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Angela P. Dempsey
Share Angela's life story with friends and family
Spencerport - Angela P. Dempsey died peacefully on January 1, 2021 in her home at age 84. Angela was predeceased by her parents, her husband Leonard James "Jim" Dempsey and her sister Nancy Bass. She is survived by her four sons Mark, Christopher, Robert and Brad (Rebecca) and five grandchildren May, Sara, Margaret, Daniel and John. Also, survived by her brother Robert Palia, and many nieces and nephews.
Angela was a great person and an amazing dedicated mother, grandmother, wife, sister and friend. She was full of life, happy, kind, welcoming, dedicated and genuinely interested in those around her and tirelessly spent much of her life caring for others. She was always there for her family, raised 4 boys and was very involved in the community including an active volunteer for years at the Brockport Food Shelf, Nativity Catholic Church in Brockport and was active at St. John's Catholic Church in Spencerport. She retired from the State University of New York, College at Brockport and, also worked for several years at BOCES 2 in Spencerport. She also had many friends at Stafford Country Club where she played golf and was a member of the Women's Association for years.
Services will be held at a future date. For further information on future services and to share a memory please visit www.walkerbrothersfh.com.
Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle on Jan. 10, 2021.
Walker Brothers Funeral Home - Spencerport
15 West Ave
Guest Book sponsored by Walker Brothers Funeral Home - Spencerport
I am sad to know that Angela has passed away. When I played golf or had lunch with her, she always talked about her loving family. She was so proud of all of you. I know how much she liked to be a member of Stafford where she had many friends and wonderful memories of her much admired husband Jim.
Kathy Swift
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« Jerry Seinfeld and Trevor Noah | Main | Hugo voting: how, why, for what »
But such is not the state of the case. I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day? If so, there is a parallel to your conduct. And let me warn you that it is dangerous to copy the example of a nation whose crimes, towering up to heaven, were thrown down by the breath of the Almighty, burying that nation in irrevocable ruin! I can to-day take up the plaintive lament of a peeled and woe-smitten people!
"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yea! we wept when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there, they that carried us away captive, required of us a song; and they who wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget thee, 0 Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth."
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.
Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival....
LJ, it isn't that having a constitutional democracy is a guarantee of good government. Or even of having multiple parties, more than one of which is in power occasionally. But the alternatives seem far less likely to achieve that.
I would also note that, while more constitutional democracies have a written constitution, that isn't the only possible way to go. If you have a long enough tradition, you can achieve much the same results with an "unwritten constitution" -- which is essentially what Britain does.
Well, technically, the UK is a monarchy, with tradition circumscribing the power of the monarch in favor of the parliament. And, in an extreme case, I suspect that the monarch could use her prestige to make something happen without reference to the parliament. (Certainly I have spoken with members of the military and of the police who, when particularly irritated with the politicians, suggest that their loyalty lies with the monarch.) But still, the weight of tradition means that it would take an especially extreme case -- something minor like a major war wouldn't do it.
Posted by: wj | July 08, 2015 at 11:34 AM
We're after all of those folks.
I'd even say that the UK from the time of the Glorious Revolution counts, monarch or no monarch.
I think you'll find that the Swiss and Icelandic constitutions follow ours in time, and in the case of the Swiss, ours was the template.
As far as written constitutions, we are first. There are no historical antecedents. We are the first country to adopt and extend a self-limiting form of governance.
Can anyone show me a system that is better than one in which the rights of the minority are protected from the whim of the majority by a third, co-equal branch of government?
Posted by: McKinneyTexas | July 08, 2015 at 11:43 AM
Just to tweak McTx:
"The US was the first constitutional democracy in the history of the world. Looks like a trend setter to me."
Not before The Corsican Republic (1755-1769). Written constitution, universal sufferage (even the wimmins!) It was a Republic (no monarch) but had parliamentary-style representation.
Trend setter? Well the guy who led the Corsicans to independence was Pasquale Paoli, Paoli PA is named after him, 'named after "General Paoli's Tavern" a meeting-point of the Sons of Liberty and homage to the "General of the Corsicans"'
Also the Icelandic Commonwealth, much earlier...no 'constitution' per se, but mostly democratic, no monarch, parliament (of longest continuous operation). Weird customs.
I suspect that the reason that parliamentary systems are more popular has little to do with any rational analysis, but based on "lets shove all the politicians in big room and let THEM fight it out".
Posted by: Snarki, child of Loki | July 08, 2015 at 11:46 AM
McK: To me, it is bizarre for people who live in and benefit from the rights of citizenship in the US to desire a different government than the one we have.
I could grant that as well, except that Americans don't know anything else. But I would also second Hartmut in that there have certainly been American conservatives desirous of a narrower voting constituency than the one we have, tied to a moneyed, Ivy/Oxbridge-educated elite.
Having spent my childhood in a country with a Westminster parliamentary system (Australia), I can say that what struck me as odd when returning to the U.S. as a budding teenager was the religiosity surrounding the US constitution, as if it were a Bible of democracy, and the fetishism with the flag. Reciting the Pledge of Allegience in the elementary school I briefly went to was something of a curiosity for me the first time I had to do it - at the age of 11 going on 12, I was already swearing an oath I barely understood and that, from an adult point of view had I been one, would have made me uncomfortable to subject a child to as a civic ritual. Reciting an oath to the Southern Cross would probably still strike most Australians as a bizarre, empty gesture (though with an antecedent - the Eureka Stockade, the closest that Australia has ever gotten to anything like a civil insurrection, was the origin of the Southern Cross later to make its way to the Aussie flag and did involve an oath in its presence).
I'm inclined to believe that presidential systems tend - and that's the operative word here (not inevitable, mind you) - I shall repeat: tend more toward at least low-level cults of personality and elevation of persons above the law that parliamentary systems are pretty good at keeping the tightest of leashes on. It helps tremendously when a prime minister is also an MP (though admittedly, with deputized persons and staff to help sort constituency duties while the PM attends to cabinet matters) - it forces such an office holder to be grounded to a specific constituency as much as be the head of the party with the majority of legislative power.
That might be one reason why, as far as I can tell, we have never seen a prime minister-for-life anywhere, while presidents-for-life have been legion - PM-for-life is almost oxymoronic given the sheer legislative responsibility attached to the position.
A thought fart: could the diff between parliamentary governance in Britain and a presidential system in France explain, in some part, why the ex-Brit colonies overall have tended to fare better than their Francophone counterparts? Different systems would tend to different types of administration.
A thought joke irresistible to pass up: the old one about poor Canada (one of the Westminsters, of course) getting it all wrong: it could've had the best of the countries it has taken after - American business, British government, and French culture. Instead, it stuck itself with the worst these countries offer - American culture, British business, and French government.
Posted by: sekaijin | July 08, 2015 at 11:48 AM
I was unaware of this. I looked it up--no judiciary to ride herd and it was short lived, but to your point, thanks. Please consider your comment to be an asterisk to all of my prior comments.
I think you'll find that the Swiss and Icelandic constitutions follow ours in time
The current ones do.
Posted by: russell | July 08, 2015 at 12:15 PM
Let me round this out:
No *enforced* constitution means any congress could deny the right to abortion, the right of gays to marry, the vote to blacks or what have you. Or, congress could default to the states on these issues. There would be no 'full faith and credit' or 'privileges and immunities' clause.
There is no upside to any of this that doesn't invite an equal, opposite and unpleasant reaction.
Posted by: McKinneyTexas | July 08, 2015 at 12:20 PM
Look, not to pound this into the ground, but the structure and operation of the Althing was per written law, which in turn was the product of deliberation and legal research on the part of its founders.
I.e., the structure and operation of the government of the medieval Icelandic Commonwealth was per a written document.
The government included separate legislative and judiciary bodies.
The high points.
I can't really speak to how strongly the Althing protected "minority rights", my general understanding is that the idea of inalienable human rights as we think of them now came somewhat later in history.
If we're talking about "constitutional democracies that are a lot like ours", then we are arguably the first, although I'd still give pride of place to the UK after the Glorious Revolution.
If we're talking about "constitutional democracies" full stop - self-governing polities, operating democratically either directly or via representatives, based on a written body of law - then we are not the first.
So, while other democratic systems are preferable to non-democratic systems, the constitutional system is superior to non-constitutional systems, assuming due process, the rule of law, etc, that go into making a legal system work.
Respectfully, if you want to know why askance was looked quite so pointedly at your declaration here... this is entirely orthogonal to the point of presidential vs. parliamentary. Well, and it didn't help that you didn't express this bit of nuance quite so clearly earlier, but even if you had, it would be irrelevant. As hsh alluded to, the two points are not connected in point of fact. Consider India, which you correctly cite as being a constitutional democracy. Well and good, but it's also a quite explicitly parliamentary democracy. There's a reason why you here the actions and opinions of PM Modi (*spit*) discussed in the press, but I had to go look up the name of the current president (Pres. Mukherjee). There is nothing about being a constitutional democracy which prevents a nation from being parliamentary rather than presidential, so contrasts pitting "constitutional democracy vs. parliamentary democracy" are, to borrow a phrase, bizarre.
Posted by: Nombrilisme Vide | July 08, 2015 at 12:43 PM
It is not a *constitution* unless it is enforceable against the government. Otherwise, it's just words on paper. The Domes of Canute predate the Althing (I think) but Canute remained king and called the shots.
One could say, in a very strained sense, that the Magna Carta was the first constitution--since it limited (somewhat) the crown's ability to hammer its subjects--but there was no democracy post-Runnymede.
So, again, the issue is: constitutional democracy. It was us, the US, and no one else, who limited, with an actual enforcement mechanism, the reach of government. Marbury v Madison. "This is a constitution we are expounding . . .". It was a new thing, judicial review.
I'm really not sure what we're arguing about. How does suggesting that ours is not the best or a perfect form of government (i.e. it could be improved with changes) get us to *no constitution and no constitutionally guaranteed rights*?
If DJ or ugh suggested such, and that's the reason we're having this particular discussion, I might have missed it.
And whether or not we were the first country to do exactly what we did (we almost certainly were, depending on how exact "exact" is), ours was still based largely on lots of stuff that happened before anyone even considered a United States of America.
Like Napoleon Dynamite said, "What the heck are you even talking about?"
Posted by: hairshirthedonist | July 08, 2015 at 12:46 PM
Given recent discussions of the wisdom of judging the shortcomings of prior governments by modern values, if this was raised as a point of criticism to disparage the Althing over the second American system, I will confess to being more than a little amused.
It is not a *constitution* unless it is enforceable against the government.
To use the UK as an example, there is no single written document, but the powers of government are limited by law.
Ultimately, Parliament can change the law, and thus change the "constitution". But, ultimately, we can change, and have changed, our Constitution.
And not always democratically, for example, the principle of judicial review established in Marbury v Madison, which you cite, was not one that was arrived at democratically.
I think we all agree that protecting the rights of minorities within the body politic is a great thing, as is having the power of government subject to the rule of law.
But ultimately, whether Constitutional in our sense, or Parliamentary, the basis and legitimacy of government is the consent of the governed. And, what is considered to be just, fair, and right is going to be limited by what the sensibilities of the people who live under the government will support.
When the Constitution was written, blacks and women were chattel in most places in this country. The Constitution did not change that, and it did not change as a matter of either law or Constitutional principle until there was a sufficient constituency to change it.
Laws, just words. Constitutions, likewise. Words only have the force they are given, in any context.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no reason a parlimentary system cannot exist under a formal, written constitution like the one we have in the US (obviously differing in some of the details).
Well, no, one means one thing and another means another thing. A parliament can pass a law making the Church of England the official church of the land. That is a legislative, not a constitutional act. The constitution *constitutes* a government and lays down rights, limits actions, etc. Once passed, unless repealed or amended, it controls what laws can be legislated.
They may be only words, but some words, depending on where they appear, carry more weight than others.
Moreover, absent an enforced constitution, a legislature can pass laws that directly contradict on another. You can have free speech and a law criminalizing speech that calls into question the government or that slanders the state.
France, forex, outlaws the Ha-bib. You can't do that here. There may be other countries who copy our approach, but none precede it.
There seems to be a lot of resistance to recognizing something about the US that is better than some or any other place. I don't get that.
Well, yes, again, that's precisely the case in India. It's got a written constitution, an independent judiciary that can enforce laws against the government (or between states, or between states and the federal government), and is very much a parliamentary system.
Went to look up Marbury v. Madison, because it would be amusing to think that the USA wasn't a McKTx-approved constitutional democracy before 1803 (and, all the thrashing around with judicial acts and appointments 1800-1803 makes the current fights look tame)
But found this line, in Wikipedia: "Although the power of judicial review is sometimes said to have originated with Marbury, the concept of judicial review has ancient roots. The idea that courts could nullify statutes originated in England with Chief Justice Edward Coke's 1610 opinion in Dr. Bonham’s Case, 8 Co. Rep. 107a. "
Nothing new under the sun. Even in 1793.
Posted by: Snarki, child of Loki | July 08, 2015 at 01:57 PM
Is someone arguing to throw out our constitution, wholesale? Is someone arguing against constitutions in general? Is someone arguing that there is no aspect of our system of government that is better than some aspect of some other system of government?
Or are we discussing the viability of other forms of government, and noting that ours might not be the best in every aspect?
There is a big gap between *concept* and *power*. Really big.
HSH--go back and read DJ and Ugh at the beginning of this thread. Yes, I think both would be fine if the US had never existed. They as much as said this.
All true and all post WWII. However, would you rather live under the Indian constitution (and live in India) or here? Particularly if you were an 'untouchable'.
McK, I have no idea what you're asserting here. France has a constitution which can be used to invalidate laws, particularly those relating to rights. It's closer to the US system than to most parliamentary systems in terms of the power and authority of the president, and is often said to have an essentially American relationship between executive and legislature compared to parliamentary systems.
The really perplexing part of this is that bans of the hajib in France are explicitly founded on the basis of the Constitution, specifically the secular nature of the state. Well, that, and xenophobia. But the legal reasoning is preserving a secular state in accordance with the nation's founding principles. So I really don't know where this argument is supposed to be going.
The US could absolutely outlaw the hajib if they decided it had merit based on our Constitution. Let's look at something apropos: torture of the sort that the US routinely engaged in over the last decade and a half could not occur in France because of its Constitution... yet it very much occurred here, because the government decided the Constitution didn't really mean what it had previously been held to mean. That's not at all exceptional for the US. The Constitution is just words, and is only as good as the will of the government to hold itself to their text, and the body-politic to hold the government accountable for good-faith interpretation. There's nothing magical about our Constitution. It relies on the good will of the citizenry and civil service to abide by its strictures and not treat it as a dead letter as much as any ones of the foreign systems you're deriding.
* to most parliamentary systems
However, would you rather live under the Indian constitution (and live in India) or here?
I know you're a proponent of free market capitalism, and view it as superior to socialism. So would you prefer to live in the libertarian paradise of Somolia, or socialist Vietnam? (I'm being nice with my false dichotomy by using Vietnam rather than e.g. a Scandenavian social democracy, but even this does a reasonable job of highlighting the unreasonableness of your red herring).
IOW, stop arbitrarily moving the goalposts, and try to stick to responding to only what was actually said.
Particularly if you were an 'untouchable'.
Civil right struggles for the Dalits ran parallel alongside civil rights struggles in the US. As in, progress was being made in both places at the same time, and was needed in both places despite de jure equality. Don't pull a muscle trying to over-vigorously pat yourself on the back.
And one might add, discrimination in both nations is a shadow of what it once was, but is still unquestionably a fact of life.
we would not be just "guessing."
Probably prompted by my comment to the effect that your guess was as good as mine.
Which was, to clarify, in no way meant to imply that you were simply guessing. Poor wording on my part; mea culpa. But along with that: without some source material to reference, your opinion is still (most likely) better-informed than mine but not of much use to me for all of that. No disrespect intended; just noting that I prefer to be able to consult the source.
The Wikipedia article on this topic lists over 40 scholarly books and articles
That was my first stop, but not my last. And it didn't exactly offer conclusive evidence of Britain teetering on the edge of jumping into our civil war, that I could see.
I don't necessarily doubt that was the case so much as I would like to see for myself.
the UK might have recognized the CSA
That's something I hadn't stopped to consider, the recognition thing. But recognition and intervention aren't necessarily arm in arm.
I don't want to argue this point unduly, so much as learn better what really happened. But I seem to be suffering from my usual dearth of clarity, which I hope you will forgive.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | July 08, 2015 at 02:39 PM
(Which I suppose is to say that your counterfactual false dichotomy really should have been answered by asked you if you wanted to enjoy the glorious, unmatchable magical perfection of the US Constitution as a black in the Jim Crow-era South, as that's what you seem to be trying to ask me with your Dalit counterfactual.)
I just did, and I think you're wrong - very wrong. Perhaps you could quote something, because I'm not seeing it.
What I saw boilded down to "We're no angels, but other Western countries did bad stuff, too, but it's not totally clear who was worse overall or whether a British victory in the revolution would have been really horrible for the entire world."
Don't overlook the distinct possibility that in an alternative history, this thread never took place!
Posted by: bobbyp | July 08, 2015 at 03:09 PM
Well, really, there's only one way to resolve these arguments about alternative histories.
Just a moment, and I'll fire up the ol' Time Machine, go back and give those scruffy American rebels a few useful tips, and we'll just see how well they do if THEY win that war.
Is it clear now? Oh, bloody...who moved my scone?!
would you rather live under the Indian constitution (and live in India) or here?
With their climate??? Why would anybody volunteer for that?
Although I suppose that, since some people are willing to live along the Gulf Coast here, perhaps they would be willing to cope with India's climate as well.
Posted by: wj | July 08, 2015 at 03:11 PM
This is my abstraction of many internet discussions, using Ugh/DJ and McK as the participants to make it look more like this thread.
Line 1 - Ugh/DJ says: It’s not 10.
Line 2 - (McK hears: It’s zero.)
Line 3 - McK says: It’s not zero. It’s 6.
Line 4 - (Ugh/DJ hears: It’s 10.)
Line 5 - Ugh/DJ says: It’s not 10. It’s 4.
Return to Line 2.
There seems to be a lot of resistance to recognizing something about the US that is better than some or any other place
I think there is disagreement about (a) whether particular aspects of the US are actually better, and/or (b) whether the question of "better" is relevant.
It's true, the UK Parliament could pass a law tomorrow throwing the principle of habeas corpus out the window. Habeas in the UK is, after all, only a matter of statutory law there.
But it's an astoundingly unlikely thing to happen, because habeas in the UK has the weight of almost 1,000 years of legal precedent.
They have more of a common law approach and tradition than we do. It works for them.
We rely more on a single authoritative document, which can be changed but only via a process that is, by design, a huge PITA. That works for us.
We didn't make up the idea of a Constitution, or of representative republican governance, or of explicitly stated rights, or of a government composed of mutually balancing and limiting institutions. Our form of government relies on intellectual, political, and legal traditions and institutions that predate us, by centuries.
Not everyone does it exactly like us, but many places do it as well as we do, and some number of those did so before we did.
I'm not really interested in trading what we have for what anybody else has, but that's mostly because what we have works pretty well for us, and it would be hugely impractical as well as an almost guaranteed cluster**** if we attempted that kind of mid-course correction.
In short, we'd likely end up no further ahead. What we have is sufficiently good that we would likely not improve things all that much by making the change.
That's enough for me, I don't need to be better than other folks.
Snarki's 3:10 wins the internets.
russell's 3:40 is worth repeating:
Posted by: thompson | July 08, 2015 at 05:13 PM
My comment was in direct response to DJ's (and Ugh's) apparent disdain for the form of government they live under.
That 'apparent' is what other's call mind reading, doncha think? And given that you don't namecheck them, it might be kinda hard to know that this is what you are saying?
Speaking of namecheck, sekaijin's observation about Germans in the French Foreign Legion is one that is subject to a lot of discussion. From the LRB
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n06/jeremy-harding/short-cuts
In The Last Valley (2004), Martin Windrow reckons that the Legion fielded nearly 20,000 men at peak strength in Indochina. ‘The belief,’ he writes, ‘that their ranks were largely filled with German ex-Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS veterans recruited straight from French prison camps with few questions asked lent them a sinister glamour in the eyes of journalists.’ That belief was largely justified, he feels, until around 1950. By the time of the fall of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 ‘it was only among senior NCOs that Wehrmacht veterans were found in any concentrated numbers.
The Last Valley was a book about Dien Bien Phu. Harding also references the Quiet American
A fleeting encounter in The Quiet American alerts us to this. After a few drinks together, Fowler has followed Pyle and the US economic attaché to the House of the Five Hundred Girls. At the entrance he asks a Foreign Legion corporal whether he’s seen the two Americans. ‘He stopped cleaning his revolver and jutted his thumb towards the doorway beyond, making a joke in German. I didn’t understand it.’ Only a passing glimpse into the inner workings of colonial war – the way it sucks in fugitives and losers – yet you feel you’ve inspected the whole of the digestive tract.
Yet there is another reference to Germans in Quiet American, the narrator and journalist is covering a battle and ends up with a patrol of and they find a canal full of dead civilians, and when Fowler hears one of the men say 'Gott sei Dank', he notes that the whole unit is primarily German.
Quora has these answers
http://www.quora.com/Did-ex-members-of-the-Waffen-SS-escape-Germany-and-join-the-French-Foreign-Legion-or-is-that-just-a-myth
And here are some interesting articles
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/oct/14/hard-truth-about-foreign-legion/
http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-a-tale-of-the-french-foreign-legion.htm
I'd love to hear what Hartmut could add to this.
Posted by: liberal japonicus | July 08, 2015 at 07:04 PM
McTx: The constitution *constitutes* a government and lays down rights, limits actions, etc. Once passed, unless repealed or amended, it controls what laws can be legislated.
"Controls" is such a strong word. It would be less idealistic (not to say, romantic) but a lot more pragmatic (not to say, accurate) to acknowledge that a Constitution provides premises on which to base arguments for or against this or that legislative or executive action.
Such arguments take place before the bench, but also at the ballot box. They are often tortuous arguments on one side and simplistic on the other. They are often inconsistent arguments, in the sense that one "side" often rejects its own previous argument when the "other side" makes it on a different issue. But we manage to muddle through somehow, until we don't -- and throw a Civil War to settle the question.
BTW, any Constitution gets interpreted way more often than it gets "repealed or amended", and opinions often differ not just on what the interpretation should be but on how it should be arrived at. Some might argue that there's only one correct "how", and that's fine. They are welcome to make their argument.
Posted by: Tony P. | July 08, 2015 at 07:38 PM
libjap, unfortunately I have nothing to say on that topic. I only know that the (retired) sexton of the church I live next to was a sergeant in the Foreign Legion. But iirc he was not old enough to have been a soldier in WW2 and I have no idea in what part of the world he served while member of the Legion.
And I know next to nothing about the French Indochina war apart from the name Dien Bien Phu and that it led to the Vietnam war in the end.
I remember that the breakup of Yougoslavia was reported to have drawn lots of neonazi mercenaries. For the same reason that Dubya's glorious adventure drew far right militia and criminal gang members: ideal training grounds for the future race/turf wars.
Posted by: Hartmut | July 09, 2015 at 12:14 AM
I know a fair amount about the French in Vietnam, and even own the two standard histories of the battle of Dienbienphu (by Jules Roy and Bernard Fall), but cannot pin down the veracity/significance of the story about SS veterans in the French Foreign Legion. (I could probably tell you exactly which hill in DBP each unit of the FFL was deployed to each day of the battle, if that helps!)
A short article in Quora deals with this question in an apparently judicious manner, concluding that there were a few SS vets, but not many. One comment cites a couple of books in French about SS in the FFL, while another points out that the average age of FFL troops in VN was 19, so there would have been few battle-hardened Germans there!
A Wikipedia review points to a best-selling memoir/novel as one of the sources of the myth of a German-heavy FFL:
"Devil's Guard, by George Robert Elford published in 1971, is the story of a former German Waffen-SS officer's string of near-constant combat that begins on World War II's eastern front and continues into the book's focus—the First Indochina War, as an officer in the French Foreign Legion. The book is presented by the author as nonfiction but considered to be untrue by military historians, and usually sold as fiction.[1]"
Although it is not strictly true that one could join the FFL and be totally anonymous, the nature of the organization and its history would seem to indicate that we can never know for sure the composition of its membership, but a strong SS presence seems unlikely.
Posted by: dr ngo | July 09, 2015 at 01:50 AM
dr ngo is right (big surprise, eh?) The FFL didn't just take anybody, and Waffen SS often had their blood type tattooed on their left arm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_blood_group_tattoo
so one could be sure that performed due diligence.
However, one can understand the value in suggesting that the soldiers in your unit come from a group that probably didn't give a s**t about a lot of things. It reminds me of the exchange with Ronald Spiers' speech in Band of Brothers
Capt. Ronald Speirs: Well, go ahead and ask me.
C. Carwood Lipton: Ask you what, sir?
Capt. Ronald Speirs: The stories about me. You want to know if they're true, right? You know the funny thing about stories like that? Everyone always says they heard it from someone who was there. Then if you ask that person, they say *they* heard it from someone who was there, and so on. I bet if you went back 2,000 years, you'd find a bunch of centurions standing around talking about how Tertius lopped the heads off of some Carthaginian prisoners.
C. Carwood Lipton: Well, sir, maybe they kept talking about it because they never heard Tertius deny it.
Capt. Ronald Speirs: Well, maybe that's because Tertius knew there was some value to the men thinking he was the meanest, toughest son of a bitch in the whole Roman legion.
http://www.ronaldspeirs.com/reputation/controversies/
This question of the composition of the FFL seems related another thing that has always intrigued me, which is that it was the French volunteers of the Waffen SS who were the final defenders of Hitler's bunker, whose main goal was to prevent the Russians from taking it on May 1st.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33rd_Waffen_Grenadier_Division_of_the_SS_Charlemagne_(1st_French)
Posted by: liberal japonicus | July 09, 2015 at 06:21 AM
Speaking of World War II and alternative histories, I'm 50 pages into "The Plot Against America" by Philip Roth in which Hitler admirer, anti-Semite, and isolationist Charles Lindbergh wins the Republican nomination and the Presidency in 1940.
Thus far, Lindbergh has joined with isolationist western State conservative Republicans and southern isolationist conservative Democrats and flown off, piloting his own plane with military accompaniment, to Iceland to sign mutual mind-our-own-business pacts with the Third Reich and similar treaties with Japan.
I'm also reading "The Fall of Dixie" (don't have the book with me at the moment so the author will go unannounced), but the book makes clear that Lincoln feared recognition of the Confederacy by England, France, and others, AND the Confederate leadership, as late as 1863, perhaps imagining an alternative history that wasn't in the cards, fought each battle hoping for a decisive turn in the War to their favor with European power recognition as one result.
Posted by: Countme-In | July 09, 2015 at 10:34 AM
Hitler admirer, anti-Semite, and isolationist Charles Lindbergh
Agree, though he ended up contributing quite a bit to the US war effort
http://www.ozatwar.com/ozatwar/lindbergh.htm
Don't know if there are any pilots in the commentariat, but this book explains how he reduced fuel consumption in fighters by 40% (from p 132)
https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=loL3CQAAQBAJ&pg=PT132&lpg=PT132&dq=lindbergh+fuel+economy&source=bl&ots=bVIv7aqM4s&sig=krkAe1icCGTvHfzCb4AHaSjlh4Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5oqeVbHgLsSB8QXHn7boCA&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=lindbergh%20fuel%20economy&f=false
http://www.charleslindbergh.com/
gives a rather hagiographic picture of the man, but it also has his America First speeches
http://www.charleslindbergh.com/americanfirst/index.asp
Hip Hip Hooray, with a final score of 94 to 20
the War Between the States comes to an end.
Posted by: jeff | July 09, 2015 at 11:39 AM
Roth's fiction is fictive.
House Republicans last night stripped language from an Interior Dept bill getting rid of the Confederate flag on Federal lands.
Canings all around.
I demand the Comanche flag fly over West Texas.
Might be more to the point to fly the Cherokee flag over Oklahoma. Or, better yet, over western Georgia and eastern Alabama.
I thought you were going to end that sentence with "Joe Kennedy", maybe.
So many assholes, so little room in my head to remember them all.
"I thought you were going to end that sentence with "Joe Kennedy", maybe."
Or Henry Ford. The list goes on and on.
Hitler, and fascism generally, had a fairly large fan base here in the US prior to WWII.
I know a lot of Italian-Americans were pretty enthusiastic about Mussolini, at least for a while.
So many assholes....
True 'dat.
"The Fall Of The House Of Dixie" by Bruce Levine.
I'm on my IPad, so we don't need no stinkin' linkin', but on page 248, it is noted that the Confederacy sent Louisiana planter and congressman Duncan F. Kenner to Europe in late 1864 to meet with the British and French governments bearing a letter from Jefferson Davis to requesting assistance, including recognition.
Kenner dodged the blockade and made it to Europe on February 21, 1865 and met with Louis Bonaparte, Emperor Napolean III, and Britain Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston.
Napolean, while willing and anxious to assist the South was busy imposing his will in Mexico and was not confident that the Confederacy could win the War at that point and in addition, wanted Britain' s active collaboration as well.
Napolean would have welcomed the Confederacy along Mexico's northern border, but without a clear victory in sight, he wasn't going to poke the Union in the eye and then have a hostile United States along the border.
Maybe Donald Trump could have helped him out.
Off to London. Palmerston made it clear that Britain cared not a whit if slavery persisted in the Confederacy, but again demurred because of the South's poor showing the War.
They would have backed a winning South, but real politic saved the day.
The history of British slave ownership has been buried: now its scale can be revealed: A new BBC documentary tells how a trove of documents lays bare the names of Britain’s 46,000 slave owners, including relatives of Gladstone and Orwell
Posted by: CharlesWT | July 13, 2015 at 10:43 AM
From CharlesWT's link:
The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 formally freed 800,000 Africans who were then the legal property of Britain’s slave owners. What is less well known is that the same act contained a provision for the financial compensation of the owners of those slaves, by the British taxpayer, for the loss of their “property”. The compensation commission was the government body established to evaluate the claims of the slave owners and administer the distribution of the £20m the government had set aside to pay them off. That sum represented 40% of the total government expenditure for 1834. It is the modern equivalent of between £16bn and £17bn.
The compensation of Britain’s 46,000 slave owners was the largest bailout in British history until the bailout of the banks in 2009. Not only did the slaves receive nothing, under another clause of the act they were compelled to provide 45 hours of unpaid labour each week for their former masters, for a further four years after their supposed liberation. In effect, the enslaved paid part of the bill for their own manumission.
Posted by: hairshirthedonist | July 13, 2015 at 11:16 AM
Yes, but: the British were in the process of eliminating slavery, which is laudable.
Whether they did so in a way that was maximally fair to the newly-freed slave is doubtful, but given a choice between freedom with compensation and freedom with no compensation, I'd choose whichever of the two I could get.
If I were a slave in the United States and had some foreknowledge that slavery would exist for another three decades before being formally abolished, I'd take the freedom now.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | July 13, 2015 at 11:25 AM
It was probably one of very few politically feasible options for a peaceable end to British slavery. But that it was so demonstrates rather stunningly how the interests of the moneyed so strongly influence what is or is not politically feasible in the first place.
Of course, it also illustrates just how serious the British government was about ending slavery. Picture any government today up and spending 40% of their annual budget on a single, one-time, item. The mind boggles!
Just for fun, imagine if that money instead was spent by giving each former slave the equivalent of 20k pounds (~$30k) in today's money.
Remarkable, yes. But note that the "spending" involved a direct transfer of money from the general exchequer into the pockets of (now-former) slave owners, many of whom would have been relatives of Members of Parliaments, if not MPs themselves - or at least of the same class - and it becomes far less radical in its implications. Look at how much the US spends on "defense," most of which goes directly to defense contractors, who have their own ways of repaying their legislative supporters. How serious are we?
Posted by: dr ngo | July 13, 2015 at 02:04 PM
...in 1655...
In one of the earliest freedom suits, Casor argued that he was an indentured servant who had been forced by Anthony Johnson, a free black, to serve past his term; he was freed and went to work for Robert Parker as an indentured servant. Johnson sued Parker for Casor's services. In ordering Casor returned to his master, Johnson, for life, the court both declared Casor a slave and sustained the right of free blacks to own slaves.
John Casor
Posted by: CharlesWT | July 14, 2015 at 03:19 PM
hairshirthedonist on Hawt takes! Get your contrarian hawt takes!!
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OCTA > Freighters, Stagecoaches and Lone Riders
Freighters, Stagecoaches and Lone Riders
Transportation options across the Oregon Trail
The pioneers with their Prairie Schooners weren’t the only ones on the Oregon Trail.
They shared it with stagecoaches, freight wagons, mail wagons, fur trade caravans, Army troops and supply trains, dispatch and Pony Express riders, pack horses and mules, Mormon handcarts, and even the occasional herd of horses headed for the States from California. Some of the less common trail vehicles included horsedrawn carriages for the affluent and buggies of the 1849 Pioneer Line.
Oddities included the 1859 Wind Wagon powered by sails, a steam wagon fiasco out of Nebraska City, and William Kiel’s funeral cortege from Missouri to Oregon, complete with hearse, for his departed son, whose body was pickled in a vat of whiskey for the journey. The Donner-Reed party was slowed by the Reed family’s oversized wagon, later described by Virginia Reed as a “Pioneer Palace Car,” with a side entrance, a stove, sprung seats, and “a large and roomy second story” for the family’s beds. The Reeds were forced to abandon the Palace Car in the Bonneville Salt Flats, where it was discovered and excavated in 1996.
Perhaps no one had a greater impact on traffic along the western trails than William Russell. An entrepreneur who spent five years on the edge of bankruptcy, Russell operated freight wagons on the Santa Fe Trail in partnership with Alexander Majors and William Waddell. With John Jones, Russell also operated the Pikes Peak Express stagecoach line from Leavenworth to Denver. Then, in 1857, he got his big break: an Army contract to haul 4.5 million pounds of supplies to Utah as Col. Albert Sidney Johnston took over as governor from Brigham Young. It took 41 wagon trains to move the Army’s supplies.
The Pikes Peak Express consolidated with the Central Overland California in 1859, offering service from St. Joe and Independence to Sacramento. That same year, Russell bought out the Mormon mail contract from Independence to Salt Lake City. However, stiff competition from the Butterfield Overland Mail Company, which benefited from government subsidies that the competition lacked, led some observers to rechristen the C.O.C.P.P. Express Company’s initials as standing for the “Clean Out of Cash and Poor Pay Express Company.”
Then came the venture that would put Russell permanently into both bankruptcy and the history books: in a meeting with Frederick Bee, who had strung telegraph wires from San Francisco to Sacramento, and California Senator Gwin late in 1859, the decision was made to organize the Pony Express. “The Pony” began operation on April 3, 1860, connecting the telegraph stations at St. Joe and Sacramento and making it possible to send a message from New York to San Francisco in only ten days. The Pony followed the Oregon Trail from Kansas through Wyoming; emigrants waved and cheered on the riders as they passed. The General Office was the Patee House Hotel in St. Joe. The stables in St. Joe and many of the station houses were financed by Ben Holladay.
The total cost to set up the Pony was about $100,000. They purchased 500 Kentucky-bred horses and California mustangs of superior stamina for $175 each, up to $150 more than the normal cost of riding horses. They hired eighty riders — “young skinny fellows, unmarried” — for $50 a month plus board. They maintained 157 Pony Express Stations, of which 95 were built for the Pony and 62 were existing stage stops. There was a station every 10 or 15 miles, about an hour’s travel at a horse’s top sustainable speed, and most were sited to split the distance between the stagecoach stops, which were typically about 25 miles apart. Mail left St. Joe and Sacramento once a week and cost $5 for a half-ounce letter. Mail shipments were later increased to twice a week, and the cost came down to $1.
Each rider carried a leather mochila with four flaps. Riders rode three to six mounts from 45 to 90 miles between home stations and then returned. The goal was to deliver a letter in ten days. The fastest delivery on record was President Lincoln’s Inaugural Address, which took seven days and seventeen hours to get from St. Joe to Sacramento.
Russell, Majors, and Waddell filed for bankruptcy in 1861, following the completion of transcontinental telegraph lines. Financier Ben Holladay took over management and closed down the Pony Express while expanding the stage and freight lines. He continued to close way stations as the Union Pacific passed them by during its construction. In 1869, he sold his lines to Wells, Fargo and Company and moved to Oregon. There, Holladay went into the railroad building business with the Willamette Falls Portage Railroad at Oregon City, and later the Oregon and California Railroad from Portland to Sacramento.
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Home USA Oil & Gas
Trump rally in Las Vegas. What motivates his supporters? We asked them
in USA Oil & Gas
LAS VEGAS – They showed up early and braved the heat, parked cars and trucks in the desert and waited for shuttle buses to take them to their commander in chief.
These are the voters who flocked to President Donald Trump’s “Great American Comeback” rally Sunday in Southern Nevada, where the incumbent is looking for ways to expand the electoral map less than two months from the election.
To the people here, the election has already been decided.
“Biden doesn’t have a chance,” said Donna Peterson, a 61-year-old retired Las Vegas resident who showed up to the shuttle site hours before Trump’s scheduled 7 p.m. rally at Xtreme Manufacturing in neighboring Henderson. “Trump will keep us safe.”
Safe from what, exactly?
“Illegal immigrants,” she said. “Protests that turn into riots. Our own government.”
Trump’s rally created an opportunity for the USA TODAY Network to survey a varied collection of his supporters to learn what motivates them and what they think of his chances in Nevada – a state that’s shifted into the Democratic column over the last three presidential elections.
Trump’s rival, Vice President Joe Biden, maintains a narrow 4 percentage point lead in Nevada, according to a Saturday poll from the New York Times.
Here’s a look at what’s driving Trump voters who turned up in Las Vegas Sunday.
‘My parents were mad at me when I voted for Trump’
Jason Sasaki grew up in Hawaii, where his parents raised him as a Democrat.
In the elections of 2008 and 2012, the 48-year-old Las Vegas Strip bellman voted for Barack Obama. In 2016, he turned Republican.
“I was brainwashed,” said Sasaki, the son of a Vietnam veteran and a school teacher. He believes his home life and the school system contributed to his Democratic beginnings. “My parents were mad at me when I voted for Trump.”
Jason Sasaki, 48, is a bellman at the Palazzo on the Las Vegas Strip. He was raised a Democrat but switch to the Republican Party in 2016 to vote for Donald Trump. (Photo: Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal)
Sasaki has worked almost two decades at Palazzo, a Las Vegas Sands property owned by resort magnate Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire friend of Trump and the GOP’s most prominent financial backer.
What Sasaki cares about is protecting his paycheck, employment and health care.
“Jobs, economy and medical,” he said. “I don’t want my paycheck to go to Medicare For All. I don’t want to pay for everyone in the world.”
Trump’s path to victory, Sasaki said, is the Hispanic community. Las Vegas is more than 32 percent Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census data. The bellman has no doubt his candidate will win Nevada in November.
“There are a lot of Mexicans where I work,” he said. “They just want to keep their jobs.”
Trump in Minden: Largely maskless crowd hears attacks on Nevada’s mail-in election, Biden
Out-of-town voters flock from California, Arizona
Beth Schmidt, a 53-year-old white woman from Bakersfield, California, stood in the shade of a van, wearing what she called her “Cholo Trump” shirt.
The black shirt has a muscle-bound and tattooed Trump printed on the front – a dollar sign pendant hanging around his neck, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” inked above his left pectoral muscle and “THE DON” above his belly button.
Beth Schmidt drove to Las Vegas from Bakersfield, California, to see President Donald Trump speak on Sept. 13, 2020. (Photo: Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal)
“I live in an area with a bunch of Mexicans, but I love my Mexican people,” Schmidt said.
She did not vote in the last election.
“I used to be a Jehovah’s Witness, and they didn’t let us vote,” she said.
But that’s a story she’d need hours to tell, she said.
Here’s why Trump is her candidate:
“He’s pro life. He puts America first,” Schmidt said. “He’s made friends with other countries. There’s jobs for every race and creed. He’s fulfilled every promise he’s made.”
‘A fight between good and evil’
Kasen Kolhoss drove one hour south to Henderson from rural Moapa Valley, Nevada.
The 20-year-old real estate agent and his 17-year-old buddy, Avery Stratton, brought a prop for the rally: A cartoonish cutout of President Trump flipping up an abnormally long middle finger with a message above his head – “HEY FAKE NEWS”.
Kasen Kolhoss, 20, and Avery Stratton, 17, drove to Las Vegas from Moapa Valley, Nevada, to see Trump on Sept. 13, 2020. (Photo: Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal)
“This is a man who is working for us,” said Kolhoss. “We come from small town America, and he’s fighting for us.”
To Kolhoss the election is not a matter of left versus right.
“It’s almost a fight between good and evil,” he said. “The left doesn’t believe in America anymore. When you see rioting and people calling for a dismantling of the system, it’s scary. They think socialism and tyranny is better for us.”
‘America as we know it is gone’
John Welsh, a 63-year-old retired oil worker, spent Sunday afternoon in a lawn chair, passing out “2020 Bills” to Trump voters attending the president’s rally.
The mock currency looked like a crispy $100 bill – only with Trump’s face on it.
“You deserve it for crossing the street in front of that cop car,” Welsh said, handing a bill to a woman in a Trump shirt who crossed the street to get some shade.
John Welsh, 63, of Henderson, Nevada, passed out “2020 Bills” with Donald Trump’s face on them to voters attending the president’s rally on Sept. 13, 2020. (Photo: Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal)
A Tea Party Republican, Welsh got involved with politics after Barack Obama got elected in 2008 and the $840 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2009. The stimulus, he said, got him to pay attention to how the federal government spends money.
“People are going to call me racist,” Welsh said. “Obama was elected because he was black. If he was white, he would have lost.”
It’s not a matter of race, Welsh said, it’s a matter of politics. Democrats used Obama to take back the White House, he said.
Welsh pointed to a growing line of Trump supporters – hundreds of them, many wearing red, most without masks – snaking toward the Xtreme Manufacturing plant where Trump’s rally would later unfold.
“I bet you not one of them is racist,” Welsh said.
Watch: An inside look at President Trump’s Minden Rally
Welsh’s top two issues? The economy and the military. This he believes about the incumbent: Trump will keep America employed and soldiers out of needless wars.
When Welsh thinks of the future of America, he said, he thinks about the country his grandchildren with inherit.
“If Biden is elected,” he said, “America as we know it is gone.”
Ed Komenda writes about Las Vegas for the Reno Gazette Journal and USA Today Network. Do you care about democracy? Then support local journalism by subscribing to the Reno Gazette Journal right here.
Read or Share this story: https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2020/09/13/trump-rally-las-vegas-2020-motivations-loyal-supporters-election-biden/5787035002/
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https://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/2018/10/17/oklahoma-city-thunder-golden-state-warriors-opening-night-matchup-result/
Thunder comeback attempt falls short as Warriors win on opening night
Stephen Curry scored 32 points, Kevin Durant added 27 points and the Warriors rolled to a 108-100 win over the Thunder on Tuesday night as the Warriors received their 2017-18 NBA Championship rings.
The Thunder trailed the Warriors for the entire first half after struggling from the field in the first quarter, shooting just 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from the floor as a team.
Despite shooting 31.2 percent from the field in the first half, the Thunder managed to only trail the Warriors by 10 points at halftime after staying aggressive on offense to go 14-of-20 from the free-throw line.
The Thunder came out in the second half on fire, though.
Paul George shook off a 1-of-8 shooting performance in the first half by scoring 15 of his 27 total points in the third quarter on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range.
With George on fire, Dennis Schroder added seven of his 21 total points in the third quarter to help the Thunder take their first lead of the game after leading by as many as three points.
The Thunder were able to keep the game close in the second half as the score would eventually be tied at 85 early in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors proved to be too much in the end.
Without their MVP in Russell Westbrook, the team looked lost at times and wasn’t in sync in the early going after beginning the game by shooting just 1-of-9 from the field.
While the team struggled in the first half, head coach Billy Donovan will surely be happy with the team’s defensive intensity and effort as the team made several hustle plays to save possessions or to keep them alive.
Prior to the game, the status of Steven Adams was in question after the seven-footer was dealing with back stiffness, but Adams started the game after successfully going through team warmups and recorded 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Outside of George, Schroder and Adams, though, the Thunder received little help from the rest of the roster as Alex Abrines added eight points and Patrick Patterson and Jerami Grant each added seven points apiece.
Terrance Ferguson started the game at the shooting guard position and went scoreless in 26 minutes of action while adding four rebounds and one assist for the team.
While the Thunder lost the game, the team made a resilient effort to hang around with the Warriors during the second half of the game by continuing to play aggressively after playing an ugly first-half of basketball.
Next Up for the Thunder…
The team will return to action on Friday on the road against the Clippers with tip-off at 9:30 p.m. CT.
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What Is NPC?
Notre Dame Collaboration
Message from Ara Parseghian
Message from Cindy Parseghian
Coffee for a Cure
Parseghian Classic
Parseghian Cup
Road to Discovery Bike Ride
I need your help to battle a terrible disease called Niemann-Pick Type C that has deeply affected my family.
During my years of coaching football at the University of Notre Dame and other institutions as well, each spring was dedicated to recruiting and rebuilding my team and each fall was dedicated to fighting for every yard to be victorious. At this time in my life, that process has particular significance, but we are no longer playing a game.
I am asking for your support and that of your family and friends as we commit to victory against Niemann-Pick Type C, the neurodegenerative disease that has claimed the life of my three youngest grandchildren.
Cowboy Michael lost his battle to NPC in 1997 at age 9. Sweet Christa passed away in 2001 at the age of 10. Our precious Marcia died in 2005 at the age of 16. We miss them so much.
Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since the children were first diagnosed and we launched the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation in late 1994. Scientists funded by the Parseghian Foundation identified the gene responsible for causing NPC1 in 1997. This discovery has played a major role in helping researchers take Niemann-Pick research to a new level.
We have funded many labs around the world and we are moving the ball down the field toward the goal line…a treatment for NPC is our goal…A Goal For Life.
We are currently funding a number of labs that are all working to unravel the mystery of this disease, and to find potential treatments to save the lives of all those afflicted. Many of our researchers are screening countless compounds and approved drugs to determine their effects on intracellular cholesterol processing. Other researchers are studying the neurologic basis of the disorder while others are studying the cell biology specific to NPC.
We have a number of potential candidates in the “pipeline” and feel that it will be a combination of therapies that will eventually slow or stop the progress of the disease. Of course, our hope and prayer is that this combination of therapies may actually repair some of the damaged cells…so the children will actually get better.
As I review our accomplishments over the years, I am overwhelmed with pride and gratitude. I am proud to have witnessed the establishment of an extraordinary organization of researchers, board members and volunteers who tirelessly exhibit an unparalleled level of commitment to curing a devastating disease.
Most of all, I am inspired by the pure goodness of the human spirit, which has touched our family over and over through innumerable cards, letters, prayers and donations.
Our hearts are broken. The pain of losing our three youngest grandchildren is almost unbearable. I think of other grandparents whose grandchild has recently been diagnosed with NPC. We will keep up the fight for them and all families afflicted with this terrible disease.
And now, as we strive toward our goal for life, I need you to be a vital member of our team and share in the ultimate victory. We welcome your tax-deductible contribution and your support in every way possible. Thank you and God bless you.
*Ara Parseghian passed away on August 2, 2017. Learn more about Coach Parseghian’s legacy at https://parseghianfund.nd.edu/aras-legacy/
Gifts to the Ara Parseghian Research Medical Foundation help fight for the lives of children suffering from Niemann-Pick Type C Disease.
Niemann-Pick Type C Caregiver Preference Survey on Benefit Risk for Potential Treatments
Positive results reported from IntraBio’s multinational clinical trial with IB1001 for treatment of Niemann-Pick disease Type C
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Message from Coach Parseghian
“There will be no cure without research and no research without funding.”
- ARA PARSEGHIAN
Read Coach's Message
Ara Parseghian Medical Research Fund
215 Jordan Hall of Science
Notre Dame, IN 46556
skassen@nd.edu
© 2019 University of Notre Dame
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PRESS: The families migrants leave behind – IRIN
Posted byJason Florio & Helen Jones-Florio October 9, 2015 October 24, 2015 Posted inDOCUMENTARY, JASON FLORIO PHOTOGRAPHYTags:boat rescue, Gambia, IRIN, libya, Louise Hunt, Mandinka, Mediterranean Sea, migrants, MOAS, Phoenix, refugees, West Africa, YOUTUBE
Image © MOAS_EU/Jason Florio, 2015. All rights reserved. IRIN
Whilst on the MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) Phoenix, documenting the migrant and refugee boat rescues in the Mediterranean, off the Libyan coast, a couple of months ago, Florio, met a young man, Lamin, from The Gambia, West Africa; a country which we had, at that point, been living in full time for over a year and a half. For Florio, he was meeting someone from a place we have considered to be our second home for many, many years. And, one can only imagine Lamin’s surprise when, upon boarding the rescue dingy to be transported to the Phoenix, he was not only met with a big, friendly smile but also welcomed by a ‘toubab‘, greeting him in his own language, Mandinka!
Once safely on the Phoenix, Florio spent the remainder of the journey to Italy talking with Lamin about his harrowing journey, from West Africa to Libya. When it was time for the Lamin and the others to disembark in Italy, he gave his cell number to Lamin, making him promise to make contact with him when he could get the use of a phone again (Lamin, along with everyone else he was rescued with, had been robbed of everything of value by the people smugglers they had paid, in Libya, before being pushed onto an overcrowded, woefully un-seaworthy, small boat: their papers, cell phones, and money, all taken). In return, Florio promised to make contact with Lamin’s family, to let them know he was alive and safe.
A couple of weeks later, Florio got a call from Lamin, who is now in Italy (coincidentally, we just found out that Lamin has now been joined by a very old friend of ours, another young Gambian man, who had gone ‘the back way‘. However, that’s another story… ), waiting for his papers to allow him to move on. Collaborating with a friend, investigative journalist Louise Hunt, who was also living in The Gambia then – and who has been researching and writing about the plight of West African migrants – the following interview came about, via IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks).
Interview footage © MOAS_EU/Jason Florio, 2015. All rights reserved. Click image or here to view
‘Mohammed Lamin quit his job, borrowed money from his brother, and left the Gambia for Europe via the “back way” – the highly dangerous overland route to Libya through the Sahel, and then on to Europe on a smuggler’s boat...’ Words by Louise Hunt for IRIN – read the full article here.
Helen Jones-Florio
Florio with two other Gambians, on board the Phoenix, post-rescue. One of whom, he also has since made contact with, after they were dropped off in Italy
Published by Jason Florio & Helen Jones-Florio
Award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and writer, Jason Florio (floriophoto.com), and photographer, producer, and writer, Helen Jones-Florio http://www.rivergambiaexpedition.com/ http://930kmafricanodyssey.tumblr.com/ https://www.facebook.com/floriophotostellstories Twitter @floriophotonNYC Instagram https://www.instagram.com/floriotravels/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jasonflorio/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/florio_gallery/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/doors_facades_florio/ View more posts
Machete Boy, traditional masquerades, The Gambia, West Africa
Instagram – Florio Travels
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Vijay R. Pandharipande, Donald B. and Elizabeth M. Willett Professor in Physics, died on January 3, 2006, in Boston, Massachusetts, after a long battle with cancer. A memorial service was held at the Beckman Institute in Urbana on January 15.
Professor Pandharipande was born on August 7, 1940, in Nagpur, India, the son of Raghunath and Kamal Pandharipande (née Brahma). He married Rajeshwari Sinha in 1966; she survives. Also surviving are his son Rahul Pandharipande of Princeton, New Jersey, daughter Pari Pandharipande of Boston, Massachusetts, grandson Dhruva Schlondorff of Boston, Massachusetts, and his sister Kalpana White of Waltham, Massachusetts. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother.
Professor Pandharipande studied at the College of Science, Nagpur, India, and received a bachelor of science degree in physics, mathematics, and applied mathematics, and a master of science degree in physics from Nagpur University, Nagpur, India, in 1959 and 1961 respectively. Upon graduation, he joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, India, where he simultaneously began work towards a doctorate in physics, which was awarded by the University of Bombay in 1969. After postdoctoral fellowships at the Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen, and Cornell University, he came to the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois as a research associate in 1972 and was appointed to the faculty as an assistant professor in 1973. He was promoted to associate professor in 1974 and to full professor in 1977.
A member of the board of directors of the European Center for Theoretical Nuclear Physics, Professor Pandharipande also held a visiting faculty appointment at Argonne National Laboratory from 1983 until his death.
An internationally recognized nuclear theorist, Professor Pandharipande played a leading role in the development of the nuclear many-body problem. His contributions led to a state-of-the-art comprehensive, quantitative, and reliable theory of nuclei, neutron matter, and neutron stars, and were extended more generally to quantum liquids. His theoretical contributions set the agenda for experimental work, significantly advancing the use of electron scattering as a probe of nuclear structure. Working with his graduate students and collaborators, he initiated and carried out over several decades a successful research program to describe all nuclear systems in terms of the elementary two- and three-body interactions of the constituent nucleons. His pioneering variational Monte Carlo calculations have become the standard methods for the field.
In addition to his nuclear studies, Professor Pandharipande applied his expertise to condensed matter physics, where his research included Bose and Fermi helium liquids and drops, including structure, response, and elementary excitations. Most notably, he predicted structures subsequently observed in the dynamic response of Bose superfluid helium and demonstrated the important effects of the enhancement of the effective mass at the Fermi surface of Fermi liquid helium.
Professor Pandharipande was a life member of the Indian Physical Society, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and a permanent member of the University of Illinois’ Center for Advanced Study. He served as a member of the editorial board of Physical Review C, American Physical Society, 1991–1994, and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics, Institute of Physics (UK). He also served as an editor for Nuclear Physics and Computer Physics Communications, North Holland.
In recognition of his fundamental contributions to determining the structure of light nuclei by solving the Schrödinger problem with more than three nucleons using realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions supplemented by three-body forces, Professor Pandharipande was awarded the prestigious Tom W. Bonner prize of the American Physical Society in 1999.
Among those who knew him well, Professor Pandharipande will be remembered most for two things, his devotion to his family and his dedication to his students. His daughter Pari wrote of him, “His style of gardening, a favorite hobby of his, best exemplifies his manner—he planted and nurtured flowers with striking attention to their growth, but without fences or boundaries. From early spring to late fall, he loved to watch each variety thrive in its moment.”
A memorial symposium celebrating Professor Pandharipande's life and science was held in Urbana on September 29 and 30, 2006.
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PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Action/Adventure, MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online), Strategy/Turn-Based/RTS
Wargaming Minsk
T (Teen, 13+)
World of Tanks is a strategic action MMO that pits players against each other in a war fought by armored vehicles.
In World of Tanks, players are dropped into the middle of a battle and given control of various 20th century, historically-accurate tanks. Depending on what game mode players choose, the goal of the match will involve either the destruction of enemy forces or the successful capture of a particular spot on the map. Matches can include up to 30 players split into two groups of 15, and the average match lasts about half an hour.
World of Tanks is fairly intuitive to pick up, though it can still provide a challenge for those who want it.
Violence Enemy tanks are destroyed using guns and explosives. Both blood and human bodies are entirely absent.
Consumerism If they so choose, players can purchase additional items from the online store.
Players can communicate with each other through voice or text chat, so younger players might be at risk of being exposed to adult language.
Does the game appeal to your appreciation for history in any way? Why or why not?
What does it take to be a good team player in World of Tanks? Do any of these skills transfer over to real life?
Cars,
Collaboration,
Communication skills,
Critical thinking,
Hand-eye coordination,
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Category Archives: PS4
So when I was first getting into Final Fantasy in 2011, I asked a friend who I knew had them all on Playstation if I could borrow one, he could decide for me. He handed me Final Fantasy VII. He did not actually, as you might be able to tell from all the pictures this is an article about Final Fantasy VIII, so it was that one actually. If you’re not familiar with that game and were tricked, I’m sorry.
It was clear that after FF7, Squaresoft must have felt that they needed to follow up with something that continued to wow people with visuals. I’d believe it likely did back then because to some extent it still does. Final Fantasy VIII has so much more detail than what came before it, they use a lot more tricks to show that off too. The lines between playable set-pieces and cutscenes are blurred a little, at times there are full videos playing in the background while the game also requires input. There’s a real sense here that they became a lot more comfortable with the technology they were using at the time and really started to show off with it.
Even 21 years after the game originally came out I’m impressed by it. I just look at some parts of this game and imagine that it must have taken plenty of effort to get it just right (though the remaster does make some efforts to diminish that but more on that later). This is why I sometimes hesitate to say something is “dated”, as I can still be wowed by something older. Even considering all that it is worth mentioning that by this point Squaresoft did have a lot of resources, especially after releasing one of the best-selling PS1 games of all time, which also had a lot of money poured into it.
I love the colours in this game. There’s a sort of mildly summer-ish look to a lot of it, and for the most part it’s someone understated. The main cast and a large part of the world aren’t overly vibrant, like it’s going for something a little more filmic. However a bunch of the fantasy elements do have a wildly expressive and bright use of colour, which contrasts really well, especially in the extravagantly late-1990s-futuristic city of Esthar.
Because of the higher amount of detail, there’s more consistency in how things look. Characters don’t suddenly grow from a small-scale version of themselves into standard human proportions for a battle, they remain full-sized throughout. The same goes for any bosses you fight as well. While the party is still teleported to an arena to take turns in whenever combat is initiated, the standardisation of scale here does make the game feel a bit less abstract than its predecessors.
I suppose some people would call this “looking more realistic” but I would argue role-playing games especially cannot escape some level of abstraction. There’s no voice acting or facial animation yet in this game, so everything is still conveyed through text and body movement. It feels more unique now considering what these games are like now. Near enough every single line of dialogue in Final Fantasy VII Remake is spoken out loud.
But that line of thought does seem to come through somewhat in the narrative. While it’s still a fantasy story, everything feels a little more grounded. There’s much more of a focus on relationships here. As well as a struggle between the good guys and a powerful sorceress over the fate of the world, this game puts a lot of focus on smaller scale emotional conflicts. And that’s not to diminish the human drama of prior games either. I haven’t forgotten about Cecil’s journey in FF4 to become a better man, Cloud’s struggle to figure out his own identity while also taking on those who abused his trust in the past in FF7, or Ramza feeling betrayed after he found out the true nature of his own family members in Final Fantasy Tactics.
Squall, the main character of Final Fantasy VIII, is a bit different though. He’s initially reserved but in more of a deliberately abrasive sort of way, and not trying to seem cool like with Cloud. Squall was like that because he lost someone at a young age, and decided that preventing himself from forming attachments would mean he wouldn’t have to go through with that again. Of course over time his emotional armour is broken down, but not particularly because of specific events, but because of the continued support of his friends.
It does feel a little like most of the supporting cast of this game have a bit less going on. Most of them don’t really have personal conflicts outside of helping Squall, they don’t have arcs to develop over the course of the game. You’d think it would make them come across as shallow characters with little going on, but this actually manages to make them endearing because of how helpful they are. I will admit though, out of all the party members I do find Irvine to be somewhat forgettable.
Over the course of the game Squall’s confidence builds to where he can really take charge as a leader, and find the determination to do what he truly wants. It’s interesting that the seeds of this are planted fairly early on as well. Firstly and most notably in the waltz scene, where he first meets his love interest Rinoa. She asks him to dance and at first it’s awkward because he keeps bumping into other people, but eventually he takes to it and manages to be good at it, and even admits that he actually learned how to dance well.
The other time is when the party is hired to assassinate the Sorceress Edea (I did forget to mention that they all work for a company that hires out mercenaries). There’s a moment where Irvine really starts to panic and doesn’t feel like his abilities as a sniper are going to be good enough. Squall manages to take control of the situation and gives him a pep talk that seems to work. Even though Irvine misses his shot the mission ends up failing, Squall’s potential as a good leader gets to be demonstrated.
In a documentary on the official Final Fantasy YouTube channel called Inside Final Fantasy VIII, director Yoshinori Kitase mentioned that he wanted to make something that was a bit like a fairy tale. It’s easy to focus on the witches and monsters, but I think the thing to also take away is that this game is about how important it is to care for friends. Squall’s love for Rinoa is one of the things that really drives him forward. The story that happens in parallel about Laguna gaining his own confidence to become a leader happens because of how much he came to care about his step-daughter Ellone. Squall’s rival Seifer actually ends up temporarily losing his friends because he gets too caught up in becoming the sorceress’ knight instead of looking out for others around him.
Even Edea shows her love for the main party characters, as she cared for most of them as children (also all the evil stuff she did was because a sorceress from the future possessed her). Ellone managed to gain more confidence in herself through using her ability to see into the past, so she could witness firsthand how much people cared for her. It’s just really nice for this game to start with a bunch of broken relationships and see them mended over time. It’s just really heartwarming.
One of the peculiar things about Final Fantasy VIII is how it handles levelling up. Doing so actually makes all of the enemies around stronger, so it’s generally advised to keep a low level and take advantage of the game’s “junction” system, a means of getting powerful without actually levelling up. This system allows character stats to be augmented with magic spells, which are now a consumable resource that can be obtained via stealing from enemies, pulling from various spots on the map, or refining items. Certain magic spells increase particular stats better than others, and having more of a spell does mean the stat goes up even more. However if any spell that’s junctioned is used it can reduce stats, though a lot of spells are available so it’s not necessary to use those ones too often. It can also require a bit of grinding to get some of the really powerful spells (which I of course ended up doing but I’ve really discovered lately that I’ve got a high tolerance for grinding).
I called it peculiar but it actually makes sense in the context of what previous Final Fantasy games were doing already. There were systems that allowed players to experiment beyond having preset character classes in FF6 and 7, with the former having ways of gradually moulding characters into almost anything, and the latter giving the means of creating things like classes with equippable items. The problem with the junction system is that it gives a little too much freedom, since I was just able to add the most powerful magic onto every stat, giving all party members the same capabilities.
Despite that I still actually managed to have some fun with the game’s combat. Instead of defeating them the normal way by hitting them until they fall over, I would try and end most encounters with regular monsters by turning them into cards. Doing this often meant that I wouldn’t get any experience points, and I could keep my characters at lower levels. I could also turn those cards into useful items and magic (they’re supposed to be used for some other card game but I tried it and didn’t really enjoy it). The act of making an enemy into a card is kinda like catching a Pokemon, you have to weaken an enemy so that you can transform them more easily. The fun of it came from trying to make sure I didn’t kill the enemy by mistake, and also managing my junctions so that I wasn’t too powerful enough to instantly destroy them. This made it more enjoyable for me as it was an extra layer on top of the standard “kill or be killed” challenge of most RPG battles.
It’s worth keeping an eye on these systems too as they can make the game a lot easier to play if you put the time into them. When I first played it in 2011 I did not, I just tried to push through it with a fairly poor assortment of spells because I just didn’t engage much with gathering magic. I ended up stuck in an area full of enemies who have to be defeated in pairs in order to progress and I wasn’t even strong enough to finish one off. It was an area where I couldn’t go back and gain strength either, and I didn’t keep an earlier save file so I really was screwed. I was a little anxious about returning to this game because of that, but when I actually returned to that place recently it was actually extremely easy for me to get through. I had done a lot of preparation this time.
This is something seemingly common for Final Fantasy so far, because I engaged with things off to the side, or took time to optimize my party, these games have become very easy. I have found some of these games somewhat hard in the past and gotten annoyed at the kinds of people who would tell me they found it very easy because they had done all of the side-content. I think I am becoming that kind of person, due to more of my own experience with the genre as a whole. I do still try to be mindful that plenty of people have completely different experiences playing through games, especially with ones like this. Also not all of this game was a complete cakewalk for me, as a few late-game bosses did actually give me some trouble.
Not this boss I just thought it looked cool…
I have to talk about the music here. The soundtrack of Final Fantasy VIII is one of the finest sets of tracks that Nobuo Uematsu has ever produced. It’s still making use of samples like the last few games, and while they’re more detailed than before not many people are going to confuse them for real instruments. There are a few tracks that do sound like they’re recorded with a real orchestra as well, and they do sound wonderful.
While there are tracks that are still in keeping with Uematsu’s prog rock weirdness, there’s certainly more of a Hollywood movie vibe to plenty of tracks. Take the main vocal theme song, Eyes on Me. It’s a very sweet love song, but also the kind of ballad you’d hear in a 90s movie, back when they used to have tie-in songs. The Landing is a great sort of bombastic orchestral piece (though it did replace a song that sounded a bit too similar to something from a movie).
Fisherman’s Horizon is an incredibly beautiful town theme, one of the best of its kind. I even made a cover of it, which I don’t think is as good as the original but it’s hard to think I could do better especially since I adore the song so much. For every track like that there’s also something strange and bizarre sounding like Residents. I do love that he always manages to work in some really odd sounding pieces like this.
There are also some outstanding grandiose rock tracks in here though. The first time I heard the organ chords in the main boss theme, Force Your Way, I was immediately enamored. The synth lead hooked me even more, it’s such a good song. Though the soundtrack to the penultimate fight of the game, Maybe I’m a Lion, is one of my favourite boss themes ever made for these games. It starts with a simple drum beat, then builds into intense taiko drumming with some heavy guitar, before really going into a faster, more complex and well-layered section that really picks up the urgency.
One of the weirder things that I did notice is that some of the music sounds like it’s using motifs written for Final Fantasy VII. Premonition, Silence and Motion and The Successor seem like the more obvious ones to me. However this isn’t the only case of that happening, as I think about how Celes’ Theme from FF6 has some melodies that bring to mind Aerith’s theme (and Eyes on Me too). Nobuo Uematsu does seem to like using these sorts of things again, probably because he likes the sound of them.
To be fair it’s a massive soundtrack lasting almost 4 hours in total. It’s one of my go-tos if I just want some music on and I want a lot of it. So much of the music is of excellent quality, and it manages to really elevate a game that is already excellent.
The version I played this time around was the “Remastered” edition available on most current platforms. I played it on the Nintendo Switch but I may as well have chosen any platform since working from home has made playing anything on a portable system somewhat redundant (I say this because they’re putting out an edition for PS4 with really nice box art).
Anyway in terms of visual quality the remaster doesn’t really do much to make it look better. The characters are made to look more detailed but that just creates a massive contrast to the backgrounds which have had very little work done to them outside of some blurry filtering. There are parts of this game where you can really tell it wasn’t meant to be seen at a resolution this high. Pixelated characters drawn onto backgrounds might have blended in a little more on an older TV, but here they really stick out. The sound mix on this version is also extremely loud for some reason, and there isn’t an in-game option to turn it down that I could find. The Switch port of FF7 has the same problem too but it at least has volume controls.
It’s not an absolute deal breaker though, since this version of the game is much more convenient to play. There’s a button to make everything three times as fast, which I took advantage of to really speed up grinding. Also if you do get stuck, which I thankfully didn’t this time around, there is a button to just significantly boost the strength of the party. I do wish there was a version that looked and sounded a bit more like the original (the Playstation’s reverb isn’t here!) but I managed well with this one. It didn’t stop me loving this game.
As another aside, the game starting at a school seemed like something you’d see more commonly now, especially thanks to games like Persona or The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. In Final Fantasy VIII the main party “graduates” in the first few hours of the game. Do you think if this was made today they’d still be in school by the end? There’s still Final Fantasy Type-0 for me in the future, a game that does appear to also be set at a school. That’s very far ahead, so don’t expect much opinions from me on it for quite some time.
The non-hypothetical actual Final Fantasy VIII is excellent, and up there with the best. I always get a feeling that when I play a game that’s this good, I really want to jump in and see what’s next immediately. A sudden optimism that if they’re all as good as this I could play hundreds of them. It’s Final Fantasy IX after this, a game I enjoyed very much when I played it for the first time. I’m going to start playing it straight away. If you’re reading this piece shortly after it’s been published, I’m probably playing it right now.
Also to add to the earlier story about my friend, once I knew I couldn’t possibly progress through the game anymore I gave it back to him and asked if I could borrow a different one. He gave me Final Fantasy IX and I actually finished it back then. I’m looking forward to finishing it again.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of my writing about Final Fantasy here if you haven’t already. It’s still so much fun to put these together so I have a feeling it will continue for a while.
Posted by Samuel Howitt in Final Fantasy, PS4, switch Tags: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VIII, junction system, squall leonhart, Yoshinori Kitase
Materia Developments Remake – Final Fantasy VII Remake
While I’ve pitched this as a chronological retrospective on Final Fantasy, it made too much sense to jump ahead with the various games that relate to Final Fantasy VII. Now that I’ve actually played through Final Fantasy VII Remake, I can say that it was a good idea to do it. Having fresh knowledge of them all made it much easier to write this out.
Videogame remakes have been on my mind since I played the reimaginings of Resident Evil 2 and 3 earlier this year. The difference with those is that I didn’t have as much experience with the original source that those were based on, so what I came out of those with was opinions on which one was more effective as a horror game (2 is excellent, 3 is a letdown).
However, since I’ve recently taken a closer look at the original Final Fantasy VII, that familiarity gives me a different lens that makes me unable to compare everything to how it was done before.
I’ll be talking about this game in a fair amount of detail, so if you still want to be surprised by how Remake reinterprets everything, maybe come back and read later. Maybe you could share this article with a friend who’s already played it.
I was very interested to see what a modern take on FF7 would be. Many of the directorial staff from the original game returned for it, and when creatives return to the same story it’s often either scaled up or used to address different themes.
Actually playing Final Fantasy VII Remake is more like going to see a concert by an old favourite band. They’ll play the hits and have some new and exciting renditions of old songs, but then some of that won’t quite live up to the original quality found in original recordings. There’s also a bunch of new material, some of which is good and some I’m not so sure about.
The band has opted for a much more grandiose sound this time around, since a lot of the dials are turned up here. There’s so much more graphical detail, towns are much larger, characters have bigger personalities, key moments have more dramatic heft, it’s a harder game, and a much longer one too.
It’s strange that this hasn’t been titled “Part 1” because that’s what this is. Square Enix took the first six hours of FF7 and broadened the scope of it to make it into a 30-40 hour epic. Of course there are also some things from later in the original game that have been included, most likely out of an attempt to make this game seem more compelling. For example, Sephiroth shows up a lot more here since you seemingly can’t have Final Fantasy VII without Sephiroth.
I was a little worried that the polluted planet angle would have been a little diluted, but it actually comes in a much more concentrated dosage this time around. Areas outside Midgar look considerably more barren here, Shinra is shown to be just as greedy as ever, and when it’s made clear by the end that Sephiroth is the biggest threat to the planet it’s still mentioned that “this started with Shinra”. It’s reassuring to see this here since so much of it is missing from other FF7-related works.
They’ve done some really good work to add depth to a few of the characters too. Barret is the one that comes across the strongest, as they’ve made him feel like a real political activist here, the sort that would always carry leaflets and posters in their bag just in case. He always has prepared speeches and talking points ready for any moment, and because of that comes across a lot more confident and charismatic. He’s also shown clearly to not be wrong about it all, so you could probably mine a lot of his dialogue for quotes you can pull out in real life.
Aerith shines a lot more in this game, since she’s still the same sort of confident no-nonsense character that she was in the original, it’s just that now she’s a lot funnier. Many of her remarks got a good laugh out of me.
There isn’t much new to Cloud here, and there’s also a sense that a lot of his development is being saved for future parts of Remake, since it didn’t originally happen in Midgar. His traumas are given more focus, but only to acknowledge them. Admittedly the better moments with him are when other characters react to his stoic seriousness, especially Barret and Aerith.
Tifa is the character I’m most disappointed with. It just feels like they’ve taken the same old character from the original and injected her into this game, so compared with everyone else she just seems less interesting. She does get a small arc where she has doubts if the mission to destroy Shinra’s reactors is a good idea, but because of her rather dull characterisation it’s not very interesting to see play out.
Of course even minor characters get a lot more fleshing out. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge have more screen time and at certain parts have more plot-crucial things to do. It also seems to be really going for a 90s throwback thing since Jessie says “psych” a lot. There’s even a lot more minor characters added in, some of which already existed in a novel (I’m sure that gave some FFWiki editor a sigh of relief since they didn’t have to make as many new pages).
Midgar now feels even more like a diverse collective of districts, which helps for sure since everything is so much bigger. Each location has its own distinct aesthetic right down to the colour palettes used. I could see a picture of something close up in either the Sector 7 or Sector 5 slums and tell which location it is. I really liked slowly exploring them too, as this game’s closer third-person moveable camera really lent itself well to these spaces. It would have been nice if there was a first-person view so I could get an even closer look. It really does feel more like a place people live in, especially since you’re given a place to stay in Sector 7 as well. My only frustration was with how townspeople dialogue was handled as it was cool to hear it diegetically as I walked around, but it became a little annoying to hear the same lines again as I went by the same people.
Just about everything in this game is so much bigger. Instead of immediately going into a second reactor attack after finishing the first, there’s more space for downtime with side quests available to take part in, followed by a detour to infiltrate a warehouse. Once I was on my way to the second reactor, I still had to get through two full-sized areas before getting there.
Once I made it to the final segment of the reactor itself, that was when the Air Buster was introduced. In the original game the Air Buster was just a boss that showed up for a fight that lasted a few minutes. In Remake, it’s given a much longer build-up with an opportunity to make choices on how to sabotage it beforehand. Before fighting it members of Shinra appear as gargantuan holographic projections to taunt Cloud and company (and remain doing so throughout the fight). The fight itself is a big and bombastic three-phase boss encounter, one of the more difficult in the game and some of the most fun I had playing it. I’ll get into why I really like the combat a bit later since I want to focus a bit more on the pacing.
Though all the sections I mentioned are much larger than how they were in Final Fantasy VII, I didn’t really feel as though they were padded out. Just before I got bored of each area I was able to move onto a new part. Where I felt it really started to slow down was when I reached Wall Market. It’s the structure of it that really got to me, since characters would dangle the way forward in front of me and then say “but first you have to go and do something else for me”. I get that’s how videogames often work, but it happened too often here and I was getting a little sick of it.
Then it was followed by a sewer area that seemed to go on forever, and after that a train graveyard that felt like it existed only to pad out the game. I wonder if this is because I had recently played the original game. I really felt the length as I’d seen a shorter version of it. I’m absolutely certain that they’ve done this so that this first part is roughly just as long as the original game so people don’t feel ripped off (it actually took me longer since I did a lot of sidequests).
Thankfully some areas after this manage to justify their larger size. The race to stop the Sector 7 plate from falling becomes a much more desperate climb that seems even more tragic when the party fails to stop it. The journey up the wall to reach the game’s final area becomes a moment to pause and see the destruction that Shinra has caused by dropping the plate. It gives a moment for the party to really lay out their motivations, by showing what they want to prevent in the future. However I do wish that I didn’t have an extended stay in Hojo’s laboratory, it’s a good thing that I enjoyed Remake’s combat a lot.
It’s an action RPG combat system this time around, where button presses initiate attacks immediately, and any incoming enemy attacks must be dodged or blocked. When player attacks hit an enemy it builds up a bar which can be spent to use abilities, spells or items. What I love about this is that it brings back the same sort of tension found in turn based games, once the bar’s been spent it has to be built back up again, so care needs to be taken when deciding between big damage abilities or healing spells/items. It did bring about some tense moments where I had to choose between finishing off a weakened boss with a big attack or helping my party recover.
There’s also a stagger bar on every enemy, something which the game has lifted from Final Fantasy XIII. In this game it’s essentially a bar that fills up by just damaging the enemy or doing more specific actions in battle. Once the bar fills up, the enemy is temporarily stunned and takes a lot more damage than normal. It felt great to do this in FF13 and it still feels good here, as it’s a moment when the pressure’s eased off and I was able to do some really big damage.
The game almost requires a player to be constantly engaging with these systems, which meant that I actually found some of it quite hard as I was getting used to it. Air Buster is actually the moment where I found I had to do that. It’s also followed by a really good battle against Reno which shows that switching to an action RPG system lends itself really well for a 1v1 fight.
They did put a lot of minigames in here as well, but they’re mostly bad. I guess that’s true to the original game. The one I disliked the most was a stealth sequence where Cloud has to sneak out of Aerith’s house. The more realistic movement in Remake made it extremely difficult to maneuver around the collections of small items on the floor. The bike chase is still fun at least.
As usual this game is full of excellent music. Masashi Hamauzu and his team have done some brilliant work here but this is really where my metaphor of this being like seeing an old band came from. There’s some great variations of music from the original, such as an exciting take on Fight On, or a rework of the Turks Theme as a boss music. However most of the high points of the music are still when it’s playing with things from the original game. That said there is a new theme to represent Avalanche which sounds great, and ends up with a great melancholic reprise during the climb towards Shinra tower. It’s also very funny to me that Masashi Hamauzu has managed to work in some of his score for Dirge of Cerberus. Just listen to this and this for comparison.
I’ve made this sound like a big tribute act with absolute reverence to itself. For what I’ve mentioned it largely does do that, but the end of this game makes some huge changes that are foreshadowed throughout beforehand. It’s the sort of thing that has me very excited for what comes next in subsequent games.
There are a bunch of moments where it looks like things are going to play out very differently, but then a horde of ghosts show up to ensure that the events of the original game happen. They are eventually revealed to be “Whispers”, arbiters of fate who ensure destiny runs its course. The party eventually decides to fight against these Whispers, and that becomes the penultimate boss fight, but before you fight them the party sees visions of the future which are events that happen later in the original game such as Aerith’s death and Meteor heading towards the world. Those visions are described as “what would happen if we lose today”, so the party fights against the whispers and works to essentially prevent the events of Final Fantasy VII from happening! In the end they seemingly succeed, after the game throws in a fight with Sephiroth because the developers got a little impatient (though the version of One-Winged Angel made for it is stellar).
I would probably have been okay with a new version that stayed mostly true to the original, though I’d still have complaints if it had the same pacing as this. But how this game ends up feels like a clear statement that going forward, things are going to be done a little differently. Before I started Final Fantasy VII Remake, I was thinking about moments I would have liked to have seen recreated and most of them were not in the Midgar section this game is based on. Now that I’ve seen this ending I don’t care about that anymore, I want to see what new things they’re hiding up their sleeve. The end of this game brought in some big dramatic changes and I’m hungry for more of those. I’ve already played Final Fantasy VII before.
With that ending I’m very glad I went through the original Final Fantasy VII beforehand. If I didn’t already have that knowledge going in the ending would have meant nothing to me. Weirdly part of the ending involved a recreation of a scene from Crisis Core, so I can imagine a new player just being very lost to what’s going on.
After having played a bunch of older games in chronological order until the mid-90s, suddenly jumping ahead to Final Fantasy VII Remake feels almost overwhelming. A lot of differences that would have just accumulated over the course of many games have now just all appeared at once like I’ve suddenly jumped into a videogame timehole where I’m seeing the future. Soon I will have to go back in time and start up Final Fantasy Tactics, which I hope I enjoy.
Posted by Samuel Howitt in Final Fantasy, PS4 Tags: ff7, ff7r, Final Fantasy, final fantasy 7, final fantasy 7 remake, jrpg, PS4, square enix
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is more than just another AAA game.
If you’ve only seen some footage of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, you’d be a little forgiven for thinking it’s just like every other big-budget game out there. Its movement is lifted straight out of Assassin’s Creed and its combat is taken right from the Batman: Arkham games. The story is some generic revenge fantasy that video game writers seem really into these days. I don’t think that does a good job of selling this game, because as bog standard as I’ve made it sound, it’s actually great.
On top of the game’s risk-free open-world structure, is a system that has brought about equal amounts of frustration and satisfaction. Basically it’s what has been described as the “Nemesis System”. For those unfamiliar amongst the orc enemies around the game are named captains and war chiefs. They can pop up at any time, like when you’re just wandering around, or even during a main mission. They’re hard to take down, and if they kill you they will let you know about it the next time you come across them. They’re persistent too, if you take them down they could potentially come back to fight again.
Each time you die against an orc it’s annoying because they get more powerful because of that, but it was such a good system because I felt that fuelled my desire to fight back. The one guy who kept killing me would be my target, but there was always a small feeling of panic when they would turn up out of nowhere. It also made dying in the game a lot more meaningful, it was punishing as opposed to being just a temporary roadblock. Each of the orcs were likely randomly generated out of certain elements, but there was enough unique about each of the ones I encountered that I always recognised my worst enemies.
This system elevated the game to be much more exciting than similar ones out there. It’s great how one aspect can change how a game flows, but wait I’m not quite done yet.
About 2/3rds of the way through the game you get the ability to ‘brand’ orcs and make them fight for you. It’s thematically problematic (you basically enslave them) but mechanically satisfying. You could sneak up on orcs, brand a few and have them fight each other while watching from the shadows. I personally found it much more fun to charge in head first into a big battle, fill up my combo meter so that I could brand them mid-battle, and gradually turn a huge crowd that was all against me into my own army. And yes you can take over the minds of captains and war chiefs too, which you can command to take out other orcs in the hierarchy. At this point it has some light strategy elements as you pit captains against each other. It’s just a shame that you have to get through roughly 60% of the game to get to the best part.
These extra layers make Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor one of the most interesting games to come out this year. I couldn’t care any less about the story but just the act of playing it was really fun, and in a big-budget game like this one I really appreciated that.
Posted by Samuel Howitt in PC, PS4, Reviews, Xbox One Tags: assassin's creed, batman, lotr, middle-earth, Shadow of Mordor
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300: Rise of an Empire: 3D Looks Great, But Where's the Thrill?
By Andrew Klavan Mar 19, 2014 11:00 AM ET
I think 300 is easily one of the best movies of the last twenty years, the only movie I’ve seen twice in a week since Hitchcock died, a film that will be re-watched and remembered long after most if not all of the prestige art films of our day are forgotten.
The tale of the Spartan battle against the Persians at Thermopylae was released in 2006, when Hollywood, entering its most shameful days, was beginning to churn out despicable anti-war on terror and anti-military propaganda even while American sons were actually on the battlefield in harm’s way. 300 was instead a stirring W-style call to defend the age-old values of the west against an oppressive and ignorant foreign invader.
But what made the film special — even brilliant — was the wild, confident imagination it brought to the screen from Frank Miller’s graphic novel. Though the story stayed very faithful to the history in Herodotus, it introduced fantastical beasts, over-the-top video game violence, outsized characters and even bulked up muscle suits to give the story a larger than life feel. It was as if the movie was saying to the Islamic-fascists who had attacked us: “You think we’re decadent because we sit around and play video games? Let us show you the sort of western courage that inspired those games, Islamo-schmuck!”
As I noted in my David Horowitz Freedom Center pamphlet, The Crisis in the Arts, I found it frustrating when some conservatives failed to understand and praise what was clearly one of the great cinematic paeans to liberty.
I read conservatives criticizing the very over-the-top fantasy elements that made the movie a massive hit. I even heard some conservatives complain about the bare chests of the Greek warriors as if that made the film homoerotic. (Heaven forfend a film about ancient Greece should be homoerotic!) Did these right wing critics want the left to love them for their objectivity? To hell with the left. We need many more successes like 300. Buy a ticket, applaud, go home. That’s all you have to do.
But what is even more puzzling to me is what the filmmakers were thinking when they set out to make the sequel 300: Rise of an Empire. With the exception of the over-the-top gore, all the exuberant originality of the first film is gone. No monsters (except in a dream). No body suits. No grand, out-sized characters. Except for one cool scene at the beginning when the Persian emperor Xerxes is transformed into a god, the film opts for a dull realism reminiscent of old gladiator movies. And, meanwhile, the story from the Herodotean source is completely ditched for one that’s nowhere near as interesting.
Listen, the film is watchable and entertaining. And the 3D is absolutely amazing. Some of the crowd scenes were genuinely thrilling and took you right into the world of the movie.
But where is the belligerent confidence of the original? I wonder if it dissipated during these puling, apologizing, whining and self-hating Obama years. I wouldn’t be at all surprised.
Cross-posted from Klavan on the Culture
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Oxygen Technical Services Ltd
Oxygen Technologies Celebrates its 18th Anniversary with a Sizable Donation to Local Charity
A $50,000 contribution to Main Street Project’s Capital Campaign a sign of maturity for local IT Company
Winnipeg, Manitoba: Today, Oxygen Technologies, an Information Technology company providing technology support and enablement to companies throughout Canada from its offices in Winnipeg and Saskatoon, announced a $50,000.00 donation to Main Street Project toward their ongoing capital campaign as part of Oxygen’s 18th Anniversary Celebration to be held on Tuesday, February 25, 2020.
“Most companies celebrate their 10th or 25th anniversary, but we believe that our 18th is a milestone we wanted to recognize,” says Brian Oleksiuk, President & Founder of Oxygen Technologies. “As an individual, when you turn 18 you enter into adulthood – you’ve grown up. We believe that is exactly where we are as a company today – we have reached a level of maturity operationally, and look at the years ahead as our time to make a further mark on the community in which we reside.”
Rick Lees, Executive Director of Main Steet Project, says their fund raising goals would not be met without individuals and corporations stepping up. “Oxygen [Technologies] has been our technology partner for over 4 years now. The contributions they have made to our organization from a technology perspective have been incredible, and they have already donated close to $20,000 to our ongoing operations. This generous donation to our campaign will help us to reach our goal, to convert the 36,000 square foot Mitchell Fabrics building on Main Street into a new state-of-the-art community health centre that will better serve Winnipeg’s most vulnerable residents.”
Oxygen Technology’s 18th Anniversary celebration will be held on February 25, 2020 and coincide with the grand opening of Oxygen’s brand-new corporate headquarters located at 882 Bradford Street.
Members of the Press are invited to the cheque presentation at Oxygen’s Headquarters at 882 Bradford Street in Winnipeg on February 25, 2020 at 3:30PM.
About Oxygen Technologies: Founded in 2002, Oxygen Technologies has grown to a staff of over 30 people throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan, assisting approximately 325 clients across Canada to achieve technology success.
Oxygen Technologies Acquires Winnipeg-Based On-Call Solutions
Transition Information for On-Call Solutions Customers
Oxygen Opens New State-of-the-Art Headquarters in Winnipeg
How to Stay Safe While Working from Home
Government Regulations & Cyber Security
Network Performance Issues? Check for a Breach!
Small Businesses Taking Big Steps to Protect Employees and Future
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David J. Meunier v. Antony James Maciejewski & Gerry Donald Strilchuk & Goldcorp Inc. & Trevor Jersey Botel: Order
This reasoned decision has been issued by the Ontario Mining and Lands Commissioner under the Mining Act for David J. Meunier.
File No. MA 018-04
L. Kamerman
Mining and Lands Commissioner
Tuesday, the 21st day of March, 2006.
The Mining Act
Mining Claim KRL-1244579, situate in the Township of Dome, in the Red Lake Mining Division, staked and recorded by Mr. Antony James Maciejewski on the 3rd day of June, 2002 and transferred to Goldcorp Inc. on the 2nd day of June, 2004, (hereinafter referred to as the "Maciejewski Transferred Mining Claim");
And in the matter of
Mining Claim KRL-1244583, situate in the Township of Dome, in the Red Lake Mining Division, staked and recorded by Mr. Gerry Donald Strilchuk on the 3rd day of June, 2002 and recorded in the name of Goldcorp Inc. on the 3rd day of June, 2004, (hereinafter referred to as the "Strilchuk Transferred Mining Claim");
Filed Only Mining Claim 1230305, situate in the Township of Dome, in the Red Lake Mining Division, staked by Mr. David J. Meunier and to have been recorded in the name of David J. Meunier and cancelled by the Provincial Mining Recorder on the 26th day of May, 2004, (hereinafter referred to as the "Meunier Mining Claim") cancelled by the Provincial Mining Recorder on the 26th day of May, 2004;
Between:
David J. Meunier
Antony James Maciejewski
Respondent of the First Part
Gerry Donald Strilchuk
Respondent of the Second Part
Party of the Third Part
Trevor Jersey Botel
Party of the Fourth Part
An appeal pursuant to subsection 112(1) of the Mining Act from the decision of the Provincial Mining Recorder, dated the 26th day of May, 2004, for a declaration that the Maciejewski Transferred Mining Claim and the Strilchuk Transferred Mining Claim be declared invalid and for the recording of the Filed Only Mining Claim;
Mining Claim KRL-1244580, situate in the Township of Dome, in the Red Lake Mining Division, recorded in the name of Trevor Jersey Botel on the 3rd day of June, 2002 and recorded in the name of Goldcorp Inc. on the 16th day of January, 2004, (hereinafter referred to as the "Botel Transferred Mining Claim").
Whereas this appeal was received on the 17th day of June, 2004 and heard in Thunder Bay, Red Lake and Toronto on the 17th and 18th days of January, 2005, the 6th and 7th days of June, 2005 and the 15th and 16th days of August, 2005;
Upon hearing from the parties, reading the documentation filed and viewing the videotapes filed;
It is ordered that the appeal of David Meunier be and is hereby allowed in part, in so far as it concerns the Maciejewski Mining Claim and dismissed in part, in so far as it concerns the Strilchuk Mining Claim.
It is further ordered that the Maciejewski Mining Claim KRL-1244579, situate in the Township of Dome in the Red Lake Mining Division, be and is hereby cancelled.
It is further ordered that the Order of the Provincial Mining Recorder dated the 26th day of May, 2006, which cancelled the Meunier Mining Claim be and is hereby rescinded and It is further ordered that part of the "filed only" Meunier Mining Claim KRL-1230305, situate in the Township of Dome, in the Red Lake Mining Division, which does not overlap the Strilchuk Mining Claim KRL-1244583 be and is hereby recorded, effective the date of filing, being the 5th day of June, 2002.
It is further ordered that the overlap between the eastern boundary of the Meunier Mining Claim KRL-1230305 and the western boundary of the Botel Mining Claim KRL-1244580 be and is hereby to form part of the aforementioned Meunier Mining Claim, having been found to have an earlier completion time, within the meaning of subsection 44(2) of the Mining Act , and the provincial Mining Recorder to amend the Application to Record of the Botel Mining Claim KRL-1244580 accordingly.
It is further ordered that pursuant to subsection 129(2) of the Mining Act , this Order shall take effect on the 20th day of April, 2006.
It is further ordered that the notation of "Pending Proceedings", which is recorded on the abstract of the Strilchuk Mining Claim KRL-1244583, to be effective from the 17th day of June, 2004, be removed from the abstract of Mining Claim KRL-1244583.
It is further ordered that the time during which the Strilchuk Mining Claim KRL-1244583 was under pending proceedings before this tribunal, being the 17th day of June, 2004, until the 20th day of April, 2006, a total of 673 days, be excluded in computing time within which work upon the Strilchuk Mining Claim KRL-1244583 is to be performed.
It is further ordered that the 8th day of January, 2008 be fixed as the date by which the next five units of assessment work, as set out in Schedule "A" attached to this Order, must be performed and filed on Mining Claim KRL-1244583, pursuant to subsection 67(3) of the Mining Act and all subsequent anniversary dates are deemed to be January 8 pursuant to subsection 67(4) of the Mining Act .
It is further ordered that the time between the filing of the Meunier Mining Claim KRL-1230305 and the effective date of this Order, being the 5th day of June, 2002, to the 20th day of April, 2006, a total of 1,416 days, be excluded in computing time within which work upon the Meunier Mining Claim KRL-1230305 is to be performed.
It is further ordered that the 21st day of April, 2008, be fixed as the date by which the next five units of prescribed assessment work, as set out in Schedule "A" attached to this Order, must be performed and filed on Mining Claim KRL-1230305, pursuant to subsection 67(3) of the Mining Act and all subsequent anniversary dates are deemed to be April 21 pursuant to subsection 67(4) of the Mining Act .
This Tribunal further advises that pursuant to subsection 129(4) of the Mining Act as amended, a copy of this Order shall be forwarded by this tribunal to the Provincial Mining recorder who is hereby directed to amend the records in the Provincial Recording Office as necessary in accordance with the aforementioned subsection 129(4).
Reasons for this Order are attached.
Dated this 21st day of March, 2006.
Mining Claim #
New due date
KRL 1244583
KRL 1230305 April 21, 2008
This matter was heard over the course of six days in Thunder Bay, Red Lake and Toronto, Ontario on the 17th and 18th days of January, 2005, the 6th and 7th days of June, 2005 and on the 15th and 16th day of August, 2005, respectively.
Mr. David Muenier, the appellant, was represented by his lawyer, Mr. Lorenzo Girones. Mr. Antony ("Tony") Maciejewski and Mr. Gerry Strilchuk, respondents of the first and second parts, represented themselves. Goldcorp Inc., which is the current holder of the Maciejewski, Strilchuk and Botel Mining Claims, did not appear.
It was determined that Mining Claim KRL-1244580, which was staked and recorded by Trevor Botel might be affected by the potential outcome in this matter. The Botel Mining Claim overlaps a small portion of the northwest corner of the Meunier Mining Claim. It was further determined that Goldcorp is the recorded holder of Mining Claim KRL-1244580 and is aware of these proceedings, notwithstanding its decision to not attend. The tribunal added Mr. Botel as a party to these proceedings on June 10, 2005 and added the Botel Mining Claim to the title of proceedings.
On June 1, 2002, a portion of lands under the waters of Red Lake in the Township of Dome came open for staking at 9 a.m. central daylight saving time. Although partially organized, for purposes of this appeal the lands are located within unorganized territory and as such, there was no requirement that mining claim units be staked from a fixed location. The boundaries of the Maciejewski, Strilchuk and Botel Mining Claims did not overlap, as there had been a prior agreement to not compete. However, the filed only Mining Claim of Mr. Meunier overlapped all three of the recorded Mining Claims.
There were a number of staking teams located along Rahill Beach or Rahill Bay on the morning of June 1, 2002. Those lands which comprise the Maciejewski, Meunier and Botel Mining Claims are located along the north shore of the Bay where there had been approximately 1175 metres running east to west of land under water available to be staked. That of Mr. Strilchuk was staked from a location to the south and east of Rahill Bay.
Mr. Maciejewski had a completion time of 9:04:02 a.m.; Mr. Strilchuk of 9:02:30 a.m.; Mr. Botel of 9:04:11 a.m. and Mr. Meunier of 9:04:23 a.m. The Mining Claims of Messers Maciejewski, Strilchuk and Botel were recorded, while that of Mr. Meunier was not, having a later completion time.
The original Meunier dispute against the recording of the Maciejewski and Strilchuk Mining Claims was dismissed and the Meunier Mining Claim was cancelled. The history of Mr. Botel's Mining Claim is largely unknown. There was evidence of a dispute, but it appears to have been withdrawn or settled.
Mr. Maciejewski staked a one-unit mining claim at the western-most portion of Rahill Beach/Bay, with an eastern boundary of 450 metres, a southern boundary of 550 metres and a western boundary of 100 metres. The northern boundary is circumscribed by the shoreline which, as can be gleaned from the dimensions, cuts deeply into the western half of the Mining Claim.
The #1 post of Mr. Meunier's Mining Claim, comprised of two units, is approximately 100 metres due west of that of Mr. Maciejewski, and overlaps the eastern half of the Maciejewski Mining Claim. The Meunier Mining Claim has an eastern boundary of 800 metres, a southern boundary of 400 metres and a western boundary of 550 metres. Again, the discrepancy between the eastern and western boundaries is due to the northern boundary shoreline. On the east side of Mr. Meunier's Mining Claim is that of Mr. Botel, again, having an overlap of approximately 100 metres. Mr. Botel's Mining Claim is a two unit claim in the eastern portion of Rahill Beach/Bay, whose dimensions take up the whole of the available northern area not claimed by Mr. Maciejewski.
Mr. Strilchuk staked his claim from shore some distance south of Rahill Bay, from an area of land shown on the Mining Land Tenure Map as Cable Peninsula. Mr. Strilchuk was able to stake from the one location, which was his #2 post, and he witnessed the three other posts. His is a six unit claim. The north east corner of Mr. Strilchuk's Mining Claim coincides with the southern half of Mr. Meunier's Mining Claim, so that the Meunier Mining Claim circumscribes an area of one unit in size in the corner of Mr. Strilchuk's claim. The northern boundary of Mr. Strilchuk's Mining Claim also coincides with approximately 100 metres of Mr. Botel's southern boundary and all of Mr. Maciejewski's southern boundary.
There were other stakers in the vicinity during the staking rush. Two teams who were directed by Mr. Michael Desmeules gave evidence. One of those teams, of which Mr. Desmeules was a part, was staking from the same location as Mr. Botel. The other, comprised of Mr. Kehoe and Mr. Lamothe, was staking from the same location as Mr. Meunier. Mr. Kehoe can be seen on the videotape receiving instructions on a hand-held two way radio. As matters unfolded on the videotape, it was apparent that these gentlemen were operating under similar time frames to Mr. Meunier's team.
Mr. Meunier's team operated a video camcorder which recorded the time leading up to the lands coming open at 9 a.m. This tape was the main piece of evidence relied upon on which Mr. Meunier based his assertion that Mr. Maciejewski commenced his staking prior to the lands coming open at 9 a.m. Shown on this tape was the global positioning system unit (GPS) and time which the Meunier team relied upon. The videotape itself shows time elapsed from the commencement of staking, so that it is possible to calculate the corresponding GPS or local time for all events shown on the videotape.
On the videotape, with between 40 and 50 seconds to go to 9 a.m., a boat was taped taking off from shore some distance away from a location later attributed to the #1 post and #2 witness post of Mr. Maciejewski's Mining Claim. There was no disagreement that it was Mr. Maciejewski who was observed.
In the course of the evidence presented by a significant number of witnesses, three factual issues were raised. The first was whether Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Strilchuk had synchronized their watches "to the second" on the day prior to the staking or whether they merely compared times to ensure that they were around the same time. This evidence concerning the setting of Mr. Strilchuk's watch was key to the appeal of the recording of his mining claim, as it is the only available evidence that Mr. Strilchuk commenced his staking at a similar time to Mr. Maciejewski. The second was contradictory evidence from Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Desmeules concerning whether they had synchronized their watches to satellite television on the evening before, May 30, 2002, in Mr. Maciejewski's home. The third was whether Mr. Desmeules was in fact observed speaking into a radio at the relevant time, or whether the times and instructions being heard over the two way radio operated by Mr. Kehoe in the video were received from someone else.
This third issue was only material insofar as it related to events at the Desmeules/Botel location, with evidence presented that Mr. Desmeules had not been observed using a two-way radio. The resulting conclusion which this evidence sought to support was that no one else in the vicinity had observed Mr. Maciejewski leaving prior to 9 a.m. local time.
The question of what time Mr. Maciejewski had in fact commenced his staking is the single most important issue in this appeal. If he commenced his staking prior to 9 a.m. central daylight saving time, the evidence raised the question of whether this was deliberate on his part. The tribunal further had its own issue, whether Mr. Maciejewski's staking, if found to have commenced early, or that of anyone staking, should be held to a strict standard of commencement, namely that of universal or "local time" which is supported by satellite technology. The opposite of this would be whether commencing a staking within minutes of opening time, albeit before lands open according to "local time" is permitted under section 121 of the Mining Act , according to the real merits and substantial justice of the case. The question which arises as a result of this early staking is whether Mr. Maciejewski or anyone staking should be held to a strict standard of commencement, namely that of universal time which is supported by satellite data.
A fourth issue arose in connection with the Botel Mining Claim. A second videotape was filed at the final convening of the hearing in Toronto in August, 2005. This tape purported to show segments of Mr. Botel's staking and was taken by his teammate and boat operator, Mr. Peter Irwin. Evidence from the videotape suggests that Mr. Botel's staking, instead of being completed at 9:04:11 a.m., as set out on the application to record, was not yet completed at 9:04:23 a.m. Given that Mr. Meunier's staking was completed at 9:04:23 a.m., if accepted, this videotape would provide conclusive evidence that Mr. Meunier's staking had been completed prior to that of Mr. Botel. As such, if Mr. Maciejewski's Mining Claim is cancelled and Mr. Meunier's recorded, then for that portion for which there is an overlap between Meunier and Botel, it would follow that Mr. Meunier's staking would have priority.
Much was made of the synchronization of watches between Mr. Strilchuk and Mr. Maciejewski and between Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Desmeules. In particular, the evidence of Mr. Maciejewski before the Provincial Mining Recorder (the "Recorder"), Mr. Roy Denomme, was raised. Mr. Denomme had used two types of recordings in the course of his hearing and that portion which would have captured the relevant testimony of Mr. Maciejewski was no longer available. Mr. Denomme had undertaken a trial with digital recording, and was dissatisfied with the result. Neither the recording nor the equipment was available any longer. During the course of the hearing, the evidence heard before Mr. Denomme was further disputed.
On this latter point, even the testimony concerning what did occur before the Recorder was in dispute, such as whether the tape could audibly be heard in the hearing. Similarly, there was no agreement as to what Mr. Denomme concluded, except with respect to the reference in his Order and Reasons.
What importance or relevance, if any, can be placed upon the purported synchronization of watches between Strilchuk and Maciejewski and Maciejewski and Desmeules?
Was it Mr. Desmeules who can be heard speaking on the two-way hand held radio with Mr. Kehoe? Does it matter whether or not it was him? What is the effect of the Irwin videotape on this question and on Mr. Irwin's evidence?
What is the best evidence as to the accurate time for when the lands came open for staking? Is the Meunier videotape and its purported recording of local time through use of the GPS unit reliable for purposes of this appeal?
If the best evidence of the time lands came open for staking is the Meunier videotape, it would follow that Mr. Maciejewski is captured on that tape as having commenced his staking before the lands came open according to "local time" or "universal time". Is the exact marking of time when lands come open for staking required, or could Mr. Maciejewski's early staking be saved by the provisions of section 121 that decisions of the Commissioner be on the real merits and substantial justice of the case, so long as Mr. Maciejewski's actions are not found to have been deliberate?
Does the Irwin videotape provide sufficient evidence that the Meunier Mining Claim was completed prior to the Botel Mining Claim, such that the eastern 100 metre portion should be awarded to Mr. Meunier?
The operation of Global Positioning Systems or G.P.S was explained by Dr. Bradley A. Wilson, a local Thunder Bay specialist in geography and the use of radar imagery to measure structural aspects of the boreal forest. G.P.S uses a set of two dozen satellites maintained and synchronized by N.A.S.A, each with two atomic clocks whose precision is to within one millionth of a second. The G.P.S receiver calculates the amount of time it takes for the signal to reach here from the satellite orbiting the earth. Most G.P.S units require four satellites for triangulation to take place.
G.P.S units are in common usage now, but the cheaper ones are less accurate than the real time kinetic, being out by a fraction of a second. The self-synchronization ones are mid-range. Once a unit is turned on, it takes a minute to establish its position so that it can operate optimally. As it is initializing and continues to warm up, it improves its synchronization with the clocks on the satellites. The purpose of this synchronization is to improve on positional accuracy, but it does not detract from the accuracy of time displayed once initialization has taken place.
A legal description requires a better quality of G.P.S; one from a named major department store may not be able to provide the requisite precision. Positional accuracy can range, depending on the quality of the unit, within between 10 to 20 metres. Data loggers are of high quality with antennae, having average multiple signals, with positional accuracy of under a meter. The third is real time kinetic, used by the US military for very precise positioning, with accuracy of about a centimeter.
There were two teams at Mr. Meunier's #1 post location staking that day. Mr. Meunier's team consisted of himself as the staker; Mr. Kenneth Pye, who operated the hand-held GPS unit and the boat; Mr. Randy Burke, who operated the camcorder which was owned by Mr. Pye; and Mr. David Louis John Fenato, who was the driver of the land vehicle for purposes of recording. Also part of the team, according to Mr. Pye's testimony, was Mr. Peter Miner, although his role was not elaborated upon. The second team was Mr. Mike Lamothe and Mr. Michael Kehoe, who were operating under the instruction of Mr. Michael Desmeules. Mr. Desmeules was at another location and was, according to Mr. Kehoe and Mr. Desmeules, in radio contact with Mr. Kehoe.
The GPS unit used by Mr. Pye during the staking, which he brought to the hearing, was one of eight or ten units which he owns. Although there is a discrepancy in their quality, it does not interfere with the accuracy of time display, but rather is limited to the accuracy of location. Mr. Pye initialized and compared the GPS unit in question with others both in the week prior to staking and in the week after. However, he could not recall whether he had done so in the day immediately prior. On the day of staking, Mr. Pye had turned the GPS unit on one hour before commencement of staking to ensure that it was properly initialized. There was consensus in the hearing among those present that the time shown on cable television, in this case Bell Expressvu, is accurate and reflects the same time shown on a GPS unit.
Mr. Pye could not recall whether the activity on June 1, 2003 took place during Central Standard Time or Central Daylight Time. He did confirm, however, that the GPS unit would have had to be adjusted manually, as it did not make the twice-yearly adjustment on its own.
In the intervening time, Mr. Pye had ran over the GPS unit with his truck. This had scratched the lens, but not otherwise interfered with the accuracy of its time display. Mr. Maciejewski challenged its accuracy after its mishap, but Mr. Pye maintained that either it would initialize or it would not; in his experience he had never seen a GPS which did not operate accurately. Mr. Maciejewski stated that his own unit of a similar type did not work after being struck by lightening, would not initialize and can only be shut down when the batteries are removed. He asserted that, like any mechanical device, it is susceptible to damage. The tribunal was able in the hearing to compare the time shown on Mr. Pye's GPS unit with the CBC Radio Dominion Observatory Time Signal, and found it to be accurate, within one second.
Mr. Burke operated the camcorder which captured events leading up to the commencement of staking, including the appearance of a boat leaving from the next bay, at a time which according to both evidence of several of the witnesses, was before the opening time of 9 a.m. It was his evidence, and there was nothing said to dissuade the tribunal of the truth of his statements, that with the exception of a three-second glitch at the commencement of his operation of the camcorder, he filmed continuously throughout until activity at the #1 and #2 Meunier posts was completed. He also indicated that the tape seen accurately reflects what he had taped. The videotape display indicated the time elapsed during taping and Mr. Burke confirmed that it had commenced at 0:00. However, the tape submitted stops at 11:20 elapsed VCR time, which is calculated to be approximately 9 a.m. GPS local time. This fact is also confirmed by the conversations taking place.
The videotape was watched a number of times throughout the course of the hearing and was described for the record. It was also stopped and frozen at various key intervals during the examination and cross-examination of witnesses. Mr. Pye testified that he instructed Mr. Burke to focus in on the GPS unit. The time shown on the GPS unit was 8:54:42 UTC time, with Greenwich Meridian Time being 13:54:42, this corresponding with 6:01 elapsed time on the camcorder screen.
Mr. Pye identified Mr. Kehoe as being in the boat adjacent at the Meunier staking. It was later established that Mr. Kehoe was the driver and Mr. Lamothe was the staker, acting under the direction of Mr. Desmeules, who was the boat operator for his staker, Luc Gagnon, at the same location as Trevor Botel. At one point, Mr. Kehoe was observed by Mr. Pye to have been holding a two-way radio in one hand and one hears the words "8:56:15" and "8:56:25". Mr. Pye explained that the Meunier and Lamothe/Desmeules teams did not synchronize their time, so that the observed discrepancy was due to this fact. In point of fact, the tribunal has reviewed this portion of the videotape and notes that the discrepancy was not large. Some of it may have been due to the time elapsed in speaking and further reaction time in response.
Mr. Pye stated that he observed a boat taking off prior to 9 a.m. This is shown on the videotape as occurring at between 10:26 and 10:33 elapsed VCR time, which corresponds with 8:59:08 and 8:59:15 local central daylight saving time. There is a reference to the driver being Tony, but his identity as Mr. Maciejewski only became known to several witnesses after the fact. Mr. Pye stated that it would have taken Mr. Maciejewski an additional minute or so to mark his #1 and #2 witness posts, although he admitted that he was not sure whether Mr. Maciejewski used tags in his staking or not.
Mr. Pye explained that it was not possible to capture again at that exact moment the GPS time to show how it corresponded to the boat seen taking off from down the lake prior to 9 a.m. The camera was being operated some 16 feet from where Mr. Pye was located in the boat with the GPS. Moreover, the time constraint was too tight, as Mr. Meunier's team was at that moment seconds away from commencing that staking. However, Mr. Girones, counsel for Mr. Meunier maintained, and the tribunal concurs, that it is possible to extrapolate quite readily from the GPS time shown as it related to the VCR time elapsed earlier in the videotape.
There was some discussion regarding the activities shown of Mr. Meunier on the tape, namely whether he was seen to be marking his post ahead of the commencement of his staking or whether he was just "air writing" in practice. Mr. Desmeules confirmed that many stakers do this sort of practice. He had instructed Mr. Kehoe to watch for that sort of activity, but Mr. Kehoe did not report back to him on it. Mr. Kehoe stated emphatically in his testimony that neither Mr. Lamothe nor Mr. Meunier marked their posts prior to the commencement of staking. When asked about that angle from which he was able to observe, Mr. Kehoe pointed out that due to his height, he had been able to see quite clearly. He also pointed out that he had no interest in the outcome of this matter and had no cause to deviate from the truth.
Mr. Desmeules had a contract to stake a claim on June 1, 2002 and was staking about 400 to 500 metres from the Meunier location. Mr. Desmeules confirmed that he was the individual in radio contact with Mr. Kehoe, who could be observed on the videotape speaking into a hand-held radio.
On the evening prior to the staking, Mr. Desmeules went to Mr. Maciejewski's home to ask what area he was interested in, much in the manner as is common in the industry. His main objective was to determine whether Mr. Maciejewski would be using a wristwatch or GPS to verify the nine o'clock start time. Mr. Desmeules stated that he was not concerned per se, but that it is common practice to set one's watch with the competition to avoid a dispute from occurring.
Mr. Desmeules stated that he distinctly remembered Mr. Maciejewski indicating that he would be using GPS. They also synchronized their watches with Bell Expressvu satellite TV. Mr. Maciejewski confirmed his ownership of a portable GPS unit, but he did not confirm its make. According to Mr. Desmeules, he synchronized his watch with Mr. Maciejewski, the satellite TV and his GPS, so that all coincided.
On June 1, Mr. Desmeules took his own time off his watch, but had his GPS unit nearby. He advised Mr. Kehoe of times over the radio. The use of GPS has only been common in the industry over the last four or so years. Mr. Desmeules confirmed that it was his voice heard on the videotape speaking over the radio with Mr. Kehoe. During cross-examination, Mr. Desmeules stated that he and Mr. Trevor Botel, a competitive staker at his location, were taking their times from their watches. Although they did not synchronize their watches, the times were in fact identical.
Mr. Desmeules confirmed that he could be heard on the video at 10:24 /25 VCR time stating that "Tony", being Mr. Maciejewski, was on the move. Mr. Desmeules confirmed that he could physically see what was going on from his vantage point. He also confirmed that he instructed Mr. Kehoe not to allow Mr. Lamothe to commence staking because it was not yet 9 a.m.
The June 1, 2002 staking rush was the first Mr. Kehoe had experienced. At that time, he had been working for Mr. Desmeules during his days off from being an OPP officer from which he has since retired. Mr. Kehoe was working with the staker, Mr. Lamothe, and was charged with operating the boat. Mr. Kehoe was not in visual contact with Mr. Desmeules, because of the lay of the bush, but he was about 500 metres away and in constant radio contact.
Mr. Kehoe confirmed that an individual who was later identified as Mr. Maciejewski was observed taking off prior to 9 a.m. and that Mr. Desmeules could be heard over the radio saying "no go no go." Mr. Kehoe explained that Mr. Maciejewski's time was "way off" from the 9 a.m. opening time.
Mr. Maciejewski disputed the evidence of Mr. Desmeules as to what took place on the evening before staking at his home. Mr. Peter Irwin stated that he had been at Mr. Maciejewski's home the evening before staking when Mr. Desmeules showed up. He did recall that Mr. Desmeules asked where Mr. Maciejewski would be staking. He did not recall any discussions about what boat Mr. Maciejewski would be using. He also could not recall that the two men synchronized their watches. Although he could see the television from where he was sitting, he could not really hear the conversation which took place. Mr. Girones brought a motion based upon Browne v. Dunn (1893), 6 R. 67, that questions of Mr. Irwin designed to impeach the testimony of Mr. Desmeules should properly have been put before Mr. Desmeules. It was determined that Mr. Desmeules could be recalled rather than discount the evidence of Mr. Irwin at that time. When recalled, Mr. Desmeules stated that on the night in question, Mr. Irwin had not been present, but had been present on another occasion involving a staking rush. Mr. Desmeules stated that he had both his watch and a GPS unit present with him on staking day, but used his watch, according to what he had agreed to with Mr. Maciejewski.
On June 1, 2002, Mr. Irwin could not recall that Mr. Desmeules was on the radio on that day. Both Mr. Gagnon and Mr. Botel started staking at the same time. However, it was Mr. Irwin's evidence that Mr. Botel returned to the number one post first. He did not notice the finish times. The next day, Mr. Irwin returned to the site and noted that Mr. Desmeules' team had shown a faster time on their post. Mr. Irwin recalled that a dispute had been filed in that matter, but could not recall the details. Several days afterwards, Mr. Irwin returned to that site and found their post burned in a fire pit beside their staking, although theirs was the only post burned.
Mr. Irwin had set his watch by the radio station for staking. He agreed that Mr. Botel and Mr. Gagnon left at exactly the same time or pretty close to it. He did not synchronize his watch with Mr. Desmeules. It was his evidence that he did not see Mr. Maciejewski leaving any earlier than he had, didn't see anything unusual and did not hear Mr. Desmeules speaking with anyone over the radio.
Mr. Irwin stated that on June 1, 2002 , he had no interest in any of the claims in question but was present on the ground to assist Goldcorp. As far as he knew, Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Strilchuk were under contract to Goldcorp as well. Goldcorp paid for Mr. Irwin's office and he ran their exploration office for three years. The particular office was charged with staking lands for Goldcorp and Mr. Irwin did confirm that he did hire Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Strilchuk to stake on June 1, 2002. He was unaware of the particular financial arrangements made, however. Goldcorp paid for his attendance at the hearing.
Mr. Trevor Botel, who staked the land under water immediately to the west of Mr. Maciejewski's Mining Claim, stated that he had been hired by Mr. Maciejewski to stake and had been paid by him as well. He recalled seeing Mr. Desmeules at the #1 post, but Mr. Botel maintained that he and Mr. Irwin finished their staking first. The two staking teams left at approximately the same time. Mr. Botel could not recall that Mr. Desmeules was speaking on the radio at the time. As far as he could recall, all the boats left their respective locations [being the #2 and #3 posts] at approximately the same time.
Mr. Earl Gilles was present on the ground of Rahill Beach on the morning of June 1, 2002 as an interested by-stander and not participant in the staking rush. He was able to see Messers. Botel, Irwin, Desmeules and Gagnon. Mr. Irwin and Mr. Desmeules were in separate boats and he did not know who they were working with. From his vantage point, both boats left at the same time. He did not see the other boats in Rahill Bay or whether anyone left early. He did not see or hear Mr. Desmeules speaking on the radio nor did he hear him screaming or yelling. Mr. Gilles answered that he would have recalled had he heard Mr. Maciejewski's name mentioned. He estimated that he was about 100 feet from their location although Mr. Maciejewski suggested it was closer. Under cross-examination, the map setting out the respective locations of the claims and Mr. Gilles location relative to them was discussed. It was suggested that trees would have come down to the shore, impeding his view to where Mr. Maciejewski's #1 and #2 posts were located.
At this point in the hearing, Mr. Maciejewski requested permission to ask each person in the hearing room to read the time on their watches. Times varied between 11:05:03 and 11:10.
Mr. Irwin was recalled concerning times for his assistance of the staking of Mr. Botel at which time a videotape taken by Mr. Irwin of the staking was viewed. Apparently, Mr. Irwin had turned the tape on when he thought it was off and visa versa. This particular videotape is shown in apparent real time, but it was established by the witnesses that there was a two minute discrepancy between the time shown and real time, so that the tape shows 8:57:52 and his watch showed 8:59:53. The tape was apparently on, but not directed, and what can be heard was the idling of the motor. It was suggested that this took place during the inscription of the #2 witness post, next to the #1 post. The last time shown on the tape is 9:02:23 which would translate to 9:04:24 real time. Mr. Irwin can be heard on tape at that time saying "go, go, go." It was suggested that the staking could not be completed if Mr. Irwin was spurring Mr. Botel on to hurry in this manner. It was suggested that the staking could not have been completed before 9:04:24 and would likely have been completed some time afterwards. There was discussion about whether it would have taken thirty seconds or five seconds to complete the inscription, there being an apparent misunderstanding on the part of Mr. Girones regarding what would be inscribed on the #1 post at completion. Mr. Irwin was not familiar with staking requirements in this regard. The completion time for Mr. Botel's staking was 9:04:11, according to his application to record.
Mr. Maciejewski described events on the evening prior to and on opening day. On May 31, 2002, he was at home when Mr. Irwin showed up and stayed for dinner. It was Mr. Irwin's first staking rush and Mr. Maciejewski was explaining matters to him. Mr. Desmeules did show up, but questioning concerned where Mr. Maciejewski was going to stake and whether he would be using his large boat with the 200 horsepower motor. Mr. Maciejewski did not disclose his location nor the type of boat he was using. Mr. Maciejewski stated that he did not synchronize his watch with Mr. Desmeules, that he never synchronized his watch with anyone.
Prior to staking, Mr. Maciejewski went out onto the water with depth finders so that he could guage how to maneuver during staking and ensure that he could use his larger boat. He also rehearsed his positions from his #1 and 2 posts to his #3 and 4 posts and back again.
On staking day, Mr. Danny Strilchuk was his helper, whose sole job it was to hold the boat and to push him off from his locations. Mr. Maciejewski stated that he started at 9 o'clock using his watch for time. Mr. Maciejewski contradicted Mr. Kehoe's testimony that he was on the two-way radio with Mr. Desmeules, pointing out that none of his three witnesses heard Mr. Desmeules speaking on the radio from the Gagnon/Botel location. He suggested that the only time Mr. Desmeules could have been speaking with Mr. Kehoe was from inside the boat, which would have been after staking had commenced. Mr. Maciejewski suggested that the words heard are "go, go, go."
Under cross-examination, Mr. Girones referred to and questioned Mr. Maciejewski's evidence that he and Mr. Strilchuk were not working for Goldcorp. This was clarified. Apparently, the terms of their contracted services with Goldcorp did not include staking services, which allowed them to act independently. Mr. Maciejewski maintained that he was not working in cooperation with Mr. Strilchuk, but neither was he working against him.
Mr. Maciejewski reiterated that he never synchronized his watch with Mr. Strilchuk, but after repeatedly attempting to gain a concession from him, with reference to the Provincial Mining Recorder's decision, Mr. Maciejewski agreed that he had stated at that initial hearing that he and Mr. Strilchuk had indeed checked to see whether their times were close. This had been done the day before at the Goldcorp Exploration offices. They did not see each other's watches, nor did they focus on the minute and second. It was just a casual conversation. Mr. Maciejewski stated that he further checked his watch that evening with Bell Expressvu and got it as close as he could to within a second. He maintained that he had done this alone, and not in the presence of Mr. Desmeules. The necessary adjustment might have been as little as a minute and as great as two minutes.
Mr. Strilchuk stated that he staked his claim some distance from the others described in this hearing. He commenced his staking at 9 a.m. and marked his posts in accordance with the configuration of the lands which had come open. He was essentially following the old lines. His location was that of the #2 post and all the rest of the posts were witnessed. He didn't see anyone else staking the lands in question.
As far as setting his watch was concerned, Mr. Strilchuk stated that he always sets his watch with the CBC's broadcast of the Dominion Observatory Official Time Signal at noon in Red Lake. He could not recall much about the day before staking, but he did recall checking his watch, which is something he always does before staking. He could not recall whether he had to make any adjustments. At that time, he had no GPS unit against which to check his watch. However, Mr. Strilchuk did believe he used a GPS to find his location, but the time function on it didn't work. Mr. Strilchuk could not recall his evidence before the Provincial Mining Recorder, having been on the telephone for that matter for four hours.
Under cross-examination, Mr. Strilchuk confirmed that he did do some assessment work on his mining claim, but maintained that it was not under dispute at the time he performed and filed the work. In the end, it did not matter, because the amount of assessment work performed would have been insufficient for the first two units of prescribed assessment work. Mr. Strilchuk confirmed that Mr. Maciejewski had filled out the form which bears his signature, the reason being that they had performed the work together, using an instrument Mr. Maciejewski had provided. This line of questioning was challenged, given that some of it dealt with Mr. Maciejewski's assessment work report and the questions had not been put to him. Mr. Girones explained that his intent was not to impugn Mr. Strilchuk's or Mr. Maciejewski's credibility through these documents but to demonstrate the degree to which they had coordinated their efforts in relation to these two mining claims and generally in doing contract work for Goldcorp.
Mr. Strilchuk recalled that the synchronization of watches issue did come up before the Provincial Mining Recorder, Mr. Denomme, apparently having been reflected in the notes of Mr. Meunier's observer, Mr. Fenato. Mr. Meunier had insisted that either Mr. Maciejewski or Mr. Strilchuk had stated that they had synchronized their watches, but Mr. Maciejewski had maintained that this was not the case. Mr. Denomme apparently had do go back and listen to his recording to determine what had been said. There was disagreement as to whether the replaying of his tape took place in open court or whether Mr. Denomme merely listened to it on his own through an earpiece and stated what he heard. Mr. Denomme didn't deal with this exact point in his findings, although apparently he did indicate that he heard evidence to the effect initially that the two gentlemen had synchronized their watches to the second and later that they did not synchronize but just confirmed that they were close. Apparently, in his actual findings, he found that Mr. Maciejewski had synchronized his watch to Bell Expressvu the day before. He also found that any link between Mr. Maciejewski's and Mr. Strilchuk's commencement time would be hard to substantiate without direct evidence.
After some discussion on whether Mr. Meunier could be called as Mr. Maciejewski's witness and whether he could be treated as a hostile witness, Mr. Meunier was called. The questioning centred on what took place at the hearing before Mr. Denomme. Mr. Maciejewski maintained that Mr. Meunier had raised the point that Messers. Maciejewski and Strilchuk had synchronized their watches. Mr. Denomme was persuaded to review his tape recording, for which he had earphones. After some time, Mr. Denomme apparently turned to Mr. Maciejewski and told him that he had indeed said that he had synchronized watches with Mr. Strilchuk. Mr. Maciejewski maintained that the outcome had been the opposite and that Mr. Meunier had apologized for making a mistake. Mr. Meunier was cognizant of the fact that this was a key issue to winning the entire area claimed by him, as otherwise he would have no priority over Mr. Strilchuk's claim. He stated that there had been no apology made and that there had been no mistake made. There was some discussion as to whether this matter arose from what had been written down by Mr. Fenato. Mr. Maciejewski maintained that Mr. Denomme stated that Mr. Maciejewski had spoken the truth and Mr. Meunier stated that anyone could make a mistake. Mr. Meunier vehemently denied that this took place.
The time and manner in which Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Strilchuk set their time keeping for the staking rush of June 1, 2002 has been made central to this appeal by Mr. Girones, counsel on behalf of Mr. Meunier. The evidence is conflicting. Also, much has been made by Mr. Maciejewski of what was said before the Provincial Mining Recorder, Mr. Denomme, and the unavailability of the recording he used for that hearing.
It was reiterated at the hearing itself that the hearing of an appeal to the Commissioner pursuant to clause 113(a) of the Mining Act is a new hearing, with evidence to be heard as if for the first time. Such recordings as may exist, made by the Provincial Mining Recorder are regarded as his own notes, effectively an aide to memory. The fact that the recording is no longer available, even to Mr. Denomme himself, underscores the problem in seeking to rely on something which does not form part of the record.
Much confusion can be and in this case has been created because of this attempted reliance on the evidence given before Mr. Denomme. In fact, the evidence about that evidence has taken on a life of its own and is seen as playing a central role to Mr. Maciejewski's case. There is not only disagreement as to whatever Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Strilchuk said in evidence before Mr. Denomme. Now, there is further disagreement on how that disagreement played out before Mr. Denomme. He apparently went back through his recording to find the evidence in question. Everyone agreed to this fact. However, there was disagreement as to whether Mr. Denomme's tape or digital recording could only be heard by him through an earphone or whether everyone present at that hearing could hear the replay. Then, the outcome was also in dispute, with Mr. Meunier maintaining that Mr. Denomme stated to Mr. Maciejewski that he did in fact state that he had synchronized his watch to the second with Mr. Strilchuk. Mr. Maciejewski on the other hand remembers things quite differently, namely that Mr. Denomme agreed that he had been right, and that Mr. Meunier apologized and stated that anyone could make a mistake. Mr. Denomme does not make a finding of fact on this precise issue, so that the tribunal is at the very least, unable to note either his reasoning or observations as to the demeanor of the parties.
This issue was either already known to the parties at the time they appeared before Mr. Denomme or it has since become very clear that the only evidence which would tie the timing of Mr. Strilchuk's staking to that of Mr. Maciejewski, and therefore potentially put the Strilchuk Mining Claim in jeopardy, is the evidence that their watches were synchronized to the second.
There is no available recording of this evidence, and if there were, the Provincial Mining Recorder would be perfectly within his rights to deny access, as it was created for his personal use.
For different reasons, the tribunal would be reluctant to call Mr. Denomme as a witness in this matter. As the adjudicator, his decision is intended to speak for itself. No adjudicator is required to appear before an appellate tribunal or court and answer for any omissions made in a decision. This is a fundamental principle of adjudication, where a party can appeal a decision, but not make the decision maker a witness or a party to the proceeding.
What complicates the matter here is the "new hearing" provision which can confuse matters. A hearing took place. Someone disagrees with the result. They appeal. It is hard for the inexperienced or unrepresented to remove themselves from what took place at that initial hearing. Moreover, it is a fact that observing the witnesses in giving their evidence at an initial hearing is the best way in which to assess their demeanor and obtain the earliest and best recollection of events. It also enables the decision-maker to make findings as to credibility of the witnesses, where that is an issue.
In the re-hearing situation, it is a second go for the parties. They can introduce new evidence and new witnesses, which clearly was done by both Mr. Meunier and Mr. Maciejewski. They are afforded certain additional protections by way of the Statutory Powers Procedure Act, although common law rules of fairness and natural justice will apply to those proceedings before the Provincial Mining Recorder, even with the comparative lack of formality.
In the end, the tribunal does not think that much turns on what took place before the Provincial Mining Recorder nor on what actually took place between Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Strilchuk. Logically speaking, if the two gentlemen did synchronize their watches "to the second" on the morning or afternoon before staking, each of their watches would have to remain untouched from that time forward. For Mr. Strilchuk, he did not recall the time when he and Mr. Maciejewski "checked their watches", but according to Mr. Maciejewski, it had been the morning. If Mr. Strilchuk then synchronized his watch with the CBC Dominion Observatory Time Signal, the purported "synchronization to the second" with Mr. Maciejewski would have been overridden. The evidence for Mr. Maciejewski is that either he synchronized his watch with Mr. Desmeules or he synchronized it alone with Bell Expressvu. If either case is accepted, again, his actions with Mr. Strilchuk become irrelevant, as they would not be operating within the exact time frame. Indeed, when one considers the evidence surrounding the Botel staking, where both Mr. Gagne and Mr. Botel were operating within the same time frames, it adds further weight to the likelihood that Mr. Maciejewski either did not synchronize his watch with anyone or if he did, that only his watch malfunctioned. Otherwise, there is no reasonable explanation for why Mr. Desmeules was operating within the correct time frames as was Mr. Botel.
Evidence of early staking
The tribunal finds that the best evidence available to establish what took place on the morning of June 1, 2002 in Rahill Bay is the videotape made on Mr. Pye's camcorder by the Meunier team. The videotape captured activities in the immediate proximity to the Meunier and Lamothe staking, as well as the more powerful boat owned and operated by Mr. Maciejewski, both entering and taking off from the next small bay. Unfortunately, the video was cut off at the end, prior to commencement of Mr. Meunier's staking. The tribunal does not find that there is anything untoward in this having occurred as the very important evidence was already captured for all to see some seconds earlier.
Of primary importance to this appeal is the establishment and recording of "local time" through the use of Mr. Pye's hand-held GPS unit and camcorder. The tribunal accepts the evidence of Mr. Pye in regards to the two devices, particularly in the face of subsequent damage incurred by both pieces of equipment, which had potential to undermine their reliability. That the camcorder no longer works is irrelevant. However, notwithstanding that the GPS unit had been run over, it was shown to initialize and display local time. The tribunal was able to confirm this itself at the hearing in Thunder Bay by comparison with the CBC Radio Dominion Observatory Time Signal at noon and observed a difference of one second. Given the insignificance of a second, the tribunal finds that it could readily be explained by a certain delay in reaction time rather than a difference in the time shown and is not considered material to establishment of the relevant facts in this case.
The tribunal finds that the GPS unit used on June 1, 2002 and captured on the videotape showed the accurate time. The videotape shows time elapsed in the upper right hand corner. The tribunal accepts the evidence of the operator, Mr. Burke, that aside from the initial glitch, nothing interfered with his taping and the video shown represents what was taped by him. There is no evidence of tampering on the tape, the time display shown is clearly sequential and the tribunal is prepared to accept it as an unbroken record of what was captured on the tape.
At between 5:59 and 6:03 elapsed VCR time, the videotape captures the GPS unit held by Mr. Pye, showing "local time". The VCR elapsed and "local times" correspond as follows: At 5:59 VCR time, it is 8:54:41 a.m. "local time". At 6:03 VCR time, it is 8:54:45 a.m. "local time".
The tribunal finds that "local time" has been established in reference to the VCR time and can be relied upon for proof of ensuing events. However tedious it might be to extrapolate these available figures, all events observed on the tape correspond to a VCR time elapsed figure [or more accurately a range, as the events or words spoken take place over a period of several seconds] and can be established on the basis of "local time".
The reference to "local time" is related to the time shown on the GPS unit. Based upon the evidence presented at the hearing by Dr. Bradley, and experiential evidence of several of the witnesses, "local time" also corresponds with the noon or one o'clock CBC radio Dominion Observatory Time Signal and with the time display on satellite TV.
The tribunal noted that there was one instance when there was cross-over between the times used by Mr. Meunier's team and those of Mr. Desmeules. At 7:37 VCR elapsed time corresponding with 8:56:19 a.m. "local time", Mr. Desmeules can be heard speaking over the radio, effectively saying that it is 8:56:13 a.m. Mr. Kehoe repeats this at 7:39 VCR elapsed time which corresponds with 8:56:19 a.m., adding the words, "is his time". Mr. Kehoe's phrase is finished at 7:43 VCR elapsed time, which is 8:56:25 a.m. "local time". Mr. Pye then reported at 7:45 VCR elapsed time that his GPS unit showed 8:56:25 a.m., which corresponds with 8:56:25 a.m. "local time" extrapolated from the earlier coordination of GPS and local time. Again, the tribunal is satisfied that any discrepancy in the comparative times between Mr. Desmeules and that of the Meunier teams is insignificant. Undoubtedly, there may be a few seconds error, but much more time is observed elapsing due to the saying.
At 10:24 VCR time, corresponding with 8:59:06 a.m., a voice can be heard calling attention to someone. The tribunal finds that this is the voice of Mr. Desmeules speaking with Mr. Kehoe pointing out that Mr. Maciejewski is moving from his #1 post. In the ensuing moments, there is some confusion or perhaps merely reaction in the Meunier/Lamothe staking teams as they look up to see what is going on. The camcorder is focused on the next bay at approximately 10:29 VCR time, corresponding with 8:59:11 a.m. local time, when Mr. Maciejewski's boat is seen at the mouth of the next bay. Over the ensuing few seconds, he is seen on the tape taking off, with someone yelling that he is moving at 10:31 VCR time corresponding with 8:59:13 a.m. local time.
Mr. Maciejewski was observed by a number of witnesses and seen on the videotape made on Mr. Pye's camcorder, leaving his #1 post and #2 witness post and had moved his boat out into the Bay beyond the small inlet at around 50 seconds before 9 a.m. The tribunal finds that it accepts this as a fact, based upon the videotape evidence and the viva voce evidence of a number of witnesses. With approximately one minute being required to inscribe those posts and time to push off and move the boat into visibility in Rayhill Bay, it would mean that Mr. Maciejewski started his staking up to two minutes before the lands came open. Although it was not even suggested or discussed at the hearing, Mr. Maciejewski's staking appears to have coincided with one of the breaks in the Irwin videotape, when the camcorder was either turned off or the sequence was edited out.
The tribunal finds that Mr. Maciejewski commenced staking before 9 a.m. local daylight saving time. It is true that his misstep was recorded and calculated to be in the order of two minutes prior to opening time. The tribunal notes that Mr. Maciejewski raised the issue of whether he staked using tags. He did not give evidence that he did or did not use tags, but his application to record indicates that he did not use tags. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to assume that the inscriptions of his #1 and #2 witness posts took approximately the same amount of time as those of Mr. Botel, which can be calculated from the Irwin videotape. With the time it took to become visible in the bay, the tribunal finds that Mr. Maciejewski commenced his staking at 8:58 a.m. local time.
Time lands open for staking
The legislation provides that lands come open for staking at 8 a.m. standard time [see subsections 70(7), (8), (9), 72.1(2), 76(4) and 197(7)]. The actual day lands may come open will depend on the circumstances, but in this case, lands came open for staking pursuant to subsection 197(7), being at 8 a.m. standard time on June 1, 2002, having been published in the Ontario Gazette during the month preceding opening.
The Time Act , R.S.O. 1990, c. T9 provides as follows:
Where an expression of time occurs in any Act , proclamation, regulation, order in council, rule, order, by-law, agreement, deed or other instrument, heretofore or hereafter enacted, made or executed, or where any hour or other point in time is stated either orally or in writing, or any question as to time arises, the time referred to or intended shall, unless it is otherwise specifically stated, be held to be the time in effect as provided by this Act .
(1) Standard time in the part of Ontario that lies east of the meridian of 90° W. longitude shall be reckoned as five hours behind Greenwich time.
Standard time in the part of Ontario that lies west of the meridian of 90° W. longitude shall be reckoned as six hours behind Greenwich time.
Daylight saving time shall be reckoned as one hour ahead of standard time.
The time established by legislation for lands coming open for staking is 8 a.m. local standard time and 9 a.m. local daylight saving time. The tribunal could find nothing comparable in any laws outside of mining to the dual requirements within the Mining Act of an opening time coupled with competition for earliest completion. The earliest completion time is a relatively new aspect to the law in Ontario, having been enacted in 1989 and become effective in 1990. Nonetheless, it offers unique challenges which have become more complicated with the advent of portable technology. These portable technologies have allowed for an exact determination of local time through GPS and the recording of events as they occur through hand-held digital or video recorders.
Prior to the readily availability of portable GPS units, a staker would have relied on a wristwatch which was likely synchronized with the CBC Radio Dominion Observatory Time Signal to note the time of his or her staking. There are no reported cases in this or other Canadian jurisdictions where unsynchronized starting times of the stakers who are within visible range of one another was an issue. There are cases where activities associated with staking which were commenced prior to the lands coming open disqualified the stakings. It is assumed that groups of stakers would have agreed to a start time if they were working from a common location. Since 1990, if they were not working from a common location, the absolute "local time" would have been irrelevant and the time elapsed would have been of paramount importance.
With the rise of readily available technology, stakers in a competitive situation must be absolutely certain of how to mark "local time". The use of a camcorder or now digital recorder along with a hand-held GPS can both ensure that a staking is in compliance with mandated opening rules just as easily as they can be used to prove that a staker commenced staking prior to when the lands came open for staking. "Local time" is no longer an abstract construct but real and readily verified through technology. Perhaps the only way around being held to account by the technology is to obtain an agreement in advance of all wishing to stake in the vicinity that they will synchronize their start times. What becomes clear, however, is that any lack of cooperation in this regard will require that all concerned make use of the available technology, which is inexpensive but by no means cheap, and may be cumbersome to operate in a rush situation. The alternative is to risk being captured on tape leaving ahead of opening time with GPS confirming local time.
As to the illustration by Mr. Maciejewski in the hearing room that everyone's watches shown a different time, with discrepancies of five or so minutes at the extremes, the tribunal finds that this illustration was irrelevant. A better illustration of what could occur and go wrong would have required a synchronization of watches within the room to satellite time and a return to compare watches some 24 hours later. This wasn't done. However, the most this exercise could have shown was that watches will not remain synchronized over time, had that been the result. It would also have pinpointed those individuals whose watches were problematic. It does not thing to prove or disprove the matters at issue.
Maciejewski staking
The tribunal has deliberated at some length on Mr. Maciejewski's actions surrounding his commencement of staking. In whatever manner he might have set up his time, it does not seem possible that he would have deliberately commenced prior to 9 a.m. There was evidence given at the hearing concerning other stakings involving Pine Island which are alleged to have taken place prior to those lands coming open, but the evidence was scant and no finding by this tribunal as to a pattern of conduct could be made.
The tribunal found believable and accepted Mr. Maciejewski's assertions that he had every advantage working for him in the staking. His was apparently the most powerful boat on the water that morning. He had a helper to push off his boat. There was no evidence to suggest that his completion time was not four minutes and two seconds after he started, compared with four minutes and twenty-three seconds for Mr. Meunier. Mr. Maciejewski convinced the tribunal that it would have been ludicrous for him to cheat under these circumstances.
Due to issues of credibility which arose in connection with both Mr. Botel's and Mr. Irwin's evidence, the effect of calling these witnesses in the end result has been to harm the credibility of Mr. Maciejewski. The evidence of Messrs. Irwin, Botel and Gilled introduced on behalf of Mr. Maciejewski was an attempt to throw doubt onto the time which he very obviously commenced his staking. Tied into this issue of commencement of staking was whether or not it was Mr. Desmeules speaking on the radio with Mr. Kehoe. Mr. Gilles' evidence actually was not particularly useful, as he is found to have been too far from the action to have been able to clearly observe whether Mr. Desmeules was indeed speaking into a radio.
The Irwin tape made of the Botel staking commenced at 8:32:59 a.m. and ended at 8:33:06 a.m. It started up again at 8:38:59 a.m. and ran until 8:39:26 a.m. It started again at 8:55:41 a.m. and ran until 8:56:19 a.m. It was during this last clip that Mr. Irwin taped his watch, showing the two minute disparity, so that his watch was shown at 8:57:53 and 8:57:54 a.m. corresponding with 8:55:53 a.m. on the tape. There is nothing further taped until the final 20 seconds or so countdown commencing at 8:57:41 a.m. on the tape corresponding with 8:59:41 and 8:59:42 a.m. on Mr. Irwin's watch.
The tribunal is able to accept that Mr. Irwin turned his tape off and on one half hour before staking. It frankly finds it more difficult to comprehend why Mr. Irwin would have turned off the tape after showing his watch in the two to three minutes before commencement of staking, particularly when continuity of taping would be very important at this point. What is most disturbing, however, is that the time which would have corresponded to the very excited and notable observations at the Meunier location heard on the Pye tape that Mr. Maciejewski was leaving early are not on the heavily edited or selectively presented Irwin tape. Moreover, Mr. Desmeules was located within close proximity to Mr. Irwin and could be heard yelling on the Pye tape that "Tony" was on the move. Mr. Desmeules instructed Mr. Kehoe not to move yet. Mr. Irwin purportedly didn't hear this, even though Mr. Desmeules' voice has been identified by Mr. Kehoe and is heard quite clearly on the Pye videotape. How could Mr. Irwin not have heard?
The omission of this key interlude on the Irwin videotape strikes the tribunal as very self-serving and is regarded as misleading. It frankly requires a suspension of belief that Mr. Irwin and Mr. Botel didn't see Mr. Maciejewski's boat take off and didn't hear Mr. Desmeules shouting about it.
In a prior segment of the Irwin tape, 8:55:41 a.m. to 8:56:19 a.m., the camera is panned over the staking teams. There are several boats shown in the immediate vicinity, including one immediately adjacent and what appears to be one or two some distance off. It is unclear whether the near boat is that of Mr. Desmeules, as the person in that boat is not wearing the same colourful clothing observed earlier on the tape as being worn by Mr. Desmeules when he introduced himself. Similarly, the viewer must look through some scrub and trees to see the two other boats.
In being faced with two witnesses at or near the water's edge who state that they didn't hear Mr. Desmeules on the radio, they didn't see Mr. Maciejewski's boat take off and the videotape of one was either conveniently turned off or more likely under the circumstances spliced out, the tribunal finds that this evidence, taken collectively, this evidence defies believability.
Based upon the disturbing evidence of selectively taping on the Irwin video, where a key piece of evidence is conveniently missing from the tape, based upon the clearly audible voice on the Pye videotape which has been identified both by Mr. Desmeules and Mr. Kehoe as having been that of Mr. Desmeules, and based upon the testimony of both those gentlemen, the tribunal finds that it prefers the evidence of Mr. Desmeules, Pye and Kehoe over that of Messrs. Gilles, Botel and Irwin as to Mr. Desmeules having been on the radio during the time leading up to the staking rush. The tribunal also finds that the evidence of Messrs. Botel and Irwin that they did not see Mr. Maciejewski taking off before they commenced their staking is not believable in the circumstances.
As stated above, these findings also damage the credibility of Mr. Maciejewski. The tribunal has had occasion to observe Mr. Maciejewski and his demeanor throughout the hearing. Taken alone, the tribunal found itself willing to attribute considerable credibility to what he said. However, it has done considerable damage to his case to introduce witnesses who dispute what is clearly shown and heard on the Pye videotape. It would be quite another matter had Mr. Maciejewski's actions not been captured on videotape along with the sound of Mr. Desmeules speaking with Mr. Kehoe.
Despite its willingness to accord a high degree of credibility to Mr. Maciejewski, it did find him hard to pin down on a number of points and perhaps protecting his relationship with behind the scene interests. He was impossible to pin down as to whether he worked for Goldcorp in general, had understaking the staking on behalf of Goldcorp in particular and the extent to which he was orchestrating the activities of Mr. Strilchuk and Mr. Botel, the latter of whom gave evidence that he had been hired by Mr. Maciejewski. Clearly, there is a great deal of animosity felt in the Red Lake community towards Goldcorp and Mr. Maciejewski wished to distance himself from any perceived alliance with Goldcorp for purposes of this competitive staking.
The tribunal does not have any difficulty in believing that Mr. Maciejewski and others work for Goldcorp on contract, generally. It also does not have difficulty in finding that he was not under contract from Goldcorp to stake these lands. However, it has no doubt in finding that his intention was to orchestrate the staking of his own Mining Claim and that of Mr. Strilchuk and Mr. Botel to be offered up to Goldcorp. In the end, there is no doubt for the tribunal that Mr. Maciejewski is profoundly private and guards his privacy in a town where loyalties in general and with Goldcorp in particular can be problematic for individuals. Whether he was working for the ultimate interests of Goldcorp or himself have nothing to do with the validity of Mr. Maciejewski's staking.
Taking the issue of credibility further, the tribunal finds that it prefers the evidence of Mr. Desmeules over that of Mr. Maciejewski and Mr. Irwin as to what took place on the evening before the staking rush. Mr. Desmeules introduced an element of doubt as to the occasion when Mr. Irwin was even present. Mr. Maciejewski sought to discount every fact in evidence presented, most particularly the evidence of Mr. Desmeules or others' reference to Mr. Desmeules. It could be, under most circumstances, a highly effective strategy, given the passage of considerable time. However, what Mr. Maciejewski has failed to do is discount the value of the Pye videotape which clearly shows his boat taking off prior to opening time or at the very least, opening time according to, when the Botel/Gagnon-Desmeules stakings are taken into account, four other staking teams.
In this regard, the evidence introduced on behalf of Mr. Maciejewski failed to persuade the tribunal that what was seen and obvious from the Pye videotape did not take place. While Mr. Maciejewski' has not persuaded the tribunal that the commencement of his staking did not take place prior to opening time, it must also conclude that there is no basis upon which to make a finding that Mr. Maciejewski's actions were deliberate or that he intended to commence his staking prior to the time when the lands came open.
The tribunal is convinced that Mr. Maciejewski was not acting out of a desire to deceive and in fact may have confused this particular occasion with Mr. Desmeules with another, as there appear to have been more than one occasion when Mr. Desmeules came calling prior to staking.
The tribunal concludes that Mr. Maciejewski commenced his staking prior to the lands coming open, but cannot go so far as to conclude that he deliberately planned to commence his staking prior to opening. From all appearances, his watch failed him and did not keep the correct time. This appears to have been a technical glitch, and albeit an unfortunate one. The tribunal agrees with Mr. Maciejewski that there would have been nothing to gain from leaving early.
If Mr. Maciejewski's actions were not deliberate, then should special consideration be given to his absolute time of four minutes and two seconds or should commencement prior to the "local time" set for opening be fatal to the staking? Should the provisions of section 121, namely that each decision of the Commissioner be on the real merits and substantial justice of the case, be brought to bear in this situation?
There is nothing comparable from which to draw an analogy to this situation. Hunting and fishing season cases do not offer assistance. The thought of any kind of race comes to mind, although for the most part, contestants leave from one location, such as a foot race, cross-country ski race, bicycle or even sailing. Where they don't and speed is the issue, their start time is clocked, so that simultaneous start times is not an issue. It seems clear that someone starting a foot race is either disqualified or the entire race must start anew. In a competitive staking situation, starting again is not an option.
The importance of the sanctity of the time lands come open for staking is one of profound importance to the Mining Act . The tribunal can think of no better reference to this treatment than what was quoted by Mr. Denomme in his decision in this matter, referring to page 371 of Leach v. Wilson 5 M.C.C 368, where Commissioner Ferguson stated:
The sanctity of the time of opening for staking has been paramount for many years and nothing but confusion could arise if there were and permitted variations of such time. Adherence to the time of opening for staking is crucial to the entire staking system and there can be no modification of the basic requirement of not commencing to stake prior to the time that the lands come open.
The tribunal finds that, based upon the real merits and substantial justice of this case, no weight can be given to Mr. Maciejewski's absolute staking time, namely that from start to finish, his staking took less time than that of Mr. Meunier. The sanctity of the start time is a fundamental corner stone of staking in Ontario and as such, prior commencement will invalidate the claim. With the advent of technologies, stakers take considerable risk in the competitive situation if they do not adhere to a system to commence their staking time which cannot be disputed. Examples include use of GPS or synchronization with stakers in the vicinity. Failure to do so may result in being proved to have started prior to the time lands come open for staking. It defies comprehension that a staker, whose commencement is captured on video tape and who clearly has started before the others, could be allowed to keep his mining claim. That is the case here.
The tribunal finds that the Maciejewski Mining Claim must be cancelled as staking commenced prior to the time when the lands came open for staking. The tribunal finds on the fact in this case that Mr. Maciejewski commenced his staking at approximately 8:58:06 a.m. or earlier, before the lands came open for staking. As such, the recording of his Mining Claim must be cancelled.
Strilchuk Mining Claim
The best evidence that the tribunal has with respect to the setting of the time by Mr. Strilchuk is that he did so according to the CBC Dominion Observatory Time Signal. The tribunal does not accept the submission of Mr. Girones that it would defy comprehension for Mr. Strilchuk not to have synchronized his watch with Mr. Maciejewski to the second. Why should he have? They were not staking from the same or even near locations. Mr. Strilchuk was located further east and south.
There is actually no reason for Mr. Strilchuk to have synchronized his watch with anyone except available technology. If the fact that there was some sort of cooperation between Messrs Strilchuk and Botel should be regarded as of greater importance, and particularly since it is Mr. Botel's evidence that he was hired by Mr. Maciejewski, then it would follow that Mr. Botel too would have synchronized his watch "to the second" with Mr. Maciejewski and as a result would have commenced his staking early. All evidence from the Botel and Gagne/Desmeules location is that their watches were more or less in sync. The most which can be concluded from the apparent facts is that Mr. Maciejewski's watch malfunctioned. That of Mr. Strilchuk did not.
The tribunal has been persuaded and is satisfied that Mr. Strilchuk synchronized his watch with available technology. It is not persuaded that Mr. Strilchuk and Mr. Maciejewski did in fact synchronize their watches "to the second" the day before, nor is it convinced that there was any reason for doing so.
The tribunal finds that the appeal from the decision of the Provincial Mining Recorder to allow the Strilchuk Mining Claim to be recorded should be dismissed as there is no evidence that this staking was not commenced at the proper time.
Botel Mining Claim
The tribunal added Mr. Botel as a party to the hearing. In retrospect, the original dispute was not against the Botel Mining Claim and owing to the less than fulsome notice given to Mr. Botel and Goldcorp with respect to the Botel Mining Claim, this may have been an error. It is certainly one which is made without notice and without hearing submissions of the parties affected, Botel and Goldcorp, within the meaning of section 117. As such, the tribunal finds that it has reconsidered the adding of the whole Botel Mining Claim to be an issue in this case. Although Goldcorp, as current recorded holder of this mining claim has received initial notice, it has not been provided with notice that the entire mining claim might be subject to cancellation. Despite it having been expedient at the time to continue the hearing, the tribunal is of the opinion that it does not have jurisdiction to raise the question of the Botel staking in this manner and at this time.
That having being said, the tribunal has considerable concerns about the Botel staking. Although the Irwin videotape was cut and spliced, the times shown on the video which are found to be accurate.
The Irwin tape is problematic in that it was turned off and on and in the camera was left on a seat in the boat marking the passage of time during the staking without recording any action after the initial marking of posts. What is clear is that Mr. Botel commenced staking at 9 a.m. on Mr. Irwin's watch, which corresponded with 8:58 a.m. on the tape.
Despite the camera having assumed to be off, one can glean what is taking place. One can tell when the boat is running and when it is stationary. It took off from what is taken to be the #3 witness and #4 post locations at 9: 01:33 a.m. VCR time, corresponding with 9:03:33 a.m. local time. At the time when the staking was purportedly completed, being 9:04:11 a.m., the boat was still running and stopped at 9:02:14 a.m. VCR time, corresponding with 9:04:14 a.m. The tape only runs to 9:02:22 a.m. VCR time but Mr. Irwin can be heard urging Mr. Botel to "go, go go". This corresponds with 9:04:23 a.m. local time.
The tribunal finds that it concurs that the staking was not completed when the tape ended or was deliberately cut off at what was 9:04:23 a.m. local time. As such, in competition with Mr. Meunier's staking, which overlaps with the Botel staking by a small amount, the tribunal finds that the Botel staking was not completed prior to the Meunier staking which was completed at 9:04:23 a.m. local time.
The tribunal concludes that the Meunier staking was completed before that of Botel, despite what is shown on the application to record. It will direct the Provincial Mining Recorder to order that Mr. Botel move his #1 and #2 witness posts to coincide with those of Mr. Meunier.
The Meunier Mining Claim will be ordered recorded, but only insofar as it does not overlap with the Strilchuk Mining Claim. That portion of the Meunier Mining Claim which overlaps with the Botel Mining Claim will be awarded to Mr. Meunier. The east boundary Botel Mining Claim will be ordered to be amended so that the overlap is shown to belong to the Meunier Mining Claim.
Pursuant to subsection 129(2), this Order will take effect on 21st day of April, 2006 as the western portion of the lands covered by the Maciejewski Mining Claim will come open for staking once the Order is effective. Since there is open ground, this will provide the parties with a reasonable opportunity to competitively stake that ground should they so wish.
Time during which this matter has been under appeal will be excluded from the Strilchuk Mining Claim. Time during between its filing and the effective date of this Order will be excluded from the Meunier Mining Claim.
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PiMezon
by Mark Monforti | Mar 2, 2019 | Featured Artist Bio, Featured Artists
Pi Mezon is a Finnish progressive rock/metal band from Eastern Finland, from a town called Joensuu. It was originally founded by guitarist/composer Ilja Koslonen (Serpenthia, Systematic Sickness Kin) back in 2007 after he has fallen in love with such bands as Porcupine Tree and Pain of Salvation and their unique way of creating big emotions in an interesting musical form. At first, Pi Mezon was one man project as Koslonen tried out new musical ideas that haven’t been possible to carry out with his other bands. It took him about a year to put the right pieces together and the idea of a concept album was born. Years passed and the idea kept developing in the background while Koslonen was concentrating on other musical activities. In spring of 2011 things took a leap forward when Koslonen needed a singer and drummer for his school project which consisted of three songs he had written under the name of Pi Mezon. He decided to ask his friends Jarkko Maula and Sami Ratilainen (Cult of Endtime, Inharmonic) to this task. Both were excited about the songs and afterwards they were talks about recording the full-length album that Koslonen had in his mind. Yet the time wasn’t right… The production of the album really got started in 2013 when Koslonen began to build the basis by recording synths and guitars at his home studio. He made some changes to earlier ideas and added a couple of new songs to complete the concept to it’s full potential. But again, other activities prolonged the process and finally in fall of 2016 the band decided to finish the album by recording the drums, vocals and rest of the instruments within the next few months. Koslonen finished the mixing process late spring of 2017 and the album, ‘A Lone’ was ready to be released in July 7th 2017. ‘A Lone’ has been praised by it’s catchy, melancholic melodies, while the instrumentation and arrangements offer unconventional viewpoints to curious listeners. Band’s lyrical approach is deeply emotional completing the musical journey that is Pi Mezon. Right now Pi Mezon is concentrating to play live shows in Finland, but the main aim is reaching wider audiences all around the world. The next album is also almost written and its production will start sometime in next year
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Human Rights League: The Somaliland Government Must Respect International Human Rights Treaties and International Law October 15, 2017
Posted by OromianEconomist in Horn of Africa Affairs, Uncategorized.
Tags: Africa, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa, Human rights, Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa, Oromia, Oromo, Somaliland
The Somaliland Government Must Respect International Human Rights Treaties and International Law
HRLHA’s Appeal
Appeal To: The President of Somaliland
The Honorable Ahmed M. Mohamoud Silanyo
E-mail: mopa@somalilandgov.com
Your Excellency,
First of all, the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) would like to express its appreciation to the people of the Republic of Somaliland and to its government for their hospitality and kindness towards thousands of Oromo refugees and asylum seekers who have fled their homes to escape government persecutions in Ethiopia. Since the TPLF Government came to power, thousands of Oromo nationals have run away from arbitrary detentions, degrading tortures and violent killings in Oromia to save their lives by seeking refuge in Somaliland and other neighbouring countries.
However, HRLHA recently received a worrisome and disheartening report that the Somaliland Government security and police forces opened a wide ranging campaign against Oromos living in Hargeeysa, a move meant to expel all Oromo refugees and asylum seekers from Somaliland. According to the Oromo asylum seekers that HRLHA interviewed, the Oromo nationals who lived peacefully in Hargeeysa for many years are under police and security attacks and over 4000 young men and women Oromos have been picked up from their homes and loaded on trucks and sent to the border of Somalia and Ethiopia, near Wichale. In addition, the Oromo asylum seekers also said that there is a wide- ranging hate campaign going on, undertaken against Oromos by the Somali people, which was deliberately instigated by the government and which had resulted in the loss of Oromo lives- two men were killed by police and three children have been burned in their home in Hargeeysa town at a place called Sheeda 23. This deliberate crime was committed against the family of Ahammed Suleyman Musa; his three children, Nuredin Ahammed Suleyman age 6, Salmaa Ahammed Suleyman, age 4, and Imraan Ahammed Suleyman, age 2 were set on fire in their home and burned to death on October 5, 2017 at 9:45 am.
I am sure that your government is well aware of the current political crisis in Ethiopia in general and in Oromia in particular. The regime in Ethiopia has particularly targeted the Oromo nation simply because they have demanded their fundamental rights, and have been expressing their grievances for the past 26 years. In the past four years (2014 to present) of continuous peaceful protest against the authoritarian regime in Ethiopia, the Oromo nation has lost over 3500 brilliant sons and girls at the hand of the killing squads Agazi force- among them, about 700 were murdered in only one to two hrs at the Irrecha Festival on October 2, 2016, tens of thousands have been jailed and other hundreds have been forcefully abducted by the security forces and have essentially disappeared.
HRLHA would also like to bring to your attention that these events have already attracted international attention, including that of Ethiopia’s Western allies. For example, in its 2016 Country Report on Ethiopia, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor acknowledged that:
Ethiopian Security forces used excessive force against protesters throughout the year, killing hundreds and injuring many more. The protests were mainly in Oromia and Amhara regions. At year’s end more than 10,000 persons were believed still to be detained. This included persons detained under the government-declared state of emergency, effective October 8. Many were never brought before a court, provided access to legal counsel, or formally charged with a crime. On June 10, the government-established Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) reported and presented to parliament a summary of its report. The EHRC counted 173 deaths in Oromia, including 28 of security force members and officials, and asserted that security forces used appropriate( appropriate or inappropriate?) force there. The EHRC also asserted Amhara regional state special security had used excessive force against the Kemant community in Amhara Region. On August 13, the international NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported an estimate that security forces killed more than 500 protesters. In October the prime minister stated the deaths in Oromia Region alone “could be more than 500.” The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights requested access to Oromia and Amhara regions, which the government refused. Following dozens of deaths at a religious festival in Bishoftu on October 2, groups committed property damage. On November 9, international NGO Amnesty International reported more than 800 persons were killed since November 2015
The Ethiopian government’s crimes against the Oromo nation were also condemned around the world by governments and government agencies (UN, EU) and human rights organizations. Among those recent reports are:
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
The Long Arm of Ethiopia Reaches for Those Who Fled (Sep 20, 2017)
Ethiopia: Exercise Restraint at Upcoming Festival (Sep 19, 2017)
“Such a Brutal Crackdown”, Killings and arrests in Response to the Oromo ( is a word missing here? ) (June 15, 2016)
Arrest of Respected Politician Escalating Crisis in Ethiopia (January 9, 2016)
Amnesty International (AI)
The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency on 9 October 2016. Protests in Oromia, which later spread to Amhara and other regions, had been ongoing since November 2015.
DEMANDS FOR JUSTICE GREETED WITH REPRESSION
Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA)
The never ending horror against the Oromo nation, Ethiopia is descending into civil war (Sep 9, 2017)
Harrowing accounts of deaths, torture, and inhuman conditions in Ethiopia’s notorious prison (Aug 10, 2017)
The deeply rooted Oromo nation’s grievances require a sustainable solution (July 3, 2017)
The charade of democracy, rule of law, and justice in the Oromo nation in Ethiopia hrlha’s release (June 25, 2017)
USA: Stand Up for Ethiopians as Government Stifles Protests, Jails Journalists (March 9, 2017)
February 9, 2016, John Kirby, spokesperson Daily Press Briefing, Washington, DC on 140 Oromo peaceful protestors killed by Ethiopian Government Security force
21-01-2016, EU Parliament resolution in connection with the killing of 140 Oromo peaceful protesters
21-01-2016, UN experts press release urging Ethiopia to halt a violent crackdown on Oromia protesters, ensure accountability for abuses
Historically, Oromo and Somali nations have a lot in common. They share history, tradition, and language (in some degree), respect each other, and have lived together as nations for over a century. There are thousands of Somaliland- born Somalis live in Oromia right now without fear, especially in the eastern part of Oromia including the capital city Addis Ababa. The Oromo people and Oromia State government embrace them and they live peacefully with their Oromo brothers and sisters. So why is your government targeting the Oromos who came to your country seeking desperate help from your government, looking to be safe from prosecution by the Ethiopian regime?
By killing, deporting and harassing the Oromo refugees and asylum- seekers residing in Somaliland your government is collaborating with the Ethiopian authoritarian regime which is responsible for massacring thousands of Oromos, forcefully disappearing many and jailing others. By collaborating with the Ethiopian regime in killing, deporting and abusing Oromos in Somaliland, your government is violating:
The constitution of Somaliland approved by referendum on 31 May 2001, Foreign Relations article 10 (#1-5) which describes the commitment of Somaliland foreign relations based on the local and international laws.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR); article 14 (1), Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1465 U.N.T.S. 185) Somaliland has an obligation not to return a person to a place where they face torture or ill-treatment. Article 3 of the Convention against Torture provides:
3.1. No state party shall expel, return (“refouler”) or extradite a person to another state where there are substantial grounds to believe that they would be in danger of being subjected to torture.
3.2. For the purpose of determining whether there are such grounds, the competent authorities shall take into account all relevant considerations including, where applicable, the existence in the state concerned of a consistent pattern of gross, flagrant or mass violations of human rights.
Despite the fact that Somaliland declared its independence in 1991, the HRLHA is fully aware that Somaliland is not yet a signatory to international human rights treaties. Even though Somaliland declared its independence in 1991, it has not yet been recognized by the world community as a country separate from Somalia yet. Even though the request of your government for recognition by the World community is still on hold, the Somaliland government still has a duty to respect at least the above mentioned core human rights treaties and international law. Violating them could badly damage the reputation of Somalilad as a state seeking a recognition from the World Community. The HRLHA strongly urges the Government of Somaliland to respect these international human rights treaty obligations and international human rights law for the just-mentioned reasons.
The HRLHA therefore calls upon the international community to act collectively in a timely and decisive manner – through the UN member states- to put pressure on the Somaliland government to abide by the core international human rights, obligations and international law halt the expulsion, return (“refouler”) or extradition of Oromo asylum seekers and refugees to Ethiopia where they could face all sorts of human rights violations , including prison and torture.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please telephone, send an email or airmail letters in English, Somali language or your own language:
– Expressing serious concern about the Oromo and other asylum seekers and refugees, and the human rights violation in Somaliland;
– Demanding assurances that the Oromo and other refugees and asylum seekers will not be returned to the country where their lives will be endangered.
APPEALS TO:
The Honorable Ahmed Mohamoud Silanyo
The President of Somaliland
Saad Ali Shire
E-mail: webmaster@slforeign.com
Tel: +252 (2) 518 458
The HRLHA is a non-political organization that attempts to challenge abuses of human rights of the people of various nations and nationalities in the Horn of Africa. It works to defend fundamental human rights, including freedoms of thought, expression, movement and association. It also works to raise the awareness of individuals about their own basic human rights and those of others. It encourages respect for laws and due process. It promotes the growth and development of a free and vigorous civil society.
Copied To:
UNHCR is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
CH-1211 Genève 2 Dépôt Suisse.
Tel: +41 22 739 8111 (automatic switchboard)
UNHCR – Hergeisa
Kodbur B, Red Sea
Via 10012
Hargeisa, Somaliland, Galbeed region
Tel: +252 828 3843 or 2 527 619
Fax: +252 225 00 06 or 252 213 4501
Email: Havoyoco@hotmail.com
Office of the Ombudsperson
Room DC2 2206
E-mail: ombudsperson@un.org
OHCHR address:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland.
Africa Union (AU)
African Union Headquarters
P.O. Box 3243 | Roosevelt Street (Old Airport Area) | W21K19 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 | Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44
Webmaster: webmaster@africa-union.org
31 Bijilo Annex Layout, Kombo North District
Western Region, P.O. Box 673 Banjul
Tel: (220) 441 05, 05, 441 05 06
The US Department of State
WASHINGTON, D.C. HEADQUARTERS
OFMInfo@state.gov
2201 C Street NW
3507 International Place NW
UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Email: hammondp@parliament.ukDepartmentalStreet,
London, SW1A 2AH
Email: fcocorrespondence@fco.gov.uk
Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)
Enquiries Service (BCI)
Global Affairs Canada
K1A 0G2
Email: Enquiry Service – Online form
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
Her Excellency Margot Wallström
Switchboard: +46 8 405 10 00
Street address: Rosenbad 4
Postal address: SE 103 33 Stockhol
Minister of Foreign Affairs (Norway)
His Excellency BørgeBrende
E-mail: post@mfa.no
Address: 7. juniplassen 1, N-0032 Oslo
OromianEconomist on Oromia: Untwist the Twisted…
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MORNING MINUTE: Texas Family Accused Of Enslaving Their Nigerian Nanny For Two Years
Zon D'Amour
Source: Juanmonino / Getty
Couple Charged with Enslaving Their Nanny
Chudy and Sandra Nsobundu of Katy, Texas have been charged with multiple crimes following their Nigerian nanny’s claims that she’s been enslaved by the couple for the past two years. Initially, the Nsobundu’s agreed to pay the unidentified 38-year-old woman 20,000 Nigerian nairas – $100 U.S. dollars per month, but they’ve never paid the victim for any of her work here in the U.S. She allegedly worked every day from 5:30 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. and was responsible maintaining the cleanliness of the home, cooking every meal and taking care of five children. The criminal complaint alleges she was told she could not watch television or even sit down during her work hours. She was also allegedly told to sleep on the floor and she was not allowed to shower with hot water nor wash her hair. The affidavit also claims that she’s only eaten the scrapes of the family’s left over food. If she wanted milk, the victim reportedly had to strain it from the Nsobundu children’s left over cereal bowls. Authorities say they rescued the woman, who had not been allowed to contact her family, in October 2015 after someone submitted a tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. If convicted of forced labor, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison. Justice.gov
Convicted Murderer Recaptured After Accidental Release
A clerical error caused a convicted murder to be set free in Los Angeles. In 2011, Steven Lawrence Wright, a known gang member of the Altadena Blocc Crips, was convicted in murdering a 47-year-old man who was allegedly apart of a rival gang. In 2014, the conviction was overturned. While Wright was awaiting the preliminary hearing in his new trial, a clerk had written the incorrect case number associated with his murder on one of his forms which resulted in his release. Though the subsequent documents on adjoining pages were correct, three officers failed to catch the initial error. “It’s not like it’s really an escape. It’s our mistake,” said Sgt. Tim Duerr, a longtime investigator in the Major Crimes Bureau, which was tasked with finding Wright. A $20,000 reward helped lead police to the 37-year-old who was unarmed and recovered without incident from a Boulder City, NV hotel. “I guess he had time to watch the Super Bowl,” Duerr said. Yahoo News
Predominantly white Maryland County bans all school field trips to Baltimore
Following the death of Freddie Gray and subsequent political unrest in Baltimore, the Maryland city of Harford has banned all non-sports related field trips for their students. City leaders have responded that the ban is misguided and reinforces negative stereotypes. Jillian Lader, the spokeswoman for Harford schools said that the ban was based on, “…information acquired from various law enforcement agencies…following the riots and relating to potential issues that may occur during the first and subsequent trials.” After the riots of April 27, 2015, school systems around the region canceled field trips to Baltimore which have since resumed. When the trial for the first officer in the death of Gray began in December, the Harford school district reinstated their policy which they claim to review on a weekly basis based on improvements to the climate of the city.”To deprive students the chance to experience these amazing assets is short-sighted and uninformed” said Democratic State Sen.Bill Ferguson. Baltimore Sun
FBI Arrests All But One City Council Member In Texas
In Crystal City, a small Texas town of 7,500 people, just one city council member showed up at work on Friday. The other five members of the council had been arrested and are facing felony bribery charges. The FBI apprehended the mayor, Tempore Rogelio Mata, a council member, the city manager and a former city council member for allegedly taking thousands of dollars of bribes and aiding an illegal gambling operation. Other city council members gave a new city manager with no prior experience a salary that was half of the city’s budget. Subsequently, Crystal City is nearly $2 million in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy. If found guilty, the city officials could face as much as 10 years in prison. The Washington Post
MORNING MINUTE: Female Prison Guard Falls In Love With Inmate; Charged With Rape
MORNING MINUTE: College Students Allege Rapper Chief Keef’s Tweet Left Them Homeless
MORNING MINUTE: Texas Family Accused Of Enslaving Their Nigerian Nanny For Two Years was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
Chudy Nsobundu , Nigerian Slave In Texas , Sandra Nsobundu
Also On Praise Houston:
2017 Stellar Gospel Music Awards [PHOTOS]
MORNING MINUTE: Texas Family Accused Of Enslaving Their…
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Category: Press » Kids & Teens
U.S. News Media Group Releases Rankings of Best Children's Hospitals
U.S. News Media Group
U.S. News Media Group today released its fourth annual rankings of Best Children's Hospitals, available online at www.usnews.com/childrenshospitals and featured in the August issue of U.S. News & World Report, available on newsstands July 27.
Best Children's Hospitals 2010-11, the most extensive set of listings of its kind, includes an Honor Roll of eight pediatric hospitals that ranked in all 10 specialties: cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, heart and heart surgery, kidney, neonatology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology.
"Children with serious medical issues need hospital care of the highest quality, just as adults do," said Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow. "The purpose of the Best Children's Hospitals rankings is to point children who pose unique challenges in the direction of pediatric facilities with that kind of deep expertise. We're providing important information about the best of the best."
Three major elements determined if and how high a hospital was ranked: reputation, medical outcomes, and care-related indicators of quality such as patient volume, nurse staffing, and availability of specialized programs. Reputation came from a survey of pediatric specialists who were asked which hospitals they would recommend for the sickest children. The source of all other information and data was a 75-page survey created with the help of more than 80 medical directors, department chairs, infection specialists, and other experts and filled in by the children's hospitals. Some questions touched on all 10 specialties, such as the success of infection-reducing programs. Others were specific to particular specialties, such as survival rates of children with a specific cancer. A detailed description of the Best Children's Hospitals methodology can be found at www.usnews.com/childrenshospitals.
Most of the candidates for ranking were drawn from members of the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) in two categories: freestanding children's hospitals and "hospitals within a hospital" - large, multidisciplinary pediatric departments within a medical center. Several non-NACHRI members were added because of known expertise or at the recommendation of experts. Of 170 children's hospitals invited to complete the survey, 96 responded. The survey was created and administered by RTI International, the same respected research organization that also collects data and oversees the methodology for U.S. News's adult Best Hospitals rankings.
The Honor Roll
62 different pediatric facilities were ranked in at least one Best Children's Hospitals specialty. The Honor Roll recognizes eight hospitals that ranked in all 10 specialties.
Please note that their order is alphabetical. No hospital outperformed any other.
Children's Hospital Boston
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children's Hospital
St. Louis Children's Hospital-Washington University
Texas Children's Hospital, Houston
About the U.S. News Media Group
The U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform digital publisher of news and analysis, which includes the monthly U.S. News & World Report magazine, the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com, and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Money & Business, Education, and Public Service/Opinion, the U.S. News Media Group has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. The U.S. News Media Group's signature franchises include its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its "America's Best" series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, health plans, and more.
Specialized in: Rankings
URL: http://health.usnews.com/
YWCA Greater Los Angeles Honors Venus Williams with Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award (Popularity: ): The YWCA Greater Los Angeles (YWCA GLA) will honor multiple grand slam tennis champion and entrepreneur Venus Williams at its upcoming Phenomenal Woman Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 from 11:30am - 2pm. The event will be held in downtown Los Angeles at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel at 500 S. Grand Avenue and is themed "Saluting Women who Change the Game".The Phenomenal Woman Awards fundraiser draws Southern California's top ...
World's Youngest Editor-in-Chief 11 Year old Ajha Nicole Dortch of Atlanta Travels to Tampa With her A.N.D. Magazine Collecting Shoes Benefiting Haiti Relief (Popularity: ): Ajha Nicole Dortch is the 11 year old Editor-in-Chief of A.N.D. Magazine. Launching what could be the first ever Pre-teen magazine by Pre-teens and for Pre-teens.Since 2009 with her inaugural issue featuring independent women, then 10 year old Ajha Nicole Dortch has combined her love of writing with her love of fashion. "I've put my all into this magazine," says Ajha. "So why not call it by my name?" The ...
Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association Celebrates the History-Shaping Power of the Handwritten Word on John Hancock's Birthday, Jan. 23 (Popularity: ): The first signature on the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 was also the most recognizable: that of John Hancock. To honor the influence handwriting has had on American history, the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association has declared Hancock's birthday, Jan. 23, National Handwriting Day."Throughout history, handwritten documents have sparked love affairs, started wars, established peace, freed slaves, created movements and declared independence," stated WIMA Executive Director David H. Baker. ...
NBA Coaching Legend Del Harris, Kansas Jayhawks' Bill Self and Texas A&M's Mike Turgeon to Lead Premier Basketball Coaches Clinic in Dallas (Popularity: ): Today, Dallas-based Elevate Your Game, Inc. (EYG) announced Wednesday, September 16th as the date for its annual national coaches clinic. This year's event will again draw the top names in basketball, including Bill Self, Head Coach of the 2008 National Champion Kansas Jayhawks, Mark Turgeon, Head Coach of the Texas A&M Aggies and renowned NBA Coach, Del Harris, as instructors. Harris will also be honored as the first recipient of ...
Corporation for National and Community Service Awards Major Learn and Serve America Grant to ECS' National Center for Learning Citizenship (Popularity: ): The Education Commission of the States (ECS) and the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) are pleased to announce the receipt of a grant for $926,640 from the Corporation for National and Community Service for grades 6-9 in the K-12 school-based program.Service-learning is an approach to education that links community service to academic achievement while also teaching students about America's civic institutions and traditions."We're pleased to partner with NCLC ...
Online PR Media (Popularity: ): Online PR Media is the place where traditional media press releases are supercharged with multimedia, social media, and search engine optimization, to give you the most visibility for your news releases. Our SEO press releases, multimedia press releases, and newswire press release distribution put your news in front of the right people at the right time.
Multi-Media Group, Inc. (Popularity: ): specializing in marketing, promotion, consulting, media production, duplication, printing, franchise videos, training tapes, infomercials, commercials, advertising, media purchase, press releases, VNR, video news release, On-hold Services, and custom calling cards.
Law & Media Group, Inc. (Popularity: ): Media relations firm for plaintiff lawyers, develops media coverage, prepares press releases, and provides coaching on lawyer interactions with the media.
Shriners Hospitals for Children (Popularity: ): Providing free orthopedic and burn care to children under 18. Hospitals are located throughout North America. Includes extensive educational information. Headquarters in Tampa.
Emirates Press Releases (Popularity: ): Emirates Press Releases provides news and press release service for the businesses working within MENA and its surrounding regions. Press releases submitted at Emirates Press Releases help companies to reach their target audience, drive traffic to their websites, increase link-bonds, improve search engine listings and help gain media coverage at local and international level.
Children's Miracle Network - Rocky Mountain (Popularity: ): Children's Miracle Network (CMN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping hospitalized kids by raising funds and awareness for 170 children's hospitals. These hospitals help 14 million kids each year.
Eco Media (Popularity: ): Australian service compiling online news and media releases on environment and conservation. Sources include mainstream news services, environmental organizations, government bodies and political parties. Also includes links.
Latest Press Releases From Arab (Popularity: ): Arab News Release is providing an easy way to distribute news and press releases for news media coverage. Registered members can submit their release and distribute it via our website. It helps them to increase awareness about business and brands by engaging people directly as well as through search engines, newswire and other connected websites.
Africa's Online News & Media Releases Service (Popularity: ): Africa Newswire includes news services from news agencies including SAGI, NAMPA and other specialized media organisations that target intended audience and presents excellent opportunities for their business and events. The contents of the website include coverage of current affairs, business, politics, sports, entertainment news. It is our mission news from reliable sources updates from Africa.
Souter Media Training (Popularity: ): The benefits of public relations, news releases and writing skills. Souter Media operate media training sessions.
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Childhood PTSD: Spanking Is Not ‘About Love,’ It’s About Rage
Medically reviewed by Scientific Advisory Board — Written by Sarah Newman, MA, MFA on September 24, 2014
My first memory is of being spanked. All I know is that it made me terrified and forever doubtful of my safety.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was recently suspended after he was charged with reckless or negligent injury of a child after allegedly spanking his 4-year-old son with a switch. Peterson’s mother Bonita Jackson told the Houston Chronicle that spanking “is not about abuse”:
“I don’t care what anybody says, most of us disciplined our kids a little more than we meant sometimes. But we were only trying to prepare them for the real world. When you whip those you love, it’s not about abuse, it’s about love. You want to make them understand that they did wrong.”
I have no doubt that parents regret “disciplining” maybe more than they meant. But it doesn’t change the fact that hitting communicates hatred. The act of hitting a child subverts the need to talk and reason out what they might have done wrong, so one grows up terrorized and not understanding why.
I was a well-behaved child. I was not only an avid rule follower — because school rules spelled out quite clearly what not to do — I was also an anxious child who asked questions over and over again, fearful of doing something wrong on accident and being punished.
I wasn’t always sure of why I was being hit. I remember the way it seemed like it would never end. I remember wetting myself. I never once told anyone that I wet myself because I was afraid I’d get hit for that, too.
It never made a mark on my body. Never a bruise, never a cut. If it had, I probably would have shown it to a teacher, but I as far as I was concerned I had no proof. Without proof they might not do anything.
Did it make me resilient? My first suicide attempt was at age 12. I’ve battled depression and low self-esteem for as long as I can remember. Throughout my adolescence and young adulthood I was cutting myself.
Did it give me a strong sense of right and wrong? I don’t know. It gave me a stronger sense that I wanted to be invisible. Maybe it made me a very private person.
Did it make me prepared for life in the real world? I was helpless when I graduated high school. I used to give up easily. The first time I had a minor car accident as a teen I never wanted to drive again. I fight constantly to keep my fear from making all my decisions for me and keeping my life at a stranglehold.
I’ve fought anxiety and depression, seeing therapists for at least a decade. I am still a work in progress. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized that the mean voice inside my head that would corner me and tell me I was no good, I was hopeless and the world would be better off without me — that voice wasn’t mine. It was what those spankings communicated to me as a child. That I was worthless.
To this day I am easily startled. I am afraid of certain things without knowing why. In my 20s I had to get rid of a vacuum because when the fibers of my rug caught in it, it made a loud whirring sound, and I was so fearful it would happen that I couldn’t use it anymore.
My fiancé tells me he makes it a point to make noise when he enters a room and I’m there. He never touches me from behind unannounced because I’ll jump. He’s very careful to wake me gently; otherwise I’ll start.
I can’t ride rides at amusement parks. I hate soaring through the air. I hate flying on airplanes. I hate that feeling in my stomach when it becomes airborne — weightless. I hear this is what people love about roller coasters. I understand some people find it exhilarating.
Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” perfectly captured what it is like to grow up getting hit. At one point young Jack asks his father, “You wish I were dead, don’t you?” That is how hitting translates to a child. Hitting doesn’t teach, it burdens. It doesn’t communicate love, it communicates worthlessness.
Last medically reviewed on September 24, 2014
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Posted in Analysis, MLB Analysis, New York Mets
Mets: NL East Shaping Up To Be A Full-Blown War
stevecontursi April 27, 2018 Leave a comment
There’s something wrong with the National League standings as play begins on Friday. Only a game-and-a-half separate three teams at the top and none of those teams are the Nationals as the Mets seek to hold off the Phillies and Braves. It looks like an all-out war in what used to be called the NL Least.
What goes up must come down (Mets) and what goes down must come up (Nationals). Right? If you had to bet your last dollar, that’s what the odds say the safe bet is, even though the first 25 games of the 2018 season say otherwise. Do you trust what you see in the MLB standings which reflect real games as they’ve played on the field?
Source: MLB.com
One thing we can trust is your team had better win their Division, lest they get caught up in a brawl for the two Wild Card spots, of which there are now six teams within two games of qualifying. These teams include the two up and comers in the NL East, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.
The New York Mets, thanks to their torrid 10-1 start to the season have garnered most of the yea-yah attention, while the Washington Nationals have drawn the boo-hiss crowd. In between, the young, athletic, and scrappy Phillies and Braves are busy writing their own stories.
Trying yet again to find a manager with the Midas Touch, the Nationals hired David Martinez, who has 30 years in the baseball business but no experience as a manager. On paper, the Nationals were supposed to win 100+ games and walk away with the Division. Their only test would come in October in the playoffs, or so said the believers.
The numbers for the Nationals are already in dire circumstances having dug themselves a hole in which to finish the season now with 100 wins, the Nats will need to go 89-48, or 51 games over .500., a mighty task for any team in this league.
With Bryce Harper in his walk year and hardly ever being pitched to, Daniel Murphy still waiting for his first at-bat of the season, Tanner Roark with only one win in five tries, and Ryan Zimmerman hitting just .188, the Nationals are looking more and more like a paper tiger. And make that an old tiger as well.
Meanwhile, the duo of Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, assuming both stays healthy, automatically put the Mets in contention all the way through the season. Plus two more caveats, both of which fall under the umbrella of distractions.
Yeonis Cespedes, who we know is a genius, has decided the reason for his lack of production so far is he’s given up his golf game for the season. This was either encouraged or insisted on by the Mets, depending on who you believe. Having given it all of his thinking power, Cespedes now says:
“One of the things that I did before, years ago, when I was in a slump, was playing golf and trying to get out of my slump,” Cespedes told reporters through an interpreter. “I said this season I wouldn’t go to play golf. So one of the things that I’m doing now, that I didn’t do before, is watching the videos. That’s something different I’m doing right now. But unfortunately, it’s not going too well so far.”Christopher Powers, Golf Digest
You can’t make this stuff up. The other distraction facing the Mets is more serious and something that can’t be poked fun at. As I wrote in a piece titled, “And Now The End Is Near, The Final Curtain”, newly designated Mets reliever, Matt Harvey is not a happy camper and has risen to the top of the challenges facing rookie manager, Mickey Callaway.
It’s not likely this situation will end well, and the Mets can only hope that cancer doesn’t spread into their clubhouse. Oh, and by the way, the Mets still need a bonafide major league catcher.
The Braves and Phillies are loaded with young talent, in the case of the Braves, there’s plenty more on the way. Philadelphia was thought to be looking more at next season with a boatload of money to spend in the offseason (think Bryce Harper). But everything changed when they won the Jake Arrieta sweepstakes. Arrieta, with no Spring Training, is already 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA
As for the rest of the team, see if you are familiar with any of these standout Phillies players:
Highlighted, those are batting averages, and all three blew by me as in the who are these guys category.
For what it’s worth, if I had to bet my last dollar, the standings at the end of the 2018 season will be precisely in the order they are today. The Mets will be holding on for dear life throughout all of September, fending off a newly fueled Phillies team, who will make a big splash at the trade deadline in July.
The Nationals are a dead team with an emphasis on the word team. They are beyond repair, no matter how heroic Max Scherzer is, and no matter how hard Harper tries to make it look like he isn’t doing anything but playing out the season and looking ahead to his release from purgatory in Washington.
No team is built to run away with the Division and we can expect a dogfight to the bitter end.
For more commentary on baseball, visit my Home Page
Tagged Atlanta Braves, Nation League East battle, New York Mets, NL East, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals
Author: stevecontursi
I am an amateur writer with a passion for baseball and all things Yankees and Mets.
Yankees: Domingo German – Okay, it’s done – but in no way is it settled
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Steinbrenner: Will the HOF Committee Finally Come To Their Senses
David Cone settles the pitching coach issue – “I’m a broadcaster”
← Gary Sanchez Mirrors A Lineage Of Yankees Offensive Catchers
Yankees: Miguel Andujar Set To Take One For The Team →
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Number of Spanish-Speakers In The U.S. – Lots Of GuessesRiuss Organization2017-11-06T02:06:25+00:00
RIUSS Newsletter – V1N2 – 2017
RIUSS Launches Journal
Creation of Scientific Committee
By Frank Gómez
Ask 10 people how many people speak Spanish in the United States and you will get 10 different numbers. They range from the very vague “Oh, 10 million or more,” to a high of “about 55 million.” The Research Institute of United States Spanish (www.riuss.org) estimates that there are 40 million Spanish speakers in the U.S.
Now, getting the number right is important. Advertisers spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year to reach Hispanic consumers. Banks have ATM machines that transact business in Spanish – and other languages. And companies, hospitals, service organizations – you name it – have that pesky telephone message to push 1 for Spanish.
In early July, Bustle carried an article about the failure of the White House to restore the Spanish language website that it took down hours after President Trump took office. The article, however, cited an Associated Press analysis of White House Spanish language tweets that found many errors in grammar, spelling and vocabulary.
But what caught my eye was this statement in the article: “At a 2015 Republican primary debate, Trump said that ‘this is a country where we speak English, not Spanish.’ That same year, the research firm Instituto Cervantes found that the United States is home to 52.6 million Spanish speakers, more than in all of Spain.”
The biggest problem here is that 52.6-million figure. It may have come from the Instituto Cervantes, but regardless it is inaccurate. Most reliable reports, including the United States Census and the Pew Hispanic Center, say the figure is about 35 million. The 52.6 million approximates the nearly 59 million Hispanics in the country today; cite a number a few years back and maybe that is what you find.
Another problem is that the Instituto Cervantes is not a research institute. It is a very prestigious and highly respected arm of the Government of Spain that promotes Spanish culture and the Spanish language around the world. Why the reporter chose to go to the Instituto Cervantes boggles. While we should applaud the AP for an important story, we should also decry its scholarship.
And finally, then candidate Trump’s statement about “… we speak English, not Spanish” belies an important reality in our country. We are not monolingual. We are, in fact, a very bilingual country, albeit not officially bilingual like Canada. We should take our cue from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who speaks fluent French and English. His government – his country – celebrate diversity and the contributions of immigrants, including Spanish-speakers.
Frank Gómez is a founding member of the board of directors of the Research Institute of United States Spanish.
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In partnership with Karen Wellington Foundation
Karen Wellington’s love for travel lives on in her children—and her namesake foundation
Robby and Angeline Wellington honor their mother's legacy by helping women with cancer go on their dream vacations
By AnnaMaria Stephens
Cancer has a way of taking over a person’s whole calendar. Seemingly endless medical appointments, treatments, and recovery periods can make it difficult to pencil in day-to-day activities, much less special stuff like pizza parties and vacations. For Karen Wellington, keeping fun on the schedule for her family was a priority.
Karen, who passed away in 2007, fought breast cancer for a decade. When she was diagnosed at the age of 30, she had a toddler and a baby at home. No matter how sick she got, Karen was determined to fill whatever time she had left with them with moments that would become happy memories.
The Karen Wellington Foundation celebrates Karen’s firm belief in the importance of fun. Founded in 2007 by Karen’s husband, Kent, the nonprofit organization, which now has 11 chapters nationwide, arranges all-expenses-paid experiences for women battling breast cancer, from luxurious spa days to relaxing stays in private vacation homes.
The Wellington family. | Photo courtesy of Angeline Wellington
“The foundation was inspired by her love of taking time off,” says Robby Wellington, 24, who was 12 when he lost his mom. “When she was going through chemo and radiation, her calendar was pretty bleak. She realized how important it is to pump the brakes and take a break. To remember that there’s a bigger world out there than cancer.”
The importance of having fun
During her last year, Karen had been particularly excited about an upcoming vacation to Martha’s Vineyard. “Don’t you dare cancel that trip,” she kept telling her husband. On the day she passed, Karen’s family decided to start a fund in her memory in lieu of flowers.
“She always said she wanted to send a family a year out of pocket on a vacation when she beat cancer,” says Angeline, 22, who was only a year old when her mom was diagnosed. “Since she wasn’t able to do that, we said, let’s do it for her. Since the day she passed away, we’ve done close to 500 vacations for families with breast cancer.”
The Karen Wellington Foundation accepts nominations for women living with breast cancer in chapter cities, including Cincinnati, where the Wellington family lives (KWF has also made exceptions for other types of cancer). With a waiting list that’s currently more than 100 names long, the organization relies on donated airline miles, vacation home days, and experiences like concert tickets. Friends and family of nominees help fundraise to cover other expenses.
Angeline and Robby with their father, Kent. | Photo courtesy of Angeline Wellington
“A lot of foundations are about research and cures,” says Robby. “But for a lot of these women, the cure isn’t coming in time. The second you raise money, we’ll plan a trip for your friend and her friends to kick it in South Beach at a five-star hotel three weeks later. We turn things around quickly because we know timelines can be tight.”
“We surprise them with fun money. You need to spend that fun money on fun things.”
On occasion, recipients will ask if they can use some of the funds to pay for a medication or school supplies. “We’ll help them find a foundation that covers that for them, but we are about having fun,” says Angeline. “We’ll deliver a lot of trips in living rooms and tell people that we’re here for you, you’re part of our family now. We surprise them with fun money. You need to spend that fun money on fun things.”
Angeline recalls one beaming woman at an event telling her about a hot air balloon ride she took in Sedona with her fun money. The foundation’s website showcases a recipient photo gallery filled with happy, relaxed faces: sisters in posh robes at a spa; a young couple at the beach; a family with kids in Mickey Mouse ears at Disney World.
A few magical moments
Robby and Angeline know better than most how meaningful it is to make memories like this. “What so many of these women want is a bit of normalcy,” explains Robby. “They don’t want their kids to feel different. A big part of traveling is saying, ‘OK, things are going well, we can kick back and relax and be ourselves.’ These women’s lives have been cancer. It’s tough to step back and say, ‘I’m not done living yet.’ There’s no better place to be than with family and thriving, and for kids to see their mom smile.”
Karen during her last summer vacation to Newport, RI in 2006. | Photo courtesy of Kent Wellington
Around 30 percent of the trips planned by The Karen Wellington Foundation end up being last vacations. “Those are the most important ones,” says Robby.
At Karen’s memorial service, Kent spoke of his vivacious wife’s passion for travel, noting how she’d twirled with flamenco dancers in Spain, sung with gondoliers in Venice, and ridden horseback along the rolling hills of Maui. “And for a magical few moments, when visiting good friends in the San Juan Islands, your mother even swam with the whales,” he told his children.
“What so many of these women want is a bit of normalcy.”
Robby barely remembers when the orca mother and her baby swam up to his mom’s kayak—he was only three at the time and sitting on the shore with his little sister. “She must have been scared out of her skin at first, though,” he says with a laugh. Other memories are sharper, like the time the Wellington clan stayed at a rustic family cabin in Canada where Karen had visited as a girl.
Karen and her children on a beach vacation. | Photo courtesy of Kent Wellington
“We flew to Minnesota, drove across the border and took an old boat across the water,” he says. “We picked wild blueberries as a family and put them in milk jugs that we’d cut in half. We fished for walleye and trout. My uncles would hunt and bring back dinner. It was a cool trip. We weren’t worried about much else.”
Angeline, who studied abroad in Alicante, Spain last year, definitely inherited her mom’s wanderlust. She traveled with friends to France, Hungary, Switzerland, and Morocco. Some of her fondest memories, though, are of the frequent trips to Florida her family took when she was young.
“I remember our annual family trips to Seacrest, Florida. They were filled with sunny days spent on the beach, lots of shopping with my mom and amazing dinners surrounded by family and friends,” says Angeline. “Time really slowed down. When you’re on vacation, there’s a sense of out of sight, out of mind. You can’t see cancer in the photos we post because it’s not there.”
Charity PartnerKaren Wellington FoundationMother's DayUSA
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November Advocacy Message
RAIC Connects Community Update
Following over a year in development, RAIC Connects launched on October 5, 2020 –in honour of World Architecture Day– to further connect members and foster meaningful conversations within the profession. Since then, discussion posts have already explored topics including procurement trends, design responses to COVID restrictions, the licensing process in Canada, working from home during the pandemic for architects, and questions on mass timber, among others.
Don’t miss out on these and other exciting conversations. Be sure to set up your profile, adjust your daily digest notification settings, and introduce yourself to your fellow members – join over 300 of your colleagues who have already started to explore the platform.
With general communities, such as the RAIC Member community, topic-specific communities for Emerging Practitioners and Climate Action, and with more communities coming, we hope you will engage in your preferred communities soon.
Visit the RAIC Connects information page or email: connects@raic.org for more information.
RAIC Congress 'Taking Action' Event Report
Taking Action: A Conversation on Climate Action and Architecture in Canada was held on October 5, in celebration of World Architecture Day. The presentations and discussions shared during the event encouraged attendees to look at strategies the profession of architecture can use to take action against climate change, looking at the facts, challenges, opportunities, and solutions. A recording of the event is now available on-demand, and an event report will be shared in the coming months. We encourage you to continue the conversation in the new RAIC Connects Climate Action Community.
Taking Action was the first in a series of events and activities leading up to the 2021 Congress on Architecture, to be held on October 4, 2021.
RAIC CONGRESS
RAIC Truth and Reconciliation Task Force
The RAIC is pleased to share that Patrick Stewart, MRAIC, and Alfred Waugh, MRAIC, have been appointed as Co-Chairs of the new RAIC Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Task Force. Stay tuned for updates on the work of the TRC task force in these monthly messages.
RAIC launches the Indigenous Member Directory
The RAIC invites members who identify as Indigenous to participate in the new RAIC Indigenous Member Directory.
This one-year pilot project, created in response to requests for the RAIC to share information about Indigenous members, will run from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, to better respond to these requests. This directory has been developed in consultation with the RAIC Indigenous Task Force.
Inclusion in the directory is voluntary and requires express consent for your name and contact information to be included. The directory will not be published and only shared in direct response to incoming requests. The directory is currently only open to RAIC members.
If you would like to be included in the RAIC Indigenous Member Directory, please complete the form by November 30, 2020.
For questions, access to the directory, or to change information shared, contact ITF@raic.org
RAIC Edmonton Network Virtual Fellow Talk
December 4, 2020, 6:00 p.m. MT
Arthur Erickson’s Dyde House and Garden, 1962, Edmonton
Presented by Barry Johns, FRAIC, and Trevor Boddy, FRAIC
Never published by its designer and long thought to be destroyed, the Dyde House is Erickson’s first design in masonry and only residential project in Alberta. In its huge architect-designed garden and use of cantilevered ‘Flying Beams,’ this hinge design in his early practice anticipates the Graham and Smith II houses that immediately followed it and the siteworks for the UBC MOA and Robson Square.
With a complex relationship to the garden and exterior siteworks he designed, the Dyde House and Garden in Parkland County west of Edmonton is a spectacularly crafted unified conception. Used as a summer retreat and art gallery for clients with high profiles in academia and the arts, it illustrates Erickson’s early preoccupation with site, light, and cadence. With cues to his later career that would make him the only Canadian ever to win the AIA Gold Medal, this is a rediscovered missing minor masterpiece in the rich catalogue of Canada’s most famous architect.
This 40-minute video and subsequent dialogue with co-producers/writers Barry Johns FRAIC and Trevor Boddy FRAIC will tell the story of its design detailing, curious construction, abandonment, and then rediscovery. House and garden are now important parts of the University of Alberta Botanic Garden. The presenters will discuss how Erickson responded to Alberta’s harsh climate and how it might be readily-restored to become the first Erickson-designed house on public display in Canada. The video was produced with Max Amerongen of Sticks and Stones Productions, and both Johns and Boddy are directors of the Arthur Erickson Foundation.
Registration is open to all.
Continuing education certificates are available for those who join the live event!
Lived Experiences in Architecture: A Conversation
December 15, 2020, 1:00 p.m. ET
Presented by the Black Architects and Interior Designers Association (BAIDA)
The RAIC, in partnership with the Black Architects and Interior Designers Association (BAIDA), is pleased to present Lived Experiences in Architecture – a virtual panel discussion and live Q+A showcasing members of the BAIDA Executive Committee and their respective journeys in architecture. Join Samuel Oboh, FRAIC, Anne-Marie Armstrong, Shane Laptiste, MRAIC, and Farida Abu-Bakare as they explore their lived experiences of navigating academic and professional careers in architecture in Canada and internationally.
The Black Architects and Interior Designers Association (BAIDA) is a non-profit organization made up of over 100 students, planners, interior designers, and architects. BAIDA aims to support diversity, equity and inclusion in the profession of architecture and interior design. By encouraging our communities to engage in initiatives focused on advocacy, mentorship, networking, and outreach, we can begin to address the issues of inequitable outcomes and a lack of diversity within the architecture and design industry.
RAIC Industry Knowledge Hub
Learn more about the RAIC Industry Knowledge Hub with a special message from our President John Brown, FRAIC: This is a free event.
Design Competition: LGBTQ2+ NATIONAL MONUMENT Request for Qualifications
The Department of Canadian Heritage, on behalf of the Government of Canada and the LGBT Purge Fund, is inviting teams of professional artists, landscape architects, architects, and other urban design professionals to submit their credentials and examples of prior work for the first part of a two-phase design competition to create the LGBTQ2+ National Monument. Prominently located in downtown Ottawa, with views of key federal institutions, this monument will be a place where visitors can learn about the historical and present-day discrimination faced by LGBTQ2+ people in Canada, with particular reference to the LGBT Purge, and celebrate their achievements in their fight for equality. The Department of Canadian Heritage is therefore seeking design teams to create a moving, bold and thought-provoking monument that will provide a space for remembrance, education, celebration and inspiration.
The deadline for receipt of submissions is Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 3:00 p.m. ET.
RAIC partnered with the Canadian Urban Institute for the October 8, 2020, CityTalk: What is the Role of Architecture in Supporting the Urban Recovery? Thank you to former RAIC President Sam Oboh for representing the RAIC in this engaging discussion. You can watch the recorded CityTalks here.
A letter was sent to the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, on October 8, 2020, in follow-up to Prime Minister Trudeau’s October 1, 2020, announcement that $10 billion will be invested in new major infrastructure initiatives to create jobs and economic growth. $2 billion of the Growth Plan is targeted for energy-efficient retrofits. The RAIC congratulated the government on taking this major step towards a low-carbon future and offered its support to assist the Federal Government on the road to 2030.
#RAICBCVOTES – The RAIC BC Chapter sent letters to major party leaders on the topics of sustainability and resilience, First Nations, and an Architecture Policy for Canada—and provided templates for members to use in their own advocacy. As of this publication date, the RAIC received two responses from the BC Liberals and the BC NDP. You can read the responses and access #RAICBCVOTES resources in the RAIC Connects British Columbia Chapter community.
The Director of Practice participated in Parks Canada's Minister's Roundtable 2020 ’Protecting Cultural Heritage’ session. There were suggestions for broadening the definition of cultural heritage assets, beyond the physical remnants of our past to include less-tangible assets; and embracing different perspectives on protection without preservation when appropriate to align with Indigenous ways. Many believed the vantage point from which our stories are told needs to be adjusted to be more inclusive and to better reflect the diversity of cultural stories that comprise the Canadian fabric past and present. Active protection of assets was also encouraged in addition to simple recognition.
RAIC collaborated with Global Affairs Canada to showcase Canadian architecture excellence by sharing seven RAIC award-winning projects on World Architecture Day with Canadian missions abroad. Missions that shared the projects include Australia, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago, and Egypt, among others.
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
Manotick, ON K4M 1B3
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(Redirected from Globalisation)
The dismal science
$ Market Economy
€ Mixed Economy
☭ Socialist Economy
Major Concepts
Coase theorem
Path to Prosperity
Wage ceiling
Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Ross McKitrick
“”By the lowest recogning, India, the Seres and the Arabian peninsula take from our empire hundreds of millions of Sesterces a year; that is how much our luxuries and women cost us
—Pliny the Elder, showing that this is nothing new
Globalization is the term given to the increased inter-connectedness of culture, economics and social interaction. Planes can carry people (or packages) around the world in less time than it used to take to travel between nearby towns. Modern cargo ships can carry enormous amounts of freight across oceans far more safely and at faster speeds than earlier sailing ships, aided by big, powered cranes at major ports. Undersea and overland cables allow for rapid transfer of information across continents, far faster than messengers. Money and ownership can change as rapidly as electrons flowing through cable. The globalized world knew about the war in the country of Georgia about as quickly as people in Russia did. People flow freely too, and attempts to stem the tides of immigration have been failing around the world.
All you need to know: it creates a lot of good things, and some bad things at the same time.
1 Impact
2 Inability to halt progression
3 Examples of effects
4 Critiques of the globalization paradigm
4.1 Fred Cooper
4.2 "Re-branding"
4.3 A real critique
5 Astroturf
6 Be careful
7 "Globalism"
Impact[edit]
The idea disturbs some nations as they see it as an encroachment on their own indigenous cultures, society, sovereignty and government.
Experts are divided on what effect globalization is going to have on the sociopolitical environment. Some argue that culture and national identity will become meaningless, with people instead merging across state lines into larger cooperative groups, like the EU or a stronger UN. Others believe states will become meaningless as people look for strength in different groupings. That can be an ethnic group within a country or region, such as the Kurds, or a set of countries that have the same or very similar languages and culture, namely the Anglosphere (UK, Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand).
The Brexit victory and the surprise election of Donald Trump in 2016, among many other events large and small, have signified the rise of a growing anti-globalization movement, rooted in the fear of the loss of national sovereignty to corporations and foreign bureaucrats who do not necessarily advance the nations' best interests.
Inability to halt progression[edit]
One thing that all proponents do agree on is that globalization is not something that can be easily (or desirably) undone. The communications revolution has opened up trade, and much of globalization is based on the free flow of ideas and markets. Moreover, it's been argued that while states have tried hard to slow or stop the spread of various kinds of transnationalism, they have been unable to do so. Globalization has opened up, and partially removed, nationalistic boundaries.
That said however, it's very easy to take this sentiment and slide into "end of history" mode or what some would call "globaloney."[1] See Thomas Friedman.
Examples of effects[edit]
One thing to keep in mind: Whenever someone rails against the evils of globalization to you, ask them if they enjoy any of the following:
Foreign cuisine, like the ever trendy Indian food... and contaminated milk and baby formula from China.
Government organizations like the FDA being created in response to your own international export scandals.
Foreign entertainment (including martial arts movies and art house flicks)
The lowered prices on everything at Wal-Mart OK, never mind.
Increased profitability for German and French banks now free to engage in speculative sub-prime mortgage lending and asset-backed securities in America and Eastern Europe Well, shit.
Your accountant's ability to more easily minimise your taxes by using offshore tax havens
The ability to communicate instantly and quickly with distant friends and activists thanks to the Internet and text messaging, but not knowing any of your own neighbors.
Websites like this, but also websites like that.
Being able to discover just what horrors your government has been up to overseas rather than taking domestic news agencies' and corporations' word for it that everything was on the up and up.
The ability to join an international organization and cooperate to actually make a difference in the world, and also the ability for omnicidal maniac nutjubs to recruit from all over the world.
The ability of high end colleges to get high fee paying students from around the world, rather than only the people lucky enough to be born in the West.[note 1]
Said universities having fewer slots available for local born people. At least they need more janitors for their shiny new sports facilities and business schools!
Said student flow also promotes international intellectual conformity. Great for hard sciences and some social sciences such as psychology, but it's also produced conformity to batshit insane ideology in e.g. the Chicago School of supply side economics that gave us the Great Recession.
Closed factories in the American, French, and Russian Rust Belts that were horribly "inefficient" and "obsolete" anyway, so every machine in them could be taken apart, shipped to the third world, and re-assembled to make the same products for a greater profit to the factory's owners as "efficient" and "cutting edge" facilities.
Young and middle-aged people (forced into) leaving the miserable, polluted international Rust Belt cities in which they grew up such as Magnitogorsk and Pittsburgh, leaving the young and old incapable of cleaning their hometowns up or even maintaining them. Pittsburgh has lost half its population since 1979.
Critiques of the globalization paradigm[edit]
The Jamaican patty, and not the Big Mac, is the culinary legacy of globalization.
“”The need of a constantly expanding market for its products drives the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connexions everywhere.
—Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto.
Fred Cooper[edit]
As Fred Cooper points out in Colonialism in Question, there are two things wrong with "globalization" as a term for understanding the world's networks of information, economic and cultural exchanges — the "global" and the "-ization." By this, Cooper means that it is still problematic to talk about globalization as a solid unified, worldwide and singular process when one takes into account the extent to which different social groups experience and are affected by the alleged phenomenon in different ways.
"Re-branding"[edit]
Another criticism portrays "globalization" as nothing new — from the Indian Ocean trade of the twelfth century to the Atlantic system of the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, people, ideas, information, commodities, technologies and money have been moving around the globe for a very long time now. The pace at which things move may have accelerated somewhat, but the networks carrying them have been around for centuries.
The legacies of these older forms of globalization can be found in the "traditions" that people want to protect against the perils of contemporary globalization. Consider, if you will, the Jamaican patty, a "traditional" West Indian food. It's essentially a Scottish meat pie filled with Indian curry, prepared by and sold to diasporic Africans in the Caribbean — a delicious treat impossible to conceive of in a pre-globalized world.
In fact, history has shown that contrary to much of what has been said on the aforementioned "inability to halt progression", globalization can not only be slowed but can actually go in reverse as well. Much of the rhetoric about the impending borderless world had been repeated ad nauseam in previous generations under different words. One example involved Norman Angell's 1909 book The Great Illusion, which in addition to espousing a bright globalized future, posited that there's no more need for such things as war.[2] And in the 1920s and 1930s the Comintern's version of globalization[3] led to the Anti-Comintern Pact[4] as a globe-spanning counter-measure. It took a little time to sort out that global one-up-man-ship.
A real critique[edit]
In modern trade, with lowered tariff barriers, manufacturers chase the cheapest source of labor available. This has led to the de-industrialization of Western democracies and a horrible trade deficit with low-wage nations. Not only are Third World nations prone to incredibly cheap labor (infamously referred to as sweatshops), on top of that they keep their currency cheap to encourage exports, instead of letting it float on the market — which true globalism would expect.
Other critiques focus on the tendencies to exaggerate just how "global" globalization is in practice and conflate an "ought" with "is." Despite the rhetoric and buzzwords, the global economy in reality (for now, at least) still acts more like a series of clustered regional markets. The flow of labor and transnational issues like terrorism and climate change meanwhile reveal the continuing significance of nation-states and regional blocs. Only a small proportion of the world's population live in countries other than their place of origin[5] (though this doesn't necessarily reflect choice; it's still ridiculously difficult to migrate internationally outside of preexisting treaty blocs like the EU or ECOWAS and there are far more people who want to migrate than are allowed to) while even the most seemingly cosmopolitan regions of the world remain largely domestic, with little sign of this changing in the immediate future. Neither are local identities on the verge of being erased anytime soon, given the trend towards "glocalization" as well as the fact that online traffic remains largely confined to one's backyard.[6]
Another criticism of the anti-globalization movement is that not only is globalization not a recent phenomena, it predates the story of Jesus. Thousands of years ago, the Romans used to complain that their wealth was flowing to the Seres[note 2] via the Silk Road and other trade routes, more or less the same parts of the world people blame today. Yet somehow, civilization still exists (even if it takes a Dark-Age hiatus from time to time). If anything, the trade with the East was what allowed Rome to grow in the first place; it wasn't just goods but ideas that also were transferred, ideas like writing,[note 3] engineering, glass throwing, medicines, etc. While what Rome had built may have been impressive for the time, Roman technology, like that of all societies, improved upon what had been done before rather than starting from scratch .
Astroturf[edit]
See the main article on this topic: Astroturf
The Russian government has sponsored an anti-globalist astroturf organization called The Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (Антиглобалистское движение России).[7] The so-called Calexit campaign seeks a California secession from the United States. A Calexit ballot initiative, sponsored by Yes California, has received financial aid from and partnered with AIGM.[7] AIGM has a Calexit "embassy" in Moscow.[8]
The stated aim of AIGM is "against the global dominance of transnational corporations and supranational trade and financial institutions",[9] but is more likely specifically against economic dominance of the United States and the EU.
Be careful[edit]
If you're going to debate someone on the nature of globalization and it morphs into a debate on the "race to the bottom," prepare for a load of bullshit.[10]
"Globalism"[edit]
Sometimes, especially among the protectionist far-right such as Donald Trump's circle (or worse), "globalisation", "globalism", "globalist", etc, are all pretty much anti-semitic dog whistles for Jews or the International Jewish Conspiracy.[11]
Washington Consensus
↑ Aside from slightly changing your country's international capital flows through their fees and tuition, and increased likelihood that they'll holiday or settle in your country, having foreign students really means having the children of rich, well connected foreigners in your elite's schools. Even godless commies have loved ones that they would really not like to kill. At the same time, the next generation of rich, well connected foreigners will be ones that your rich, well connected people have connections with, not to mention that their next generation of leaders happen to be sympathetic to your leaders' culture.
↑ India and China
↑ The Latin alphabet, for example, was a bastardized Greek alphabet, which in turn was derived from the Tyrians Carthaginians Phoenicians, who in turn copied a few scribbles from Egypt.
↑ Michael Shermer (August 1, 2011). "Globaloney: Why the World Is Not Flat...Yet". Scientific American
↑ Though in hindsight, we all know how that turned out.
↑ Eckes, Alfred E.; Zeiler, Thomas W. (2003). "4: Business Busted, Diplomacy Destroyed, 1929-1939". Globalization and the American Century. Cambridge University Press. p. 91. ISBN 9780521009065. Retrieved 2017-08--6. "Meanwhile, it was Josef Stalin's government, not Roosevelt's, that pushed its own version of globalization in diplomacy. The Comintern Congress of 1935 called for a worldwide Popular Front against the Fascist powers."
↑ See the Wikipedia article on Anti-Comintern Pact.
↑ The World Bank and United Nations' estimates in 2013 point to roughly 3%, which while not a number to be ignored nonetheless makes up only a relatively small minority.
↑ What Ethan Zuckerman calls "imaginary cosmopolitanism."
↑ 7.0 7.1 Advocate's Russian ties cause concern in state secession movement by Melody Gutierrez (February 3, 2017 Updated: February 3, 2017 10:08pm) The San Francisco Chronicle.
↑ 'Calexit': Yes California movement opens ‘embassy’ in Moscow The Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia
↑ About December 22, 2016. Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia
↑ The Dark Side of Globalization: Why Seattle's 1999 Protesters Were Right, The Atlantic
↑ Why we need to worry when people talk about 'globalists', Gordon Haber, The Jewish Chronicle, Mar 21, 2018
Retrieved from "https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Globalization&oldid=2257811"
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Japan North Korea South Korea Taiwan All countries
All countries Japan Okayama Tsukubo Hayashima
Weather in Hayashima
Weather archive at the airport ( 17 km, -4 °C+25 °F )
0 °C32°F
38 minutes ago at the weather station (11 km) it was -1.6 °C+29 °F, high air pressure, high humidity (78%), gentle breeze (5 m/s) (18 km/h) (11 miles/hour) (10 knots) (3 Bft) blowing from the west.
Today we expect +1..+8 °C°F, +34..+46 °C°F, mainly without precipitation, fresh breeze. Tomorrow: +6..0 °C°F, +43..+32 °C°F, without precipitation, moderate breeze.
Today, Monday, January 18
Tomorrow, Tue, January 19
Fog, %
direction W SW W W NW NW N N N E E N N E NE N W SW NE NE E E NE
62 50 79 56 71 52 75 82 73 56 80 84 80 66 86 93 100 90 85 90 82 66 90
Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 19
direction W W W W W W W SW SW SW SW W W W W W W W NW NW W W W W W W NW NW NW NW NW NW NW N N N N N N NW N NE N E E E E N N N N E E E NE NE N N W W SW N NE NE NE NE E E E E NE direction
71 70 62 57 49 46 46 48 50 61 72 73 77 79 79 79 70 71 68 62 56 63 68 74 78 78 71 62 50 47 48 51 52 50 51 52 62 69 75 82 82 86 73 55 56 67 80 82 84 82 80 73 66 76 86 90 93 97 100 95 90 88 85 88 90 86 82 74 66 78 90 Humidity,
07:10 17:19 07:09 17:20 07:09 17:21 07:09 17:22 07:08 17:23 07:08 17:24 Sun:
10:29 22:24 10:55 23:20 11:21 00:14 11:47 01:09 12:15 01:09 12:46 02:05 Moon:
is available on the website rp5.ua
38 minutes ago, the minimum air temperature ( -4 oC +25 oF ) was observed in Tsuyama.
38 minutes ago, the maximum air temperature ( -2 oC +28 oF ) was observed in Okayama.
Okayama (airport)
Tsuyama
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a fortune for the undertow.
[Matt, on Parrish Beach, 1994 or 1996, taken with the old Pentax K-1000]
My best friend Matt and I were emailing the other day, both of us mildly horrified by the fact that next year, we’ll be attending our respective 20-year high school reunions. 20 years. But then it occurred to me: if I’ve been out of high school that long, that means that I’ve also known Matt for 20 years, too. And that was a particularly gratifying feeling. More than gratifying, actually. Sublimely comforting, in fact: I’ve known Matt for more than half my life. In 2012, our friendship will have existed for longer than it hasn’t.
Matt and I met the first day of freshman orientation in college. We skipped out on half of the orientation events, opting instead to hang out in Matt’s dorm room to listen to music and chat the afternoons away. In October of that year, we headed out one Tuesday afternoon to go to the mall; REM’s Automatic for the People had just been released that day. We got back to campus, CDs in tow, and spent the waning daylight hours listening to an album that was full of grace and aching beauty. And we both had — and shared — a favorite track, Find the River, the last track on the album.
Do you know this song? Sweet jesus, this song is …. just about perfect. (Until I can get this blasted audio player to work properly, you can listen to the track here, though I’d advise against actually watching it, unless you like the idea of Michael Stipe sporting unfortunate facial hair and a baseball cap backwards. No, really.)
https://ruinista.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/12-find-the-river.mp3
I could go on and on about all the different things I love about this song, from the lyrics to the arrangement, to the way it goes from quiet to soaring to quiet again. I read back around the time that the album was released that Mike Mills and Bill Berry intentionally recorded their vocal harmonies blind — they had no idea how the other, or Michael Stipe, had sung his part, so each person just sang however he thought was appropriate to the basic song at hand. And what resulted was just gorgeous.
But what I love most about this song is that, of all of my favorite songs in the world, this is the only one I share with someone else. All of my other favorite songs — and there are about five, I’d say — I love deeply, but it’s sort of a private love affair, just me and the songs. But this is the only song that, whenever I hear it, I never ever fail to think of one other person. And it’s been this way for nearly 20 years now. If Matt and I are both fortunate enough to have a 50 years from now, I hope that this remains the case.
To be sure, Matt and I will always have Swing Kids too, but that’s an entirely different story.
All of this is coming your way.
from → archives, film, friends
← alphaville.
biogon test roll. →
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How the Old World Ended: The Anglo-Dutch-American Revolution 1500-1800 / Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott, Professor of History at the University of Auckland, in his recent book, How the Old World Ended (2019), has provided an intellectual bridge between the early modern period and the modern world, which was born out of the Industrial Revolution.
Transnational Patriotism in the Mediterranean 1800-1850: Stammering the Nation / Konstantina Zanou
How did the world of nation-states come about? What happened to the world of empires that preceded it? How did the transition take place and how inevitable was it? These may seem (and indeed are) old questions.
Imperial Twilight: the Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age / Stephen R. Platt
Chinese history for English readers is a quietly contested field: quiet because discussion and developments take place in the margins of the English-speaking world; and contested both because the market for trade books is growing and, more importantly, because new publications are offering ever more diverse and complex ways of seeing China. Two seminal events, the Opium War (1839-42) and the Cu
Global Trade and Commercial Networks: Eighteenth-Century Diamond Merchants / Tijl Vanneste
Tijl Vanneste has written an important book about the functioning of commercial networks during the mid 18th century. The author goes beyond national boundaries, as he carefully analyzes how a cross-cultural, cross-religious, and cross-gender diamond merchant network operated between the cities of Antwerp, London, Amsterdam and Lisbon.
Defying Empire. Trading with the Enemy in Colonial New York / Thomas M. Truxes
General Edward Braddock’s failure to capture the French Fort Duquesne and his defeat at the Battle of Monongahela on 9 July 1755 is often cited as a turning point in the European contest for North America leading to what the English called the Seven Years’ War (1756–63).
The Dutch Slave Trade 1500-1850 / P. C. Emmer
This is a short book on what turns out to be a rather bigger subject than might have been expected from the title; not because the Dutch slave trade was so important, but because Emmer uses it as an entry to a wide range of issues concerning the Atlantic slave trade in general and its historiography.
(-) Remove 18th-19th Century filter 18th-19th Century
(-) Remove Maritime History filter Maritime History
16th-17th Century (2) Apply 16th-17th Century filter
International History (3) Apply International History filter
Economic History (2) Apply Economic History filter
Cultural History (1) Apply Cultural History filter
Global History (1) Apply Global History filter
Intellectual History (1) Apply Intellectual History filter
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Jacki Randall Interview Posted
Posted on March 25, 2008 by Shannon Larratt
I thought that given some of the recent debate about mainstreaming and so on that this might be a good opportunity to post an interview with queer/leather/biker outlaw tattoo artist Jacki Randall. Click through for the interview, come on back to comment.
This entry was posted in ModBlog and tagged Art, Body Modification, Interviews, Tattoos by Shannon Larratt. Bookmark the permalink.
49 thoughts on “Jacki Randall Interview Posted”
Rauka on March 25, 2008 at 1:55 pm said:
I like the gasmaskchick and the “bigger lady” reminds me about a movie I used to watch when I was a child ^-^ it had trolls in it !
greenmouse on March 25, 2008 at 2:14 pm said:
interesting interview but i didn’t like any of her works. i guess that is just not my style
IAM CupCake on March 25, 2008 at 2:14 pm said:
I remember reading that comic “How’d you become a tattoo artist?” years ago and besides making me laugh, it in some ways prepared me for the mountain of shit I would endure being a woman in the tattooing world. Take everything with a grain of salt, and don’t hold back from insulting the feeble minded idiots you WILL encounter. Its awesome to see the face behind that comic, thank you!
thomas on March 25, 2008 at 3:07 pm said:
Whatever turns you on, I guess, but this is one more side of tattooing that I find pretty distasteful; not to mention the disservice it does to tattooed people in general. I try not to comment on the kid who wants to look like a zombie or the guys with huge labrets, because they tend to be individuals and don’t propogate such negative and narrow minded stereotyping as this. I’m sorry, but when I’m in line at the supermarket I don’t want to be labeled by middle-America as gay, biker, leather or any of that, but rather seen as the fairly normal, if slightly eccentric, guy who chooses to adorn himself, not flaunt society. No offense, just my take. I like body modification to be accepted, not tolerated.
cardboardfrog on March 25, 2008 at 3:28 pm said:
she’s an interesting lady thats for sure, some of the cartoons are pretty cool, but i did like the bear with the huge dick that made me laugh :D
Don on March 25, 2008 at 3:46 pm said:
I love this lady. While her tattoos don’t appeal to me on a personal level (in that I would get one tattooed on me) I think they’re amazing, and they speak to a certain culture in America.
I’m sort of in love with her.
That should read “(in that I wouldn’t get one tattooed on me.)” My apologies.
Megan on March 25, 2008 at 3:55 pm said:
I think I’m in love… haha.
M on March 25, 2008 at 4:10 pm said:
oh totally fucking rad. i like that her approach seems to be a lot more like that of a cartoonist, and that her tattoos are neither super-stylized nor photorealistic. i like grit, and i love leatherdykes, and this is pretty much an amazing combination of the two. would like to hear more about how, if at all, her sexuality/sexual beingness influences her designs. plus, two strong women in leather? excuse me, i think some drool just got stuck in my keyboard…
Voxyn on March 25, 2008 at 5:05 pm said:
The naked one with the hatchet looks like Despair from Sandman.
Indebted on March 25, 2008 at 5:22 pm said:
Thomas, seriously? Think about what you’re saying.
Why do you think it is that you can express what you see in yourself as slightly eccentric via your tattoos? I doubt that when Jacki is in line at the supermarket that she would like to be labeled as a straight, fairly normal, SUV driving, Gap jeans wearing woman. Ease up.
thomas – The irony is that if it were not for the efforts of “gays” or “bikers” or “leather culture”, piercing and tattooing would likely not exist at the level it is today! The fact is that you owe your ability to be a modified person to that culture — I think it’s somewhat sad that many people have a deep desire to reject that culture.
Like I said, no intent to offend. I just don’t feel that, while everyone has the right to their tattoos, this type of thing is good for tattooed people in general. I personally don’t feel a need to use tattoos, piercings, or other alterations to alienate me from any culture or to identify with one. That is just a foriegn concept to me; I alter my body because it looks and feels good to me, and I’d appreciate it if the general public either ignored it (and me) or responded to it as if I wore a fine pair of shoes. The shoes, nor the tattoos etc. say a thing about me other than that I feel no need to conform or comply.
Shannon; I understand and respect your point of view, and it is valid to an extent. The fact of the matter, however, is that I don’t “owe” anything to any culture or subculture. Simply because one or many groups of people may inspire an individual doesn’t mean he is in debt to them, or that he even must respect them. People have been modifying themselves throughout time; to suggest that current subcultures deserve sole credit for what is nothing more than human nature garnished with creativity and inspiration doesn’t make sense. I assure you; I had piercings and tattoos for their own sake long before I was aware such things were related to sexuality, fetish, or any such idea.
Neon on March 25, 2008 at 6:15 pm said:
Awwww. I don’t exactly like her style of tattooing, but she is so kickass! She has a definite style that is uniquely her, and I think that is awesome!
paleblue on March 25, 2008 at 6:29 pm said:
I would have no problem with being associated with gay or leather people by being tattooed; not that I think that’s likely to happen. It’s a bit sad that someone would feel insulted by that perceived association.
Rozi on March 25, 2008 at 6:30 pm said:
This is one of my favourite interviews on modblog so far. I love her art and her tattoos are ace, not to mention her attitude.
This one really made me smile, I think ’cause I identified with her ideas more than most other interviewees on here…
freedomhangs on March 25, 2008 at 6:32 pm said:
I agree with #10. And I definitely like this lady.
Thomas – On one hand I understand, because much of my early inspiration came both from “nowhere” and from National Geographic, but on the other hand, it’s gay/leather/biker/etc outlaw culture that created the industry, so the reality is that the huge majority of people wouldn’t be involved were it not for those cultures and their efforts. I think that deserves some thanks, in the same way that one owes ones parents for their role in laying the foundation for your life.
Oh, and Re: “I like body modification to be accepted, not tolerated.”
It’s funny that you say that by the way, because I feel pretty much exactly the opposite. I couldn’t care less if people accept me and think I’m “normal” — I only care that I’m tolerated and treated with a small modicum of decency.
panties on March 25, 2008 at 7:36 pm said:
as other people have said, not the style of tattooing i would choose for myself, but i have the utmost respect for this woman. this is one of the few interviews that really made me happy to read.
and seeing as thomas seems to enjoy stereotyping people based on the very barest of bones of that person, i’m going to go out on a limb and say that he sounds like EXACTLY the kind of person that would annoy the crap out of me irl. im sure he has lots of really pretty, generic tattoos that all his cool friends will think he’s rad for having and that situation makes him very happy
herekittykitty on March 25, 2008 at 8:02 pm said:
Reminds me of the old underground comics. R. Crumb, Vaughn Bode, Gilbert Shelton etc. I love that stuff. Wonder Warthog, Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Forty-Year-Old Hippie, Lizard of Oz, Feds n Heads…haha.
Loved the interview, too.
Mae on March 25, 2008 at 8:48 pm said:
I think that this has been one of my favourite interviews. Thanks you very much!
Wilburtino on March 25, 2008 at 9:11 pm said:
i read the interview about an hour or so ago, and wasnt really a fan. Gave it another read and im sort of coming around to it. the domestic goddess and the leather clad winnie the pooh bear, sort of grows on you
Esther on March 25, 2008 at 9:19 pm said:
Don’t assume that everyone who gets modified has, or should have, the same motivations as you. And don’t put down people who get modified to define their place in a group or to seperate themselves from normal conservative narrow-minded society.
Body modification is more than just a creative expression, it serves as a right of passage, reinforces personal bonds, and creates a sense of “groupness” within a culture. It also serves to define what groups you are not a part of. This is true in societies that have traditionally practiced body modification, and in modern Western “subcultures.”
Modern piercing and tattoo culture in the West developed as a means for people on the outskirts of society (queers, bikers, sailors and fishermen, etc) to thumb their collective noses at bourgeois values. They were saying, “No, we’re not like you, nor do we have any desire to be.”
Sorry, the above comment was supposed to be directed at Thomas.
Chaq on March 25, 2008 at 9:42 pm said:
That was a really interesting interview – thanks for that Shannon!
TrinityVA on March 26, 2008 at 12:05 am said:
4: get a clue about history. and a clue about leatherfolk too while you’re at it.
meh. I want to say something else, but nothing’s coming out right. I guess the thing is: what leather is in ignorant people’s minds and what it is for leatherpeople are very different. and what things were like when she was coming up are, I’m sure, very different from the way they are now. But those of us who do have one foot in the mainstream (or more) owe everything to the people who were brave enough to be the total outlaws. So yeah, thomas: whether you meant to offend or not, you did.
severed on March 26, 2008 at 2:31 am said:
Thomas, you want to be seen as a “fairly normal, if slightly eccentric” individual most likely because that is who you are. That is perfectly acceptable. It’s also perfectly acceptable for other people to choose the images they wish to project.
Angiebabynz on March 26, 2008 at 3:15 am said:
I like her – I like her a LOT. Definitely not the style of tattoo I’d get, but I like the way it looks. And that was an interesting interview to read too!
LAwatts on March 26, 2008 at 4:21 am said:
dam tooting number 21. my thoughts exactly
asd on March 26, 2008 at 6:40 am said:
I’m with Paleblue. I think Thomas has some issues with gays, bikers, and leather. Possibly just a closet bigot. Possibly just in the closet himself…
Shaun on March 26, 2008 at 7:58 am said:
I can’t say I like her “art” and I doubt that we would get along at all as people.
Stu on March 26, 2008 at 9:25 am said:
her style sort of reminds me of the Hothead Paisan tip.
Bob on March 26, 2008 at 9:42 am said:
I really liked this interview. I had no idea this kind of tattooing still existed. It brought back memories of “Bad boys and tough tattoos” by Sam Shepherd for me. Thanks!
34: Yes. I was thinking something similar without realizing it. “Now who does that remind me of…?” Heh.
and also: Exactly to #29. It’s fine to not make waves (as long as actual thinking for yourself led to that.) But the people who do are the people at the forefront of changing culture. It’s all a big trade-off. We all need security, and we all need rebellion. Figuring out how much of each we can and should live with is part of what life is about.
Monkey King on March 26, 2008 at 12:50 pm said:
I don’t understand this whole “other people with tattoo’s that I don’t like reflect badly upon me” idea. Dude, what other people do is their business, and most thinking adults recognize the difference between a college grad with a full color sleeve of pretty flowers and a hardcore 1%er with “FTW” on his knuckles. Besides, as Jacki points out, all that biker shit is co-oped for TV now anyway. Americans love watching “outlaw bikers” on choppers with hella tattoos.
Look, I have tattoos and ride a motorcycle. But my tattoos are colorful and clean, and my motorcycle is a sport touring bike. Old women don’t run from me in fear because OTHER people who have tattoos and ride motorcycles are dangerous criminals. That’s just a ridiculous idea. Get over yourself.
Robyn on March 26, 2008 at 1:40 pm said:
Great interview, Shannon. :)
Venomous Intellect on March 26, 2008 at 9:40 pm said:
This person is so fucking cool!!! I wish more people like her still existed.
Alan on March 27, 2008 at 2:04 am said:
Interesting read, but I dont really like her style, it seems… I dunno sort of what I drew during middle school ( And I never really was any good at drawing) Even so, i like the CONTENT of the tattoos!
Marshall on March 27, 2008 at 5:06 pm said:
Love this interview. Only wish it was longer. Thanks, Shannon.
SYdney on March 29, 2008 at 11:28 am said:
I really enjoyed the interview and I think I love Jacki. Thank heavens there are still artists such as herself who are keeping this industry true to its roots and accessible to people who come to body mod from every walk of life.
Lil' Bird on March 29, 2008 at 8:08 pm said:
Jacki Randall does a variety of gorgeous styles of artwork, which are not entirely represented here.
Her portraits, colorful pieces, and paintings are absolutely breath-taking.
It is important that viewers of this site and others similar should know what a highly diversified talent Jacki is.
It’s a shame that more of her great work wasn’t shown, because there isn’t any style she can’t render beautifully. Just look at her website!
Dozer on March 30, 2008 at 10:58 am said:
All the beautiful, serious work Ms.Randall has done, and you chose to drag out her earliest, goofiest offerings? Unbelievable. This is just another example of how women in the tattooing business are kept down.
Dozer and all — please do follow the links in the intro to check out more of her work. There’s certainly no intent to misrepresent her work or range and I apologize if it came off that way.
JohnnyThief on March 31, 2008 at 10:36 pm said:
Killer interview, if all too short. I’d love to get some work from her, but I know my smart mouth will bring on a well deserved beating! ;)
Aaron Bowers on August 12, 2008 at 1:28 pm said:
I will only let Jacki Randall work on me now. The quality is so great, everything else is worthless. Very clean, and she is great. A real pleasure to have work on me.
Zeus on April 15, 2009 at 6:20 pm said:
Jacki is the Goddess. Damn shame you didn’t show her REAL work. In case you didn’t notice she doesnt waste time on assholes.
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Serbia: TPP Kostolac, Electricity generation and overhaul investment report
17. March 2015. / SEE Energy News
Maximum production of Kostolac installed thermal power capacities amounts to about 6.600.000 MWh, which is the top limit of these units.
The time is getting near when the thermal power plants in Kostolac will produce electricity with the power of 1.000MW. EPS is no longer the sole electricity supplier in Serbia, meaning that the units need to be more efficient in order to make the price of the produced KWh more competitive on the market. Maximum production of Kostolac installed thermal power capacities amounts to 6.600 MWh, which is the top limit of these power units.
– Prior to reaching this maximum electricity production in the company Thermal Power Plants and Mines Kostolac, the most important is to facilitate the device operation stability, to execute the envisaged overhauls in TPP Kostolac A and Kostolac B. The optimization of the Unit B1 is to follow and at this moment both companies have to prove their contracted parameters based on which we can reach the maximum, nominal power – says Mr. Zoran Stanojević, the Director of the Department for electricity production in the company Thermal Power Plants and Mines Kostolac. – Fine adjustments and the optimization of the operation of the unit are to be carried out in the following months, and that would not be a fast process. That will improve both efficiency and exploitability rate. Afterwards the TPP “Kostolac B” will have 700MW, and “Kostolac” 1.000 MW in total, while in five years, with the future unit B3 it will have 1.350MW, until the units A1 and A2 are scheduled for reconstruction.
TPP Kostolac A has a steady operation with the Unit A1 and A2. This thermal power plant provides heat power for the heating system of Požarevac, Kostolac and surrounding settlements, and the total achieved electricity production over January in the Units А1 and А2 amounted to around 180.519 MWh, which is by several percent lower than planned.
– We had a minor intervention at the unit A1, one standstill in January, when we repaired all minor defects on the turbine, so that now this plant operates at maximum power of 100MW. The unit A2 worked without a single downtime and once again confirmed its reliability. At the Unit A2 we expect to have an overhaul this year, due to a complete boiler system part replacement with located points of what needs to be replaced. It is about the major Contract to provide a reliable operation of the Unit A2 in the period to come – said Mr. Stanojević. – in TPP Kostolac B, the rehabilitation on the Unit B2 was completed in 2012, so that this Unit now has the power of 350MW. The Unit B2 worked incessantly during the last month, except on January 31, when a short standstill occurred about an hour and a half in duration. That being done, we returned to the electric power grid and now we have a stable electricity production from the Unit B2.
According to our interlocutor’s words, in cooperation with the Chinese corporation CMEC, the rehabilitation of the Unit B1 has been completed, lasting for almost ten months and including large-scale and complex technical tasks. The rehabilitation of the Unit B1 commenced on March 1st, 2014 and lasted until December 1st last year. Due to the floods that hit the production units of the company Thermal Power Plants and Mines Kostolac in May, last year and unfavorable, windy weather conditions when mounting electric filter facility, there was a temporary standstill of this project implementation, which resulted in the deadline extensions. So, the synchronization of the Unit B1 with the electric power grid was done on December 29th 2014. In January, the optimization of the Unit B1 operation was done, particularly having in mind the new concept of combustion in the fire box because of the installation of the nitrogen oxides emission reduction system. The Unit has gradually been led towards full capacity, and on January 26th it worked at full blast, with the power of 335MW. The Unit B1 has currently been undergoing calibration, adjustments and other contracted activities with several large companies that are to bring the operation to nominal parameters and the power of 350MW.
– The plant has undergone a reconstruction of the turbine and when boiler unit reaches required parameters, we will have a maximum power the turbine is to give to the generator. The boiler unit has undergone several operations. CMEC has done the replacement of the pipeline system of a portion of the steam pipeline and complete steam pipeline hanger system, thus giving the system reliability and reducing the number of downtimes in the period to come – said Mr. Stanojević. – CMEC has also replaced complete electric filter system and it will be proved when all other things are finished. When reaching the maximum power of the Unit, what follows is the proving that particles emission is in accordance with the contractual obligations. The control room of the Unit B1 underwent several corrections due to reduction of nitrogen oxides.
As explained by our interlocutor, “Siemens” has worked on the complete reconstruction of the air mixture duct, by which coal dust is transported from the mills to the burners and inserted into the boiler and the air ducts by which secondary air heated to 250-300°C is inserted into the boiler, i.e. the fire box, to burn the coal. The different arrangement of the ducts and air gave Siemens the possibility to lower the temperatures in the upper zone, to link nitrogen oxides into compounds that are then ejected together with coal powder and do not represent pollution any more, mainly nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.
-The boiler unit had work done on the reburning grid, and/or the complete deslaging beneath the boiler. The reburning grid and ash removal unit were replaced, which are within their capacities and produce required nominal values. There are slight problems with the temperatures distribution and heat progress, i.e. the slag that ends up there and the particles that are not burned that have a high temperature, cause the slagging – explained Mr. Stanojević.
The Mills underwent also a huge repair, which gives the boiler unit the basis for good combustion, achieved with boiler where the combustion is on the fly, by the fine coal powder. The mills are to mill the coal according to the given parameters and to insert fine particle in the three levels of the burner, i.e. 80-85% in the lower two and the remaining 15% in the third, top burner. The reconstruction was done by Siemens, and besides distribution and arrangement, a burner tilt of 15 degree was included, so that burning and flame and flame focus, the entire flame burning as ellipsoid are lowered. It provides for the lower temperatures to be above, and higher temperatures down, so that the nitrogen oxides could be extracted, i.e. to have a reaction while combusting and turn into other compounds. Our next step is to make a required milling fineness in the mills to make the coal and coal dust arrangement more optimized. “Siemens” will provide its guideline on how to reach optimized and right combustion by height, in order to have the appropriate heat exchange and to reach adequate parameter at the output of fresh steam from the preheater 3 and warm inter-heat at the output from the inter-preheater 2, which are the first heating surfaces above the fire box.
We are to hold a meeting soon with the company “Minel”, which is in consortium with “Feromont” and “Hitachi”, about the calibration of mills in accordance with the firebox geometry, made by Siemens. After obtaining specified fineness, Siemens will give the distribution of air-mixture and air to reach the optimized heat exchange in the firebox.
The heat exchange therein must be good with the boiler pipeline, maximum exchange of heat to the fluid in pipes, water/steam in the evaporator, and then steam/preheated steam in the lower preheaters – pointed out Mr.Stanojević. – We should also make sure for the small dimension particles to fall on the reburning grid and to get reburned there, but not burned out, so that the procedure stays steady. This would lead to maximum load of the mills and increasing of the coal up to the maximum to reach the power of 350MW. In technological terms, it must be done, as soon as possible.
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2021 online sermons » Dr. David Jeremiah » David Jeremiah - The Hostage
David Jeremiah - The Hostage
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Historians record that Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 605 B.C., and it also tells us that the king deported Jewish hostages from Jerusalem to Babylon, leaving Jerusalem in ruins, with only a few of the poor, aged, and infirm still in the land. For 70 years, they were in captivity because they refused to do what God called them to do. And God got His Sabbaths. For all those years, the land of Israel lay fallow, collecting all the Sabbaths that had been neglected. And of course, Judah was not only guilty of neglecting the Sabbath of the Lord. Judah was also guilty of idolatry and gross sin, and God had finally had enough of it, so God got the Babylonians, the most wicked nation in the world, to carry out His judgment.
The Bible says this was ordained of God. It's interesting. This is really ironic. God turned evil against evil to accomplish good. He took the Babylonians to punish the Israelites to get good out of it, and now the great defection has happened. After the great defection, there was a great deportation. Verses 2-7. Here we read that the Lord gave into Nebuchadnezzar's hand "some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar," which is another name for Babylon, "to the house of his god".
He took the chalices and the vessels and all of the beautiful utensils that Solomon had put into the temple to enhance the worship of almighty God, and he took those vessels, and he carried them to Babylon and put them in the temple of an idol. Because you see, in that day, when you defeated a nation, it was thought that you also defeated that nation's god. And to take those implements and put them in your temple was a reminder to anyone who knew it that the god Marduk had defeated the god of Israel. It was a short-lived victory, as you know.
So now Nebuchadnezzar has the articles of the temple in his idol's house, and he has some of the choice young men of Israel in Babylon, and he's about to put them through some training so that they can become his representatives in the kingdom where there will be many other Jewish people. In order to be a part of Nebuchadnezzar's program, you had to meet the conditions for selection, and we read about this in verses 3 and 4 of Daniel 1, "...the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace".
The elite of Judah's young men were brought to Babylon, and they were inspected with the view to becoming servants of Nebuchadnezzar in his palace. And here were the tests they had to follow. First of all, the physical test in verse 4. They had to be young men in whom there was no blemish, and they had to be good-looking. This is about the only place in the Bible where I've ever read that good-looking matters, but here it mattered. These young men had to be the finest, the choicest of the men in Judah. In fact, the word for "young" is the original language, refers to someone who's between 14 and 17 years of age. "They were young enough to make the adjustment to a new place, and they were old enough to learn what was going on there".
So they brought these young men into Babylon. And then they had to pass an intellectual test. Verse 4 says they had to be "gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge, and quick to understand". In addition to their physical prowess, they had to have a high IQ. Those who were to serve the king must be highly intelligent. They must be knowledgeable, and the Bible says they must be quick to learn, a quick study. Not only physical, intellectual, but a social test was added to the list in verse 4, "Young men... who had ability to serve in the king's palace". In other words, the king expected these men that he chose and would ultimately train to be young men of poise and social grace and winsome personalities because they would have to function in a royal setting without causing the king embarrassment.
So the physical test and the intellectual test and the social test. Now along with the conditions for their selection, there was a curriculum for their schooling. Verse 4 says, "...whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans". Nebuchadnezzar had a three-year training program that he designed for these young men who came into his kingdom. And then we're told that along with the schooling that Nebuchadnezzar was providing, he also had a sinister desire to seduce these young men into becoming not just outwardly Babylonian but inwardly Babylonian as well, and the campaign for their seduction is given to us in verses 5-7.
Three things Nebuchadnezzar decided to do. First of all, he emasculated them. The book of Daniel doesn't state explicitly that that happened, but we know it happened from the writing of Isaiah. The prophet Isaiah predicted that the Babylonians would come and carry off the riches of Judah as well as it sounds, "...and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon". So Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego became eunuchs. The king did not want them to have any other desire except for him. Then he obligated them. The Bible says, that "He apointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank". Making them dependent upon the king's kitchen, the king's bounty, giving them food that was so rich and elegant that they would never think about going back to their old diet.
And then, most important of all, he assimilated them. Now, watch what he did. He changed Daniel's name, which means in Hebrew "God is my judge," to Belteshazzar, which means "Bel, protect his life". Bel was a pagan Babylonian god. He changed Hananiah, which means "Yahweh is gracious" in Hebrew, to Shadrach, which means "the command of Aku," after the Babylonian moon god. And he changed Mishael, which means in Hebrew "who is what God is," to Meshach, which means "who is what Aku is". And he changed Azariah, which means "Yahweh is my helper," to Abednego, "servant of Nebo," in honor of the second greatest Babylonian god, Nebo.
You see, Nebuchadnezzar wanted his three young friends and Daniel to forget Jerusalem, to forget their God, to forget the temple and everything related to their Jewish heritage and their culture, but Daniel and his friends did not forget, because how many of you know you can change a man's name, but that doesn't change his nature? And 70 years later, you see Daniel still in Babylon, bowing down toward Jerusalem and remembering the God of his youth. The great defection and the great deportation and now the core of the passage, the great decision.
In Daniel 1:8 and following, we find out why Daniel was a stand-up guy, for we read in verse 8 these words, his resolution, "...Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank". Now, notice Daniel didn't wait until it was offered to him. He didn't wait until the moment of temptation. The Bible says long before that, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not violate his faith by eating and drinking food that had been offered to an idol.
Could I just pause for a moment and say that every major conviction we have is a conviction we need to make long before it's tested? You don't make your decisions about what you're going to do in a situation where you might be tempted to compromise... I used to tell young people when I was a youth pastor (I was thinking about it this week) that the place to make up your mind about your morality is not the backseat of your boyfriend's car. That's not a good place to make that decision. You will make the wrong decision if you do that. So you got to make the decision. You've got to resolve to do what's right.
The reason Daniel was so strong was, he resolved to do what's right. In his heart, he decided, "I will not violate my faith," but he did it in an interesting way. He didn't get in the face of Nebuchadnezzar or Ashpenaz or the steward. He didn't rail against Babylon. He didn't write a paper on why you shouldn't eat food that's offered to an idol. Notice how he handled himself, verses 8 and 10: "He requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself... and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, 'I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king'".
So Daniel requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel's refusal to follow the king's instruction didn't get him in the king's face but made him ask a question. He said, "Look, if you're gonna try to make me eat this food, I'm not gonna eat this food, but before you go off on this, let me give you another idea. Just why don't you test us? Why don't you let us eat our food? "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examinated before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fot, so deal with your servants".
Daniel said: Look, your way is not my way. Let me tell you what my way is, and let us prove to you that my way is God's way and the best way. Give us ten days to eat food that doesn't come from the king's table, and at the end of the ten days, you examine us and see whether or not we're better than those who ate the food that was offered to the idols. What happens in verses 15 and following in the first chapter is the great demonstration. This is my favorite part of the story. The result of Daniel's dietary experiment was conclusive. At the end of ten days, he and his three friends came out totally superior to all of the other hostages in every category that you could measure.
First of all, they had greater impact. Verse 15 says, "And at the end of ten days theie features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies". When Daniel and his friends stood up at the end of their ten-day dietary trial, the Bible says they had better skin, better skin color, better general alertness, stronger physique. Their appearance was superior in every way to those who had indulged in the king's menu.
How could the appearance of these men have shown such exceptional superiority in such a short time? In fact, if this works in ten days, we're all starting it tomorrow, right? I mean, get us some vegetables and a lot of water, and we're on this diet for real. So how do you explain that in ten days, they totally were so much better than all the rest? Well, the diet wasn't just vegetable and water. It was vegetable and water and God. God was in this. God was allowing them to be more pronounced in their physical prowess than the others. God was making this demonstration what it was.
Not only did they have greater impact, but they had greater intelligence. Verses 17 and 20 tells us, "God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm". So they had greater impact and greater intelligence, and they had greater influence. "At the end of the days", verses 18 and 19, "none was founf like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king".
They graduated, and they were promoted, and now here we are with these four Hebrew boys in the palace with a Babylonian king, in the place where God is gonna use them to influence things that we're going to see in the future. He brought these young men out of Jerusalem. They went through the training program, maintained their faith in God, and here they are in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar. The great testimony for Daniel is in the 21st verse of the first chapter. If you don't have your Bibles, look up on the screen. This is what it says. Daniel 1:21, "Thus Daniel continued".
Daniel continued, in the public eye, for almost 70 years. He outlasted some of the most powerful kings and kingdoms in world history, and he lived in a culture that was utterly pagan, yet there isn't a negative word said about Daniel in all of the Bible, not one. He wasn't sinless, but they just never recorded anything evil about Daniel. When the leaders of Babylon tried to find something about him that they could use to convict him, it says in chapter 6 that the only thing they could find about him that they might try to convict him about was his faith in God. What a testimony for us to follow.
But what about us? What do we take away from this? Let me suggest three things. First of all, Daniel had a life that was steadfast, and we can have such a life as well. The preparation for it is more simple than you may think, and it's in process right now in all of our lives. What I'm saying is that all of us are in the category of Daniel. He doesn't have anything on any of us. We're all born with the opportunity to become like Daniel, to become champions for what we believe, to stand up for our faith. It starts with the little things. It doesn't start with the big things.
You know, I happen to believe that most of us in this room are gonna face some major issues that we have to stand up for before we go to heaven, but let me ask you this question. What's gonna prepare us to do that? You're just not gonna stand up for the big thing if you haven't had some small victories along the way. So the preparation for a steadfast life gives us some of the possibilities. The way you get strong enough to stand up for the big things is by standing up for the little things, and I promise you everyone in this room, including your pastor, will have an opportunity this week to stand up for something that we really believe is true.
Finally, I want to give you the promise of a steadfast life, and I want you to notice that for all of the miraculous works that God did for Daniel and through Daniel, listen carefully, it is important to note that God never took Daniel out of Babylon. He left him in that culture for all of his 90-some years. You see, the message of Daniel is not that God is going to remove all forms of oppression in our lives. Sometimes we pray, "Lord, make it go away". But instead, this helps us to know that God has promised us that we can find success and remain faithful to Him even in the most trying of circumstances and under the greatest pressure of culture. We don't have to yield to the pressure.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm all for trying to change the culture and make it better: whatever we can do to do that. But we need to understand something today, and that is that some of the cultural issues that we worry about have already crossed the Rubicon. They're already done. They're finished. But the same God who could, if He chose to do so, take us away from this environment or take this environment away from us is the God who can help us live like Daniel lived in a culture that defies the very existence of the most high God, and in order to do that, men and women, we have to be willing to stand up. It's not about standing down. That's cowardice. It's not about standing aside. That's compromise. It's really not even about standing against. That's contention, and that's sometimes competition. It's about standing up. That's conviction, and that's courage, and that's what Daniel did, and by the grace of God, that's what I want to do, and by the grace of God, I pray that's what will do as well.
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Northwestern University Law Review
Home > Northwestern University Law Review > NULR > Vol. 105 > Iss. 2 (2015)
Agency Rulemaking and Political Transitions
Anne Joseph O'Connell
Anne Joseph O'Connell, Agency Rulemaking and Political Transitions, 105 Nw. U. L. Rev. 471 (2015).
https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/nulr/vol105/iss2/2
Agency Commons, Law and Politics Commons
All Issues Vol. 115, Iss. 4 Vol. 115, Iss. 3 Vol. 115, Iss. 2 Vol. 115, Iss. 1 Vol. 114, Iss. 7 Vol. 114, Iss. 6 Vol. 114, Iss. 5 Vol. 114, Iss. 4 Vol. 114, Iss. 3 Vol. 114, Iss. 2 Vol. 114, Iss. 1 Vol. 113, Iss. 6 Vol. 113, Iss. 5 Vol. 113, Iss. 4 Vol. 113, Iss. 3 Vol. 113, Iss. 2 Vol. 113, Iss. 1 Vol. 112, Iss. 6 Vol. 112, Iss. 5 Vol. 112, Iss. 4 Vol. 112, Iss. 3 Vol. 112, Iss. 2 Vol. 112, Iss. 1 Vol. 111, Iss. 6 Vol. 111, Iss. 5 Vol. 111, Iss. 4 Vol. 111, Iss. 3 Vol. 111, Iss. 2 Vol. 111, Iss. 1 Vol. 110, Iss. 5 Vol. 110, Iss. 4 Vol. 110, Iss. 3 Vol. 110, Iss. 2 Vol. 110, Iss. 1 Vol. 109, Iss. 4 Vol. 109, Iss. 3 Vol. 109, Iss. 2 Vol. 109, Iss. 1 Vol. 108, Iss. 4 Vol. 108, Iss. 3 Vol. 108, Iss. 2 Vol. 108, Iss. 1 Vol. 107, Iss. 4 Vol. 107, Iss. 3 Vol. 107, Iss. 2 Vol. 107, Iss. 1 Vol. 106, Iss. 4 Vol. 106, Iss. 3 Vol. 106, Iss. 2 Vol. 106, Iss. 1 Vol. 105, Iss. 4 Vol. 105, Iss. 3 Vol. 105, Iss. 2 Vol. 105, Iss. 1
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Education / Accountability
So That’s What You Spent Your Money On
By James V. Shuls on May 4, 2018
A few weeks ago I asked the question, “school administrators, what did you spend your money on?” The purpose of that piece was to show that Missouri has been increasing school funding, but that money has not translated to higher teacher salaries. I showed that much of the money went to additional people, such as aides and administrators, and some went to increased costs for benefits. A recent audit of the Hazelwood school district offers even more answers. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the full story, and I suggest you check it out.
The audit noted that the School Board and superintendent spent more than $387,000 in the past two school years on membership fees, travel, gifts, airfare and meeting expenses. The district spends tens of thousands of dollars on items such as sympathy flowers, sympathy cards, “excessive tipping,” bellhops, valet parking, extra airline fees, gifts, T-shirts and board meals.
That’s enough money to give every teacher in the district about a $300 raise. That may not seem like much, but things like this add up. Here is another example from the Post-Dispatch’s report:
The district pays a $600 monthly car allowance to the associate superintendent in addition to mileage reimbursement, even though the associate superintendent only drove $250 worth of mileage for the entire last school year.
According to data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the average administrator in Hazelwood earned $107,526 in 2017. This includes principals and assistant principals, so the salary paid to an associate superintendent is undoubtedly higher than this. I leave it to you to decide whether a $600 monthly car allowance for an associate superintendent is a prudent investment for the district to make.
The audit also found that the school district improperly over-counted student attendance—leading to the district receiving $95,000 that it wasn’t supposed to receive—and failed to report a principal who allegedly stole thousands of dollars from the district. While those two examples are evidence of wrongdoing, what about the spending practices described above? They don’t violate any rules, but they explain a lot about where all that additional education funding is going. In a time of increased focus on teacher pay, it seems incredible that we can say to school administrators, “That’s what you spent your money on?”
[As part of the Show-Me Institute’s Checkbook Project, you can see a full breakdown of the Hazelwood School District’s spending.]
James V. Shuls
Distinguished Fellow of Education Policy
How Are School Districts Responding to COVID-19?
It’s Time to Act
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Golf: PGA Championship rescheduled for August - report
FILE PHOTO: PGA: PGA Championship - First Round
(Reuters) - The PGA Championship, one of golf's four majors, has been rescheduled for Aug. 6-9 after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Sunday.
The event will remain at the city's Harding Park course, the paper said.
The championship is run by the PGA of America, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The PGA Championship was originally planned for May 14-17 but the PGA of America announced on March 17 that the event had been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The spread of the virus has prompted the shutdown of almost all sport worldwide.
The first major championship of the year, the Masters, was scheduled to start this Thursday at Augusta National, but the club announced on March 13 that it had been postponed.
The U.S. Open, scheduled for Winged Foot in New York from June 18-21, and the July 16-19 British Open at Royal St. George's in Kent, are still officially on the schedule.
But it is believed an announcement on the postponement of the U.S. Open will be made in the next few days.
The major championship organisers and the PGA Tour, which runs the weekly circuit of non-major tournaments, have been discussing a revamped schedule.
However, any plans to resume the professional circuit depend on the coronavirus subsiding over the next couple of months.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Ed Osmond)
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Three-year plan to be unveiled
The blueprint for the future of Durham Challenge Cup winners, Shildon Football Club will be presented in an open public meeting at Elm Road Club next weekend.
The meeting will take place at 10.30am on Saturday 10th May and a special invitation is extended to all Shildon supporters and to all of the club’s sponsors.
Shildon AFC Director, David Dent, whose company founded the Shildon AFC Development Centre, will outline the football club’s ambitions for the next three years.
Mr Dent will speak about where the club is now, the obstacles it must overcome to achieve continued success, the Board of Directors’ vision for the future, how it means to achieve that vision and what that means for the wider Shildon community.
Speaking about the presentation Mr Dent said: “This has been a tremendously successful season for the football club. We came third in the Northern League Division One behind two clubs that have invested heavily in recent years and of course we won the Durham FA Challenge Cup for the first time in 41 years in front of a crowd of over 1,000 spectators on Good Friday.
“We see this success as the first of many trophies we want to bring to the club, including the league title, which Shildon has not won since the 1930s.
“On Saturday 10th May, I will outline our vision for the future of the club and we want to reach out and engage with the entire Shildon community. Football is a sport like no other. It has the ability to bring entire communities closer together and we hope in the coming years to make Dean Street a place that all of Shildon will be proud to visit to support their local club.
“Shildon Football Club is not just the team that plays in the Northern League top flight; we now have sides at every age group from under six to under 18 together with a Reserve side.
“The community will play a vital part in the future development of the club and we look forward to seeing as many people as possible at Elm Road Club on Saturday 10th May. I am confident the public will be as excited as we are about the club’s future plans.”
The presentation will be immediately followed by the Shildon AFC Supporters Club’s next meeting. Anyone who wishes to remain behind is welcome to join proceedings, and to join the Supporters Club should they wish.
There will also be an opportunity at the meeting to sign up to a regular electronic newsletter from the football club.
◂ Pre-season fixtures arranged
Player Presentation Night ▸
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+632 7267986 marketing@spuqc.edu.ph
About SPUQC
Student Services & Facilities
Christian Formation Office
Hubs of Excellence
Community Development & Advocacy Center
Center for Social Innovation and Research
Pre-school and Gradeschool
Your privacy is very important to us. At St. Paul University Quezon City, we have a few fundamental principles that we follow:
A. The Privacy Notice
This Notice recognizes the obligation of St. Paul University Quezon City (SPUQC) to collect and process personal information and sensitive personal information (personal data) based on the applicable laws and regulations on data privacy, including the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA) with its implementing rules and regulations (IRR). We seek to abide by the general privacy principles of transparency, legitimacy, and proportionality and other relevant principles in the collection, processing, and retention of personal data as mandated by the law.
B. Data Subjects
According to DPA-IRR, the data subject refers to an individual whose personal, sensitive personal or privileged information is processed. SPUQC recognizes the stakeholders of the University as its data subjects: students, parents, employees, suppliers, outsourced personnel and other interested parties.
C. Collection and Processing of Personal Data
We obtain personal data such as names or email addresses whether directly or through another person or entity in the following forms or means:
Application forms, request letters, notifications and some other documents;
Agreements with us, whether or not written including an employment contract, or other contract pertaining to academic concerns, photo and printing arrangements or suppliers or service contract;
Inquiries before and after employment, if necessary; and
Accesses, visits, or uses of our websites, platforms, social media existence and other online presence;
D. Purposes of Collecting and Processing of Personal Data
We collect and process personal data for the following purposes:
As allowed by applicable law;
Use of personal data to:
2.1 Exercise our rights and comply with specific contracts and agreements, and the law, as may be required by our school operations and objectives;
2.2 Execute and improve our services;
2.3 Conduct surveys, research, and other data gathering activities;
2.4 Market and promote the University by means of its accomplishments related to the school, personnel and students;
2.5 Application for permit/recognition, certification audits, program accreditation, compliance monitoring and other review by third parties;
2.6 Collect and process personal data from current and potential employees in order to initiate, complete the process or terminate employment.
Documented information and records (written or electronic), computer systems, devices and facilities are the property of SPUQC. These files and records may be examined and reviewed by the University at any time, whether or not an officer, employee or other staff has personal data, property or other information stored therein.
E. Scope and method of collection and processing
SPUQC makes use of manual and computerized systems and methods to collect, store and process personal information. Collection and processing of personal data will be undertaken based on this Notice and in accordance with DPA law.
Storage and retention activities of personal information will be considered for a specific period as may be required by the school to efficiently achieve the intended purposes.
F. Privacy Consent
In providing your personal data, you agree and consent to our collecting, processing, disclosing, sharing the personal information within the purposes of the University.
G. Security Measures
SPUQC shall take appropriate security measures (or technical, physical and administrative safeguards) to protect your personal data against unauthorized access or unauthorized disclosure, modification or damage. Measures include internal assessment of our data collection, retention and storage, processing practices, including physical security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access. The designated officers and assigned personnel of the University shall ensure all information is protected, and shall only use this information to perform their functions. All employees shall sign an affidavit of non-disclosure to ensure personal information is secured within the University.
Compliance to the provisions of the rules, regulations and circulars of DPA on the management of personal data security breaches, notification to the users or to the National Privacy Commission (NPC), shall be strictly observed by the University officials and its personnel.
H. Data Protection Officer (DPO)
The Data Protection Officer is mainly responsible for ensuring SPUQC’s compliance with the laws and regulations for the protection of data privacy. All requests, notices which a data subject may send to SPUQC under this Notice must be in writing, addressed to the Data Protection Officer. Contact details are as follows:
St. Paul University Quezon City
G/f St. Paul Building, Gilmore Avenue corner Aurora Blvd.,
New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone: (632) 7267986 to 88 local 112
Email: universitypresident@spuqc.edu.ph
I. Definition of Terms (under DPA-IRR):
Whenever used in this Notice, the following terms shall have the respective meanings under the Data Privacy Act of 2012:
“DPA” means the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations, as well as the circulars issued by the National Privacy Commission from time to time.
a. “Act” refers to Republic Act No. 10173, also known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012;
b. “Commission” refers to the National Privacy Commission;
c. “Consent of the data subject” refers to any freely given, specific, informed indication of will, whereby the data subject agrees to the collection and processing of his or her personal, sensitive personal, or privileged information. Consent shall be evidenced by written, electronic or recorded means. It may also be given on behalf of a data subject by a lawful representative or an agent specifically authorized by the data subject to do so;
d. “Data subject” refers to an individual whose personal, sensitive personal, or privileged information is processed;
e. “Data processing systems” refers to the structure and procedure by which personal data is collected and further processed in an information and communications system or relevant filing system, including the purpose and intended output of the processing;
f. “Data sharing” is the disclosure or transfer to a third party of personal data under the custody of a personal information controller or personal information processor. In the case of the latter, such disclosure or transfer must have been upon the instructions of the personal information controller concerned. The term excludes outsourcing, or the disclosure or transfer of personal data by a personal information controller to a personal information processor;
g. “Direct marketing” refers to communication by whatever means of any advertising or marketing material which is directed to particular individuals;
h. “Filing system” refers to any set of information relating to natural or juridical persons to the extent that, although the information is not processed by equipment operating automatically in response to instructions given for that purpose, the set is structured, either by reference to individuals or by reference to criteria relating to individuals, in such a way that specific information relating to a particular individual is readily accessible;
i. “Information and communications system” refers to a system for generating, sending, receiving, storing, or otherwise processing electronic data messages or electronic documents, and includes the computer system or other similar device by which data is recorded, transmitted, or stored, and any procedure related to the recording, transmission, or storage of electronic data, electronic message, or electronic document
j. “Personal data” refers to all types of personal information
k. “Personal data breach” refers to a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored, or otherwise processed;
l. “Personal information” refers to any information, whether recorded in a material form or not, from which the identity of an individual is apparent or can be reasonably and directly ascertained by the entity holding the information, or when put together with other information would directly and certainly identify an individual;
m. “Personal information controller” refers to a natural or juridical person, or any other body who controls the processing of personal data, or instructs another to process personal data on its behalf. The term excludes: A natural or juridical person, or any other body, who performs such functions as instructed by another person or organization; or a natural person who processes personal data in connection with his or her personal, family, or household affairs;
There is control if the natural or juridical person or any other body decides on what information is collected, or the purpose or extent of its processing;
n. “Personal information processor” refers to any natural or juridical person or any other body to whom a personal information controller may outsource or instruct the processing of personal data pertaining to a data subject;
o. “Processing” refers to any operation or any set of operations performed upon personal data including, but not limited to, the collection, recording, organization, storage, updating or modification, retrieval, consultation, use, consolidation, blocking, erasure or destruction of data. Processing may be performed through automated means, or manual processing, if the personal data are contained or are intended to be contained in a filing system;
p. “Profiling” refers to any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location or movements;
q. “Privileged information” refers to any and all forms of data, which, under the Rules of Court and other pertinent laws constitute privileged communication;
r. “Public authority” refers to any government entity created by the Constitution or law, and vested with law enforcement or regulatory authority and functions;
s. “Security incident” is an event or occurrence that affects or tends to affect data protection, or may compromise the availability, integrity and confidentiality of personal data. It includes incidents that would result to a personal data breach, if not for safeguards that have been put in place;
t. “Sensitive personal information” refers to personal information: About an individual’s race, ethnic origin, marital status, age, color, and religious, philosophical or political affiliations;
J. Confidentiality
SPUQC keeps client’s information confidential, whether or not constituting personal data. We carefully observe this professional obligation.
K. Amendments
SPUQC may amend, edit or update this Notice. You may check our website regularly for updated information, amendments or supplements to the privacy policy.
Privacy Policy at SPUQC
Copyright 2019-2020 l St. Paul University Quezon City. All Rights Reserved. Website powered by Analytix Maven
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Emergency Room Visits
“…all I could think about was my son’s injury and the slow trickle of blood clotting down his neck. But, then, I started to wonder about my daughter’s question, about the audacity of asking it, about the thoughts that must now be racing through the doctor’s mind…”
by Brian Bergen-Aurand
It was a Tuesday night, about dinnertime, and my seven-year-old son was lying on a gurney in a local emergency room. My wife held his hand. I held his leg. His older sister stood near the table. The attending pediatrician was cautiously checking the inch and half gash behind my son’s left ear. Some blood still oozed from the wound he had obtained playing indoor soccer.
The doctor was asking him about the accident and if he could feel where she was pinching to see if the local anesthetic had taken full effect. He mumbled that he could not feel it.
After he was lying down, she began the first of eight stitches.
“Have you ever made a mistake?” my daughter asked her.
The anxious conversation and nervous banter filling the emergency room cubicle faded away. I stopped fidgeting with some bloody gauze and held onto my son a little tighter. My wife, daughter, and I have accompanied the youngest member of our family on many such visits over the years, but my daughter seemed extra curious on this occasion.
At first, all I could think about was my son’s injury and the slow trickle of blood clotting down his neck. But, then, I started to wonder about my daughter’s question, about the audacity of asking it, about the thoughts that must now be racing through the doctor’s mind, and about the paradox of simultaneously wanting and not wanting to know about doctors, patients, emergencies, and errors.
We have been to two of Seattle’s emergency departments (their technical names)—at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Swedish Medical Center. Both visits involved blood loss and my son being stitched up after a collision with a hard surface. Before moving to Seattle, we had visited many other medical facilities around the United States and abroad. My son and daughter throw themselves—often headlong, literally—into every athletic endeavor they pursue. Yet, my son is the one who seems always to require treatment in the end.
On just about every occasion, things have run smoothly. There have sometimes been delays or a few more tears than expected, but overall the doctors, nurses, and staff have been friendly and professional no matter the locale. And, my son has always recovered—sometimes engaging in the same or similar reckless behavior with his sister hours after getting home.
I know emergency room visits do not always go this route. And I know there are other stories to tell. But, on this evening, my daughter’s question got me thinking about our family experiences and how little I know about emergency department “visits”—a word I’ve often chuckled about.
The ProPublica website ER Wait Watcher lists ten emergency departments in and around Seattle. These locations seem to be the major ones. Using data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), ER Wait Watcher charts how long, on average, patients visiting these sites have to wait to see a doctor, be sent home, be given pain medication for a broken bone, or be admitted to the hospital. They also explicitly state, “Experts caution that very small differences between hospitals for a given measure are unlikely to correspond to noticeable differences in the real world.”
Of course, they note that average wait times and current wait times may differ significantly.
As of the February 2018 survey, Swedish Medical Center has the shortest average wait to see a doctor (11 minutes) and Northwest Hospital the longest (32 minutes). Compared to the national average of 22 minutes and the Washington state average of 26, most Seattle hospitals are doing well at attending to emergency department patients in a timely manner.
When I asked Dr. Steven Mitchell, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Harborview Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, about such statistics, he said, “CMS measures are a good resource.”
“When patients look at a statistic like ‘how soon practitioners provide medication for a broken bone,’ they can tell the place that is more likely to take their pain seriously. So, yes. Reporting about broken bones and similar injuries is a good measure,” according to Dr. Mitchell.
He continued, “Most patients come into the hospital through the emergency department. These departments are the front door of the hospital. At the same time, emergency departments are also a mirror of the community they serve; they are the community represented in concentrated form.”
Emergency departments, according to Dr. Mitchell, are always trying to balance accurate diagnoses, efficiency, limited resources, and expenses. Much of this balance depends on the mission of the hospital, the region it serves, and legislative funding allocations.
“It is like you are choreographing a dance in a system that is chaotic by nature,” said Dr. Mitchell. “Doctors are trained to go after every last answer regarding a patient’s condition, but emergency department treatment requires a different mind frame.”
While our regional emergency departments continue to strive to improve how they treat classic situations, such as strokes and heart attacks, they are also developing new approaches to addressing opioid (narcotic) and drug addiction as well as psychiatric illness and mental health cases, where there are “massive” shortages of “thinly spread” resources, according to Dr. Mitchell.
And then, there is the issue of treating more homeless folks, those who have “nowhere to go after dismissal,” he emphasized. “We need to communicate all this to our legislative bodies, communicate the burden or the challenge of being under-resourced.”
“Washington state leadership has been strong in this area,” said Dr. Mitchell. “We are improving every aspect we can with regard to the patient’s experience—considering what is value added, what patients value, and how to measure their satisfaction. Tracking patients after they leave the emergency department, though, can be a challenge.”
This last comment made me think again about my most recent visit to the emergency room.
When we entered the facility that evening, only one other patient was waiting in the outside area, and it appeared she had already been treated. We were admitted into triage very quickly after arriving and immediately assigned a cubicle just large enough for the doctor and the four of us.
It was cramped and somewhat noisy after another patient was assigned the room next door. Resources did seem stretched—the sink in the room did not work, and the attendant had to borrow a lamp from elsewhere to provide sufficient light for the procedure. But, little seemed out of the ordinary compared to the many other emergency room visits I have made in my life.
The staff and the doctor were all friendly, kind, and professional. And, my son seemed perfectly comfortable before, during, and after they administered the local anesthetic. He and his sister were mostly happy they could watch Madagascar on the TV monitor while the doctor closed the wound behind his ear.
In response to my daughter’s question, the attending physician replied, “Well, we don’t really know how patients feel after we treat them. We don’t see very many patients after they leave the emergency room. The ones who feel better don’t come back to us. And, the ones who don’t, usually don’t come back either.”
I suppose that answer makes a lot of sense. It was something Dr. Mitchell confirmed when we spoke a few days later, and it was all the doctor said on the subject that evening.
The next morning, convalescing over a bowl of cereal for breakfast, my son declared, “I’m the family champion of stitches!” I nodded and told him we would be happy if he just let that record stand.
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Space Force: What is it good for?
- Feb. 25th 2020 4:00 pm PT
That’s the question some are asking of the newest (and smallest) branch of the U.S. military. Lieutenant General David D. Thompson, the second in command at Space Force, already has three answers ready to go in this well-rounded interview with Leigh Giangreco:
Three quick examples of what Space Force has been doing as part of the Air Force for years. A couple weeks back you heard about the satellite colliding over Pittsburgh, PA. U.S. Space Force is the force that keeps track of all of those objects — 26,000-plus objects, some of them pieces of debris, old satellites — where they are, where they’re going, whether they pose a danger to anybody. That’s one of the things that we do today in the Space Force, and have been doing for years.
Second, in the missile attacks at [Ain] al-Asad base several weeks back, you’ll recall the Iranians fired several missiles, but our crew at Buckley Air Force Base outside of Denver, Colorado, detected missiles that launched and provided warning to those Americans and our friends and allies at al-Asad, which put them all in protective shelters. Had that not happened, we might be talking about folks that died in that attack as opposed to injury. That’s Space Force.
And then we don’t just do it for the military, but we do it for the civilian population as well. How many times have you followed the blue dot on your smartphone? Have you paid for gas at the pump or in a convenience store? Have you checked the internet via your cellphone? All of those positioning things, timing synchronization activities, occur through GPS which is a U.S. Space Force [satellite] constellation. We do that not just for the general public but for ships in the ocean, airplanes, forces in the desert. All navigate by GPS. And those are just a couple things that we do today and will continue as part of the Space Force.
The clarity around Cape Canaveral being an Air Force station that launches Air Force rockets, commercial rockets, and NASA rockets is also useful.
Top Image Source: Space Force
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Coworking Market Size is Growing Rapidly
Check out a breakdown of the coworking market, its growth, and its projections for the future.
Jeff Revoy
By Jeff Revoy
Commercial real estate (CRE) in the United States is valued at as much as $17 trillion. Within this massive industry there are diverse markets occupying different portions of the whole. One such segment—a rapidly expanding one—is coworking. Coworking market size has ballooned in recent years, firmly establishing itself as part of the traditional office-based CRE metric. But even though it’s categorized under the broad term “office space,” coworking stands apart.
CRE investors, landlords, and businesses all recognize coworking as a growing segment of the broader industry. It’s changing the landscape of traditional office stock, forcing building owners to think more about coworking as a long-term practice. The data speaks for itself. Check out a breakdown of the coworking market, its growth, and its projections for the future.
Current coworking market size
In 2019, coworking became a burgeoning industry. Coworking market size is hard to nail down because it grows with every passing month. It also depends on how you estimate the value of the coworking market itself. Is it the value of property and memberships? Or is it measured in gross revenue?
Coworking companies estimate the total addressable market size at $1.6 trillion. This includes the value of commercial leases. It paints a picture of the enormity of the coworking market, but doesn’t necessarily capture the true value—unless a company owns the building outright, it’s a leveraged capital asset. A fairer valuation of the coworking market is the value of its collective revenue. This number currently hovers around $26 billion.
Expected coworking market growth
While the current size of the coworking industry is impressive, what’s even more amazing is its projected growth. Coworking market growth from 2013-2018 measured an astounding 29%. This fast-paced expansion is set to continue with few abatements as commercial leaseholds transition to an “access over ownership” model.
Coworking’s growth is evident in a variety of metrics. These metrics include number of locations, seats, and memberships, as well as the amount of total office stock attributable to flexible workspaces. The figures are eye-opening:
The number of coworking facilities will reach 36,000 by 2025, from 18,000 in 2019.
By 2030, the flexible workspace market will represent 30% of U.S. office stock.
More than 5.1 million people will have a coworking membership by 2022.
These numbers show a clear, upward trajectory across the board for coworking. More spaces, more members, and more of a role in CRE. Looking outside the U.S., the numbers become even more prolific. For example, England sees a new coworking space open, on average, every five days. China and India are also primed to contribute to global coworking, emerging as the largest markets for flexible space by as early as 2022.
Trends driving market growth
There are several major coworking trends driving the market’s rapid mainstream ascent. First among them is the shift to remote work. More than ever, full-time employees maintain part-time remote work schedules from home or coffee shops. While they appreciate the freedom and autonomy, these workers still prefer some of the trappings of a traditional office. They choose coworking for the business-casual atmosphere and the social opportunities.
Coworking statistics also suggest that rising CRE costs play a role in the prominence of the space-as-a-service business model. Companies have begun unloading burdensome leases. In turn, coworking companies have picked up the cost. They burden the lease by generating wider cash flow from patrons, while companies pay a fraction of the cost to ensure their employees get the space they need. It’s a partnership that makes sense, and the massive disruption coworking has caused proves it.
There’s also globalization to consider. As more companies do business abroad, traveling becomes a necessity. Travelers need a place to work on-the-go and companies need to be lightweight to accommodate this broad service. Coworking is the solution. As the global economy intertwines itself further and the world becomes closer, coworking will help make work just as agile.
No longer an emerging market
Emerging markets tend to be those gathering steam, poised for a breakthrough. Coworking has had its breakthrough into the mainstream—now, it’s an established market. With strong market share, the industry has room to grow as demand for coworking space increases. Based on how far it has come already, it’s possible coworking will dominate commercial real estate for years to come.
Keep reading: Benefits of coworking software.
Office Manager vs. Facilities Manager: What’s the Difference?
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Home/Sector/Ports and Logistics/China Merchants cosies up to Thessaloniki port
EuropeGreater ChinaPorts and Logistics
China Merchants cosies up to Thessaloniki port
Sam ChambersJuly 14, 2020
Chinese state-owned maritime conglomerates are exerting ever greater influence over the Greek ports scene. With Cosco controlling Piraeus, Greece’s largest port, China’s other government-backed ports giant, China Merchants Port Holdings, is making moves on Thessaloniki, the Mediterranean nation’s number two port.
Thessaloniki Port Authority has signed a cooperation agreement with China Merchants Port Holdings to use the Chinese company’s container terminal operating system. China Merchants has also agreed to promote Thessaloniki as a gateway port for Chinese clients into Europe.
Thessaloniki port, which was acquired by a German-led consortium in 2018, is developing its container terminal so that it can handle 24,000 teu ships.
The managing director of China Merchants Port Holdings, Dr Bai Jingtao, commented yesterday: “The port of Thessaloniki has a long history, outstanding location and shipping advantages. It is not only the main import and export gateway in northern Greece, but also an important channel and logistics hub linking Europe and Asia. We believe that this successful cooperation is not limited to a system marching overseas in Europe, but also a promotion of the two parties in the port areas of Europe and Asia, which can be recognised as another success and practice of the initiative of Belt and Road”.
Sam Chambers
Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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Study the following text. Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy
Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The King or the Queen is at the head of the state but does not play an important part in the political life of the country.
The Queen has powers that can surprise many. She can choose a Prime Minister, dissolve Parliament and declare war like an absolute monarch. But in reality, she does not have these powers and acts under the tradition on the advice of Parliament.
The British monarch has served both the Empire and the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth is the head of state not only of one small island nation, but also of the 53 nations of the Commonwealth, with the population of 1.8 billion.
The Queen’s powers are limited by Parliament. It consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords has inherited (наследственные) members and the House of Commons has elected members. The House of Commons is the main law-making body of the United Kingdom. It is here that new bills are introduced and debated.
The House of Lords has more than 1,000 members, although only about 250 take an active part in the work of the House. The chairman of the House of Lords is the Lord Chancellor, who sits on the Woolsack.
The House of Commons is made up of 650 elected members, known as Members of Parliament, or MPs. The House of Commons is presided over by the Speaker.
The Government is formed by the Prime Minister usually the leader of the party that has the majority in the House of Commons. He is appointed by the queen. Prime Ministers hold Cabinet meetings at their house at number 10 Downing Street, which is very near the Houses of Parliament. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and the Shadow Cabinet.
The highest executive power is the Cabinet. It consists of 20 ministers and the Prime Minister. The country is ruled by the Government in the name of Queen.
The judiciary branch of the government determines common law and is independent of both the legislative and the executive branches. There is no written Constitution in Great Britain, only precedents and traditions.
At present there are 3 main political parties in the country: the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party and the Labour Party. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Party were founded in the middle of the 19th century and were supported by the rich people. The Labour Party was founded by the Trade Union Congress at the beginning of the 20th century. While many Labour voters are middle-class or intellectuals, the traditional Labour Party support is still strongest in industrial areas.
12. Answer the following questions:
1. Is Great Britain a parliamentary monarchy?
2. Is the Queen at the head of the state?
3. Does she play an important part in the political life of the country?
4. Are her powers’ limited by the Parliament?
5. What chambers does the Parliament consist of?
6. Whom is the Government formed by?
7. What is the highest executive power?
8. What are that main political parties in Great Britain?
Studopedia.info - Студопедия - 2014-2021 год . (0.002 сек.) русская версия | украинская версия
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Immigration Boss Denies Dept. Targeting Latino Women
Chief Immigration Officer, Mr. Ian Penn has denied claims that the Immigration Department is targeting Latino women while being lenient on construction workers in the British Virgin Islands for deportation.
Responding to the issue on the Honestly Speaking Radio Programme with Claude Skelton on Tuesday, December 1, he said the claim is without merit.
“No, I don’t think that there is no merit to that because I would say that if the immigration officers put forward a plan to make certain raids in certain places, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are looking at one demographic against another or trying to be discriminatory against one group of persons versus another,” he said.
“Whoever Immigration have on their radar we deal with it accordingly,” he added.
In the meantime, Penn said the Surveillance Unit within his department is responsible for the task.
He explained: “the Surveillance Unit ensures that persons within the territory adheres to the Immigration laws and rules and if persons don’t adhere that unit is normally dispatched to bring those persons to justice in terms of our laws.”
Penn then went on to inform on how sweeps are made.
“In terms of making sweeps, it is not as easy as one would think that you would just get up and you would make a sweep and or go out and do this,” Mr. Penn stated.
He said there must be a contingency plan and it must be approved by him before it is executed and it would also be done in collaboration with the Police and Customs.
Penn said, “My officers conduct a number of covert operations on a daily basis, and we try to maintain order in terms of the immigration laws. It is not to say that because you don’t see a raid taking place here and there every day or every other weekend or every month, that we do not know what is happening or what is going on."
He added, "We have a lot of intelligence, we know a lot of persons who are here and doing a lot of illegal matters, and it is only a matter of time that Immigration will catch up with these persons and deal with them.”
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Timothy Taylor Menu
Josephine Meckseper: Pellea[s], 10 March – 30 April 2020, London
In response to the temporary closure of Timothy Taylor's physical gallery due to the ongoing public health crisis, Timothy Taylor is honoured to present an online-only exhibition of works by Josephine Meckseper, including a special screening of her 2018 film Pellea[s].
Meckseper's full-length film (42 minutes) is available to a global audience through 28 March at the link below. Based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s Symbolist play, Pelléas and Mélisande, and set in Washington, D.C., Pellea[s] narrates the story of a doomed love triangle against the backdrop of real footage captured from Donald Trump's presidential inauguration in 2017 and the landmark Women’s March that followed. The online exhibition also features one of the artist's signature vitrine sculptures, and a selection of unique prints on aluminum.
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Close Josephine Meckseper: Pellea[s],
10 March – 30 April 2020
Pellea[s], a new film by artist Josephine Meckseper, expresses through cinema the dramatic narratives and relationships contained within the universe of Meckseper's glass and mirror vitrines. The film is a modern adaptation of Maurice Maeterlinck’s play Pelléas et Mélisande and includes footage of the historical event of the 45th American Presidential Inauguration and concurrent protests filmed by the artist. In Meckseper’s adaptation, the narrator refers to Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytical premises of the Symbolic, the Imaginary, and the Real to slowly fragment and deconstruct the mythical world of the original play.
By underscoring the film with Arnold Schoenberg’s modernist symphonic interpretation of Pelléas et Mélisande, Meckseper draws a direct correlation to the way early Modernism and the avant-garde developed into a form of political and aesthetic resistance to neoclassicism and capitalism. The 42-minute black-and-white and colour film examines the performance of gender both in cultural production as well as in contemporary political terms: the parts of Pelléas and Mélisande are played by the opposite gender as they were originally written in. Similar to her previous film works, Pellea[s] does not follow a strict narrative thread, but instead uses meta- language to pose questions about utopianism and activism and the artist’s position within the two.
The film is set in Washington, D.C., in a fictitious interior which evokes different elements of Meckseper’s art works. A scenic wallpaper depicting images of architecture and advertising brings to mind Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s film The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, which was filmed next door to the artist growing up in Germany in the 1970s. In other scenes, mirrored set designs create a performative and psychological realm, unlocking an expressive field that allows Meckseper to undermine traditional notions of the gaze and the voyeur. Inspired by the set designs and spatial dimensions in Alain Resnais’ 1961 film Last Year at Marienbad, the timeless, illusory, and refractory aspect of the mirrored sets define the mythic and operatic space for the love story that unfolds.
As in Dadaist and Surrealist cinema, the interaction of images, daily objects, people and architecture in Meckseper’s new film occur through montage and juxtaposition to saturate the relationship between the object and a perceived subject in control. While the set design, the use of objects as semiotic referents, and the posturing of the actors echo Meckseper’s signature glass vitrines, the objects and characters are no longer static, but are now actors inside the labyrinth creating a new mythical world.
Josephine Meckseper’s work has been exhibited internationally in solo exhibitions which include MOSTYN, Wales, UK (2018-19); Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen, Germany (2014); The Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, NY (2013); Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich (2009); the Museum of Modern Art, New York (2008) and numerous international biennials. Her works are in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Recent institutional exhibitions included: Frac des Pays de la Loire and Hab Galerie, Nantes (2019). The artist lives and works in New York City.
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Josephine Meckseper: Pellea[s] – Timothy Taylor
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Ontario students at certain schools in hot spots to receive asymptomatic COVID-19 tests
Published Thursday, November 26, 2020 7:53AM EST Last Updated Friday, November 27, 2020 12:16AM EST
TORONTO -- Students at participating schools in Ontario COVID-19 hot spots will be able to get tested for the disease regardless of whether or not they are experiencing symptoms.
Premier Doug Ford made the announcement at a school in Mississauga, Ont. on Thursday afternoon alongside Education Minister Stephen Lecce.
Lecce said the decision to conduct surveillance testing is based on advice from the chief medical officer of health and is meant to help the government understand “where the challenges are within schools that may have higher rates of positivity or within communities that have higher rates of transmission.”
“This is another step, another layer of prevention to mitigate risk and to improve safety,” he added.
Ontario’s assessment centres have not been testing asymptomatic people during the second wave of the disease unless they were tied to a previously known case.
On Thursday, government officials said the asymptomatic testing will target specific schools within Toronto, Ottawa, Peel Region and York Region. The targets will be chosen by public health units with the advice of school boards.
All students, staff and teachers within those schools will have the option to receive the on-site testing. In some cases, families will also be allowed to be tested.
The first school to undergo asymptomatic surveillance testing was Thorncliffe Park Public School in Toronto’s east-end, officials confirmed.
The Ford government did not rule out the eventual mandatory COVID-19 testing for teachers, saying the decision wouldn’t be made unless the unions agreed.
“If the teachers’ union wanted it, we would do it, but I just don’t think that will happen.”
OSSTF President Harvey Bischof said the premier's comments are "astonishing," especially since neither Ford nor Lecce has reached out to the unions to see where they stand on the matter.
"We have a government that has failed day after day, week after week, month after month to meet its testing targets. And now he wants to point the finger of blame at teachers' unions that he's never even spoken to," Bischoff said in an interview with CP24.
"My guess is the vast majority of my members would love to have access to quick, efficient testing. But again, it would be really helpful if the premier would ask before he makes such really unhelpful comments."
The premier also announced a $13.6 million funding boost for schools in regions that have recently moved into the “red” zone of the province’s tiered COVID-19 framework.
“That's $13.6 million more dollars which will enable them to hire in between 135 to 175 additional teachers or about 240 more custodians or purchase over 27,000 tablets and laptops for their students,” Ford told reporters on Thursday.
“We know schools in red control zones or higher need more support to keep teachers and students safe.”
The funding is in addition to the $35 million provided to school boards in Toronto, Peel Region, York Region and Ottawa in October to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Heading into the new year, the Ontario government also announced the launch of two additional learning portals and a COVID-19 “refresher” for students.
There have been more than 4,300 COVID-19 cases logged in Ontario schools since mid-September. Eighty-eight new infections were reported on Thursday, and of those cases, 70 were in students.
The Ontario government has spent more than $460 million to strengthen public health measures in schools while the federal government has also provided about $381 million.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at a news conference as Education Minister Stephen Lecce listens at Queen's Park in Toronto on Friday, March 20, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
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Town & Village
Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Gramercy, Waterside
Cutting Corners
Tag Archives: pickpocketing
Police Watch: Stuy Town man arrested for filming friend
STUY TOWN MAN ARRESTED FOR FILMING FRIEND IN SHOWER
Police arrested 30-year-old Phi Trinh for obscene material inside 651 East 14th Street on Sunday, September 29 at 5:56 p.m. The victim told police that she discovered a portable charging device capable of recording video and taking pictures plugged into the bathroom wall outlet and pointing towards the shower and bathtub. The victim said that she confronted Trinh and found that he was in possession of pictures and videos of her in the bathroom on his personal cell phone and laptop. Police said that Trinh and the victim are friends and had no further information about the nature of their relationship.
MAN BUSTED FOR THEFTS, BURGLARY
Police arrested 54-year-old Alan Nimmons inside the 13th precinct on Monday, September 23 at 4:33 p.m. for an alleged theft that took place in an office previously.
Posted in Police Watch
Tagged assault, eviction, Flatiron, pepper spray, pickpocketing, robbery, scams, shoplifting
Female pick-pockets steal wallet at Flatiron restaurant
Pick-pocketing suspects
Police are looking for two women who worked together to steal a wallet from a woman eating dinner at a restaurant on Park Avenue South.
On Saturday, August 19 at around 8 p.m., the two suspects were sitting at a table at Farmer and the Fish near a 56-year-old woman whose purse was draped over the back of her chair. Both the suspects took turns reaching into the victim’s purse and one of them was able to get her wallet. The pair then left.
An hour and a half later, the victim’s credit card was used to by over $1,500 worth of merchandise at a Target at 445 Gold Street in Brooklyn.
Both suspects are heavy black women, one with blond hair, who was last seen wearing a dress, the other with black hair, last seen wearing a black baseball cap, a t-shirt and jeans.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
Posted in 13th Precinct, Crime
Tagged Farmer and the Fish, Gramercy, pickpocketing, Target, theft
Police Watch: Man arrested for gun, ‘pickpocket’ busted in Starbucks
MAN SNEAKS IN, THEN POURS HIMSELF DRINK AT CLOSED BIG DADDY’S
Police arrested 41-year-old Mariusz Stypulkowski for theft of services inside Big Daddy’s Diner at 239 Park Avenue South last Sunday at 9:35 p.m. Stypulkowski allegedly entered the building through an unlocked door while the business was closed and allegedly poured himself a drink at the bar.
Police issued him a summons and escorted him from the location, telling him not to return. About 30 minutes later, police were called back because Stypulkowski had allegedly re-entered the building, sat at the bar and gotten himself another drink.
When officers told him to leave, he allegedly refused. Before arresting him, police searched him and he was found to be in possession of a small quantity of alleged marijuana concealed in a vitamin bottle. Stypulkowski was also charged with criminal trespassing and possession of marijuana.
MAN ARRESTED FOR GUN ON EAST 28TH
Police arrested 33-year-old Peter Fuentes for possession of a weapon in front of 247 East 28th Street last Monday at 9:26 p.m. Police were responding to a radio run of a man shot in Midtown South on East 29th Street at Lexington Avenue. After doing a canvass of the area, a witness told police that Fuentes was down the street.
Police said that Fuentes matched the description by radio dispatch and he was frisked after police told him to put his hands up. Fuentes then allegedly said that the gun was in his pocket. Police recovered a loaded .38 semi automatic Remington firearm from his front right pants pocket. One spent casing was recovered from in front of 425 Park Avenue South. Fuentes was also charged with reckless endangerment. It was not immediately clear if anyone was actually shot.
MAN ARRESTED FOR ‘STRANGULATION’
Police arrested 58-year-old Roderick Broomfield for obstruction of breath and circulation in front of the Kenmore at 145 East 23rd Street last Sunday at 5:57 a.m. The victim told police that she was involved in an argument with Broomfield when he allegedly put his hands on her neck and choked her.
B&N EMPLOYEE BUSTED FOR $3,600 ‘THEFT’
Police arrested 46-year-old Glenn Hawley for grand larceny inside the Barnes and Noble at 33 East 17th Street last Monday at 11:23 a.m. Hawley is an employee at the store and police said that he committed unauthorized transactions totaling $3,600.
MAN BUSTED FOR ASSAULT AFTER RECORDING DRUNK BARFLY
Police arrested 22-year-old Presley Charles for assault in front of 115 Lexington Avenue last Sunday at 4:59 a.m. The victim told police that he was standing over his friend who was passed out drunk in front of the bar when Charles started to record them. Charles didn’t like that the other man was trying to block him from filming and they started to argue. The argument then led to Charles allegedly punching the victim in the nose, causing bleeding and swelling. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital and Charles sustained a cut to his right pinky but refused medical assistance.
ASSAULT AT ACS FACILITY
Nineteen-year-old Tyshawn Brown was arrested for assault in front of the ACS facility at 492 First Avenue last Tuesday at 10:25 p.m. Brown allegedly punched another person in the face, causing swelling and bruising to the victim’s right eye.
TIP SNATCHER NABBED IN UNION SQUARE
Police arrested 34-year-old Alex Strollo last Monday in front of 25 Union Square West for allegedly swiping a tip from a restaurant. Strollo allegedly grabbed $25 off the table at around 10:30 p.m. and ran out of the restaurant. The victim ran after him and approached him on the corner of East 18th Street and Broadway, where Strollo allegedly hit him in the face and body. Strollo was also charged with assault.
WOMAN NABBED FOR ‘PICKPOCKETING’
Forty-year-old Heather Nichols was arrested for petit larceny in front of the Starbucks at 41 Union Square West last Saturday. Nichols allegedly took a five dollar bill from another customer’s pocketbook and then left the building. Nichols was also charged with possession of stolen property.
‘PERV’ BUSTED FOR TRESPASSING
Police arrested 33-year-old Pavel Zaychenko in front of 641 Sixth Avenue for criminal trespassing last Tuesday at 11:10 a.m. Zaychenko was allegedly taking pictures of women’s butts without their permission. There was no information available about where Zaychenko was allegedly trespassing.
VENDORS ARRESTED FOR LACK OF LICENSES
Police arrested two vendors last Monday in separate incidents.
Fifty-three-year-old Mohamed Rasid was arrested in front of 132 West 28th Street at 2 p.m. He allegedly was selling more than ten bouquets of flowers without a DCA license and could not produce one when asked.
Police said that Shawn Ettinger, 27, was displaying five bars of soap for sale without a DCA license in front of 261 Seventh Avenue at 2:50 p.m.
MAN ARRESTED FOR SUSPENDED LICENSE
Police arrested 43-year-old Alexander Perez for an unclassified traffic misdemeanor at the corner of East 15th Street and Union Square East last Saturday at 1:10 p.m. Perez was involved in a car accident and when police checked his license, it was allegedly suspended.
MAN BUSTED FOR FOUR LOKO
Police arrested 36-year-old Daniel Calcaterra for violating New York State laws at the corner of Avenue C and East 23rd Street. Calcaterra was allegedly holding an open container of Four Loko on a public sidewalk.
MAN ARRESTED FOR PHONE ‘SNATCHING’
Police arrested 22-year-old Juan Quezada for petit larceny inside the 13th precinct last Saturday at 4 p.m. Quezada allegedly took a woman’s cell phone without permission in a previous incident. The woman told police that she doesn’t know Quezada.
‘DRUG DEALER’ NABBED ON EAST 27TH
Police arrested 34-year-old Nicole Butler for intent to sell a controlled substance in front of 243 East 27th Street last Sunday at 7:40 p.m. Butler allegedly sold a quantity of marijuana to an undercover officer. She had a controlled substance on her person, police said. Butler was also charged with sale of marijuana and possession of marijuana.
MAN BUSTED FOR ‘FORGERY’
Police arrested 31-year-old Sean Butler inside the 13th precinct at 230 East 21st Street for forgery last Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Butler allegedly endorsed a check for $473 and another for $478 and signed the documents as the victims, without the authority to do so.
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TOURISM BOARD OK’S $48 MILLION FOR UNDERGROUND PEOPLE MOVER IN LAS VEGAS.
May 26, 2019 /in Home Article, Development and Construction, Latest News, Drop Goss, Directory /by
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors on Wednesday approved a contract with an Elon Musk company to build an underground people mover at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Mayor Carolyn Goodman was the lone dissenting vote on the 14-member board as it approved a $48.6 million contract with The Boring Co.
LVCVA CEO Steve Hill said noticeable work on the project is expected to begin later this summer.
The contract vote was part of an LVCVA budget hearing as the board also approved a 2020 budget of just over $252 million.
Goodman had publicly opposed the contract with Boring, mainly, she’s said, because of the company’s lack of experience. The company was founded by Musk in 2016.
Hill said the lower cost of the Boring people-mover system, when compared with other proposals, was a factor, but he added that it wasn’t the only factor.
“This was certainly quite a bit less expensive than the alternatives that we saw,” Hill said after the meeting. “That’s the easy thing to point to, but this is a system that has high capacity, it’s innovative and fun, and we think it provides a great customer experience.”
While some details of the project still need to be worked out, the people mover will transport passengers around the convention center campus in underground electric vehicles.
Such vehicles, according to Boring’s website, can reach speeds of up to 155 mph.
“This is truly a unique and one-of-a-kind project,” said the board’s vice chairman, Bill Noonan. “People will come from all over the country to see it.”
Hill and other board members also talked about the possibility of Boring’s underground system to eventually proliferate to some of the other popular Las Vegas destinations.
“(Las Vegas) has been looking for congestion solutions for decades,” Hill said. “This project is going to be a real benefit to our customers, but it also has an opportunity because it’s innovative and leads to a low-cost system, to help solve congestion problems not only in the resort corridor, but throughout the community.”
The total cost of the project for the LVCVA is expected to be about $52.5 million. Up to 16 people could fit into one of the autonomous underground cars.
Goodman, who questioned the board’s decision to move forward on a contract with Boring earlier this month, did not speak during Wednesday’s hour long meeting.
A handful of board members, however, acknowledged her concerns, though they voted to move forward with Boring.
“When Mayor Goodman speaks, we all listen,” said board member Peggy Leavitt. “I appreciate and love Mayor Goodman, but I think it’s good we could come to a consensus about this. This has such great potential.”
Hill said the permitting process will likely begin immediately with construction likely to start around Labor Day. The system is expected to be complete in time for CES 2021.
Hill and others have pointed to the fact that above-ground operations at the convention center will be largely undisturbed by the construction process. That’s key, Hill said, because customers book convention space years in advance.
“We want to do this in a way that makes our customers comfortable,” Hill said. “We think it’s possible to have opened this in that time frame, but that’s something we’ll have to work with CES on to make sure they’re comfortable.”
The project, according to the contract between the LVCVA and Boring, will include three underground passenger stations, a pedestrian tunnel and two vehicle tunnels totaling about a mile, and an escalator or elevator system to bring passengers to one of the underground stations.
The Boring Co. was one of two finalist companies chosen by a six-person LVCVA panel after a request for proposals was put out for a new transportation system at the convention center.
The other company was Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group of Austria. That’s the firm Goodman wanted instead of Boring.
Author: Bryan Horwath
Source: https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2019/may/22/tourism-board-oks-48-million-for-underground-peopl/
Potential to extend to include McCarran to the Strip:
Source: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2019/mar/07/tunnel-transport-system-works-las-vegas-airport/
A view looking northeast from 100 Convention Center Drive shows phase two of the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion project
https://the-drop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Slide3-6.jpg 525 800 https://the-drop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Logo.jpg 2019-05-26 18:51:162019-08-20 12:28:08TOURISM BOARD OK’S $48 MILLION FOR UNDERGROUND PEOPLE MOVER IN LAS VEGAS.
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CAPITALISING ON YOUR EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION BACK TO BASICS: CREATING A SUCCESSFUL MAJOR PRIZE DRAW
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Tag / film reviews
May 10, 2019 May 9, 2019 by Allie Frost
Film Review: Detective Pikachu (2019)
allie frost, author, film review, films, writing
2019 movies, amwriting, bill nighy, blastoise, charizard, deetective pikachu review, detective pikachu, film, film review, film reviews, greninja, justice smith, kathryn newton, ken watanabe, loudred, movies, mystery movies, pikachu, pikachu movie, pokemon, pokemon world, psyduck, ryan reynolds, squirtle, writing
Dir: Rob Letterman
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy, and more.
As someone who was around back in the late nineties, when the Pokemon sensation swept the globe, I remember the craze when it was at full glory. Not only that, but I actively participated in it. I had a poster of the original 151 Pokemon over my bed, so I could look at them all every night before I went to sleep. I wore my favorite shirt, emblazoned with a Pikachu, until it was too ratty to wear. I’ve played every game since the Blue and Red era, and I forced my poor mother (love you, Mom!) to take me to see Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back! back in 1999. Needless to say, she did not take me to see Pokemon The Movie 2000 – which I still contend is a great movie, but that’s beside the point…
Detective Pikachu follows 21-year-old Tim Goodman (Smith) as he attempts to solve the circumstances behind his father’s disappearance with assistance from a caffeine-addicted, wisecracking, deerstalker-hat-wearing Pikachu. But the search for clues leads the unlikely duo into a mystery more intricate than either could have anticipated, and finding answers could save or condemn all of Ryme City.
Honestly, the biggest surprise in this film is that it’s good. And I don’t mean that it’s just a good Pokemon movie – it is a legitimately good movie overall. It works on a level that many other video-game or anime or cartoon adaptations have failed to achieve… because it doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia or fan-service to make a quick buck, nor does it neglect the source material so not to alienate new viewers. Instead, Detective Pikachu balances well-placed nods to the fans (both old and new) while presenting a film with believable characters and motivations, a story that is intriguing to follow, and it takes great care in bringing everyone’s favorite pocket monsters to life onscreen in a way that fans have been yearning for since 1999, or even earlier.
Despite the fact that Pikachu himself is CGI, the chemistry between the leads is superb, especially their banter and the evolution of their relationship as the story develops. Justice Smith is easy to root for, Pikachu/Reynolds offers steady doses of both heart and humor, Kathryn Newton (and her Psyduck) is a charming reporter eager for the truth, and both Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy, known for their decidedly more “serious” work, give solid performances.
I haven’t played the Detective Pikachu game – I’ve stuck to the main games – so I knew basically nothing about the plot going into the film. The story flows well, and there are parts of it that are predictable and familiar – it is a “kids” movie, after all – but I was genuinely surprised and impressed by a couple of twists. As in, my jaw dropped and I said, “Oh my GOD” to my friend at one point. It’s not Sherlockian-level sleuthing taking place, but it’s also not Blue’s Clues level, if you catch my drift. The dialogue isn’t dumbed down, it’s sharp and won’t give adults a headache. And it feels like the people who made this film actually know Pokemon. As a longtime fan, it is awesome to see Charizard’s flamethrower come to life, Pidgeotto soaring in the air, Loudred beat-boxing in a club, and Magikarp flapping uselessly on the ground. The Pokemon aren’t crammed into the film to try and appease fans, thrown in wherever for throwback or nostalgia reasons; they have purpose, are immersed in the world, the effects are impressive, and their design does true justice to the originals. No, that’s not a dig at Sonic… or maybe it is…
Now, does this mean this film will be able to lure non-Pokemon fans into seats? Maybe not – though a few might make the venture based on the adorable titular character, voiced expertly and hilariously by Reynolds. However, it’s definitely the sort of film that won’t bore parents being dragged to the theater by their Poke-crazed kids. If this had come out when I was ten, my mom would have taken me to see the sequel. It has a cohesive narrative, a snappy script, and doesn’t delve so deeply into fan-service that the uninitiated can’t follow what’s going on. It’s one of the first films of this nature that feels like it can make the cross-medium jump without crashing and burning. It’s a solid mystery film for Pokefans young, old, and new, and though it hits familiar beats, it doesn’t feel tired or overdone, and might even generate interest for a new era of fans.
Sure, non-fans might not be able to pick out their favorite Pokemon puttering about in the background – I got treated to Gengar and Blastoise, two of my favorites, though I missed my beloved Alakazam – but that doesn’t diminish the quality of the film. References may fly over the heads of Poke-novices, but will warm the hearts of wannabe champions from Kanto to Unova. Let’s face it folks – we all live in a Pokemon world. And it terms of video-game film adaptations, Detective Pikachu might just be the greatest master of them all.
February 27, 2018 February 25, 2018 by Allie Frost
Best Picture Countdown #5: Dunkirk
films, movies, oscars 2017
90th academy awards, academy awards, chris nolan, cinema, dunkirk, film, film recommendation, film reviews, fionn whitehead, kenneth branagh, mark rylance, movies, oscars, oscars 2018, tom hardy
“There’s no hiding from this, son. We have a job to do.” – Mark Rylance as Mr. Dawson, Dunkirk (2017).
Dir: Chris Nolan
Starring: Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Fionn Whitehead, James D’Arcy, Harry Styles, etc.
Dunkirk is a war film that utilizes three different perspectives (land, air, and sea) and a trio of timelines to depict the events of the Dunkirk evacuation during WWII. Over the course of the film, the three viewpoints gradually sync up and the characters collide with one another as a brave fleet of civilian boats seeks to rescue the stranded soldiers.
This film is probably higher on my list than on most, but it’s not just because I’m a Chris Nolan fangirl with a penchant for war films. I mean, as much as I admire him, I don’t think he’s going to take home the Best Director award, though I was pleased to see him get his first nod. I’m actually stunned he’s never been nominated before, but that’s a convo for another time…
One of the film’s greatest strengths is in what it lacks: dialogue. The tension builds in conjunction with the cinematography, sound effects, and pulse-pounding music, not the words and conversations of the characters. The whine of the planes and the rat-a-tat of dogfights, the crashing of bombs on a beach, the yells of frazzled soldiers and the unnerving creak of a ship about to sink, all combine with the vivid imagery of bleak sands, the dour grey of a morning sky, the bobbing of civilian ships forging a path across the waves, and a shivering soldier stranded on floating debris. Seeing this film in IMAX was a cinematic experience unlike any I’ve seen before, and I was so engrossed the entire time I forgot to eat my candy – something I can safely say has never happened before. This film came out in wide release months ago, long before most of the other nominated films, and I can still clearly visualize several scenes because of how much of an impact they had and how brilliantly they stood out onscreen.
While the entire cast is great, Dunkirk is truly an ensemble effort; I found myself invested in each character’s journey, as a significant portion of time is spent on each of the three perspectives, giving each story the chance to unfold without feeling rushed or drawn out. The timelines weave in and out from one another, but do not come together until the very end, which forces the viewer to put some pieces together and heightens the suspense in crucial moments. And the presence of Harry Styles isn’t a major distraction.
As immersed as I was by the performances and atmosphere of this film – and the apparent historical accuracy in comparison to Darkest Hour – I doubt it will take home the ultimate award on March 4th. I’m not putting money on Nolan either, though Dunkirk might be the best example of his directing chops to date. It’s a dark horse for Best Cinematography, but I actually have another favorite in mind for that race, and though it’s my personal favorite for Original Score (as in, Zimmer’s score seriously enhanced the film, arguably more so than the others) I don’t see it taking that one home either. But, as with the BAFTAs, I think it has an excellent shot at the other technical awards, both sound mixing and sound editing, and has a good chance at film editing as well.
The events of WWII have been depicted countless times across various media and in countless films over the years, but Dunkirk still manages to present something refreshing and new. Nolan may get flak for being “pretentious” and “cerebral” with his films (the end of Interstellar comes to mind…) but in this outing, his experimentation with new narrative styles, his striving for authenticity, the intense focus on visual elements, and the reliance on generating an intense atmosphere with limited dialogue and mostly nameless characters is a cinematic triumph worth seeing on the big screen, and well-deserving of a Best Picture nomination.
Oscar Nominations
Best Director (Nolan)
Best Sound Mixing
My full review of Dunkirk from July 2017 is available HERE.
July 21, 2017 July 21, 2017 by Allie Frost
Film Review: Dunkirk (2017)
2017 in film, battle of dunkirk, christopher nolan, cillian murphy, cinema, dunkirk, film, film review, film reviews, fionn whitehead, harry styles, kenneth branagh, mark rylance, movie review, tom hardy, war film, ww2, wwII
Spoiler Level: Light
A lot of the early buzz about the latest WWII drama Dunkirk has called it Christopher Nolan’s best film to date. Considering he’s the man who brought us both critically-acclaimed Inception (2010) and widely-lauded The Dark Knight (2008), that’s a statement that isn’t to be taken lightly. Now that I’ve seen it, I have one thing to say about the monumental praise this film’s gotten thus far; it is 100% deserved, and Dunkirk may well be Nolan’s best so far.
Based on true events, Dunkirk presents three different timelines (land, sea, and air) within a non-linear narrative that chronicles the journeys of various characters – from struggling soldiers to stalwart civilians – during the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940.
Story-wise, I didn’t find the three different timelines too difficult to follow – it was compelling to see land, air, and sea diverge from and intersect with one another. The timelines are a bit disjointed, and it might take a bit to get used to the switching between perspectives (at one point it’s day, then night, then day again, though less than 24 hours have passed) but the narrative is consistently captivating, and as the timelines merge, it’s intriguing to see how certain characters meet and interact with one another.
The entire cast is strong; newcomer Fionn Whitehead delivers a mesmerizing performance as an Army private desperately trying to survive a relentless wave of peril, Tom Hardy, a Royal Airforce Pilot, evokes powerful emotion even while most of his face is concealed, and Mark Rylance is solid as a civilian mariner heading to Dunkirk to try and save some of the stranded soldiers. No one really stood head or shoulders above the rest, but in that same vein, I don’t think there was a weak link among the cast. Performances all around were impressive, especially considering the sparse dialogue, as great acting speaks much louder when there are no words at all. The narrative is carried by everyone, and even though about 90% of the character’s names don’t get spoken onscreen, it’s easy to get invested.
And for those of you wondering, Harry Styles is fine in it – definitely holds his own against the talented veterans. From what I’ve seen browsing around the internet, I imagine a significant chunk of this film’s box office will come from 1D fangirls, because anytime I’ve looked up anything about this film I have to slog through pages upon pages of Harry Styles swooning before getting anything of use, and there were as many middle-aged history professor type men in the theater last night as there were middle-school and high-school 1D fangirls. That’s not a criticism, though; it was actually awesome to see the IMAX theater in my local cinema close to full for a film that isn’t from Marvel. But I find the voracious media attention Styles has received simply for being in a popular boy band prior to this film is unfortunate because Dunkirk is an ensemble effort, and the other actors all deserve just as much, if not more, attention and praise for their performance.
Visually, the film is absolutely stunning – that’s an odd thing to say about a war film, I suppose, but the cinematography (per usual for Nolan) is gorgeous and the film is beautifully shot and edited. Dunkirk is also Nolan’s tightest film to date, as it offers nothing in excess; it’s clean and concise, presenting a well-balanced narrative and a clear picture without delving too deep or dragging too long. Sure, the film doesn’t show too much in the way of blood or gore, but it also didn’t need crimson spills in the sea or severed limbs splayed around craters to convey the horror and cost of conflict, nor does the lack of blood and guts glorify the idea of war in any way. The unseen enemy threat closing in, the stark faces of fear, a foot sticking out from a sandy grave, and the dead bodies floating in with the tide, are all images that stand out long after the credits have rolled.
The music (by Hans Zimmer) and the sound weave together to enhance the intense, knuckle-biting atmosphere. The scream of sirens, the whine of engines, the creak of sinking ships, the wails of dying men, the boom of torpedoes and crash of bombs and the ticking of precious time running out – and at times, silence – all serve to make the events of the film more visceral, more engrossing. The sound of bullets made me jump out of my seat on more than one occasion and honestly, I was so stressed out and tense throughout this film that I forgot to eat my Reeses Pieces. (I’m eating them now, don’t worry).
If it is possible for you to see this film in IMAX, you MUST do so – it’s worth splurging for the price of the ticket. The sound is incredible (VERY loud, but not deafening) and the sweeping shots of the beach and the sea and the dogfights in the air are best seen on a massive screen. My only quibble with the IMAX experience was the dialogue, as it was difficult to discern at times. It didn’t detract too much, since the gist of the narrative is easy to follow, but there were times that I genuinely had no idea what the characters were saying and wish I could have picked it up better. This might be different for the standard version, as it usually is.
I don’t know if this is Nolan’s best, but it is certainly a contender for the spot, and well worth seeing for fans of Nolan and war cinema alike. A sprawling film with a strangely intimate feel, Dunkirk shares bleakness and hope in equal measure, and though countless war films have been made, especially about WWII, there are still so many stories to be told, and Nolan’s put a unique stamp on this one. There’s not much bravado, virtually no soap-boxing, no victory-touting, no medals doled out, and the film doesn’t offer a lot of chit-chat about the horrors and toll of war; it simply shows it, along with the dedication and perseverance of the soldiers who yearn for home, and the civilians striving to get them there. It’s not as gory as Saving Private Ryan or as in-depth as Band of Brothers, but it certainly deserves a place among the memorable high-tier war films.
Top 10 Books and Films 2016 Edition!
books, films, movies, reading, writing
amreading, amwatching, book reviews, books, cinema, film reviews, films, movies, top books and films of 2016, top ten books, writing, young adult literature
After 113 books, 28,731 pages, and 30 trips to the movie theater for 26 films this past year, it is difficult to narrow down my favorites. But, after some careful consideration and introspection, I have pared the lists to my top 10 favorites in each category, and here they are! For the full list of books and films I consumed over the course of 2016, click HERE.
1.) Girl of Fire and Thorns Series – Rae Carson
I’ll admit, I initially figured that I’d be able to predict what happens in this series pretty easily, and ended up staying up til 2AM one night to finish the last book in this series because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Elisa was a different sort of heroine; I found her voice and experiences to be refreshing and enjoyed seeing her grow and change over the course of the novels. This series features a unique fantasy world, intriguing characters/relationships, a fair amount of action and surprises, and it presents interesting thoughts on faith/service/religion. All in all, I found it to be a solid trilogy.
2.) Rook – Sharon Cameron
The thing that stood out to me the most from this book was the unconventional setting/plot, largely for how unique/intriguing they were, but also due to how the story unfolded so naturally and smoothly without the use of excessive exposition and massive amounts of backstory in order to make sense of things. It provided a new type of “dystopian” future, so to speak. Plus, the characters were outstanding; Rene might be my favorite male lead of the year, and I appreciate finding a love triangle in YA that isn’t really a triangle in the typical sense, and avoids falling on overused tropes.
3.) Front Lines – Michael Grant
The idea of this novel – presenting an alternate reality where girls/women were drafted into WWII the same as boys/men – drew me in right from the beginning, and the cast of characters kept me engaged. I enjoyed all of the perspectives of the various characters, though Rainy’s might have been my favorite. Definitely a standout for a unique concept and compelling, interwoven stories. The sequel is coming out soon (this month, I believe,) and I look forward to seeing how the story continues to unfold.
4.) This Dark Endeavor – Kenneth Oppel
I mentioned this in a previous post, but I was a HUGE fan of Oppel’s Silverwing series when I was younger, and read through it several times, so when I stumbled across this title in the Nook shop, I decided to give it a go. And now, I have been charmed once more by his sort of spinoff to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which explores Victor’s teenage years and delves deeper into his personal history and mindset. I haven’t bought the sequel yet, but I look forward to reading it as well.
5.) Ruined – Amy Tintera
I have read a lot of fantasy, but this one stood out to me because although it uses familiar concepts that are somewhat “traditional” or common in the genre, this book does them well, and also adds in a lot of nuances and differences that make it stand out from the norm. It throws you into the action straight away, not relying on lots of exposition and narration to explain, and the characters reveal their personalities and motivations in a very organic way. I liked both Em and Cas’s perspectives, and look forward to seeing their adventures unfold in the following installments.
6.) Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and The Last Little Blue Envelope – Maureen Johnson
As someone who spent a small portion of my late teens traveling throughout England, these two books really resonated with me. It was a realistic story that hit on a lot of touching and emotional notes, and I enjoyed following the lead character, Ginny, on her journey of self-discovery across Europe, inspired by a challenge delivered from her deceased aunt. The characters – mainly Ginny, but also the supporting cast – are so well-written to the point where they feel like real characters, and I think this is one of a handful of books/series I read this year where I enjoyed the sequel just a tad bit more than the first, as I loved seeing the characters grow and change across the two stories, or, in some cases, not change much at all.
7.) Life As We Knew It – Susan Beth Pfeffer
This is one of those books that caught me by surprise. The premise intrigued me – it’s told in a journal style, and follows the life and perspective of a girl named Miranda after the moon is struck by an asteroid and knocked closer to Earth, resulting in dramatic changes to the entire world. At first, it sounded absurd to me… but I found the writing enchanting and engaging and the characters felt very real, especially the protagonist. It’s certainly a bleak story, at times, but never really loses charm or sense of hope, even as the situations of the character(s) shift along with the condition of the world.
8.) The Scorpio Races – Maggie Stiefvater
While I was never a “Horse Girl” (I knew several, however) this book captivated me from start to finish. The novel follows a unique concept (about what is essentially a life-or-death annual horse race) and features an interesting cast… both human and equine. It’s a well-paced story and it’s easy to feel invested in the lives and actions of the characters, to the point where I didn’t even know who I wanted to win the race in the end.
9.) Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Series – Louise Rennison
This series was absolutely hilarious, with one of the most unique narrators/voices I’ve encountered in a long while. It took me about a book and a half to really get into this series, but they’re quick reads, and extremely entertaining. I think I plowed through the entire series in about a week. Georgia is a character/narrator who is easy to hate or get frustrated with at times, but it’s also pretty easy to relate to her and laugh at the antics of her and her friends. I mean, there’s viking hats, a cat the size of a Labrador, and consistent references to nunga-nungas… it’s definitely a wild ride.
10.) Remembrance – Meg Cabot
I read the entirety of Cabot’s Mediator series last year because I was late to the Meg Cabot party, so I had much less time to wait for her final installment than those who read the books at their original publication. Of all of Meg Cabot’s series/books, I might like this series the most, and I think this book was a solid conclusion to the story of Suze and Jesse and their friends/family. It’s definitely more mature than the other installments plot-wise, but not distressingly so… the characters feel as though they’ve grown and changed naturally from teens to adults (or, in Jesse’s case, ghost to human) and the story reflects that. Despite a few differences, they’re the same voices and characters and retain the same charm and quirks from the previous novels. I am so glad Cabot decided to add this story to the series.
1.) Kubo and the Two Strings
This film better be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars; it might be the best animated film I’ve seen in the last couple of years. I loved Laika’s previous work on ParaNorman, but felt that Kubo took their style and film-making to new heights. The character designs were stellar, the voice cast was great, the stop-motion and puppetry was superb, and it told an engaging, unique story, laced with touching themes about love and family with elements of Japanese mythology/folklore. I almost enjoyed watching behind-the-scenes videos as much as the film itself, and definitely recommend that anyone who is interested in these movies to take a look at how much work and effort goes into these projects, because it is truly mind-blowing.
2.) Hello, My Name is Doris
My tiny Pennsylvania town occasionally gets limited release films at one of our two local theaters, so luckily, my mom and I were able to see this movie early in the year. Sally Field was brilliant in her role as quirky office-worker Doris, who fantasizes about a relationship with a younger coworker and attempts to completely alter her lifestyle in order to win him over. It’s a small, intimate film, and I found myself really feeling for and sympathizing with Doris, even though I found some of her actions frustrating; a testament to a well-written and well-acted protagonist. The supporting cast is excellent, as well.
3.) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
HEAR ME OUT, OKAY? I in no way believe this to be a great film. But for all it’s flaws, it’s still visually stunning, the action was fantastic, Batfleck was BRILLIANT, and it was an overall intense experience, especially in IMAX. I also personally like Cavill/Snyder’s interpretation of Superman, which I know is a contentious point for some… though for a movie that is technically about him, he should have had more screen-time. The introduction of Wonder Woman was handled well and her scenes stole the show, along with Bruce Wayne/Batman. The plot was definitely bloated; it felt like they were cramming a 4 hour movie into 2.5 hours. However, I also don’t think it was as awful as several critics claimed it was. The Ultimate Edition of the film is significantly better, but I don’t think the theatrical edition should be crucified. I had a good time, and I’ll be watching it again.
4.) Doctor Strange
…That said, I think both Marvel offerings from this year were superior superhero films. I enjoyed Doctor Strange far more than I thought I would, since I was mostly unfamiliar with the material beforehand. This film manages to stay true to the MCU, adhering to familiar tropes, humor, and plot, but there are some significant differences, especially in the climax of the film, which I thought was a very unique and dynamic change. Also, the visual effects were unlike anything I’ve seen from Marvel thus far. The cast was wonderful, and it was nice to see a non-hero female lead (Rachel McAdams) who isn’t completely dependent on the hero saving her life, and I’m also predicting a Best Supporting Actor nod for the brilliant performance of the Cloak of Levitation. I easily consider this one of my favorite installments in the MCU thus far, and I look forward to seeing the snark of Steven Strange in future films. If he meets the Avengers, as it seems he will, his interactions with Iron Man should be very, very interesting.
5.) Captain America: Civil War
I won’t drone on about what I loved in this film, but for the record, I certainly could. For a movie that easily could have been an absolute mess, with so many characters/personalities and an intricate plot, the execution was stellar. It’s a standard Marvel film, but it also breaks new ground because it is adding more and more without losing the qualities that fans come to expect of these movies, which are growing bigger and bigger by the year. Even though it’s meant to be a primarily Captain America film, I think the highlights for me were the introduction of Black Panther, Ant-Man meeting the crew, Falcon and Bucky’s hostile bromance, and the amazing airport fight sequence. Now that “phase 3” of the MCU has begun, the upcoming films have a strong legacy to continue and to live up to.
6.) The Lady in the Van
Maggie Smith is one of those actresses who, in my eyes, can do (almost) no wrong. This movie is worth seeing just for her, to be honest, but it fires on all cylinders. The film, based on the true story of Mary Shepherd, a woman who spent a considerable amount of time “living” in a van on the property of writer Alan Bennet, is charming and touching, with excellent characters and writing. Bennet’s narration, provided by actor Alex Jennings, is the heart of the film. It’s hilarious one second and deeply emotional the next, but with seamless transitions and a natural flow. One of the last scenes in the film is so strange and unexpected that I burst out laughing at the absurdity, and yet, it still seemed to fit.
7.) The Jungle Book
The animated version is not one of my favorites (though I love the music) but I thoroughly enjoyed the live-action version. The visuals were astounding, and I thought it built well on the original Disney-fied story; staying somewhat true to the animated version while still making changes. I loved hearing snippets of “The Bear Necessities” and Christopher Walken’s version of “I Wanna Be Like You,” and thought the voices were done extremely well. In particular, Ben Kingsley absolutely killed it as Bagheera and Bill Murray was a wonderful Baloo. Newcomer Neel Sethi was also the perfect Mowgli – I can’t imagine having to act against so much green/blue screen and CGI as the only “real” character in the film, and still manage to give a convincing performance.
8.) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
I’m a Harry Potter fan through and through, having read all the original books and seen all the movies, but I must admit… I may have liked Fantastic Beasts more than I liked the Potter films. I fell off the Hogwarts Express before The Cursed Child, so I’m unfamiliar with some of the new material and books and such, but this film has made me excited for new installments in this side of the franchise. I liked seeing a new side of the Wizarding World, with fresh, interesting characters, a well thought-out story and a captivating new setting, and I can’t wait to see how it expands in the future.
9.) Manchester by the Sea
*cries forever* This movie is wrenching. Heart-wrenching, soul-wrenching, gut-wrenching. Brilliant cast, astounding cinematography, and beautiful writing. Definitely not a movie you want to see if you need a cheerful boost, or if you’re looking for something action-packed and fast-paced. It’s a movie that feels very, very real, and the emotions seem so raw. Throughout the entire thing I just wanted someone to give Casey Affleck a hug. Some might consider it a bit slow at times, but it certainly deserves the acclaim and recognition it’s been getting as the award season starts to pick up traction, and I hope to see it get some statues in the future.
10.) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Since I loved TFA enough to see it three times in theaters, I went into this film with high expectations, and even though I had some idea of what was going to happen (given the start and some of the content from A New Hope) I still anticipated some surprises from the first of these “standalone,” anthology films. Rogue One is easily the darkest and grittiest film in the franchise, but also features some of the best action/space fight scenes the films have offered thus far and a litany of unique settings and characters. It really puts the “war” in Star Wars, so to speak, and with no Jedi in the film (technically) it shows a new side of the rebellion that we’ve not really seen before. My main gripe is that the characters could have all been fleshed out more, including the two “leads,” but I only say that because I found them so intriguing and I loved what I did see of them, so it made me wish they had more depth than what we were given in the constraints of a 2+ hour film. The performances were all great, however – and I suppose the lack of “knowing” them contributes to their unsung hero quality. However, as far as characterization goes, a brilliant scene near the end of this film will reinforce the idea that one should be very, very afraid of Darth Vader. Absolutely badass. And, not to spoil anything, the film connects to A New Hope in a very poignant way – it was great to see how the two stories eventually collide to kick off the much beloved and lauded original trilogy. From now on, when things get tough, I will remember… I am one with the force, and the force is with me.
Top Shows of 2016:
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Westworld (HBO)
American Horror Story: Roanoke (FX)
*Minor Spoilers Ahead*
I’m not much of a TV watcher these days, but Game of Thrones is a consistent favorite of mine, and this past season was no exception. It’s been a long wait for the next book, but the show is so brilliant it makes the wait easier. Standout episodes were The Door (I CRIED LIKE AN INFANT), Battle of the Bastards, and The Winds of Winter, all of which received well-deserved Emmy nods. I still think Season 4 is the best thus far, but with the hype-meter climbing ever-higher with each season, the show continues to deliver episodes that pluck at your heartstrings while simultaneously making you feel like you’ve been stabbed in the gut. The cast is stellar, as always, with particularly amazing performances this year from Kristian Nairn (still crying, btw), Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey, Liam Cunningham, Natalie Dormer… the list goes on, and on. The Winds of Winter might be the best 69 minutes of television I’ve seen, so far. I look forward to the new season (even though it’s shorter AND delayed) and I can’t wait to go to the Game of Thrones Concert Experience in March!
It’s new sister show, Westworld, is also fantastic and had probably one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen for a freshman show. I started watching because the trailer snagged my attention and I needed something to make the wait for new Thrones easier, and I’m glad I gave it a go, because I was hooked from episode 1. When Dolores smacks the fly at the end of the first episode, I audibly gasped and said “Holy shit.” The entire season kept me guessing, but none of the twists and turns (and there are plenty) felt gimmicky or forced; proof of how well the show is written and all the intricate planning that must have gone into it. The cast was stellar, too – each character was distinct and there were way too many standout performances to list. I am sad that we have to wait for 2018 for the next season, but if that means they’re putting in their best efforts to deliver a new season that will live up to the first, then that’s fine by me.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I enjoyed the latest season of American Horror Story. That said, I started watching in season 4 (loved it) and thought season 5 was lukewarm, so I can’t compare the latest installment, Roanoke, to the first three. In truth I think Roanoke really killed it during the ‘documentary’ style portion of the season, which lasted for the first 5-6 episodes, but the latter half of the season was a bit too gory. In fact, blood, violence, torture, and gore seemed to take the place of actual plot at some points, which made it drag a little. But still, I found the premise exciting and unique, the acting was great, and it made me look forward to next season to see what AHS has planned for the future.
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==Description==
{{EventLinksBox
Participants are to be able to interpret, collect data, and make conjectures from maps, usually road and/or topographic maps. Competitors must also be able to draw maps. Participants are given 50 minutes to answer questions pertaining to the map.
| active = yes
| type = Earth Science
| cat = Study
| 2009thread = [http://scioly.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=137 2009]
| 2010thread = [http://scioly.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=1277 2010]
| 2012thread = [http://scioly.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=121&t=2973 2012]
| 2013thread = [http://www.scioly.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=144&t=3709 2013]
| 2018thread = [https://scioly.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=265&t=10876 2018]
| 2017tests = 2017
| testsArchive = true
| 2015questions = [http://scioly.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=193&t=6376 2015]
| 2016questions = [https://scioly.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=217&t=7974 2016]
| 2018questions = [https://scioly.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=266&t=10951 2018]
| 1stBName = Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School
| 2ndBName = Kennedy Middle School
| 3rdBName = Cedar Springs Homeschool
| Website = https://www.soinc.org/road-scholar-b
In '''Road Scholar''', participants are to be able to interpret, collect data, and make conjectures from maps, usually, but not limited to, highway (Rand McNally and/or AAA) and/or topographic maps, as well as Google Maps/Mapquest and satellite images. Competitors must also be able to draw maps, usually in topographic map format. Participants are given 50 minutes to answer questions pertaining to the maps.
Road Scholar is one of the classic Science Olympiad events. Road Scholar or another mapping event has been used in all but two years of Science Olympiad history. Recently, it has only been an event in [[Division B]]. The most similar events in [[Division C]] would be [[Remote Sensing]] and [[Geologic Mapping]]. [[Geocaching]] and [[Get Your Bearing]] are also somewhat similar to Road Scholar. Geocaching was a trial event at the [[George Washington University 2008|2008 National Tournament]] and [[University of Nebraska 2015|2015 National Tournament]].
The event was named [[Road Rally]] between 1991 and 1993 as a division B/C event.
==Event Basics==
Road Scholar can be split up into four main sections: Topographic maps, or quadrangles; state highway maps, map drawing, and satellite images. Teams often encounter other activities such as topographic profiling. The test will need to be completed within the fifty minute time period.
In order to begin working on Road Scholar, it is helpful to know the basics of looking at maps. Knowing all of the primary and secondary directions is important: North, South, East, West, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest. Even though this may sound stupid, you may also need to know how to fold a map. If the map is folded incorrectly, a penalty may be issued for not cleaning up properly, which is required at some tournaments. After getting comfortable with the basics, you can move on to learning about the specific parts of the event.
==Topographic Maps (Quadrangles)==
:Map Location- This can be found in the top right corner of the quad.
Quadrangles, or quads for short, are a key component of Road Scholar. There are many things that you need to learn for using quadrangles, some of which can be found below. Look below to see what a quadrangle looks like, and where to find what is located on it.
:Series- All quads used in Road Scholar are in the 7.5 minute series.
:Scale- All quads used in Road Scholar have a scale of 1:24000.
[[File:Road_Scholar_example_map.JPG]]
:Legend- This can be found in the bottom right corner of the quad.
:Contour Interval- This is found in the center of the bottom margin of the quad. This number indicates the number of feet between each contour line.
:'''Map Location''' - This can be found in the top right corner of the quad. On the first line it will say the location, and on the second it will say the state.
:Contour Lines- These brown lines indicate the elevation.
:'''Neat Lines''' - These are the outer boundaries of the map. They keep the map "neat".
:Magnetic Declination- This is found at the center of the bottom margin of the quad.
:'''Surrounding Quads''' - You can find out about the eight bordering quads by looking in one of two places depending on the map. There could either be a diagram in the bottom margin of the map that will show the eight surrounding quads, OR just outside the neat lines, there will be the name of the quad from each of the eight surrounding directions.
:Map Symbols- The map symbols needed during the event can be found here: [http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/symbols/ Map Symbols]
:'''Graticule Tick Marks''' - There are four graticule tick marks on each quad. These divide the map into 9 sectors, one for each of the eight directions and one for the center. Often times, a test will ask to find an object in a "sector". The sectors are labeled from left to right across the map. This is what the sectors look like: Each of the intersections on this diagram are where graticule tick marks would be.
:Survey Control Marks- Numbers on a quad which indicate the elevation more accurately than contours.
[[File:Road Scholar sectors.jpg]]
:Azimuth- Is the degrees from one object to another. This is found using a full circle (360) protactor. An azimuth can be up to 359 degrees. It looks like this: .
:'''Latitude and Longitude''' - Latitude and Longitude measure the distance north and south of the equator, and east and west of the prime meridian, respectively. They can be broken down into three increments: The most basic form, degrees, are identified by a small “o” following and above a number (80°). Degrees can be broken down into minutes. There are sixty minutes per degree. Minutes are identified by an apostrophe (80°15’). They can be broken down into seconds. Likewise, there are sixty seconds per minute. Seconds are identified by two apostrophes (80°15’30’’). Always be as specific as possible when writing latitude and longitude measurements.
:Bearing- It's found by using a full circle protractor. The direction N or S is added in front of the degrees, and E or W is adden afterward. It looks l ike this: .
:*'''Latitude''' measures distances North or South of the equator. It is important to put either an N or an S after the coordinates, or you will be penalized. To calculate the latitude of a location, take the distance from the lower sector boundary to the target object (preferably in mm) and divide it by the N-S distance across sector (in mm) and multiply this value by 150. This is the distance to the target object in seconds. Then, you can simply derive the value of the degrees from the bottom neat line, and add the number of seconds you have measured. A latitude might look like this: 39°45'30"N.
:Stream Gradient- Use the formula "change in elevation/distance x 1000" to find the answer.
:*'''Longitude''' measures distances East and West of the prime meridian. As with Latitude, it is important to label E or W after the coordinates, or points will be taken off. Longitude can be calculated by taking the distance from easterly sector boundary to the target object (preferably in mm) and dividing it by the E-W distance across sector (in mm), then multiplying that answer by 150. This is the distance to the object in seconds as well, so it's important to take the longitude from the eastern sector boundary, and add the number of seconds you measure. A longitude might look like this: 110°39'25" W.
:Slope Gradient- Use the formula "change in elevation/distance x 100" to find the answer.
:'''Series''' - Most quads used in Road Scholar use the 7.5 minute series.
:'''Scale''' - Most quads used in Road Scholar have a scale of 1:24,000. Both scale and series are common questions on tests, so be sure to know the right answer. There may be some tests (but very few), however, in which a quad of a different series and scale will be used (e.g. a 30 minute x 60 minute series of scale 1:100,000).
:'''Legend''' - This can be found in the bottom right corner of the quad. This may show important information on how to read the quad, for example, it may explain what types of roads are featured on the map.
:'''Contour Interval''' - This is found in the center of the bottom margin of the quad. This number indicates the number of feet (or, rarely, on some maps, meters) between each contour line. If you're finding the elevation of something, you must look at the contour interval first. In addition, like series and scale, many tests will ask what the contour interval is. Unlike series and scale, however, this number may vary widely across maps.
:*'''Contour Lines''' are lines throughout the map that indicate the elevation of a location. Combined with the contour interval, you will be able to find the elevation of every point on the map through contour lines.
:*'''Index Contour Lines''' - These dark contour lines will also display the elevation. They are extremely important when calculating elevation.
:'''Magnetic Declination''' - There is a diagram located at the center of the bottom margin of the quad. This diagram will have three (sometimes two) lines coming out of it. The one straight up is true north. One of the other two will say MN. This is magnetic north. The magnetic declination is the number of degrees between true north and magnetic north, and it is written right next to the line as MN.
:'''Geographic Declination''' - This will be the other line in the diagram mentioned above. The geographic declination is the number of degrees between true north and geographic north, and it is written next to the line at GN.
:'''Public Land Survey System (PLSS)''' - For many tests, teams will be asked to write out a location using PLSS. This may seem difficult to write at first, but it’s easy to figure out with practice. First, identify the township and range of the target object or section. If you look on the neat lines of the quad, you will see something that might say "T. 5 S" and "R. 5 E". T stands for township and R stands for range. Be sure to get the right township and range, because this will be needed later. Within each of these divisions, there are 36 sections, usually outlined by orange borders. The number of the section can be found on the quad in the center of the section. Finally, each section can be split into four quarters: NE, NW, SE, and SW. Within each of those quarters there can be another four quarters, once again being NE, NW, SE, and SW. Locate which 1/16 (that is, a quarter of a quarter) the point is in, i.e. NW ¼ of the NE ¼ or SW ¼ of the SW ¼. More specific measures may also be asked for in tests, but questions generally do not ask for more than two or three specifications.
:Now you have all the information to write a full PLSS location. First, start with the 1/16 the point is in; for example, SE ¼ NW ¼. Then, add the section number to the end (SE ¼ NW ¼ 20). Finally, add township and range that were on the quad to the end: SE ¼ / NW ¼ / 20 / T 6 S R 8 W. Congratulations, you have successfully written out your location in PLSS form!
:''Please note that not all states use PLSS so not all quads have PLSS on them.''
===Additional Information===
[[File:Topo symbols.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A chart showing many of the topo symbols]]
There is much more to learn about topographic maps besides the above. The following elements are not mentioned on the example map, but still important.
:'''Map Colors''' - Major colors on a topographic map include: black, blue, brown, green, red, and purple, each with a different meaning. Black can denote features like roads and buildings, blue identifies water features, brown identifies contours, green identifies vegetation, red denotes important roads, and purple indicates revisions to the map.
:'''Map Symbols''' - The map symbols needed during the event can be found [http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/symbols/ here]. It is ''very'' important to have at least one symbols sheet during the competition. Many questions will ask about certain symbols, and having a symbols sheet is practically an unwritten law for the build-a-map portion of the test. An example of a topo sheet is on the right.
:'''Survey Control Marks''' - These are specific points on a quad that give the exact elevation of a place that is not found on a contour line. Teams need to know control station marks, spot elevations, and benchmarks. The symbols for each of these can be found in the topographic map symbols booklet.
:'''Azimuth''' - Azimuth is the degrees from one object to another. This is found using a full circle (360) protractor. An azimuth can be up to 359 degrees, and it looks like this: 25°. It is important to line up the protractor so that 0 is facing north. Then, use a ruler or other straightedge to find the exact degree measure between the two places.
:'''Bearing''' - Bearing is also found by using a full circle protractor. The direction N or S is added in front of the degrees, and E or W is added afterward. It looks like this: N 25° E. Like an azimuth, it is important to use a ruler or string to find the exact degrees. 0 degrees is always facing north or south, and 90 degrees is always facing west or east. Bearing can only be measured from 0 to 90 degrees, since it is always measured from the 180 degree line. For example, if the angle is 91 degrees (in the sense of an azimuth), than the bearing measurement would be S 89 degrees E.
:'''Measuring Distances''' - To measure distances on a quadrangle, you'll need a piece of scrap paper. Line up the piece of paper between the two objects placing a small dash where each of them are. Then, bring the piece of paper down to the map scale in the bottom margin. Line up the piece of paper with the proper scale to measure how long of a distance the line represents. If the space between the two dashes is larger than the measurement line, make another dash where the end of the line is. Then, measure to as exact a distance as possible.
:'''Stream Gradient''' - Stream gradient is found in feet per thousand feet, or ft/1000 ft. To find stream gradient, first measure the length section of the stream in question. Then, figure out the change in elevation between the beginning and ending points of the portion of the stream. Input these amounts into the formula "change in elevation over distance x 1000" (C.I.E/Distance x 1000) to find the answer. String is needed for this to accurately find the distance along the stream/river.
:'''Slope Gradient''' - Similar to stream gradient, use the formula "change in elevation over distance x 100" to find the answer. This measurement, however, is along a straight line and the method mentioned in the Measuring Distances section can be used to calculate the distance instead of a string.
:'''Stream Flow Direction''' - The contour lines located on the stream will always point upstream. For example, if the contour line is pointing NW, the stream will be flowing to the SE.
:'''Inset Map''' - A smaller map that is focused on a smaller area, these are usually larger cities or places that require more details. Many times, these are used on the Road Scholar test as regular vocabulary or as a place you may want to focus on.
===Profiling Quadrangles===
Teams may be asked to profile a quadrangle as part of the test. To make a topographic profile, follow the following steps:
#Place a piece of scrap paper between the two points that identify where the profile is to be created
#Mark on the paper at every point where the paper crosses a contour line
#Label these marks with the elevation of the contour
#Place the edge of the paper along graph paper
#Make the Y-Axis of the graph elevation and the X-Axis distance
#Make a scatter plot of the points, and connect them with a line
This is an example of a topographic profile from ''Laboratory Manual for Physical Geology by Zumberge and Rutford''
[[image:topoprofileex.jpg|thumb|200px|center|topoex]]
===Universal Transverse Mercator===
You may notice smaller numbers on the margins of the map, something along the lines of two smaller numbers, two larger numbers, and several more smaller numbers. These are UTM markings, or Universal Transverse Mercator. The blue tick marks along the neat lines of the map are also used for UTM. The numbers on the left and right sides are north-south markings, called ‘’northing’’. The numbers on the top and bottom of the map are east-west markings, or ‘’easting’’. The UTM projection uses the metric system, so if you aren’t familiar with it by now, which you should be, get used to it. As accuracy increases (the length of the numbers), the area indicated by the numbers decreases.
Here’s an example of UTM: ''10 S 0559741 4282182''. The first number and letter represent the zone, which is defined globally (see [http://www.dmap.co.uk/utmworld.htm this link] for an explanation of zones). The first long string of numbers is easting, and the second is northing.
To accurately locate a position using UTM, you may need to use a grid overlay tool. This tool allows you to find a location within a 100m square accurately. [http://www.maptools.com/products/UTMGrids.html These are available here], among other places. [http://www.maptools.com/UsingUTM/index.html See this link for more information on UTM].
'''MRGS''' is an abbreviated form of UTM. It is rarely seen on the tests though.
====UPS====
Universal Polar Stereographic system is for the poles. It operates on the basics of UTM. There is easting and northing, which are only two areas it covers. It covers two circles one at the north pole and one at the south. The middle of the south pole are at "South 2,000km E 2,000km N" or for the north pole, "North 2,000km E 2,000km N".
==Highway Maps==
:Mileage Chart- This chart gives you the exact mileage between cities. It's found on the side or back of map.
State Highway Maps are also a large part of the event. There is slightly less to learn about highway maps than quads. Here is an example of one: [http://www.bentler.us/washington-state/maps/img/washington-state-road-map.jpg State Highway Map]
:Black Numbers- Adding together all of the little black numbers (on highways) between cities also determines mileage.
:'''Mileage Chart''' - This chart displays the exact mileage between cities. It's found on the side or back of map, and only major cities are located on the mileage chart. If the cities in question are not on it, you must use the numbers next to the highways on the map to find the mileage. Adding together all of the little black numbers or red numbers (on highways) between cities also determines mileage. It's a good idea to write down each of the numbers, as it is easy to miss a number.
:Grid System- Highway maps have a grid system. Go to the number and letter, and bring your fingers together.
:'''Travel Time Chart''' - This chart shows the estimated travel time between locations by the most direct route and without any "pit-stops". Usually it is found on the same side of the map as the state that it serves. It also has only major cities on it.
:'''Grid System''' - Highway maps have a grid system. To find the grid location of a place, look to the sides of the map to see what letter and number correspond to that place. If looking for a specific city, you can find the city on the chart on the side of the map. Next to the city will be the grid description.
:'''Population''' - The population of a city is usually found on the side of the map next to the city name. The grid location can also be found there.
:'''Inset Maps''' - These insets are usually found on the back of the state highway maps, and they show a close-up view of a city or region. Questions may be asked about a specific intersection or road on that inset. If you cannot locate something on the main highway map, the inset maps are the next place to check.
:'''Legend''' - Like with quads, there is also a legend found on a highway map. It is usually found near one of the corners, although sometimes it is on the back of the map. The legend will define what some symbols mean. It depends on what is on the map to determine what will be in the legend. However, the different types of highways are always in the legend.
:'''Scale''' - It shows how many miles and kilometers are represented by an inch. It is usually found next to the legend.
==Map Drawing==
Map drawing, or “Student-Created Map”, can be included in Road Scholar tests. It is imperative to have a map symbols sheet for this portion of the test. You will be given a blank square and asked to create a map based on instructions given on the test.
Here is a practice map drawing test:
The square represents section 12 of township 5 N and range 6 E. The scale of the map is 1:15840. This means that 1 inch is equal to 1/4 of a mile, or 1 inch is equal to 15840 inches.
1. Starting from the SW corner of the map, draw a primary highway at an azimuth of 77°.
2. Place a perennial lake directly South of the primary highway in the SE 1/4 / SE 1/4 / 12.
3. Place an orchard in the SW 1/4 / NE 1/4 / 12, so that it only covers the western 20 acres.
4. Draw two houses, a church, and a cemetery on the south side of the primary highway in the SE 1/4 / SW 1/4 / 12. On the north side in the same spot, draw a house and a school.
5. Place a benchmark with an elevation of 300 feet directly to the East of the orchard.
6. Draw in a power transmission line which enters 1/4 miles west of the NE corner at an azimuth of 147°.
7. Draw a graticule tick mark in the center of NW 1/4 / NW 1/4 / 12.
If you are confident in your abilities to complete this exercise, skip to the answer key at the end of this section. Otherwise, here is a step-by-step solution to solving this type of problem.
===Solution===
First, before looking at the specific tasks of the exercise, it is usually helpful to split the square into a 4-square by 4-square grid. Most map drawing exercises use the PLSS system, have a scale of 1 inch equals 1/4 mile, and provide a 4 inch by 4 inch square. So by splitting up the grid into 16 smaller squares, you are really splitting up the section into each of its subdivisions (NW 1/4 / NW 1/4, NE 1/4 / NW 1/4, etc.), which will make it much easier to place the symbols.
Next, if it has not already been done for you, it is important to provide the section number and scale. The section number should go in the center of the square, and the scale should be placed just below the square. Also, if provided, the township and range numbers for the section should be labeled. For example, if the section is given as being in "Township 4 North, Range 3 West", you would write "T 4 N" directly to the left of the square, near the top of the square, and "R 3 W" directly above the square, near the left edge.
Now that the map is set up, it's time to go through the problem steps. Here is a step-by-step explanation.
#'''Starting from the SW corner of the map, draw a primary highway at an azimuth of 77°.''' Check the USGS Topographic Symbols to see that a primary highway is represented by a thick solid line. To find the 77° azimuth, align a protractor such that the center is at the SW corner, and the 0° mark is directly North. Make a mark at 77°; this will be how you align the road. Draw two straight lines very close to each other, using a ruler, that connect the SW corner with the mark you just made. Then, extend these lines to the east edge of the map, and fill in the space between the lines.
#'''Place a perennial lake directly South of the primary highway in the SE 1/4 SE 1/4 12.''' Again, checking the symbols, a perennial lake is represented by a shape with a thin solid border and solid shading in the middle. "SE 1/4 SE 1/4 12" means that it has to be in the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of the section, so find the small square you drew in the beginning all the way in the bottom right. Now, draw in the lake anywhere in this small square, as long as it is south of the highway. It can have whatever shape you want, as the test did not specify.
#'''Place an orchard in the SW 1/4 NE 1/4 12, so that it only covers the western 20 acres.''' Orchards are represented by a rectangular grid of circles. Find "SW 1/4 NE 1/4", i.e. the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter; you should be in the square just to the top left of the 12 you wrote in the center. Now, the test specified the western 20 acres, which may seem arbitrary, but each subdivision you made is exactly 40 acres, so the western 20 acres is just the left half of the square. You can think about this as "W 1/2 SW 1/4 NE 1/4", even though this is not a PLSS-standard location. So now, just draw a square array of circles in this western half of the subdivision. The exact size of the circles shouldn't matter as long as the graders can see they are circles; the answer key below has circles that are on the larger side, but smaller is also fine.
#'''Draw two houses, a church, and a cemetery on the south side of the primary highway in the SE 1/4 SW 1/4 12. On the north side in the same spot, draw a house and a school.''' This step tests organization of symbols. First, find "SE 1/4 SW 1/4 12"; it should be just to the left of bottom-center. You should notice that the primary road goes straight through this subdivision; this is a good sign. To draw the two houses, church, and cemetery on the south side, simply follow the USGS symbols: houses are small solid squares, churches are squares with a cross on top, and cemeteries are dashed rectangles (sometimes with the letters "Cem" or a cross in the center; this is optional). The order does not matter, although it makes sense to have the church and cemetery next to each other. For the house and school on the north side, do the same thing; a school is just a square with a flag on top. This part is not hard, but ''make sure to keep track of your symbols and directions''.
#'''Place a benchmark with an elevation of 300 feet directly to the East of the orchard.''' A benchmark for these purposes falls under "''vertical control''". Draw an X just east of the orchard, and write the number "300" next to it. The test does not specify if the mark has a tablet or not, so putting the "BM" next to the X is optional; however, if the test specifies, it's important to keep track of the correct symbol.
#'''Draw in a power transmission line which enters 15625" west of the NE corner at an azimuth of 147°.''' This seems intimidating at first because of the 15625", but remember that you are working with a scale of 1:15625, so this only means that the line enters 1 inch west of the NE corner of the square. Now measure the azimuth like in step 1, and make a mark at 147°. This is a power transmission line, which means it is a thin solid line connecting small solid dots. Since it does not specify the number of poles or towers, assume that only poles are present, and include them at a reasonable spacing.
#'''Draw a graticule tick mark in the NW 1/4 NW 1/4 12.''' An easy one to finish it off! A graticule tick mark is simply a plus sign, since it marks the intersection of important geographic coordinates. Just find "NW 1/4 NW 1/4 12", which is the top left corner of the whole square, and put a plus sign anywhere.
Congratulations, you have completed your first map! Student-created map exercises can vary greatly in difficulty and scope, so it's important to practice a wide variety of exercises. Most practice tests available will have an example, which can be used for practice. And as always, practice makes perfect; with more practice, you can get more skilled at making maps quickly, efficiently, and accurately, which can set apart a great team from a good one.
Here is the answer key:
{{SpoilerBoxBegin}}'''Map Drawing Answer Key'''
{{SpoilerBoxContent}}[[Image: Road_scholar_map_building.gif]]
{{SpoilerBoxEnd}}
==Satellite Images==
{{Incomplete|section}}
For this portion of the event, students must analyze satellite images and answer questions about them. This portion is similar in some ways to other portions.
===Feature Identification===
In this portion, students must be able to identify features of satellite images.
'''Bodies of Water'''
Bodies of water consist of lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. These are fairly easy to identify because they are often unique shapes and shades of blue.
Let's take a look at a sample image with water.
[[File:Bodiesofwater.PNG|600px]]
It is clear that the segments of blue are rivers and the large area of blue is an ocean. But there is still more to bodies of water. In tropical areas where water is pure, such as areas in Florida, you will see patches of light and dark blue. This is the difference in sediment.
==Practice==
Participants should become familiar with reading topographic maps as well as road maps, and knowing what symbols mean on a map. See the USGS (http://www.usgs.gov/) for a list of road map symbols. A good study tool is the coaches handbook which goes in depth with all the things you need to know.
[[File:sediment.PNG|600px]]
Sediments are deposits of sand, mud, or other small particles. They reflect light to color the water. Without it, in the open ocean, there is less reflection so the water appears darker.
'''Vegetation'''
Vegetation consists of all plant material. Trees, grass, and farmland all fall into this category. Vegetation is usually easy to identify because it is usually a shade of green. Grasslands are a slightly lighter green while forests are dark green due to the population density. Finally, farmlands are usually quadrilateral shaped and range from green to pale yellow. See the example below.
[[File:Vegetation.PNG|600px]]
Also, vegetation can have different appearances based on seasons. In summer, vegetation is a full green. In spring, vegetation is a paler green. In winter, vegetation is usually white with very pale mint green. And finally, in Autumn, vegetation is what you would expect: hues of red, brown, and orange.
[[File:Seasons.PNG|700px]]
'''Bare Ground'''
Bare ground consists of places where there is little to none vegetation. As one might expect, it is usually a shade of brown on a satellite image.
[[File:Bareground.PNG|600px]]
The color of the bare ground depends on the mineral content of the soil. For example, soil can be red because of the presence of iron oxide in the soil, and in places where soil is very pale, there is an abundance of silicon, calcium, and/or sodium chloride. The image below is an example of this.
[[File:Examplebareground.PNG|600px]]
'''Civilization'''
Of course, on a satellite map there isn't only going to be natural features. The impact of human civilization has left cities, towns, and other places of residency. An easy way to identify civilization is looking for densely packed locations on a map that usually do not contain many colors other than white. Also, most major cities have a "spoke and wheel" look where there seem to be lines extending from one central point. This is because of the roads leading into and out of the city (the spokes) and a loop highway around the city (the wheel).
[[File:Civilization.PNG|600px]]
===Distances and Scales===
In this portion, competitors utilize scales on the provided map to determine distance and other related measurements. As the name might suggest, this section is very similar to the topographic and highway map sections of the event as far as distances and scales go.
Usually, a scale is found in a corner of the map, such as in the lower right corner in the case of Google Maps. To find the distance from one point to another, a process similar to the process of doing so on a topographic or highway map is used. Students may want to use a scrap of paper on which to copy the scale given, then they will be able to use the paper as a ruler or straightedge to measure the distance from one point to another.
Many practice tests can be found on http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/products/sci_olympiad/sci_olympiad_road_scholar.html. You may need to order maps from http://www.usgs.gov/ to complete the tests.
In the case that a scale is not given, rarely, another way to determine distance is to approximate. Although this does not seem reliable at first glance, there is some given information regarding distance. For example, the distance between interchanges with consecutive exit numbers on highways is approximately one mile. Using this information, one can measure the distance between one interchange and another to approximate the length of one mile on a satellite
===Time of Day===
In this portion, competitors must use the information on a satellite map to approximate the time of day of a given satellite map.
==The Competition==
The most common way of approximating the time of day on a satellite map is to observe how the shadows of objects project. Since satellite maps are usually oriented so that it aligns with the arms of a compass rose, north on a satellite map is north in real life. Because the sun revolves around us (in our perspective), we can come to the conclusion that the shadow of an object can align with a clock to give us the time of day. For example, if the shadow of an object projects directly north, then the time of day is either midnight or midday, depending on the lighting in the given area.
You should make sure that you are bringing the right things into the competition. Because you're allowed to bring anything you want, you should take all the notes that you have. It is also absolutely necessary that you bring a ruler, a 360 degree protractor, string (to measure stream gradient),and extra paper (to measure distances and as scratch paper.) A magnifying glass can sometimes be useful, and a map symbol sheet is needed for the map-drawing. A calculator is also helpful because it saves time.
==Helpful Hints==
For example, in the picture below, we can observe the trees to see that the shadows point to about 300 degrees if it were an azimuth, and if we were to draw an imaginary clock over it, we would see that, if the shadow were the hour hand of a clock, then the hour hand would be pointing to 10. Therefore, we can approximate the time to be around 10:00 AM.
It is wise to split the test between you and your partner while in a competition because of the time limit. You may think that 50 minutes is a long time, but when you get into the competition the time seems to fly by. Try to use different state maps while practicing so that you have more experience with different states and terrain. Also, purchase or find different tests to practice with. Finally, try to memorize important formulas such as stream gradient, slope gradient, latitude and longitude.
Drawing the land survey maps
[[File:Satellite.PNG]]
*be prepared make the squares beforehand
===Internet Map Symbols===
*have one person draw it
Check out these sites:
===Road Travel Between Points===
http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geog/basics/topo.htm Includes some general information, how to make a topographic profile, measuring stream gradient, and a sample map.
===Tips===
==Tips for the Competition==
*It is wise to split the test relatively evenly while in a competition because of the time limit. 50 minutes may seem like a long time, but time can fly by in the competition.
*Try to use different state maps while practicing to get more experience with different states and terrain. Also, purchase or find different tests to practice with. Finally, try to memorize important formulas such as stream gradient, slope gradient, latitude and longitude.
*Teams are allowed to bring a binder, so there’s no reason to come to a competition unprepared. If the binder contains lots of information, make an index to make it easier to find information. You may also want to bring a pack with the following equipment that is crucial to success: A ruler, a protractor, pencils, scratch paper, a calculator (preferably a TI-30X or TI-34), a length of string for measuring distances, a map symbol sheet, and perhaps even a magnifying glass for locating hard to find objects.
*Don’t hesitate to ask if you are missing materials or need clarification on a test question. The event supervisors should have no reason to disqualify you if you need a map or want clarification on the wording of a question.
*Pay attention. It’s easy to accidentally misread NE as NW, for example. Always make sure to know what the test is asking and how to write the proper answer for every question. You should also double-check the answers, if time allows.
*Practice often, especially with games such as “I Spy”. It will pay off when trying to locate a hard-to-find object on the map.
*The majority of the time, the Road Scholar test will be in a story-format, with the answers being certain words of the story that have been omitted. Usually the first page of the test will have no questions and all background into the characters in the story. Although some of the problems may need context, it is not wise to read the entire story, as that sucks up valuable time. Go to the first question immediately, read the few lines before the question and, if more context is needed, go back further.
*Familiarize with, as well as bring a copy of, [https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/TopographicMapSymbols/topomapsymbols.pdf the USGS Topographic Map Symbols sheet]. Sometimes, a question will have something to do with an obscure object that you will not know the symbol for. With this "cheat sheet," you can quickly find the symbol in question, and that will be very helpful in the search of that object.
http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~jbj/index_auxil/idaho_virtual_campus/topo_profiles.htm this link gives a great description of how to profile.
Participants should become familiar with reading topographic maps as well as road maps, and knowing what symbols mean on a map. See the [http://www.usgs.gov/ USGS website] for a list of road map symbols. A good study tool is the coaches’ handbook which goes in depth into all of the important topics.
Many practice tests can be found in the [[Test Exchange Archive#Road Scholar|Test Exchange Archive]], along with many other practice tests for many other events. Maps may need to be ordered from [http://www.usgs.gov/ USGS] to complete the tests.
http://education.usgs.gov/common/undergraduate.htm#maps this has tons of links to other places.
===Profiling Exercises===
Most of these profiling exercises can be used multiple times. Just change the points between which the profile is being made to make it easier or harder.
{|class="wikitable"
|+'''Topo Exercises'''
| align="center" |[[image:topo ex1.jpg|thumb|100px|center|Topo Ex. 1]]
| align="center" |[[image:contour lines.jpg|thumb|100px|center|Topo Ex. 2]]
| align="center" |[[image:topoprofileex2.jpg|thumb|100px|center|Topo Ex. 3]]
| align="center" |[[image:Riverprofiling.jpg|thumb|100px|center|River Profile Ex. 1]]
|align="center"|[[image:glacierprofiling.jpg|thumb|100px|center|Glacier Profile]]
|align="center"|[[image:riverprofiling1.jpg|thumb|100px|center|River Profile Ex. 2]]
|align="center"|[[image:aep.jpg|thumb|100px|center|Topo Ex. 5]]
|align="center"|[[image:hardtoprofile.jpg|thumb|100px|center|Topo Ex. 6]]
===Practice Tests===
*[[User:Builderguy135]] and [[User:Sciolyperson1]]'s Road Tests 2020:
**Eagle Invitational: [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pK4fdKhur1RBfgA7dBNX35emuBLHuzZ_]
**Jeffery Trail Invitational: [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1X6WgBJNLE5-dpuNp_OEgkOK6zRmvJDuV]
**Rustin Invitational: [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jpxLXIQqPHINhUQAp3MH1BO0U_za_cTI]
**Raymond Park Invitational: [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PSJ15uMXL9zzIMa-m8cLvf1PX7CiWqVo?usp=sharing]
**JT/O/K Scrimmage: [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XuMM_qYwQLGFIHc6AQPQauwp3HQ-XUYb]
:[http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geog/basics/topo.htm Includes some general information], how to make a topographic profile, measuring stream gradient, and a sample map.
:[http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~jbj/index_auxil/idaho_virtual_campus/topo_profiles.htm How to profile]
:[http://education.usgs.gov/common/undergraduate.htm#maps More Information]
:[http://www.maptools.com/UsingUTM/ Understanding UTM].
{{Earth and Space Event}}
{{2021Events}}
[[Category:Event Pages]]
[[Category:Lab Event Pages]]
[[Category:Study Event Pages]]
[[Category:Earth and Space Science Events]]
Road Scholar
This event is an event held in the current season.
Type Earth Science
Category Study
Latest Appearance 2021
Question Marathon Threads
Website www.soinc.org/road-scholar-b
Division B Results
1st Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School
2nd Kennedy Middle School
3rd Cedar Springs Homeschool
In Road Scholar, participants are to be able to interpret, collect data, and make conjectures from maps, usually, but not limited to, highway (Rand McNally and/or AAA) and/or topographic maps, as well as Google Maps/Mapquest and satellite images. Competitors must also be able to draw maps, usually in topographic map format. Participants are given 50 minutes to answer questions pertaining to the maps.
Road Scholar is one of the classic Science Olympiad events. Road Scholar or another mapping event has been used in all but two years of Science Olympiad history. Recently, it has only been an event in Division B. The most similar events in Division C would be Remote Sensing and Geologic Mapping. Geocaching and Get Your Bearing are also somewhat similar to Road Scholar. Geocaching was a trial event at the 2008 National Tournament and 2015 National Tournament.
The event was named Road Rally between 1991 and 1993 as a division B/C event.
1 Event Basics
2 Topographic Maps (Quadrangles)
2.1 Additional Information
2.2 Profiling Quadrangles
2.3 Universal Transverse Mercator
2.3.1 UPS
3 Highway Maps
4 Map Drawing
4.1 Solution
5 Satellite Images
5.1 Feature Identification
5.2 Distances and Scales
5.3 Time of Day
5.4 Internet Map Symbols
5.5 Road Travel Between Points
6 Tips for the Competition
7 Practice
7.1 Profiling Exercises
7.2 Practice Tests
Event Basics
Topographic Maps (Quadrangles)
Map Location - This can be found in the top right corner of the quad. On the first line it will say the location, and on the second it will say the state.
Neat Lines - These are the outer boundaries of the map. They keep the map "neat".
Surrounding Quads - You can find out about the eight bordering quads by looking in one of two places depending on the map. There could either be a diagram in the bottom margin of the map that will show the eight surrounding quads, OR just outside the neat lines, there will be the name of the quad from each of the eight surrounding directions.
Graticule Tick Marks - There are four graticule tick marks on each quad. These divide the map into 9 sectors, one for each of the eight directions and one for the center. Often times, a test will ask to find an object in a "sector". The sectors are labeled from left to right across the map. This is what the sectors look like: Each of the intersections on this diagram are where graticule tick marks would be.
Latitude and Longitude - Latitude and Longitude measure the distance north and south of the equator, and east and west of the prime meridian, respectively. They can be broken down into three increments: The most basic form, degrees, are identified by a small “o” following and above a number (80°). Degrees can be broken down into minutes. There are sixty minutes per degree. Minutes are identified by an apostrophe (80°15’). They can be broken down into seconds. Likewise, there are sixty seconds per minute. Seconds are identified by two apostrophes (80°15’30’’). Always be as specific as possible when writing latitude and longitude measurements.
Latitude measures distances North or South of the equator. It is important to put either an N or an S after the coordinates, or you will be penalized. To calculate the latitude of a location, take the distance from the lower sector boundary to the target object (preferably in mm) and divide it by the N-S distance across sector (in mm) and multiply this value by 150. This is the distance to the target object in seconds. Then, you can simply derive the value of the degrees from the bottom neat line, and add the number of seconds you have measured. A latitude might look like this: 39°45'30"N.
Longitude measures distances East and West of the prime meridian. As with Latitude, it is important to label E or W after the coordinates, or points will be taken off. Longitude can be calculated by taking the distance from easterly sector boundary to the target object (preferably in mm) and dividing it by the E-W distance across sector (in mm), then multiplying that answer by 150. This is the distance to the object in seconds as well, so it's important to take the longitude from the eastern sector boundary, and add the number of seconds you measure. A longitude might look like this: 110°39'25" W.
Series - Most quads used in Road Scholar use the 7.5 minute series.
Scale - Most quads used in Road Scholar have a scale of 1:24,000. Both scale and series are common questions on tests, so be sure to know the right answer. There may be some tests (but very few), however, in which a quad of a different series and scale will be used (e.g. a 30 minute x 60 minute series of scale 1:100,000).
Legend - This can be found in the bottom right corner of the quad. This may show important information on how to read the quad, for example, it may explain what types of roads are featured on the map.
Contour Interval - This is found in the center of the bottom margin of the quad. This number indicates the number of feet (or, rarely, on some maps, meters) between each contour line. If you're finding the elevation of something, you must look at the contour interval first. In addition, like series and scale, many tests will ask what the contour interval is. Unlike series and scale, however, this number may vary widely across maps.
Contour Lines are lines throughout the map that indicate the elevation of a location. Combined with the contour interval, you will be able to find the elevation of every point on the map through contour lines.
Index Contour Lines - These dark contour lines will also display the elevation. They are extremely important when calculating elevation.
Magnetic Declination - There is a diagram located at the center of the bottom margin of the quad. This diagram will have three (sometimes two) lines coming out of it. The one straight up is true north. One of the other two will say MN. This is magnetic north. The magnetic declination is the number of degrees between true north and magnetic north, and it is written right next to the line as MN.
Geographic Declination - This will be the other line in the diagram mentioned above. The geographic declination is the number of degrees between true north and geographic north, and it is written next to the line at GN.
Public Land Survey System (PLSS) - For many tests, teams will be asked to write out a location using PLSS. This may seem difficult to write at first, but it’s easy to figure out with practice. First, identify the township and range of the target object or section. If you look on the neat lines of the quad, you will see something that might say "T. 5 S" and "R. 5 E". T stands for township and R stands for range. Be sure to get the right township and range, because this will be needed later. Within each of these divisions, there are 36 sections, usually outlined by orange borders. The number of the section can be found on the quad in the center of the section. Finally, each section can be split into four quarters: NE, NW, SE, and SW. Within each of those quarters there can be another four quarters, once again being NE, NW, SE, and SW. Locate which 1/16 (that is, a quarter of a quarter) the point is in, i.e. NW ¼ of the NE ¼ or SW ¼ of the SW ¼. More specific measures may also be asked for in tests, but questions generally do not ask for more than two or three specifications.
Now you have all the information to write a full PLSS location. First, start with the 1/16 the point is in; for example, SE ¼ NW ¼. Then, add the section number to the end (SE ¼ NW ¼ 20). Finally, add township and range that were on the quad to the end: SE ¼ / NW ¼ / 20 / T 6 S R 8 W. Congratulations, you have successfully written out your location in PLSS form!
Please note that not all states use PLSS so not all quads have PLSS on them.
A chart showing many of the topo symbols
Map Colors - Major colors on a topographic map include: black, blue, brown, green, red, and purple, each with a different meaning. Black can denote features like roads and buildings, blue identifies water features, brown identifies contours, green identifies vegetation, red denotes important roads, and purple indicates revisions to the map.
Map Symbols - The map symbols needed during the event can be found here. It is very important to have at least one symbols sheet during the competition. Many questions will ask about certain symbols, and having a symbols sheet is practically an unwritten law for the build-a-map portion of the test. An example of a topo sheet is on the right.
Survey Control Marks - These are specific points on a quad that give the exact elevation of a place that is not found on a contour line. Teams need to know control station marks, spot elevations, and benchmarks. The symbols for each of these can be found in the topographic map symbols booklet.
Azimuth - Azimuth is the degrees from one object to another. This is found using a full circle (360) protractor. An azimuth can be up to 359 degrees, and it looks like this: 25°. It is important to line up the protractor so that 0 is facing north. Then, use a ruler or other straightedge to find the exact degree measure between the two places.
Bearing - Bearing is also found by using a full circle protractor. The direction N or S is added in front of the degrees, and E or W is added afterward. It looks like this: N 25° E. Like an azimuth, it is important to use a ruler or string to find the exact degrees. 0 degrees is always facing north or south, and 90 degrees is always facing west or east. Bearing can only be measured from 0 to 90 degrees, since it is always measured from the 180 degree line. For example, if the angle is 91 degrees (in the sense of an azimuth), than the bearing measurement would be S 89 degrees E.
Measuring Distances - To measure distances on a quadrangle, you'll need a piece of scrap paper. Line up the piece of paper between the two objects placing a small dash where each of them are. Then, bring the piece of paper down to the map scale in the bottom margin. Line up the piece of paper with the proper scale to measure how long of a distance the line represents. If the space between the two dashes is larger than the measurement line, make another dash where the end of the line is. Then, measure to as exact a distance as possible.
Stream Gradient - Stream gradient is found in feet per thousand feet, or ft/1000 ft. To find stream gradient, first measure the length section of the stream in question. Then, figure out the change in elevation between the beginning and ending points of the portion of the stream. Input these amounts into the formula "change in elevation over distance x 1000" (C.I.E/Distance x 1000) to find the answer. String is needed for this to accurately find the distance along the stream/river.
Slope Gradient - Similar to stream gradient, use the formula "change in elevation over distance x 100" to find the answer. This measurement, however, is along a straight line and the method mentioned in the Measuring Distances section can be used to calculate the distance instead of a string.
Stream Flow Direction - The contour lines located on the stream will always point upstream. For example, if the contour line is pointing NW, the stream will be flowing to the SE.
Inset Map - A smaller map that is focused on a smaller area, these are usually larger cities or places that require more details. Many times, these are used on the Road Scholar test as regular vocabulary or as a place you may want to focus on.
Profiling Quadrangles
Place a piece of scrap paper between the two points that identify where the profile is to be created
Mark on the paper at every point where the paper crosses a contour line
Label these marks with the elevation of the contour
Place the edge of the paper along graph paper
Make the Y-Axis of the graph elevation and the X-Axis distance
Make a scatter plot of the points, and connect them with a line
This is an example of a topographic profile from Laboratory Manual for Physical Geology by Zumberge and Rutford
topoex
Universal Transverse Mercator
Here’s an example of UTM: 10 S 0559741 4282182. The first number and letter represent the zone, which is defined globally (see this link for an explanation of zones). The first long string of numbers is easting, and the second is northing.
To accurately locate a position using UTM, you may need to use a grid overlay tool. This tool allows you to find a location within a 100m square accurately. These are available here, among other places. See this link for more information on UTM.
MRGS is an abbreviated form of UTM. It is rarely seen on the tests though.
Highway Maps
State Highway Maps are also a large part of the event. There is slightly less to learn about highway maps than quads. Here is an example of one: State Highway Map
Mileage Chart - This chart displays the exact mileage between cities. It's found on the side or back of map, and only major cities are located on the mileage chart. If the cities in question are not on it, you must use the numbers next to the highways on the map to find the mileage. Adding together all of the little black numbers or red numbers (on highways) between cities also determines mileage. It's a good idea to write down each of the numbers, as it is easy to miss a number.
Travel Time Chart - This chart shows the estimated travel time between locations by the most direct route and without any "pit-stops". Usually it is found on the same side of the map as the state that it serves. It also has only major cities on it.
Grid System - Highway maps have a grid system. To find the grid location of a place, look to the sides of the map to see what letter and number correspond to that place. If looking for a specific city, you can find the city on the chart on the side of the map. Next to the city will be the grid description.
Population - The population of a city is usually found on the side of the map next to the city name. The grid location can also be found there.
Inset Maps - These insets are usually found on the back of the state highway maps, and they show a close-up view of a city or region. Questions may be asked about a specific intersection or road on that inset. If you cannot locate something on the main highway map, the inset maps are the next place to check.
Legend - Like with quads, there is also a legend found on a highway map. It is usually found near one of the corners, although sometimes it is on the back of the map. The legend will define what some symbols mean. It depends on what is on the map to determine what will be in the legend. However, the different types of highways are always in the legend.
Scale - It shows how many miles and kilometers are represented by an inch. It is usually found next to the legend.
Map Drawing
The square represents section 12 of township 5 N and range 6 E. The scale of the map is 1:15840. This means that 1 inch is equal to 1/4 of a mile, or 1 inch is equal to 15840 inches.
Starting from the SW corner of the map, draw a primary highway at an azimuth of 77°. Check the USGS Topographic Symbols to see that a primary highway is represented by a thick solid line. To find the 77° azimuth, align a protractor such that the center is at the SW corner, and the 0° mark is directly North. Make a mark at 77°; this will be how you align the road. Draw two straight lines very close to each other, using a ruler, that connect the SW corner with the mark you just made. Then, extend these lines to the east edge of the map, and fill in the space between the lines.
Place a perennial lake directly South of the primary highway in the SE 1/4 SE 1/4 12. Again, checking the symbols, a perennial lake is represented by a shape with a thin solid border and solid shading in the middle. "SE 1/4 SE 1/4 12" means that it has to be in the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of the section, so find the small square you drew in the beginning all the way in the bottom right. Now, draw in the lake anywhere in this small square, as long as it is south of the highway. It can have whatever shape you want, as the test did not specify.
Place an orchard in the SW 1/4 NE 1/4 12, so that it only covers the western 20 acres. Orchards are represented by a rectangular grid of circles. Find "SW 1/4 NE 1/4", i.e. the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter; you should be in the square just to the top left of the 12 you wrote in the center. Now, the test specified the western 20 acres, which may seem arbitrary, but each subdivision you made is exactly 40 acres, so the western 20 acres is just the left half of the square. You can think about this as "W 1/2 SW 1/4 NE 1/4", even though this is not a PLSS-standard location. So now, just draw a square array of circles in this western half of the subdivision. The exact size of the circles shouldn't matter as long as the graders can see they are circles; the answer key below has circles that are on the larger side, but smaller is also fine.
Draw two houses, a church, and a cemetery on the south side of the primary highway in the SE 1/4 SW 1/4 12. On the north side in the same spot, draw a house and a school. This step tests organization of symbols. First, find "SE 1/4 SW 1/4 12"; it should be just to the left of bottom-center. You should notice that the primary road goes straight through this subdivision; this is a good sign. To draw the two houses, church, and cemetery on the south side, simply follow the USGS symbols: houses are small solid squares, churches are squares with a cross on top, and cemeteries are dashed rectangles (sometimes with the letters "Cem" or a cross in the center; this is optional). The order does not matter, although it makes sense to have the church and cemetery next to each other. For the house and school on the north side, do the same thing; a school is just a square with a flag on top. This part is not hard, but make sure to keep track of your symbols and directions.
Place a benchmark with an elevation of 300 feet directly to the East of the orchard. A benchmark for these purposes falls under "vertical control". Draw an X just east of the orchard, and write the number "300" next to it. The test does not specify if the mark has a tablet or not, so putting the "BM" next to the X is optional; however, if the test specifies, it's important to keep track of the correct symbol.
Draw in a power transmission line which enters 15625" west of the NE corner at an azimuth of 147°. This seems intimidating at first because of the 15625", but remember that you are working with a scale of 1:15625, so this only means that the line enters 1 inch west of the NE corner of the square. Now measure the azimuth like in step 1, and make a mark at 147°. This is a power transmission line, which means it is a thin solid line connecting small solid dots. Since it does not specify the number of poles or towers, assume that only poles are present, and include them at a reasonable spacing.
Draw a graticule tick mark in the NW 1/4 NW 1/4 12. An easy one to finish it off! A graticule tick mark is simply a plus sign, since it marks the intersection of important geographic coordinates. Just find "NW 1/4 NW 1/4 12", which is the top left corner of the whole square, and put a plus sign anywhere.
Map Drawing Answer Key
This section is incomplete. It does not cover all the important aspects of this subject. You can help by adding relevant information where applicable.
Distances and Scales
Internet Map Symbols
Road Travel Between Points
Tips for the Competition
It is wise to split the test relatively evenly while in a competition because of the time limit. 50 minutes may seem like a long time, but time can fly by in the competition.
Try to use different state maps while practicing to get more experience with different states and terrain. Also, purchase or find different tests to practice with. Finally, try to memorize important formulas such as stream gradient, slope gradient, latitude and longitude.
Teams are allowed to bring a binder, so there’s no reason to come to a competition unprepared. If the binder contains lots of information, make an index to make it easier to find information. You may also want to bring a pack with the following equipment that is crucial to success: A ruler, a protractor, pencils, scratch paper, a calculator (preferably a TI-30X or TI-34), a length of string for measuring distances, a map symbol sheet, and perhaps even a magnifying glass for locating hard to find objects.
Don’t hesitate to ask if you are missing materials or need clarification on a test question. The event supervisors should have no reason to disqualify you if you need a map or want clarification on the wording of a question.
Pay attention. It’s easy to accidentally misread NE as NW, for example. Always make sure to know what the test is asking and how to write the proper answer for every question. You should also double-check the answers, if time allows.
Practice often, especially with games such as “I Spy”. It will pay off when trying to locate a hard-to-find object on the map.
The majority of the time, the Road Scholar test will be in a story-format, with the answers being certain words of the story that have been omitted. Usually the first page of the test will have no questions and all background into the characters in the story. Although some of the problems may need context, it is not wise to read the entire story, as that sucks up valuable time. Go to the first question immediately, read the few lines before the question and, if more context is needed, go back further.
Familiarize with, as well as bring a copy of, the USGS Topographic Map Symbols sheet. Sometimes, a question will have something to do with an obscure object that you will not know the symbol for. With this "cheat sheet," you can quickly find the symbol in question, and that will be very helpful in the search of that object.
Participants should become familiar with reading topographic maps as well as road maps, and knowing what symbols mean on a map. See the USGS website for a list of road map symbols. A good study tool is the coaches’ handbook which goes in depth into all of the important topics.
Many practice tests can be found in the Test Exchange Archive, along with many other practice tests for many other events. Maps may need to be ordered from USGS to complete the tests.
Profiling Exercises
Topo Exercises
Topo Ex. 1
River Profile Ex. 1
Glacier Profile
User:Builderguy135 and User:Sciolyperson1's Road Tests 2020:
Eagle Invitational: [1]
Jeffery Trail Invitational: [2]
Rustin Invitational: [3]
Raymond Park Invitational: [4]
JT/O/K Scrimmage: [5]
Includes some general information, how to make a topographic profile, measuring stream gradient, and a sample map.
How to profile
Understanding UTM.
Earth and Space Science Events
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Circuit Lab
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Two Brilliant Supernovae From One Stunning Galaxy
TOPICS:AstronomyEuropean Space AgencyHubble Space TelescopeNASA
By ESA/Hubble May 15, 2020
Galaxy NGC 5861 captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Riess et al.
Approximately 85 million light-years from Earth, in the constellation of Libra, is the beautiful galaxy NGC 5861, captured here by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
NGC 5861 is an intermediate spiral galaxy. Astronomers classify most galaxies by their morphology. For example, the Milky Way galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy. An intermediate spiral galaxy has a shape lying in between that of a barred spiral galaxy, one that appears to have a central bar-shaped structure, and that of an unbarred spiral galaxy, one without a central bar.
Two supernovae, SN1971D and SN2017erp, have been observed in the galaxy. Supernovae are powerful and luminous explosions that can light up the night sky. The brightest supernova ever recorded was possibly SN 1006. It shone 16 times as bright as Venus from April 30 to May 1, 1006 AD.
NASA Releases 12 New Hubble Images from the Messier Catalog
GALEX Data Reveals NGC 6872 as the Largest-Known Spiral Galaxy
Celebrate Hubble’s Anniversary with the 10 Top-Rated Hubble Images
Newly Released Hubble Image of Spiral Galaxy NGC 3344
Hubble Views Two Galaxies in Our Local Neighborhood
Hubble Telescope Discovers A Galaxy With No Dark Matter
New Image of SN 1006 Provides New Details about the Remains of an Exploded Star
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The coulomb (sometimes written C) is the SI unit of electric charge. It is named after Charles-Augustin de Coulomb.
A coulomb is a quantity of electric charge. The movement of electric charge is called current in an electric circuit. For example, a flashlight bulb that has a current of one ampere will pass one coulomb of charge every second. So in ten seconds, ten coulombs have passed through the light bulb.
In an electric wire the charge that moves is in a particle called the electron. Each electron has a very small electric charge of negative one elementary charge. The elementary charge is the smallest electric charge found in a stable particle. A coulomb is equal to 6,241,509,629,152,650,000 elementary charges. The coulomb was named in honor of Charles-Augustin de Coulomb who worked on understanding electric charge in the late 1700s.
Technical Definition:
1 coulomb is the amount of electric charge carried by a current of 1 ampere flowing for 1 second.
[math] 1 \ \mathrm{C} = 1 \ \mathrm{A} \cdot 1 \ \mathrm{s}[/math]
Authority: International System of Units (BIPM)
Units based
on other units
degree Celsius
steradian
Other SI units
astronomical unit
degree of arc
electronvolt
minute of arc
second of arc
atomic units
Metric prefixes
Systems of measurement
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First Presbyterian Church – Tyrone
Serving the LORD since 1857
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic we will not be having worship services in the church building until we believe it is safe for our family of faith as well as for our local community.
We are using “Zoom” to gather for worship each Sunday while we are not able to be in our church building.
If you would like to join us for Sunday Zoom worship services please send an email request to revmarkliller@gmail.com
This decision was made for the safety of our community.
Let us continue to be in prayer for everyone who struggles and suffers with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the disruption it has brought to our lives.
Worship service begins at 10:30 Sunday mornings. (via Zoom)
Adult Sunday School (Breakfast and a Movie) starts at 9:15 in our Blue Room. (Our current topic is: What will heaven be like? — The class is using Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven”.) (Paused at this time.)
A Children’s Sunday School class [during worship] is available. (Paused at this time.)
You are invited to be a part of our choir. Practice is at 10:00 Sunday mornings. (Paused at this time.)
Our church is located on the corner of West 13th Street and Logan Avenue in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. Our main entrance is on West 13th Street. There is also an entrance on the parking lot side of the building.
PARKING is available in the lot behind the church, which can be accessed from Logan Avenue. Street side parking is available on Logan Avenue and West 13th Street.
WHEELCHAIR/HANDICAP entrance is available through the glass doors on the 13th Street side of the building. There is Handicap parking available near that entrance. A chair lift (at the 13th Street entrance) provides access to the social hall (lower level) and the education area.
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Pune-Based Social Activist Drives Change With 'JOSH'
Joy Of Serving Humanity (JOSH), which started as a mere WhatsApp group to connect likeminded people towards bringing social change has now become a mission spread across states to help the underprivileged.
Maharashtra | 26 Nov 2020 5:21 AM GMT / Updated : 2020-11-26T16:33:35+05:30
Writer : Palak Agrawal | Editor : Prateek Gautam | Creatives : Rajath
Eight years ago, Smita Chelamchela along with her husband, Anil, and children returned to Pune, Maharashtra, after quitting lucrative jobs in the information technology sector while residing in the United States.
After settling in, Smita decided to stay home and take care of the children, however, during her free time she always wondered of doing something that would contribute to empowering the society. Having lived half of her life as a working professional, she was aware of the significance of self-reliance in one's life.
"I thought to myself, I have education, resources, money, friends, as well as time. I am sitting at home, while there are people out there who can't even afford two meals a day," said Smita.
Smita said that she had an inclination towards giving back to the society since childhood. As a kid, she would gather the street children in her locality and turn a teacher for them. She was fortunate to still have such instincts.
"The word NGO had this negative connotation to it. Over the years, people had lost trust in the institution because there was no transparency and a lot of NGOs were badly managed," Smita said, adding that she decided to start small and hence started her initiative with a WhatsApp group.
She created a messaging group, Joy Of Serving Humanity (JOSH), to bring like-minded mothers to her cause and magnify the impact.
Initially, the group would identify a cause that they felt passionate about and work towards it or put efforts into solving a social concern. They would arrange for resources including materials, money or volunteers for their projects.
With time, the group's efforts and members witnessed a rise. Smita and Anil Chelamchela along with their team decided to launch a website and a fund that would act as a platform to connect the contributors to the beneficiaries, thereby facilitating the process of providing aid and support.
"At that time there was no in-kind donation non-profit website in India. The idea was to create a website which would give the same experience as an e-commerce website but for good causes," Smita explained.
A website— www.joshconnect.org and a fund was created which was run by the trustees. entirely on a voluntary basis, with no employees, and the basic charges for maintaining the website were borne by the couple.
"Our mission is to reach more people around the country. When people donate through our website, they get the satisfaction that the money is going to the right people. We share the invoices with the donors. They can also track their donation status online like any other e-commerce site," explained the social entrepreneur.
The JOSHConnect site aided in the distribution of around 12 lakh worth of groceries amid the coronavirus pandemic and also extended help to flood-hit states in Assam, Bihar, and West Bengal. It has also widely worked in parts of rural Maharashtra.
The JOSHConnect group also worked extensively in parts of rural Maharashtra and villages near Mumbai and Pune. Last year, they also supplied waterwheels in drought-affected areas and distributed Neelkamal roll-drums, so that women do not have to carry the water on their heads.
For farmers, they gave safety kits when using pesticides and had partnered with other organisations for the same. Similarly, in Satdharwadi Village in Latur, Maharashtra, they distributed solar lamps to 400 families.
Members from the group drove down to personally hand over these lamps to the locals to help them understand the importance of using clean energy. Grocery, toys, and education-related projects are still being conducted and one can find the relevant details on the website.
Smita is one of the finest examples of individuals who bring a change in society with the available resources at their disposal and resolute. She and her team have been tirelessly working towards helping the families of the marginalised groups.
Speaking on the mantra that has been her driving force, she said, "Follow your dreams. If by using your core skills you can get personal success and help your community at the same time, then nothing like it. We all need to march together, to help our country."
This story has been received from Giving Circle. It is a platform that connects social change makers, donors, and volunteers. They are working to scale up these initiatives.
Also Read: 'PadSquad' Distributes Free Sanitary Napkins To Economically Weak Women
Rajath
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The Lineout’s Annual Report Cards for 2018 – Part 4 – England
Posted: August 8, 2018 in Report Cards
Tags: England
With the Northern Hemisphere season now done and dusted till September, we hand out our verdict on the Six Nations Competitors and what we feel they got out of their year on a score out of ten.
We’ll be the first to admit it’s completely subjective based on what we saw and where in our humble opinions it leaves the teams heading into the 2018/2019 season, with the added twist of the World Cup being only a year away once England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales get back to business in September. We highlight the match we most enjoyed from each of the teams and we try to pick the player who made the greatest contribution to their national cause over the past season as well as the player that we feel is most likely to catch the eye in the next. So take from it what you will but without any further ado let’s get into it in Part 4 where we take a look at how England fared.
England – 6/10
There’s no getting away from it, it’s been a difficult year for England and how far the chariot has fallen since England were number 2 in the world less than a year ago. They now find themselves in fourth on the rankings table, which in itself would not be so bad were it not for the fact that two of their other Six Nations rivals Wales and Ireland are ahead of them, with the Irish being comfortably so. England’s form since the Six Nations has left many wondering if a further slide down the table is not imminent, especially as of 11 matches played this past season (we are not including the Barbarians match), England lost five in a row.
While it is clear that all is not well with the structure underpinning the Men in White, we feel it needs a sense of perspective. Yes, by England’s lofty standards it has been an exceptionally disappointing season after the highs of 2016 and 2017. However, take a closer look at the results, despite the losses, they were never really taken to the cleaners in a manner akin to the Springboks 57-0 drubbing by the All Blacks last year. They had a number of solid wins, and their biggest losing margin was the 25-13 loss to Scotland in this year’s Six Nations. They have been competitive make no mistake, what they have lacked is the finishing necessary in big matches and a real lack of direction in selection policy. Furthermore, Coach Eddie Jones has been guilty of sticking with combinations that either don’t work or are in desperate need of some fresh blood. Does he have enough time to develop the depth and resources of new talent he needs before England take a shot at the World Cup next September?
England got their season off to a shaky start in the November Internationals against Argentina. After the shock of losing to Ireland in their final match of the Six Nations in 2017 and the end of their longest ever winning streak, England really needed to make a statement in their November Internationals opener. Unfortunately no such statement was made. England got the win but that was about all that could be said about it. It was a poor performance from both sides, but given England’s calibre they should have won the game by a far greater margin than 13 points. Had Argentina managed some decent goalkicking the scores would have been much closer. England then redeemed themselves against Australia in a performance that reflected the standard we had come to expect from them. Nevertheless, in the first half they struggled to capitalise on numerous chances and as a result the score was only 6-0 in favor of the Men in White. Nevertheless, defensively they looked rock solid, especially given the multiple strike threats that Australia possessed. England’s defence withheld enormous pressure from some spectacular and relentless Australian attacking play, while at the same time England’s bench really came to the party in the final quarter. Ultimately England would score three tries and emerge the winners by 30-6. They ended their November Test window with a comprehensive thrashing of Samoa, and looked well set to be the number one contenders for Six Nations glory.
To that effect they got their Six Nations campaign off to a robust start in Rome against Italy, running in seven tries and comfortably putting themselves at the top of the table after the first round. From there however, dramatic cracks started to appear as they took on Wales at Twickenham. It was a messy game from both sides, but once more England looked far from convincing and the scoreline was a bit too close for comfort. England then made the journey to Murrayfield to take on a Scottish side brimming with confidence after dispatching France. Much like in Dublin almost a year ago, the wheels fell off the England bus in a rather dramatic fashion. Scotland threw the kitchen sink at them and looked the more polished and committed side for the full eighty minutes. Scotland matched everything England brought to the encounter, especially in the forward battles and were clearly the better side. England were completely outplayed especially up front and the English back row was proving to be dysfunctional, despite some impressive individual performances, while the half back pairing of George Ford and Danny Care was misfiring badly.
Things then went from bad to worse as England travelled to Paris and another dismal error strewn performance plagued by ill discipline followed. England simply failed to show up, and France who had problems of their own, especially in terms of discipline, still managed to be more effective when it mattered most. England experienced their second consecutive loss, and the wind had clearly gone out of a side that had, along with New Zealand, dominated the International Rugby headlines in the first two years following the 2015 World Cup. In their final Six Nations match England needed to redeem themselves at Fortress Twickenham, and attempt to rob Ireland of a Grand Slam, just as Ireland did to them the previous year. It wasn’t to be as once more the English forward pack were bossed off the field by Ireland, and the Irish defence snuffed out any opportunities the English tried to create. Even the traditionally reliable Owen Farrell playing at fly half couldn’t seem to find the answers needed to unpick Ireland’s game plan. England would score three impressive tries, but an inability to convert any of them would ensure that Ireland would end up winning comfortably. England as they have for much of the year seemed to struggle with pressure and, in such a big match as this, even at home it was clear that they singularly failed to cope with it and rise to the occasion – something their visitors from across the Irish Sea seemed much more comfortable with.
England would wrap up their season with a daunting three Test series in South Africa. After their disappointing Six Nations adventures which saw them finish fifth, just above wooden spoon holders Italy, Coach Eddie Jones and his men looked ill placed to take on a Springbok outfit under new management and looking to make amends for two dreadful years following the last World Cup. The decision to train at sea level, when the first two Tests were to be played with the infamous altitude of the High Veld as a factor, left everyone including ourselves utterly bewildered. England came storming out of the blocks in the first quarter, but then proceeded to essentially run out of gas while South Africa steadily built momentum. To be fair, despite the players often looking dead on their feet they scrapped to the end, and it is to England’s credit that although they lost, it was only by three points. It was close, and a Test match for the ages but England will only have themselves to blame for blowing an early 21 point lead. In the second Test also at altitude, England once again ran out of puff after a bright start and the Springboks ground out a gritty but convincing win, in which England’s forwards and half backs once again struggled to assert any kind of control over proceedings. It was ultimately a poor performance from England, and with it went the series as South Africa made it 2-0.
In appalling weather, England pulled their socks up in Cape Town for the third and final Test and to their credit gave their best performance of the season. It was a fitting end to an otherwise forgettable year, as England demonstrated that this team can triumph in adversity, and furthermore is blessed with some remarkable talent, perhaps most fittingly epitomised in winger Jonny May. England ran out worthy winners and salvaged some pride from a tour that had clearly given them more to think about than perhaps they had hoped.
In short, while it may have been England’s annus horribilis, provided they can learn from the mistakes made in sufficient time, it could end up being the best possible preparation for next year’s World Cup. The complacency that often comes with a long winning streak, if it ever was there, has surely been tossed out the window from a dizzying height in the case of England. As mentioned above, it would be ludicrous to write them off as anything other than serious contenders for the World Cup. In a country with the depth of talent and resources that England has, they simply won’t be down and out for long. While many feel, and we tend to agree, that Coach Eddie Jones was not the saviour of English rugby that he was made out to be, and perhaps not the ideal long-term solution for the problems England found itself with after the last World Cup, he will hopefully address with vigor the weaknesses that this season has exposed. He has the talent at his disposal, so surely it is only a matter of time before England are once again reasserting themselves as a dominant force in International Rugby. Whether or not he himself has the skill set and willingness to affect the changes needing to be made remains to be seen. As a conclusion, England may be down but they are definitely not out and as we saw in the rain and mud of Newlands at the end of June, there is still plenty of fire in the belly of the English Rose.
Match of the year – South Africa vs England – Cape Town – June 23rd – South Africa 10/England 25
Some of you may be surprised to see us pick this as England’s best this past season. However, for us it showed the grit and character of this English team with their backs against the wall in tough conditions and a long way from home. They may have lost the Series but what a courageous last stand to set the tone for next season. They were the better side on the day, when everyone had written them off. South Africa although having won the Series would not have taken their foot off the gas, as the prospect of a Series whitewash would have been too tempting. However, England proved the better side at mastering the conditions and staying the course, and ultimately salvaged some much-needed pride and inspiration from what had otherwise been a year to forget.
Player of the year – Jonny May
With 20 tries to his name this season, he was the one player who consistently turned up for England all year. With his defensive abilities vastly improved, it was his ability to make England devastating out wide in every match they played that makes us hand him the accolade of England’s most accomplished and reliable player of 2018. England will be looking to him for more of the same this year.
Player to watch in 2019 – Tom Curry
England’s back row problems of the last year have been exhaustively documented by us and others. For us Curry is the breath of fresh air that England so desperately needs in this part of the park. The twenty year old openside flanker has a huge future ahead of him, and in a tour that needed inspiration, Curry provided it by the bucket load. If Eddie Jones is serious about addressing England’s problems then giving Curry as much game time as possible between now and Japan will be one his first steps in the right direction.
We’ll end this report card with some highlights of England’s best match of the year in our opinion. The final Test against South Africa that took place at the end of June, had all those gritty qualities and never say die attitudes that you associate with the English jersey. It was pride restored with a long to do list between now and the World Cup next year, but showed us that to write England off would perhaps be foolhardy to the extreme. England will be back and may just end up peaking at exactly the right time in 2019!
To be continued – up next Wales!
The Lineout’s Annual Report Cards for 2018 – Part 3 – Scotland
The Lineout’s Annual Report Cards for 2018 – Part 5 – Wales
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Legendary Venues: CBGB
About 2 weeks ago I was hired for a gig at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. My position for the show was since cut, but at the time I was super stoked to work a show there. For those who don’t know, The Stone Pony is a legendary venue known for launching the careers of famed New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. It got me thinking about music venues. There’s plenty of famous venues across the country and I should probably write about them some time. So here we are. I thought at first I’d write one epic blog post about a bunch of them, but then I figured it would get too long. Instead, I’ll be doing a new blog series spotlighting each one. The first on that list is one of the most legendary venues I can think of, CBGB (& OMFUG).
The now defunct CBGB was founded in 1973 by Hilly Kristal. CBGB, which stands for “Country Bluegrass Blues” (& “Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers”), was located at 315 Bowery in the Bowery neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, NYC. CBGB originally was opened to house the genres it was named for but became a haven for late 70’s punk rock bands. It is often referred to as the birth place of punk rock. The venue gave rise to many bands who frequented it’s grounds like The Ramones, Patti Smith, Blondie, Television, Talking Heads, Misfits, The Dead Boys, and Joan Jett. It’s decor was somewhat legendary too. Graffiti covered the walls of the venue making CBGB look just as edgy and original as the bands who played there.
In the 1980’s it became a mainstay for hardcore bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Agnostic Front, Youth of Today, Sick of It All, Cro-Mags, and Murphy’s Law. By the 90’s, bands like Green Day, Sum-41, and Korn became synonymous with the famed venue.
CBGB operated until the mid 00’s when rent became an issue and forced its closure in October of 2006. Patti Smith played the final show at CBGB on October 15th of that year. Since its closure, the site where CBGB once stood has transformed into a John Varvatos retail store, but remnants of its existence still stand. Outside the store, the pavement is engraved with the marker “CBGB 73” to commemorate the venue’s existence and the year in which it was founded. The store itself pays homage to the venue through its decor as well.
I first learned about CBGB shortly before it closed in 2006. At the time my music of choice was from alternative genres like indie, emo, punk, ska, and hardcore, so the venue had a significance to me. Although I listened to more modern bands from those genres I went through a period where I listened to classic punk bands like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash. Besides the music, the culture of punk rock really stood out to me, making the CBGB seem like the coolest venue ever. After learning about The Ramones and more about punk rock history, I added The Ramones classic logo band tee along with a CBGB t-shirt to my collection. I wore both with pride. By the time I realized I wanted to visit the CBGB though, it was about ready to close its doors. After it closed, I remember thinking I should just go see it, even if it was only from the outside, but I didn’t visit NYC much then so it never happened. In fact, even though I visit NYC more now, I always forget that I still need to make a stop at 315 Bowery even if it is just a John Varvatos store.
Though the venue ceases to exist, it’s still a prominent tourist spot in NYC. There was also a music festival honoring the legendary venue from 2012-2014. I actually had CBGB feels while writing this because I just watched my favorite band play a “Blitzkrieg Bop” cover last night knowing I’ll never get to see The Ramones play it in the place that made them famous. Even though the venue isn’t around anymore, its spirit is still alive and well making CBGB & OMFUG one of, if not the most legendary music venues ever.
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged 1970's punk rock, 1970's punk rock scene, 1980's hardcore, 1980's hardcore scene, 315 Bowery, 70's punk rock, 80's hardcore, Agnostic Front, Blondie, Bowery, Bowery NYC, CBGB, CBGB & OMFUG, CBGB Music & Film Festival, CBGB's, Country Bluegrass and Blues, Country Bluegrass Blues, Cro-Mags, Gorilla Biscuits, Green Day, hardcore, hardcore music, hardcore scene, Joan Jett, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, John Varvatos, John Varvatos 315 Bowery, John Varvatos Bowery, Korn, legendary music venue, legendary music venues, legendary venue, legendary venues, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, Misfits, Murphy's Law, music venue, music venues, New York City, NYC, Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers, Patti Smith, punk, punk music, punk rock, punk rock culture, punk rock music, punk rock scene, Sick of It All, Sum 41, Talking Heads, Television, Television band, the birth place of punk rock, the Bowery, the CBGB, The Dead Boys, The Ramones, Youth of Today on September 19, 2017 by prostreetcross. Leave a comment
Coachella Band Preview: Grouplove
We are 2 months and 1 week away from Coachella Weekend 1. That means it’s the perfect time to start dusting off those flower headbands. It’s also the perfect time to check out another band playing the festival this year, Grouplove. This band is no stranger to the Indio desert having played Coachella in 2012 and 2014. Their 3rd and latest album was released in September making 2017 the year they make their return to the Empire Polo Fields.
Out of every band I’ve written about, Grouplove has the best formation story of any I’ve learned so far. Usually I’ll tell you where a band comes from, but with Grouplove the members come from all over the map. They officially formed in Los Angeles in 2009, but met before that in Crete at an artist commune in the village of Avdou. Members Hannah Hooper (vocals, keyboards) and Christian Zucconi (vocals, guitar) met on the Lower East Side of Manhattan after Hooper heard Zucconi’s band perform. She fell for him and ended up inviting him to the artist residency in Crete where they met future band members Sean Gadd (bass), Andrew Wessen (guitar, vocals) and Ryan Rabin (drums). Rabin and Wessen were also friends who grew up in Los Angeles. Gadd hails from London, England. The band formed a year after that fateful trip to Crete when Gadd, Hooper, and Zucconi decided to venture out to LA to pay a visit to Rabin’s father’s recording studio (his dad is Trevor Rabin, former guitarist of English rock band Yes).
The band played their first show in LA in 2010 and shortly after toured with Florence and the Machine and The Joy Formidable. Grouplove released their first self-titled EP in early 2011. That same year they joined forces with Foster the People on a co-headlining tour and played several music festivals including Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, and Reading and Leeds. After their busy and travel filled spring and summer, they released their debut album, Never Trust A Happy Song, in September of 2011. Arguably the group’s two biggest singles, “Colours” and “Tongue Tied” were a part of the record. Following the release, Grouplove embarked on a fall North American headlining tour in support of the album. The touring and travel life continued into and through 2012 and included the group’s first stop at Coachella.
They released their sophomore album, Spreading Rumours, in September 2013 almost exactly 2 years after their debut, which brought on another album support tour. This time though Daniel Gleason became a temporary replacement for Sean Gadd, but by the following spring the replacement became permanent. In 2014 the band again played the festival circuit hitting Coachella, Bonnaroo, Firefly, and Lollapalooza.
This past September (clearly the month for Grouplove record releases) Grouplove released their third album, Big Mess, and toured in support of it from August through November. It’s only fitting that the band would play Coachella again after releasing their latest album since they played the festival after their first two releases.
Grouplove is your standard indie band. They play an indie rock/indie pop style of music. I’ve always felt like their songs have this summery sort of vibe. In my opinion their records are the perfect soundtrack to a pool party, laying out on the beach, or taking a road trip along the California coast line with friends. It’s that kind of indie rock.
I first heard of Grouplove in 2011. I feel like that was a prime year for indie rock for me. However though, I never got into Grouplove as a whole. I’ve liked a song here and there, particularly the song “Ways to Go”, but I don’t own any Grouplove albums or have more than a few of their singles on my iTunes. So why am I previewing them for Coachella? Well the reason is I think they’re a great live band. I’ve never seen them in person, but I watched part of their Coachella set in 2014. Their set seemed like so much fun to be at. It made me want to see them in person at a festival. Ideally that festival would be Coachella because their music kind of embodies the Coachella spirit.
Grouplove plays Coachella on Sunday. I recommend going to their set because like I said their music and style perfectly represents the essence of the festival. Their music is good too! I just never got into it like I did with other bands. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it though. If I were attending this year, I’d probably be listening to their music more. Maybe even enough that I might get into them just in time to see them at Coachella. Here’s what you should check out to prep for their set:
Tongue Tied
Welcome To Your Life
Itchin’ On A Photograph
Naked Kids
Do You Love Someone
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged Andrew Wessen, artist residency, Avdou, Big Mess, cali, california, california music festivals, Christian Zucconi, Coachella, Coachella 2017, coachella band, coachella bands, coachella festival, coachella preview, Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival, coachella valley arts and music festival, coachella valley arts and music festival 2017, Colours Grouplove, Crete, Daniel Gleason, Empire Polo Fields, festival, festivals, Grouplove, Hannah Hooper, indie, indie band, indie bands, indie music, indie pop, indie pop music, indie rock, indie rock band, indie rock bands, indie rock music, indio, indio california, indio desert, London, London England, los angeles, Lower East Side, Lower East Side Manhattan, Manhattan, Music, music festival, music festivals, Never Trust A Happy Song, Ryan Rabin, Sean Gadd, Spreading Rumours, Tongue Tied Grouplove, Trevor Rabin, Ways To Go Grouplove, west coast, west coast music festivals on February 9, 2017 by prostreetcross. 1 Comment
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Pipeline Chart
Preclinical Programs
VAXIMM Receives Orphan Designation for the European Union and the US for Oral T-cell Immunotherapy VXM01 to Treat Glioma
VAXIMM Announces Preclinical Results with Novel Oral T-cell Cancer Immunotherapies Being Presented at Third CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Conference
VAXIMM Announces Preclinical Results with Novel Oral T cell Cancer Immunotherapies Being Presented at AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference
Basel (Switzerland) and Mannheim (Germany), September 13, 2017 – VAXIMM AG, a Swiss/German biotech company focused on developing oral T-cell immunotherapies, today announced that the Company’s lead product candidate, VXM01, has received orphan designation from the European Commission and from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of glioma, a difficult-to-treat form of brain cancer. Orphan designation is designed to encourage the development of drugs to treat rare diseases and conditions and provides companies with certain incentives, including periods of market exclusivity upon approval, as well as user fee reductions or exemptions. The designation by the European Commission is for the treatment of glioma and by the US FDA for the treatment of malignant glioma.
“We are excited to have received orphan designation from both the European Commission and the US FDA, important achievements in the development of VXM01 to treat brain tumors, a challenging-to-treat cancer indication,” said Matthias Schroff, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of VAXIMM. “We have seen strong initial results in a Phase I trial of VXM01 in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. In May, we entered into a collaboration with Merck KGaA and Pfizer to evaluate, through Phase I/II clinical studies, the combination of VXM01 with avelumab to treat glioblastoma and colorectal cancer. We look forward to continuing the development of our novel immunotherapy to treat these devastating tumor types.”
Phase I results in glioblastoma, a type of glioma, were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2017 Annual Meeting on June 5, 2017. The trial was designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of, as well as clinical and immunogenic response to, VXM01 in patients with recurrent glioblastoma whose disease had progressed following treatment with at least radiochemotherapy including temozolomide, the standard of care. The reported data were from eight patients who were given a single dose of VXM01 on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 before planned surgery on day 35. Following surgery, patients could then receive a single administration every four weeks during the follow-up period. Median dosage was seven vaccinations.
Surgery was performed on seven of the treated patients. One patient experienced an objective and durable response, and three other patients had stable disease. Additionally, peripheral immune responses were observed, and five of seven patients had an increase in CD8+ T-cells in tumor tissue following re-operation compared to the primary tumor tissue. Four out of eight patients showed a specific T-cell response. In addition, in four patients a relevant increase in cerebral blood volume and apparent diffusion coefficient on post-vaccination MRI was observed. VXM01 was shown to be well tolerated.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) examines the applications for orphan designation in the European Union and facilitates the development and authorization of medicines for rare diseases. The European Commission is responsible for granting orphan designation, which includes access to centralized marketing authorization in the European Union, ten years of protection from market competition with similar medicines in similar indications and fee reductions for regulatory activities.
In the US, orphan-drug designation qualifies the sponsor of the drug for various development incentives, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing, waiver of user fees and potentially up to seven years of market exclusivity for the given indication, if approved.
About glioblastoma:
Gliomas, including glioblastoma, are potentially deadly forms of brain cancer. Glioblastoma can be difficult to treat because the tumors contain many different types of cells. According to recent statistics, in Europe (EU-27) there were estimated to be more than 42,000 cases of brain and nervous system tumors and over 32,000 deaths[i]. In the US, there were over 21,000 cases and over 15,000 deaths.[ii] Radiation and chemotherapy may be used to slow the growth of glioblastomas that cannot be removed with surgery.[iii] However, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, patients typically die in the first 15 months after diagnosis.[iv] Thus, there is an urgent need to find more effective treatment options.
About VXM01:
VXM01 is an oral T-cell immunotherapy that is designed to activate T-cells to attack the tumor vasculature, and, in several tumor types, attack cancer cells directly. It is based on a live attenuated, safe, orally available, bacterial vaccine strain, which is modified to carry vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) as the target gene. VXM01 stimulates the patient’s immune system to activate VEGFR2-specific, cytotoxic T-cells (so-called killer cells). These immune killer cells then actively destroy cells in the tumor vasculature, leading to an increased infiltration of various immune cells into the tumor. In several tumor types, including brain cancer, VEGFR2 is highly over-expressed on the cancer cells themselves. In preclinical studies, a murine analog VXM01 vaccine showed broad anti-tumor activity in different tumor types. This activity was linked to a VEGFR2-specific T-cell response and was accompanied by the destruction of the tumor vasculature and increased immune cell infiltration. In a Phase I double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in 71 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, VXM01 appeared to be safe and well tolerated and led to the activation of VEGFR2-specific cytotoxic T-cells, which was associated with significantly improved patient survival. VXM01 is also being studied for the treatment of colorectal cancer and glioblastoma.
About VAXIMM:
VAXIMM is a privately held, Swiss/German biotech company that is developing oral T-cell immunotherapies for patients suffering from cancer. VAXIMM’s product platform is based on a live attenuated, safe, orally available bacterial vaccine strain, which is modified to stimulate patients’ cytotoxic T-cells to target specific structures of the tumor. VAXIMM’s lead product candidate, oral VXM01, activates killer cells targeting tumor-specific vasculature and certain immune-suppressive cells, thereby increasing immune cell infiltration in solid tumors. VXM01 is currently in clinical development for several tumor types, including pancreatic, colorectal and brain cancer. In addition to VXM01, VAXIMM has a pipeline of complementary development candidates targeting different tumor structures. VAXIMM’s investors include BB Biotech Ventures, Merck Ventures, Sunstone Capital and BioMed Partners. VAXIMM AG is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Its wholly owned subsidiary, VAXIMM GmbH, located in Mannheim, Germany, is responsible for the Company’s development activities. For more information, please see www.vaximm.com.
VAXIMM AG
Dr. Matthias Schroff (CEO)
Tel.: +49 621 8359 687 0
Email: info@vaximm.com
Katja Arnold, Laurie Doyle
Tel: +49 89 210228 0
Email: vaximm@mc-services.eu
[i] Source: EUCAN cancer fact sheets, http://eco.iarc.fr/eucan
[ii] Source: World Health Organization, IARC, Cancer Today, http://gco.iarc.fr/today
[iii] Source: American Brain Tumor Assn, abta.org
[iv] Source: American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), www.aans.org
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how is /
How is Carbon Fiber Made
09 May, 2012 how is
Carbon fiber is a material that is made of twisted strands of carbon fiber that are composed of carbon atoms. Carbon fiber is strong, lightweight, highly flexible, high resistance, high temperature tolerance and has low thermal expansion. Carbon fiber is used in aerospace, civil engineering military and motorsports. It is used mostly as a reinforcement material and is used as a polymer with other materials.
How is carbon fiber made?
Carbon fibers are produced from specific polymers such as rayon, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or petroleum pitch. Rayon and PAN are then spun into filaments. Chemicals are added to align the carbon atoms to form strong fibers. Different mechanical processes are used to spin the polymer into fibers depending on the manufacturer. The fibers that result are then heated to drive away any non-carbon atoms. This process is called carbonization. In some cases the carbon fibers are further treated to create greater strength. They may also be added to other polymers such as a plastic resin to create carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The final carbon fibers are wound onto bobbins. These bobbins are placed into machines which use the wound carbon fiver to create yarn or thread. The carbon fiber thread or yarn is then used to create textile by weaving or braiding them together.
Spun PAN carbon fibers are usually dried in air up to 300 °C to oxidize the material. It then placed into a furnace where it is heated to 2000 °C. This creates carbon fibers which are 93–95% carbon. PAN produces higher quality carbon fiber than either rayon or petroleum pitch.
Uses of Carbon
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GYM: THE NEW CHURCH
GYM: THE NEW CHURCH : Linda Mary Montano 2017
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON LOVE
"Love, safety, belongingness and respect from other people are almost panaceas for the situational disturbances and even for some of the mild character disturbances. " Abraham Maslow.
It's a given that community is a need, necessity and path to health. Early peoples gathered around fires to stay safe and warm, knowing they needed each other to survive, to get fed, to live another day. Conversely we think we need nothing, we need no one because we buy our GMO food, buy our disgruntled friends, we retreat to our caves with our iPhone-family but although we think we have it all, deep down there is a biological need to Actually congregate, check in with each other and perform choreographed rituals of inclusion.
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON RITUAL
A ritual "is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects, performed in a sequestered place, and performed according to set sequence".[1] Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized but not defined by formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism, and performance.
Rituals are a feature of all known human societies. They include not only the worship rites and sacraments of organized religions and cults, but also rites of passage, atonement and purification rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations and presidential inaugurations, marriages and funerals, school "rush" traditions and graduations, club meetings, sporting events, Halloween parties, veterans parades, Christmas shopping and more. Many activities that are ostensibly performed for concrete purposes, such as jury trials, execution of criminals, and scientific symposia,[citation needed] are loaded with purely symbolic actions prescribed by regulations or tradition, and thus partly ritualistic in nature. Even common actions like hand-shaking and saying hello may be termed rituals.
We might ask, "Where can we get this need for belongingness met?" In the July 6, 2017 issue of Catholic New York, it was noted that 17 Catholic Churches were "relegated" as no longer sacred sites but could be used for profane but not sordid activities. That is, they could be leased, sold or assumed by another Christian denomination. This is not the time, place or venue to ponder why so many Catholic churches are no longer in use, no longer needed. You know the answers, I'm not saying. So maybe we could divert our gaze from that conversation to the GYM: The New Church of the Millennials.
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON GYMS
A gym, also referred as gymnasium, is an open air or covered location for gymnastics, athletics, and gymnastic services. The word is derived from the ancient Greek gymnasium. They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centers, and as activity and learning spaces in educational institutions. "Gym" is also slang for "fitness center", which is often an indoor facility.
Gymnasia apparatus such as barbells, parallel bars, jumping board, running path, tennis-balls, cricket field, fencing area, and so forth are used as exercises. In safe weather, outdoor locations are the most conducive to health. Gyms were popular in ancient Greece. Their curricula included Gymnastica militaria or self-defense, gymnastica medica, or physical therapy to help the sick and injured, and gymnastica athletica for physical fitness and sports, from boxing to dancing.
These gymnasia also had teachers of wisdom and philosophy. Community gymnastic events were done as part of the celebrations during various village festivals. In ancient Greece there was a phrase of contempt, "He can neither swim nor write." After a while, however, Olympic athletes began training in buildings just for them. Community sports never became as popular among ancient Romans as it had among the ancient Greeks. Gyms were used more as a preparation for military service or spectator sports. During the Roman Empire, the gymnastic art was forgotten. In the Dark Ages there were sword fighting tournaments and of chivalry; and after gunpowder was invented sword fighting began to be replaced by the sport of fencing. There were schools of dagger fighting and wrestling and boxing.
Is it all Louise Hay's fault? Did her voluminous self-help tomes make pastors/priests/deacons/saints of us all? Did she give us keys to a new way of touching the Source/The Higher Power by showing us how to reach into our own Divine Soul via looking into a mirror and worshipping the self? And what better place to do this than a GYM! That's where these newly installed goddesses/gods maintain their inexhaustible energy/courage/gusto/chi/ki/strength/divine fabulousness. Ta dahhhh, at THE CHURCH OF THE GYM! This building of sweat-aholics provides some 15 hours a day access to bikes/weights/rowing machines/classes/and all this for a pittance when compared to what you might be expected to tithe at real churches. In comparison, the gym-church is a bargain.
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON TITHING
A tithe (/ˈtaɪð/; from Old English: teogoþa "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products. Several European countries operate a formal process linked to the tax system allowing some churches to assess tithes.
Traditional Jewish law and practice has included various forms of tithing since ancient times. Orthodox Jews commonly practice ma'aser kesafim (tithing 10% of their income to charity). In modern Israel, Jews continue to follow the laws of agricultural tithing, e.g., ma'aser rishon, terumat ma'aser, and ma'aser sheni. In Christianity, some interpretations of Biblical teachings conclude that although tithing was practiced extensively in the Old Testament, it was never practiced or taught within the first-century Church. Instead, the New Testament scriptures are seen as teaching the concept of "freewill offerings" as a means of supporting the church.
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CAST OF POSSIBLE CHARACTERS/INSTRUCTORS AT THE CHURCH OF THE GYM
The passive-aggressive instructor who unnecessarily turns on cold air AC to blow on already raynauded/agitated and stumbling seniors in the class. How to cure? Send Tonglen to the instructor and all of the shivering/suffering elders.
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON TONGLEN
Tonglen (Tibetan: གཏོང་ལེན་, Wylie: gtong len, or tonglen) is Tibetan for 'giving and taking' (or sending and receiving), and refers to a meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism.
In the practice, one visualizes taking in the suffering of oneself and of others on the in-breath, and on the out-breath giving recognition, compassion, and succor to all sentient beings. As such it is a training in altruism.
The function of the practice is to:
reduce selfish attachment
increase a sense of renunciation
purify karma by giving and helping
develop and expand loving-kindness and bodhicitta
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2. The hardly can walk-with- overdeveloped/ testesteroned/ muscled instructor who calls the 5 elderly/kephosised/ grey haired elders in his class; GRANNIES!
How to cure? Send Loving Kindness to him and the women-elders.
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON METTA
Mettā meditation, or often loving-kindness meditation, is the practice concerned with the cultivation of Mettā, i.e. benevolence, kindness and amity. The practice generally consists of silent repetitions of phrases like “may you be happy” or “may you be free from suffering”, for example directed at a person who, depending on tradition, may or may not be internally visualized.
3. The highly developed/bosomed woman instructor who narcissistically enjoys her mammary endowments via the mirrored wall in front of her. We are not there for her. Her body is. How to cure me for even caring?
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON THE JESUS PRAYER
The Jesus Prayer (Greek: Η Προσευχή του Ιησού, i prosefchí tou iisoú; Syriac: ܨܠܘܬܐ ܕܝܫܘܥ , Amharic, Geez and Tigrinya: እግዚኦ መሐረነ ክርስቶስ,Slotho d-Yeshu' , ) or "The Prayer" (Greek: Η Ευχή, i efchí̱ – literally "The Wish") is a short formulaic prayer esteemed and advocated especially within the Eastern churches:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
The prayer has been widely taught and discussed throughout the history of the Orthodox Church. The ancient and original form did not include the words, "a sinner," which were added later. It is often repeated continually as a part of personal ascetic practice, its use being an integral part of the eremitic tradition of prayer known as Hesychasm (Ancient Greek: ἡσυχάζω, isycházo, "to keep stillness"). The prayer is particularly esteemed by the spiritual fathers of this tradition (see Philokalia) as a method of opening up the heart (kardia) and bringing about the Prayer of the Heart (Καρδιακή Προσευχή). The Prayer of The Heart is considered to be the Unceasing Prayer that the apostle Paul advocates in the New Testament. St. Theophan the Recluse regarded the Jesus' Prayer stronger than all other prayers by virtue of the power of the Holy Name of Jesus.
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4. The Venus of Willendorfed/statuesque/busting out of her Yoga pants instructor who elicits gasps of unexhaled ecstasy from both male/female/transgendered students who push/shove and sink to the level of rude in order to get their Yoga matt near her "spot" in the front of the class. Making a purposefull mistake will bring her to you for a correction, I noticed. The cure?
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON NON-ATTACHMENT
The three poisons (Sanskrit: triviṣa; Tibetan: dug gsum) or the three unwholesome roots (Sanskrit: akuśala-mūla; Pāli: akusala-mūla), in Buddhism, refer to the three root kleshas of Moha (delusion, confusion), Raga (greed, sensual attachment), and Dvesha (aversion, ill will).[1][2] These three poisons are considered to be three afflictions or character flaws innate in a being, the root of Taṇhā (craving), and thus in part the cause of Dukkha (suffering, pain, unsatisfactoriness) and rebirths.
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l5. The fictional/non-fictional list goes on:
The Zumba teacher who can't keep/step in time.
The one who once worked at an autistic institute and now loudly barks at us, "smile!"
The shouting, militaristic/fascistic instructor.
The one who keeps the music a decibel above causing permanent inner ear damage.
The ex-high school teacher who shouts, incessantly entertains and doesn't like to teach.
The one who can't help making lewdish innuendoes.
The instructor who sweats green under his arms onto his shirt.
The cure?
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON HOME GYMS
Athletic and exercise venues of all sorts - schools, colleges, YMCAs, private gyms (such as the Vic Tanny chain), and professional sports teams - acquired Universal Gym machines to supplement or replace free weights.
Zinkin wrote later, "If I'm proud of anything, it's that machine and the fact that there probably isn't one professional athlete in the world who hasn't worked out on a Universal at least once."
Universal also offered single-exercise machines, and smaller units for home use. With its strong brand recognition, Universal also made and sold other fitness equipment, including free weights, weight lifting benches, and machines for cardiovascular exercise.
We cant all have home gyms and so The local Church of The Gym and training ground for true happiness is for some, the only option. But like all options, all operas, all dramas, all day to day interactions, it is not only the instructors, the patriarchs in charge, that need a microscopic cleaning, it is us as well . For we, the participants are as tainted, as wrong, as irksome, as bothersome, as lost as our instructor-guides at The Church of the Gym. We (not I, of course) are a bunch of:
profuse sweaters
in crowders
mean gossipers
off balanced elders
buffed teenagers
energy magnetizers
pushy OCD-ers
water wasting showerers
bad breathers
stinky underarmers
non-recyclers
maddening mumblers
rude pushers
iPhone abusers
loud mouthers
mental sabatogers
Yoga class farters
enemy avoiders
equipment ruiners
germ spreaders
bathroom stinkers
silent unforgivers
anorexied dieters
nursing home avoiders
clumbsy seniors
lewd starers
social gabbers
annoying coughers
sloppy dressers
sweaty chair stainers
nipple starers
fierce overachievers
hysterical competitors
chidcare overusers
muscle injurers
self hurters
tight pants wearers
falling inattentioners
loud gabbers
exhibitionistic winners
non talkers
earbudded listeners
TV watchers
camel toers
medical info traders
millennial flirters
women/men trollers
assisted living preppers
sciaticaed limpers
ailment complainers
teacher butter-uppers
nose blowers
butt leerers
serial socializers
endurance pushers
sex yearners
over extenders
attention demanders
entry cheaters
performance comparers
greedy space takers
bum sweating chair stainers
reckless weight lifters
judgmental non-forgivers
dangerous weight-bar droppers
sweat dribblers
equipment bogarters
5. It is inevitable that you might walk into a Gym and witness one of the above displays of WRONG or be one of the above on any given day. But remember at The Church of the Gym, there is always a cure. Don't bogart!!!!
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON BOGART:
A variant of the fedora (hat)
"Bogart", a song by Nik Kershaw
"Boggart SE" is a video editing software for the Casablanca video editing systems and computers with the Microsoft Windows operating system, made by the German manufacturer MacroMotion GmbH
to bogart, slang for keeping a marijuana cigarette for an unfairly long time while others are waiting (can also be applied to keeping anything for an unfairly long time)
6. I often ask myself on my way to the gym how I can practice one of the above get out of jail prayers that I cited earlier? I know that I will see ______________ and she will drive me cray-cray today so I have to say, "Remember to do tonglen, or do metta, or send angels, or at least smile!!! Be nice, talk nice Linda. " But then I see one of the rules being broken ( see list above) or I see __________ and I remember, since the age of 7, having to tell my sins every Saturday in that smelly confessional box and these people have to know that I am a sin-detective and I see theirs, that's for sure. Note the list above perchance to see how much I really do see!! Why is that? I wish I could go there, do the sweating, enjoy the scene and leave in gratitude. But having been taught to pay attention to negative patterns at that early age of 7, I am over trained and certainly ready, willing and able, to correct them, not me, for anything they do in and out of the Gym-Church. How I cure my propensity for power.
WIKIPEDIA SAYS: ON CONFESSION
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (commonly called Penance, Reconciliation, or Confession) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (called sacred mysteries in the Eastern Catholic Churches), in which the faithful obtain absolution for the sins committed against God and neighbour and are reconciled with the community of the Church.[a] By this sacrament Christians are freed from sins committed after Baptism.[1] The sacrament of Penance is considered the normal way to be absolved from mortal sin, by which one would otherwise condemn oneself to Hell.
As Scriptural basis for this sacrament, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back" (1445; John 20:23).
7. TO CONCLUDE. I leave the Church of the Gym with new eyes having seen and confessed all of the sins enacted there. I did it so they don't have to confess or even have to know that they are disruptive and that they are bothering ME! The coast is clear, air is decontaminated, all is well and I now:
a. KINDLY : SMILE when I smell the underarms of sweaty, teenage young men.
b. KINDLY : SMILE when I see proud mothers guiding 3 year olds, in tutus, into the daycare room.
c. KINDLY : SMILE when I hear unbearably loud music-sounds coming from the bicycle room.
d. KINDLY : SMILE when I see Bob giving George a hug, congratulating him on the success of his brain surgery.
"All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” Saint Julian of Norwich
Linda Mary Montano 2017..........May we all be happy.
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Posted by LINDA MARY MONTANO at 1:40 PM No comments:
WHAT IS FEMINISM FOR NEW PALTZ COLLEGE
WHAT IS FEMINISM: by LINDA MARY MONTANO 2017
Nina Isabelle says: I am a feminist artist because I'm stubborn, clever, nurturing and resilient.
WIKIPEDIA SAYS:
Feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes. This includes seeking to establish educational and professional opportunities for women that are equal to such opportunities for men.
Valerie Sharp says: I am a feminist artist because I recognize my inner power and know I can create change.
Feminist movements have campaigned and continue to campaign for women's rights, including the right to vote, to hold public office, to work, to earn fair wages or equal pay, to own property, to receive education, to enter contracts, to have equal rights within marriage, and to have maternity leave. Feminists have also worked to promote bodily autonomy and integrity, and to protect women and girls from rape, sexual harassment, and domestic violence.
Jennifer Zackin says: I am a feminist artist because I am home.
Changes in dress and acceptable physical activity have often been part of feminist movements.
Elizabeth Lamb says: I am a feminist artist because I work to look carefully and listen deeply.
Feminist campaigns are generally considered to be a main force behind major historical societal changes for women's rights, particularly in the West, where they are near-universally credited with achieving women's suffrage, gender neutrality in English, reproductive rights for women (including access to contraceptives and abortion), and the right to enter into contracts and own property.
Jodie Lynn-Kee Chow says: I am a feminist artist because I believe that women artists should have equal rights in society, equal opportunities, and equal if not more pay than men.
Although feminist advocacy is, and has been, mainly focused on women's rights, some feminists, including bell hooks, argue for the inclusion of men's liberation within its aims because men are also harmed by traditional gender roles.
IV Castellanos says: I am a feminist artist because I wanted to breathe the same air as everyone else...equally, whole, complete and within sameness for all people.
Feminist theory, which emerged from feminist movements, aims to understand the nature of gender inequality by examining women's social roles and lived experience; it has developed theories in a variety of disciplines in order to respond to issues concerning gender.
Numerous feminist movements and ideologies have developed over the years and represent different viewpoints and aims. Some forms of feminism have been criticized for taking into account only white, middle class, and college-educated perspectives. This criticism led to the creation of ethnically specific or multicultural forms of feminism, including black feminism and intersectional feminism.
Linda Mary Montano says: I am not sure I am a feminist artist or even a female artist! I just do what I have to do so that I can survive day to day. I call what I do art but I hope that what I do heals me and looks natural, and is so disguised that it looks like life itself. I am nothing.
LIGHT BLEEDER
moon = skin
sun = flesh
shoot!!!!!!!!
cut!!!!!!!!!!!
slice me!!!!
I bleed
IMAGES FROM THE BROAD: MOTHER TERESA WITH KAE WHALEN VIA RON ATHEY
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t48qzv9hapxcjs1/AABIxD6CvsBI9GPSuPceVwnTa?dl=0
ORACLE INFORMATION FROM BROAD MUSEUM L.A.
ORACLE has its own video recap now and it looks great
DAD ART PERFORMANCE FOR VORTEX
DAD ART PERFORMANCE/HEALING COLLAGE: SOME INFORMATION: A 3 HOUR EXPERIENCE
DAD ART PERFORMANCE/HEALING COLLAGE is an opportunity for a willing community to see, learn about, interact with and experience aesthetically/performatively the old age, sickness and death of my father Henry Joseph Montano as life/art. In coming into contact with another person's life story and their eventual death, we will see, be reminded of and participate in the feelings associated with our own deaths. That is important work.
The video is a document of the time I took care of my father from 1998-2005 in Saugerties NY, after I left UT Austin.
Death, a tabooed subject and not always out of the closet of fear and dread, must be aesthetically exposed/experienced as the natural event that it is. Why? To prepare us courageously for our own inevitable deaths and help us all make some alliance and friend with that fact. We all share life and we all will experience the end game. Let us collectively help each other do that.
I have found that by opening doors to the SUBJECT of death, I am asking death for friendship and knowledge and understanding. In doing so,
my personal spiritual journey and curiosity are becoming educated to our natural and shared human situation. A good thing, I think..
THE PERFORMANCE:
CAST OF VOLUNTEERS:
1. One or two MC's. They will have/use a whistle or a suitable hand held/blown noise device so that they interrupt the "solemnity" of both the images on video and performative actions with a festivity/jesterlyness but dignified sacredness.
2. The secretary who writes down "letters to death" dictated by the audience members who come onstage and visit the secretary at their desk. The secretary can instruct the audience member what to do. The audience member talks, the secretary writes. All letters begin with DEAR DEATH........
3. The water-giver. One person who offers water to audience members who come to them for healing "water." It can be a glass of water, a spritz of rose water from a spritz bottle, a bowl of water that the audience member drinks from or puts their finger in to bring to a place on their body that needs healing. The exact way the water person wants to share water is designed by them. The water giver instructs the audience member what to do.
4. Two grief counselors sit in front of empty chairs and when an audience member sits down across from them, they listen to stories of death told by members of the audience visiting them onstage at the death-counselor station. They can say," Do you want to tell me about death?" Then they just listen. No advice is needed from the counselors.
5. The audience members come to the mic to say the name of the person they are remembering who has died. Or the mic can be passed around in the audience by the MC's. They are welcome to say the names of people who have died who they want to remember. Or they can say this: IM SORRY...... I FORGIVE YOU AND I FORGIVE MYSELF. Their choice. The MC occasionally helps this to happen. If there is a written program handed out to the audience before the event, this will be written in the program so they can read it.
6. The singer. Montano will sing 7 songs, one every 20 minutes to honor and remember her father's love of music, his time in his band where he played trumpet. My mother sang in this band as well. The MC calls me to the microphone to sing 7 times at designated and equally spaced times, keeping track of the correct times to invite me to sing.
7. The parade leader will come up at the end of the performance and lead us all outside so we can burn the letters to death in a container. There can be many parade leaders. They also lead us in dancing ADDICTED TO LOVE via a boombox sound system after the burning of the letters. They can make festive parade "flags" or have sticks with yarn on them and other attractive things to bring attention to the parade's actions. Musical Instruments/singing can be included if they want. The parade person/persons come into the performance space and invite people to follow them via verbal instruction or if the mood needs they can use hand gestures/silence. If the atmosphere calls for it, all can walk out in silence. The parade person/persons need to be sensitive to the mood needed at the time. This instruction/invitation can also be included in the program notes.
THE ATMOSPHERE:
All is happening simultaneously. There is no fixed focus. All can be talked over/interrupted. There are no mistakes possible in this experience because it is an event of natural occurrences/intensely seen and felt truths and over-lapping experiences. Collectively we will be supporting each other and learning together a new language.
THE STAGE AND PROPS:
FRONT STAGE/MID STAGE: The MC's will stand and move around and interact with the audience. They will either share a mic or there will be two mics for the MC's. The second or third mic will be set for reverb/digital delay for Linda when she sings and also for audience when they come up to say the names of their deceased friends.
TO THE RIGHT OF THE MC'S FACING THE AUDIENCE: There will be four chairs next to each other. The two grief counselors will sit in two of them, side-ways to audience. Audience members will sit in the empty chairs to talk with the grief counsellors who, by the way, are just listening to stories. They have no need to know how to counsel.
The MC's will see when there is a need for an audience member to come to a chair or go to the water station or to write a letter. They will keep the flow going but in a very scared and "ritualistic" manner.
BACK STAGE/ RIGHT BACK: There is a table. The letters to death secretary will sit with their back to the audience with a death mask on the back of their head. They face the person sitting in a chair while they write the letters. They need paper and a pen to write with. Table and two chairs.
BACK STAGE/BACK LEFT: The water giver is in back of a table. Standing. On the table are the things they choose to use to offer water to audience members.
LEFT STAGE/ FRONT: Microphone is there for audience members who want to honor their friends with their friend's name or do the I'm Sorry incantation. But also they can do this when the MC's pass their mic to the siting audience. I will use this microphone when I come up to sing so the mic has to be calibrated for my need to have reverb or digital delay.
Each station can be lit from above, shining down except for the MC's and singer . But lighting needs to be sufficiently bright enough so that it is possible for audience members to walk safely onto the stage.
There are 4 layers of sound:
1. Sound from the video.
2. Sound from the MC's mic on a mic stand.
3. Sound from my mic on a mic stand, adjusted for delay/reverb.
4. Sound for the "music" that I sing. I sing along with either a trumpet or a guitar accompaniment. I will bring a cd of this music. It is to be calibrated so whenever I get up to sing and indicate a signal to begin, the "next" song is played.
5. Sound for ADDICTED TO LOVE outside around the fire which can be a campfire if you wish. This sound can be on a boombox, or anything simple but loud.
As we walk onstage, there will be a you tube of bird sound/images, low volume already playing as people come into the theatre.
Each actor will go to the standing mic center stage and say their name and will simply say what they will be doing.
We go to our stations and perform the actions, not "paying attention" to the video onscreen because you will have seen it before the night of the performance via you tube or vimeo. It is important that everyone pay attention to their action and not to the screen or anyone else's action. This concentration will help make the energy of the performance more focused.
At the end of the video, after the credits, the parade people will come to gather each of us and we leave via the front door while humming one note. Parade people also gather the audience members and we all go outside, form a circle around the burning container and the secretary puts the letters one by one into the fire. After the LETTERS TO DEATH are burned, we then all dance to ADDICTED TO LOVE. THE END.
COSTUMES:
Please see Robert Graham's ADDICTED TO LOVE youtube before the performance. Please wear:
1. BLACK CLOTHES: As nice as possible. Everything black.
2. GREAT SHOES: In keeping with a "funeral home" look. Black. Don't buy anything but they need to look good/polished.
3. FABULOUS HAIR OR WIG: Very Glamour/Vogue. Cover all tattoos. Somber but Glam look.
4. EXCESSIVE MAKEUP: So it looks glamorous.
5. SUNGLASSES: Can be taken on and off, but walk out with them on/leave with them on. If you need to take them off to make eye contact with an audience member at your station, please feel free to do so. Healing contact is most important.
6. Please bring you costume to the rehearsal. More than one if you have a question.
PROPS:
1. Four chairs for grief counsellors.
2. Table and two chairs for secretary. Paper and pen for letter writing.
3. Table and water props for water giver.
4. Sound makers for MC's.
5. Festive things for parade leaders.
LINDA BRING:
2. CD of trumpet/ guitar.
3. Costume and wig, sunglasses and make up.
LINDA MARY MONTANO : LINDAMONTANO@HOTMAIL.COM, 845 399 2502
A VISIT TO THE NUNS LIVING AT MARYKNOLL
A VISIT TO THE NUNS LIVING AT MARYKNOLL , 2017
YOUR SILENCE:
STOPS TIME.
SOFTENED EGOS:
SHUFFLE DANCE
WITH DIVINE FOG.
ECSTASY.
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I Slept With Linda Montano: Paul Couillard
I Slept with Linda Montano
Paul Couillard [1]
PC: Given your history in performance, I wanted to start by asking whether you see a distinction between performance or art and life?
Linda Montano: Until I wrote a recipe that indicated that every minute was performance, there was a distinction. In 1984 I appropriated all time as performance time or art, meaning every minute of my life was an opportunity for that kind of higher--not higher--but that kind of consciousness, a kind of awareness or--sacredness is a word that is laden--but that kind of sacredness. Before 1984 I made attempts, but they were for a week or a month or for shorter periods of time. In '84 I designed it so that the rest of my life will be in a work of art.
PC: So, everything you do is art because you've consciously identified it as that?
LM: Yes.
PC: Are there other things wrapped up in that, like a sense of discipline or a certain kind of awareness you try to bring to things?
LM: It's almost like... There's a massage form called Reiki, and in Reiki, there's a little bit of study, maybe a weekend workshop and three levels. Then there's this so-called initiation, and it's really an initiation into nothingness. It's so simple; it's just a laying on of hands. It's not as if it's a complicated massage form. And for me it was just a matter of consciously setting up the parameters that allowed me to incorporate, appropriate, grab all time as art.
PC: I was wondering about discipline.
LM: In the beginning it was about discipline. I had to do this, this, this and this for numbers of hours and days and weeks and months. Then I found that the overall intentionality worked to incorporate my needs, and the disciplines were really my own ego struggling, pushing. So when I lightened up and stopped pushing so much and creating boundaries and formulas, the permission to live in the state of art loosened me up. I started making more things that looked like traditional art because I was free. Before, it was always this sort of guilt of not being in the studio, not producing enough, not working -- which comes out of an art school training or a western model of abundance and consumerism. How can you say you're something if there's no product? When I took that away, I actually started producing, which is always an interesting kind of contrast. But given my philosophy, there's no need for production, because I am in the state of art, so to speak, at all times.
PC: Why was it important for you to identify what you were doing as art?
LM: Art gave me the same kinds of pleasures and aesthetic ecstasy as the Church used to give me. And because a woman is denied priesthood in Roman Catholicism, I knew instinctively that I would never be able to be a ritual-maker.
PC: Do you make distinctions? For example, when I contacted you about TIME TIME TIME,[1] I told you I was looking at durational performance and I wanted to present a series of pieces that were at least 12 hours long. You could have said, "well, I'm doing that right now" or "I'll come to Toronto and just be Linda Montano", but instead you organized a specific event with an audience component to it that could be published or announced. Is there a distinction to be made between performing a piece called Appreciating the Chakras and being in your kitchen making dinner?
LM: Sometimes you eat chocolate cake with raspberries on it, and sometimes you have a rice cake. Doing a performance like Appreciating the Chakras is the chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. It's a luxury, not necessary, but certainly something fun that I am still interested in. I see it as a night out.
PC: In calling everything you do art, and thinking of what you do as being an artist, do you think an artist necessarily has an audience? Is there a relationship between artist and audience?
LM: I think it's changing with computers and websites and so on. It's becoming a virtual audience -- a non-visible, non-visual, non-physical audience. Then there's the audience of rumor, the audience of legend and gossip--"oh isn't that the person that, you know..." being known for one piece. There is a hunger now for community, for bodily closeness, for performance. But there's also a plethora of taste. Things have gotten so specific to the person, that the people who will come to see a particular piece are drawn chemically by the taste of that person. The flavor of the piece coincides with the flavor of the audience members. I think there are a lot of different levels of audience, unless it's a person or a piece that has such a following or such a need to be seen. Other than that, I think that as performance artists we draw the audience with the taste that corresponds with ours.
PC: In an interview you did before the Toronto show, you mentioned that one of the aspects of maturing as artists -- I wasn't sure whether you meant specifically in performance art or just for yourself as an individual -- was accepting or recognizing that not all audiences are going to love what you do, or have to like what you do.
LM: I think that's an important lesson to learn, not getting attached to numbers of people in the audience, not getting attached to being loved, so that you can really do the work for the right motivation. Hopefully the timing of the work is right. I really think a lot of it is about the presenter. If the presenter is coming from the right place and is well loved in the community and does a good job of making the artist comfortable, the audience can feel that and they respond. I think it's a real collaboration, because you can do something in the right place with the wrong kind of treatment or atmosphere, and it's not a good time for anyone. Sometimes it's not the artist so much that's drawing the crowd, but the presenter.
PC: When you do a piece, what are you hoping the audience will get? Or does that matter?
LM: Community -- that they'll have a place where they can wash their subconscious of ideas or fears or taboos, and a place where they can touch a kind of magical sacredness, have a spiritual high. Moving through matter and the dirt and detritus of matter as a jumping-off place to this ecstasy.
PC: Do you have any thoughts about the element of time in your work? I chose you for TIME TIME TIME because I was familiar with the fact that you had done a seven-year project of exploring the chakras, where every moment of every day for quite a substantial length of time was devoted to or charged with the intent of the particular project you were working on.
LM: Working with time allows for a timelessness. You almost have to grab time to go out of time. Focus and concentration and discipline and spaciousness all happen at the same time when you work with endurance and time. It inhibits scatteredness. It inhibits shallowness. It helps us to go to places that change brain waves, literally. If something's done for a long period of time, then brain chemistry changes. All of those things interest me.
PC: I was very intrigued by the way you chose to structure what we called the 'piece' Appreciating the Chakras. Essentially, there were two parts. The first part of 3 1/2 hours was a soundscape that people could enter or leave as they wished, just soaking in the energy of it. The second part required a different level of commitment on the part of the people who were involved. They were no longer participating spectators; they were being what they were being. You asked us, in a sense, to sleep together.
LM: "I've slept with Linda Montano."
PC: (Laughing) I'll bet you have! In the morning, when we were ending the performance, one of the things you spoke about was that there was a sense of community created in our being together, just in doing a simple action together like sleeping. But people had to commit to be there for that 7-hour period and not leave in the middle, whereas the first part was set up so that anyone could come and go.
LM: A lot of that was just practical safety, in terms of doors opening and closing, people coming in, and protecting the space. Because people were sleeping, the space had to be different, so the parameters were different. But time is energy. We are energy. And energy needs a lot of attention. If we're busy, if there's a divorce from energy, then it’s like not being nurtured, not getting enough food. All of these actions are vehicles. They're designed to produce the effect of feeling aliveness and energy -- and maybe, if there is such a thing, a chemical shift in the brain where it's touching bliss or sacredness.
PC: Is it fair to say that what's involved is a commitment to acknowledging and working with the particular energy of time?
LM: When you translate time, the next word you get after time is death -- because time is so mysterious and it's all about the race against time, or time out, or time is over, or time is up, etc. Time is a real piece of the puzzle that nature holds and has control of. When artists play with time, they're playing with God's toy, nature's toy. It wasn't designed for us to play with, but artists never play with anything that isn't sacred. Or, it's the artist's prerogative to go into that playground. Time brings up issues of dying and of death. And of impermanence and of change and of flux and of loss. "Time marches on." "I don't have enough time for that." It seems to dog us and nip at our heels and run after us. We don't have enough of it, but when the focus changes, when the artist uses time as a material -- a clay to mold -- the artist can use that material to reach timelessness -- no-time. And no-time is bliss or ecstasy or energy, pure energy.
[1] Paul Couillard is the director of FADO, an alternative space in Toronto, Canada. This interview took place in conjunction with a festival entitled TIME TIME TIME, a twelve month series of durational performances by artists from the US, UK, and Canada curated by Couillard. Montano’s contribution Appreciating the Chakras took place from January 30-31 in the Canadia dell’Arte Theater Troupe Studio Space. The title, I Slept With Linda Montano, refers to the 7- hour endurance, Chakra Sleepover/Workshop, Montano offered as part of the event. The unedited interview can be found at http://www.performanceart.ca/.
Posted by LINDA MARY MONTANO at 1:13 PM 1 comment:
IMAGES FROM THE BROAD: MOTHER TERESA WITH KAE WHAL...
VORTEX: TECH INFO FOR DAD ART: VIEWER DISCRETION A...
CALL TO FRANKLIN FURNACE FOR NEW MUSEUM GLANDETTES...
IMAGES FROM THE NEW MUSEUM FILE
LINDA AND NICOLAS: SLOW TALKING
DESCRIPTION OF LINDA AND TOBE MAKE A TAPE TRILOGY...
LETTER OF APPRECIATION: GRRACE EXHIBITION SPACE
LETTER OF APPRECIATION TO BROAD
I AM NATURAL
THE REAL OPENING: CATSKILL/KIKI SMITH
DORSKY AS BOB DYLAN WITH JOAN BAEZ
DAD ART EXPLANATION
LINDA ON HER ART
TO BE NATURAL/UN-NATURAL
VIMEO FROM ORACLE SHOW AT BROAD
PHOTOS FROM THE BROAD: AS MOTHER TERESA WITH KAE ...
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9 Sun Nov 2014
Don’t Bottle the Holy Water!
For 9 November 2014, 32nd Sunday, based on Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12
Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side. He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh. Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
About Brian Pierce, O.P.
fr Brian is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Martin de Porres, USA. Brian lives at the Priory of St. Albert the Great in Irving, Texas and ministers as an itinerant preacher worldwide.
View all posts by Brian Pierce, O.P. →
By: Brian Pierce, O.P. calling in from Rome
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NaVorro Bowman Breaks Down New-look 49ers-Seahawks Rivalry
NaVorro Bowman's upcoming return to Seattle brings on new meaning.
The 2015 version saw the San Francisco 49ers linebacker kneel at the very spot his career changed due to the gruesome injury that he suffered in the 2013 NFC Championship game.
A lot has changed in the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry since that moment.
San Francisco has not made the postseason since Bowman's devastating knee injury. Seattle won the Super Bowl following the 2013 season and has made consecutive playoff appearances the next two years.
The first 49ers-Seahawks game of 2016, however, still brings on added importance to Bowman, even if it's not quite the same as previous playoff clashes.
"It's always a big game when we play those guys because it counts as two games," the seventh-year pro said on Thursday. "We play them twice, they're in our division and it could help us get on to the playoffs. It's always going to be a great game between the Seahawks and us."
San Francisco is looking for its first win in the Pacific Northwest since they picked up a 19-17 road win on Dec. 24, 2011. The 49ers have dropped five consecutive games at Century Link Field and have an all-time record of 7-12 in Seattle.
"They do a great job of getting loud for their team," said Bowman, who leads the 49ers with 20 tackles. "That makes the game hard for us. When they come here, our fans get rowdy, too. I don't think it's too personal where you dislike each other or the organization. I just think it has become part of the (intensity of the) game."
So has the recent losing streak been a topic of discussion in the 49ers locker room this week?
"No," Bowman said. "We've had two different coaches since that time. Not a topic. This group of people that work for the 49ers, we're trying to win this year. We're not really thinking about what's happened in the past because it's a new era for us."
The new era includes first-year 49ers head coach Chip Kelly and his staff. As for the players, many stalwarts of the 49ers-Seahawks battles have moved on. This includes Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch. The man known best as "Beast Mode" retired following the 2015 regular season.
Bowman said he won't miss having to bring down the hard-charging runner in the open field. Bowman recorded seven-plus tackles in his last seven appearances against the Seahawks, many of which featured No. 24 as the focal point of Seattle's offense.
"If the challenge presented itself on Sunday, I would definitely take it," the linebacker said with a grin. "Hats off to him, man, I hope he's enjoying retirement."
Seattle's current running game features a two-man attack with Christine Michael and Thomas Rawls. The duo has combined for 151 yards on the ground and no touchdowns so far this year. The latter of the two is questionable to play this week due to the leg injury he sustained in a Week 2 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Seahawks offense is now built around the play-making ability of quarterback Russell Wilson, who has been hampered with a high-ankle sprain. Wilson has thrown for 512 yards with one touchdown pass this season. He's only rushed the ball nine times for 30 yards.
Still, Wilson has not been defeated by the 49ers at home. This fact can't sit well with a player like Bowman.
"A guy who is as dangerous as him, I don't care if he's wobbly or gimpy at all, I'm still going to play him like he's healthy because he's that good with his feet," Bowman said. "If we stay in front of the ball and stop No. 3, we should have a good chance."
A victory on Sunday would put San Francisco atop the NFC West with two divisional wins.
The importance of games like Sunday has been the real talking point this week for locker-room leaders like Bowman.
"For us to beat one team in our division and have a chance to do it this week wouldn't be a bad start for us and for the young guys understanding how the NFL really works," the linebacker said.
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Ann Reinking, Tony-winning choreographer, actress dies at 71
Trained as a ballet dancer, Reinking was known for her bold style of dance epitomized by her work in the revival of 'Chicago.'
Author: MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK — Ann Reinking, the Tony Award-winning choreographer, actress and Bob Fosse collaborator who helped spread a cool, muscular hybrid of jazz and burlesque movement to Broadway and beyond, has died. She was 71.
Reinking died Saturday while visiting family in Seattle, said her manager, Lee Gross. No cause of death was disclosed.
Tributes poured in from the Broadway community, including from Tony Yazbeck, who called her “an absolute inspiration” and Leslie Odom, Jr., who thanked Reinking for being a mentor: “She honored the calling for real. RIP to a legend.” Bernadette Peters took to Twitter to say her heart was broken and Billy Eichner said she was “one of the most mesmerizing people I’ve ever seen on stage. A singular genius. RIP.”
Trained as a ballet dancer, Reinking was known for her bold style of dance epitomized by her work in the revival of the Kander and Ebb musical “Chicago,” complete with net stockings, chair dancing and plenty of pelvic thrusts.
Reinking co-starred as Roxie Hart along with Bebe Neuwirth’s Velma, and created the choreography “in the style of Bob Fosse,” the show’s original director and choreographer who died in 1987. She and Fosse worked together for 15 years and she was also his lover for several of them.
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Her work on “Chicago” earned her a 1997 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. Reinking replicated its choreography in productions throughout the world — England, Australia, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands and elsewhere. She was portrayed by Margaret Qualley in the recent FX series “Fosse/Verdon.”
The musical’s revival was first done in a concert version at City Center’s “Encores” series in 1996 and then moved to Broadway, where in 2011 it became the second longest-running show in Broadway history.
FILE - Ann Reinking holds her Tony Award for best choreography for the musical "Chicago" at the 51st annual Tony Awards on June 1, 1997, in New York. Reinking, the Tony Award-winning choreographer, actress and Bob Fosse collaborator who helped spread a cool, muscular hybrid of jazz and burlesque movement to Broadway and beyond, has died. She was 71. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
“You know how you hear sometimes a woman goes into labor and 10 minutes later she’s got this beautiful baby? You couldn’t believe that it was materializing in such a beautiful way,” she told The Associated Press in 2011 about the early days of the revival.
In 1998, she co-directed “Fosse,” a salute to the man who had the largest influence, both professionally and personally, on her life. He once called her “one of the finest dancers in the jazz-modern idiom.”
Her movie credits include “Annie” (1982), “Movie, Movie” (1978) and the documentary “Mad Hot Ballroom” (2005), which portrayed Reinking as a ballroom-dance competition judge for New York City kids.
Reinking’s career began in Seattle, where she grew up. In the beginning, she wanted to be a ballet dancer, “like all girls,” she said. As a student, she won a scholarship in San Francisco with the Joffrey Ballet, but at many of the students’ after-hours improvisations, she would just sing and not dance.
Robert Joffrey said that with her outgoing personality and other abilities, she should pursue musical theater. “I waited tables to save up enough money to get here,” she said of New York City, where she arrived with a round-trip ticket back to Seattle and $500. She didn’t need the return trip.
“You wouldn’t get into this if you had a guarantee. People who get into this have a certain sense of the high stakes,” she said. “You need the break and when you get it, you’d better be ready for it.”
Reinking’s break was strung out over several shows. She was in the ensemble for Broadway’s “Coco,” which starred Katharine Hepburn as Coco Chanel, in 1969, and was in the chorus of “Pippin” in 1972, picked by its director and choreographer, Fosse. The ensemble was so small — there were only eight — that the dancers were really seen.
Choreographer Pat Birch was one who noticed, and in 1974 put her in “Over Here,” a World War II musical starring two of the three Andrews Sisters and featuring another unknown, John Travolta.
It led to a starring role in “Goodtime Charley,” a musical about Joan of Arc opposite Joel Grey. The musical was not a success, but it did make theatergoers look at Reinking as a principal performer and not just a member of the chorus.
Her other big break, she said, was in “Dancin’” in 1978, “because I realized you had to be in an original part and that show has to be a hit.” The music-and-dance revue directed and choreographed by Fosse was, running more than three years and earned her a 1978 Tony nomination.
But it was her work on the revival of “Chicago” where Reinking basked in the most attention. The original, a dark indictment of celebrity and hucksterism, opened in the summer of 1975 and ran for about 900 performances. Though not in the opening night cast, Reinking eventually slipped into the role of Roxie Hart, taking over the part from Gwen Verdon, Fosse’s third wife and dancing alter ego. In the 1996 revival, which is still on Broadway, Reinking kept the part of Hart opposite Gray and Neuwirth.
Reinking also gained experience — and stayed in shape — by replacing stars in hit shows: Donna McKechnie in “A Chorus Line”; Gwen Verdon in Fosse’s original “Chicago”; and Debbie Allen in the 1986 revival of “Sweet Charity.”
And she embarked on an eclectic film career — from playing Roy Scheider’s lover in Fosse’s 1979 semi-autobiographical film “All That Jazz,” to the screen version of “Annie” to Blake Edwards’ “Micki and Maude.”
She also created dances for a revival of “Pal Joey” at Chicago’s Goodman Theater and a musical about first lady Eleanor Roosevelt called “Eleanor.” She was on the national tour of “Bye Bye Birdie” opposite Tommy Tune.
After “Eleanor,” offers to choreograph “kept falling in my lap,” Reinking said. She created dances for a pre-Encores “Chicago” in Long Beach, California, with Neuwirth and Juliet Prowse.
In one of the more cringe-worthy moments in her career, Reinking was asked to sing and perform the Oscar nominated song “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins at the 1985 telecast. Reinking lip-synched as she danced a bombastic, cheesy rendition marred by fog.
In recent years, she choreographed “The Look of Love” on Broadway and the Roger Rees-directed off-Broadway “Here Lies Jenny” (2004), starring Neuwirth. In 2011, she helped choreograph “An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin” on Broadway.
Reinking also produced a documentary called “In My Hands,” about working with children of Marfan’s Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder of the connective tissues that often leaves its victims with limbs that are disproportionately long. She also produced the film “Two Worlds, One Planet,” about “high-functioning” autism.
Reinking’s first three marriages ended in divorce. Since 1994, she had been married to Peter Talbert. She also is survived by a son, Christopher, who has been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome and autism.
“If there is a heaven, I think Bob can look down and be satisfied. He really did have an exponential effect on the next generation of choreographers and dancers,” Reinking once said.
“He demanded the best from you and you wanted to give it. So you got better. All great directors — however, they do it — make you want to be good. I hope I do it. It’s like being a parent, a psychiatrist, a disciplinarian and a friend. You really have to know when to hold them and when to show them.”
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Chronology & Awards
The Greatest Hits Collection (Vol. 1) Released on Vinyl
For the first time, The Greatest Hits Collection (Vol. 1) is being released on vinyl June 26th.
Alan Jackson has earned his place in country music history. Behind that guitar and knowing smile stands a singer-songwriter with a knack for creating simple yet impactful tunes, combining the honky-tonk sensibilities of vintage Music Row with contemporary production to make him a statesman of the genre. He found success by staying true to his love of traditional country music, putting 50 singles into the Top 10 of Billboard’s country singles chart—more than half of them climbing all the way to No. 1.
Available for the first time on vinyl as a 2LP set, The Greatest Hits Collection features chart-topping classics like “Don’t Rock The Jukebox,” “She’s Got Rhythm (and I Got The Blues),” “Chattahoochee” and “Summertime Blues.”
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© Alan Jackson
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School (TV series)
Bleach (Nirvana album)
Crime of the Century (album)
List of Pee-wee's Playhouse episodes
School (disambiguation)
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students (or "pupils") under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools. The names for these schools vary by country (discussed in the Regional section below) but generally include primary school for young children and secondary school for teenagers who have completed primary education. An institution where higher education is taught, is commonly called a university college or university.
In addition to these core schools, students in a given country may also attend schools before and after primary and secondary education. Kindergarten or pre-school provide some schooling to very young children (typically ages 3–5). University, vocational school, college or seminary may be available after secondary school. A school may also be dedicated to one particular field, such as a school of economics or a school of dance. Alternative schools may provide nontraditional curriculum and methods.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/School
School!! (スクール!!, Sukūru!!) is a Japanese television series which premiered on Fuji TV on January 16, 2011. It was aired on Fuji TV's Sunday 9:00pm slot "Dramatic Sunday" in the 2011 winter drama season.
The story is about Shingū Elementary School which is beset by a lot of problems. Seichiro Naruse, a construction worker whose company closed down, suddenly becomes the principal of his old school. He must save the school from closing down.
Yosuke Eguchi as Seichiro Naruse
The construction company he was working in went bankrupt and he was appointed as the civilian principal of the Shingū Elementary School. Having devoted 20 years in the construction industry, he has no teaching license. He takes up the job in order to keep a promise he made with his former teacher and ex-principal Takeichi. Nonetheless, he has a cheerful personality and takes positive action at every turn, and he frequently describes himself as a "X X demon". He was greatly appalled by the appearance and the change in his alma mater, which was struggling to change the status quo. In the last episode, Shingū Elementary School narrowly avoided closing down, but at the same time, he resigned to take responsibility for the incident that was caused by Akira Hara in the school.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/School_(TV_series)
Bleach is the debut studio album by American rock band Nirvana, released on June 15, 1989 by Sub Pop. The main recording sessions took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989.
Bleach was well received by critics, but failed to chart in the U.S. upon its original release. The album was re-released internationally by Geffen Records in 1992 following the success of Nirvana's second album, Nevermind (1991). The re-release debuted at number 89 on the Billboard 200, and peaked at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart and 34 on the Australian albums chart. In 2009 Sub Pop released a 20th anniversary edition of Bleach featuring a live recording of a Nirvana show in Portland, Oregon from 1990 as extra material. Since its release in 1989, Bleach has sold over 1.7 million units in the United States alone. It is Sub Pop's best-selling release to date.
Following the release of its debut single "Love Buzz" on Sub Pop in November 1988, Nirvana practiced for two to three weeks in preparation for recording a full-length album, even though Sub Pop had only requested an EP. The main sessions for Bleach took place at Reciprocal Recording Studios in Seattle, with local producer Jack Endino.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Bleach_(Nirvana_album)
Crime of the Century is the third album by the English progressive rock band Supertramp, released in September 1974. Crime of the Century was Supertramp's commercial breakthrough in both the US and UK, aided by the UK hit "Dreamer" and the U.S. hit "Bloody Well Right". It was a UK Top 10 album and a U.S. Top 40 album, eventually being certified Gold in the U.S. in 1977 after the release of Even in the Quietest Moments.... The album was Supertramp's first to feature drummer Bob Siebenberg (at the time credited as Bob C. Benberg), woodwinds player John Anthony Helliwell, bassist Dougie Thomson, and co-producer Ken Scott.
The album's dedication reads "To Sam", which is a nickname for Stanley August Miesegaes, the Dutch millionaire who supported the band financially from 1969–72.
Background and recording
After the failure of their first two albums and an unsuccessful tour, the band broke up, and Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson recruited new members, drummer Bob C. Benberg, woodwinds player John Helliwell, and bassist Dougie Thomson. This new line-up were sent by their record label, A&M, in particular A&R man Dave Margereson (who would become their manager for the next ten years) to a seventeenth-century farm in Somerset in order to rehearse together and prepare the album.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Crime_of_the_Century_(album)
This is the complete episode list for Pee-wee's Playhouse. A total of 45 half-hour episodes including 1 primetime special were recorded for CBS from 1986 until 1990. Season 3 only had two episodes, plus the primetime Christmas special, due to production being halted by the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike and also by the production of Big Top Pee-wee.
Pee-wee's Playhouse episode guide
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/List_of_Pee-wee's_Playhouse_episodes
A school is an institution for learning.
School may also refer to:
School of thought, a number of individuals with shared styles, approaches or aims
School (fish), a group of fish swimming in the same direction in a coordinated manner
"School" (Nirvana song), a song by Nirvana from Bleach
"School" (Supertramp song), a song by Supertramp from Crime of the Century
School (TV series), a 2011 Japanese serial drama
The School (British band), a British indiepop band
Scholasticism, a method of learning taught by the academics of medieval universities circa 1100–1500
Types of educational institutions
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/School_(disambiguation)
mytopschool.com
hawaiiinternationalschool.com
westcovinaschool.com
glasgowbusinessschool.com
chongqingschool.com
evanstonschool.com
helsinkiinternationalschool.com
elginschool.com
africadanceschool.com
asiapacificinternationalschool.com
cairointernationalschool.com
schoolofglobalstudies.org
schooljobonline.com
losangelesinternationalschool.com
chinaschoolofart.com
islandinternationalschool.com
oslointernationalschool.com
Variant du Covid : E484K, la mutation du coronavirus la plus inquiétante
Edit L'Internaute 14 Jan 2021
Sommaire ... En cause ... "Il semble que ce virus [soit] largement plus infectieux que la souche précédente", a abondé le Pr John Edmunds, de la London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, le 21 décembre, sur Science Media Centre ... Une souche "50% à 74%" plus contagieuse résume pour sa part l'un des auteurs, Nick Davies, biologiste à la London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) ... ....
Bertrand Trastour prend la direction de Kaspersky France
Succédant à Tanguy de Coatpont qui est promu à l'Europe du Sud, Bertrand Trastour est devenu depuis le début de l'année le directeur général de Kaspersky France. Ses prérogatives s'étendent aussi à l'Afrique du Nord, de l'Ouest et du Centre ... (Crédit Photo . Kaspersky) ... Il est diplômé de l’IHEDN et détient un bachelor obtenu à l'Audencia Business School (Nantes) ... ....
Intelligence artificielle et médecine : la révolution est en marche ! TRIBUNE LIBRE•13/01/2021 à 09:40
Rudi Van den Eynde, Head of Thematic Global Equity Management chez Candriam. (crédit . DR) ... L'IA va améliorer la qualité, la pertinence et l'efficience des soins ... Autre certitude ... Des chercheurs de la Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine et des scientifiques de Google AI1 ont codéveloppé un algorithme capable d'identifier des nodules pulmonaires malins - parfois minimes - avec un taux d'efficacité de 94,4% ... Fait notable ... ....
Acheter des vins trop âgés : une question de goût (du risque)
Contrairement aux idées reçues, la grande majorité des vins produits ne sont pas destinés à être vieillis ... Malgré tout, il est de notoriété commune que la qualité du vin est susceptible de s’améliorer avec l’âge ... Loteries ... C’est ainsi que nous introduisons ces expériences, réalisées dans le Wine & Spirits Business Lab de Burgundy School of Business, le laboratoire de recherche comportementale dédié au monde des vins et spiritueux ... ....
Coronavirus : l'Amérique s'est-elle enrichie depuis le début de la crise sanitaire ?
Edit La Tribune 13 Jan 2021
De quoi nourrir la réflexion sur l'impact de la Covid-19 sur l'économie américaine. Quels sont ses effets à ce jour et se sont-ils vraiment avérés indolores pour toute une partie de la population ? ... La crise sanitaire aux États-Unis n'a pas échappé à la règle ... _______. (*) Par , Professor of Economics and International Affairs, HEC Paris Business School....
Jeux Olympiques de Paris en 2024 | 13 January 2021
Edit Nation 13 Jan 2021
Une chance de participation pour les karatekas Seychellois. Les Jeux Olympiques de Tokyo prévus en 2020 sont, comme chacun le sait reportés du 23 juillet au 8 août 2021. Malgré les incertitudes liées à la crise sanitaire et une tendance à l’austérité, les Japonais tentent de garder le moral ... Le président du COI à Paris ... Il est bon de rappeler les brillants résultats de la Karaté School ayant à sa tête Luigi Adrienne, Lucianno....
Michael Jackson : chansons cultes, vie et polémiques... Biographie du Roi de la pop
Sommaire ... Biographie courte de Michael Jackson. Michael Joseph Jackson est né le 29 août 1958 à Gary, dans Indiana aux Etats-Unis et mort le 25 juin 2009 à Los Angeles, en Californie ... Surnommé le Roi de la pop, sa vie et sa carrière fascinent ... Off the Wall ... Il se fait d'ailleurs appeler Bigi et étudie à la Buckley School de Sherman Oaks, à Los Angeles ... Il avait seulement 50 ans....
Le lent démarrage de la vaccination n’est pas un problème de logistique !
Est-ce que le début chaotique de la campagne de vaccination française contre la Covid s'explique principalement par des problèmes logistiques ? Par le fait que le gouvernement n'aurait pas prévu les moyens et ressources logistiques nécessaires ? Pas vraiment ... la conception de la stratégie vaccinale ... 2ᵉ temps ... ? ... (*) Par , Professeur de logistique et supply chain, Neoma Business School....
Variant du Covid : circulation en France, nouveau variant brésilien... Ce que l'on sait
Primonial : une nouvelle Directrice Générale pour « Primonial Ingénierie & Développement » AOF•12/01/2021 à 18:09
Rachel de Valicourt (Directrice Générale), Anne Bonfils (Directrice Générale adjointe, en charge du Marketing), Latifa Kamal (Directrice Générale adjointe, en charge de la Stratégie produits & Ingénierie Patrimoniale), Nadine Trémollières (Directrice Primonial Portfolio Solutions), Thierry Abihdana (Directeur Primonial School) et Nicolas Reboul (Chief Operating Officer)....
Transport a�rien : vers un nouveau paysage en Europe ?
Didier Brechemier, Senior Partner chez Roland Berger, ......
Vaccin anti-covid : comment le « désir mimétique » a fait changer d’avis les sceptiques
Edit L'OBS 12 Jan 2021
Plus forte encore que l’angoisse des effets secondaires d’un vaccin, celle de finir seul dans son coin. Explications avec Angela Sutan, chercheuse spécialiste de l’économie comportementale à la Burgundy School of Business ... ....
L'école communautaire La Voie du Nord célèbre 5 ans de sa propre école
Rattrapage du lundi 11 janvier 2021. 16 h 37L'École La voie du Nord à Thompson souffle 5 bougiesDurée .22.06 ... ImprimerAfficher les commentaires. Commentaires ... À sa création en 2009, elle occupait les locaux de l’établissement Burntwood School, une école primaire anglophone de la Division scolaire Mystery Lake ... ....
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Vatican, Muslims Want Ethical Economy
CAIRO — Concluding a landmark inter-faith talks at the Vatican, Catholic and Muslim scholars called on Thursday, November 6, for an ethical financial system, religious freedom and a violence-free world.
“We call upon believers to work for an ethical financial system in which the regulatory mechanisms consider the situation of the poor and disadvantaged, both as individuals and as indebted nations,” they said in a joint 15-point statement.
Global stock markets plunged Thursday on growing fears the world economy faces a deep and long lasting recession as the financial crisis saps growth and dangerously weakens the banking system.
A financial crisis swept the US in September after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the fourth-largest investment bank, and the financial woes of a number of Wall Street giants.
Its shockwaves have triggered a domino effect across the world, forcing many countries to pumped billions of dollars into their troubled banks to keep credit flowing and prevent a complete financial meltdown.
Wrapping up a three-day forum, more than 50 Catholic and Muslim scholars said the equitable financial system should take into account debts-ridden nations and ways to end the economic woes triggered by the crisis.
“We call on the privileged of the world to consider the plight of those afflicted most severely by the current crisis in food production and distribution,” they added.
“Religious believers of all denominations and all people of good will to work together to alleviate the suffering of the hungry, and to eliminate its causes.”
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates 923 million people are suffering from hunger around the world.
FAO Director General Jacques Diouf said Tuesday about 100 million more people will be living in hunger in a year if unfair global agriculture practices are not changed.
The three-day meeting called for showing respect to religious minorities and symbols.
“Religious minorities are entitled to be respected in their own religious convictions and practices,” read the joint statement.
“They are also entitled to their own places of worship, and their founding figures and symbols they consider sacred should not be subject to any form of mockery or ridicule.”
In his closing remarks, Pope Benedict XVI called for boosting freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.
“My hope…is that these fundamental human rights will be protected for all people everywhere.”
He described the forum as “one more step along the way towards greater understanding between Muslims and Christians.”
Last year Pope Benedict XVI angered Muslims by citing a medieval text that characterized some of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as “evil and inhuman.”
Benedict, who met the 58 participants in the sumptuous Clementine Hall, used for grand occasions at the Vatican, said the differing concepts of God should not prevent the two faiths from showing mutual respect.
The meeting is the first since Vatican and Muslims leaders agreed in March to establish a Catholic-Muslim forum to meet regularly to bridge their gap.
The move followed an open letter by 138 Muslim scholars and intellectuals to Christian spiritual leaders for dialogue between the two Abrahimic faiths.
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Richard Misrach: The 1991 Fire Aftermath
By David Butow Wednesday October 26, 2011
On October 20, 1991, fine art photographer Richard Misrach was in his Bay Area studio watching television coverage of the largest urban wildfire in United States history destroying thousands of homes in the nearby Oakland and Berkeley hills. A few days later, while driving through some of the affected neighborhoods, he realized the scenes of devastation were perfect examples of the same subject to which he'd devoted his career. Using his 8x10 view camera, he began carefully photographing what he describes as "a devastated, post-apocalyptic landscape. It was a mediation after the fact," he says, "of our relationship between nature and civilization."
Left: Oakland Fire #104-91, 1991. Right: Oakland Fire #158-91, 1991. Copyright Richard Misrach.
Misrach, who says he is greatly influenced by the Civil War photographs of Matthew Brady and his team, immediately thought of the firestorm images in a historical context. "I didn't want the pictures to be part of the news cycle", he says. So he processed the negatives but made only a few reference prints, and in contrast with his previous work, decided not to publish a book or exhibit it until a comfortable amount of time had passed. "This was different," he explains. "People had suffered….people had died. Because it was so close to home it rang a different bell."
The pictures sat in his studio and it wasn't until a decade and half later, after having photographed the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, that Misrach was ready to seriously revisit his collection from 1991. Like his images from Katrina, Misrach knew he would not sell the pictures except as a vehicle for charitable fundraising, so he began a dialogue with curators Drew Johnson at the Oakland Museum of California and Lucinda Barnes at the Berkeley Art Museum (BAM), with whom he has had long-standing relationships. Both were excited to add to the group of Misarach's prints already in their collections. Barnes says the fire aftermath project "seemed consistent with his work of the American West. There are often haunting, frightening scenes of environmental impact and at the same time they're incredibly beautiful."
After editing, Misrach's original plan was to donate seven large prints of different pictures to each museum. Inviting the two curators to his studio to select photographs, Misrach flipped a coin to decide who would go first. "One of us would choose an image and we went back and forth," explains Barnes. It soon became apparent to the three however, that in order to do justice to the collection, all the pictures should be seen together. In a highly unusual arrangement, it was decided that both museums, using two sets of the same pictures, would coordinate what became two simultaneous and similar, but not identical, exhibitions of a single project, to be seen on the 20th anniversary of the firestorm. "With content as sensitive as this," says Misrach, "I wanted to make sure I did it justice."
For Drew Johnson at the Oakland Museum, the show's subject was particularly personal. He was at the museum in 1991 working on a retrospective of a locally-based former Life magazine photographer Peter Stackpole when the fires struck, destroying Stackpole's home along with many of his prints and negatives. Johnson understood the impact on the survivors. "From the beginning we wanted to incorporate community voices and Richard was very sympathetic (to the idea)," he says. In addition to the prints, spotlighted on medium gray walls, "which invokes the ash", he says, the gallery includes an unobtrusivley-placed television playing video statements from people who suffered from the disaster.
Across town in Berkeley, curator Lucinda Barnes worked with the large, high-ceilinged, multi-level open interior at BAM. Barnes has opened the show with the largest and most "iconic" photographs, which combined with the detail from the 8x10's negatives have a luminescence that allows a viewer who is close in to feel part of the scenes, almost as if surrounded by pale, diffuse natural light. The largest print is 8x10 feet and many are 5x6 feet. Some of these are wide scenes of the ruins of dozens of homes, others are close-ups of charred and melted cars and bicycles. The landscape is mostly tan and bleached, with scorched and leafless trees intermingled with the remnants of human habitation: cars, patio furniture, swimming pools and free-standing chimneys.
Misrach also placed in both exhibits an elegy book, which allows viewers to share their impressions of the exhibit and of the event itself. Fusing aesthetics with social commentary, as well as interactive elements does exactly what art is supposed to do. Misrach says "for me it's a historical moment that tells us a lot about who we are. It's amazing that two museums are showing the work at the same time but are completely different experiences."
1991: Oakland Berkely Fire Aftermath, Photographs by Richard Misrach. Through February 12, 2012 at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA. Through February 5, 2012 at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkely, CA.
David Butow is a photojournalist based in California. Assignments have taken him to Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and South America. His primary interests are social issues and the effects of public policy at local and international levels. Butow also works extensively in the United States covering issues of politics, education, race, immigration and poverty among others. He has received various awards from World Press Photo, Communcation Arts, University of Missouri Pictures of the Year, NPPA Best of Photojournalism, Photo District News, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, The American Photography Annual, The New York Association of Black Journalists and the Society of Magazine Designers. David is also a regular contributor to DART.
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How Do You Fire a Royal?
Royal Tea Royal TeaNotes on monarchy from an unsourced obsessive
Prince Andrew has “stepped back” from public duties, in the wake of a disastrous interview in which he failed to convincingly answer questions about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. What exactly that means is still unclear; the word “unprecedented” is being used. But while there’s no script here—a prince is born, not hired—the British royal family has always been very good at surveying their various options and cobbling together a solution that protects the crown. And the history of the United Kingdom is littered with princely brothers who were inconvenient, dangerous, or just plain losers, who required handling.
Once upon a time, of course, the crown could simply disappear, execute, or outright murder a problematic royal. The most obvious motive was dynastic legitimacy—if a royal needed to kill a potential rival in order to bolster his or her claim to the throne. That’s why rumors have swirled for centuries that Richard III had his nephews, the famous two princes in the Tower of London, murdered—because their deaths were awfully convenient for his place on the family tree and looked to him like a way to tidy the mess of the Wars of the Roses. (It didn’t work, and the Tudors ultimately got control in the end, despite a rather tenuous claim to the throne.) You could die for less if you were a king’s annoying adult brother and he ran out of patience: The princes’ other uncle, George, Duke of Clarence, was executed by their father for his scheming and weaseling around during the Wars of the Roses—supposedly, he was drowned in a jar of wine, at his own request.
If not murder, then a royal could strongly encourage a potential rival to stay out of sight, or else. Under her Catholic sister Mary’s reign, when she could have easily found herself at the head of a Protestant uprising, Elizabeth I survived by keeping her head down. Even then she had to do some time in the Tower herself. Sometimes, a potentially troublesome heir would obligingly up and die: Prince Eddy, grandson of Queen Victoria and heir apparent to the philandering Bertie, was a disappointment to his family on the basis of his “lethargy” even before rumors circulated London that he’d been implicated in the Cleveland Street scandal, around an upscale brothel for gay men. But then he died from a case of the flu that turned into pneumonia, putting Elizabeth II’s grandfather on the throne, instead.
Even as recently as the turn of the 20th century, being an embarrassment to the British crown could be a matter of life and death. There was a window of time where the government of the United Kingdom likely could have rescued the Romanovs, even going so far as to offer to take them off Russian hands in the early days of the revolution. But George V’s private secretary Lord Stamfordham was concerned about how it would play with the restive public in an age of revolution to host his cousin—to whom he bore a very close resemblance—and the rest of his family and talked George V into revoking their offer of asylum. One of the reasons Nicholas II met the firing squad that night in Siberia is that the Windsors ultimately watch their own backs.
It hasn’t always been as dramatic as the Romanovs or the Tower, though. The youngest of George V’s children, a boy named John—Queen Elizabeth II’s uncle—was basically tucked away out of sight at Sandringham until he died at 13, because he suffered from epilepsy. It was in keeping with the practices of the time, and he was kept in comfort, but the Windsors were likely also concerned about how it would reflect on the family image; according to the Telegraph, on trips to London to visit his doctors, the blinds of the car were pulled down lest he have a seizure where anybody could see him.
But the best example of how to deal with Andrew is one that’s already drawing comparisons: Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson and the abdication crisis. Almost the moment Edward delivered his speech abdicating, he was hustled out of the United Kingdom to the continent and given a made-up title, the Duke of Windsor. (She was never made an HRH.) The couple were essentially exiled, stashed in the Bahamas during the war and then back to the continent afterward. They were kept there by the fact that Edward couldn’t take his kingly riches with him, which were tied up tightly with the throne itself. The government consequently held the purse strings—and he was not welcome back.
But Andrew falls into an even fuzzier area than Edward, a former king stepping down for a woman quite cozy with prominent Nazis. Even though Edward was never technically coronated—which is the step that really makes a sovereign, not simply the death of his predecessor—he absolutely had to be removed from the picture, to protect the legitimacy of George VI. The path was clear; a king absolutely cannot have another king knocking around, potentially questioning your decisions and attracting all sorts of scheming adventurers. The stakes were even higher in the context of World War II; Edward was potentially destabilizing not just for the monarchy, but the wartime government. Andrew isn’t so high stakes that he requires immediate exile. But he’s also in very deep trouble that cannot be worked into the ever-shifting romance of the royals—bailing on your throne to be with your true love is a lot easier to sell as a fairy tale than “actually, I don’t sweat.”
People in the palace are still saying that Andrew will join the rest of the Windsors on big occasions that traditionally revolve around a mass family appearance. “Royal sources have said Andrew will still appear on the balcony on big occasions, such as Trooping, and go to church at Sandringham on Christmas day with the rest of the family,” said Richard Palmer, who covers the family for the Daily Express, on Twitter. Whether that’s actually true depends on how the next few weeks unfold, but it would be understandable if Charles is having some longing thoughts about the nearest wine barrel.
skoc211
I only recently discovered that George V allowed Nicolas II and his family to be slaughtered and I was absolutely horrified. While I understand the worries about how it would be received by the British public the conditions in Russia that lead to the Revolution were very particular and don’t have many direct comparisons to what was happening in the UK. Plus they were close and practically twins:
Between that and how Prince John (apparently Princess Diana wanted to name William John but was dissuaded because the name is “bad luck” with the Windsors) was treated I’m starting to think George V might have been an asshole.
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Top 5 Dolly Parton Music Videos
Dolly Parton's influence on country music is legendary. Songs such as "Islands in the Stream," "I Will Always Love You" and "Jolene" will forever be played and loved, and no one can think about country music without picturing the buxom blonde and Country Music Hall of Famer.
Parton's music videos are also something to be proud of, and they range from heartwarming and sweet to knee-slapping funny. While there are many clips to choose from, the following are The Boot's picks for Parton's Top 5 music videos.
Parton's "Home" video is as playful and bright as the star herself. The clip captures her as she sits in her dressing room, picks gorgeous (and colorful) dresses out of a massive selection and goes through a photo shoot. In the video, Parton plays the banjo, banters with the photographer and has a grand old time. The backdrops to the video -- bright-colored daisies in front of a farm, a sunset over the Smokey Mountains -- create a vibrant visual and nod to Parton's small-town upbringing, juxtaposing the country star with her humble roots. "Home" is the second single from Parton's 42nd solo studio album, Blue Smoke, her highest-charting and first-ever Top 10 solo album.
"You Can't Make Old Friends"
Parton and Kenny Rogers have a storied history together, and their friendship is celebrated in the "You Can't Make Old Friends" video. It begins in black and white, as Rogers and Parton reminisce about their relationship over the years (which includes the massive hit "Islands in the Stream"), and soon cuts into old footage of the two performing together throughout the past decades. Their long-lasting friendship, a special performance and the obvious respect that Parton and Rogers have for one another make this a must-see music video.
"Silver Threads and Golden Needles"
The "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" music video begins with a suited man arguing with a security guard.
"I'm here to see the Honky Tonk Angels," he says.
"Everybody's here to see the Honk Tonk Angels," the guard replies, adding, "I don't care if you're Chet Atkins --" before he is interrupted by the man declaring, "I am Chet Atkins."
Still, Atkins is denied entry into the Honky Tonk Angels' dressing room -- which houses Parton, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn.
Throughout the video, many suitors come a'knocking, including Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell, Charlie Chase, Ralph Emery, Bill Anderson, Jim Nabors, Little Jimmy Dickens, Marty Stuart and Ronnie Milsap -- but only one man is allowed into the girls' closely monitored dressing quarters.
"Rockin' Years"
This video for Parton and Ricky Van Shelton's duet "Rockin' Years" will make you say "awwww" more than once. It chronicles the relationship between a man and a woman, starting when they were just kids and the little girl stole a kiss from her crush. Their years as high school sweethearts, their wedding day, their experiences as first-time parents, their sweet embraces and more are depicted. Of course, lots of rocking in rocking chairs is shown as well -- and the couple's love is still so strong in their rockin' years that it will make you want to go out and buy two rocking chairs for the front porch.
"9 to 5"
"9 to 5" is one of Parton's most recognizable songs, partially because she originally performed it in her film debut, for the 1980 comedy of the same name. The music video pays homage to Parton's talent with featured footage of the singer and her band performing, as well as clips from the film, which starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Parton, interspersed throughout. The No. 1 hit song appeared on the film's soundtrack and Parton's 23rd studio record, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, released in late 1980. This clip is, undoubtedly, one of Parton's most popular music videos, with humor and gorgeous ladies lighting up the screen, and a popular song to top it off.
What Dolly Parton Music Video Is Your Favorite?
Did your top Parton clip not make it onto our list? Let us know your go-to Parton music video in the comments section below!
NEXT: Top 10 Dolly Parton Duets and Collaborations
Filed Under: Dolly Parton, Editor's Picks
Categories: Country News, Exclusives, Legends, Lists, Music Videos
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UN says 7 or 8 ‘top’ candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine exist
May 11, 2020 Thecoronavirus.agency
UNITED NATIONS — The World Health Organization chief said Monday there are around seven or eight “top” candidates for a vaccine to combat the novel coronavirus and work on them is being accelerated.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a U.N. Economic and Social Council video briefing the original thinking two months ago was that it may take 12 to 18 months for a vaccine. But he said an accelerated effort is under way, helped by 7.4 billion euros ($8 billion) pledged a week ago by leaders from 40 countries, organizations and banks for research, treatment and testing.
He said the $8 billion will not be enough, and additional funds will be needed to speed up the development of a vaccine, but more importantly to produce enough “to make sure that this vaccine reaches everyone — (and) there’s no one be left behind.”
“We have good candidates now,” Tedros said. “The top ones are around seven, eight. But we have more than a hundred candidates.”
“We are focusing on the few candidates we have which can bring probably better results and accelerating those candidates with better potential,” he said.
Tedros did not identify the top candidates.
Since January, he said, “WHO has been working with thousands of researchers all over the world to accelerate and track vaccine development from developing animal models to clinical trial designs and everything in between.”
Tedros said there is also a consortium of more than 400 scientists involved in vaccine development and diagnostics.
The WHO chief stressed that COVID-19 is “very contagious and it’s a killer,” with over 4 million cases now reported to WHO and almost 275,000 lives lost.
While new cases are declining in Western Europe, they are increasing in Eastern Europe, Africa, southeast Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and other regions, he said.
Tedros said “the pandemic is teaching us many painful lessons,” especially the importance of having strong national and regional health systems.
“And yet on current trends, more than 5 billion people will not access these essential services by 2030” — the ability to see a health worker, access essential medicine, and have running water in hospitals, he said.
He stressed that as the response to COVID-19 continues, nations must also lay the foundations for a healthy, safer and fairer world.
“The world spends around $7.5 trillion on health care each year, almost 10 percent of global GDP, but the best investments are in promoting health and in preventing disease at the primary health care level which will save lives and save money,” Tedros said.
U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the briefing that all nations are “in it together” but the immediate priority must be the most vulnerable countries and communities.
She called for a new debt relief program for vulnerable countries so their economies can recover.
And she said measures to protect and stimulate the economy, from cash transfers to credits and loans must be targeted at women “who make up the majority of those in the hardest-hit informal economy, and who are at the forefront of the community response.”
The head of the International Labor Organization said the U.N. agency estimates the equivalent of 305 million full-time jobs will be lost around the world in the second quarter of this year, which ends on June 30.
ILO Director-General Guy Ryder told the briefing that by comparison, only 22 million full-time jobs were lost immediately when the financial crisis hit in 2008-2009, “so you can see we’re in an entirely different place.”
Ryder said it’s also often forgotten that 60 percent of the global workforce of 3.3 billion have jobs in the informal economy, most of them women.
He said the ILO estimates that in the first month of the pandemic, with lock-downs and economic shutdowns, “these people have lost on average 60 percent of their income, their revenues from work.” And they are concentrated in countries with scarce resources and the weakest social protection systems, he said.
Ryder called for international cooperation to help those most in need and for stepped up efforts to keep enterprises alive, retain jobs, maintain the link between enterprises and workers even when they can’t work now.
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Coronavirus Videos Coronavirus: US overtakes China with most cases – BBC News
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Cyber4Dev
Cyber Resilience for Development (Cyber4Dev) is an EU funded project of a duration of 42 months in a number of countries in Asia and Africa. The project is delivered by NI-CO (Northern Ireland Cooperation Overseas) in partnership with government agencies from Estonia, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The objective of Cyber4Dev is to increase the cyber resilience of Partner Countries while promoting an inclusive multi-stakeholder and rights based approach and ensuring compliance with the rule of law and good governance principles to allow citizens of developing countries the digital dividends of an open, free, secure and resilient cyberspace.
Aims and Expected Results
Cyber4Dev will aim to increase the security and resilience of critical information infrastructure and networks supporting the critical services of countries in Africa and Asia while ensuring compliance with human rights and the rule of law, through the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive set of policy, organizational, and technical measures.
In terms of tangible results, this should lead to the following:
Countries will have increased political will to act on cybersecurity;
Countries are supported to devise a new cybersecurity strategy or supported in starting implementing an existing strategy;
Countries will have established democratic and inclusive multi-stakeholder governance structures for developing and implementing a cybersecurity strategy;
Countries/regions will have stronger, more effective collaborative relationships on cybersecurity and incident handling;
Countries/regions will have improved CSIRT capability and more effective collaborative relationships with the EU for information sharing and incident response;
Countries will have improved coordination between authorities in charge of cybersecurity and cybercrime;
Countries will have included measures to protect human rights, rule of law and vulnerable individuals within their cybersecurity strategies/policies/laws;
EU trading partners will have improved cybersecurity and better conditions for growth;
The EU is supported to counter cyber threats and foster the cyber resilience of the EU and its partners.
Relevance for other GFCE Members and Stakeholders
Cyber4dev is fully committed to seek synergies with other programmes and to avoid duplication of efforts. In particular Cyber4Dev seeks opportunities to share experience of the efficacy of approaches adopted and of capacity building efforts, and to ensure that learning is captured and shared to maximise benefit to the wider community.
Strengthened cybersecurity policy, strategic and coordination frameworks
Increased Cybersecurity Incident Response Capabilities
Fostered Networks of Cyber Expertise and Cooperation
Participating Members & Partners
United Kingdom: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), UK
Estonia: Estonian Information Systems Authority (RIA), EE
Netherlands: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), NL
And Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas (NI-CO) Ltd.
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Home News British Airways Increases Frequency on the London Heathrow – Gibraltar Route for...
British Airways Increases Frequency on the London Heathrow – Gibraltar Route for Winter
British Airways today announced an increase in the number of services between London Heathrow and Gibraltar for the forthcoming winter 2018 season. Starting on the 28 October, frequency will be increased from the existing 9 per week in the winter period to 13, an increase of 44% in seat capacity, or 1,344 extra seats weekly. The service will operate double daily except on Fridays, with lunchtime and late afternoon departures from Gibraltar on weekdays, and early and late afternoon departures on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Hon Gilbert Licudi QC MP, Minister for Tourism and Commercial Aviation, said: ‘this is great news and shows confidence in Gibraltar by British Airways in launching these additional four weekly services in the winter period, highlighting the demand that exists for seats year round. These services will also open up connection possibilities all around the world with British Airways and airline partners via their London Heathrow hub, opening Gibraltar to the entire world with just one stop in London.’
Flights are now available to book on www.ba.com.
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The Gibraltar Magazine is your monthly business, entertainment, and lifestyle source. Providing the community with the latest breaking news and quality content since 1995. Every month, 100 pages are packed with gripping features from a cross- section of the Gibraltarian community in business, culture and leisure. We have pledged to support the wealth of local talent, constantly promoting young artists, musicians, authors and entrepreneurs and presenting what’s on around the Rock. In the business section, we focus on finance, property, and gaming industries. Embracing the latest technology and updating our website daily, we’re able to provide increased and up-to-the-minute information. The magazine has been operating for 25 years, which speaks volumes for our forward-thinking team who strive to take a fresh direction each month, as well as our loyal readership and confidence of advertisers.
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Back to Our Roots
Richard Cartwright - February 1, 2019 0
I’ve always said that every individual, or youngster especially, should leave the Rock for a period of time in order to ‘broaden their horizons’...
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Bosnia and Herzegovina: Failure to protect
26 Sep 2008, 12:00am
Several people were attacked this week at the first “Sarajevo Queer Festival”, said Amnesty International, as it called on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide adequate security for festival participants. The authorities must also promptly and thoroughly investigate the attacks and bring those responsible to justice, said Amnesty.
Eight people, policemen included, were reported to have been injured after dozens of young men attacked visitors to the festival, which opened on 24 September in the Academy of Fine Arts in the centre of the capital, Sarajevo.
According to the organisers of the event, initially scheduled to continue until 28 September, (the LGBTI non-governmental organisation Udruženje Q), police let anti-gay protestors get too close to the venue thus endangering the participants.
The organisers of the festival and their sympathisers, including journalists, continue to receive death threats. Homophobic posters are widely distributed and put in prominent places. Some media outlets have used homophobic language and misrepresented the aims of the festival.
Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International, said:
“The call of gay rights activists for equality before the law and an end to discrimination was met with intolerance and violence.
“Gay and lesbian people have the same rights as everybody else in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the authorities are obliged to guarantee their right to freedom of assembly and to freedom of expression.”
In a letter to the Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Nikola Špiric earlier this month, Amnesty International expressed concern at the increasing atmosphere of intimidation against LGBTI people in the country and called on him to ensure that their rights are protected. To date, Amnesty International has not received an answer.
Amnesty calls on political leaders at the highest level to condemn publicly the discrimination against individuals based on their actual or imputed sexual orientation and to make clear that any act of discrimination or violence, whoever the victim, will not be tolerated.
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USA's record on avoiding race discrimination
20 Feb 2008, 12:00am
With the USA’s record on racial discrimination coming under UN scrutiny in Geneva on 21 and 22 February, Amnesty International is making available its own briefing to the UN on the issue.
Tomorrow and Friday the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is scheduled to consider the USA’s combined fourth, fifth and sixth periodic reports describing how it complies with its treaty obligations to guarantee protection against discrimination on the basis of race, colour, ethnicity or nationality.
The 20-page briefing ( www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/178/2007 ) was originally submitted to the Committee in November, highlighting concerns since consideration of the USA’s initial report in 2001. Despite the US Constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the law, Amnesty International’s briefing points out that systemic discrimination exists in many areas, including:
* Racial profiling in law enforcement
* Discriminatory treatment of foreign nationals detained in the aftermath of the attacks on 11 September 2001
* The disproportionate number of racial and ethnic minorities among the US prison population
* Racial disparities in the juvenile justice system and in the administration of the death penalty
Amnesty also expresses concern about discriminatory treatment of non-US nationals held by the US military in Guantánamo Bay and elsewhere in the “war on terror”. It included concerns about how foreign nationals designated “unlawful enemy combatants” can be subjected to unfair military commissions, operating under a lower standard of justice than US citizens accused of similar crimes.
The briefing expresses further concerns about barriers to accessing justice faced by Native American and Alaska Native American Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights who’ve suffered disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence, and about the treatment of displaced African American residents of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
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Human Rights Defenders and Activists
Sweden should issue assurance it won’t extradite Assange to USA
27 September 2012, 00:00 UTC
The Swedish authorities should issue assurances to the UK and to Julian Assange that if he leaves Ecuador’s London embassy and agrees to go to Sweden to face sexual assault claims, he will not be extradited to the USA in connection with Wikileaks, Amnesty International said. In the wake of the Wikileaks co-founder addressing the UN and with talks due between British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Ecuadorian officials, Amnesty International added that it was time to break the impasse. “If the Swedish authorities are able to confirm publicly that Assange will not eventually find himself on a plane to the USA if he submits himself to the authority of the Swedish courts then this will hopefully achieve two things,” said Nicola Duckworth, Senior Director for Research at Amnesty International. “First, it will break the current impasse and second it will mean the women who have levelled accusations of sexual assault are not denied justice. “It is vital that states show they are serious about dealing with allegations of sexual violence and that they respect both the rights of the women who made the complaints and the person accused." While Amnesty International has no evidence that Sweden plans to extradite Assange to the USA it seems evident that fears about such an outcome have played no small part in the current stand-off. Amnesty International believes that the forced transfer of Julian Assange to the USA in the present circumstances would expose him to a real risk of serious human rights violations, possibly including violation of his right to freedom of expression and the risk that he may be held in detention in conditions which violate the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
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2427 - 01 February 2020
Rare Mughal coin spotted hanging on a bracelet sells for £248,000
Discovered hanging on a gold charm bracelet, a rare Mughal coin has sold for Can$420,000 (£248,000) at a Canadian auction house.
Roland Arkell
The gold half mohur struck with a unique blend of Hindu and Islamic symbols during the reign of Akbar the Great (1542-1605) is perhaps one of only two known.
Walker’s auction house in Ottawa, Ontario, received the charm bracelet with a typical array of more than two dozen gold miniatures in summer 2019 but deemed the coin worthy of further research.
To one side were depictions of the Hindu deities Prince Rama and his wife Sita. To the other was an Islamic inscription with the Ilahi year 50 (1604-05) and the first month in the Persian solar calendar, Farvardin.
Jalal al-Din Muhammad Akbar (the third Mughal emperor ruling over a multicultural realm that tripled in size) is famous for attempting to forge a peaceful coexistence between his own Muslim faith and Hinduism.
Disillusioned with orthodox Islam, he adopted a policy of religious toleration – taking a Rajput princess as his bride, repealing the jizya (a tax paid by non-Muslims), ordering the translation of the Hindu epics into Persian and issuing a new coinage that opened a fresh chapter in India’s numismatic history. Propounding a syncretic religious movement called the Din-i-ilahi, a new calendar (the Ilahi dating system) was adopted taking Akbar’s accession to the throne in 1556 as the year zero.
On his death the system came to an end with some emblems of his reign destroyed by Akbar’s successors.
The Rama-Sita coin, that violated Islam’s general prohibition on the portrayal of people or objects that might be venerated, was among them.
The recent discovery, with a later gold hoop mount, was sent to the Numismatic Guaranty Corp of Florida where its authenticity was established.
It was compared with the specimen pictured in Friedberg’s Gold Coins of the World and the three known silver versions of the coin (one of them sold for $140,000 by Classical Numismatic Group in New York in 2010). All are thought to have been struck in Agra in the final year of Akbar’s 49-year reign.
On December 11 bidding for the new discovery began at $75,000 and rose in $25,000 increments for close to four minutes until the gavel fell at Can$420,000 plus 20% buyer’s premium.
The bracelet, given to the vendor by his great grandmother, sold for an extra Can$8000 ($4700).
Front Page and News
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Pick of the week: Buyer does give a hoot for splendid Athenian coin
‘Best of its type’ Vigo five guineas sets auction record for British coin
Export sought for Canadian VC sold in London
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May 1, 2020 05:45 EST
ATCO Reports First Quarter 2020 Earnings
CALGARY, May 1, 2020 /CNW/ - ATCO Ltd. (TSX: ACO.X, ACO.Y)
ATCO today announced first quarter 2020 adjusted earnings of $106 million, or $0.93 per share, compared to $112 million, or $0.98 per share, in the first quarter of 2019.
Lower adjusted earnings in the first quarter of 2020 were mainly due to the sale of the Canadian fossil fuel-based electricity generation portfolio in the third quarter of 2019 and the sale of Alberta PowerLine in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Excluding the forgone earnings impact from these business sales in 2019, adjusted earnings in the first quarter of 2020 were $10 million higher than the same period in 2019. Higher earnings were mainly due to continued work on ATCO Structures' LNG Canada Cedar Valley Lodge contract and higher contributions from Canadian Utilities mainly due to continuing cost efficiencies, utility rate base growth and lower income taxes.
COVID-19 AND GLOBAL MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS
The COVID-19 pandemic, oil price decline and slowing global economic activity have caused far-reaching concern and economic hardship for consumers, businesses and communities across the globe.
"ATCO activated our Pandemic Response Plan in February 2020, rapidly ensuring the health and safety of our employees and our customers," said Nancy Southern, CEO & Chair, ATCO. "Across all our global operations, the people of ATCO have continued to deliver our essential products and services to our customers, and the communities we serve. I am so very proud of their commitment and resilience in these challenging times."
Please see management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 for a summary of the impact of these factors on ATCO's businesses.
ATCO Structures
Began the manufacturing and installation work on a 12-dorm, 444-person expansion of the BC Hydro Site C Two Rivers Lodge. The additional rooms are anticipated to be handed over by June 1, 2020 and will contribute $25 million in installation and rental revenue during the 12-month contract term.
Added two permanent modular construction contracts. Began construction of a $9 million, 44-unit apartment building in New Westminster, BC as part of the Government of BC's program to provide affordable housing to low income individuals and families across the province. Awarded a $5 million contract to design, manufacture and install three permanent modular classrooms in Melbourne, Australia with the Victoria Department of Education.
Completed and placed in-service the Pembina-Keephills transmission pipeline ahead of schedule and below the $230 million approved budget. The 59-km high-pressure natural gas pipeline supports coal-to-gas conversion of power producers in the Genesee and surrounding areas of Alberta with the capacity to deliver up to 550-TJ per day.
On March 31, 2020 ATCO declared a second quarter dividend for 2020 of 43.52 cents per share or $1.74 per Class I Non-Voting and Class II Voting Share on an annualized basis.
($ millions except share data)
Consolidated adjusted earnings (1)
Unrealized gains on mark-to-market forward and swap commodity contracts (2)
Rate-regulated activities (2)
IT Common Matters decision (2)
Earnings attributable to Class I and Class II Shares
Weighted average shares outstanding (millions of shares)
Adjusted earnings are earnings attributable to Class I and Class II Shares after adjusting for the timing of revenues and expenses associated with rate-regulated activities and unrealized gains or losses on mark-to-market forward and swap commodity contracts. Adjusted earnings also exclude one-time gains and losses, significant impairments, and items that are not in the normal course of business or a result of day-to-day operations. Adjusted earnings present earnings on the same basis as was used prior to adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) - that basis being the U.S. accounting principles for rate-regulated entities - and they are a key measure used to assess segment performance, to reflect the economics of rate regulation and to facilitate comparability of ATCO's earnings with other Canadian rate-regulated companies.
Refer to Note 3 of the Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements for the three months ended March 31, 2020 for detailed descriptions of this adjustment and others.
Each quarter, the Company adjusts the deferred tax asset which was recognized as a result of the Tula Pipeline Project impairment. The adjustment is due to a difference between the tax base currency, which is the Mexican peso, and the U.S. dollar functional currency.
This news release should be used as preparation for reading the full disclosure documents. ATCO's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 will be available on the ATCO website (www.ATCO.com), via SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or can be requested from the Company.
With approximately 6,500 employees and assets of $22 billion, ATCO is a diversified global corporation with investments in the essential services of Structures & Logistics (workforce and residential housing, innovative modular facilities, construction, site support services, workforce lodging services, facility operations and maintenance, defence operations services, and disaster and emergency management services); Utilities (electricity and natural gas transmission and distribution); Energy Infrastructure (electricity generation, energy storage and industrial water solutions); Retail Energy (electricity and natural gas retail sales); Transportation (ports and transportation logistics); and Commercial Real Estate. More information can be found at www.ATCO.com.
Investor & Analyst Inquiries:
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Kurt Kadatz
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions.
The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions (including as may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic), and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company.
Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.
SOURCE ATCO Ltd.
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Joel Oppenheimer, Inc.
Conservation Affiliates Program
Fine Framing
50 Best Watercolor Octavos
Audubon's Watercolors Octavo Pl. 96, Columbia Jay
Public Pricelist 2020
https://www.audubonart.com/shop/product/awc-oct-frm-096-audubon-s-watercolors-octavo-pl-96-columbia-jay-17525
Associated Museum
Framed Option
Oppenheimer Editions Print
Published by Oppenheimer Editions, 2017
The New-York Historical Society Edition, Limited edition of 500
9 1/2" x 6 1/8" print in 3/4" gold metal leaf frame
3/4" gold metal leaf frame with archival rag mat and UV resistant glazing (12 1/2" x 15 1/2" frame size)
Blind embossed with the Oppenheimer Editions logo
Audubon's Watercolors: First Octavo Edition, The New-York Historical Society Edition
The prints in Audubon’s Watercolors: The Complete Avian Collection, New-York Historical Society Edition© are astounding facsimiles, re-creations of the watercolors that John James Audubon painted from 1808—1838. Many bear handwritten instructions to the engraver, as well as other notations. Working in partnership with the New-York Historical Society, we have published all 434 original watercolors preparatory for John James Audubon’s great work, The Birds of America, in an actual-size first edition printing. In addition, 40 alternate images that have never before been published as fine art images are included in this edition. The Complete Avian Collection of all 474 plates and Audubon’s Fifty Best Watercolors are available as individual plates and complete sets. Edition size is strictly limited to 200 and 13 printer’s proof sets.
Our collaboration with the Society resulted in the first ever actual-size fine art printing of John James Audubon’s original watercolors. The enormous task of recreating their entire collection of original John James Audubon avian watercolors as a limited-edition fine art printing was begun in 2006. These magnificent works are available for collectors to own and enjoy. Museums and libraries, including the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University, Nevada Museum of Art, and New-York Historical Society have acquired this landmark in American natural history art for their collections for public viewing and scholarly study.
Printed with archival pigments on 100% rag watercolor paper, these prints directly capture the artist’s hand and fundamental vision unlike any other publication. So exact is our printing process that every nuance of the original watercolors is conveyed. First hailed in John James Audubon’s day as an unparalleled document of natural history, this priceless collection of American art has never before been available.
John James Audubon explored the American backwoods to discover, record, and illustrate its avian life. America’s most revered artist-naturalist, John James Audubon (1785—1851), is renowned for his extraordinary undertaking to record the birds of America. The images he created are icons of 19th-century art. Though he studied and drew from nature since childhood, it was not until 1819 when he was the father of two sons that John James Audubon fully embraced the life of an artist-naturalist with the support of his devoted wife, Lucy Audubon. In 1820, John James Audubon left his family in Cincinnati, embarking with a young apprentice, Joseph R. Mason. Mason worked with John James Audubon from 1820 until 1822, contributing mostly botanical elements to about 55 of John James Audubon’s paintings. Later, the artists George Lehman, Maria Martin, and his sons Victor Gifford Audubon and John Woodhouse Audubon assisted John James Audubon with botanical and landscape backgrounds. Published from 1827—38, the lavish double-elephant size folio of The Birds of America, spectacularly launched John James Audubon’s career as an artist-naturalist and publisher of natural history folios depicting North American birds and animals.
Established in 1999, Oppenheimer Editions has partnered with prestigious museums to make prints from their holdings. Works from the New-York Historical Society’s unrivaled collections of John James Audubon’s watercolors and the Hudson River School paintings are examples of art that otherwise would be unobtainable. Among the institutional collections we have partnered with are the American Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. These are not mere reproductions. They are limited-edition fine art prints made with the finest quality archival pigments on rag watercolor paper and executed to exacting standards.
Click here for more prints from Audubon's Watercolors: First Octavo Edition
Specifications for Audubon's Watercolors Octavo Pl. 96, Columbia Jay
Subject Birds
Creator John James Audubon
Orientation Vertical
Associated Museum New-York Historical Society
Main Color Blue
Creation Date 2000 - now
Artist John James Audubon
Medium Giclée
Approximate Size 11" x 14"
Type of Artwork Oppenheimer Editions Print
Framed Option Framed
Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. - About us
We are an art gallery with over 50 years of experience focusing on the artwork of John James Audubon, John Gould, Pierre-Joseph Redoute and other Natural History Artists. Excellent art conservation services are provided for all types of two dimension artwork, include works on paper, canvas, and fine photography. Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. also performs museum quality framing and custom framing solutions for any type of artwork.
Copyright © 2020 Joel Oppenheimer, Inc.
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Zhang’s “Mixmaster” exhibit blends his Chinese, American backgrounds
By Megan Moser, The Mercury, Manhattan, Kansas, October 7th, 2018
Zhang Hongtu seemed genuinely excited to be in Manhattan on Wednesday.
The New York City-based artist and his wife, Miaoling, were in the Little Apple for the opening of his exhibition Culture Mixmaster, which is at K-State’s Beach Museum of Art through December. Zhang’s It’s his first solo show in the Midwest.
During a preview last week, Zhang, a youthful septuagenarian with white hair and trendy glasses, said he was thrilled with the way the exhibit had turned out.
“With this show, I didn’t come here to see the process of installation,” Zhang said, complimenting the museum’s curators. “It’s beyond my imagination. It’s still my work, but under a different concept of installation, lighting.”
Zhang’s work, like his life, is a blending of the East and the West.
Zhang grew up in China but has lived in America since the 1980s, so he’s now been in the U.S. as long as he had been in China. He likes to say he’s 100-percent Chinese and 100-percent American.
“When you see the show, you’ll see works that mix the tradition from Western European painting with classical Chinese painting,” curator Aileen June Wang said. “And all of his life, Hongtu has been thinking about this question and celebrating the richness of cultural exchange and cultural mixing.”
The pieces on display show a playful combination of influences and represent Zhang’s interest in the effects of travel and migration on culture.
The works include classic blue-and-white Chinese ceramics in the distinctive shape of Coke bottles, and a self-portrait that blends the styles of Pablo Picasso and Leonardo DaVinci’s “Mona Lisa.” That portrait was first made on the computer with Photoshop, and printed with an inkjet printer Wang said. Zhang later painted a version of it, so the printed version that’s on display at the Beach is actually the original, she said.
One entire gallery is devoted to a reimagining of Vincent Van Gogh’s 39 portraits as those of the Zen Bodhidharma.
Perhaps the most fun piece is an “interactive sculpture” called “Ping Pong Mao,” a table tennis table whose surface features cutout silhouettes of Chairman Mao Zedong.
On Saturday the museum staged a tournament using the table.
Zhang said the experience of playing on it — and trying to keep the ball from falling through the cutouts — is similar to the experience of living in China after the Cultural Revolution.
“The situation in China is still like this,” Zhang said. “You can criticize someone else, but not political leaders. So nothing changes, politically.”
He mentioned that his wife was a ping-pong champion at her school when she was a girl. Miaoling shook her head furiously, embarrassed by the attention.
Ping pong was an important tool in diplomatic relations between the United States in China in the 1970s. The use of the ping-pong table is another example of east-west culture exchange.
Zhang grew up in China as part of the Muslim minority. Because of his family’s religious and political beliefs, he said they suffered persecution under Mao, and he often felt like an outsider.
His family relocated many times between the Chinese Civil War and the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966. At that time, he saw the political movement as edgy and was eager for change, so he supported it. He began to have doubts, though, when he saw the violence that arose from the revolution. He said he felt he had been fooled by someone he believed in.
He attended art school in China, where anything the students produced had to fit within the narrow scope of communist ideals, and there was a heavy emphasis on depicting Chairman Mao.
After college, Zhang continued to travel and immigrated to the United States in 1982 to find artistic freedom. His wife followed in 1984 with their son. Zhang and his wife now live in Woodside, Queens, a diverse neighborhood where Zhang told The New York Times “I’ve never felt like a foreigner.”
He got early attention for works like his 1989 “Last Banquet,” a version of “The Last Supper” that substitutes 13 Maos for Jesus and his disciples, a work that was part of a Guggenheim exhibit last year. Ironically, that piece was censored, though Zhang said.
Though he hasn’t lived in China for 30 years, Zhang said his view of China is still relevant today, as Mao’s influence persists. That said, he moved away from using Mao’s likeness in the 1990s.
Certainly the most attention-grabbing piece in the exhibition is the 45-by-12-foot “Great Wall with Gates III.”
Zhang made the first version of that work in 2009 for the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
He made the current version especially for the Beach exhibit. It’s a digital image of the Great Wall of China altered with Photoshop to include a number of gates.
“I used the Great Wall not only about China, but basically about walls. Walls always divide, always stop people (from) going through,” he said. “I picked the image of the wall but with many many gates to change the function of the wall. Make it playful, not to block anymore.”
The exhibit’s title wall features a reproduction of a painting called Two Monkeys. Beach Museum curator Aileen June Wang said she asked Zhang whether the monkeys in the painting represented him, and he handed her a card that said, “You can ask me anything except about the monkeys,” she recalled, laughing.
But Wang said she and museum director Linda Duke have a theory. In Chinese literature there is a classic called “Journey to the West” about the adventures of a monkey god who accompanies a Chinese monk as he travels to India to get sutras and bring them back to China to contribute to the study of Buddhism.
“The journey of that monkey god is similar, or Hongtu feels some affinity, to the adventures of that character,” Wang said. Zhang smiled as she explained this but neither confirmed nor denied the hypothesis.
Artist talk by Zhang Hongtu
5 p.m. Tuesday
Zhang will share his experience of traveling to Dunhuang in western China, a town known as a hub of cultural exchange connecting Europe and Asia.
Source: http://themercury.com/features/zhang-s-mixmaster-exhibit-blends-his-chinese-american-backgrounds/article_ea44e03c-ad6b-53ba-9817-3a88ca17b2c1.html
MORE THAN ONE WAY HOME
Sophie Matisse
Janet Taylor Pickett
Zhang Hongtu
About the Bison Series by Zhang Hongtu and Four Poems by Mai Mang published at CUNY FORUM 8
Zhang Hongtu at “Godzilla vs. The Art World: 1990-2001”, MOCA NYC
May 13 - September 12, 2021
Zhang Hongtu’s “Mai Dang Lao” in the permanent collection at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Artist Talk with Zhang Hongtu on Van Gogh/Bodhidharma
ZHANG HONGTU: I DARE TO MATE A HORSE WITH AN OX
September 27 - November 16, 2019
Zhang Hongtu in ART AND CHINA AFTER 1989: THEATER OF THE WORLD
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum New York
NOBUO SEKINE AND ZHANG HONGTU: TWO ROCKS
Culture Mixmaster Zhang Hongtu at The Mariana Kistler Beach Museum of Art
September 25 - December 22, 2018
International artist Zhang Hongtu debuts first solo Midwest show at K-State
Review by Savanna Maue, THE TOPEKA CAPITAL JOURNAL
Tags: Zhang Hongtu
Previous Post: Culture Mixmaster Zhang Hongtu at The Mariana Kistler Beach Museum of Art
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5 Life Lessons Our Grandmothers Knew (And We Should Learn Too)
by Cheyenne Bell
A lot has changed since the time our grandmothers were young mothers. There is a lot more noise, a lot more hustle and bustle, and a lot less time, it seems, to get things done. Modern moms enjoy a lot of conveniences that our grandmothers would never have dreamed of, such as curb-side grocery shopping and online banking. But along with all of these modern conveniences, we seem to have lost some of the core lessons our grandmothers learned. Lessons that really should never have been lost. Here are some of the life lessons our grandmothers knew that we should know (and teach to our children) before they become lost for good. 1. Gardening The home garden seems to be… Read More
A lot has changed since the time our grandmothers were young mothers. There is a lot more noise, a lot more hustle and bustle, and a lot less time, it seems, to get things done. Modern moms enjoy a lot of conveniences that our grandmothers would never have dreamed of, such as curb-side grocery shopping and online banking. But along with all of these modern conveniences, we seem to have lost some of the core lessons our grandmothers learned. Lessons that really should never have been lost. Here are some of the life lessons our grandmothers knew that we should know (and teach to our children) before they become lost for good.
The home garden seems to be a lost art form, but it really doesn’t have to be. It doesn’t take much to start a small garden, even if all you have is an apartment patio. Container gardens can be set up just about anywhere and even the smallest of yards can fit a raised bed garden.
The benefits of learning how to grow a garden not only include getting to enjoy the fresh fruits (and vegetables) of your labor, but you can also use it as an opportunity to teach your kids where food comes from, how it grows, and what kind of work goes into making it happen. These days, kids have little to no understanding of exactly where food comes from. It’s scary for me to think that my kids believe food just magically appears on the shelves of the stores! Get your kiddos involved in helping you tend your garden by weeding, planting, and watering. It will teach them a lot about real food and get them outside!
2. Fix It, Don’t Toss It
We live in a world of plenty, which is a far cry from the world our grandparents lived in. In our grandparent’s time, most of them lived through at least one World War and some of them survived the Great Depression. When something in their households broke or needed mending, they fixed it. These days, when something breaks, we toss it and buy a new one. When I think about all the money I’ve spent “just buying a new one,” it makes my stomach churn. We have no excuses not to repair or mend things that go haywire in our homes; I guarantee you there’s a YouTube video that will take you step by step in repairing whatever is broken. Whether it’s sewing a button back on your kid’s favorite skirt or replacing a worn out electrical plug on a pretty lamp, try to fix it before you toss it.
3. Cooking & Baking
There’s nothing like walking into a house where someone is baking a loaf of bread. Do you remember that smell? It’s like heaven. Cooking and baking from scratch has, like gardening, become a lost art. I know, I know, our lives as moms of little ones is very hectic and preparing a meal from scratch takes a lot of time and effort. I agree, it can take a lot of time and effort, but it doesn’t always have to.
I have found that there are some great ways you can speed of the process of scratch cooking and baking without sacrificing the taste and flavor of the final product. For example, this is my favorite recipe for making homemade bread. She uses her bread machine for half of the process and then a traditional bread pan and oven for the other half. It takes half the time to make an amazing loaf of bread! And this is an amazing lasagna recipe that you can make ahead of time and freeze until you’re ready to pop it in the oven. And, can we just take a moment to collectively drool over these scratch-made chocolate chip cookies? Heaven, y’all.
4. Saving Money
Did you know that today the average American household has $134,643 in debt? Back in our grandparents day, the average American had less than $2,000 in personal debt. Our grandparents knew how important it was to save and to pay for things in cash, but we have lost that lesson somewhere along the way.
While I’d love to say that I’m an exception to the rule and carry no debt, I can’t say that. Not even close. Between student loans, a mortgage, car payments, and credit cards, my family has juggled debt since before we even became a family, and it’s not fun. Personally, I don’t want my children growing up in a family where debt is the norm. So, saving money has become one of my family’s priorities, but it can be a very hard life lesson to learn. Luckily, there’s an app for that.
It sounds silly, but let’s face it: most of us do a lot of our personal banking or coupon clipping on our phones these days. Our grandparents didn’t have the luxuries that we have when it comes to finding new and easier ways to save or manage our budgets, so we don’t have much of an excuse not to start saving now. There are so many apps that you can download, most cheap or free, that will help you get started saving money and managing your budget. Give one or a few of them a try and get your finances in check!
5. Manners
When our grandmothers were growing up, most of the reading material geared toward girls included something about manners and etiquette. There were books and magazines and guides from tips on teenage popularity to courtship and how to set a table and woo a husband. By the time they were mothers, good manners were second nature to our grandmas and they did their best to breed it into their children as well.
I’m not exactly sure where things went wrong, but I do know that good manners have pretty much gone the way of the dodo in a good deal of children today. Even women my age (ahem: late 30’s) know very little by way of “proper” etiquette. Of course, I’m not saying we (or our kids) are all a bunch of obnoxious hoodlums, but I think there are some essential manners that our grandmothers knew that we should start practicing (and teaching our children).
For instance, the basics: saying please and thank you, showing respect to our elders or those in authority (respect is not the same thing as submission, mind you), and not interrupting are some good ones to start with. Also, learning table manners from a young age will go a long way. And learning how to write a thank you note (not an email, not a text, a NOTE . . . with a stamp . . . in the actual mail) will teach your kids not only to show gratefulness for gifts, but how to write politely, meaningfully, and succinctly. Another important thing I remember my parents teaching me were phone manners, and it has served me well over the years.
It may seem old-fashioned, but there’s a lot to be said for old-fashioned in a world full of thoughtless and downright rude people. Teaching our kids to act politely, respectfully, and thoughtfully will not only teach them valuable lessons, but it will go a long way in earning the praise and respect of those who come in contact with them.
Even though so much has changed since our grandparents were raising their young families, these five life lessons should not be part of those changes. If you’re lucky enough to still have your grandmother in your life, take her for coffee and have a chat. Ask her about these lessons and all of the others that she learned as a young wife and mother. I promise you’ll be surprised at how much wisdom you’ll find tucked away in her heart and I bet that she will be more than happy to share it with you!
How I Had My Babies Sleeping Through the Night by 10 Weeks Old
13 Tips for Surviving Bed Rest While Raising Toddlers
9 Best Educational Cartoon Shows for Toddlers
Sibling Jealousy: How to Handle It Without Losing Your Mind
How and Why to Teach Empathy to Your Kids
How to Help Our Kids Manage Stress – Podcast Ep 49
When and How to Transition Babies Out of Swaddles – Podcast Ep 47
10 Things You Can Do to Ensure Safe Sleep for Your Baby – Podcast Ep 16
Becoming a Young Widow: I Never Thought It Would Happen to Me
Best Gifts for Four-Year-Olds
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Alabama House & Senate Bills
2018 Alabama Legislative Regular Session
2018 Alabama House Joint Resolutions
HJR 149
In Committee
Crossed Over
Dead/Failed/Vetoed
Veto Overridden
Signed by Governor
1 Bill Summary
2 Bill Text
3 Bill Actions
4 Bill Documents
Regular Session 2018
Rare Disease Day in Alabama, February 28, 2018, recognized
Resolutions, Legislative
Note: Bills that change current law do not show the amended text correctly below. Please view Original PDF to see amended sections: HJR 149 - Enrolled - PDF
HJR149 190682-3 By Representatives Weaver, Williams (P), McCutcheon, Ball, Hall, Sanderford, Daniels and Whorton (R) RFD: Rules First Read: 06-FEB-18 HJR149 ENROLLED, House Joint Resolution, RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY 28, 2018, AS RARE DISEASE DAY IN ALABAMA. WHEREAS, there are approximately 7,000 diseases and conditions considered rare, each affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans in the United States according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and WHEREAS, while each of these diseases may affect small numbers of people, rare disease as a group affects almost 30 million people in the United States; and WHEREAS, eighty percent of rare diseases are genetic in origin, and it is estimated that about 50 percent of all rare diseases affect children; and WHEREAS, while fewer than 500 orphan drugs and biologic medical products have been approved for the treatment of rare diseases by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 95 percent of the millions of Americans with rare diseases still have no approved treatment specific to their disease; and WHEREAS, rare diseases can become chronic, progressive, disabling, and life-threatening conditions, significantly impacting the lives of those affected; and WHEREAS, relatively common symptoms can hide underlying rare diseases, leading to misdiagnosis and delayed HJR149 treatment; individuals and families affected by rare diseases often face challenges, such as diagnosis delay, difficulty finding a medical expert, a sense of isolation and psychological burden, few treatment options, lack of support services, and problems related to accessing treatment or ancillary services; and WHEREAS, many patients and families affected by less widely known rare diseases, bear a large share of the burden regarding critical issues, such as finding adequate treatment and raising funds for research, education, and awareness to support the search for those treatments; and WHEREAS, almost 500,000 residents of Alabama are among those affected by rare diseases since nearly 1 in 10 Americans in the United States have a rare disease; and WHEREAS, it is important for Alabamians and all Americans to support those affected by rare diseases and to promote the awareness of the needs of rare disease patients and the acceptance of their diagnoses; and WHEREAS, rare diseases affect almost 30 million individuals in the United States and almost 500,000 just in Alabama. Each disease can severely impact a patient not only with physical disabilities, but also in many cases with intellectual disabilities, and for some premature death. In addition, the disease affects the patient and family as a whole mentally, emotionally, and financially. Many rare HJR149 diseases are genetic or present as birth defects providing for a lifelong diagnosis. Examples of rare diseases present among Alabamians, include Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and pediatric cancers. Individually, a rare disease is rare; with it only affecting less than 200,000 individuals. However, when rare diseases are looked at collectively as a community, rare is no longer rare; and millions are affected, which gives rise to the need for a comprehensive public health approach, to build awareness, to educate, and to improve the care and health of those affected by a rare disease; and WHEREAS, on the last day of the month of February, patients, caregivers, and their families, medical professionals, researchers, government officials, companies developing treatments for rare diseases, and others in the State of Alabama join together to focus attention on rare diseases as a public health issue and participate in the observance of Rare Disease Day; now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That we recognize February 28, 2018, and the last day in February in each succeeding year, as Rare Disease Day in Alabama. HJR149 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That February 2018 and every February in each succeeding year be recognized as Rare Disease Awareness month. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be provided for presentation as an expression of our sentiment in this regard. HJR149 Speaker of the House of Representatives President and Presiding Officer of the Senate House of Representatives I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and was adopted by the House 13-FEB-18. Jeff Woodard Clerk Senate 15-FEB-18 Adopted
February 15, 2018 H Assigned Act No. 2018-121 on 02/22/2018.
February 15, 2018 H Forwarded to Governor on February 15, 2018 at 2:55 p.m. on February 15, 2018.
February 15, 2018 H Clerk of the House Certification
February 15, 2018 H Enrolled
February 15, 2018 S Signature Requested
February 15, 2018 H Passed Second House
February 15, 2018 S Waggoner motion to Concur In and Adopt adopted Voice Vote
February 15, 2018 S Reported from Rules
February 13, 2018 S Received in Senate and referred to the Senate committee on Rules
February 13, 2018 H Jones motion to Adopt adopted Voice Vote
February 13, 2018 H Reported from Rules
February 6, 2018 H Introduced and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Rules
Bill Documents
Document Location
Bill Text http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2018RS/PrintFiles/HJR149-enr.pdf
Bill Text http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2018RS/PrintFiles/HJR149-int.pdf
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New Releases 12/18/12
Trouble With the Curve (drama, Clint Eastwood. Rotten Tomatoes: 52%. Metacritic: 58. From A.O. Scott’s New York Times review: “The pat and occasionally preposterous story is really just a pretext, a serviceable scaffolding for a handful of expert, satisfying performances. A gaggle of first-rate character actors trails Mr. Eastwood from Turner Field in Atlanta to the rural bars and ballparks, and the star knows how to step aside and let them work. He also has the good sense to realize that, much as we may adore him, we’d sometimes rather spend time with [actress Amy] Adams, who somehow grows tougher, funnier, scarier and more charming with every role.” Read more…)
Pitch Perfect (comedy, Anna Kendrick. Rotten Tomatoes: 79%. Metacritic: 65. From Neil Gewnzlinger’s New York Times review: “This movie is about collegiate a cappella, but it’s loaded with the plotting conventions of the Disney Channel’s tweener shows. That makes it only occasionally funny and not at all illuminating about the rich world of a cappella singing.” Read more…)
Liberal Arts (comedy/drama, Josh Radnor. Rotten Tomatoes: 69%. Metacritic: 55. From Stephen Holden’s New York Times review: “The slick, feel-good Liberal Arts has enough dark notes to make the smug, obsequious performance of its star, Josh Radnor, who also wrote and directed, tolerable and at times even likable. As an actor and filmmaker, Mr. Radnor, of “How I Met Your Mother,” is steeped in sitcom conventions.” Read more…)
10 Years (comedy, Channing Tatum. Rotten Tomatoes: 60%. Metacritic: 61. From Stephen Holden’s New York Times review: “It takes a while to sort out who’s who in the gabby high school reunion comedy 10 Years. But once you do, the movie that comes together is an unpretentious, well-acted ensemble piece that doesn’t aspire to be a portentous generational time capsule like The Big Chill, American Graffiti or Diner. But it has enough markers — a grown-up, married white rapper who break dances; a karaoke bar — to suggest an approximate date.” Read more…)
Total Recall (action remake, Colin Farrell. Rotten Tomatoes: 30%. Metacritic: 43. From A.O. Scott’s New York Times review: “The movie has a lot of chasing, shouting and fighting, carried out in crowded, overscale frames without much regard for either action-film effectiveness or narrative coherence. So much information is thrown at you in such a haphazard fashion that your ability to care dwindles along with your willingness to enjoy any of it.” Read more…)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (family comedy, Zachary Gordon. Rotten Tomatoes: 50%. Metacritic: 54. From Neil Genzlinger’s New York Times review: “Studios generally don’t like to see the word ‘excruciating’ in a movie review. But the makers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days won’t mind seeing it here, because that’s just what this good-natured if not very ambitious family film is going for. It wants you to feel the pain of the title child, Greg [Zachary Gordon], as he goes through one embarrassment after another during an eventful summer, and you do.” Read more…)
Killer Joe (crime, Matthew McConaughey [this movie comes out on Friday, Dec. 21]. Rotten Tomatoes: 77%. Metacritic: 62. From Manohla Dargis’ New York Times review: “It says something about William Friedkin’s big-screen adaptation of the Tracy Letts play Killer Joe that the title psycho, played by Matthew McConaughey, is, by a long Texas mile, its least objectionable character. Dressed in nearly all black from cowboy hat to boot, with a miserly smile and a dead man’s empty eyes, Joe Cooper, a k a Killer Joe, looks sharp, talks smart. As given demented life by Mr. McConaughey, he is a welcome presence among a collection of nitwits so irremediably disposable that they’re as evanescent as drops of water on a hot wood stove.” Read more…)
Arbitrage (financial drama, Richard Gere. Rotten Tomatoes: 85%. Metacritic: 73. From Manohla Dargis’ New York Times review: “Arbitrage, a sleek entertainment about how very good greed can be, is a fairy tale masquerading as a tragedy. It pivots on Robert Miller [Richard Gere], a shifty hedge-fund manager and 21st-century robber baron who’s foxed his way to the top of New York’s moneyed classes. Charmed and charming, with a quicksilver stride and the self-possession of a man accustomed to hearing the word yes, Robert lives in a rarefied world of private jets, live-in help and seven-figure checks made out to favorite charities.” Read more…)
Resident Evil: Retribution (sci-fi/horror, Milla Jovovich. Rotten Tomatoes: 29%. Metacritic: 39. From Jeannette Catsoulis’ New York Times review: “The fifth entry in a series as indestructible as Alice [Milla Jovovich], its caffeinated heroine, Resident Evil: Retribution finds her still on the mysterious ship where Resident Evil: Afterlife left her. Almost a decade has passed since the endlessly mutating T-Virus began transforming most of humanity (and zoology) into drooling, pimply cannibals, but Alice — part human, part viral, all airbrushed — is still fighting to save the world. She must be as tired as we are.” Read more…)
The Good Doctor (drama, Orlando Bloom. Rotten Tomatoes: 62%. Metacritic: 52. From Stephen Holden’s New York Times review: “Heaven forbid that anyone should have the misfortune to be treated by a physician like Martin Blake [Orlando Bloom], the poker-faced new resident in internal medicine at a Southern California hospital in The Good Doctor. With his ferretlike eyes; thin, unsmiling lips; and tense body language, Martin is such a cold fish he can barely manage a smile. An early indication that something might be seriously wrong with him is a glimpse of his sterile, sparsely furnished, all-white beach-side apartment, which looks more like a laboratory than a home.” Read more…)
Fred & Vinnie (comedy, Fred Stoller)
Sometimes a Great Notion
New Foreign
Free Men (France, drama, Tahar Rahim. Rotten Tomatoes: 75%. Metacritic: 58. From A.O. Scott’s New York Times review: “Ismail Ferroukhi’s new film, Free Men, takes place in Nazi-occupied Paris, by now a familiar setting for morally serious period dramas. The story this movie has to tell is a bit unusual, though: it concerns the efforts by Muslim North African residents of the city to protect Jews and aid the Resistance. Like Rachid Bouchareb’s Days of Glory — about North African soldiers who suffered abuse and discrimination while fighting to liberate France from German domination — Free Men is both proudly conventional and determinedly revisionist. Its protagonist, Younes [Tahar Rahim], would not be out of place in a wartime thriller starring Humphrey Bogart.” Read more…)
New Television
Girls: Season 1 (HBO series, Lena Dunham)
Shameless: Season 2
The Sarah Silverman Program: Season 3
New Documentaries
The Island President (world politics, environment, climate change. Rotten Tomatoes: 98%. Metacritic: 72. From A.O. Scott’s New York Times review: “In other parts of the world, though, the [climate change] issue has a lethal, terrifying urgency. The Island President, a new documentary by Jon Shenk [The Lost Boys of Sudan], visits one such place, the Maldives. That archipelago of roughly 1,200 low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean, of which about 200 are inhabited, is described as “paradise crossed with paradise,” and its soft sand beaches and blue waters have made it a haven for wealthy tourists. Though the film includes spectacular aerial and underwater footage of the Maldives’ beauty, it concentrates its attention on uglier realities.” Read more…)
New Children’s DVDs
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (family comedy, Zachary Gordon, in Top Hits. Rotten Tomatoes: 50%. Metacritic: 54. From Neil Genzlinger’s New York Times review: “Studios generally don’t like to see the word ‘excruciating’ in a movie review. But the makers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days won’t mind seeing it here, because that’s just what this good-natured if not very ambitious family film is going for. It wants you to feel the pain of the title child, Greg [Zachary Gordon], as he goes through one embarrassment after another during an eventful summer, and you do.” Read more…)
Filed Under: New Releases Tagged With: 10 Years, 12/18/12, Arbitrage, December 2012, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Free Men, Girls: Season 1, Liberal Arts, New Releases, Pitch Perfect, The Island President, Total Recall, Trouble With the Curve
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Wait ‘Til Next Year: Success at Altitude
Colorado’s eight-game win streak has propelled the team into contention and created one of the most positive seasons in the organization’s existence. One of the accompanying narratives is that they are learning how to win in Coors Field. Another is the declining park factor in Colorado has allowed for a more stable pitching staff. While there is some truth to these, for me the Rockies are more than the product of an evolving ballpark-related dynamic. Rather, they are a perfect case study in proper player development.
There is one common denominator to be found among the group of star performers during the team’s win streak–all are Rockies, born and bred. During the streak, the offense was led by Matt Holliday (.480/.552/1.080), Brad Hawpe (.520/.600/.960), and Ryan Spilborghs (.417/.481/.708). The starting rotation got 1.704 SNLVAR from homegrown players Franklin Morales, Jeff Francis, and Ubaldo Jimenez, against -.037 SNLVAR from Josh Fogg and Mark Redman. And while Dan O’Dowd has compiled an admirable veteran bullpen off the scrap heap, the star performer for the season has been underrated closer Manny Corpas.
If the Rockies continue their Cinderella run all the way into the playoffs, it will be because of the homegrown talent that provided six of the eight starting position players, three-fifths of the starting rotation, as well as the team’s closer. Colorado is a product of effective farm system management by the triumvirate of O’Dowd, scouting director Bill Schmidt, and farm director Marc Gustafson. The trio has excelled at the three keys of proper utilization of the player development system:
1. Bring the Right Prospects Into the Organization
For me, this is largely the responsibility of the scouting director. The success of a team’s draft–and their presence on the international signing market–is paramount for its future success. For a team like the Rockies, plagued with sub-.500 records for much of its existence, the key has always been making the most of early draft selections.
Before current scouting director Bill Schmidt took over, Pat Daugherty oversaw the organization’s first eight drafts. The team had led their draft off with pitchers seven times, mixing mild success stories (Jake Westbrook, Jamey Wright, Jason Jennings) with relative failures (John Burke, Matt Roney, Mark Mangum), and one tragedy (Doug Million). The organization committed to building a pitching staff from within, relegating most of their bonus money towards it. The one exception? In 1995, the Rockies took two-way Tennessee star Todd Helton with the ninth overall selection, ultimately deciding that his left-handed bat had a better future in the lineup than his arm did on the mound.
Daugherty played a big part in the Rockies’ current success. In addition to Helton, Daugherty also drafted Aaron Cook in the second round of the 1997 draft, and then Matt Holliday in the seventh round of the 1998 draft. By highlighting players like Cook and Westbrook and Jennings, players that made their livings with sinkers, Daugherty had brought in pitchers that might be able to succeed at Coors Field.
When Bob Gebhard left the Rockies as general manager, Bill Schmidt was hired to run O’Dowd’s scouting department. Schmidt decided to veer from Daugherty’s pitching-exclusive draft philosophy to focus on players that Coors Field would help; in the 2000 draft alone, Schmidt netted both Garrett Atkins and Hawpe in the middle rounds. However, he also went after pitchers, landing Canadian Jeff Francis in the first round, and signing Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales as Latin American free agents. While Daugherty’s approach enjoyed only mild success because it was so nuanced, Schmidt’s more holistic approach has given the Rockies their best step forward.
In his first draft in 2000, Schmidt too intently focused on pitching, drafting the unsignable Matt Harrington with the seventh overall pick; eight picks later, an athletic college infielder named Chase Utley was drafted. The subsequent maturation of Schmidt as a scouting director was perhaps reflected by his ability to pass on Wade Townsend or Mike Pelfrey in the 2005 draft to select a college middle infielder–Troy Tulowitzki.
2. Turn Prospects Into Major Leaguers on the Farm
Doug Million, the Rockies first round pick in 1994, will go down as the only member of that draft’s top ten selections to not make the major leagues, but his tragic death from asthma at 21 offers a pretty compelling reason for why he did not. Since 27 of the 34 players drafted in the 1994 first round would eventually make the majors, it isn’t unreasonable to wonder if he might have been the 28th. You can’t really blame Daugherty for taking a chance on a tall, lanky, hard-throwing Florida phenom in the first round.
Quite often, the forgotten member of the front office food chain is the Farm Director, whose responsibility is to mold the players the scouting director provides into major league-caliber talent for the general manager. It is a very difficult position to gauge success for, but there are occasionally signs of a job well done. For example, the team recently turned failed Dominican shortstop import Pedro Strop into a reliever, and the right-hander looks destined for a future spot with the bullpen. Successful position changes are just one example, but here are a few others:
Manny Corpas was signed from Panama at the end of the 1999 season. The organization decided not to bring Corpas into professional baseball in the United States until 2002, and for two more seasons kept him out of full season ball. In 2003, Corpas struggled in 15 starts in the Pioneer League, posting a 5.0 K/9 and 10.5 H/9. The team switched Corpas to relief, and he began his progression towards becoming a closer.
I previously mentioned Matt Holliday as a feather in the cap of Bill Schmidt, but Holliday probably owes the player development system more for his ultimate success. Holliday played in the minor leagues for more than six seasons, and handled delicately as his power and contact skills were slowly honed. In 2000, Holliday managed just a .115 ISO in his first stint in the Carolina League, but the organization was nevertheless patient, and continued to be when, despite injuries in 2001, his power began to show. Moved up to Double-A in 2002, Holliday struck out 102 times in 463 at-bats, but the team kept him at that level, and the next season, Holliday struck out just 74 times in 522 at-bats–he learned.
Holliday isn’t the only member of the Rockies to be found in the middle rounds and then polished in the minor leagues. Atkins and Hawpe were drafted in the fifth and 11th rounds of the 2000 draft. Hawpe needed years in the minor leagues to become a passable outfielder after starting out at first base, and to improve his patience at the plate. The next draft, Schmidt took Cory Sullivan in the seventh round, and then Ryan Spilborghs was taken in that same round in 2002. While Schmidt’s scouting department found these players, Gustafson’s system developed them.
It can’t hurt that the Rockies have a system built to help boost position player confidence, as the team’s full-season affiliate’s park factors entering the season were (going up the ladder): 1110, 983 (in the Cal League, no easy feat), 1004 (in the hitter-friendly Texas League), and 1067.
3. Trade the Right Players at the Right Time
If there is one thing that kept the Atlanta Braves successful for so many seasons–and turned John Schuerholz into such a legend–it was the Braves’ seemingly sixth sense for identifying the proper players to trade. Every season a General Manager has the responsibility to improve his Major League team at the cost of minor leaguers; the hard part is deciding who’s untradable.
At the end of the 1997 season, Jake Westbrook was showing signs of being a first-round bust after striking out just 92 batters in 170 innings at Low-A. Bob Gebhard felt comfortable trading Westbrook that winter for Mike Lansing, who was coming off a career year with the Expos. Lansing was bad in 1998, injured in 1999, and traded in 2000, while Westbrook went on to have a good career. in contrast, the team also traded Jamey Wright while he was early into his career, landing the last two years of Jeff Cirillo‘s peak for their troubles. Then, at the right time, Cirillo was traded to the Mariners for three pitchers, one of whom was Brian Fuentes. In a series of shrewd moves, the team landed four seasons of All-Star representatives at very little cost.
These are merely examples of one of Dan O’Dowd’s biggest pressures, and also, one of his greatest feats from last winter: his sensing that Jason Jennings might never be as good again as he was in 2006. Jennings–the last first round pick by Pat Daugherty–moved quickly from Baylor University to the majors, winning the Rookie of the Year in his third professional season. He skated along as a pretty average pitcher until last season, when he struck out the most, and allowed the fewest hits of any point in his career. The Rockies were to have just one more cheap season with him, having exercised his 2007 option for a relatively modest $5.5 million. Rather than allow Jennings to finish his contract as a Rockie, O’Dowd swapped him to Houston. The team had gotten 941 innings of Jennings over six seasons for under $10 million, including the draft bonus paid to him in 1999.
Thanks to making the move, the benefit of Jennings’ selection will continue on into the future. By trading the pre-free agency Jennings in a pitching-crazed market, O’Dowd got three young players who have all contributed to the 2007 club: Willy Taveras (15.9 VORP), Jason Hirsh (13.0 VORP) and Taylor Buchholz (13.6 VORP). Jennings, meanwhile, crashed to -8.4 VORP before going under the knife, all while making more than five times the combined salary of the players he was traded for.
O’Dowd also had the sense to trade Ryan Shealy while his value was at the highest, using the first baseman’s gaudy park-driven Colorado Springs numbers as the bait to swing a deal for Jeremy Affeldt and Denny Bautista. So, by including the ability to use prospects as trades, we can say the Rockies’ three best relievers (Corpas, Fuentes, Affeldt) were all products of their player development effort.
Radical developments have been proposed for years about how the Rockies could win in Denver, at altitude. Instead, the easiest solution was a universal one: proper player development management.
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Home » News » Hepatitis C becomes the leading infectious disease killer in the USA
Hepatitis C becomes the leading infectious disease killer in the USA
Hepatitis C (HCV) has become the leading infectious disease killer in the United States of America (USA), exceeding the combined total deaths of 60 other diseases, including HIV and tuberculosis. HCV is a major co-morbidity for people living with HIV.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the large majority of these infections are among ‘baby boomers’ (born between 1945 and 1960), who were infected as a result of unsafe medical procedures in the post-World War II era. An estimated 3.5 million Americans are living with HCV, with roughly half unaware of their status.
Alarmingly, the CDC has declared a ‘new wave’ of HCV among people who inject drugs, with the number of acute HCV infections doubling to 2,194 cases over the last ten years. Most of these new cases occurred among young white people with a history of injecting, residing in rural and suburban parts of the middle and eastern USA.
Deaths from HCV first surpassed HIV in 2007 when a reported 15,106 people died, compared to 12,734 deaths from HIV. Since then, HCV-related mortality has increased annually – with 19,659 people dying from HCV in 2014. As HCV has few noticeable symptoms, underreporting is a real concern, meaning the actual number may be significantly higher. From 2003, deaths from HCV have increased by 78%.
HCV is both a preventable and curable disease. Improved healthcare procedures mean that infections from blood transfusions or immunisations are rare, if not completely eliminated. Harm reduction measures mean that people who use drugs can access clean injecting equipment to prevent the transmission of blood-borne infections such as HIV and HCV.
Novel antiviral treatment is now available that can cure most cases of HCV – but many are priced out of accessing it.
The CDC calls for increased implementation of HCV programmes, including regular testing for HCV and HIV; improved linkages to care for people who test positive; and increased access to harm reduction services, to curb the HCV epidemic in the country.
©iStock.com/xrender
CDC; CDC
World Hepatitis Day: Antiretroviral drug also benefits the treatment of hepatitis C
48% of people who inject drugs in UK unaware they have hepatitis C
USA: Harm reduction programmes lacking in rural and suburban areas
USA: HIV incidence declining, but not enough to reach targets
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Updated Nov 11, 2018 - Politics & Policy
Trump wants no more relief funds for Puerto Rico
Jonathan Swan
Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios
President Trump doesn't want to give Puerto Rico any more federal money for its recovery from Hurricane Maria, White House officials have told congressional appropriators and leadership. This is because he claims, without evidence, that the island’s government is using federal disaster relief money to pay off debt.
The big picture: Trump also told senior officials last month that he would like to claw back some of the federal money Congress has already set aside for Puerto Rico's disaster recovery, claiming mismanagement.
The White House didn't comment on this reporting.
Between the lines: Trump won't be able to take away disaster funds that have already been set aside by Congress, and sources close to the situation tell me the White House hasn't asked Republican lawmakers to do so. But Trump could refuse to sign a future spending bill that would make more money available for Puerto Rico's recovery.
Behind the scenes: In late October, Trump grew furious after reading a Wall Street Journal article by Matt Wirz, according to five sources familiar with the president's reaction. The article said that "Puerto Rico bond prices soared ... after the federal oversight board that runs the U.S. territory’s finances released a revised fiscal plan that raises expectations for disaster funding and economic growth."
Sources with direct knowledge told me Trump concluded — without evidence — that Puerto Rico's government was scamming federal disaster funds to pay down its debt.
On Oct. 23, Trump falsely claimed in a tweet that Puerto Rico's "inept politicians are trying to use the massive and ridiculously high amounts of hurricane/disaster funding to pay off other obligations."
At the same time, White House officials told congressional leadership that Trump was inflamed by the Wall Street Journal article and "doesn't want to include additional Puerto Rico funding in further spending bills," according to a congressional leadership aide. "He was unhappy with what he believed was mismanagement of money," the aide said.
A second source said Trump misinterpreted the Journal article, concluding falsely that the Puerto Rican government was using disaster relief funds to pay down debt.
A third source said Trump told top officials in an October meeting that he wanted to claw back congressional funds that had previously been set aside for Puerto Rico's recovery. "He's always been pissed off by Puerto Rico," the source added.
Trump's wariness about sending federal money to Puerto Rico dates back to the beginning of his administration. In early 2017, when negotiating the omnibus spending bill, Democratic congressional leaders were pushing Trump to bail out Puerto Rico's underfunded health care system that serves the island's poorest citizens.
Trump insisted in the negotiations that he wouldn't approve anything close to the level of funds Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats requested, according to two sources involved. (And he didn't.)
The bottom line: Congress took steps to keep disaster relief funds from being used to pay down the island's debt, and as Bloomberg reported at the time, "neither the island's leaders — nor the board installed by the U.S. to oversee its budget — are proposing using disaster recovery aid to directly pay off bondholders or other lenders."
Why it matters: Congress will have to pass a new package of spending bills in December. Hill sources say the package may include a bill to send more federal money to disaster areas. Trump has told aides he believes too much federal money has already gone to Puerto Rico — more than $6 billion for Hurricane Maria so far, according to FEMA. (The government projects more than $55 billion from FEMA's disaster relief fund will ultimately be spent on Maria's recovery.)
In comparison, per the NYT, "when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Congress approved $10 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency four days later, and another $50 billion six days later. The federal government is still spending money on Katrina assistance, more than 12 years after the storm’s landfall."
Trump often blames Democratic-controlled states for the fallout from their natural disasters. On Saturday, Trump threatened "no more Fed payments" for California to deal with its deadly fires unless the state addresses what Trump claims is "gross mismanagement of the forests."
At least 23 people have died because of California's historically destructive wildfires over the past few days.
Around 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico because of Hurricane Maria, according to government estimates. Trump, without evidence, has claimed this is fake news designed to make him look bad.
Puerto Rico's unlikely financial bounceback
Puerto Rican government admits to higher death toll from Hurricane Maria
The Trump administration gave less help to Puerto Rico than Houston
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Birdron
How a bunch of teen birders spotted 100 species in a single day with Kenn Kaufman at the Point Reyes Birding Festival
Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Ronan
It was April 27th at six in the morning. We had woken up an hour earlier and packed what gear we needed into our backpacks. After that, my dad and I quickly ate breakfast and drove southwest from Sacramento toward the coast of California. The sun was just coming up and as it became lighter, birds started to sing. A week earlier, my mom had bought tickets for me and my dad to go on a birding trip for young birders with Kenn Kaufman at the Point Reyes Birding Festival. He is a celebrity in the birding world for famously hitchhiking across North America in 1963. In that year, he found the most species ever recorded by one person in the U.S. Afterwards, he wrote a book about his adventure called Kingbird Highway.
As we headed toward the Point Reyes Station in Marin County, we passed the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. This seasonal river spillway is home to the largest number of bird species in the Sacramento region. Just a river and a county line over from where we live, we sometimes bird here. But on that day, we couldn’t stop. Closer to our destination and about an hour into our trip, we passed another major birding hotspot. From inside the car, we watched as San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge passed by. A marsh bordered the road on the right side and an expanse of the open bay was on the left. The road continued like this for several miles before reconnecting to the mainland. The birding there is excellent because of the high diversity of species and habitats.
A row of scaup swam single-file in the calm water. Then some coots and dowitchers shot by bobbing their heads and pecking in some reeds. After that, we observed a cluster of unusual ducks that had reddish foreheads which sloped into large black bills. They were Canvasbacks! As we sped by, the males’ white backs flashed in the morning sun. I looked ahead to see where the road went. It ascended onto a bridge whose arch stretched across the water. We had crossed this bridge a couple of times before while traveling to the bay. We had done this though, in overcast, at nighttime or during other less than ideal conditions. However, today was the first time I had a chance to view the birds. Unfortunately, as we neared the top of the bridge, the waterfowl below became too distant to identify. So I turned my attention to the Cliff Swallows that swarmed around the bridge.
Cliff Swallows are the ubiquitous swallow of northern California in the summer months. Their favored nest sites are usually man-made structures such as bridges or the underside of overhanging roofs. The nest site has to be within flying range of water for a source of food. These swallows were chirping and twittering loudly as they came in for a landing at their nest site. Individual swallows land on the bank of a lake, pond, river or any other body of water and use their beaks to grab a mouthful of mud. During the return flight, the swallow mixes its saliva with the mud to make a sticky compound. The swallow then sticks the “brick” to its nest and goes back for more. The mud can take about fifteen minutes to dry. While building a nest, a pair of swallows make hundreds of trips to eventually build what looks like an upside-down igloo. When the construction is finished, the swallows need grass to furnish their nest. They can also get it from the riverbank or can find loose grass in recently mowed fields.
Looking beyond the swallows out at the wetlands, I noticed a high-flying, bird-probing raptor watching carefully for any type of movement among the reeds below. It came toward the bridge, and as it passed over, its thin wings, finely barred breast and dark blue-gray upperparts became apparent. The dark mask on its face confirmed it. It was a Peregrine Falcon! The falcon disappeared as we headed down the other side of the bridge. These were all great birds, especially to see them from the car; I wondered what species we might encounter if we birded here on foot! I was thinking of owls and rails as we exited the preserve.
As the blue dot on the map got closer to the red one, the roads became windy and hilly. Frequently, the road went for miles without another one crossing it. This is where the birds are. Fences along the road held cattle from wandering into the street and served as perches for blackbirds and sparrows to sing from. A couple of times I thought a flock of exceptionally small birds were White-throated Sparrows; the coast was their usual hangout in winter but sometimes ventured inland to Sacramento. When we arrived in the neighborhood of the destination and found the place, we were surprised to find a red brick building in place of where a gas station should have been.
Google had erroneously listed the Point Rayes Station as a place to refuel cars. We got out and saw that the front door had an ad for gym memberships, so we walked around the building and saw Jessica. We had been put in touch with her when we had called to register for the birding trip. She was the organizer for the event. It was nice to finally meet her after a week of calling back and forth. She explained that the festival was being held at the Dance Palace next door. We walked over and immediately identified at large chruch-like building as the place. The check-in booth was covered in stickers, magnets, pamphlets, checklists, and books all about birds. To complete the collection, a metal rack beside the stand had all kinds of different bird T-shirts advertising the festival.
We walked over to get our registration sheet and fill it out. As we did so, in walked Fiona and her mom, Beth. Fiona lives near Sacramento and I have birded with her once before. We had both been past scholarship recipients from the Central Valley Bird Club. We were then directed to give our filled-out form to one of the boys who was going to lead the group. Kenn Kaufman and Dave DeSante technically were leading the group but the members of the Bay Area Bird Club birded this area and knew what to expect in different locations. The members of the bird club who were with the group today were Lucas Stephenson, Lucas Corneliussen, Ethan Monk, and Lucas’s dad, Mark Stephenson.
There was still half an hour till the trip began, so I went with them down the road to a local marsh. As we walked down the dirt path, a Wrentit sang from the roadside scrub. By the marsh, Common Yellowthroats skulked in the dense reeds and a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds flew across the landscape with epaulets flaming. We checked the time and hurried back so we would not be late for the trip.
The group was just leaving. Everyone chose a car to carpool in. Ruth invited us to ride in their rental. A few miles down the road, we parked at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. We got out of the car and saw Acorn Woodpeckers flying among the pine trees and landing on dead snags with rows of holes drummed out near the top. We spread out along both sides of the road and birds were immediately found. Along with the woodpeckers, we heard Spotted Towhees and Black-headed Grosbeaks. We were working our way down the wooded hill the road was on, and suddenly, as we crossed a creek, we were in riparian habitat. Then, we realized we would need someone to record the birds we saw on eBird. eBird is a website many birders use around the world to track their sightings by submitting digital checklists of the birds seen in any given place. Mark Stephenson was elected the lister for the day, so we went back to birding. Loving willows, Wilson’s Warblers flashed around, perching on the thin branches. A Chipping Sparrow had been seen here recently so we started looking in likely places; behind rocks, under trees, and around a barn. Brown-headed Cowbirds landed at the top of a tree and began to call.
Birding at the Bear Valley Visitor Center.
We started up towards the road, walking around a few white houses. It seemed we were trespassing on someone’s property, but no one was there, and the guides came here often, so we kept birding. By the road, Bullock’s Oriole and Swainson’s Thrush called. The pine trees started on the opposite side of the road. Then, a tiny Pygmy Nuthatch was spotted creeping up a tree stopping frequently to grab a bug. We now had a better view of the Acorn Woodpeckers and the trees they were on, dead with holes at the very top. According to Lucas C., this was where Purple Martins were seen often. Not having seen this large swallow, I scanned the skies hopefully. Then it was spotted. A black-looking swallow flew overhead calling. Cameras went off and I had a new species for my life list.
As we continued along the road, more Spotted and California Towhees called; a grumbling call from the thickets and a high-pitched “tink!” respectively. A Hutton’s Vireo foraged above our heads in a tree. Their patterns look a lot like Ruby-crowned Kinglets but it can be identified by a stockier body and heavier bill. As we walked back to the cars, we reviewed the checklist before submission, adding a few other species we had seen. Once submitted, the checklist had sixty-two species including Brown Creeper and Chestnut-backed Chickadees.
Our next stop was quick. We drove down a dirt road into the parking lot for Olema Marsh. There was a path leading away into the marsh, but we were only going to pick up some key species near the cars. On the other side of the parking lot, a hill led down into the marsh. Virginia’s Rail was supposed to be here. As we waited for it to show, we enjoyed Common Yellowthroats and Allen’s Hummingbirds as they hunted for insects. Then, we heard the rails. They were squabbling among the reeds. These chicken-like birds with long beaks were colored to look like the reeds and were rarely seen. I had never seen one even though I had encountered them a few times in similar habitat. Not expecting to actually see the birds, we went back to the cars and to another location.
At our next location, we drove north to Inverness, a town on the western side of Tomales Bay. The parking lot was limiting. There were only five or six thin parking spaces in the back of a run-down shop. So, having large birding vehicles, some had to park parallel to the curb. The first thing I noticed on the beach beyond the parking lot was a white gull. As others came, they also saw the pallid gull. Before we could identify it though, the crowd of people emerging from the cars inclined the gull to walk down the beach. After persuing it for a few yards, it took flight and soared away.
Then we set up the scopes and scanned the water. As the group watched the grebes and tried to identify them either as Western or Clark’s, the young birders and I took a scope and walked farther down. It was set up again in sight of a wharf where Black Turnstones ran up and down on the decaying wood. We also saw a Mixed flock of Greater and Lesser Scaup. About half an hour later, we went back to the rest of the group and learned they had seen a Bald Eagle just above the ridge overlooking the road. It was then that I noticed some members of the group had disappeared, and some others had mysteriously conjured paper bundles that they were eating from. Then I realized they were coming from the store. My dad had also bought us both a sandwich. I ate half of it and then it was time to go. I wrapped it up and put it with the other food we had brought. Then, just as the caravan had taken to the road, a large bird flew spread-eagled above the trees shading the street. It was, in fact, another Bald Eagle. The entire group saw it, as I learned at the next destination.
The cars in front of the pack pulled into the beginning of an unpaved road where we would bird next. This was Mount Vision Road. There was no more room to park. So our car kept along the road to look for a parking spot farther down. All the cars behind us followed as we made a U-turn and parked on the opposite side of the road. Then we joined the rest of the group as they started up the dirt path. We were hoping to find MacGillivray’s Warbler here. We searched in low, dense bushes and listened for its call. We walked farther up the dirt path and found a covey of California Quails sitting at the end of a dead log trying to camouflage themselves. We also saw Allen’s Hummingbirds, Violet-green Swallows, and more Wilson’s Warblers, but we could not find the MacGillivray’s. So we walked towards the cars and saw members of the group aiming telephoto lenses at a clump of trees. As I got closer, I saw that they were looking at a Pacific-slope Flycatcher only a few yards away, catching insects in the tree.
The road to our next location was long. We drove up and down hills where cows grazed and Savannah Sparrows sang. There wasn’t much else except for a farm or two along the way. It reminded me of the seemingly endless road through thirty-two miles of Pawnee grassland in Colorado, but I saw occasional glimpses of the sea. Then I knew where we were. We were heading for the outer point on Point Rayes. There was sure to be lots of seabirds. On the way, we drove by the Cypress Tunnel. a road that passes underneath a grove of cypress trees. These were the only trees here. They could stand the sea wind much better than most deciduous trees. As we passed a farm, Ruth said that they had once stopped here and found Great-horned Owls and Barn Owls roosting together.
When we reached the edge of the water, the cars stopped in a small loop protruding from the road. Everyone parked and the scopes were taken out. I saw Western Gulls flying around the edge of Sunset Overlook and below. Large rocks were projecting from the crashing water and looking through the scopes, I saw hundreds of penguin-like Common Murres congregating on every flat surface available. Farther out, Cormorants flew with wings almost touching the water. Both Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants were common here and it was obvious which were which. The Pelagic Cormorants, now in breeding plumage, had large white spots which looked like a saddle; the Brandt’s didn’t. The spots on the Pelagic Cormorants were easy to see with binoculars, but in the end, we only had a count of five birds. A few Brown Pelicans were seen sitting on the rocks. And Pigeon Guillemots also floated on the ocean. Than an Alcid was spotted by Lucas Stephenson and he thought it looked like a Rhinoceros Auklet. Dave DeSante and Kenn Kaufman took a look and confirmed the identification. Lucas digiscoped it for the checklist. It was another life bird for me!
We drove a little more and came to the end of the road. It ended in a parking lot loop which was mostly filled up. It seemed to be a popular tourist spot. The group drove through, filling the remaining spots and the rest of the cars had to be satisfied with parking on the side of the road. We walked down the broad path leading to the fish docks. It then split into two; one path led through scrub and to the fish docks. The other path went down a hill among Cypress trees and to the far tip of the peninsula. we set up the scopes right at the fork and scanned the water. There were some loons out in the water which was identified as Common or Red-throated. A Common Loon in breeding plumage sat far out on the water. Pacific Loons were also here; another lifer! Then a very dark sparrow was seen in the scrub. At first glance, it looked like a fox sparrow, but when it popped out again, we saw its field marks were those of a Song Sparrow which was unusually dark.
Then I noticed that the group had shrunk. Upon further inspection, I saw that the Bay Area Birding Club was missing; they had gone off birding just down the path. I looked around back towards the parking lot and saw from the top of a bush a shimmering orange spot. I called out “Allen’s Hummingbird!” and everyone turned to look at and photograph it. More birds were seen; some more loons flew overhead, breeding Horned Grebes were scoped out on the water, and a raft of Surf Scoters floated on the water. I was watching the Scoters when I saw an unusual bird. Among the pied males, A small, dark individual rested on the waves. The orange knob on its bill looked like the Black Scoters in my field guide. The experts came to ID it and, even though it was hard to see, they confirmed my identification.
It was getting late. It was two o’clock, but we were supposed to be back around twelve thirty. Kenn was the keynote speaker for the evening event and he had to be back soon. He joked that maybe we could skip the evening event so we could keep birding. We started down the path the boys had gone. We were going to find them and bird along the way. In about five hundred feet, we reached a part where cypress trees stood in a circular formation around this section of the path. Owls were often reported here, so we settled down. we sat down and scanned the trees. We saw no owl. A couple members of the group went farther ahead to find the young birders. They came back without luck. We started heading back and when we were under a cypress tree, Fiona shouted “Bushtit!”. Out came the scopes again as the twittering pair brought grass and moss to furnish a nest in progress. This was a great find! Normally, Bushtits are common and can be heard from almost any point in their range, but the lack of habitat from the base of the peninsula to the tip makes bushtits a rarity on the Outer Point. As we stood there watching the birds, a group of hikers came by, asked what all the equipment was about. They looked through the scope to see the nest. It was very hard to find because of all the branches in front of it, so the birds going in and out were the only indication of something there. One hiker even attempted to photograph them; first having to find the birds himself, then finding it on his camera screen. Once the hikers left, we reluctantly packed up the scopes and made for the cars.
The boys had been missing, so we decided that Kenn would come with us back to the Dance Palace while the rest of the group searched for the avid birders along the trail. We were soon in the car and pulling out from our position on the side of the road. As we reached the top of the hill overlooking the parking lot we had just left, a few cars in front of us slowed and turned off the road. We saw the reason. Some trucks were coming up the hill and the cars in front of us had a small shoulder. Once the trucks were passed, we could continue along the road. During the long drive back, we passed through a large puddle spanning the entire road. We drove in hoping it wasn’t too deep. It turned out to be only a few inches at its deepest. My dad and I had encountered one of these a few weeks earlier looking for a Red-throated Loon, so we knew what it was like. During the rest of the uneventful drive, we tried to convince Kenn to attempt a Kingbird Highway number two using another fuel-efficient way of transportation, but he did not seem to like that idea. Then, Ruth saw a dark clump in a tree on the farm where they saw the owls. We stopped on the other side of the road and took out the scope. It was a Great-horned Owl which we needed for the day list. We watched it sleep for another fifteen minutes, and as I was sketching the bird, a pair of hikers came along the road. They also wanted to look at the bird through the scope. we were on the road again ten minutes later. Then we saw an osprey eating a fish on top of a telephone pole. The car slowed as we got ready to hop out again, but we decided to pass it.
Back at the Dance Palace, we got out of the car and took some photos with Kenn. When we were finished, we saw the rest of the cars parked at the curb and Ethan’s mom walking towards us. “Did you guys just get back?” she asked. We nodded, then explained that we had seen a Great-horned Owl, how could we resist? She understood. By now, we were walking inside to help set up. We were attending the evening program, but when we signed up, all the seats had already been filled. We agreed to help set up the outside dining area and the inside auditorium in exchange for a few sixty-dollar seats in the back of the room.
Posing with Kenn Kaufman.
Jessica first had us come to a back room to find a volunteer T-shirt for us. We had to polish wine glasses first. We would take one out of a crate, wipe its base and cup with a towel and set it on the table. There were three crates of twenty-five glasses each, so I was glad to have the help of two other boys also trying to earn a seat. Our next job was moving heavy wooden tables so they wouldn’t rock back and forth with lumps of dirt under two legs. Then we had to put chairs around the tables, ten chairs to a table, and fill the auditorium with chairs.
Volunteering to earn seats in the speech.
By now, the food was out and guests were arriving. When we were finished, it was four o’clock and the people had all come back from their birding trips. Kenn Kaufman was sitting at a table in a corner signing copies of his books. I did not have any of his field guides or Kingbird Highway, so I with three other members of the Bay Area Birding Club went for the second time that day to the preserve down the road. We walked down the paths finding Savanah Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats, and more Red-winged Blackbirds. At the fence bordering the marsh, we scanned the landscape revealing a pair of Bald Eagles sitting on a low snag in the distance. At this time, two of the other boys decided to find a Black Rail. So, they went beyond the fence and into the tall grass at the edge of the swamp. I was worried that we wouldn’t have time for dinner and time until the ceremony, so we left, unable to pull them out of the marsh. Not having eaten since lunch, I was starving. I piled my plate with linguini, salad, and bread and sat down to eat. I had seconds, and when I was finished with that, it was almost time for the speech.
Talking to Kieth Hansen, a bird artist from the bay.
My legs had a cramp. It had been creeping up as I helped out and birded, but now it was in full force. we were on our way to the car to get a bottle of water to help my legs when my dad realized he did not have the keys. We backtracked to where he had sat and talked while I looked in the volunteer room. He eventually told Jessica who told everyone to look for a set of keys. We kept looking. This time we searched near the car. We found them in the keyhole of the trunk to our car. What a relief! It was now time to go to the auditorium for the speech. My Dad interrupted the group Jessica was talking with to tell her we had found what we were looking for. Everyone cheered, then we went to find a seat in the auditorium. Before the speech began, we noticed the phone with the directions to get home was at four percent. we had used it to get to the station, get around, and we needed to use it to get back. My dad went out to borrow a charger and came back quickly. The phone was plugged into a nearby outlet. Now we could sit back and listen to the speech.
The speech was about Kenn’s new book titled A Season on the Wind. It was about bird migration. During the speech, He talked about his experience with birds and how he grew up to write about them. At the end of the speech, It was time for most people to go, but not us! We still had to stick around helping to remove the chairs from the auditorium and sweep the floor, but when that was done, we could go.
When we got home (two hours later), we stayed up recounting the story to my mom. It was eleven thirty when I finally got to bed. It had been a wonderful day of birding in which I saw four new birds, tallied one hundred species for the day, and made new birding friends. Below are links where you can see all the checklists for the day.
Link to checklist for:
San Pablo Bay
Bear Valley Visitor Center
Olema Marsh
Inverness Store
Mount Vision Road
Sunset Overlook
Fish Docks
Outer Point
Copyright © 2021 Birdron
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Democracy Under Siege
Thursday, 5 November, 2020
By Rick Moore.
It’s hard sometimes to look at the events over the last 5 years and not worry that trust in the democratic process is strained. It seems that most elections and referenda are called into question by someone. Whether it be allegations of voter fraud, lies told to the electorate, or just that the “system” is wrong. There always seems to be someone ready to spit their dummy out and cry foul.
Is our election process that open to fraud? According to the electoral commission in 2019, there were 592 cases of alleged electoral fraud which led to 3 convictions and 1 caution. So either there was only a tiny amount of voter fraud OR there was only a tiny amount of fraud with enough evidence to convict. Looking at the US Presidential Elections, there are multiple allegations of voter fraud in several states. Certainly, in the UK, there have been notable cases in the recent past such as in the Tower Hamlets 2015 where Mayor Lutfur Rahman was removed from office and former local Labour branch secretary Tariq Mahmood who received a 15-month prison sentence in 2008 for his part in a scheme to fabricate votes for a Peterborough council election. So it clearly can happen.
So either Electoral Fraud happens significantly or it doesn’t. Is it a case of sore losers who can’t accept a democratic vote, or are there more false allegations than are proven genuine? The question is, is there smoke without fire?
Either way, it’s a massive problem, not just in the UK, but in any democracy. Even the allegations themselves bring the democratic process into doubt, and when they are proven, it’s even worse because that’s evidence that it happens. Both scenarios erode trust in the system, and without trust voters become disenfranchised and the system fails.
So I feel we must find ways to shore up the electoral system. Surely in 2020 we can find better and more secure ways to cast our votes than paper ballots! Most of us don’t rely on pass books for our Bank accounts after all. If we can remove the doubt that has developed then we can avoid all the vitriol of allegations of fraud and restore trust.
That then moves us on to losers' consent, which is essential to a democracy. It can’t have escaped anyone's notice that lately certain groups only seem to believe in democratic decisions when it goes their way.
Look at Brexit, with calls for second votes, supreme court challenges, and including those that didn’t bother to vote at all in the numbers that “didn’t vote for Brexit” in an attempt to undermine the decision. It hasn’t escaped my notice, and I’m sure a lot of others, that the people who did their level best to undermine the 2016 Referendum and cheered Gina Miller through the Supreme Court in the UK are now calling out Donald Trump for threatening legal action in the US. Some people's hypocrisy knows no bounds it seems.
That isn’t to say Donald Trump is right to do what he is doing, I guess the question is whether there has been electoral fraud in the US or not. If there has, then a more robust system would have stopped the problem before it started. If there hasn’t then he cannot be allowed to succeed, or it will be a dark day for democracy in the US.
No electoral system is perfect, first past the post, proportional representation, electoral college, to name three all have their pros and cons. Ultimately whatever system is used has to remain constant through the election process. Again democracy is harmed when the losers start adding up votes such as after the UK 2019 General Election. Adding up all the pro-Brexit parties votes and all the anti-Brexit parties votes in a first past the post election, and claiming a mandate for remain to overturn an earlier referendum, as if we used proportional representation and the election was based on a single issue, is adding up 2+2 and getting 5 as far as I am concerned. To perpetuate trust in the democratic process, a mandate must be enacted, stalling proceedings for years in order to overturn that mandate just perpetuates a lack of trust in the process.
So it is incumbent on all of us to uphold the democratic process. Sometimes you get the decision you want, sometimes you don’t, but if you actively stand against democracy what happens when a decision you care about goes your way and someone overturns that? Is it OK for that decision to be undermined? Is it OK for your vote to count for nothing? What happens when all the trust in Democracy is gone?
So please spare a thought for Democracy, because if Democracy loses we all lose.
Rick Moore
At 40 years old, married with two daughters, living in Blackburn, Rick owns a Mechanical and Electrical contracting business specialising in Assistive Technology and Smart Home Automation. He is a qualified Electronics and Gas Engineer.
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Photo story: 7 of 30
Long-Term Projects, 2nd prize
Women on Bam-e Tehran, the ‘Roof of Tehran’, look out over the capital. One wears a dressing following plastic surgery. Iran has one of the highest rates of nose surgery in the world.
Women smoke shisha in a café in Tehran.
Women are made up in a beauty salon.
A woman bathes in the Persian Gulf with her son.
Women wearing chadors cross the Varzaneh Bridge in the province of Isfahan. In this region, white is traditionally worn to ward off evil.
A sex worker lies on her bed.
Women play pool.
Sadiq sits with his dog in his living room in Los Angeles, USA.
Members of a family at home in Yazd, central Iran.
Young women practice the violin.
Siavash, a tattooist, smokes a cigarette.
Young men and women in a swimming pool at a party in Tehran.
Women dance together at a party.
Mothers of men killed in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War pray at their sons’ graves, surrounded by their portraits.
A cleric and his family walk on Valiasr Street, one of Tehran’s main commercial thoroughfares.
Women smoke on the balcony of a private home.
A rock band plays in Isfahan, central Iran.
Female relatives of men killed in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War offer prayers at a memorial site in Khuzestan, near the Iraqi border.
Female members of the Basij militia's Ashura putting their guns away after a ceremony. The militia took part in a military parade to mark national Basij week at a Revolutionary Guards military base.
A boy rides a bike in a housing estate in the Ekbatan district of Tehran.
Ashraf, 30, sits in the passenger seat of a classic car after her wedding reception.
Clerics leave a mosque in the city of Qom, southwest of Tehran. Qom is a holy city for Shia Muslims, and an important center of Shia scholarship.
Two young people watch films in a private apartment.
Serial killer Mohammad Bijeh is hanged after receiving a public flogging. Together with an accomplice he had kidnapped and murdered between 19 and 22 people, mostly children.
A young Iranian woman sings at an event for Iranian refugees, in Los Angeles, USA.
Mina Siegel, who emigrated from Iran to the US in 1973 to pursue her graduate studies, now leads an active retirement after a successful career, and lives in New York. She takes pride in her contribution to the life of the Iranian community in New York City.
Two young couples sit in a tent smoking shisha.
A young man practices parkour, a sport that uses the urban landscape as an obstacle course.
Tara and Soroush, two Iranian students, hold hands on their wedding day in downtown Chicago, USA, while a taxi driver prays on the sidewalk.
A mural depicting the Ayatollah Khomeini, the figurehead of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.
Nature,3rd prize
2017 Photo Contest, Long-Term Projects, Stories, 2nd prize
Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the country has followed a strictly conservative theocratic line. Western cultural influences have been severely restricted. An estimated 60 percent of Iran’s population is under 30 and have little knowledge of their country before the revolution, yet all the trappings of Western youth and modernity are now beamed into homes via the internet and (as yet still illegal) satellite television. Daily, millions of young people engage in activities that are officially illegal and can carry severe penalties. The Basij—a volunteer militia—polices public morals, on the lookout for such offences as women showing too much hair, or couples inappropriately holding hands.
The photographer was born and raised in Iran and has been photographing his country for 15 years. He aims to document parts of Iran’s complex society showing less-observed areas of daily life. He also turned his focus on some Iranian immigrants in the US, to see how they had kept their language, culture and traditions alive.
Between 2006 and 2008, he turned his lens on the wars in both Georgia and Lebanon. In 2009, Hossein moved to Afghanistan and documented American ground operations and the lives o...
Family Love 1993-2014
Darcy Padilla
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Grupo Axo Links With General Atlantic
An investment from the private equity firm valued the Mexican retail operator at $425 million.
By Evan Clark on May 30, 2017
Tommy Hilfiger's Mexican web site with Grupo Axo.
President Donald Trump might be thinking of building a wall, but Grupo Axo is building connections and has brought on private equity firm General Atlantic to help.
The Mexico City-based retail operator — which represents Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Brunello Cucinelli, Victoria’s Secret and a host of other brands in Mexico — was headed for the public markets last year before the U.S. election set it on a different course.
“We were on track for an IPO and we didn’t do it in November because of all the jitters around the election,” said Alberto Fasja, cofounder and cochief executive officer of Axo.
General Atlantic had been in contact with the firm for some time and was able to step into a deal, WWD can exclusively reveal.
Although neither Axo nor General Atlantic provided specifics, a source close to the situation said the private equity firm bought 38 percent of the company for $160 million, giving the Mexican firm a valuation of roughly $425 million.
General Atlantic bought out restaurant player Alsea, which had a 25 percent stake, and also pumped money directly into Axo to help fuel its growth. The private equity firm, which has a stake in Tory Burch, Zimmermann and others, plans to aid Axo as it expand its portfolio of 20 international brands, sharpens its e-commerce capabilities and builds its off-price business.
Luis Cervantes, vice president and head of General Atlantic’s operation in Mexico, said Axo has “positioned itself as the partner of choice for retailers looking to come into Mexico” and that the private equity company could help bring in new brands.
It is a market that’s ripe for more brands from abroad.
“Over 70 percent of consumers [in Mexico] prefer international brands,” he said.
In conjunction with the investment, Cervantes as well as his colleagues Martin Escobari and Andrew Ferrer will join Axo’s board.
Alberto Fasja, cofounder and coceo, Grupo Axo.
Axo’s Fasja said the deal gives the retailer more time to grow and improve its standards while “kicking the potential IPO a few years back.”
Axo has plenty to do in the meantime with the Mexican retail scene developing and new malls expected to continue to open.
The company, which operates over 500 stores and has more than 3,100 points of wholesale distribution, has been focusing on mass brands in recent years, after a change in duties on Chinese-made goods helped Axo branch out from deals with luxe brands.
Fasja said the company will court well-known established brands that attract younger shoppers and drive high volumes in fashion as well as beauty and activewear.
Promoda, Axo’s 140-door off-pricer, is also an area of intense focus, particularly given the success seen north of the border by the likes of T.J. Maxx-parent TJX Cos. Inc., which is the retailer of the moment in the U.S. The Promoda chain picks up 10 percent to 11 percent of its goods from Axo’s full-price stores, but gets most of its merchandise on the global market.
Fasja said the chain would end up this year with about 165 stores and that there was potential for 500 doors in five to seven years.
That’s the kind of retail growth that just doesn’t exist in the U.S. any longer.
“It is very important to note that all of the talk about the doom of retail and the demise of retail, that is very, very particular to the U.S.,” Fasja said. “There are not official statistics, but per capita, we’re at a tenth or a twentieth the footprint in Mexico [compared with the U.S.].”
Andres Gomez, Axo’s cofounder and coceo, added that, “We see a very strong and solid market” in Mexico that is about “20 years behind” the U.S. in terms of retail development.
But Gomez said the Mexican retail scene is growing in its own way given the rise of e-commerce, the purchasing power of the consumer and the overstored nature of the landscape in the U.S.
“We have to be more careful where we are going to open, so it doesn’t happen the same as in the U.S., because we want to be very focused, to be in the very good malls,” he said.
Andres Gomez, cofounder and coceo, Grupo Axo.
Retailers and investors have learned from the American experience and are turning to other markets, trying to take advantage of the e-commerce opportunity and benefit from steady retail expansion while avoiding some of the pitfalls.
“We’re very positive on the Mexican economy,” said Bill Ford, ceo of General Atlantic. “It’s an economy that’s growing, it’s a country that’s large and it’s a consumer market that’s rapidly growing.”
The deal extends General Atlantic’s presence in developing retail markets. Last year, the company invested in Indonesian food and beverage firm PT MAP Boga Adiperkasa.
Ford said, “Indonesia might be half a step behind Mexico” but that both have attractive consumer markets. “In so many countries around the world, incomes are rising.”
By contrast, the U.S. market is in the midst of what Ford said was “significant structural change” with e-commerce at a tipping point.
“Consumers are very comfortable learning about buying fashion products online, probably even preferring it,” he said.
More from WWD:
Christine Beauchamp Takes Reins at Amazon Fashion
Remembering JFK’s ‘Effortless’ Style 100 Years After His Birth
Neiman Marcus Interim CFO, Chief Operating Officer Departing
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Arthurian Saga Books In Order
Publication Order of Arthurian Saga Books
The Crystal Cave (1970) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Hollow Hills (1973) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Last Enchantment (1979) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Wicked Day (1983) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Prince and the Pilgrim (1995) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Mary Stewart was born on September 17 1916. She was a British author who was famously known for the Arthurian saga series and the Merlin book series. She was the daughter of Edith Mathews and Fredrick Rainbow. Stewart had always wanted to be a professor, however this was derailed especially due to job scarcity. Mary Stewart completed a degree in teaching which she used to secure a job in one of the local primary school. After the war had ended, Mary was awarded with her master’s degree where she became a Literature professor within the University. While in Durban, Mary met Fredrick Stewart, who became her husband three months down the line after they met.
Most readers are quite familiar with the Arthurian tale in one way or another and in each of these tales; we the readers had an idea of Merlin’s role, the most revered wizard who was a personal guide to King Arthur. Very few readers have ever stopped to ask themselves who exactly Merlin was as a person, and not as the great wizard. In this installment, Merlin Steward has provided the readers with the answers to the questions that have been escaping the readers mind for a very long time. Mary Stewart begins the story in the early days when Merlin was still a small boy. Merlin was a bastard who was born to a Welsh princess, Niniane.
Due to his ignoble birth together with the impending threat of his unidentified heritage, Merlin is not only ignored but also mistreated or feared, thus becomes he becomes introverted. If he was a simple boy, then he would have never survived the harsh conditions of his early childhood days. Nonetheless, like his mother, Merlin is blesses or cursed with sight, an ability to know much more than what his five sense would tell him. Through a bit of fate and a number of unique circumstances, Merlin ends up being an assistant to a great king, Ambrosius. Furthermore, he ends up having an intimidate contact with the extremely volatile and Callous, Uther Pendadragon, a man whom according to destiny was to become his Arthur’s father.
The author Mary Stewart takes the reader to an exceedingly fascinating and believable journey, which is magical though it has very little to do with real magic. Stewart brings all the characters in the book to life, not only the protagonist Merlin, but also King Ambrosius, King Uther, Cadal and Cerdic. Furthermore, there is not any character, irrespective of how small he or she is that does not serve their role in the story. It is quite easy to tell that Stewart has a great understanding of history judging by how she presents it. Stewart also has an exceedingly fresh writing style, which will put you the reader right there in history.
The author also has a deep understanding of what it really means to be both mortal and exceptional, and thus we are able to understand Merlin in the human and exceptional levels. With that said, this book is not only captivating but also fast paced and by the end of the book, you will want to read even more.
The Last Enchantment
The Last Enchantment is the third book in the Arthurian saga series. The book begins as Arthur has been just made king and has already started to put in work to ensure that Camelot becomes the center of authority and government. As the newly appointed King of Britain, Arthur must tackle all the obstacles which have now become a part of his life. Merlin must assist Arthur to fight the danger that Morgause possess. Merlin not only experiences love but also betrayal together with the weakening of his powers. The perception of Merlin as a human being and not as a wizard is the main strength of this installment. He is used as a tool by the gods thus he himself is not a god.
The author has managed to carry this theme up to the end and in a way she will make you to sympathize for Merlin. She also allows the reader to share Merlin’s accomplishments and his sorrows as well. The love that Merlin inspires and also feels for Arthur is intense. His lack of understanding women together with their needs is exceedingly clear, especially when he deals with important female characters who will eventually become significant in Merlin’s final days. At some point, Merlin appoints Niniane, a female apprentice.
When Niniane was introduced in the storyline, she was disguised as a small boy. Merlin had previously selected another child, but the child had died unexpectedly. Niniane does not possess the powers that Merlin has, however, Merlin teaches Niniane everything that he knows about his line of work. Irrespective of the age differences between the two, they become lovers. As Merlin was teaching Niniane, he was on the other hand losing his abilities and also how to control those powers. In a depleted state, Merlin falls ill and eventually falls into a comma. Many people believed that Merlin had died, thus Niniane buried Merlin within a crystal cave. Later on, Merlin awakens from his deep sleep.
Merlin manages to successfully escape and through ingenious planning and little bit of luck, he travels to inform Arthur that he had not died. Niniane is promoted to the court wizard while Merlin retired and moved back to the crystal cave. Like all the previous book in the Arthurian saga series, the Last Enchantment is narrated using Merlin’s voice. According to Merlin, Arthur is not only virtuous but is also memorable, noble and magnanimous. Furthermore, all the men in Merlin’s circle are also righteous as well.
Hollow Hills
Hollow Hills is the second book in the Arthurian Saga series by Mary Stewart. In this book we meet Merlin once again as he is bleeding on the other side of the road. We get to watch Arthur’s journey from a small boy into one of the greatest kings of all time. Merlin’s duty is to be the bridge between Arthur and Ambrosius. With that said, the character Merlin is going to appeal to you the reader, because of his humanity. Nonetheless, Merlin still pays a high price for his unique powers. Since these powers were granted at the determination and whim of his gods, Merlin does not have absolute control over these powers. Furthermore he neither chooses history nor controls events. His main work is to execute plans, which were clearly formulated in the heavens.
Book Series In Order » Characters » Arthurian Saga
In 1994, Brad Meltzer co-wrote the original swearing-in oath that is taken by AmeriCorps members, and has been delivered by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
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Connilyn Cossette Books In Order
Publication Order of Out From Egypt Books
Counted with the Stars (2016) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Shadow of the Storm (2016) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Wings of the Wind (2017) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Publication Order of The Covenant House Books
To Dwell Among Cedars (2020) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Between the Wild Branches (2021) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Publication Order of Cities of Refuge Books
A Light on the Hill (2018) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Shelter of the Most High (2018) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Until the Mountains Fall (2019) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Like Flames in the Night (2020) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Connilyn Cossette is American historical fiction, Christian, inspirational and romance author. She resides in North Carolina together with her husband and two children who make her life full of laughter, joy, and inspiration. Her love for adventure and historical facts pointing to Jesus and other biblical figures has been the primary input to her writing and her passion for books ever since her young age has contributed a lot to her career as an author.
Cossette is a CBA Best Selling Author for her incredible writings, the Out From Egypt Series and The Cities of Refuge Series. The author’s books are written from ancient information connecting to the Bible and the search for Jesus into an immersive fiction.
Counted with the Stars
Counted with the Stars is book one in the Out from Egypt Series. Connilyn Cossette gives a story of depression, hope, desperation and love with a huge biblical epoch. She provides us with the story of a girl who is sold into slavery by her father and later is followed by a couple of problems while in Egypt.
The girl is in the middle of a load of problems including being forsaken by her suitor and being sold into slavery by her father. To make things even worse, she finds herself in the middle of a massive plague that terrifies the whole of Egypt. In the process of saving her brother from slavery, she flees with the Hebrews. Her problems further increase when she finds herself entangled with a man who has a deep hating for her people and being introduced to a God that she has little knowledge of during the great exodus. She is a dilemma in that she either has to choose between going back to Egypt or sticking with the Hebrews and serving the new God.
The author takes you through the turn of events that befall Kiya that are so emotional and challenging and also includes curiosity, suspense, and emotion seen when it comes to the love she hers for her elder brother. Her inner conflict between serving the gods that she previously had in Egypt and the new one, Yahweh, puts her into a tricky situation until she finally gives in to the new God.
The story smoothly flows through with a balance between the two cultures brought out from the blend of characters. Her setting and flow of events will spike an image that is so real that the reader will want to go deeper into the story to the last page.
Shadow of the Storm
Shadow of the Storm is the second installment of her series Out From Egypt. The group that left Egypt after the plague has moved on, and they are deep in the desert with only Yahweh to guide them and provide for them. Kiya has a friend Shira whom this story has a center on for the bigger portion.
She has escaped from Egypt and together with her friend Shira they are free from the oppression and slavery that they lived in a while in Egypt. The atmosphere is peaceful until the people disobey God and build a golden idol. This, however, comes up with an opportunity for Shira who is forced to work as a midwife during the ensuing chaos. However, this is not her mother’s wish as she is supposed to engage in weaving something that has been taken as the family’s trade line. Despite all this pressure from her family, she pushes on with what her heart loves.
Things take a negative direction when a delivery that she handled goes wrong forcing her to go back to the life she had been running away from, the family weaving business and serving her God. To make thing more complicated, she ends up bound to a man who betrayed her in the past and who also has a couple of problems trailing him. There is a conflict going on between the foreigners and the Hebrews which is about to spark another dangerous rebellion. Meeting this man takes her through a tough time as she opens up her past life of hurt and embraces the consequences of her decisions as the story grows.
The story is unique, thrilling and suspenseful with vivid descriptions of characters, scenes, and happenings that will make you stuck on the book. The author has created a story with great dramatic twists and romance turned into an unforgettable story to entirely arrest the reader’s attention.
Wings of the Wind
Winds of the Wind is the third book in Connilyn Cossette Out From Egypt Series. Alanah is a Canaanite born and raised with her brother putting her on the battlefield for a huge part of her life. Her father and brothers are killed in the battlefield by the Hebrews something that puts her into bitterness and creates in her the urge to take revenge.
She gives her life to revenge without having the hope that she will survive. While Tobiah, a Hebrew is going on with his work on the battlefield, he finds an unconscious lady and out of compassion decides to offer her help by taking her to a healer at one of the Hebrew camps. He is unaware of the intentions that the lady she is trying to help has as all that he is trying to do is offer help to her.
Alanah is put in a difficult situation where she has to join hands with her enemies as a simple mistake would uncover whom she is landing her into a great deal of trouble. Things escalate, and Alanah is married to Tobiah as she gets a peaceful and welcoming atmosphere free from all the struggles that she has undergone. This, however, does not continue for long as her painful past comes over haunting her and making her go against all these that she has been offered in her new home.
She battles with the two opinions and finally shatters all that she has gained while living with the Hebrews all this time. As the author takes the reader deep into the story, one can undoubtedly feel the events that unfold through a stunning journey of this book. With detail and passion, Connilyn Cossette has crafted the story to entertain her audience.
Book Series In Order » Authors » Connilyn Cossette
Greg Iles spent several years as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter in the band Frankly Scarlet. He quit the band after he was married and began working on his first novel, Spandau Phoenix, a thriller about Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess.
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Fiona Davis Books In Order
The Dollhouse (2016) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Address (2017) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Masterpiece (2018) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Chelsea Girls (2019) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Lions of Fifth Avenue (2020) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Author Fiona Davis was born in Canada and grew up in Texas, New Jersey, and Utah. She is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism as well as the College of William and Mary.
Fiona loves nothing more than hitting the farmers markets on the weekends to find the perfect tomato, and going to foreign cities that are steeped in rich history, like Cartagena and London.
She began her career as an actress in New York City, where she worked on Broadway, in regional theater, and off-Broadway. After ten years, she switched careers, working as a writer and editor, specializing in theater, health, nutrition, fitness, and dance.
Her debut novel was released in the year 2016, and is called “The Dollhouse”. Fiona’s work is from the genres of historical and historical mystery.
“The Dollhouse” is the first stand alone novel, which was released in the year 2016. Darby McLaughlin arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in the year 1952, with her secretarial school enrollment in hand, and she is everything that her modeling agency hall mates are not. Plain, homesick, self-conscious, and convinced that she does not belong, which is an idea the models do absolutely nothing to correct.
She befriends a Barbizon maid, named Esme, she is introduced to a whole new side of New York City. The startling sounds of bebop, the seedy jazz clubs downtown where the music is equally addictive as the heroin people use there, and the chance of romance.
Over fifty years later, the Barbizon has been turned into a condo, and many of the long-ago guests have been forgotten. Rumors of Darby’s involvement in some deadly skirmish with a hotel maid in 1952 haunt the building’s halls just like the melancholy music that floats down from the old woman’s rent-controlled apartment.
It is a combination that is much too intoxicating for Rose Lewin, a journalist and Darby’s upstairs neighbor, to resist. It is also the perfect distraction from the imploding thing she calls her social life. While Rose’s obsession only gets deeper, the ethics of her investigation get more and more murky. Neither woman is going to be unchanged once the final shocking truth is revealed.
“The Address” is the second stand alone novel, which was released in the year 2017. Sara Smythe meets an architect working on a grand apartment house in New York called the Dakota and it leads to a job offer. Her world is awash in possibility all of a sudden, which is no mean feat for just a servant in the year 1884. It is a chance to move to America. It is a chance to become the female manager of the Dakota. It is a chance to see more of Theodore, someone who understands Sara like no one else does, although he also lives in the Dakota with his three young kids and wife.
A century later, Bailey Camden is desperate to find some new opportunities. Newly out of rehab, this former interior designer is penniless, jobless, and homeless. Bailey’s grandpa was once the ward of the famed architect Theodore Camden, but Bailey is not going to see a penny of the Camden’s huge estate. Instead, her “cousin” Melinda, who is Theo’s biological great-granddaughter, is going to inherit almost the whole thing. Melinda offers Bailey the chance to oversee the renovation of her Dakota apartment, Bailey jumps at the chance, despite how much she does not like the vision Melinda has for it.
The renovation is going to take all of the character the apartment that Theodore Camden himself was a resident of before dying after he was stabbed multiple times by a former employee of the Dakota that had spent time in an insane asylum, a woman named Sara Smythe.
A hundred years apart, both Bailey and Sara are tempted by and struggle against all of the excess of their respective ages. For Sara, it is the opulence from a world that is ruled by the Astors and the Vanderbilts. For Bailey, it is the nightlife’s cocaine and drinks that flow freely and take their refuge in the Upper West Side’s golden fortresses. A building with a rich, and often tragic, history like the Dakota’s is unable to hide its secrets forever. What Bailey is able to find inside might turn everything that she thought she believed about Theodore Camden, as well as the woman that stabbed him to death all on its head.
“The Masterpiece” is the third stand alone novel, which was released in the year 2018. Just about every New Yorker sees the Grand Central Terminal as a masterpiece of design and a crown jewel. For Virginia Clay and Clara Darden, it represents something quite different.
The terminal is the stepping stone to Clara’s future. The year is 1928, and Clara is a teacher at the acclaimed Grand Central School of Art. Not even the school’s prestige is able to override the disdain the public has for a “woman artist”. Fiery Clara is bound and determined in her quest to achieve every creative success she can, while she juggles the affections of two vastly different guys. She and her bohemian buddies have got no idea that they are soon going to be blindsided by the coming Great Depression. Even things like hunger and poverty is going to do very little in order to prepare Clara for the bigger tragedy that is about to come.
By the time the year 1974 comes around, the terminal has declined almost as much as Virginia Clay’s life. Dangerous and in ruins, the Grand Central is in the middle of a nasty lawsuit. Is this formerly great building a cancer that should be torn down, or a landmark that must be preserved? To Virginia, the place is just her last resort. She has recently gotten divorced, and has just gotten a job in the information booth so that she can support both herself and Ruby, her college-age daughter.
Virginia finds an abandoned art school inside the terminal and finds a striking watercolor, her eyes become opened to the elegance that lies underneath all the decay. She goes off on a quest in order to locate the artist of this unsigned masterpiece. It is a chase that pulls Virginia not just into the fight to save Grand Central but also deep into the mystery on Clara Darden, who is the fame illustrator from the twenties that vanished from history in the year 1931.
Book Series In Order » Authors » Fiona Davis
Harlan Coben majored in political science from Amherst College. Here he met a future author Dan Brown while he served as a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity with him.
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Max Brooks Books In Order
The Zombie Survival Guide (2003) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
World War Z (2006) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Devolution (2020) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Closure, Limited and Other Zombie Stories (2011) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Publication Order of Extinction Parade Books
The Extinction Parade, Volume 1 (2014) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Publication Order of Graphic Novels
The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks (2009) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds (2010) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Harlem Hellfighters (2014) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Shadow Walk (With: Mark Waid,Thomas Tull) (2015) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
Zombie Survival Notes Mini Journal (2008) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Zombie Survival Guide Journal (2011) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Publication Order of Minecraft Books
The Island (2017) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Crash (By:Tracey Baptiste) (2018) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Lost Journals (By:Mur Lafferty) (2019) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The End (By:Catherynne M. Valente) (2019) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Voyage (By:Jason Fry) (2020) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Rise of the Arch-Illager (By:Matt Forbeck) (2020) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Shipwreck (By:C.B. Lee) (2020) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Mountain (2021) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
The Dragon (By:Nicky Drayden) (2021) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Publication Order of Anthologies
Zombies: The Recent Dead (2010) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
G.I. Joe: Tales from the Cobra Wars (2011) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Strategy Strikes Back (2018) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Winning Westeros (2019) Hardcover Paperback Kindle
Born on 22nd May of the year 1972, Max Brooks is an author and screenwriter, mostly of horror type. His full name is Maximillian Michael Brooks and is an American citizen and was born in Manhattan, New York. Mel Brooks, an actor, writer, director and producer is his father and Anne Bancroft, an actress is his mother. His father was mostly involved in comedy films. His genre of work includes comics & graphic novels, nonfiction and horror. Zombie stories are the ones he likes the most and focuses mostly on this topic only. Apart from writing stories, author Brooks is also a voice-over and television actor. Situated in Santa Monica, California, Crossroads School is the place where author Max Brooks attended his school years and he is dyslexic. In the field of history Brooks earned a bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College, situated in Claremont, California. At the University of the Virgin Islands author Max Brooks spent a semester. In the year 1994, Brooks graduated from American University situated in Washington, D.C.
On Saturday Night Live, author Brooks was included as one of the writing team members between the years 2001 and 2003. The Zombie Survival Guide is the first book written by him in the year 2003. The creation and lives of zombies are described in depth in this book. Later in the year 2009, a graphic novel was published on the same topic. World War Z was published in the year 2006 that describes the war between human and zombies. A movie of the same name has also been made by Plan B Entertainment starring Brad Pitt. The New Dead anthology was published by author Max Brooks in the year 2009 and G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds, a comic book mini-series was published in the year 2010. A graphic novel titled The Harlem Hellfighters was published by him in the year 2014, which is based on the World War I. The rights to create a film version of this novel has been purchased by Sony Pictures. In the year 2016, he announced that he is currently working on Minecraft novel. Author Max Brooks has also worked as an actor. He has been seen in 7th Heaven, Pacific Blue, To Be or Not to Be, and Roseanne. He has also given his voice in many animated series like Justice League, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Batman Beyond and All Dogs Go to Heaven. Author Brooks has also worked in Deadliest Warrior, a Spike TV series in which he worked as a Zombie expert. He has also appeared in Sons of Guns, a Discovery Channel show. In the year 2003, author Max Brooks married Michelle Kholos and in March 2005 their son was born. He is named Henry Michael Brooks and all of the them live in Venice, California.
The American author Brooks has written many standalone novels, graphic novels, short stories, anthologies and non-fiction books. One of his books is titled ‘The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead’ and it was published by Broadway Books on 16th September in the year 2003. This book contains everything that you need to know about the undead that are stalking everyone. This book will make you understand the behavior and physiology of zombies, what weaponry to use and which is the most effective defense tactics. It also tells how to adapt and survive an attack by zombies and what outfit to wear in those times. The Zombie Survival Guide gives some lessons that should be remembered at all times. These are as follows
– Before they rise be prepared and organized.
– Why should you fear when they don’t in the first place.
– Cut their heads off.
– Blades are best during an attack as they don’t need reloading.
– Tight clothes and short hair are the ideal protection.
– Go upstairs using a staircase and then destroy it.
– Use a bike instead of a car.
– Don’t stop, keep moving and be always be quiet and alert.
– Remember there is no place that can be described safer.
– Even if the zombies go, but the threat can arise at anytime.
Always remember that life is your most important asset and never be foolish and play with it. This book is the guide to survive the undead, who can arise any time and you won’t have a single clue about them. The tips and clues mentioned in this book are solid and tested for complete protection. You can safeguard yourself and the ones you love with the help of The Zombie Survival Guide. This is the book of your survival. This book is really good for readers who like watching zombie movies.
Another great book written by the American author Max Brooks is titled ‘The Harlem Hellfighters’ and was published by Broadway Books on 1st April of the year 2014. According to author Max Brooks, he learned about the Harlem Hellfighter when he was in the 5th grade and he has become a fan since then. They were honored in World War I for their service. Caanan White is the illustrator of the book and according to him, 191 days were spent by them in combat and it was longer than any white or black American unit ever. In all the fights they never lost a fight and in the entire American Expeditionary Force they became one of the most decorated units. They faced restrictions and insults from their own government, but they didn’t halt. The German’s best soldiers were stopped by them in taking Paris and forced them to move back to their fatherland. After the end of the war they reached the Rhine River and became the first soldiers of any army and of any color to do so. The bravery of the hellfighters is brought to life by Caanan White, an acclaimed illustrator and by Max Brooks, the bestselling author in The Harlem Hellfighters. This book also contains the racism they faced during the war. The historic story of the hellfighters if the 369th infantry regiment will touch your heart and will leave you a great respect towards them. This book is recommended to everyone and especially for the ones who like to read and have information about the African-American history and about the world war I.
Book Series In Order » Authors » Max Brooks
Besides short story and novel writing, Clive Barker has been actively involved in screenwriting and film production. His early screenplays include Underworldand Rawhead Rex but after witnessing the disappointing picturization of his work, Barker went on to discover the art of filmmaking on his own. He produced The Forbidden and Salome to lukewarm response. He also directed several of the stories from The Book of Blood. Two of his acclaimed major motion pictures include Candyman series and the Hellraiser.
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How Did Renting in Boston Become Such a Nightmare?
Sky-high prices, absentee landlords, and a swarm of grad students trying to beat you to the punch.
By Thomas Stackpole· 5/30/2018, 5:45 a.m.
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Prices based on available data from Zillow and Trulia as of May 2, 2018 (Locations approximate).
On a breezy, overcast afternoon last April, my fiancée and I hopped into a Lyft on a quest to start our new lives together in Boston. After two years of living and working 500 miles apart, I was moving back to our home state and we were looking for a one-bedroom rental together. As we pulled up to a tall brick apartment building in Jamaica Plain and saw folks cheerily lounging on the lawn, we were cautiously optimistic. When we spotted Bill, our real estate agent, smiling and wearing a hipster-friendly lumberjack shirt, the future looked even brighter.
At least in Boston terms, it was admittedly a bit of a last-minute search. We were looking for a June lease, cat-friendly, with a nook that could double as a home office without absolutely bankrupting us. We’d spent the previous two weeks hunched over our laptops in bed, trolling through Craigslist, Trulia, Zillow, and the like, culling the untenably grim, grimy, and windowless options, until we were finally left with a few potential gems among the dregs.
The first place he walked us through had just come on the market. The paint was a bit rough and the bathroom, which had no window, was directly off the kitchen, but it seemed livable as we gave it a careful look.
When we left to move on to the second place of the day, however, it quickly became clear we were further behind than we thought. “Most June leases have already been snapped up,” Bill told me as we zipped over to the next place in his car.
“When should we have started looking?” I asked.
“Well, most people probably start in February,” he said, nonchalantly dropping an absurdity that most Boston renters, broken and numb, have accepted as a way of life. The worst part, though, is that it immediately became clear he was right.
Our next stop was a place near Longwood. It was located in what seemed like a charming old building, and I noticed the cute tin ceilings when we walked in. Then I saw that it lacked a full-size refrigerator—two mini fridges were tucked under the newish countertops in what seemed like some sort of twisted joke. (A steal at $2,100!) Finally, there was the top floor of a house in Jamaica Plain. It was pleasant, with a circular floor plan that would let our cat run laps. I was ready to take it until I saw that the shower was wedged under the slanted ceilings, so I’d have to kneel, or squat in a yoga pose, to fit under the spigot each morning. It could almost have passed as whimsical, but I had visions of cold February mornings when the whimsy would collapse into wondering how at my age I couldn’t even find a place where I could shower in the standing position. The future seemed bleak.
In the parking lot outside, Bill told us we probably had about a day to decide—he’d be showing the apartments again soon, and they’d likely go fast. Later that night, we decided to go with the first place, pulling together first and last month’s rent, as well as the one-time Realtor’s fee, equal to another full month’s rent. More than a year later, the prospect of going through the process again makes me shudder.
Let’s get something out of the way: Boston is an expensive city to live in for just about everyone. But while those lucky enough to own a piece of the pie kick back and watch the valuation of their assets soar skyward, we renters are stuck in a sort of housing purgatory, competing in an apartment-hunting version of The Hunger Games for the prize of paying exorbitant prices with absolutely no return on our investment. And it’s getting even harder to hang on, let alone save for a down payment: Between 2009 and January 2017, according to Northeastern’s Greater Boston Housing Report Card, the average rent in the “Inner Boston Core” rose by nearly 55 percent, to $2,874 per month. By comparison, the average cost of buying a condo is up 44 percent and the cost of a single-family home is up 32 percent. “So, despite whatever progress the region has made in housing production,” the authors write, “affordability is a greater problem than ever.”
When it comes to the reasons why renting around Boston sucks, the usual suspects abound: The more than 70,000 students who live off-campus every year eat up the housing stock, keeping quality low and prices high; they also make it so that there are essentially only two months, June and September, when renters can sign a lease. Let’s also not forget that month-to-month doesn’t exist here; it’s nearly impossible to find a place that allows dogs; and many landlords illegally won’t rent to families, those with housing vouchers, or people with disabilities. Oh, and there’s almost always a hefty Realtor’s fee. We’re fish in a barrel.
As rough as it is, the rental system, I discovered, is even more flawed than most of us could imagine. Turns out, we have the wrong kind of housing for our population, with millennials and boomers increasingly going head-to-head for the same apartments, and even though it can feel like the whole city is under construction, we’re barely building enough to keep up with demand, let alone get anywhere close to fixing things. And that could have much-farther-reaching consequences for the region than astronomical monthly rents. Can somebody—anybody—save us?
This isn’t the first renters’ crisis Boston has faced, and it isn’t even the most dramatic. Between 1870 and 1920, in the midst of a massive wave of immigration, the city’s population tripled from 250,000 to 750,000, which, given the laws of supply and demand, led directly to a housing epidemic, says Barry Bluestone, founding director of the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy and founding dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern. “By 1920,” he says, “the population of Boston was bigger than it is today.”
That was the first of three major population and housing upheavals that brought about Boston’s modern-day renting nightmare. In 1870, Bluestone says, “it was mainly immigrants—Irish, Italians, Eastern Europeans. We housed all of them, and the way we did it is we came up with a new type of housing that was perfect for these new immigrants: the triple-decker.” Cheap to build and a source of income to boot, triple-deckers exploded across the city, and they make up 40 percent of the combined housing stock in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville today. To many people, renting in one of them is the defining Boston experience.
The next explosive shift was an exodus from the city after World War II, with young people returning home, getting married, and having kids straight away. “And they wanted to move to the suburbs,” Bluestone says. Boston’s population plummeted from a peak of 801,444 people packed into 48.4 square miles in 1950—about 130,000 more than today—to 562,994 in 1980. (Back in the early 1970s, Bluestone moved into a Back Bay apartment that cost $240 a month and was promptly burgled.)
Then something happened: Boston started to bounce back. “The key has been the transformation of Boston from a decaying industrial city to an increasingly important center of education, medicine and finance, and of business services for the high-technology companies of Massachusetts,” explained a still-skeptical New York Times article from 1985. Over the next two decades, universities, in particular, continued to attract more people to the Hub—in fact, by the year 2000, according to Bluestone, about a third of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville’s combined population was between the ages of 20 and 34. And they all needed convenient, comfortable, affordable places to live.
Which brings us to what we’re up against now: “It’s young people coming here, not married, teaming up two, three, four [to an apartment],” Bluestone says. “We also have people like myself—empty-nesters possibly looking to downsize from their single-family homes. And what kind of housing do they need? We have very little of it.” In the city and the ’burbs, what we’re desperately short on are smaller, cheaper places perfect for living alone or as a couple without kids—the kind of apartment that my fiancée and I were looking for and that boomers increasingly desire.
As a result, we’re left with a pretty grim portrait of what it means to live in Boston right now. For the past 15 years, Bluestone and his colleagues at Northeastern have published the Greater Boston Housing Report Card, arguably the definitive record on the state of housing here. What these reports have shown is that the exploding population of grad students, coupled with skyrocketing rents caused by a housing shortage, is starting to threaten the well-being of the city and the region. According to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the regional planning agency for the Boston metro area, we need to build 435,000 new units of housing between 2010 and 2040—about a 24 percent increase—if we want to keep growing our economy. If we don’t do something soon, it isn’t clear exactly who will be able to afford to live here in the future—or who’d even want to try.
In short, the housing crisis is a ticking time bomb. “Economically, the risk is that we’re kind of defying gravity right now. We’ve had such incredible job growth here; we’re basically at full employment, and considering how much it costs to live here, it’s kind of incredible how well we’re doing,” says Clark Ziegler, executive director of the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. “At some point, if you’re a company deciding whether to grow here or grow someplace else, the cost of living and the ability to recruit workers becomes a real constraint. I think that’s the big threat.”
The ugly truth is that if you rent in Boston, you’re a second-class citizen. Dependent on the whims of the market and your landlord’s good will, you’re secure for one lease at a time. Unless you’re wealthy and simply aren’t interested in buying, you’re either going to claw together enough cash to buy a place or you’re going to get pushed out.
In the year since I moved to Boston, three sets of good friends have ditched the city. One couple left their cozy Somerville spot for what I hear are spacious digs in Salem. (I’m a bad friend and haven’t visited yet, but they tell me they have two porches and a yard down the street from a brewery.) Another couple decamped from Charlestown for the urban frontier of New Bedford, where they’re thinking about buying a sea captain’s house. (I haven’t visited them, either.) The third couple moved to DC, leaving an absentee landlord in Somerville for a palatial place on Dupont Circle with high ceilings and a fireplace in their living room. (I have visited them, and it’s really nice!) Two other friends managed to stay here and buy. Wheat, meet chaff.
I don’t blame them for abandoning ship: As much as we might hear about this economic boom, about half of Bostonians who rent shelled out more than 30 percent of their paycheck to a landlord last year, and one in four spent a whopping half of what they made. The bigger issue is that renting here can often feel like waiting for the other shoe to drop—no matter what income bracket you fall into. Massachusetts voters, in all their wisdom, repealed the rent-control laws in 1995, meaning rent can skyrocket from year to year. It also means the looming threat of having to move never fades. “There’s no prohibition against doubling the rent at the end of the lease,” says Julia Devanthéry, an attorney and a lecturer at Harvard Law School’s Legal Services Center, which provides free legal help to low-income clients. “Rent increases are being used as a tool to empty neighborhoods of their longtime residents, mostly communities of color”—a trend she characterizes as a “strategy of mass displacement.” Gentrification, in fact, is threatening to remake neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, and Roxbury—and often in ways that will make Boston’s already shameful racial and economic divisions even worse, she says.
Even if you can afford to pay above-average rents, however, you shouldn’t feel comfortable. Take, for example, the poor saps who signed leases at the Millbrook Lofts in Somerville. The 100-unit luxury building on Medford Street, where apartments rented for $3,000 to $4,000, had been open for just over a year when the residents were informed that they were being kicked out so the company that owned it could sell off the units. In this market, luxury is no guarantee of anything.
The result, for many of us, is that we end up bouncing around—forced to move either because our place gets sold or it becomes too expensive. “I started off in J.P., and my home was sold while I was renting it,” says Rachel Heller, CEO of the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), which advocates for policies designed to keep housing affordable for people with low to moderate incomes. “I went to Southie and the same thing happened in Southie. So from Southie I went to Revere, and from Revere I went to Cambridge.” Now she lives in Belmont, where she finally bought a place. “I’m not the only one who has a story like this, where I had to move around a lot because of the different changes,” she says.
The thing is, ungodly rent increases are only one of the problems—the same competition that drives up prices can make life hellish in all kinds of ways. For example, thinking about having a kid? Expect your renting experience to get a lot rockier. Back in 1971, after people realized what lead does to children’s brains, the state passed a law making it illegal for kids under six to live in a house with exposed lead paint, which was a good thing. If you’re a renter, that means your landlord is responsible for either covering or encapsulating any lead paint, which seems like a good thing. But doing so can get pricey, and so landlords will often quietly pass over qualified renters with kids, or even flat-out decline to rent to them, which is illegal. Even so, says Jamie Langowski, who co-manages Suffolk University Law School’s Housing Discrimination Testing Program, it’s one of the most common forms of housing discrimination. So for those of us who are aspiring to put down roots but aren’t currently rolling in money, our hopes can be summed up in three little words: Build, baby, build.
If you’ve aged out of roommates but haven’t saved enough for a down payment, it can feel like your days of living in the city are numbered—especially when the folks next door are doing everything in their power to make it harder for you to stay here. You know the type—the entrenched, ladder-pulling NIMBYs who collectively shout “No!” across the city every time a new development is proposed.
Enter the YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) movement, led by Jesse Kanson-Benanav, chair of A Better Cambridge, a pro-development citizens’ group. The basic idea is that we need more housing, and while we need to build strategically, we also really need to just build. “Creating denser communities is one of the main strategies we need to really solve the segregation, exclusion, and environmental destruction that was created by 70 or 80 years of suburban sprawl,” Kanson-Benanav says. Sure, there are concerns about preserving the characteristics that make Boston what it is—the low brick buildings, the omnipresent triple-deckers—but the YIMBYs’ point is that we don’t have a choice: Either we build, and build up, or we accept that more and more people just won’t be able to live here. Trying to maintain the status quo is just a distracting fantasy.
Jesse Kanson-Benanav is part of a growing cohort who see more development as their only hope of staying in the city. / Photograph by Toan Trinh
The trouble, however, is that the problem isn’t confined to our cities. “This is definitely a regional issue, and Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville are doing a lot to increase housing production,” says Heller, of CHAPA. “Now we need [the suburbs and] other communities to be adding homes as well.” But for that to happen, we need to overhaul how zoning works in the state—a move that Governor Charlie Baker has already proposed. “High housing prices are directly linked to zoning and our lack of production,” Heller says. Right now, building multi-family houses—apartments, in other words, which experts agree we desperately need more of all over—requires a special permit and a two-thirds vote from the local zoning board, which historically has allowed small, vocal minorities to derail projects. Developers can still get around this thanks to a statute called Chapter 40B, pushing through affordable-housing projects where dense building might not otherwise be allowed. But playing that kind of hardball can leave citizens aggrieved and even more antagonistic toward development than they were before.
We also need to zone for other kinds of building: accessory apartments that can go in backyards, tiny houses, smaller plots, and developments where single-family homes are clustered to preserve green space—especially in the towns and communities outside of Boston proper.
In the city, Bluestone tells me, sitting in his office at Northeastern, we need a way to build housing that’s good for grad students, millennials, and boomers, and find a way to keep it at least relatively cheap. His idea is to create a totally new kind of housing, which he calls the 21st-century village: buildings from five to 35 stories tall, with small apartments and shared common spaces for people, such as grad students, who want to live alone but can’t afford to, and larger apartments that would appeal to boomers looking to downsize. It would give people what they want and relieve pressure on the market at the same time.
His vision is as much about making building construction less costly as it is about floor plans, however. “The fact is, the traditional stick-built home is using exactly the same technology of 70 years ago,” Bluestone says. “There’s been zero productivity increase in home construction during that time. There’s been a 300 percent increase in overall productivity and an 800 percent increase in manufacturing productivity. And that’s why housing is so expensive.” If someone found a way to mass-produce the components of these high-rises, maintaining quality and reducing cost, it would not only help fix Boston’s housing crisis, but it could also be the start of a whole new export industry for the state.
Bluestone’s musings struck me as the kinds of scholarly ideas that sound brilliant but likely will never happen. Except that, as I soon discovered, they’ve already begun.
On a promisingly warm April day, I’m walking with Rachel Swartz to her apartment in the Seaport. Rachel is in her thirties and works as a designer and manager at Stantec, an international architecture firm with offices on Summer Street. We both graduated into the Great Recession in 2008 and suffered through roommates fine and, uh, less fine. We also both ended up in cities where we thought we had the best chance of getting work and resigned ourselves to the exorbitant rents that served as the price of admission. We decided to meet at her office—a converted brick warehouse—so she could show me what might be part of the solution for Boston’s rental crisis.
A 10-minute-or-so walk later—about my daily trek to the T each morning—we enter the lobby of the Watermark Seaport building, a sleek, 346-unit high-rise straddling Fort Point and the Innovation District that opened just a few years ago. There is a 24-hour concierge, as well as scattered fireplaces and two outdoor decks with grills and killer views. The main event, however, is notable more for its restraint than anything else: Rachel lives in a “micro-unit,” part of a pilot program of efficiently designed studios that measure about 400 square feet.
The first thing I notice is that although the place is definitely small, it’s not cramped. Rachel shows me the huge walk-in closet by the front door. “This is what sold me on this unit,” she says. “It’s the thing that makes living in a small space possible.” To my right is a stacked washer and dryer, then the surprisingly spacious-feeling kitchen—electric burners, no oven, but a convection microwave and lots more storage. Beyond that is a cozily adorned living room with a couch and oversize coffee table, then a bed next to a huge floor-to-ceiling window. It’s not perfect, and it’s certainly not cheap—the apartments now rent for about $2,500 and up—but it’s nice and definitely less expensive than most of the other housing in the area, which is pretty much the point.
Micro-units, like this one, are becoming more popular as young professionals look for ways to live alone. / Photograph by Toan Trinh
The units in the Seaport were mostly built to prove that it could be done—and that people would pay for it, says Tamara Roy, a principal at Stantec and the lead proselytizer for micro-units in Boston. She latched onto the idea in 2012, when then-Mayor Thomas Menino invited her and four other architects to talk to developers who owned land in the nascent Innovation District about what “innovation housing” might look like. “I was like, ‘I’ve got two kids, I’m living outside of the city, what do I know about innovation housing?’” Roy says. She decided to ask the younger people in her office who lived in the city. “And their answer was, ‘Like, who cares? We can’t afford to live here.’”
When they finally started talking about what they wanted, Roy says, “they all said the same thing: that they were basically sick of living with roommates.” The ideal life that they described reminded her of when she lived with her husband and newborn in a 300-square-foot apartment in Amsterdam during grad school. “This light bulb went off,” she says. “I brought that to the symposium and I said, ‘Here are the four principles we have to have: more common space, less private space, lower our carbon footprint, no cars.’ And that was basically it.”
When the idea came to fruition in the Seaport, the units flew off the rental market, suggesting that if the plan was viable in the city’s newest and possibly most expensive neighborhood, it could work anywhere. Now, after years of being the lonely voice advocating for micro-units—or metro-units, as they’re being rebranded—we’re about to see “a tsunami,” Roy says. “Every developer that calls me is like, ‘Can I come in and talk to you about, you know, micro housing?’”
One of the most surprising concepts that is close to realization, however, is also the one that seemed the least likely when I first talked with Bluestone: the prefab high-rise. The idea, explains Jared Curtis—who cofounded a company called WoHo with his father, WinnDevelopment’s Larry Curtis—is that while there isn’t much that can be done about the high cost of land, it’s possible to “use technology and approach the construction process in a new way that allows us to lower the hard costs,” mostly by manufacturing pieces off-site and snapping them together.
WoHo, he says, is close to making this idea happen. For the past decade, it has worked to refine the technology and the process. Now it’s establishing a plant in Massachusetts—the location isn’t public yet—and partnering with industry leader Suffolk Construction. “Basically, we are leveraging advanced-manufacturing data science, design, and engineering to build in a new way,” Curtis says. “It’s almost like Ikea for an apartment building.” (He assures me it’s much nicer than Ikea, however.)
Will any of this be enough to save Boston from its housing woes? If the experts I talked with are right, it will require progress along every possible avenue, which means convincing people that when it comes to building more, the question isn’t whether or not to do it, it’s how. That’s a tall order, but change is coming one way or another. Until then, you can find my fiancée and me in our little place in J.P. with the worn paint and windowless bathroom, dreading our next inevitable June lease.
Additional research by Sofia Koyama.
Spaces: Wonder Wall
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On the Market: Lizzie Borden’s Historic “Maplecroft” Mansion
On the Market: A Grand Oceanside Manor in Gloucester
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Boston Tea Party Secret Meetings | Planning the Boston Tea Party
Destruction of the tea. 1879. New York Public Library.
The Secret Plan
Eyewitness Account
Symbolism of the Indian Dress
December 16, 1773: “The Secret Plan”
With the Dartmouth refused a pass to safely sail out of Boston Harbor and to return her cargo of British East India Company Tea, time was running out and the Patriots exhausted all legal means to keep the ship from being unloaded. Since the arrival of the Dartmouth on November 28, the Sons of Liberty had been secretly planning a last resort alternative measure to prevent the unloading of the British East India Company tea if all diplomatic negotiations with government officials failed.
Samuel Adams. Engraving by W. G. Jackman. Massachusetts Historical Society.
Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of Massachusetts Thomas Hutchinson was the final word in regards to colonial policy in Massachusetts and with his refusal to cooperate with the people’s demands, Samuel Adams declared, “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country!”.
The route taken on December 16, 1773 from the Old South Meeting House to Griffin's Wharf. Book of Tea Leaves.
With those words Adams addressed the thousands gathered at the Old South Meeting House, the meeting came to a close, and it was the signal for the Sons of Liberty to take action and carry out their plan. Cries of “huzza!” and “make Boston Harbor a teapot tonight!” resonated throughout the Old South Meeting House. With war whoops, members of the Sons of Liberty dressed in their best interpretations of “Indian Dress” emerged from the Old South Meeting House, mustered at Fort Hill, and marched to Griffin’s Wharf.
An Eyewitness Account
An eyewitness to the Boston Tea Party, John Andrews, a merchant, described the events to Philadelphia merchant William Barrell in a December 18, 1773 letter:
“They mustered, I’m told, upon Fort Hill, to the number of about two hundred, and proceeded, two by two, to Griffin’s wharf, where Hall, Bruce, and Coffin lay, each with 114 chests of the ill-fated article on board… and before nine o’clock in the evening, every chest from on board the three vessels was knocked to pieces and flung over the sides. They say the actors were Indians from Narragansett. Whether they were or not, to a transient observer they appeared as such, being clothed in blankets with the heads muffled, and copper-colored countenances, being each armed with a hatchet or axe, and pair pistols, nor was their dialect different from what I conceive these geniuses to speak, as their jargon was unintelligible to all but themselves…”
~ John Andrews
Boston Tea Party, State House Mural, Boston, Massachusetts. New York Public Library.
The Symbolism of the “Indian Dress”
Reports from the time describe the participants as dressed as Mohawks or Narragansett Indians. The disguise was more symbolic in nature; they knew they would be recognized as non-Indians. The act of wearing “Indian Dress” was to express through symbolism to the world that the American colonists identified themselves as “Americans” and no longer considered themselves British subjects. They were not dressed as Indians in the classic sense with headdresses and full authentic regalia; rather they wore wool blankets matchcoat style, painted their faces with soot, and employed other modes of dress commonly known at the time as “Indian dress” which had been adopted by soldiers during the French and Indian War. Boston Tea Party participant George Hewes dictated his account of the Boston Tea Party many years after the event and described his “Indian dress” as the following: “It was now evening, and I immediately dressed myself in the costume of an Indian, equipped with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denominated the tomahawk, with which, and a club, after having painted my face and hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I repaired to Griffin’s wharf, where the ships lay that contained the tea. When I first appeared in the street after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and painted as I was, and who fell in with me and marched in order to the place of our destination.”
The inhabitants of Boston cast the English East India tea into the sea on 18 December 1773. Library of Congress.
The Amount of Participants
It is estimated hundreds took part in the Boston Tea Party, and the event was witnessed by thousands. For fear of punishment, many participants of the Boston Tea Party remained anonymous for many years after the event. John Adams would later recount he did not know the identity of a single participant. To date it is known 116 people are documented to have participated. Not all of the participants of the Boston Tea Party are known; many carried the secret of their participation to their graves. The participants were made up of males from all walks of colonial society. Many were from Boston or the surrounding area, but some participants are documented to have come from as far away as Worcester in central Massachusetts, and Maine. The vast majority were of English decent, but men of Irish, Scottish, French, Portuguese, and African ancestry are documented to have participated. The participants were off all ages, but the majority of the documented participants were under the age of forty. Sixteen participants were teenagers, and only nine men were above the age of forty.
Research Library • Boston Tea Party History
John Adams & The Revolutionary War
The Radicals Who Made a Revolution
Research Library • American Revolution History
John Adams Accomplishments
Continental Army Historical Facts
Administration of Justice Act
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Home Authors Posts by ntombin
ntombin
Babalwa’s Heart of Gold Brings Smiles to Young Girls
Every so often, it is not enough for people in the community to be a “united front”. There is always a dire need for...
The Nation Brand Forum panellists and moderators announced
Brand South Africa is proud to announce various support from experts in the fields of sport and creative industries as panellists and moderators to...
Brand South Africa is proud to collaborate with the National Heritage Council (NHC) and...
Johannesburg, Friday, 28 September 2018 - Brand South Africa is proud to collaborate with the National Heritage Council (NHC) and various other stakeholders on...
Educational Heritage camp to ignite learners of intangible heritage
Nine (9) schools represented by a group of four learners from each province will represent their provinces at the 2018 Heritage Education Schools Outreach...
President Cyril Ramaphosa Unveils the Nelson Mandela Statue at the 73rd United Nations General...
President Cyril Ramaphosa has unveiled a life-sized statue of late president Nelson Mandela at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, as South...
Brand South Africa brings its third Nation Brand Forum at the Industrial Development Corporation...
Johannesburg, Tuesday 25 September 2018 – The Nation Brand Forum is a programme spearheaded by Brand South Africa with an objective of promoting a...
Brand South Africa joins forces with Proudly South African at the DSTV Delicious International...
There's a fusion of the entertainment and culinary worlds this weekend at the annual DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival! Brand South Africa...
President Cyril Ramaphosa leads South African delegation to UN General Assembly
On Saturday 22 September 2018, President Cyril Ramaphosa will embark on a Working Visit to New York where he will lead the South African...
Brand South Africa’s South African Competitiveness Forum and the Pan-African University Dialogue overview with...
Brand South Africa and the University of South Africa (UNISA) successfully partnered to host the South African Competitiveness Forum (SACF) and the Pan-African University...
First Lady of the Republic of South Africa, Dr Motsepe headed to the U.S...
Dr Tshepo Motsepe, the spouse of President Cyril Ramaphosa and First Lady of the Republic of South Africa, will on Tuesday, 18 September 2018,...
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HomeBlogsBelfast Giants accept invitation to compete in Champions Hockey league for the first time
Belfast Giants accept invitation to compete in Champions Hockey league for the first time
1st March 2019 BIH Correspondent Blogs 0
With each passing year, the Elite League is giving its fans a fair share of thrill. Be it the players giving literal meaning to war on the ground or Giants finding themselves in a miraculous scenario of making it to the Champions Hockey League, it is safe to say that the fun doesn’t leave the game after the final blow on the whistle.
Even the league competition is closely competitive this year with a mere one-point difference between Cardiff Devils and Belfast Giants— it’s surely going to give one roller coaster ride to the fans and to the punters who fancy betting on sports—which you can find here if you’re one.
Speaking about the latter, this season typically has given them a lot to fancy their wagers on and the unpredictability of the season has made things only tricky for the punters. Nonetheless, the excitement in the betting domain or the fantasy one has been intact and it might end up being a season that they’ll remember for ages.
And it’s pretty obvious to be fair; betting gets easy when there’s an obvious winner in the race. But this time, the league is making you scratch your head a lot before placing each bet. From the entertaining perspective, it’s been fantastic. But it’s safe to say that this isn’t something the punters enjoy a lot—as a competition like this only makes life more difficult.
If you’re a fan of ice hockey in the UK, you’re going to have the luxury of watching some of the teams produce the utmost level of competition this year. It’s been the season for Devils and the Giants, but it’s the latter who’d be having the glamour of a brand-new experience this year as they’re about to usher into a greatly revered competition across Europe.
Addressing the elephant in the room, if you didn’t know yet, the Belfast Giants have accepted the invitation to play in the Champions Hockey League this year for the first time. If you’re a fresh fan, the competition has a similar prestige as the UEFA Champions League holds in the game of football—giving its reference because it is the most popular sport in the world.
What to expect from the competition?
To put more light onto the highly coveted competition, each year teams from different parts of Europe where Ice Hockey is prevalent —like the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, etc.— lock horns for the esteemed glory. In the British league, Cardiff Devils have been representing the competition.
The defending champions would be Sweden’s very famous Frolunda Indians who were crowned as Champions for the third team after making Red Bull Munich bite the dust in a close tie.
The competition manifests top-notch quality of the game with one of the best talents across the world making their way to the centre stage. Clubs often reap the benefits of being in the competition to showcase their ambitions and attract top talents to their team in order to bolster their squads. One of the examples of something similar to that is from the British League is Cardiff, who participated in the competition last few years were able to scout and attract three great players this season that belong to superior leagues—Mike Hedden (DEL), Charles Linglet (KHL) and Ben Blood (Liiga)— to their team. Giants who are getting this opportunity for the first time would fancy doing something similar to their league rivals this year.
For the group stages, the draw would take place in the month of May while the competition will get started in the month of August.
How did Giants get the invitation?
If we go by the rules, Giants might have missed the golden ticket for this year. Because usually the final spot for the Competition is given to the champions of Continental Cup of the preceding year. Giants tasted defeat in the final against the Arlan Kokshetau in penalty shots of the final.
Although the Giants’ glorious climb was one step short of the glory, it turned out that they had lady luck on their side and managed to salvage something from the defeat. As the crowned winners were ineligible to take part in this year’s competition, the spot was ultimately given to the runners up who managed to impress the IIHF officials by hosting both the semis and finals of the competition. The decision to accept the invitation must have been a no-brainer for the British Club.
This is what chief executive of CHL had to say about the situation, “Belfast only missed the qualification at the Continental Cup by one shot in a penalty shoot-out in the decisive game against the winners, and showed that they are as competitive as Arlan.”
“Furthermore, teams from the UK have proved in previous seasons that they are ready to compete with the bigger hockey nations and also that their fans are very enthusiastic about the Champions Hockey League.
“That’s why we are happy to invite Belfast to our competition, even though they slightly missed out on the win at their very well-organised home tournament.”
Fun fact: Giant’s first season in CHL coincides with the club’s 20th anniversary season.
The chief executive of the Odyssey trust had nothing but praise for the fresh participants in the competition, in an interview he said, “This is a proud moment for our organisation following the team’s superb achievements in the Continental Cup.”
“This is a proud moment for our organisation following the team’s superb achievements in the Continental Cup,” added Robert Fitzpatrick
What to expect from the Giants?
It’s a big competition and Giants are in ‘the new-boy in the school’ situation. Although their efforts have earned them the spot, it is anticipated that the team’s chances of progressing beyond the group stages are very slim. However, the team is surely going to get the opulence of competing with a top side as they will be facing at least one of the elite sides of the European Leagues.
It’s clearly not a mission impossible for Belfast Giants, but their fans wouldn’t be very surprised if the club doesn’t promote to the further stages of the competition.
Nonetheless, the future of the club looks rosier as they’re still in for the fight for the league title and possible spot in the CHL next season. They are only one point behind the Cardiff Devils and if they keep their heads in the right place and manage to get their momentum going till the end of the season, they might clinch the title with another year in the European tie.
It’s an exciting time to be a Belfast Giants fan as they have a lot of ecstasy at their disposal this season. Only time will tell the rest of the story.
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Coming Up This Week in Theatre - 9/15/2018
BroadwayWorld.com Sep. 15, 2018
Below is BroadwayWorld.com's Upcoming Events calendar updated on 9/15/2018. For the complete calendar of upcoming events, concerts, openings, closings and more, visit BroadwayWorld.com's Event Calendar.
Bruce Jones and Joe Loper to star in A FATIMA at Theatre Row - 9/15/2018
Thornton, Massell, Lever, & More Will Celebrate Julie Andrews at 54 Below - 9/16/2018
What do 'A Spoonful of Sugar,' 'Do-Re-Mi,' 'I Could Have Danced All Night,' and 'Ten Minutes Ago' have in common? Why Dame Julie Andrews of course! Over the course of her practically perfect seven-decade career, Julie has entertained and inspired audiences across the globe with her performances in My Fair Lady, Cinderella, Camelot, Mary Poppins, and The Sound of Music to name just 'a few of our favorite things.'
NEW FAMILY MUSICAL “FUNIKIJAM’S BABY LIKES TO ROCK!” TAKES THE STAGE AT ACTORS TEMPLE THEATRE STARTING SEPTEMBER 16 - 9/16/2018
Jeremy Jordan and Jason Robert Brown to Team Up for Concert at SubCulture NYC - 9/17/2018
It was announced tonight that composer Jason Robert Brown and Broadway and TV star Jeremy Jordan will team up for a performance at SubCulture NYC on September 17th! Tickets and information can be found here.
Leslie Kritzer Returns to Joe's Pub with BURN IT TO THE GROUND - 9/17/2018
The fiercely funny Leslie Kritzer brings her wild, wacky world back to Joe's Pub September 17 at 7pm and 9:30pm in her new show Burn It To The Ground.
PRETTY WOMAN's Ellyn Marie Marsh will Bring 'I'm Sorry...What' to The Green Room 42 on 9/17 - 9/17/2018
Ellyn Marie Marsh, currently appearing on Broadway in PRETTY WOMAN, will return to the cabaret stage with I'M SORRY....WHAT? at The Green Room 42 on Monday, September 17 at 9:30 p.m.
TONY AWARD NOMINEE Pascale Armand JOINS READING OF DAVID HERON'S 'AGAINST HIS WILL' - 9/17/2018
Acclaimed high school musical POP PUNK HIGH transfers to Off-Broadway - 9/20/2018
Emily Bautista, Red Concepcion and Anthony Festa To Lead MISS SAIGON On Tour - 9/21/2018
Casting for Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Boublil and Schonberg's legendary musical MISS SAIGON-a smash hit in London, Broadway and currently breaking box office records on a national tour in the U.K.-has been announced for its much-anticipated upcoming North American tour which launches at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI September 21-30, 2018.
Wrong House presents SKETCHY WEEKEND - 9/21/2018
Music Producer and Songwriter Phil Spector Dies at 80
VIDEO: BC/EFA Thanks Supporters For Their Help Amidst the Health Crisis
IATSE Calls For Turning Live Performance Venues into Vaccination Sites
Celia Keenan- Bolger and More Set For The Reading Series' RABBIT HOLE
The upcoming film adaptation of the acclaimed musical Matilda has found its title star! ...
DVR Alert: Hollywood Bowl Concert Series Kicks Off Tonight With MUSICALS AND MOVIES, With Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and Sutton Foster
As BroadwayWorld previously reported a new weekly concert series, IN CONCERT AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL, will air on PBS. The series kicks off today with t...
VIDEO: On This Day, January 16 - Happy Birthday, Lin-Manuel Miranda!
On this day we're celebrating the birthday of the great Lin-Manuel Miranda! ...
Songwriter Abigail Barlow is Turning Netflix Hit BRIDGERTON Into a TikTok Musical
'Heartbreak Hotel' singer and TikTok creator Abigail Barlow is going viral again with her new Bridgerton musical numbers!...
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Susan Lucci, Cameron Mathison and More to Take Part in ABC DAYTIME: BACK ON BROADWAY
Your favorite stars from the celebrated ABC Daytime dramas “All My Children,” “One Life to Live” and “General Hospital” will reunite Thursday, Februar...
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Pre-Broadway Run in Chicago Pushed to 2022
Miranda Priestly stans will have to wait a bit longer to catch her on stage. Broadway In Chicago just announced today that the upcoming pre-Broadway W...
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The Scottsboro Boys: justice on stage, the truth on trial
In 1931, nine African-American teenagers were falsely accused of raping two white women, tried by all white jurors, convicted and sentenced to death. But the American Communist Party retained a Jewish attorney to come to their rescue.
At their appeal, one of the white ‘‘victims’’ confessed the rape never took place. Regardless, those nine teenagers, who were not properly represented in court, and tried by all white jurors (at this time only white people had the right to be on the jury) were convicted and sentenced to death. The Scottsboro boys’ case lasted 20 years; no other case in American history has seen as many trials, conviction, reversals and retrials.
The terrible, repeated miscarriages of justice destroyed their lives. The case resulted in two Supreme Court landmark rulings: the right to be tried by a jury of your peers, and the right for legal representation. There were marches, protests and sit-ins triggered by the case. The Scottsboro boys’ case became part of the American civil rights movement.
Hardly the stuff of musical theatre, one might think?
However I was honoured to be one of the main producers of the UK production of the musical The Scottsboro Boys, written and composed by the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, who created Chicago, Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. The show received 12 Tony award nominations, six Olivier award nominations, and was the winner of both The Critics’ Circle Award, and The Evening Standard Award for Best Musical.
One of the controversies of the show was the use of the Minstrel Show device– traditionally considered racist – of “blacking up”. During the play, the boys are turned into “minstrels”, effectively mocking their own race.
At first, audiences in New York protested, thinking it was insensitive and racist. However, those audiences eventually came around to the show. They began to see it – like I did – as an insightful commentary on those difficult topics of segregation and prejudice.
John Kander himself said later: “Making art is not sociology. You write something because you want to write it and because it stirs you in some way. We weren’t thinking of ourselves in that kind of pompous way of writing sociological tracts. We wrote shows.”
Mr Kander is right. Great theatre is not a textbook or a lecture in political correctness; it transcends the binary notion of good versus evil, to allow us to enter into the complexity of human understanding and behaviour.
The very pace of the play echoes this: the characters begin performing enthusiastically to please their old white vaudevillian boss, but as the show progresses we see the melancholy and bitterness behind the characters’ superficial charm.
In the song Southern Days, this reaches an apotheosis for the audience; the lilting song which conjures up the Alabama fields of cotton-picking lore is irresistible in its melody, but the words become ever more menacing. Suddenly, the boys are no longer singing about “mammy’s pullin’ pork and cookin’ grits”, but of “daddy hangin’ from a tree”.
The musical ends with the boys wiping off their make-up and refusing to perform any more. We then see activist Rosa Parks sitting down on an Alabama bus – the action which became one of the most potent symbols of the civil rights movement in America.
Theatre has never shied away from the great issues of our time, and audiences need to be challenged and inspired, even consoled. As Whoopi Goldberg said at the time of the New York opening: “People are protesting that it shouldn’t be a minstrel show, this is too serious. What people don’t understand is that you have to bring information to people in a most invigorating way.”
And sometimes that information can invigorate the establishment too. In 2013, 24 years after the last of the real-life Scottsboro boys died, Alabama’s parole board granted posthumous pardons to the remaining three who had never seen justice in their lifetimes. They were finally exonerated 82 years after the original charge.
Bruno Wang, founder of Bruno Wang Productions
Pureland Series
Bruno Wang Productions
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17 Unique Things To Do in Monterey, CA That Locals Don't Want You To Know About
Entertain Health & Fitness Travel
Beautiful coastlines, sweeping views, rich history, and unique attractions—Monterey is an ideal weekend destination that stays in the spotlight all year long. The former capital of Alta California has introduced plenty of firsts to the state’s history: The first theater, public library, public school, printing press, and newspaper all hail from 19th-century Monterey. Learn about the area’s history, get to know its artist community, and meander through the beautiful forests and coastal trails by embarking on a journey full of unique things to do in Monterey.
The Best Things to do in Monterey County That You've Never Heard Of
One of the region's first general stores also served as a safe that protected miners' gold, earning it the nickname "Casa del Oro."
1. Get a Glimpse of Old Monterey at Casa Del Oro
Also known as the Joseph Boston Store, this unique attraction was one of the first general stores in the Monterey area. The first safe in Monterey was installed in this store, and legend has it that the nickname “Casa del Oro” (House of Gold) was given to the store because miners returning from the gold mines would ask Mr. Boston to store their gold in his safe.
2. Tour the Remnants of the Once-Notorious Old Monterey Jail
This unique thing to see in Monterey has an interesting history. Built in 1854, the Old Monterey Jail served as the city’s jail for over 100 years; during that time, not one prisoner was able to escape from the thick granite walls. Today, visitors can walk through the structure and see the conditions the original prisoners endured. Pretty cool, right?
3. Visit the Place Where California Became The Country’s 31st State
History buffs shouldn’t miss out on visiting Colton Hall, the location where California became America’s 31st state. Colton Hall is now part of the Monterey City Hall complex; the second floor is home to the Colton Hall Museum, which was established by the city in 1949. The best part? You can visit the site and learn about the state’s history for free—Colton Hall welcomes visitors every day of the week, free of charge.
Take a tour of the Point Sur Lighthouse in Big Sur to learn about its intriguing and spooky past.
4. Explore the Point Sur Lighthouse
You can spot this magnificent landmark while cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway. Pay a visit on Wednesdays or weekends for an educational walking tour on the premises of Point Sur Lighthouse. You’ll learn about the history of this century-old structure, and you might even hear a few ghost stories from locals along the way.
5. Pray the Lighthouse Spirits Away at San Carlos Cathedral
A year after the City of Monterey was founded by Father Junípero Serra and Don Gaspar de Portolà in 1770, Father Serra moved his mission to Carmel. The mission is recognized as both the oldest stone building and the first cathedral in California. Visiting San Carlos Cathedral is a fun thing to do in Monterey—you'll be introduced to the area’s history in a very unique way.
Savor a satisfying meal at author John Steinbeck's charming childhood home in Salinas.
6. Feast at the Steinbeck House in Salinas
Fans of California author John Steinbeck, rejoice. The author’s birthplace and boyhood home—a restored Queen Anne Victorian residence—is now a charming restaurant open to the public. Feel closer than ever to the world-renowned writer by enjoying a meal in The John Steinbeck House and you won’t forget this unique thing to do in Monterey anytime soon.
7. Trek Through Palo Corona Regional Park in Carmel
Monterey has no shortage of great year-round hiking trails. But if you’re looking for a path that locals have managed to keep fairly well hidden, head to the 4,500-acre Palo Corona Regional Park near Monastery Beach for an unforgettable hike. Enjoy the panoramic views at every turn, without having to dodge large crowds.
Visit the 1,700-acre Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, which is home to hundreds of species of plants, animals, and birds.
8. Look for Sea Otters at Elkhorn Slough
The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is the last remnant of an ancient river valley in California. Here, you can enjoy birding, wildlife watching, kayaking, hiking, and more outdoorsy activities. Pelicans and herons—plus countless fish, sharks, crabs, sea lions, and otters—call the Elkhorn Slough home, so have your camera ready at all times to snap a once-in-a-lifetime picture.
9. Admire the Otherworldly Monterey Moon Tree
Nothing on the list seems unusual enough to you yet? This tree grown from astronaut seeds—which were exposed to cosmic rays—might do the trick. While on a NASA mission in 1971, pilot Stuart Roosa carried hundreds of seeds to the moon in his personal kit. Upon his return, the seeds were dispersed and planted all around the country. While no significant changes have been detected in the trees grown from these seeds so far, the tree is still a pretty cool sight to see in Monterey. A redwood called The Moon Tree now serves as a memorial to Roosa and his efforts. It’s definitely one of the best things to see in Monterey.
Marvel at the Lone Cypress and numerous other natural wonders found along the 17-Mile Drive.
10. Take in the Scenic Monterey Bay Views While Experiencing the 17-Mile Drive
Allow yourself enough time to cover the entirety of this visually stunning stretch of roadway through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. Upon paying the $10.50 vehicle entry fee, you’ll receive a helpful brochure detailing the many iconic landmarks and photo opportunities along the way—beware, you'll want to stop by every single one.
11. Enjoy a Picnic on Moss Beach in Pebble Beach
One of the best things to see in Monterey is the breathtaking views of the expansive coastline. As spectacular as it is, Pebble Beach isn't really a hidden gem—it's definitely on every traveler’s itinerary. But you’ll escape the crowds if you head to the community’s Moss Beach, where you’ll find one of the most scenic picnic spots in the area.
Take a trip to the unique Pinnacles National Park to explore talus caves and see towering rock spires formed by volcanic eruptions.
12. Climb 23-Million-Year-Old Rock Formations at Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park boasts over 30 miles of trails, beautiful campgrounds, and a diverse range of flora and fauna. The park is a popular spot among outdoor sports enthusiasts, especially rock climbers, who’ll want to add this destination to their California national park bucket list. Both beginner and advanced climbers are bound to enjoy conquering the cool rock formations of Pinnacles National Park. The adrenaline surge you get from this unique thing to do near Monterey will lift your spirits in a way like no other.
13. Explore the 50-Year-Old Dennis the Menace Playground
Hank Ketcham, a former Carmel resident and the creator of the Dennis the Menace comic strip, helped create this themed public playground (open during normal circumstances). Featuring several play structures, large slides, a climbing wall, a maze, and a giant adventure ship, this fun attraction will satisfy both the young and young at heart.
Make sure to add China Cove to your list of things to see in Monterey County. This pristine beach is quite a sight to behold.
14. Check Out China Cove in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
This emerald green cove is a hidden piece of paradise that belongs on your Central Coast beach itinerary. You’ll reach China Cove at the end of a short trail in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve near Carmel. This tiny pocket beach consists of a small cave and a rock arch, which you can walk up to at low tide. Take your time exploring this stunning stretch of coast and admiring the spectacular views.
15. Pop the Question (or watch other people do it) at the Proposal Bench
If you’ve been on the hunt for a romantic place to propose in California, you’re in luck. Asilomar Conference Grounds is home to a spot that is known to locals as the “Proposal Bench.” Don’t get overwhelmed about planning the logistics, either, because you can submit a request for proposal and get help from a talented group of planners. Even if you’re not ready to propose just yet, this lesser-known locale is a prime place to catch the sunset with your sweetie.
Check out the beloved Monterey Bay Aquarium to get acquainted with the local marine life.
16. Get to Know Over 550 Species at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Founded in 1984, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a public aquarium on Cannery Row that has been attracting families for over 20 years. Once it reopens, swing by to observe sunfish, huge bluefin tuna, and yellowfin tuna—found in only a select number of aquariums worldwide. Looking for a breathtaking view? Visiting the sprawling jellyfish exhibit is definitely considered a top thing to do in Monterey.
17. Take Home an Edible Souvenir From The Cheese Shop
The Cheese Shop in Carmel Plaza is a can’t-miss stop for all foodies visiting the Monterey area. This beloved local shop has provided a warm and welcoming environment for all since 1973. Enjoy a wide variety of organic cheeses and meats—try not to slip into a food coma after experiencing this top thing to do in Monterey County.
The 11 Most Scenic Drives in Southern California
Admire the scenery as you cruise past majestic mountains, lush forests, and pristine beaches on the best scenic drives in …...Read more
For breathtaking views, unique scenery, and an invigorating outdoor workout, look no further than the best hikes in San Francisco....Read more
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Logo creator
The new red, white and blue logo commemorating the 70th anniversary of Civil Air Patrol’s service as the U.S. Air Force auxiliary is the work of Maj. Erik Koglin of the Tennessee Wing. Koglin’s basic design stands in homage to the shoulder patch used by CAP members in 1948, when the organization became the Air Force’s official volunteer civilian auxiliary.
CAP Marking 70th Year as U.S. Air Force Auxiliary
Civil Air Patrol is celebrating another milestone anniversary this year — the organization’s 70 years as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
Congress passed Public Law 80-557 in 1948, and President Harry S. Truman signed it into law on May 26, formally establishing CAP as the volunteer auxiliary of the Air Force. Before that, CAP had served in support of the Army Air Corps, but the new law ensured that the partnership would continue with the newly formed Air Force.
Civil Air Patrol celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding in 2016 and the 75th anniversary of its CAP cadet program in 2017.
The auxiliary anniversary, which will serve as the theme for CAP’s 2018 National Conference in Anaheim, California, in August, is just as meaningful.
“Civil Air Patrol highly values our service to the Air Force and, by extension, to our communities, states and nation,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP’s national commander and chief executive officer. “We strive for excellence and professionalism in performing our current missions, while we partner with our stakeholders to determine what capabilities they need us to field in the future.”
CAP fulfills its role as the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force through such vital services as assisting with aerial intercept and unmanned aerial vehicle training, as well as disaster relief aerial reconnaissance and search and rescue. Its citizen volunteers — 59,000 members strong in 1,445 communities across America — respond to disasters; help teachers and students with aerospace-related science, technology, engineering and math educational resources; and provide youth with the opportunity to develop strong ethical character, leadership and self-confidence that will allow them to excel as adults in their chosen professions.
Public Law 80-557
This is the first page of the final legislation for Public Law 80-557, which made Civil Air Patrol the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The legislation became law May 26, 1948, with President Harry S. Truman’s signature.
Congratulatory message
Truman’s telegram congratulates CAP on the passage of legislation making it the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, and the organization’s telegrammed response thanks him for signing the law.
The legislation creating the auxiliary also authorized the secretary of the Air Force “in the fulfillment of the noncombatant mission of the Air Force Establishment to accept and utilize the service of the Civil Air Patrol.”
In celebration of Civil Air Patrol’s 70th year as the Air Force auxiliary, CAP has authorized a new logo to be used throughout 2018. Created by Maj. Erik Koglin of the Tennessee Wing, the logo made its official debut this morning during CAP’s Legislative Day on Capitol Hill.
CAP National Historian Col. Frank Blazich said the logo’s basic design stands in homage to the shoulder patch in use by CAP members in 1948.
“The shoulder patch at the time featured a red rocker above a blue disc, upon which was seated the white triangle with a superimposed red propeller,” Blazich said. “The red rocker, with white lettering ‘Civil Air Patrol’ featured on the logo, is reminiscent of this patch. The silhouettes of a Cessna 182 and USAF F-35 Lightning II evoke the 70-year partnership, soaring high in formation, the contrails an indicator of the passage of time.”
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Classical Communiqué Classical blog
Discussing the way classical music touches the mind and the heart.
Artist Of The Week: Klaus Thunemann
Kevin Doherty
Let’s face it, to some, the bassoon doesn’t always come across as the most serious of instruments in an orchestra. It doesn’t have the fame of the ensemble’s most abundant instrument, the violin; it lacks the allure of its stringed counterpart, the cello; nor does the bassoon have the prominence of its older sister the oboe (who gets to play “concert A” at the beginning of every concert in order to tune the orchestra). Even CapRadio’s Beth Ruyak, host of Insight said, “I’ve always thought there was a bit of a comic quality to the music of the bassoon.” Well, hang on to your laughter, my friends, because the bassoon means business.
In a recent Sound Advice segment on Insight, I played a clip of the great German Bassoonist Klaus Thunemann performing one of Vivaldi’s Concertos for the instrument to which Ruyak replied, “It’s fun to listen to that sound...I suddenly have so much respect for the way he’s playing it.”
What most people may not understand about playing the bassoon, is that it is a very challenging instrument to learn. Therefore you will not see as many bassoonists as those who play other instruments. When someone like Thunemann masters the bassoon, he is no doubt carving out a space for himself among the great players. And Thunemann may very well be at the top of that list.
Thunemann can make the bassoon sing. He brings a virtuosic agility and vivacity to the instrument, especially in those Vivaldi selections. Vivaldi wrote more concertos for the bassoon than any other instrument save the violin; 39 bassoon concertos in all. Klaus Thunemann has played all of them and recorded most of them all the while receiving favorable reviews. Nicholas Anderson of Gramophone Magazine said, “Thunemann instills life into every bar of his interpretation, performing dazzling feats of athleticism apparently with the utmost of ease.” A feat he’s also accomplished with the concertos of Mozart, Weber and more.
Thunemann was born in Magdeburg, Germany in 1937 and began playing the piano at a young age. Thunemann first picked up the bassoon at 18 years-old. Six years later, after playing his first note on the double-reed instrument, Thunemann joined the Northwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra. By the next year, at 25, he was their principal bassoonist.
Thunemann served in that capacity for 16 years until he would forgo orchestra work in favor of a teaching position. Thunemann continued to perform as a soloist and with chamber groups during his professorial tenure. He retired from teaching in 2005. A year later, in recognition of his work on the international stage and in the classroom, the acclaimed bassoonist was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The award is "the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for services to the nation." Thunemann's discography comes in at 30-plus recordings.
So, the next time you hear the bassoon played (all week long on Morning Classical; 2 selections a day between 7 and 9 a.m.), listen for Thunemann’s skillful dexterity and his unmatched phrasing. Let him show you that while there is, without question, a bit of fun that can be had in listening to the bassoon; bassoon playing is a very serious business.
Listen for the following selections from this week's Artist of the Week Klaus Thunemann on Morning Classical between 7 and 9 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Antonio Vivaldi: Bassoon Concerto No. 30
Ferdinand David: Basssoon Concerto
W. A. Mozart: Bassoon Concerto, K 191
Vivaldi: Bassoon Concerto RV 483
Conradin Kreutzer: Variations
Georg Philip Telemann: Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon
Vivaldi: Bassoon Concerto No. 35
Carl Maria von Weber: Andante and Hungarian Rondo
Franz Danzi: Concerto for Clarinet, Bassoon, and Orchestra
Weber: Bassoon Concerto, Op. 75
More about artist of the week
Listen during Morning Classical with Kevin Doherty (6:00 to 10:00 AM) each weekday to hear recordings by some of today’s most celebrated musicians, along with interesting stories about and from them.
beth ruyakclassical musicartist of the weekaotwKlaus ThunemannBassoonInsight
Classical Music Director and Morning Classical Host
Kevin gets your weekdays off to a great start from 6-10 a.m. with a refreshing mix of classical music, along with interesting facts and anecdotes about the music and its makers. Read Full Bio
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P-ISSN: 2349-8528, E-ISSN: 2321-4902 | Impact Factor: GIF: 0.565 NAAS Rating: 5.31 NEW
Impact Factor: RJIF 4.86
International Journal of Chemical Studies
Seasonal variations of physicochemical parameters of Korattur lake, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Author(s): Deepa P, Raveen R, Venkatesan P, Arivoli S and Samuel T
Abstract: Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the fourth largest metropolitan area in India and the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai has an estimated population of 4.9 million, with an area that has grown from 176 to 426 sq.km. after an expansion from the year 2011. It is one of the worst affected cities as it has suffered long spells of water shortages combined with rapid and haphazard urbanization. Korattur lake is a chain of three lakes comprising of Ambattur lake, Madhavaram lake and Korattur lake, spread over 990 acres in Korattur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India (13°07'19.2"N 80°11'04.4"E). It is one of the largest lakes in the western part of the city. Prior to 1970, the water from the lake had been used for drinking water supply to the city, however, over the years, the lake has been contaminated with sewage and industrial effluents from the surrounding areas. In view of the aforementioned factors, the present study was carried out to assess the physicochemical parameters of Korattur lake. The samples were analysed for a number of physicochemical parameters viz., colour, odour, temperature, turbidity, Electrical conductivity (EC), pH, alkalinity, Total dissolved solids (TDS), Total hardness (TH), Dissolved oxygen (DO), chloride, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, sulphate and phosphate using standard protocols.
Pages: 116-123 | 1035 Views 53 Downloads
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Deepa P, Raveen R, Venkatesan P, Arivoli S, Samuel T. Seasonal variations of physicochemical parameters of Korattur lake, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Int J Chem Stud 2016;4(3):116-123.
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CHARLES PACHTER "BATHER" PAINTING, 1980
Charles Pachter is one of the most collected and cherished Canadian artists.
His iconic, uplifting and patriotic images have earned their place in the nation's museums from coast to coast.
During the late 1970's and early 80's Pachter often depicted his friends in casual and lighthearted scenarios, lounging, socializing and at picnics. In this painting, a copper-haired male "bather" reclines peacefully on emerald green grass while gazing out at a tranquil body of water beneath a turquoise sky. This stylized / expressionistic landscape is realized in vibrant shades of blue and green. It aesthetically references Pachter's iconic series of reflected barns. The figure, both in its pose and how it is rendered could be interpreted as an homage to the Impressionists such as Gustave Caillebotte; who frequently had his male subjects turned away from the viewer.
Throughout his oeuvre, Pachter has repeatedly depicted leisure by water, creating varied images of docks, beaches, ocean waves and shoreline scenes.
Charles Pachter is represented in both public and private collections across Canada including the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Portrait Gallery of Canada, The Royal Ontario Museum, and the McMichael Gallery. The artist has also had solo exhibitions in France, Germany, Japan, the UK, India, the United States and Bangladesh. Charles Pachter holds the prestigious position of Officer of the Order of Canada and is also a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee medal.
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"Bather"
Signed and dated by the artist
10”H 11.25"W (work)
15"H 16.25"W (framed)
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