salary if the Black Cats were relegated to the Championship. When Rodwell's indifferent play and struggles with injury helped push Sunderland into the second tier, they were stuck with one of the most expensive players in the division.
That would have been one thing if Rodwell were a key member of the club, but he played just 105 minutes as Sunderland were relegated again. Facing a £43,000-per-week salary in League 1, they were able to convince Rodwell to cancel his contract. He became the symbol of Sunderland's fall down the league as an overpaid, uninterested mistake. You can criticize him for taking the money, I suppose, but Sunderland are the ones who handed him the contract.
19. Agustin Delgado, FW, Southampton
Signed from Necaxa (Mexico) for £5.2 million, 2002
It should be telling that Southampton were more surprised when Delgado showed up in 2003 than they would have been if he had stayed home. Then one of the club's biggest signings, Delgado got on Gordon Strachan's bad side after seemingly prioritizing trips back to Ecuador for his national team over playing for the Saints.
He played just 65 minutes and trained five times in his first season after joining Southampton in 2002, only to then play all three matches for Ecuador in the World Cup. Delgado made just two starts and played a mere 303 minutes over his three years in England, scoring once. His time ended with Southampton threatening to block him from signing with another club until his contract expired, seemingly out of frustrated spite.
18. Kevin Davies, FW, Blackburn Rovers
Signed from Southampton for £10.1 million, 1998
Davies had a long, productive career and played more than 440 games in the Premier League, but very few of them came with Blackburn. Southampton paid just over £1m to sign Davies in 1997, but after a nine-goal campaign, Brian Kidd paid more than 10 times that amount to bring the 21-year-old to Blackburn, and then Davies scored one lone goal in his 21 appearances with the club. Blackburn were relegated, Kidd was fired and Davies was sent back to the Saints after the season in exchange for Egil Ostenstad.
17. Gaston Ramirez, AM, Southampton
Signed from Bologna (Italy) for £13.7 million, 2012
I promise this is the last Southampton attacker for a bit. Ramirez was signed as a 21-year-old out of Serie A and got off to a promising start in the Premier League, but after his first season, things went pear-shaped. The Uruguayan started just three matches and played a total of 578 minutes over his final three seasons on the south coast, contributing one goal and one assist over that timeframe.
Ramirez spent most of his time on the bench, although he did make loan moves to Hull City and then to Middlesbrough before heading to the Riverside on a free transfer. He was reportedly one of the club's highest earners at £65,000-per-week.
16. Alberto Aquilani, MF, Liverpool
Alberto Aquilani never made an impression at Anfield. John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Signed from Roma (Italy) for £18 million, 2009
Brought in as a replacement by Rafa Benitez for departing club legend Xabi Alonso, Aquilani failed to live up to his predecessor's established level of play. The Italian started just nine times in his lone season with Liverpool, and while Aquilani contributed five assists in 817 minutes, Benitez's departure brought Aquilani's career on Merseyside to a close.
He was loaned to Juventus and Milan before permanently joining Fiorentina for just £1.8m in 2012. Aquilani later said he wished he had never signed for Liverpool in the first place. You get the feeling their fans might agree.
15. Steve Marlet, FW, Fulham
Signed from Lyon (France) for £15.8 million, 2001
There are unquestionably worse players on this list, but I'm not sure any other Premier League signing led their chairman to take the manager who made the signing to court. Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed refused to pay sacked Jean Tigana part of his salary and accused the Frenchman of deliberately overpaying for Marlet to try to pocket part of the fee.
The move didn't work, but neither did Marlet, who scored 11 goals in 49 starts over his two seasons in West London. Marlet later described his time with the club as "hell".
14. Roger Johnson, CB, Wolves
Signed from Birmingham City for £7.2 million, 2011
When Wolves signed Johnson from relegated Birmingham, they were hoping to add a leader to their backline. The only place he led them was down the same path. With Johnson taking over as club captain, Wolves were immediately relegated.
The nadir of their season likely came when the defender was fined after showing up drunk for training in March, though there was further indignity when Wolves were relegated again the next year. Johnson never appeared for the club again.
13. David Bentley, MF, Tottenham Hotspur
Signed from Blackburn for £19.8 million, 2008
Spurs had every reason to be excited when they signed Bentley, an Arsenal prospect who left in search of first-team football before excelling at Blackburn. The winger arrived at Spurs as a 24-year-old who was breaking into the England team and left totally uninterested in football as a calling.
Bentley struggled in his debut season, contributing only one goal and three assists in 1,826 minutes, and things only got worse. After a second uninspiring season, he lost his place by dousing manager Harry Redknapp with a celebratory ice bucket. Spurs subsequently sent Bentley on loan to Birmingham, West Ham, Blackburn and even FC Rostov in Russia, without the winger showing his old form. Bentley was sidelined for months with a knee injury, and after his contract with Spurs expired, he chose to retire at the age of 29. He finished his Spurs career with just two goals and five assists in 42 appearances.
12. Bebe, MF, Manchester United
Bebe once suited up for Portugal in the Homeless World Cup. ANDREW YATES/AFP via Getty Images
Signed from Vitoria Guimaraes (Portugal) for £7.9 million, 2010
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If Bebe isn't the worst signing Sir Alex Ferguson made, he's certainly the most haphazard. Bebe hadn't played at a level beyond the Portuguese third division, but on the recommendation of former assistant Carlos Queiroz, Ferguson shelled out £7.9m to sign a player who once suited up for Portugal in the Homeless World Cup.
It was a bold move for a player Ferguson would later admit he had never seen play, with the Scottish legend claiming he had made the move to beat Real Madrid to the punch. He need not have bothered. Bebe suggested he would have preferred to stay at his orphanage, and while he later carved out a professional career in Spain, he wasn't up to the United standard. He played just 75 Premier League minutes during his time at Old Trafford.
11. Alexis Sanchez, FW, Manchester United
Signed from Arsenal in a swap for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 2018
United's worst signing of the Premier League era, though, has to be this transfer that was seen as a coup at the time. Sanchez appeared set to join Manchester City before United's cross-town rivals balked at the Chilean star's wage demands. United handed Sanchez a four-and-a-half-year deal reportedly worth £391,000-per-week with £75,000 appearance bonuses and a £1.1m annual bonus in the hopes of the 28-year-old serving as the focal point of their post-Zlatan Ibrahimovic attack.
Instead, Sanchez scored just three Premier League goals in one-and-a-half seasons. While he has dealt with injuries, the reality is that the once-exciting winger has looked like a shadow of his old self. A slowed Sanchez doesn't fit in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's counter-attacking style of play, and an attempt to reduce the wage bill led United to loan him to Inter this season. The Red Devils are still paying Sanchez more than £200,000-per-week to play in Italy.
United once signed Robin van Persie from Arsenal under similar circumstances and rode the star striker's goals to a league title. As great as that move was, the Sanchez transfer has gone equally as poorly.
10. Mario Balotelli, FW, Liverpool
Mario Balotelli has courted controversy wherever he has gone. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Signed from AC Milan (Italy) for £18 million, 2014
Although it's easy to look back on Liverpool's first candidate to replace Suarez as a foolish bet, there was some logic behind their attempt. Balotelli was still only 24 and coming off of a 14-goal season in Serie A for Milan. The price was reasonable, and, in Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool felt they had a manager who had spent the past several seasons getting the most out of a mercurial talent in Suarez.
It quickly became clear that they had made a mistake. Rodgers was publicly critical in admitting Balotelli was his last available choice to replace Suarez, and the Italian scored one Premier League goal for Liverpool in 939 minutes before leaving to return to Milan on loan. His failure contributed to Rodgers' sacking just over a year after nearly leading Liverpool to a Premier League title. New boss Jurgen Klopp had little interest in Balotelli and allowed him to leave the club for Nice on a free transfer.
9. Winston Bogarde, DF, Chelsea
Signed from Barcelona (Spain) on a free transfer, 2000
Thanks to billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, it's been a long time since Chelsea had any meaningful financial concerns, but we're still not too far removed from the days when the club were deep in the red and on the verge of a financial crisis. Bogarde figured as one of the causes of their near-insolvency. He was signed on a free transfer and handed a contract worth £40,000-per-week under the stewardship of Gianluca Vialli, but things began to go wrong just 13 days later, when Vialli was sacked.
Replacement Claudio Ranieri didn't rate Bogarde, who began a lengthy run in the reserves. According to the man himself, Chelsea refused to loan him unless the other club would pick up the entirety of his wages. Naturally, nobody wanted to pay a defender short on match fitness and riding the Stamford Bridge bench £40,000-per-week, so Bogarde simply faded into the background. He made just nine Premier League appearances in his first season and then never made another for the club -- or any other side -- again.
8. Tomas Brolin, MF, Leeds United
Signed from Parma (Italy) for £4.5 million, 1995
While the media at the time seemed to blame Brolin's failures on his weight and lack of desire, I suspect some of the blame for this fiasco should fall on Leeds' shoulders. Brolin had suffered a serious foot injury on international duty for Sweden in 1994 and barely played for Parma before Leeds spent a club-record £4.5m to sign him in summer 1995.
Brolin actually wasn't all that bad in his brief time playing with the club, scoring four goals in 18 Premier League appearances, including a brace in a 2-0 win over West Ham. With Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson choosing to play Brolin out of position, the Swede decided to respond with a deliberately awful performance in a 5-0 loss to Liverpool the next week. Brolin refused to return to Leeds the next season, went to Zurich to play on a minimum salary to prove his point about money not mattering, and then briefly went back to Parma on a loan.
With the striker alternately practicing with the reserves or skipping out on training altogether, Leeds eventually banned him from their stadium during matchdays before releasing him altogether. After a brief spell with Crystal Palace, Brolin retired from the game at 28.
7. Andriy Shevchenko, FW, Chelsea
Signed from AC Milan (Italy) for £39.5 million, 2006
Thought of as Roman Abramovich's "white whale" for years, the Russian finally got his man and convinced Milan to sell Shevchenko to Chelsea for a British record fee. The move for the Ukrainian seemed likely to precede a move away for Didier Drogba, with Jose Mourinho expected to use Shevchenko as his preferred option up front. The problem was that the new man was 29 and, while he had been scoring for fun at Milan, he seemed to age overnight after his move to Stamford Bridge.
Injuries, inconsistency and the resurgent form of Drogba limited Shevchenko to just nine Premier League goals in 48 appearances. Mourinho stuck with Drogba and used Shevchenko out of position, leading Abramovich to eventually sack the Portuguese coach in 2007. Shevchenko went on loan to Milan after his second season and then moved back to Dynamo Kiev on a permanent transfer.
6. Dani Osvaldo, FW, Southampton
Signed from Roma (Italy) for £13.6 million, 2013
Osvaldo isn't the only Premier League player to get into a fight with a teammate -- John Hartson famously kicked Eyal Berkovic in the jaw while the two were at West Ham, and Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer got into a mid-match fistfight while the pair were at Newcastle -- but those were one-off incidents. Southampton had been forewarned and should have known better.
Osvaldo had already been sanctioned for fighting Erik Lamela at Roma before joining Southampton in 2013, and while he scored three goals in 855 Premier League minutes during the fall, Osvaldo's Saints career came to a close shortly after he head-butted defender Jose Fonte during training. Osvaldo never played for the club again, as he was loaned to Juventus, Inter, and Boca Juniors before being released.
5. Adrian Mutu, FW, Chelsea
Adrian Mutu was sacked from Chelsea. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Signed from Parma (Italy) for £17.1 million, 2003
One of the first signings of the Roman Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge, Mutu was expected to form an attacking partnership with fellow Serie A recruit Hernan Crespo. Mutu had a solid debut season at Chelsea, contributing six goals and eight assists in the 2003-04 campaign, but made just two appearances under Jose Mourinho before being released. The cause? A failed drugs test, with Mutu testing positive for cocaine usage.
Mutu was banned from the sport for seven months, with Chelsea releasing the forward before starting litigation against their former player. After various appeals, the courts ruled that he owed Chelsea around €17m from his own pocket.
4. Bosko Balaban, FW, Aston Villa
Signed from Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) for £7 million, 2001
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While £7m does not seem like an extravagant sum in the context of today's transfer values, consider that this was the 23rd-largest transfer in the summer of 2001 for a Premier League club. By that measure, it's roughly equivalent to Leicester paying £30.1m for Ayoze Perez last year. This was the sixth-largest fee Villa had ever paid for a player at the time, according to Transfermarkt's records. And, according to reports in 2002, most of the transfer fee ended up going directly to Balaban himself.
I want to put that in context because Balaban might be one of the least impactful signings in Premier League history. It took him eight months before he could complete a full 90-minute match, and even that came in the reserves. The Croatian never started, playing just 138 scoreless minutes across eight appearances, and was loaned back to Dinamo after a disastrous first season. After he threatened to spend the remaining 30 months of his contract in the reserves, Villa settled a deal to end his time in the Midlands after two years.
Balaban unsurprisingly blamed Villa for his failed tenure in England.
3. Ricky Alvarez, MF, Sunderland
Signed from Inter Milan (Italy) for £9.5 million, 2015
There's a lot to unpack here. Alvarez initially signed with the Black Cats on loan for £900,000 during the 2014 campaign. The loan had a clause obligating Sunderland to buy Alvarez at the end of the season as long as they stayed in the Premier League and a bothersome left knee didn't prevent Alvarez from passing a medical. Alvarez played just 13 games after suffering an injury to his right knee, which had undergone microfracture surgery years earlier. After staying up, Sunderland tried to get out of their obligation to buy, claiming that the right knee injury had been a product of the left knee troubles acknowledged in the original agreement.
Here's where it gets bad. Sunderland's attempt to get out of the agreement failed. At the same time, to reinforce their standing, the club didn't offer Alvarez a contract, which allowed the Argentinian to sign with Sampdoria on a free transfer. That's right: Sunderland paid £9.5m for a player who then immediately left the club.
It gets worse. Sunderland lost their claim that Inter should have repaid much of Alvarez's loan fee and wages as a result of the injury. Velez Sarsfield, which helped develop Alvarez earlier in his career, successfully sued to receive €362,500 in solidarity payments. On top of all that, Alvarez himself took Sunderland to the Court of Arbitration of Sport to sue the club for his loss of earnings between his time with Sunderland and Sampdoria. The Black Cats are suing their former club doctor for £13m to try to recoup losses. Given their success rate with litigation related to the Alvarez transfer, Sunderland might be smart to move on and pretend this never happened.
2. Danny Drinkwater, MF, Chelsea
Danny Drinkwater cost a lot and has delivered little. Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Signed from Leicester City for £34.1 million, 2017
It's difficult to even remember now, but when Chelsea signed Drinkwater in summer 2017, he was still on the fringes of the England picture and a regular in midfield for Leicester. At the time, it seemed as if Chelsea might have signed him at the last moment after Ross Barkley turned down a move to Stamford Bridge -- Barkley would later head to Chelsea during the subsequent winter transfer window -- but, at the very least, they would have expected Drinkwater to be part of their midfield rotation, given he had been key to Leicester's incredible title win a year earlier.
Things obviously haven't panned out that way for the former Manchester United trainee. Drinkwater made 12 Premier League appearances in his debut season with Chelsea, but after Antonio Conte left, the midfielder has been floating out of relevance. There was one appearance under Maurizio Sarri in the Community Shield, and he has not appeared in a Chelsea kit since. Frank Lampard showed little interest in giving him an opportunity either, after arriving as his third manager in three seasons.
Loan moves to Burnley and Aston Villa have been more disastrous. After joining Burnley, Drinkwater got into a fight at a nightclub after allegedly trying to take home the girlfriend of League 2 defender Kgosi Ntlhe and suffering an ankle injury in the process. Drinkwater made only one appearance with Burnley, and while he made four with Villa, he was responsible for two goals in a 6-1 loss against Manchester City before being sent back to Chelsea after head-butting a teammate at training. With Drinkwater reportedly on £100,000-per-week, it's difficult to see how Chelsea will find a way out of their most disastrous signing.
1. Ali Dia, FW, Southampton
Signed on a free transfer, 1996
Other players have certainly been more damaging to their club's finances or performance than Dia, who signed for free and made only one appearance with Southampton. Nobody got sacked or relegated because of Dia, although you might argue that the former should have happened given the series of colossal missteps that led to him making his first and only Premier League appearance.
The Dia story feels as if it comes from another universe. A man calls Southampton manager Graeme Souness pretending to be World Player of the Year George Weah. The purported Milan striker recommends Dia, his cousin, suggesting he had just scored two goals for Senegal the prior week and had played with Weah for Paris Saint-Germain before spending 1995 in the German second division. He would be an exciting prospect if any of that had been true. Dia was actually a 31-year-old college student who occasionally dabbled in non-league football.
Souness brought Dia in on a trial. Days later, he named him to the bench for a Premier League match against Leeds. Amazingly, after an injury, Souness sent Dia on as a substitute in the 32nd minute for Matt Le Tissier. His Premier League career lasted 53 minutes before Souness admitted his mistake and substituted Dia off. Dia went back to non-league football, never to return.
From Southampton's perspective, this is the worst transfer in Premier League history. From a neutral side of things, this is one of the best things that has ever happened. I don't want to do the "in-my-day" argument because it's boring, but I think it's fair to suggest that the modern Premier League is staid and professional to a fault. Today, there's no way a random university student could get a Premier League manager on the phone, and even if they succeeded, it would take two seconds to realize none of those claims about Dia were true.
There's something romantic about getting on your landline and convincing one of the most decorated players in Liverpool history that your friend is a Premier League-caliber footballer, let alone actually getting him onto the pitch for 52 minutes. Dia spent nearly as much time on a Premier League pitch in 1996 as Drinkwater did for Burnley. There will always be more players who command disproportionate transfer fees or who struggle to stay healthy after making an expensive move. In the Premier League, there will never, ever be another Ali Dia.
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Going Deep:
An Introspective Steelers Site
Why Another Steelers Site?
Scouting for Steelers, Part 1
Posted on August 21, 2016 by Rebecca 3 comments
Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports
My game recap of Steelers/Eagles was, shall we say, less than enthusiastic. It’s pretty hard to get excited about a game in which the Steelers did not score a single point, and which featured four interceptions in the first half. But even as I watched, and even as I wrote it, I knew in my heart of hearts that impressing Steeler Nation was not the purpose of this, or any, preseason game. The coaching staff is looking for separation as they have to get serious about who to cut, and they are looking to avoid injuries, especially for the guys they can’t afford to lose.
This was brought home very clearly by a comment to the article by George Siegal, who said:
…the preseason is about individual performance, not team performance… [Craig] Wolfley said that if you watch a preseason game as a game, you’ll be disappointed, but if you watch it with a scouting eye, watching certain players to see how they play, it will be interesting. I’m paraphrasing, not direct quotes.
Both of those apply to this game in a big way. It seems to me that Coach T uses these games to evaluate players even more than most other teams. Other teams seem to get excited about the game, Tomlin gets excited (as excited as he gets anyway) about a player making a good play. He will get his backups in against the opponents first team as much as he can. Some coaches are concerned about winning because their teams need to learn how to win, that’s not the case in Pittsburgh. I’ve seen Coach T put second or third team players into bad situations to see how they do.
David Todd said in the post game show that in the last 15 preseason games the Steelers are 2-13. I have to approve of Tomlins methods, because it seems to work. He could keep the stars out for the entire preseason and they wouldn’t miss a beat and the players who need the reps are getting them. But it sure makes these games tough to watch..
In the musical world, groups will occasionally hold an open dress rehearsal, which is essentially what a preseason game is, to thank donors or provide educational outreach or for various other reasons. I’ve been involved in a few of them, either as a conductor or a musician, and I can tell you they aren’t exactly the same as a regular rehearsal.
The reality for musical organizations is different. They can’t afford to give anyone the impression that they aren’t very good. So you don’t usually work on the sort of nitty gritty stuff which is tedious to observe but makes for a dazzling performance when other people are watching. Maybe if you’re the Pittsburgh Symphony. Maybe. But if you are a small organization trying to increase audience, you can’t afford to suck. You certainly wouldn’t view it as a suitable opportunity to give a bunch of unknowns a tryout.
The Steelers are in an enviable position. They can afford to work on the product during an exhibition game because they would have to suck a lot, for rather a long time, before people stopped watching. Fans might complain, but complaining is something Steeler Nation views as a God-given right, and I can’t imagine the team listens to it.
So I’m going to gird up my loins, go back, and review the tape from a scouting position. Since I’ve been doing the “Training Camp Battle” series, the obvious thing to do is to look at whether the guys on the bubble have improved their chances or possibly lost them. And at this time of year such articles are at least partially out of date as soon as they are published, what with injuries, cuts, and new signings. So this will be an opportunity to talk about the new guys, at least if they’ve given any indication there’s reason to talk about them.
I decided to start with the quarterbacks. I decided to do so on Friday and wrote a substantial amount of stuff. I have since discovered that the stuff I wrote about Dustin Vaughan is moot, because he broke his thumb in the game Thursday night. This would perhaps explain the inaccuracy of his final few passes, the ones he managed to get off when he wasn’t being sacked. This is particularly ironic in view of the fact that when I wrote my Training Camp Battles article about the quarterbacks I said the following:
The competition for the No. 3 quarterback appears to be between 11-year veteran Bruce Gradkowski, (at least it’s 11 years if you count last year, when he was on IR) and newcomer Dustin Vaughan. Vaughan’s NFL experience is basically zero, although he was in the Cowboy’s training camp last year and on the Bill’s practice squad for a week or so during the 2015 season, but that’s it. That’s pretty youthful. This battle is particularly interesting because in theory either of these guys could also depose Landry Jones for the No. 2 spot.
So the guy I thought might beat out Gradkowski because of injuries is now injured himself, and the Steelers have signed a new quarterback. So let’s take a look at him briefly, despite the fact that I couldn’t “scout” him at all, at least not in the Steelers/Eagles game. His name is Bryn Renner, and he is possibly looking to compete with Ross Ventrone for the title of Most Cut from NFL Rosters. (Ventrone, in case you’ve missed it, was injured in the first preseason game and the Steelers have reached an injury settlement with him. So I suppose he wasn’t exactly cut…)
Renner played at North Carolina State and was highly decorated in college. Mike Mayock supposedly said he was “polished” and he wouldn’t be surprised if he was a first-round pick in the 2014 draft. That was before he was injured and missed a big chunk of his senior season. He was, in fact, undrafted, and was picked up by the Broncos, who cut him after training camp. He then played Arena football. The Ravens picked him up in January of 2015, and then cut him and picked him up twice more. The final cut was in favor of Ryan Mallet, and Steeler Nation perhaps wishes it had been Renner playing at that dreadful game in Baltimore.
But that’s not all. He’s been signed and cut by both the Titans and Chargers since last December. So I’m guessing he has honed his packing skills to a science at this point. Whether his quarterback skills are also honed remains to be seen. He was cut in May by San Diego and hasn’t played anywhere else, so there’s no preseason tape to watch.
So we now have five quarterbacks on the roster. Two of them are non-functional, one of them is a complete unknown, one of them is future Hall of Famer, and then there’s Landry Jones. So let’s talk about his game vs. the Eagles.
There are some things to remember as we look at the otherwise hideous line for the evening:
He was playing with what was basically the second team, against what was the Eagles’ first team.
Wait, you might say. He had the first-team offensive line. Well, sort of. Marcus Gilbert wasn’t playing again, so Ryan Harris was at right tackle. Maurkice Pouncey only played most of the first quarter, and then was replaced by Cody Wallace. Wallace was injured at some point, and the back-up center was inserted. (That would be the mysteriously-named Valerian Ume-Ezeoke.) Ume-Ezeoke was injured (he was waived/injured today to make room for the new quarterback) and I’m not sure who was playing center after that. It wasn’t Chris Hubbard, because he was busy inviting the second-or-third-team Eagles defensive end to sack Dustin Vaughan. (One of those sacks occurred less than two seconds after the ball was snapped.) As I think about it it was almost certainly B.J. Finney.
2. There was only one three-and-out in the first half.
Okay, I made a snarky remark in my game recap to the effect that the Eagles’ defense didn’t need to force three-and-outs, because they just intercepted the ball instead. And while this is true, if you look at the interceptions, one was a bit of a fluke. A pass Cobi Hamilton maybe should have caught in the end zone was instead knocked away by him, and a defender caught the deflection. This is not a case of what Landry has been known for in the past—completing a lot of passes to the guy in the wrong colored jersey. One of them was probably on Sammie Coates, who, it is speculated, ran the wrong route, leaving the defender in position to get the ball. (That was the pick six.) One of them was the result of an underthrown ball. The underthrown ball was the result of Jesse James not blocking his man, who knocked Jones’ arm as he was throwing. Even the fourth one isn’t entirely clear.
3. Generally speaking, Jones looked much more decisive, and the Steelers engineered some good drives in the first half. It was just rather hideous bad luck that none of them resulted in points.
Since posting the article I have discovered there is another consideration:
4. He’s still dealing with the ankle injury he got a few weeks ago in camp. So I guess my statement should be that the Steelers have five quarterbacks, two of whom are currently non-functional, one of whom is currently in need of repairs, one of whom is an unknown quantity, and one of whom is a future hall of gamer.
Do I think Landry Jones is the next coming of Dan Marino? Well, no. But I think he can probably do a decent job of managing a game or two for the Steelers should Ben have a short-term injury. If he has a long-term one, we’re screwed, and there’s no getting around it.
to be continued, as I have the time and stamina…
tagged with Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Bryn Renner, Dustin Vaughan, Landry Jones
Steelers Players and Coaches
Steelers Training Camp
August 21, 2016 10:05 am
I think that you can’t emphasize enough the advantage the Steelers have with how they conduct their preseason games. Some teams have to use the time to build a truly competitive unit. Some teams have to build the confidence of their players and teach them how to win. Some, like the Rams, have to sell the team to their market in order to get support from the fans. When was the last time the Steelers had to do any of these things? Certainly not during Tomlin’s tenure. Pittsburgh’s challenges are a little more subtle and refined, and at this point can be summarized as the following: get out of August healthy (key and frontline players). Integrate newcomers into the system. Create development and competitive opportunities for depth in the short term and laying the foundation for sustained excellence in the future.
Fans, understandably, want to see a dominant performance every time the team takes the field, and like the examples cited by Rebecca with music, some organizations have no choice but to try. But those who are more targeted to championship performance and have the experience think differently. I don’t follow regular season hockey but I understand the Penguins sucked last December. Except to stay in striking distance, does anyone care what the Pirates do prior to the All Star break? Because of the shorter schedule the NFL has a smaller margin of error, but August/September football matters a lot less than December football.
The Cincinnati Bengals began last season 8-0
Ha, Ha!
Pingback: Scouting for Steelers, Part II: Defensive Front | Going Deep:
steeler fever
I seem to enjoy the preseason games more than most, but as you point out in the article, the win or the loss matters about as much to me as it counts in the standings. To me the preseason is about watching the drama of younger, perhaps less talented players competing against each other trying to make their dream come true and make an NFL roster.
This is also where the “Redzone Redman” effect takes hold, if you have an underdog you are rooting for it makes the games easier to watch even if Landry Jones is the QB. This preseason I am all about Cobi Hamilton which has me very interested in the second half of our games, and his play so far has left me excited that he could get some looks in the next game with Ben under center.
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RIP Ivan Cole
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Fresh Eyes: Part V
Fresh Eyes: Part IV
Fresh Eyes: Part III
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<Vassar marks Mary McCarthy centennial with exhibition
Prog-rock without tears: Check out new album by New Paltz’s SubPixel>
Art & Music, Community
Pete & Peggy Seeger perform together one last time at Bearsville this Saturday
by Lynn Woods/ March 15, 2012 /Comments closed
Seats at the Pete and Peggy Seeger concert at the Bearsville Theater on March 17 are already sold out, but standing-room-only tickets are still being sold, and this is one gig that you might not want to miss – standing or not. For one, it will probably be the last time ever that Pete and his half-sister Peggy, who lives in England and is a celebrated folksinger and activist in her own right, will perform together. “Peggy isn’t traveling anymore,” said Natalie Andrews, operations manager at the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, which organized the benefit concert. She noted that Peggy Seeger is in her 70s and “doesn’t want to fly.”
Peggy will be accompanying Pete – who of course will be performing with his iconic banjo – on piano. Pete remains active as ever as he nears his 93rd birthday. Last fall, he led a crowd of Occupy Wall Streeters from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Columbus Circle following a benefit performance for Clearwater, the environmental organization that he co-founded in 1966 – but no one lives forever.
Based in Beacon, Pete Seeger is of course a much-loved and high-profile figure in the Hudson Valley, whose river he was so instrumental in saving. He is also an icon in the music world, as his 90th-birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden made plain, with guest performers consisting of Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, Roger McGuinn and the like. Few lives have been packed with as much living and marked by as much courage as Seeger’s: The son of a prominent musicologist – whose friend Alan Lomax hired the young Pete to help him archive American “hillbilly” music at the Library of Congress in the late 1930s and was instrumental in launching his career as a folksinger – Seeger was blacklisted by radio and TV stations in the 1950s and was indicted for contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
It wasn’t until the mid-1960s that he was able to host his own TV show and make appearances on such programs as the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, where, uncowed by years of censorship, he brazenly performed an anti-Vietnam War song that he had written, “Waist-Deep in the Big Muddy”. Besides his many folk recordings with the Weavers and political and environmental activism, Seeger was the longtime editor/publisher of Sing Out! Magazine, wrote and published a classic book on playing the banjo and invented a longer-necked version of the instrument.
Peggy Seeger, who has more than a dozen folk records under her belt – one of the most popular was an album of American folksongs for children – was also an activist and agitator. Her visit to China in the 1950s, following a trip to Russia, caused the US State Department to threaten to revoke her passport should she return to the US, so instead she toured Europe, hooking up with the British folksinger Ewan MacColl, who was the father of her children and eventually became her husband. The couple recorded several albums together before his death in 1989. Since then Peggy has continued to perform and record. Her feminist songs have also became anthems in the women’s movement.
The two Seegers wrote and sang about what they lived and believed in, regardless of the consequences to themselves. They were leaders, educators, movers and shakers in affecting change. But they were first and foremost artists, and it is their playing, singing and songwriting talents that will be celebrated at Bearsville. Standing-room-only tickets are $20, and the show starts at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7:30. All proceeds will benefit the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild.
Photos: Inside the Kingston vaccination center
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Defending Masters champion Tiger Woods scores 10 at Augusta’s 12th hole
Tiger Woods reflected on the “lonely” element of golf after taking 10 shots to play Augusta National’s iconic 12th in the final round of the Masters. The score marks the biggest on a single hole since Woods turned professional.
In a series of extraordinary moments, Woods found water from the tee at the par three and duly played his third shot from a drop zone into Rae’s Creek. Having next found a bunker behind the green, he entered water again. By the time he reached the putting surface, he had already played eight.
Equally as striking, though, was Woods’s response; the defending Masters champion birdied five of his last six holes before signing for a 76.
“This sport is awfully lonely sometimes,” Woods said. “You have to fight it. No one is going to bring you off the mound or call in a sub. You have to fight through it. That’s what makes this game so unique and so difficult mentally. We’ve all been there, unfortunately. Unfortunately I’ve been there and you just have to turn around and figure out the next shot and I was able to do that coming home.”
Woods explained that the notoriously difficult breeze at the 12th had confused him. “I committed to the wrong wind,” said the five-times Masters winner. “The wind was off the right for the first two guys, and then when I stepped up there, it switched to howling off the left. I didn’t commit to the wind and I also got ahead of it and pushed it, too, because I thought the wind would come more off the right and it was off the left and that just started the problem from there.”
Woods again admitted to battles in this, the closing stage of a decorated career. The 44-year-old has undergone multiple back surgeries. “There are days when mentally it’s harder to push than others just because physically my body just has moments where it just doesn’t work like it used to,” he said. “No matter how hard I try, things just don’t work the way they used to, and no matter how much I push and ask of this body, it just doesn’t work at times. Things just ache and I have to deal with things that I’ve never had to deal with before.”
Shane Lowry, who was playing in Woods’s company, said: “He had a bit of a disaster at the 12th, didn’t he? That’s what Augusta can do when the wind is up. It happened, but what a finish. He hit every shot stone dead for the rest of the round. He’s Tiger Woods, isn’t he? The best of all time.”
Bryson DeChambeau, of whom so much was said ahead of this tournament, closed with a 73. The US Open champion spoke of feeling ill throughout Masters weekend.
“I’m at about 60%,” DeChambeau said. “It’s tough. I’m hydrated, everything is fine. It’s just about orientation. There were numerous times where I was over the ball and I just felt super-uncomfortable. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t see the line. It was really weird.”
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The Rock Island Argus
Title: The Rock Island Argus
City: Rock Island, Ill.
County: Rock Island
History: Rock Island Daily Argus (1861); Daily Evening Argus (1861); Evening Argus (1861-1871); Rock Island Argus (1871-1872); Rock Island Daily Argus (1872-1873); Daily Argus (1873-1877); Rock Island Argus (1877-1885); Argus (1885-1886); Rock Island Daily Argus (1886-1893); Rock Island Argus (1893-1920); Rock Island Argus and Daily Union (1920-1923); Rock Island Argus (1923-1971); Argus (1971-1986); Rock Island Argus (1986-current). Continues: Rock Island Argus (Rock Island, Ill. : 1859 : Triweekly).
Available online: 2 January 1889 - 30 June 1915 (8235 issues)
Located on the Mississippi River, Rock Island, Illinois, is one of the Quad Cities, along with Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf and is the seat of Rock Island County (Yes, there are five cities included within the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area). Rock Island gets its name from the largest island in the Mississippi River, which was formerly called Rock Island and is now called Arsenal Island.
The Rock Island Argus is one of Illinois’ oldest newspapers and has been in continuous publication since 1851, when a weekly paper titled Rock Island Republican was founded by F. S. Nichols. In 1854, Colonel J. B. Danforth purchased the paper and began publishing a daily edition, along with the weekly. In 1859, Danforth, who was a Democrat, changed its name to the Rock Island Argus, to distinguish it as separate from the Republican Party.
In 1882, John W. Potter bought the Rock Island Argus, and when he died in 1898, his wife, Minnie, took over its operation. The Rock Island Argus only had 500 subscribers when John Potter took it over, but, by all accounts, the newspaper thrived under Minnie Potter’s leadership. The Potter family owned and managed the entire family of Rock Island Argus newspapers, including Rock Island Daily Argus (1886-93), the Rock Island Argus (1893-1920), and its successors until the paper was purchased by the Small Newspaper Group in 1985.
On October 16, 1908, the “worst fire in [the] city’s history” broke out. It was brought on by an explosion of coal dust in the yards of the Rock Island Lumber Company. The Argus published a special “Midnight Fire Edition” and reported that “millions of feet of lumber” were “devoured” before the fire could be put out. Three people were injured; 500 men were “thrown out of employment”; and an estimated $550,000 in total damages was reported.
The Rock Island Argus is still in publication today, with its headquarters now in Moline, Illinois. The Small Newspaper Group—which also owns the Dispatch—combined the two newspapers, with the content varying only in their respective mastheads.
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As the seller of flowers grow in the lead performances by nick Vujcic
July 17, 2017 IMMEconomics
The story of Dmitry Velichko is not about how he nurtured ideas, made plans and changed their fate. This man abruptly broke it many times, and who knows how many projects and sharp turns of the implements in the future. This story is about what man can achieve with an adventurous streak, if just walks with a smile and is not afraid to leave the comfort zone.
In the 90s Velichko was a professional volleyball player: while peers in school, he traveled all over Ukraine competing. But in 22 career “graduated” serious injury. The guy was depressed and didn’t know what to do next. He had a chance to work as a transport Manager, then to trade on the Internet.
“Then I was MC (master of ceremonies) in one of the best clubs of Odessa: every night entertainment, there’s the salary paid. Then he invited the art Director club in Sochi, says former volleyball player. And suddenly I became a little”.
THE LONG ROAD TO KYIV
Returning to Odessa from Sochi, Dmitry decided to do real estate. But then — in 2008, the crisis and the collapse of the market. Six months Dmitry has not entered into any transaction, not just the spirit fell down, but then it moved. This sunk enough guy for half a year. “Then feel stifled, stalled. And turned out to be a classmate, a specialist in Maritime container transportation, — well, I think it’s fate! And moved to it Department,” says Velichko.
However, he did not stay there. “I am a creative person, write poetry, looking for themselves — in short, apologized to each other and are gone, — says Dmitry. And here: sitting at wedding, comes to my mind: “Dima, Kiev!”. Get up from the table, say goodbye to friends (looked like crazy), put things in a bag, in a pocket — $ 150. Agreed at the station with the conductor, and the next day at 8 am was already in the capital.”
NEW STAGE: THEATER AND VIDEO
Subsequent events — a series of coincidences. He enrolled in the theater, rented for 20 UAH a day bed in the Dorm. Then there was the expulsion from the theatre and spontaneous organization of the event company on equal footing with each other. “I worked in a Studio apartment, where in addition to the laptop, there was nothing. But 3 years the company worked great, I even bought an apartment in Kiev. Then I again began to look for himself.” And found, and… in a movie! Dmitry — dozens of bit parts in movies and TV series, soon went the main.
“How is calling a friend flew an actor in theatre, contact urgently. I did so, and after 40 minutes I was already approved! Look — and this is the main role in the play, partner — Goryansky!” remembers their first victory Velichko.
Today Dmitry is a man with a colorful resume and incredible plans: in June, he has created a channel-motivator on the portal and intends to prove that even nowadays you can become famous by good deeds: “you’ll see: in a year I will have a million subscribers.”
IMPORTANT: TO HEAR HIS “I”
Was in the life of Dmitry, the time when I had to decide on an outstanding step. “A year ago I passed the most difficult test — the casting for a leading concert of the world famous nick Vujcic on the “Olympic”. Long could not believe that I would lead such an event and to direct the broadcast, says Velichko. Was an incredible concert, crazy energy! And here I stand next to the celebrity, and inner voice does not rest: “Hug nick right now!” But the script of the speech is spelled out in words, next to the organisers stand, and the evening is coming to an end. Nothing to do — Dmitry used to always listen to your inner self.
“Say, “Nick, if I said a year ago that I would be able to hug you wouldn’t believe”. He says, “So what are you waiting for?” I hugged the ground just gasped,” recalls the actor.
CHANGED TWENTY PROFESSIONS
For the life of 34-year-old Dmitry tried about 20 different professions and occupations. Even sold on 8 March flowers, when life in the capital was normal: at that time, the daily limit ambitious Odessan was about 20 UAH per day for food. “I figured as long if the day will eat away RS 22 and some change on the subway, for a total of up to 40 UAH. Obolon had stood grandma with ready meals, which was worth 24 UAH. I have always lacked 2 UAH — were asked to take on this amount of garnish to fit. Granny was surprised that such a well-dressed young man asks about the discount, but used and released lunch Spezzano — laughing Velichko. — In this mode he lived for about 2 months.”
See also: Who in Ukraine is the easiest way to find a job
His work has always been unstable: the animator received 400-500 UAH per night. The big paycheck he got for hosting the evening and the very important people — $1500. Now moonlights at the “Mafia”parties, where participants pay 35 UAH from the nose.
In his new project, Dmitry has not yet invested any of the hryvnia. Resources that he freely offers, communication and the ability to communicate. “I have no good camera for filming, no car. But an idea and a free channel on the famous video portal. Behind the platform for the site paid about $ 35, — says Dmitry. But there is a team of like-minded people: the person who writes the website, and the operator is ready to remove: all interested in the project, so I’ve not a penny paid, although the work is solid”.
For example, this command, according to Velichko, proven: to implement the project and achieve a goal is possible — because he lit in these people the desire to work with what brings pleasure and joy. “And I that am the game “Mafia”. Even refused the role, thinking only about the start,” says about their own investments in the case the author of the idea.
HOW LIFE HAS CHANGED
She is our hero changes as the weather outside. “At some point suddenly realized that my lifestyle no longer interesting to me, — says the inhabitant of Odessa. Eventually I realized that if sensations appeared — you need to look for a new occupation, otherwise he himself shall eat.”
Changes have taken place, according to Velichko, thanks to his ability to tell the truth to yourself, and now he wants to persuade others to the same: “we Need to start a company that will be the intermediary between the man who lacks motivation, his dream, and help wishes to come true. We will get acquainted with interesting famous people to learn the formula of their success, figuring out how they motivate themselves and build their day. This will help to Wake up people who spend life on is false and empty classes, — says Dmitry. — Arriving in the capital, I did not understand what, but just know that if I act it all out. Now I want to become a leader for those who are not afraid to discover their hidden resources, talents, and life-changing”.
TIPS: DREAM AND ACTION
Universal recipe from the actor and the master of the nets: if it is very difficult, you need to go to sleep: you will Wake up and it’s not so catastrophic. “The second proven the key to success is positive thinking. If you allow the thought of failure — nothing, — he said. — There is always surrounded by people who say: nothing, you can’t do, but who you are, you have no money, etc. And it’s great! Because our success begins with the desire to prove to such people that anything is possible.” Dmitry knows that money is not a measure of happiness, they are too variable value. “I guess it sounds corny. But I’ve seen a lot of rich people that wealth joie de vivre did not add,” he admits.
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“This is how these fears lose their power over us”: Mara Wilson Talks Facing Fears and Advocating for Change
We’re very excited to have writer, actress, and mental health advocate Mara Wilson participate in OCD Awareness Week!
Mara, best known for her childhood roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda, was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder at an early age and has written extensively about her experience, most notably in her memoir Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame. Mara is actively involved in mental health awareness initiatives and has lent her voice to organizations such as Project UROK and Okay to Say. She continues to speak openly about her own mental health and challenge stigma as a public figure.
Here, Mara talks about facing your fears, how to be an effective advocate, and more. Read more about Mara in her previous blog post.
Why is it important for people, especially people with OCD, to face their fears?
I’ve said before that while many love to say “do one thing every day that scares you,” some of us don’t have a choice! Facing our fears (and mind you, doing it in a time and place and a way that feels safe for each of us) is how we get to a place where we can be more content with our lives. There’s a misconception that we like our compulsions, but I think we know that while there may be fringe benefits, that’s not true. Facing our fears, learning about them, laughing about them — this is how these fears lose their power over us.
It’s funny, many I know with OCD are also some of the bravest people I know. Maybe it’s because we spend so much of our lives preparing for the worst, but I know a lot of us are great in an emergency, or just very trustworthy, understanding people. I think when you’ve lived with all the internal fear we have, the real world is nothing by comparison.
Is there a fear that you face on a daily basis? When is the last time you had to face a fear, and what was that like?
Nearly every night for years, I have lain awake worrying about what might happen if I, or someone I loved, got into a traffic accident. I’ve thought of all the ways to avoid it, all the routes I should tell them to avoid, all the times they shouldn’t be in a car. I thought I was never going to drive.
Now, this was possible when I was in New York: I’d been living there since I was a teenager, and didn’t need to have a license. But now I’m (mostly) back in LA, and it’s hard to get around here without one, so I’ve been facing that fear. It’s taken me a long time, and lots of practice, but I’m finally at a place where I feel safe and comfortable driving, and am not obsessing about accidents every time I’m behind the wheel. It’s a bit embarrassing to be trying to get my license at twice the age most people get theirs, but I’m still proud of myself for facing my fear.
You often respond on Twitter to people who make jokes about OCD. Why is it important to respond to people who make jokes about OCD, or companies that misuse the term?
People say it’s just jokes, but honestly, the joking about OCD kept me from getting the treatment I needed. It made me think OCD was just a personality trait, not an actual health condition that I needed treatment for. I thought what I had didn’t have a name, that I was beyond help. There’s already so much misinformation about OCD out there, there doesn’t need to be more.
It’s also odd to me that it’s OK to make a joke about this one particular debilitating condition, when it just wouldn’t make sense to joke about any other condition. People don’t say “I’m so jaundice!” or “I’m so diabetes!” OCD shouldn’t be any different.
Of course, if someone has OCD, and humor is their coping mechanism, I think that’s great. But it’s important to remember that OCD takes many shapes, and what’s funny about it to one OCD-er might not always be funny to another.
How would you advise someone to respond to a friend who jokes that they’re “so OCD”?
I think it’s important to call them out on it, but it doesn’t need to be confrontational. You can say, “Hey, living with OCD is really hard, so it gets on my nerves when you do that,” but you can also just say “What do you mean by that?” When you have to make someone explain their joke, sometimes they realize it isn’t that funny after all.
Do you have a message or words of advice for the OCD community this OCD Week?
I think, if they are able to, they should embrace community. It feels so good to know you are not alone. I think of how amazing it felt to be at OCDCon this summer, knowing that so many people had been through what I had been through, and understood. Sometimes it can feel like nobody understands, but at the Con, I realized nothing I said or do would be so weird that they wouldn’t want to be around me anymore. I felt so safe and accepted! I also loved meeting people who had made friends there in years past: there were even two little girls who were so close I mistook them for sisters, but their parents said they had just met earlier that week!
When I got home, I remember thinking that I wished the whole world could be more like that. I think that also means we need to keep educating others about OCD, and encouraging our allies and supporters to do the same. I believe community will help us make a more accepting and understanding world.
OCD Awareness Week is October 13–19, 2019! Learn more about how to get involved at iocdf.org/ocdweek, and how to stay involved throughout the year at iocdf.org/get-involved.
Three’s Company: Living with My Boyfriend and My OCD
The IOCDF Shop is Open for Business!
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Best Buddies Nevada relocates
Community service, Education, Las Vegas, Nevada, Nonprofit, People, Senior Services, Services/programs for 18+, Services/Programs for ages 21+, Teen Services, Workforce development, Youth Services
Move accommodates growing staff, allows for future expansion
LAS VEGAS – Best Buddies Nevada, a nonprofit that works with those who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, has moved to its new location at 2980 S. Jones Blvd., Ste. C, just four miles away from its former office. The move, which took place June 27, will allow Best Buddies to grow while accommodating the needs of an expanding staff.
“The move was necessitated by our growth over the past few years,” said Jason Smith, state director. “It really speaks to just how much our community identifies with our core mission of enhancing the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This move will give Best Buddies plenty of room to expand its reach in future years.”
Best Buddies has the mission to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people they serve and the community at large.
Formerly located at 500 N. Rainbow Blvd., Ste. 314, the new office replaces the organization’s previous address. Best Buddies’ other contact information, including phone and fax numbers and its website address, remain the same.
Best Buddies Nevada connects students, adults, educators and families with their peers with disabilities through school-based workshops and adult friendship programs. Best Buddies aims to enrich the lives of all Nevadans and share the importance of the Disability Awareness Movement.
For more information, visit bestbuddiesnevada.org or call 702-822-2268. Best Buddies Nevada can be reached by fax at 702-878-8630.
Best Buddies Nevada, Disability Awareness Movement, Growth, Jason Smith
NV Energy to present Henderson Libraries with $279,972 check
Henderson Libraries to offer variety of back-to-school programs
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Charles Goad Fire Insurance Maps
Souris East P.E.I.
This is a fire insurance plan of Souris East showing the the town in two (2) sections that are intended to be continuous. It was created in 1888 and revised to 1910. The map shows the area surrounding Main Street, from Chapel Avenue to the railway line, approximately. A key plan in the upper right corner provides context. The map sections show the town divided into numbered blocks. They show buildings with numbers assigned to them and their heights given in storeys. Buildings are colour-coded according to construction materials and/or use. A key on the right side explains the colour coding and symbols, which are used to depict architectural features. Labels on some buildings indicate their use. Names of some residents have been added in pencil. A portion of the P.E.I. Railway is shown. Souris Harbour and Colville Bay are shown outlined in blue. The map sections show street widths measured in feet. Text information from 1888 states the community has "no fire appliances" in terms of firefighting resources. That is revised in 1910 to indicate a hand pump and 550 feet of hose. The map sections and the key plan have compasses with north arrows. There are two (2) line scales in feet.
4458_s6
Souris East P.E.I.: Population 3,000. No appliances. Chas E Goad C. E. Montreal. October 1888
Chas. E. Goad, Civil Engineer
1 map shown in 2 sections: col.; The larger section is 31.5 x 62.5 cm. (irregular); The smaller section is 25 x 31.5 cm. (irregular). The page is 53 x 62.5 cm.
Paper map on cloth backing. The map has paper sections glued onto the original for the purpose of adding revisions. The map is a page bound into the book of Prince Edward Island fire insurance maps issued by Chas. E. Goad.
Map: 100 feet/inch. Key plan: 500 feet/inch.
This material is provided for research, education, and private use only. For all other uses, please contact the Public Archives and Records Office of Prince Edward Island. All responsibilities for copyright are the responsibility of the user.
P.E.I. Public Archives and Records Office
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Sectarian political upheaval rocks Baghdad as fighting rages in Northern Iraq
By Common Dreams | 12 August 2014, 10:30am | comments |
Iraqi President Fouad Massoum shakes hands with Haider al-Abadi after signing papers appointing him as Iraq's next Prime Minister (Image via YouTube.com)
Iraq's new President has snubbed the powerful yet divisive incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki by asking the deputy parliamentary speaker to form Iraq's new government, raising fears of more infighting in the government as the country faces Sunni militants in the north. Dierdre Fulton from Common Dreams reports.
AS THE U.S. reportedly began directly arming Kurds in northern Iraq to help them fight radical militants, a political fight is escalating in Baghdad, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki – who until Monday was largely backed by the U.S. – refusing to give up power after Iraq's new president, Fouad Massoum, on Monday nominated the deputy parliament speaker to form the new government.
Haider al-Abadi, a member of the same Shiite Islamist Dawa Party that Maliki belongs to, now has 30 days to form a new government and present it to parliament for approval.
In a televised address, al-Abadi vowed to form a government to "protect the Iraqi people" from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS / ISIL) insurgents who are terrorising civilians in the north. The new government must offer meaningful roles to Iraq’s main minority factions, Sunnis and Kurds, according to the country's constitution.
Al-Abadi said in remarks broadcast on state television:
“We all have to cooperate to stand against this terrorist campaign launched on Iraq and to stop all terrorist groups.”
Experts claim that Iraq's political crisis – which in turn allowed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to gain a foothold in the country – stems from the U.S. invasion in 2003, at which point sectarian divisions became the norm.
In an interview with Jadaliyya in June, Haverford College professor and Iraq specialist Zainab Saleh explained:
The institutionalization of sectarian politics after 2003 has had a catastrophic impact on Iraq. It made the formation of a genuinely national government viewed as credible and legitimate by the majority of its citizens impossible.
Iraqi political life instead became dominated by parties and politicians with narrow communal agendas, whose main concern has been to preserve their own role and marginalize rivals, including those with similar politics.
The new political system additionally led to the alienation of Iraq’s Sunni community, whose members were characterized as either Ba’thist remnants or insurgents determined to undermine the Iraqi state. This institutionalized sectarianism resulted in a spike in sectarian violence, especially between 2006-2008.
Under such conditions secular, inclusive voices have been altogether marginalized.
The New York Times reported that Monday's nomination:
'... came hours after a dramatic late night television appearance in which a defiant Mr. Maliki challenged the Iraqi president, Fouad Massoum, and threatened legal action for not choosing him as the nominee. As he spoke in the middle of the night, extra security forces, including special forces units loyal to Mr. Maliki, as well as tanks, locked down the Green Zone and took up positions around the city, heightening the sense of drama.'
According to the Associated Press:
'Maliki deployed his elite security forces in the streets of Baghdad, partially closed two main streets — popular spots for pro and anti-government rallies — as hundreds of his supporters took to the streets, raising fears that he might use force to stay in power.'
The Washington Post described the developments as having
'... all the markings of a political coup.'
Amidst news that the U.S. has begun sending weapons directly to Kurds to aid in their battle against Islamic State insurgents – where previously it insisted on selling weapons only to the Iraqi government – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Maliki to avoid fueling further instability.
Elected officials in Iraq have "clearly made a statement that they are looking for change," Kerry said in Sydney on Monday.
"Our hope is that Mr. Maliki will not stir those waters."
Maliki has been accused of creating a divisive and sectarian atmosphere during his time in office by alienating Kurdish and Sunni minorities, which in turn allowed radical groups like ISIS / ISIL to capitalise on disunity and create a humanitarian crisis.
Earlier this year, Ned Parker and Raheem Salman wrote for Reuters that
'... the fall of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, to Sunni militants this week was facilitated by the sectarian distrust and stalemate among Iraq's political leaders.'
It's not clear that al-Ibadi will be able to break through the sectarian turmoil.
In the Jadaliyya interview, Saleh continued:
The key question is not whether al-Maliki will remain in office; any successor – who according to the current sectarian allotment of positions must also be Shi’a – will similarly manipulate communal sentiment and fears to weaken rivals and aggrandise power.
The problem is the sectarian quota system. Based on the marginalization of secular and national forces, it presents a huge challenge to any serious political solution in Iraq. The sad reality is that once sectarianism becomes institutionalized it is very difficult to overcome. It produces powerful vested interests that will fight off any attempt to change it.
Indeed, as we have seen since 2003, it empowers and even produces communal forces, including armed militias, who act to perpetuate the system while marginalizing secular and national forces that are reduced to the role of dissidents.
This story was originally published under by Common Dreams and has been republished under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 licence.
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Baghdad Northern Iraq Nouri al-Maliki Sunni militants Dierdre Fulton Common Dreams Fouad Massoum Haider al-Abadi Dawa Party Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
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Jeremy Corbyn is right to keep out of the Brexit mess – ordinary people are sick of it
The Labour leader is criticised if he dares to talk about the issues people actually care about
By Liam Young
Updated January 29, 2019 8:47 am
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Another day, another raft of votes on Brexit while every other issue is ignored. As Theresa May faces another series of Commons showdowns, there will be all the usual political drama and little in the way of substance. A lot will be written about the importance of these votes, with each amendment described and analysed in excruciating detail. But although the votes could certainly tweak our immediate direction in terms of Brexit, there is still no sight of an end to the chaos of this Tory Government.
That is partly because the route out of the current chaos does not rest with solving Brexit alone. The major problem with a second referendum, or a so-called “People’s Vote”, is that the fixation with the vote to leave the European Union continues to ignore the actual reasons that people voted Leave.
‘The fixation with Brexit has completely upended any other discussion regarding the very serious problems that we face as a country’
For many, though not all, their vote was used as an opportunity to hit back at the establishment. It is hard to argue with the fact that the current administration is failing a majority of people in this country.
The decision to turn the Leave vote into a nationwide, televised drama has only further exposed this. As the Brexit argument has rolled on, other issues have been continually delayed and ignored.
The hidden facts
Two-thirds of children in poverty live in working families, and the number of people in poverty is growing by roughly one million a year. The foobank network Trussell Trust reported that it issued more than 1.3 million three-day emergency food supplies last year. That is a 13 per cent increase from last year, when foodbank use had already risen by 6 per cent between 2017 and 2018. Last month, the charity Shelter reported that at least 320,000 people in the UK were homeless. It admitted, however, that this figure was likely to be an underestimate.
Amid all the Brexit noise, these figures are hidden at best, and ignored at worst. The fixation with Brexit has completely upended any other discussion regarding the very serious problems that we face as a country. Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised for not speaking out on the issue of Brexit, but that is because the Labour leader has been addressing the problems that are more relevant to the daily lives of ordinary people.
‘When it comes to Brexit, people fear that an establishment stitch-up is on the cards’
Corbyn is criticised if he dares to deviate from the subject of Brexit, such as when he questioned the Prime Minister on local bus services ahead of her announcement at Chequers. The fact that many people mocked him for concentrating on an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of people every day shows how far removed some commentators have become from ordinary lives.
Austerity is biting
In the country at large, people are sick of hearing about the referendum. They are also seeing at firsthand that our public services are falling apart, people are working harder for less and household debt continues to balloon.
The impact of austerity, which was felt before Brexit and will be felt long after we leave the European Union, continues to damage the lives of people across the UK. Much of the Brexit boredom comes from a place of confusion. It is entirely understandable that people wonder why the major problems affecting their lives are completely ignored by the establishment.
Corbyn is right to steer clear of those suggesting that the solution is a second referendum, or that he should involve himself further in this mess that was created by the Conservative Party.
When it comes to Brexit, people fear that an establishment stitch-up is on the cards. Such a feeling led to the vote to Leave in the first place. To emerge intact after this chaos, Labour must present itself as the antidote to that feeling, and not as part of it.
@liamyoung
How many people the Night Stalker serial killer murdered, and how he was caught
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Michael Singer
Web 2.0: MySpace Takes Application Gallery Out Of Beta
The company boasts more than 1,000 approved applications in a selection of categories ranging from music, politics and causes, quizzes and polls, and video.
Hoping to capture even more of the Web 2.0 ecosystem, MySpace on Thursday announced the official launch of its Application Gallery.
Tested in public beta for the better part of March, the site lets MySpace users browse applications and other Web 2.0 widgets and then drag and drop them into their MySpace home page and profile. The company boasts more than 1,000 approved applications in a selection of categories ranging from music, politics and causes, quizzes and polls, and video. MySpace said it has tracked more than 2.1 million installs of the various widgets within the MySpace community.
The MySpace developer tools include the Google-developed OpenSocial set of application programming interfaces. The APIs are for building apps in JavaScript and HTML that can be hosted on any social Web site.
"MySpace was the original open platform, and the MySpace Application Gallery is the evolution of that vision, taking MySpace users around the world to the next level and empowering them to take control of their online presence," Chris DeWolfe, CEO and co-founder of MySpace, said in a statement.
MySpace, which accounted for three-quarters of the Web traffic to social networks in the U.S. in 2007, and its second-place rival Facebook have been opening up their platforms to third-party developers in an attempt to add services that may attract advertisers and keep subscribers on the sites longer.
In February, MySpace opened its network to developers by providing the tools needed to build commercial applications that can run on the site at no charge. In return, MySpace hopes the new applications will keep subscribers on the site longer, which makes MySpace more valuable to advertisers. Rival Facebook launched in May 2007 its software tools for developers.
DNS Network Traffic Volumes During the 2020 Pandemic
Copyright © 2021 UBM Electronics, A UBM company, All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
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Industry vet takes up CMO role at Veeam
Industry stalwart Jim Kruger has been appointed the chief marketing officer role for Veeam, tasked with driving the company's growth in thee cloud data management space.
He will report to Ratmir Timashev, co-founder and executive vice president (EVP), sales & marketing.
"Jim has been a fantastic addition to the Veeam team, and since he joined the company in 2017, has been instrumental in transforming our messaging, go-to-market programs and helping us cement our leadership position in the market," says Timashev.
"As we look to the future, in what is a highly competitive market, we need to innovate across every area of the company to meet evolving customer demands," he says.
"I know that under Jims leadership, Veeam's already industry-leading marketing organisation will go from strength to strength."
Kruger was promoted from his previous role as senior vice president (SVP) of product & solutions marketing. His new role will see him lead Veeam's global marketing organisation and continue to strengthen the company's brand momentum as a provider for backup solutions that deliver cloud data management.
"The way we interact with data is changing and companies are looking to embrace multi-cloud solutions to deliver simple, flexible and reliable ways to manage data, no matter where it resides," Kruger says.
"Veeam provides the most robust Cloud Data Management solutions on the market and we are able to help companies of all sizes manage and protect their data across any environment," he says.
"This is a great time to be at Veeam - we just announced that we are a Leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Data Center Backup and Recovery Solutions for the third time and I look forward to increasing our market share and expanding the awareness of our brand in the company's second decade of growth," explains Kruger.
Kruger has more than 25 years of experience in leading all facets of marketing. In his role as SVP of product & solution marketing for Veeam, he oversaw all aspects of product and alliance solutions marketing, plus competitive, research and sales acceleration.
Prior to Veeam, he was CMO at Intermedia, offering Unified Communications as a service to small businesses. He spent 16 years at Polycom (now Poly) in a variety of roles from executive vice president/CMO to leading product marketing and product management for the Voice division to vice president/general manager over a $200 million business. Prior to Polycom, Kruger served in several senior marketing roles with GTE (Verizon) wireless and Palm. He has an MBA from California State University, East Bay and a BA from UC Berkeley.
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Veeam Recruitment Appointments
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Faculty of Art
Staff Publications- Faculty of Art
تطور موقف حزب العمل الإسرائيلي من قضايا المرأة في المجتمع والدولة من خلال البرامج الانتخابية للحزب 1949-2013
The subject and status of women in the state and society takes a great attention in Israel, this essay aims to explore part of this attention, it discusses the developing position of the Israeli Labor Party of women's issues according to their electoral programs, The importance of this research is that it explains to the Arab reader the Israeli experience in dealing with women's issues in an open society to the west, and faces a strong debate between secular and religious, this study is answering the following questions: 1. What are the main stages of the evolution of the Israeli Labour Party's position toward women's issues in society and the state as it appeared in their electoral programs? 2. What are the reasons which push the Labor Party to develop its position toward women's issues? This study examines the development of the Israeli Labor Party's perspectives towards women issues as reflected in the party's elections platforms. The paper studies the reasons behind these changes. The paper indicates that the changes were more theoretical i.e. words on paper than practical developments. Still, the Labor Party is the best Israeli party regarding the issues of women as it allows them to occupy leadership roles whether in the Knesset or the cabinet. The weakness of women's participation is clear ,among the 221 people occupied the positions of ministers in Israel, women got only 13.
الشيخ خليل, نهاد محمد
woman *
Staff Publications- Faculty of Art [315]
Staff Publications- Women's Studies [8]
1541-4411-1-PB.pdf 4.158Mb
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• A four-day Industrial Relations Commission session had been scheduled for this week, but the Commissioner cancelled her trip to Broken Hill for personal reasons. The hearing may be rescheduled for next year. Ros Ferry from the Town Employees’ Union, which represents the staff at the centre of the case, said neither of the workers disputing their dismissals are seeking re-employment.
• The University of Melbourne study found prevention approaches such as placing signs and crisis-assistance numbers and increasing the likelihood of intervention by a third party significantly reduced the number of deaths at these locations.
• Receiving regular text messages about healthy living can help people who have had a heart attack significantly reduce their chances of having a second one, new research from the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, that sending simple texts such as “Don’t forget physical activity is good for you!” could motivate patients to improve their health.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-23/broken-hill-hospital-unfair-dismissal-hearing-cancelled/6798072
It may be next year before two unfair dismissal cases brought by former staff members at Broken Hill’s hospital will be heard.
A four-day Industrial Relations Commission session had been scheduled for this week, but the Commissioner cancelled her trip to Broken Hill for personal reasons.
The hearing may be rescheduled for next year.
Ros Ferry from the Town Employees’ Union, which represents the staff at the centre of the case, said neither of the workers disputing their dismissals are seeking re-employment.
“That then allows the commission time to fully hear it without any urgency to get the employees back to work,” Ms Ferry said.
Ms Ferry said the hearing’s delay was unlikely to cause problems for the affected workers.
Meanwhile, the Far West Local Health District has told the ABC it can’t provide any updates on the progress of an internal investigation into allegations made by hospital nurses, and can’t comment on whether the investigation is still ongoing.
The independent inquiry was launched in November, in response to nurses’ concerns about disciplinary procedures and the behaviour of management.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-23/blocking-means-of-suicide-at-hotspots-reduces-deaths-by-90pc/6796702
Blocking the means of suicide at “hotspots” such as high bridges and cliffs reduces the number of deaths at these locations by 90 per cent, new research shows.
The University of Melbourne study found prevention approaches such as placing signs and crisis-assistance numbers and increasing the likelihood of intervention by a third party significantly reduced the number of deaths at these locations.
According to statistics from crisis service provider Lifeline, deaths by suicide in Australia have reached a 10-year peak with twice as many people dying from suicide than in road-related deaths.
“These key interventions have the potential to complement each other and buy time to allow an individual to reconsider their actions and allow others the opportunity to intervene,” said the lead author of the study, Professor Jane Pirkis.
One location the study cites was The Gap, an ocean cliff in eastern Sydney in Watsons Bay where an inwardly curved fence was built along the cliff’s edge, and telephones and signs were installed linking directly to Lifeline.
The paper found interventions to restrict access resulted in 91 per cent fewer suicides per year when looked at in combination with other interventions and a 93 per cent reduction when used in isolation.
“Although suicide methods at high-risk locations are not the most common ways for people to take their own lives and may only have a small impact on overall suicide rates, suicide attempts at these sites are often fatal and attract high-profile media attention which can lead to copycat acts,” Professor Pirkis said.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged between 15-44, and around 2,500 people will die each year from suicide in Australia according to Beyondblue.
Though restricting access to one location could shift the problem elsewhere, the researchers found there was a significant overall reduction in deaths by the same method.
The researchers said blocking access to a hotspot should be a part of the overall regional and national approach to suicide prevention.
According to Beyondblue, 3 million Australians live with depression or anxiety.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-23/simple-text-messages-can-save-lives-researchers-say/6796036
Receiving regular text messages about healthy living can help people who have had a heart attack significantly reduce their chances of having a second one, new research has found.
Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney found sending simple texts such as “Don’t forget physical activity is good for you!” could motivate patients to improve their health.
After receiving four texts a week for six months, patients significantly lowered their cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index.
Associate Professor Clara Chow from the institute said the approach had the potential to prevent second heart attacks and save thousands of lives.
“Around 55,000 Australians go to hospital with a heart attack every year and around one third of those are repeat heart attacks,” she said.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found significant reductions in cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index among participants.
Most participants found the texts useful, and people receiving the texts were also more likely to exercise regularly and become non-smokers.
Second heart attacks are dangerous, but almost half of people who have had a heart attack do not take prescribed medications.
Many others stop exercising and eating a healthy diet.
Public health experts said the findings were important, to show there were proven, cost-effective measures which could change people’s health habits.
National Heart Foundation chief executive Mary Barry said the results showed when information was targeted to someone’s particular health concerns, the impact could be very positive.
“We know that we need to be more savvy with how our information is delivered to patients,” she said.
Patient received texts such as:
“Don’t forget physical activity is good for you! It reduces your risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke.”
“Did you know that 90 per cent of people don’t eat the recommended daily intake of vegetables?”
“Studies show that stress, worry and loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease. Please talk to a health professional if you need help.”
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Portrait of a Lady: Gigi Stone Woods
We would like you to meet the women who wear Hedge.
They are authentic. They are courageous. They are wise and humble.
They have many responsibilities and passions.
They have hopes, dreams, successes and failures. They are human.
They are helping us define our brand and we are inspired.
Introducing Gigi Stone Woods.
Dauntless. Resilient. Warm. Graceful. Foxy.
CONVERSATIONS WITH GIGI STONE WOODS
She is a sheer delight and inspiration. Getting to know this media maven revealed that deep down Gigi believes dreams DO come true; but not without sacrifice, a fearless attitude and some sly tactics.
Meagan:
Can you share with us a little about your process, getting ready for a story? What is the hardest part about what you do?
Gigi:
I have spent many years working as a TV news anchor, correspondent, and producer at NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, and Bloomberg TV. I also privately media train executives and performers, helping them crafting the message they want to convey to their audiences. Sometimes that’s the public, the media, press interviews, shareholders or staff. Sometimes it’s at a public event, in front of a crowd.
For me, the most important part of the process is exhaustive research and preparation. I want to learn as much about a topic or interview subject as possible, both so that I can best understand and empathize with their situation and make sure their complete experience comes through but also because doing that work in advance lets be more nimble when I’m there in front of them. If I feel confident about what I know, I’m able to ask better questions and that means a better interview.
My job is to create the most simple, effective, humanizing, and entertaining content I am able to write and present. The hardest part is weeding through “spin” and misinformation while making sure I nail down the facts. The job of a journalist is to know which end is “up,” even if everyone else is pointing in the other direction.
Growing up in your family…Did you always feel that you were allowed to be your whole self with them?
Gigi: Yes! I grew up alone with my mother and never got the chance to know my father. As a result, my mother and I have a wonderful and close relationship.
Meagan: How do you reveal yourself through style and wardrobe?
Gigi: My style has evolved so much over the years. When I was younger, I really wanted to stand out from the crowd and make a statement with my clothes—for better or often for worse.
It took some time to find out what worked for me, apart from what magazines were telling me was “in” right now. I’ve learned to embrace that, especially now that I’m a wife and mother and have a million things to think about before I even consider what I’m going to wear on a given day. I love classic, beautifully tailored, and well-made clothes with gorgeous fabric that I can wear through the seasons. I have a particular soft spot for brands like Erdem, Joseph, Dolce and Gabbana for special occasions and Hedge, for tennis and golf.
Meagan: Where do you think your strong work ethic has come from? Tell us the steps you've taken since college and the projects you've been doing.
Gigi: After college, I got my Master’s Degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Storytelling was always a passion, and I wanted to chase that. So I started the program thinking I would learn to make documentaries highlighting issues facing women and marginalized communities around the world. But while I was there, I decided to work on Columbia’s nightly newscast and fell in love with the thrill and quick-thinking involved in reporting the news. Right away, I felt like I’d found an occupation perfectly suited to my personality. It’s a cliche, but it didn’t feel like work to me at all.
As I got closer to graduation, I sent a “reel” with examples of my reporting to about 50 TV news stations in small cities across the country. The only one that called me back was in Missoula, Montana. I was told I was one of two finalists for an on-air reporting position and that the salary would be low. (How low? They told me that I would be eligible for food stamps.)
In the end, I didn’t get the job and I was devastated. So I got into a car and drove to different cities to introduce myself to networks in person. I called all the news directors and told them I was in town for a meeting with their rival TV station so that they would feel compelled to meet with me.
It worked. I convinced a news station in Wilmington, North Carolina, to hire me as an on-air reporter. Wilmington turned out to be an amazing place for me; the perfect launch-pad for a career in television. The gig there led to a news reporting job at NY1 News back in New York where I worked as a “one-man band,” meaning I was both a correspondent and a camera person. I had to set up the camera and run in front of it to stand there and report the news, usually from Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island. From there, I got hired at ABC News. It was my dream come true to be part of the Good Morning America and World News teams, but I paid a price as I worked my way up the ladder. I spent many years working seven days a week, traveling 300 days a year, living out of a suitcase. I missed countless birthdays, holidays, and weddings. The job is a sacrifice, and I still feel so fortunate to have done it.
Meagan: In the book, Alice in Wonderland, the irresistible Cheshire Cat, says ‘we're all mad here’. It’s a wonderful quote because it's absolutely true. We are! Except when we meet people we don’t reveal these characteristics of our personality for a very long time or even to anyone other than family. How are you a little crazy?
Gigi: I love to laugh and have fun. Even in a dire situation, I can find some inappropriate humor. I also definitely leave the house with two different socks on and won’t notice a giant piece of tomato stuck to my face.
Meagan: What is the best compliment you've ever received?
Gigi: If someone thinks I have a good sense of humor, I will be their friend for life. But I also think it’s a huge compliment when someone just asks me for advice; it means they trust my opinion and respect what I have to say. That’s the highest praise.
Meagan: What was it like to grow up in Manhattan?
Gigi: There are incredible cultural opportunities growing up with such easy access to some of the world’s best museums, theater, ballet, and opera. It was wonderful to grow up in a global melting pot, exposed to so many different backgrounds and cultures. It also made me a more independent person. From my first job at the age of 15 working at David's Cookies, to career internships at media companies like MTV News and the public defender's office, I wasn’t afraid to hustle and get out there. Of course, the irony is as a little girl I often remember yearning to live in the suburbs with a white picket fence, a big family, and a Volkswagen Subaru.
Meagan: This is actually my daughter’s question… Do you have a secret that you would be willing to share with us?
Gigi: What a fabulous daughter you have. I didn’t learn to drive until I was in college and had to take Driver’s Ed at the local high school, but still didn’t really learn how. When I got my first job as a reporter in North Carolina, I had to enroll in Driver’s Ed there. Mortifying! One time I got into a minor car accident because I was so intently listening to the audio book Maya Angelou's autobiography. Her voice is mesmerizing.
Meagan: What is one of your simple or guilty pleasures in life?
Gigi: Guilty: I can easily eat an entire jar of almond butter with a spoon. I live for hip-hop videos. I go very deep into the rabbit hole researching conspiracy theories. If Area 51, the grassy knoll or Jeffrey Epstein were "Jeopardy" categories I could possibly beat Ken Jennings.
Simple: hanging out with my husband and children is my happy place and the thing I love doing most. I also really love reading and riding a bike outdoors in the country.
Meagan: I believe that books can be medicine for the heart and soul. For me, books create a way to not only escape, but you get a chance to experience something a character is going through and you can learn from them. You can identify with their situation and it really does make you feel like you're not alone therefore gaining empathy. What have you read recently or what is one of your all-time favorite books? What did you like about the characters? Do you feel you need to be an empathetic person to be successful as an anchor?
Gigi: I love to read books that make me cry, and I relate most to female characters who have overcome adversity. I admire characters who can overcome hardship or loss with grace. The protagonists in Toni Morrison’s, Jane Austen’s, or Zora Neale Hurston’s books are some of my favorites. The same characteristics draw me to characters in theater and movies. I like to say we are all a little bit Effie White from "Dreamgirls." I also have found some of the best life answers in everything from heartbreaking books like Viktor Frankl's "Man Search for Meaning" to happy children's books like "The Little Prince"
Meagan: What is a lesson you have learned lately?
Gigi: Treat everyone with love, including those who are unkind to you. I try to forgive them and send them positive energy because life is too short and precious to hold on to resentment, anger, or regret.
Meagan: As adults, we never stop growing and changing. How do you feel you are growing?
Gigi: You couldn’t pay me to be in my 20s again. I love the wisdom and peace that comes with life experience. I have learned to be so much calmer, more zen, and more satisfied than I used to be. I find I get more joy from life’s small pleasures. And more than anything, I have learned to no longer have FOMO.
Meagan: What scares you?
Gigi: Obviously, I think 24/7 about the health of my children and family. The idea of anything disrupting their safety and harmony is what scares me most.
Meagan: What are you most proud of?
Gigi: My sweet angel children are my greatest accomplishment, along with the life that my husband and I have created for them so far. We’ve been able to give them unconditional love and stability that we didn’t always have growing up ourselves.
I am proud of my ability to be resilient and bounce back after hard times. I am proud of my willingness to take on challenges and opportunities even when I am afraid of them. I used to wear a bracelet that said “fearlessness” and would secretly rub it as I was about to go do something I was afraid of.
And overall, I always try to be kind and honest and a good, loyal friend. I have kept many close female friends for more than 20 years that are still my best friends to this day and that is a source of pride as well.
Meagan: What endearing term did your mom call you growing up?
Gigi: Ma cherie (“darling” in French)
BIO: (stats…or a concise list of accomplishments/pride points)
Gigi Stone Woods is an award-winning, national TV on-air host, anchor, correspondent, and producer from ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, and Bloomberg TV. She creates, writes, and produces her own programming. Stone Woods has interviewed countless Fortune 500 CEOs, politicians, and celebrities. She has covered presidential elections, the financial crisis, and major global and national breaking news stories, as well as red carpet events including the Academy Awards and New York Fashion Week.
Stone Woods works as a freelance TV news anchor for national news programs on NBC News and MSNBC and appears as a business expert on various networks. She is the on-air host and co-producer of Hiring America, a nationally syndicated career advice TV show.
Stone Woods has worked as an anchor for ABC News and as a daily correspondent for Good Morning America, Nightline, and World News. At CBS News, Stone Woods anchored CBS Moneywatch, and CBSN and appeared as a correspondent on CBS This Morning.
At Bloomberg Television, Stone Woods co-hosted Bloomberg Enterprise, a program profiling the CEOs of fast-growing companies. She also created, produced and hosted the Inspiring Women In Business interview series on Bloomberg TV.
Gigi Stone Woods works as an on-air media trainer, TV consultant, conference moderator, media message writer, and press advisor through her company, Stone Woods Media. She teaches executives and corporate spokespersons how to best communicate their message and connect with an audience. She helps them prepare for public speaking engagements and media interviews, while creating and delivering a compelling story that resonates across various media platforms.
She received her master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Stone Woods is on the board of directors of education non-profit The Opportunity Network and is on the corporate advisory boards for various media companies.
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Normal, Kentucky facts for kids
Unincorporated community
UTC-6 (Central (CST))
UTC-5 (CST)
Normal is a residential unincorporated community, located within the city of Ashland, Kentucky along U.S. Route 23 and U.S. Route 60 and the Ohio River. It was annexed by the City of Ashland in 1905. Previously, Normal was an independent community with post office. Normal Presbyterian Church, founded in 1890, is one of the last surviving remnants of the original community of Normal. The originally wooden church was razed in 1957 when the current brick structure was completed across 44th Street. The Normal Post Office was in operation from
Normal was named after the Eastern Kentucky Normal School, a teachers school that was opened here in 1867, by Mrs Mordecai Williams, wife of the original landowner of the community. Mordecai Williams was an Iron master who owned 600 acres of land of the present day area of Normal, from Cliffside Branch to Haney Branch at the Catlettsburg city limits. His stately residence is still standing at Normal, a brick mansion of Colonial style, located on U.S. Routes 23 and 60 at the Catlettsburg-Ashland City Limits. Williams wife operated the Normal School from the home from 1878 to 1889. It is one of the oldest homes in the entire area and has long served as landmark to the community.
Most residential zones in this section of the city have been transferred to commercial and industrial zones. Cintas Corporation operates a large facility in the former Washington Avenue section located east of the CSX railroad tracks. The community originally grew up around the coke plant built and operated by Semet Solvay and later owned by Armco/AK steel. The Normal coke plant was in operation from 1891 until it was finally closed due to its inability to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations in July 2011. The only concentrations of residential dwellings remaining in Normal are along Blackburn Avenue (also known as 45th Street), Daniels Street, and from Chestnut Avenue south to the Catlettsburg city limits, which is also known as Williams Addition.
Municipalities and communities of Boyd County, Kentucky, United States
County seat: Catlettsburg
Catlettsburg
Cannonsburg
Burnaugh
Coalton
Durbin
England Hill
Leach Railroad Station
Little Garner
Peterman Hill
Rush‡
Burgess Railroad Station
Normal, Kentucky Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.
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Home/Resources/L.A. tenants impacted by COVID-19 can apply for $2,000 in rent relief from city next week
L.A. tenants impacted by COVID-19 can apply for $2,000 in rent relief from city next week
by: KTLA Digital Staff
Posted: Jul 8, 2020 / 10:08 AM PDT / Updated: Jul 8, 2020 / 01:28 PM PDT
Eligible Los Angeles renters in need of rent relief amid the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic can apply for $2,000 in funds from the city next week.
Registration for the city’s Emergency Renters Relief Program will begin next Monday, July 13, and conclude Friday, July 17. Residents who qualify for assistance can apply by going to hcidla.lacity.org from 8 a.m. Monday to 11:59 p.m. Friday.
Those who don’t have internet access can register by calling 844-944-1868 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. between next Monday and Friday.
The announcement was made Wednesday by the City of Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department.
The $103 million COVID-19 rental assistance program is the largest of of its kind in any U.S. city, officials said. It’s open to all L.A. renters in multifamily units who make 80% or less of the average median income, which is $58,450 for a one person or $83,500 for a family of four.
Applicants will have to demonstrate financial hardship caused by the recent public health emergency, such as: lost income because of reduced hours or from their place of employment being closed; loss of income or increased child care care costs due to school and day care closures; medical costs associated from illness due to the novel coronavirus; and lost income because of emergency measures ordered by the government after March 13, 2020.
Immigration status won’t factor in eligibility for the program, according to a news release from the office of L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez.
“We know people throughout the City of Los Angeles need assistance – particularly our working poor and disenfranchised communities, who are hit hardest by both the health and economic impacts of COVID-19,” said Martinez, the measure’s author.
Applicants will be randomly chosen to verify documentation before being approved to receive the funds. Registering early will not provide applicants with an advantage and everyone will have the same opportunity to be selected, the release stated.
The rent subsidy is $2,000 for two months, or $1,000 each month, and will be paid directly to the landlord. About 50,000 households will benefit from the program.
Most of the money — about $100 million — will come from the city’s stimulus money from the federal CARES Act, according to the release.
But even as the city prepares to offer some assistance, Martinez said the federal government must do more to ensure residents don’t lose their homes.
“Demand will be high and serves as a reminder that the federal government must offer billions more in housing assistance if we are going to help all who need assistance to remain in their homes during and after this pandemic,” she said.
More information on the city’s Emergency Renters Relief Program can be found by going to hcidla.lacity.org or by emailing Sandra Mendoza with HCIDLA at Sandra.mendoza@lacity.org.
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How Verve Records Got Gutted by Ted Gioia – The Daily Beast
Standard / by Bash Daily Group Archive Feed / March 16, 2015 / No Comments
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/14/how-verve-records-got-gutted.html
How Verve Records Got Gutted
By Ted Gioia
The record label of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald just got swallowed by a hip-hop business… and no one even noticed!
The announcement could hardly have been hidden any better. Slipping the news into the second paragraph of a press release about a management change, Universal Music disclosed last week that most of the day-to-day responsibility for the once great Verve label has been absorbed by its hip-hop and pop operations. Interscope Geffen A&M, the home of Eminem and Lady Gaga, “is now responsible for Verve’s sales, marketing and film and TV licensing.”
What a strange turn of events! Interscope, founded in 1989 by Jimmy Iovine, first made its mark in the music world as the in-your-face label of gangsta rappers—although later corporate moves have broadened its catalog to include a range of pop and rock acts. Verve, in contrast, started out as a posh home for jazz stars who played the classic songs of George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and other craftsman tunesmiths of the Golden Age of America popular music. Even the most optimistic jazz fan must cringe at the prospects of a shotgun marriage between these different organizations with their contrasting traditions.
My sources tell me that the organizational shake-up took place quietly some weeks back. David Foster, head of Verve, is still in place, and can rely on newly-appointed general manager Mike Rittberg to help him maintain some independence for the label. But the rank and file of the Verve team have been dismissed. The sales and marketing push behind whatever remains of Verve’s jazz mission—if anything—will be handled by the same folks who are pushing Maroon 5 and Imagine Dragons. Anyone want to guess how much they care about jazz?
Oh, yes, in the fourth paragraph of the press release, we learn that Verve will “redevelop its brand in the coming year.” I think this is corporate speak for “we don’t quite know what we are doing.”
Frankly, I am not surprised at this turn of events. Norman Granz, who founded Verve Records in 1956, would be horrified by the recent history of his iconic label. Granz worked with most of the major jazz artists of the middle decades of the 20th century. At one time or another, Granz recorded Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Tatum, Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and dozens of other now legendary jazz figures.
What would Granz think of Verve’s Donny Osmond album “tracing the high and low points of both his professional and personal life”? Or the recent Barry Manilow album on Verve, which finds the pop crooner collaborating with a host of dead musicians? It’s a long path from Billie Holiday to Donny Osmond, and the trajectory is definitely downward.
It’s a long path from Billie Holiday to Donny Osmond, and the trajectory is definitely downward.
Granz was a tenacious businessman, but he also knew that some things were more important than money. He fought against racial discrimination at every juncture, and refused to compromise in situations where others would have folded. He once confronted an armed policeman trying to plant drugs in Ella Fitzgerald’s dressing room. “I ought to kill you,” threatened the cop, who pointed a gun at the producer’s stomach. Granz responded, “Well, if you’re going to shoot me, I mean, shoot me.” Granz showed similar courage when insisting that a taxi driver operating a “whites only” vehicle give a ride to Fitzgerald, or tearing down the signs for white and black patrons at a jazz concert. Nat Hentoff has called Granz the '”the most stubborn and brusque man I have never known”—but only someone with such fierce determination could have overcome the obstacles facing a music impresario committed to civil rights in the ’40s and ’50s.
Verve would benefit today from someone with Granz’s vision and stubbornness. As I look back at Verve’s output in recent years, the most striking aspect is the lack of any consistent guiding principles. Some albums are better than others, but too many decisions seem driven by marketing concepts rather than a commitment to artistry. Even Diana Krall, one of the few high caliber jazz artists still affiliated with Verve, is presented in the crassest way. Her 2012 release, Glad Rag Doll,looked more like an excuse for a lingerie photo shoot than a jazz album. Her latest recording, Wallflower, has a few inspired musical moments, but the focus on tired top 40 pop material from a second-rate oldies playlist—“Alone Again (Naturally),” “Desperado,” “I’m Not in Love”—is cheesy in the extreme. Krall succeeds here despite the song choices; a lesser artist might have lost all credibility in jazz circles with an album of this sort.
How could Universal fix Verve? Perhaps they should look back to the steps Norman Granz took to revitalize Ella Fitzgerald’s career in the ’50s—the greatest success story in the history of the Verve label. While under contract to Decca (ironically, now part of the Universal Music empire that controls Verve), she was prodded into recording embarrassing songs such as “Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney” and “Little Man in a Flying Saucer.” But when Granz brought her on board the new Verve label, he packaged and promoted her as the leading jazz interpreter of classic American songs. The resulting “Songbook” albums—featuring the music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and others composers of the highest caliber—still serve as the foundation of Verve’s catalog and reputation.
That kind of commitment to quality is still the best recipe for long-term success in the jazz field. Throw out the gimmicks. Forget about clever press releases. Instead, back the finest talent and give them a platform to make the best music possible. If Universal Music wants to see how this is done, they should check out the jazz offerings from ECM, Nonesuch, and other labels that have flourished, even during tough times, with a commitment to artistry that starts at the top of the organization.
Or, if that is too much to ask from the new team at Interscope, perhaps the best thing for all parties would be to find a new owner for this historic label. Maybe with a different boss, Verve could once again live up to promise embodied by its name.
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Jazz Articles: Bassist and Educator Chris White Dies at 78 – By Jeff Tamarkin — Jazz Articles
Standard / by Bash Daily Group Archive Feed / December 9, 2014 / No Comments
http://jazztimes.com/sections/news/articles/148920-bassist-and-educator-chris-white-dies-at-78
Bassist and Educator Chris White Dies at 78
Played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nina Simone, others
By Jeff Tamarkin
Bassist, producer, arranger and educator Chris White, whose recording and performance credits included work with as Duke Ellington, Eubie Blake, Dizzy Gillespie, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Nina Simone, Mary Lou Williams, Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Teddy Wilson, Mary Lou Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Ramsey Lewis, James Moody, Quincy Jones, Carmen McRae, Billy Cobham and others, died Nov. 2. Details regarding the cause and place of death were unavailable.
Born Christopher Wesley White in Harlem on July 6, 1936, and raised in Brooklyn, White turned professional in his teens and later graduated from the Manhattan School of Music. He went on to earn a Masters of Education degree from the University of Massachusetts.
In the 1950s, White played with pianist Cecil Taylor. In the early ’60s he accompanied Simone and later that decade, Gillespie. He founded the group Jazz Survivors and was a member of Prism. White released his only solo album The Chris White Project, in 1992.
White was the first executive director of the Jazzmobile project in New York and the first director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University. He also founded the MUSE jazz program at the Brooklyn Children's Museum and was a faculty member at Bloomfield College in New Jersey.
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Jim’s skill at getting the word out to the right media in the right way at the right time has resulted in my enjoying audiences ranging from a full house to standing room only. I recommend him highly.
Patricia Adams, Bandleader / Vocalist
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This record company just opened its very own physical music retailer – Music Business Worldwide
Standard / by Bash Daily Group Archive Feed / February 11, 2016 / No Comments
http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/concord-music-group-opens-vinyl-only-store/
THIS RECORD COMPANY JUST OPENED ITS VERY OWN PHYSICAL MUSIC RETAILER
BY RHIAN JONES
Here’s one for those that worry modern music companies are giving away too much power to third-party retail / streaming partners.
Concord Music Group, the acquisitive record company and publishing house backed by masses of private equity money, has just opened its very own vinyl store.
Stax of Wax is, as it sounds, an outlet which pays tribute to the classic soul label Stax – but its range covers a wide range of genres and all labels.
The inspiration for the retailer, based at Malibu Country Mart in Malibu, CA, comes from Satellite Records, the tiny record shop in Memphis, TN that was the retail arm of the Stax Records label (that’s owned by Concord Music Group).
In its ‘60s heyday, the Satellite Record shop served as a community hub for passionate music fans in Memphis and became synonymous with ground-breaking music.
Founded in 1957 in Memphis, Stax Records was a big player in American soul music during its 15-years in business, spawning the careers of recording artists, songwriters and producers such as Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the MG’s, The Staple Singers, Albert King, Sam & Dave, and Rufus and Carla Thomas.
Today it exists largely as a reissue label with a handful of new recordings from artists such as Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals.
The new Stax of Wax store offers a handpicked selection of 900 titles spanning new releases, classic reissues and box sets in an array of genres from a number of distributors, including rock, jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop, electronica, blues, country, Americana and indie/alternative.
It also sells special orders for vinyl releases and merchandise like T-shirts, books and photography, including prints from art music gallery Morrison Hotel.
Alongside Concord Bicycle Music, the shop was created by Liliana Casabal of boutique-clothing store Morgane Le Fay (located next door to Stax of Wax).
Concord, backed by Wood Creek – an investment manager with over $2.5 billion in committed capital – merged with independent publisher The Bicycle Music Company in April last year.
At the same time, it raised $100m to help expand its market presence.
Since then, it’s gone on a bit of a spending spree, snapping up the likes of Fearless Records and Wind-Up Records and signing a worldwide JV with US indie Razor & Tie.
Just last month, Concord licensed the global recorded rights to R.E.M’s classic ‘Warner Bros’ catalogue – a deal executed under the nose of the major label which helped make the band’s name.
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Home Asia ‘Iran’s Best Businessman’ Finds Himself in Hot Water Over Alleged Fraud
Israel & Middle East
‘Iran’s Best Businessman’ Finds Himself in Hot Water Over Alleged Fraud
Eli Horn
An Iranian entrepreneur is accused of carrying out an enormous fraud scheme, marking the latest controversy over allegations of large-scale corruption in the Islamic country in recent years, a report said.
Iranian media has said that the alleged embezzlement by Mohsen Pahlevan Moghadam amounted to as much as 940 trillion rials ($34.3 billion) although judiciary officials say the value is still under investigation. Pahlevan has been accused of fraud by the prosecutor of the city of Mashhad, but he denies the allegations and has yet to be charged, the Financial Times said.
Pahlevan is one of a generation of young businessmen who were rapidly promoted with the support of senior authorities under Iran’s previous government. The story of the 43-year-old, who rose from a modest background, comes after the country has been rocked by revelations of large-scale corruption by others under the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Times said.
In 2009 Pahlevan set up Padide Shandiz Construction Co, a construction arm of his Padide Shandiz Co, which lured investors by promising huge returns on their shares in projects in Shandiz, a suburb of the holy city of Mashhad, and in the island resort of Kish, the report said.
Around 120, 000 bought the company’s stocks and banks gave Padide Shandiz loans on the basis of brochures, some unfinished construction projects and promises that investments would constantly grow, according to the Times.
Now, thousands are trying to sell their shares having heard that the company has huge debts, although a judiciary spokesman said the exact sum was under investigation, the report said.
“The art of this man was not only collecting money from people, but having many officials involved in his projects, ” said Javad Ghodousi-Karimi, a member of parliament from Mashhad, according to the Times.
The controversy follows disclosures of unprecedented corruption. Last Wednesday Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, the former first vice-president, was sentenced to more than five years in jail on charges of fraud, the report said.
Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s centrist president, has warned that the economy, which has inflation of 17 per cent and youth unemployment of 25 percent, cannot move forward if corruption is not curbed, the Times said.
Pahlevan, reportedly a former member of the Revolutionary Guards corps who was disabled during the war with Iraq in the 1980s, declined to comment. But analysts say that he could not have operated at such a scale without strong support from senior politicians. Until six years ago, he ran a small tourism business and a shish-kebab restaurant, according to the Times.
“He enjoyed the support of political and military organisations as well as religious foundations, ” said one reform-minded analyst, according to the report. “But now that 120, 000 shareholders are worried about their money, the judiciary had to intervene as public anger could become a security threat.”
In a recent interview with Etemad, a reformist daily newspaper, Pahlevan said, “When you work three times more than the others and have no day off, you grow three times more than the others.” He also claimed that “I am Iran’s best businessman”, according to the Times.
Pahlevan denies all wrongdoing and brushes off suggestions that he could face arrest or even the death penalty, which has been imposed on some businessmen convicted of charges of disrupting the national economy, the report said.
Javad Ghodousi-
Last Wednesday Mohammad-
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At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy is an EduTrust-certified institution that cultivates global chefs and F&B professionals in an environment of culinary authenticity. The Academy imparts skills and knowledge in East and West, Old World and New World cuisines, herbs and spices, innovation and technology. A synchronised study-apprenticeship rotation enable the students to expand their horizons beyond the classrooms, maximising their employability and preparedness for careers as global chefs and F&B professionals upon graduation.
Since 2007, At-Sunrice has been recognised by the SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) as a CET Institute for Culinary and F&B Management. It has also signed degree articulation agreements with renowned educational institutions including Johnson & Wales University (USA), the University of West London (UK), Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong. Students can choose from a range of degree and nationally-recognised diploma, certificate, modular, assessment-only-pathway (AOP) and continuing education modular programmes suitable for their level of experience and commitment. Students who are Singaporeans or Permanent Residents signing up for WSQ programmes receive up to 95% tuition subsidy.
With an international cadre of experienced faculty and staff, state-of-the-art facilities and strong industry partnerships, At-Sunrice celebrates the true craft of F&B industry and advances the culinary arts and F&B profession with integrity and meaning.
Why At-Sunrice ?
At-Sunrice faculty consists of chefs, food professionals and qualified instructors with vast backgrounds ranging from award-winning food authors, Michelin Star experienced chefs, English majors, magna cum laude graduates, service excellence professionals and executive chefs. Our staff are from many Asian and Western countries, supporting a global learning culture.
Established in 2001, At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy is one of the first culinary academies in Singapore to be awarded the National CET Institute (NCI) accreditation. For a decade, At-Sunrice endlessly champions and cultivates global chefs in a living environment of culinary authenticity, best-fit apprenticeships and research. The academy delivers culinary arts and F&B education by applying skills and recipes from East & West, Old & New World, Herbs & Spices, Innovation and Technology.
In 2011, At-Sunrice opened a new WSQ integrated F&B Academy located in 28 Tai Seng Street, offering 3 full-time WSQ diploma programmes in Culinary Arts, Pastry and Bakery, and Food & Beverage Management; 4 WSQ certificates in Food and Beverage Operations, Pastry and Bakery, Culinary Arts and Beverage Operations; WSQ Continuing Education Modular (CEM) programmes.
The academy employs cutting edge technologies to boost productivity at its new premise and showcases a repertoire of industry standard kitchens, equipments, tools and software. It conceptualized and implemented three distinctive kitchens, all of which are firsts in the culinary training industry.
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Head Coach Bill Self
Yearly History
Virtual Guide
Credential Application
1,000 Point Scores
All-Time Player Stats (PDF)
Seating Chart (PDF)
📕Preview
🗓 This Day In Kansas Basketball History
Kansas is 18-5 all-time on March 4; 2-1 under head coach Bill Self
March 7th, 1952: Lawrence played host to a top-10 edition of the Sunflower Showdown, a game which featured the No. 8-ranked ranked Jayhawks and the No. 3-ranked Kansas State Wildcats, KU taking the 78-61 inside Hoch Auditorium. Kansas relied on their superstar big man senior Clyde Lovellette, who dropped 33 points to propel the Jayhawks to the blowout win over their in-state rival. On the back of the All-American Lovellette, the Jayhawks would go on to win the NCAA Tournament, the program’s first and the 1952 squad will go down as one of the most successful teams in KU history.
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mozart k 304 analysis
It begins unlike any other composition of his, with a somber theme, piano, stated in stark octaves; this austere theme is later harmonized in Metronome markings provide precise numerical speeds. 1.99. Tempo selection during performance is a complex artistic choice informed by composer's markings, performance tradition, technical limitations and interpretation. It is the only instrumental work by Mozart whose home key is E minor. Only one is in a minor key, the Sonata in E minor, K. 304, written in 1778 in Paris. movement. The respite is only Recent paper dating has shown that while the opening Allegro was composed in Mannheim, the following Tempo di Menuetto was composed in Paris, where Mozart and his mother finally arrived on March 23. . Mozart: Sonata for Piano and Violin in E Minor, K. 304: I. Allegro è un brano popolare di Davide Alogna & Fiorenzo Pascalucci | Crea i tuoi video TikTok col brano Mozart: Sonata for Piano and Violin in E Minor, K. 304: I. Allegro ed esplora 0 video creati da altri autori sia nuovi che famosi. the movement with a passage very similar to the closing of the first theme 0.0/10 112-120, the underlying harmonies The final re-harmonization of the theme at the beginning of the coda in mm. 8 4 *#00216 - 1.22MB, 19 pp. 10 *#456571 - 2.28MB, 20 pp. (1756-1791). 4 28 in E Flat Major, K. 380, 12 Variations in C Major on “Ah, vous dirai-je Maman” K. 265, Sonata for Violin and Piano in c minor, Op. of Mozart on my first recital. *#365139 - 0.20MB, 9 pp. 5 - Works of Mozart, Zubin Mehta: Live in Front of the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Classical Digitally Remastered: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante K. 364; Sinfonia Concertante K. 297b, Rossini: Semiramide-Ouvertüre; Schumann: Klavierkonzert a-Moll; Mozart: Sinfonia concertante KV 364, Jascha Heifetz Plays Great Violin Concertos, Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante; Sextet No. Articulations are true to the urtext editions. The chorale-like melody sounds like a solemn hymn and 21 in E minor, K. 304 (K300c) is a work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 45, Composer’s Holiday, from Three American Pieces for Violin and Piano. A graceful, courtly French dance of the Baroque and Classical period with a triple meter and a moderate tempo.It was introduced at the court of Louis XIV. But the Joseph DuBose, 2006 marks 13: Mozart - Violin Concerto No. Decca / Deutsche Grammophon / Philips / Universal Classics & Jazz, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante KV 364; Symphony in G Minor KV 550, SWR Baden-Baden and Freiburg Symphony Orchestra, Haydn: Symphony No. 8 (-) - C*/N*/V* - 3195×⇩ - Piupianissimo, PDF scanned by Piupianissimo 4 1. Following an intense Sonata para violín n.º 21; Violin Sonata No. In both works, Mozart calls for a higher tuning than is usual for the viola; his purpose in so doing was undoubtedly to give the instrument a brighter sound to avoid being overshadowed by its more penetrating violin companion. It was there, in fact, that Mozart composed such a work in 1778 for four outstanding wind soloists from the Mannheim orchestra who were also then in the French capital; that work, however, is now known only in a spurious nineteenthth century edition. Transposed to D major. The scoring is unusually full and rich; Mozart's frequent divisi writing for the violas produces textures that presage the sumptuous writing in Idomeneo, ré di Creta (1781), the opera seria composed for Munich less than a year later. Recorded on 12/26/2006, uploaded on 01/11/2009. He wrote the first when he was six and the last in 1788, three years before his death. piupianissimo (2010/2/17), Complete Score 10 The magnificent Sinfonia concertante for violin, viola, and orchestra in E flat major, K. 364, is Mozart's only surviving complete work of this type, a genre that incorporates elements of both the symphony and concerto. 5; Sinfonia Concertante, Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for Violin & Viola; Elgar: Violin Sonata in E minor, Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante; McKinley: Concert Variations, Mozart: Violin Concertos; Concertos for Winds, Mozart: Grande Sestetto Concertante (after Sinfonie Concertante K. 364); Piano Quartet (after Quintet K. 452), Mozart: Violinkonzerte 1-5; Konzertate Symphonie, The Casals Festivals: Perpignan 1951, Vol. The work is in three movements: Allegro maestoso, Andante and Rondo. tone of the movement remains fundamentally somber. - Titled "Sonata XI", editorial comments in English, German. *#365151 - 7.79MB - 4:29 - In general usage as a work title, it designates a multi-movement piece for solo or duo instruments with one of the instruments enjoying a feature role.
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The U.S. Postal Service says it has already handled 100 million election ballots this year.
More mail slowdowns as Election Day nears
With Election Day just days away, postal customers, members of Congress and Washington’s Attorney General say mail is moving slowly in many places.
“My medicine from the VA is taking an extra couple of days. We have to get ahead of the system quite a bit to make sure we don’t run out,” said Bill Vaughn, a retired Army veteran from Redmond.
U.S. Postal Service officials say they are dedicating “extraordinary” resources nationwide to make sure ballots get delivered quickly – and faster than all other mail.
“The Postal Service knows this is go-time and it’s doing absolutely everything it can to move these ballots quickly and efficiently in light of Tuesday’s deadlines,” Justice Department attorney Joseph Borson told federal judge Stanley Bastian of Yakima in a hearing about the slowdowns on Friday.
Among the unusual steps being taken before Election Day: Mail carriers will even be collecting mail this Sunday on some routes.
Despite promises from the Postmaster General and federal court orders to reverse mail-delaying initiatives made this summer, mail service has only intermittently improved since then.
On-time performance data released by the Postal Service under court order show first-class mail in Washington state being delivered on time (within 1-3 days in the contiguous United States) at least 90% of the time until July.
That’s when the Postal Service started dismantling mail-sorting machines around the country, including 40% of machines in the Seattle area, as KUOW reported in August.
Performance dropped to 75% on time in the Postal Service’s “Seattle District,” which includes most of Washington state and North Idaho.
On-time performance improved in September, but dropped again in October.
“Things have not gotten any better in the last month,” Vaughn said regarding his medication deliveries. “If anything, they’ve gotten worse.”
This time, postal officials say letters and packages are slow because they’re making ballots their highest priority.
“We acknowledge that our full focus and prioritization on election ballots is having a near-term impact on the overall on-time performance of other products throughout the network,” said Kristin Seaver, chief retail and delivery officer of the Postal Service, in a press release.
Nationwide, 81% of first-class mail was delivered on time the week beginning October 17.
The Postal Service’s goal is 96% on time.
With five of 12 letter-sorting machines no longer in service at the Redmond facility – the main mail-handling operation for Seattle’s eastern suburbs – mail sorting has to begin at 6 a.m. instead of noon to go out on schedule. That's according to Redmond Councilmember Varisha Khan.
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Medina) is calling for Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to investigate slowdowns at the Redmond postal facility.
Postal officials declined DelBene’s request for information on the current status of letter-sorting machines there, saying it qualified as commercially sensitive information. But they did offer that the remaining machines had adequate capacity to handle mail promptly.
“My team follows up on every complaint we receive about these issues, whether that’s from a member of Congress or an individual,” Ferguson said in an emailed statement. “This will be handled the same way.”
On Friday, Ferguson’s team was in federal court to protect the integrity of mail service and the election in other states.
While mail service has slowed somewhat in Washington state, service has gotten much worse in some swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin.
The Washington Attorney General’s office is leading a 14-state coalition to make sure ballots in those swing states are delivered quickly.
In Michigan and Wisconsin, ballots have to be received, not just postmarked, by Tuesday 8 p.m.
In a hearing Friday, Washington Solicitor General Noah Purcell urged Judge Bastian to order measures starting this weekend, including nightly sweeps of post offices to look for misplaced ballots, to make sure the Postal Service complies with Bastian’s September 17 court order.
“If they’re able to do everything they say they are going to do this weekend, that will go a long ways. If we find out next Wednesday that they weren’t, it will be too late and there will no way to undo the harm,” Purcell said.
Bastian issued an order Friday night for mandated nightly sweeps of postal facilities, starting Halloween night, in most of Wisconsin and the Detroit area, with reports to be sent to him by 10 a.m. Pacific Time the next day.
He also ordered the Postal Service to make every effort to deliver all ballots by 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday so that every vote cast is counted.
Given the urgency of the situation, he told the lawyers he’s available all weekend.
“It sure would be nice if all the states adopted a system like the state of Washington,” Bastian said, referring to the state’s long-standing vote by mail system, which requires ballots to be postmarked by Election Day. “It certainly has worked well over the past 10 years.”
This story has been updated with details of the Friday night court order.
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Spaceflight, The Moon
Remembering the Tragedy of Apollo 1
Posted by Jason Major on January 27, 2015 January 26, 2015
This is a reprint of a post from 2013, updated for the date and now including a map of the lunar farside.
Apollo 1 astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee in front of Launch Complex 34 at Kennedy Space Center on January 17, 1967 (NASA/KSC)
Today marks the 48th anniversary of one of the worst tragedies to befall NASA and human spaceflight: the fire that broke out in the Apollo 204 (later renamed Apollo 1) command module during a test exercise at Kennedy Space Center in 1967, claiming the lives of primary crew astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee.
While it’s certainly not a pleasant thing to think upon, the Apollo 1 catastrophe still had an undeniable impact on NASA’s Moon mission. Although it resulted in the death of three talented young men in the prime of their careers it did demand engineers to redesign the Apollo spacecraft with more safety in mind which, ultimately, contributed to the success of the entire program. Without these redesigns, the Moon landings may not have succeeded just a couple of years later. Despite the horror of the event, Grissom, White and Chaffee’s deaths were not in vain.
The following is a full account of the Apollo 1 fire, as told on the NASA history site.
APOLLO 1: The Fire
The first manned Apollo mission was scheduled for launch on 21 February 1967 at Cape Kennedy Launch Complex 34. However, the death of the prime crew in a command module fire during a practice session on 27 January 1967 put America’s lunar landing program on hold.
Grissom, White and Chaffee pose for an informal portrait (NASA/Ed Hengeveld)
The crew consisted of Lt. Colonel Virgil Ivan “Gus” Grissom (USAF), command pilot; Lt. Colonel Edward Higgins White, II (USAF), senior pilot; and Lt. Commander Roger Bruce Chaffee (USN), pilot.
Selected in the astronaut group of 1959, Grissom had been pilot of MR-4, America’s second and last suborbital flight, and command pilot of the first two-person flight, Gemini 3. Born on 3 April 1926 in Mitchell, Indiana, Grissom was 40 years old on the day of the Apollo 1 fire. Grissom received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in 1950. His backup for the mission was Captain Walter Marty “Wally” Schirra (USN).
White had been pilot for the Gemini 4 mission, during which he became the first American to walk in space. He was born 14 November 1930 in San Antonio, Texas, and was 36 years old on the day of the Apollo 1 fire. He received a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1952, an M.S. in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1959, and was selected as an astronaut in 1962. His backup was Major Donn Fulton Eisele [EYES-lee] (USAF).
Chaffee was training for his first spaceflight. He was born 15 February 1935 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was 31 years old on the day of the Apollo 1 fire. He received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1957, and was selected as an astronaut in 1963. His backup was Ronnie Walter “Walt” Cunningham.
The Apollo 1 primary crew rides in the transport van to a test on Jan. 25, 1967 (NASA/J.L. Pickering)
The accident occurred during the Plugs Out Integrated Test. The purpose of this test was to demonstrate all space vehicle systems and operational procedures in as near a flight configuration as practical and to verify systems capability in a simulated launch.
The test was initiated at 12:55 GMT on 27 January 1967. After initial system tests were completed, the flight crew entered the command module at 18:00 GMT. The command pilot noted an odor in the spacecraft environmental control system suit oxygen loop and the count was held at 18:20 GMT while a sample of the oxygen in this system was taken. The count was resumed at 19:42 GMT with hatch installation and subsequent cabin purge with oxygen beginning at 19:45 GMT. The odor was later determined not to be related to the fire.
Communication difficulties were encountered and the count was held at approximately 22:40 GMT to troubleshoot the problem. The problem consisted of a continuously live microphone that could not be turned off by the crew. Various final countdown functions were still performed during the hold as communications permitted.
The crew crossing the gantry to the Apollo 1 command module on Jan. 27, 1967 (NASA)
By 23:20 GMT, all final countdown functions up to the transfer to simulated fuel cell power were completed and the count was held at T-10 minutes pending resolution of the communications problems.
From the start of the T-10 minute hold at 23:20 GMT until about 23:30 GMT, there were no events that appeared to be related to the fire. The major activity during this period was routine troubleshooting of the communications problem; all other systems were operating normally. There were no voice transmissions from the spacecraft from 23:30:14 GMT until the transmission reporting the fire, which began at 23:31:04.7 GMT.
During the period beginning about 30 seconds before the report, there were indications of crew movement. These indications were provided by the data from the biomedical sensors, the command pilot’s live microphone, the guidance and navigation system, and the environmental control system. There was no evidence as to what this movement was or that it was related to the fire.
The Apollo CM was hoisted to the top of the gantry at launch complex 34 at the Kennedy Space Center in preparation for testing on Jan. 6, 1967 (NASA/Ed Hengeveld)
The biomedical data indicated that just prior to the fire report the senior pilot was performing essentially no activity until about 23:30:21 GMT, when a slight increase in pulse and respiratory rate was noted. At 23:30:30 GMT, the electrocardiogram indicated some muscular activity for several seconds. Similar indications were noted at 23:30:39 GMT. The data showed increased activity but were not indicative of an alarm type of response. By 23:30:45 GMT, all of the biomedical parameters had reverted to the baseline “rest” level.
Beginning at about 23:30 GMT, the command pilot’s live microphone transmitted brushing and tapping noises indicative of movement. The noises were similar to those transmitted earlier in the test by the live microphone when the command pilot was known to have been moving. These sounds ended at 23:30:58.6 GMT.
Any significant crew movement resulted in minor motion of the command module and was detected by the guidance and navigation system. The type of movement, however, could not be determined. Data from this system indicated a slight movement at 23:30:24 GMT, with more intense activity beginning at 23:30:39 GMT and ending at 23:30:44 GMT. More movement began at 23:31:00 GMT and continued until loss of data transmission during the fire.
Increases of oxygen flow rate to the crew suits also indicated movement. All suits had some small leakage, and this leakage rate varied with the position of each crew member in the spacecraft. Earlier in the Plugs Out Integrated Test, the crew reported that a particular movement, the nature of which was unspecified, provided increased flow rate.
This was also confirmed from the flow rate data records. The flow rate showed a gradual rise at 23:30:24 GMT which reached the limit of the sensor at 23:30:59 GMT.
At 23:30:54.8 GMT, a significant voltage transient was recorded. The records showed a surge in the AC Bus 2 voltage. Several other parameters being measured also showed anomalous behavior at this time.
The Apollo 1 prime crew during a test on Jan. 19, 1967, just 8 days before the fire. (NASA)
Beginning at 23:31:04.7 GMT, the crew gave the first verbal indication of an emergency when they reported a fire in the command module.
Emergency procedures called for the senior pilot, occupying the center couch, to unlatch and remove the hatch while retaining his harness buckled. A number of witnesses who observed the television picture of the command module hatch window discerned motion that suggested that the senior pilot was reaching for the inner hatch handle. The senior pilot’s harness buckle was found unopened after the fire, indicating that he initiated the standard hatch-opening procedure. Data from the Guidance and Navigation System indicated considerable activity within the command module after the fire was discovered. This activity was consistent with movement of the crew prompted by proximity of the fire or with the undertaking of standard emergency egress procedures.
Personnel located on adjustable level 8 adjacent to the command module responded to the report of the fire. The pad leader ordered the implementation of crew egress procedures and technicians rushed toward the White Room which surrounded the hatch and into which the crew would step upon egress. Then, at 23:31:19 GMT, the command module ruptured.
All transmission of voice and data from the spacecraft terminated by 23:31:22.4 GMT, three seconds after rupture. Witnesses monitoring the television showing the hatch window reported that flames spread from the left to the right side of the command module and shortly thereafter covered the entire visible area.
Flames and gases flowed rapidly out of the ruptured area, spreading flames into the space between the command module pressure vessel and heat shield through access hatches and into levels A-8 and A-7 of the service structure. These flames ignited combustibles, endangered pad personnel, and impeded rescue efforts. The burst of fire, together with the sounds of rupture, caused several pad personnel to believe that the command module had exploded or was about to explode.
Interior of the CM after the fire. (NASA)
The immediate reaction of all personnel on level A-8 was to evacuate the level. This reaction was promptly followed by a return to effect rescue. Upon running onto the swing arm from the umbilical tower, several personnel obtained fire extinguishers and returned along the swing arm to the White Room to begin rescue efforts. Others obtained fire extinguishers from various areas of the service structure and rendered assistance in fighting the fires.
Three hatches were installed on the command module. The outermost hatch, called the boost protective cover (BPC) hatch, was part of the cover which shielded the command module during launch and was jettisoned prior to orbital operation. The middle hatch was termed the ablative hatch and became the outer hatch when the BPC was jettisoned after launch. The inner hatch closed the pressure vessel wall of the command module and was the first hatch to be opened by the crew in an unaided crew egress.
On the day of the fire, the outer or BPC hatch was in place but not fully latched because of distortion in the BPC caused by wire bundles temporarily installed for the test. The middle hatch and inner hatch were in place and latched after crew ingress. Although the BPC hatch was not fully latched, it was necessary to insert a specially-designed tool into the hatch in order to provide a hand-hold for lifting it from the command module. By this time the White Room was filling with dense, dark smoke from the command module interior and from secondary fires throughout level A-8. While some personnel were able to locate and don operable gas masks, others were not. Some proceeded without masks while others attempted without success to render masks operable. Even operable masks were unable to cope with the dense smoke present because they were designed for use in toxic rather than dense smoke atmospheres.
Visibility in the White Room was virtually nonexistent. It was necessary to work essentially by touch since visual observation was limited to a few inches at best. A hatch removal tool was in the White Room. Once the small fire near the BPC hatch had been extinguished and the tool located, the pad leader and an assistant removed the BPC hatch. Although the hatch was not latched, removal was difficult.
The personnel who removed the BPC hatch could not remain in the White Room because of the smoke. They left the White Room and passed the tool required to open each hatch to other individuals. A total of five individuals took part in opening the three hatches. Each were forced to make several trips to and from the White Room in order to reach breathable air.
The middle hatch was removed with less effort than was required for the BPC hatch.
The inner hatch was unlatched and an attempt was made to raise it from its support and to lower it to the command module floor. The hatch could not be lowered the full distance to the floor and was instead pushed to one side. When the inner hatch was opened, intense heat and a considerable amount of smoke issued from the interior of the command module.
When the pad leader ascertained that all hatches were open, he left the White Room, proceeded a few feet along the swing arm, donned his headset and reported this fact. From a voice tape it has been determined that this report came approximately 5 minutes 27 seconds after the first report of the fire. The pad leader estimates that his report was made no more than 30 seconds after the inner hatch was opened. Therefore, it was concluded that all hatches were opened and the two outer hatches removed approximately five minutes after the report of fire or at about 23:36 GMT.
Medical opinion, based upon autopsy reports, concluded that chances of resuscitation decreased rapidly once consciousness was lost (about 15 to 30 seconds after the first suit failed) and that resuscitation was impossible by 23:36 GMT. Cerebral hypoxia, due to cardiac arrest resulting from myocardial hypoxia, caused a loss of consciousness. Factors of temperature, pressure, and environmental concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and pulmonary irritants were changing rapidly. The combined effect of these environmental factors dramatically increased the lethal effect of any factor by itself. Because it was impossible to integrate the variables with the dynamic physiological and metabolic conditions they produced, a precise time when consciousness was lost and death supervened could not be conclusively determined.
“Medical opinion, based upon autopsy reports, concluded that chances of resuscitation decreased rapidly once consciousness was lost (about 15 to 30 seconds after the first suit failed) and that resuscitation was impossible by 23:36 GMT. Cerebral hypoxia, due to cardiac arrest resulting from myocardial hypoxia, caused a loss of consciousness.”
Visibility within the command module was extremely poor. Although the lights remained on, they could be perceived only dimly. No fire was observed. Initially, the crew was not seen. The personnel who had been involved in removing the hatches attempted to locate the crew without success.
Throughout this period, other pad personnel were fighting secondary fires on level A-8. There was considerable fear that the launch escape tower, mounted above the command module, would be ignited by the fires below and destroy much of the launch complex.
Shortly after the report of the fire, a call was made to the fire department. From log records, it appeared that the fire apparatus and personnel were dispatched at about 23:32 GMT. The doctor monitoring the test from the blockhouse near the pad had already proceeded to the base of the umbilical tower.
The exact time at which firefighters reached Level A-8 is not known. Personnel who opened the hatches unanimously stated that all hatches were open before any firefighters were seen on the level or in the White Room. The first firefighters who reached Level A-8 stated that all hatches were open, but that the inner hatch was inside the command module when they arrived. This placed arrival of the firefighters after 23:36 GMT. It was estimated on the basis of tests that seven to eight minutes were required to travel from the fire station to the launch complex and to ride the elevator from the ground to Level A-8. Thus, the estimated time the firefighters arrived at level A-8 was shortly before 23:40 GMT.
When the firefighters arrived, the positions of the crew couches and crew could be perceived through the smoke but only with difficulty. An unsuccessful attempt was made to remove the senior pilot from the command module.
Initial observations and subsequent inspection revealed the following facts. The command pilot’s couch (the left couch) was in the “170 degree” position, in which it was essentially horizontal throughout its length. The foot restraints and harness were released and the inlet and outlet oxygen hoses were connected to the suit. The electrical adapter cable was disconnected from the communications cable. The command pilot was lying supine on the aft bulkhead or floor of the command module, with his helmet visor closed and locked and with his head beneath the pilot’s head rest and his feet on his own couch. A fragment of his suit material was found outside the command module pressure vessel five feet from the point of rupture. This indicated that his suit had failed prior to the time of rupture (23:31:19.4 GMT), allowing convection currents to carry the suit fragment through the rupture.
Chaffee, White and Grissom in their positions inside the Apollo 204 CM during a test on Jan. 19, 1967 (NASA/J.L. Pickering)
“The command pilot [Grissom] was lying supine on the aft bulkhead or floor of the command module, with his helmet visor closed and locked and with his head beneath the pilot’s head rest and his feet on his own couch. A fragment of his suit material was found outside the command module pressure vessel five feet from the point of rupture.”
The senior pilot’s couch (the center couch) was in the “96 degree” position in which the back portion was horizontal and the lower portion was raised. The buckle releasing the shoulder straps and lap belts was not opened. The straps and belts were burned through. The suit oxygen outlet hose was connected but the inlet hose was disconnected. The helmet visor was closed and locked and all electrical connections were intact. The senior pilot was lying transversely across the command module just below the level of the hatchway.
The pilot’s couch (the couch on the right) was in the “264 degree” position in which the back portion was horizontal and the lower portion dropped toward the floor. All restraints were disconnected, all hoses and electrical connections were intact and the helmet visor was closed and locked. The pilot was supine on his couch.
From the foregoing, it was determined that the command pilot probably left his couch to avoid the initial fire, the senior pilot remained in his couch as planned for emergency egress, attempting to open the hatch until his restraints burned through. The pilot remained in his couch to maintain communications until the hatch could be opened by the senior pilot as planned. With a slightly higher pressure inside the command module than outside, opening the inner hatch was impossible because of the resulting force on the hatch. Thus the inability of the pressure relief system to cope with the pressure increase due to the fire made opening the inner hatch impossible until after cabin rupture. Following rupture, the intense and widespread fire, together with rapidly increasing carbon monoxide concentrations, further prevented egress.
Whether the inner hatch handle was moved by the crew cannot be determined because the opening of the inner hatch from the White Room also moves the handle within the command module to the unlatched position.
Immediately after the firefighters arrived, the pad leader on duty was relieved to allow treatment for smoke inhalation. He had first reported over the headset that he could not describe the situation in the command module. In this manner he attempted to convey the fact that the crew was dead to the test conductor without informing the many people monitoring the communication channels. Upon reaching the ground the pad leader told the doctors that the crew was dead. The three doctors proceeded to the White Room and arrived there shortly after the arrival of the firefighters. The doctors estimate their arrival to have been at 23:45 GMT. The three doctors entered the White Room and determined that the crew had not survived the heat, smoke, and thermal burns. The doctors were not equipped with breathing apparatus, and the command module still contained fumes and smoke. It was determined that nothing could be gained by immediate removal of the crew. The firefighters were then directed to stop removal efforts.
When the command module had been adequately ventilated, the doctors returned to the White Room with equipment for crew removal. It became apparent that extensive fusion of suit material to melted nylon from the spacecraft would make removal very difficult. For this reason it was decided to discontinue removal efforts in the interest of accident investigation and to photograph the command module with the crew in place before evidence was disarranged.
Photographs were taken and the removal efforts resumed at approximately 00:30 GMT, 28 January. Removal of the crew took approximately 90 minutes and was completed about seven and one-half hours after the accident.
Severely-damaged portion of the Apollo 204 module Environmental Control System, located in the forward section near the floor. The fire is thought to have started here. (NASA)
Chronology of the Fire
It was most likely that the fire began in the lower forward portion of the left equipment bay, to the left of the command pilot, and considerably below the level of his couch.
Once initiated, the fire burned in three stages. The first stage, with its associated rapid temperature rise and increase in cabin pressure, terminated 15 seconds after the verbal report of fire. At this time, 23:31:19 GMT, the command module cabin ruptured. During this first stage, flames moved rapidly from the point of ignition, traveling along debris traps installed in the command module to prevent items from dropping into equipment areas during tests or flight. At the same time, Velcro strips positioned near the ignition point also burned.
The fire was not intense until about 23:31:12 GMT. The slow rate of buildup of the fire during the early portion of the first stage was consistent with the opinion that ignition occurred in a zone containing little combustible material. The slow rise of pressure could also have resulted from absorption of most of the heat by the aluminum structure of the command module.
The original flames rose vertically and then spread out across the cabin ceiling. The debris traps provided not only combustible material and a path for the spread of the flames, but also firebrands of burning molten nylon. The scattering of these firebrands contributed to the spread of the flames.
The Apollo 204 CM after the fire (NASA/Ed Hengeveld)
By 23:31:12 GMT, the fire had broken from its point of origin. A wall of flames extended along the left wall of the module, preventing the command pilot, occupying the left couch, from reaching the valve that would vent the command module to the outside atmosphere.
Although operation of this was the first step in established emergency egress procedures, such action would have been to no avail because the venting capacity was insufficient to prevent the rapid buildup of pressure due to the fire. It was estimated that opening the valve would have delayed command module rupture by less than one second.
The command module was designed to withstand an internal pressure of approximately 13 pounds per square inch above external pressure without rupturing. Data recorded during the fire showed that this design criterion was exceeded late in the first stage of the fire and that rupture occurred at about 23:31:19 GMT. The point of rupture was where the floor or aft bulkhead of the command module joined the wall, essentially opposite the point of origin of the fire. About three seconds before rupture, at 23:31:16.8 GMT, the final crew communication began. This communication ended shortly after rupture at 23:31:21.8 GMT, followed by loss of telemetry at 23:31:22.4 GMT.
Rupture of the command module marked the beginning of the brief second stage of the fire. This stage was characterized by the period of greatest conflagration due to the forced convection that resulted from the outrush of gases through the rupture in the pressure vessel. The swirling flow scattered firebrands throughout the crew compartment, spreading fire. This stage of the fire ended at approximately 23:31:25 GMT. Evidence that the fire spread from the left side of the command module toward the rupture area was found on subsequent examination of the module and crew suits. Evidence of the intensity of the fire includes burst and burned aluminum tubes in the oxygen and coolant systems at floor level.
This third stage was characterized by rapid production of high concentrations of carbon monoxide. Following the loss of pressure in the command module and with fire now throughout the crew compartment, the remaining atmosphere quickly became deficient in oxygen so that it could not support continued combustion. Unlike the earlier stages where the flame was relatively smokeless, heavy smoke now formed and large amounts of soot were deposited on most spacecraft interior surfaces as they cooled. The third stage of the fire could not have lasted more than a few seconds because of the rapid depletion of oxygen. It was estimated that the command module atmosphere was lethal by 23:31:30 GMT, five seconds after the start of the third stage.
Although most of the fire inside the command module was quickly extinguished because of a lack of oxygen, a localized, intense fire lingered in the area of the environmental control unit. This unit was located in the left equipment bay, near the point where the fire was believed to have started. Failed oxygen and water/glycol lines in this area continued to supply oxygen and fuel to support the localized fire that melted the aft bulkhead and burned adjacent portions of the inner surface of the command module heat shield.
The disassembled Apollo 204 CM after the fire (NASA/John Duncan)
Immediately after the accident, additional security personnel were positioned at Launch Complex 34 and the complex was impounded. Prior to disturbing any evidence, numerous external and internal photographs were taken of the spacecraft. After crew removal, two experts entered the command module to verify switch positions. Small groups of NASA and North American Aviation management, Apollo 204 Review Board members, representatives, and consultants inspected the exterior of Spacecraft 012.
A series of close-up stereo photographs of the command module was taken to document the as-found condition of the spacecraft systems. After the couches were removed, a special false floor with removable 18-inch transparent squares was installed to provide access to the entire inside of the command module without disturbing evidence. A detailed inspection of the spacecraft interior was then performed, followed by the preparation and approval by the Board of a command module disassembly plan.
Command module 014 was shipped to NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on 1 February 1967 to assist the Board in the investigation. This command module was placed in the Pyrotechnics Installation Building and was used to develop disassembly techniques for selected components prior to their removal from command module 012. By 7 February 1967, the disassembly plan was fully operational. After the removal of each component, photographs were taken of the exposed area. This step-by-step photography was used throughout the disassembly of the spacecraft. Approximately 5,000 photographs were taken.
All interfaces such as electrical connectors, tubing joints, physical mounting of components, etc. were closely inspected and photographed immediately prior to, during, and after disassembly. Each item removed from the command module was appropriately tagged, sealed in clean plastic containers, and transported under the required security to bonded storage.
“The most probable initiator was an electrical arc in the sector between -Y and +Z spacecraft axes. The exact location best fitting the total available information is near the floor in the lower forward section of the left-hand equipment bay where Environmental Control System (ECS) instrumentation power wiring leads into the area between the Environmental Control Unit (ECU) and the oxygen panel. No evidence was discovered that suggested sabotage.”
– Report of Apollo 204 Review Board (NASA)
On 17 February 1967, the Board decided that removal and wiring tests had progressed to a point which allowed moving the command module without disturbing evidence. The command module was moved to the Pyrotechnics Installation Building at KSC, where better working conditions were available.
With improved working conditions, it was found that a work schedule of two eight-hour shifts per day for six days a week was sufficient to keep pace with the analysis and disassembly planning. The only exception to this was a three-day period of three eight-hour shifts per day used to remove the aft heat shield, move the command module to a more convenient workstation and remove the crew compartment heat shield. The disassembly of the command module was completed on 27 March 1967.
The flag-draped coffin of astronaut Virgil I. Grissom is being escorted at Arlington National Cemetary by his fellow astronauts (left to right) Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Gordon Cooper and John Young (NASA/Ed Hengeveld)
Cause of the Apollo 1 Fire
Although the Board was not able to determine conclusively the specific initiator of the Apollo 204 fire, it identified the conditions that led to the disaster. These conditions were:
A sealed cabin, pressurized with an oxygen atmosphere.
An extensive distribution of combustible materials in the cabin.
Vulnerable wiring carrying spacecraft power.
Vulnerable plumbing carrying a combustible and corrosive coolant.
Inadequate provisions for the crew to escape.
Inadequate provisions for rescue or medical assistance.
Having identified these conditions, the Board addressed the question of how these conditions came to exist. Careful consideration of this question led the Board to the conclusion that in its devotion to the many difficult problems of space travel, the Apollo team failed to give adequate attention to certain mundane but equally vital questions of crew safety. The Board’s investigation revealed many deficiencies in design and engineering, manufacture, and quality control.
As a result of the investigation, major modifications in design, materials, and procedures were implemented. The two-piece hatch was replaced by a single quick-operating, outward opening crew hatch made of aluminum and fiberglass. The new hatch could be opened from inside in seven seconds and by a pad safety crew in 10 seconds. Ease of opening was enhanced by a gas-powered counterbalance mechanism. The second major modification was the change in the launch pad spacecraft cabin atmosphere for pre-launch testing from 100 percent oxygen to a mixture of 60 percent oxygen and 40 percent nitrogen to reduce support of any combustion. The crew suit loops still carried 100 percent oxygen. After launch, the 60/40 mix was gradually replaced with pure oxygen until cabin atmosphere reached 100 percent oxygen at 5 pounds per square inch. This “enriched air” mix was selected after extensive flammability tests in various percentages of oxygen at varying pressures.
“As a result of the investigation, major modifications in design, materials, and procedures were implemented. The two-piece hatch was replaced by a single quick-operating, outward opening crew hatch made of aluminum and fiberglass. The new hatch could be opened from inside in seven seconds and by a pad safety crew in 10 seconds.”
Other changes included: substituting stainless steel for aluminum in high-pressure oxygen tubing, armor plated water-glycol liquid line solder joints, protective covers over wiring bundles, stowage boxes built of aluminum, replacement of materials to minimize flammability, installation of fireproof storage containers for flammable materials, mechanical fasteners substituted for gripper cloth patches, flameproof coating on wire connections, replacement of plastic switches with metal ones, installation of an emergency oxygen system to isolate the crew from toxic fumes, and the inclusion of a portable fire extinguisher and fire-isolating panels in the cabin.
Safety changes were also made at Launch Complex 34. These included structural changes to the White Room for the new quick-opening spacecraft hatch, improved firefighting equipment, emergency egress routes, emergency access to the spacecraft, purging of all electrical equipment in the White Room with nitrogen, installation of a hand-held water hose and a large exhaust fan in the White Room to draw smoke and fumes out, fire-resistant paint, relocation of certain structural members to provide easier access to the spacecraft and faster egress, addition of a water spray system to cool the launch escape system (the solid propellants could be ignited by extreme heat), and the installation of additional water spray systems along the egress route from the spacecraft to ground level.
Apollo 1 astronauts (bottom to top) Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee pose on the steps leading to the Apollo Mission Simulator at the Kennedy Space Center on January 19, 1967 (NASA/Ed Hengeveld)
Ad astra, per aspera… Taken too soon and so tragically; they will not be forgotten.
According to the Apollo 1 Memorial Foundation:
There is a formation (impact basin) on the far side of the moon called Apollo. Within that formation are three craters named for the Apollo 1 astronauts:
CRATER CHAFFEE: 39° South Latitude, 155° West Longitude
CRATER GRISSOM: 45° South Latitude, 160° West Longitude
CRATER WHITE: 48° South Latitude, 149° West Longitude
You can see a map of the Lunar farside with these three craters indicated below:
Lunar farside map made from over 15,000 LROC wide-angle camera images. Credit: Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University. Edit by Jason Major.
On July 20th, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon, the first time in history mankind has stepped on another celestial body. They left there, on the Sea of Tranquility, the Apollo 1 mission patch.
You can read the official report of the incident to the Apollo 204 Review Board here, and see more images from Apollo 1 at the Project Apollo Image Archive.
ApolloApollo 1astronautsChaffeeexplosionfireGrissommoon missionNASAWhite
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Jeff Barani says:
Yes, I don’t forget this crew to Apollo 1. They were pioneers in the course to the Moon…
And I’m happy that Moon craters hold them names.
Jeff Barani from Vence (France)
Pingback: Here’s to 50 Years of American Spacewalks | Lights in the Dark
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Sport | September 3, 2007
The Top 10 Worst NFL Draft Picks
Jason Hirschhorn
In professional sports, no amateur draft is bigger and more covered than the annual NFL draft. Composed of seven rounds and pick to pick coverage, the draft is big business for NFL teams, as one good draft can completely change the fortunes of the franchise. However, some picks do not work out, and some are legendarily horrible. The ten worst picks are compiled here.
10. Rick Mirer (Notre Dame, QB – 1993 First Round, 2nd Pick Overall, Seattle Seahawks)
While at Notre Dame, Rick Mirer played to an impressive 19-7-1 record. In 1992, Mirer lead the Irish to a victory over Florida in the Sugar Bowl and was named co-MVP with teammate Jerome Bettis. In a manner that would foreshadow the Manning-Leaf debate five years later, debate raged over whether Drew Bledsoe or Rick Mirer was the superior prospect. In the end, Bledsoe went first to the New England Patriots, and Mirer was drafted number two overall to the Seattle Seahawks. After a fine rookie season, finishing fifth in the AFC in passing, Mirer began a series of disappointing seasons. In 1995, he threw only 13 touchdowns compared to 20 interceptions, and the following season he threw 5 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He continued his career as a backup quarterback, but nothing more.
[Wikipedia]
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9. Tim Couch (University of Kentucky, QB – 1999 First Round, 1st Pick Overall, Cleveland Browns)
Tim Couch was a high school phenomenon, setting national records for completions, passing yards, touchdowns, and passing accuracy. Couch was heralded as the best quarterback prospect since John Elway nearly 20 years earlier. He played college for Kentucky, where he continued his record setting ways while making big play after big play. Like so many of draft busts, he entered the draft early, and was drafted number one overall to the expansion Cleveland Browns. Couch struggled throughout his career, despite a stat line that includes 64 touchdowns in 62 games. After being replaced and cut in Cleveland, Couch tried to become the heir to Brett Favre in Green Bay, but this led to nothing. Recently it has been reported that Couch has been using HGH, a substance banned by the NFL.
8. Curtis Enis (Penn State, RB – 1998 First Round, 5th Pick Overall, Chicago Bears)
As the starting running back for Penn State, Curtis Enis possessed the strength of a power back while possessing the finesse of a speed back. Enis was considered to be the top running back in the 1998 draft. He played three-years and 34 games in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. Enis had one decent season, during which he played 15 games, rushed for 287 carries, gained 916 yards, and scored five touchdowns. It was reported that Enis turned down a six year deal that would have earned him $18 million dollars as a rookie instead to sign a three year deal where he earned $5.5 million dollars. The thinking was that Enis would prove his worth for a bigger deal following the 3 years. However, by the end of year three he was out of the NFL.
7. Jeff George (Illinois, QB – 1990 First Round, 1st Pick Overall, Indianapolis Colts)
Controversy followed Jeff George throughout his college and professional career. After being recruited by Purdue, George transferred because the coach, Leon Burtnett, was fired. George went to the University of Miami (Fl.), but backed out when coach Jimmy Johnson refused to guarantee George the starting job. George then went to the University of Illinois where he played for two years. After deciding to leave early, George was the number one overall pick to his hometown team, the Indianapolis Colts. He was awarded what was at the time the richest rookie contract in NFL history. But what seemed like a dream job was not to be, and after four years of arguing with the coach and dueling with the fans, he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. George enjoyed moderate success with the Falcons, but again, conflict brewed between him and the head coach, where soon he was shipped to the Oakland Raiders. George had his best years with the Raiders, but controversy again bloomed in the form of George announcing in 1998 that he was done for the year after a groin injury, which was unknown to the team. George had better numbers than most of the players on this list, but his history of feuding and inability to lead his team to success earn him the label of bust.
6. Ki-Jana Carter (Penn State, RB – 1995 First Round, 1st Pick Overall, Cincinnati Bengals)
Many disappointing running backs have come out of the Penn State football program, including list entry Curtis Enis. However, none have had as notorious a career as Ki-Jana Carter, who was the top overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft. Carter is noted as being one of the biggest disappointing number one overall picks. A standout player in college, Carter ran for 227 and 5 touchdowns in a single game against Michigan State. Despite leaving college early, Carter is still in the top ten among Penn State running backs, finishing his career with 2829 yards rushing on 341 attempts and scoring 38 touchdowns. On his first carry in his first preseason NFL game, Carter tore his anterior cruciate ligament. He never fully regained his power or speed, and never became more than a competent backup.
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5. Lawrence Phillips (Nebraska, RB – 1996 First Round, 6th Pick Overall, St. Louis Rams)
At Nebraska, Lawrence Phillips showed both power and speed and the ability to be a big playmaker at running back. Phillips Achilles heel, however, was trouble with the law. As a professional, he proved to be an underperformer and a distraction for his team. Phillips consistently avoided team meanings, and was arrested several times for assault and domestic abuse. Phillips only played four seasons in the NFL with a pedestrian 41 yards per game average. Since leaving the NFL, he has been convicted of seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
4. Akili Smith (Oregon, QB – 1999 First Round, 3rd Pick Overall, Cincinnati Bengals)
Akili Smith stormed up draft boards in 1999 due to a superb senior season at Oregon and a good pre-draft workout. Many considered his upside to top that of any other quarterback in the draft. The pre-draft hype may have been the undoing of Smith, who could never live up to his pre-draft status. As a Cincinnati Bengal, he threw for only 5 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. After being cut by the Bengals in 2002, Smith tried to catch on with the Green Bay Packers, but Smith was cut from the roster before the season. Recently, he has been playing Canadian football.
3. Art Schlichter (Ohio State, QB – 1982 First Round, 4th Pick Overall, Baltimore Colts)
A standout college player, Art Schlichter nearly led the Buckeyes to a national title his final season. Many anticipated that Schlichter bring his game to the next level when he reached the NFL. Instead, he brought a penchant for gambling. The league suspended him in 1983 when it was revealed that Schlichter had accumulated a massive gambling debt. By 1985, the Colts had released him. Schlichter has over 20 felonies on his record, as well as the dubious honor of being in prison over 30 times.
2. Tony Mandarich (Michigan State, OT – 1989 First Round, 2nd Pick Overall, Green Bay Packers)
Before there was Ryan Leaf, there was Tony Mandarich, who wore the label of the ultimate NFL draft bust. He’s still in the top 2. After a fantastic senior year, where he was named a first-team All-American, Big Ten Lineman of the Year and Outland Award Finalist, he was being praised as the best lineman prospect to come out in recent memory. After being drafted by the Green Bay Packers, he held out and did not sign a contract until just before the beginning of the regular season. He inked a four-year deal and played on special teams his first season. Noted for having a bad attitude and being a suspected steroid user, the Packers cut him after his third season. Mandarich played for three more seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, but did not perform anything beyond mediocre. What makes the drafting of Mandarich all the more painful was the next few picks in the same draft, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders, all of whom had spectacular professional careers.
1. Ryan Leaf (Washington State, QB – 1998 First Round, 2nd Pick Overall, San Diego Chargers)
In 1998 Ryan Leaf looked like the real deal. So much so that many teams argued that he should be the top pick over Tennessee standout, Peyton Manning. Leaf was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy his final year at Washington State, and was a first team All-American and PAC-10 offensive player of the year. Instead of returning for his senior season, Leaf entered the draft. While the Indianapolis Colts selected Peyton Manning with the top pick, the San Diego Chargers traded up from the 3rd Pick so that they could guarantee themselves Leaf. For the 2nd pick, the Chargers traded their first and second round pick, along with two players. Leaf signed a 4-year deal that gave him $31.25 millions with $11.25 of that guaranteed signing bonus. Once arriving, Leaf’s legendary cockiness alienated him from the rest of his teammates. He only played two years with the Chargers, for which he threw only 13 touchdowns and an exorbitant 33 interceptions.
Contributor: Jason Hirschhorn
Technorati Tags: NFL, sports
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Muslim Parties Must be Included in Arab Spring Reform
May 3, 2019 Guest Contributor 2 Comments
Abbassi Madani
by Ghassan Michel Rubeiz
The leaders of the protests in Sudan and Algeria are aware that ending their old regimes does not mean the end of political Islam. But they are not at all clear about the necessity of inclusiveness in state building. A group of demonstrators attacked the meeting of the (Islamic) Popular Congress Party in Khartoum on April 28. This incident is not the start of a serious trend of chaos but a reminder that cracks within the opposition groups could get worse. The army intervened to prevent escalation: 64 individuals were injured.
Staunch secularist reformers might wish to exclude conservative Muslim groups from participating in the transitions. The April 28 attack provides an added pretext for the military to hold on to power. Respecting minority opinion is at the heart of building democracy.
Maybe it is too early for the protestors to focus on their own differences when they are struggling to resolve differences with the military. The reluctance of the Sudanese and Algerian militaries to transfer power to civilians—after the abdication of the two former presidents—is not justified, but it is explainable. The military rationalizes its reluctance as a legitimate position of “respect for the constitution.” However, the military is really most interested in self-preservation. In Sudan, the army is holding onto power by attempting to save a failing Islamic regime; in Algeria, meanwhile, the military is trying to save the regime by suppressing political Islam in the name of democracy.
Regional opinion impacts the dynamics of this second Arab Spring. The role of political Islam in state building divides Arab opinion makers. In the Gulf, the Saudi Arabia-leaning press tends to be highly suspicious of Arab Spring events. It paints the uprisings as regrettable developments that open doors for “evil Jihadi Islamists.”
According to Fares Bin Hizam, a Saudi writer for the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) are deeply rooted in Sudan. Hizam is convinced that the MB is now in hiding to avoid confrontation with the street protestors. The Al Hayat columnist claims that, once the situation calms down, Islamist groups will reemerge to regain influence in society. The MB is “spread throughout the state institutions” and entrenched in society, he says. He concludes that the Arab Spring is a destabilizing process.
Hizam is accurate in his observations but not in his inferences. The Brotherhood is a powerful grassroots movement. But the reformers’ objective is not to eliminate them or to keep them dormant. The real challenge is how to manage the Arab Spring peacefully and inclusively.
Sudan is a failed state. The Sudanese have seen what the MB’s sharia law yields, and they know how toxic the Islamic State is. They should be supported in their rebellion, not discouraged by external observers who oppose reform in favor of the status quo.
From a different perspective, the Algerian columnist Abdennour Toumi makes a case for an inclusive policy in rebuilding society after regime change. Toumi argues that moderate Islam, even the Mujahid (freedom fighter), can contribute to democracy building. In the Arab Daily News Toumi reflects on the recent death of Abbassi Madani, a Muslim Algerian scholar and activist, who was imprisoned in the 1990s and fled to Qatar for safety. Madani started the FIS, the Algerian Islamic Party, which the government banned after it split into different branches and became “militant.” Toumi believes that Madani’s vision is needed at the table of reform today. He argues that the Algerian regime unfairly
accused him of being a religious zealot, an opportunist and even a foreign agent, but his dedication to his country as a Moujahid (freedom fighter) and to the cause of Islamic democracy like the Christian democracy in Europe [ was missed]…Algerians today are split on how to mourn him, as a moderate Islamist who believed in democracy, or a leader who could have become the first Islamist democratically elected president in the Arab countries…
Islamic politics is a vital part of Arab culture. Since the 1980s, Arab societies have become more religious despite the failure of Islamic regimes to deliver solid benefits to society. Political Islam must not be trivialized by being associated with groups that do not carry Islam’s positive message of peace and equality. What makes political Islamists resilient is their ability to mobilize public opinion against the injustice of stagnant Arab regimes and the self-serving policies of external powers.
In Sudan and Algeria, protestors are calling for a pluralist society. In the name of pluralism, all groups must be respected, listened to, and given a chance to participate in serving the state. The more the protestors are united, the better they can negotiate transfer of power from the military. Attacking the Popular Congress Party in Sudan will only serve to bolster its followers. By provoking the Muslim Brotherhood, secular reformers run the risk of turning Islamists into martyrs. Victimization energizes Islamists.
The moment the armies of Sudan and Algeria agree to transfer or share power, the protestors will have to find common ground for the new democracy. And that will require coming to terms with political Islam as well.
Ghassan Rubeiz is an Arab-American writer, journalist, and commentator on issues of development, peace, and justice. He is the former Middle East Secretary of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches.
Algeria, Islam, Sudan Abbassi Madani, Abdennour Toumi, Algeria, Arab Spring, Fares Bin Hizam, Ghassan Rubeiz, Islam, Islamism, Political Islam, Saudi Arabia, Sudan
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hatem tawfik
Is this website an Muslim brother cover website or what ? Political Islam is DEAD. Please wake up guys. The 1970s/1980s era of political Islam has expired.
Even if the armies want to retreat a little, their democracy advocating supporters like SA, France, UK, and US will not let them to do so. Democracy is good only at home! And of course until it is working for us!
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Kelly J. Baker
Kelly J. Baker is a freelance writer with a religious studies PhD who covers higher education, gender, labor, motherhood, American religions, and popular culture. I’m also an essayist, a historian, and occasionally a reporter. She has regular columns at the Chronicle for Higher Education‘s Vitae project, Women in Higher Education, Killing the Buddha, and Sacred Matters. She’s also written for The Atlantic, Bearings, The Rumpus, The Manifest-Station, Religion Dispatches, Christian Century’s Then & Now, Washington Post, and Brain, Child.
Baker is the author of the award-winning book, Gospel According to the Klan: The KKK’s Appeal to Protestant America, 1915-1930, and The Zombies Are Coming!: The Realities of the Zombie Apocalypse in American Culture. When she’s not writing assignments or wrangling two children, she’s chipping away at a collections of essays about apocalypses and other endings as well as a memoir about her hometown and the histories that still haunt us.
Her PhD (2008) is in American religious history from Florida State University’s department of Religion. Her scholarship encompasses a variety of topics including religion and popular culture, religious and racial hatred, apocalypticism, religion and gender, and horror. She’s taught courses on these topics at Florida State University, the University of New Mexico and the University of Tennessee.
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July 18, 2013 Feb. 3, 2016
Controversy in K-12 Aside, For-Profits Are Big Players in Nation’s Preschools
A new book, Private Enterprise and Public Education, offers a broad look at the influence, and reputation, of for-profits in education today. In doing so, it also puts forward a broad critique of what the authors see as overly simplistic condemnations of commercial providers and dubious government policies that exclude businesses from public schools and publicly funded programs.
But one of the book’s essays takes note of an obvious, if often overlooked exception to that norm: early-childhood programs, where for-profit providers have long been major players in the public market.
Many state and federal policies, in fact, allow parents to use public money to have their children attend for-profit centers, writes Todd Grindal, the author of that essay.
In what is admittedly a rough estimate, Grindal says his research suggests that about half of children under the age of 5 in the United States who regularly attend child care do so in non-public programs, meaning that commercial providers represent a much bigger share of the early-childhood sector than they do in either K-12 or higher education.
Annual revenues among for-profit child-care programs jumped from $2.8 billion in 1986 to $20 billion in 2008. Yet the industry, by and large, also remains one dominated by mom-and-pop operations, Grindal says. The 50 biggest, formal for-profit child-care organizations make up less than 10 percent of the overall center-based, for-profit sector, he writes.
So is the big for-profit presence in early-childhood education a good thing?
On the one hand, Grindal says that for-profit providers have been valuable in filling gaps where public sector providers don’t typically have as big a presence, such as for families with children 3 years old or younger. Private-sector companies—Grindal mentions Bright Horizons as one example—also have filled a gap by working out deals with major companies to provide employees with child care located next to offices and corporate headquarters.
At the same time, most available research—much of which is relatively dated—suggests that while quality varies greatly among commercial early-childhood providers, for-profits have tended to have lower performance than public and nonprofit entities on many measures of effectiveness, notes Grindal, who used to run a for-profit early-childhood center in Washington, D.C. He’s now an associate with Abt Associates, a research organization in Cambridge, Mass.
While those findings are a concern, Grindal, in an interview, also said that judging the effectivenes of early-childhood programs is often an imprecise enterprise. Parents may base their judgments about the quality of a program based on factors such as a facility’s cleanliness, safety, and staffing, while ignoring equally or more important measures of quality, like the interactions between the adult staff and children, and the quality of instruction.
The demand for early-childhood education today has been influenced by changes in government policy and by overall economic forces, which have encouraged both parents in households to work, Grindal explains. While public programs like Head Start provide child care for low-income families, demand for child care has far outpaced supply, leaving the door open to commercial providers.
In many communities, “the private sector was in there much earlier than the public sector,” Grindal said. “They got in the market before there was a large public presence.”
Grindal said he was cautious about attempting to apply lessons from the for-profit sectors’ experience in early-childhood programs to K-12 and higher education, where efforts to privatize various educational services are often met with scorn. (The intro to the book—edited by Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute, who is also an Ed Week blogger, and Michael B. Horn, of the Clayton Christensen Institute—says that for-profits “have long been regarded as an evil, if sometimes necessary, imposition on the public sector.”)
For Grindal, the quality of early-childhood programs, overall, is simply “not nearly good enough” to serve as a model for other parts of the educational system.
One of the best potential solutions for improving early-childhood education comes in efforts to develop and promote standards for performance. One example is the use of quality-rating systems, or quality-rating and improvement systems, which provide independent standards for early-childhood programs in areas such as personnel qualifications and licensing, by more than 25 states.
“Parents deserve better information to make their decisions,” he said, and “for-profits should regard [those standards] as an opportunity to distinguish themselves.”
Sean Cavanagh is the Managing Editor of EdWeek Market Brief. He is also an associate editor for Education Week, where he has covered a variety of beats since 2002, including business and technology, math and science education, charter schools and school choice, and federal policy. Before joining Education Week, he was a reporter for daily newspapers in Tennessee and Florida.
E-mail scavanagh@epe.org @EdWeekSCavanagh LinkedIn
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5 thoughts on “Controversy in K-12 Aside, For-Profits Are Big Players in Nation’s Preschools”
Julia Rubin says:
"Grindal says his research suggests that about half of children under the age of 5 in the United States who regularly attend child care do so in non-public programs."
Non-public includes nonprofit, so it’s not clear if his research really refers to for-profits or just private childcare providers.
The reason nonprofits exist is exactly for situation such as early care, where the person being served cannot evaluate the quality of the service or cannot communicate that information to others. Nonprofit and public service provision is designed to minimize incentives to skim in the interest of profits.
That push to produce profits vs. quality is why nonprofit child care providers (and hospitals) are generally found to be of higher quality than for-profits.
The indiscriminate blurring of boundaries between sectors, with no regard for the differences that make one sector more appropriate for a given situation, is dangerous.
Jack McCarthy says:
Many parents look at early care and learning, initially, from the perspective of finding a "day care" provider that is safe and convenient to where they live or work.
Private, for-profit providers like Corporate Family Solutions and Bright Horizons brought access to safe, convenient day care to scale by partnering with large corporations to share space. This is a great accomplishment.
Community-based organizations have brought access to Head Start and other early care and learning programs to neighborhoods that corporate providers might find less appealing, but where the need is arguably greater. These are great accomplishments, too.
Different governance and finance models are needed to adapt to the myriad circumstances of communities.
What we need to focus on, with a laser-like level of concentration, is "What are the specific outcomes we want to see in early care and learning programs that are likely to ensure that children enter school ready to thrive and are on track to succeed on third grade English language arts and math assessments?"
Expanding access to quality early care and learning programs, that result in all students performing at high standards will require a diverse, well-resourced delivery system of public, non-profit and for-profit providers.
Regardless of the provider’s operating structure, effective programs require teachers who are well-prepared and well-resourced, good content, ongoing training and professional development; and valid and reliable measures of progress and outcomes.
If we can get agreement on those important outcomes, adjust federal and state policy accordingly; while improving and simplifying funding and quality measurement systems to support those outcomes–then whether the provider is for-profit, non-profit or public will be much less important.
zep says:
Big surprise, if you don’t spend the money on kids and instead line the coffers of execs 401k plans and corporate profit margins, kids lose! "for-profits have tended to have lower performance than public and nonprofit entities on many measures of effectiveness", few things are this simple, but this is a no-brainer, any for-profit school should never receive a penny of public tax dollars.
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European Championships 2022 in Munich!
To mark the 50th anniversary of hosting the Summer Olympics, the Olympic Park Munich will be putting on a huge sporting celebration from 11 to 21 August 2022 as it welcomes the European Championships - the largest event to take place at the Olympic Park since the 1972 Summer Olympics. Over the years the Olympic Park has witnessed numerous sporting highlights, including the 1974 FIFA Football World Cup, the 1988 UEFA Football European Championships and the 2002 European Athletics World Championships as well as 30 more world championships, a dozen European championships and the 2013 X Games. The Olympic Park Munich has also played host to concerts by some of the most legendary names in music, from the Rolling Stones and AC/DC to Pink, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Rihanna.
All in all more than 14,000 events have been held at the Olympic Park Munich since it opened in 1972, but none have been as big as the European Championships. "We are delighted to have been chosen to host this multi-sport event bringing together athletes from across Europe. Our team has worked very hard to achieve this, from the bidding process to the negotiations and the financing. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the German national government, the regional government of Bavaria and Munich city council. We are looking forward to a fantastic anniversary year," comments Marion Schne, CEO of the Olympic Park Munich.
The architects of Munich Olympic Park were visionaries - designing a multi-functional park in the heart of Munich that has hosted more than 14,000 events. However, since the summer of 1972, none of those events will compare to August 2022, when more than 4,000 athletes from across Europe will descend on the Bavarian capital to compete for more than 150 medals in 10 disciplines. So far six sports have been confirmed: ATHLETICS, CYCLING, GOLF, GYMNASTICS, ROWING and TRIATHLON.
The sustainability of the European Championships 2022 is also assured. Using pre-existing infrastructure, the impact of the Championships on the surroundings will be minimalised. This green ethos is further enhanced thanks to the close proximity of the venues and excellent public transport links between the Munich Olympic Park and downtown Munich.
www.munich2022.com
Video is available at https://www.presseportal.de/nr/128059/video
Tobias Kohler
OLYMPIAPARK MÜNCHEN GMBH
Head of Communication/Digital
Tel. +49?89 3067?2017
Mail Kohler@olympiapark.de
LOC Office
Spiridon-Louis-Ring 27
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Not about oil?
Filed under: imperialism/globalization,oil — louisproyect @ 7:10 pm
(A guest post by Brian A. Mitchell)
Not About Oil? They Must Be Joking – Just One of the World’s Many Resources that the History of Interventions, Occupations, and Wars Are Always About.
What many of the world’s wars and interventions are all about. One of the world’s most valuable resources controlled by a wealthy few; from British control of Middle East oil before the Second World War to US control of global oil resources after the war.
“We must become the owners, or at any rate the controllers at the source, of at least a proportion of the oil which we require.”
(British Royal Commission, agreeing with Winston Churchill’s policy towards Iraq, 1913.)
“He who owns oil will own the world… who has oil has empire.”
(Henry Berenger, Commissioner General for Oil Products, France, during WWI.)
“In oil Baku is incomparable… Baku is greater than any other oil city in the world. If oil is king, Baku is its throne.”
(British journal The Near East, on Britain’s invasion of the Soviet Union along with 14 other countries in the Wars of Intervention after the Bolshevik revolution of 1917.)
“These International bankers and Rockefeller-Standard Oil interests control the majority of newspapers and use the columns of these papers to club into submission or drive out of public office officials who refuse to do the bidding of the powerful corrupt cliques which compose the invisible government”
(US President Theodore Roosevelt, New York Times, March 27 1918.)
“if we appear to be reactionary in Mesopotamia, there is always the risk that Faisal will encourage the Americans to take over both, and it should be borne in mind that the Standard Oil company is very anxious to take over Iraq.”
(Sir Arthur Hirtzel, Head of the British government’s India Office Political Department, 1919.)
“The pioneering spirit should now lead American capital and American engineering to seek new sources of petroleum supplies in foreign fields for the benefit of the America of tomorrow. Nor can this be done without popular support inspired by general appreciation of oil as our servant, a servant that works 24 hours a day and 7 days a week”.
(National Geographic magazine February 1920.)
“The real menace of our republic is this invisible government which like a giant octopus sprawls its slimy length over city, state and nation. Like the octopus of real life, it operates under cover of a self created screen… At the head of this octopus are the Rockefeller Standard Oil interests and a small group of powerful banking houses generally referred to as international bankers. The little coterie of powerful international bankers virtually run the United States government for their own selfish purposes. They practically control both political parties.”
(New York City Mayor John Hylan, 1922.)
“I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. … In China in 1927 I helped see to it that the Standard Oil went its way unmolested.
(Testimony of General Smedley Butler, US Marine Corps, to the McCormack Dickstein Committee. 1935.)
“Hitler’s deputy Hess’s mission to Britain was to suggest:”a profitable agreement in the form of an alliance against Russia as a result of which Germany was to receive the Ukraine and the Caucasus oil regions… .”
(The Times Oct 5 1942.)
“The oil of Saudi Arabia constitutes one of the world’s greatest prizes.”
(US Secretary of State Cordell Hull, 1943.)
“The oil in this region is the greatest single prize in all history.”
(US oil geologist and director of the American Petroleum Institute Everette Degolyer, 1944.)
“Our petroleum policy toward the United Kingdom is predicated upon a mutual recognition of a very extensive joint interest and upon a control, at least for the moment, of the great bulk of the free petroleum resources of the world … it is the view of the United States government that US-UK agreement upon a broad, forward looking pattern for the development and utilisation of petroleum resources under the control of nationals of the two countries is of the highest strategic and commercial importance.”
(US government memo of June 1945.)
“[Middle East oil is] a stupendous source of strategic power, and one of the greatest material prizes in world history.”
(US State Department, 1945.)
“We need to promote internal political stability and in particular to influence individuals so that public opinion does not become so hostile to our oil companies that their commercial operation becomes impossible.”
(British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, in a note to a government cabinet, October 1945.)
“As the largest producer, the largest source of capital, and the biggest contributor to the global mechanism, we must set the pace and assume the responsibility of the majority stockholder in this corporation known as the world… Nor is this for a given term of office. This is a permanent obligation.”
(Secretary-Treasurer of US Standard Oil Company, Leo Welch, 1946.)
“Behind the conflict in the Near East is OIL. Britain owns rich wells in Iraq … Socialists … [must] … condemn the Oil Imperialism of Britain and America and demand the pooling of all the oil resources of the world according to the needs of the peoples.”
(British Lord Fenner Brockway, 1947.)
“Our strategic and security interests throughout the world will be best safeguarded by the establishment in suitable spots of ‘Police Stations’, fully equipped to deal with emergencies within a large radius. Kuwait is one such spot from which Iraq, South Persia, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf could be controlled. It will be worthwhile to go to considerable trouble and expense to establish and man a ‘Police Station’ there.”
(British Foreign Office memo, 1947.)
“Now the Pacific has become an Anglo-Saxon lake, and our line of defence runs through the chain of islands fringing the coast of Asia.”
(US General MacArthur, Daily Mail March 2 1949. [Areas which have massive oil resources.])
“Persian [Iran] oil is of vital importance to our economy. … We regard it as essential to do everything possible to prevent the Persians from getting away with a breach of their contractual obligations. [To give the British massive advantages in their oil supplies.]”
(British Foreign Secretary Herbert Morrison, 1950s.)
“The most significant example in practice of what I mean was the Iranian experiment with which, as you will remember, I was directly concerned. By the use of economic aid we succeeded in getting access to Iranian oil and we are now well established in the economy of that country. The strengthening of our economic position in Iran has enabled us to acquire control over her foreign policy and in particular to make her join the Bagdad Pact. At the present time the Shah would not dare even to make any changes in his cabinet without consulting our Ambassador.”
(Letter from US Council on Foreign Relations member billionaire Nelson Rockefeller to President Eisenhower, January 1956.)
“We must at all costs maintain control of this oil.”
(British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd, to US Secretary of State Allen Dulles, January 1956.)
“Our interest lies in keeping Kuwait independent and separate, if we possibly can, in line with the idea of maintaining the four principle oil producing areas under separate political control.”
(Head of the eastern department of the British Foreign Office Derek Riches, August 8 1958. [Classic divide and rule again. The British separated Kuwait from Iraq in 1913.])
“Iran is the only source of Middle Eastern oil which is not under the control of an Arab government, and present production could be considerably increased in an emergency. This strengthens the West’s hand viv-a-vis the Arab oil producing countries.”
(British Joint Intelligence Committee, 1961.)
“It [Saudi Arabia] has no moral code of laws and its criminal justice is is of mediaeval barbarity… Corruption is widespread. The country sits on top of some of the richest oil resources in the world…”
(British Ambassador Colin Crowe, to Foreign Secretary Alec Douglas-Home, June 20 1963.)
“Aden is essential for our vital oil and strategic interests.”
(British commander in the Middle East Air Marshal Charles Ellsworthy, mid 1960s.)
“The economic health and well-being of the United States, Western Europe, Japan depend upon continued access to the oil from the Persian area.”
(US President Carter, Department of State Bulletin, April 1978.)
“The US deliberately constructed out of the ruins of the war an international monetary order based on the dollar… With its nuclear and armed forces, the US stood ready to guarantee this open economic system against threats from the Soviet Union on the outside and enemies that might close off certain markets and needed resources such as oil on the inside. As both banker and cop, the US was the guarantor of the postwar global economy.”
(Business Week March 12 1979.)
“Western industrialised societies are largely dependent on the oil resources of the Middle East region and a threat to access to that oil would constitute a grave threat to the vital national interests. This must be dealt with; and that does not exclude the use of force if necessary.”
(US Secretary of State Alexander Haig, March 11 1981.)
“As outlined in the paper, the strategy for Southwest Asia, including the Persian Gulf, directs American forces to be ready to force their way in if necessary, and not to wait for an invitation from a friendly government, which has been the publicly stated policy.”
(US Defense Dept, New York Times May 30 1982.)
“In the future, we are more likely to be involved in Iraq-type things, Panama-type things, Grenada-type things… Our position should be the protection of the oilfields. Now whether Kuwait gets put back, that’s subsidiary stuff.”
(Chairman of US Armed Services Committee Les Aspin, 1990.)
“Mideast oil is the West’s lifeblood. It fuels us today, and being 77 percent of the Free World’s proven oil reserves, it is going to fuel us when the rest of the world has run dry. … It is estimated that within 20 or 40 years the U.S. will have virtually depleted its economically available oil reserves, while the Persian Gulf region will still have at least 100 years of proven oil reserves.”
(US General Schwarzkopf, February 8 1990.)
“It’s been a leading, driving doctrine of U.S. foreign policy since the 1940s that the vast and unparalleled energy resources of the Gulf region will be effectively dominated by the Unites States and its clients, and, crucially, that no independent, indigenous force will be permitted to have a substantial influence on the administration of oil production and price.”
(US political scientist and academic Noam Chomsky, September 11 1990.)
“Shell’s operations are impossible unless ruthless military operations are undertaken for smooth economic activities to commence.”
(Ken Saro-Wiwa, from a secret Nigerian military memo, May 1994. He was executed in 1995.)
“If they turn on the radars we’re going to blow up their goddamn SAMs [missiles]. They know we own their country [Iraq]. We own their airspace… We dictate the way they live and talk. And that’s what’s great about America right now. It’s a good thing, especially when there’s a lot of oil out there we need.”
(US Brigadier General William Looney, June 24 1996, Washington Post, August 30 1999.)
“So where is the oil going to come from? … The Middle East, with two-thirds of the world’s oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize ultimately lies,”
(US Vice President Richard Cheney, CEO of oil company Halliburton, 1999.)
“Colombia is now the third largest recipient of U.S. military aid after Israel and Egypt. Direct U.S. military intervention looms on the horizon for this region
(Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru), which exports more oil to the U.S. than the entire Middle East.”
(CovertAction Quarterly magazine, 1999.)
“US aid is to improve U.S.-Kazakh military cooperation while establishing a U.S.-interoperable base along the oil-rich Caspian.”
(US State Department Report, 2002.)
“In oil’s name, the United States is immersed in a new kind of colonialism, for the resources that lie under foreign feet. They couldn’t care less about the people. Therein lies an even greater tragedy.”
(U.S. Dept. of State, Congressional Budget Justifications: Foreign Operations, 2003.)
“… we’ve got to win a real war, which involves using a lot of troops and building a nation, and that’s at the core of the president’s strategy for rebuilding the Middle East.
(William Kristol, chairman of the PNAC
(Project for the New American Century), 2004.)
“Whoever controls oil controls much more than oil.”
(US Senator John McCain, June 17 2008.)
“Our aim is not simply to appropriate oil in one way or another
(say in easily accessible Nigeria or Venezuela) but to crush OPEC. Therefore we have to use direct force in order to get hold of large and concentrated oil deposits which can be opened up rapidly so as to put an end to the artificial oil shortage and thus to lower the price… Since this is the ultimate and there is only one target possible: Saudi Arabia… Fortunately, these are not only rich oilfields but they are also concentrated in a very small area, a fraction of the Saudi Arabian territory… While Vietnam was full of trees and brave people and our national interest was almost invisible, what we have here is no trees, very few people and a clear objective.”
(Adviser to US Defence Department Professor Miles Ignotas.)
“The mistake of the West was to put the Sauds on the throne of Saudi Arabia and give them control of the world’s oil fortune, which they then used to propagate Wahhabi Islam.”
(British novelist Salman Rushdie.)
“We do not have any defence treaties with Kuwait, and there are no special defence or security commitments to Kuwait.”
(Margaret Tutweiller, US State Department, deliberately enticing the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, which was a few days later.)
“Venezuela has the biggest oil reserves in the world. And the biggest gas reserves in this hemisphere, the eighth in the world. Venezuela was a U.S. oil colony. All of our oil was going up to the north, and the gas was being used by the U.S. and not by us. Now we are diversifying. Our oil is helping the poor. … If the United States was mad enough to attack Iran or aggress Venezuela again the price of a barrel of oil could reach $150 or evan $200.”
(Venezuelan socialist President Hugo Chavez.)
“And finally, this notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table.”
(US President George Bush.)
“[Genocide] certainly is a valid word in my view, when you have a situation where we see thousands of deaths per month, a possible total of I million to 1.5 million over the last nine years. If that is not genocide, then I don’t know quite what is.”
(UN humanitarian coordinator Denis Halliday on US sanctions on Iraq.)
“Natural resources and inanimate energy… are increasingly regarded as affected with public interest… Certainly they were left by God or geology to mankind and not to the Standard Oil Company of California. If this is not sound moral doctrine, I do not know what is.”
(US writer Stuart Chase.)
“The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun.”
(US activist and author Ralph Nader.)
“The good Lord didn’t see fit to put oil and gas only where there are democratically elected regimes friendly to the United States. Occasionally we have to operate in places where, all considered, one would not normally choose to go. But we go where the business is.”
(US Vice President Dick Cheney.)
“It is clear our nation is reliant upon big foreign oil.”
“Now you have people in Washington who have no interest in the country at all. They’re interested in their companies, their corporations grabbing Caspian oil.”
(US writer Gore Vidal.)
“Bahrain lies at the epicenter of Gulf security and any violent upheaval in Bahrain would have enormous geopolitical consequences. Global economic stability depends on the uninterrupted export of crude oil from the Gulf to markets around the world, a job that historically has been assigned to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.”
(King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, whose billionaire family have ruled Bahrain since 1780.)
“From the 1920s into the 1940s, Britain’s standard of living was supported by oil from Iran. British cars, trucks, and buses ran on cheap Iranian oil. Factories throughout Britain were fueled by oil from Iran. The Royal Navy, which projected British power all over the world, powered its ships with Iranian oil.”
(US journalist and author Stephen Kinzer.)
“Control over the production and distribution of oil is the decisive factor in defining who rules whom in the Middle East.”
(US critic and author Christopher Hitchens.)
“The invasion of Iraq was a bandit act, an act of blatant state terrorism, demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of international law.”
(English playwright Harold Pinter.)
“If you go into the Ecuadorian Amazon and you stick your hand in the ground, what you get is oil sludge. The oil companies continue doing whatever they please.”
(Equadoran President Rafael Correa.)
“In Iraq, [American administration] said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction endangering mankind. With this pretext, the U.S. intervened militarily, and all they did is take control over oil fields, and oil wells.”
(Bolivian socialist President Evo Morales.)
“My point is that it’s incorrect to say that the Iraq policy isn’t working. It is working. It is doing what they want. They have got control of the oil and they are exporting it, and they have stripped a government that was 90% state owned and they are privatizing it.
(US political economist, social scientist and author Michael Parenti.)
“…an oil policy with origins in the US State Department is on course to be adopted in Iraq… with no public debate and at enormous potential cost… allocates the majority of Iraq’s oilfields, accounting for at least 64% of the country’s oil reserves, for development by multinational oil companies.”
(In other words, mostly US companies. The Rip Off of Iraq’s Oil Wealth, British Non Government Organisation, Platform, 2005. Quoted in William Blum “America’s Deadliest Export. Democracy. The Truth About US Foreign Policy and Everything else.”)
Brian was born in the bombed out wartime East End of London and developed an interest in political books early on. He worked in various technical fields for 20 years, all of which thoroughly bored him. He entered academic life (History and Classical Economics) and became an independent journalist, worked for the ANC (secret at the time) until the end of apartheid, and was a trade union representative in a large hospital. He is now retired and still works (when able) as an independent journalist.
Rafael Correa and the Chessintern
Filed under: China,indigenous,Latin America,oil — louisproyect @ 9:55 pm
As most people probably understand, political analysis about a particular government leader is often largely driven by where they stand in the geopolitical chess game—most of all by the grandmasters who play it, namely the “anti-imperialist” left that is as single-minded ideologically as earlier generations of Kremlin apologists if not more so.
In my experience, Stansfield Smith is the Boris Spassky of this milieu. The tops at awfulness with no competition on the horizon. Back when he was on Marxmail, he never posted anything except talking points in line with the Pepe Escobar/Mike Whitney/Eric Draitser Chessintern.
To belong to the Chessintern, you have to master a few basic openings such as the need to defend every foreign policy initiative of the Kremlin or China and then to smear anybody who ends up on the other side of the chessboard as tools of the CIA or the NED.
Back in 2010, when Smith was still a Marxmail subscriber, he did everything he could to tarnish indigenous activists in Ecuador organized in CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador) as tools of imperialism. That year there was a coup attempt in Ecuador that CONAIE supported. Rather than dealing with indigenous unhappiness with Correa, as I tried to do in an article on the Miskito rebellion in Sandinista Nicaragua, Smith approached the whole thing as a conspiracy in which NED payoffs to the Indians was the key factor. You don’t need Marxism to understand such conflicts, just Hal Holbrook’s line in “All the President’s Men”: “follow the money.”
Interestingly enough, the Chessintern-friendly CounterPunch ran a number of articles that year that refused to demonize the Indians. The late Roger Burbach called attention to a law that allowed for the privatization of water and that placed “no real restraints on the ravaging of rivers and aquifers by the mining companies.” Ben Dangl stated that Correa had been marginalizing the indigenous movements of Ecuador while Laura Carlsen seemed to have offered the most balanced approach: “Although Correa has required companies to pay a larger share of profits to the government as mentioned above, he promoted the extractive model of national development that encroaches on indigenous lands and rights and has led to massive environmental destruction.”
The same divisions exist in Ecuador today with indigenous people continuing to feel vitimized, especially when it comes to the exploration for oil in their territories. If you’ve seen “Crude”, you know how much damage oil companies can do to Ecuador’s water and soil. With the film’s focus on the attempt of peasants to sue Texaco and Chevron’s for damages, it is not difficult to imagine that Indians would have the same kind of grievances even if the government was part of the Bolivarian revolutionary movement and that oil drilling in Indian country was being done in partnership with a Chinese oil company. That is, unless you were Stansfield Smith.
With a title like “Propaganda as ‘News’: Ecuador Sells Out Indigenous Tribes and the Environment to China”, you pretty much know what to expect. Whatever the question (Syria, Ukraine, Tibet, Xinjiang), you trawl the Internet for any links between some protest movement and the NED, the CIA or some Soros-funded NGO and that’s all you need to know. Case closed.
Foolish me. I tried to transcend Chessintern thinking when I wrote about the Miskito revolt:
The best presentation of the Miskito case comes from Charles R. Hale, an American anthropologist who was a Sandinista supporter. The more time he spent with Miskito people, the more he came to realize that the government in Managua had misunderstood their legitimate demands. His book “Resistance and Contradiction: Miskito Indians and the Nicaraguan State, 1894-1987” is essential reading.
Hale explains that Miskito unrest had preceded the Sandinista victory. The same economic forces that precipitated the revolution against Somoza were shaking up the Atlantic Coast. Large-scale commercial exploitation of the land for cattle-ranching and cotton production caused displaced peasants to arrive in the cities with dim economic prospects. When the earthquake hit Managua, these prospects completely disappeared and armed struggle seemed like the only reasonable path.
These peasants also moved eastward, putting pressure on communally owned Miskito land. The UN and the Alliance for Progress sponsored some large-scale projects in partnership with Somoza that the Miskitos resented, including the construction of a deep-water port. The construction interfered with traditional fishing activities. The Miskitos faced challenges on all front.
But mostly the Miskitos felt left out of the economic development that was taking place all around them. The Somoza family had pumped millions of dollars into nearly 200 industrial fishing boats on the Atlantic Coast. Commercial fishing accounted for 4 percent of foreign currency earnings in 1977, but nothing substantial flowed into Miskito improvement. The “trickle down” theory was as false in Nicaragua as it was in Reagan’s America. Capital to finance the expansion came from Cuban exiles in Miami and North American banks. All the stepped up economic activity was of no benefit to the Miskitos, who regarded the Spanish-speaking businessmen as little more than invaders. After the commercial fishers had taken the last lobster and shrimp out of the water, they would have gone on their merry way.
Essentially this is the same kind of clash in Ecuador today.
Smith’s article is an assault on Amazon Watch, an NGO that was supposedly the source of an article titled “Ecuador to Sell a Third of Its Amazon Rainforest to Chinese Oil Companies” that has made the rounds on the Internet. In Smith’s eyes, the article was “an invention” since to this date no land has actually been sold. He also believes that even if China began buying up land for drilling, the targeted area is practically the size of a postage stamp:
And, for comparison, the Alberta tar sands oil fields are 1,500 times the size of the small area Ecuador opened up for oil exploration in the Yasuni. In comparison, too, last May Obama approved oil drilling in the Artic Sea, where 20 billion barrels of oil and 90 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are now more available due to the melting of Arctic ice sheets.
I am not exactly sure how much drilling there will be in Yasuni National Park once the extractive juggernaut gets a full head of steam but it is bigger than the state of Connecticut. This does not even speak to the damage that will be done to a priceless natural habitat that Correa pledged to preserve after becoming president.
To wrap up his case against the indigenous peoples, Smith draws a contrast between their “corporate-backed funders” such as the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and China, which “provides loans at low interest rates, does not intervene in the internal affairs of other countries, respects other countries’ paths of economic and political development, and encourages South-South cooperation as a counter to Western hegemony.” I got a chuckle out of this since the organization I was involved with in the 1980s that trained Nicaraguans how to use high technology tried to get some donations from Mott. The executive director Michael Urmann, who died in 2012, told me about after going up to see Mott in his penthouse he was forced to listen to this knucklehead lecture him about world politics for an hour. That was bad enough but when no money came out of the visit, he was fit to be tied. Our attitude toward Mott, the Ford Foundation or any of a number of liberal charities was if they gave us money, it was their contradiction, not ours. Since both of us were sixties radicals (he was a Maoist), that is the way we looked at it. I have no idea what Smith was doing in the sixties but his inability to think in these terms suggests not very much.
But in terms of Smith’s ebullient description of Chinese beneficence, inquiring minds would naturally have to look a bit closer at the economic data to determine whether China is interested in helping the poor, especially since strikes and protests there set records in 2015. Worker militancy has led to increased wages in recent years, hence leading to a devaluation of the yuan to make Chinese exports competitive with other Asian countries that pay even lower wages.
All this has consequences for Ecuador. With a devalued yuan, which Ecuador uses, exports to China produce less revenue. When you take into account that the price of its main export—oil—has dropped precipitously in the last year or so, the consequences are drastic. Less money is available for social spending, the cornerstone of the oil-lubricated Bolivarian revolution. There is also the pain of increased prices on imported goods, including food and medicine. In other words, Ecuador is going through the same painful adjustment as other export-dependent Latin American countries and there is little that China or any other BRICS country can do to alleviate matters. We are dealing with a general crisis of capitalism, something that seems to escape the ideological framework of the Chessinturn. They have a classless notion of “development” that posits alignment with the BRICS as a kind of magic elixir that will vanquish poverty. Someone should remind these people that capitalism is a crisis-ridden system that has long outlived its usefulness even when it is practiced by someone who gave Julian Assange safe haven. We are for giving him safe haven but we are also for giving Ecuador’s Indians safe haven.
Finally, let me recommend what is probably the best left critique of Rafael Correa, an article by Marc Becker that appeared in the September-October 2009 Against the Current. Just to establish Becker’s bona fides, he is a major Mariategui scholar and considered to be a rock solid anti-imperialist. He even had the audacity to write an article putting the Shining Path in a relatively good light.
Titled “Ecuador: Left Turn?”, Becker’s article is quite even-handed. It refers to Correa as defending the idea that “socialism is both more just and efficient than capitalism” and promising to stand up for indigenous rights. However, the deeds don’t quite match the words as Becker points out:
Despite Correa’s attempts to mimic Chávez’s strategies, his policies are not nearly as radical as those of his counterpart. Of the many lefts that now rule over Latin America, Correa represents a moderate and ambiguous position closer to that of Lula in Brazil or the Concertación in Chile rather than Chávez’s radical populism in Venezuela or Morales’ Indigenous socialism in Bolivia.
The danger for popular movements is a populist threat with Correa exploiting the language of the left but fundamentally ruling from the right. It is in this context that a mobilized and engaged social movement, which historically in the Ecuadorian case means an Indigenous movement, remains important as a check on a personalistic and populist government. If Correa follows through on any of the hopeful promises of his government, it will be due to this pressure from below and to the left.
Correa continues to enjoy an unusually large amount of popular support in a region which recently has greeted its presidents with a high degree of good will only to have the populace quickly turn on its leaders who inevitably rule against their class interests. Chávez (and, to a certain extent, Evo Morales in Bolivia) have bucked this trend by retaining strong popular support despite oligarchical attempts to undermine their governments.
Correa is a charismatic leader, but in the Ecuadorian setting charisma does not secure longevity. José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuador’s classic caudillo and populist, was president five times, but was removed from four of those when he failed to follow through on his promises to the poor. In recent history, Abdalá Bucaram was perhaps the most charismatic leader, but he lasted only seven months in power after winning the 1996 elections. Charisma alone does not assure political stability.
In the wake of Ecuador quickly running through ten chief executives in 10 years, Correa appears positioned to remain in power for 10 years if he can maintain his current coalition to win reelection in 2013. Correa has also said that it will take 80 years for his “citizens’ revolution” to change the country.
In quickly moving Ecuador from being one of Latin America’s most unstable countries to maintaining a strong hold over executive power, Correa appears to have been able to mimic Chávez’s governing style. Whose interests this power serves, and particularly whether it will be used to improve the lives of historically marginalized subalterns, remains an open question.
Needless to say, the drop in the price of oil since 2009, when this article was written, renders the question of enjoying an “unusually large amount of popular support” rather moot.
Is it really 1914 all over again?
Filed under: cults,imperialism/globalization,oil,Russia — louisproyect @ 10:10 pm
This is the probably going to be the last reply to cult leader David North whose WSWS.org website warned readers that nuclear war was imminent because a Pentagon official named Robert Scher told Congress that the USA could “could go about and actually attack that missile where it is in Russia”, referring to any weapon that was in violation of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed by the USA and the USSR in 1987. For North, the crux of the matter was establishing that the word “attack” came out of Scher’s mouth when it was not audible in the Youtube clip.
I never had any big issues with that word one way or the other since my analysis that was based on the objective economic conditions differed radically from that of the Socialist Equality Party and any number of groups or websites constantly warning about WWIII. (A search of WSWS.org reveals 3,350 articles containing the phrase “nuclear war” going back to 1998 when one titled “Risking a Nuclear War” about India and Pakistan can be found.)
The Armageddon brigade includes Global Research that reposted the WSWS.org article and the libertarian Antiwar.com website of Justin Raimondo, who like many others in the Rand Paul wing of the Republican Party lines up with the ultraleft on this matter as has been the case ever since the rightwing internationally has thrown in its lot with the Kremlin. Frankly, it is very difficult to distinguish between what Golden Dawn and North’s cult have said about Ukraine.
For Raimondo, David North, and other assorted hysterics along this ultraleft-libertarian-fascist axis, the danger of nuclear war exists because Washington is out of control and ready to make reckless decisions that will result in the deployment of nuclear missiles that will effectively end life on earth. Raimondo put this this way:
Yes, that’s how crazy the warlords of Washington are: in their demented calculus, nuclear war is just another “option.”
North said about the same thing in a July 2014 article titled “Are You Ready for Nuclear War” that had all the urgency of a Pentecostal tract urging believers to prepare for Armageddon. He likened it to events that took place a century earlier:
A hundred years ago this week, World War I was launched by small cabals of ministers, monarchs, and business interests throughout Europe, whose decision to risk everything on victory in war led to deaths numbering in the tens of millions. Today, similar forces are setting into motion a drive to a conflagration that could lead to the destruction of the planet.
Of course, it is possible to stoke the fears of the naïve reader when you summon up images of a sneak attack on Russia taking place in the next month or so as if the USA might follow Japan’s example from December 7th 1941.
That being said, one might feel a bit anxious if you interpreted Scher’s comments as a departure from American policy. As I stated (and still believe), the imperialist strategy is based on Mutually Assured Destruction. All nuclear powers consider their arms to be of a defensive nature since a first use would trigger a literal Armageddon that would rob the ruling classes of their privileges and status. It would be a suicidal act only conceivable in a scenario in which the stakes were enormous, such as the Cuban missile crisis that occurred during the depths of the Cold War but as I will point out later, the same conditions do not exist today.
But, more importantly, is the threat of a first strike something new? Did Scher introduce a new and much more dangerous element in American arms policy? A cursory search of Nexis reveals that a “first strike” has been part of imperialist calculations for the longest time.
While we associate such madness with the Reagan administration, Democrats have embraced it as well. In fact it goes back to Jimmy Carter, the “wimp” who Reagan replaced. The NY Times reported on August 6, 1980:
The Carter Administration has adopted a new strategy for nuclear war that gives priority to attacking military targets in the Soviet Union rather than to destroying cities and industrial complexes, Government officials said today.
The revised policy, the officials said, requires American forces to be able to undertake precise, limited nuclear strikes against military facilities in the Soviet Union, including missile bases and troop concentrations. They said it also calls for the United States to develop the capacity to threaten Soviet political leaders in their underground shelters in time of war.
In a nutshell, all Robert Scher was doing is reaffirming nuclear war policy that has existed for the past 35 years.
It continues with Bill Clinton. On November 24, 1998 the NY Times reported:
As NATO defines the new strategy it will unveil on its 50th anniversary next year, Germany’s new Government of Social Democrats and Greens has irked the United States by tentatively suggesting that NATO should renounce the possible first use of nuclear weapons.
The United States is firmly opposed to any change in the doctrine allowing first use of nuclear weapons, arguing that it proved an effective deterrent during the cold war and remains one today against new threats like chemical weapons.
Four years later it should not come as a big surprise that George W. Bush was totally committed to a “first use” policy as the Sydney Morning Herald reported on March 12, 2002:
A secret Pentagon report which reveals plans for a “first-strike” nuclear arsenal reverses decades of American military thinking which effectively defined nuclear warheads as weapons of last resort. It also indicates just how far the Bush Administration is prepared to go to entrench America’s role as the self-appointed global policeman that its military power affords. So dangerous are nuclear weapons to the very continuance of life on Earth that their existence has long been justified because of their power to “deter”, not to defeat. The “Nuclear Posture Review”, however, details plans to integrate nuclear and conventional weapons, develop “bunker-busting” nuclear warheads, and specifically target seven nations. Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria are listed with Russia, China and North Korea as possible nuclear targets.The complex moral, political and strategic questions raised in each of these cases might not trouble the United States, but it will surely unsettle even its closest allies.
One would not expect Obama, a big fan of the Reagan presidency, to retreat from a “first use” policy. The Wall Street Journal reported on April 6, 2010:
The Obama administration will release a new national nuclear-weapons strategy Tuesday that makes only modest changes to U.S. nuclear forces, leaving intact the longstanding U.S. threat to use nuclear weapons first, even against non-nuclear nations.
But the new policy will narrow potential U.S. nuclear targets, and for the first time makes explicit the goal of making deterrence of a nuclear strike the “sole objective” of U.S. nuclear weapons, a senior Obama administration official said Monday.
So if you are going to single out Robert Scher for war mongering, you at least need to understand that he was simply telling the Congressmen what they (and our ultraleftist friends) should have already known. Based on the analysis of David North and Justin Raimondo, we have been on the eve of destruction going on for at least 35 years and counting.
Now it just might be a coincidence but the warnings about WWIII tend to crop up whenever some former colony of the USSR gets on the wrong side of the Kremlin. Back in 2008 when Georgia and Russia were at war over the future of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, you could read exactly the same sorts of articles from the Armageddon brigade. Global Research invoked 1914 just as WSWS.org did in the above-cited article:
So far, each step in the Caucasus drama has put the conflict on a yet higher plane of danger. The next step will no longer be just about the Caucasus, or even Europe. In 1914 it was the “Guns of August” that initiated the Great War. This time the Guns of August 2008 could be the detonator of World War III and a nuclear holocaust of unspeakable horror.
Nobody talks about South Ossetia or Abkhazia today because Russia was able to achieve its goals without any big obstacles put in its path by NATO. Global Research insisted that “Ossetia has been an important strategic base near the Turkish and Iranian frontiers since the days of the czars” as if the geopolitical imperatives of the late 19th century remain intact.
Of course, if you were serious about the threat of imperialist war, you might want to take the trouble to analyze the world economy as Lenin did when he wrote “Imperialism, the highest stage of Capitalism”. If you are going to invoke 1914, there is after all an expectation that you can make the case that there are irreconcilable conflicts between the West and Russia that can only be resolved by a new world war.
I would only warn you that if you are looking for such an analysis on the WSWS.org website, you will be wasting your time. The tab “World Economy” will point you to articles about “How the richest one percent controls nearly half of global wealth”, etc. but nothing remotely resembling the sort of analysis Lenin carried out. I should add that there’s nothing wrong with writing denunciations of rich people but you don’t really need WSWS.org for that. Huffington Post does as good a job, if not better.
If you are serious about the conflict between the West and Russia having assumed the dimensions of 1914 (or 1940), you are obligated to back up your analysis with data. It would have to examine FDI flows in Eastern Europe and Russia and other economic trends that would lead to the conclusion that war is inevitable. If you want to understand why Japan launched a “first strike” against the US navy in Pearl Harbor, you might want to consult chapter four of Michael Zezima’s Saving Private Power: the hidden history of ‘The Good War’, where he writes:
The build-up to Pearl Harbor began two decades prior to the attack when, in 1922, the U.S., Britain, and Japan agreed that the Japanese navy would not be allowed more than 60 percent of the capital ship tonnage of the other two powers. As resentment grew within Japan over this decidedly inequitable agreement, that same year the United States Supreme Court declared Japanese immigrants ineligible for American citizenship. This decision was followed a year later by the Supreme Court upholding a California and Washington ruling denying Japanese the right to own property. A third judicial strike was dealt in 1924 with the Exclusion Act which virtually banned all Asian immigration. Finally, in 1930, when the London Naval Treaty denied Japan naval hegemony in its own waters, the groundwork for war (and “surprise attacks”) had been laid.
Upon realizing that Japan textiles were outproducing Lancashire mills, the British Empire (including India, Australia, Burma, etc.) raised the tariff on Japanese exports by 25 percent.
Within a few years, the Dutch followed suit in Indonesia and the West Indies, with the U.S. (in Cuba and the Philippines) not far behind. This led to the Japanese (correctly) claiming encirclement by the “ABCD” (American, British, Chinese, and Dutch) powers.
Such moves, combined with Japan’s expanding colonial designs, says Kenneth C. Davis, made “a clash between Japan and the United States and the other Western nations over control of the economy and resources of the Far East and Pacific…bound to happen.”
Is anything like this taking place between the USA and Russia? If so, it would probably come as surprise to the most powerful oil executives in the world. This is from the Kremlin, straight out of the horse’s mouth so to speak:
Shaking hands with the CEO of Exxon-Mobil
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends and colleagues,
I am very happy to welcome you to the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Without a doubt, energy has always been one of the key strategic sectors in the world economy and very much remains so today.
The first steps in this direction are already being taken. Rosneft and ExxonMobil have created a research and development centre for Arctic technologies. I will take this opportunity to also congratulate the winners of the Global Energy Prize awarded today. This year, it was awarded to Japanese scientist Akira Yoshino and Russian researcher Vladimir Fortov. I must note that basic research in the field of energy is what lays the foundation for the future of energy security in our nation and the world overall.
Today, several new documents were signed at this forum on partnerships between Rosneft and international oil and gas companies ExxonMobil, Statoil and Eni (I am happy to see our old friends here today and to greet them), as well as an agreement on technological partnership with General Electric and agreements on the principles of supplying LNG.
This is basically a new era in cooperation the essence of which, as regards our interaction with strategic partners, is to move away from just importing raw materials to establishing full-fledged cooperation in production and technology.
This was a speech given just two years ago. It is a good place to start if you are trying to understand whether we are 5 minutes away from nuclear Armageddon. The conflict in Ukraine, just as was the case in Georgia, raises tensions and leads to saber-rattling.
If you are serious about removing the threat of nuclear war, you have to create a world in which the Russian oligarchs and their pals at Exxon-Mobil do not have the power to exploit the working class and use violence to achieve their ends. Oil companies use their influence over governments in places like Saudi Arabia and Nigeria to make war on their own people and those in bordering territories, as Yemen would indicate.
Russia is just as capable of wreaking havoc on defenseless people as its support for the genocidal policies in Chechnya and Syria would point out. In order to have a world in which social justice and peace prevail, we have to build an international movement that is based on class struggle politics but that rejects the sectarianism that hobbles progress toward that end.
While I doubt that anybody who takes these goals seriously would waste their time joining a bizarre, conspiracy-minded cult-sect like the Social Equality Party, there is a need to understand how they operate and why they ultimately lead to political and personal ruin. My suggestion to David North and company is to continue writing articles that rail against economic inequality since someone here or there might need reminding of that. But for those of us trying to build revolutionary parties based on the kind of rigorous economic analysis that distinguished Lenin or Trotsky, another path awaits us.
Addendum to “Is Russia Imperialist” — what to make of state ownership of Gazprom
Filed under: corruption,oil,Russia,state capitalism — louisproyect @ 7:12 pm
In Roger Annis’s article there is a problematic reference to state ownership that I want to address:
It’s the state, not finance capital, which plays the overriding, directing role in Russia’s economy. The state happens to own much of the vaunted oil and gas industries; so too in finance and much of manufacturing. The CIA Factbook explains some of the consequences thusly: “The protection of property rights is still weak and the private sector remains subject to heavy state interference.
But before attending to that, there are a couple of other matters requiring attention. Annis claimed that since Russia’s GDP per capita is only about half of South Korea’s, it ruled out the possibility that it can be imperialist. I am not sure whether that statistic can in and of itself be used to establish a nation’s place in the capitalist food chain since Ireland ranks higher than Germany.
Consider the example of Czarist Russia, a nation that was both imperialist and underdeveloped according to Leon Trotsky, a thinker who had some influence on Annis in his youth. According to Vitali A. Meliantsev, a Russia economist, the GDP per capita in Russia on the eve of WWI was a third that of the West (page 13 of a paper linked here). Per capita GDP in Russia ran between 18-22 % that of the United States. Despite this, Lenin had no problem referring to Russia as imperialist in 1917, just before the Bolsheviks seized power.
The other thing that strikes the eye to anybody familiar with Ukrainian history is the image at the top of Annis’s article:
It has the caption “People’s Friendship Arch: This steel rainbow was erected in 1983 to commemorate the unification of Ukraine and Russia in 1653 and is meant to symbolize friendship and mutual respect between the two nations.”
I wonder if Annis has any inkling of what that “unification” means to Ukrainian nationalists. Ukraine and Czarist Russia signed an agreement in the town of Pereislav not on the basis of “mutual respect” but mostly on the basis of Ukraine’s need to find a military ally against Polish domination. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries Ukrainian Cossacks were locked in battles against the Poles, finally making an alliance with the Crimean Tatars in the 1650s that only achieved a stalemate. Led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the Cossacks viewed the Czar as a lesser evil.
Paul Robert Magosci sums up the treaty in his “History of Ukraine” as follows:
Aside from the debates among legal scholars and historians, Pereiaslav and its reputed architect, Bohdan Khmel’nyts’kyi, have taken on a symbolic force in the story of Ukraine’s relationship with Russia and have become the focus of either praise or blame. For instance, in the nineteenth century the Ukrainian national bard, Taras Shevchenko, designated Khmel’nyts’kyi the person responsible for his people’s ‘enslavement’ under Russia. The government of Tsar Alexander III (reigned 1881-1894), however, erected in the center of historic Kiev a large equestrian statue of Khmel’nyts’kyi, his outstreched arm pointing northward as an indication of Ukraine’s supposed desire to be linked with Russia. After World War II, the Pereiaslav myth was resurrected, this time by Soviet ideologists, who, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the agreement in 1954, transformed the event into the ultimate symbol of Ukraine’s ‘reunification’ with Russia, from whom it had been forcibly separated by foreign occupation since the fall of Kievan Rus’.
Whatever writers subsequently have speculated about Pereiaslav, one thing is certain: after 1654, the tsardom of Muscovy — which within seventy-five years would be transformed into the Russian Empire — considered Malorossiia (Little Russia, i.e., Ukraine) its legal patrimony. Since the tsar considered Little Russia part of his Kievan Rus’ inheritance, whatever rights or liberties he granted the Cossacks at Pereiaslav were gifts he could take back whenever he wished.
From what I have seen from Roger Annis to this point, I am afraid that his intentions of using this photo was to help propagate the Pereiaslav myth favored by Soviet ideologues.
Let’s now take a look at Annis’s observation that “The state happens to own much of the vaunted oil and gas industries”, which is obviously a reference to Gazprom. One is not quite sure what state ownership has to do with whether a nation is imperialist or not, especially in light of Lenin’s references to German state-capitalism. In his 1921 article “Tax in Kind”, Lenin makes the case for state-capitalism but under the control of the working class:
To make things even clearer, let us first of all take the most concrete example of state capitalism. Everybody knows what this example is. It is Germany. Here we have “the last word” in modern large-scale capitalist engineering and planned organisation, subordinated to Junker-bourgeois imperialism. Cross out the words in italics, and in place of the militarist, Junker, bourgeois, imperialist state put also a state, but of a different social type, of a different class content—a Soviet state, that is, a proletarian state, and you will have the sum total of the conditions necessary for socialism.
However, it would seem that Lenin was referring more to state control than state ownership. After all, wasn’t it the case that monopoly capitalism is pretty much based on a kind of planning done in conjunction with the state? I reject Tony Cliff’s use of the term to describe the USSR but it seems useful as a way of understanding the “military-industrial complex” referred to by President Eisenhower.
What I think is more important is the usefulness of a phrase like “The state happens to own much of the vaunted oil and gas industries”. It is safe to say that I own the Macbook that I am typing this article with but is there the same relationship between the state and Gazprom?
According to Wikipedia, the largest shareholder in Gazprom as of the end of 2006 was Gazprombank at 41.235%, a chunk of stock that would ensure corporate control. You, of course, would wonder what was going on when Gazprombank, a subsidiary of Gazprom, is the largest shareholder. That is like saying that BP Bank (if there was such a thing) owned the biggest bloc of shares in BP.
Since the Wikipedia article contains no new information after 2006, you have to do a bit of digging around. A Financial Times article from November 30, 2011 brings things relatively up to date:
When Gazprom transferred control in 2007 of Gazprombank, its banking arm and the country’s third biggest lender, to Gazfond, the gas giant’s $6bn pension fund, the deal was seen as so incremental that the investor community barely noticed.
But Gazfond was closely linked to Bank Rossiya – which owned Lider Asset Management, the company that managed Gazfond’s assets and held most of the latter’s stake in Gazprombank as a nominee shareholder.
Keeping up with me? Gazprom spawned Gazprombank, which became the largest shareholder in Gazprom. But then Gazfond took over Gazprombank that was partnered with Bank Rossiya, which owned Lider Asset. Is your head spinning at this point? Try a little Dramamine.
While it is obviously difficult to penetrate through the interlocking directorships and ownerships of all these corporate entities, one thing is clear. Gazprom exists to make a group of men wealthy beyond comprehension. The NY Times reported on March 1 2012:
Arkady R. Rotenberg, a former judo coach, is now a billionaire industrialist, having made a fortune selling pipe to the state-owned gas monopoly, Gazprom.
Yuri V. Kovalchuk owned a minority stake in a small bank in St. Petersburg that in recent years won control of a number of Gazprom subsidiaries. He is now worth $1.5 billion.
Gennady N. Timchenko, once the little-known sales manager of a local oil refinery, is now one of the world’s richest men, co-owner of a commodity trading company that moves about $70 billion of crude oil a year, much of it through major contracts with Rosneft, the Russian national oil company.
What these men share, besides staggering wealth and roots in St. Petersburg, is a connection to Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, who is poised to win a new six-year term as president in elections on Sunday. The three billionaires are members of a close circle of friends, relatives, associates, colleagues from the security services and longtime advisers who have grown fabulously wealthy during Mr. Putin’s 12 years as Russia’s paramount leader.
Critics say these relationships are evidence of deeply entrenched corruption, which they view as essentially government-sanctioned theft invariably connected to Russia’s abundant natural resources: gas, oil, minerals. This has become a persistent grievance of demonstrators who have staged four large street protests since December and are promising more after the election.
“The basic point is that these guys have benefited and made their fortunes through deals which involved state-controlled companies, which were operating under the direct control of government and the president,” said Vladimir S. Milov, a former deputy energy minister and now political opposition leader who has written several reports alleging corruption. “Certain personal close friends of Putin who were people of relatively moderate means before Putin came to power all of a sudden turned out to be billionaires.”
Those street protesters that Kagarlitsky derided as effete liberal yuppies had it right. What you are seeing is government-sanctioned theft. This was alluded to, after a fashion, in the CIA Handbook that Annis cited: “the private sector remains subject to heavy state interference.” For Annis, “heavy state interference” must smack of St. Petersburg 1917 when in fact it has more in common with crony capitalism everywhere in the world, starting with those Middle East and North African countries that so often get included in the “anti-imperialist” bloc.
On December 23, 2011 Reuters published “Special Report: The Gaddafi oil papers” that will give you a strong sense of why the Kremlin and the toppled dictator found such an affinity:
MISSING OIL, MISSING CASH
In a separate report published in 2010, Ben Amer’s ministry said almost five million barrels of oil worth around half a billion dollars had disappeared from a particular field in 2008.
That report said its investigation was triggered by information from Beshti. Ghanem, the oil minister and head of the NOC [the state-owed National Oil Company] at the time, said he did not know about the missing oil; he depended on departmental heads for information and the NOC could not control the activities of its subsidiaries. He believes Beshti was motivated by a personal grudge.
“When you are in charge of 45,000 people you are going to make enemies,” Ghanem said, adding that in Libya’s current climate, witch hunts are inevitable as individuals struggle for power. “People will come up with rubbish stories just to tarnish others for personal revenge.”
The 2010 report also found millions of dollars in payments for oil had been erratic and difficult to trace. This was partly because multiple bank accounts had been opened in the NOC’s name. On top of that, deals had been cut by individuals without authorization.
“The Director of the Crude Oil Department used to sell instant shipments on his own and without referring to … even his own superior officer,” the report says. The crude oil manager at the time, Khaled Nashnoush, is also the signatory of at least one of the allegedly backdated contracts. He could not be reached for comment, and no one at the NOC could say where he is now.
Ghanem said it would be unreasonable to expect him to monitor the activities of all individuals. “Otherwise what is the point of having a head of department?”
Obiang’s enablers
Filed under: Africa,corruption,oil — louisproyect @ 9:48 pm
President Barack Obama, President Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, and their First Ladies
In July 2003, state-operated radio declared Obiang “the country’s god” and had “all power over men and things.” It added that the president was “in permanent contact with the Almighty” and “can decide to kill without anyone calling him to account and without going to hell.” He personally made similar comments in 1993. Macías had also proclaimed himself a god.[14]
Obiang has encouraged his cult of personality by ensuring that public speeches end in well-wishing for himself rather than for the republic. Many important buildings have a presidential lodge, many towns and cities have streets commemorating Obiang’s coup against Macías, and many people wear clothes with his face printed on them.[15][16]
Like his predecessor and other African dictators such as Idi Amin and Mobutu Sese Seko, Obiang has assigned to himself several creative titles. Among them are “gentleman of the great island of Bioko, Annobón and Río Muni.”[17] He also refers to himself as El Jefe (the boss).[18]
In 2008, American journalist Peter Maass identified Obiang as Africa’s worst dictator, worse than Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.[19]
Since the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011, Obiang has been the world’s longest-ruling non-royal head of state.
In an October 2012 interview on CNN, Christiane Amanpour asked Obiang whether he would step down at the end of the current term (2009–2016) since he has been reelected at least four times in his over thirty years’ reign. In a Gaddafi-like reply, Obiang categorically refused to step down at the end of the term despite the limits set on presidential service in the 2011 constitution.[20]
Abuses under Obiang have included “unlawful killings by security forces; government-sanctioned kidnappings; systematic torture of prisoners and detainees by security forces; life threatening conditions in prisons and detention facilities; impunity; arbitrary arrest, detention, and incommunicado detention.”[21]
Forbes magazine has said that Obiang, with a net worth of US$600 million, is one of the world’s wealthiest heads of state.[22] Official sources have complained that Forbes is wrongly counting state property as personal property.[23]
In 2003, Obiang told his citizenry that he felt compelled to take full control of the national treasury in order to prevent civil servants from being tempted to engage in corrupt practices. To avoid this corruption, Obiang deposited more than half a billion dollars into accounts controlled by Obiang and his family at Riggs Bank in Washington, D.C., leading a U.S. federal court to fine the bank $16 million.[24] Later scrutiny by a United States Senate investigation in 2004 found that the Washington-based Riggs Bank took $300 million on behalf of Obiang from Exxon Mobil and Amerada Hess.[25]
In 2008, the country became a candidate of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative – an international project meant to promote openness about government oil revenues – but never qualified and missed an April 2010 deadline.[25] Transparency International includes Equatorial Guinea as one of its twelve most-corrupt states.[25][26]
Beginning in 2007 Obiang, along with several other African state leaders, came under investigation for corruption and fraud in the use of funds. He was suspected of using public funds to finance his private mansions and luxuries, both for himself and his family. He and his son, in particular, owned several properties and supercars in France. In addition, several complaints were filed in US courts against Obiang’s son. Their attorney’s stressed that the funds appropriated by both Obiang’s were done so entirely legally under Equatoguinean laws, although they may not agree with international standards.[27]
From the Militant newspaper, a socialist newsweekly published in the interests of working people:
N.Y. conference discusses
Equatorial Guinea today
BY MARTÍN KOPPEL
HEMPSTEAD, New York—A three-day international conference at Hofstra University on Long Island was a forum for discussion and debate on a wide range of topics about Equatorial Guinea—its history, economic development, languages, natural resources, literature and art, biodiversity, and ethnic composition and conflicts. The event, held here April 2-4, was titled “Between Three Continents: Rethinking Equatorial Guinea on the 40th Anniversary of Its Independence from Spain.”
Equatorial Guinea, a Central African country of about 1 million inhabitants, gained its independence from Spanish colonial rule in October 1968. For 11 years the people of Equatorial Guinea faced a brutal dictatorship under the first president, Francisco Macías, who in 1979 was overthrown by young Guinean military officers led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the current president. Since the mid-1990s the exploitation of the country’s newly discovered oil and natural gas reserves has turned it into the third-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa.
In what was one of the least economically developed nations in Africa, the government is today using some of the revenues from the labor of those who work in the oil fields to begin to create the nationwide infrastructure necessary for industrial development—such as paved roads, electrification, cellular phone networks, safe water distribution, primary health care, and the national university. Equatorial Guinea remains marked by the contradictions between this rapid transformation of production and the legacy of millennia of economic activity based on hunting, fishing, and subsistence agriculture, distorted by subjugation to slave traders and colonial domination.
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The Blackfoot Indian versus fracking
Filed under: energy,indigenous,oil — louisproyect @ 3:26 pm
Today’s NY Times has an article on the divisions among the Blackfoot people in Browning, Montana over fracking.
It is an increasingly common sight for tribes across the West and Plains: Tourist spending has gone slack since the recession hit. American Indian casino revenues are stagnating just as tribal gambling faces new competition from online gambling and waves of new casinos. Oil and fracking are new lifelines.
One drilling rig on the Blackfeet reservation generated 49 jobs for tribal members — a substantial feat in a place where unemployment is as high as 70 percent. But as others watched the rigs rise, they wondered whether the tribe was making an irrevocable mistake.
“These are our mountains,” said Cheryl Little Dog, a recently elected member of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, the reservation’s governing body. “I look at what we have, and I think, why ruin it over an oil rig?”
Oil exploration here began in the 1920s, largely on the plains along the eastern edge of the reservation, but it died off in the early 1980s. Over the last four years, though, new fracking technologies and rising oil prices have lured the drillers back, and farther and farther west, to the mountains that border Glacier National Park.
Oil companies have leased out the drilling rights for a million of the reservation’s 1.5 million acres, land held by the tribe, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. They have drilled 30 exploratory wells this year alone, and are already engaged in fracking many of them, pumping a slurry of water, sand and chemicals to crack open underground rock beds to pry out the oil.
“It’ll change the lives of a lot of people,” said Grinnell Day Chief, the tribe’s oil and gas manager. “It’ll be a boost to everybody. There’s talk of a hotel coming up.”
Facebook group for Blackfeet anti-fracking coalition
As it turns out, this is an Indian reservation I visited in the late 90s through connections I had made with Jim Craven, an economics professor of Blackfoot descent who was subscribed to PEN-L at the time. About three years after that trip I returned to the Blackfoot reservation in Alberta, Canada just north of Browning to participate in a tribunal on residential school abuse that Jim Craven had organized. Through my trips out west and through research on the Blackfoot I managed to learn quite a bit about their struggle and eventually wrote an article on “The Blackfoot and the Barbarian” that pretty much exemplifies my approach to indigenous issues as a Mariátegui disciple.
(I should mention that I have used the word Blackfoot rather than Blackfeet over the years mainly because of Jim Craven’s insistence that the latter term is racist. Frankly, I am not so sure whether the distinction is as important to the tribe as it was to Jim but as is generally the case I am happy to respect the views of a member of an oppressed nationality when it comes to matters such as this.)
In 1998 I wrote an article titled “Energy Tribes” that addresses the economic contradictions that led to fracking on the Browning reservation. I am reproducing it below in order to provide some insights into what is called commonly called environmental racism and that is felt particularly hard by indigenous peoples in the Americas.
Energy Tribes
One of the crowning ironies of the history of this racist, capitalist country is that Indian reservations today hold enormous quantities of coal, oil, gas and uranium. If the 19th century architects of genocide had been able to predict this startling outcome, they probably would have simply killed every last Indian in order to put a lock on future profits. The struggle for Indian control of these resources has turned out to be one of the sharpest struggles of the past 25 years.
What is the magnitude of these reserves? “Breaking the Iron Bonds,” by Marjane Ambler (U. of Kansas, 1990), lays out the numbers for the year 1974:
The Interior Department said thirty-three reservations had as much as 200 billion tons of coal, which represented as much as 30 percent of all the coal west of the Mississippi. Federal estimates of uranium holdings ranged from 16 percent to 37 percent of the nation’s total. The department said forty Indian reservations held reserves of 4.2 billion barrels of oil and 17.5 trillion cubic feet of gas–3 percent of the nation’s known reserves. Most of these minerals still lay underground; so even if the tribes had been politically able to operate as a cartel, they could not have influenced energy fuel prices. Nevertheless, they represented the largest mineral owners in the country outside the federal government and the railroads.
These reserves became the subject of intense interest in the early 1970s during the so-called energy crisis. Almost overnight, tribes who eked out a living as ranchers or farmers were receiving bids from some of the biggest and most avaricious companies in America. Two American Indians emerged as champions of tribal rights against the marauders. They sought to accurately measure the amount of energy reserves. They also had to figure out how to defend the development needs of the tribes against the interests of corporations who were merely out to make a quick profit. In other words, all corporations.
One of these was the Comanche LaDonna Harris, who was instrumental in the formation of Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) in 1975, a coalition to protect Indian interests. Not coincidentally, she was Barry Commoner’s vice-presidential running mate on the Citizens Party ticket in 1980. Such was the racism of the radical movement that when her name used to come up that year, they referred to her as “Just some Indian woman.” That was enough to satisfy the curiosity of a brain-dead leftist movement that could not appreciate the importance of ecologists and American Indians coalescing. There is evidence that it still doesn’t.
Harris had founded Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO) in order to promote tribal self-government. Concerned about disadvantageous contracts with energy companies, she hired 3 interns from Dartmouth University to review federal records. The results were earthshaking. Nobody had ever realized the magnitude of the potential wealth. She presented Federal Energy Administration (FEA) chief Frank Zerb with the evidence in the summer of 1975 and read him the riot act. “You can’t have an energy policy without Indians; collectively, they’re the biggest private owners of energy in the country.”
Another key figure was Chuck Thomas, a Cherokee who worked as an oil-field inspector for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). If Harris was instrumental in putting a spotlight on the existence of huge energy reserves, Thomas was critical in raising tribal awareness about the need to tightly control them. He figured out something was amiss on June 13, 1980 when he caught an oil truck leaving the Wind River Reservation without a permit. This led to a full-scale investigation and upgrade of the inspection and accounting system on the energy-rich reservations. Thomas was the right person to help put new training procedures into place. Before going to work for the USGS, he had worked in the oil fields for fifteen years as a roustabout and roughneck. He was plain-spoken about his qualifications. “I’m not a man of long words and big politics…I have a worm’s eye view of it (oil thefts) because I was the man in the field.” He had blunt advice for Indian youth who were interning with him: “Be suspicious and trust nothing or nobody.”
CERT played an important role in defending tribal interests during the energy boom years. The revenues that came from royalty payments from big corporations, while not eliminating Indian poverty, did play a role in tribal development. One of the most tangible results was the creation of the Blackfeet Tribal bank, the beneficiary of Jim Craven’s consultation services. The Blackfeet tribe derived 90 percent of its total income in 1985 from oil and gas royalties and taxes.
The emergence of a cartel-like formation like CERT scared the tribes’ enemies out of its wits. During the mid-1970s OPEC was the bogeyman of many Americans, rich and not-so-rich. The notion that Americans would have to pay top dollar for petroleum was shocking. It was one thing for Americans to have a monopoly on computer software, automobiles, weapons, medicine, etc., but it was another thing for the rest of the world to assert itself in this manner. All nations were equal, but some nations were more equal than others.
The Denver Post fretted over the emergence of CERT in a 1979 editorial:
Supposedly we are to pony up cheerfully so the noose of escalating energy prices can be tightened around our necks… The people who manipulate Indian policies are indulging in much nonsense…Admittedly, justice has not always been dispensed equitably. But is the sufferance of our national government–dedicated to tribal advancement [??!!]–that gives the tribes leeway to act with more independence than other Americans.
But limits there are. Imagine what would happen if some adviser persuaded a tribal group to sign a treaty with Libya which Colonel Quaddafy was to ship Russian missiles to the reservation to guarantee the tribe’s integrity.
These fears, which were largely a psychological projection of rapacious American capitalists on their victims, were heightened when CERT hired Ahmed Kooros as its chief economist. Kooros had served as Iran’s deputy minister of economics and oil under both the Shah and Khomeini.
The parallel with OPEC nations was of course overdrawn. The true relationship between the U.S. and the energy tribes was not unlike that which exists between it and oil-producing countries like Nigeria and Angola that have non-industrialized, financially weak economies. The possibility for exploitation is much greater. The producers do get royalties, but it comes at a price. The big corporations leave the underdeveloped countries in a state of ecological ruin while draining the life-blood of the nation. The relationship is like Dracula’s to his victims. Dracula might treat somebody to a good meal but afterwards the guest became a blood-pudding dessert.
The most dramatic instance of the social and environmental costs of energy development was the break in a tailing dam at the United Nuclear Corporation’s Church Rock, New Mexico uranium mill on July 16, 1979. (Tailings are the residue of uranium mining.) One hundred million tons of radioactive water spilled into the Rio Puerco River on the Navajo reservation and it took on a sickly yellow hue, like battery acid. Animals that stepped into the river developed sores on their legs and died almost immediately. For the next year Navajos could neither eat nor sell mutton, an economic mainstay of the tribe. For the next decade the Indians and other people living near the river could not use local water supplies for drinking or stock watering. Despite all the publicity surrounding 3-Mile Island, this was the worst nuclear plant accident in American history.
Another noteworthy example of the destructiveness of unregulated energy development is what happened at the Upper Missouri River Basin in the 1980s. The tribes of the Northern Plains felt the need to defend their long-term interests against some powerful energy corporations that were planning a huge coal gasification plant in Wyoming. The companies needed water from nearby states where Indians had ownership of the potential supply. The plant and ancillary energy development operations would require huge amounts of water. The only source was the nearby Yellowstone River, as important to the Northern Plains tribes as the Rio Puerco was to the Navajos.
The federal government was all for the diversion of water to the Wyoming mega-project. A formal request had come from the following companies: Peabody Coal, Gulf Oil, AMAX, Shell Oil, Exxon, Kerr-McGee, Western Energy Corporation, Consolidated Coal, ARCO, Conoco, Mobil and WESCO. How could the US turn down a request from such companies? After all, they bribe both parties to carry out their wishes.
Arrayed against the government and energy companies was a coalition of ranchers, environmentalists and Indians. Potential royalty payment to the tribes was not enough to placate them. Their relationship to the land and water, which had pastoral and spiritual dimensions, could not easily be priced. This in essence is the source of the conflict between the tribes and capitalist America, just as it is in other parts of the world. Last week 10,000 villagers occupied the construction site of a dam on the Narmada river in India. It would destroy their livelihood as well as strip the river of the sacred quality it held in their lives. The main beneficiaries of the dam would be wealthy farmers.
A final example will illustrate not only the conflicts between the corporations and the tribes, but within different tribes themselves. The power of the dollar is enormous. A big corporation will not be above pitting one group of Indians against another when it is seeking to advance its bottom line. Capitalists have been dividing and conquering for centuries. Since they are such a tiny percentage of the population, they are always seeking ways to weaken their potential victims.
I am referring here to the conflict between the Hopi and Navajo tribes over development in the Black Mesa region of New Mexico. This is an extremely complex problem that pits the development needs of the Hopi tribe against Navajo sheepherders. There are enormous profits at stake as the Peabody Coal Company has targeted this area for extensive development of coal and other energy resources. I will not even begin to try to arbitrate the rival claims of the two tribes, but refer to the Black Mesa Web Page for testimony from both sides in the dispute.
In a 1993 complaint to Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, the Navajos complained about the slurry line that transports approximately 5 million tons of coal each year from Black Mesa to Laughlin, Nevada. It was “the only instance in American history where coal has been transported with groundwater that represents the only source of drinking water for an Indian Tribe.” Since the Peabody Coal Company uses over a billion gallons of pristine drinking water from the Navajo-Aquifer, it is no surprise that a drought afflicted both the Hopi and Navajo reservations in 1996. Development comes at a cost.
As long as tribes insist on putting their own interests above other tribes, the capitalist will come out ahead. The capitalist has trained himself to do this. Cecil Rhodes perfected this art in Africa and was able to safeguard the interests of the mining companies while trampling on the rights of the tribal peoples. A recent PBS biography of the arch-imperialist showed how he did it You promise one tribe one thing as long as it will make war against the other. When the tribe is victorious and hands the spoils of war over to the British colonists, they simply find another tribe to enlist in their sordid fight.
There is absolutely no question that a higher level of American Indian unity is necessary to protect the economic and ecological rights of one and all. This is easier said than done because the tribes have histories that go back for hundreds of years. Some experts analyze the conflicts between Hopi and Navajo as having existed long before the appearance of Peabody. Their resolution would seem to be one of the most urgent tasks facing Indian peoples.
Economic necessity is driving Indian nationalism, a progressive force. The emergence of CERT shows that Indians can coalesce nationally when their interests as a people coincide. Despite a downturn in the energy sector of the economy through the 1980s and 90s, there is little question that it will reemerge with a vengeance. There are several factors that lie behind this.
First of all, energy companies have a double standard when it comes to pollution. They view Indian reservations and Third World countries as less deserving of the sort of protections that white American neighborhoods enjoy. The term for this is “environmental racism.” This is in part a reflection of the tendency of mainstream environmental organizations to fight harder for their own constituencies, which are largely white and middle-class. An oil spill in the ocean near Santa Monica aroused the affluent swimmers and surfers to action. A uranium spill in New Mexico hardly registers on mass consciousness, even when it is greater than what occurred at 3-Mile Island.
Energy companies have less latitude in white, middle-class or even working-class neighborhoods, so they go overseas to make the kind of profits they need to satisfy Wall Street. Chevron Oil had to clean up its act in the waters off Santa Monica, but throws caution to the wind in Nigeria. Nigeria, like large sections of New Mexico, is an environmental disaster. When poor people object to pollution, their “benefactors” argue that they have to make a choice between clean air and water, and jobs. The term for this is “greenmail.” Opposed to greenmail is the demand that all development take place under the strictest environmental guidelines. People must come before profits.
Another important consideration has to do with the potential importance of uranium mining in the near future. Concerns over global warming have spurred new interest in alternatives to oil and gas, greenhouse emission producing fuels. The more sensible approach would be to explore solar and wind energy, but nuclear power companies have been pressing their case. Their lobbyists were very active at the recent Kyoto Global Warming conference. East Asia is a potential market for their poisons. The Chinese and other Asian governments are planning to build 70 nuclear power plants in the next 25 years. A large portion of the fuel will certainly come from the Indian reservations, where more than 1/3 of potential reserves exists. The capitalist would love to mine uranium without caution in such places and sell it to Asian governments whose willingness to poison for profits equals their own.
The choice is not between poverty and pollution, although this is what the big corporations would have us believe. Development can take place without destroying rivers and soil in the process. Mining and oil-drilling can take place in a relatively safe manner, as long as certain guidelines are in place. The decision to mine or to drill for oil must first of all be made by the tribal peoples who will suffer the consequences both good and bad. Once they make this democratic decision, the oil, coal or uranium companies must respect the surrounding ecology.
How can the numerically small and impoverished Indian tribes force huge corporations like Peabody Coal or Exxon Oil to respect their economic and ecological demands? The answer is that they first must find ways to merge their tribal interests into a larger Indian collective. The American Indian nation would not abolish the local traditions of the tribe; it would simply present a united fist to those who would exploit it.
Closely related to this task is the need to internationalize the struggle. The American Indians on their own are a tiny percentage of the United States. However, they are part of an immense struggle that is going on world- wide against the same exact corporations who are attempting to foul their air, soil and water in the pursuit of profits. The Indians of the Amazon rainforest, the aborigines of Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand, the Odongi people in Nigeria are all in similar fights. There are signs that this type of internationalism is already beginning to take shape. North American Indians have offered solidarity to the peoples of Chiapas, who are defending themselves against a capitalist system that has more and more of a global character.
NAFTA and similar agreements accelerate the economic onslaught that has taking place within the borders of the United States, but displaces them into regions where protection of human rights are weaker. When a corporation faces a determined coalition of ranchers, environmentalists, trade unions and tribes within our borders, it has no recourse except to go places where the cops or army can openly repress such a coalition. This is what happens in Mexico, Guatemala and Brazil where the popular movement must deal with death squads and lesser forms of intimidation.
There is no other way to defend oneself from a marauding, profit-hungry, globe-trotting capitalist system except through international solidarity. The collapse of the East Asian economies makes the promise of prosperity through low wages and polluting industry even more hollow than it ever was. The only beneficiaries of low wages and pollution are the shareholders of the corporations who expect maximum profits. To satisfy these shareholders is to risk death from the poisons that the corporations spew in their name, since cutthroat competition will simply allow the investor to shift his money to a more profitable and anti-human corporation.
In my next post I will discuss American Indian beliefs about ecology, which are essential to understanding a way out of the madness of a capitalist system run amok.
(sources for this post include Marjane Ambler’s book and the Short History of Big Mountain – Black Mesa Web Site at http://www.aics.org/BM/bm.html)
Malefactors of great wealth in three new films
Filed under: capitalist pig,Film,financial crisis,oil — louisproyect @ 10:41 pm
Regular readers of my film reviews know that I do not tend to hype a film. Except for a comment like “a must see”, I generally prefer understatement. That being said, I strongly urge New Yorkers to go see the documentary “The Big Fix” that opened on Friday at the AMC Loews Village Theater. Co-directed by Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell, a husband and wife team, it is a searing investigation of BP’s ongoing trashing of the Gulf of Mexico that has largely gone unreported since the supposed capping of the Deepwater Horizon well and the cleaning up of the Gulf.
As someone who generally keeps up with environmentalist issues, I sat watching a press screener with my mouth agape at the horrors perpetrated by an out-of-control oil company and their paid servants in Congress. No other film have I seen in the past five years or so has left me with the feeling that the people running the country—both in government and in corporate boardrooms—are no different than the mafia. In fact we might be better off if the mafia was running the country since these gangsters at least have a feudal sense of noblesse oblige.
Josh Tickell is a Cajun, a descendant of French settlers in Louisiana, who grew up to become a film maker rather than a musician, cook, or oil field worker that are the typical jobs that members of this ethnic group take on. But despite his achievements as a documentary filmmaker, his heart is obviously with the working people of Louisiana, who are being screwed royally by BP.
The film begins with a historical survey of Louisiana that establishes its status as a kind of internal colony of the U.S. With the stranglehold of oil companies on the state’s political machinery, those in the “99 percent” have much more in common with the people of Iran under the Shah than they do with most Americans. As the film points out, British Petroleum was a key player in Iran until the 1979 revolution and now views Louisiana as just another source of superprofits, whatever happens to the environment and the local population being utterly immaterial.
There is some fascinating archival footage of Governor Huey Long, who was dubbed a “fascist” when I was a high school student. “The Big Fix” makes a convincing case that Long only became demonized when he demanded that oil companies doing business in Louisiana pay their fair share of taxes.
The Tickells decided to go down to Louisiana to make a film after becoming convinced that BP was involved in a cover-up. The film combines their own cloak-and-dagger filming of the company’s deceitful practices as well as interviews with economists and scientists who make the case that the Gulf of Mexico is practically dead now, despite BP’s nauseating commercials about people coming down to enjoy the seafood and the beaches.
The gist of their investigation reveals that the waters appear clean because BP has been spraying enormous amounts of Corexit, a chemical dispersant used widely by Exxon and BP after one of their disasters. The purpose of Corexit is to reduce oil slicks into tiny droplets that sink beneath the surface of the water, thus making it appear as if it is clean. However, small fish ingest the chemical and are then eaten by others higher up on the food chain. As one long-time fisherman in the area told the Tickells, dolphins can be seen coughing as they rise to the surface of the water.
Whole coughing dolphins is an image that is hard to shake from your mind, what is even harder to shake is the sight of ulcerated skin that is fairly endemic to people living near the waters. So pervasive are the toxic chemicals used in the “clean up” that Rebecca Tickell became permanently affected herself and will probably never enjoy a complete recovery from various illnesses, including the lingering effects of chemically-induced pneumonia.
The final moments of the film are devoted to an exploration of how BP gets away with its criminal activity, which involves many of the same themes raised by the Occupy Wall Street movement. It pays millions of dollars to Democrats and Republicans alike in order to get them to serve as lackeys. What is even more disheartening is to see how compromised the university system is in Louisiana. Typical is Ed Stapleton, a professor emeritus at LSU who was initially alarmed by the impact of the BP spill but after the company lavished 10 million dollars on the school he became a fixture on shows like David Letterman giving jocular remarks on how clean the waters were. The only parallel is watching some of the nuclear industry functionaries in Japan announcing to their countrymen that there was nothing to worry about.
“The Big Fix” is the real deal. It does not spare any politician or corporate functionary and goes after Obama with the kind of fury that I have not seen in any documentary since this rotten tool of corporate America took office. The film relies on Chris Hedges to help make their case and he is in fine fettle. Don’t miss this one. It will remind you why you became a socialist and if you are still a liberal, it will turn you into a fire-breathing revolutionary.
Like most people on the left, I regarded the fight between Mikhail Khodorkovsy, the president of Yukos Oil and the richest man in Russia, and Vladimir Putin as a pissing contest between two skunks.
Although the documentary titled “Khodorkovsky” that opened on Friday at the Film Forum is not intended to persuade anybody that the oligarch had any redeeming social value, it does make a pretty convincing case that he was victimized mostly because he stood up to Putin. When Putin told him to stay out of politics, Khodorkovsky did not back down. For his efforts, he was sent to prison for six years for widely regarded as trumped up charges on tax evasion and just recently had another six years tacked on.
Khodorkovsky’s father was Jewish, his mother was not. He was a member of the Communist Party youth group when the USSR was still intact and learned how to make money hustling in its ranks by acting as a kind of social director. Using his Komsomol connections, Khodorkovsky set up the bank Menatep when Gorbachev was still in charge.
The money he made running Menatep allowed him to bid successfully for the state-owned oil company that would become Yukos. Unlike other oligarchs, he shunned the lavish lifestyle and had no use for gangster entourages that became endemic in the early years of the post-Soviet Union.
The documentary was directed by Cyril Tuschi, a German who adopts a somewhat detached and bemused attitude throughout the film suitable for his ambivalence toward Khodorkovsky. It is not clear to me that Tuschi had much interest in the broader questions of post-Communist society, the contradictions of capitalism, or anything else that matters to my usual readers. He seems to be motivated to tell an interesting story about a rather dubious figure and does a reasonably good job.
Mentioned only fleetingly in the film was Khodorkovsky’s attempts in 2003 to form partnerships with Western oil companies, something that Putin regarded as inimical to Russian interests. At the time, some leftists gave critical support to Putin as a kind of “anti-imperialist”. While not using this term, Vladimir Popov did make the case in the March-April 2007 New Left Review for Putin as a kind of imperfect defender of Russian interests in acting against the oligarchs.
I appreciated Tony Wood’s response to Popov’s article that appeared in a subsequent issue:
The reassertion of state control over strategic companies and sectors has been seen as a sign of stealth nationalization—the state using its administrative powers to crush Khodorkovsky’s Yukos and, more recently, even muscle aside multinational companies such as Shell. Western establishment analysts have diagnosed these developments as a case of ‘resource nationalism’, likening Putin’s actions to those of Chávez or Morales, while the latest leitmotif of Russian political discourse has been the idea of ‘sovereign democracy’—essentially referring to Russia’s ability and determination to pursue an independent course, no longer reliant on loans or approbation from the West.
Neither of these concepts is an adequate measure of the orientation and outlook of Russia’s contemporary elite. As noted above, the Putin administration has not actively redistributed oil wealth to those dispossessed by the ‘reforms’ of the 1990s; indeed, its tax regime seeks precisely to benefit the wealthy still further, while the monetization of benefits and increased charges for utilities penalize the poor. Though the poverty rate is declining and wages rising, any significant drop in oil prices will likely reverse these trends, which will once again have the most severe impact on the lowest income strata. The decision to spend the oil windfall on euros and dollars, meanwhile, is ostensibly motivated by a desire to keep inflation in check; but in a context of continued infrastructural dysfunction, such prudence is a form of deferred suicide, starving the nation of the public goods that would secure its survival in the longer term.
Turning from documentary to fiction, I can recommend “Margin Call”, now playing in theaters all across the U.S. as the best dramatization of the 2008” subprime meltdown whose effects are still being felt.
By contrast, Oliver Stone’s follow-up to Wall Street is incoherent trash and the HBO mixture of fiction and documentary titled “Too Big to Fail”, starring William Hurt as Henry Paulson, is best described as a whitewash of bankster malfeasance. With a screenplay by N.Y. Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin, who was stupid enough to write a column about taking a phone call from one of these types of scumbags asking whether he had anything to worry about with the OWS movement, this is a story about the public-mindedness of Paulson and company who saved the country from going under. It was hard to take this seriously when the HBO movie aired. It is even harder now in light of a Bloomberg News report:
The Federal Reserve and the big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing.
The Fed didn’t tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day. Bankers didn’t mention that they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy. And no one calculated until now that banks reaped an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed’s below-market rates, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its January issue.
Saved by the bailout, bankers lobbied against government regulations, a job made easier by the Fed, which never disclosed the details of the rescue to lawmakers even as Congress doled out more money and debated new rules aimed at preventing the next collapse.
Directed by J.C. Chandor (his first film), “Margin Call” takes place in a 24 hour span as a financial analyst—an MIT graduate with an engineering degree–discovers that his firm’s collateralized mortgage holdings were likely to bankrupt the company given the direction of the market.
The CEO, played to a tee by Jeremy Irons, orders the traders to dump the subprime holdings on unsuspecting customers no matter the long-term consequences. Playing his second in command, Kevin Spacey bridles at this proposal and only accedes under pressure. This was the only thing in the film that did not quite ring true. If you get to be second in command at a place like this, clearly modeled after Goldman-Sachs, you sold your soul to the devil long before becoming that powerful.
The movie has a crackling electricity and very fine dialog rendered in a realistic manner. Throughout the entire film, there is no attempt to offer up a back-story or anything that would make the characters sympathetic. The net effect is like looking at an aquarium full of piranhas and hoping that the glass doesn’t break.
That being said, none of the characters in the film is “evil” in the sense that Gordon Gekko was in “Wall Street”. They are simply doing their job. That is actually what makes the film so powerful. It is not interested in exposing crooks but in putting the financial system under a microscope. That, after all, is what Karl Marx had in mind when he began writing Capital.
Guest post: the economy is not coming back
Filed under: financial crisis,oil,swans — louisproyect @ 1:53 am
The Economy Is Not Coming Back
Part III: The Reasons it Shouldn’t
by Gilles d’Aymery
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Read the first part of this essay, “A Short History of the Maelstrom.”
Read the second part of this essay, “The Reasons it Won’t [come back].”
“This meeting is part of the world’s efforts to address a very simple fact — we are destroying life on Earth.”
—Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment Program, Nagoya, Japan, October 18, 2010
“We are nearing a tipping point, or the point of no return for biodiversity loss. Unless proactive steps are taken for biodiversity, there is a risk that we will surpass that point in the next 10 years.”
—Ryu Matsumoto, Japanese Environment Minister, Nagoya, Japan, October 18, 2010 (1)
(Swans – November 15, 2010) The first part of this long essay presented an abridged history of the road to the current deep socioeconomic crisis that some observers had predicted, even though no one could pinpoint the exact timing of the implosion. The second part submitted that there are objective factors that explain why the economy is not going “to come back” any time soon. But, more importantly, profound and intensifying environmental and ecological crises militate in favor of not having the economy revert to the shape and form it had. Some of these crises are the object of this third part. In short, to return to business as usual will lead to collective suicide, which Mother Nature will trigger in the not so distant future.
According to the WWF (2) 2010 Living Planet Report, “human demand outstrips nature’s supply.” “In 2007,” the report states, “humanity’s Footprint exceeded the Earth’s biocapacity by 50%.” The Global Footprint Network (GFN) has calculated that on August 21, 2010, the world reached Earth Overshoot Day — that is, “the day of the year in which human demand on the biosphere exceeds what it can regenerate.” As GFN president Mathis Wackernagel stated: “If you spent your entire annual income in nine months, you would probably be extremely concerned. The situation is no less dire when it comes to our ecological budget. Climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, water and food shortages are all clear signs: We can no longer finance our consumption on credit. Nature is foreclosing.” Though these environmental organizations are promoting policies that are essentially based on demographic and increasingly economic Malthusianism — independent researcher Michael Barker has written in-depth analyses, particularly in regard to the WWF, in these pages (3) — they do acknowledge the gravity of the situation. As the WWF report states, “An overshoot of 50% means it would take 1.5 years for the Earth to regenerate the renewable resources that people used in 2007 and absorb CO2 waste. … CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are far more than ecosystems can absorb.” In other words, the world, or to be more precise, some parts of the world, over-produces and over-consumes natural resources that are being depleted at an exponential rate. That’s the main reason for not having US (and other rich nations’) households “spend again at pre-crisis levels.” (4) The socioeconomic paradigm built on capital accumulation, perpetual material growth, and financial profits for the infinitesimal few must be not just overhauled but buried, and replaced by an equitable new arrangement that takes into account all natural ecosystems.
Clifford Krauss: propagandist par excellence
Filed under: media,oil — louisproyect @ 6:48 pm
Clifford Krauss
After having seen the powerful documentary Gasland that shows the impact of “fracking” on households across the United States, including flammable tap water and cancer clusters that are the inevitable outcome of natural gas drilling byproducts, I have begun to pay closer attention to news coverage, including my hometown papers in Upstate NY where energy companies are attempting to buy support from impoverished land owners.
So with that in mind, I read the article “When a Rig Moves In Next Door” by Clifford Krauss and Tom Zeller Jr. in the Business section of today’s NY Times with keen interest. As is so often the case with the newspaper of record, it has to maintain the illusion of objectivity, so necessary for its market niche: college-educated professionals who vote Democrat, watch PBS, listen to NPR, drive a Lexus, and donate money to the ACLU or mainstream environmentalist organizations. It simply would not suffice for Krauss and Zeller Jr. to write the sort of thing that you would hear from Rupert Murdoch hirelings, even if it amounts to the same thing more or less.
The article reports on the riches gas drilling has bestowed on Louisiana:
By the 2000s, De Soto, with a population of about 28,000, was one of the poorest parishes in the state.
Then came the shale.
“People went to bed one night poor and woke up the next day rich, enabled to buy a Cadillac and pay cash,” said Mayor Curtis McCoy of Mansfield, the parish seat. “It’s kind of like the show ‘The Beverly Hillbillies.’ ”
Farmers who once lived check to check are now extremely comfortable, if not downright wealthy. New cars, recreational vehicles and trailers are parked in nearly every driveway. Vinyl siding has been applied to weather-beaten cottages and clapboard houses.
But to make sure that he maintains the aura of objectivity, Krauss reports on the negative consequences as well:
The Haynesville area has not been spared from drilling accidents, experiencing several over the last two years that might make residents howl in some other parts of the country.
Nearly 150 homes had to be evacuated in the neighboring Caddo Parish in April, when drillers of an Exco Resources well struck a shallow pocket of gas, causing a blowout. Exco says methane was already in the drinking water, and suggests that further study is needed to determine whether some gas came from the well.
Careful readers will note, I’m sure, that he is sure to turn a negative into a positive: “further study is needed to determine whether some gas came from the well.” You almost need to study Hegel to master all the contradictions contained in the article.
I especially enjoyed his reporting on how some environmentalists are for gas drilling despite the inflammatory water faucets and cancer clusters:
Some environmentalists support fracking and other means of extracting natural gas because gas emits a fraction of the carbon of either oil or coal. They also prefer it because it could replace coal as the nation’s principal source of electricity and provide a lower-carbon bridge before renewable energy sources can be developed on a larger scale.
You don’t have to be working at FAIR to ask the question which environmentalists. Back in junior high school, our social studies teacher explained what good reporting is all about. It has to address the questions of who, what, when, where and why. The NY Times is fully capable of answering these questions when it is in the interests of the class it speaks for, just as it is capable of fudging them when it is not. I was not surprised to discover that a google search on “environmentalists support fracking” only turned up links to Krauss and Zeller’s article. Maybe they are the environmentalists they are talking about, since both contribute to Green, a Blog about Energy and the Environment at the NYT.
In the course of finding out more about Clifford Krauss, I discovered that he is someone who has been responsible for shoddy reporting in an entirely different arena. Along with Simon Forero, Krauss was writing articles about Hugo Chavez that were compliant with American foreign policy imperatives. In an article “High Stakes: Chávez Plays the Oil Card” from April 10, 2007, Krauss informed his readers:
We are on a collision course with Chávez over oil,” said Michael J. Economides, an oil consultant in Houston who wrote an influential essay comparing Mr. Chávez’s populist appeal in Latin America with the pan-Arabism of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya two decades ago. “Chávez poses a much bigger threat to America’s energy security than Saddam Hussein ever did.”
Needless to say, Krauss did not bother to cite anybody like Mark Weisbrot or Eva Gollinger.
Along with Forero, he has also been presenting Chevron’s case in Ecuador most assiduously: Chevron Offers Evidence of Bribery Scheme in Ecuador Lawsuit.
So one can only surmise that as a watchdog of American energy corporations’ vital interests in Latin America, it was only natural for him to adopt the same fighting stance in places like Louisiana or Pennsylvania.
But it is in Sandinista Nicaragua where Clifford Krauss sharpened his propaganda skills working for the Wall Street Journal prior to landing a job at the Times. On May 18, 1987 Krauss wrote a piece for the WSJ with the unwieldy title Central Issue: If the Contras Collapse, U.S. Faces Bigger Task In Containing Marxism — Officials Fear an Adventurism By Nicaragua Sandinistas Similar to That of Castro — The Likely Refugee Problem. It pretty much dispenses with any pretensions toward impartiality that would be necessary for the NY Times readers and presents an analysis that might have been written by a State Department flack:
No one knows the future of Nicaragua. The image of a triumphant, militaristic, Marxist-Leninist Nicaragua torments antiCommunists. Others think the Sandinistas will broaden civil and economic liberties once the Contra pressure is released. Some observers speculate that Managua will face serious internal political pressures from the Nicaraguan public and from within the Sandinista party itself once the war fades and domestic crackdowns are no longer justifiable. The Sandinistas’ future may be profoundly affected by whatever commitment the Soviet Union makes in Nicaragua, and by the moves Washington makes.
“We don’t have a wall to stop Sandinista ideology or subversives,” complains William Hall Rivera, the Honduran president’s chief of staff. “It won’t be a fight over land, but over minds.” He adds: “We’ll need a Marshall Plan.”
In the early 1960s, President Kennedy faced an arguably comparable situation. Fidel Castro quickly consolidated his revolution in Cuba, defeated a U.S.-organized counterrevolutionary force and attempted to export his ideology to the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia. His adventurism failed, partly because Washington pushed Alliance for Progress social programs and military training in Latin America, but mostly because of indigenous anti-communism in the hemisphere.
Krauss is an Edward J. Murrow Fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), a policy review body filled to the rafters with inside-the-beltway pundits and NY Times reporters. Whatever qualms I might have about Murrow’s own connections to power, he had the guts to take on McCarthy at a time when Krauss would have likely been raising a ruckus over atom spies.
In an interview he gave to the CFR, Krauss answered the question about the most important story he covered in his career:
No question, the most impactful story I ever covered were the wars in Central America during the late 1970s and 1980s. The fall of Somoza, the Sandinista revolution and Contra counter-revolution, and the revolutions and U.S. policy in El Salvador and Guatemala were dramatic events that brought an otherwise remote part of the world into focus for Americans and the world. It was a challenging story for many of us young reporters because we carried lessons and baggage from the Vietnam era. Some were pertinent to this story, while others were not, and we had to sort it out. The Cold War loomed large, of course, with Cuban and even Soviet bloc involvement. But there were also crying human needs and suffering that needed to be addressed, and revolutionaries not particularly sympathetic to American interests (to put it mildly) sometimes appeared to be the only ones eager to address them. In the end, good reporting was needed to break through the simplistic perceptions of both left and right. I was attracted to Central America at first because of my own Vietnam experience as a high school and college student, and I left with a much more nuanced view of the world. As for Central America, it’s still a mess, but the foreign correspondents are essentially gone.
You’ll note his self-justification that “In the end, good reporting was needed to break through the simplistic perceptions of both left and right.” And the older but wiser bullshit about a “more nuanced view of the world”. Such formulations reflect the “sensible” way that American ideologists see themselves, from Krauss’s thumb-sucking apologetics for gas-drilling corporations to Jon Stewart’s idiotic rally. As a way of maintaining the status quo, there is no better tactic for persuading the affluent middle class that its interests are the same as the people who own the NYT or Comedy Central (Time-Warner actually). But when the status quo amounts to job loss, foreclosure, deteriorating water and air, pension uncertainties and ever-escalating health costs, that status quo will begin to appear more and more inadequate. That will most certainly begin to persuade the formerly complacent that radical change is not only desirable but necessary.
Steven Seagal raps it down
Filed under: oil — louisproyect @ 10:00 pm
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