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What The Theater Chains Are Saying
The exhibition chains are weighing in with their response to the Colorado theater shooting.
REFRESH FOR LATEST…
We are shocked and saddened by last night’s tragedy in Aurora, Colorado and extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of those affected. The safety and security of our guests remains our top priority, and while we believe this was an isolated incident, we have security measures in place for our upcoming shows.
Cineplex Entertainment will donate a portion of the proceeds from tonight’s box office to the Red Cross RespectED: Violence and Abuse Prevention program. This program provides violence and abuse prevention education in schools and communities across Canada.
Landmark Theaters
Everyone at Landmark is stunned and saddened at this horrible tragedy in Aurora. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and friends as well as everyone who was at the theatre. Guest safety which has always been of utmost importance will continue to be a major priority for us and all theatre operators. What was one of the world’s most anticipated nights of movie-going has now been affected in the worst imaginable way. Although the media coverage naturally is focused on the shooter, it is the innocent victims and their families who we mourn for today.
Regal Entertainment
We are profoundly saddened by the tragedy that occurred at a Denver area theatre and are concerned for the victims and their families. The security and safety of our guests and staff is always our number one priority. As is our custom, we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our security needs as necessary. In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
AMC Entertainment
We are terribly saddened by the random act of violence in Aurora and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. For the safety and security of our guests and associates, we are actively working with local law enforcement in communities throughout the nation and under the circumstances we are reaching out to all of our theatres to review our safety and security procedures. Being a safe place in the community for all our guests is a top priority at AMC and we take that responsibility very seriously.
NATO Says Safety Is “A Priority For Theater Owners”
Cinemark Says It’s “Working Closely” With Aurora Police
Colorado movie theater shooting
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‘The Breakfast Club’ Restoration Headed To SXSW As Brat Pack Classic Turns 30
By David Robb
David Robb
Labor Editor
Panels Set For Black Hollywood Education & Resource Center’s 11th Annual Youth Diversity Film Festival This Weekend
Amir Talai Hosts Forum On Challenges Facing Actors During Pandemic
SAG-AFTRA Says Industry’s Return-To-Work Protocols Have Been “A Remarkable Success”
After 30 years, The Breakfast Club is finally getting out of detention. A newly remastered version of the John Hughes teen classic will debut March 16 at SXSW in Austin in time to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary, organizers said today. Stars Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy will take part in an audience Q&A before the screening, so if you ever wondered why Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) had that gun in his locker, this is your chance.
This is all part of a push ahead of the pic’s birthday. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Fathom Events and BY Experience are hosting a mini theatrical rerelease of the 1985 film on March 26 and March 31 on about 430 screens nationwide. The screenings include a bonus featurette with the cast and filmmakers.
The Breakfast Club 30th Anniversary Edition will be available first on Blu-ray, Digital HD and DVD on March 10.
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OutdoorsHealth & FitnessBeauty & FashionHome DecorPop CultureContestsInside Daily Hive
LifeGreat Outdoors
BC man wins Valentine's Day by building igloo for his girlfriend
DH Vancouver Staff
Feb 14 2019, 7:30 pm
Paul Lewis/Facebook
In most cases, being snowed in would put a damper on a couple’s Valentine’s Day plans.
For 47-year-old Paul Lewis of Victoria, BC, it meant being able to create one of the most unique experiences ever for his girlfriend.
Earlier this week, when Victoria received more than 25 cm of snowfall, Lewis decided to put his talents as a scaffolder and sculptor to work. The end result was a fully functional igloo for two, complete with lights, heat, a sound system, a cozy bed, and of course, wine.
“I came up with the idea while she was at work,” he explains. “She didn’t want to come outside at first, so she was just watching, but she joined in after an hour.”
Lewis explains that his girlfriend, Julie Gervais, began bringing pots of water, and after four hours the couple had an igloo to stay the night in.
The next day was spent adding in a fire pit, a wine rack and glass holders, tiki torches, and a makeshift dance floor.
Valentine’s Day will mark their fourth night in the igloo, which they plan to celebrate with movies, more wine, and a warm fire.
“It’s still standing strong, although there’s a little bit of sag at the front that I want to fix,” says Lewis. “I just wanted to play in the snow and have some fun.”
And thanks to Lewis’ newly-built creation, the couples’ Valentine’s Day only got better, as the two won tickets to Paul McCartney from a local radio show.
Safe to say he won’t be needing any chocolate or flowers this year.
Sea otters get sweet treats for Valentine's Day (VIDEO)
You can fly from Vancouver to Tokyo and Hong Kong for under $640 roundtrip
Poor decisions by previous gov't will cost BC Hydro users $16B over 20 years
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NBC Fires Greenwich High Grad Matt Lauer Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Joe Lombardi
Facebook @joe_lombardi Email me Read More Stories
Matt Lauer is a member of the Class of 1975 at Greenwich High School. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Former CT Resident Admits To Possessing Child Sex Abuse Images
"Today" show host and Greenwich High graduate Matt Lauer has been fired over sexual harassment allegations.
The announcement was made at the start of Wednesday's "Today" show by co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Guthrie said she was “heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story" while calling Lauer a "dear, dear friend."
She said she had heard about the firing just moments before coming on air.
“How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly?” Guthrie said.
NBC said it received a detailed complaint Monday from a staffer about inappropriate sexual conduct in the workplace by Lauer that was "a clear violation of our company's standards."
While it was the first complaint the network said it received in Lauer's 20-plus years at NBC, NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said, "We were also presented with information that this may not have been an isolated incident."
Lauer is a native of Hartsdale in Westchester who also lived in North Salem. After transferring from Woodlands High School in Westchester, Lauer graduated from Greenwich High School in 1975, and then Ohio University. He lives in Manhattan with his wife of 19 years, two sons and a daughter.
Lauer became co-anchor on "Today" in January of 997. He joined "Today" three years earlier as the show’s news anchor. From September 1992 to September 1996, Lauer was at WNBC-TV where he served as a co-anchor of the early morning newscast “Today in New York” and as a co-anchor of the early evening newscast “News Channel 4/Live at Five.”
Prior to that, he hosted a daily, live, three-hour interview program, “9 Broadcast Plaza,” in New York from 1989 to 1991 on WWOR-TV.
The 59-year-old Lauer, considered the most powerful figure at NBC News, signed a two-year contract renewal for $20 million per year in November 2016.
On Twitter, President Donald Trump said "Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.' But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News."
Follow Joe Lombardi on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram
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Greenwich's Hope Hicks Quits As Trump's White House Communications Director
Hope Hicks, right, a 2006 graduate of Greenwich High School, quit on Wednesday as the White House communications director for President Donald Trump amid U.S. House investigative questions. Photo Credit: timetogethelp.org
White House communications director Hope Hicks, a 2006 graduate of Greenwich High School, quit the Trump Administration on Wednesday. Feb. 28, according to multiple news reports.
The announcement came a day after Hicks admitted to a Congressional intelligence panel that she occasionally told "white lies" for President Donald Trump but did't lie about anything relevant to the federal Russia investigation.
Hicks was interviewed for nine hours Tuesday, Feb. 27 by a U.S. House panel probing Russia interference in Trump's 2016 election over Democrat Hillary Clinton of Chappaqua.
The top Democrat on the intelligence panel, California Rep. Adam Schiff, said after the meeting was over that Hicks answered questions about her role in Trump's campaign and answered some questions about the transition period between the election and the inauguration, according to this report by CBC News.
Hicks admitted telling "white lies" occasionally for Trump, according to this report The New York Times.
Hicks declined to answer any questions about events since Trump took the oath of office, like other White House officials who have appeared before the legislative committee.
As reported here by Daily Voice, the New York Times first revealed that special counsel Robert Mueller was zeroing on Hicks as part of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Then, multiple media outlets linked Hicks romantically to Rob Porter, who was forced to resign as White House staff secretary after domestic violence allegations were made by both of his ex-wives, including photographs of one with a black eye. Some of the abuse allegations and White House knowledge was reported here by the Washington Post.
This is what was reported about a Hicks-Porter connection by the Hartford Courant:
Additional coverage can be found here in the Connecticut Post as well as in the Washington Post by clicking here.
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Level zero cricket fantasy app
The terms "We" / "Us" / "Our"/”Company” individually and collectively refer to CricChamps and the terms "Visitor” ”User” refer to the users.
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In no event shall Company or any parties, organizations or entities associated with the corporate brand name us or otherwise, mentioned at this app be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitations, incidental and consequential damages, lost profits, or damage to computer hardware or loss of data information or business interruption) resulting from the use or inability to use the app and the app material, whether based on warranty, contract, tort, or any other legal theory, and whether or not, such organization or entities were advised of the possibility of such damages.
In no event shall Company refund money in user's bank account but in case when a match is abandoned, all contests for the match will be cancelled and the entry fees will be refunded into wallet in full within 24 hrs. This includes scenarios where the real match is abandoned without a single ball being bowled, as well as where the match is abandoned after it has started.
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Tag Archives: Ernest Roll
Corpus Delicti, Conclusion
Posted on April 10, 2018 by Deranged
Ewing’s attorneys told reporters they were worried that their client had met with “foul play”. Both the police and the district attorney were convinced that Ewing’s convenient disappearance was a hoax.
District Attorney Ernest Roll said: “By this disappearing act he (Ewing) has apparently again avoided taking the stand and testifying under oath in one of our civil courts. It is further interesting to note that no missing person report has been filed with the Los Angeles Police Department in connection with Scott’s alleged disappearance.” Roll added that if Ewing didn’t appear for his next scheduled court appearance then, “proper legal steps will be taken to produce him.”
With $179,000 (equivalent to $1.5M today) of his missing wife’s assets unaccounted for, and likely in his possession, Ewing could buy a ticket to anywhere in the world. In his case it would likely be a place with no extradition treaty with the U.S.
If his disappearance was voluntary, then he was in contempt of court in connection with the $6,000 judgement against him by the Wolfer Printing Company for the costs they incurred publishing his book, “How to Fascinate Men.”
Ewing’s recent companion, Marianne Beaman, might have been worried about Ewing after the sedan he’d been driving had been discovered in Santa Monica with bullet holes through the windshield. But her worry paled in comparison to that of Louis and Irving Glasser. The Glassers were the bail bondsmen who had guaranteed Ewing’s bail. If Ewing was a no-show, they’d be out the money.
So, was Ewing sitting on a distant beach sipping a cocktail with a colorful little umbrella in it; or was he dead and buried in an unmarked shallow grave along Angelus Crest Highway? Nobody knew for sure.
As in in many missing persons cases there were reported sightings of Ewing everywhere from Long Beach to Mexico. None of the sightings were verified.
On May 15, 1956, after Ewing failed to show up for his court appearance, District Attorney Roll requested bail in the amount of $100,000, but Superior Court Judge Herbert V. Walker had a better idea. He ordered Ewing’s original $25,000 bail forfeited and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
District Attorney Roll read California Penal Code Section 32 aloud in the courtroom. He intended to drive home his point that anyone who “harbors, conceals or aids a principal … with the intent that said principal may avoid or escape from arrest, trial, conviction or punishment…” would be in an enormous amount of trouble with the law.
If Ewing was missing under his own steam, a likely accessory would be Marianne Beaman, and the police and the district attorney intended to hold her feet to the fire. They had a list of questions that she would be required to answer if she wanted to remain a free woman. One of the questions had to do with a few gifts given to her by Ewing. Items of clothing that had belonged to Evelyn.
A credible sighting of Ewing came from Bishop, California where he had allegedly spent the nights of May 2, 3, 4 and 5. Chief of Detectives Gordon Bowers of the Sheriff’s Department said he had alerted law enforcement entities from Los Angeles north to the Canadian border.
Ewing remained at large through the rest of 1956. On April 15, 1957, eleven months after Ewing had vanished, a man who gave his name as Lewis E. Stewart was arrested in Windsor, Ontario, Canada just across the Detroit River from Detroit. Mr. Stewart strongly resembled Ewing Scott. And what a coincidence — his initials were the same.
Lewis Stewart was quickly confirmed to be the fugitive Ewing Scott and was confined to a cell on the fifth floor of the Wayne County Jail. As always, Ewing was impeccably dressed and vocal on the topic of his innocence in the death of his wife. “I’m the goat,” he said. “They are trying to make me take the rap for somebody else. I am innocent. I am being prejudged. I do not want to go back to California.”
Ewing was charming and friendly during his interview until a reporter asked him point-blank if he had murdered his wife. Scott replied, “That is an asinine question. It is just plain ridiculous and stupid. It is the last thing I would want to do.”
Ewing unsuccessfully fought extradition to California, and by mid-May he was returned to Los Angeles.
Ewing’s attorney filed a plea to dismiss the murder charge against him, but the judge wasn’t having it. Ewing’s trial for the murder of his wife was set for mid-September.
As Ewing awaited trial he spent a lot of his time attempting to sell his story to the movies. He wanted $200,000 for the tale and he claimed he planned to spend a significant portion of the sum to “follow up on a number of hot leads on the whereabouts of Mrs. Scott.” According to Ewing Evelyn was missing, not dead.
As far as any possible film, the charming, sophisticated and good looking English actor, Ronald Colman, seemed to Ewing to be the obvious choice to portray him on the big screen. Who would play Evelyn? Ewing wasn’t so sure. “As far as Mrs. Scott goes, I don’t know who would be exactly right. perhaps an older Peggy Lee, or Mary Astor. I’d have to see the woman first.” After further thought, Ewing said about the as yet unnamed actress, “I do know that she’ll have to be smart, dignified and rather good looking–and definitely not the wisecracking type.” Okay. I guess Joan Blondell wouldn’t be considered — although personally I think she would have been a fantastic choice.
Ever the optimist, Ewing said he had no desire to portray himself in the film. He was, of course, certain that he would be free to accept the role if offered and not pacing the yard at San Quentin, or awaiting execution on death row instead of sitting in a canvas director’s chair with his name emblazoned on the back.
The district attorney’s decision to prosecute Ewing for Evelyn’s murder when her body had not been found was an enormous risk. Ewing was the first person in California to face such a trial, making his case one for the books.
Despite the lack of a physical body, Deputy District Attorney J. Miller Leavy, was confident that the corpus delicti of murder could be established. There was a mountain of compelling circumstantial evidence to bolster the State’s case. Leavy was not only certain of a conviction, he asked for the death penalty.
One of the highlights of Ewing’s trial was a visit, by the jurors, to the Beverly Hills home he and Evelyn had occupied. Of particular interest to the jurors was the backyard incinerator where the remains of women’s clothing were found, and also the spot where Evelyn’s denture and eyeglasses had been discovered. One of the female jurors opened the door to the incinerator and peered in — although what she expected to find wasn’t clear.
The defense attempted to cast doubt on the murder charge by claiming Evelyn had been spotted living on the East Coast, but they fell far short of refuting the prosecution’s robust case.
On December 21, 1957, the jury in the Ewing Scott murder trial returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree for the slaying of Evelyn Scott. Ewing showed no emotion as the verdict was read.
Several days later, following four hours of deliberation, the jury returned with their sentence: life in prison.
The jurors who agreed to speak with reporters said that they had tried to find a way to acquit Ewing but “we just couldn’t.” The evidence of Ewing’s greed, manipulation, and the physical evidence of Evelyn’s glasses and denture, and the ashes of clothing, were too great to overcome. Nobody bought his contention that Evelyn was a drunk who left home of her own volition.
Ewing appealed his conviction. The appeal was denied. He also had the balls to petition for $600 per month so that, according to him, he could pay to mount an investigation into Evelyn’s disappearance. In February 1963, Ewing was legally denied his request to share in Evelyn’s estate.
In 1974, seventeen years after his conviction for Evelyn’s murder, Ewing was granted parole. He refused to leave prison. His reason for refusal was that he felt accepting parole would be tantamount to accepting guilt for Evelyn’s murder.
Still vociferously denying his guilt, Ewing was released from prison in 1978.
NEXT TIME: Corpus Delicti Epilogue
Posted in 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Homicide | Tagged 1956, 1957, 1958, Ernest Roll, Evelyn Throsby Kiernan Lewis Petit Mumper Scott, Gordon Bowers, How to Fascinate Men, Irving Glasser, J. Miller Leavy, Joan Blondell, Louis Glasser, Mary Astor, Peggy Lee, Robert Leonard Ewing Scott, Ronald Colman, Wolfer Printing Company | Leave a reply
Corpus Delicti, Part 3
Ewing Scott was likely the only person shocked by the court’s decision to make Evelyn’s bank the trustee for her estate. It still wasn’t clear how much of his missing wife’s money Ewing had managed to burn through before the plug was pulled on him.
Evelyn’s brother, Raymond, was satisfied with the outcome of the trustee battle — the bank was his nominee. Ewing’s attorneys were said to be plotting a new strategy to put him back in charge of the estimated $270,000 estate. But losing the trustee fight wasn’t Ewing’s most pressing problem. Rumors of a grand jury and possible indictments were looming large on the horizon.
Charles E. Beardsley, Ewing’s lawyer, was engaged in a pitched battle in the press with LAPD’s Chief William Parker. At the beginning of April, Beardsley fired another shot across Parker’s bow with an accusation that his privacy was being violated because he was being followed by police. Beardsley said: “I was able to decoy two of these (undercover police cars) into a cul-de-sac alley behind the San Marino Police Department and have the San Marino police shake down the occupants.” Beardsley was told that he was being followed by FBI agents, but he didn’t buy it. He talked to an agent in charge in Los Angeles and was told that the FBI had no reason to tail him.
Beardsley asked Parker to explain publicly why he was spending taxpayer money to follow him around, but Parker didn’t take the bait. All the Chief would say is that: “He (Beardsley) is talking about something of which I have no personal knowledge. I have nothing to say until I do some more checking.”
While Parker and Beardsley traded barbs in the newspapers, District Attorney Ernest Roll issued his own statement on the case. He warned Ewing not to leave town without official clearance unless he wanted to face an unlawful flight to avoid prosecution charge. The elephant in the room was the fact that no charge had been made against Ewing. The Chief and the D.A. may have had a charge in mind, but Was Chief Parker referring to financial malfeasance, or murder? Both?
Roll also said that: “Definite and positive action will be taken on the return of Asst. Chief Dep. Dist. Atty. Adolph Alexander from the East. This action will be in connection with our phase of the over-all investigation. Mr. Alexander presently is investigating Mr. Scott’s handling of his missing wife’s trust funds.”
Would Parker’s admonition change Ewing’s mind about a business trip to the East? As far as Beardsley was concerned the LAPD and the DA better put up, or shut up. “We believe,” said Beardsley, “Mr. Scott is free to conduct his ordinary affairs. If you tell me you want to take Mr. Scott into custody, I will have him appear at your office today. Otherwise, I will assume you do not wish to take him into custody. His leaving the State is not to avoid prosecution, as is clear from his willingness to appear at your office.”
Beardsley was about to get an answer to his question of what Ewing might be charged with. During a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the U.S. Attorney General’s national conference on parole, Chief Parker told reporters: “This hasn’t been published, but we found a partial (dental) plate and her (Evelyn’s) reading glasses behind a wall near the incinerator at the Scott’s house.”
Rumors that Evelyn might be holed up in Maryland were immediately quashed by Parker who said, “She was never here.” Parker also hinted, none too subtly, that Evelyn Scott had met with foul play, “This looks like a case we’ll have to try without a body.”
Local coverage of the Scott case included a statement by Deputy Police Chief Thad Brown who said that two pairs of eyeglasses and a removable dental bridge belonging to Evelyn had been found by police during a search in the rear of the Scott home. He told reporters: “They were buried at the base of the wall about six inches from the wall and covered with leaves and twigs. It is hard, native soil at that point.” The denture was identified by Evelyn’s dentist who also said that, as far as he knew, she didn’t have a back-up.
It was looking less and less like Evelyn had vanished of her own free will.
On April 10, after the police disclosed that Evelyn’s glasses and denture had been found in the back yard of her home. Ewing made his move. Officially, it was said that he had “taken a little trip to San Francisco.” Coincidentally, LAPD Deputy Chief Thad Brown had decided to visit the city by the bay as well.
Perhaps Ewing and Brown were taking in the sights of San Francisco or enjoying crab cakes at the pier. In Los Angeles Police Chemist Ray Pinker conducted tests on materials found in the incinerator at the Scott’s Bel-Air mansion.
With the possibility of hundreds of thousands of jewelry and cash missing from Evelyn’s estate, the police were hoping to find clues in a safe deposit box rented by Ewing under an assumed name in Westwood. They found nothing of consequence.
Ewing was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury on April 24th.
The grand jury indicted Ewing on 13 counts, 4 of theft and 9 of forgery. His constant companion was divorcee Marianne Beaman who seemed to have no problem consorting with a man who may have murdered his wife. Marianne even flatly refused to testify about out-of-town jaunts she and Ewing had taken. Her refusal to speak could lead to a contempt charge.
Ewing’s difficulties were multiplying exponentially. In addition to charges of forgery and theft, and his failed “How to Fascinate Men” book scheme, four employees of an automobile agency at 200 N Vermont Ave came forward and identified Ewing as the man who has bilked them out of an unspecified amount each for a bogus hair restorer.
Ewing had talked glowingly about the miracle cream to the follicle-challenged quartet. The men agreed to pose for “before” top-of-the-head photos and following a month of using the cream they were supposed to pose for “after” photos. The head showing the most improvement would win a $35 prize. The men had neither seen nor heard from Ewing for five years. Then they he popped up in the newspapers in connection with his wife’s disappearance.
On May 5, 1956, nearly a full year after her disappearance, Evelyn’s maroon 1948 coupe, which had been driven by Ewing, was discovered in front of 2214 Washington Ave, Santa Monica. Neighbors said the car had been sitting in the same spot for several days. Police investigated and found a bullet hole through the windshield on the driver’s side. The bullet had been fired from inside the car and part of a lead slug was found on the seat, and the keys to the car were discovered beneath the floor mat.
Ewing wasn’t with Marianne Beamann (who lived in Santa Monica); and he wasn’t in Bel-Air either because his neighbors had not seen him for “several days.”
Where in the hell was Ewing?
NEXT TIME: The corpus dilecti case concludes.
Posted in 1950s | Tagged 1955, 1956, Charles E. Beardsley, Chief William Parker, Deputy District Attorney Adolph Alexander, Ernest Roll, Evelyn Throsby Kiernan Lewis Petit Mumper Scott, Marianne Beaman, Raymond Throsby, Robert Leonard Ewing Scott, Thad Brown | 2 Replies
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SALVONI
Once in Venice to study architecture, this versatile artist is captivated by the beauty of the city and attracted by Murano glass. He becomes then one of the most brilliant performers of this material, whose refined lightness admirably exalts poetry and magic through his creations. From necklaces to lamps, up to shawls His initial production was based on huge and very heavy necklaces, later transformed into decorative objects to hang onthe wall. As a result, the subsequent production of candle lanterns and glass lamps inspired him over time to develop hischaracteristic large glass shawls.The light of his creations, whether natural or electric, illuminates today the most beautiful houses in the world thanks tohis unique, entirely handmade pieces. Being a great interpreter of Made in Italy, he manages to make every environmentspecial thanks to his works, whose delicate shapes are cut and assembled by hand in infinite shades of colour.His research, carried out within his study-workshop in the Brescia area, was also directed over time towards lighter andmore natural materials such as paper, bamboo and willow. Since 2013, his passion for sculpture has been evolvingthanks to his first works that immediately received great success.
Once in Venice to study architecture, this versatile artist is captivated by the beauty of the city and attracted by Murano glass. He becomes then one of the most brilliant performers of this material, whose refined lightness admirably exalts poetry and magic through his creations.
From necklaces to lamps, up to shawls
His initial production was based on huge and very heavy necklaces, later transformed into decorative objects to hang on
the wall. As a result, the subsequent production of candle lanterns and glass lamps inspired him over time to develop his
characteristic large glass shawls.
The light of his creations, whether natural or electric, illuminates today the most beautiful houses in the world thanks to
his unique, entirely handmade pieces. Being a great interpreter of Made in Italy, he manages to make every environment
special thanks to his works, whose delicate shapes are cut and assembled by hand in infinite shades of colour.
His research, carried out within his study-workshop in the Brescia area, was also directed over time towards lighter and
more natural materials such as paper, bamboo and willow. Since 2013, his passion for sculpture has been evolving
thanks to his first works that immediately received great success.
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Georgia’s election system: Improvements and pitfalls
From left to right: Levan Natroshvili (TI), Lela Taliauri (GYLA), Irina Imerlishvili, MP, and journalist Rusiko Machaidze. (DFWatch.)
TBILISI, DFWatch–DF Watch organized a round table on election issues with representatives of two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition.
They discussed amendments to the election legislation and also problems which they see as important to address ahead of the upcoming presidential election, as well as future elections.
MP Irina Imerlishvili, who chairs the committee on procedural issues in parliament, and is a member of the inter-faction group, and also has worked on the amendments to the election code, Lela Taliauri, representative of Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association, and Levan Natroshvili from Transparency International Georgia, participated in the discussion.
Both GYLA and TI were actively engaged in the working process of reviewing the election legislation amendments.
Irina Imerliashvili presented the amendments which were recently passed by parliament and have come into force. The amendments mainly concern improving the process of holding an election campaign, such as participation in campaigning, the voters’ list, the issue of transferring the interagency commission from the Security Council to the Ministry of Justice and also party financing issues.
According to the new regulations, the voters’ list will be completed by the use of biometrical data, but this will be first used for the local elections in May 2014. The presidential election in October 2013 will be conducted on the basis of the list which was drawn up in the parliamentary election last year.
Most of the amendments concern regulating the election campaign. The legislation defines ‘the campaign period’ as the last 60 days before Election Day. Another amendment is that it won’t be possible to change budget bills before local government elections, in order not to allow the spending of budget money for the benefit of the ruling party.
The NGO representatives expressed concern that parliament will not follow through on important issues related to the rules for staffing the election administration and issues related to election disputes and the media.
Irina Imerliashvili says that parliament will return to the issues related to media in September and possibly may even adopt changes before the presidential election.
This will deal with free air time for political parties in television and the so-called social media, which often function as covert political commercials.
You can watch the discussion with English subtitles here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mf1_-FYVh0
By Rusiko Machaidze| 2013-08-20T18:11:28+04:00 August 20th, 2013|Categories: Elections '12-'13, News|Tags: election environment 2013|0 Comments
January 3rd, 2021 | 0 Comments
Georgia’s ruling party softens stance on two controversial bills severely limiting oppposition parties
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U.S. firm announces new blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s
by Peter Heck · Dec 1st, 2020 8:18 am
Last Updated Dec 2nd, 2020 at 11:38 am
C2N Diagnostics, a U.S. based firm, has introduced a new diagnostic blood test that detects Alzheimer's disease in patients. The test, which measures amyloid particles and proteins that increase the risk of the disease, is designed for those over 60 who have noticed cognitive problems.
Even though it has been approved for use in Europe, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is yet to green light the test in America.
Several scientific authorities are encouraged at the prospect of the test, but still hesitate to celebrate it as effective.
"We're encouraged, we're interested, we're funding this work but we want to see results," said Eliezer Masliah, the head of neuroscience at the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
Masliah's warning to be "cautious about interpreting" the test results were echoed by Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer's Association.
"It's not quite clear how accurate or generalizable the results are," Snyder said, adding that she will not endorse the development until it has earned the FDA's approval and been evaluated in larger populations.
European Court of Human Rights greenlights Portuguese lawsuit against 33 nations for climate policy inaction
Microsoft developing technology that allows employers to monitor body language of employees during staff meetings
New study claims a person’s political party can be determined through facial recognition
Report shows U.S. cancer death rate saw biggest yearly drop in 2017
COVID-19 at-home tests now available for purchase on Amazon
California rules insurance companies must cover breast amputation for transgender minors
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Dicmortimer's Blog
Cardiff Wales
Cardiff The Biography
Unofficial Cardiff
Posted on December 15, 2011 by dicmortimer
Bridge Street Blues
The folly and incompetence of Cardiff’s rulers never ceases to amaze. The news that the precious public open space of Bridge Street Square, only laid out two years ago, is to be obliterated for a new HQ building for Admiral Insurance beggars belief. The Council tell us they regret the loss but it’s nothing to do with them because the small print in the agreement they signed with St David’s 2 developers, London property giants Capital Shopping Centres and Land Securities, always stated that the Square would be temporary (although, funnily enough, this was not mentioned in the promotional material touting the development to the public back in 2005, in which there was much emphasis on Bridge Street Square as “a gateway feature”). Here, then, is an open admission that Cardiff no longer has any control over its own city centre, the Council having handed it over lock, stock and barrel to unaccountable, unelected corporate interests. It doesn’t matter what Cardiffians want or what the city needs, the only thing that now matters is what can best boost the dividends of a few faraway fat-cats – and there sure ain’t no profit in a patch of grass, some park benches and a few trees.
The Square had quickly become an essential antidote to the turbo-consumerism, alienating concrete jungle and snarling traffic all around. The first new open space in the city centre since Bute Park was acquired in 1947, it was an uplifting green lung that brought desperately needed human scale, blessed respite from commercial transactions, an interesting new social sphere, and a potent urban space pitching nature into a brutalist cityscape, common in other cities but most unusual for Cardiff. We will never know how, when the plants had matured and memories had accrued, the Square might have developed into something special for communal, collective Cardiff, and for Cardiffians to come.
Let’s leave to one side the sheer profligacy and contempt being unashamedly flaunted by the developers – par for the course from the financial sector that has brought the global economy to its knees and for whose benefit the UK is organised – and look at what will shortly start rising in Bridge Street Square. Admiral already occupies the perfectly adequate Capital Tower, the monstrosity in Greyfriars Road erected in 1967 atop a 12th century friary and the 2nd highest building in Wales, and could easily expand into its many vacant floors, or else move into one of the nearly 2,000 empty commercial buildings around the city. But that won’t do for Admiral’s American chief executive Henry Engelhardt, at whose feet Council flunkeys have been grovelling since he brought his uninspiring car insurance business to Cardiff in 1993. Henry wants a prestige, chest-thumping HQ building all of his own: Henry shall have. As he put it, “this new building cements our commitment to the city,” a tacit confession if ever there was one that the “commitment” would be weakened if he didn’t get his way. The planning committee couldn’t find a single redeeming quality in the design, calling the 12-storey tower “awful”, “unimpressive”, “a wasted opportunity” and “like a convection heater”, before nodding it through anyway. The word “no” is not in the vocabulary of the LibDem-controlled Council when big business clicks its fingers, and the simple solution of insisting on the re-negotiation of that supposedly sacrosanct agreement in order to protect the interests of Cardiff’s people doesn’t seem to have crossed anyone’s mind. The LibDems will reap the consequences in next year’s Council elections, after which Rodney Berman faces the prospect of leading a group consisting of just him and Nigel Howells – not even enough to make a daisy chain. On Bridge Street Square the earthmovers are expected soon.
This Category Error completes the sad story of Bridge Street, a seminal Cardiff thoroughfare with a tale or two to tell…pull up a seat, draw closer, chuck a log on the fire…time now to sing the Bridge Street Blues…
We must begin with a bridge. But what bridge? Today’s remnant stump has no bridge, nor anything that requires bridging. The bridge after which the street was named began as a plank of wood placed across the town moat, Cardiff’s first man-made waterway. The water for the town moat, as well as for the castle moat, was diverted from the Taff at Blackweir by the Norman invaders in the 12th century, to provide extra defences in front of the town wall for the implanted medieval borough. Over time tracks were worn to this crossing point, which gave access to the marshy pastures of the East Moors. Here cows would be brought up from the Moors for milking; thus the widened and strengthened wooden bridge became known as Pont y Laethferch (the Milkmaid’s Bridge). From this focal point one path led eastwards to ‘the Tumble’, an enclosed field set aside for sports, a path that would evolve into Bridge Street.
The town walls gradually crumbled as the conquest of Wales was completed. The moat silted into little more than a ditch. By the 18th century Cardiff had still not crossed Pont y Laethferch and Bridge Street was still a country lane, but this era as a quiet pastoral backwater drew to a close with the first strirrings of the Industrial Revolution when, in 1794, the Glamorganshire Canal utilised the old town moat for its route around the town and down to the coast. A new wooden footbridge was built, but almost immediately this was inadequate as industrialisation spread along the busy Canal’s banks. It was replaced by a hump-backed stone bridge in 1821 and renamed Waterloo Bridge, a triumphalist commemoration of the famous battle six years earlier that had ended the Napoleonic Wars and paved the way for the British Empire’s most expansionist period. Then in 1839 Bridge Street was born, a west-east thoroughfare taking Cardiff beyond the town walls and coming to an end at the 1832 County Gaol, its slight dog-leg an echo of the meandering old track. Soon it was built up on both sides with early Victorian housing as Cardiff’s explosive growth began. But Bridge Street’s period as a residential area would be brief. The first Bute Dock opened in 1839 and it too required a water supply from Blackweir, the Dock Feeder, skirting the town’s new eastern limits to truncate Bridge Street short of the Gaol. When the neo-gothic paired villas of Pembroke Terrace, East Terrace and Edward Terrace (today’s Churchill Way) were constructed on either side of the Feeder in the 1860s, Bridge Street met the junction with a bridge over the Feeder – so giving it a bridge at both ends.
Foreclosed from the east by the embankment of the 1858 Rhymney Railway framing a handsome, neo-baroque 1863 Methodist chapel (a Masonic Temple from 1895 to this day – those Freemasons are nothing if not persistent), Bridge Street entered its heyday as a Cardiff artery. In 1872 Waterloo Bridge met its Waterloo when it was replaced by a wider, stronger bridge to bear the weight of horse trams to the Docks and renamed Hayes Bridge. At this centrifugal Cardiff junction, where Bridge Street, The Hayes, Caroline Street, Mill Lane and Hayes Bridge Road converged over the slithering, silent Canal, town met docklands; and by the parapets of Hayes Bridge the contradictory impulses of numberless forgotten people negotiated the nitty-gritty of Victorian Cardiff.
On Bridge Street a proliferation of shops, small businesses and pubs mingled with housing to form an unplanned townscape of pulsating rhythm, given momentum by the come-hither bend halfway along at the Union Street/Mary Ann Street crossroads and melody by the wildly differing elevations and frontages of the buildings. Unlike the bullying and belittling biceps of St David’s 2 now covering all of Bridge Street’s western section, the scale was congruous with human nature: high enough to instil pride and curiosity, but not so high that it’s only absorbable by switching off. To the east the gracious, three-storey, retro-Georgian rows of Nelson Terrace and Wellington Terrace faced the 1850 Wesleyan Methodist Hall on the Charles Street corner (demolished 1979) and the 1878 Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel on the Pembroke Terrace corner, the masterpiece of tragic Welsh architectural tyro Henry Harris (1851-1885). The plaintive strains of Welsh hymnody floated down Bridge Street every Sunday, but for the rest of the week it was boisterously secular. The accurately named Love Lane was an exotic back passage, the scene of many a quick tryst, leading south to Little Frederick Street, and a necklace of some of Cardiff’s most eclectic pubs stretched westwards towards the Canal, providing a social scene of limitless potential. Let’s hear it for the East Dock, the Greyhound (last to go, in 1981), the Hope & Anchor, the Lion, the Lord Palmerston, the Nags Head, the Severn Stars and the Queens Head; they also served who only stood and drank. The juvenile popcorn of the multiplex cinema on nearby Mary Ann Street is today’s piss-poor substitute for all that.
Bridge Street in 1922, Canal to the west, Feeder to the east
As Cardiff slumped into its long post-coal hangover in the 20th century, Bridge Street fell into stately decrepitude, blighted by the Council’s ever-changing city centre development plans. The Rapport clockmaking business, founded in 1898, bought up much of the eastern section, building their Ivor House HQ on the site of Nelson Terrace and replacing Wellington Terrace, East Terrace and the delights of Love Lane with an open-air car park in the 1950s. By then Bridge Street’s name had lost its rationale: the Glamorganshire Canal was filled in at one end and the Dock Feeder culverted underground at the other. The bridges were no more.
Looking west down Bridge Street from the Union Street corner, 1961
Demolition was piecemeal but continuous until by 1981 nothing of old Bridge Street was left. The Council promised world-class wonders to come: the multi-storey car parks and superstore sheds that ensued lasted a mere 25 years. The bulldozers and wrecking-balls moving in at the start of the 21st century amounted to an admission from the Council that, once again, it had all been a big mistake. There are few better examples of this than the blink-and-you-missed-it lifespan of the multi-million pound Central Library raised on Bridge Street in 1988. Trumpeted as a futuristic marvel when the ribbon was cut, within 15 short years it was being written off as an obsolete, ugly dinosaur. Deleted in 2006, it is already wiped from Cardiffians’ memories.
Then came St David’s 2 to cut Bridge Street in half. Anything would have been an improvement on the eyes-down, get-me-out-of-here, windswept wasteland centred on a branch of Mothercare that Hayes Bridge had become, so the great wall of John Lewis, Cineworld, the shopping mall and its multi-storey car park rearing up from Bridge Street at least has the merit of visual interest – even if only to provide a crash course in bad architecture. All are clad in a range of cajoling, post-modern, kooky appendages so as not to look like the concrete-framed tower blocks they actually are. Even the car park is dressed in a veritable light show of twinkling colour, the architectural equivalent of applying pan stick to a leper, while the cinema has a fearsomely ugly brown pterodactyl shape bolted on for no obvious reason, the patterned and tinted wedges of John Lewis appear to have been designed from the outside in and the St David’s entrance to the industrial food quarter they call ‘Eastside’ looks like the developers assumed we wouldn’t notice the astounding mundanity of their vision if they sprinkled on a few derisory contrasting materials. Bridge Street itself peters out at a zebra crossing bending straight into the halotitic kisser of TGI Friday. Here there’s the obligatory nod in the direction of “small independent businesses” with the Barrack Lane “Retail Enterprise Quarter”, squeezed in where nothing else would go under delivery ramps. The miniscule units, dwarfed by all around, are supposed to be “affordable” – at the time of writing this there’s just one tenant. Whether by accident or design, atmospheric new zones have been created in the canyon-like, curving passages provided through to The Hayes and for service vehicles; but there’s something very phoney about what’s been done on the site of Hayes Bridge. The new Central Library of 2009, a concept-heavy pointy effort in shades of blue where the schoolboy error of its predecessor in devoting the ground floor to shops is repeated, jostles with a massive sculpture of an arrow and a hoop by French installation artist Jean-Bernard Metais. Insistent, but vacuous, the creation is called Alliance with glib feel-good abstraction, its spelt-out representation of skyward pointing presumably signifying thrust and the pavement around peppered with the words of Cardiff poet and literary éminence grise Peter Finch. The Canal here was incorporated into the drainage system in 1949 and the partially submerged hoop taps into the drain to “rise and fall with the tides,” according to Metais. Hmm…it might be me, but I’ve stood in front of that damn hoop for hours on end and still haven’t noticed anything more than some shifting blue and yellow lights…is that it? And, I’m sorry, but how come the Severn’s tides are running uphill through pipes under the city – wasn’t the Barrage supposed to block them off?
Despite it all, Bridge Street Square’s bizarre, random dichotomies and clashes were somehow beginning to become part of the city’s ebb and flow. The low-rise Job Centre to the north, the Traders Tavern on a remnant of David Street to the east (originally the Panorama, it’s the last pub in a huge wedge of the city centre between Queen Street and Bute Terrace), and on the south side the apologetically mirror-tiled CIA, which we are now supposed to call the Motorpoint Arena, helped the space add up to more than the sum of its parts, even allowing for the empty lots in the clutches of the Rapport dynasty waiting to be filled when the time is right – the scions of Glamorgan Toryism having evolved from watchmakers into property developers over the last century. With the UK’s spiv economy plunging deeper into recession, those gaps are likely to remain for some time yet. And now the Square is to go, and with it the one small bonus of the whole St David’s 2 project. For Cardiff to rip its core out, privatise its public sphere, surrender its autonomy and hitch its wagon to the dangerously fragile shopping/leisure economy just as the whole sorry farce collapses under the weight of its own contradictions could be as big a mistake as any made in the past. This Council’s predecessors infamously did it with coal: ignoring the carved-in-stone fiscal rule not to put all your eggs in one basket. And, when Admiral’s new tower rises, creating another bleak, joyless non-place of buffeting winds and mounds of office workers’ fag-ends, we will know that despite all the bitter lessons of the past, nothing has yet been learnt. That’s the next bridge Cardiff must cross.
Picture: Brian Lee/Popes
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Pubocalypse
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robinmoore1
My g g grandfather William Geoge was a lock keeper on the canal and lived at 13 Canal Street which, sadly, is no more. Do you know where Canal Street was, apart from being near to the canal?
dicmortimer
If you look closely at the map above you can see Canal Street running between the southern ends of Hill’s Terrace and Frederick Street. It was demolished in the late 1960s and now the St Davids Centre extension covers its location. The Canal Street name was revived in 2010 when a route for buses between Mill Lane and Hayes Bridge Road was formed out of the Marriott Hotel access road.
That should be ‘Thomas’ George, living there in 1851 at the age of 38
Dylan Foster Evans
Many thanks for this blog. I’m interested in the Welsh name ‘Pont y Laethferch’ – I wonder where did you find that form? Diolch!
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Home » Dick Thornburgh Papers » "Allied Pix Photo" (x) » "Thornburgh, Peter L." (x) » "Thornburgh, Ginny Judson" (x) » "Soviet Union" (x) » "Drug control" (x) » "White collar crimes" (x) » "Pittsburgh Pa." (x)
Dick Thornburgh Papers
Material documenting Thornburgh’s life and public service career, including his years as Governor of Pennsylvania, Attorney General of the United States, and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, among other notable positions. Also see the Dick Thornburgh Papers website (thornburgh.pitt.edu) for more information.
DC Creator
Thornburgh, Dick
What's online?
Selected portions of the papers are scanned and online, which include Executive Orders (1979-1987), News Releases (1968-1992), Op-Eds (1966-2004), Reports (1954-1993), Speeches and Testimony (1963-2004), Transcripts (1969-1992), photographs (1932-2004), audio clips (1979-1993), and video clips (1978-1991).
Material documenting Thornburgh’s life and public service career, including his years as Governor of Pennsylvania, Attorney General of the United States, and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, among other notable positions. For more information about Dick Thornbugh and the archival collection, please visit the Dick Thornburgh Papers website.
About Dick Thornburgh
Identified by Washingtonian magazine recently as one of “ten legendary Washington lawyers who will forever leave their mark on the District’s legal landscape,” Dick Thornburgh is currently counsel to the international law firm of K&L Gates LLP, resident in its Washington, D.C. office. He previously served as Governor of Pennsylvania, Attorney General of the United States under Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush and Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, during a public career which spanned over 25 years.
Elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 1978 and re-elected in 1982, Thornburgh was the first Republican ever to serve two successive terms in that office. He served as Chair of the Republican Governors Association and was named by his fellow governors as one of the nation's most effective big-state governors in a 1986 Newsweek poll.
During his service as Governor, Thornburgh balanced state budgets for eight consecutive years, reduced both personal and business tax rates, cut the state's record-high indebtedness and left a surplus of $350 million. Under his leadership, 15,000 unnecessary positions were eliminated from the swollen state bureaucracy that he inherited and widely recognized economic development, education and welfare reform programs were implemented. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate, among the ten highest in the nation when he was elected, was among the ten lowest when he left office as 50,000 new businesses and 500,000 new private sector jobs were created during his tenure.
Following the unprecedented Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979, Governor Thornburgh was described by observers as “one of the few authentic heroes of that episode as a calm voice against panic.”
After his unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate, Thornburgh served three years as Attorney General of the United States (1988-1991) in the cabinets of Presidents Reagan and Bush. He mounted a vigorous attack on white-collar crime as the Department of Justice obtained a record number of convictions of savings and loan and securities officials, defense contractors and corrupt public officials. Thornburgh established strong ties with law enforcement agencies around the world to help combat drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorism and international white-collar crime. During his tenure as Attorney General, he twice argued and won cases before the United States Supreme Court. The Legal Times noted that Thornburgh as Attorney General “built a reputation as one of the most effective champions that prosecutors have ever had.” An honorary Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he chaired a panel of the National Academy of Public Administration examining the FBI’s post-9/11 transformation process and was a member of the FBI Director’s Advisory Board.
As Attorney General, Thornburgh played a leading role in the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2002, he received the Wiley E. Branton Award of The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs in recognition of his “commitment to the civil rights of people with disabilities.” He also took vigorous action against racial, religious and ethnic “hate crimes,” and his office mounted a renewed effort to enforce the nation's antitrust and environmental laws.
All told, Thornburgh served in the Justice Department under five Presidents, beginning as United States Attorney in Pittsburgh (1969-1975) and Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division (1975-1977), emphasizing efforts against major drug traffickers, organized crime and corrupt public officials. In August 2002, he was appointed Examiner in the WorldCom bankruptcy proceedings, then the largest ever filed, to report on wrongdoing and malfeasance that led to the company’s downfall. He was also chosen in 2004 by CBS to co-chair an independent investigation into the “60 Minutes Wednesday” segment on President Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard and has conducted numerous other internal investigations for leading enterprises.
During his service as Under-Secretary-General at the United Nations (1992-1993), Thornburgh was in charge of personnel, budget and finance matters. His report to the Secretary-General on reform, restructuring and streamlining efforts designed to make the United Nations peacekeeping, humanitarian and development programs more efficient and cost-effective was widely praised. He also has served as a consultant to the United Nations, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank on efforts to battle fraud and corruption
In 2006, Thornburgh received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from The American Lawyer magazine for “important contributions to public life while building an outstanding private practice.” He has regularly been selected by his peers to be included in “The Best Lawyers in America” and the Pennsylvania Bar Association presented him with its Public Service in the Law Award in 1992. He currently chairs the Legal Advisory Board of the Washington Legal Foundation and served as a member of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on the Attorney-Client Privilege.
Throughout his career, he has traveled widely, visiting over 40 countries and meeting with leaders from Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, India, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand and Central and South America. He served as an observer to the Russian Federation’s first legislative (1993) and presidential (1996) elections. A long-time supporter of self-determination, Thornburgh authored The Future of Puerto Rico: A Time to Decide, published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in 2007. He is a former member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
A native of Pittsburgh, Thornburgh was educated at Yale University, where he obtained an engineering degree, and at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where he served as an editor of the Law Review. He has been awarded honorary degrees by 32 other colleges and universities. Thornburgh served as Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government (1987-1988) and has lectured on over 125 other campuses, (including Moscow State University in 1989 and 2011), debated at the Oxford Union and has frequently appeared as a guest commentator on network news and talk shows.
Thornburgh is a Life Trustee of the Urban Institute and a Trustee Emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh, the Gettysburg Foundation and the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Visitors at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and is a member of the Advisory Board of the RAND Corporation Center for Corporate Ethics and Governance. He previously served as a member of the boards of Merrill Lynch Incorporated, Rite-Aid Corporation, ARCO Chemical Corporation, Élan Corporation, plc, the Urban League of Pittsburgh, The Stimson Center, the National Museum of Industrial History, and the National Academy of Public Administration. He was the founding Chairman of the State Science and Technology Institute and serves as Vice-Chairman of the World Committee on Disability.
He is a member of the American Law Institute and the American Bar Foundation. In 1992, he was honored by The American Legion with its highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, for “outstanding service to the community, state and nation” at its annual meeting in Chicago. In 2001, he was selected as a lifetime National Associate of the National Academies of Science and Engineering in recognition of his pro bono service to their programs, including the chairing of studies on science and technology and economic development; youth, pornography and the internet; and electronic voting.
Thornburgh served as an elected Delegate to Pennsylvania's historic Constitutional Convention (1967-1968) where he spearheaded efforts at judicial and local government reform. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives (1966) and the United States Senate (1991).
Thornburgh, born July 16, 1932, is married to Ginny Judson Thornburgh, a former schoolteacher from New York, who holds degrees from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She presently serves as Director of the Interfaith Initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities, based in Washington, D.C., and has co-authored and edited That All May Worship, an award-winning handbook for religious congregations working to include people with all types of disabilities. She received the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights in April, 2005.
The Thornburghs have four sons, six grandchildren and a great granddaughter. As parents of a son with physical and intellectual disability, they have taken a special interest in the needs of persons with disabilities and, with their son, Peter, were named “Family of the Year." Both Ginny and Dick Thornburgh were featured speakers at the Vatican Conference on Disabilities held in Rome in November, 1992 and were co-recipients in 2003 of the Henry B. Betts Award, the proceeds from which were used to establish the Thornburgh Family Lecture Series on Disability Law and Policy at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dick Thornburgh’s autobiography, Where the Evidence Leads, has been published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in both hardback (2003) and paperback (2010) editions.
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Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series XI. Governor of Pennsylvania (2693) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series XIII. Attorney General of the United States (774) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series VII. U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania (668) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series XVIII. Photographs, 1932-2004 (375) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series IX. Campaign for Governor of Pennsylvania (257) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series XVII. Ongoing Career (238) + -
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Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series V. Campaign for U.S. Congress (84) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series X. Re-election Campaign for Governor (83) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series VIII. Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division (69) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series XIV. Campaign for United States Senate (68) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series III. Pittsburgh Civic Activity (43) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series VI. Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention (43) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series XII. Director, Institute of Politics, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (43) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series XV. Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (23) + -
Dick Thornburgh papers, 1932-[ongoing] (12) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series IV. Politics (10) + -
Dick Thornburgh Papers, Series II. Early Legal Career (4) + -
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Dick Thornburgh Papers, 1932-[ongoing] (1) + -
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“Shedding Light on Litigation Industry: Civil Justice Reform” Conference on Understanding and Addressing Threats to American Free Enterprise and Property, Aspen, CO,
“Our Lives, Our America: Challenges of Empowerment & Self-Determination” Volar Center, El Paso, TX,
“Global Effort to Contain Official Corruption” Annual McLean Lecture on World Law, University of Pgh, School of Law,
Youth for Thornburgh give 10th ward Republican headquarters new face,
ais9830.05.04.0023
Youngstown State University Commencement Ceremony, Youngstown, OH
Young Dick Thornburgh in baseball uniform
York County Thornburgh for Governor Chairman Darwin Moyer today announced that May 6 has been declared "Thornburgh Day" in York County,
Yale Club, Gotham Luncheon, New York, NY
Xebec will build $7 million computer electronics firm in Lehigh Valley (200-300 jobs),
Working with legislative leaders to appropriate $5 million in State funds to repair public facilities damaged in May 30 flood in Allegheny County,
Working session on Air Force 1 with President Bush, Thornburgh, Bob Zoellick, Larry Eagleberger, Carla Hills, and others
Working luncheon for the Minister of the Interior of Spain at Blair House
DOJ photographer
Working lunch with Office of Justice Programs staff
Workers' compensation insurance premiums reduced for third year in a row,
Work will begin in May on $2.7 million Mine Subsidence Control Project to protect city of Sharon from surface collapses,
Wofford Donates Money to Charity to Justify TV Commercial,
Wofford Admits to Lack of Ideas for Pennsylvania,
Wins CONEG's support for resolution to slow natural gas prices,
Williamsport Chamber of Commerce, Williamsport, PA
William Mellon Hitchcock will plead guilty to federal income tax fraud charges,
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College Level Career Counseling
Ain Roost, Utah State University
Reed Morrill
This study was designed to examine and evaluate vocational decision making and counseling at Utah State University and to provide a basis for further research. A written questionnaire was given to a random sample of 500 college students on the Utah State University campus.
It was found that over 15% of freshmen could not express a vocational choice, and of those who could,their commitment to it was weaker than the other classes. Immediate family, friends and college professors were the most influential people in making a career choice, with the influence of college counselors being almost negligible. Other than influential people, personal interests, previous work experience and a desire to contribute to society were the strongest influences in making a career decision. Two thirds of the students surveyed were not able to list the counseling service as a source of help in career decision-making, and when the counseling service was used, its helpfulness was rated low compared to most other sources of help. There does not seem to be as much shifting of majors and career choices as one might expect; three quarters of the students surveyed had changed their major only once, or not at all. Over two thirds of the students did not have definite plans to seek career counseling, (most of them) because they felt they didn't need it or felt it wouldn't be helpful.
The following recommendations were made:
In the extension of career counseling services, an emphasis should be placed in reaching freshmen.
In labelling the services offered, the term "career counseling" should be used instead of "vocational counseling", to avoid the mistaken connotations often attached to the word "vocational".
The current methods of informing the students of the career counseling services available to them should be reevaluated and changed to more effectively publicize these services.
The present career counseling services need to be further developed using information from the literature and survey that has been reported.
16fe67eda78cf39778c5c8c916b64f75
Roost, Ain, "College Level Career Counseling" (1972). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 5737.
School Psychology Commons
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Coronavirus Featured Health Justice
Drop in reported child abuse cases not a good sign, advocates say
Elida S. Perez July 10, 2020
Child advocates are seeing troubling trends in reported cases of abuse since the COVID-19 pandemic reached El Paso in mid-March.
Texas Abuse Hotline calls show that during the months of March, April and May, the number of reported cases statewide dropped over the previous year during the same three-month timeframe.
This March there was a drop of about 1,300 cases statewide from 2019. In April the reported cases in 2020 dropped by 8,415 when the state was largely under a stay-at-home order and in May, when restrictions eased, the decrease in reported cases dropped by 6,398 over the previous year.
Specific call numbers for El Paso aren’t available, but child advocates say fewer cases are being reported.
Susan Oliva
“Just because the number of reports are lower doesn’t mean that the number of children being victimized isn’t lower. It just means the number of reports are lower,” said Susan Oliva, executive director for the Advocacy Center for the Children of El Paso.
The center serves children that are suspected victims of sexual and serious physical abuse and for children who have witnessed a violent crime.
Oliva said on average there are probably around 1,200 to 1,400 cases reported to Child Protective Services for the El Paso area in a typical March and April, but only half of that amount were reported during the stay at home orders in March and April.
“But I understand why. If you are being (sheltered) in place with the person that is abusing you, I mean, who are you going to share that information with?” Oliva said. “You are not. You are pretty much going to be locked in place with the person that is hurting you.”
Stay-home orders took away safety nets
Children under stay-at-home orders did not have access to the usual safety nets like schools, visiting outside family like grandparents, or extracurricular activities where they normally would have been able to tell someone what was happening, she said.
Oliva said she encourages family members and friends or relatives to listen to children because they will often fall just short of disclosing abuse.
“Sometimes they are trying to tell you something and you are not listening. Maybe they are just taking you to the edge of disclosure where they are going to say ‘hey are you going to believe me if I tell you that my brother is sexually assaulting me or if they tell you my dad is,” Oliva said.
How a trusted individual responds to that information could make the difference between whether that child shares the information with anyone else.
“That may be the only opportunity that the child has to disclose (the abuse),” Oliva said.
Oliva said since the restrictions eased in May, the center has been extraordinarily busy and fears the number of cases will spike when children are allowed to return to school in the fall.
Shelter not seeing school-age children
Enrique Davila, director of the Child Crisis Center of El Paso, said he is also concerned about a spike in cases when children return to classrooms. The crisis center serves as an emergency shelter for children ages newborn to 13 who suffer from abuse and or neglect, and that are at risk for abuse, neglect or suffering a family crisis.
Davila said he has seen a dramatic drop in the number of school-age children they typically serve since the pandemic reached El Paso, which is not a good sign.
“The fear is the school-age children, the ones that have experiencd a different type of child abuse, the ones that are still locked up at home,” Davila said. “We still fear that they are still out there (and) unfortunately there’s no one reporting those cases and that’s our biggest concern right now.”
Davila said school-age children typically account for 75 percent capacity at the shelter, but there has been a shift in the last few months where the majority of children being seen are infants, or children under the age of 5.
What is troubling, he said, is that the only reason they are seeing an increase in the cases for infants is that they were either taken to a doctor or hospital, which is where the cases were reported to Child Protective Services.
The center is licensed to have 31 children housed at any given time. Prior to COVID-19 the number of children at the shelter would range from 15 to 20 at a time with school-age children accounting for 75 percent of the cases.
Davila said they have been nearly at capacity for the last three months, but the percentage of infants now makes up for 90 percent of the children being served.
El Paso programs protect children
Sandy Jackson, community outreach coordinator for CASA of El Paso, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, said they had a waiting list of children prior to COVID-19 and is certain the number of cases will rise when more children are able to go back to school.
CASA are trained to be volunteers who work with abused and neglected children in the court system. If a child is removed from their home due to abuse or neglect, a judge will appoint a CASA volunteer to be the child’s advocate and help determine what is in the best interest of a child as a neutral party while the child goes through the court system.
During the pandemic CASA has shifted its operation to video services for both meetings with children for check-ins and for training volunteer cohorts, Jackson said.
She said they have not yet seen a large increase in reported cases.
“We feel that our cases may go up on calls made based on whatever the summer is going to look like and whatever the fall is going to look like for these kids,” Jackson said.
Sylvia Acosta is CEO of the YWCA El Paso del Norte Region. (Photo courtesy of YWCA)
Sylvia Acosta, CEO of the YWCA El Paso del Norte Region, said the nonprofit this spring began providing respite care when schools closed for parents who still have to work but need child care.
The program has allowed children the opportunity to be in a safe and more social setting while unable to be in school or regular day care.
Acosta said since the program started they have seen a variety of emotions from children, including increased anxiety, increased depression and outright joy.
“It makes us wonder how isolated these children are feeling,” Acosta said. “Yes, the pandemic is a big issue to all of us but when you are younger you are trying to figure out, ‘Why is it that all of a sudden I cant see my friends, why is it all of a sudden I can’t go to school?’” Acosta said.
While the program has been able to provide a sense of normalcy for children and respite for parents, Acosta said they have also seen some difficult cases of child abuse.
“We have seen a lot and the cases that we have seen are kind of jarring and the opportunity for abuse is so much greater at this time,” she said.
Acosta said that she urges parents that may be under stress to seek out help without feeling ashamed.
The YWCA and area nonprofits offer a multitude of services to help families in need during these unprecedented times, she said.
“That’s what nonprofits do, that’s why we are here,” Acosta said.
To report child abuse and neglect call 1-800-252-5400
Advocacy Center for the Children of El Paso
YWCA El Paso del Norte Region
Child Crisis Center of El Paso
Volunteer:
Cover photo:U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Steve White
Elida S. Perez
Elida S. Perez is a longtime community and investigative reporter. Her experience includes work as city government watchdog reporter for the El Paso Times, investigative reporter for El Paso Newspaper Tree and communities reporter with the Salem, Oregon, Statesman Journal.
El Paso Border Patrol agent runs over migrant with vehicle
Weekly COVID-19 data report: El Paso cases double to more than 9,000 in 20 days, on pace to double again in 18 days
Domestic violence is a growing “shadow pandemic”
René Kladzyk April 17, 2020
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. We ask that you follow some simple guidelines: https://elpasomatters.org/republishing-guidelines/
Do not edit the piece. Please ensure that you attribute the author, provide a link back to the original article and mention that the article was originally published on El Paso Matters.
by Elida S. Perez, El Paso Matters
<h1>Drop in reported child abuse cases not a good sign, advocates say</h1> <p class="byline">by Elida S. Perez, El Paso Matters <br />July 10, 2020</p> <p>Child advocates are seeing troubling trends in reported cases of abuse since the COVID-19 pandemic reached El Paso in mid-March.</p> <p>Texas Abuse Hotline calls show that during the months of March, April and May, the number of reported cases statewide dropped over the previous year during the same three-month timeframe.</p> <p>This March there was a drop of about 1,300 cases statewide from 2019. In April the reported cases in 2020 dropped by 8,415 when the state was largely under a stay-at-home order and in May, when restrictions eased, the decrease in reported cases dropped by 6,398 over the previous year.</p> <p>Specific call numbers for El Paso aren’t available, but child advocates say fewer cases are being reported.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-full"><img src="https://elpasomatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Susan-Oliva-e1594402414498.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5429" /><figcaption>Susan Oliva</figcaption></figure> </div> <p>“Just because the number of reports are lower doesn't mean that the number of children being victimized isn't lower. It just means the number of reports are lower,” said Susan Oliva, executive director for the <a href="http://advocacycenterep.org/">Advocacy Center for the Children of El Paso</a>.</p> <p>The center serves children that are suspected victims of sexual and serious physical abuse and for children who have witnessed a violent crime.</p> <p>Oliva said on average there are probably around 1,200 to 1,400 cases reported to Child Protective Services for the El Paso area in a typical March and April, but only half of that amount were reported during the stay at home orders in March and April.</p> <p>“But I understand why. If you are being (sheltered) in place with the person that is abusing you, I mean, who are you going to share that information with?” Oliva said. “You are not. You are pretty much going to be locked in place with the person that is hurting you.”</p> <h4>Stay-home orders took away safety nets</h4> <p>Children under stay-at-home orders did not have access to the usual safety nets like schools, visiting outside family like grandparents, or extracurricular activities where they normally would have been able to tell someone what was happening, she said.</p> <p>Oliva said she encourages family members and friends or relatives to listen to children because they will often fall just short of disclosing abuse.</p> <p>“Sometimes they are trying to tell you something and you are not listening. Maybe they are just taking you to the edge of disclosure where they are going to say ‘hey are you going to believe me if I tell you that my brother is sexually assaulting me or if they tell you my dad is,” Oliva said.</p> <p>How a trusted individual responds to that information could make the difference between whether that child shares the information with anyone else.</p> <p>“That may be the only opportunity that the child has to disclose (the abuse),” Oliva said.</p> <p>Oliva said since the restrictions eased in May, the center has been extraordinarily busy and fears the number of cases will spike when children are allowed to return to school in the fall.</p> <h4>Shelter not seeing school-age children</h4> <p>Enrique Davila, director of the <a href="http://www.childcrisiselp.org/">Child Crisis Center of El Paso</a>, said he is also concerned about a spike in cases when children return to classrooms. The crisis center serves as an emergency shelter for children ages newborn to 13 who suffer from abuse and or neglect, and that are at risk for abuse, neglect or suffering a family crisis.</p> <p>Davila said he has seen a dramatic drop in the number of school-age children they typically serve since the pandemic reached El Paso, which is not a good sign.</p> <p>“The fear is the school-age children, the ones that have experiencd a different type of child abuse, the ones that are still locked up at home,” Davila said. “We still fear that they are still out there (and) unfortunately there’s no one reporting those cases and that's our biggest concern right now.”</p> <p>Davila said school-age children typically account for 75 percent capacity at the shelter, but there has been a shift in the last few months where the majority of children being seen are infants, or children under the age of 5.</p> <p>What is troubling, he said, is that the only reason they are seeing an increase in the cases for infants is that they were either taken to a doctor or hospital, which is where the cases were reported to Child Protective Services.</p> <p>The center is licensed to have 31 children housed at any given time. Prior to COVID-19 the number of children at the shelter would range from 15 to 20 at a time with school-age children accounting for 75 percent of the cases.</p> <p>Davila said they have been nearly at capacity for the last three months, but the percentage of infants now makes up for 90 percent of the children being served.</p> <h4>El Paso programs protect children</h4> <p>Sandy Jackson, community outreach coordinator for <a href="https://www.casaofelpaso.org/">CASA of El Paso</a>, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, said they had a waiting list of children prior to COVID-19 and is certain the number of cases will rise when more children are able to go back to school.</p> <p>CASA are trained to be volunteers who work with abused and neglected children in the court system. If a child is removed from their home due to abuse or neglect, a judge will appoint a CASA volunteer to be the child’s advocate and help determine what is in the best interest of a child as a neutral party while the child goes through the court system.</p> <p>During the pandemic CASA has shifted its operation to video services for both meetings with children for check-ins and for training volunteer cohorts, Jackson said.</p> <p>She said they have not yet seen a large increase in reported cases.</p> <p>“We feel that our cases may go up on calls made based on whatever the summer is going to look like and whatever the fall is going to look like for these kids,” Jackson said.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://elpasomatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sylvia-Acosta-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-4384" width="483" height="725" /><figcaption>Sylvia Acosta is CEO of the YWCA El Paso del Norte Region. (Photo courtesy of YWCA)</figcaption></figure> </div> <p>Sylvia Acosta, CEO of the <a href="https://www.ywcaelpaso.org/">YWCA El Paso del Norte Region</a>, said the nonprofit this spring began providing respite care when schools closed for parents who still have to work but need child care.</p> <p>The program has allowed children the opportunity to be in a safe and more social setting while unable to be in school or regular day care.</p> <p>Acosta said since the program started they have seen a variety of emotions from children, including increased anxiety, increased depression and outright joy.</p> <p>“It makes us wonder how isolated these children are feeling,” Acosta said. “Yes, the pandemic is a big issue to all of us but when you are younger you are trying to figure out, ‘Why is it that all of a sudden I cant see my friends, why is it all of a sudden I can't go to school?’” Acosta said.</p> <p>While the program has been able to provide a sense of normalcy for children and respite for parents, Acosta said they have also seen some difficult cases of child abuse.</p> <p>“We have seen a lot and the cases that we have seen are kind of jarring and the opportunity for abuse is so much greater at this time,” she said.</p> <p>Acosta said that she urges parents that may be under stress to seek out help without feeling ashamed.</p> <p>The YWCA and area nonprofits offer a multitude of services to help families in need during these unprecedented times, she said.</p> <p>“That’s what nonprofits do, that’s why we are here,” Acosta said.</p> <h4><strong>How to help</strong></h4> <p>To report child abuse and neglect call 1-800-252-5400</p> <p><strong>Resources:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://advocacycenterep.org/">Advocacy Center for the Children of El Paso</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.ywcaelpaso.org/">YWCA El Paso del Norte Region</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.childcrisiselp.org/">Child Crisis Center of El Paso</a></p> <p><strong>Volunteer:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.casaofelpaso.org/">CASA of El Paso</a></p> <p><em>Cover photo:U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Steve White</em></p>
This <a target="_blank" href="https://elpasomatters.org/2020/07/10/drop-in-reported-child-abuse-cases-not-a-good-sign-advocates-say/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://elpasomatters.org">El Paso Matters</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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Welcome to the EMP Taskforce on National and Homeland Security
The Task Force on National and Homeland Security is concerned about the vulnerability of our electrical grid and other critical infrastructures and the danger that it poses to our children and families. Our members include citizens, engineers, field experts, and others, all united in our concern for the American people.
The threat of the U.S. power grid crashing is a very real but preventable problem but the average American has no idea of the severity of vulnerability under which we live. Experts say our power grid can be destroyed and, when that happens, 70-90% of the U.S. population will die within the first year. Experts also say it is not a mere possibility but a near certainty that the grid will be hit and it could happen at any time. Six Congressional Blue Ribbon Commissions and several independent research organizations agree with those statements. There are relatively inexpensive solutions to address the vulnerabilities of our electric grid and other critical infrastructures. Our website seeks to educate the American people regarding what is facing us and what can be done.
The Task Force on National and Homeland Security is an official Congressional Advisory Board recognized as such by the Ethics Committee under the name “The Task Force on National and Homeland Security” and as a Virginia based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the name “EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security”. As such, Task Force on National and Homeland Security receives no Congressional funding and operates solely on donations.
At the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, we believe the citizens and the local, state and national governments of the United States of America can come together to save lives by protecting our electric power and our critical infrastructures – including water & wastewater, communications, emergency services, transportation, healthcare & public health, food & agriculture, energy, banking & finance – against any and all threats, including cyber, physical attacks, extreme solar weather, and non-nuclear and nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Together, we can save lives and protect America by taking action at the personal, local, state and national levels.
The Task Force on National and Homeland Security also provides leadership for and coordinates with other affiliated groups who are concerned with the loss of the U.S. power grid and other critical infrastructures from any and all threats. The Task Force on National and Homeland Security was formed in 2011, in part, to act as a surrogate for the Congressional EMP Commission during which time it was decommissioned.
Dr. Peter Pry
Dr. Pry is the Executive Director of Task Force on National and Homeland Security, a Congressional Advisory Board dedicated to achieving protection of the United States from electromagnetic pulse (EMP), cyber-attack, mass destruction terrorism and other threats to civilian critical infrastructures on an accelerated basis. In 2015, Dr. Pry testified in Denver on Colorado’s first attempt to pass EMP/GMD legislation. Dr. Pry also continues to serve on the Congressional EMP Commission, like his fellow commissioners, despite the current lack of Congressional funding.
For more about Dr. Pry, click here.
Dwight Eckert
The world has lost a wonderful human being....
Our Participating Organizations
Jaxon Engineering - Colorado Springs, CO
Jaxon is a distinguished leader in Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) hardening and survivability. Jaxon is a woman owned, small business dedicated to achieving survivability goals for the United States and our Allies. Jaxon designs, builds, tests and maintains EMP hardened structures for government and commercial clients around the world.
Randy White is President of Jaxon Engineering in Colorado Springs, CO
http://www.jaxon-em.com/
National Disaster Resilience Council - Some of our team are proud members of National Disaster Resilience Council
The National Disaster Resilience Council is a partnership between the FBI and the private sector. It is an association of persons who represent businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the U.S. The purpose of the National Disaster Resilience Council is to address and mitigate the threat of a simultaneous nationwide collapse of infrastructure from any hazard such as manmade or natural EMP.
The National Disaster Resilience Council Chairman is Mr. Mary Lasky
https://www.empcenter.org/
The Secure the Grid Coalition
The Secure the Grid Coalition is an ad hoc group of policy, energy, and national security experts, legislators, and industry insiders who are dedicated to strengthening the resiliency of America’s electrical grid. The Coalition aims to raise awareness about the national and international threat of grid vulnerability, and encourage the steps needed to neutralize it. It operates under the direction of the Center for Security Policy.
The President of the Center for Security Policy is Mr. Frank Gaffney
http://securethegrid.com/
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GENERATION & STORAGE
Energy Source & Distribution
HomeIn-DepthA bit rich: business groups want urgent climate action, after resisting it...
A bit rich: business groups want urgent climate action, after resisting it for 30 years
By Marc Hudson, Keele University
Australia has seen the latest extraordinary twist in its climate soap opera. An alliance of business and environment groups declared the nation is “woefully unprepared” for climate change and urgent action is needed.
And yesterday, Australian Industry Group – one of the alliance members – called on the federal government to spend at least A$3.3 billion on renewable energy over the next decade.
Read more: The too hard basket: a short history of Australia’s aborted climate policies
The alliance, known as the Australian Climate Roundtable, formed in 2015. It comprises ten business and environmental bodies, including the Business Council of Australia, National Farmers Federation and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).
Last week, the group stated:
There is no systemic government response (federal, state and local) to build resilience to climate risks. Action is piecemeal; uncoordinated; does not engage business, private sector investment, unions, workers in affected industries, community sector and communities; and does not match the scale of the threat climate change represents to the Australian economy, environment and society.
This is ironic, since many of the statement’s signatories spent decades fiercely resisting moves towards sane climate policy. Let’s look back at a few pivotal moments.
Preventing an early carbon tax
The Business Council of Australia (BCA) was a leading player against the Hawke Government’s Ecologically Sustainable Development process, which was initiated to get green groups “in the tent” on environmental policy. The BCA also fought to prevent then environment minister Ros Kelly bring in a carbon tax – one of the ways Australia could have moved to its goal of 20% carbon dioxide reduction by 2005.
And the BCA, alongside the Australian Mining Industry Council (now known as the Minerals Council of Australia), was a main driver in setting up the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network (AIGN).
Read more: Bob Hawke, the environmental PM, bequeathed a huge ‘what if’ on climate change
Don’t let the name fool you – the network co-ordinated the fossil fuel extraction sector and other groups determined to scupper strong climate and energy policy. It made sure Australia made neither strong international commitments to emissions reductions nor passed domestic legislation which would affect the profitable status quo.
Its first major victory was to destroy and prevent a modest carbon tax in 1994-95, proposed by Keating Government environment minister John Faulkner. Profits from the tax would have funded research and development of renewable energy.
Questionable funding and support
The Australian Aluminium Council is also in the roundtable. This organisation used to be the most militant of the “greenhouse mafia” organisations – as dubbed in a 2006 ABC Four Corners investigation.
The council funded and promoted the work of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), whose “MEGABARE” economic model was, at the time, used to generate reports which were a go-to for Liberal and National Party politicians wanting to argue climate action would spell economic catastrophe.
In 1997, the Australian Conservation Foundation (another member of the climate roundtable) complained to the federal parliamentary Ombudsman about fossil fuel groups funding ABARE, saying this gave organisations such as Shell Australia a seat on its board. The ensuing Ombudsman’s report in 1998 largely backed these complaints. ABARE agreed with or considered many of the Ombudsman’s recommendations.
Meanwhile, Australian Industry Group was part of the concerted opposition to the Rudd government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. In response to the July 2008 Green Paper on emissions trading, it complained:
businesses accounting for well over 10% of national production and around one million jobs will be affected by significant cost increases.
Australian economist Ross Garnaut was among many at the time to lambast this complaint, calling it “pervasive vested-interest pressure on the policy process.”
Read more: IPCC: the dirty tricks climate scientists faced in three decades since first report
Back in July 2014, the Business Council of Australia and Innes Willox (head of the Australian Industry Group) both welcomed the outcome of then prime minister Tony Abbott’s policy vandalism: the repeal of the Gillard government’s carbon price. The policy wasn’t perfect, but it was an important step in the right direction.
In doing so, Australia squandered the opportunity to become a renewable energy superpower. With its solar, wind and geothermal resources, its scientists and technology base, Australia could have been world-beaters and world-savers. Now, it’s just a quarry with a palpable end of its customer base for thermal coal.
Given the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the global pandemic and the devastating fires of Black Summer, it would be forgivable to despair.
It shouldn’t have been the case that business groups only acted when the problem became undeniable and started to affect profits.
Read more: Carbon pricing: it’s a proven way to reduce emissions but everyone’s too scared to mention it
Somehow we must recapture the energy, determination and even the optimism of the period from 2006 to 2008 when it seemed Australia “got” climate change and the need to take rapid and radical action.
This time, we must do it better. Decision-makers should not look solely to the business sector for guidance on climate policy – the community, and the broader public good, should be at the centre.
Marc Hudson, Research Associate in Social Movements, Keele University
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LifestyleHeritageShort Story
LifestyleHeritage
HCM City’s Book Street welcomes 11.5 million visitors in five years
Sunday, 2021-01-10 15:39:47
NDO – Ho Chi Minh City’s Book Street on Nguyen Van Binh Street in District 1 has welcomed 11.5 visitors in its five years, serving as a space promoting reading culture in the city.
This was underlined at a ceremony held on book street on January 9 to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
Inaugurated in 2016, the book street features dozens of book stalls from more than 25 publishers. More than 3.5 million books on different topics, including 57,000 new titles, have been sold, generating around VND181 billion for the exhibitors.
The book street is not only a space for book trading and exchange but also a meeting place for authors, publishers and readers.
It has hosted nearly 1,200 events, establishing itself as an attractive destination for the city’s dwellers as well as visitors from both home and abroad.
A number of book-signing events and cultural exchange programmes and exhibitions have been organised on the street, gathering prestigious domestic and foreign publishers, distributors and agencies.
Winners of 2020 Golden Apricot Blossom Awards honoured (Jan 15, 2021 10:59:59)
Artist Trieu Trung Kien: 'Cai luong' artists must work to make their shows more appealing to young audience (Jan 13, 2021 17:02:12)
2020 in review: the silence and boom of cultural sector (Jan 07, 2021 17:06:09)
Winners of Dedication Music Awards 2021 announced (Jan 07, 2021 17:02:48)
Vietnamese ceramic artefacts to be promoted in ROK (Jan 06, 2021 14:11:49)
2021 Devotion Music Awards launched (Jan 05, 2021 09:49:03)
Project to promote brand of Vietnamese lacquer art during 2020-2030 period (Jan 04, 2021 16:51:03)
Da Nang to set off fireworks at three locations to greet Lunar New Year (Dec 31, 2020 17:54:06)
Da Nang holds festival to celebrate New Year 2021 (Dec 31, 2020 15:10:11)
The story of brocade in Vietnam’s northern mountainous region (Dec 30, 2020 16:37:29)
Winners of literary and artistic campaign in celebration of 1010th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi announced (Dec 29, 2020 11:03:51)
The harmony between traditional music and jazz (Dec 28, 2020 16:43:14)
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Turkish ultranationalist, right-wing extremists
Germany's mission to muzzle the Grey Wolves
The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution classes them as "far right" and politicians want to ban them: the ultranationalist Grey Wolves movement. It originated in Turkey, where it is the secret power in the country and a political kingmaker. Marion Sendker reports from Istanbul
It would take him just one day, he says, to get a million or so followers of the Grey Wolves out onto the streets in Turkey. "And with a few more hours, I can mobilise two, maybe three million," Azmi Karamahmutoglu says. Until 23 years ago, he was the leader of the ultranationalist movement, but many people still recognise him as a figure of authority: Karamahmutoglu is the foster-son of Alparslan Turkes – the founder of the Grey Wolves.
Turkes, who was trained in the USA by the CIA and NATO, started the movement more than 50 years ago, calling it "Ulkuculer", or "idealists". It was intended as a kind of nationalist counter-movement to the communist endeavours both at home and abroad. At that time, the Grey Wolves prowled the country on the hunt for left-wing radicals and dissidents, sometimes acting like death squads. Many attacks and hundreds of murders can be traced back to them.
"Turkish Nazis"
These days, they make waves in Turkey first and foremost when local groups threaten ethnic or religious minorities. And the agitation doesn’t stop at the Turkish borders: the Grey Wolves have also been active in other countries for many years.
"The movement does not see itself as racist": under observation by Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the Grey Wolves and associations close to them have at least 11,000 followers in Germany. They are convinced they belong to a superior Turkish "race". Azmi Karamahmutoglu, former leader of the ultranationalist movement, explains the group's attacks and massacres in the 1970s, in which many members of ethnic minorities died, as being part of the fight against communism
Attacks on Armenians, Kurds or Jews have been attributed to them. And according to some reports, local Grey Wolves groups make a point of approaching people with Turkish origins – especially young people – to impart their far-right ideology to them.
Over the years, all of this has earned them the reputation of being "Turkish Nazis". It’s a term that Karamahmutoglu strongly rejects. "The aim of our nationalism is to develop and enrich Turkish culture."
Right-wing extremism, on the other hand, would put Turkey’s territorial integrity at risk. He says that protecting this is the movement’s number one priority. Their nationalism, he adds, is what people in Europe call "patriotism".
"The movement doesn’t think of itself as racist, either," Karamahmutoglu says. He tells me that the attacks and massacres that the Grey Wolves carried out in the 1970s, in which many members of ethnic minorities lost their lives, were part of the fight against communism.
People didn’t die because they were Alevites, Kurds or Armenians, he says, but because they were suspected communists. In other words: the Grey Wolves killed them in order to destroy communism, which in turn was seeking to destroy the nation.
Defending the nation is the practical expression of the Grey Wolves’ dream of "Turan": an empire uniting all the Turkic people, from Asia to Europe and all the way to North Africa.
There are people from various Turkish societies living there. But this is about the cultural and ethnic tribe of the Turks, rather than the Republic of Turkey. Their symbol is the wolf, which is revered in Old Turkic shamanistic mythology as a magical helper.
"There is a secular character to nationalism"
Islam plays no role in this. But even so, for many years the Grey Wolves have also been regarded as defenders of Islam. That Turkish-national and Islamic values should be inseparable for the Grey Wolves is something that academics worldwide call the "Turkish-Islamic synthesis". Karamahmutoglu sees this as a misunderstanding. "There is a secular character to nationalism," he emphasises, and reminds me that in its early years, the movement advocated for secularism.
Criticising Erdogan: Don't romanticise the Kemalist legacy!Interview with the French-Turkish sociologist Nilufer Gole: Europe's homegrown Turkish ethno-nationalistsThe Nazi glorification of Ataturk: Ankara's shining star
History of the Near and Middle East, Islamism | Political Islam, Kemal Kiliçdaroğlu, Kemalism, Minorities in the Muslim world, Radicalisation, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Rule of law, Turkey and the EU, Turkish opposition
Since 2015 there has been a surge of interest in Syrian writing in German translation. In this series of interviews, writers, poets, publishers, and artists in Berlin talk about ...More
Tents, mud and cold: refugees contend with miserable conditions in Bosnia & Herzegovina. With the European Union demanding that Bosnia accommodate the asylum-seekers, its ...More
BestofQantara2020
2020 in review: Qantara's 'Top Ten'
Last year was one of a kind. 2020 saw the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic, putting a stop to the hajj. Though peace in the Middle East remains a pipedream, there was ...More
Migrants and entrepreneurship in Germany
Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci – a rare success story?
When news broke that a vaccine against COVID-19 developed by a Turkish-born couple in Germany had promising results, many media reports placed the ethnic background of these ...More
IT in the Occupied Territories
Software developers at coding boot camp in Silicon Wadi
A German IT company has started an academy to train Palestinians in software development. Despite the pandemic's challenges, it has managed to run its first boot camp in Ramallah ...More
Immigration, Islamophobia and the AfD
Germany's "welcoming culture" – for some a dirty word
Shortly after the expression was coined and found its way into German discourse, the concept of a "welcoming culture" was already being targeted by Islamophobic circles – and was ...More
Marion Sendker
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Yellow and Green Enamelled Blue and White Vase Hammered down at US$920,000, 15 Times of Its Estimate
14 Sep, 2017 | Thu | 18:47
The sale result of Sotheby’s Important Chinese Art came as a surprise to many. A double gourd vase from Yongzheng period, as featured on the catalogue’s cover, was passed in the end. In contrast, a yellow and green enamelled blue and white lotus vase from Qianlong period, estimated at US$60,000 – 80,000, was hammered down at US$920,000 (over 15 times of its estimate) and became the most expensive lot. The 2nd and 3rd top lot were a blue and white ewer from Yongzheng period and a bronze figure of a buffalo from Western Zhou dynasty.
The top lot is a yellow and green enamelled blue and white lotus vase from Qianlong period. Starting at US$48,000, the bidding went raucous from the very beginning and the price soon soared to US$380,000. The pace slowed down a bit afterwards and there were at least four telephone bidders fighting over this vase. When the bid rose to US$520,000, auctioneer decided to raise the bid increment to US$20,000. The bid further went up to US$640,000, two telephone bidders left the bidding war but the remaining bidders were still very determined. The vase was hammered down at US$920,000 (over 15 times of its estimate) and fetched US$1,116,500 with buyer’s premium.
The vase is in a pear-shaped body with a slightly compressed belly, rising to a waisted neck and flared mouth, painted in deep underglaze-blue tones. Yellow and green enamelled porcelain first appeared in Yongle kiln in Ming dynasty and continued to be in production in later period. It has been a popular kind in the market.
The second one is blue and white ewer from Yongzheng reign in Qing dynasty, carrying an estimate of US$50,000 – 70,000. The vase is potted with a broad cylindrical body molded with two ribbed fillets between two registers of molded chrysanthemum petals, rising to a rounded shoulder and waisted neck with a bulbous mid-section and flaring gently to a broad spout. A similar one to this vase is now housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing and they share striking resemblances in both shape and pattern. This blue and white ewer was hammered down at US$770,000, slightly higher than its estimate. It was sold for US$936,500 with buyer’s premium.
The third one is a bronze figure of buffalo from the Western Zhou dynasty, embodying the characteristics of Zhou sculpture. A number of buffalos of this type are believed to have been used as stands or feet for large vessels. This bronze figure of buffalo was estimated at US$150,000 – 250,000 and fetched US$732,500 with buyer’s premium. When it went to auction at Sotheby’s New York in 2011 spring, it carried an estimate of US$60,000 – 80,000 and was sold for US$134,500 with buyer’s premium.
Top Lots
A Rare Yellow and Green Enamelled Blue and White “Lotus” Vase. Qianlong Seal Mark and Period.
Lot no.: 25
Hammer price: US$920,000
Price realized: US$1,116,500
A Rare and Magnificent Blue and White Ewer. Yongzheng Seal Mark and Period.
Nagel Stuttgart, 12th November 2004, lot 1570.
European Private Collection (by repute).
Nagel Stuttgart, 5th November 2010, lot 1239.
Price realized: USD$936,500
A Rare Bronze Figure of A Buffalo. Western Zhou Dynasty.
Provenance (consolidated by The Value):
Yamanaka & Co., London.
Collection of Mrs Mary Cohen.
Sotheby's London, 14th June 1970, lot 55.
Collection of J.T. Tai.
Sotheby's New York, 22nd March 2011, lot 39.
Price realized: US$732,500
Auction house: Sotheby’s New York
Sale: Important Chinese Art
Sale no.: N09674
Auction: 2017/9/13
Sale total: US$12,975,000
Average price per lot: US$69,385
Sell-through rate: 74%
(All prices realized have included buyer’s premium unless specify otherwise)
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(Redirected from C. elegans)
"C. elegans" redirects here. For other uses, see C. elegans (disambiguation).
free-living species of nematode
It has been suggested that Victor Nigon be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since December 2020.
An adult hermaphrodite C. elegans worm
Phylum: Nematoda
Class: Chromadorea
Order: Rhabditida
Family: Rhabditidae
Genus: Caenorhabditis
Binomial name
(Maupas, 1900)[1]
Caenorhabditis elegans var. Bergerac[2] (for instance strain BO)[3]
Caenorhabditis elegans var. Bristol[4] (for instance strain N2)[5]
Caenorhabditis elegans (/ˌsiːnoʊræbˈdaɪtəs ˈɛləɡæns/[6]) is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length[7] that lives in temperate soil environments. It is the type species of its genus.[8] The name is a blend of the Greek caeno- (recent), rhabditis (rod-like)[9] and Latin elegans (elegant). In 1900, Maupas initially named it Rhabditides elegans. Osche placed it in the subgenus Caenorhabditis in 1952, and in 1955, Dougherty raised Caenorhabditis to the status of genus.[10]
C. elegans is an unsegmented pseudocoelomate and lacks respiratory or circulatory systems.[11] Most of these nematodes are hermaphrodites and a few are males.[12] Males have specialised tails for mating that include spicules.
In 1963, Sydney Brenner proposed research into C. elegans, primarily in the area of neuronal development. In 1974, he began research into the molecular and developmental biology of C. elegans, which has since been extensively used as a model organism.[13] It was the first multicellular organism to have its whole genome sequenced, and as of 2019, is the only organism to have its connectome (neuronal "wiring diagram") completed.[14][15][16]
1.1 Gut granules
2 Reproduction
3.1 Embryonic development
3.1.1 Axis formation
3.1.2 Gastrulation
3.2 Post-embryonic development
4 Ecology
5 Research use
5.1 Notable findings
5.2 Spaceflight research
6 Genetics
6.1 Genome
6.1.1 Size and gene content
6.1.2 Related genomes
6.2 Other genetic studies
7 Scientific community
10 Further reading
Movement of wild-type C. elegans
C. elegans is unsegmented, vermiform, and bilaterally symmetrical. It has a cuticle (a tough outer covering, as an exoskeleton), four main epidermal cords, and a fluid-filled pseudocoelom (body cavity). It also has some of the same organ systems as larger animals. About one in a thousand individuals is male and the rest are hermaphrodites.[17] The basic anatomy of C. elegans includes a mouth, pharynx, intestine, gonad, and collagenous cuticle. Like all nematodes, they have neither a circulatory nor a respiratory system. The four bands of muscles that run the length of the body are connected to a neural system that allows the muscles to move the animal's body only as dorsal bending or ventral bending, but not left or right, except for the head, where the four muscle quadrants are wired independently from one another. When a wave of dorsal/ventral muscle contractions proceeds from the back to the front of the animal, the animal is propelled backwards. When a wave of contractions is initiated at the front and proceeds posteriorly along the body, the animal is propelled forwards. Because of this dorsal/ventral bias in body bends, any normal living, moving individual tends to lie on either its left side or its right side when observed crossing a horizontal surface. A set of ridges on the lateral sides of the body cuticle, the alae, is believed to give the animal added traction during these bending motions.
In relation to lipid metabolism, C. elegans does not have any specialized adipose tissues, a pancreas, a liver, or even blood to deliver nutrients compared to mammals. Neutral lipids are instead stored in the intestine, epidermis, and embryos. The epidermis corresponds to the mammalian adipocytes by being the main triglyceride depot.[18]
The pharynx is a muscular food pump in the head of C. elegans, which is triangular in cross-section. This grinds food and transports it directly to the intestine. A set of "valve cells" connects the pharynx to the intestine, but how this valve operates is not understood. After digestion, the contents of the intestine are released via the rectum, as is the case with all other nematodes.[19] No direct connection exists between the pharynx and the excretory canal, which functions in the release of liquid urine.
Males have a single-lobed gonad, a vas deferens, and a tail specialized for mating, which incorporates spicules. Hermaphrodites have two ovaries, oviducts, and spermatheca, and a single uterus.
Anatomical diagram of a male C. elegans
C. elegans neurons contain dendrites which extend from the cell to receive neurotransmitters, and a process that extends to the nerve ring (the "brain") for a synaptic connection between neurons.[20] The biggest difference is that C. elegans has motor excitatory and inhibitory neurons, known as cholinergic and gabaergic neurons, which simply act as further regulation for the tiny creature. They have no influence on the nervous system besides regulating neuron impulses.[21]
Gut granules[edit]
Numerous gut granules are present in the intestine of C. elegans, the functions of which are still not fully known, as are many other aspects of this nematode, despite the many years that it has been studied. These gut granules are found in all of the Rhabditida orders. They are very similar to lysosomes in that they feature an acidic interior and the capacity for endocytosis, but they are considerably larger, reinforcing the view of their being storage organelles. A remarkable feature of the granules is that when they are observed under ultraviolet light, they react by emitting an intense blue fluorescence. Another phenomenon seen is termed 'death fluorescence'. As the worms die, a dramatic burst of blue fluorescence is emitted. This death fluorescence typically takes place in an anterior to posterior wave that moves along the intestine, and is seen in both young and old worms, whether subjected to lethal injury or peacefully dying of old age.
Many theories have been posited on the functions of the gut granules, with earlier ones being eliminated by later findings. They are thought to store zinc as one of their functions. Recent chemical analysis has identified the blue fluorescent material they contain as a glycosylated form of anthranilic acid (AA). The need for the large amounts of AA the many gut granules contain is questioned. One possibility is that the AA is antibacterial and used in defense against invading pathogens. Another possibility is that the granules provide photoprotection; the bursts of AA fluorescence entail the conversion of damaging UV light to relatively harmless visible light. This is seen a possible link to the melanin–containing melanosomes.[22]
A lateral (left) side anatomical diagram of an adult-stage C. elegans hermaphrodite
Reproduction[edit]
The hermaphroditic worm is considered to be a specialized form of self-fertile female, as its soma is female. The hermaphroditic germline produces male gametes first, and lays eggs through its uterus after internal fertilization. Hermaphrodites produce all their sperm in the L4 stage (150 sperm cells per gonadal arm) and then produce only oocytes. The hermaphroditic gonad acts as an ovotestis with sperm cells being stored in the same area of the gonad as the oocytes until the first oocyte pushes the sperm into the spermatheca (a chamber wherein the oocytes become fertilized by the sperm).[23]
The male can inseminate the hermaphrodite, which will preferentially use male sperm (both types of sperm are stored in the spermatheca).
Once he recognizes a hermaphrodite worm, the male nematode begins tracing the hermaphrodite with his tail until he reaches the vulval region. The male then probes the region with his spicules to locate the vulva, inserts them, and releases sperm.[24]
The sperm of C. elegans is amoeboid, lacking flagella and acrosomes.[25] When self-inseminated, the wild-type worm lays about 300 eggs. When inseminated by a male, the number of progeny can exceed 1,000. Hermaphrodites do not typically mate with other hermaphrodites. At 20 °C, the laboratory strain of C. elegans (N2) has an average lifespan around 2–3 weeks and a generation time of 3 to 4 days.
C. elegans has five pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. Sex in C. elegans is based on an X0 sex-determination system. Hermaphrodites of C. elegans have a matched pair of sex chromosomes (XX); the rare males have only one sex chromosome (X0).
Embryonic development[edit]
The fertilized zygote undergoes rotational holoblastic cleavage.
Sperm entry into the oocyte commences formation of an anterior-posterior axis. The sperm microtubule organizing center directs the movement of the sperm pronucleus to the future posterior pole of the embryo, while also inciting the movement of PAR proteins, a group of cytoplasmic determination factors, to their proper respective locations.[26] As a result of the difference in PAR protein distribution, the first cell division is highly asymmetric.[27] C. elegans embryogenesis is among the best understood examples of asymmetric cell division.[28]
All cells of the germline arise from a single primordial germ cell, called the P4 cell, established early in embryogenesis.[29][30] This primordial cell divides to generate two germline precursors that do not divide further until after hatching.[30]
Axis formation[edit]
The resulting daughter cells of the first cell division are called the AB cell (containing PAR-6 and PAR-3) and the P1 cell (containing PAR-1 and PAR-2). A second cell division produces the ABp and ABa cells from the AB cell, and the EMS and P2 cells from the P1 cell. This division establishes the dorsal-ventral axis, with the ABp cell forming the dorsal side and the EMS cell marking the ventral side.[31] Through Wnt signaling, the P2 cell instructs the EMS cell to divide along the anterior-posterior axis.[32] Through Notch signaling, the P2 cell differentially specifies the ABp and ABa cells, which further defines the dorsal-ventral axis. The left-right axis also becomes apparent early in embryogenesis, although it is unclear exactly when specifically the axis is determined. However, most theories of the L-R axis development involve some kind of differences in cells derived from the AB cell.[33]
Gastrulation[edit]
Gastrulation occurs after the embryo reaches the 24-cell stage.[34] C. elegans are a species of protostomes, so the blastopore eventually forms the mouth. Involution into the blastopore begins with movement of the endoderm cells and subsequent formation of the gut, followed by the P4 germline precursor, and finally the mesoderm cells, including the cells that eventually form the pharynx. Gastrulation ends when epiboly of the hypoblasts closes the blastopore.[35]
Post-embryonic development[edit]
Under environmental conditions favourable for reproduction, hatched larvae develop through four larval stages - L1, L2, L3, and L4 - in just 3 days at 20 °C. When conditions are stressed, as in food insufficiency, excessive population density or high temperature, C. elegans can enter an alternative third larval stage, L2d, called the dauer stage (Dauer is German for permanent). A specific dauer pheromone regulates entry into the dauer state. This pheromone is composed of similar derivatives of the 3,6-dideoxy sugar, ascarylose. Ascarosides, named after the ascarylose base, are involved in many sex-specific and social behaviors.[36] In this way, they constitute a chemical language that C. elegans uses to modulate various phenotypes. Dauer larvae are stress-resistant; they are thin and their mouths are sealed with a characteristic dauer cuticle and cannot take in food. They can remain in this stage for a few months.[37][38] The stage ends when conditions improve favour further growth of the larva, now moulting into the L4 stage, even though the gonad development is arrested at the L2 stage.[39]
Each stage transition is punctuated by a molt of the worm's transparent cuticle. Transitions through these stages are controlled by genes of the heterochronic pathway, an evolutionarily conserved set of regulatory factors.[40] Many heterochronic genes code for microRNAs, which repress the expression of heterochronic transcription factors and other heterochronic miRNAs.[41] miRNAs were originally discovered in C. elegans.[42] Important developmental events controlled by heterochronic genes include the division and eventual syncitial fusion of the hypodermic seam cells, and their subsequent secretion of the alae in young adults. It is believed that the heterochronic pathway represents an evolutionarily conserved predecessor to circadian clocks.[43]
Nematodes have a fixed, genetically determined number of cells, a phenomenon known as eutely. The adult C. elegans hermaphrodite has 959 somatic cells and the male has 1033 cells,[44][45][46] although it has been suggested that the number of their intestinal cells can increase by one to three in response to gut microbes experienced by mothers.[47] Much of the literature describes the cell number in males as 1031, but the discovery of a pair of left and right MCM neurons increased the number by two in 2015.[46] The number of cells does not change after cell division ceases at the end of the larval period, and subsequent growth is due solely to an increase in the size of individual cells.[48]
Ecology[edit]
Main article: Host microbe interactions in Caenorhabditis elegans
The different Caenorhabditis species occupy various nutrient- and bacteria-rich environments. They feed on the bacteria that develop in decaying organic matter (microbivory). Soil lacks enough organic matter to support self-sustaining populations. C. elegans can survive on a diet of a variety of bacteria, but its wild ecology is largely unknown. Most laboratory strains were taken from artificial environments such as gardens and compost piles. More recently, C. elegans has been found to thrive in other kinds of organic matter, particularly rotting fruit.[49]
C. elegans can also use different species of yeast, including Cryptococcus laurentii and Cryptococcus kuetzingii, as sole source of food.[50] Although a bacterivore, C. elegans can be killed by a number of pathogenic bacteria, including human pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus,[51] Pseudomonas aeruginosa,[52] Salmonella enterica or Enterococcus faecalis.[53]
Invertebrates such as millipedes, insects, isopods, and gastropods can transport dauer larvae to various suitable locations. The larvae have also been seen to feed on their hosts when they die.[54]
Nematodes can survive desiccation, and in C. elegans, the mechanism for this capability has been demonstrated to be late embryogenesis abundant proteins.[55]
C. elegans, as other nematodes, can be eaten by predator nematodes and other omnivores, including some insects.[56]
The Orsay virus is a virus that affects C. elegans, as well as the Caenorhabditis elegans Cer1 virus[57] and the Caenorhabditis elegans Cer13 virus.
Interactions with fungi
Wild isolates of Caenorhabditis elegans are regularly found with infections by Microsporidia fungi. One such species, Nematocida parisii, replicates in the intestines of C. elegans.[58]
Arthrobotrys oligospora is the model organism for interactions between fungi and nematodes.[59] It is the most common nematode capturing fungus, and most widespread nematode trapping fungus in nature.
Research use[edit]
Further information: History of research on Caenorhabditis elegans
Asymmetric cell divisions during early embryogenesis of wild-type C. elegans
In 1963, Sydney Brenner proposed using C. elegans as a model organism for the investigation primarily of neural development in animals. It is one of the simplest organisms with a nervous system. The neurons do not fire action potentials, and do not express any voltage-gated sodium channels.[60] In the hermaphrodite, this system comprises 302 neurons[61] the pattern of which has been comprehensively mapped, in what is known as a connectome, and shown to be a small-world network.[62]
Research has explored the neural and molecular mechanisms that control several behaviors of C. elegans, including chemotaxis, thermotaxis, mechanotransduction, learning, memory, and mating behaviour.[63] In 2019 the connectome of the male was published using a technique distinct from that used for the hermaphrodite. The same paper used the new technique to redo the hermaphrodite connectome, finding 1,500 new synapses.[64]
It has been used as a model organism to study molecular mechanisms in metabolic diseases.[65] Brenner also chose it as it is easy to grow in bulk populations, and convenient for genetic analysis.[66] It is a multicellular eukaryotic organism, yet simple enough to be studied in great detail. The transparency of C. elegans facilitates the study of cellular differentiation and other developmental processes in the intact organism. The spicules in the male clearly distinguish males from females. Strains are cheap to breed and can be frozen. When subsequently thawed, they remain viable, allowing long-term storage.[13] Maintenance is easy when compared to other multicellular model organisms. A few hundred nematodes can be kept on a single agar plate and suitable growth medium. Brenner described the use of a mutant of E. coli – OP50. OP50 is a uracil-requiring organism and its deficiency in the plate prevents the overgrowth of bacteria which would obscure the worms.[67] The use of OP50 does not demand any major laboratory safety measures, since it is non-pathogenic and easily grown in Luria-Bertani (LB) media overnight.[68]
Notable findings[edit]
The developmental fate of every single somatic cell (959 in the adult hermaphrodite; 1031 in the adult male) has been mapped.[69][70] These patterns of cell lineage are largely invariant between individuals, whereas in mammals, cell development is more dependent on cellular cues from the embryo.
As mentioned previously, the first cell divisions of early embryogenesis in C. elegans are among the best understood examples of asymmetric cell divisions, and the worm is a very popular model system for studying developmental biology.[28]
Programmed cell death (apoptosis) eliminates many additional cells (131 in the hermaphrodite, most of which would otherwise become neurons); this "apoptotic predictability" has contributed to the elucidation of some apoptotic genes. Cell death-promoting genes and a single cell-death inhibitor have been identified.[71]
Wild-type C. elegans hermaphrodite stained with the fluorescent dye Texas Red to highlight the nuclei of all cells
RNA interference (RNAi) is a relatively straightforward method of disrupting the function of specific genes. Silencing the function of a gene can sometimes allow a researcher to infer its possible function. The nematode can be soaked in, injected with,[72] or fed with genetically transformed bacteria that express the double-stranded RNA of interest, the sequence of which complements the sequence of the gene that the researcher wishes to disable.[73] RNAi has emerged as a powerful tool in the study of functional genomics. C. elegans has been used to analyse gene functions and claim the promise of future findings in the systematic genetic interactions.[74]
Environmental RNAi uptake is much worse in other species of worms in the genus Caenorhabditis. Although injecting RNA into the body cavity of the animal induces gene silencing in most species, only C. elegans and a few other distantly related nematodes can take up RNA from the bacteria they eat for RNAi.[75] This ability has been mapped down to a single gene, sid-2, which, when inserted as a transgene in other species, allows them to take up RNA for RNAi as C. elegans does.[76]
Research into meiosis has been considerably simplified since every germ cell nucleus is at the same given position as it moves down the gonad, so is at the same stage in meiosis. In an early phase of meiosis, the oocytes become extremely resistant to radiation and this resistance depends on expression of genes rad51 and atm that have key roles in recombinational repair.[77][78] Gene mre-11 also plays a crucial role in recombinational repair of DNA damage during meiosis.[79] A study of the frequency of outcrossing in natural populations showed that selfing is the predominant mode of reproduction in C. elegans, but that infrequent outcrossing events occur at a rate around 1%.[80] Meioses that result in selfing are unlikely to contribute significantly to beneficial genetic variability, but these meioses may provide the adaptive benefit of recombinational repair of DNA damages that arise, especially under stressful conditions.[citation needed]
Nicotine dependence can also be studied using C. elegans because it exhibits behavioral responses to nicotine that parallel those of mammals. These responses include acute response, tolerance, withdrawal, and sensitization.[81]
As for most model organisms, scientists that work in the field curate a dedicated online database and the WormBase is that for C. elegans. The WormBase attempts to collate all published information on C. elegans and other related nematodes. Their website has advertised a reward of $4000 for the finder of a new species of closely related nematode.[82] Such a discovery would broaden research opportunities with the worm.[83]
C. elegans has been a model organism for research into ageing; for example, the inhibition of an insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway has been shown to increase adult lifespan threefold;[84][85] while glucose feeding promotes oxidative stress and reduce adult lifespan by a half.[65] In addition C. elegans exposed to 5mM lithium chloride (LiCl) showed lengthened life spans.[86] When exposed to 10μM LiCl, reduced mortality was observed, but not with 1μM.[87]
C. elegans has been instrumental in the identification of the functions of genes implicated in Alzheimer's disease, such as presenilin.[88] Moreover, extensive research on C. elegans has identified RNA-binding proteins as essential factors during germline and early embryonic development.[89]
C. elegans is notable in animal sleep studies as the most primitive organism to display sleep-like states. In C. elegans, a lethargus phase occurs shortly before each moult.[90] C. elegans has also been demonstrated to sleep after exposure to physical stress, including heat shock, UV radiation, and bacterial toxins.[91]
While the worm has no eyes, it has been found to be sensitive to light due to a third type of light-sensitive animal photoreceptor protein, LITE-1, which is 10 to 100 times more efficient at absorbing light than the other two types of photopigments (opsins and cryptochromes) found in the animal kingdom.[92]
C. elegans is remarkably adept at tolerating acceleration, it can withstand a g-force of 400,000 according to geneticists at the University of São Paulo in Brazil in an experiment 96% of them were still alive without adverse effects after an hour in an ultracentrifuge.[93]
Spaceflight research[edit]
C. elegans made news when specimens were discovered to have survived the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in February 2003.[94] Later, in January 2009, live samples of C. elegans from the University of Nottingham were announced to be spending two weeks on the International Space Station that October, in a space research project to explore the effects of zero gravity on muscle development and physiology. The research was primarily about genetic basis of muscle atrophy, which relates to spaceflight or being bed-ridden, geriatric, or diabetic.[95] Descendants of the worms aboard Columbia in 2003 were launched into space on Endeavour for the STS-134 mission.[96] Additional experiments on muscle dystrophy during spaceflight will be carried on board of the ISS starting in December 2018.[97][needs update]
Genetics[edit]
Genome[edit]
Genomic information
Karyotype of C. elegans
explanation of colors
Mitotic chromosomes of Caenorhabditis elegans. DNA (red)/ Kinetochores (green). Holocentric organisms, including C. elegans, assemble diffuse kinetochores along the entire poleward face of each sister chromatid.
NCBI genome ID
Ploidy
Genome size
101.169 Mb
5 pairs of autosomes (I, II, III, IV and V) + 1 or 2 sex chromosomes (X[98])
Sequenced organelle
Organelle size
C. elegans hermaphrodite
C. elegans was the first multicellular organism to have its whole genome sequenced. The sequence was published in 1998,[99] although some small gaps were present; the last gap was finished by October 2002.
Size and gene content[edit]
The C. elegans genome is about 100 million base pairs long and consists of six pairs of chromosomes in hermaphrodites or five pairs of autosomes with XO chromosome in male C.elegans and a mitochondrial genome. Its gene density is about one gene per five kilo-base pairs. Introns make up 26% and intergenic regions 47% of the genome. Many genes are arranged in clusters and how many of these are operons is unclear.[100] C. elegans and other nematodes are among the few eukaryotes currently known to have operons; these include trypanosomes, flatworms (notably the trematode Schistosoma mansoni), and a primitive chordate tunicate Oikopleura dioica. Many more organisms are likely to be shown to have these operons.[101]
The genome contains an estimated 20,470 protein-coding genes.[102] About 35% of C. elegans genes have human homologs. Remarkably, human genes have been shown repeatedly to replace their C. elegans homologs when introduced into C. elegans. Conversely, many C. elegans genes can function similarly to mammalian genes.[37]
The number of known RNA genes in the genome has increased greatly due to the 2006 discovery of a new class called 21U-RNA genes,[103] and the genome is now believed to contain more than 16,000 RNA genes, up from as few as 1,300 in 2005.[104]
Scientific curators continue to appraise the set of known genes; new gene models continue to be added and incorrect ones modified or removed.
The reference C. elegans genome sequence continues to change as new evidence reveals errors in the original sequencing. Most changes are minor, adding or removing only a few base pairs of DNA. For example, the WS202 release of WormBase (April 2009) added two base pairs to the genome sequence.[105] Sometimes, more extensive changes are made as noted in the WS197 release of December 2008, which added a region of over 4,300 bp to the sequence.[106][107]
Related genomes[edit]
In 2003, the genome sequence of the related nematode C. briggsae was also determined, allowing researchers to study the comparative genomics of these two organisms.[108] The genome sequences of more nematodes from the same genus e.g., C. remanei,[109] C. japonica[110] and C. brenneri (named after Brenner), have also been studied using the shotgun sequencing technique.[111] These sequences have now been completed.[112][113]
Other genetic studies[edit]
C. elegans adult with GFP coding sequence inserted into a histone-encoding gene by Cas9-triggered homologous recombination
As of 2014, C. elegans is the most basal species in the 'Elegans' group (10 species) of the 'Elegans' supergroup (17 species) in phylogenetic studies. It forms a branch of its own distinct to any other species of the group.[114]
Tc1 transposon is a DNA transposon active in C. elegans.
Scientific community[edit]
In 2002, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Sydney Brenner, H. Robert Horvitz, and John Sulston for their work on the genetics of organ development and programmed cell death in C. elegans. The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Andrew Fire and Craig C. Mello for their discovery of RNA interference in C. elegans.[115] In 2008, Martin Chalfie shared a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on green fluorescent protein; some of the research involved the use of C. elegans.
Many scientists who research C. elegans closely connect to Sydney Brenner, with whom almost all research in this field began in the 1970s; they have worked as either a postdoctoral or a postgraduate researcher in Brenner's lab or in the lab of someone who previously worked with Brenner. Most who worked in his lab later established their own worm research labs, thereby creating a fairly well-documented "lineage" of C. elegans scientists, which was recorded into the WormBase database in some detail at the 2003 International Worm Meeting.[116]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caenorhabditis elegans.
Animal testing on invertebrates
Eileen Southgate
OpenWorm
WormBook
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^ Ewald CY, Landis JN, Porter Abate J, Murphy CT, Blackwell TK (March 2015). "Dauer-independent insulin/IGF-1-signalling implicates collagen remodelling in longevity". Nature. 519 (7541): 97–101. Bibcode:2015Natur.519...97E. doi:10.1038/nature14021. PMC 4352135. PMID 25517099.
^ McColl G, Killilea DW, Hubbard AE, Vantipalli MC, Melov S, Lithgow GJ (January 2008). "Pharmacogenetic analysis of lithium-induced delayed aging in Caenorhabditis elegans". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 283 (1): 350–7. doi:10.1074/jbc.M705028200. PMC 2739662. PMID 17959600.
^ Zarse K, Terao T, Tian J, Iwata N, Ishii N, Ristow M (August 2011). "Low-dose lithium uptake promotes longevity in humans and metazoans". European Journal of Nutrition. 50 (5): 387–9. doi:10.1007/s00394-011-0171-x. PMC 3151375. PMID 21301855.
^ Ewald CY, Li C (March 2010). "Understanding the molecular basis of Alzheimer's disease using a Caenorhabditis elegans model system". Brain Structure & Function. 214 (2–3): 263–83. doi:10.1007/s00429-009-0235-3. PMC 3902020. PMID 20012092.
^ Hanazawa M, Yonetani M, Sugimoto A (March 2011). "PGL proteins self associate and bind RNPs to mediate germ granule assembly in C. elegans". The Journal of Cell Biology. 192 (6): 929–37. doi:10.1083/jcb.201010106. PMC 3063142. PMID 21402787.
^ Iwanir S, Tramm N, Nagy S, Wright C, Ish D, Biron D (March 2013). "The microarchitecture of C. elegans behavior during lethargus: homeostatic bout dynamics, a typical body posture, and regulation by a central neuron". Sleep. 36 (3): 385–95. doi:10.5665/Sleep.2456. PMC 3571756. PMID 23449971.
^ Hill AJ, Mansfield R, Lopez JM, Raizen DM, Van Buskirk C (October 2014). "Cellular stress induces a protective sleep-like state in C. elegans". Current Biology. 24 (20): 2399–405. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.08.040. PMC 4254280. PMID 25264259.
^ Teensy, Eyeless Worms Have Completely New Light-Detecting Cells
^ Scientific American, August 2018,page 14
^ "Worms survived Columbia disaster". BBC News. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
^ "University sends worms into space". BBC News. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
^ Klotz, I (16 May 2011). "Legacy Space Worms Flying on Shuttle". Discovery News. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
^ Lasers, Crystals and 36,000 Worms Will Ride a SpaceX Dragon to Space Station - space.com
^ Strome S, Kelly WG, Ercan S, Lieb JD (March 2014). "Regulation of the X chromosomes in Caenorhabditis elegans". Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. 6 (3): a018366. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a018366. PMC 3942922. PMID 24591522.
^ The C. elegans Sequencing Consortium (December 1998). "Genome sequence of the nematode C. elegans: a platform for investigating biology". Science. 282 (5396): 2012–8. Bibcode:1998Sci...282.2012.. doi:10.1126/science.282.5396.2012. PMID 9851916.
^ Blumenthal T, Evans D, Link CD, Guffanti A, Lawson D, Thierry-Mieg J, Thierry-Mieg D, Chiu WL, Duke K, Kiraly M, Kim SK (June 2002). "A global analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans operons". Nature. 417 (6891): 851–4. Bibcode:2002Natur.417..851B. doi:10.1038/nature00831. PMID 12075352. S2CID 4351788.
^ Blumenthal T (November 2004). "Operons in eukaryotes". Briefings in Functional Genomics & Proteomics. 3 (3): 199–211. doi:10.1093/bfgp/3.3.199. PMID 15642184.
^ "WS227 Release Letter". WormBase. 10 August 2011. Archived from the original on 28 November 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
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^ Stricklin SL, Griffiths-Jones S, Eddy SR (June 2005). "C. elegans noncoding RNA genes". WormBook: 1–7. doi:10.1895/wormbook.1.1.1. PMC 4781554. PMID 18023116.
^ "WS202 Release Letter". WormBase. 29 May 2009. Retrieved 2013-11-19. [permanent dead link]
^ "WS197 Release Letter". WormBase. 27 November 2008. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
^ "Genome sequence changes". WormBase. 15 June 2011. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
^ Stein LD, Bao Z, Blasiar D, Blumenthal T, Brent MR, Chen N, Chinwalla A, Clarke L, Clee C, Coghlan A, Coulson A, D'Eustachio P, Fitch DH, Fulton LA, Fulton RE, Griffiths-Jones S, Harris TW, Hillier LW, Kamath R, Kuwabara PE, Mardis ER, Marra MA, Miner TL, Minx P, Mullikin JC, Plumb RW, Rogers J, Schein JE, Sohrmann M, Spieth J, Stajich JE, Wei C, Willey D, Wilson RK, Durbin R, Waterston RH (November 2003). "The genome sequence of Caenorhabditis briggsae: a platform for comparative genomics". PLOS Biology. 1 (2): E45. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0000045. PMC 261899. PMID 14624247.
^ Genome Sequencing Center. "Caenorhabditis remanei: Background". Washington University School of Medicine. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
^ Genome Sequencing Center. "Caenorhabditis japonica: Background". Washington University School of Medicine. Archived from the original on 2008-06-26. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
^ Staden R (June 1979). "A strategy of DNA sequencing employing computer programs". Nucleic Acids Research. 6 (7): 2601–10. doi:10.1093/nar/6.7.2601. PMC 327874. PMID 461197.
^ "UCSC genome browser". Retrieved 8 July 2014.
^ Kuhn RM, Karolchik D, Zweig AS, Wang T, Smith KE, Rosenbloom KR, Rhead B, Raney BJ, Pohl A, Pheasant M, Meyer L, Hsu F, Hinrichs AS, Harte RA, Giardine B, Fujita P, Diekhans M, Dreszer T, Clawson H, Barber GP, Haussler D, Kent WJ (January 2009). "The UCSC Genome Browser Database: update 2009". Nucleic Acids Research. 37 (Database issue): D755–61. doi:10.1093/nar/gkn875. PMC 2686463. PMID 18996895.
^ Félix MA, Braendle C, Cutter AD (2014). "A streamlined system for species diagnosis in Caenorhabditis (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) with name designations for 15 distinct biological species". PLOS ONE. 9 (4): e94723. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...994723F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094723. PMC 3984244. PMID 24727800.
^ Fire A, Xu S, Montgomery MK, Kostas SA, Driver SE, Mello CC (February 1998). "Potent and specific genetic interference by double-stranded RNA in Caenorhabditis elegans". Nature. 391 (6669): 806–11. Bibcode:1998Natur.391..806F. doi:10.1038/35888. PMID 9486653. S2CID 4355692.
^ Harris TW, Antoshechkin I, Bieri T, Blasiar D, Chan J, Chen WJ, et al. (January 2010). "WormBase: a comprehensive resource for nematode research". Nucleic Acids Research. 38 (Database issue): D463-7. doi:10.1093/nar/gkp952. PMC 2808986. PMID 19910365.
Bird J, Bird AC (1991). The structure of nematodes. Academic Press. pp. 1, 69–70, 152–153, 165, 224–225. ISBN 978-0-12-099651-3.
Hope, IA (1999). C. elegans: a practical approach. Oxford University Press. pp. 1–6. ISBN 978-0-19-963738-6.
Riddle DL, Blumenthal T, Meyer RJ, Priess JR (1997). C. elegans II. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. pp. 1–4, 679–683. ISBN 978-0-87969-532-3.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Caenorhabditis elegans (category)
Wikispecies has information related to Caenorhabditis elegans
Scholia has a taxon profile for Caenorhabditis elegans.
Scholia has a topic profile for Caenorhabditis elegans.
Brenner S (2002) Nature's Gift to Science. In. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2002/brenner-lecture.pdf (also Horvitz and Sulston lectures)
WormBase – an extensive online database covering the biology and genomics of C. elegans and other nematodes
WormAtlas – online database on all aspects of C. elegans anatomy with detailed explanations and high-quality images
WormBook – online review of C. elegans biology
AceView WormGenes – another genome database for C. elegans, maintained at the NCBI
C. elegans II – a free online textbook.
WormWeb Neural Network – an online tool for visualizing and navigating the connectome of C. elegans
C. elegans movies – a visual introduction to C. elegans
View the ce11 genome assembly in the UCSC Genome Browser.
Caenorhabditis elegans at eppo.int (EPPO code CAEOEL)
Major model organisms in genetics
Lambda phage
Budding yeast
Fission yeast
Neurospora
Taxon identifiers
Wikidata: Q91703
Wikispecies: Caenorhabditis elegans
BioLib: 88399
EPPO: CAEOEL
Fauna Europaea: 224245
Fauna Europaea (new): 6dd1ded7-802e-4779-877e-e20eafcada89
IRMNG: 10955681
ITIS: 63332
NBN: NHMSYS0000068531
SeaLifeBase: 35925
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caenorhabditis_elegans&oldid=999742414"
Nematodes described in 1900
Animal models in neuroscience
Articles to be merged from December 2020
All articles to be merged
Articles with 'species' microformats
Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2021
Articles containing video clips
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IMCC
Rise of church, concession and western hospital
The western hospital of Shanghai can be dated back to the middle of the 19th century. Its rise and development were closely related to the transmission of foreign religion, in which the churches and missionaries played a key role. This is because fellow countrymen were vigilant against foreign religion at that time. It was hard for western religions such as Christian to be spread. For this, the strategy was changed. They made breakthrough by establishing hospital and school to expand and spread foreign religion by means of giving free medical treatment and administration to pass on knowledge. Such subtle strategy generated obvious effect. The population believing in foreign religion rapidly rose. Citizens, no longer confused, began to accept the foreign religion, which further drove the development of western hospital in Shanghai. Until 1949, there were nearly 300 western hospitals in Shanghai, most of which were founded by or related to the church.
Concession also played a role in pushing the development of western hospital. It is well-known that concession, "a state within a state", is a special channel through which the big powers seize China's fortune. However, there were indeed some public utilities like electric light, phone, coal gas, tap water and urban traffic when the concession was set up. Hospitals were another measure for municipal construction of the concession. In those days, the western hospitals established by the concession include the Hospital of Municipal Council and Police Hospital. General Hospital was co-founded with and financed by the church. In addition, the concession authority also promulgated decrees and formulated regulations to require the practicing doctors and medical organizations to register, collect license and pay taxes with administrative means. These are the hard fact. To regard this with dialectical materialism opinions, we should admit that these measures taken by the concession indeed objectively played a role in pushing Shanghai economic and social development and city towards modernization. Nevertheless, all this cannot change the nature of colony of the concession which is produced from the unequal treaties that concluded with the big powers under their compulsion when they invaded China. Chinese people are keeping and will always keep this nearly 100 years of humiliating history in mind.
Establishment Process of General Hospital and Its Early Situation
In 1884, Renji Hospital opened outside Dadong Gate, Shanghai County. 20 years later, another western hospital - General Hospital, predecessor of our hospital was founded at the Bund of the concession. Both of them are the first western hospitals of Shanghai and established by foreigners. The former is a church hospital, while the latter is the public utility of the concession with the church participated in preparation and management.
It was Aitang (Edan), the consul of France who first advised to set up a hospital of the concession at Ningbo in 1856. Then, they considered that it was not convenient as Ningbo was far away from Shanghai and there was a hospital for the British and French expeditionary forces at the French Concession. Thus, this plan was temporarily put off. Later, the hospital left Shanghai with the expeditionary forces. It was increasingly harder to see doctors for foreigners. Therefore, the authority of the French Concession decided to put the construction plan into practice in 1863 and entrusted the priest of the Catholicism Deyake to do it. Religionist Deyake had been missionary in the US and worked as the priest of Catholicism at Yangzebang of the parish at the south of Yangtze River after coming to China. He happily accepted this task and began to prepare it as an agent as it was beneficial for foreign religion to be popularized by setting up a hospital. He raised 50,000 taels of silver from people with different nationalities and beliefs in the name of participation. Then, he selected the building on the corner of Rue Colbert of the Bund at the rent of 300 taels of silver each year. The hospital officially opened on Mar. 1, 1864. Deyake is therefore deemed as the founder of General Hospital by the concession and the church. A monument was set up at the North Suzhou Road as a souvenir (it was gone during the Cultural Revolution period, and whether it was damaged, stolen, or moved to some other place is still unknown).
The concession authority formed a seven person Management Committee to manage the affairs of the hospital when the hospital was established. It provided that the finance department of the concession to subsidize the hospital and that the hospital only served for foreigners. The Catholic Church appointed sister Qiuliasi as the president. The Paul Church assigned some sisters to manage various affairs and care the patients at the hospital.
At first, there were 35 beds at General Hospital. The departments were not clearly divided. There was only one "resident doctor" to coordinate medical affairs. Upon completion of the treatment work, practicing doctors outside the hospital should be invited.
No. 100 Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai Postal code：200080 Tel：021-63240090
13、63、921、17、910、6、61、55、14、147、123、100、576、21、22、145、Rail transit line 4
No. 650 Songjiang Road, Shanghai Postal code：201620 Tel：021-63240090
Song Xin line, Song Kun line, Songjiang Road 9, 11 road, Songjiang Metro Line 9
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Ales Hemsky, photo: CTK
Liberec crowned Gambrinus liga Champions; Petr Cech's Chelsea clinch Premiership title; Oiler's Hemsky clips Detroit's Red Wings in 1st round Stanley Cup; Jagr facing surgery following disappointing Rangers exit; Czechs to play Latvia in preliminary round of Ice Hockey World Championships in Riga.
Liberec crowned season champions
Liberec - Most, photo: CTK
A 1-1 tie with Most at the weekend was enough for celebrations to begin in Liberec, who won this year's league title at home. The first-place finish is the 2nd in four years. In the game Liberec went ahead in the 20th minute on a goal from Jan Blazek but Most eventually came back on a Horst Siegl penalty, making it even-steven two minutes from time. If the tying goal took some lustre off an otherwise winning occasion, nobody noticed, with jubilation clear to see all round the Liberec stadium. The team's coach Vitezslav Lavicka:
"The most important thing is that we were able to clinch the title at home - in front of our fans who supported us all season and created an excellent atmosphere. In recent matches the pressure was enormous so we're proud. The main thing is that we won at home."
Chelsea take English Premiership
In international football, meanwhile, Czech fans can celebrate a repeat by London's Chelsea, once again taking the English Premiership title. Goalkeeper Petr Cech was once again instrumental in helping his side finish on top. But this year's title, he says, was more difficult than the first.
"They say it's more difficult to defend the title than to win it the first time and I think that this season was proof. We were the target for all the teams and all had motivation to try and beat us. That's why winning this time was harder and I'm glad we were able to pull through."
National side coach optimistic about Koller return
With a little over a month to go before the football World Cup in neighbouring Germany, fans are hoping to see the return of striker Jan Koller - the most successful scorer in the national side's history. Koller has been sidelined since last September with a knee injury, but has been training furiously to make the date. The Czech team faces the US on June 12th.
Last week team coach Karel Brueckner said that he was optimistic Koller would return. Three other players are also doubtful: Vladimir Smicer, Vratislav Lokvenc, and Zdenek Grygera. The full line-up for the championship is to be officially submitted by May 15th.
Baros', Nedved's talents "captured" in computer game version of World Cup
Pavel Nedved (left), photo: CTK
On a lighter note, the well-known computer game manufacturer EA Sports has already released its game version of the 2006 World Cup. Of interest for Czech fans is the fact that some Czech players get special attributes. In the game, Czech striker Milan Baros reportedly benefits from his speed, while midfielder Tomas Rosicky is touted as an excellent play-maker. The Czech's greatest star, Pavel Nedved, meanwhile, is credited with being an excellent shooter at distance. In short, the designers of the game have captured a slice of real life.
Hemsky buries Red Wings
On Monday night, in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers rallied with 4 goals in the third period to crush the Detroit Red Wings. Once again, the Wings were eliminated in an early round, after enjoying a phenomenal regular season (Detroit finished 1st of all the league's teams, with 124 points). On Monday things began to go wrong for Detroit with under four minutes left in the 3rd, when the puck went off Czech forward Ales Hemsky to tie the game at three goals apiece. Video was consulted before the goal was allowed. Then, it was Hemsky again: this time with little more than a minute remaining he scored the game's final goal and sent the Wings home disappointed.
Jagr facing surgery
Following his team's being swept from the Stanley Cup playoffs, Jaromir Jagr will have to decide whether or not to go ahead with surgery. The star player suffered a dislocated shoulder in the New York Rangers' match-up against New Jersey. New York lost all four games. Jagr - who set a number of key records with the Rangers in the regular season and was phenomenal leading up to the play-offs - would reportedly like to get the operation over as soon as possible in order to prepare for next year.
Czechs to defend title at Ice Hockey World Championships
This Friday will see opening games in the preliminary round at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Latvia. Defending champions the Czech Republic - who won in Vienna last year - could have their work cut out for them. The daily "Sport" has pointed out that thirteen players on the squad are rookies who have never before played in the championship - a situation its reporter sees as far from ideal. On the other hand, the team should be able to rely on old-hands like forward David Vyborny, defenseman Tomas Kaberle, and goalie Milan Hnilicka.
Meanwhile, Czechs may get additional help following the outcome of the Carolina-Montreal series in the NHL playoffs. Depending on who wins the series, the Czechs could see additional players added to the roster - either Radek Bonk or Jan Bulis from Montreal, or Frantisek Kaberle or Josef Vasicek from Carolina.
The Czech national team plays its opener on Friday against hosts Latvia.
Author: Jan Velinger
Legend Jágr returns to ice 32 years after top level debut
“He’s in the all-time Czech top three”: Petr Čech prepares to call time on singularly successful…
Jágr chosen as the face of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games hockey tournament
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MPV announces CSE’s conditional approval of its transaction with Entheon Biomedical Corp.
by Entheogen Biomedical | Oct 28, 2020 | Company News | 0 comments
MONTREAL, Oct. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MPV Exploration Inc. (“MPV” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce that further to its news releases dated July 2, 2020 and September 10, 2020 (the “Initial News Releases”), the Company has received conditional approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) to list the Resulting Issuer Shares (as defined below) for trading pursuant to the amalgamation agreement (the “Amalgamation Agreement”) dated June 30, 2020 and amended October 9, 2020 with Entheon Biomedical Corp. (“Entheon”) and 1254912 B.C. Ltd. (“Subco”), whereby the Company will acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Entheon in exchange for shares of the Company (the “Transaction”).
Furthermore, and in connection with the Transaction, the Company will be changing its name from “MPV Exploration Inc.” to “Entheon Biomedical Corp.” (the “Name Change”). Concurrently with the Name Change and in connection with the Transaction, the Company will also complete a consolidation of its issued and outstanding share capital on the basis of one post-consolidated common share for every three pre-consolidated common shares (the “Consolidation”). No fractional shares will be issued as any fractional share will be rounded down to the nearest whole number. In addition, the number, exercise price or exchange basis of all warrants will be adjusted, as applicable, to reflect the three-for-one Consolidation.
Following the completion of the Transaction, and the concurrent Name Change and Consolidation, the new CUSIP number for the common shares of the resulting entity (the “Resulting Issuer Shares”) will be 29383X103 and the new ISIN number will be CA29383X1033. The Company will announce the trading symbol on the CSE for the Resulting Issuer Shares on or prior to the closing of the Transaction. Currently, a total of 18,105,514 common shares of the Company are issued and outstanding and after the Consolidation the Company will have approximately 6,325,160 Resulting Issuer Shares issued and outstanding (assuming the exercise of options held by officers and directors of MPV immediately prior to the completion of the Transaction). Following completion of the Transaction, after giving effect to: (i) the 29,845,805 Resulting Issuer Shares to be issued to the former Entheon shareholders; and (ii) the 4,217,8861 Resulting Issuer Shares to be issued to the Subco shareholders, in connection with the concurrent non-brokered private placement conducted by Subco (as discussed in further detail in the Initial News Releases), the Company will have approximately 40,388,851 Resulting Issuer Shares issued and outstanding.
In connection with the Consolidation, post-Consolidation Resulting Issuer Shares will be sent out to registered shareholders of the Company by the Company’s transfer agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc. The Company anticipates the effective date of the Consolidation and Name Change to take place on the completion date of the Transaction.
Further Disclosure
Trading in the common shares of the Company has been halted by the CSE since July 2, 2020 following the announcement of the Amalgamation Agreement and will remain halted until the resumption of trading subsequent to obtaining final approval from the CSE.
For additional information on the Transaction, please refer to the Initial News Releases. The Company will issue further press releases regarding the Transaction as information becomes available.
About Entheon Biomedical Corp.
Entheon is a privately-held biotechnology research and development company committed to developing and commercializing a portfolio of safe and effective Dimethyltryptamine based psychedelic therapeutic products (“DMT Products”) for the purposes of treating addiction and substance use disorders. Subject to obtaining all requisite regulatory approvals and permits, Entheon intends to generate revenue through the sale of its DMT Products to physicians, clinics and licensed psychiatrists in the United States, certain countries in the European Union and throughout Canada.
For more information, please contact the Company or Entheon at:
MPV Exploration Inc.
Jean-Francois Perras, President and CEO
Entheon Biomedical Corp.
Timothy Ko, CEO and Director
info@entheonbiomedical.com
https://entheonbiomedical.com/
This news release contains forward‐looking statements and forward‐looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward‐looking statements or information. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward‐looking statements and information relating to the closing of the Transaction, the conditions to completing the Transaction, the completion of the Name Change, the completion of the Consolidation, timing and receipt of regulatory and exchange approvals, the listing of the Resulting Issuer Shares, and other matters. The forward‐looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Transaction, including the Name Change and Consolidation, will be completed as proposed or at all. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward‐looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. The forward-looking statements in this press release include the Company’s intentions regarding the completion of the Transaction, the Name Change or the Consolidation. Since forward‐looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to continue operations if the Transaction is not completed, the impact of COVID-19 on the Company and Entheon; the Company’s ability to obtain regulatory and exchange approvals and any impact that COVID-19 may have on these approvals, and the Company’s ability to complete the Transaction, including the Name Change or the Consolidation. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward‐looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward‐looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward‐looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
1 Includes 100,000 Resulting Issuer Shares underlying 100,000 finders’ units (the “Finders’ Units”) which were issued in connection with the concurrent non-brokered private placement conducted by Subco. Note that the amount of Finders’ Units was incorrectly stated as 37,500 in the news release dated September 10, 2020 (and its corresponding French-language news release dated September 9, 2020).
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ALL ATTORNEYS
Areas of Practice: Litigation and Appellate Practices
Bill Drew is a practical problem solver. His work involves dynamic relationships between intelligent, combative, and often emotional parties, involving everything from complex shareholder disputes, real property transactions, intellectual property rights, employment matters, insurance coverage, and complex business contracts, to family squabbles, will contests, and common law claims. Bill seeks to identify the root of a problem, and then to provide real counsel and advice to clients. While many lawyers will lay out a client’s options, Bill offers a practical and pragmatic approach to problem solving, and isn’t afraid to say what he would do if he were in his client’s shoes.
A native Oregonian, Bill graduated cum laude from Willamette University and cum laude from Harvard Law School. In between college and law school he was campaign assistant to Attorney General David Frohnmayer in his 1990 bid for Oregon governor, and supervised the legislative office for State Senator Jeannette Hamby. After graduating from Harvard Law, Bill clerked for Justice W. Michael Gillette, at the Oregon Supreme Court, where Bill continues to argue cases. Bill has been a shareholder of the firm since 1998.
Bill is a member of the Oregon and Washington State bars, and regularly appears before state and federal trial courts and appellate courts in Oregon and Washington. He presently serves as an assistant scoutmaster and chaplain for Boy Scout Troop 213, in Forest Grove, Oregon, as a member at large for the BSA Cascade Pacific Council, and as a member of the Metro Natural Areas Program Performance Oversight Committee. He has served as a member of the Owen M. Panner Inn of Court, the Willamette University Alumni Board of Directors, as chairman of the board for Adventures Without Limits, as vice chair of the Westside Lutheran School Association Board of Directors, and as the leader of Cub Scout Pack 200. Bill has also been recognized by the City of Forest Grove for his outstanding commitment to the preservation of the City’s history through the Friends of Historic Forest Grove. Bill and his family enjoy horses, gardening, scouting and the outdoors.
Contact: billd@eoplaw.com
Give me a review
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Rethinking Athenian Democracy
Posted on October 13, 2015 by keithsutherland
I’ve just finished reading Daniela Cammack’s PhD thesis (one chapter was presented recently here by Peter Stone) and would warmly recommend it — it’s mercifully short and extremely readable (available to download on the Harvard website). Chapter 3: The Most Democratic Branch? The Assembly vs. the Courts is of particular interest as it seeks to overturn the view that a) the assembly was the primary institution of Athenian democracy and b) the fourth-century reforms were conservative in nature. Cammack’s interpretation supports Yoram and Terry’s view that the switch in emphasis to randomly-selected institutions was in order to enhance the rule of the demos, rather than being a juridical a check on popular sovereignty (the view of Hansen, Ostwald, Sealey [and myself]). The courts (both legislative and juridical) were much less open to manipulation by elites as a) speech rights were restricted to litigants and persons elected by the assembly, b) isegoria was balanced by the use of a water clock and c) secret voting meant that it was harder to intimidate citizens into voting in any way other than by their considered judgment (aided by the higher minimum age and need to swear the dikastic oath). She provides several examples of assembly decisions that were heavily influenced by factional and elite domination
The take-home message of the chapter (p.172) is:
The form of representation used in Athens, the selection of a representative sample, is perfectly familiar to modern political science and proved to be an effective way of creating and protecting popular rule in Athens. It would be worth exploring how far it might also be used to benefit modern democratic politics . . . An inspiring starting point is E. Callenbach and M. Phillips, A Citizen Legislature . . .
This chapter is available individually on SSRN
Cammack, however, is sceptical regarding the claim that the lot-selected bodies were deliberative in the modern ‘external-collective’ sense of the word, as discussed in the thread initiated by Peter. She only devotes one paragraph to the council, in which she speculates (the primary sources are largely silent) that the deliberative style of the council may well have been similar to the assembly — i.e. a small number of semi-professional “politicians” speaking and the majority simply listening and then voting. Her focus is throughout on the allotted courts as the primary institution, so provides comfort to kleroterians, but not deliberative or epistemic democrats, as the courts were not deliberative in the Habermasian sense of the word.
Here’s the abstract of the thesis
Conventional accounts of classical Athenian democracy represent the assembly as the primary democratic institution in the Athenian political system. This looks reasonable in the light of modern democracy, which has typically developed through the democratization of legislative assemblies. Yet it conflicts with the evidence at our disposal. Our ancient sources suggest that the most significant and distinctively democratic institution in Athens was the courts, where decisions were made by large panels of randomly selected ordinary citizens with no possibility of appeal.
This dissertation reinterprets Athenian democracy as “dikastic democracy” (from the Greek dikastēs, “judge”), defined as a mode of government in which ordinary citizens rule principally through their control of the administration of justice. It begins by casting doubt on two major planks in the modern interpretation of Athenian democracy: first, that it rested on a conception of the “wisdom of the multitude” akin to that advanced by epistemic democrats today, and second that it was “deliberative,” meaning that mass discussion of political matters played a defining role. The first plank rests largely on an argument made by Aristotle in support of mass political participation, which I show has been comprehensively misunderstood. The second rests on the interpretation of the verb “bouleuomai” as indicating speech, but I suggest that it meant internal reflection in both the courts and the assembly. The third chapter begins the constructive part of the project by comparing the assembly and courts as instruments of democracy in Athens, and the iii fourth shows how a focus on the courts reveals the deep political dimensions of Plato’s work, which in turn suggests one reason why modern democratic ideology and practice have moved so far from the Athenians’ on this score.
Throughout, the dissertation combines textual, philological and conceptual analysis with attention to institutional detail and the wider historical context. The resulting account makes a strong case for the relevance of classical Athens today, both as a source of potentially useful procedural mechanisms and as the point of origin of some of the philosophical presuppositions on which the modern conception of democracy and its limits depends.
Filed under: Academia, Athens, Distribution by lot, History, Juries, Sortition |
« Unthinkable: Should college places be awarded by lottery? Two recent sortition advocacy pieces by Simon Threlkeld »
z13z13z, on October 13, 2015 at 6:02 pm said:
After the defeat of Athens by the Spartan-Persian allies, the Assembly declined from 30-50,000 in the fifth century to 4,000 in Aristotle’s time. That the courts rose in importance is clear, but the demes are likely to have retained and probably expanded their role. The Assemby of the Great Days was, after all, huge by any standards- far beyond any elected legislature and even far beyond a party convention. The Assembly, the Council, the demes and the courts were all vital components of the Democracy, as were the temples in their way.
Arthur D. Robbins, on October 13, 2015 at 8:09 pm said:
Democracy is a numbers game. The more citizens who participate, the more democratic the government. 30-50 thousand is more democratic than 4 thousand. Political equality is the hallmark of democracy: every and any citizen can speak at will. Aristotle said in more than one place that elections are anti-democratic and best suited to aristocracy.
Arthur D. Robbins
No question about it: Democracy means power to the Many. But it wasn’t easy to accommodate all those people, many or most of whom lived out in the sticks and had to travel for Assembly meetings.. And they didn’t have loudspeakers. The meeting space only held 6,000, so they did need to improvise a bit.
Yoram Gat, on October 14, 2015 at 7:32 am said:
z13z13z,
> the Assembly declined from 30-50,000 in the fifth century to 4,000 in Aristotle’s time
Really? Not that it really matters in terms of the discussion below, but I don’t believe this is true. What’s your source?
> Democracy is a numbers game. The more citizens who participate, the more democratic the government. 30-50 thousand is more democratic than 4 thousand.
This view is a fundamental mistake, in my opinion.
What does it mean to participate? Does casting a vote count (for a candidate or in a referendum) as participating? Does showing up to assembly meetings an listening to speeches count as participating? Isn’t it clear that those who set the agenda and the speakers have much more political power than those who merely listen and vote?
Democracy is not about “participation”. It is about political equality.
keithsutherland, on October 14, 2015 at 8:19 am said:
For once in my life I find myself in complete agreement with Yoram (and equally mystified by the numbers quoted by z13z13z). I would also now accept that the 4th Century reforms were more radical than conservative as this explains why contemporaries like Aristotle viewed 4th Century Athens as an extreme form of democracy. As Cammack argues, we are guilty of seeing the rule of law through modern eyes, largely under the influence of the Platonic view of justice as an approximation to an objective form, whereas Athenian democrats viewed it as the considered verdict of the citizens (or a representative sample thereof). I will need to rewrite my thesis to take this on board.
The only point I would still take issue with is how best to democratise the agenda-setting process, but we’ve discussed that at length elsewhere.
z13z13z, on October 14, 2015 at 11:42 am said:
I have no idea which numbers you object to, but they come from common estimates. Believe what you will.
keithsutherland, on October 14, 2015 at 11:51 am said:
> the Assembly declined from 30-50,000 in the fifth century to 4,000 in Aristotle’s time.
How is it possible to have an assembly numbering 30-50,000 in a space that could only accommodate 6,000? You appear to be confusing the total number of citizens with the average attendance at a meeting of the ecclesia (assembly). This did vary between the 5th and the 4th century, but nothing like to the extent you are suggesting. Interestingly the assembly site was hugely enlarged towards the end of the fourth century, but this was after the demise of the demokratia.
Terry Bouricius, on October 14, 2015 at 1:39 pm said:
Keith is correct, that the numbers 30,000 – 50,000 are the commonly mentioned estimates of the total number of citizens (males over the age of 18 born to free Athenian mothers). The Assembly space (pnyx) is believed to have allowed around 6,000 to participate at any one time. This is one reason I refer to Athens as a form of representative democracy…whether by lot in the courts, magistrate committees, legislative panels, and Council, as well as in the Assembly itself, only a very small sample of citizens were ever making political decisions on behalf of the whole citizenry.
Let us say that the number of citizens who could participate in the Pnyx debates in 5th century was 30,000 and that in the 4th century it dropped to 15, 000 (I am making up the number) due to a change in governmental structure. If that were true then 5th century Athens was more democratic. Over the course of a month or two it is possible that all 30,000 participated in the debates.
Democracy is about political equality. The opportunity and privilege to participate in making decisions is what creates democracy. The fact that only a portion of the citizenry participates on a given occasion does not change the meaning of the word democracy.
In the USA 535 congressmen speak for over 300 million Americans. There is no opportunity for us to enter into the debates and speak for ourselves. That is what makes our government an oligarchy. Power is not shared among the entire citizenry. There is no political equality. In 5th century Athens there was.
roslynfuller, on October 14, 2015 at 5:25 pm said:
Getting back to the main point of this post, I think this is a good point of discussion. Unlike some here, I don’t think Assembly is an institution that can be completely done away with, but it is still important to realize that it was only one part of a democratic society that had many reinforcing components.
Aristotle, for example, did see the courts as being ‘the real’ important factor in democracy, as ‘the people’ not only made laws but also interpreted them.
We tend to focus on Assembly, basically because that is the only part of ancient democracy the average person can even remotely relate to today. Thus, the public discussion tends to stick there.
But the position of the courts does raise questions for us, especially when it comes to constitutional rights protection. There is definitely a substantial modern stream of thought to the effect that courts of this nature should NOT be following public opinion, no matter how strong that opinion it is. Also, as a society, I would say we are much more individualistic than ancient peoples tended to be, ie. a lot more set on our individual rights protection.
Since we’re very far away from a democracy right now, I’d favour tackling the Assembly/sortition point first and leaving the position of the courts to a time when we’ve gathered more info about how democracy is working in our time, but eventually it will be an issue that will have to be dealt with.
Interested to see what others’ thoughts are on this point…
Yoram Gat, on October 14, 2015 at 6:21 pm said:
> constitutional rights protection
Are you implying that professional courts are better protectors of constitutional rights than popular courts? If so, on what grounds?
keithsutherland, on October 14, 2015 at 8:56 pm said:
Roslyn,
>We tend to focus on Assembly, basically because that is the only part of ancient democracy the average person can even remotely relate to today.
The only institution of Athenian democracy that has survived into modernity is the randomly-selected jury. Granted that most people don’t know that juries had a law-making role in Athenian democracy, nevertheless the principle (that the decision of the jury represents that of all citizens) is a familiar one. By contrast, nobody has any experience of lawmaking by large assemblies in which everyone participates directly. The main thrust of Daniela’s thesis is that the courts, not the assembly, were viewed as the primary democratic institution at the time, that the view of Athenian democracy that has been handed down into modernity is mistaken and that the notion of a professional court is a Platonic aberration.
Barnaby, on October 14, 2015 at 10:28 pm said:
> For once in my life I find myself in complete agreement with Yoram.
Hey Keith don’t throw down your foil yet!
The scene is an Athenian assembly space at dusk. Blades are drawn. Roslyn, Arthur, Terry, bsh, Andre, z13z13z & others (stage left) look on with great excitement as, with a circular parry you beat Yoram’s close quarters lunging feint, but in doing so are subsequently forced into performing an awkward diagonal balestra.
You’re both wounded but it’s a moment of great athleticism caught with dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, and I need to maintain that sense of balance + tension!
The cartoon is almost complete.. my studio assistants have started preparing the pigments for mixing and I’m almost ready to apply the intonaccio…
Arthur D. Robbins, on October 14, 2015 at 10:43 pm said:
We focus on the assembly because that is where the critical decisions are made. War vs. Peace; how monies are to be spent: these are critical decisions for any society and the legislators are the ones who decide them.
Yes, I should have said “the citizen body,” rather than the Ekklesia, but the citizens were the Ekklesia. The logistical limits of 6,000 and the travel distance for rural citizens presented obvious problems for the Democracy.
of the fifth century.
As for the 4th century, I recently saw a paper asserting that Antipater’s 2,000 drachma property qualification set the citizen body at 4,000 rather than the accepted 9,000; but I should have just mentioned the conventional figure. Whatever effect the property restriction had, the previous level of 21,000 is accepted by the likes of Ste Croix.
But I was attempting to point out that Democracy included a complex and ingenious set of institutions: the Ekklesia, the courts, and much more.
Barnaby:> Hey Keith don’t throw down your foil yet!
I tried fencing for a couple of years but I was so bad at it that I took up rowing instead — I guess that improves my credentials qua Athenian democracy!
z13z13z:> As for the 4th century, I recently saw a paper asserting that Antipater’s 2,000 drachma property qualification. . .
The focus of Cammack’s thesis (and this forum) is the fourth-century demokratia, not the period of Macedonian rule.
>the likes of Ste Croix
A propos nothing in particular, I published his festschrift, in which “Croix” described himself (ironically) as “hag-ridden by his instinctive aversion to the ownership of property . . . [and] contaminated by the Marxist heresy”. (Cartledge and Harvey, 1985, pp. 376-7)
One historical footnote…Keith refers to the modern randomly-selected jury system as “The only institution of Athenian democracy that has survived into modernity.” This is an example of parallel cultural invention and in no way was passed down from Ancient Greece. Jurors in medieval England were appointed by a sheriff as trusted men who might have first-hand knowledge of the defendant and the case at hand – nothing random about it. The system evolved following the Catholic Church’s decision to discontinue involvement in trial by ordeal. The re-invention of random selection for juries occurred later.
Thanks for the clarification Terry, is there no evidence that the subsequent randomisation of juries was in any way a reflection of Athenian practice? Even if that remains the case, there is clearly a parallel between juries past and present, but I can’t think of a single modern analogue of the assembly (apart from the public plebiscite). And I don’t believe referendums are generally viewed in a positive light.
Naomi, on October 15, 2015 at 2:12 pm said:
>There is definitely a substantial modern stream of thought to the effect that courts of this nature should NOT be following public opinion, no matter how strong that opinion it is.
I find Dahl’s arguments on this matter persuasive.
Do the courts represent a better decision-making process than the democratic process of your choice? In some areas, probably. But a constitutional court’s scope is much broader than these limited areas.
I believe a better focus would be on making the core democratic decision-making process as robust as possible, with added safeguards only to delay action in certain sensitive areas. That’s probably the best we can do anyway. If support for some action—constitutional or otherwise—persists over generational time scales, that support will inevitably work its way into every element of a government derived from the people. In the end, the rights of the people and the shape of constitutional government itself are matters of convention whether we would like them to be or not. Constitutional courts should probably be designed with this reality in mind. Their verdicts should only carry sufficient weight to average out momentarily passions and make sure the people know what they are doing when they act in certain sensitive areas.
>And I don’t believe referendums are generally viewed in a positive light.
I suppose that would depend on the corners of the Internet you frequent. I recall reading an opinion poll (which I can’t for the life of me find) showing that Californians favor keeping their initiative/referendum mechanism by huge majorities despite the problems it has cause. Though, to be fair, that may simply reflect the remarkable degree of contempt that most Californians have for their state legislature. And there’s this Gallup poll showing strong support for a federal-level initiative/referendum mechanism in the US. http://www.gallup.com/poll/163433/americans-favor-national-referenda-key-issues.aspx
Naomi,
Fair point. All I’m seeking to argue is that most people are familiar (and reasonably comfortable) with the randomly-selected jury as a decision-making body. It’s true that juries are asked to determine matters of fact, rather than preferences, but most people also understand that opinion polls can accurately reflect (raw) policy preferences. So all that is needed is to imaginatively combine two familiar institutions and I think most people would be able to do that. Therefore decision making by stochation would not be hard to understand and this would be just as Athenian in origin as the assembly. If it’s the case (as Daniela argues) that the Athenians viewed stochation as a more reliable way of expressing the will of the demos than the assembly then this would also suggest that the courts should be the focus of those of us who seek to reform modern democracy along Athenian lines.
Athenian sovereignty had an uneven course in the 4th century, which began after all, with Athens totally defeated. She retained a vestigial autonomy and the customary institutions however deformed under Macedonian rule, much as she had under Spartan/Persian rule.,
But I will return to cheerful silence on forum topical matters..
“the likes of Ste Croix
That would be Crux, I gather. I take Ste Croix at his word that he was a Marxist heretic but it looks like Marxist orthodoxy to me. Thankfully, he gets it out of his system in the first hundred or so pages of his Class Struggle and turns to fruitful pursuits. .
>Athenian sovereignty had an uneven course in the 4th century, which began after all, with Athens totally defeated.
One of the many things that I learned from Daniela’s thesis is that the two oligarchic coups were enabled by the domination of the assembly by factional interests. Her suggestion is that the reforms were in order to prevent such things happening in the future — i.e. to strengthen the demokratia; whether they would have prevented the decisions that led to the defeat is another matter (as such matters were still the province of the assembly).
>That would be Crux, I gather.
Yes, indeed. The “anonymous” review of CSAGW at the back was by GEM himself.
z13z13z, on October 15, 2015 at 10:02 pm said:
That sounds like a sensible thesis, but the Democracy, as I say, was never the sole element of the Democratic constitution. It was complex and remarkably sophisticated.
The Boston town meeting, which was a great engine of Revolution in the 1770s, had a similar history. It was said to be run by manipulative cliques. and was abolished in the 1820s- apparently with the support of hoi polloi.
That’s very interesting — especially as the New England town meeting is usually held up as a good example of participatory democracy in action. I guess any form of mass democracy will always be dominated by busybodies and anyone with an axe to grind. With election at least you get to choose your own busybody. With sortition, especially the quasi-mandatory variant, the ratio of busybodies to ordinary Joes will be the same as in the target population — the problem then is ensuring that the microcosm is not dominated by the busybodies who manage to slip through the net.
New England town meetings (which persist in hundreds of towns) are somewhat analogous to the Athenian Assembly, but like the modern jury are the result of independent re-invention, rather than derived from Greek democracy. The New England town meetings arose from colonial meetings of residents as owners of colonial corporation charters, and from the tradition of religious congregationalism in which the members of the church made budget and “legislative” decisions and elected leaders. It is ironic that so-called “democracy” in the U.S. has corporate and Protestant Christian roots, with no connection to Greek democracy at all.
André Sauzeau, on October 16, 2015 at 5:26 pm said:
*** Sutherland writes « Cammack’s interpretation supports Yoram and Terry’s view that the switch in emphasis to randomly-selected institutions was in order to enhance the rule of the demos, rather than being a juridical a check on popular sovereignty (the view of Hansen, Ostwald, Sealey [and myself]) ». Actually, the 4th century reforms might have both aims.
*** But what disturbs me in this sentence is the idea of the allotted courts as « a juridical check on popular sovereignty », implying the idea of intrinsic opposition between “rule of law” and “rule of the dêmos”; opposition which is part of some ancient and modern discourses against dêmokratia.
. *** When the ancient enemies of popular sovereignty invoked the “rule of law”, they thought actually about immutable laws, or laws which might be changed only with the consent of the “wise” fraction of the society; with this idea, there was actually an opposition with the sovereignty of the dêmos, whose will to change laws – eventually coming from an undemocratic past – would encounter small groups with veto powers; practically the reactionary fraction of the elite.
*** Nowadays, the supporters of the polyarchic model cast often themselves as defenders of the “rule of law”. They use it, in a so-called democratic system, to give power to Courts the relationship of which with universal suffrage is very fuzzy, or nil. They use it likewise to justify qualified majorities, giving veto powers to minorities and favoring legal status-quo – in a dynamic modern society, that does not mean social status-quo, that means free ride to the de facto social powers wanting to avoid any control on the direction they give to the society.
*** But the opposition of “rule of law” and “rule of the dêmos” is not something intrinsic. The Second Athenian Democracy system, with the procedures of “graphê para nomôn » (against decrees of the Assembly contrary to laws) and « graphê nomon mê epitêdeion theinai » against laws (as contrary to long-term civic interests, especially constitutional principles and democratic values) was intended to establish the ”rule of law” without infringing the people’s sovereignty. I think that here the Athenian model can be useful quite directly for a modern dêmokratia.
*** Roslyn Fuller writes (october 14) about courts in charge of protecting constitutional rights : « There is definitely a substantial modern stream of thought to the effect that courts of this nature should NOT be following public opinion, no matter how strong that opinion it is. »
*** There is a problem about the exact meaning of “opinion” which has many meanings in French, and, it seems, in English. Let’s clarify, from a specifically political and democratic point of view.
*** The opinions as considered in “opinion polls” are, implicitly or explicitly, statements made as answers to questions without specific deliberation. This “primary opinion” may be very diverse. Some among the polled practically don’t have any idea about the subject, either they don’t answer (and this very reasonable choice amounts practically to an “abstention”), or they answer (because they don’t want to look uninformed, or they want to please the poller, or they don’t want to “abstain”) – this answer will be unstable. Others may have very precise thought about the subject, but often along processes lacking deep information and many-sided discussion, therefore very sensitive to bias and manipulation. And there are intermediary cases. The poll adds all that and gives a “public opinion” result.
*** In the countries where criminal cases , at least some of them, are in charge of juries of “ordinary citizens”, the final verdict comes from “secondary opinions” of these citizens; “secondary” because they follow legal procedures considered as allowing good information and deliberation. In case of a much-mediatized crime, a “primary opinion” may exist, given by polls. The secondary opinion of the jury may be different, because the jurors may change their mind through the judicial process. The votes in Athens of the Assembly (and the legislative juries) may be considered as given from “secondary opinions”.
*** But the judicial juries, which in the Second Athenian Democracy had the last word in internal subjects, correspond as what I would call a “tertiary opinion”: with a procedure allowing a better deliberation than in Assembly, but, too, centered on long-terms interests (that including constitutional points of view). Let’s consider the Law of Leptines, crushed it seems by a judicial jury after a famous Demosthenes’ speech. It was voted (by a legislative jury we must think) from good practical reasons: solving financial problems of the States through cancelling tax loopholes. The judicial review, centered by principle around long term interests, allowed Demosthenes to argue against the law invoking parameters which could have been overlooked in a debate centered on the State money hardships.
*** This is the democratic way of, for instance, protecting constitutional rights.
*** The polyarchic usual way is to give this function to Courts which are very far from being constituted by allotted citizens. Why are they deemed to be good for this function? First argument, usually not explicit: the judges will follow the opinion of the legal elite, morally and intellectually superior to the average citizens. But if we accept this kind of elitist argument, we should give all political powers to relevant elites. Second argument: the judges have a “professional conscenciousness” about protection of constitutional rights whereas the average citizens will have only a general civic point of view. Well, this is a sound argument, but we must fear that the judges will easily (and even uncounsciously) cover the political sensitivities of the elite they belong under “constitutional rights” – the right of free speech covering, for instance, a right of big corporations to pour as much money as they want into political campaigns … It is clear that the sovereignty of the dêmos implies that the last word about constitutional rights must belong to an allotted jury. The protection must be aimed through adequate procedures of “third opinion” as in Athens.
Athens and the other Democracies were self-governing communities where the Assembly decided on war and peace, alliances, etc A modern town meeting decides on traffic lights and liquor licenses. The same must be said of the once fiercely independent cantons of the Swiss Gray League.
In the 18th century, though, the New England assemblies were important factors in the Revolutionary movement. Jefferson’s vision of “ward republics” was inspired by his understanding of the Saxon Hundred, but he recalled rather fondly that the New England towns had made the earth shake under his feet in opposing his embargo, and pointed to them as proto-ward-republics at the least.
>But what disturbs me in this sentence is the idea of the allotted courts as « a juridical check on popular sovereignty », implying the idea of intrinsic opposition between “rule of law” and “rule of the dêmos”
Daniela’s thesis endorses pretty much everything you say in your post (that’s why I said that I would need to rewrite my own thesis in the light of it). If you read her work I doubt if there will be much there that you would disagree with.
>But the opposition of “rule of law” and “rule of the dêmos” is not something intrinsic. . . I think that here the Athenian model can be useful quite directly for a modern dêmokratia.
Yes that’s true, but I’ve never advocated a modern demokratia. My preference is for politeia (mixed government). This requires a certain distance between the rule of law and popular sovereignty. The distinction doesn’t have to be intrinsic (as Platonists believe), it can be just a Burkeian respect for tradition (accumulated wisdom) over and above the immediate will of the current generation. That’s why the 4th-century reformers spoke of returning to the patrios politeia (a Greek phrase that doesn’t appear in Daniela’s thesis, so far as I recall).
>First argument, usually not explicit: the judges will follow the opinion of the legal elite, morally and intellectually superior to the average citizens. But if we accept this kind of elitist argument, we should give all political powers to relevant elites.
It’s possible to accept this argument and still believe that the demos has other virtues that should be reflected in a mixed constitution. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing (unless you are a democratic fundamentalist).
> But if we accept this kind of elitist argument, we should give all political powers to relevant elites
Moreover, who is this “we” who accept this argument?
If “we” is the demos, then there is no need to force the demos to give up its political power, since it will anyway follow whatever the elite recommends, recognizing its wisdom.
Therefore, “we” cannot mean the demos – it refers to an elite group, which believes itself to have the wisdom required to recognize its own wisdom which justifies usurping the demos. In other words, this argumentation is transparently circular and boils down to “we appoint ourselves to be your rulers”.
Athenian courts were hardly breeding grounds for a legal elite: There were no lawyers and arbitration had a strong role. It was the Demos wearing the hats of court- similar to the Macedonian “appeal from Philip Drunk to Philip Sober.
Yoram
>“we” cannot mean the demos – it refers to an elite group, which believes itself to have the wisdom required to recognize its own wisdom which justifies usurping the demos.
That is only true from a platonist (synchronic) perspective. In the Burkeian (diachronic) worldview “we” refers to a combination of the past, present and (conjectural) future generations. That’s why the 4th century reformers harked back to the ancestral constitution. Daniela’s thesis would have been better had she acknowledged this (but she had a polemical point to make).
Your “presentist” perspective puts you back in bed with Plato (although he would have viewed his perspective as beyond temporality). Perhaps the only difference between the elite and the demos is that some members of the former have a longer memory (they’re normally called “historians”).
*** Terry Bouricius underlined that the Western jury system was a Western (English) invention, “in no way passed down from Ancient Greece“. Keith Sutherland asked “is there no evidence that the subsequent randomization of juries was in any way a reflection of Athenian practice? »
*** I don’t remember such evidence, but it must be asked from English historians, as French revolutionaries did copy England. I think randomization of juries could be linked to the rise of the « equality » idea in the West. At least we can say that for the last step of randomization in France (loi du 28 juillet 1978), with direct sortition from electoral lists; the reform aimed explicitly to eliminate any kind of social class selection.
*** An influence of the Athenian model would have led to establish big juries and give them power in politically sensitive subjects. In French history, I know only one instance: a proposal, during the 1848 revolution, by the philosopher/romantic socialist Pierre Leroux (an eccentric thinker, and seen as eccentric even by other romantic revolutionaries). He proposed a « National Jury » of 300 members to judge not only the subversive crimes, but likewise the charges against the ministers and the elected representatives (his constitutional model was a complex representative model). The jurors were to be chosen by lot – locally, in the departments and the colonies (the 1848 French colonies are the overseas departments now). I must acknowledge I don’t know the contemporary reactions to this proposal, which has been almost totally forgotten since.
*** Anyway even Leroux proposal seems a democratic-minded extension of the English-style criminal jury: his « National Jury » was intended to judge wrongdoings by politicians, not to have the last word about legality, constitutionality etc of political decisions (even if it could easily have slipped to political debates).
André Sauzeau, on October 20, 2015 at 12:18 pm said:
*** Keith Sutherland writes (October 16, 6:58 pm) that the different virtues of elites and dêmos might be “reflected in a mixed constitution. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing (unless you are a democratic fundamentalist)”. That amounts as labeling any supporter of popular sovereignty as a “democratic fundamentalist”.
*** I am afraid that “fundamentalist” might be a label with a somewhat fuzzy meaning.
*** Sometimes, it refers to groups with a literalist bent. As some Christians who are against the idea of human evolution from an inferior being, because it seems contrary to the letter of the Bible. When I was young, some people did consider that a quote of Marx or Engels could close a debate. I think that the modern supporters of dêmokratia may be interested by what said Montesquieu, or Rousseau, or an ancient author, but I am not literalist, and I don’t know any literalist democrat.
*** Or it may refer to people who stick to a model of the past, without acknowledging the useful or necessity of adaptation to modernity (in France, often labeled “Integrists”). As some Moslems who would like to organize a 21st century society along the social rules established by religious medieval scholars in a very different world. It is erroneous to describe the modern supporters of dêmokratia as fundamentalist followers of ancient Athens. They would like to establish a system of sovereignty of the dêmos, but I think most of them are very conscious that does not imply copying slavishly the ancient Athenian commonwealth. Especially not among the kleroterian democrats, who think modernity makes necessary and practicable to go further than Demosthenes Athens in the use of sortition. As for me, I refer often to the specific characteristics of modernity and its implications.
*** Actually Keith seems prone to label “fundamentalist” any supporter of modern dêmokratia because this model has a simple principle of sovereignty, giving it to a definite holder (as the model of absolute monarchy, or pure aristocracy). His own model of “mixed commonwealth” (“politeia” in the restrictive meaning of the word in Aristotle) is a model without simple principle, without a defined holder of sovereignty. But the simple principle does not imply a simplistic system liked only by simplistic minds. Actually the Second Athenian Democracy was sophisticated enough. Such a procedure as “graphê para nomôn” baffled Hume (see his essay “of some remarkable customs ») and even the (democrat-minded) Castoriadis (“an appeal of the people against itself before itself, which opens an abyss for us to reflect upon”).
*** The simplicity of the democratic sovereignty principle is neither a valid argument against dêmokratia, nor for it. It is irrelevant. If Keith wants to convince us of the superiority of a “mixed commonwealth” with a component of popular sortition, OK, but with relevant arguments. He will have especially to convince us that this “mixed commonwealth” will not be for a big part “oligarchy in disguise”, as in the most famous instance, the Roman one; and, if not, that the constitution will not destroy rationality and moral accountability, the political results being of nobody’s reponsability.
>Actually Keith seems prone to label “fundamentalist” any supporter of modern dêmokratia because this model has a simple principle of sovereignty
Yes, that’s right — I apologise for my choice of words, but I am implacably opposed to the principle of popular sovereignty. In my model the allotted sample of the demos has the last word/whip hand/trump card but there are other players in the game. Proposals and advocacy are (primarily) the responsibility of politicians and there are constitutional safeguards in place to ensure the rule of law. This strikes me as a direct analogue of the Athenian demokratia, where the rule of law had a diachronic element (aka the patrios politeia) rather than the “presentist” aspect that Daniela focused on in her thesis. Pace Aristotle, 4th century Athens was not an example of popular sovereignty.
To my mind politeia has five advantages over popular sovereignty:
1) The rule of law (in the diachronic sense), rather than the rule of men. This is anathema to “progessives”, but progress is just a secularised version of Christian eschatology.
2) The people who make proposals and argue for and against them are more likely to know what they are talking about.
3) Constitutional safeguards to protect minorities and entities that are not capable of representing themselves (the environment, non-human species and future generations).
4) Accountability (through the need to secure re-election and/or pension rights). It’s not perfect but it’s an improvement on the harlot’s prerogative.
5) Joined up government and fiscal rectitude.
There are almost certainly other benefits, but that’s all I can think of right now. In comparison to politeia, popular sovereignty does look a bit like democratic fundamentalism. I think we should also be alarmed that the term “sovereignty” originated in Bodin and Filmer’s justification of absolute monarchy. Rousseau may have turned it on its head, but that’s what Marx did to Hegel and look what a fine mess that led to.
The rule of law is the rule of men, faintly disguised. Said Thomas Hobbes, law is “the word of him that by right hath command over others.”
>The rule of law is the rule of men, faintly disguised.
Yes that’s right, but respect for patrios politeia (aka constitutional safeguards) extends the rule to several generations, as opposed to exclusively privileging those who happen to be around today (and who may well change their mind tomorrow). And the Greek concept of nomos, which changed over the years, does include a perspective that suggests natural law. I don’t think the notion of legal positivism would have been sympathetically received during the 4th century — that’s one of the reasons the Athenians made the distinction between laws (nomoi) and decrees (psephismata). According to Hansen a law was “a general rule intended to be valid for all time” (1999, p. 404, my emphasis).
Here are the words of Thomas Paine on the subject of generational rule,
“Every age and generation must be free to act for itself in all cases as the ages and generations which preceded it. The vanity and presumption of governing beyond the grave is the most ridiculous and insolent of all tyrannies….It is the living, and not the dead, that are to be accommodated.”
It’s funny. The more you explain your position the less well I feel I understand it. You are “implacably opposed” to popular sovereignty but seem to see the people as the only viable source of legitimacy. Not tradition or the adherence to agreed upon rules as Terry has argued. Yet deviations away from an overarching principle like popular sovereignty are inherently arbitrary. You could do as you’d like and stack the deck in whatever way seems most reasonable to you. In the end you simply have a set of rules. If those rules are erected by an appeal to the people, directly or through a stochastic body, then they can be amended/repealed though a similar appeal regardless of that the rules themselves say regarding their amendment.
If reverence for the rules of the game are an adequate principle upon which to build a government, then the sort of arrangement Terry and others have endorsed is perfectly viable, given the right set of popular beliefs/values. If not, then any system built without the foundation of popular sovereignty is equally as untenable.
Regarding generational issues… giving a previous generation’s rules priority simply enshrines the outcomes of a particular generation’s deliberations at the expense of the current generation’s (better informed, actually) deliberations. Caution is needed, of course, but we shouldn’t go overboard.
My goal is not to privilege the dead (their views can always be overturned by a supermajority), only to provide a check against passing whims. This is nothing more than the commonsense view that every vehicle needs a brake pedal as well and an accelerator. I’m not sure how well Paine and Condorcet got on, but that was certainly the latter’s view.
If you look at my five points they are all based on the need for diverse human perspectives — constitutionalism is a mix of popular will, tradition and rule-following. Why do we have to choose any of these exclusively? In my proposal the people (as represented stochastically) always have the last word, it’s just that they don’t have the only word. Call it the precautionary principle if you like.
>deviations away from an overarching principle like popular sovereignty are inherently arbitrary.
What is arbitrary about my five points in favour of politeia? They all strike me as both reasonable and principled.
>the people [are] the only viable source of legitimacy
That’s ultimately true, but we need to temper the perspective of the few who happen to be gathered in the room at any one time by longer-term and broader interests, and that requires constitutional constraints. Anything else is just demos tyrannos and only democratic fundamentalists would want that.
It is not “the Few” who are gathered in the Democratic room but the Many, . Anything else is just oligarchy and only oligarchic fundamentalists would want that.
A Democratic constitution would require an institutional framework that ensures extensive deliberation beforehand and opportunities for reconsideration afterhand. I would indeed wish to rely upon councils selected by lot to play a role in the latter, but empowering them to require a reconsideration vote by the Demos- or multiple reconsiderations- would be adequate.
>Why do we have to choose any of these exclusively? In my proposal the people (as represented stochastically) always have the last word, it’s just that they don’t have the only word. Call it the precautionary principle if you like.
I guess I don’t see constutionalism, tradition, and rule-following as being inherently counter to the principle of popular sovereignty. Rules and respect for precedent are both probably necessary to elucidate and realize the general will (where such a thing can be said to exist) in the first place. The existence of rules and precedent around parliament is not counter to parliamentary sovereignty. Such things exist due to both the preference of parliament itself and human nature concerning the weight naturally given to precedent. It’s the same idea. “Implacable” opposition to popular sovereignty strikes me as a bit more substantive than the simple acknowledgment that rules and delays to prevent rash action are needed.
Of course, your list goes well beyond tradition and rule-following, into areas we have largely covered at length already.
> If Keith wants to convince us of the superiority of a “mixed commonwealth” with a component of popular sortition, OK, but with relevant arguments.
The point is, however, that convincing “us” may be how Sutherland likes to spend his afternoon, but it has no normative force since “we” (or any self-selected group) should not be the ones making decisions on how decisions should be made. Decisions about decision-making procedures should be made democratically.
This is the foundational (or “bootstrapping”) problem for any non-democratic system. If the people cannot be convinced that power should be handed off to a certain elite then how would handing that power off to the elite be justified? If, on the other hand, the people can be convinced that power should be handed off to an elite then it is no longer a non-democratic system – it is a democratic system where the people choose to follow a particular course of action (namely, the one suggested by the elite).
>My goal is not to privilege the dead (their views can always be overturned by a supermajority), only to provide a check against passing whims.
Placing the views of the dead behind a supermajority absolutely privileges them. Unless of course we are talking about views that were passed by a supermajority to begin with. That is not objectionable. In any case something enacted by a simple majority can almost certainly be overturned by a simple majority. We see this all the time in the developing world. Constitutions passed by a simple referendum are overturned in latter referenda like clockwork without a thought being given to the formal amendment procedure.
To state the obvious, Sutherland’s wish to grant power to elites is directly derived from no more and no less than his belief that he would find their decisions to his personal liking. One would have to be quite naive to believe that he (and people similarly professing reverence for “tradition”) would make the same proposals if the established elites could be expected to use their powers in different ways.
In the realm of political philosophy there is one fundamental issue: minority rule vs. majority rule. For the past two thousand years or so the minority has been in charge. The minority has led the human species to the brink of extinction. The majority is our only hope.
Arthur R. Robbins
Terry Bouricius, on October 21, 2015 at 2:56 am said:
You wrote
>” We see this all the time in the developing world. Constitutions passed by a simple referendum are overturned in latter referenda like clockwork without a thought being given to the formal amendment procedure.”
And this is also true of the United States. The Articles of Confederation contained an amendment procedure requiring unanimous approval by the states… but the committee that drafted the new Constitution (rather than drafting amendments to propose to the Articles of confederation, as was their charge from Congress) inserted an adoption rule into the new document that the new constitution would go into force if just 9 of the 13 states ratified it in conventions.
Having outed myself some time ago as a conservative, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to find myself in a minority of one on a forum entitled Equality by Lot. Conservatives have little time for abstractions like liberty, equality, fraternity and popular sovereignty, as we are more concerned about muddling along with each other and making the best of a bad job. Designing political systems on the basis of a single principle never works — for example the Russian soviets were supposed to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat (aka “popular sovereignty” and “real democracy”) but ended up as a key element of party rule. As I argued earlier (and nobody has sought to refute my claim), fourth-century Athens was a mixed constitution, not an example of popular sovereignty. The conservative tendency to privilege the past is on account of the need for political institutions to demonstrate their viability in practice, rather than merely on paper. Can anybody provide a single example of popular sovereignty in practice?
Yoram:> Sutherland’s wish to grant power to elites is directly derived from no more and no less than his belief that he would find their decisions to his personal liking.
My constitutional proposal, in which the allotted representatives of the demos have final decision power, is a modern analogue of 4th century practice. Direct isegoria is impossible in the extended republic, hence the need for election and other representative mechanisms. I’ve no way of know a priori whether the resulting elite isegoria will or will not be to my personal liking.
My alleged elitism pales into insignificance compared to most of the people working in this field. I’ve just finished editing/typesetting John Burnheim’s new book The Demarchy Manifesto, due for publication early next year. John’s demarchic committees are not intended to be statistically representative of the general public and he has no time for popular sovereignty or the will of the people, in fact he now acknowledges that the answer to the rhetorical question posed by his first book on this topic (Is Democracy Possible?) is a resolute “no” (and neither is it desirable). The only reason for using sortition is to whittle down the number of self-nominated busybodies in an impartial manner and the decision output of the demarchic committees has to be judged on epistemic, rather than democratic, grounds.
Regarding the rest of the academy, both the “constructivist turn” in representation studies and the more recent “representative turn” in democracy studies have strongly anti-democratic entailments. A couple of weeks ago I attended a workshop for a book project that includes some of the leading theorists in this field (Saward, Rehfeld, Urbinati, Disch and others). Andrew Rehfeld presented a paper seeking to rebut Pitkin’s claim that representation has inherent normative and democratic entailments and argued that we need to view representation more in terms of its Hobbesian origins (dismissed by Pitkin as a confidence trick). And Mike Saward relegates consideration of the democratic legitimacy of representative claim-making to what amounts to little more than a footnote in his influential book The Representative Claim.
Stuck in between this rock and the hard place occupied by the democratic fundamentalists that dominate this forum, I sometimes feel like a lone voice crying in the wilderness. I note however that Equality by Lot has 409 followers, of whom only around 9 comment regularly, so I would be intrigued to learn if any of the other 400 would like to join me in the desert.
Naomi:> I guess I don’t see constitutionalism, tradition, and rule-following as being inherently counter to the principle of popular sovereignty.
Ok, then we are disagreeing over the meaning of words. The general meaning of the term “constitutionalism” is a check on popular sovereignty.
Naomi, on October 22, 2015 at 12:51 pm said:
Care to provide a working definition of popular sovereignty? Thefreedictionary.com defines popular sovereignty as, “the doctrine that sovereign power is vested in the people and that those chosen by election to govern or to represent must conform to the will of the people,” and constitutionalism as, “Government in which power is distributed and limited by a system of laws that the rulers must obey.” I don’t see an irreconcilable contradiction so long as the system of fundamental laws is set and amended by means that are ultimately democratic in nature. The “will of the people” is also a phrase which requires a working definition on its own. Is it necessarily a majority? Can it require a supermajority instead? Unanimity? How about the considered judgement versus the base opinion of the masses? What if the people want to exercise their will through a process that would limit rashness? I really don’t care. It’s a matter of semantics. As long as we know what we are all talking about it shouldn’t matter.
Too much rests on semantics. Take, “designing political systems on the basis of a single principle never works,” for example. How do we define “single principle,” or even “principle”? If we define single principle such that only the chief holders of practical political power are included (not their subordinates) then we see quite a few successful governments built upon the principle of rule-by-election-winners. Likewise, there are surely examples where all the political players held power due to hereditary (either from the inheritance of offices or wealth). The *stability* from multi-principle systems comes from the incorporation and domestication of the independently powerful. The representation of separate estates in the past would be an example. A more modern case would be the disproportionate influence of wealthy, famous, well-connected people in electoral governments. Their support shores up the system. It’s healthy (and probably necessary) from an institutional stability perspective. The number of principles or mechanisms is not the point. If we abstract too far away from the underlying reasons and focus excessively on semantics it becomes all too easy to generalize more than is defensible.
It’s a bad idea to turn this into a conservative/liberal issue. There is nothing about the mainstream left precludes caution or constitutionalism. Only on the extremes. And that’s true of the extremes in general. You yourself are pushing radical untried reforms that would overhaul the British constitution. As I believe you’ve noted in the past, some would take issue with you describing your position as conservative. These labels are not adding anything to the discussion. Everyone is pushing the reforms they believe are necessary for various reasons. The reasons are what merit discussion. All you do when you bring up this sort of thing and paint people’s views with such a broad brush is drive away potential allies. The focus needs to stay on process. Any change to be implemented willfully, by fiat, rather than through natural institutional evolution, needs to be agreeable to the large majority of people. If you make it about conservatives *winning* then you will find only allies on the right. In the end that will not be enough to bring about any sort of lasting reform.
If you choose to define constitutionalism as the will of the people (aka popular sovereignty), as expressed over a long period of time and incorporating checks and balances arrived at by a democratic process that allows due influence from those best qualified to opine on such matters, then I think we are in agreement. But contrast this to the frequent calls on this forum for “real” democracy operationalised as “convene a random sample and allow them to decide [anything]” and you will understand why I feel the ongoing need to distinguish between the competing ideal types of popular sovereignty and constitutionalism. It’s not just semantics, it’s how political institutions are designed and the multi-faceted designs that you and I have suggested are very different from the proposals of (say) Yoram and Terry, that rely on a single principle (random selection).
>If you make it about conservatives *winning* then you will find only allies on the right.
My only concern is that the number of conservatives that are active on this forum can be counted on one hand, if not one finger, hence my claim to be a lone voice crying in the wilderness. I don’t see how that counts as triumphalism.
“a democratic process that allows due influence from those best qualified to opine on such matters”
The “best qualified” are always found in the mirror.
>The “best qualified” are always found in the mirror.
Note that I used the word “opine”, rather than “judge”. As a general rule the opinion of someone who knows what they are talking about is preferable to someone who has no prior experience or knowledge of a particular domain. But if the subject matter is accessible (unlike, say, quantum physics), then most people are adequately qualified to judge which opinion is most agreeable to them. Most citizens have little knowledge regarding most of the topics that are dealt with by legislatures, but are perfectly capable of listening to a well-informed debate and determining the outcome. This is the standard argument for politeia.
Note that the operative term is not “opine” but “due influence.” But okay, you’re referring to “expert testimony.” That presents a problem in any system. Experts don’t necessarily agree any more than amateurs. Nor are the Few more astute than the Many in choosing expert advice.
And who (to repeat once more the refutation of this transparently false argument Sutherland never tires of regurgitating) would judge who is best qualified to opine?
In every other domain we employ heuristics such as competitive examinations, professional qualifications, per review, open market competition etc, to decide what counts as expert opinion, so why does this not apply to this domain? I acknowledge, of course that political decision making is not an epistemic procedure, hence the need to decide the outcome by stochation. Too choose one example, I have no idea as to whether the UK should remain part of the EU, as I have no expertise in economics, constitutional law etc, but would be happy to help adjudicate between the competing arguments on the issue according to my own preferences.
PS that should have been “peer review” not “per review” (I was responding on my mobile phone).
>Nor are the Few more astute than the Many in choosing expert advice.
I don’t think that’s true. Expertise is generally regarded as an elite function, so “the Few” might be in a better position to know where to look for expert advice. And market factors come into play — in the case of the EU referendum there are currently two anti groups slugging it out between them (only one will gain official status) and UKIP, a political party set up to campaign for withdrawal, has recently gained a lot of electoral support. Persons selected by lot would also resort to heuristic shortcuts, but absent elite input, may well just opt for columnists in their chosen daily newspaper. This would lead to anything but balanced expert advocacy as tabloids outsell broadsheets by a considerable factor and most tabloids share an anti-EU perspective. All this supports the case for politeia, as opposed to popular sovereignty.
Expertise is generally regarded as experience in a field and an understanding of its mysteries. There are no “experts” on the EU, only partisans.
That’s where the jury comes in — in the judicial court to decide guilt or innocence, and in the legislative court to register its informed (aggregate) preference, as a proxy for the informed preference of the target population.
Unless the “jury” has access to information denied to the “legislature,” they are no more informed than the “legislature.”
If by “legislature” you are referring to the whole population (voting directly in the EU referendum) then the jury will have considerably more information, as they will have listened carefully to the debate between the partisans for each cause. Are you suggesting that “partisan” is of necessity a pejorative term? The problem with UK public enquiries (apart from the lack of a jury) is the absence of partisanship, as there is no counsel for the defence.
“If by “legislature” you are referring to the whole population (voting directly in the EU referendum)”
But of course I’m not..
“then the jury will have considerably more information, as they will have listened carefully to the debate between the partisans for each cause.”
And why will they be more attentive than their neighbors?
” Are you suggesting that “partisan” is of necessity a pejorative term?”
tbouricius, on October 24, 2015 at 1:34 am said:
A basic tenet for those of us advocating forms of sortition is that having a relatively small group (hundreds rather than millions) of average citizens charged with making an important decision is the only way to overcome rational ignorance…(If I know I have one vote out of millions I intuitively understand that my one vote has a vanishingly remote chance of making any difference, and thus I can’t be bothered to spend days or weeks learning all about the issue at hand, and society won’t pay everybody for that vast amount of human labor of millions of citizens on each issue.) But society can pay a smaller random sample to take time off their regular job, and the participants can have the motivation to learn and take it seriously (as they do on criminal juries). Mass politics is ALWAYS either manipulated by elte powers, or ill-informed. Elections introduce a raft of other distortions (special interest influence, narcissism, corruption). Only sortition can allow democracy to work well.
z13z13z, on October 24, 2015 at 4:25 am said:
Selection by lot is certainly indispensable for a Democracy, but so is face to face discussion. .
In a direct democracy in a small polis, everyone can (in theory) discuss every issue face to face and then decide what to do about it in the assembly. This is not feasible in large modern states, so our concern here is how to simulate this in a statistically representative microcosm. Some people argue that society is divided into the elite and the masses and, seeing that random selection will privilege the masses, it doesn’t matter who is included in the sample. I would counter that it matters a lot in pluralistic multicultural states.
This is really an empirical matter, as it would be possible to convene parallel samples and see if face to face discussion in the different samples leads to the same outcome. And this has been done already: Fishkin has done three DPs for Texan utility companies, and they came to different conclusions. My claim is that this is on account of the face to face discussion element of the DP, so steps have to be taken to ensure that the discussion is representative, and this will, must likely, require some serious constraints, as large scale democracy presupposes representation.
“(in theory) discuss every issue face to face and then decide what to do about it in the assembly. This is not feasible in large modern states,”
Nor was it possible in the large old Athenian Democracy, which was built upon 150 demes where ideas and propositions could be argued out over ouzo. The Council of 500 was drawn from the demes.
keithsutherland, on October 24, 2015 at 12:08 pm said:
The council was merely a collective magistracy that acted as the assembly secretariat. The assembly, and later the legislative courts, were the principal lawmaking bodies. In no sense can any of these bodies be viewed as a locus for face-to-face deliberation. Deliberation certainly took place in the demes and in the agora, but this is also true for the modern public sphere — the challenge being how to ensure that this affects lawmaking in a representative way.
*** I wrote “if we accept this kind of elitist argument, we should give all political powers to relevant elites ». Yoram Gat asked « who is this “we” who accept this argument? »
*** By “we” I refer to the people who read this blog, many of them may be strongly democrats, but others may be interested by the social use of sortition whereas having doubts about the democratic-sovereignty-through-minipublics.
*** Yoram Gat wrote (October 20, 7:13 pm): “If (…) the people can be convinced that power should be handed off to an elite then it is no longer a non-democratic system – it is a democratic system where the people choose to follow a particular course of action (namely, the one suggested by the elite) ». I don’t agree. Giving power to somebody is not « following a particular course of action ».
*** Let’s consider a “mind experiment”. In a society one tenth of the people is free (the higher QI fraction, or another criterion, or by lot). The other are slaves but each ten years they are entitled to choose their master among one hundred candidates, for ten years of slavery. I don’t agree that this free choice is enough to make them free citizens.
*** Let’s suppose the French people has to choose every 10 years between the different political models the Western intellectual tradition knows: absolute monarchy, polyarchy, dêmokratia, various kinds of aristokratia, various kinds of dictatorship … This choice is not the same thing as a dêmokratia. If the French dêmos chooses another system than dêmokratia, it is not true that it is a “democratic choice”.
*** Let’s suppose a French dêmokratia. The sovereign, i.e. the French people deems himself unable to govern and handles the power to an elite of some kind. Yoram Gat says it will be continuing dêmokratia. I don’t agree. It will be another political system, with consent by the dêmos. Let’s imagine a traditional absolute monarchy, where the king and his family become converted to Trotskyite ideas, and the country gets a totalitarian system of this brand. Because the royal lineage consents to the new system, Yoram Gat will say that it is always absolute monarchy! No, there was an abdication. A dêmokratia may abdicate, either explicitly, or implicitly (for instance canceling isêgoria, which is a necessary element of the system). In every system, there are possibilities of abdication.
*** Yoram Gat is confusing abdication of power by a sovereign and deference of a sovereign towards a specific person or elite, giving them a strong influence. Such strong influence may have bad consequences, and may affect some qualities of the democratic model, but there is dêmokratia as long as, about any law or major political choice, there is a deliberation where any voice is heard, including those external to the “revered” elite, including the dissenting voices in this elite, followed by a vote where the dêmos – through a minipublic – is entitled to issue a decision, including a decision against the wishes of the majority of the elite.
*** I add that democratic isêgoria will have a tendential eroding effect upon any kind of deference.
Agreed. When the Athenian assembly decided by a democratic vote to hand power to the oligarchs this marked a (temporary) cessation of the demokratia. The same can be said regarding the “perceived legitimacy” perspective on democracy outlined in Mike Saward’s book The Representative Claim. Democracy requires ongoing (representative) isonomia and isegoria — abolish either of these two and the system is no longer democratic. The definition of democracy is an institutional and ideological one, rather positivistic (the result of some prior decision taken by a democratic vote).
“The council was merely a collective magistracy that acted as the assembly secretariat.”
No, the council was not “merely.” The Assembly couldn’t meet frequently. and the Council was its executive committee. Without the Council, the Assembly would have been as useful as a beached whale.
The deme assemblies could hardly have avoided discussing the measures their allotted representatives were to consider in the Council, We cannot tell from the information we have, but it would have made sense for the deme assemblies to “instruct” their representatives as was the custom in the early American Republic..
I think that the crucial point in most of your thought experiments is the matter of a single point of irrevocable commitment. (The first thought experiment is different [and is not relevant for the issue being examined] because it assumes a constrained choice to begin with [i.e., the ruler must be a member of the elite], in which case whatever choice is made, it is clearly not a democratic choice.)
Once you remove the assumption of an irrevocable commitment, and assume that the delegation of power persists only as long as the people give this delegation their informed and considered approval, then I think it is clear that the arrangement is democratic.
In fact, I think that generally (as your thought experiments demonstrate) any system that involves points where high stakes, long-term decisions are made is anti-democratic. This is one of the reasons that I believe the emphasis often made on constitutional conventions is wrong. Any democratic system must have an ongoing constitutional process in which the constitution can be changed on an ongoing basis.
Yoram:
>Once you remove the assumption of an irrevocable commitment, and assume that the delegation of power persists only as long as the people give this delegation their informed and considered approval, then I think it is clear that the arrangement is democratic.
That sounds like a reasonable description of electoral democracy.
> That sounds like a reasonable description of electoral democracy.
Only if you believe that a mass vote on an elite-determined agenda can express an informed and considered group decision.
>Only if you believe that a mass vote on an elite-determined agenda can express an informed and considered group decision.
OK, so the system of government resulting from the decision to alienate sovereignty to an elected oligarchy would still be democracy, iff the decision was taken as a result of the free deliberation of a randomly-selected microcosm? And the same would be the case if the decision was to alienate sovereignty to a dictator, a computer system or the Delphic Oracle? And, so long as the decision was open to revision on an ongoing basis by another allotted sample, the system of government would continue to be democratic, even if approved by the allotted body/ies on purely epistemic criteria (bread, circuses or whatever)?
This might make sense to a proceduralist, or contractarian but most definitions of democracy involve ideological and/or institutional criteria that would draw a sharp distinction between these very different forms of government.
I don’t see this as being a proceduralist criterion but a substantive one. Democracy means that policy is determined according to the informed and considered opinions of the people. The rest is, as we say in engineering, implementation details. If the people choose to provisionally delegate decision making to some person or some body, so be it.
In fact, to a large extent such delegation is hardly avoidable since in any rational system relying on professional services is inevitable. It could be argued how closely the allotted can monitor, and occasionally overrule, the professionals, and to what extent policy making can be divided into areas so no single professional person or body holds too much power. But avoiding delegation altogether is hardly conceivable. To some extent this seems to be what Burnheim’s demarchy is aiming at, and this is indeed one of the reasons the system he proposes seems unrealistic.
Yoram,
So, subject to the above caveats, there would be no difference in principle between delegation to elected representatives or a dictator — both outcomes would be democratic? Bear in mind this is not a Rousseauian model — in which the sovereign makes the policy decisions and then delegates the operational side to the executive magistrate — we are talking about the alienation of sovereignty, and this would normally be viewed as contravening democratic norms.
I don’t quite understand your perspective on Burnheim. According to John’s new book, notions of popular sovereignty and the will of the people are chimeric, so there’s nothing to delegate. All that’s required is sensible and pragmatic solutions to everyday problems — demarchy would best be described as a form of aleatory platonism. Although John’s first book has a section on statistical representation, he has now firmly rejected such an approach, sortition only being of interest for its prophylactic benefits.
*** I am not sure of understanding Yoram Gat views about “delegation of power” . He wrote “ Once you remove the assumption of an irrevocable commitment, and assume that the delegation of power persists only as long as the people give this delegation their informed and considered approval, then I think it is clear that the arrangement is democratic » but likewise « any system that involves points where high stakes, long-term decisions are made is anti-democratic ». Does that means that delegation of power by the dêmos is to be accepted, but not for high-stakes or long-term decisions ?
*** If this is the idea, i agree (with the provision that delegated powers must be overseen through audits, to be sure that the entities exercizing the delegated powers do not extend their field.)
*** We must remind that not only laws, but many concrete decisions about individual points may have high stake or long-term effects.
When the French government sells arms to the Saudi Arabia government which will be used for instance against Yemeni shiites, it is a concrete individual one-time decision, but maybe not a short-term low-stake one.
.*** Keith Sutherland wrote (October 20) « I think we should also be alarmed that the term “sovereignty” originated in Bodin and Filmer’s justification of absolute monarchy. Rousseau may have turned it on its head, but that’s what Marx did to Hegel and look what a fine mess that led to »
*** It seems that Keith considers the idea of sovereignty as intrinsically linked to absolute monarchy, and « turned on his head » by a very personal « intellectual coup » of Rousseau. This is a simplistic view. « Kurios » for sovereign is a word much known by Aristotle, and « to kurion » means the sovereign entity (people, elite, king, tyrant,…) – see Pol. 3,10,1 ; 1281, a-11. Bodin took the idea into the first Western work of political philosophy, and if I remember well for him democracy was a kind of sovereignty, even if it was an inferior and unperfect kind. I did not read Filmer; as far as I know, he was a strong supporter of absolute monarchy. But the intellectual interest for sovereignty did not stick to this specific political choice. Spinoza, slightly later than Filmer, used the same concept (in Latin “summa potestas”), and he was not monarchist – actually he was democratic-minded, as seen in some words of his “Tractatus theologico-politicus”. Unfortunately, he died when beginning the “Democracy” chapter in his “Tractatus politicus”. This unfinished book is enough to demonstrate that thinkers of the Classical West could use the sovereignty idea without being suspect of merely covering an advocacy of absolute monarchy.
*** An abstract concept of sovereignty may include the “mixed commonwealth” model, or the polyarchic model, at least if we speak about a sovereign state (an “imperium” in Spinoza’s Latin). In such a state we have a complex system which issues political decisions, including the implicit decisions of political status-quo.
*** In French media we can often see sentences as “the French and European courts are useful to protect citizens from abuses of political power “ – as if the power or courts would not be political! The wide concept of of sovereignty is especially useful here, to lead us to take a systemic point of view: all the elements of polyarchy are parts of a system, which issues political decisions, including the implicit decisions of leaving space to the de facto powers.
I believe Yoram was referring to the (revocable) delegation of sovereignty, not administrative decision-making.
On the issue of sovereignty, I’m not an expert in the history of political thought, but I attended all the meetings of the Popular Sovereignty Project at QM http://projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/hpt/projects/ and (so far as I remember) the speakers mostly argued that sovereignty, while having its roots in antiquity, was primarily an early-modern concept. This is certainly Habermas’s view in his book on the Public Sphere, where he contraposes the “will” of the sovereign prince with the “opinion” of his advisers. And the modern understanding of democratic sovereignty, with its associated notion of the will of the people, owes more to Rousseau than any other thinker (certainly not Spinoza).
André,
> Does that means that delegation of power by the dêmos is to be accepted, but not for high-stakes or long-term decisions ?
> We must remind that not only laws, but many concrete decisions about individual points may have high stake or long-term effects.
Ok – I agree that you put your finger on a difficult point. As you note, this point is not specifically about delegation. Any decision whose effects cannot be fully reversed (and of course this to some extent is the case for every decision) constrains future policy and is therefore deprives power from future decision makers. If those future decision makers are the demos, then it deprives the demos from some of its power.
To the extent this is unavoidable it is hard to criticize a system which suffers from this problem (and of course, every system would suffer from this problem). However, systems that artificially amplify this effect by deliberately introducing high-stakes, long-term political commitments where none have to be made are faulty, and because they deliberately reduce democratic power, are undemocratic.
André Sauzeau, on October 26, 2015 at 11:45 am said:
*** Keith Sutherland wrote (October 25): “the modern understanding of democratic sovereignty, with its associated notion of the will of the people, owes more to Rousseau than any other thinker (certainly not Spinoza). »
*** I agree, sure. The political influence of Spinoza was small, the Rousseau’s influence was great – at least concerning values and myths. Because Spinoza kind of thinking and writing had a small popular appeal. And because, as I said, he died when beginning the chapter « democracy » .*** But it was not my point. My point was that Spinoza’s case demonstrated that the sovereignty concept was not intrinsically linked to absolute monarchy, and that its use by Rousseau was not something very personal, as Keith clearly was claiming.
*** Keith Sutherland quotes as scholarly consensus (October 25): “that sovereignty, while having its roots in antiquity, was primarily an early-modern concept. »
*** Sure. The sovereignty concept implies a sovereign State, as were the ancient Greek cities and as were the early-modern States (kingdoms or republics). It was not well adapted to feudal times, with their complex networks – when the king of England could be duke of Normandy and count of Poitou, therefore vassal of the king of France. ..
*** Some say nowadays that globalization takes us back to these pre-sovereignty times, and that therefore we must give up the sovereignty concept. I suspect strongly they would like to get rid of the popular sovereignty concept – which is becoming dangerous now as the technology may « give us back Athens ».
*** Yoram Gat wrote « In fact, to a large extent such delegation is hardly avoidable since in any rational system relying on professional services is inevitable. It could be argued how closely the allotted can monitor, and occasionally overrule, the professionals, and to what extent policy making can be divided into areas so no single professional person or body holds too much power. But avoiding delegation altogether is hardly conceivable »
*** I agree. I remind that the standard ISO9002 is an useful tool to control networks, and could be adapted to the working of a dêmokratia. By using at least partly alloted auditing teams, it would be possible to minimize the risk of elite connivance between the professional networks and the auditing teams.
*** Keith Sutherland writes about the “Rousseauian model — in which the sovereign makes the policy decisions and then delegates the operational side to the executive magistrate ». Actually the Rousseauian model delegates much power, and Rousseau’s “sovereignty” is restricted to the pure legislative power. That results from the « static » political view of Rousseau – totally unsuitable for our modern world – and from his « legicentrism », extreme even for his time. He goes as far as to exclude from sovereignty acts as initiating wars and concluding peaces (Social Contract, book 2, chap. 2). I don’t think any modern democrat will follow these Rousseauian ideas. Here Keith could speak of some kind of “fondamentalism” !
tbouricius on New subtitle for Equality-by-Lot
Oliver Milne on New subtitle for Equality-by-Lot
keithsutherland on New subtitle for Equality-by-Lot
New subtitle for Equality-by-Lot | Equality by lot on Subtitle change vote
keithsutherland on Subtitle change vote
Hubertus Hofkirchner on Subtitle change vote
Ronald de Vries on Subtitle change vote
Oliver Milne on Subtitle change vote
New subtitle for Equality-by-Lot
The U.S. Constitutional Convention Considered a Lottery to Select The Electoral College
Alexander Guerrero: The lottocracy
Organizations and initiatives
Subtitle change vote
Dahl: Is Minority Domination Inevitable?
Random Selection for the Supreme Court
The Demarchy Manifesto
Kleroterion 2.0; Our Once and Future Escape Key
Adam Cronkright
Ahmed R. Teleb
avanderven
avergne
Alex Kovner
azakaras
Brett Hennig
campbellwallace
Simon Threlkeld
codyhipskind
Common Lot Sortitionist
Conall Boyle
davidschecter
gtridimas
Hubertus Hofkirchner
John Burnheim
jgarry20151
johnedwardtaylor
Jonathan Crock
keithsutherland
Jacob Richter
lukewhito
SimonPek
Nicholas Gruen
Owen Shaffer
Patrick Chalmers
Paul Gölz
paulnollen
peterstone
Pierre-Etienne Vandamme
qcollective
rcaze
Roger Knights
roslynfuller
shaharavin
tbouricius
Joshua Laferriere
Yoram Gat
Oliver Milne
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U.S AG Jeff Sessions potential witness in bribery trial
United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions is listed among possible witnesses in the trial involving the alleged bribing of former state legislator Oliver Robinson of Birmingham by three Alabama businessmen.
The case focuses on an alleged conspiracy to bribe Robinson in an effort to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to clean up a Superfund site near Tarrant, a largely African-American neighborhood in north Birmingham.
Sessions is listed among other members of Alabama’s congressional delegation as potential witnesses. Sessions, at the time of the alleged bribery, represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate.
The three men on trial are attorneys Joel Gilbert and Steven McKinney, partners at Balch Bingham law firm, and David Roberson, a Vice President at Drummond Company.
They are all charged with conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Jay Town has described the case as people conspiring to pay for a politician, instead of potentially expensive environmental clean-up costs. Robinson has reached a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid what could have been a 100-year prison sentence.
Robinson is cooperating with the prosecution and is expected to detail the bribery scheme in full.
Click here to view original web page at patch.com
Pass the Pig: Leadership by Attraction
Rich As F*ck: More Money Than You Know What to Do With
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Feminist Activism
What can you do to advance equality?
Tag Archives: El Salvador
Day 12- Women’s Activism in Central America and the Caribbean
By feministactivist
Central America and the island nations adjacent to it in the Caribbean Sea are often an unknown or forgotten part of the world. The biodiversity and fragile, supple ecosystems of these countries are under attack but so too are the people of this region. The high rates of violence in Central America and the damaging effects of climate change in the Caribbean mean that everyone here is on high alert. Two organizations that operate around the world to help women, but are particularly active in Central America are Vital Voices, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association and MADRE. Though I will attempt to find as much as possible in English, a number of the links today may be in Spanish, if they are, it will be clear.
Guatemala: The murder rate in Guatemala is 49 of every 100,000 people. Frighteningly, it is not the highest in the region. But the rate of violence against women in this Central American country was enough to prompt a United States federal court to rule that immigration officials should reconsider the asylum request of a woman because she would suffer violence and possibly death if she returned to Guatemala. But some Guatemalan women are using activism within the US to demand a review of America’s policies. Norma Cruz, founder of Fundacion Sobrevivientes, “staged a hunger strike in front of the US Supreme Court to protest the illegal adoption of stolen children from Guatemala….”
Belize: A relatively new country, Belize’s social stratification is a complex web of ethnicity and race. Gender based violence is also problem in Belize, one of the many countries last year to participate in the UN’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence. The other major problem for Belize is destruction of its ecosystem: Belize is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world but the delicacy of this ecosystem means that any changes in the global temperature or sea levels can be disastrous.
El Salvador: In a country plagued by civil war, internal terrorism and political violence, it may be hard to imagine that life for women is more dangerous after the peace accords were signed, but it’s true for El Salvador- the country with the highest murder rate in the world in 2009. In a country where women’s average salary is 28% lower than men’s, rates of murder and rape of women rose after the war. Salvadoreños also deal with US intervention, especially when it comes to mining, on a regular basis. Go here to send support to activists from Cispes El Salvador who have received death threats because of their vocal objections to US intervention there. Unsurprisingly, LGBTQAI rights in El Salvador are also under attack, but Entre Amigos (in English) is not afraid to stand up for what’s right.
Honduras: Lower than El Salvador but higher than Guatemala, Honduras’s murder rate is 67/100,000 inhabitants. The 2009 coup that expelled the former-President has left women in political limbo, but they are still in the streets demanding their human rights. Activists in El Frente are frequently targeted for their participation in anti-Lobo (the new President) demonstrations. If you are interesting in participating in a training session for the health and safety of activists fighting for the rights of sweatshop workers in Honduras, go here.
Nicaragua: The feminist movement in Nicaragua has the same generational aches and growing pains as the women’s movement in the US but some young Nica women are actively working to make the label “feminist” a positive one. Women’s rights activists in Nicaragua have been persecuted by the Catholic Church but support letters from Amnesty International followers gave them the strength to continue their fight. This page concisely explains women’s grim reality in Nicaragua. This blog highlights the work of one of my colleagues who is volunteering his time to help the street children of Nicaragua.
Costa Rica: Many unique international organizations working for women’s rights operate out of Costa Rica, including the Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE), and the UN-mandated University for Peace which offers a MA in Gender & Peacebuilding. Also in CR the Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres and the Centro de Investigacion en Estudios de la Mujer Universidad de Costa Rica are working academically to shape and improve women’s realities.
Panama: Panama’s first lady, on International Women’s Day, called for a nonviolent revolution to bring about gender equality in the country. Gender based violence and poverty are two major concerns for Panamanian women, in addition to “unequal access to education, and lack of political activism.” But many women in Panama do take to the streets in a different form of activism.
The Bahamas: Spousal rape and the ability to transfer citizenship to their children are two of the most contentious issues Bahamian women are fighting against and for, respectively. Part of the frustration of feminists in the Bahamas comes from women simply following men’s lead in politics. Rest assured though that if and when Bahamian women stand up for their rights, they will not be denied.
Cuba: The Revista Mujeres highlights the work and inequalities women face in Cuba today. One of the most vocal groups in Cuba Las Damas de Blanco visibly protest the government’s detention of their sons and husbands for their own political protests.
Jamaica: Homophobia is Jamaica has garnered the ire of LGBTQAI activists in the US but activists in Jamaica have their own hands full battling “corrective rape” of lesbians and violence against women in general. Racism is also still prevalent in Jamaica, but activists are speaking out against that too.
Haiti: Poor Haiti. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, diseases, and violence have marked Haiti’s recent history, with women suffering the most for it. Haiti lost three of its most influential women’s rights activists to the 2010 earthquake. The women who made rape a crime in Haiti, only in 2005, would have been heartbroken to hear the tragic tales of sexual violence in the makeshift camps that were constructed after the earthquake. Those women left behind continue to fight against violence, and rape (including testifying at the UN Court of Human Rights) and to have their voices heard. This year’s V-Day campaign also alerts the world to the plight of women in Haiti.
Puerto Rico: Although this island is not an independent nation, and is in fact, under the authority of the US, Puerto Rican women face unique challenges. This Master’s thesis by Matthew Perez of Ohio University explores the intersectionality of oppression that Puerto Ricans face. Activists in Puerto Rico two years ago seized the capital in a peaceful protest to decry the laws there that they say promote female submission to men and violence against women.
St. Lucia: The St. Lucia Crisis Center has participated for years in activities to bring about an end to violence against women, including AIDS awareness workshops. One of St. Lucia’s most vocal women’s rights activists, Flavia Cherry, spoke out about discrimination she has faced from the Minister of Gender Relations because of her political association.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines: As in the US, many, if not most rapes in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a tiny island nation in the Caribbean Sea, are not reported. But when a female police officer accuses the Prime Minister of rape and the charges are dropped without investigation, it is too disheartening. This article is a good recent historical summary of the obstacles women face in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Trinidad and Tobago: The environment is one area that has been difficult for female activists in Trinidad and Tobago to break into, but Yvonne Ashby has managed to make her voice heard. Gender and feminism in the black power movement are explored in this essay, and at least one activist in this country has been harassed by the police for her vocal objections to the treatment of children and women. Trinidad and Tobago’s female Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has promised that this year the country will establish a national Commission on the Status of Women, hopefully this will help address the concerns of the women and activists of Trinidad and Tobago.
Hondurans march against violence (bbc.co.uk)
Organised crime in Central America: The rot spreads (economist.com)
Leave a comment | tags: Activism, Belize, Caribbean, Central America, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Women's History Month, Women's rights | posted in Race/Ethnicity and Activism
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Flag of North Korea
The flag of North Korea is characterized with a red field and blue and white lines at the top and bottom part. There is also a white disk in the middle with a red tsar in it. The colors red, white and blue are known as the traditional colors of the Korean flag and when North Korea became independent in 1948 and the separated Korea was divided into the two independent states, North Korea retained this color but gave more emphasis to the color red.
The red star in the flag symbolizes the Communist ideals of the state while the white disk is a stylized representation of the “taeguekgi”, a Taoist yin-yang almost like the one in the South Korean flag. The “taeguekgi” was used in the Korean flag upon the country’s independence from Japan. Later this design was modified to bear more resemblance to the USSR flag. The overwhelming red stripes found in the North Korean flag represent revolutionary beliefs. The blue stripes signify sovereignty, peace, and friendship. The white stripes represent purity. The North Korean flag was amended on September 8, 1948 to be the National flag of North Korea.
One very interesting fact is that North Korea has the second largest flagpole in the world standing 160m tall hoisting a national flag weighing 600 pounds. This flagpole is found at Kijŏng-dong at the North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line.
There are other flags used in North Korea and they have different significations. The military flags of the Korean People’s Army, the Korean People’s Air Force, and the Korean People’s Navy have designs similar to the National flag but with different colors. Other flags in use have common designs with Communist party flags. There is also a flag specifically from the Supreme Commander used by the President Kim Jong-il.
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Why Are Farmers Paid To Not Grow Crops?
ByFarming Base November 1, 2020 October 31, 2020
Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them.
But believe it or not, there’s a good reason why the government allocates money to stop farmers from tilling their fields. In this article, we will learn more about the Agricultural Adjustment Act and how it affects farmers from then till now.
The Government offer subsidies, as well as insurance of basic commodities to avoid any unwanted surplus of crops. It is a crucial step in order to keep the prices of agricultural products high, which minimizes the farmers’ losses.
When the supply is very high, but the demand can’t keep up, farmers will be forced to sell their products at a markdown, which is the situation that the AAA was made for.
The Agricultural Adjustment Act
Economics is a very confusing topic, and that’s true even for economists themselves. Sometimes, economists do things that don’t make a lot of sense, such as paying farmers to not grow crops. It’s almost a perfect example of irony. Farmers use their resources and time to yield crops and sell the harvest in the market to make a profit. But when the right events do line up, things such as this “farming irony” can happen.
Quick History
During WWI, the Government provided subsidies and help for farmers to support the war efforts. Due to this, farming became one of the biggest industries in the US, even after the war. The production of staple crops was actually very good. In fact, it was too good, that there was an oversupply for basic crops such as corn, cotton, tobacco, rice, peanuts, and wheat.
When Franklin Roosevelt became president, one of the first things he did in his term signed the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933. This act was meant to address the surplus and falling prices of crops. Later on, this act was replaced with the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, which addressed most of the fatal flaws in the 1933 design.
Scope And Effect
The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) of 1938 distributed subsidies to farmers to reduce the surplus of crops. It was the successor of the aforementioned 1933 act, which was deemed to be unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court due to the act’s commodity tax provisions.
Instead of funding the subsidies with people’s taxes, the act was revised for Federal Government financing instead. From income enhancement, the main focus of this act was turned into soil and environment conservation.
The revisioned AAA (1938) had the following purposes:
To preserve natural resources and to maintain the soil fertility of the area affected by the subsidy (by avoiding planting the same crop each farming season).
To spur innovation of practices that encourage the enrichment of soil and soil-conserving crops and methods
To help in maintaining justifiable yet profitable prices of commodities for farmers and agricultural businesses (for both domestic and export)
To ensure that there will be enough supply of cotton, wheat, corn, and rice for both domestic usage and export purposes (without any wastage)
To ensure that the public can get a steady supply of these commodities at an affordable price
What Is The Point Of Agricultural Adjustment Act Subsidies?
Although a bountiful harvest is usually a good thing, it would be a problem if all farmers farmed similar crops. Think of it this way: you can’t make a good vegetable stew if the only thing in your pantry are potatoes. Additionally, planting the same crop in the same area is bad in the soil due to nutrient deficiency.
As it turns out, a large member of farmers in those days only farmed similar crops: corn, cotton, rice, peanuts, wheat, and milk. Diversity in the crops is minimal. And as usual, when things are not matching up in the demand and supply, the economic stuff kicks in.
While the United States has good crop yields, their neighbors had also been making the same crops and having good harvests. Exports had been affected due to this factor back in the 1930s. What’s happening economically was pretty much apparent: the demand for staple crops was slowing down.
And when the demand is lower than the supply, the prices tend to go down. In this case, with the diminishing demand for comedy exports and the oversupply of crops, farmers are forced to sell their harvests at loss just to recuperate some of their investments.
This was bad news to the US economically. To support the farmers, the US Government went on to fund the subsidy to buy the surplus crops and stored them in silos. But consumption is not something that can be speeded up or slowed down. Most of these crops either got rotten out or were eaten by rodents and other pests. Either way, it was considered a waste of government funds.
Keeping surplus crops in silos were more expensive than not dealing with this problem at all. It is apparent that some farmers must stop farming to avoid unwanted surplus again. But farmers who depend on the yield of their fields will be hard to convince to stop their livelihood. This is where the idea of paying farmers to not grow their crops became sensible. Keeping the surplus was and is more expensive than paying the subsidy.
How Are Subsidy Recipients Selected?
Targets of this subsidy included farms that produce corn, milk, cotton, rice, wheat, peanuts, and tobacco. It is also an initiative for farmers to try other profitable crops for diversity. Soybeans are one of the most popular alternatives. Take note that the list of crops above is not a rule set in stone for each state due to local economies and other factors such as available farming technologies.
In the meantime, farmers who insured their crops via AAA can still turn their land into a profitable venture. A great example of this is using the land as a farm for different commodities. Instead of crops, farmers can raise livestock and sell the products from these animals (such as selling eggs, beef, and more. Even planting diversified vegetables are allowed.
Even after its amendment in 1938, the AAA had tons of unintended consequences. Not all people were happy when this act has been approved, like any other law. It is, after all, a double-edged sword that might or might not help the economy based on the situation.
First and foremost, the most affected ones are the buyers of these goods. Since the AAA was made to artificially make the prices of agricultural commodities high, people are also buying it at a high price. In addition, from 1933 to 1937, the subsidies were taken from taxpayers’ money, which is the main reason for the act to be restructured in 1938.
Another unintended consequence of this act is the fact that large landowners get the biggest bite in the subsidy cake. Landowners would evict the farmers that till their lands so they can get the subsidy for themselves.
And last but not least, the earnings you can get from tilling your land instead of getting the subsidy is actually a lot more. Farmers will still receive money even if they don’t work, but the potential for better earning is nonexistent.
Is Agricultural Adjustment Act Still In Effect Today?
A law that was passed decades ago might not work at this point in time. The agricultural landscape now is very different than that of the pre-WWII era. However, portions of AAA is still around and is being used today. However, the original AAA and its concept are not available anymore.
As of now, AAA is a part of a bigger bill called the Farm Bill. This bill is not only focused on crop insurance, as it tackles other things such as food stamps, nutrition programs, and more. As of now, the latest farm bill approved was the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, where the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 was signed.
During the Farm Bill 2014, direct payments for subsidies whether the farmer planted a crop or not has been abolished. It is a very controversial topic that has been heating since 2001. Most of the funds from direct payments are instead given to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Since Farm Bills usually lasts for five years, these changes from 2014 may or may not get revived.
The AAA was made in order to address the nuances of one-crop dependency during the Great Depression. However, it had evolved throughout the years, with more conditions and more complex classifications. Either way, it is an essential part of Agricultural history, albeit its weird nature.
It is safe to say that the government does not pay farmers to not grow crops. The government doesn’t destroy crops either. Instead, farmers are paid in order to farm differently. And in most cases, this approach has been effective. Take note: the Agricultural Act of 2014 or Farm Bill 2014 erased the direct payment option. This is to avoid any exploits that bad elements use to receive subsidies.
What Do Farmers Do on A Farm?
What Is The Difference Between Livestock Farming And Animal Husbandry?
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What Happens if a Cow Eats Meat?
ByFarming Base November 18, 2020 November 16, 2020
Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them. Cows are herbivores,…
Can You Potty Train a Cow
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How to Farm on a Hill
ByFarming Base September 6, 2020 September 5, 2020
Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them. Did you know…
Crops | Farming | Gardening
How to Grow Daikon Radish: Planting, Sowing, Harvest, Microgreens, Soil and More
ByFarming Base March 24, 2020 April 1, 2020
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How to Grow Carrots Organically?
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Reviews for 22x22x1 MERV 11 Pleated Air Filter
4.9 star rating 4.9 73 Reviews
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Vernon W.
Quality product for a reasonable
Review by Vernon W. on 2 Dec 2020review stating Quality product for a reasonable
Quality product for a reasonable price.
On 22x22x1 MERV 11 Pleated Air Filter
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terry c.
i have not received them
Review by terry c. on 23 Sep 2020review stating i have not received them
i have not received them yet..thank you.
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Tom K.
Review by Tom K. on 11 Aug 2020review stating Excellent service and quality
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Gregory B.
Difficult to find size. Quality
Review by Gregory B. on 24 Jun 2020review stating Difficult to find size. Quality
Difficult to find size. Quality and USA made a plus.
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ALEJANDRO V.
Review by ALEJANDRO V. on 10 Apr 2020review stating Love it
Great filters, fair priced and fast free shipping
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SandRidge eyes bankruptcy, restructuring in U.S. shale bust
By Arathy S Nair and Terry Wade
An electronic display identifies the post that trades SandRidge Energy stock on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, January 11, 2013. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
(Reuters) - SandRidge Energy Inc <SDOC.PK> confirmed on Wednesday it has hired advisers to evaluate options including a bankruptcy filing, in what could be the most high-profile reorganization yet in U.S. shale oil industry.
The company, battered by a 60 percent slide in oil prices since mid-2014, said in a regulatory filing there was substantial doubt about its financial viability.
The company "has engaged advisors to assist with a private restructuring or reorganization under Title 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the foreseeable future," the filing said. (http://1.usa.gov/1SwIoGL)
SandRidge officials could not immediately be reached by phone.
SandRidge is one of dozens of oil and gas companies with piles of debt that look increasingly difficult to pay as revenues, oil and gas output, and reserves tumble on low prices.
A pullback in expensive new drilling means SandRidge's oil and gas output fell 18 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared with the same period a year ago.
Reuters reported in January that the heavily indebted oil and gas company was exploring debt restructuring options, including an orderly bankruptcy.
SandRidge, which is working with law firm Kirkland & Ellis and investment bank Houlihan Lokey on restructuring options, has drawn down its revolving credit line and has tried to trim costs with asset sales and job cuts.
In December, Capital One Securities ranked SandRidge as the most indebted of 50 U.S. shale oil producers, noting that its net debt to cash flow ratio exceeded 10, far above a ratio of 2 that analysts consider desirable. (http://reut.rs/21MrSHM)
Oklahoma City-based SandRidge, which reported a loss on Tuesday after delaying the filing, had about $3.63 billion in total debt as of Dec. 31.
SandRidge, which produces oil and gas from shale formations in Oklahoma and Kansas, was founded in 2006 by Tom Ward, who also co-founded natural gas company Chesapeake Energy Corp <CHK.N>. Ward, a pioneer of the U.S. fracking boom, was ousted as chief executive in June 2013 by SandRidge's board after a fight with activist shareholders.
At the time, large shareholders included a powerful triumvirate of investors - New York-based hedge fund TPG Axon Capital, led by Dinakar Singh, Leon Cooperman’s hedge fund Omega Advisors, and Prem Watsa's Canadian investment group Fairfax Financial Holdings.
The company's stock rose as much as 50 percent after Ward's ouster, but since then has crashed. Its shares now trade at around 10 cents each. In 2008, they were worth more than $60 each.
(Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru and Terry Wade in Houston)
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The UAE takes a hit on PAK by citing national security, and the Indians will benefit
November 26, 2020 en 0 Comments
The Corona epidemic has changed the whole world. Not only has global geopolitics and diplomacy changed, but it has also given many countries the ease of making some decisions that they cannot do under normal circumstances. This is the case in the United Arab Emirates, where the UAE government initially dealt a major blow to Pakistan in the name of national security and then in the name of national security.
The UAE has not launched such a strike before. The
UAE has stopped entry to citizens of 13 countries in the Emirates, and has issued work visas under the pretext of strengthening national security. Done. It also includes countries involved in war, such as Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen.
The United Arab Emirates imposes a ban on granting new visas to citizens of 13 countries including Pakistan
Pause, excuse!
The UAE imposed this ban temporarily, but it is believed that a large number of Pakistan’s population will face difficulties. Because a large number of people from Pakistan go to the Emirates to earn bread and also send foreign currency in large quantities to Pakistan. The names of Somalia, Iraq and Turkey are also included in this list. The names of these countries are more on this list, which opposes the Saudi group. Especially Turkey.
Banning the issuance of visas since last week
A Pakistani government official said that the UAE initially took this step under the pretext of the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, but now the matter has been clarified. However, the government said it would take the whole thing before the UAE.
The number of Pakistani prisoners in Saudi and Emirati prisons has increased.
According to a report, the number of Pakistani citizens has reached record numbers in Saudi and UAE prisons. There has been an increase in such cases in the recent past. Meanwhile, there are more than 200 Pakistani prisoners in Saudi prisons.
The worst hit for Pakistanis in the Corona period
In the era of the Corona epidemic, citizens of all countries lost their jobs in the Emirates. But more than 13,000 Pakistanis lost their jobs.
← United States on track to start COVID-19 vaccination by end of December early January
Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley maintains this hobby, working in a pizzeria →
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canucks_df posted a blog entry in canucks_df's Blog
Two of the most dynamic offensive superstars in the National Hockey League. Two young, All-Star defencemen patrolling the blue-line. A relatively unknown starting netminder but one who has shown an ability to stand on his head from time to time. A coach who is considered one of the best hockey minds in the League. All together on a team that just a few short years ago was immersed in a period best described as the franchise's Dark Age. <img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/bc/images/images/inbydate05/dec2105/canada_t.jpg class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Sound familiar? The 2010 Stanley Cup Champions Chicago Blackhawks? Perhaps, but no. Rather, the description is of a team much nearer and dearer to the hearts of hockey fans in British Columbia: the 2002-03 Vancouver Canucks. A team captained by then four-time NHL All-Star Markus Naslund, who by season's end would become a two-time First Team All-Star and the recipient of the Lester B. Pearson Award. A team that featured a dominant power forward in Todd Bertuzzi, who posted a career-best 97 points during that year's regular season and would join his best friend Naslund as a First Team All-Star at the end of the 2003 season. A team that had two former first round picks on their back end in Mattias Ohlund and Ed Jovanovski, the latter a Canadian Olympic Gold medalist. A team whose number one goaltender, Dan Cloutier, was coming off a career-high 33 wins in the regular season and beginning to build a reputation as bona fide starting netminder. A team led by former Jack Adams Award and Stanley Cup winner Marc Crawford, who would go on to become the franchise's all-time wins leader behind the bench. A team that had missed the post-season for four consecutive seasons from 1996-97 to 1999-00 and saw attendance figures plummet to a franchise low in their new home of General Motors Place in 1990-00 but by 2002-03 would be playing to near sell-out crowds every night. A team that featured arguably the most talented group ever assembled under the Vancouver Canucks banner and would surely deliver the Stanley Cup to the city of Vancouver. A team that had the third-year Minnesota Wild on the ropes in their 2003 Western Conference Semi-Final series - leading the series three games to one at one point and later holding a 2-0 lead in Game 7 - and was ready to make flight plans to Anaheim for the Western Conference Final against the Mighty Ducks. <img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/bc/images/images/inbydate05/dec0705/nazzy_t.jpg class="imageFloatRightFramed">A championship team... ...that never came to be. A team torn apart by a violent, on-ice incident the following year that would scar both city and sport and a team that would be only a shell of its former self when the NHL reinvented itself in time for the 2005-06 season. A team that would eventually see three of its members going on to kiss the Stanley Cup - Brad May, Matt Cooke and Brent Sopel - but none of them together and none of them in Vancouver. A team that, though now mostly disbanded, undoubtedly watched on Wednesday as the Stanley Cup was paraded around the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia by the Blackhawks and had just one thought flowing through their collective minds: There, but for the bounce of a puck, goes us.
Markus Naslund
The 2000s Canucks All-Decade Team
Opmac posted a blog entry in Opmac's Hockey Report
<img src="http://nhluploads.invisionzone.com/canucks/1262568096/gallery_43389_43_54888.jpg" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Notes: -Players will be listed according to their primary position during this decade. For example, Naslund will be listed as a left winger because he spent most of this decade as a left winger. -A player's success throughout the decade will be taken into consideration, not just individual season accomplishments. Second Team LW – Daniel Sedin After being feared that him and his brother Daniel would not develop into first line forwards, but whose saying they aren't now? Daniel Sedin has established himself as one of the top left wingers in Canucks history. A scoring threat in the offensive zone and a reliable defender in the defensive zone. Daniel has been the team's leading scorer two of the past three seasons. Honourable Mention(s): Alex Burrows C – Brendan Morrison If you needed a clutch goal, Brendan Morrison was the guy you'd look for as he is the franchise leader in regular season overtime goals. Morrison was solid at both ends of the rink and even on the point on the power play. Morrison also was an integral part of the West Coast Express with Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi. At the line's peak in 2002-03, Morrison had 25 goals and 46 assists. In addition, Morrison holds the franchise record for most consecutive games played. Honourable Mention(s): Ryan Kesler RW – Trent Klatt I would have liked to say somebody else, but this decade the Canucks were just not blessed with many great right wingers. Klatt was simply the best out of the right wingers that have played. You could put Anson Carter in this spot, but he played in one season or maybe Alex Burrows, but he's had less than a year with the Sedins on right wing, or maybe Ryan Kesler, but only spent half a season on right wing. Klatt spent most of his time as a Canuck as the right winger for the Sedin twins on the second line. His best season as a Canuck came in 2000-01 when he potted 13 goals and 20 assists. Honourable Mention(s): Anson Carter, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows D – Sami Salo Although seemingly made out of glass, Salo has been key contributor when he's been in the lineup this decade and has been a stabilizing presence in the back end. Always a threat on the power play with the one timer, possesses the skill set to move players out from the crease, and is excellent at moving the puck up the ice. D – Willie Mitchell Since being acquired as a free agent in the summer of 2006, Mitchell has been rock solid defensively for the Vancouver Canucks and has come as advertised. The Canucks go-to guy as the shutdown defenceman and in the process has racked up decent point totals for a defensive defenceman. Mitchell has also won the last two Babe Pratt Trophies, the team's best defenceman as voted by the fans. Honourable Mention(s): Brent Sopel G – Dan Cloutier Quite simply there was nobody else to choose as Cloutier had been the team's number one goalie from 2001 to 2005. During his tenure, he posted three straight 30 wins season from 2001-02 to 2003-04 and ranks top-five in all franchise goalie records. Cloutier still remains the franchise record holder for best goals against average in a single season. Honourable Mention(s): Alex Auld First Team LW – Markus Naslund Although you could argue Pavel Bure was the more skilled and better offensive forward, there is no doubt that Naslund was the best left winger this franchise has had. Heading into the 2009-10 NHL campaign, he is the franchise leader in goals, points, power play goals, and shots as well as third in games played and assists behind Canuck greats Trevor Linden and Stan Smyl. Naslund along with Smyl are the longest serving full-time Canucks captains at eight years. In addition, Naslund was chosen as the team's most valuable player four times, led the team seven straight years in scoring, and was the winner of the Lester B. Pearson Award winner (awarded to the league's most outstanding player as voted by the members of the NHLPA). C – Henrik Sedin There were questions about whether Henrik Sedin and his brother Daniel could become legitimate first line forwards in the NHL after being picked second and third overall in 1999. The first five years of the decade, Henrik was mediocre at best, but the last five following the lockout has vaulted him into star player status. Henrik has developed into a dependable two-way forward who excels in both zones, a capable penalty killer, and a player who could win a key draw. RW – Todd Bertuzzi His time at stardom was short lived, but during that time he was the premier power forward in the NHL and was an integral part of hockey's most feared line, the West Coast Express. In the year that the Canucks were supposed to win it all (2002-03), Bertuzzi potted a career-high 46 goals and added 51 assists. His last two years with the Canucks in 2003-04 and 2005-06, he had a respectable 0.87 points per game average, but since his performance has tailed off. D – Ed Jovanovski Jovanovski did it all for the Canucks. He had skating ability, could score from the point on a slapshot or a simple wrist shot, go to the front of net to provide a screen, setup his teammates, send you through the boards with a hit, and fight. He was the complete package. D – Mattias Ohlund For most of this decade, Ohlund was the designated shutdown defenceman for the Canucks and logged upwards of 20 minutes a game nightly for the team playing on both the power play and penalty kill. Ohlund possessed great open-ice hitting ability as well and would always play through pain. Ohlund is also a four time winner of the Babe Pratt Trophy, the team's best defenceman as voted by the fans. Definitely one of the top defenceman in Canucks history. G – Roberto Luongo Need to say anything? In about three and a half seasons as a Canuck goalie, Luongo has already established himself as one of the best goalies in franchise history. Luongo holds the franchise records for the most wins in a single season, best save percentage in a single season, most saves in a single game, longest shutout streak at 242 minutes and 36 seconds, most shutouts in a single season, and most shutouts as a Canuck. Should Luongo finish his career as a Canuck, he is on pace to become the franchise leader in most goaltending categories.
Sami Salo
Mattias Ohlund
Ed Jovanovski
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Shadow Government: How Biden Could Use Trump’s Trade War Thumbscrews to Fight Climate Change How Biden Could Use Trump’s Trade...
How Biden Could Use Trump’s Trade War Thumbscrews to Fight Climate Change
Fortunately for supporters of aggressive action on global emissions, Trump has demonstrated a highly effective way to circumvent the legislative process.
By Peter E. Harrell
| August 5, 2020, 3:49 PM
An aerial view of Marathon Petroleum's refinery in Carson, California, on April 22. David McNew/Getty Images
Over the past two years, the view that the United States must take drastic action to address global climate change has gained strong support within the Democratic Party. In the U.S. Congress, 100 Democratic Representatives and 14 Senators have endorsed the Green New Deal, while presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has called for spending $2 trillion to transform the economy in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remove fossil fuels from the electricity supply by 2035. But even if Democrats win the election in November, continuing political dysfunction in Congress could stall legislative action to address what is arguably humanity’s greatest long-term challenge.
Fortunately for supporters of aggressive curbs on global emissions, President Donald Trump has demonstrated a highly effective way to circumvent the legislative process. His use of national security laws to impose tariffs and sanctions sets a precedent for a future Democratic president to address climate change even if Congress fails to act. I have argued elsewhere that Trump has overused U.S. sanctions laws and that Congress should urgently enact procedural reforms to rein this in. But Congress has shown no inclination to limit presidential powers. The Supreme Court recently refused to hear a legal challenge to Trump’s tariffs on steel imports, leaving in place a broad lower court ruling affirming the president’s authority to impose tariffs based on his own interpretation of what constitutes a national security threat. That has created a clear opening for a future Democratic president to impose wide-ranging tariffs and sanctions to combat climate change.
There are at least four ways a Democratic president could use Trump’s favorite national security tools to address the climate crisis: tariffs on emissions-intensive products and countries; reporting requirements on international investments; limits on investing in carbon-intensive industries; and sanctions and export controls on the most damaging projects. These actions could complement domestic regulatory action to limit carbon emissions by the U.S. energy and transportation sectors, and to rejoin the 2015 Paris Agreement on CO2 reductions. While using national security laws to combat climate change would be no substitute for new legislation and would be virtually certain to face legal challenge, the credible threat of unilateral action by the executive branch could spur Congress to act.
Under a Democratic president, the Commerce Department could investigate carbon-intensive imports and determine that they impair U.S. national security.
Tariffs on carbon-intensive products and countries: Any unilateral U.S. greenhouse gas reduction scheme runs the risk that tough anti-emission rules could give an advantage to companies operating in countries with looser regulation, thereby simply driving manufacturing away from the United States to countries that fail to act to address climate change. This concern has already prompted the Biden campaign to announce support for a border adjustment tax on imports of carbon-intensive goods, something that the European Union is also considering. Trump’s resurrection of long-standing national security clauses in U.S. trade law to impose tariffs provides a future Democratic president with a blueprint to impose a border adjustment tax even without congressional action.
Trump deployed Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 as the legal basis for tariffs on U.S. imports of aluminum and steel. That clause authorizes the Commerce Department to investigate imports to determine whether goods are being imported “in such quantities or under such circumstances” that they impair national security. Under a Democratic president, the Commerce Department could investigate—as several Democratic Representatives have already recommended—carbon-intensive imports, and determine that these emissions in other countries impair U.S. national security. This would then serve as the legal basis to impose tariffs or other restrictions on these imports.
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, meanwhile, authorizes a president to impose tariffs on countries that engage in an “unjustifiable” trade practice which “burdens or restricts United States commerce.” Trump has used this clause to impose tariffs on most U.S. imports from China after finding that China’s theft of intellectual property met the statutory threshold. Currently, he is also threatening to use Section 301 to impose tariffs on imports from France and other countries planning to impose taxes on certain digital services, which would predominantly affect U.S. tech giants such as Google and Facebook. A future Democratic administration could find that countries failing to take adequate steps to address climate change are engaging in an unjustifiable practice that burdens or restricts U.S. commerce by undercutting companies that are subject to tougher regulations. This would allow the president to impose tariffs on imports from countries that failed to meet global climate change commitments, such as those made in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Global climate impact reporting requirements: A growing number of financial institutions have begun to assess the carbon impact of investments. The CEO of BlackRock, for example, has committed to “making sustainability integral to portfolio construction and risk management.” Even central banks and financial regulators are beginning to press commercial banks and investment funds to evaluate the risks that climate change could pose to investments. But regulations regarding impact assessments are spotty and, in the United States, such assessments are largely voluntary.
Various experts and several members of Congress have proposed climate sanctions to target individual companies and projects.
In 2013, when the administration of then-President Barack Obama unwound sanctions on Myanmar, it required U.S. companies making new investments of $500,000 or more in the country to file periodic reports on the social impacts of their investments. A future Democratic administration could take a similar approach toward new investments in identified high-emissions industries outside the United States, requiring U.S. companies that make investments in such sectors as power generation, industrial production, or even airlines to report publicly on climate impacts and any planned mitigation strategies.
Restrictions on investments in carbon-intensive industries: A Democratic president could also use sanctions authorities to go beyond mere impact reporting to prohibit categories of new investment altogether. The United States’ foundational sanctions statute, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, authorizes a president to impose a wide range of restrictions in response to “any unusual and extraordinary threat … to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.” Presidents have deployed this authority against a huge variety of threats, from human rights abuses to drug trafficking to cyberattacks. The potential of catastrophic climate change certainly meets the standard. Much as the Obama administration restricted new investments in certain Russian energy projects in response to Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine, a future Democratic president could use the law to restrict U.S. private investment in various high-emissions projects, such as extracting petroleum from oil sands and agricultural projects involving substantial tropical deforestation.
Sanctions and export controls on severely carbon-intensive projects and companies: Finally, a new president could use U.S. export controls and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to target individual companies and projects with high emissions around the world. Various experts and several members of Congress have proposed climate sanctions, and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders endorsed the concept during his campaign. Given the economic effects and deterrent impact of U.S. sanctions, the mere threat would likely steer domestic and foreign companies away from projects that could expose them to even comparatively low levels of sanctions risk. If targeted sanctions appear a step too far, a Democratic president could use the Commerce Department’s Entity List—which Trump has used to limit U.S. exports to Huawei and other Chinese companies—to prohibit U.S. exports to foreign companies that egregiously contribute to global climate change.
Of course, many of these proposals would be challenging to implement. Identifying the appropriate scope for investment prohibitions and sanctions, for example, would require careful consideration, as would the selection of products upon which tariffs would be imposed. Many foreign governments would see the U.S. actions as highly provocative, especially following the Trump administration’s aggressive trade policies and the United States’ own repudiation of climate commitments. Tariffs could easily fall afoul of World Trade Organization rules, though Trump’s dismemberment of the WTO’s Appellate Body has made any future challenge to U.S. trade actions toothless. Companies would be virtually certain to challenge the proposals in court, which would test whether the Supreme Court’s recent deference to executive branch power under Trump would carry over to a Democrat. And a potential Biden administration would also have to decide whether it really wants to keep expanding the scope of trade and sanctions authority that Trump has already stretched far beyond the laws’ intended purposes.
All that said, global climate change is undeniably a crisis, arguably the single greatest national security challenge the United States faces, and certainly a vastly greater threat than many current targets of U.S. tariffs and sanctions. If Congress refuses to act, would it be unreasonable for a new president to threaten to push the boundaries of his or her authority to protect the planet for future generations?
Peter E. Harrell is an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Twitter: @petereharrell
Tags: climate, Joe Biden, sanctions, Trade, trade war, Trump
It’s Time to Put Climate Action at the Center of U.S. Foreign Policy
From the Pentagon to the White House Situation Room, climate change must be considered in every decision.
Voice |
Jason Bordoff
How Climate Change Has Supercharged the Left
Global warming could launch socialists to unprecedented power—and expose their movement’s deepest contradictions.
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HomeLifting Veil on Science of Counting Jews
Lifting Veil on Science of Counting Jews
Uriel HeilmanJanuary 29, 2014Image by Getty Images
Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — Fueled by KitKats and Cherry Coke, some two dozen people sit hunched over stacks of questionnaires in a windowless conference room in Miami, a phalanx of 1980s-era push-button telephones in front of them.
It’s the first day of work on a new survey of Miami Jews, and operators are having a hard time finding cooperative respondents.
“To you personally, is being Jewish, 1, mainly a matter of religion; 2, mainly a matter of ancestry; or 3, mainly a matter of culture?” a surveyor asks.
Ira Sheskin, the go-to man for Jewish communities that want to count their Jews, is overseeing the work. A professor of geography at the University of Miami, Sheskin is now on his 43rd Jewish federation population study, and he’s got it down to a science.
He has found that subjects are much more likely to talk if the interviewer is female. Because of the unique background of Miami Jews, Sheskin has hired interviewers who speak six different languages. Those with some fluency in Judaism offer certain advantages, such as the ability to discern when a respondent has misunderstood a question about whether they keep two sets of dishes to be about kitchenware rather than Jewish observance.
For the Miami survey, Sheskin has brought some of his veteran interviewers with him: Two women from Pennsylvania who have worked with him twice before and his octogenarian mother-in-law, who sits in a corner dutifully dialing numbers. His son and wife are helping out, too.
“When you get someone on the phone who is cooperative, it’s actually a very interesting process that both the respondent and the interviewer benefit from,” says Sheskin, 63, who did his first large community study in 1982, also for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. “You hear some fascinating stories in these interviews, and you realize how inconsistent some people are.”
The last time the Miami federation took a census, in 2004, it found 113,000 Jews in Miami-Dade County. A lot has happened since: Hundreds of Latin American Jewish families from Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina and elsewhere have immigrated. The economic crisis and real estate bust of 2008 hit the state hard, slowing domestic migration to Florida for several years. The Orthodox community in Miami Beach appears to have grown. Old people died. Babies were born.
“The change in the complexion of the population has been really dramatic,” says Jacob Solomon, CEO of the Miami federation.
But without hard numbers, no one knows exactly how dramatic. That’s where survey data come in.
The new study, whose results are expected to be released this fall, will provide not only demographic data — country of birth, age, number of children, education level, religious denomination, Jewish observance level and more — but also take the pulse of community members on such issues as their emotional attachment to Israel, frequency of synagogue attendance, the importance of being Jewish to their lives and what sorts of Jewish activities they do.
In all, there are 151 possible questions, culled from past surveys and refined through 15 focus groups, four federation committee meetings, and discussions between Sheskin and federation leaders. About 80 percent of the survey is identical to Miami’s last one, in 2004.
These kinds of population surveys are meant to help Jewish agencies and institutions plan for the future. If, for example, the number of Jewish households with young children is falling in a particular city, it may put the local JCC’s expansion plans on ice. A question in the Miami survey about the newspapers read by respondents will help guide the federation’s newspaper ad spending. A survey Sheskin conducted years ago in nearby Broward County helped a Reform synagogue in Fort Lauderdale figure out that it was better to refurbish their old building than erect one 2 1/2 miles away, where it turned out few Reform Jews lived.
“There’s no question in my mind that these types of results provide data to federations that allow them to do better planning,” Sheskin told JTA. “I’ve never seen a federation that doesn’t want to do a study. Finding money is always the issue.”
This study is costing the Miami federation about $300,000.
“We allocate over $20 million per year — that’s $200 million over 10 years,” said Solomon, the federation CEO. “So to spend $300,000 once a decade to help guide the wisdom of committees and boards and agencies and synagogues as to how spend their money seems like a good investment.”
There’s a certain rhythm to survey taking. First, operators cast a wide net, calling number after number on Random Digit Dialing lists Sheskin has generated with local area codes. Finding Jews among respondents is a little like finding needles in a haystack, but it’s not an idle exercise. The early phone calls — probably about 7,000 of them — help calculate the number of Jews as a portion of the total population.
Operators then start zeroing in on the Jews, culling numbers from lists provided by Jewish institutions, including cellphone numbers with non-Florida area codes. Interviews usually take 15-17 minutes to complete.
Twenty years ago, the work was more straightforward. But telephone surveying has become more difficult due to the decline of landlines, the rising number of locals with non-local cellphone numbers and the propensity not to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers.
In the Miami survey, every number gets four tries, and interviewers call back those who specify a more convenient time to talk. In an effort to boost cooperation, the federation has taken out advertisements in local media and mailed thousands of postcards alerting community members they might be calling.
The goal is to get a sample size of roughly 1,800 Jews — enough respondents not just for the overall picture, but also enough to learn about subgroups: Holocaust survivors, Latin Jews, Israelis, retirees, parents. In all, the calling period will probably last five weeks. Interviewers work four-hour shifts spread over 12-hour days, earning $18 per hour.
Then comes the work of entering and crunching the data — Sheskin’s interviewers record answers by hand — and months of study. By fall, the survey should be ready to make news.
“Even if everybody doesn’t respond, and even if things aren’t perfect,” Sheskin says, “you still get a pretty good idea of what the Jewish community looks like.”
Uriel Heilman
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Kids app maker Duck Duck Moose joins Khan Academy
Sequoia-backed kids educational startup Duck Duck Moose is heading to Khan Academy, to add preschool learning to the non-profit’s digital education offerings. The startup’s 21 mobile apps aimed at children ages two and up are now available for free as a part of the move, which is not technically being considered an “acquisition,” due to the way the deal was funded.
Instead, the 9-person Duck Duck Moose team will be in charge of a new initiative inside Khan Academy, aimed at developing early learning products. Like the non-profit’s other initiatives, this too will be funded by philanthropic support and other community donations. Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm is the first to underwrite the new initiative with a $3 million grant.
Founded back in 2008 Caroline Hu Flexer, formerly of IDEO, husband Michael Flexer, who has extensive startup experience, and designer Nicci Gabriel, Duck Duck Moose is the maker of some of the better kids’ apps on the App Store.
The startup raised $7 million in outside funding from investors like Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Stanford University to develop its suite of apps.
Even in an App Store crowded with choices, Duck Duck Moose’s software tended to stand out due to its quality design and ability to engage children with apps built from the ground-up using original IP, content, drawings, animation and music. Many of the apps featured popular kids’ songs, like “Wheels on the Bus,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” or “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” for example, while others focused on learning material like math, spelling or reading.
To date, its 21 apps have been downloaded more than 10 million times.
Previously paid applications, by joining Khan Academy, Duck Duck Moose’s applications will now be made freely available, broadening their reach.
“We’re joining Khan Academy because it’s the best way for us to have the largest impact on early learning and children,” said Caroline Hu Flexer, in a statement. “We’re excited to make all of our products free so they can be accessible to children all over the world, regardless of their financial resources.” She added that Duck Duck Moose’s original investors, Sequoia and Lightspeed, helped to make the donation happen.
[gallery ids="1375338,1375339,1375340,1375341"]
The move, which is being characterized as a “donation,” not an “acquisition,” will also broaden the reach of Khan Academy itself.
Today, the platform is used by 100 million people every year, who access its resources that cover preschool through early college education, including math, biology, chemistry, physics, economics, finance, history, grammar and more. With Duck Duck Moose, however, it will be able to expand its offerings to those children who have yet to enter preschool, as well as early learners.
While a good outcome in terms of being able to keep the learning apps around, and making them more accessible, it’s also a telling example of how difficult it is to run a successful and profitable consumer-led educational app business in today’s App Store. Companies like Age of Learning, now valued at $1 billion, is more of an exception, not the rule. It also leverages its traction in the classroom to target parents, who then buy in-home subscriptions to its service.
Meanwhile, the App Store’s Top Grossing charts in the “Education” category are filled more so with brain-training games like Lumosity, Brainwell, Elevate, and others, not necessarily paid kids’ apps. In fact, the only rival for Age of Learning (aka ABCMouse)’s top spot on the Top Grossing chart is another subscription service, PlayKids.
“Early childhood learning is a natural next step for Khan Academy. It allows us to reach children at a younger age and begin to have an earlier impact on basic literacy and math skills,” write Khan Academy founder Sal Khan in a blog post about the deal. “We’re thrilled to enter early childhood learning with Duck Duck Moose as our partner.”
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Western Union, often disrupted by startups, partners with a startup for digital push in the Philippines
Jon Russell @jonrussell / 2 years
Global money mover Western Union is commonly a target for fintech companies, but the firm is teaming up with a startup to help increase its presence in the world’s third-most lucrative remittance market: the Philippines.
Coins, the Manila-based fintech startup that was recently acquired by $10 billion ride-hailing company Go-Jek, said today that it will integrate Western Union, which is valued at $8 billion on the NYSE, into its app to allow Philippines-based users to receive money sent to them from overseas.
The Philippines is a mighty country when it comes to money transfers. There are some 10 million Philippine nationals based overseas and a recent World Bank report ranked the company the world’s third-most lucrative corridor with an estimated $34 billion sent home from overseas last year. (That’s the same as Mexico, with India and China in first and second place, respectively.)
The partnership means Coins users — the company claims five million downloads to date — who receive money via Western Union won’t need to trudge out and wait in line to collect it. Instead, it can be remitted to the Coins app, from where it can be transferred on to other people (peer-to-peer transfers are free) or used on the Coins platform for other payments. Money in the app can be used to pay for utility bills, mobile top-up, public transport trips and at merchants that support its payment service.
One thing the alliance doesn’t do, however, is remove Western Union fees, but Coins founder and CEO Ron Hose is optimistic that the deal brings value for both parties and consumers in the Philippines.
“Our mission is working with banks and financial service providers to bring services to people who don’t have access,” he told TechCrunch in an interview.
Hose declined to comment on Western Union payments — which are routinely seized upon by startups that look to offer more transparent and cheaper overseas transfers — but, in theory, moving money digitally could pave the way for retail-based remitters, like Western Union, to reduce operational costs and potentially make their service cheaper for consumers in the future.
Western Union already operates its own apps, but, like a number of “old school” global money platforms, its business is inherently a retail one rather than a tech one. That’s because it has a strong physical presence — with more than 500,000 location worldwide and some 12,000 in the Philippines alone — which brings with it operational costs, while there is also KYC and other anti-laundering processes that increase expenditure.
It remains to be seen where the Coins-Western Union deal will head. Parent company Go-Jek is busily expanding into Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore while it has a strong base in its native Indonesia, so there could be potential for further alliances in the future.
The Philippines is part of the broad “Middle East, Africa, and South Asia” region in Western Union’s financial reporting. The company reported flat growth in the region last year, with it accounting for 15 percent of all revenue. It grossed $1.4 billion in sales in the final quarter, but that was down three percent year-on-year. On the positive side, Western Union said its online service grew to 12 percent of consumer sales in the quarter — deals like the Coins partnership are aimed at finding its digital future.
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Is It Time to Bring Back Treason?
Posted on July 27, 2018 by Baron Bodissey
Her Majesty’s Government is being advised to revive the laws against treason, according to The Guardian:
Renew treason laws to jail enemies of the state for life, says thinktank content
Ancient treason laws should be renewed to allow enemies of the state to be jailed for life, a right-leaning thinktank has recommended.
Britons who betray the country through acts of terror or by aiding hostile nations should be dealt with as traitors, according to a Policy Exchange report.
It warned a wave of terrorists was coming up for release and claimed the country would be safer if they had been jailed for betrayal.
Treason laws dating back to 1351 are now unworkable, according to the report; the authors of which included Conservative and Labour MPs.
It was backed by the former home secretary, Amber Rudd, told the Daily Telegraph “the time has come for us to consider additional measures, such as those set out in this report, that we need to deal with those who betray this country”.
Jonathan Evans, the former head of MI5, said the report was “timely and balanced” and Richard Walton, Scotland Yard’s former head of counter-terrorism, said its recommendations were “appropriate” for jihadists, the paper reported.
In a foreword to the report, the former lord chief justice of England and Wales, Igor Judge, wrote: “If a citizen of this country chooses to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan against British forces, his crime is more than terrorism. It is treason, and should be prosecuted accordingly.”
The last person to be convicted under the act was William Joyce, more commonly known as Lord Haw-Haw, who was hanged in 1946 for assisting Nazi Germany.
Policy Exchange and Ms. Rudd seem to be taking the advice of ECAW’s blog. The following article was posted by ECAW a year and a half ago (visit the original to find the links):
But what should Mrs May do?
I recently tried to encourage an English friend to inform herself about Islam. She said “Never mind that. What should Mrs May do tomorrow morning?” It’s a fair question isn’t it? So here goes…
Unfortunately the very first thing Mrs May needs to do is to inform herself about Islam. Anyone who can say “The actions of ISIS have absolutely no basis in anything written in the Quran” has clearly never read it.
It should only take her a month or so to get a basic understanding, if she is a quick learner. Without it the measures proposed below will just appear senseless or worse.
So, first thing tomorrow morning Mrs May should order some books on Islam. I recommend anything by Robert Spencer, whom she banned from Britain for having said that “Islam has doctrines involving violence against unbelievers” (it has).
But she also needs to go to the source. That means studying the Koran (especially the first nine blood-curdling suras) and the earliest biography of Mohammed by Ibn Ishaq. She should also sample the Hadiths (traditions about Mohammed), the mediaeval commentaries by Islamic scholars (such as the one by Ibn Kathir ) and a manual of Sharia law (only a few sections really concern non-Muslims). [NB unfortunately the manual in question, The Reliance of the Traveller, is no longer accessible online since the translator has since used copyright law to get all the various versions taken down. Mrs May will have to buy a copy.]
She should then acquaint herself with Islam’s history of relentless warfare against non-Muslims, only interrupted by an interlude of European colonisation, and look at a map and notice the current insurgencies on most of the borders of the Islamic heartlands.
She should come to understand Islam’s dual nature, on the one hand a religion and on the other a totalitarian political ideology. No one gives a damn about flying donkeys and parading round a meteorite in Mecca, but the legal system which claims authority over non-Muslims and mandates jihad until the entire world is converted or subjugated is quite another matter.
In particular, she should come to a view on two questions:
“Is Islam inherently and unavoidably supremacist?”
“Are we already in a war, that of global jihad, whether we like it or not?”
If her answers are no and no, as they would be for the great majority of the population who have not enquired into Islam, then the following measures will make no sense. They will merely look like persecuting a particular minority, which they would actually be if applied to Sikhs or Jews.
If her answers are yes and yes then these measures will follow naturally, to attempt to put a brake on the Islamisation of Britain. So, what should she do on the first day after her period of study?
Legal/Security
1. The most important single thing Mrs May should do, of course, is to press on with taking us out of Europe, which she appears to be doing… after a fashion. Britain will never be able to properly control its borders within it.
2. Mrs May should declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation and start investigations into its many offshoots in Britain, the two most prominent being the Muslim Association of Britain and the Muslim Council of Britain, with a view to banning them.
3. Mrs May should start the process of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights along with its European Court of Human Rights which consistently puts the rights of enemies of Britain before the protection of British citizens.
She should also set about replacing the Human Rights Act with the once-promised British Bill of Rights.
4. Mrs May should sack the advisers who persuaded her that many people “benefit a great deal” from practices such as Sharia Law.
She should call a halt to the inquiry into Sharia courts which she set up as Home Secretary. It is led by an Islamic theologian and starts from the assumption that “Sharia ideas are being ‘misused or exploited’”. This could charitably be called naïve. She should reconstitute it, led by a representative of British law with the theologian balanced by someone from Sharia Watch or One Law for All who will be able to point out where problems are arising precisely from the correct application of Sharia.
Or perhaps there’s a simpler explanation for her attitude:
A wily politician called May
Was overheard one day to say
“I’ll whitewash Sharia
If it helps my career.
Your grandkids will just have to pay.”
5. Mrs May should revisit the government’s anti-radicalisation Prevent Strategy and ask whether there is something missing from its causes of radicalisation. The answer is yes, Islamic theology itself. For instance the Prevent Strategy (section 5.25) states that one of the drivers of radicalisation is “an ideology that sets Muslim against non-Muslim, highlights the alleged oppression of the global Muslim community and which both obliges and legitimises violence in its defence”.
With her new understanding of Islamic scriptures Mrs May will realise that all of the above is to be found in the Koran except that the original (and supposedly oppressed) Muslim community was only local to the Mecca/Medina area. In fact the Koran goes further than legitimising violence in its defence and obliges and legitimises offensive violence for the expansion of Islam. It also depicts Mohammed as an excellent example to follow… and who could be more radicalised than Mohammed?
By focussing on secondary factors such as peer groups, internet propagandists, personal vulnerabilities and grievances, the Prevent Strategy is avoiding the profoundly disturbing question of whether jihadi groups have authentic theological justification for their actions (they have).
6. Mrs May should set in train the scrapping of the ill-judged Hate Speech legislation. By suppressing free speech about Islam the government has effectively instituted a de facto Sharia blasphemy law.
Alternatively she should make religious texts also subject to that same legislation. We would soon find that there is so much hatred for non-Muslims in the Koran that any imam would be hard put to preach a sermon legally.
As a matter of fact, here is the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006. I can see no exemption in it for religions themselves. Perhaps someone can explain why no test case has been yet been brought against any imam preaching any Friday sermon in any mosque in Britain.
7. Mrs May should reinstitute the sedition law. Mosques in which sedition is preached — and certain parts of Sharia Law are necessarily seditious — should be closed down.
Fighters for ISIS, and other designated hostile entities, should face a charge of treason if they return. [Emphasis added — BB]
8. Mrs May should pass the word out through the Ministry of Justice that cultural differences are no longer to be considered as mitigating (or aggravating) factors in criminal cases, and all central and local government officials who turn a blind eye to crimes out of “cultural sensitivity” or fear of being called racist, will be prosecuted (think Police and Social Services of Rotherham).
9. Mrs May should allow the Royal Navy to take part in Frontex rescue operations in the Mediterranean only on condition that migrants are returned to Africa rather than transported to Italy.
10. Mrs May should do what she can to move toward a rational response to illegal immigration from outside the EU. Illegal immigrants should be securely held, preferably offshore, until they can be returned to the last safe country they came through, their homeland or any other country willing to take them.
All benefits should be restricted to EU citizens and, after we have extricated ourselves from the EU, to British citizens.
11. Mrs May should read Dame Louise Casey’s recent report about the woeful state of ethnic and religious integration in Britain. Along with the various social and cultural factors put forward by Prof. Casey to account for the isolation of Muslim communities, Mrs May will now be in a position to add a rather intractable scriptural one:
“O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them” (Koran 5:51)
Even Trevor Phillips, the former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has accepted that ‘Muslim communities are not like others in Britain and the country should accept they will never integrate”.
12. Mrs May should ban burqas and niqabs in public, and not just for security reasons. They are a studied affront to Western values and a declaration of permanent separation.
13. Mrs May should make it clear that all responsible for FGM, polygamy and forced or under-age marriage will be prosecuted, that is really, actually prosecuted, not just a noise made about it. All these years, all those girls, and not one successful prosecution for FGM!
14. Mrs May should ban all foreign funding for mosques and Islamic religious programmes. They are not set up for the purpose of promoting interfaith relations based on mutual respect and equality. When Saudi Arabia allows the building of churches in Riyadh it could be reconsidered.
15. Mrs May should ban any slaughter methods involving unnecessary suffering. That includes the Jewish Shechita (kosher) as well as Islamic Dhabihah (halal).
16. Mrs May should instruct the Department for Education to conduct a thorough review of information about Islam in text books and curricula since it appears that children are being given a whitewashed version. For instance, Mohammed is routinely presented as a prophet and benign lawgiver but children are left unaware of his criminal beginnings in Medina and his rise to power using assassination, torture and genocide, not to mention his proclivity for child rape and sex-slavery of non-Muslim women.
There are plenty more proposed measures to be found on the internet intended to halt and reverse the process of Islamisation, but these are enough to keep her busy for one day.
The following day Mrs May should start thinking about how to prepare for the inevitable conflict, and struggle for dominance, which will arise when Muslims form a large enough percentage of the population. France, with a Muslim percentage of 10% as opposed to Britain’s 5%, is currently entering that phase. Britain could learn from the French experience and take preventive measures if it could develop the political will. If you think that is fanciful, consider the thousands of French troops now permanently deployed on the streets defending one section of the population from another, and what the head of French Intelligence, Patrick Calvar, recently told a parliamentary inquiry, that France is just one sexual outrage like Cologne or one more mass atrocity away from civil war.
This entry was posted in Counterjihad, Domestic terrorism, Enrichment, Holy War, Immigration, Legal action, News, PC/MC, Politics, Religion, Sharia, Treason, UK by Baron Bodissey. Bookmark the permalink.
31 thoughts on “Is It Time to Bring Back Treason?”
Kono on July 27, 2018 at 10:55 pm said:
Excellent article, Barron. I have been (shouting in deaf ear-holes) to folks for years that extant treason, sedition and hate speech laws are more than applicable and adequate to cope with treacherous political hacks, islam and, frankly, marxist-leninism.
To no avail. I am now quite certain that the aural and cranial cavities in 99% of political animals are blocked with well-cured hydraulic concrete.
Politicians, however, were just bright enough to fix the system so they’d never have any skin in the game. I am certain that even the Labour party is bright enough not to stick their necks into that noose.
But the thought of, say, Commissar Corbyn, being dragged backwards to Tyburn Cross
always puts a smile.
Ellie on July 28, 2018 at 3:04 am said:
The aural and cranial cavities in 99% of political animals are blocked with well thumbed £50 notes!!!
Michael Copeland on July 28, 2018 at 3:26 am said:
Unfortunately sedition is no longer available.
It was made no longer a crime under Cameron.
https://libertygb.org.uk/news/sedition
Anon on July 28, 2018 at 12:56 pm said:
“The laws on sedition were indeed quite arcane in today’s society where freedom of thought and expression is a protected right in the U.K.”
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2012/10/sedition-in-england-the-abolition-of-a-law-from-a-bygone-era/
“73Abolition of common law libel offences etc
The following offences under the common law of England and Wales and the common law of Northern Ireland are abolished—
(a)the offences of sedition and seditious libel;
(b)the offence of defamatory libel;
(c)the offence of obscene libel. ”
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2009/25/section/73
Though the treason laws linked below are still effective I think. Which all adds up to?
manatthepub on July 28, 2018 at 7:08 am said:
…and not just Corbyn.
Stewart on July 27, 2018 at 11:17 pm said:
Superb. Theresa May will not take any of these steps as she is a coward and appeaser, like Cameron and Blair. Someone will though. Let us hope it is before the civil war begins so that the effects of the inevitable war might be mitigated a little.
It is treason felony to “compass, imagine, invent, devise, or intend”:
– to “move or stir” any foreigner to invade the United Kingdom or any other country belonging to the Queen.
Treason felony is an indictable-only offence.[3] It is punishable with imprisonment for life or any shorter term.[4]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason_Felony_Act_1848
Deirdre Gates on July 28, 2018 at 12:16 am said:
Treason May and those of her ilk across the West have imported the Moslem hordes as a means of wrecking the West from within. I don’t accept that these politicians are ignorant of the horrors of Islam. They know, but other than welcoming Islam’s throttling powers, just don’t care.
Barn Swallow on July 28, 2018 at 4:32 am said:
I believe they very well may be ignorant, for they are just puppets, and actually stand for nothing. The powers that brought this invasion about are much bigger than puppet prime ministers.
Hal on July 28, 2018 at 1:52 am said:
Pssst……
https://sectionsatov.wordpress.com/
Don’t tell Keller.
Georgiaboy61 on July 28, 2018 at 1:56 am said:
The article suggests a number of commonsense steps PM May could take, but nothing of the kind will happen. Why? Because May has defected to the enemy, and is now siding with the Muslims who are rapidly taking over British society. She is nothing less than a 21st-century Quisling. The odds are actually quite good that Teresa May has said the shahada and converted to the one true faith – and is already a Muslim. At the very least, she is a dhimmi – one who is subservient to Islam – which isn’t materially different from being a Muslim herself.
K. from Germany on July 28, 2018 at 2:10 am said:
For the outright refusal to acquire this knowledge, Mrs May herself should be convicted for treason. And everybody in power that follows this path of willful ignorance.
Despite our jokes, the senior politicians are not stupid. They would not have got where they are if they were.
No, they know exactly what Islam is, and choose their stance. The question is why? Petrodollars? The threat to shut the cocks on the oil pipes? Even a 20% reduction in our oil would have a significant impact.
Maybe they have to chose between allowing the Muslim domination of the West, albeit not being fully operative in their lifetime, or presiding over an economic meltdown as we revert to the 4th century.
I am not supporting what they are doing, I myself would take a 4th Century Christian England over a 22nd Century Islamic England, I’m just trying to understand the motivation of the people leading us into the abyss.
Peter on July 28, 2018 at 3:51 am said:
None of your excellent proposals will be considered by UK politicians for the foreseeable future. Why should they be? I believe that all our politicians and senior civil servants have been paid off with petro-dollars and their predecessors have been bought and paid for with arab funds since the 1973 arab-Israeli war. Any changes in the UK will have to be fought for.
Roué le Jour on July 28, 2018 at 4:04 am said:
Western politicians have a very shrewd idea of what would happen if any legislation viewed as antiIslamic were passed and the attitude is “not on my watch”.
I suspect that a good number of British politicians oppose Brexit because the EU makes their lives easier. Joining the EU put national politicians one step removed from power – the EU became a higher authority and thus relieved national politicians of some of their responsibilities.
Imagine how the relationship between British politicians and the voting population will change post Brexit, when national politicians can no longer point the finger at the EU – as in, “…there’s nothing we can do about immigration, that’s down to EU rules…”
Who’s going to get the blame for the dire state of Britain if not the EU?
Anon on July 28, 2018 at 1:06 pm said:
This is very true, and you find exactly the same going on in other European countries. In UK the public have blame focused on EU. In Europe, where EU is less contested, it is just EU agenda and local politicians are simply given a pass by the public by claiming responsibility on various topics is not theirs.
Anonymous on July 28, 2018 at 8:22 am said:
I think there is one more action to consider. She should immediately stop all welfare for non-british Citizens, including payments, child support, food assistance, rent assistance, subsidized housing, or any other assistance from the treasury. She should also begin a phase out of all welfare for British citizens, limiting assistance to people with physical or mental disabilities, and then to be extended only on the condition of permanent sterilization.
It is the existence of a welfare state, including unearned money, that acts as a powerful magnet to outside immigrants, including but not limited to, Muslims.
Paying people to get sterilised is perverse, and even more so as national policy.
You talk of citizens and non-citizens without knowing who they are, the same shallow logic currently in play by government via naturalisation and nationality solely by birth in the UK.
You won’t find stats (or at least in much searching I have not found any) of UK citizenship by ancestry. Once you can answer how long in the UK or how many previous generations a person must hold for you to consider them British, then you can talk of citizenship as a parameter.
Nationality by place of birth means near nothing in terms of origin nowadays, so must by the descent of those solely by place of birth also. Then there are also naturalisations, another controversy.
Pavelina on July 28, 2018 at 2:06 pm said:
Concerning Reliance of the Traveler, I bought my copy from Amazon.com.
Roland Tours on July 28, 2018 at 3:32 pm said:
The Baron calls for “15. Mrs May should ban any slaughter methods involving unnecessary suffering,” including kosher slaughtering. I regret that shehitah (kosher slaughtering) is getting caught in the crossfire over Islam and is being categorically condemned. Shehitah, done properly, is more humane than normal industrial slaughter. Unfortunately, experience dictates that both shehitah and non-industrial slaughter must be policed.
Baron Bodissey on July 28, 2018 at 5:00 pm said:
The Baron doesn’t call for any such thing. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the post in question was written by ECAW. I mentioned that fact before I quoted it, and indented the quoted text, in the futile hope that the authorship would be clear to our readers.
ECAW on July 29, 2018 at 4:50 am said:
Roland – We hear competing claims about this, for instance Muslims claim that dhabihah is more humane because it at least allows for stunning (of particular kinds) which schechita doesn’t.
I say a pox on both their houses in this regard. Unfortunately nature made me a carnivore (or at least an omnivore) – the length of my gut attests to this – but I am concerned that animals should suffer as little as possible for my Sunday roast, and that means stunning as far as I understand. The fact that Jews and Muslims both wrap the whole business up in their obsessional superstitions does not endear me to either of their religions.
I am with the Farm Animal Welfare Council who call for the banning of both shechita and dhabihah. Here is a section from Wikipedia on the subject:
‘The practices of handling, restraining, and unstunned slaughter have been criticized by, among others, animal welfare organizations such as Compassion in World Farming. The UK Farm Animal Welfare Council said that the method by which Kosher and Halal meat is produced causes “significant pain and distress” to animals and should be banned. According to FAWC it can take up to two minutes after the incision for cattle to become insensible. Compassion in World Farming also supported the recommendation saying “We believe that the law must be changed to require all animals to be stunned before slaughter.” The UK government opted not to follow FAWC’s recommendations after pressure from religious leaders. The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe has issued a position paper on slaughter without prior stunning, calling it “unacceptable.” ‘
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechita#Animal_welfare_controversies
I do note though that further down in that section Temple Grandin is quoted as saying “the way animals are handled and restrained prior to slaughter likely has a greater impact on their welfare than whether or not they are stunned”.
I also note “that the UK government opted not to follow FAWC’s recommendations after pressure from religious leaders”. In fact I’m sure I read somewhere that David Cameron made a point of bringing dhabihah slaughtermen to Britain for the greater Islamisation of the country….the weasel!
Satanists terrify animals before sacrificing them so that the blood, which they then consume, being flooded with adrenaline is more ‘stimulating’ than it would be otherwise.
Remind you of anyone?
Paul Ashley on July 28, 2018 at 3:50 pm said:
I would imagine that revised treason laws would target the likes of Tommy Robinson and normal, patriotic Brits.
The irony of the Guardian story is that the use of treason law is being suggested to try two (ex) UK IS nationals captured in Syria instead of passing them to US hands where they may be executed.
So here the UK has shown it can arbitrarily strip nationality off a citizen leaving them stateless and give rendition of them to US justice from a foreign territory where they were captured by US/UK alliance, in this case Sajid Javid saying he will waive uk demands for assurance on no execution.
Poor show, but what UK nationals are now taken for by own government – pawns. A reason – to try them in UK would just be too embarrassing for government.
Zionist Overlord #73 on July 29, 2018 at 8:13 am said:
Absolutely right. I think it was Lauren Southern whose entry in the UK was blocked using anti-terror legislation.
The problem is not insufficient laws. The problem is insufficient will.
Wayne Prilliman on July 29, 2018 at 9:56 am said:
Tommy Robinson came to immediate mind before I was half-dozen words into the write up. Think tank folks best pitch the tin-foil and get a real thinking cap. It appears that multiple levels of HMG, including Justice, are on board with such a law. Tommy Robinson may be the first to get life under such doctrine, but there will surely be “Tommy this and Tommy that” following.
Meanwhile….I await US sedition laws being applied to more than a prosecutor’s choice of eligible and deserving candidates.
Seneca the Elder on July 28, 2018 at 10:21 pm said:
Baron- kudos on another excellent essay. I am so glad that I discovered Gates of Vienna awhile back and look forward to reading it every day. Wonderful and insightful writing.
Morpheus on July 29, 2018 at 6:27 am said:
Must see video!!!
Very interesting video, predicting the end game, of sjws and leftys and what lays ahead,
https://youtu.be/iA0SrdOoTZM
Great insight, seems like mad max, movie is in right direction!
I saw mad max movie, in 1981 when i lived in sydney australia,
It wzs it seems now, like orwell, showing us our future
Mark H on July 30, 2018 at 5:23 pm said:
Sadly, the newly appointed Director of Public Prosecutions has a poor record on returning jihadists: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6781691/top-prosecutor-max-hill-dpp/
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Past Performers
Items To Bring (And Not)
Band Submissions
Craft Vending
Food Vending
History of the Vibes
Merl Saunders
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Born in San Mateo, California, Saunders attended Polytechnic High School. In his first bands that played in San Francisco during high school was singer Johnny Mathis. He served in the Air Force from 1953 to 1957. He worked as musical director of the Billy Williams Revue and served in a similar capacity in Oscar Brown Jr.’s off-Broadway show, Big Time Buck White.
He gained notice in the 1970s when he began collaborating with Jerry Garcia, with whom he had begun playing in 1971 at a small Fillmore Street nightclub called the Matrix. He sat in with the Grateful Dead, and co-founded the Saunders/Garcia Band which produced three albums, and which became The Legion of Mary with the addition of Martin Fierro (sax) in 1974. It disbanded the following year, but he and Garcia continued to collaborate in the band Reconstruction during 1979, collaborating with Ed Neumeister (Trombone), Gaylord Birch (drums) and John Kahn (Bass).
He led his own band as Merl Saunders and Friends, playing live dates with Garcia, as well as Mike Bloomfield, David Grisman, Michael Hinton, Tom Fogerty, Vassar Clements, Kenneth Nash, John Kahn and Sheila E.. He also collaborated with Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart in the band High Noon.
Merl Saunders took the lead in reintroducing Jerry Garcia to his guitar after Jerry suffered a diabetic coma in the summer of 1986.
In 1990 he released the world music and New Age classic album Blues From the Rainforest, a collaboration with Jerry Garcia and Muruga Booker. This led to the release of a video which chronicled Saunders’ journey to the Amazon, and the subsequent albums Fiesta Amazonica, It’s in the Air, and Save the Planet so We’ll Have Someplace to Boogie. One of the songs from Blues From the Rainforest was used as part of the soundtrack for the TV series Baywatch. Saunders continued to perform with the Rainforest Band for the next ten years.
He has worked with musicians Paul Pena, Bonnie Raitt, Phish, Widespread Panic, Miles Davis, and B. B. King. Merl also recorded with The Dinosaurs, a “supergroup” of first-generation Bay Area rock musicians.
He had his own record label, Sumertone Records (named for his children Susan, Merl Jr., and Tony), and had also recorded on Fantasy Records, Galaxy Records and Relix Records as well as the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia labels. He worked with the Grateful Dead on the theme music for the 1985 TV show The New Twilight Zone, and as musical director he worked with Mickey Hart on the score for the show. He also worked on the TV series Nash Bridges, and worked on several soundtracks for movies, including Fritz the Cat and Steelyard Blues. He was production co-ordinator for the Grammy Awards for two years, and for the Grammy’s Greatest Moments TV special. He also supplied the music for the computer animation video Headcandy: Sidney’s Psychedelic Adventure.
He worked with several charitable organizations such as the Seva Foundation, the Rex Foundation, the Rainforest Action Network, and the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic, and headlined the Haight Street Music Fair for 24 consecutive years. He has been granted a Doctorate of Music by Unity College, in Unity, Maine.
In 2002, Merl suffered from a stroke that paralyzed one side of his body and curtailed his musical career. Merl Saunders died in San Francisco, California on the morning of October 24, 2008, after fighting infections as a result of complications related to the stroke which he suffered in 2002. He is survived by his two sons, Tony Saunders (bassist) and Merl Saunders Jr. (a senior executive director of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), and his daughter Susan Mora.
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WOW! Laptop Stolen from Top Democrat During Capitol Protest
Last Wednesday, during the protest in Washington, D.C. there was quite a bit of damage done and there were quite a few items stolen as well.
One person appears to have stolen a podium. How on earth he made that happen or why he thought that was a good idea is beyond my understanding.
But something much more important was stolen from the Capitol that day. It has now been confirmed that a laptop belonging to Nancy Pelosi was stolen as well.
CONFIRMED: Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s laptop was stolen during the unrest at the U.S. Capitol via Reuters
— Wayne Dupree Media, LLC (@WayneDupreeShow) January 8, 2021
According to Reuters,
Drew Hammill, an aide to Democrat Pelosi, said on Twitter that the laptop belonged to a conference room and was used for presentations. He declined to offer further details.
The theft of electronic devices from congressional offices has been a persistent worry following the invasion by pro-Trump followers. They were encouraged by Republican President Donald Trump at a rally beforehand to march to the Capitol while Congress was certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s Nov. 3 election win.
Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, said on Twitter on Thursday that a laptop was taken from his office.
The demonstrators who broke into the Capitol posted several photographs of themselves using congressional phones and various other devices. One reporter with the right-wing outlet Blaze posted a photograph of what purported to be a computer from Pelosi’s office with emails “still on the screen.”
During the protest, I did see a photo someone took of a computer in Nancy Pelosi’s office, but I decided not to write about it or include a photo of the screen at the time because I honestly was concerned as to whether or not it could come back as a federal crime for sharing the information that was on the screen. I truly don’t know what was on the screen so I wasn’t going to play chicken with the government.
Who knows what kind of secret information was on that computer, but I’ll guarantee that they are tracked down and caught, because I’m sure the laptop had some sort of tracking on it and that whoever took it doesn’t know how to avoid detection.
Photo Source: Wayne Dupree
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Of missions and marriages
All friends were cordially invited to attend St. Peter Catholic
Church's annual picnic in 1922. Screengrab of DeLand
Daily News article is from America's Historical Newspapers.
Vintage archival copies of my town's local newspaper have moved from microfilm to online. The paper's current iteration, the West Volusia Beacon, made the announcement last month. The DeLand News Historical Archive is hosted on America's Historical Newspapers. I can access the database through my Volusia County Public Library account.
This opens up a new portal for me! Day-to-day local history is only a click away.
I love the way newspapers in the olden days kept track of the common aspects of regular folks' lives. The papers reported on people's vacations, houseguests, picnics, and so on. Such minutiae gives me a sense of domestic life in earlier periods.
Because my parish church, St. Peter, was established in DeLand in 1883, I first browsed the online archives for a look at church doings in years gone by. Here are some examples, with quotes taken directly from the articles:
On Jan. 15, 1904, John Francis Cairns and Mary Ellen Donahue were married. "The day opened with a storm, which continued up to 9:30 raining torrents; but notwithstanding this, the little church was filled with invited guests. At 9:30 the skies cleared and the sun came out and there was beautiful weather for the marriage." January weather is generally nice in Florida, and I imagine it was even prettier after the storm blew through. The rest of the wedding day was splendid, according to the newspaper reporter: "The impressive ceremony of the Catholic Church was used. After the ceremony, about 65 invited guests repaired to the home of the groom's parents on Amelia Avenue, where congratulations were extended and a most sumptuous wedding breakfast partaken of. Bushnell's orchestra was present at the house and discoursed sweet music." The DeLand Daily News ended its account by wishing the couple a long and happy married life.
The bishop came to town March 18, 1904, to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation at St. Peter Church. "Bishop Kenney of St. Augustine was assisted by Father Chisholm of DeLand," the article notes. Nine candidates were confirmed and the church was filled with people for the occasion. "Before performing the impressive ceremony, Bishop Kenney gave a most lucid explanation of the procedure and the symbolisms," the reporter wrote. Then, as now, some editorializing crept in. The reporter said "Bishop Kenney has an easy, quiet way, a pleasant speech that impresses one very favorably." We also learn that the "music was exceptionally good."
The Jan 23, 1918, edition of the paper reported on a week of missions at St. Peter. The mission was opened on a Sunday by Dominican fathers. The opening night sermon focused on mortal sin. On Monday evening, the missionary preached on "The Evil of Gossiping." The next night - the day the newspaper was published - was to focus on "The Home." The reporter closed the article with a wish that parishioners and their friends "will take advantage of this precious opportunity of hearing exposed and explained the doctrines and teaching of the Catholic Church."
Not all church doings were inside the building. On June 21, 1922, the newpaper announced that "members and friends of the St. Peter's Catholic Church will hold their annual picnic Thursday, June 22, motoring to Coronado Beach. About 15 or 20 cars will leave from DeLand, being joined by a car from Leesburg and two cars from Eustis." The group was to use Ocean View hotel as headquarters. A picnic dinner, games, and surf bathing "are among some of the delightful attractions which are on the program to make this the best picnic ever." I hope they had a good time.
Reading such accounts helps me understand that the anti-Catholicism prevalent in early 20th century Florida wasn't practiced by everyone. Non-Catholics attended many of the church events listed above. The newspaper reporters in all my cited examples were generous and open-minded in their coverage of events.
That realization gives me hope that, in the future, people browsing 2020 domestic history will understand that some of us - even in today's fractured, politicized culture - stayed firmly on the side of kindness and fairness.
Labels: America's Historical Newspapers, DeLand, St. Peter Catholic Church
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Idiom フレーズ辞書
フレーズと例文
until his death (彼の死まで)
Spence lived in the house until his death in 1890.
She lived with her father until his death in 1760.
Palmer lived in the house until his death in 1916.
before his death (彼の死の前に)
Moore later won additional races before his death.
He was married to Elizabeth Wood before his death.
The poem became very popular even before his death.
death penalty (死刑)
South Africa abolished the death penalty in 1995.
King is a staunch proponent of the death penalty.
He organized many protests against death penalty.
sentenced to death (死刑判決を受けた)
He was sentenced to death by Judge Ernesto Madero.
Nineteen of his associates were sentenced to death.
Act, 1925 found them guilty and sentenced to death.
until her death (彼女の死まで)
She resided there until her death at the age of 83.
They were married from 1931 until her death in 1954.
Roy was married to Tatu Roy until her death in 1998.
following the death (死後)
The seat was vacated following the death of U.S.
The by-election was called following the death of Cllr.
cause of death (死因)
The coroner cited the wounds as the cause of death.
The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
The cause of death was asphyxia by strangulation.
death metal (デスメタル)
Firth now plays in the death metal band Nailed.
Deathcore combines death metal with metalcore traits.
Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983.
date of death (死亡日)
His exact date of death was apparently not recorded.
One source gives the date of death as 26 December 1800.
Paetus' subsequent career and date of death are unknown.
sudden death (突然死)
VT causes syncope and can result in sudden death.
Following the sudden death of her husband, G.O.P.
His sudden death came as a shock to the family.
death toll (死亡者数)
The death toll of the earthquake was 1,500 people.
The death toll was 15 terrorists and 11 Hadi loyals.
Estimates of the total death toll vary considerably.
death unknown (死は不明)
Louis Koch Louis Koch (born 1903, date of death unknown) was a Swiss bobsledder.
J. Harrop J. Harrop (dates of birth and death unknown) was an English cricketer.
André Berg André Berg (born 1880, date of death unknown) was a French bobsledder.
death sentence (死刑判決)
Therefore, his first death sentence was commuted.
His civilian death sentence for Jackson was not.
On October 26, the jury recommended a death sentence.
s death (死)
Acid Bath disbanded in 1997 after Pitre’s death.
“The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious”.
Sargsyan’s death escalated protests in Yerevan.
’ s death (の死)
death threats (死の脅迫)
and death threats forced Bhatti to go into hiding.
I got plenty of threats, even a few death threats.
He received death threats in Trinidad for his activism.
before her death (彼女の死の前に)
She had probably ordered that tomb before her death.
They had two children before her death in 1891.
Lim also sexually assaulted the girl before her death.
own death (自分の死)
They also sing mourning songs for their own death.
He remained in post until his own death in 1761.
His own death would later emulate this example.
upon the death (死に際に)
However, upon the death of its founder, C.S.
This materialized in 1335 upon the death of his son Henry.
He succeeded 11 days upon the death of Naaba Sigiri in 1905.
death row (死刑囚)
This is referred to as the death row phenomenon.
He spent 9 years and 8 months on death row.
As of November 2019, 62 inmates are slated for death row.
early death (早死)
On the cause of his early death, accounts diverge.
Matthew Arnold's poem "A Southern Night" mourns his early death.
The engagement was, however, broken by the early death of Tideman.
cell death (細胞死)
Protein denaturation is also a consequence of cell death.
This leads to a form of programmed cell death called apoptosis.
DCC induces cell death on epithelial cells when no netrin-1 is bound.
put to death (殺す)
The three wives of Udayaditya were also put to death.
He replaced the consul and had several senators put to death.
All three defendants were put to death.
life and death (生死)
McGinn said that life and death were the same thing.
Darwinism really is a matter of life and death."
is about a picnic, "Carousel" is about life and death."
death metal band (デスメタルバンド)
Necrophagia Necrophagia was an American death metal band.
upon his death (彼の死に)
This creation became extinct upon his death in 1912.
The pastor-poet Edward Taylor wrote an Elegy upon his death.
His only child, Jane Roberts, inherited the house upon his death.
untimely death (早すぎる死)
They were married until his untimely death in 2008.
Day later expressed guilt and loneliness about Tiny's untimely death.
She used to play tennis but stopped after her brother's untimely death.
till his death (彼の死まで)
He remained a parliamentary member till his death.
Arthur Benoni Evans from 1829 till his death in 1854.
After 1699 we hear nothing more of him till his death.
following his death (彼の死の後)
This continued following his death.
The company of J T Salvesen & Co was dissolved following his death.
Gary Doer described him as "gentlemanly" following his death in 1996.
until the death (死ぬまで)
Relations remained close until the death of Stalin on 5 March 1953.
Their long marriage lasted until the death of his wife some years later.
The Red House remained a family home until the death of Rev Bush in 1909.
death rate (死亡率)
The crude death rate is 3,4‰, down from 4,7‰ in 2011.
No access to treatment results in a higher death rate.
Since the 1970s, Germany's death rate has exceeded its birth rate.
shot to death (射殺)
They were all stabbed and shot to death multiple times.
The song ends with the young woman being shot to death.
Both had been shot to death at close range.
condemned to death (死刑宣告)
Jason is freed, but Sunlocks is condemned to death.
Roman Karl Scholz was condemned to death on 23 February 1943.
He was condemned to death and hanged next to the votive aedicula.
death sentences (死刑判決)
The death sentences were upheld by a vote of 4-3.
The death sentences were carried out on 1 March 2013.
After 1950, the number of death sentences fell sharply.
stabbed to death (刺されて死んだ)
This time, Zhihua gets stabbed to death by Guodong.
Kate is violently stabbed to death in the elevator.
Jay is stabbed to death while sleeping on the couch.
premature death (早死)
The experiment met with a premature death.
His father died a premature death.
His time in prison broke his health and led to his premature death.
birth and death (誕生と死)
The times of Gautama's birth and death are uncertain.
Years of birth and death are given when known.
His date of birth and death are not known.
death when (死んだとき)
I plan on living and dying a natural death when I'm old."
"I was tickled to death when I met Peter Coyote," said Baskin.
It had shut down after her death when Michelle was 10 years old.
beaten to death (beatられて死ぬ)
Certain prisoners were shot and killed or beaten to death.
An associate of his, Roy Tyson, was found beaten to death.
His grandmother was beaten to death and her possessions burned.
death certificate (死亡証明書)
His photo became a form of a death certificate.
She travelled to London to examine Nesta's death certificate.
The death certificate simply states 'febris' (fever), 20 days.
near death (近死)
Police found Aaron, near death from blood loss.
As a result of his exertions, Stark lingers near death.
Research also includes the study of the near death experience.
death during (中の死)
He remained in Naples until his death during a cholera epidemic.
A U.S. sentry froze to death during his two hours of guard duty.
The pilot and a soldier were shot death during the rescue attempt.
whose death (誰の死)
Billie Booth is Cliff's wife, whose death echoes Natalie Wood's.
Her dog comes back, stained with the blood of her son James (whose death has occurred off-screen).
He also had an infatuation with a slave girl, Hira Bai, whose death at a young age greatly affected him.
unexpected death (予期せぬ死)
His ministry ending only by his unexpected death in October 1935.
He practiced until his unexpected death at the age of 35 in 1905.
After his unexpected death in January 2009, his memorial service was held at the Wiess commons.
accidental death (不慮の死)
McKeown had an accidental death on September 3, 2017.
A 2019 inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.
As a result, evidence points to an accidental death due to drug abuse.
received death (死を受けた)
Beckham also received death threats after the World Cup.
Grabowski had received death threats.
risk of death (死の危険)
The risk of death among those infected is about 25%.
There is no risk of death prior to the start of play.
People with epilepsy are at an increased risk of death.
received death threats (死の脅迫を受けた)
time of death (死の時)
At the time of death he was 39 years 3 months old.
At the time of death, the estate was valued at $500,000.
The cause and exact time of death have not been disclosed.
death camps (死のキャンプ)
Deportations to transit and death camps followed.
They visited death camps and Jewish community centers.
The transports to the death camps in the east occurred later.
before the death (死の前に)
Most were recorded before the death of lead guitarist [[Duane Allman]].
Sophia died on 8 June 1714, before the death of Queen Anne on 1 August 1714.
The Ottoman–Safavid War had begun shortly before the death of Ahmed's father Mehmed III.
death at age (年齢の死)
Tanner continued to work for Edwardes up to his death at age 56.
It was published posthumously after his death at age 91 in 1989.
She was invited once again to London, shortly before her death at age 49.
death rates (死亡率)
In the Bulgarian zone, death rates surpassed 90%.
Hospital death rates reduced, especially in stroke.
The novels also reflect the substantial death rates in war.
melodic death (旋律死)
MyGRAIN myGRAIN is a melodic death metal band from Helsinki, Finland.
Bercier is known for his technical melodic death metal band Quo Vadis.
Swedish death metal could be considered the forerunner of "melodic death metal".
death occurred (死が起こった)
Gnel’s death occurred for his wife”.
The first poisoning and death occurred on April 30, 1985 in Fukuyama, Hiroshima.
She grants Clark a wish, and makes everyone forget that Clark Kent's death occurred.
death caused (死を引き起こした)
Townshend-Farquhar's death caused a by-election.
Note: O'Connell's death caused a by-election.
Kinglake's death caused a by-election.
death from cancer (がんによる死)
He remained active until his death from cancer in 2008.
The couple remained married until her death from cancer in 1969.
She published seven novels before her death from cancer at age 61.
caused the death (死を引き起こした)
In Sicily, it caused the death of around 60,000 individuals.
It caused the death of the two train drivers and the injury of 31 people.
From 2007 to 2010, the tigers caused the death of 9 humans and 25 further tigers were killed.
melodic death metal (メロディックデスメタル)
causes of death (死因)
Unnatural causes of death include suicide and predation.
Other causes of death were also dealt with.
Selye proposed a unified non-specific approach to many causes of death.
death by hanging (ぶら下げによる死)
On 6 May 2010, he was sentenced to death by hanging.
The 3 were given sentences of death by hanging.
He was sentenced on January 15, 1952 to death by hanging.
wrongful death (不法死)
Baez's widow filed a $13 million wrongful death claim in 1995.
They further alleged wrongful death against Lazarus and the Does.
Lujan Grisham filed a wrongful death suit against her husband's physician.
punishable by death (死刑)
Breaking any of the rules is punishable by death.
Poaching aurochs was made a crime punishable by death.
Starting in April 1942, evasion of "Baudienst" service was punishable by death.
death squads (死の部隊)
In my career, I have led death squads.
Acts of political repression may be carried out by secret police forces, army, paramilitary groups or death squads.
Today, Anwar is revered by the right wing of a paramilitary organization, Pemuda Pancasila, that grew out of the death squads.
certain death (ある死)
The chorus of Greeks warn Achille to flee a certain death.
The two friends reflect on the nearly certain death they are facing.
Meanwhile, Willy has saved Angel from certain death, but sold him out to Spike.
death due (死期)
This was the first death due to the virus in Italy.
In 2016, 29,000 death due to AIDS occurred in both adults and children.
apparent death (仮死)
This rematch ends with Robin Mask's apparent death.
Mila mourns for the apparent death of Ruslan and says that she loves him so much.
After Stephanie Brown's apparent death, Drake resumed the role of Robin for a time.
burned to death (やけどを負った)
When taken prisoner, they were hanged or burned to death.
Three technicians were burned to death.
Most of the victims in the sack suffocated or burned to death.
death was not (死はなかった)
The cause of her death was not immediately clear.
EDT (05:45 GMT), said his death was not unexpected.
even death (死すら)
Failure to do so meant possible imprisonment, exile, or even death.
This results in vicious battles where injury and even death can occur.
The resultant collisions often led to serious injuries and sometimes even death.
until death (死ぬまで)
Though married until death, they had no children.
Originating in her faith, she kept the commandment of love until death."
Zubarev worked under the leadership of Popov until death of the latter in 1905.
death is unknown (死は知られていない)
The date and location of Andrew's death is unknown.
The date of Argyritzos' death is unknown.
His date of birth and death is unknown.
death before (前死)
They drop Queenan to his death before engaging in a brief shootout with police.
Following his mother's death before he was 10, he was raised by his aunt and uncle.
In pairs they attacked the Jew and stabbed him repeatedly to death before plundering his body.
recent death (最近の死)
The recent death of his father may have also influenced his behavior.
This is followed by a description of the recent death of Cora Seaborne's abusive husband.
The novel opens with Balzic back in a police car and feeling depressed about his mother's recent death.
death bed (死の床)
He converted to Roman Catholicism on his death bed.
In 1644 he was called to assist Urban VIII on his death bed.
On his death bed, Washington did not summon a minister or priest.
death is not (死はない)
The cause of Edward VI's death is not certain.
The date of Writer's death is not known.
starved to death (star死した)
Due to the lack of food many people starved to death.
He might have been starved to death.
And to avoid you being starved to death we will leave you some food.
violent death (暴力的な死)
There is a suggestion that the man died a violent death.
He was the only UPC leader who did not die a violent death.
It may be a name for the death god in the context of violent death or sacrifice, hence the name "red god".
tortured to death (殺された)
In 1352, Amery was captured and tortured to death by Charny.
Separate charges were filed for Evangelista being tortured to death.
Mara is recaptured and tortured to death, and Claire and Regan are killed by rifle fire.
death scene (死のシーン)
The final day of shooting on November 30 was Kane's death scene.
A critic from "The Times" remarked that the pair's death scene together was "truely affecting".
This detail reflects her death scene in "Undertale", and was described by Kotaku as "weirdly unsettling".
programmed cell death (プログラム細胞死)
Also 27 studies reported that bile acids cause programmed cell death (apoptosis).
For many years, neither "apoptosis" nor "programmed cell death" was a highly cited term.
causing death (死を引き起こす)
The offences include causing death whether by intention or not.
2017 Floods affected 19 districts of North Bihar causing death of 514 people.
It is also a term of art used in the definition of the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.
tragic death (悲劇的な死)
For the next few years the Wades were blissfully happy until Neil's tragic death.
Another apocryphal story connected with the tragic death of Napton's wife Melinda.
In March 1888 Russia was shocked by the news of the tragic death of Vsevolod Garshin.
injury or death (怪我または死亡)
Smaller breeds are more likely to suffer injury or death.
Secondly, did Coutts have a motive for causing injury or death?
It can result in deer fatality, property damage, and human injury or death.
death and resurrection (死と復活)
Paul's Christology has a specific focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The third mosaic depicts a baptismal theme and the death and resurrection of Christ.
For those who trust in Jesus' death and resurrection, "death is swallowed up in victory."
following her death (彼女の死の後)
Her husband Marty was elected in a 1985 by-election held in the Kildonan riding following her death.
The year following her death, a $100,000 memorial building was planned, financed through public fundraising.
Several articles were published about Ryan following her death in "Arminian Magazine", a Methodist publication.
subsequent death (その後の死)
Due to his father's long illness and subsequent death, the live streaming ended on 25 April 2019.
While Danceny faces murder charges, Marianne loses her reason with the shock of Valmont's rejection of her and subsequent death.
In some patients (33% in one study), transverse myelitis in the cervical spinal cord resulted in respiratory failure and subsequent death.
death because (死のため)
"It's like life without any death because they never wilt."
He refused but was spared death because of public sympathy for his blindness.
It was alleged that Michael X had ordered her death because she was causing "mental strain" to Jamal.
upon her death (彼女の死に)
Jones donated the farm to Michigan State University upon her death in 1972.
She delivered one of Elisabeth's funeral orations upon her death in November 1916.
Whittier left the property to St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minnesota, upon her death.
death came (死が来た)
Washington's death came more swiftly than expected.
His death came 17 days before his 50th birthday.
death without (死なない)
The baronetage became extinct on his death without issue.
His death without heirs or a will led to the Old Zürich War.
Any Cossack who broke this law was to be put to death without trial.
death anniversary (死の記念日)
His death anniversary, November 4, is a holiday in Quezon.
His urs (death anniversary) is celebrated annually in a traditional way.
The grand opening of the monument took place on 21 June 2012, the second death anniversary of the journalist.
cause death (死を引き起こす)
Exsanguination is blood loss severe enough to cause death.
This form of the disease is usually mild and does not cause death.
Furthermore, drugs prescribed in May would not cause death in August.
causing the death (死を引き起こす)
Bayonne police battled the strikers causing the death of one striker.
When this happens there is the final stage, the dispersal or detachment, causing the death of the bacteria.
It is also revealed that Brian was the one responsible for the explosion causing the death of Rak's mother.
avenge the death (死の復aven)
The nagaiya are then duty bound to avenge the death of their age mate.
Jumbo then set out with king Vikramaditya to avenge the death of his father.
She is finally killed, off-camera, by a local youth to avenge the death of his sister.
death was announced (死が発表された)
His death was announced to spectators after the race.
His death was announced on 13 December 2017.
His death was announced on 21 July 2015.
death squad (暗殺部隊)
His wife was assassinated by a death squad sent by Assad.
This was followed by more protests and death squad killings throughout the later part of the year.
Named in honor of Karl Liebknecht, the KPD leader who was assassinated by a military death squad in January 1919.
natural death (自然死)
Ammana may have died a natural death in prison.
The people's Commissariat of Internal Affairs was pursued, but died a natural death in 1934.
escaped death (逃亡した死)
He narrowly escaped death and fled abroad, but his grandson was killed.
Her parents and brother escaped death by fleeing to Mandatory Palestine.
Falk himself narrowly escaped death, and was trapped in the debris of the explosion for hours.
mysterious death (神秘的な死)
In recent years another mysterious death has been ascribed to Higgins.
The second warning involves the mysterious death of a young woman on a passing train.
Troy are called in to investigate the mysterious death but don't catch the killer before more deaths occur...
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Lois Fraser Loves Her Local Community
Back to All Stories Share Your Story
She is passionate about the people, the community spirit, its local businesses, and the various groups and associations that make up the fabric of its daily life. But perhaps most of all, Lois can’t say enough about the exemplary experiences she’s had at her local community hospital— Georgetown Hospital.
“I moved to Georgetown when I was one year old,” says Lois. “When I was young, we didn’t have a local hospital. We had volunteer ambulance drivers who would have to transport you to Guelph if you needed care. My father, John Elliott, was one of many volunteer drivers. You don’t realize, until you have a local hospital, how important it is to a community.”
And so, in 1961, when the new Georgetown Hospital opened its doors, Lois and her family were ecstatic. “I sang at the opening of the hospital,” Lois continues.
“The community really celebrated the hospital’s opening. It was a very important step in our community’s growth.”
And her enthusiasm for excellent local healthcare continued as she grew up and made her life in Georgetown with husband Al Fraser. “Al was a pharmacist in town and had a very strong interest in our local healthcare. He became the hospital Foundation’s first President, spearheading, along with his Board, the first fundraising efforts to provide leading-edge technology and equipment for Georgetown Hospital,” remembers Lois.
“We knew even then how important it was to put the best equipment into the hands of our local healthcare providers.” Fast forward to the 1980’s and early 90’s, and Lois was thrilled to have four of her five children at Georgetown Hospital (her youngest was adopted from Romania).
“I loved having my babies there. I was always proud that our kids were born here in our hometown and, in 2018, our first grandchild, Andrew, joined in on the tradition as well.”
But life, of course, isn’t all positive and, in 2002, Lois also said goodbye to her mother, Norma Elliott, at Georgetown Hospital. “Mom was a huge supporter of Georgetown Hospital,” recalls Lois. “It was appropriate that she took her last breath there, in a place she loved and supported.”
Over the years, there have been many occasions for Lois and her family to use the hospital. “In every instance,” says Lois, “Georgetown Hospital has been about the people. Yes, we need to support the hospital to ensure the healthcare staff have access to the right equipment and technology, but there’s something about the people and the atmosphere at Georgetown Hospital. When you’re there, you know you are going to be taken care of.”
And, the tradition of generosity that Lois and her family have always had when it comes to supporting excellent healthcare in their local community, continues today.
“I’m a member of the Kiwanis Club, and our service club has raised more than $250,000 over the years for the Georgetown Hospital Foundation. Kiwanis knows that having great healthcare close to home is important.”
“The hospital is an integral part of our community’s identity,” finishes Lois. “Not only does it provide access to local healthcare, it represents the value we place on each other as part of a community—the fact that we raise the funds required to put the right tools in the hands of our healthcare providers for our families, loved ones, friends and neighbours.”
- Lois Fraser, Patient, Georgetown Hospital
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Government contractors found guilty in $11 million veteran set-aside fraud scheme
November 26, 2018 By Andrew Smith
A federal jury has convicted Andrew Otero and his company, A&D General Contracting, Inc. (A&D), on charges that they fraudulently obtained $11 million in federal contracts specifically set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. The jury’s decision was rendered on Nov. 21, 2018.
The evidence demonstrated that Otero had no military experience. Yet Otero and veteran Roger Ramsey participated in a conspiracy to defraud the government by forming a joint venture (JV) – and falsely representing that Ramsey’s firm and the JV qualified as service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB). Based on the false claim to SDVOSB eligibility, the conspirators fraudulently obtained approximately $11 million in federal government construction contracts or task orders with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE).
As proven at trial, the fraudulent conspiracy involved set-aside contracts that could only be bid upon by legitimate service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses – a designation that did not apply to Otero or A&D. To appear qualified, Otero and Ramsey initially executed an agreement to create the JV, which stated that Ramsey’s company would be the managing venturer, employ a project manager for each of the set-aside contracts, and receive the majority of the JV’s profits.
However, as proved at trial, six months later, Otero and Ramsey signed a secret side agreement that made clear the JV was ineligible under the SDVOSB program. For example, the side agreement said the parties created the JV so that A&D could simply use the disabled veteran status of Ramsey’s firm to bid on contracts. The side agreement also stated that A&D – not Ramsey – would run the construction jobs. They also agreed that A&D would keep 98 percent of every payment.
In addition to the secret side agreement, the evidence demonstrated several ways in which the JV did not operate as a legitimate SDVOSB, but was essentially controlled by Otero and A&D. For example, although Ramsey (a service-disabled veteran) nominally served as president of his firm and the JV, he actually worked full-time for a telecommunications company. Otero and A&D, not Ramsey, controlled the day-to-day management, daily operation and long-term decision making of the JV. Among other things, Otero and A&D appointed an A&D employee as the project manager for every contract and task order.
“Our nation strives to repay the debt of gratitude we owe to our veterans by setting aside some government contracts for veterans with service-related disabilities,” said United States Attorney Adam Braverman. “These unscrupulous contractors abused this program through a cynical and illegal ‘rent-a-vet’ scheme. They are now being held fully accountable for robbing truly deserving vets of important economic opportunities.”
The defendants are also facing civil charges consisting of alleged violations of the false claims act based on the similar misconduct. The defendants have been ordered to appear in U.S. District Court for sentencing on February 19, 2019.
Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/government-contractors-found-guilty-11-million-veteran-set-aside-fraud-scheme
Filed Under: Contracting News Tagged With: abuse, ACE, Army Corps of Engineers, DOJ, false claim, false representation, fraud, joint venture, Justice Dept., rent-a-vet, SDVOSB, set-aside, VA, veteran owned business, Veterans First
Former company owner sentenced for $13.7 million ‘rent-a-vet’ scheme
September 4, 2018 By Andrew Smith
A former operator of a Kansas City construction company, Patriot Company, Inc., was sentenced in federal court last week for his role in a “rent-a-vet” scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $13.7 million in federal contracts.
Jeffrey K. Wilson was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison without parole. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Wilson has also consented to the federal civil forfeiture of approximately $2.1 million.
On Jan. 31, 2018, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of government program fraud. Co-defendant Paul R. Salavitch pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of making a false writing and awaits sentencing.
Wilson, who is not a veteran, managed the day-to-day operations and the long-term decision-making of Patriot Company from September 2005 to January 2014. Wilson and Salavitch falsely certified that Salavitch, who is a service-disabled veteran, was involved in the day-to-day operations of Patriot Company. Salavitch’s purported active management qualified Patriot Company to obtain set-aside contracts to which it was not entitled.
Wilson admitted he used Salavitch’s veteran and service-disabled veteran status in a “rent-a-vet” scheme to obtain 20 government contracts for which Patriot Company received more than $13.7 million. As a result of the fraud scheme, legitimate veteran-owned-and-run businesses were not awarded these contracts. In one instance, according to court documents, Wilson brazenly challenged the government’s award of a set-aside contract to a service-disabled veteran bidder and Patriot Company fraudulently obtained that contract.
Wilson’s plea agreement cites 20 contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Army, which were fraudulently obtained by Wilson, Salavitch and Patriot Company. The contracts, which ranged as high as $4.3 million, included construction projects in Missouri, South Dakota, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois and North Dakota.
In September 2013, the Veterans Administration conducted an unannounced site visit of Patriot Company. The site inspector discovered that Salavitch was working 40 miles away at his full-time job as a federal employee with the Department of Defense in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Wilson did not stop violating the law even after the government’s site visit. Instead, Wilson and Salavitch fought cancellation of Patriot Company’s status. In November 2013, Salavitch falsely certified to the Missouri Division of Purchasing and Materials Management that Patriot Company was a legitimate service-disabled veteran-owned small business when he knew it was not because he did not actively run the company. In December 2013, the Veterans Administration de-certified Patriot Company.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigation Division, and the General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General.
Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/former-company-owner-sentenced-137-million-rent-vet-scheme
Filed Under: Contracting News Tagged With: abuse, Army, certification, conviction, fraud, GSA, preference, rent-a-vet, SDVOSB, set-aside, VA, verification, veteran owned business, VOSB
3 business people arrested in Puerto Rico in ‘rent-a-vet’ scheme
June 23, 2015 By ei2admin
A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico has returned a five count indictment charging Jose A. Rosa-Colon, his brother and business partner, Ivan Rosa-Colon and Louis Enrique Torres with a multi-million dollar Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The charges include major fraud against the United States and wire fraud. This investigation was conducted by Special Agents from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division.
The indictment unsealed in federal court on June 3, 2015 alleges that from on or about 2007 to 2014, Ivan Rosa-Colon, Jose Rosa-Colon and Torres conspired to use Jose Rosa-Colon’s service-disabled veteran status to create BELKRO General Contractors, which was a pass- through or front company for Ivan Rosa-Colon’s other business, IRC Air Contractors.
The indictment alleges that Ivan Rosa-Colon and Louis Torres used Jose Rosa-Colon’s service-disabled veteran status to certify and register BELKRO General Contractors in various government databases as a SDVOSB after Ivan Rosa- Colon learned that President George W. Bush would be signing a government stimulus package encouraging the use of SDVOSB. The stimulus package would allow for government agencies to award non-competitive, set-aside or sole-source government contracts to SDVOSB like BELKRO General Contractors.
The indictment further alleges that Jose Rosa-Colon, owner of BELKRO General Contractors, was employed as a full-time U.S. Postal Service Carrier; he was not in charge of the day to day operations of BELKRO General Contractors. Jose Rosa-Colon was simply a figurehead or “rent-a-vet”, who was being used for his service-disabled veteran status to obtain contracts for his brother Ivan Rosa-Colon’s company. As a result of the scheme, BELKRO General Contractors unlawfully received set-aside and/or sole-source SDVOSB contracts from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, including contracts involving American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds.
If convicted, they face a term of 20 years in prison as to each wire fraud charge and up to ten years in prison for the charges of major fraud against the United States. Additionally, they face fines of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release as to each count.
This indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez for the District of Puerto Rico, Special Agent in Charge Monty Stokes for the Southeast Field Office, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Sharon Johnson for the Eastern Regional Office, Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Diaz-Rex.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-people-arrested-puerto-rico-contractor-major-scheme-defraud-us-department-veterans
Filed Under: Contracting News Tagged With: DOJ, fraud, rent-a-vet, SDVOSB, set-aside, sham, sole-source, VA, veteran, veteran owned business
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All in the Family: Bay Area Jewish Parents Accept Joys, Struggles of Interracial Adoption
Vicki Larson, j. the jewish news weekly of northern california, October 8, 2004
It isn’t too hard to pick out Ruthie Heller in her 12th birthday photo, even if she weren’t wearing colorful balloons fashioned into a hat atop her head. Among the four Orthodox Jewish girls, arms around each other and flashing wide grins, Ruthie’s creamy bronze skin, dark brown eyes and facial features are a dead give-away. Though they’re her best friends now, for a long time new classmates, even her good friends, hounded her: Why are your parents a different color? “I’d stop and … lecture, ‘I’m adopted, and that’s the reason I’m a different color,'” says the Chilean-born Ruthie, her eyes rolling back in mocked exasperation. “It made me feel uncomfortable a little, but I kind of got used to it,”? she says in her matter-of-fact, adolescent way.
The Sunnyvale teen may be OK with the difference now, but many adults who have adopted African American children or kids from China or Latin America wonder: Can the Jewish community, not to mention the community at large, get used to it? With its numerous mentions in the Talmud, adoption would seem to be no stranger to Jews. After all, who wouldn’t be happy for a nice Jewish couple who overcome infertility to expand their family by adopting a cherubic baby? But some Jews who have adopted transracially are discovering the Jewish community is not always as welcoming as imagined – although that seems to be changing, slowly. Still, being another minority within a Jewish minority can be extra difficult.
Nevertheless, because Jewish women face lower fertility rates than other U.S. women, and tend to marry later as well (which also could affect fertility), more Jewish couples and singles are looking to adopt. With many of those adoptive parents bringing home children from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, the old “Funny, you don’t look Jewish” saying is taking on new meaning. None of that concerned Marie Roskrow, 38, of the Rockridge area of Oakland. Once the British transplant learned that – because she wasn’t a U.S. citizen – she wouldn’t be able to adopt a child from China, her first choice, she adopted an African American baby domestically. Says the single mother, who was raised in a Conservative Jewish home by a single mom and her Polish Jewish grandparents, “I just wanted a baby, quickly.”
Although the number of Jews adopting transracially is hard to come by, the National Jewish Population Survey 2000-01 indicates there are about 35,000 adopted children being raised in Jewish homes – slightly more than 5 percent of all Jewish households with children. How many of them are children of color or multiracial is unknown. But more and more Jewish couples and singles are looking at domestic transracial adoptions, according to Elyse Flack, national director of the Stars of David International Inc., a Chicago-based support group and informational network for Jewish adoptive families. Still others are bringing children home from overseas – mainly from China, Vietnam, Russia, South and Central America and Korea. Most Jewish families want to adopt a Jewish child, says Flack, but “the likelihood of a Jewish family adopting a Jewish child is slim to none, about 1 percent.” Adopting a Jewish child is “extraordinarily difficult,” acknowledges Lynne Fingerman, co-director of Adoption Connection, which, at about 100 adoptions a year, Jewish and not, places more children than any other Bay Area group. But, she says, Jews living here are more open to adopting transracially because of the area’s diversity, and many are marrying people of other races or have family members who are.
“Jews have always been at the forefront of accepting diversity,” she says. “But to go from there to having a child [of a different race] is a huge jump.” In her agency, a project of the S.F.-based Jewish Family and Children’s Services, about 70 percent of the adoptions are domestic, the rest international. Of the domestic ones, a little more than 25 percent are transracial. There’s no problem halachically with transracial adoption, according to Rabbi Michael Gold, author of “And Hannah Wept: Infertility, Adoption and the Jewish Couple,” which many consider as the adoption bible.
But Gold, himself an adoptive father of three, does see a problem in the attitudes of the Jewish community. “Many Jews are not prepared to fully embrace as Jewish, youngsters from another race,” he writes. Diane Tobin, associate director at the Institute for Jewish and Community Research in San Francisco and an adoptive mother, takes it a step further. “Racism does exist in our culture,” she notes. “But [adoptive parents] have greater expectations from their religious community.” The odd thing is, the Jewish community always has been a rainbow, from white Ashkenazi to olive-skinned Sephardics to the dark-brown Jews from Ethiopia and Africa. A more colorful Jewish community already exists – about 15 percent of all Jewish families in the Bay Area are interracial, says Tobin – but many American Jews hold fast their rather rigid ideas about who does and doesn’t “look” Jewish.
Finding a congregation that reflects the changing face of Jews is daunting, even in the multiethnic and racially diverse Bay Area. The answer for Julia Weber and Charles Fineberg was joining Congregation Sha’ar Zahav when the San Franciscan couple adopted Zachary, now 2 1/2, who is African American. “I saw more adopted children and more multiracial children there,”says Weber, an attorney for the state on family law policies. “I almost became a rabbi; I am very committed to him having a sense of what it is to be Jewish.” Rabbi Daniel Kohn of Mill Valley is the parent of an African American daughter. “We’re fairly observant, spiritually inclined people,” says Kohn of himself and wife Deborah Stachel. They adopted Nava Abigail, now an active 2 1/2, as a newborn. “For us, the issue has always been: Where are we going to go to synagogue? Where are we going to find families who look like ours?” That’s why Tobin and her husband, Gary, founded Be’chol Lashon (“In Every Tongue”) in 1997, the same year they adopted Jonah, also African American. One of Be’chol Lashon’s top goals is building a community for Jews of color. Another is giving transracially adopted kids role models to relate to, so they don’t have to chose between their racial community and their religious community – so they won’t know just African American people and Jewish people but African American Jewish people.
The Tobins had five children between them when they married in 1991. Adopting Jonah, now 7, “brought our family together,” Tobin says. It also changed Diane Tobin’s way of viewing the world. “I’m so conscious of race now,” she says, “and I truly recognize what a privilege it is for white people not to have to think about it.” The Tobins wanted to send Jonah to a Jewish day school, but they worried about the lack of diversity. He’s now a second-grader at Brandeis Hillel Day School in San Francisco – the only African American in his class – and they have found the school to be open and empathetic. “Part of what all of us are doing is educating the institutions,” she says. But before that, the adoptive parents-to-be themselves must answer the questions: What would it be like to raise a child who doesn’t look like me? How will she be accepted by my family, my synagogue, by the larger Jewish community?
For Ruthie’s parents, Dorothy and David Heller, it meant hours and hours of research, endless phone calls to others who had adopted and to attorneys, and nights of soul-searching. “We thought about the implications,” says Dorothy Heller, who, because of political turmoil in Chile, had to wait almost a year to bring Ruthie home at age 2. “We talked to a number of people. We both were afraid of domestic adoption.” So were Judy Levy and John Polumbo, who adopted 8 year-old Anna from China when she was 7 months old. “We didn’t want to go through the potential heartache of [a domestic adoption] being retracted,” says Levy, a psychologist. “I just knew I couldn’t handle that.” And when Levy discovered the group Families with Children from China, she took comfort in knowing that she wasn’t alone. “It’s a strong community … and we assumed we’d be a part of that community.” Kohn and his wife worried, too, but for different reasons. “As Jews, as religious Jews, as a rabbi, that puts a lot on a child to be adopted into that,” says Kohn, a stay-at-home dad, author and educator at Lehrhaus Judaica and the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. “We were thinking about the welfare of the child … but it wasn’t so insurmountable in our minds.”
Weber and Fineberg, an Internet engineer, shared similar concerns. So they are “constantly vigilant about the environments in which he spends time,” Weber says, making sure they are as diverse – and Jewish – as possible. Even if the couple hadn’t adopted an African American child, they would still choose to be part of those communities because “it wouldn’t be healthy to be a white child who’s marginalized either,” Weber says. Nonetheless, he acknowledges, “I think we are forced to [seek diverse Jewish environments] because we love someone of another race. But I’m thankful for that. It’s the right thing to do.” The Hellers, too, have bought their share of multicultural books to read to Ruthie, attend Camp Tawonga’s Mosaic Camp for multiracial families, and participate in multicultural activities run by other groups – events that Ruthie has one word for: “boring.” “I shlep Ruthie to all these activities,” says her mom, surrounded by Ruthie’s brilliantly colorful oil paintings in their Sunnyvale home. “And she’s hated all of them,” she adds, laughing. “I know I’m adopted,” says Ruthie, with just a hint of a grumble in her voice. “I don’t need anyone else to tell me.” Judy Levy, who is Jewish, and her husband, a first generation Italian, are struggling to find the right balance for the Chinese-born Anna, who is being raised Jewish. “We thought we’d somehow figure it out. It seemed overwhelming, and it still does,” Levy says.
Anna takes Mandarin classes twice a week, and Jewish education classes at Chochmat HaLev. But Levy and Polumbo put Anna in a private secular school instead of a Jewish day school because, says Levy, “I wanted to have her in a multicultural setting, not just Jewish.” Some parents believe, political correctness aside, that if they’re going through all the trouble to raise an adoptive child Jewish, why confuse the child further by inundating her with Spanish lessons or books and posters about Peru or Africa and so on? “Culture is not genetic,” says Michael Tejeda, a member of the East Bay chapter of the Stars of David. He considered an international adoption before finding Walnut Creek-born Elena, who is white and now 15 years old. What parents should want, he says, is a child who doesn’t identify as either African American or white but as a Jew. “It’s hard enough on a kid’s identity [to be adopted]. Why do you want the give them two or three identities?” asks Tejada. “Do you want the kid to think, ‘Do my parents not consider me 100 percent theirs?'”
But Fingerman of Adoption Connection says that kind of thinking worries her. “Yes, be Jewish, but you can’t throw out the rest of the parts. To say you just raise them Jewish is very naive. We have to celebrate what that ethnicity and race is because the world is going to identify him by that and he has to feel good about that.” Ruthie Heller doesn’t feel particularly inclined to learn any more than the rudimentary Spanish she knows or more about her Latin American heritage, although she wrote a report on Chile for school. And she hates all that I’m-adopted-but-I’m-special stuff, too. “It’s always annoyed me. She’s my mom. I don’t need books to tell me that,” Ruthie says. Still, the community that adoptive parents and kids live in – Jewish or not – apparently does.
Kohn recalls a moment that defines the experience perfectly. A new teacher had joined his daughter’s preschool, and after a few weeks she approached him and said, “Nava seems so attached to you. What is your relation?” Kohn chuckles when he recalls the look on her face – that wide-eyed, partly shocked, partly embarrassed grimace one makes when instantly recognizing one has committed a major faux pas – when he said, “Why, she’s my daughter!” And he’s used to strangers approaching Nava, inquiring, “Where’s your mommy?” if she is far enough away from him that people wouldn’t make a connection that they’re together. The Weber-Fineberg family gets that, too, and worse. “There’s an assumption we are these wonderful saviors who saved Zachary from a life of poverty, that he’s ‘out of the system,’ which is a very racist assumption.” For Scott Rubin, trying to look like a typical family was never even considered.
Rubin’s son, Zeke, an almost 4 year-old whose background is both Latino and African American, has two dads. “There’s nobody who would ever look at us as if we were a biological family anyway,” says Rubin, a research associate at the Institute for Jewish and Community Research, who, along with his partner, Steven Moore, adopted Zeke when he was a week old. “Our intention was always to just be a family.” Their first brush with discrimination came within days of bringing Zeke home as they searched for a mohel. They contacted a popular local Orthodox mohel who had done a brit milah for some friends. “I called and said, ‘My partner and I adopted a mixed race child …'” and the conversation quickly ended, Rubin recalls. Another rabbi wouldn’t even return their calls. They were forced to call Susan Romer, the attorney who arranged the adoption, with a plea: Help. “So we got an ob-gyn convert who was born in China. She did the bris on the dining room table, with her Chinese and Hebrew accent,” says Rubin with a laugh. “It was a very San Francisco bris!” Concerns that he will be one of a few, and possibly the only, child of color in class is one reason Rubin, who was raised Reform, and Moore, a real estate agent with a Southern Baptist background, won’t send Zeke to a Jewish day school. With a Latino and African American background, not to mention two dads, “he’s got enough going on,” Rubin acknowledges.
Single mom Roskrow, an investment banker, won’t send 15-month-old Jacob, who is African American, to a Jewish day school, either. “It’s forcing too much Jewishness on him,” she says. But raising their boys Jewish is important to them all, and they look forward to the day they step onto the bimah to become bar mitzvah. Getting to that point is another issue for adoptive Jews. Because most transracially adopted kids aren’t Jewish, they face conversion under Jewish law. The various streams of Judaism follow different procedures, and the more traditional branches may not recognize conversions by the more liberal ones. Which choice the adoptive parent makes “can have lifelong consequences for their children,” writes adoptive mother and educator Shelley Kapnek Rosenberg in “Adoption and the Jewish Family.” “It is devastating for an adopted person who has been raised as a Jew to be told that he or she ‘isn’t really Jewish.'” But no one could convince Ruthie Heller of that. Much to her parents’ surprise, Ruthie, who was converted at a mikvah in San Francisco with a combined Conservative Orthodox beit din, decided to become Orthodox a few years ago. She is 100 percent Jewish, period. “I walk around with long skirts. My friends are all Jews, practically,” says the seventh-grader at South Peninsula Hebrew Day School, as she proudly shows off a new silver plate Shabbat candelabra. “I just feel like a Jew.”
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Read more on these topics:
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The King Griff Building’s changing face
Written December 17th, 2020 by Hasso Hering
Comments: 12 responses.
The northeast corner of Third and Lyon in downtown Albany looked like this today. By next summer, if everything goes according to plan, it will look more like this:
The former Pizza King building at the corner doesn’t look like it but it’s a historic landmark downtown. And its new owner, the C.H.A.N.C.E. organization, plans to restore the outside to look more or less the way it did when it housed the King Griff store and offices a century ago.
As you know by now, C.H.A.N.C.E. is a regional nonprofit that runs programs to help people overcome their addictions. (It stands for “Communities Helping Addicts Negotiate Change Effectively,” and if they dropped the all-upper case letters separated by periods the name would be easier to type.)
Last week I reported that after the first of the year Chance (let’s just call it that) will take over the 140-bed Signs of Victory homeless shelter at Jackson and 11th and run as it the “Second Chance Shelter.”
This week, the news is about the former pizza restaurant at Third and Lyon, which Chance bought, remodeled over the last year or so, and moved into on Dec. 4.
On Wednesday, the city council, acting as the Albany Revitalization Agency, approved a $75,000 forgivable loan to Chance. This will allow the organization to restore the exterior. (Varitone Architecture of Albany provided the plan for the restoration. The rendering above was done by the firm.)
The loan from the city’s CARA urban renewal program, at 3.25 percent annual interest, will be forgiven if the applicant completes the exterior restoration by June 30, 2021.
The CARA advisory board originally approved $150,000 in financing aid for the project, half as a term loan and the other half forgivable. Chance decided it would seek only the forgivable half. There was no debate Wednesday, and the council approved the request without dissent.
Looking forward to seeing those big old windows facing Lyon Street when the restoration is done. (hh)
Tags: $75, 000 loan, C.H.A.N.C.E., CARA loan, CHANCE, King GriffBuilding
12 responses to “The King Griff Building’s changing face”
CARA uses Tax Increment Financing. In other words, there is an expectation that CARA’s “investment” will be more than offset by the expected increase in future property taxes.
How much was the most recent property tax on this property before the CHANCE purchase?
How much annual property tax is projected to be paid after the CHANCE project is complete?
How long until this “investment” of $75,000 is paid back?
1 year? 5 years? Infinity?
Steven Reynolds says:
You are correct Gordon,
I believe they have volunteered to pay for their county/city services for a limited time, but they are under no obligation to pay anything for the services they use.
There will be no return on taxpayer money used to increase the value of the property, no ancillary increase in overall value of the downtown as an an upgrade in infrastructure would produce. If they abide by the agreement, they are not required to pay back the loan, there will be no TIF collected, it is yet another piece of the downtown that going forward will not be paying for services and will be taken off the tax roles. This falls far outside the intention of CARA, does anyone ask on the CARA board how does this benefit downtown and the community as a whole?
Hasso Hering says:
Just to be clear: The former pizza restaurant has remained on the tax rolls since Chance bought it in 2018, and property taxes have continued to be paid. The tax bill was $4,370 in 2018, $4,486 in 2019, and $4,594 in 2020.
Did the approved ARA Resolution contain this clause?
“Return of Public Funds: The return of the public funds through tax-increment increase is not anticipated in the foreseeable future while under C.H.A.N.C.E.’s ownership.”
CARA justifies itself financially by claiming a positive return on its “investments.” But it appears the return on this transaction is zero. This makes the payback period infinity.
If the above is accurate, doesn’t this “investment” violate a public trust given CARA uses tax-increment financing (TIF)?
I commend them for realizing that not everyone can be exempt from paying for services. The quote from Mr. Blackford…. “As a nonprofit we can apply for a tax exemption,” he said. “But we decided we would defer that for five years and contribute to the city of Albany.” Obviously this is completely voluntary as to whether they pay for services or not, they can stop next year.
https://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/chance-to-move-downtown-expand-services/article_a961f515-5651-59bb-85b1-e6a0158c8ad9.html
My biggest concern is how much of the downtown is going to be converted to non-performing assets or long term moratoriums on TIF increases. We’re running out of those that are paying the bills.
Chaim Uri says:
Reframing from comment re: the ROI on taxpayer monies, I see this as an investment in human beings by making the building nicer & creating a better atmosphere for the people being helped by CHANCE as well as others in the neighborhood. In most developed nations addiction would be considered a public health issue & public budgets would reflect that viewpoint. CHANCE has developed from a tiny effort in a store front on 3rd where it began with very little other than a few people dedicating themselves to helping people addicted to drugs (including ethyl alcohol) to where they are today. We invest in benches that face buildings AND the street without rhyme or reason, so why not in restoring an old building to its former glory & making it an inspiration to our community of what we can do to help our people?
You ignore that CARA uses tax-increment financing, i.e., the $75,000 is ultimately paid back from the increased property taxes that result from the re-development.
On this project, the city council goes into it KNOWING the $75,000 will never be returned. This is a violation of trust with the people who front the money – property taxpayers.
And if you want the city to “invest” in human beings, fine. Just do it through other means. TIF is intended to fix blighted urban areas, not blighted human behavior.
No one is arguing that CHANCE is not engaging in a noble cause.
We have many organizations that we pay massive amounts of public capital into for “investment in human beings”, GAPS being the largest, Linn/Benton Community College another.
You’re asking for something that CARA is not designed for or marketed to the community as. Blight is only one aspect of CARA but the other is the expectation that taxpayer dollars will increase taxable assessed values in the district in order to pay back borrowed funds. If you’re advocating for a taxpayer funded charity or public funded addiction treatment center that’s an entirely different discussion. After seeing the complete destruction that Corvallis is going through right now, that discussion may need to be brought to the forefront. I would like to see Mayor Konopa lead a task force on this issue since she is the expert in dealing with this.
Ray Kopczynski says:
Notwithstanding the naysayers, the URD has definitely improved things in its defined area. And once the Waterfront project is completed, we’ll button it up and Albany will be the better for having started the URD & finishing it.
Bill Kapaun says:
I simply don’t see enough “historical difference” from the old & newer designs to even bother spending the money.
hj.anony1 says:
Then it hit me…
The reason all you naysayers rail against the URD district. It’s …gasp…SOCIALISM.
As you sip on your social retirement & social medical care.
Absurd- The ones you refer to are the ones that ACTUALLY WORKED for a living and had money extracted from their wages.
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Furore over hydel power projects on the Ganga in Uttarakhand
by Jagdish Bhatt
DehradDun : There is a debate raging in the mountain state here over the setting up of hydel power projects on the Ganga and its tributaries.
Amongst the extremists either, like the sadhu and sants demanding a complete ban there are the “self-styled” intellectuals who propagate that the over 27500 MW hydel power should be exploited in the name of development.
The logic given by such extremists has been from the insane to illogical. Perhaps the only logical view has come from the president of the Nai Akhara Parishad, Mahant Balwant Singh, who has taken the stand that to oppose the setting up of hydel power projects on the Ganga just for the heck of it was not proper, but the cleanliness and smooth flow of the river should be the main consideration of those for setting up of the projects.
He reminds those who are against the setting up of the hydel power projects in retaining the sanctity and purity of the river that it is after the Ganga enters the plains in Hardwar that the states downstream are polluting and literally killing the river.
The industrial waste of tanneries and industries and untreated sewerage of the number of cities downstream have made polluted its waters to the extent that it is non-drinkable.
It is tragic that politics is now going on in the name of preservation of the Ganga.
Rajendra Prasad, popularly known as waterman has taken the stand that the Ganga should be kept free of hydel power projects and dedicated to the country as a whole.
His view is that the hydel power projects should be allowed to come up in the other rivers of the state and country and the national river should be allowed to flow without any politics or hindrance.
Alaknanda-Bhagirathi sagam on Ganga
To press home his point he maintains that the Ganga is not just a river.
Wherever two rivers meet in the entire stretch of the Ganga the place is called a prayag. Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karanprayag, Vishnuprayag and Nandprayag are the five prayags in Uttarakhand, and as their name suggests they are the confluence of two rivers, of which ultimately one loses its identity and becomes the Ganga.
Those for setting up of hydel power projects, including chief minister Vijay Bahuguna have taken the stand that Uttarakhand which is a power-deficit state can not only sell power to other states, if the power projects are allowed, but also become financially self sufficient.
The power projects will also create employment opportunities for the large number of educated unemployed in the state and cites the example of adjoining Himachal which is not only power surplus but also making hundreds of crores by selling power to other states.
However, Himachal has set out certain guidelines on the power projects that are coming up.
Most important, the project has to ensure that atleast 20 per cent water is left along the mainstream so as to save not only the aquatic flora and fauna downstream, but the drinking and irrigation schemes that have been set up on the river for various villages along its flow.
But it is not that there has not been environmental damage and the problem of rehabilitating thousands of people in Himachal Pradesh.
A number of villages and NGOs are opposing the setting up of hydel power projects in that state because of the problems that they are giving birth to and some of the problems are being reconsidered because of the popular resentment against them.
Maybe Uttarakhand should learn from them and form a body of experts that takes an aesthetic and humanistic approach to the problem to the satisfaction of those for and against the setting up of hydel power projects on the Ganga and its tributaries in Uttarakhand.
But perhaps the decision of the Prayagwal Sabha at Allahabad where the mahants and purohits have taken the decision that they will give ‘lota’ full of Ganga water to the VVIPs to drink during the Maha Kumbh in the city.
It will give them cause to think on the sanctity of the river by spelling out the what is the difference in the water of a river and that of a sewer.
On this the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, which is for setting up of hydel power projects on the river has taken a dig at the sants and sadhus opposing the projects.
The community of sants and sadhus that is demanding for a clean and free flowing Ganga should first see at the large number of ashrams and hutments created by the sages along the rivers which are discharging untreated human waste into the river, before opposing the setting up of power projects on the river, the party said.
Jagdish Bhatt
A journalist with over 40 years of experience, Jagdish Bhatt is Editor Hill Post (Uttarakhand). Jagdish has worked with India's leading English dailies, which include Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer and several other reputed publications. A highly acclaimed journalist, Jagdish is a recipient of many awards, latest being the 2011 Development Journalism Award. He lives in Dehra Dun.
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Hall 4 The Bulgarian Lands during the Ottoman Rule (1396 – 1878)
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Two fateful dates frame the historical description in Room No. 4: 1396 when the territory of the Mediaeval Bulgarian state was invaded by the Ottoman Turks by means of fire and sword and 1878 when Bulgaria revived again for a new political life with the signing of the San Stefano Peace Treaty between the Russian and the Ottoman Empires. The nearly five century existence of the Bulgarians under the Ottoman rule is divided in two large periods: the 15th – 17th century, called Late Middle Ages and the 18th – 19th century (1878) –the Bulgarian National Revival Period.
During this period the Christian faith was the unifying factor for the all Orthodox population in the Balkans and the Orthodox Church was the only institution continuing to preserve and develop the Bulgarian traditions. Hundreds monuments of Church art from that time are on show for the first time in the Room. Special attention is paid to the leading art centres of Chiprovtsi and Ohrid which kept the best mediaeval traditions alive and their works testified to the relations with the West – European art.
The Revival Period was marked by the ideas of the church and national independence and was a part of the all – Balkan Revival, influenced by the ideas of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. The political thought and culture were developed and the democratic ideas of the nation’s right to freedom and sovereignty were approved. In 1762 Paisiy Hilendarski wrote A Slav – Bulgarian History, in 1870 the Bulgarian Church was declared as an independent one. During the period of 1869 – 1872 the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee and the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski established the Internal Revolutionary Organization. The figures of the Gurghiu Revolutionary Committee took on the armed struggle after the tragic doom of the Apostle on the 19th of February, 1873. The April Uprising broke in 1876 and in 1877 Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The Bulgarian state was restored with the signing of the San Stefano Peace Treaty on the 3rd of March, 1878.
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The History of Holy Cross sports and why we stink nowadays
By theholycrossspire on November 9, 2018 • ( 12 Comments )
John Murphy ’21
Let’s be real. Our school? Academically successful. Athletically? Successful historically. But, the Holy Cross athletic program’s last stint of relativity was the baseball team making the College World Series in 2017. The last time they had done so was in 1978. The football team has not been a nationwide news story since Gordie Lockbaum left in the late eighties. The last time the football team was ranked in the AP Top 25 was 1951. You might be thinking, but we left the FBS for Division 1-AA in football. Correct, and the last time we finished the season ranked in 1-AA was 1987. The basketball team has been one of the most successful of our teams and it has not won a game in the month of March since the 1952-53 season. It’s greatest achievements in recent years are getting smacked by the University of Oregon in 2016 and sharing the court with Dwyane Wade in 2003. Men’s Hockey hasn’t made the Tournament since 2006 in which they pulled off one of the largest upsets in NCAA Men’s hockey by defeating the University of Minnesota. Rowing and Women’s Ice Hockey has been this school’s one glimmer of athletic hope as of late. The Men’s Rowing team has finished the season in the top twenty four times in the last fifteen years. Out of the 25 sports team Holy Cross fielded last year, Women’s Hockey was the only one to finish with a winning record. One out of 25. That is nothing short of abysmal.
Sure basketball beat Harvard and nearly won the Patriot League tournament last year, and baseball beat Houston last year and made the College World Series in 2017, and football was briefly ranked mid-season with Peter Pujals behind center, but the Holy Cross communtiy deserves more. The House that Luth built lacks a winning atmosphere. Most of our sports have long and mostly successful histories. Our baseball team was founded just thirteen years after Abraham Lincoln died. Football started at Holy Cross in 1891, five years before the helmet was invented. Basketball began here in 1900, just nine years after the sport was invented and during Wliiam Mckinley’s presidency (non-history majors reading that name be like who????). Over those years, many games have been won and many stars have come and gone. Stars like Boston Celtics heroes and NBA Hall of Famers Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn, Heisman finalist Gordie Lockbaum, 1939 NFL rushing leader and four time NFL champion Bill Osmanski, football Hall of Famer George Connor, two time US Amateur champion and PGA Hall of famer Willie Turnesa and the first Native American in Major League Baseball Louis Sockalexis have passed through our hallowed halls. Holy Cross is one of nine schools in the entire country to have won both a basketball (the Crusaders did so in 1947) and a baseball championship (1952) in the history of the school. The other eight schools remain prominent athletic powers to this day however- Stanford, UCLA, University of California, Oklahoma State, University of Michigan, The Ohio State, and the University of Florida.
Success seems to come and go in sports. However, our success seems to be staright up gone. As mentioned, Women’s Ice Hockey was our only winning record last season. That’s terrible on its own but it gets worse. The total combined record of all Holy Cross sports in the 2017-2018 school year ammounted to a tragic record of 141-303-18. That is a winning percentage of just .305. And it’s not getting better. As of October 31st, our fall thirteen teams hold two winning records (Women’s and Men’s Tennis). The total fall record of Holy Cross three weeks into October is 30-108-6. To paraphrase Phil Swift, that’s a lot of losses. That record puts the athletics program’s winning percentage at a measley .208. That’s as bad Hue Jackson’s tenure with the Cleveland Browns which included a streak of going 1-31. Six of our teams had zero wins as of October 31. To be fair though, most of those winless teams take part in tournaments against several teams, making it harder to win. These records look really bad. Really, really bad. But, historically, our teams have been pretty successful. For instance, basketball’s al time record is 1360-969 (.584) and baseball’s all time record is 621-512-55 (.523).
The largest inidcator in a shift of competition to heartache in Holy Cross’ history is our rivalry with Boston College. The rivalry began in 1896. Since then, Holy Cross’ record against Boston college in football is 31-49-3. Yes, that record seems poor but it’s wildly better than losing 62-14 makes the rivalry seem. In 1967, Boston College began a nine year winning streak. Before that, Holy Cross’ record in the series was 29-31-3. The series was nearly deadlocked and then Boston College went on a tear 18-2 tear into the seventies and eighties. After 1986, the rivalry ended because, well to be frank, Boston College was bored with beating us every year. It’s been forty years since we beat Boston College. But don’t forget to remind your Boston College friends that, despite recent games and our overall record, we held Boston College to a seven year stretch where they scored a total of THREE points.
So if Holy Cross was once an athletic power, what happened? Why did the Crusaders take a turn for the worse and become a laughing stock of college sports? There could be a couple reasons. One is the city of Worcester. It’s not the same attraction in New England as it was in decades ago (Admit it. You pronounced the ‘r’ and ‘c’ before you got here). But then again, people go to the University of Alaska and that must be worse than Worcester, just the cold and endless summers alone so Worcester can’t be the problem. Another is that the athletic program is just in a lull. This however is unlikely. A slump doesn’t last forty years. At some point, you’d have expected the teams to turn it around. And it’s not like it’s only one sport, the entire athletics program has faulted for years. The real reason has to be the size of our school. Holy Cross is one of the smallest Division 1 school in the country. Every game is an uphill battle for us. According to the Holy Cross website, our current enrollment is about 3000. For reference, Ohio State has abour 46,000 students, University of Alabama 33,000, Oregon State 26,000, Duke 15,000, University of Minnesota 35,000, and Boston College has about 9,400. There are 20.46 million college students in America accoriding to Statista. This means that 0.00015% of college students go to Holy Cross. (Congrats to the other 0.00013% of you guys. We did it.)
Based on figures from 1965, there were about 4.98 million college students 53 years ago. The percentage of American citizens aged 18-24 in college has grown steadily since 1869. This means that the numbers from long ago for projected student populations will be a little bit off but they are still good to give a ballpark estimate or an idea for school sizes. If Holy Cross enrolled 0.00015% of the 4.98 million students in 1965, that would mean that 647 students would have been here in 1965. This year was after we won any national championships but in the middle of the period from about the 1940’s to 1980’s when Holy Cross was nationally recognized as a sports power meaning it can give a reliable glimpse into school sizes during our good ol’ days. Based on relative size, Ohio State would have enrolled 9899 students in 1965. Relatively speaking, Ohio State was still about 15.3 times bigger than Holy Cross. However, the difference between 1965 enrollment of these two schools (9252) is much less than the 42,000 difference it is today. Back to the Holy Cross being competitive with Boston College idea, in 1965, Boston College would have had an enrollment of about 2000. Again, Boston College was still three times larger but the difference between the populations was much, much smaller back then.
So why does school size matter? Well, for a couple reasons. One reason is sample size. Of course recruiting plays more of a part in college sports but the teams that either can’t recruit or don’t recruit well, a larger student population gives that school a better opportunity find good walk on players and that gives them an advantage. The larger schools have a better chance of there being a great player in their school who wasn’t recruited based on sheer numbers alone. Not only does the chance of finding diamonds in the rough help large schools but it also helps them make more money. More students that go to the school and graduate leads to more alumni. And what do alumni do? They give back to their school. This money can be used for athletic facilities to help athletes train and recover better and hire more experienced coaches who are better at recruiting which will help the school acquire more star power. Money leads to championships. Holy Cross just built the Luth center for all the athletes at the school for just under $60 million. Clemson just built a $55 million facility solely for football. Alabama recently built a $14 million facility for “sports nutrtition”. A dining hall. Just for athletes. Crazy stuff. Holy Cross has a very good network of alumni as well as a hefty endowment. The endowment for this year was more than what Clemson and Alabama brought in. However, these schools garnered more donations from former athletes and fans. Nick Saban, head football coach of Alabama, donated $1 million of his own money to Alabama for the dinning hall. These schools are also more athletically focused than Holy Cross. Some big schools like Clemson and Alabama gain publicity and notoriety from sports success. Holy Cross just happened to be good at sports all those years ago while consistently promoting academic success since its establishment. Our student athletes are some of the most succesful in the country when it comes to academics. Our 97% graduation rate in 2018 puts us in the top 20 out of 351 schools. And this isn’t a fluke from last year. That was the 10th consecutive year our school has posted a 97% graduation rate for student athletes. JT Barret said that you don’t go to Ohio State to play school. Well, Holy Cross plays school and plays very well. Bigger schools simply have much richer resources to pull from than Holy Cross which has made them more successful as their student population has grown to be much, much, much larger than Holy Cross’ in some cases.
Ok that’s all nice and dandy to know that we almost have no chance of succeeding again but now what? Well, we can either just continue our recruiting practices and hope to end up like Leicester City winning the Premier League. Or, we could just accept that we are never going to be Alabama or Duke or Notre Dame or Boston College. And that stinks. The games are just sad to watch sometimes. It’s like watching a Lv. 1 Caterpie try to fight a Lv. 40 Charizard (pat yourself on the back if you got that without Google). You hope and hope and hope for successful seasons but it just won’t happen, especially if things continue the way they’re going. Oh well, looks like we’re just going to be the Browns of the NCAA forevr then. As Iggy used to say “darn it!”
Oh wait! Do I hear another suggestion? I think so. Reclassify! That’s right. That only makes sense. There’s no reason for us to be a Divison 1 college. We’re too small. We’re always the underdog. And fans don’t want to come out for bad teams. But wait. After all this smack talk I’ve realized. We don’t have bad teams. We have good teams made up of good players. I mean, you guys, the athletes, are all D1 athletes for goodness sake. That’s incredible. Almost nobody gets to play their sport at this level. It’s crazy how good our athletes are at sports. The only thing is our competition is crazier. Divison 1 schools have tens of thousands of students. Well, we do too. We have 0.3 ten thousand students. But it really makes no sense for us to be playing against much bigger schools like Boston College, Boston University, Army and American University. We will almost always be the underdog. Instead, let’s reclassify to Division 2. Yes, the scholarships will be different. But the competition will be more equal and fun to watch. More people will show up to the games and not just the tailgates. It will create an electric atmosphere and a buzz around the school. We won’t play in March Madness, the College World Series or the College Football playoffs on ESPN but c’mon. C’mon. Let’s be real. If we reclassify we can instead play teams like Bentey University, Franklin Pierce University, and the University of New Haven. We still won’t be the biggest school but we will be more competitive. The games will be against lesser known schools but they will be more fun to watch, and maybe play in. Just food for thought.
GO CRUSADERS!
Categories: Opinions, Uncategorized
Tagged as: john murphy
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Dave Lynch says:
Interesting article, and good job on researching the past success of Holy Cross athletics. I fear (and hope) that your suggestion to down grade is ill timed, however. We are at the cusp of a great turn around! Over the last 10 years, we have established the Crusader Athletic Fund, added scholarships for key sports, built world class facilities, hired some excellent coaches and stepped up recruiting. Our “niche” is to pursue excellence in all aspects of college achievement, academic and athletic. We should not aspire to be Alabama, but we can and should be the best version possible of ourselves. The future is bright. Go, Cross, go!
alum1963 says:
Thanks for your article. You neglected to mentioned that when we went coed our male population was cut in half. I strongly agree that we should drop down to Div II. An ideal situation is if our men’s basketball team remains Div I and all other sports go Div II. Unfortunately, this is not allowed by the geniuses at the NCAA, which has a stranglehold on college sports. The only kind of interesting contest is a competitive one. For example, our women’s basketball team’s habit, in recent years, of playing Uconn was utterly boring. It was an exhibition, not a contest, and unfair to spectators. I would rather see a season full of competitive games than dream of playing (and losing to) Duke once every thirty years. Unfortunately, this will only happen when us old alums who lived through years when we were occasionally nationally prominent die off.
Stephen Kennedy says:
Keep in mind if we drop down to Division II to play Division II schools we’re also only going to be able to recruit Division II talent.
If we’re playing II, we recruit II level athletes. Right?
Yes obviously. Point being we’re not going to have automatic success based upon playing against the schools mentioned but still having the kinds of players we have now. It’s all relative. We may have worse results.
Obviously we wouldn’t have “the kind of players we have now.” One differentiator we would have are our sports facilities, which are probably superior to most Div II schools. But a negative factor will always be that we are more selective academically, which hurts us today, of course. Our goal should be to be COMPETITIVE. We are NOT competitive today in most of our “minor” sports,
Obviously. HC has to decide what they want to be. They’ve been wrestling with their identity for a long time. A perfect example of the confusion on top of the hill is during a football game. You have the HC band playing at the same time they’re blasting awful hip-hop music through the loudspeakers. Trying to tailgate with my Lifelong holy cross fan 80 yr old father and I can’t even hear what he is saying to me. How about beef up the band like some of the other schools that we play and let them play for the people who actually show up for the games. I’m sure the band would appreciate that too .
How about permanent lighting for Fitton Field? I believe that holds great potential for a lot of things, but the powers that be are strangely silent about why it hasn’t been done a long time ago. And don’t tell me the reason for non action is that Federal Disability rules would require expensive upgrades to Fitton. With a great lawyer (Edw. Hanify) you can get anything done.
Love the lighting idea. Those fball games were exciting with good crowds. Yeah, with the endowment and more ticket sales as s result, money shouldn’t be a problem.
Permanent lighting allows for Saturday evening games that would attract more families. Also, allows for more types of events than just football…..some of which could be money-makers for the college. There is no other 23,500 seat outdoor venue in the area. Show some imagination.
Love the academic success and that HOLY CROSS is D1 (look at Stanford). Playing schedules that mostly comprise Patriot and Ivy League schools there is no disparity. The new Hart Center will help with recruiting and with the new hires for AD and coaches I think there is a turn around in the making!
Jack Grady says:
The main reason for the collapse of athletics at Holy Cross, and particularly football, was Father Brooks. Coach Carter was in the process of putting Holy Cross’s football team back in the national limelight and having significant success when Father Brooks pulled the rug out from under him.
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UNC Health Care, Piedmont Health Services partner to provide a high-quality, cost-effective system of care for the uninsured
UNC Health Care, the UNC School of Medicine and Piedmont Health Services have agreed to work together to create a high-quality cost effective system of care for the uninsured that gives patients access to a medical home, care coordination, medications, and access to diagnostic and specialty services in a timely manner.
The goal of this partnership is to simply provide the right care in the right setting at the right time with the patient, family and provider feeling good about the care.
“Too often,the uninsured are less likely to seek care and they have poorer health outcomes. Our goal is to improve the health of the uninsured by providing access to a patient-centered medical home, care coordination, and specialty care,” said Dr. Warren Newton, who is the UNC physician champion for the new program, called Carolina Health Net. Newton is chair of the Department of Family Medicine in the UNC School of Medicine and chair of Community Care of Central Carolina.
The number of people without health insurance, both in North Carolina and nationally, continues to rise every year. In 2005-2006, more than 1.5 million nonelderly North Carolinians were uninsured, and the rate of growth in the percentage of uninsured in the state is double the national rate. The uninsured account for approximately 19.5 percent of the state’s population, which means approximately one in five north Carolinians do not have health insurance. UNC and PHS are not in a position to solve the issue of affordable health insurance, but they have developed a plan to make access to health care affordable. This plan includes creating a primary medical home where a patient can see a physician get affordable medications and labs and not delay getting medical attention.
In the four Carolina Health Net counties – Alamance, Orange, Chatham and Caswell – there are more than 82,000 uninsured. Of the uninsured that receive care from UNC Health Care, 47 percent live in one of those four counties.
The number of visits to hospital emergency departments continues to rise as well. At UNC Hospitals, for example, there are more than 62,000 patient visits in the Emergency Department each year and the annual cost of caring for indigent patients exceeds $70 million.
“One of the devastating effects of being uninsured is not having a primary care medical home. Without a medical home, patients often feel like there is no option but to go to an urgent care center or Emergency Department when they get ill, waiting until their illness may have become advanced. This innovative program will help provide access to quality primary care for local residents who lack health insurance, and UNC is excited to be part of this,” said Dr. Allen Daugird, Medical Director & Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Care at UNC Health Care.
“Care offered through a primary medical home is more continuous and coordinated as compared to care provided through episodic visits to the emergency department said Brian Toomey, Chief Executive Officer at Piedmont Health Services. “Our mission is to ensure quality health care for everyone in our community, so partnering to serve the uninsured with the UNC Health Care System helps to accomplish that mission. We are proud to work with such a great organization as UNC Health Care and congratulate them for being so proactive in addressing such a serious issue as the care for the uninsured. Too often large health care organizations are looking to avoid care for the uninsured. UNC is addressing their responsibility directly and effectively and we congratulate them for caring so much for every North Carolinian, whether they are insured or not.”
Under the new partnership, high cost/high risk uninsured patients who do not have a medical home are contacted by a care coordinator and offered care from one of Piedmont’s six community health centers. Piedmont’s six locations are in Carrboro, Burlington (two centers), Moncure, Prospect Hill and Siler City. Piedmont will provide a medical “home” for these patients and an array of services that includes medical, dental, nutrition, pharmacy, lab, and care coordination. Carolina Health Net case managers will help patients navigate the health care system coordinating medical services for patients with chronic conditions.
The biggest winner is the patient: each member of the pilot will get a home for their health care, with a health care provider they know, easier access, medications, access to most laboratory tests and routine X-rays, and dental care. There will also be community based-care management, which will support patients outside of the office and streamline getting into UNC Health Care.
Funding for the program comes from UNC Health Care, the UNC School of Medicine and Carolina Health Net’s state-appropriated funds. To date more than 800 patients have been enrolled in the pilot phase of the project.
The partnership comes at the right time as the number of uninsured continues to rise, said Sherry S. Hay, Project Director for Carolina Health Net. “We have the opportunity to learn from patients in building this exciting pilot program,” Hay said. “Lessons learned from the pilot will be used for replicating the model in additional locations.”
Media contact: Tom Hughes, 919-966-6047, tahughes@unch.unc.edu
ABOUT UNC HEALTH CARE
The UNC Health Care System is a not-for-profit integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care. UNC Health Care is comprised of UNC Hospitals, which is ranked among the top 50 in the nation in six specialties by U.S. News & World Report and ranked one of the country’s 41 best on the Leapfrog 2007 Top Hospitals list; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; community practices; home health and hospice services in seven central North Carolina counties; and Rex Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County. UNC Health Care also manages Chatham Hospital in Siler City.
ABOUT PIEDMONT HEALTH SERVICES
Piedmont Health Services (PHS) has been a Federally Qualified Health Center (FHQC) since 1970 and currently serves the fifth generation of families at our original Community Health Center (CHC) sites. PHS is governed by a community-based board of directors and its mission is to ensure access to quality health care to all in the community. PHS is a Joint Commission-accredited ambulatory care program that provides medical, dental, pharmacy, lab, social work and federal WIC Program services at its 6 CHC sites.
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Trusted Resources for the Resistance Against Trump
Could squeezing more oil out of the ground help fight climate change?
ByVox - Huntsville Tribune
Oct 2, 2019 Huntsville news, Huntsville tribune
The pros and cons of enhanced oil recovery, or EOR.
To secure a stable climate for future generations, humanity will need to permanently bury gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2). There is already too much in the atmosphere — 415 parts per million, when scientists say 350 ppm is the upper bound of safety — and we emit more and more each year.
Building a carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry of sufficient size would mean starting immediately, but at least for now, there is little financial incentive to do so. Companies can’t make money burying carbon, so they mostly don’t.
One way to scale up the carbon-capture side of the industry would be to boost demand for captured CO2, which can be used as an input or feedstock in various other industrial processes. Capturing CO2 (either from industrial waste streams or from the ambient air) and using it in industry is known as carbon capture and utilization (CCU).
The idea is that CCU can be used as an “on ramp” for eventual CCS, pushing down the costs of carbon capture and laying down some of the foundational infrastructure, like pipelines, needed for eventual CCS at scale.
This is the second in what will be a four-part series of posts on CCU. The first is a brief introduction to the need for CCS and the various types of CCU that might help get it going. It will give you a lay of the land. In the third post, I will cover some of the more intriguing and promising uses of CO2, such as in concrete, fuels, and plastics.
In this post, however, I want to focus on what is currently the largest industrial use of CO2: enhanced oil recovery (EOR), whereby pressurized CO2 is injected into existing oil and gas reservoirs to squeeze more hydrocarbons out. Today, EOR is the only industrial use of CO2 that has reached appreciable scale.
As this graphic from market research firm IHS Markit shows, 88 percent of global CO2 use is “gaseous,” meaning direct use of CO2 to boost fossil fuel recovery (in the US, it’s about 75 percent):
And EOR holds another distinction: It is also the only current carbon sequestration industry of any scale. It uses a lot of CO2 and leaves a lot of it permanently buried. If there’s any on ramp for CCS around, this is it.
EOR is an easy call for the oil and gas industry. More oil, more revenue; it’s all upside. But for those of us interested in slowing and reversing the growth of global carbon emissions as quickly as possible, it is much more complicated. Vexing, even.
There is a strong argument for EOR as a way to reduce the carbon intensity of oil and sequester substantial amounts of carbon. But there is also a compelling case against it, namely that there should be less oil and gas production, not more.
Almost everyone I’ve spoken to about EOR feels at least a little conflicted about it. Is subsidizing oil production really the only way to get large-scale carbon sequestration started? Are we really going to let oil and gas companies influence the scale and speed of climate policy?
Let’s try to suss this out. First we’ll review the case for, then the case against.
The climate case for EOR
New industry groups like the Energy Advance Center (BP, Chevron, Southern Company) and coalitions like the Carbon Capture Coalition (trade groups, oil and gas companies, and a few nonprofits) are springing up, making the argument that digging more oil and gas out of the ground can help fight climate change. It might seem counterintuitive, but in theory, at least, it is possible.
Let’s review the basics of EOR. When oil companies dig wells, there are three phases of production. During primary production, the natural pressure built up within underground reservoirs pushes oil to the surface; about 10 percent of the oil in the reservoir is recovered this way. During secondary production, a fluid, usually water or gas, is pumped through the reservoir to flush loose more oil; that can recover anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of the oil.
Tertiary production is anything done after that, including injecting any fluid not originally found in the reservoir. The most common form of tertiary production is EOR, whereby high-pressure CO2, sometimes alternated with pulses of water, is injected into wells to bond with the oil and carry more of it to the surface. EOR can recover up to 60 percent of the oil in a reservoir.
NETL
(Technically, EOR can involve injecting a variety of substances, but for the purposes of this post, I’m going to use it to mean EOR using CO2.)
EOR has been around in the US since the early 1970s. The world’s most active EOR region is the Permian Basin, in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Of the 450,000 barrels per day produced by EOR in the US, 350,000 come from the Permian. Thousands of miles of pipeline and infrastructure have been built for the purpose.
A note here: EOR is different from hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” the much-better-known practice of pumping high-pressure fluids underground to release more oil and gas. In a nutshell, fracking forces open new fissures in the rock, while EOR “scrubs” existing channels.
(For the best technical rundown of EOR and its CO2 mitigating potential, see this new paper in Frontiers in Climate, by Vanessa Núñez-López and Emily Moskal of the Jackson School of Geosciences and the University of Texas at Austin respectively, henceforth “the Frontiers paper.” For a shorter and more accessible treatment, see this brief by researcher Deepika Nagabhushan for the Clean Air Task Force.)
Most of the CO2 used in EOR stays underground
When CO2 is injected underground for EOR, most of it, around 90 to 95 percent, stays there, trapped in the geologic formation where the oil was once trapped. If the CO2 comes from the right source and enough is buried, it could amount to substantial carbon sequestration. But those are important caveats.
First, less than 15 percent the CO2 used in today’s US EOR operations (as of 2010) is pulled from “anthropogenic” sources like natural gas processing and hydrocarbon conversions. Over 85 percent comes from “terrestrial” sources, a few big natural CO2 reservoirs under the Earth’s surface. It was already sequestered; it has to be dug up. The best EOR can hope to do is re-bury it, a decidedly carbon-intensive practice over the full lifecycle.
(No appreciable amount of EOR CO2 yet comes from direct air capture, though there’s a big DAC demonstration plant running in the Permian.)
Second, absent government policy, EOR operators view CO2 entirely as a cost. They want to minimize how much they buy, how much they use, and how much remains sequestered.
EOR advocates in the climate community say that both these conditions can be changed through smart regulations and incentives. They say EOR companies can be guided by policy to a) prefer captured CO2 over terrestrial CO2, and b) use and bury as much CO2 as possible.
In an ideal world, all EOR operations would draw exclusively on anthropogenic CO2, and they would all sequester the maximum amount possible. That might make them carbon negative on a lifecycle basis. Even short of that, they could lower the lifecycle emissions of the oil and gas produced.
As long as oil and gas are being used, advocates say, it’s better to have lower-carbon versions. In other words, counter-intuitively, digging up more oil and gas could help make progress on climate change. This vision has a number of things to recommend it.
CATF
EOR is an attractive on ramp for CCS
First, the big problem with CCS is that, in the absence of a fairly stiff price on carbon, there’s no incentive to do it, which means it’s hard to get private capital to invest in it. EOR is the only form of large-scale, permanent carbon sequestration that currently makes a profit. Under the right policy regime, the profit-making motive could be harnessed in service of burying carbon. In the process, EOR could help scale up CCS and drive costs down.
Second, while most of the saline aquifers (porous, brine-filled rocks deep underground) that are being discussed for large-scale CCS have not yet been explored in any detail, the reservoirs from which EOR draws are much better understood. There are more historical records, they have been subject to more testing and monitoring, and their ability to securely store their contents over long periods of time has been demonstrated by the fact that they trapped hydrocarbons for millions of years. They are promising locations with which to get started on CCS in the near term.
Third, oil companies have the equipment, experience, and capital to manage a huge industry like CCS. They know exactly the price point at which burying CO2 would become more profitable than digging up oil and will switch from the one to the other when that price point is reached. They already have much of the infrastructure in place. It’s just up to policymakers to help make capture CO2 cheap.
Ultimately, the ability to effectively use EOR to reduce carbon depends on a standardized method of measuring the full lifecycle emissions of the EOR process. Such a standard is now sorely lacking. There are basic disagreements over how and what to measure. There’s no way to fairly credit EOR’s carbon reductions until they can be quantified.
Whether EOR actually is, or can be, carbon negative is the subject of much dispute
As the Frontiers paper shows, many different lifecycle analyses (LCAs) have been done on EOR, but they tend to draw the boundaries of the analysis in different places, which makes them difficult to compare. Some conclude EOR operations are a net CO2 contributor; some that they are net carbon negative. It is confusing.
Frontiers in Climate
One of the authors of the Frontiers paper, Nuñez-López, has done a dynamic LCA on EOR projects, which measures the CO2 released over time as oil production diminishes. It found that EOR projects are net carbon negative early on — anywhere from six to 18 years — and then go carbon positive as oil production declines.
Regulators could use that information to encourage maximizing mitigation potential; Operator decisions can make a big difference in how much CO2 is ultimately captured. Industry analysts think that, with advanced EOR techniques and boosted storage, the amount of CO2 injected per barrel of oil could rise from 0.40 to 0.60 tons.
Here, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) draws on an International Energy Agency (IEA) lifecycle analysis showing that, taking into account the effect of additional oil supply on the global market, a barrel of EOR oil represents 37 percent less CO2 than conventional oil. (The CO2 in the modeling is captured at coal and natural gas plants.)
Keep in mind, though, that this kind of analysis depends on quantifying exactly how much new EOR oil will displace other, dirtier forms of oil — versus simply adding to the amount of oil consumed. Those kinds of predictions are notoriously dodgy; no one truly knows how much boosted oil supply from EOR might simply increase the world’s oil addiction.
Until LCA becomes more standardized and reliable, policy crediting EOR for CO2 reductions involves a fair amount of hope and faith.
In the US, the main policy support for EOR is the 45Q tax credit
As the Frontiers paper shows, the legal and regulatory regime governing EOR is kind of mess, mostly adapted from an oil and gas regulatory regime designed to drive more domestic production.
In the US, the primary policy support for CCS is the 45Q federal tax credit, which was expanded and reformed in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. (Tax incentives for the oil and gas industry are what pass for bipartisan climate policy in the US Congress.)
45Q now offers:
$35/ton for CO2 sequestered by EOR
$35/ton for other beneficial uses of CO2 (e.g., synthetic fuels or plastics — my next article will be on this)
$50/ton for CO2 sequestered outside of EOR.
(All these credits phase in over a 10-year period from 2017 to 2026.)
As this modeling from CATF shows, 45Q “leads to significant deployment of CCS, capturing and storing approximately 49 million metric tonnes of CO2 annually in 2030,” without displacing any renewable energy. That would get the US about two-thirds of the way to the reductions needed by 2030 in the electricity sector.
Even the amount of CCS expected to be induced by 45Q is nowhere close to what IEA says will be required in a 2-degree scenario. However, EOR advocates say, it’s a start.
EOR is potentially big enough in scale to absorb most of the carbon captured at industrial facilities for the next several decades. And with the political and policy landscape so uncertain, the Frontiers paper concludes, “CO2-EOR is the main conduit through which companies planning to or already employing CCS find value in the face of political uncertainty.”
That, in brief, is the climate case for EOR.
The climate case against EOR
The case against EOR is more piecemeal. Many environmental groups oppose it because of its potential effects on groundwater. Many environmental justice groups oppose it because they believe, with good reason, that the polluting facilities kept alive by carbon capture will be located in their communities.
But the core of the climate case against EOR is simple: Climate change is an emergency. We need to bury lots of carbon, but it is crazy to let the oil and gas industry set the pace and the terms. EOR under certain rarified circumstances may be carbon negative, but you know what’s always carbon negative? Burying CO2 without digging up a bunch of oil to burn.
Sooner or later, we’re going to have more carbon to bury than EOR can handle anyway. We’re going to have to figure out how to bury it in saline aquifers. From a climate perspective, it makes sense to figure that out, and start doing it, as soon as possible.
Rather than slowly luring private capital into the enterprise by subsidizing oil and gas production — putting one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake — we should just cough up the public money necessary to do CCS at scale, just like we did with public sewer systems to dispose of a different kind of waste.
After all, empowering oil and gas companies with new sources of oil and revenue is not without cost, in political economy terms.
Oil and gas companies are, after all, bad actors. For decades upon decades, they’ve been lying about climate change, fighting furiously against any regulation that would force them to internalize the costs of their pollution, and lobbying against clean energy policies at the federal and state level, especially through their trade associations and dark money groups. They are still doing all of those things today.
Yes, they sell a product we need, for which there is demand. But that’s just the point: They are corporations driven by the profit motive to sell as much of their product as possible. Humanity’s long-term interests dictate using as little of their product as possible. The struggle against climate change is, in part, going to be a struggle against oil & gas companies. Sure, in theory, over time, they could evolve into pure carbon sequestration companies, or renewable energy companies, or pipeline services companies. But in this reality, now, they are multi-billion-dollar hydrocarbon companies.
Anyone who ignores that basic political economy, who believes oil & gas companies will be good-faith partners in a climate-emergency effort, is indulging in a kind of willful naivete that is entirely too common in the carbon wonk community.
EOR represents an enormous new source of production and revenue for oil companies
Today, EOR using CO2 is only responsible for about 5 percent of US crude oil production, but it is key to the industry’s plans for expansion (note: expansion, not phase out).
There is an enormous pot of gold at the end of the EOR rainbow. Market consultants Advanced Resources International estimate that the total amount of additional oil accessible by EOR in the US is 284 billion barrels. (As of 2018, the US consumes about 7.5 billion barrels a year.) It says that 80 billion barrels of that are recoverable with “next generation EOR” technologies already in use.
One of the primary US EOR companies, Denbury Resources, has told investors that CO2-EOR can unlock between 10 and 23 billion barrels of oil in Texas alone.
Newer research on “residual oil zones” has shown enough promise that researchers claim it could unlock 800 billion, even a trillion new barrels to recovery, just in the Permian Basin.
And that’s just in conventional oil wells. Though it doesn’t come up much in EOR discussions, the “next frontier” for the oil industry is to use CO2 to boost unconventional shale oil and gas. (The Department of Energy’s $40 million investment in EOR included one unconventional oil project in the Bakken.)
“If the industry can perfect CO2 injection into shale formations and tight oil,” John Noël, a lawyer and researcher at Greenpeace, told me, “it could unlock an almost endless amount of oil under the right conditions.”
That is an enormous incentive to pursue EOR. But here’s the thing: the single biggest expense in EOR operations is CO2. At times in recent history, EOR’s expansion was constrained by the supply of CO2. There’s reason to believe that CO2 from natural reservoirs can’t possibly keep up with EOR demand in coming years.
The oil & gas industry badly needs more and cheaper CO2 in order to expand EOR operations.
Now, they have realized that they can reframe their use of CO2 in EOR as an effort to fight climate change. It’s is a win-win for them: they get to pose as climate champions, harvesting the good PR, while taxpayers subsidize a key industrial input that’s driving their expansion. Meanwhile, they are forming groups like Advance Energy Center to lobby for the weakest possible rules and oversight.
Most EOR operations are dirty and oil & gas groups are lobbying against regulation
Let’s remember that today, the vast majority of EOR operations are not using anthropogenic CO2. They are using terrestrial CO2. That kind of EOR is, from a climate perspective, garbage — if anything, worse than conventional oil production.
And oil & gas companies are already using their influence to game the rules that exist. Currently, the IRS is updating its guidance on how to implement 45Q requirements. Oil & gas companies, under cover of Energy Advance Center, submitted comments to the IRS arguing that the agency should get rid of the the strict verification rules for EOR sequestration (Subpart RR under the EPA’s GHG Reporting Rule, for fans) that were implemented with the expanded 45Q credits. That would mean EOR projects could claim credits based on the amount of CO2 received on site, with no obligation to demonstrate or verify actual storage.
On a political level, this is what it means to let oil & gas companies into the climate effort. “It’s in their DNA to cut corners, deregulate, gaslight, and streamline,” Noël told me. “I am confident there are a dozen other areas where the industry is taking advantage of access to regulators and their well resourced expertise in order normalize O&G development in ways the progressive community doesn’t even see yet.”
Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
Fossil fuel protests in Brussels.
The climate case for EOR is ultimately an argument that a path forward amenable to oil & gas companies is the only path possible. Give them regulatory certainty and enough subsidies and they will eventually build the CCS needed, while unlocking billions of barrels of oil along the way.
The climate case against would urge us to think bigger.
Thinking bigger about EOR and CCS
If climate change is an emergency, policymakers ought to treat it that way. It cannot be enough to slowly induce oil & gas companies to shift to more carbon-friendly practices, taking care not to unduly startle them. They must be jolted.
At the very least, 45Q should be strengthened, the monitoring and verification standards protected, and the subsidy for geologic storage increased. But here are a few policy ideas, listed in order of increasing ambition, that might get the decarbonization job done faster.
Rather than simply subsidizing the EOR operations that choose to switch to captured CO2, all EOR operations could be required to do so. And they could be required to maximize (and verify) permanent geologic sequestration. Those requirements could be accompanied, in the beginning, by a subsidy, to avoid any alarming jumps in oil or gasoline prices, but over time, subsidies could fade out and they could simply become regulatory requirements. The social license of EOR operations should be contingent on their burying captured carbon, and they should shoulder those costs.
A national low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS), like the one in California, could be put in place and steadily ratcheted down, requiring all oil & gas companies, not just those doing EOR, to offset more and more of the carbon content of their products, until eventually they were burying (or funding the burial of) an amount of carbon equal to the amount their fuels produced. (The LCFS would also apply to imported oil.) This would also amount to a fundamental change in the social license of oil & gas operations: you want to dig up oil & gas, you have to pay to bury carbon.
Oil & gas companies could be nationalized and set, by policy, on a path that would steadily phase out production of hydrocarbons and steadily scale up carbon sequestration. Eventually, they would become large, publicly owned sequestration companies. There’s simply no reason to have private, profit-making entities standing as middlemen between the public and the solution to an existential crisis, slowing things down and skimming off the rewards.
I don’t know that I necessarily endorse any of these ideas unreservedly — I’d need to do a lot more thinking and talking to people to wrap my head around them — but I list them to make a point: the EOR conversation among wonks and policymakers is woefully narrow. It is built around the presumption that oil & gas companies must be kept happy and that political disturbance must be minimized.
Treating climate change as an emergency means embracing the fact that political disturbance is inevitable, and so is a struggle with the political power of the oil & gas industry. It may be that EOR can play a constructive role in a comprehensive decarbonization plan, helping to reduce the carbon content of the oil we can’t avoid using. But its use and limitations should be shaped by the public interest, not by the interests of oil & gas investors.
Author: David Roberts
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Our Dishonest President
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The Congregation of Holy Cross at Notre Dame: Educating the mind and heart with zeal and hope.
Notre Dame’s resident community of ordained priests and brothers of Holy Cross links the University to the past and to the future, as well as to other Holy Cross members around the world - and indeed to the Roman Catholic Church locally and globally. The community offers insights into the connections it fosters and their impact on one’s experience of Notre Dame.
Holy Cross history: A conversation with James T. Connelly, C.S.C.
Father Connelly, congregational archivist for the Congregation of Holy Cross, discusses his latest book, from Notre Dame Press, The History of the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Rev. Mr. David Smith, C.S.C., Rev. Mr. Geoffrey Mooney, C.S.C.…
New history of Notre Dame charts academic growth, consistency in mission
In new research, Rev. Thomas Blantz, C.S.C., Notre Dame professor emeritus of history, presents the story of America’s premier Catholic university from its inception as a French-founded boys’ school in 1842 to its status as an acclaimed undergraduate and international research institution of the 21st century.
Remembering Rev. David J. Scheidler, C.S.C.
Father Scheidler served as the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Notre Dame, IN and the Priest-in-Residence in Farley Hall on campus
Father Corby Drops Back
Statue of Notre Dame priest who gave general absolution at Gettysburg restored to its place in front of Corby Hall.
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WSHE Presents Clinician Chris Cox
Chris Cox Horsemanship
Born to a ranching family in Kissimmee, Florida, Chris’s earliest memories involved horses and his family’s life of ranching and cattle. At the age of two, his family moved to the Prince of Wales Island, a 100 square mile island off the coast of Australia. As a kid, Chris competed in many different clubs and competitions. He was a member of the Pony Club and competed in camp drafting, or otherwise known as the working cow horse event. After high school, he attended Longreach Pastoral College in Queensland. There he met Ken May. He went on to help Ken with colt starting and horsemanship clinics, throughout college and beyond. When Chris turned 18 years old, he had saved up enough money to buy a plane ticket back to the United States.
Chris began to start and train horses professionally. In Madisonville, Texas, he began working out of a facility starting colts, training cutting horses, performing demonstrations and hosting clinics. He had also rented facilities in Geneva, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. He had started a mustang at a clinic and word soon got out and to the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM hired Chris to travel to adoption sites in different states to demonstrate how to start a mustang. He released his first instructional video in 1990, “Breaking into the Horse’s Mind”.
With his Chris Cox Horsemanship television show on RFD TV, the nationwide Ride the Journey Tour stops and appearances at equine expos and events, Chris has touched the lives of many a horse enthusiast and shown them there is a straight-forward, practical way to gain a better relationship with their horses.
Today, Chris is a four-time undefeated world champion of Road to the Horse, reserve champion of the Perry Dilorreto Invitational team roping, colt starting champion of Equine Experience, recipient of the Monty Roberts “Equitarian of the Year” award, competitor and breeder in the National Cutting Horse Association, reined cow horse and team roping competitor. He lives on the Diamond Double C Ranch in Mineral Wells, TX with his wife Barbara and their children Charley and Case.
www.chris-cox.com
MORE 2021 CLINICIANS
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Protection Guru: Which income protection plans support clients returning to work?
The core conversation when discussing income protection with clients will quite rightly focus on financial help provided if they are unable to work due to an accident or illness. But providers support clients in many ways beyond just the claim payment itself and one key focus is helping people become fit enough to get back into work through rehabilitation services and other support.
A client’s return to work is important and desirable for everyone concerned but needs to be handled properly to avoid any setbacks and many insurers will play a role in making sure it goes well, which can have a positive impact, not only for the client, but also the employer and the insurer. In this article we take a closer look at the way insurers liaise with employers and work with them to help reintegrate clients into the workplace.
Providers are keen to help people become fit enough again to return to work, and it’s a win, win, win situation. The client gains, as they can become independent quicker, the provider gets their employee back and the insurer gains as they can either pay a reduced benefit or stop benefits altogether. As well as discussions with employers in advance of a client’s return to work, in relation to what is needed to make the return run smoothly and how quickly the client can fully resume their duties, ongoing support can be offered to help people stay in work once they do return.
Our table shows which providers engage with the client’s employer to support both parties with a return to work plan. Looking at the circumstances in which those providing this service do this, all express their reasons in different ways but in broad terms, they will do so when it is seen as necessary.
VitalityLife’s response is perhaps the broadest, as it will engage with the employer when it is clear that a return to work is possible. The Exeter, Aviva and Legal & General’s approaches are very similar in that they emphasise individual circumstances and the need to engage employers if clients need help with their return to work.
Other insurers will engage with employers when there are specific reasons and a lack of occupational health services is something that AIG and Holloway Friendly both highlight. This is understandable as clients do not necessarily know what would make their working environment more comfortable, or what their employer can do to make their return easier. For example, someone who has had a back injury may not know the type of chair they need or how to adjust their existing chair to prevent further problems.
For LV= and Zurich, engaging with employers comes into play where the return to work needs to be gradual. LV= is the only provider that will offer support where there is an employer/employee dispute compounding the claim issues.
Sometimes insurers may turn to third parties to provide their return to work support services, while others will have the resources to keep it in-house. The table below illustrates when third party services are employed.
Any third party necessary
Holloway Friendly
Vocational Specialists
LV=
Innovate Healthcare Group
The Exeter
In-house rehabilitation team and Health Claims Bureau
The approach taken by AIG and VitalityLife is to work with whoever they need to, depending on the circumstances. Similarly, Holloway Friendly may involve a vocational specialist. At the opposite end of the spectrum, LV= works with workplace health and wellbeing specialist Innovate HealthCare Group. The Exeter also has a specific partner, Rehab Options, which creates rehabilitation/return-to-work programmes.
Zurich’s approach differs from other providers in that it has its own in-house rehabilitation team, but it can also draw a panel of external providers such as The Health Claims Bureau.
Looking in more detail at the return to work support that providers initially offer, all eight propositions provide the same kind of support that will help employers prepare for the client’s return to work. They all provide assistance in agreeing a date for the client to return to work, suitable working hours, a staged return plan together with support with changes that may need to be made to the working environment to accommodate the client’s return.
LV= stands out as it also provides help with vocational re-direction/transferable skills assessment, employer resolution if there is a dispute between the client and their employer, and help with medication.
Return to work support does not necessarily end when the client has gone back to work. There are two ways that providers offer further support once the client has returned
Ongoing reviews of a client’s return to ensure that it is not damaging to their rehabilitation – after all, there is no point in rushing someone back to work to soon, only to find that they are taking on too much at that stage and are risking their long-term recovery.
Ongoing dialogue with the employer to ensure that the return to work is going well and that the client has everything they need to do their job as well as they could pre-claim
Income protection is a plan that helps a client continue to support their family in the event that they are unable to work due to ill health. Providing the support to help that client back into work and therefore be independently able to support their family for many will be as, if not more, important than the financial assistance.
For customers who need to claim on income protection the financial relief will be immediate and obvious. But perhaps just as valuable is the support clients can receive to help them return to work and so be independently able to support their family. This sort of support is a great compliment to the industry and the providers who offer these services and should not be underestimated when looking to choose a suitable income protection solution
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An ICAP milestone—supporting over 1 million people in accessing HIV treatment
Today we recognize an important milestone. Over 1 million persons living with HIV have initiated life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART) through ICAP-supported programs. After a decade of work in partnership with governmental, non-governmental and community-based organizations around the world and with support from “PEPFAR”:http://www.pepfar.gov/ and other funders, this milestone is an important step on the path to confronting the global HIV epidemic.
Since beginning its first multi-country HIV treatment initiative in 2003, ICAP has grown to support over 3,380 sites across sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Southern Asia. In the past year alone, ICAP expanded support to 320 additional health facilities with the most substantial increases in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Cote d’Ivoire.
ICAP has leveraged HIV programming to strengthen health systems, broadly, and has supported training for over 175,000 health care providers and investment in infrastructure including expanding laboratory support systems. In just over three years, ICAP has supported the education of over 9,000 nursing students through “Nurse Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI)”:http://nepinetwork.org/.
Through these investments, more than 2 million people have received HIV care through ICAP supported programs and more than 11 million have learned their status. This work takes place every day in communities, bustling health clinics and large government hospitals.
Progress to expand access to HIV treatment has been accelerated, dramatically, with the support of by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other funders. PEPFAR alone is supporting access to treatment by over 6 million women, men and children. Today, ICAP programs reflect support of 1 in every 6 of these PEPFAR-supported patients.
“This is an enormous achievement,” said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of ICAP. “It reflects the hard work by the people on the ground– by committed governments, by devoted community organizations and a reflection of the engagement of the communities themselves,” she said. “This achievement is their achievement.”
This vision is reflected in a recent “editorial in Science”:http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6193/166.full, in which Dr. El-Sadr, Katherine Harripersaud and Ronald Bayer stress the need for continued investment in HIV prevention and care and sustained momentum despite acknowledged challenges. “Envisioning a world without epidemic AIDS is a deeply profound concept. Let this be the rallying call.”
At the upcoming 20th International AIDS Conference (July 21-25), ICAP will present findings from across its programs, from home-based testing in Swaziland to pediatric ART initiation in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Swaziland.
ICAP will also convene a pre-conference meeting for policy makers and technical experts to examine how to foster quality and quality improvement in the context of HIV scale up. The meeting is an opportunity to focus on quality of programs as a critical ingredient to achievement of the impact of programs.
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Introducing Frantzvaag
Considering the average age of this newest generation of producer/DJ, it’s very likely that any newcomer to this music would most likely have been raised by the generation that were there at the gestation of the House and Techno music; around the same age their offspring are now. Any 19 – 25 year old would most likely have parents that were around that age when what we have come to understand as electronic dance music (not as a genre, but what it literally stands for) was in its most exciting infancy. It’s a sobering thought; one that especially hits home when I sit down with 22-year-old Mats Ottem Frantzvaag who says his appreciation for House was handed down to him by his dad. “He had all these compilation CD’s” Mats tells me, and although his father, who has always been “pretty interested in music” generally might not have been at the very forefront of the House movement, he most certainly was of a generation that were some of the first people that would have come across this style of music. Although an interesting point, and one that will surely keep a few music’s most free-thinkers occupied in the years to come, it probably speaks more of Mats’ universally open perspective of music than it does of socio-cultural anthropology. Mats is a producer and DJ about to release his debut EP as Frantzvaag for Fuck Reality, a Smallville sub-label, and when we heard that he’d be having the release party at Jæger we dropped by to be formally introduced to this new talent.
Growing up in Sandvika, the Oslo-born Mats “spent way too much time searching through music blogs” as a youth while partaking in “everything from French House to Lounge music” through his father’s music collection. But like many of the generation that grew up with the internet Mats wouldn’t be content with merely one genre of music and would also savour ”early New York nineties Hip Hop, like Pete Rock and Large professor”, from which an interest in sampled music blossomed too. When he got his first sampler for a birthday at the age of fourteen/fifteen, a seed was planted. “Back then I only made Hip Hop beats and this bad kind of electro stuff.” It was from Hip Hop however that Mats started digging deeper into the music, and through the work of the likes of Pete Rock, he “got more interested in the samples” behind the music, and soon started venturing further into Jazz and Soul from this Hip Hop catalyst. Picking through samples and getting to grips with sampling techniques established in Mats a desire to delve deeper into the music, its techniques and its history during his adolescent years. At the same time an aspiration of just “getting away and experiencing something else” encouraged a change of scenery and pace and Mats made the move to London to enrol at the Point Blank music school. “It’s what I always wanted to do”, says Mats about his decisions to study production and it was during this time in the company of kindred spirits that he really got a chance to develop his kills as a producer and DJ. “All these guys I went to school with had this big collective and also had a studio and DJ setup and we all used to hang out there before going out.“ These experiences and the education applied Mats with the skills that his latent talent required to develop his sound and when London’s expenses became unjustifiable, he made the move back to Oslo with experience, more influences, and hefty collection of demos. One such demo found its way to Julius Steinhoff and when the Smallville boss heard it, Mats soon got a reply asking for more. That track was Knitring and today it introduces Frantzvaag’s debut EP on Smallville’s Fuck Reality imprint. “I was not like: ‘I’m gonna make an EP’, it’s more like tracks I made over the past year. I made two of them when I still lived in London and the other two when I came back home.” For Frantzvaag’s debut Mats picked the tracks that were “pretty similar” emphasising a “New York Deep House” sound that he’d been cultivating in his productions for the last year. The EP plays in the humid textures of New York’s more organic musical aesthetic as the percussive elements of the music combine with sauntering chords being pushed forward at a reserved pace. For a moment you can hear Mats’ Hip-Hop roots and sampling inclinations come to the fore, but its never obvious and the samples combine in a very natural way, making it often hard to determine their existence. There’s a Dilla-like perfection in the way Frantzvaag’s various elements all manage to find their position in the space they are allocated and as a result the music breathes but without the assertiveness of a hip-hop beat, and so it imparts mood rather than function.
Influences from New York, experiences from London, and a youth spent consuming various movements in House through his father conspires in Mats’ music as something worldly, a universal quality that undoubtedly caught the ear of Julius Steinhoff too. He is however very “excited” to be back in Oslo and to be part of the effervescent scene we’re experiencing here despite all odds. Even though he might ”find lots of the new stuff happening in London very exciting – especially things popping of around the Peckham area, like rhythm section, rye wax etc and the artists affiliated with this” – he still feels it might be heading towards a “kind of a downward spiral” (especially in lieu of Fabric’s almost immanent demise) and prefers being back home where he finds the scene “really inspiring”.
Mats enjoys being in Oslo with the young DJ getting opportunities for “playing a bit more” and when he is not studying “innovation, and creative business development at Oslo school of management” (a degree he hopes will also further his musical career) he is immersed in all aspects of music. You will often find him digging for new records to sample at Baklengs, where he occasionally assists proprietor Hacir, if he’s not working at his part time job at Hi-Fi klubben. He says he has “found a lot to sample, just sitting around listening to records” with Hacir and after we’re done with our interview he intends to go straight there to help Hacir unpack some new arrivals. Some of these records he might even take with him when he plays out at places like Skaugum with sets that can go from “Techno that’s not just Techno” to Funk to House. “I don‘t really have a big plan when I’m playing” says Mats, preferring to stay in the moment with the music and the people on the floor. The next time I will most likely see Mats will be in the booth at Jæger for the release of his EP and I sense a definite hint of excitement in his voice about the upcoming gig. “It’s going to be super fun and a big dream come true.”
Mats is only Twenty two and we laugh at the fact that he would be technically under the age limit for a Friday night. Our conversation is brief as it is with any artist at the forefront of his career, but its given us the introduction to the artist we’ve needed. Now, all that’s left to do is sit back and watch this new career unfold and the complexities of the artistic personality behind those influences, experiences and education develop further along his career.
info@jaegeroslo.no
lost@jaegeroslo.no
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Oslo Norway
© All rights reserved Jaeger Oslo 2018
Baggy made this
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RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Tammie Brown – On Her New Album, All Stars 4, and Being a #QueenWithACause
March 16, 2019 December 19, 2018 by Michael Cook
Much like her RuPaul's Drag Race sister Season 7 winner Violet Chachki, Tammie Brown is indeed a one of a kind collectible. Equal amount of smart kitsch and raw talent conspire to create one of the most quirkily talented queens around. With her new EP A Little Bit Of Tammie, Ms. Brown shows us exactly why she is one of the most beloved queens from two different Season One's of Drag Race. I got to catch up with her to chat about her musical stylings, which range from dance to folk, what advice she has for the ladies of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4, and why having a cause to her, is just as important as having a crown.
Instinct: Tell me about A Little Bit of Tammie and how would you describe it to those that may not be familiar with your music?
Tammie Brown: Well, it’s a little electro pop and dance. There is some folk in it of course, with “I Love You I Love You I Do” and “The Whale Song” which was actually created for a charity. It was on the shelf for about four years, but finally we decided to put it on the EP. It is for what is going on in the environment, for what is going on with climate change, and the dolphins, and Sea World and other water parks collecting these animals and putting them in the water. We are spreading awareness for that and that is the whole point of “The Whale Song” Which is where #QueenWithACause stems from.
I am also campaigning for #SaveTheOrangutan, and have been campaigning a lot for that on Instagram.
So the rest of A Little Bit Of Tammie is definitely a mixed bag of both good old fashioned fun and also music that has some meaning?
Oh yes! For example “Porta Potty Prostitute” is more on the disco/early 80’s style, with a large inspiration being Amanda Lear. This song was a mix of experience with ideology, randomness and fun, and Amanda Lear-over the top-ness. “Lip Sync Suicide” is kind of a more sixties groove-funk style, and that song is more about the experience of lip sync suicide, as in when I “gave up” or refused to lip sync on Season One of RuPaul’s Drag Race to “We Break The Dawn”. It also pays homage to RuPaul himself and a thank you for sharing his love to me. I am currently working on my next album Schubert and have been in the Valley working on it.
The album is very on brand for Tammie Brown; very kitschy, very unique, and very socially conscious as well. Have you always been this socially aware?
It has always been that way, yes. I always thought we should look up more, instead of just looking down. For example, we come here alone and we leave here alone; we all kind of cluster together, but we all come here alone and leave the planet alone. So yes, I have always been socially aware. For example, I have the song “Whatever” and it was released on the album Popcorn and it was my first video as well, you can find it on YouTube. That one was about a war in the Middle East, I don’t care, I’ll run up my credit card. So that one was definitely a social commentary and that was way before RuPaul’s Drag Race. Regionally I was popular in Southern California, and I always made social commentaries, observed things and liked to write about it. Early influences for music with me was the Talking Heads, "this was a parking lot, now it’s all covered with daises” lyrics like that.
You truly are one of the most cerebral queens around. Do you think that is a fair assessment?
I do. Some people think that I am just crazy or weird, but truthfully I am always analyzing and looking and reading into things deeper than they actually are.I can back myself up because I have talked to other educated people who have said that I have a brilliant observation on something, so I know what I am saying. I also study and I am always watching what is going on and listening. I always like to gauge what is going on before I act.
In the spirit of being an observer, some of your RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 1 have returned to the completion for All Stars 4. Any advice for them? And do you think you would go back for another run at the crown?
Good for them, it’s great publicity. You never know what to expect when you do the show, they have their ideas as to what they want to do with it and how they want to do it. I say enjoy the ride and keep doing what you’re doing and enjoy it. As for me, I would love to do All Stars again. I wouldn't “love” to do it, but I would do it for the fans. There seems to be quite a demand from the fans wanting me to be back on the show. There are online surveys and I am tagged in them and it always puts me on the top as to why they would want to come back from Season One, so it’s pretty cool. I don’t know if it’s my cup of tea to do it, but I would be happy to do it.
What keeps inspiring you to do your absolute best drag and music and keep working so outside the box?
Because it’s my dream. It is my mission to entertain and that is what I do. I like to share that way. I am now noticing that the more I share, the more responses I get that people themselves are encouraged. I get messages with people saying how encouraged they are and they ask for advice sometimes. In life you have to keep going and keep moving forward and that is what I am doing. When you get stuck you have to keep going; that is what we are here to do, we are here to make it better.
A Little Bit Of Tammie is available on ITunes
Tags #tammiebrown, Drag, LGBT, RPDR
This Drag Race Original’s New Album Will Take Us To The Dance Floor
RuPaul Freaks Out on 'All Stars 4' Cast During Filming
The 5 Best 'Snatch Game' Impersonations of All Time!
The List of Judges for All Stars 4 is AMAZING!
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Continuity IRA claims killing by armed assailants disguised as police
February 9, 2016 by Joseph Fitsanakis Leave a comment
A leading dissident republican group in Ireland has claimed responsibility for a bloody attack in Dublin, which was carried out last week by a group of masked assailants disguised as police and carrying AK-47 assault rifles. Police said that the carefully planned attack involved at least six people wearing SWAT-style police uniforms, at least one of whom was disguised as a woman. The assailants stormed a boxing match weigh-in and opened fire, killing Dubliner David Byrne, 33, and injuring at least two others. The boxing match for the European lightweight category, which was scheduled to take between the Portuguese champion Antonio Joao Bento and Dubliner Jamie Kavanagh, was cancelled by the World Boxing Organization.
Initially, the attack was said to have been carried out by an organized illicit smuggling gang. However, police were skeptical about such a claim, given that the use of disguises and AK-47 assault rifles is reminiscent of the tactics used by the Provisional Irish Republican Army prior to the group’s decommissioning in 2005. On Monday, a man who gave the BBC a prearranged code-word associated with the Continuity IRA (CIRA), a republican splinter group, said the attack had been carried out by the militant organization. He said the senior leadership of the CIRA had ordered Byrne’s killing in retaliation for his involvement in the murder of a well-known republican militant in Dublin, nearly five years ago. Alan Ryan, who was believed to be a member of the Real IRA (RIRA), another republican splinter group, was gunned down in Dublin in September 2012, in what the police described as a “planned, targeted killing”. It was believed at the time that Ryan had been killed by a criminal gang with which the RIRA had quarreled.
The alleged CIRA representative told the BBC that Byrne’s killing “will not be an isolated incident”, adding that the group had plans to carry out more attacks aimed against “drug dealers and criminals” in Ireland. Early on Tuesday, meanwhile, another man, Eddie Hutch, was shot dead in northcentral Dublin, in what police said was a reprisal for last week’s CIRA attack in the Irish capital.
► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 09 February 2016 | Permalink
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with Alan Ryan, Continuity IRA, contract killings, David Byrne, disguises, Dublin (Ireland), Ireland, organized crime, Real IRA
Spy agencies failed to share intelligence on Omagh bombing: report
August 12, 2013 by Ian Allen 1 Comment
A new report on the 1998 bombing of downtown Omagh by an Irish republican splinter group claims that the tragedy could have been avoided had British, Irish and American intelligence agencies shared information with British police. The car bomb attack was carried out on August 15, 1998, by the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA). The militant organization consisted of former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers who rejected the Good Friday Agreement, part of the Northern Ireland peace process. It devastated the small Northern Irish town of Omagh, killing 29 and injuring over 200 people, including six children, several teenagers and a woman who was pregnant with twins. There have been no criminal convictions in connection with the bombing, despite the fact that it was the single worst instance of violence in the so-called Northern Ireland Troubles, which began in the 1960s and ended in 1998, largely because of the Omagh bombing. But now a new report commissioned by the families of the victims of the bombing claims that intelligence services from three countries failed to share information with British police, which could have prevented the disaster in Omagh. The report, authored by a group of retired security experts on behalf of London-based law firm SBP, says the RIRA had been infiltrated by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Britain’s Security Service (MI5) and the Irish Garda’s Crime and Security Branch. These agencies, claims the report, had at least two informants inside the RIRA: a smalltime Irish criminal named Paddy Dixon, who frequently smuggled stolen cars from Ireland into Britain for use by the RIRA, and David Rupert, an American of Irish descent. Read more of this post
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with 1998 Omagh bombing, FBI, Garda Síochána, informants, intelligence cooperation, MI5, News, Northern Ireland, Omagh (UK), Omagh Support and Self Help Group, Real IRA, UK, United States
Irish police uncover Real IRA surveillance ring
September 28, 2012 by Joseph Fitsanakis 4 Comments
Police in the Republic of Ireland have arrested two men suspected of spying on the operational headquarters of the Garda Siochana (Irish Police) in Dublin. The two men, aged 41 and 32, who have not been named, were arrested after one of them was recognized by police officers as a known member of the Real Irish Republic Army. The Real IRA, or RIRA, is an Irish republican paramilitary organization formed in 1997, following a split in the Provisional IRA — the armed wing of Sin Fein. It seeks to bring about a united Ireland, but is considered a terrorist group by the United Kingdom and the United States, among other countries. Gardai officers discovered that the Real IRA suspect had used a false name to book a room in a hotel directly overlooking the regional headquarters of the Gardai on Harcourt Street. The building houses, among other police units, the Gardai’s Special Branch and the Criminal Assets Bureau, both of which are used to investigate paramilitary activity in the Republic. Upon searching the room, Gardai officers reportedly found “hi-tech surveillance equipment”, including parabolic microphones and digital cameras. Anonymous Gardai sources claim the equipment was used to eavesdrop on conversations held inside the Gardai building across the street, and to record the license tags of private vehicles belonging to Gardai personnel. Read more of this post
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with Dublin (Ireland), Garda Síochána, Ireland, News, Real IRA, surveillance
Irish republicans used cameras to spy on MI5
September 13, 2010 by intelNews 1 Comment
British government officials in Northern Ireland have ordered 20 trees cut down outside a spying installation, after a number of surveillance cameras were discovered hidden among the tree branches. The trees are located around a multimillion-dollar spying base belonging to MI5, Britain’s primary domestic intelligence organization. The base, which serves as MI5’s headquarters in Northern Ireland, is located in Holywood, County Down, inside a British Army installation named Palace Barracks. Eyebrows were raised on April 12, when a dissident republican group managed to detonate a massive car bomb inside the maximum-security base. The bomb was carried into the base by a local taxi driver, who had been forced by paramilitaries at gunpoint to smuggle it into the facility. British media initially attributed the attack to the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA), but it was later blamed on Óglaigh na hÉireann (ONH), which split from the Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) four years ago. Read more of this post
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with 2010 Palace Barracks bombing, Continuity IRA, County Down, Holywood (UK), MI5, News, Northern Ireland, ONH, Palace Barracks (UK), Real IRA, surveillance, UK
News you may have missed #328 (breaking)
April 12, 2010 by intelNews 1 Comment
Breaking: Real IRA admits NI MI5 base bomb. The Real IRA has admitted it was behind a car bomb which exploded shortly after midnight local hour, outside the Palace Barracks army base, in Holywood, County Down, which houses MI5’s Northern Ireland headquarters. Police said no warning was given.
Venezuela releases 4 of 8 alleged spies. Four of the eight Colombians arrested by Venezuela on espionage charges last week have been released, after a judge found there was not enough evidence to take them to trial. Meanwhile Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has said that the alleged spy ring used “secret or semi-secret codes”.
Analysis: Security services will determine fate of Kyrgyz uprising. Unlike the 2005 so-called Tulip Revolution, this time the anti-government protesters in Kyrgyzstan are armed. But the real question may be whether they have the support of (and control over) the Internal Security Services and the military.
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with 0 Real IRA admits NI MI5 base bomb, 0 Security services will determine fate of Kyrgyz uprising, 0 Venezuela releases 4 of 8 alleged spies, Analysis, Central Asia, Colombia, Committee for National Security (Kyrgyzstan), County Down, espionage, Hugo Chávez, Kyrgyzstan, MI5, News, news you may have missed, Northern Ireland, Palace Barracks (UK), Real IRA, revolutions, UK, Venezuela
February 12, 2010 by intelNews Leave a comment
Real IRA faction killed MI5 informant, says Irish police. The Gardai have concluded that a Real IRA faction executed Denis Donaldson, a former Sinn Fein official who turned informer for MI5 and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Last year, the Real IRA took responsibility for the 2007 killing.
NATO spy station up for sale. A Canadian NATO spy station in Nova Scotia that operated between 1983 and 2006 is for sale for US$1.4 million. It appears that the site’s current owner, who doesn’t want to be identified, bought it from the Canadian Defense Department after the base was closed down.
Analysis on the Binyam Mohamed disclosures and UK-US spy cooperation. This analysis, by Michael Clarke, director of Britain’s Royal United Services Institute, is probably the best synopsis of the meaning of the recent court order to disclose Binyam Mohamed’s torture records, which has complicated US-UK spy relations.
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with assassinations, Binyam Mohamed, Canada, Canadian Defense Department, Denis Donaldson, extraordinary rendition, Garda Síochána, informants, Ireland, MI5, Michael Clarke, NATO, News, news you may have missed, Northern Ireland, Nova Scotia (Canada), Police Service of Northern Ireland, Real IRA, Royal United Services Institute, SIGINT, Sinn Féin, torture, UK, United States
Dozens of MI5 agents to testify in Real IRA trial
October 23, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment
RIRA gunmen
Over 30 agents of MI5, Britain’s primary domestic intelligence agency, will be anonymously giving evidence at a scheduled trial of three men arrested in connection with a Real IRA international gun smuggling operation. The men, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Dermot Declan Gregory, and Desmond Paul Kearns, all from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, were arrested after a yearlong infiltration operation by MI5, involving the use of informants and surveillance equipment. The latter resulted in nearly 90 hours of recorded conversations, which the court said will take “months to transcribe”. Additionally, 35 MI5 agents have so far applied to give evidence in court, their identity concealed behind screens. Read more of this post
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with County Armagh, Dermot Declan Gregory, Desmond Paul Kearns, Holland, informants, lawsuits, Liam Campbell, Lithuania, MI5, Michael Campbell, News, Northern Ireland, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Real IRA, sting operations, surveillance, UK, Vilnius (Lithuania), weapons smuggling
Captured Real IRA operative tried to buy weapons in Lithuania. An Irishman accused of attempting to buy weapons for the Real IRA in Lithuania appeared in court on Tuesday, in Lithuania’s first terrorist trial.
CIA lawyers accused of “deception” in contract dispute. Only three weeks after a federal judge ruled that CIA lawyers committed fraud in a lawsuit, another top agency lawyer is being accused of unethical conduct in another case.
Western spy agencies develop “terrorist Facebook”. Western spy agencies are turning to complex social network analysis. They plan to amass intelligence on a large range of people, even those who seem obscure or irrelevant, and feed it into a computer which will use an algorithm to investigate associations or connections that could be missed by a human.
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with CIA, Facebook, lawsuits, Lithuania, Michael Campbell, News, news you may have missed, Real IRA, RIRA, social networking, United States, War on Terrorism, weapons trade
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#9: Enoch’s Preaching Mission: Secret Works, Oaths, and Murders
(Moses 6:15)
by Book of Mormon Central Staff and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw | Jun 27, 2020 | 2 comments
William Blake, 1757–1827: Sketch for “War Unchained by an Angel—Fire, Pestilence, and Famine Following, ca. 1780–1784.[1]
Consistent with the presentation of the biblical gibborim as “mighty warriors,” the Enoch writings found in the Book of Moses describe scenes of wars, bloodshed, and slaughter among the people.[2] For example, in Moses 6:15 we read:[3]
And the children of men were numerous upon all the face of the land. And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man’s hand was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret works, seeking for power.
The Book of Giants account likewise begins with references to “slaughter, destruction, and moral corruption”[4] that filled the earth.[5] The mention of “secret works” and “administering death”[6] in the Book of Moses recalls a similar description in the Book of Giants:[7] “they knew the se[crets[8] … ] and they killed ma[ny … ].” Elsewhere the Qumran manuscripts refer to the spread of the “mystery of wickedness.”[9] This recalls the deeds of the “Watchers”[10] of Jewish tradition—semi-divine, semi-mythical beings who fell prey to sin.[11]
Mysteries of Wickedness among the “Watchers”
In his summary of accounts of the kind of knowledge that the Watchers were said to have possessed, Hugh Nibley describes their era as a “time of great intellectual as well as material sophistication.”[12] Nibley continues:[13]
The leaders of the people devoted most of their wealth to all kinds of engineering projects for controlling and tempering nature. But the Lord altered the order of creation, making the sun rise in the west and set in the east, so that all their plans came to naught.[14] The idea of controlling the environment independently of God was not so foolish as it sounds, says the Zohar, “for they knew all the arts … and all the ruling chieftains [archons] in charge of the world, and on this knowledge they relied, until at length God disabused them by restoring the earth to its primitive state and covering it with water.”[15] Rabbi Isaac reports: “‘In the days of Enoch even children were acquainted with these mysterious arts [the advanced sciences].’ Said R. Yesa: ‘If so, how could they be so blind as not to know that God intended to bring the Flood upon them and destroy them?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘They did know,’” but they thought they were smart enough to prevent it. “What they did not know was that God rules the world. … God gave them a respite all the time that the righteous men Jered, Methuselah, and Enoch were alive; but when they departed from the world, God let punishment descend …, ‘and they were blotted out from the earth’ (Genesis 7:23).”[16]
Nibley infers that the knowledge of the Watchers also included information about sacred ordinances (or, perhaps, devilish imitations of them[17]) that was not to be divulged to others. For example, an Ethiopian text states:[18]
In the days of Cain and his sons, evil and deceitful practices increased. Those who gloried [in their bodies] before Adam are the wicked angels. Having received bodies, they learned a great sin. They therefore openly exposed all the work they had seen in heaven.
Likewise, a Greek fragment of 1 Enoch (Gizeh) presents:[19]
the Great Angels returning from earth to report to God that they had found ‘Azael teaching all manner of unrighteousness upon the earth, and he has laid bare those mysteries of the age which belong to heaven, which are [now] known and practiced among men; and also Semiazas is with him, he to whom thou gavest authority [over] those who go along with him.
Moreover:[20]
Clement of Alexandria attributed to Musaeus, the founder of the Greek Mysteries, an account of “how the angels lost their heavenly heritage through the telling of the secret things [mysteria] to women,” things, Clement observes, “which the other angels keep secret or quietly perform until the coming of the Lord.”
Islamic tradition teaches that the most important of these mysteria, taught without authorization to a woman who was their accomplice in sin,[21] was knowledge of the “Name of God” by means of which the Watchers were able to “ascend to Heaven.”[22] Commenting on such texts, Nibley observes:[23]
The ordinances are not secret, and yet they are, so to speak, automatically scrambled for those not authorized to have them. … This is the classical account of the Watchers, angels who came to call the human race to repentance, but who, being tempted by the daughters of men, fell and gave away the covenants and the knowledge they possessed. This was their undoing, and was always treated as the most monstrous of crimes, divulging the pure ordinances of heaven to people unworthy to receive them, who then proceeded to exercise them in unrighteousness while proclaiming their own righteousness on the grounds of possessing them.
Mahujah/Mehuja-el and the Mysteries of Wickedness
A tentative case can be made for the identification of the Book of the Giants Mahujah with the biblical Mehuja-el, who was a descendant of Cain and the grandfather of the wicked Lamech.[24] This case is only made stronger when we consider the additional material about Mehuja-el’s family line included in the Joseph Smith account. Note that in the Book of Moses, Mehuja-el’s grandson, like the other “sons of men,”[25] “entered into a covenant with Satan after the manner of Cain.”[26] Similarly, in 1 Enoch[27] we read that a group of conspirators, here depicted as fallen sons of God, “all swore together and bound one another with a curse.” Elsewhere in 1 Enoch we learn additional details about that oath:[28]
This is the number of Kasbe’el, the chief of the oath, which he showed to the holy ones when he was dwelling on high in glory, and its (or “his”) name (is) Beqa. This one told Michael that he should show him the secret name, so that they might mention it in the oath, so that those who showed the sons of men everything that was in secret might quake at the name and the oath.
The passages in 1 Enoch are similar to a section of the Book of Moses that describes a “secret combination” that had been in operation “from the days of Cain.”[29] As to the deadly nature of the oath, we read in the Book of Moses: “Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die,”[30] just as in 1 Enoch the conspirators “bound one another with a curse.”[31]
In 1 Enoch, the conspirators agreed on their course of action by saying,[32] “Come, let us choose for ourselves wives from the daughters of men.” Likewise, in the Book of Moses, Mehuja-el’s grandson became infamous because he “took unto himself … wives”[33] to whom he revealed the secrets of their wicked league (to the chagrin of his fellows).[34] In 1 Enoch, as in the Book of Moses,[35] we also read specifically of how “they all began to reveal mysteries to their wives and children.”[36] We will revisit the consequences of the revelation of these disastrous mysteries in a future discussion of Moses 5.
In summary, the Book of Moses, 1 Enoch, and the Book of Giants reveal the same dreary, recurrent pattern of wickedness, a pattern that Enoch was required by God to disrupt.
Bradshaw, Jeffrey M. Creation, Fall, and the Story of Adam and Eve. 2014 Updated ed. In God’s Image and Likeness 1. Salt Lake City, UT: Eborn Books, 2014, pp. 585–590 (Watchers).
Draper, Richard D., S. Kent Brown, and Michael D. Rhodes. The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 2005, p. 88.
Nibley, Hugh W. Enoch the Prophet. The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 2. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1986, pp. 178–184, 192, 198 (Watchers).
al-Tha’labi, Abu Ishaq Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim. d. 1035. ‘Ara’is Al-Majalis Fi Qisas Al-Anbiya’ or "Lives of the Prophets". Translated by William M. Brinner. Studies in Arabic Literature, Supplements to the Journal of Arabic Literature, Volume 24, ed. Suzanne Pinckney Stetkevych. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2002.
Albeck, Chanoch, ed. Midrash Bereshit Rabbati. Jerusalem, Israel: Mekitze Nirdamim, 1940.
Bradshaw, Jeffrey M., and Ronan J. Head. "The investiture panel at Mari and rituals of divine kingship in the ancient Near East." Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 4 (2012): 1-42. www.templethemes.net.
Bradshaw, Jeffrey M. Creation, Fall, and the Story of Adam and Eve. 2014 Updated ed. In God’s Image and Likeness 1. Salt Lake City, UT: Eborn Books, 2014. www.templethemes.net.
Bradshaw, Jeffrey M., Matthew L. Bowen, and Ryan Dahle. "Where did the names “Mahaway” and “Mahujah” come from?: A response to Colby Townsend’s “Returning to the sources”." Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship (2020): in press. www.templethemes.net.
Charles, R. H., ed. The Book of Enoch Together with a Reprint of the Greek Fragments 2nd ed. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1912. Reprint, Kila, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2005.
Clement of Alexandria. ca. 190-215. "The Stromata, or Miscellanies." In The Ante-Nicene Fathers (The Writings of the Fathers Down to AD 325), edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. 10 vols. Vol. 2, 299-568. Buffalo, NY: The Christian Literature Company, 1885. Reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2004.
Collins, John J. "The sons of God and the daughters of men." In Sacred Marriages, edited by Martti Nissinen and Risto Uro, 259-74. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2008.
Elliott, Nicholas. 1988. John Bright: Voice of Victorian Liberalism. In The Freeman. http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/john-bright-voice-of-victorian-liberalism#axzz2RtlkTEaO. (accessed April 29, 2013).
Fitzmyer, Joseph A. , ed. The Genesis Apocryphon of Qumran Cave 1 (1Q20): A Commentary Third ed. Biblica et Orientalia 18/B. Rome, Italy: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 2004.
Grébaut, Sylvain. 1911. "Les computs et les symboles (Fascicule 3, No. 28)." In Patrologia Orientalis, edited by Pontificio Istituto Orientale Roma. Vol. 6, 428-57. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers NV, 2003.
Lesses, Rebecca. "’They revealed secrets to their wives’: The transmission of magical knowledge in 1 Enoch." In With Letters of Light: Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Early Jewish Apocalypticism, Magic, and Mysticism, edited by Daphna V. Arbel and Andrei A. Orlov. Ekstasis: Religious Experience from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, ed. John R. Levison, 196-222. Berlin, Germany: Walter de Gruyter, 2011.
Martinez, Florentino Garcia. "The Book of Giants (1Q23)." In The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English, edited by Florentino Garcia Martinez. 2nd ed. Translated by Wilfred G. E. Watson, 260. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1996.
———. "Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen ar)." In The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English, edited by Florentino Garcia Martinez. 2nd ed. Translated by Wilfred G. E. Watson, 230-37. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1996.
Matt, Daniel C., ed. The Zohar, Pritzker Edition. Vol. 1. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2004.
Mika’el, Bakhayla. ca. 1400. "Another discourse concerning the birth of Enoch." In The Book of the Mysteries of the Heavens and the Earth and Other Works of Bakhayla Mika’el (Zosimas), edited by E. A. Wallis Budge, 140-62. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1934. Reprint, Berwick, ME: Ibis Press, 2004.
———. ca. 1400. "The book of the mysteries of the heavens and the earth." In The Book of the Mysteries of the Heavens and the Earth and Other Works of Bakhayla Mika’el (Zosimas), edited by E. A. Wallis Budge, 1-96. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1934. Reprint, Berwick, ME: Ibis Press, 2004.
Nibley, Hugh W. Enoch the Prophet. The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 2. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1986.
———. 1986. "Return to the temple." In Temple and Cosmos: Beyond This Ignorant Present, edited by Don E. Norton. The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 12, 42-90. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1992. https://mi.byu.edu/book/temple-and-cosmos/. (accessed July 26, 2016).
Reeves, John C. Jewish Lore in Manichaean Cosmogony: Studies in the Book of Giants Traditions. Monographs of the Hebrew Union College 14. Cincinnati, OH: Hebrew Union College Press, 1992.
———. n.d. Midrash of Shemhazai and Azael (English Translation). In Religious Studies, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. https://pages.uncc.edu/john-reeves/course-materials/rels-2104-hebrew-scripturesold-testament/bereshit-rabbati-on-shemhazai-azael/. (accessed May 13, 2020).
Stuckenbruck, Loren T. The Book of Giants from Qumran: Texts, Translation, and Commentary. Tübingen, Germany: Mohr Siebeck, 1997.
Thomas, Samuel I. The "Mysteries" of Qumran: Mystery, Secrecy, and Esotericism in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Early Judaism and its Literature 25, ed. Judith H. Newman. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009.
Wintermute, O. S. "Jubilees." In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, edited by James H. Charlesworth. Vol. 2, 35-142. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1983.
Wise, Michael, Martin Abegg, Jr., and Edward Cook, eds. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York City, NY: Harper-Collins, 1996.
Wright, Archie T. The Origin of Evil Spirits. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe 198, ed. Jörg Frey. Tübingen, Germany: Mohr Siebeck, 2005.
[1] Speaking as if he were standing before the scene in the figure, John Bright (1811–1889), a Quaker, movingly addressed the English House of Commons in opposition to the Crimean War (N. Elliott, John Bright):
The angel of death has been abroad throughout the land; you may almost hear the beating of his wings. There is no one as of old … to sprinkle with blood the lintel and the two side-posts of our doors, that he may spare and pass on; he takes his victims from the castle of the noble, the mansion of the wealthy, and the cottage of the poor and lowly.
[2] See Moses 6:15; 7:7, 16.
[3] Moses 6:15.
[4] J. C. Reeves, Jewish Lore, p. 67.
[5] M. Wise et al., DSS, Book of Giants (1Q23), 9+14+15:2-4, p. 291; F. G. Martinez, Book of Giants (1Q23), 9+14+15:2-4.
[7] M. Wise et al., DSS, Book of Giants (1Q23), 9+14+15:2-4, p. 291.
[8] Martinez translates the term as “mysteries” (F. G. Martinez, Book of Giants (1Q23), 9+14+15:2, p. 291). Stuckenbruck is more cautious: “Not enough is visible on 1Q23 14 to verify this reading” (L. T. Stuckenbruck, Book of Giants, p. 58).
[9] M. Wise et al., DSS, Tales of the Patriarchs (1QapGen), 1:2, p. 91. Cf. F. G. Martinez, Genesis Apocryphon, 1:2, p. 230; J. A. Fitzmyer, Genesis Apocryphon, 1:2, p. 67: “mystery of evil.” See also 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (ibid., p. 120 n. 1:2). For an extended discussion, see S. I. Thomas, Mysteries, pp. 180-182.
[10] For the etymology of the term “Watchers,” see G. W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, pp. 140–141. See also J. J. Collins, Sons of God, pp. 263–264.
[11] The best-known accounts of the Watchers, outside of brief allusions in scripture, are found in 1 Enoch chapters 6–16, 85–88, 106–107 and the book of Jubilees (e.g., O. S. Wintermute, Jubilees, 4:15, p. 62; 5:2, p. 62). Many scholars see 1 Enoch 6–16 (part of what is called the Book of the Watchers) merely as “the author’s explanation of an oppressive political situation that Israel is facing,” however Archie T. Wright persuasively argues that the text is primarily the author’s account “of the origin of evil spirits based on his interpretation of Genesis 6:1–4” (A. T. Wright, Evil Spirits, p. 9. Cf. pp. 49, 138–165).
[12] See G. W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, 8:1–3, p. 188.
[13] H. W. Nibley, Enoch, pp. 184–185.
[14] See D. C. Matt, Zohar 1, Be-reshit 1:56a, pp. 315–316 and n. 1545.
[15] Ibid., Be-reshit 1:56b, pp. 318–319.
[16] See ibid., Be-reshit 1:56b, p. 319; Genesis 7:23.
[17] See J. M. Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, p. 398 n. 5:53-a.
[18] S. Grébaut, Computs, p. 431; cf. B. Mika’el, Enoch, pp. 141–142; B. Mika’el, Mysteries, pp. 26–27. See also H. W. Nibley, Enoch, pp. 182–183; J. J. Collins, Sons of God, p. 269; Job 4:18, 15:8, 15; Matthew 24:36–37; 1 Peter 1:12. See J. M. Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, p. 727 n. E-104.
[19] H. W. Nibley, Enoch, p. 183; cf. R. H. Charles, Enoch, 9:6–7, p. 283; G. W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, 9:6–7, p. 202.
[20] H. W. Nibley, Enoch, p. 184; cf. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 5:1:10, p. 446.
[21] J. M. Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, p. 727 n. E-105.
[22] A. I. A. I. M. I. I. al-Tha’labi, Lives, p. 88; cf. C. Albeck, Midrash, English translation in J. C. Reeves, Midrash Shemhazai and Azael (English) (see p. 587).
[23] H. W. Nibley, Return, p. 63; cf. Genesis 6:4-6; J. M. Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, p. 398 n. 5:53-a.
[24] See J. M. Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, p. 96 n. M6-19. Because of differences in Hebrew spelling, some have questioned whether a connection can be made between Mahijah/Mahujah (in the Book of Moses), Mahaway (in the Qumran Book of Giants), and Mehuja-el (in Genesis 4:18). See Essay #7. For a detailed response on this issue, see J. M. Bradshaw et al., Where Did the Names “Mahaway” and “Mahujah” Come From?.
[25] Moses 5: 52, 55.
[26] Moses 5:49.
[27] G. W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, 6:5, p. 174.
[28] G. W. E. Nickelsburg et al., 1 Enoch 2, 69:13–14, p. 304.
[30] Moses 5:29. For more on the uses of such oaths within and outside of scripture, see J. M. Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, Moses 5:29-b, c, d, pp. 377–378; J. M. Bradshaw et al., Investiture Panel, pp. 33–34.
[33] Moses 5:44. See J. M. Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, p. 392 n. 5:44-a: “The wording ‘took unto himself’ is paralleled in the description of the illicit relationships of the wicked husbands in the days of Noah (Moses 8:14, 21). A. T. Wright, Evil Spirits, pp. 135–136 observes that “there is no indication … that a marriage actually took place, but rather [the phrase] could be translated and understood as ‘Lamech took to himself two women.’”
[34] Moses 5:47–55. See J. M. Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, pp. 395–399 n. 5:47a-54c.
[35] Moses 5:53: “Lamech had spoken the secret unto his wives, and they rebelled against him, and declared these things abroad, and had not compassion.”
[36] G. W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, 8:3, p. 188. For an extensive discussion of this topic, see R. Lesses, They Revealed.
Ralf Czerny on June 30, 2020 at 10:41 am
When Samson revealed the secret of his strength to Delilah he suffered the consequence of her betrayal. Is this story possibly figurative of the betrayals listed above?
Jeff Bradshaw on June 30, 2020 at 11:51 am
Hi, Ralf! Thanks for your observation. It certainly seems to me that there are echoes of the ancient “wild man” motif both woven throughout Enoch accounts in the Book of Moses and Jewish tradition also incorporated within the story of Samson. As Greg Moberly observes (The Empty Men, pp. 175-182, 195, 199), these include the breaking of solemn vows and the revealing of secrets to women.
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Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg
Today we visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. It is a beautiful museum landscaped in the African veldt style with many beautiful grasses and African succulents.
The naturalistic landscape has many drifts of grasses along the gravel and brick walkways.
Along the entry are Gabon walls filled with rocks produced in the mining of gold. They represent the many non-white workers who died extracting the gold from the area.
Thirty percent of all gold mined in the world in all of history came from the mines near Johannesburg. The 2 photos above show some of the many mounds and hills made by putting the soil and rocks from the tunnels on top of the ground.
When you enter the museum they give you a ticket that says either “White” or “Non-White” randomly assigned. You have to enter the museum through the appropriate entrance as shown on the photo above. Whites and non-whites have different registration cards as shown above and the museum shows through photos, videos, recordings and articles how poorly the non-whites were treated under apartheid.
One large section of the museum is about Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist who spent 27 years in prison for his beliefs. One of the interactive displays shows photos of Mandela with some of his memorable quotes in different colors. The visitor chooses a favorite quote and then picks out a stick of the same color and places it in the rack on the other side of the path. In this way the museum encourages visitors to read some of Mandela’s writings.
Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and became the first black president of South Africa. He died in 2013 at the age of 95. His wife, Winnie, died 2 weeks ago so we were not able to visit her town, Soweto. Mandela was raised in a Christian missionary school and was taught from a young age that all people are equal. He helped to write the new South African constitution. The above plaque shows the 7 pillars of the constitution for which Mandela gave his life: Democracy, Equality, Reconciliation, Diversity, Responsibility, Respect and Freedom.
Many people ask: “Has apartheid really been eliminated in South Africa?” Officially it has: Everyone has the right to vote; every one has the same type of registration card; everyone can own land; everyone uses the same schools and the same public facilities. In reality however we noticed on our tour that all the bus drivers, cooks, waiters, housekeepers, bellhops, taxi drivers were black and all the shop owners, managers, guides were white. The blacks live in substandard housing in ghettos along the freeways as shown in the following photos.
Note that the middle photo shows a row of porta-potties lining the fence because the dwellings do not have bathrooms. They only have running water at a few hose bibs in the middle of the development. The government gives them free electricity and that is why you see all the wires in the air. If they didn’t the people would use kerosene for heating which would result in many fires.
The government is trying to build stucco houses for these people like those in the photo below.
But the government can’t keep up with the demand. The community is growing faster than the government can build because there are many refugees coming into the country from surrounding countries. What is the solution? Many of the liberal South Africans feel that the privileged whites should give some of their land to the blacks and they have passed laws to start this process. This has already been tried in the adjacent country of Zimbabwe back in the ‘90s with horrific results.
Our guide, Russell, is from Zimbabwe and told us what happened in that country. In the 1980’s the country was ruled by the white minority who were mostly descendants from the English colonists. The black majority were getting restless and wanted some say in the government. They wanted to rule their country and change the name from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was named after the Englishman Cecil Rhodes, Zimbabwe is an African name.
The uprising came in the 1970’s and in 1980 the blacks were in control and they elected a black president, Robert Mugabe. He became a de facto dictator and ruled the country with an iron fist. He started taking away the farm land and businesses from the whites and giving to to the blacks. The economy of the country started to go downhill because the blacks in many cases did not know how to farm or run the businesses.
In 1980 it took 10 Zimbabwean dollars to equal 1 US dollar. By 1990 it took 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars to equal 1 US dollar. Hyperinflation took a severe toll on Zimbabwe; Many of the whites left and our guide was one of them. The people who were left were unskilled and unable to run the country. President Mugabe used much money for his own pleasure and was a poor manager of the country. They started printing million dollar notes and then billion dollar notes. By 2009 they were printing 100 billion dollar notes to buy a loaf of bread.
Now Zimbabwe is the second poorest country in Africa (Congo is the poorest). They no longer have any currency of their own; they use US dollars and South African rands. Tourism is what keeps this country alive. I bought 200 billion Zimbabwean dollars for $10 US.
Tomorrow: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Previous Post Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
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Three Unlikely Entrepreneurs Launch a New Venture
Three young men from Gwayi River, Zimbabwe are launching an exciting new venture, even though the odds have been stacked against all of them their whole lives.
What is this exciting new venture?
A one-of-a-kind tech solution? A breakthrough discovery? A much-needed service no one has thought of?
It's none of those.
The boys are raising chickens.
What? Why is that exciting? My neighbor does that in her backyard...
It's exciting for 3 reasons.
Some of the profits will support a local pastor and missionary. The boys are establishing the habit of participating in God's work financially at an early age.
It will help people flourish. To say Zimbabwe's economy is dismal is an understatement. People are hungry. This helps people eat.
The boys are learning how to be providers and to work hard.
ITMI's Charl van Wyk of South Africa and a co-worker from Zimbabwe, Cozmore, have been reaching out to Gwayi River, Zimbabwe. They've helped set up a maize mill, worked alongside local Christian leaders and implemented discipleship camps for young men in the village.
Charl van Wyk with some of the boys from the Gwayi River boys camp last year.
Charl and Cozmore identified four young men who showed promise in the area of business and helped them set up the venture. ITMI helped with funds to build the chicken coop, purchase the chickens and initial feed. The boys raised $75 of the seed money on their own.
ITMI helped with funds to build the coop and purchase the chickens.
Three of them have remained faithful to the project. Their names are changed for their protection.
Entrepreneur #1: John
John was born HIV positive. He has struggled with the limitations of the condition it all his life, often bedridden.
When his HIV status was exposed by one of the nurses from a government clinic, the local children's fear of him added to the hardship of his condition.
Charl says, "John loves this new project and the challenges that go with it. He thanked the others for letting him be part of this group despite often being sick."
Entrepreneur #2: Jack
Jack was born to a very young, single mother. He grew up with his grandmother in the bush – far away villages. His mother continued with her schooling after giving birth, and eventually married a local pastor. He has now been reunited with her in Gwayi River.
Charl says, "Jack is an introvert, soft spoken and often gets taken advantage of – this project is helping him become the man the Lord intends him to be."
Entrepreneur #3: Josh
Josh's parents died when he was very young.
Charl says, "As often happens in animistic African culture, Josh’s extended family treated him and his sister extremely badly. They thus ran away, choosing rather to be children of the community – moving around, hoping for the best."
Josh became a child slave - working wherever he could in exchange for food and a roof over his head. Charl and Cozmore's friend, Pastor Nyoni is now their foster parent.
Charl adds, "Praise the Lord for Christianity, which has transformed the lives of people who now, instead of treating orphans like garbage, take it upon themselves to house, feed and love the most vulnerable."
Cozmore reports the boys are smiling from ear to ear. When asked what brought them together, John responded, "It’s definitely Jesus Christ!"
PARTNER WITH CHARL VAN WYK
Filed Under: Africa, Charl van Wyk, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Written while Irving was living abroad in Birmingham, England, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was first published in 1820. Along with Irving's companion piece "Rip Van Winkle", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during Halloween because of a character known as the Headless Horseman believed to be a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle. In 1949, the second film adaptation was produced by Walt Disney as one of two segments in the package film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Read more or edit on Wikipedia
original title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
date of publication: 1820
genre: Gothic literature, ghost story
published in: The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.
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INOGO
A PROGRAM OF THE STANFORD WOODS INSTITUTE for THE ENVIRONMENT
Leadership Program (Caminos de Liderazgo)
SELAL
DynaMar
Diagnostic Analyses
INOGO Mapas
Map Library
Lynne Gaffikin
Title and Credentials:
Dr. Public Health; Adjunct Professor, Division of Family Planning Services and Research/Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliate, Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Affiliate Fellow, Center for Innovation in Global Health
Former Colleagues
Lynne Gaffikin has worked for over 35 years helping to improve maternal and child health in low resource settings. For the past 20 years her work has also extended to the interface between human, wildlife and ecosystem health- most recently including planetary health. She received her doctorate of public health in community health and epidemiology in 1988. Her thesis focused on factors affecting the uptake of family planning in Niamey, Niger. Subsequently, she worked as senior advisor to the Kenya Ministry of Health on a USAID-funded family planning information system project. Starting in 1991, she served as Director of Research and Evaluation at JHPIEGO, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, focusing initially on family planning training and then, post-Cairo, on broader women’s reproductive health issues. In 1996 she founded her own research and evaluation organization, EARTH Inc., to provide technical assistance to broader ecosystem health initiatives. In this capacity, she has worked closely with numerous conservation organizations (e.g. Conservation through Public Health, Wildlife Conservation Society, Jane Goodall Institute) as a public health and/or research and evaluation advisor. She continues to provide similar technical assistance to NGOs aiming to strengthen human health and environmental conservation linkages. Between 2011-2018, Dr. Gaffikin provided support to INOGO as their health and metrics advisor, undertaking a comprehensive health assessment of the region’s health status, needs and resources and[LG1] advising on strategic planning and results measurement. Currently, she is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Affiliate Fellow in the Center for Innovation in Global Health, School of Medicine.
Please contact for mailing address --, CA -- earthlg@gmail.com Add to Address Book
© Stanford University
Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
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The Women's Eye Is Hosting an Event and You're Invited!
I met Pam Burke years ago during my New York publishing days. She co-executive produced NBC’s “Tomorrow” show with Tom Snyder, and as a book publicist I’d pitch her my authors for the show. Later, after I left publishing and before I started writing my own books, she and I worked together on the short-lived “USA Today: The Television Show.” She’s always been a doer and a whip-smart one at that. Her latest media venture is The Women’s Eye, a multifaceted web enterprise that includes radio, feature stories, interviews and just about every sort of news-you-can-use for women.
Now TWE has decided to launch their first-ever “tel-event” or “webinar” (choose your favorite term) on May 29th at 10am PT and I’m their guest speaker.
I’ll be interviewed by TWE’s fabulous Stacey Gualandi….
She’ll ask me questions about caregiving and my survival guide, You’d Better Not Die or I’ll Kill You, and everyone who signs up for this FREE event will be able to ask me questions too. See their invitation page below and please register, share with others, spread the word. I’m really excited about this as soooo many people I know are dealing with a parent or grandparent, sibling, spouse or friend with an illness and they’re feeling overwhelmed. We’ll cover how to be the best patient advocate while still taking care of your own health and sanity. And, as I said, it’s FREE. Not a bad deal at all! Just go to the TWE page and follow the links to register. See you there.
TWE TelEvent: LIVE Q&A With Jane Heller-Essential Tips for Caregivers
Yes, it’s our FIRST EVENT and we wanted to invite you…
Join us via the Web, your phone, or Skype
10 AM Pacific Time Thursday, May 29th
for a FREE, LIVE Interview and Q&A session with:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and long-time caregiver
How to Be the Best Caregiver and Still Take Care of You
TWE Radio host, Stacey Gualandi, will be interviewing Jane, the author of her Caregiver’s Survival Guide, You’d Better Not Die or I’ll Kill You, (what she says to her husband Michael before he goes into surgery). Then we’ll open it up for your questions.
Jane’s written 13 romantic comedies, so you know she’s got a great sense of humor, but she was also catapulted into the world of caregiving when she met and married her husband, who has had more than thirty surgeries for Crohn’s Disease.
In this webinar, Jane will share her tips about:
How to Be the Best Patient Advocate for Your Loved One
How to Keep Your Sanity
How to Maintain Your Health
See Jane’s terrific book trailer on this page along with all of the details for this event including:
How to join us by the Web, your phone, or Skype
How the teleconference works (it’s simple!)
How you can ask your questions ahead of time as well as during the event
How to register for the replay in case you can’t make the live event
If you want to Register Now, just click the button!
Pam, Cheryl and The Women’s Eye Team
P.S. Please pass this on to others you think would like to attend.
Filed Under: Mainly Jane, News stories, Wellness Tagged With: books, caregiving, Stacey Gualandi, The Women's Eye, You'd Better Not Die or I'll Kill You
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Online Research Tools
In recent years, Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum has developed web pages designed to make archaeological data easily available to researchers and the public. We currently have five different web sources available, ranging from artifact identification tools to artifact and paleobotanical databases. A short description and links are provided below for each of these web resources. Also included is a link to the Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum searchable library catalog and information on accessing archaeological collections curated at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab.
Archaeological Collections in Maryland
The Archaeological Collections in Maryland website is a finding aid to more than 30 of the most important collections held at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory and includes a searchable database of the artifacts and field records from each of those collections.
Artifacts of Outlander Exhibit
The Artifacts of Outlander Exhibit website shows how real 18th-century artifacts from Maryland compare to the Outlander series on Starz. It provides stories behind those artifacts.
Colonial Chesapeake Cultures
The Colonial Chesapeake Cultures website explores the material dimensions of cultural contact, plantation development, the rise of slavery and consumer culture through the study of 18 colonial Chesapeake archaeological sites in Virginia and Maryland.
Diagnostic Artifacts in Maryland
The Diagnostic Artifacts in Maryland website, created by the MAC Lab in 2002, was designed as an introduction to artifact types commonly found at archaeological sites in Maryland. This online resource, which uses the extensive MAC Lab collections to create accessible identification tools and resource materials, has proven invaluable for archaeologists, curators, students and anyone interested in Maryland and Mid-Atlantic history.
Printable pdf of Colonial and Post-Colonial ceramics.
Printable pdf chart of Historic Ceramic Types.
The JPPM Research Library holds one of the region’s largest reference collections on the archaeology and history of Maryland and the Middle Atlantic area. We have over 12,000 references dealing with such topics as Native American life, the identification and conservation of artifacts and antiques, agricultural history, historic buildings, museum studies, and archaeology around the world. Many of our books and journals are rare, and would be hard to find at other libraries.
Maryland Archeobotany
The Maryland Archeobotany website aggregates Maryland’s paleobotanical data in a searchable format with interpretive summaries that place the information in a publicly-accessible and user-friendly format. Project components include summaries of archaeological sites bearing plant data, a searchable database of archaeologically-recovered plant remains, and an interpretive history of Maryland's landscapes.
Maryland Unearthed
Maryland Unearthed serves as a guide and provides access to many of the important archaeological collections maintained by the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, the state's central curation facility.
This web site was produced under a generous grant from the Maryland State Highway Administration.
Wood and Charcoal Identification in Maryland
The Wood and Charcoal Identification in Maryland website was created to assist in the identification of carbonized wood samples from archaeological sites. In addition to descriptions of thirty-one hardwood and softwood species found in Maryland, the site contains high resolution photographs of the cellular structure of each species, both in carbonized and non-carbonized forms.
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Jessica Stern
Articles in Referred Journals
Journal Chapters
Interviews & Public Appearances
Radovan Karadzic’s Life Script by Dr. Indira Novic
HOW HAS RADOVAN KARADŽIĆ BECOME AN ARCHITECT OF GENOCIDE?
A Bosnian psychologist’s analysis of Karadžić’s life script based on Jessica Stern’s interviews
The best question to ask with regards to ancestral influences in molding the child’s life script is “What kind of lives did your grandparents lead?”, wrote Eric Berne, the founder of Transactional Analyses (TA), in his book What Do You Say After You Say Hello?. The book is about life script – the blueprint for a life course that guides the person’s behavior – by which we structure longer period of time or even whole life.
Radovan Karadžić is familiar with Transactional Analyses. I know it because he attended a few TA seminars run by Dr Zoran Milivojević, sometime in 1991, in Sarajevo.
I vividly remember him sitting in the group of about fifteen counselors, psychologists and young psychiatrists interested in psychotherapy. We’d be sitting in the group room at the Psychiatric Clinic of Koševo Hospital where he was working as a psychiatrist, talking about the key concepts in TA such as Parent, Adult and Child ego states, transactions, games, life script… “It is not easy to comprehend incredible power which a parent’s messages have over a child. Some parental directives and injunctions are identical with hypnotic suggestions,” someone would say, and Karadžić always participated in the discussions.
While I was reading Jessica Stern’s manuscript, I often thought of Eric Berne. What would he say about Radovan Karadžić’s life script? When I reached the end, I knew. He’d say that Karadžić had permission to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors.
Jessica Stern, a research professor at Boston University and global terrorism expert, met with Karadžić at The Hague and conducted 12 interviews with him. Karadžić, 74, known as the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, is currently serving a life sentence for war crimes and horrific atrocities in 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Europe’s bloodiest conflict since the Second World War, including the July1995 Srebrenica massacre, which saw thousands of men and boys slaughtered.
Stern contacted me last year, during the writing of her new book My War Criminal: Personal Encounters with an Architect of Genocide. Her aim in interviewing Karadžić, she explained, was to try to discover how he became a genocidal leader and how he managed to persuade ordinary people to kill their neighbors. I am a clinical psychologist and I am asking myself the same questions. I have been working with the victims of torture and trauma since the beginning of the Bosnian war, trying to understand how an ordinary man becomes a war criminal.
Having interviewed terrorists before, Stern describes how she attempts to enter an ‘altered state’ when speaking to perpetrators, whereby their feelings become more central to her experience than her own.
“This process – of embracing the perpetrator’s subjectivity – feels necessary to me, in order to come fully to know how he thinks. I follow his moral logic so closely that it becomes my own, at least when I’m with him,” she explains at the beginning of the book. She admits to developing a ‘kind of intimacy’ with Karadžić and seeing ‘the logic’ of what he told her in order to justify his barbaric actions.
Her book has already stirred a lot of controversy and emotions since Karadžić inadvertently got a chance to spread out historical inaccuracies and standard rationalizations for the committed crimes. He always maintains what happened in Yugoslavia was ‘not a genocide but a civil war’ and that the Bosnian Serb campaigns during the war, which included the bloody siege of the capital Sarajevo, were aimed at defending Serbs. It was his duty, Karadžić claims, to defend his people!
The strongest argument Karadžić put forth is that Serbs perceived a ‘real threat’ and committed genocide ‘out of a fear’ that Bosnian Muslims were planning to impose a sharia state. It is Stern’s ‘seeing his moral logic’ but not emphasizing enough the key factor that drove the genocide in Bosnia – the territorial ambitions of Serb leaders and their plan to establish a Greater Serbia – which led to a critique of her work in The New York Times, with the reviewers accusing her of trying ‘so strenuously to empathise with her subject that she loses control of her own book’.
Nonetheless, Jessica Stern’s book is a valuable source of information about Karadžić’s family history – the data she has collected indeed can help us to gain deeper insights into his personality. I also learned from Stern about how influential Serbian mythology is in some circles, and I certainly learned more about Karadžić himself, so I have taken a chance to use the data from the book, analyze Karadžić’s life script based on her study and interviews, and attempt to answer her questions.
Could anything about Karadžić’s personal history, personality, or exposure to historical trauma shed light on the formation of his identity as a politician and genocidal leader?”, Stern asks. But Karadžić doesn’t like those type of questions. He believes political, historical and social circumstances are decisive in what happened in the Bosnian war, not a personal profile of a leader. He wrote to Stern:
“I have realized that you adopted a standpoint according to which the main element that determined the course of events – was a personal history, nature and inclinations of individuals that had a prominent or decisive role in it.”
“Relaying on the personal psychology matter in our crisis is completely in vain, losing time and point.”
Karadžić is right; if you are a hero who is protecting his people, who cares about the psychological characteristics that inform your actions?! Your heroic deeds are what matters! But being the hero is one thing and to imitate a hero is another. What’s the difference? When you are a genuine hero, you protect life and you want to make this world a better place for all people, regardless if you are praised for it. When you are a hero imitator, being praised is the point. You want acknowledgement and admiration, and the lives of others end up being not as important. Karadžić believes he is genuine – he is a heroic man in love with his heroic people. Besides, his politics and deeds were driven by external circumstances, hence no need to ‘psychoanalyze’ him. Psychoanalyzing him is just a waste of time! Not for us. We must explain why and how the psychiatrist who writes poetry became a war criminal. The knowledge from TA could help us to answer the question.
Most of us seem to operate in life with an unconscious or pre-conscious life plan to which Berne gave the name of life scenario, life script or simply script. Our life stories are not only influenced by our inborn tendencies, experiences and perceptions (or misperceptions) about the environment we live in, but also the conscious and unconscious intentions of our caregivers. Life scenario is usually developed early in life as a result of the messages and directives we receive from parents and other people close to us. The aim of TA psychotherapy is to change an unhealthy life script which is the result of self-limiting decisions – made in childhood in the interest of survival. This is based on the supposition that even though we originally made the decision to follow parents’ injunctions and directives, we ultimately have the power to change our life trajectory as adults.
Script messages – borne from our parents’ own frustration, pain, resentment, fears, envy, jealousy, unhappiness, disappointment, frustrations or secret desires – have the most important influence in the formation of the offspring’s life scripts. They can be sent to the child as non-verbal permissions to do or achieve something (“It is ok if you are successful”), or injunctions – prohibitions or negative commands such as “Don’t succeed”; “Don’t grow up and leave me!”; “Don’t be smart”; “Don’t fail”; “Don’t be a traitor!”; “Don’t outdo me”, and so on. Script messages are also seen as coming from suggestions (“Always do your best”), attributions that indirectly tell the child what he or she should be (“You are your mother’s hero!”; “You are so stupid!”; ”You’re just like your father!”), and modelling – visible ways parents behave. It is not about one-off message. For a script message to be locked in solidly in the mind of a child, it must be repeated frequently, although there are exceptional cases where a single shattering experience may engrave a message for life.
Some scripts are banal, and some are tragic, but they usually have a particular theme similar to those in fairy tales, myths, Greek tragedies, or epic stories. As children, we tend to imitate the mythical heroes and heroines from our favourite stories, and later in adolescence we emulate real people we admire, so the characters in real life or fiction can become a significant component of the script. “It is important to know what the person’s favourite story or fairy tale was as a child, since this can be the plot of his script”, writes Berne. The character chosen for imitation can be highly stylized – like Tsar Lazar or Alexander the Great, for example, completely mythical figure such as Robin Hood, Luke Skywalker or Marko Kraljević, or a live, flesh-and blood person like Lord Byron or Gavrilo Princip. “If the description fits – and when it does it often does uncannily – then it can be safely assumed that the mythical hero has been identified, writes Claude Steiner, another big name in TA. So if we are to analyse Karadžić’s life script, we must know who his mythical heroes were in childhood. But before that, we need to work out his script matrix.
The script matrix is a diagram designed to illustrate the messages handed down from parents and grandparents to the current generation. They may determine the person’s life scenario and the final payoff i.e. the ultimate destiny or ‘final display’ that marks the end of a life plan. There are good, neutral and bad payoffs. If the payoff is really a bad one, the person will end up in the morgue, state hospital or prison. But, let’s forget TA for the moment, and go back to Stern’s question.
“Is there anything about Karadžić’s personal history that could help us to understand how he has become an architect of genocide?”, Stern asked. Nobody could have predicted that Karadžić would become a war criminal! Yes, we knew that in 1985, he was tried for embezzlement of public property while building a family house. He was accused of fraud and financial crime; he pled guilty to the charges and served 11 months in jail of a three-year prison sentence. But, Karadžić a nationalist?! Before the war, neither his political view nor his personal style seemed hateful or intolerant. His colleagues at the Koševo Hospital Department of Psychiatry, where he was working from 1979 to 1992, had no idea that he would end up as a genocidal political leader. That was a surprise even for psychiatrist Dr Ismet Cerić, Karadžić’s professional mentor, who knew him for more than 15 years. “It’s impossible to understand him”, he told US program Frontline. “If you know somebody for many years and he behaved in one way… for example he never in that time was a strong nationalist. All around him were the Bosnia Muslims; majority of his friends were Bosnia Muslims. And, after a few months or one year of political activities, when he became leader of the political party, he changed his mind, he changed everything and went up on the hills and with heavy artillery destroyed the town, destroyed this clinic, killed the people with whom he lived for more than twenty years…”, said Dr Cerić.1
Really, is it possible to understand how and why Karadžić has become a war criminal? TA psychotherapists claim that it is possible to find (at least partially) an answer to the question about the underlying motivation of genocidal leaders if we knew the leaders’ scripts. So if we studied his biography and analysed the script directives he received from his parents, the script themes and his mythical heroes, we’d better understand what he has done and who he has become. We also need to know about his family ethos – a set of ethical standards, ideology and family values – and about the ‘mission’ of his ancestors – the ‘noble cause’ that expresses the ‘goal of our people’. Why is that important? It would help us to understand how Karadžić has become a nationalist-separatist – “loyal to parents and grandparents who were disloyal to the regime because they were damaged by the regime”.*2We could find out more about it from the messages he received from his parents.
*2At the beginning of the modern era of terrorism, usually dated to the early 1970s, the two major group types dominated the social scene: the social revolutionary terroristsand the nationalist-separatist terrorists, writes Jerrold Post, author of The Mind of the Terrorist. The social revolutionaryterrorists were striking out against the generation of their parents that was loyal to the regime. The nationalist-separatistterrorists were loyal to parents and grandparents who were disloyal to the regime because they were damaged by the regime. They were carrying out the mission! They were fighting for the noble cause and a mission that expressed the ‘goal of our people’. They didn’t believe that what they were doing was wrong, for from childhood they had been socialised to be heroic revolutionary fighters for the nation. Their mission was to carry on acts of vengeance against the regime or those who oppressed their ancestors. Is Radovan Karadžić a typical nationalist-separatist?
Transactional analysts believe that the directives that shape the person’s script come from the Child ego state of the parent of the opposite sex. The program – the ‘instructions’ on how to follow these main verbal and nonverbal messages – comes from the parent of the same sex. Thus, the boy becomes the man his mother, overtly or secretly, wants him to be (of course, if he decides to follow the directives), but the father demonstrates how to achieve that – the father ‘transmits’ to the boy a host of “Here’s how to …” modelling behaviours. So if we are to work out Karadžić’s script matrix, we must know what his mother wanted him to be, and what he learned from his father. But things are not that simple. The problem is that we receive so many explicit and implicit, conscious and unconscious directives from our parents. It is not easy to select and prioritise them. How do we know what are the decisive directives Karadžić has received from his mother – that showed him what to do and who to become – and the decisive patterns of behaviour he learned from his father that show him how to do it? The most reliable clues are offered by the question, ’What did you have to do to make your parents smile?’, Berne noted. So, what did Radovan Karadžić have to do to make his mother Jovanka smile?
What do we know about her? We watch her on YouTube3showing the photo of her first-born son Radovan, telling with great pride that she gave birth to a son who is highly regarded because he is fighting for Serbdom. She also said in the interview to Serbian magazine Svedok4 that she had known that Radovan was destined for something important. “I don’t know whether you will understand me but ever since he was small, I have noticed in him some traits which distinguished him from other children, both mine and those of others. He has always had a kind of proud, distinguished bearing.” Jovanka mentioned one more detail which suggested that he was destined to become a great man. Once when he was a baby, Radovan cried because he was hungry, and she had no milk to nurse him. A woman who happened to be in the house told her: ‘Give that child some cream so that he does not perish from hunger. It would be a shame since I see he will become a great man’.
What else do we know about her and her relationship with her first-born son Radovan? We know that they were close, and Karadžić took care of her until her death in 2005. We also know that Karadžić heard from his mother about the Ottoman occupation, the enslavement of Serbs and the antipathy between Serbs and Muslims, mostly via the epic poetry she recited to him when he was a child. Stern writes:
“She used to recite epic poetry for me almost every night,” Karadžić told me. Then he demonstrated how she chanted. “I didn’t understand the words, but the sound was moving. There was a change in the atmosphere of the room”. He was getting excited. “I learned many of these poems by heart before I learned to read,” he said.
The theme of the epic poems Jovanka was telling Radovan is Serb martyrdom – the loss of Kosovo to the Ottoman invaders, the five-century-long occupation and the suffering of the Serb people. Radovan heard from Jovanka about legendary Serbian knights, Miloš Obilić and Tzar Lazar – venerated in the Orthodox Christian Church as a martyr and saint – who tried but failed to fight back the Ottoman invasion. To sooth the pain of the audience, the tragic ending of the story is embellished with the narrative that the heroes chose to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of their Serbian people. Jovanka was also telling stories about Vuk Branković, Serbian traitor who failed to heed the call of his father-in-law, Tzar Lazar’s, to the Battle of Kosovo, in June 1389.
Radovan Karadžić was born on 19th June 1945, in the village Petnjica, in Montenegro. What kind of life did his mother lead and how did she feel at that time? Jovanka lived alone with a small child and struggled to survive in the first years after WWII, all while her husband Vuko was imprisoned for the war crime he committed as a Chetnik. Here is what we can find about it in Jessica Stern’s book:
Jovanka must have barely known her husband until seven years into the marriage; before that, he was either serving as a Chetnik soldier or living behind bars. Jovanka was left alone to raise her young son, to plow the fields, and to plant the potatoes and grain. “It was a struggle,” she said in a television interview. “I had no wages, nothing. I’d been pushed out,” punished because her husband had been a Chetnik.
Jovanka must had felt very frustrated when her husband was imprisoned. She was ‘pushed out’ – ostracized as a wife of a war criminal, found herself without any income or support… Did she fantasize about revenge? While she was telling Radovan stories about the Serbian heroes, and perhaps indirectly encouraging him to be the hero himself fighting for Serbdom (a Greater Serbia), did her frustrated and hateful inner Child ‘whisper’, “Kill them! Kill them all!”? Eric Berne would argue that it is not uncommon that a leader’s mother’s own frustrations, her power hunger or personal agendas, could have been a driving force behind her son’s actions and deeds:
“A script is an ongoing program, developed in early childhood under parental influences, which directs the individual’s behaviour in the most important aspects of his life. Alas, the parental directives may give the child a licence to inflict enormous damage on other people. Historically, such parental directives have been given to many wartime leaders”, writes Berne. “The leader’s mother’s Parent ego state would say, ‘Be a hero who is protecting your people’, while her Child whispers ‘Kill them all!’. The leader’s father then shows the boy how to kill innocent people with the rationale that it is being done for the noble cause.”
Was a similar parental directive given to the wartime leader Radovan Karadžić? Let’s not forget that he is dubbed the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, and that both Robert J. Donia and Jessica Stern call him an architect of genocide. And why did his mother, as Karadžić said to Stern, recite epic poetry for him almost every night? It would be interesting to hear from Jovanka about her thoughts, preoccupations or, perhaps, desires while she recited the poems about the Serbian traitors and the heroes for Radovan. Did she fantasize about her first-born son, as she was wont to say, to become a ‘golden’ man, glorified and celebrated like the great men from the medieval Serbian folklore, even though every single story had a tragic ending – embellished as the ‘hero’s act of sacrifice’? Did she see Radovan as a man of Tzar Lazar’s heroic proportions and herself as a proud mother of such a man? We don’t know that. But we know what she didn’t want him to be. She didn’t want him to be like Vuk Branković, the Serbian Judas, whose name is synonymous with betrayal. “If, God forbid, it should happen that they try to arrest him, I would prefer that he take his own life than that they take him to The Hague”, Jovanka said in the conversation with Svedokreporter. She seized the opportunity to send the message to Radovan: “Do not surrender to them alive, Radovan, my son; better to be dead than to end up like Vuk Branković!” Indeed, Karadžić didn’t surrender. He was arrested in 2008, 3 years after his mother’s death.
What about Jovanka’s political views and values? We know that Karadžić’s father Vuko was a Chetnik – a member of Serb royalist-nationalist forces during World War II. The Chetniks’ political aim was a creation of a Greater Serbia, and it is well known fact that they committed horrific atrocities against the non-Serbian population (mainly Muslims and Croats). They also collaborated with the Nazis against Tito’s partisans, and when Tito took control of Yugoslavia after the war, the Chetniks were banned and many members – accused of brutal killing, torturing and raping – were jailed. Vuko Karadžić was one of them. Did his wife share his Chetnik ideology? It is important to know that. Why? That information can help us to understand her influence on her son. In many cases, when the son and the mother are in a close relationship, and the mother does not support her husband’s extremist ideology such as jihadist terrorism, for example, the son finds it difficult to believe in the ‘mission’ or the ‘noble cause’ the father is fighting for, and may refuse to follow father’s values and ideology. But if the mother, for example, justifies Chetnik ideology and denies the war crimes they committed, she may, directly or indirectly, encourage her son ‘to follow in father’s footsteps’ and fight for Serbdom (a Greater Serbia). “I place my faith in God, and I hope that Radovan will remain firm and unwavering. Because it is nothing new in her family to perish for Serbdom”, Jovanka told Svedok’s reporter.
“And Radovan would not be the first among his lineage to meet with this fate. The Karadžićs never supported the Communist government and Tito! Immediately after World War II, 99 male members of this family were executed. My husband Vuko was to have been the 100th executed Karadžić; however, fate determined otherwise. And he lived. Nevertheless, after that he was arrested and spent five years in prison. That is why I believe that all this is not happening to Radovan by chance and that he inherited the defense of his people and his faith from his forebears. His father fought for the same thing,” Jovanka concluded.
Did she feel proud when she said, “He inherited his faith from his forebears; his father fought for the same thing”? In her book, Stern described Jovanka’s relationship with her son Radovan as close, thus she was able to influence him and transmit to him the ideology she shared with her husband. If Jovanka hadn’t supported her husband’s Chetnik ideology, Karadžić would have had difficulties following in the father’s footsteps – TA psychotherapists would argue that his life script would have been different.
What did Jovanka say about her son’s ‘heroic deeds’? “He has not done anything bad to anyone; he has not gone to anyone’s door to bring them any evil, nor has he ever ordered anyone to be executed or killed. He has only defended the people who elected him to be where he was. He fought together with that people and defended the Serbs with all his might. And now he is suffering because of his people, as any other man of integrity would have done,” said Jovanka to magazine Svedok. Suffering because of his people? Jovanka often used the expression ‘suffering’ and portrayed Karadžić as a martyr – he is as a modern Tzar Lazar who sacrifices himself for his people. Why? Because she wanted to reframe his heinous war crime into ‘heroic sacrifice’?
What else do we know about Jovanka? How did she feel being Karadžić’s mother? “Therefore, my son, you should know that I am suffering but not ashamed to be the mother of Radovan Karadžić. Do not yield; may your courageous heart never betray you!”, she said in her message to Karadžić. No doubt, Jovanka portrayed his son as a ‘golden man’. How does Karadžić see himself? Here is what Stern writes about him:
“Tsar Lazar,” he (Karadžić) would say, with reverence, as if by uttering his name he hoped to bring light into the room and into my ignorant mind, “chose to die as a Christian martyr rather than achieve victory on earth.” Again and again. So much so that I began to think that Karadžić saw himself as a contemporary Tsar Lazar, sacrificing himself for the Serbian people, protecting his fellow Serbs from those he refers to as “Turks,” the Bosnian Muslims.
Not everybody with a script has a clearly defined mythical hero. Some people see themselves as “Mr. Nobody”. But Karadžić sees himself as ‘somebody’ – somebody important! And not only as a national hero, but poet as well.
Later in life, the script created in childhood makes us go in search of characters that fit the roles in our own life plan, thereby increasing the sophistication in the design of our script. In adolescence, we tend to replace the mythical or magical heroes of our early scripts with real people, alive or dead, whom we can emulate. Stern discovered that young Karadžić’s hero was Gavrilo Princip. Why Princip? Princip was viewed as a brave man who was fighting to liberate Bosnia from the invaders. (At the age of 19, he assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and the Archduke’s wife Sophie, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, which led to the outbreak of World War I). He was dreaming of a Yugoslavia, which he had fervently believed could unite all the South Slavic peoples. Karadžić too sees himself as a historic figure who was fighting the invasion of Muslim extremists in Bosnia, and who’d unify all Serbs in a common country. Gavrilo Princip wrote poetry. “Princip had two natures. He was not just an assassin, but also a poet,” he explained to Stern. Karadžić writes poetry!
But how did Karadžić, a doctor and poet, turn into a war criminal who orchestrated ethnic cleansing and the Srebrenica massacre, which aimed to kill ‘every able-bodied male’ in the town? What is his life script all about?
Radovan Karadžić would like to be acknowledged as a poet, however, his life script isn’t about being a celebrated poet. He’d rather others write epic poetry about him. His dream is to be a national hero. He is a Montenegrin, but he wanted to be a saviour not of Montenegrins but the larger Serb nation. He prefers to see himself as a majestic historical figure who is fighting for a Greater Serbia… or a Greater whatever… and if he had to commit horrific crime and end up in jail as a war criminal in order to make that dream come true – so be it! He’ll pay the price and explain it away as his sacrifice for his people. His mother would say the same: “He defended the Serbs. He is suffering because of his people…”
What about Karadžić’s father? Transactional analysts believe that the boy becomes the man his mother wants him to be, but the father demonstrates how to achieve that. So if we are to work out
Karadžić’s script matrix, we must know what he learned from his father. Are there any similarities in their life scripts?
We know that Vuko Karadžić was imprisoned for his war crimes against civilians during WWII. His son Radovan Karadžić too was convicted by a United Nations International Criminal Tribunal of genocide and other war crimes in his campaign of terror against civilians in the Bosnian war.
Both father and son supported the same Chetnik ideology. The typical Chetniks‘ method of warfare is ethnic cleansing – carried out by means of expelling of non-Serbs from their homes, murder, torture, rape, burning of villages, destruction of the property – in order to cleanse the land from the non-Serb population and consolidate an ethnically ‘pure’ Serb territory and thus create an ethnically homogeneous Greater Serbian state.
What else do we know about Karadžić’s father? Jessica Stern found that his father Vuko served a prison sentence after he had killed a cousin when she, allegedly, rejected his marriage proposal. It happened before World War II, long before Karadžić was born. Interestingly, before the Bosnian war, Radovan Karadžić also served a prison sentence. So, did Karadžić follow in his father’s footsteps? Yes, he did. And he ended up in prison, like his father. Twice! First time as a criminal, second time as a war criminal. Exactly the same as his father!
Now we could, at least partially, answer Jessica Stern’s question: “How did Radovan Karadžić become an architect of genocide?” because we better understand the messages he has received from his parents: “Be a famous hero who fights for Serbdom, and if it turns out infamously, present it as your willing sacrifice for your Serb people!” and “Do what your father did – kill non-Serbs and end up in prison as a war criminal!”
But we still need to explain how he persuaded the audience of his pre-war and war speeches to kill their neighbors.
There is nothing great, nor heroic about Karadžić, however there is something about him as a skilled manipulator. He managed to turn a large number of the people who were neither psychopaths nor trained thugs, into killing machines. How did he do that? He inflated and fabricated the threats (“the Muslim-led government will impose an Islamic State”) to ‘his people’ (Serbdom) and proclaimed that he had a sacred duty to protect Bosnia’s Serbs. To further this narrative, Karadžić, a psychiatrist and a writer, put the painful memories into the stories about the Serbs’ suffering in the past, and told the stories, often in prophetic and electrifying ways, in his speeches. That too, helped to propel many Serbs toward the nationalist ideology around which they could organize their newly awakened ambitions and channel their frustration or discomfort at becoming a minority in an independent Bosnia into ‘action’. Karadžić, a storyteller, was good at marketing military aims and policies, and he knew how to deny or justify war crimes and depict them as self-defense. Here is what Stern learned from him:
This is the recipe that Karadžić has taught me. Remind the public of the enemy’s all-too-real past transgressions or, better yet, atrocities. People need to feel: we are the victims, you are the assailants. My people, my culture, my values are under threat. I am fully justified in protecting my people. It is self-defense, not offense.
Many of Karadžić’s followers still deny that the ethnic cleansing of non-Serbs, shelling of civilians in the cities, and 1995 Srebrenica massacre constituted genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of war conventions. They are in denial not only because they want to dismiss the implications of their behavior in order to avoid the sense of guilt and/or fear of punishment for the crime they committed or supported. The problem is self-perception. If they face the fact that demonizing the ‘enemy’ (the neighbors) and weaponizing history (“Look what the Turks did to us!”) to incite the Serb population against other ethnic groups was just the usual war propaganda, they’ll perceive themselves as victims of such propaganda. Nothing takes your power away quicker than the self-perception of being fooled, so not many people would admit that they have been misused and manipulated to join the ‘wrong side’ in war or political conflicts. But how did Karadžić drive them to ‘his side’ in the first place?
Karadžić:As a psychiatrist I can tell you that a great part of what goes in our mind has nothing to do with real events. The whole of psychiatry revolves around irrealities, around illusions and deceit. The truth, at the time, was warped, and many people formed their opinion on the basis of illusions. Especially those people who did not even try to question the things they saw on television and read in the newspapers.
– From Stormfront: Radovan Karadžić – an interview with the great man himself5 –
https://www.stormfront.org/forum/t54165/
“How does one get neighbor to kill neighbor?” Jessica Stern asked Karadžić. The answer, he (Karadžić) said, is fear. Why fear? Everyone who has read the genocide playbook knows the first steps are two simple techniques of mass manipulation: playing the fear card and fulfilling the need for revenge. Playing the fear card technique has been used for thousands of years to advance political agendas and is the most effective technique of mass manipulation. How does it work? You know that if you openly propose to start a war, expel the people from their homes, centralise power or remove basic freedoms and human rights, there will be a public reaction against it. So you don’t openly talk about that, instead you create a problem that will generate fear – the existential fear, the fear of losing privileges or status, etc.
“Real power is fear.” As Karadžić put it, if someone fears he will be killed, he may kill. Neighbors will turn against neighbors.
In early 1992, many Bosnians were painfully aware that their country was under the serious threat; they tried to preserve multiculturalism, they organised anti-war protests… however, the fear of ‘others’ was spreading as quickly as a virus. Stern writes:
An intercept of a conversation between Dobrica Cosić and Karadžić caught the two men seemingly discussing the importance of spreading fear among Serbs in particular.
In his testimony before the ICTY, Miroslav Deronjić, the civilian administrator for Srebrenica who reported directly to Karadžić, explained how paramilitary volunteers would deliberately create a “fearful atmosphere” among both Bosniaks and Serbs. He said that the paramilitary volunteers “would start chasing around town with their cars, going into Muslim neighbourhoods, Serbian neighbourhoods, turning their sirens on, shooting into the air, so that an atmosphere was created in which Serbs and especially Muslims were extremely fearful.”
However, if you are to incite fear, you must have dangerous enemies, so you create an ‘us vs. them’ division. But how do you create the division in the multicultural Bosnia? A significant percentage of the population lived in ‘mixed marriages’ and had children! Karadžić revealed to Stern that he used metacommunication:
He told me that he never wrote his speeches beforehand. “I would come into the hall, sense the atmosphere. I would try to achieve rapport with the crowd. I used metacommunication.”
– Metacommunication –
Gregory Bateson coined the term in the early 1970s, to describe the underlying messages
or the ‘messages between the lines’, in what is said.
It is critical to ‘metacommunicate’ when you want to successfully discuss something tricky
that has the potential to trigger a reactive response in your listeners.
In silent cooperation with the nationalists from all other ethnic groups, he used ‘metacommunication’ to spread the terror that was required for the annihilation of the multiethnic way of life in Bosnia, especially in Sarajevo and Mostar – the cities that were the embodiment of pluralism. And not just the terror. During the lead up the Bosnian war and throughout the entirety of the war itself, the Bosnians were bombarded with the narrative that ‘mixing of cultures to create new hybrids entails loss’. Here is what Karadžić said about ‘mixing’ people:
Karadžić: I would not mix people. That is something very bad for this world.
If the Croats think that there should be two Mostars,
then why not? Why would one lock up dog and cat in the same room?
– From Stormfront: Radovan Karadžić – an interview with the great man himself –
However, the information that ‘mixing of cultures and nations’ means that the nationalists and war lords will lose their needed ‘enemy’ was suppressed. There was an enormous pressure on all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the children from so called mix marriages, not to identify simply as Bosnians. Instead, they were labelled in separate categories as Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks, and constantly reminded that ‘others’ were dangerous enemies who were plotting against them.
Almost overnight, the Serbs’ enemies (their neighbors) in Bosnia and Herzegovina became the Ustashe – the butchers who slaughtered Serbs during World War II, and the Turks – the invaders who occupied and terrorised the country of the Serb ancestors for 500 years.
In the part of Bosnia that would later be morphed into Republica Srpska, the motif of ‘the Turk’ was prevalent. Graffiti written on public and private property alike read: “Muslims, Balijas (derogatory words for Bosniaks), Turks – move out, you’re going to be slaughtered!” Karadžić’s agenda was a creation of an ethnically cleansed Republica Srpska that could be added to Serbia, however he didn’t talk about that openly. Instead, he created a problem and skilfully portrayed it not as a fabrication or exaggeration, but a real and serious threat: “Muslims want Islamic state, we have evidence for that! If you Serbs do not defend yourselves, you’ll be wiped out by the Muslim extremists”. Stern noted in her book about Karadžić: “Leaders play an important role in arousing as well as strengthening ethnic fears. They will often exaggerate threats to ‘our group’ – whether that group is a nation-state or a single ethnic group within a state – and then claim to have the solution to the threat”.
Indeed, Karadžić offered a solution to the problem. He told a newspaper interviewer that a simple sentence: “Serbs, you still exist and are allowed to be Serbs, despite the persecutions, slaughters, pressures and suffering,” brought him to the fore of the Serb Democratic Party. “He was talking about Serbs the way white identitarians speak about whites and the threat of ‘white genocide’,” Stern wrote.
Once he spined the background to the events in a way that instilled fear, the next step was to encourage Serbs to demand that something must be done, and then offer protection.
“People needed my leadership because they were afraid,” Karadžić told me. “We waited for the moment when the last Serb was frightened – not by our activity, but by our inactivity.”
Stern also describes Karadžić’s favourite rationale for the mass atrocities carried out against non-Serbs in Bosnia:
Karadžić told me many times that the loss of Kosovo in 1389 followed by the five-century Ottoman occupation, was far more significant than the more recent traumas of World War II. “A lot of our people were stolen,” he said. “They became yanichar, or janissaries [elite soldiers in the Ottoman military]. It was massive – the stealing of Christian boys to serve as the sultan’s elite troops.” Unfortunately, the sultans found that the Bosnian Christian slaves were particularly good soldiers.
“For 500 years we were under imperial occupation,” he complained, bitterly and repeatedly, as if the occupation had affected him personally, as if he wanted to imprint the memory of this pain into my mind so that I would understand the need for revenge against the “Turks,” the term he used for Bosnian Muslims, who were neither Turks nor Ottoman slaveholders.”
“I shared with Karadžić the concept of chosen trauma, the term that political psychiatrist Vamik Volkan used to describe the way nations so often choose a historical wrong as part of their national myth, even if the trauma occurred centuries earlier, sometimes as a way to justify attacks against an enemy,” Stern said. But Karadžić insisted that he was not trying to ‘justify attacks against an enemy’ and that Stern should understand the need for revenge against the ‘Turks’. The need for revenge?! Where does that come from? Every architect of genocide knows that if he is to carry out atrocities, ethnic cleansing or massacres, he must gain acceptance for his intentions and justify them. He’d always claim that he acts in defence of his army and the people, or that his acts are justified punishments for the enemy’s evil deeds. If he is accused of committing crimes, he’ll quickly turn the accusations around, and blame his enemies! This was clearly showcased in an interview he did with Stormfront:
Q: In August 1992 your vice-president Nikola Koljević signed the order to destroy
the National Library in Sarajevo, an order that was consequently carried out by
General Ratko Mladić. Moreover, the indictment in The Hague holds you responsible
for the deployment of snipers. Is all of that a mere phantasy?
Karadžić: Can someone please show me that order from Mr. Koljević?
The library was set on fire by the Muslims because it was a Western institution,
built by Austria and Hungary. The Muslims rejected this cultural heritage.
I saw pictures of the fire. The library was burning in many places simultaneously.
If you look at the television pictures you can see that the building was set on fire deliberately.
Q: But those snipers in Sarajevo – they were part of your army, weren’t they?
Karadžić:The snipers were an invention of the Muslims. It is possible that some Serbs
fired back. But I can assure you that General Mladić would never agree to the
deployment of snipers – and certainly not against civilians!
Karadžić knew very well how to carry out his ‘mission’: he relieved his followers from personal responsibility for the crimes they committed, constantly reminding them that they were not the perpetrators but the victims. He did it not only to prevent or erase their sense of remorse and guilt, or reduce their fear of punishment, but to bring about more frustration and hatred necessary for completion of the ‘mission’. He also knew how to present the attacks on the civilians in Bosnia as justified punishment or retribution for the crimes the ‘enemy’ committed – whether the crimes were real or fictional, recent or ancient. Stern described how the architects of genocide do that:
On July 11, 1995, units of the Bosnian Serb Army, under the command of General Ratko Mladić, captured the town of Srebrenica. Mladic announced that he was “presenting this city to the Serbian people as a gift,” and that “the time has come to take revenge on the Turks in the region,” referring to an 1804 Serb rebellion that was savagely crushed by the Ottoman rulers.
So how did Karadžić persuade normal people to kill their neighbors? He reframed the word ‘neighbors’ into ‘Turks’ and ‘Ustache’. What neighbors?! Serbs didn’t expel, kill, torture and rape their neighbours! They just defended themselves from the dangerous enemies who would do the same to them. What genocide?! We were protecting our homeland!
No doubt, Karadžić is a good manipulator but he is not the only one. Many share his skills. Their ideology and methods of manipulation are like a dangerous virus – they spread incredibly fast, and as long as we don’t know how they affect the mass consciousness, we won’t know how to protect ourselves from them. What to do?
Perhaps we too, should study the architect’s playbook – the same old playbook used throughout history and throughout the world… in Rwanda, Cambodia, you name it… – to inoculate ourselves against nationalist demagogues who know how to spread fear and hatred that lead to genocide. Demagogue infect the populace with their genocidal narratives, and it is only by understanding the specifics of how they craft their virus can we possibly stop it in it’s path.
Indira Nović, a clinical psychologist at STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, Australia)
Correspondence:indira_novic@yahoo.com
1https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/Karadžić/interviews/ceric.html.
3https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpO6v5UA_RY JOVANKA KARADžIĆ (1922-2005)-MAJKA RADOVANA KARADžIĆA INTERVJU 25.02.2002)
4https://www.stormfront.org/forum/t54165/ “Karadžić’s Mother – Do not Surrender, My Son,” Stormfront (forum), September 19, 2003)
5https://www.stormfront.org/forum/t54165/ Radovan Karadžić – an interview with the great man himself
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Bug Bites and Stings
Bee and Wasp Stings
Flea and Tick Bites
Mosquito Bites
Serious Stuff — Get Medical Help
Preventing Bites and Stings
Bee and wasp stings can cause real problems for people who are allergic, though. A person can get a localized allergic reaction (swelling, heat, or itching of the skin around the sting area) or a systemic allergic reaction, meaning that the venom causes a reaction throughout the body.
In the case of a systemic reaction, the person may break out in hives. Other symptoms can include wheezing; shortness of breath; rapid heartbeat; faintness; and swelling of the face, lips, throat, or tongue.
If a person has these symptoms, call 911 immediately. If an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) is available, it should be used right away. It hardly ever happens, but severe allergic reactions to bee and wasp stings can be fatal if the person doesn't get medical help.
Fleas can be lumped into the irritating-but-not-serious category as well. They are often found on Fido or Fluffy, but they can also be attracted to you. Flea bites can cause itching or a rash.
Depending on where you live, ticks could ruin a good camping trip. One variety known as deer ticks is known to carry Lyme disease, so the trick is to get them off your body fast. In the United States, the northeastern and upper midwestern states are most affected by the threat of Lyme disease. But there have been cases in most states in the U.S., and the disease is also seen in Europe and Asia.
Different types of ticks found throughout the United States can carry other diseases, too, such as tularemia or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Ticks are often found in wooded or grassy areas.
But sometimes, infected mosquitoes can give people diseases. You may have heard about West Nile virus, which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. The good news is that most people, especially healthy people under 50, who get West Nile virus do not have any symptoms from it. And although the virus can put people at risk for developing a serious infection called encephalitis, in reality this hardly ever happens. Less than 1% of the people who are infected with West Nile virus become seriously ill.
Mosquitoes in other parts of the world can carry other diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever.
Most spider bites are minor, although they can cause mild swelling or allergic reactions. But a small percentage of teens become ill after being bitten by brown recluse or black widow spiders. Although not everyone will have a reaction, you should see a doctor and get treatment quickly if you think you've been bitten by one of these spiders.
The brown recluse is brown (big surprise) with a small shape of a violin in a darker brown area on its back. These spiders are small but tough, with a ½-inch body (about 1 centimeter) and legs stretching another inch (3 centimeters) or even more. They are found mostly in midwestern and southern parts of the United States, and they like to hide in dark, quiet places like attics or garages, under porches, and in woodpiles. When humans enter their space unexpectedly, they bite out of fear. The bites usually don't hurt at first — and most people don't even know that they've been bitten.
Brown recluse bites don't cause problems for many people. Others may notice swelling and skin changes 4 to 8 hours after the bite. The swelling may form a blister, which can later turn black and leave a scar as it heals over the next few months. Chills, fever, rash, pain, nausea and, rarely, more serious symptoms (like seizures or coma) also can follow a bite.
If you think you might have been bitten by a brown recluse spider, wash the area with soap and water, put an ice pack on it, and go to the emergency room right away, even if the bite doesn't look bad.
The black widow is found in southern Canada, throughout the United States, and in Mexico. Easily identified by its shiny coal-black body and orange-red hourglass shape on its underbelly, it's a similar size to the brown recluse spider and it should be treated as carefully.
Most often, people who have been bitten by a black widow don't even know it until they feel the symptoms. But there are warning signs that give time to act before things get too serious: People who are bitten by a black widow may get pain at the site of the bite, then dull muscle pains, especially in the chest or belly, within minutes to an hour of being bitten. They may develop painful muscle cramps and severe pain, might throw up (or feel like they might), and have chills, fever, or a headache within a few hours.
As the spider's venom spreads in the body, a person may get severe abdominal cramping. If any of these things happen, or if you think you may have gotten a bite from a black widow spider, wash the area with soap and water, put an ice pack on it, and go to the emergency room right away, even if the bite doesn't look bad.
Spider bites can sound scary, but it's actually extremely rare that someone will die from one. Young children and the elderly are most at risk.
After a bee or wasp sting, if you can see the stinger, remove it as quickly as possible to lessen your exposure to the venom.
Wash the sting or bite with soap and water and keep it clean. Apply some calamine lotion or a paste of water and baking soda (unless the sting is near your eyes). Put an ice pack on the affected area for 15 minutes every few hours or so, or cover the sting with a cold compress. Apply an antibiotic cream to prevent further infection. Using a 1% hydrocortisone cream can reduce redness, swelling, itching, and pain.
If you are allergic to bee or wasp stings, see your doctor for a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector. In case of a severe allergic reaction, use the epinephrine auto-injector and call 911. An epinephrine auto-injector is easy to use — your doctor or pharmacist will explain how.
If you're severely allergic to stings, talk to an allergist about getting venom immunotherapy (shots).
How do you know when a sting or bite is too much for you to handle alone? If you have any symptoms of a systemic allergic reaction, call 911 right away. If an epinephrine auto-injector is available, it should be used immediately. Symptoms to watch for include:
redness or hives
swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
feeling like your throat is closing up
In the case of a black widow or brown recluse spider bite, or if you have any doubt about what kind of spider bit you and you're feeling sick, develop a blister, or have cramps, get to the emergency department immediately. (Take the spider with you if you were able to kill it safely.)
If bites or stings get infected or if an open sore or blister refuses to heal, make an appointment with your family doctor.
Prevent flea infestations by treating your house (including all carpets, furniture, and pets) regularly during the warmer months. Frequent vacuuming can also help.
Avoid mosquitoes by staying away from areas where mosquitoes breed, such as still pools or ponds, during hot weather. Remove standing water from birdbaths, buckets, etc.; try to stay inside when mosquitoes are most active (dawn and dusk); and wear insect repellent when you are outside.
When in tick country, try to stay in the center of trails, and avoid woody areas with high grass. Check yourself for ticks every few hours, and as soon as you come inside. Remove any you find immediately. The most important places to check are behind your ears, on your scalp, on the back of your neck, in your armpits, in your groin area, and behind your knees. Shower as soon as you come in from outdoors. If you have a pet with you, check your pet, too! Use tick products on pets to prevent them from being bitten.
Use insect repellent when spending time outdoors camping, hiking, or on the beach. Repellents that contain 10% to 30% DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) are approved for mosquitoes, ticks, and some other bugs. Repellents that contain picaridin (KBR 3023) or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3,8-diol or PMD) are effective against mosquitoes. Follow the instructions carefully and don't overuse the product — using more than you need won't give you any extra protection. Reapply insect repellent according to the directions after swimming or if you've been sweating for a long time.
When you are in wooded areas, tuck your clothes in and try to keep as covered up as possible. Tuck pants into socks, shirts into pants, and sleeves into gloves. Wear shoes and socks when walking on grass, even it's just for a minute. Bees and wasps can sting your unprotected feet.
Wear gloves if you're gardening.
Don't disturb bee or wasp nests.
Don't swat at buzzing insects — they will sting if they feel threatened.
Be aware that spiders might be hiding in undisturbed piles of wood, seldom-opened boxes, or corners behind furniture, and proceed with caution.
Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: February 2014
1 • 2 • 3 • 4
Serious Allergic Reactions (Anaphylaxis)
How Can I Prevent Lyme Disease?
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Home Sweet Home: Communities with the Most Homeowners
Never has it been nobler to cancel plans and stay at home than in 2020. According to estimates by the Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, the shelter-in-place orders put into effect within just the 30 largest metro areas in the U.S. prevented over 200,000 deaths and over 2 million hospitalizations.
Even as shelter-in-place measures are easing, the ramifications of this pandemic are still imposing major hardships on many households. As jobless claims have passed 40 million, many Americans who cannot transition to remote work have had to eat into their savings to make ends meet. However, there are some financial protections uniquely benefitting homeowners during this outbreak. For example, since the passage of the CARES Act, mortgage holders with a forbearance plan will face no ramifications to their credit reports if they must temporarily reduce or halt payments.
Homeownership comes with a number of benefits. Owning one’s house is correlated with higher volunteering and civic engagement, improved health outcomes, lower crime, and better educational performance for children. With this in mind, the data science and research team at Insurify crunched the numbers to see which communities have the highest rates of homeownership in America.
National average. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s (USCB) Housing Vacancy Survey, the rate of homeownership in the United States reached 65.3 percent in the first quarter of 2020. This is up from 64.2 percent at the same time last year, though the full effect of the current outbreak on homeownership is yet to be seen.
Renters in the North. The country’s northernmost states have a conspicuous deficit of homeowners. The lower rates of homeownership along the Canadian border feeds well into the next finding.
Clusters of retiree communities. Two notable states on the map, Arizona and Florida, have clusters of high-ownership communities that account for nearly half of the top 20 communities with the most homeowners. Arizona and Florida also happen to be states containing high concentrations of older and retired Americans. Given that nearly 80 percent of Americans aged 65+ own their homes — the highest homeownership rate of any age bracket in the U.S. according to the USCB — it may come as no surprise that communities that appeal to retirees and snowbirds have some of the highest rates of homeownership in America.
Marriage and mortgages. Just as homeownership rates correlate with age, they also relate to marital status as homeownership is still largely enjoyed by spouses. 49.6 percent of adults are married across the country, and 17 of the top 20 cities for homeowners has a marriage rate higher than the national average.
The data science and research team at Insurify, a homeowners insurance quotes comparison site, studied data from City-Data.com to determine the communities in each state with the highest percentage of residents living in homes that they own. Not all communities listed are cities — in fact, some are neighborhoods, standalone municipalities, regions, or even counties – but all have a population exceeding 100,000, focusing the analysis on communities that are mid-size or larger. Statistics on population and marital status were also sourced from City-Data.com.
Cities with the Most Homeowners in the United States
20. Sterling Heights, Michigan
Share of homeowners: 72.1%
Share of married adults: 53.4%
19. Surprise, Arizona
18. Olathe, Kansas
17. Simi Valley, California
16. South Antelope Valley, California
15. Northwest Dade, Florida
14. Amherst, New York
13. Port St. Lucie, Florida
12. Gilbert, Arizona
11. Naperville, Illinois
10. West Jordan, Utah
9. Pembroke Pines, Florida
8. Palm Bay, Florida
7. Pearland, Texas
6. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
5. North Hempstead, New York
4. North Pinal County, Arizona
3. Davis County, Utah
2. Northeast Cobb County, Georgia
1. Deer Valley, Arizona
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Bubba Wallace Sheds Tears as NASCAR Comes Together to Support Him [Watch]
Youtube/NASCAR
During an emotional moment that will surely live on for years to come, NASCAR came together to show support for their fellow driver Bubba Wallace on Monday (June 22), just hours after a noose was found hanging in the driver’s garage at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
Before the start of the race, NASCAR drivers helped push Wallace’s No. 43 car to the front of the field in a sign of support for the driver, who currently is NASCAR’s only black full-time driver. Once the car was placed in the front of the field, Wallace climbed out of his car, only to lay his head on the top of his car and allow his tears to fall.
Soon after, his car owner—the legendary Richard Petty—was there to put his hand on his shoulder. It was the 82-year-old's first time at the track since the coronavirus had taken hold of the country and briefly halted the sport.
Masked drivers also took turns hugging the driver. One former driver that was not on hand at the track was Dale Earnhardt Jr. However, he did make a statement on Twitter about the troubling situation regarding Wallace.
"I don’t worry about our sport," he wrote Monday morning (June 22). "I have confidence NASCAR’s leadership will find who did this and continue pushing us in the right direction. I do worry about Bubba. I hope Bubba is feeling loved and supported. Keep sending him that love and support. He needs it now more than ever."
Currently, the FBI is investigating the discovery of the noose, and NASCAR has already proclaimed that once the perpetrator is found, they will be banished from the sport forevermore.
NEXT: The History of the Confederate Flag in Country Music
These Country Songs Were Born From World Tragedy:
Source: Bubba Wallace Sheds Tears as NASCAR Comes Together to Support Him [Watch]
Filed Under: nascar
Categories: Country Music News, Country Music Videos
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AnthropologyConsciousnessPsychology
posted by keeb May 30, 2020 0 comments
A Theory Of Our Origins Says Cooperation-Not Competition-Is Instinctive By Eric Michael Johnson
A century ago, industrialists like Andrew Carnegie believed that Darwin’s theories justified an economy of vicious competition and inequality. They left us with an ideological legacy that says the corporate economy, in which wealth concentrates in the hands of a few, produces the best for humanity. This was always a distortion of Darwin’s ideas. His 1871 book The Descent of Man argued that the human species had succeeded because of traits like sharing and compassion. “Those communities,” he wrote, “which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members would flourish best, and rear the greatest number of offspring.” Darwin was no economist, but wealth-sharing and cooperation have always looked more consistent with his observations about human survival than the elitism and hierarchy that dominates contemporary corporate life.
Nearly 150 years later, modern science has verified Darwin’s early insights with direct implications for how we do business in our society. New peer-reviewed research by Michael Tomasello, an American psychologist and co-director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, has synthesized three decades of research to develop a comprehensive evolutionary theory of human cooperation. What can we learn about sharing as a result?
Tomasello holds that there were two key steps that led to humans’ unique form of interdependence. The first was all about who was coming to dinner. Approximately two million years ago, a fledgling species known as Homo habilis emerged on the great plains of Africa. At the same time that these four-foot-tall, bipedal apes appeared, a period of global cooling produced vast, open environments. This climate change event ultimately forced our hominid ancestors to adapt to a new way of life or perish entirely. Since they lacked the ability to take down large game, like the ferocious carnivores of the early Pleistocene, the solution they hit upon was scavenging the carcasses of recently killed large mammals. The analysis of fossil bones from this period has revealed evidence of stone-tool cut marks overlaid on top of carnivore teeth marks. The precursors of modern humans had a habit of arriving late to the feast.
However, this survival strategy brought an entirely new set of challenges: Individuals now had to coordinate their behaviors, work together, and learn how to share. For apes living in the dense rainforest, the search for ripe fruit and nuts was largely an individual activity. But on the plains, our ancestors needed to travel in groups to survive, and the act of scavenging from a single animal carcass forced proto-humans to learn to tolerate each other and allow each other a fair share. This resulted in a form of social selection that favored cooperation: “Individuals who attempted to hog all of the food at a scavenged carcass would be actively repelled by others,” writes Tomasello, “and perhaps shunned in other ways as well.”
This evolutionary legacy can be seen in our behavior today, particularly among children who are too young to have been taught such notions of fairness. For example, in a 2011 study published in the journal Nature, anthropologist Katharina Hamann and her colleagues found that 3-year-old children share food more equitably if they gain it through cooperative effort rather than via individual labor or no work at all. In contrast, chimpanzees showed no difference in how they shared food under these different scenarios; they wouldn’t necessarily hoard the food individually, but they placed no value on cooperative efforts either. The implication, according to Tomasello, is that human evolution has predisposed us to work collaboratively and given us an intuitive sense that cooperation deserves equal rewards.
The second step in Tomasello’s theory leads directly into what kinds of businesses and economies are more in line with human evolution. Humans have, of course, uniquely large population sizes—much larger than those of other primates. It was the human penchant for cooperation that allowed groups to grow in number and eventually become tribal societies.
Humans, more than any other primate, developed psychological adaptations that allowed them to quickly recognize members of their own group (through unique behaviors, traditions, or forms of language) and develop a shared cultural identity in the pursuit of a common goal.
“The result,” says Tomasello, “was a new kind of interdependence and group-mindedness that went well beyond the joint intentionality of small-scale cooperation to a kind of collective intentionality at the level of the entire society.”
What does this mean for the different forms of business today? Corporate workplaces probably aren’t in sync with our evolutionary roots and may not be good for our long-term success as humans. Corporate culture imposes uniformity, mandated from the top down, throughout the organization. But the cooperative—the financial model in which a group of members owns a business and makes the rules about how to run it—is a modern institution that has much in common with the collective tribal heritage of our species. Worker-owned cooperatives are regionally distinct and organized around their constituent members. As a result, worker co-ops develop unique cultures that, following Tomasello’s theory, would be expected to better promote a shared identity among all members of the group. This shared identity would give rise to greater trust and collaboration without the need for centralized control.
Moreover, the structure of corporations is a recipe for worker alienation and dissatisfaction. Humans have evolved the ability to quickly form collective intentionality that motivates group members to pursue a shared goal. “Once they have formed a joint goal,” Tomasello says, “humans are committed to it.” Corporations, by law, are required to maximize profits for their investors. The shared goal among corporate employees is not to benefit their own community but rather a distant population of financiers who have no personal connection to their lives or labor.
However, because worker-owned cooperatives focus on maximizing value for their members, the cooperative is operated by and for the local community—a goal much more consistent with our evolutionary heritage. As Darwin concluded in The Descent of Man, “The more enduring social instincts conquer the less persistent instincts.” As worker-owned cooperatives continue to gain prominence around the world, we may ultimately witness the downfall of Carnegie’s “law of competition” and a return to the collaborative environments that the human species has long called home.
Survival Of The Nicest was last modified: May 30th, 2020 by keeb
AnthropologyConsciousnessPhilosophyPsychology
from the book Tribal Epistemologies: Essays in the Philosophy of Anthropology by E. Richard Sorenson Preface by Keeb A deep trauma, compounded with others, that has led to the creation of…
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The Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund is a critical dedicated funding source for recreation and conservation projects, libraries, and historical preservation initiatives. The Keystone Fund enabling act requires that 15% of the state’s realty transfer tax receipts be put into the Keystone Fund for distribution by the following state agencies:
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission (PHMC)
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)
State System of Higher Education (SSHE)
DCNR Funding
The funding allocated to DCNR is divided by law for the following uses:
30% (of the 15% of the realty tax) goes to both the Bureau of State Parks and Bureau of Forestry, primarily to rehabilitate and upgrade state park and forestry infrastructure. However, up to 10% of this amount may be directed towards rails-to-trails projects, and up to 10% may also be directed towards rivers protection and conservation projects
25% is provided as grants for local recreation initiatives, such as ballparks and playgrounds
No less that 10% is to be provided to land trusts for natural areas and open space planning and acquisition
The funding is managed by two DCNR bureaus: the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (which allocates money for local recreation, rail-trails, and land trust projects) and the Bureau of Facility Design and Construction (which manages the funds used for parks and forestry improvements).
PHMC Funding
Approximately 20-25% of the Keystone Fund money that PHMC receives is distributed in the form of grants. The remaining funds are used internally to maintain and repair museums and sites owned and operated by the state. Funding is allocated for preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration projects.
PDE Funding
Library funding is distributed by PDE through a competitive grant process. Grants are available to public libraries and municipalities for structural improvements, accessibility projects, and new construction or renovation projects. There are two types of grants: major grants for projects requesting more than $75,000, and mini grants for projects of $75,000 or less.
SSHE Funding
The Keystone Fund money that SSHE distributes to the 14 state-owned universities is not in the form of grants. The money is provided based on a formula set by the Board of Regents which takes into account enrollment, number of buildings, total amount of deferred maintenance at each campus, and more. The 14 universities are the only recipients of this money.
You are here: Home / Allocation
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Hulu’s ‘Run’ Is Set in Pasco, So Why Not Film in Pasco?
(Hulu/Lionsgate/YouTube Screenshot)
It's not the first time Pasco has been the setting for a movie or TV show while not being a filming location. Aftermath on SyFy began in Pasco and had the Copelands journey to Yakima.
Run is a new thriller on Hulu starring American Horror Story's Sarah Paulson. It's the streaming giant's most successful original movie, earning $2.2 million at the box office during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the trailer below, you can clearly see the address of "515 Poplar Way Pasco, WA 98195" on prescription pill bottles. First of all, the nearest "Poplar Way" is Poplar Street in Burbank. Secondly, 98195 is not the zip code for Pasco. The movie was filmed in Winnipeg, Canada.
While Pasco residents surfing on Hulu are certainly thrilled to have their hometown star in a new hit movie, I don't think I'm going out on a limb here to suggest that studios make an effort to make "Pasco" feel like Pasco. It makes you wonder if movie production crews draw city names out of a hat so they don't revert to defaults like New York City or Los Angeles.
Hello, My Name is Frank made big waves locally when the film, set and filmed primarily in Tri-Cities, held its premiere in Pasco.
One Reddit user pointed out that TiLite, a Pasco company, is the manufacturer of the main character's wheelchair. So perhaps that's why the film is set where it is.
Run has a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently streaming on Hulu. If you've seen it, share your thoughts with us on our app.
11 Great Movies That Were Shot in Washington
Categories: Movies, Tri-Cities News
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Dallas Stars Ready to Party like it’s 1999, as NHL is Primed for Return to Play
This content was produced in partnership with Gambler.Media.
With the unprecedented pause to the season caused by COVID-19, the NHL, along with the rest of the leagues that were playing when the virus hit, had to come up with plans to end the season.
Next week (August 1), the NHL’s Return to Play will be the culmination of those efforts, as the league joins the MLB (July 23) and the NBA (July 30) back in action.
Twenty four teams, 12 each in Toronto (Eastern Conference) and Edmonton (Western Conference), will start their quest to bring home the Stanley Cup in this extraordinary season. Eight teams in each conference, seeded five through 12, will play best-of-five qualifying series, while the top four teams from each conference will play a round robin to determine final seeding.
The Dallas Stars are going to be one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference, and will battle it out with the defending champion St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights to figure out the bracket.
For the Stars, this could be one of the best opportunities to win their second Stanley Cup. It has been a long time since their first, way back in 1998-1999. In fact, since Dallas made back-to-back Finals appearances in 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, it has only been to one other Western Conference Finals (2007-2008).
But that may change this season.
According to odds on William Hill USA, the Stars are the fourth favorite to win the Western Conference at +550. That puts them behind Vegas (+260), St. Louis (+350), and Colorado (+450), but ahead of the other eight teams that have to slog through a five-game series just to get to the first round.
There are two schools of thought with the extra rounds. Some teams could get hot playing their way into the next round, while the top four seeds know they are already in, and just playing for their final place in the bracket. But after such a long break, the teams that play the least amount of hockey may end up as the freshest towards the end of the tournament.
So can Dallas go all the way and hoist the Stanley Cup?
Before the break, the Stars had the second best defense in the NHL, allowing just 2.52 goals per game. That could bode well for Dallas, especially in the playoffs as the games get tighter against better teams.
The problem may come on the offensive side: Dallas was just 26th (out of 31 teams), averaging just 2.58 goals per contest. That number puts them 23rd out of the 24 teams in the playoffs, only ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
So for the Stars to make a run in this tournament, it will come down to whether or not an aging squad will be able to keep it up on the defensive end, and find someone, or a few players, to score enough goals to win games. Fortunately, Dallas has two veteran goaltenders capable of getting hot in Ben Bishop (2.50 GAA) and Anton Khudobin (2.22), and that alone has seen teams in the past make runs all the way to the Finals.
If you are more adventurous, you can get the Stars at +1500 to win the whole thing, which is the eighth best odds. Boston and Tampa Bay are both +500 co-favorites to lift the cup, with Vegas (+650), Colorado (+700), and St. Louis (+900) the next three, according to American betting apps website.
But shop around: there are plenty of specials with the return to play. You can check AmericanGambler.com for links to current odds, free bets for the U.S. players and betting predictions for each round of games.
If you or anyone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Categories: Lubbock News
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Calvo Clause
Ms Irene Cholvi Ferrer
Dual-qualified Lawyer
I. Definition
II. Distinction with other related clauses
III. Effect
IV. Jurisdiction
The Calvo clause was first articulated by Argentinean jurist Carlos Calvo in 1863 and mainly incorporated in Latin American Investor-State concession contracts, Laws and Constitutions in the late 19th and early 20th century.1 It is a dispute resolution clause providing that investors shall seek redress to claims arising out of or in connection with such contracts by exclusively relying upon the available local remedies, and waiving the right to invoke diplomatic protection of their States of nationality.2
The Calvo clause seeks the same effect as the traditional National Treatment clauses, that of granting foreign nationals the same rights that the nationals of the host State have. The Calvo clause, however, precludes application of other rights that may be available to the foreign nationals. As a result, foreign nationals may not seek diplomatic protection or redress through means other than domestic courts and tribunals of the host State. However, it does not prevent aliens to seek remedies available under international law.3
The effect of the Calvo clause is twofold:
Waiver by the investor of the right to resort to diplomatic protection exercised by its State of nationality.
Requirement to exhaust the host State’s available local remedies.
The validity of the Calvo Clause remains controversial: while some tribunals have held that, being an expression of the will of the parties as included in the contract, it should be given full effect. Other tribunals deny its validity by reasoning that, since the holder of the right of exercising diplomatic protection is not the investor but its State of nationality, the investor is not the subject who is entitled to renounce to diplomatic protection.4 In contrast with the case of the requirement to exhaust local remedies, that the State can choose to waive, if the injury caused to its national is of such entity that meets the requirements of Article 19 of the ILC Articles on Diplomatic Protection, the State should exercise diplomatic protection.5 Moreover, since the exhaustion of local remedies is a precondition for invocation of diplomatic protection under international law, the effectiveness of the Calvo clause could be deemed obsolete.6
Which claims may be subject to waiver of the resort to diplomatic protection by the investor: Contract claims not covered by the BIT can be subject to the investor’s valid agreement to solely submit them to local remedies, while contract claims falling within the BIT’s scope and purely international law claims are carved out of this power of disposition and may be submitted to local authorities only as a prerequisite of the investor’s State of nationality to exercise diplomatic protection or as a prerequisite of consent to ICSID arbitration. Further, the Washington Convention permits the direct resort to ICSID arbitration provided that both the investor’s State of nationality and the host State are parties to the Convention and that the parties to the dispute have both consented in writing, to the exclusion of any other remedies, thus rendering the applicability of the Calvo Clause obsolete (Article 25(1)). However, it does not preclude the possibility for host States to demand the exhaustion of their local remedies as a precondition for the State consent to ICSID arbitration (Article 26).
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MLB Cancels All-Star Game For First Time Since 1945
latercovid
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodger Stadium’s 40-year wait to host the All-Star Game is going to last even longer.
The game scheduled for July 14 was canceled Friday because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Dodger Stadium was awarded the 2022 Midsummer Classic. The 2021 game is set for Atlanta’s Truist Park, home to the Braves since 2017.
Because of the pandemic, opening day had already been delayed from March 26 to July 23 or 24.
“Once it became clear we were unable to hold this year’s All-Star festivities, we wanted to award the Dodgers with the next available All-Star Game, which is 2022,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
No date for the 2022 game has been announced, although Dodgers President Stan Kasten said it would take place in the third week of July.
This year will be the first time since 1945 that no game is held. Travel restrictions because of World War II kept the game scheduled for Boston’s Fenway Park and any player selections from taking place that year. It was pushed back to the next season.
The Dodgers hosted the only the Midsummer Classic in Dodger Stadium history in 1980, won 4-2 by the National League.
The stadium — third-oldest in baseball behind Fenway and Chicago’s Wrigley Field — is the only park in the majors not to have increased its 56,000-seat capacity since it opened in 1962.
That’s not to say it hasn’t changed, however.
Since 2013, the stadium that overlooks downtown Los Angeles has undergone a series of structural and behind-the-scenes improvements, including two entrance plazas on the field level, tiered seating and bar areas overlooking both bullpens. The ballpark has also gotten new HD video screens and sound systems, wider concourses and renovated restrooms, kids play areas, displays to honor the franchise’s storied history, new home and visiting clubhouses and batting cages.
And that doesn’t include the $100 million in renovations that helped the Dodgers land the 2020 game. Those feature two acres of food and entertainment offerings in a new center field plaza and spruced-up outfield pavilions. Also added were elevators, escalators and bridges to improve circulation around the ballpark without changing its picturesque look and feel. The speaker tower sound system in center field is being replaced. New so-called “home run seats” are being added in front of existing outfield seats.
“We had a lot of elaborate preparations coming into this year, not the least of which is this huge, fantastic renovation,” Kasten said on a video conference call.
The Dodgers have installed a sign above the visitors’ bullpen in right field noting the All-Star game. It arrived without a date, making it viable to use for the upcoming 60-game regular season.
“It will be a constant reminder that Los Angeles is getting a game,” Kasten said, adding that money pledged by MLB and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation for community projects around the game will be spent this year.
People who purchased tickets for this year’s game will be offered an incentive to let the team hang on to their money until 2022, Kasten said. Refunds will also be offered beginning Monday.
The coronavirus slowed construction at the stadium. In mid-April, retired Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully narrated a brief video of the project.
Scully, now 92, announced the 1959 All-Star game hosted by the Dodgers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (the second such game played that year). He joined Mel Allen on the call for NBC on Aug. 3.
It was the first Midsummer Classic to be played on the West Coast, and also one of only two games to be played outside the month of July. The other was in 1981, when it was held on Aug. 9 because of the players’ strike.
The Dodgers also hosted the game at Ebbets Field in 1949 before they moved to the West Coast from Brooklyn.
The Dodgers have produced four different All-Star Game MVPs: Maury Wills in 1962; Steve Garvey in 1974 and ’78; Don Sutton in 1977; and Mike Piazza in 1996. From the 87-year-old Wills to the 51-year-old Piazza, all are still living and may have played a part in this year’s festivities.
Scully would surely have made an appearance, either in person or via video, where he has turned up several times since retiring in 2016. He and Brent Musburger worked the 1980 game in LA for CBS radio.
The Dodgers had been planning to host the 91st All-Star Game since being chosen in 2018. They sent teams of planners to Washington, D.C., in 2018 and Cleveland last year to study what did and didn’t work for those host cities.
Besides the Futures Game, Home Run Derby and All-Star Game over three days at the stadium, there would have been a Fan Fest and other events and commercial tie-ins around the game.
In February 2018, the Los Angeles City Council estimated an economic impact of $89.4 million from hosting the game. The Dodgers had committed to paying $100,000 for city services needed as part of the game.
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The rapid assessment health clinic at LBCC's Pacific Coast Campus. Photo courtesy the city of Long Beach.
Apr 6 3:54 pm
Free, drive-up COVID-19 testing site opens Tuesday in Long Beach, mayor says
Jeremiah Dobruck
Editor’s note: After this story was published, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that all the drive-up testing sites will be opened up for any symptomatic LA County resident to apply for testing, not just people in the most at-risk groups.
A free, drive-up testing site for COVID-19 will open Tuesday at Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast Campus, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said today.
The site, which is part of a partnership with Los Angeles County and LA city, will be open by appointment only. Anyone trying to book a test will have to answer a series of questions through the county’s screening website to see if they qualify.
The Long Beach center is one of several across LA county, which are all open to Long beach residents, but the LBCC location will likely be the most convenient, Garcia said.
To start, the site will take about 100 appointments a day with the hope of increasing that number, according to city officials.
The test typically will take 48 hours to get results, said Sandy Wedgeworth, director of Public Health Emergency Management in Long Beach.
If someone is negative for COVID-19, they’ll receive a letter in the mail, according to Wedgeworth, but if they’re positive, an investigator will immediately call to begin tracing the patient’s contacts.
The testing site will be right next to the free rapid-response medical clinic that opened today at LBCC’s Pacific Coast Campus. Both the clinic and drive-up testing sites are free and will serve those without insurance and those who are undocumented residents, the mayor said.
“I want to make sure all of you know, it’s available to you,” Garcia said.
The clinic, which serves people who otherwise might go to an emergency room for basic health services or assessment, saw 50 people in the first few hours it was open Monday, according to Wedgeworth.
On average, the workers, who are part of a volunteer health corp in Long Beach, are spending 10 minutes with each patient.
“We said we would do rapid, and that’s what we’re doing,” she said.
The clinic and testing site are both open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.
To see if you are eligible for a test, click here. You’ll be asked to answer basic questions, including name, date of birth, address and whether they are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, coughing and difficulty breathing. The website—in real time—determines and confirms an individual’s testing eligibility.
Those who receive confirmation of testing eligibility will then be given a selection of testing sites, and available appointment times to complete the test registration process. The registration number will be required information at the testing site. All of the testing locations are drive-up and clients stay in their vehicles for tests—though pedestrian clients with appointments can be tested, as well.
The test is a self-administered oral swab, meaning clients must swab their own mouths/throats using instructions provided to them at the site. The testing process takes between five and 10 minutes, however waiting times may vary.
— City News Service contributed to this report
Jeremiah Dobruck is the breaking news editor for the Long Beach Post. He began his journalism career in 2007 as an intern at Palos Verdes Peninsula News and has worked for The Forum Newsgroup in New York City, the Daily Pilot and the Press-Telegram. He lives in Torrance with his wife, Lindsey, and their two young children.
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Clearly identified professional courses for teachers at The George Washington University were first offered in 1904-05, and the Division of Education, under the Columbian College, was established in 1907. In 1909 this division became the Teachers College, and in 1928 the School of Education. By this time its faculty were staffing departments of education, educational psychology and home economics. In 1932, a year before it began its doctoral programs, the School accepted the responsibility for providing required physical education to all GW undergraduates, until the '60s when these requirements were dropped.
In 1977 the name was again changed to the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD). The School is a unit within the University structure having jurisdiction over professional teacher education programs, as well as other professional programs in education and human development. Up until this time the School also oversaw the Reading Center. In 1987 the School was organized into four departments: Department of Teacher Preparation and Special Education; the Department of Human Kinetics and Tourism; the Department of Educational Leadership, and the Department of Human Services. Each is headed by a department chair.
Since 1994 the School has been known as The Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD), when it transitioned from a comprehensive undergraduate/graduate entity to one focusing exclusively on graduate education. In 2004 the School celebrated its Centenary. The Dean of the School reports to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Williston S. Hough
The Teachers College
William Carl Ruediger
The School of Education
James Harold Fox
Acting Dean Blake Root
Francis N. Hamblin
Rodney Tillman
Acting Dean Robert E. Baker
The School of Education & Human Development
Eugene W. Kelly, Jr.
Acting Dean Jay R. Shotel
Leo D. Leonard
Peter P. Smith
Graduate School of Education & Human Development (undergraduate programs transferred elsewhere)
Mary Hatwood Futrell
GW Past
A Brief History of GW
Chronology of GW
Early Columbian College 1821-1824
Women Attending GW
Slavery at Columbian College
Presidents of the University
Nicknames and Mascots
Nuclear Fission Announcement
Creating a National University
Histories of GW Schools and Units
Benjamin Franklin University
Former GW Schools and Departments
Law School Chronology
Libraries at GW
Mount Vernon Seminary & College Chronology
School of Business and Public Management
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Home Peo...People Groups French
/ in All Algeria Andorra Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Belgium Benin Brazil Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Chile Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Cuba Curacao Czechia Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Egypt Ethiopia Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Germany Ghana Greece Guadeloupe Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Japan Kenya Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Lebanon Liberia Libya Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Mali Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Monaco Morocco Mozambique Netherlands New Zealand Niger Nigeria Norway Panama Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sint Maarten Slovakia South Africa Spain Sweden Syria Tanzania Thailand Togo Trinidad and Tobago Turkey Uganda United Kingdom United States Uruguay Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands (U.S.) Wallis and Futuna Islands West Bank / Gaza Zambia
French in New Zealand PRINT VERSION:
Photo Source: Masters View / Howard Erickson
Christianity (61.00%)
Introduction / History
The French Republic (France) is located in Western Europe and in several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. France is the largest country in the European Union by land area and the second largest in Europe behind Ukraine. France has been a major power in world political affairs for centuries with strong economic, cultural, military, and political influence. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonized much of North America; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest empire of that time, including large portions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Pacific Islands.
France is a developed country possessing the fifth largest economy by nominal GDP. It is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually. France is a founding member of the United Nations and the European Union and is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council. France possesses the third largest number of nuclear weapons in the world and the largest number of nuclear power plants in the European Union.
In the 4th century AD, Gaul's eastern frontier along the Rhine was overrun by Germanic tribes, principally the Franks, from whom the ancient name of "Francie" was derived. The Franks were the first tribe among the Germanic conquerors of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire to convert to Catholicism. France obtained the title "Eldest daughter of the Church" and the French would adopt this as justification for calling themselves "the Most Christian Kingdom of France".
Existence as a separate entity began with the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire was divided into East, Middle, and West Francia. West Francia approximated the area occupied by modern France and was the precursor to modern France. The Carolingian dynasty ruled France until 987, when Hugh Capet, Duke of France and Count of Paris, was crowned King of France. His descendants progressively unified the country through a series of wars and dynastic inheritance.
The monarchy reached its height during the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV. At this time, France possessed the largest population in Europe and had tremendous influence over European politics, economy, and culture. French became the common language of diplomacy in international affairs and remained thus until the 20th century. Much of the Age of Enlightenment occurred in French intellectual circles, and major scientific breakthroughs were achieved by French scientists in the 18th century. In addition, France obtained many overseas possessions in the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
The monarchy ruled France until the French Revolution in 1789. After a series of short-lived governmental schemes, Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of the Republic in 1799, making himself Emperor of what is now known as the First Empire (1804–1814). Following Napoleon's final defeat in 1815, the French monarchy was re-established with new constitutional limitations. France maintained colonial possessions, in various forms, beginning early in the 17th century and lasting until the 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, its overseas colonial empire was the second largest in the world behind the British.
France was an occupied nation in World Wars I and II. The human and material losses in the first war, which left 1.4 million French soldiers dead, exceeded largely those of the second, even though only a minor part of its territory was occupied during World War I. Political uncertainty and struggles for control dominated France during and after the World Wars. Form of government and territorial control was fluid during this time. Most governmental entities were unstable at best and civil war raged frequently.
In 1958, the weak and unstable Fourth Republic (governmental structure) gave way to the notable Fifth Republic that contained a strengthened Presidency. In that role, Charles de Gaulle managed to keep the country together while taking steps to end the civil wars. The Algerian War and Franco-French civil war were ended with peace negotiations in 1962.
In recent decades, France's reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the political and economic integration of the European Union. France enjoys the greatest amount of tourism of any country in the world. Its reputation as being rude to visitors and ambivalent toward the United States, whether deserved or not, remains a hallmark of the experience of visiting France. Many historical, architectural, artistic, culinary, and performance exhibits give tourists many hours of enjoyment.
Where Are they Located?
The French Republic (France) is located in Western Europe and in several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine River to the Atlantic Ocean.
France is bordered (clockwise from the north) by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France's overseas territories and areas of influence share land borders with Brazil, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles. France is linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel that passes underneath the English Channel.
Metropolitan France is situated between the 41st and 51st degree of north latitude on the western edge of Europe and lies within the Northern Temperate Zone. The north and northwest have a temperate climate while a combination of maritime influences and altitude produce a varied climate in the rest of Metropolitan France. In the southeast, a Mediterranean climate prevails. In the west, the climate is predominantly oceanic with a high level of rainfall, mild winters, and cool to warm summers. Inland, the climate becomes more continental with hot, stormy summers, colder winters and less rain. The climate of the Alps region is mainly alpine, with more than 150 of days per year with temperatures below freezing snow cover lasting for up to six months.
What Are Their Lives Like?
France functions like most of the developed countries of the world. The larger cities are more metropolitan and offer the most modern conveniences while the rural areas are more sedate and modern conveniences are less plentiful. French people are known for possessing a bit of an attitude when it comes to receiving tourists and visitors. A visitor who attempts to converse in the French language may find a more enjoyable exchange with the locals.
France uses the metric system for weights, measures, and volumes. It uses a 24-hour time clock without the AM/PM designations used in the US. Dates are listed in numeric form in the order of day-month-year. The Euro is the currency used in France and most of Europe.
France maintains an active military with air, ground, and naval forces at the ready. They also keep a sizable police force that is equipped to maintain the peace within their cities.
France relies heavily upon nuclear reactors to produce its electricity. They utilize public transportation as much as possible and many citizens do not own cars. The French government and the private sector combine in some cases to promote manufacturing and agricultural job opportunities; however, unemployment problems have plagued France for many years and disputes have arisen between labor unions, government policies, and private enterprises.
France is the most popular tourist destination in the world. Many historical, architectural, artistic, culinary, and performance exhibits give tourists many hours of enjoyment. France features cities of high cultural interest, beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions noted for their beauty and tranquility. Among the most popular tourist destinations in France are Paris, Lourdes, and several wine and agricultural regions. Attractions visited most often include the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Palace of Versailles, Musee d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Centre Pompidou, Mont Saint-Michel, Chateau de Chambord, Sainte-Chapelle, and Puy de Dome.
With an estimated population of 65.1 million people, France is the 19th most populous country in the world. Its largest cities are Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Nice, and Nantes. France's natural population growth accounts almost entirely for the natural population growth of the entire EU.
France is an ethnically diverse nation with about six million North Africans. It is currently estimated that 40% of the French population descends from different waves of migrations. According to the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, it has an estimated 4.9 million foreign-born immigrants and 2 million of these have acquired French citizenship. France is the leading asylum destination in Western Europe with an estimated 50,000 applications in 2005.
Professional sports are quite popular in France. Bicycle racing, tennis, golf, rugby, soccer, basketball, and downhill ski racing are among the most popular.
What Are Their Beliefs?
Approximately one-half of the French population consider themselves to be Roman Catholic and one-third consider themselves agnostic or atheist. Various smaller groups are listed with Muslim being the most notable at 6% of the population and growing. France is a secular nation with religious freedom granted to all recognized religions. Some very small groups exist that are not afforded the same level of rights due to being considered sects.
What Are Their Needs?
France, like most of Europe, is considered 'post-Christian' by many evangelical theologians. What many would consider as 'Bible believing' ministries may be hard to find in most cities. However, small groups of grass-roots missionaries and evangelical church planters may be found in some areas.
Like most places around the world, France needs people who will preach, teach, and demonstrate Biblical Christianity in their everyday lives.
* Scripture Prayers for the French in New Zealand.
* Pray for God to send laborers into this field of opportunity.
* Pray that He will raise up and equip locals who will take the gospel to their neighbors and to adjoining countries in Europe.
Profile Source: Wallace Revels
People Name General French
People Name in Country French
Population this Country 4,800
Population all Countries 50,524,000
Total Countries 111
Indigenous No
Alternate Names Franco-Mauritian Mulatto; Metropolitan
Affinity Bloc Eurasian Peoples
People Cluster French
People Group French
Ethnic Code CEW21b
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Oceania
10/40 Window No
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Primary Language French (4,800 speakers)
Language Code fra Ethnologue Listing
People Groups Speaking French
Audio Recordings Online New Testament - African (FCBH)
Audio Recordings Online New Testament - Canadian (FCBH)
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories in French
Audio Recordings StoryRunners Oral Bible Stories
Film / Video Good Seed Evangelistic Materials
Film / Video Jesus film: view in French
Film / Video Rivka (Jesus Film Project)
Film / Video Walk with Jesus (Africa, JF Project)
Primary Religion: Christianity
Religion Subdivision: Roman Catholic
Photo Source Masters View / Howard Erickson
Profile Source Wallace Revels
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Music » Music Etc.
by Gilbert Garcia
It’s one of the great caricatures of crotchety old people that they’re always lamenting the effects of inflation.
In our ageist imaginations, they’ll whine about the good old days, when they used to be able to get into a movie theater for a nickel, have a three-course meal for a dime, or get a rim job for a quarter.
But no one from the 78-rpm era could claim that a penny would buy them a minute of recorded music. Even Rudy Vallee records couldn’t have been that cheap.
Paul Westerberg’s latest release, however, is that cheap. Titled 49, the collection might be the biggest format-buster of our digital, format-busting age. It’s a 44-minute album in which all the songs flow, bleed, bump into, and, at times, collide with one another. Westerberg chose to release the set not as an album, but as a single 44-minute mp3, without any divisions, song titles, or anything else to break up the listening process for our deficient attention spans.
Westerberg released 49 through TuneCore, a digital-music delivery service, and since TuneCore charges artists only $9.99 a year per track (and 49 is technically only one track), Westerberg could simultaneously be looking at the lowest sales price and the greatest profit margin in the history of the music industry. Let’s assume that 40,000 people plunk down their Kennedy half-dollars for this album, a pretty realistic estimate, given the small investment that’s required. That would bring Westerberg nearly $20,000, with a profit margin of nearly $2,000 to 1.
This makes so much sense that it’s a wonder more people aren’t doing it. But, of course, more people will be doing it very soon.
The part that I like best about Westerberg’s new release is the instant-music component. He reportedly finished the album on a Monday, got it to his manager on a Tuesday, and had it selling online on Saturday. Until technology enables us to plug right into an artist’s brain and dissect his or her dreams in real time, this is about as good as it gets.
And what about the music? Westerberg issued 49 with the following warning: “Do not listen while operating a motor vehicle. This product is not faulty — all sounds are valid and intentional as a work of art.”
He’s not kidding. While individual tracks (let’s pretend they have titles and call them “Who You Gonna Marry” and “Everyone’s Stupid”) are pleasant in the rough-hewn, one-man-band style of Mono/Stereo, some tunes pop in and out before you can decipher them, and the effect can be like having a hyperactive 4-year-old rapidly flipping radio stations, only to find that Paul Westerberg songs are on every station.
The big 14-car pileup happens near the end, when a bunch of covers, including The Kinks’ “Dandy,” Alice Cooper’s “18,” Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” and the Partridge Family’s “I Think I Love You” all meet at the same intersection.
Such moments won’t fly for many listeners. But at 49 cents a pop, it’s hard to imagine that anyone will want his or her money back.
Music Etc. Music Playback
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Travel | June 19, 2008
Top 20 Cool Facts About New Zealand
As most of you will now know, I am living in New Zealand (the place of my birth). Before leaving the UK I decided that I would write a list specifically about my home land. It has taken a while to get to it – but here it is! Hopefully some of the other New Zealand readers will be able to contribute additional facts.
Facts 1 – 5
1. While it is no longer the case, New Zealand was once governed as a part of the territory of New South Wales (later a part of Australia). When Australia federated in 1901, New Zealand was offered a place as one of their states. New Zealand refused and is its own country with no ties (other than economic and commonwealth) to Australia.
2. A kiwi is not a fruit – it is New Zealand’s native flightless bird (pictured above) and a slang term for a New Zealander. Kiwis call the fruit “kiwifruit” – they are also known as Chinese Gooseberries.
3. New Zealand was the first major nation to have universal suffrage. In 1893 it became legal for all male and female citizens of New Zealand to vote.
4. New Zealand was first discovered by Europeans in 1642 when Dutch sailor Abel Tasman arrived. He left New Zealand after several of his crew were killed by Maoris, and it was not until 1769 that English Captain James Cook arrived and mapped the land.
5. Queen Elizabeth II is officially Queen of New Zealand. She is represented in New Zealand by a Governor General, who ratifies all laws put before him or her by the elected parliament of New Zealand.
Facts 6 – 10
6. New Zealand is one of only three countries that have two official (and of equal standing) national Anthems. The first is God Save the Queen (the English National Anthem) and the other is God Defend New Zealand. The other two countries with two anthems are Denmark and Canada which both have a Royal Anthem and a State anthem.
7. Another native bird of New Zealand (the Moa) was one of the largest birds in history – standing up to 3.6m (12 foot) tall and weighing 300kg. Unfortunately they were hunted to extinction by the Maoris by the end of the 1500s.
8. When the Europeans arrived in New Zealand, it was already inhabited by the Maori people – Eastern polynesian settlers who arrived some time between 800 and 1300. Oral tradition says that they came from a place named Hawaiki; its location is unknown. The very strong linguistic connection to Cook Island Maori might suggest that they originated from that region of the Pacific.
9. Another group of settlers (who most likely came from the same group as the original Maoris) settled on the Chatham Islands. They were called the Morioris and they were pacifists. In 1835, groups of Maoris moved to the Chatham islands and wiped out nearly all of the Morioris – leaving only 100 by 1862. The last full-blooded Moriori (Tommy Solomon) died in 1933. [Image above: Tamati Waka Nene, a Maori Chief]
10. New Zealand was the first country to have its three top positions of power held simultaneously by women: The Prime Minister (Helen Clark), the Governor General (Dame Silvia Cartwright), and the Chief Justice (Sian Elias).
Facts 11 – 15
11. New Zealand has a strong hold on the international trade in sheep meat. There are presently around 9 sheep to every 1 human in New Zealand (the population of New Zealand is 4 million).
12. Wellington, the Capital City of New Zealand (and home to me!) is the southernmost capital city in the world. [Image: Wellington City]
13. New Zealand was forced out of the ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand, United States) alliance in the 1980s when it outlawed nuclear arms and power. To this day, there are no nuclear power stations in New Zealand, and a change of law would be required before one could be built. New Zealand retains its military ties with the United Kingdom.
14. New Zealand has one of the most liberal media arenas in the world. Distinctly left wing versus right wing press is not as obvious there as in other nations.
15. New Zealand is a plastic nation – almost all personal financial transactions are made with a card – credit or otherwise. Most shops offer EFTPOS (similar to the UK Chip and Pin which appeared two years later) and cash is seen less and less. It is possible that New Zealand was the first nation to offer this system of payment (if someone can verify that I would appreciate it). The majority of taxis now allow you to pay without cash through this system.
16. New Zealand is a fairly liberal nation with homosexual marriage (Civil Union) being legal and prostitution, soliciting, and brothel keeping being legal. The driving age is 15, the consensual sex age is 16, and the drinking age is 18 (though minors accompanied by adults are allowed alcohol in restaurants).
17. Lake Taupo (one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations) was the source of the largest known eruption in the world in the last 70 thousand years. It had a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8. It released over 530 cubit kilometers of magma. [Image: Lake Taupo]
18. New Zealand was the last major landmass to be populated (with the exception of the polar regions).
19. New Zealander and Nobel Prize Winner, Ernest Rutherford is known as the father of nuclear physics for his orbital theory of the atom.
20. Sir Edmund Hillary – the first man to reach the peak of Mount Everest was a New Zealander (born in Auckland) and his face is on the New Zealand $5 bill.
Please visit Hutt Property if you are looking for a Hutt property enquiry or to buy property in Lower Hutt.
Top 10 Greatest Music Tracks From New Zealand
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10 Countries With The Most Landmines
Top 10 Adventures Too Extreme For Bear Grylls
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WWOZ To Broadcast “Jazz Festing In Place” Series Of Past Jazz Fest Performances
Tom Shackleford | Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020
Photo: WWOZ
Music fans around the world continue to come to terms with the growing list of canceled festivals and concert events for 2020 as countries remain in shutdown mode due to the ongoing global health crisis. One of the latest notable cancellations was that of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which was originally scheduled to return for its 51st annual edition on April 23rd-May 3rd with performances from The Who, Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, Lionel Richie, and many more.
With no Jazz Fest set to take place this spring—and the initial plans to reschedule to the Fall now dead on arrival—beloved New Orleans radio station WWOZ is stepping up to give fans the chance to emotionally return to the Fairgrounds with a week-long “Jazz Festing In Place” series of broadcasts highlighting memorable sets from past editions of Jazz Fest.
Related: New Orleans Mayor Recommends No Large Events Until 2021 [Watch]
The curated series will air on the same weekend days during which New Orleans Jazz Fest was set to take place (April 23rd–26th and April 30th–May 3rd) beginning at 11 a.m. CST and continuing throughout the day until 7 p.m. Performances to be featured in the “Jazz Festing in Place” series include longtime New Orleans and Jazz Fest staples like Dr. John, Fats Domino, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, The Meters, Allen Toussaint, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mardi Gras Indians, Trombone Shorty, Kermit Ruffins, The Radiators, Big Freedia, Rebirth Brass Band, and many more. The radio station will also air the 1974 “Fire Benefit” performance which featured Professor Longhair, the Wild Magnolias, and Dr. John. Interviews and audio highlights will be included in the daily broadcasts.
Music fans who have rediscovered their love for cooking and baking while stuck at home over the past month will also be thrilled to learn the radio station will be sharing recipes for New Orleans culinary staples to its social media pages during the weeklong celebration. Dishes will include Cajun Jambalaya, Crawfish Monica, Miss Linda’s Yaka Mein, Fried Soft Shell Crab Poboy, and more.
“Pull out your festival shirts, hats, flags, chairs and get ready to celebrate the best of New Orleans music from your backyard, your front porch, or your air-conditioned living room,” WWOZ mentioned in their announcement. “We’re even creating our own special cubes highlighting the schedule which will include some of the best performances in the history of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.”
Scroll down to see the schedule of audio broadcasts for weekend one of “Jazz Festing In Place”, and head to WWOZ website for more info.
WWOZ “Jazz Festing In Place” Weekend One Schedule
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Klopp unlikely to go for youth against Southampton
Posted By: Charles Adam Taylor January 9, 2017
Jurgen Klopp took full responsibility for his inexperienced Liverpool side’s goalless FA Cup draw with Sky Bet League Two high fliers Plymouth and he is unlikely to repeat the experiment this week.
The Reds face Southampton in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday and despite January becoming an even busier month now they have to fit in a replay against Argyle, Klopp will resist the temptation to rest players in midweek ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United.
“That’s only in a few days. More experience? I have no idea but probably yes, it’s pretty likely,” Klopp said after naming the youngest team – with an average age of 21 years and 296 days – in the club’s history.
“I don’t think the line-up was a mistake but you can see it like this if you want.
“We made mistakes in the game and always with the boys the good things they are responsible for and the bad things I am responsible for.
“If you want to see it (the result) in a bad way then I am 100 per cent responsible, I have no problem with that.
“I always choose line-ups to win the game and I accept that it was not to see in all situations but in a lot of them it was.
There is a long season still to go and we need to change. If you make that many changes, it doesn’t make it easier for the boys – I know this – but they need this experience and now they have it so we can go on.
“We didn’t think for a second about the age, they are important players in our squad and that’s why we used them.”
Visiting manager Derek Adams was delighted with Plymouth’s performance as Argyle became only the fifth side in the last year to keep a clean sheet at the home of the free-scoring Reds
“It is probably one of the best defensive performances Anfield has seen,” he said.
“We limited Liverpool to not many (opportunities). We dealt with them well and the players have worked extremely hard.
“It would be naive as a manager to come to Anfield and think you can go at top-class players.
“We are a League Two club, they are a Premier League club with players at international level.
“We allowed them time but didn’t allow them space.
“This was about a team performance. We had 13 players and they all deserve a huge amount of credit.”
Asked what Liverpool could expect in the replay at Home Park he said: “Welcome to the real world.”
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Pikrepo.com
TEC and ACNA Settle Lawsuit Over Diocese of Quincy
By Kirk Petersen
After 11 years of litigation, the parties have reached a settlement in the largest lawsuit over the property of the former Episcopal Diocese of Quincy. The suit was filed after the Quincy bishop and 18 of the 22 congregations of the small diocese voted to leave the Episcopal Church (TEC) in 2008 and form the Anglican Diocese of Quincy, part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
The settlement was announced by the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, which reunited with the remnants of the Quincy diocese in 2013. In a letter to what is now the Peoria Deanery, Bishop Jeffrey D. Lee of Chicago said: “I give thanks for your perseverance and courage through the past eleven years, and I am grateful that this settlement will benefit God’s mission in the Peoria Deanery for many years to come.”
It was “a very good settlement for both sides,” Tad Brenner, chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Quincy, told TLC by telephone. “Both sides walked away from this, not completely satisfied, but very happy that the hostilities had ended.”
The financial terms of the settlement are confidential, but “there is no exchange of real estate,” Brenner said.
Four churches that remained with TEC in the Quincy split will benefit directly from the settlement funds: St. James, Griggsville; St. James, Lewistown; the Episcopal Church of St. George, Macomb; and All Saints, Rock Island. Lee said “other funds recovered in the settlement will be held in the Bishop’s Funds for the benefit of the entire Peoria Deanery.”
The funds in question presumably are from financial assets previously held by the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy. At the time of the 2013 merger with the Diocese of Chicago, TLC reported that Quincy held approximately $4 million in assets that had been frozen as part of the litigation.
Quincy was one of five dioceses where theologically conservative bishops led many of their congregations out of the Episcopal Church a decade or more ago, and some individual congregations in other dioceses also left. Numerous lawsuits were filed between TEC and the departing parties, with TEC taking the position that the buildings and other property of the departing churches were held in trust for the local diocese, and must be turned over to TEC.
Lawsuits are continuing in the South Carolina and Fort Worth dioceses, and suits elsewhere have been settled or adjudicated with mixed results. Litigation also continues with two congregations in the ACNA Diocese of Quincy that are not part of the settlement, regarding the property of Grace Episcopal Church in Galesburg and Christ Church in Moline.
Brenner said the settlement will allow the parties to put their money and human talent to more productive uses. “Both sides are working towards the Great Commission, we’re just doing it in slightly different manners,” he said.
Anglican Diocese of QuincyDiocese of ChicagoDiocese of Quincylawsuits
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Diocese of Chicago Elects First Black Female Bishop
Bishop of Central Ecuador Dies Suddenly
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Libertarian Party of New York State Convention 1994
Dates: April 23, 1994
Venue: Italian-American Community Center
The Libertarian Party of New York State Convention, 1994 was held on April 23, 1994 at the Italian-American Community Center in Albany, New York. Prior to the convention, radio personality Howard Stern announced his candidacy for Governor of New York to run as the candidate of the Libertarian Party. As a result, many of his fans became members of the party in order to vote for his nomination at the convention. Stern later dropped from the race.
Candidates for governor
There were several candidates for governor.
Howard Stern 287 75.33%
James Ostrowski 34 8.92%
Norma Segal 24 6.3%
Dottie-Lou Brokaw 22 5.77%
Joseph Brennan 10 2.63%
Others 4 1.05%
Libertarian Party Nominates Howard Stern for Governor
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Archive for category: Politics
Envisioning a New Voting Rights Act for the 21st Century At UCLA conference, experts map out new federal protections after an election season marred by suppression and intimidation
December 14, 2020 /0 Comments/in For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Latinos, Politics, Public Policy, School of Public Affairs Chad Dunn, Matt Barreto /by Mary Braswell
By Mary Braswell
Voting rights experts from around the country gathered at a UCLA conference to brainstorm ways to protect Americans’ access to the ballot box, even as votes cast in the 2020 election continued to be challenged in court.
Elected officials on the front lines of the civil rights fight joined legal scholars, policy analysts, attorneys and advocates at the Dec. 8–9 virtual seminar. The event was hosted by the Voting Rights Project, a division of the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative at UCLA Luskin.
The seminar’s organizers intend to turn the attendees’ shared wisdom into a report to Congress that could help shape comprehensive national legislation to safeguard the right to vote.
Among the topics that guided the conversation: voter suppression and intimidation during this year’s election cycle and the Supreme Court’s 2013 rollback of core provisions of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“This is what we get when we have elections without the full protection of the federal Voting Rights Act that stood and served well for more than 50 years,” California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “It has unleashed the floodgates for a lot of the voter suppression measures that we’ve seen in the last seven years and we saw in full display in the 2020 election.”
Texas Rep. Marc Veasey, who co-founded the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, said the country is witnessing “egregious stories that you would think we wouldn’t be seeing in modern-day America.”
In his state, he said, officials have attempted to require people registering to vote to first produce a birth certificate or passport. Another proposal, seen as an invitation to voter intimidation, would have permitted cellphone recordings of citizens casting their ballots as a way to document “fraud.”
“We’re revisiting a very dark time in U.S. history where people just absolutely have no regrets at all about rolling back the rights of people to be able to vote, particularly people of color,” he said.
For example, Padilla noted, during the Georgia primaries, the wait time to vote in Black neighborhoods averaged 51 minutes, compared with six minutes in white neighborhoods.
While some state and local jurisdictions are pushing for rules that chip away at the freedom to vote, others are lighting the way for federal reforms, the speakers stressed.
Padilla and Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea spoke of changes in their states that have made it easier for citizens to register and vote — changes that were accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What made this cycle different is that the pandemic focused us to reexamine how people vote,” Gorbea said. “And in many of our states we adapted our democracy to provide easier and safer access to the ballot box, which meant that people could vote while still taking care of their health.”
The seminar included workshops that zeroed in on specific facets of the voting rights movement, including fair redistricting, equal access for low-income and minority communities, planning for the next public health crisis, and overcoming procedural hurdles that have blocked past efforts to bring change.
Panelists and participants in the audience weighed in on the strengths and omissions of legislation already in the pipeline, including HR1, the For the People Act, and HR4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Panelists represented several organizations with long histories of championing voting rights, including the ACLU, Campaign Legal Center, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
The discussion took place amid persistent efforts by President Donald Trump and some of his supporters to discredit the results of the 2020 presidential election. Padilla said those efforts have been fueled by “baseless conspiracy theories that have been spewed that seek to question the legitimacy of votes cast by Black voters and Latino voters, among others.”
The seminar capped a hectic electoral season for the Voting Rights Project, whose members conducted research, wrote policy reports and appeared in court to battle efforts to disenfranchise voters.
Tye Rush, a UCLA political science doctoral student, said a reinvigorated Voting Rights Act for the 21st century would eliminate the need for piecemeal litigation of civil rights violations.
“We’re looking to get something in front of Congress that can be signed and that will protect against the onslaught of voting rights–related rollbacks that we’re seeing in this era,” said Rush, a research fellow at the Voting Rights Project.
A New Game Plan for Connecting With Latino Voters UCLA experts join dialogue on lessons from the 2020 election, pointing to the complexities of voting behavior in a growing sector
December 2, 2020 /0 Comments/in Diversity, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Latinos, Politics, School of Public Affairs Matt Barreto, Sonja Diaz /by Mary Braswell
The pivotal role that Latino voters played in this year’s battle for the White House provides a roadmap for engaging with the diverse and growing constituency in decades to come.
To chart the way, experts from UCLA and elsewhere are digging into data from the 2020 vote to find answers to questions still lingering after Election Day.
Which issues resonated with Latino voters from state to state, in urban and rural communities, and from different ethnicities and age groups? How did President-elect Joe Biden build a winning coalition — and why did President Donald Trump make unexpected gains among the Latino electorate?
A Nov. 24 panel hosted by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative (LPPI) and the Aspen Institute’s Latinos and Society Program took aim at these questions, shining a light on the path ahead for both Democrats and Republicans.
“Latinos want to feed their families, they want security, they want a president who’s going to deal with this pandemic, and we saw that in our polling across the board,” Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told the virtual audience.
But the panelists emphasized that the biggest takeaway from 2020 is that Latinos do not vote with a single mind.
‘The youth in our community is transforming our electorate, and so we need to reach out to them, get them engaged.’ — UCLA Professor Matt Barreto
“There are things that bind us together, but our politics are unique,” said Matt Barreto, a UCLA professor of political science and Chicano/a studies who advised the Biden campaign. “At the end of the day, Latinos want to be engaged, as Latinos but also as Americans.”
Finding ways for candidates to connect with this complex electorate is a top priority given its rapid growth — more than 16 million Latino votes were cast this year, compared to about 7.5 million in 2004, Barreto said. The trend will continue, he noted, saying that in Arizona alone, 175,000 U.S.-born Latino high school students just missed the chance to cast a ballot this year but will be eligible to vote in 2024 and beyond.
“The youth in our community is transforming our electorate, and so we need to reach out to them, get them engaged, let them feel heard and massively target voter registration campaigns,” said Barreto, who also serves as faculty co-director of LPPI, which is based at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
One notable trend in 2020: Trump’s campaign message that the U.S. economy would be stronger under his watch hit home with both the white, non-college-educated males who formed his base as well as with U.S.-born Latino males under 40 — but “Latinas were not having any of this nonsense,” said Mike Madrid, former political director for the California GOP and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, which was launched by disaffected Republicans working to unseat the president.
“Trump had stronger numbers than anybody anticipated, and we’ve got to recognize that if we’re going to be honest about what’s happening in the community,” said Madrid, who remains a member of the Republican Party.
Broadcast journalist María Elena Salinas, the moderator, said that several other GOP analysts were invited to participate on the panel but declined.
Madrid said the conservative economic, foreign policy and moral platforms that originally drew him to the Republican Party have been replaced by “white identity grievance politics.”
“I believe that the majority party in the next 20 years will be the one that captures the economic aspirations of a multicultural middle class,” he said. “The Republican Party has a significant problem with that because they’re not interested in a multicultural anything. The Democratic Party, I think, really needs to refine some of their economic messages.”
That messaging was met with skepticism on rural stretches of the campaign trail, said panelist Rudy Soto, a Democrat who lost his recent bid to win a congressional seat in the red state of Idaho.
He recounted one conversation with a Latino father and son who asked, “ ‘Why are you pushing to give everything away for free?’… That doesn’t represent what we are actually about,” Soto said.
“In rural America and much of suburban America, where Hispanic communities are at the forefront of growth,” Soto said. “We’re seeing a lot of struggles when it comes to the Democratic Party’s message connecting with people,” Soto said.
Perez predicted that the Biden administration would be quick to enact policies that benefit the Latino community, building support for the Democrats’ agenda.
As the record turnout in this year’s race showed, “Latinos are difference makers across the country,” helping to tip the scales in tight races from Arizona to Wisconsin to Georgia, he said.
During this election cycle, Democrats used sophisticated modeling tools to tailor messages to multiple Latino audiences, a strategy that has long been used to parse the white electorate.
“For the better part of the 21st century, campaigns have had efforts to micro-target and understand different segments of the white vote: suburban women, non-college-educated men, young, sort of hipster Portland types, whatever it is,” Barreto said.
The Biden campaign used the same technique — massive sampling and community-driven outreach — to zero in on issues important to diverse Latino segments, he said.
U.S.-born children of immigrants who are voting for the first time likely have different priorities than families rooted in their communities for several generations, he said. And voters with ties to Cuba, Venezuela, Central America, Mexico, Puerto Rico and elsewhere bring their own lenses to the American experience.
Democrats are now studying the lessons of 2020 to position themselves for future engagement with the Latino electorate, the panelists said. This includes building up the infrastructure to more aggressively combat misinformation, lobbying for fair maps in the next round of redistricting, and grooming Latino candidates for office up and down the ballot.
“Latinos, like other voters of color, cannot be taken for granted by either party, candidates or campaigns,” said LPPI Executive Director Sonja Diaz in remarks ending the webinar. “The campaigns that inspire Latino turnout will be rewarded with winning margins.”
The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative and Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program launched a partnership to highlight the importance of the Latino vote in 2018, following the U.S. midterm elections. Read more.
View the video of this year’s LPPI-Aspen Institute panel.
Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro on Future of Federal Housing Webinar with the former Democratic presidential candidate includes UCLA Luskin housing experts in a discussion of urgent policy priorities
November 24, 2020 /0 Comments/in Development and Housing, Diversity, Education, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Politics, Public Policy, Public Policy News, School of Public Affairs, Social Welfare, Social Welfare News, Urban Planning Michael Lens /by Claudia Bustamante
By Bret Weinberger
Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro characterized the seriousness with which American society ought to address the nationwide housing crisis by saying during a recent UCLA virtual event, “All of us have a responsibility to solve this challenge.”
Castro said there is no time to waste in facing this issue, with an eviction crisis looming because of economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The Nov. 5 webinar focused on the future of federal housing policy as part of the Housing, Equity and Community Series, a joint endeavor of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate.
Castro and Michael Lens, associate faculty director of the Lewis Center, spoke amid uncertainty regarding the nation’s political landscape just days before major news outlets called the race for President-elect Joe Biden. They delved into the interconnectedness of multiple ongoing crises and came ready with policy solutions.
Regarding protections for those who struggle to remain housed, Castro said that local governments should be empowered to enact rent control measures, even if it isn’t a one-size-fits-all remedy. And the federal government should robustly enforce the Fair Housing Act by working with local governments to put together implementation plans, as was the practice when he served in the Obama administration.
Castro, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, also suggested changing the tax code to favor non-homeowners by offering a renters’ tax credit.
When Lens brought up the infusion of racial politics into housing policy, Castro castigated the Trump administration for assuming that racism exists among suburbanites and ignoring the realities of diversifying suburbs. He said their rhetoric translated into policy changes, such as removing protections against housing discrimination and underfunding key programs, that have exacerbated the housing crisis.
Castro raised cause for hope on the topic of homelessness when he said that both parties could agree on tackling veteran homelessness. He shared an experience of visiting Los Angeles’ Skid Row while HUD secretary.
“You can’t tell, just by looking at someone, why they’re there. You can’t stereotype them,” he said.
Lens also joined a second portion of the event that featured a roundtable discussion about topics covered by Castro, joining Cecilia Estolano MA UP ’91, founder and CEO of the urban planning firm Estolano Advisors, and José Loya, assistant professor of urban planning at UCLA Luskin.
“We need to be strategic, and we need to work fast,” Estolano said. She argued that incomes need to rise for people to afford high housing costs. Policies helping minority-owned businesses could have a major impact, she said.
Like Castro, Loya focused on how the tax code could be rewritten to help renters and low-income homeowners. This centered on granting tax credits to these groups rather than to wealthier homeowners.
One theme resonated with all the speakers: The new government, whatever its composition, must face housing head on. Americans — whether rural, suburban or city-dwelling — can’t afford otherwise.
View a video of the session on YouTube:
UCLA Alumna Neera Tanden Delivers Post-Election Analysis at Virtual Luskin Lecture CEO of Center for American Progress draws on her deep experience in national politics to discuss what to expect from the Biden administration
November 18, 2020 /0 Comments/in For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Politics, Public Policy, Public Policy News, School of Public Affairs Gary Segura /by Stan Paul
By Stan Paul
Pollsters and pundits predicted a blue wave for Joe Biden and Democrats, and President Donald Trump called for an overwhelming red surge at the polls to secure a second term.
Both sides got it right and wrong.
“It’s just that Joe Biden was able to put together a coalition that, at the end of the day, will likely have 5 million more people behind it and, importantly, had strength enough to carry him through victory in what’s likely to be five states that Trump won in 2016,” said Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress.
Tanden is a 1992 UCLA alumna who served in the Obama and Clinton administrations, lending credibility to her discussion of the state of the electoral process and prospects of a polarized nation under the administration of Biden and his vice president-elect, Kamala Harris. She was the featured speaker for a post-election analysis Nov. 10 moderated by UCLA Luskin Dean Gary Segura. The online session was the second Meyer and Renee Luskin Lecture of the 2020-21 academic year.
Tanden was asked to analyze the campaign, comment on voter turnout and assess an ongoing tumultuous transition amid vote recounts demanded by an incumbent president refusing to acknowledge the outcome of the 2020 vote. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has reached its highest levels across the country.
“I can’t think of a better person to talk to about this than Neera Tanden,” said Segura, who described the first week after the election as “an anxiety-filled time.” Citing her work with previous presidential campaigns and noting her law degree from Yale, Segura added that Tanden “has perhaps the best grasp of what we’re likely to see in a Biden administration in the coming years.”
Noting that the White House win was the “most pivotal outcome, for sure,” Segura asked Tanden to address the fact that Democrats did more poorly in House and Senate races than they had hoped.
“I think we do have to grapple with the fact that it seems that Biden’s brand is stronger than the brand of the Democratic Party,” Tanden said. “There’s a lot of work for the party to evaluate how Biden has a brand that the party needs to move to, rather than the other way around.”
Tanden prefaced her analysis by starting from a global perspective, noting a worldwide rise of right-wing authoritarian populism over the past decade and the “politics of division” some politicians are stoking. She called out countries that include India, Turkey and Hungary, as well as current “politics roiling in Britain.”
“What we’ve seen around the world is that once an authoritarian populist takes power, through democratic means, it’s very, very difficult to dislodge that person,” Tanden said.
She suggested that Trump shares a trait with many authoritarian leaders — an ability to dominate a news cycle and negatively brand their opponents, calling it one of “Trump’s greatest superpowers.” The GOP’s effort to associate Democrats with socialism, she noted, was important in some races but generally turned out to be a less successful strategy against Biden.
Still, she acknowledged that Trump was able to mobilize his base of support across the country and bring out conservative voters at unprecedented levels, far exceeding his 2016 tally despite falling short of Biden’s total.
Segura asked Tanden about Trump’s legal strategy in challenging the election and the possible detrimental effect on democracy given that many Republican voters believe the election was stolen.
“I think we are witnessing a profound damage to democracy in the sense that Republican leaders are willing to basically do anything to appease Trump’s fantasy that he can win,” Tanden said. “You see that in the two Georgia run-off candidates who attacked the Republican secretary of state. Basically, it’s been reported that Trump demanded that they do so or he would attack them.”
The outgoing president has a “stronger hold on the base of the Republican Party and Republican voters than any other Republican in my lifetime, so he has an ability to basically scare any single one of these Republicans,” she said.
Even so, Tanden said she did not think the electoral process is in jeopardy “unless something goes really haywire,” given that Trump’s legal challenges are being rejected by judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican administrations. U.S. courts do not have a history of overturning votes after the fact, she said.
The coming years won’t be easy for either party, Tanden said, and both sides face unique challenges.
Republicans will find it hard to do anything independently “because they will just be in fear of Trump running again or campaigning against them. … The one thing he’s demonstrated over the last four years is he is perfectly happy to attack Republicans if they don’t do his bidding, and with deep, deep consequences.”
Democrats seem likely to face an obstructive Republican Senate majority and thus will have to seek compromise to govern.
“It’s an open question; there’s four Republican senators, maybe five, at this point who congratulated Biden, so maybe they form a basis of trying to negotiate some compromises,” Tanden said.
She has observed structural challenges within the Democratic Party that she believes create a healthy debate about tactics.
“With gerrymandering, Democrats have to run in conservative-leaning districts,” Tanden told the online audience of about 200 people. She noted that such practical considerations “allow more ideological fluidity in the party, as we sometimes have seen.”
Segura also asked whether what was “good for the goose is good for the gander? Do we run amok as a party — are Democrats thinking that to themselves?”
“I think this is a balance … a range of arenas where the Democrats need to be assertive. They need to undo Donald Trump’s really lawless immigration policies. We need to reenter the Paris [climate accords],” Tanden countered.
Going forward, the most pressing and important thing for the new president is to handle the coronavirus crisis effectively. She noted that Biden “can do a lot on the virus with executive action.”
If Republicans show a willingness to bend, Tanden said she believes much can be accomplished. “But if Republicans choose to ignore everything, then we are going to be in a position where, hopefully, we address the virus,” she said, “and argue at the midterms.”
Tanden recalled her thinking after the 2018 midterm elections. “I told my staff that 2020 was going to be a huge turnout election in both directions, and that the job was going to require mobilizing more voters … and the truth is that happened and it’s a historic victory.”
But Biden’s job is just beginning.
“When you have power, you can build on power,” Tanden said. “Joe Biden is going to have to spend more time thinking about how he builds a majority in the country. But I think he navigated this extremely well, and he and his team have good instincts about how to move forward.”
Editor’s note: Biden later said that Tanden would be his choice as director of the Office of Management and Budget, pending Senate approval.
Conservatives Make Their Case Against Donald Trump GOP insiders who broke ranks to battle the president share strategies and predictions with a UCLA Luskin audience
October 23, 2020 /0 Comments/in For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Politics, School of Public Affairs Gary Segura /by Mary Braswell
With Election Day just over a week away, two Republican insiders who broke from their party to take up the fight against Donald Trump will soon learn the fate of a president they view as “an autocrat who is unfaithful to the American republic’s ideas and ideals.”
Those biting words came from longtime GOP strategist Steve Schmidt, who shared his assessment of Trump’s presidency and the state of the Republican Party in a rousing conversation launching the 2020-21 UCLA Luskin Lecture Series.
“We should be honest with each other about this season of insanity and chaos because we have to figure out how to fix it,” said Schmidt, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, launched by disenchanted Republicans in late 2019 to defeat Trump and his allies.
Joining Schmidt at the Oct. 21 event was leading conservative voice Sarah Longwell, who said she was compelled to swim against the Republican mainstream by “this once-in-a-lifetime threat to democracy.”
“It was going to be a lot harder to keep my mouth shut,” Longwell said of her decision to break ranks early in Trump’s presidency. “I have found it to be much more shocking that other people haven’t spoken up.”
Schmidt and Longwell are proponents of a moderate-conservative agenda that they say has been hijacked by the current administration. Their dialogue, hosted by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, drew hundreds of viewers from as far away as Spain, Singapore and New Zealand.
‘More and more Republicans every day are coming through that breach line and saying, “You know what? We’re just not doing this for four more years.”’ — Steve Schmidt, co-founder of the Lincoln Project
UCLA Luskin Dean Gary Segura guided the virtual conversation, pressing the guests — who each spent several years shaping Republican campaigns and communications — about the role they have personally played in creating today’s GOP.
“I’ve never taken an oath to the Republican Party,” Schmidt replied. “I always fought for the side of the Republican Party that believed that the freedoms of the country, the ideas and ideals of America, were for everybody.”
Longwell, former national board chair of the Log Cabin Republicans, said she joined the conservative movement for its “big ideas and sensible policies,” then watched as it was contorted to fit into a populist, nationalist frame.
“When you say Trumpism, I’m not sure that people have a great sense of what that means other than the roiling morass of the last three years,” she said.
Schmidt is a communications and public affairs strategist who has worked on political campaigns for former Republican officeholders such as President George W. Bush, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Arizona Sen. John McCain. He and Longwell place themselves on the center-right of the political spectrum, but each has a distinct interpretation of what lies ahead for the GOP — including predictions for future presidential candidates.
Schmidt forecast a Republican “bloodbath” on Nov. 3 and was unabashedly pessimistic about the party’s future.
“The Republican Party will not reform in defeat. It will get crazier,” he said. “It will become more extreme, more insular, and that’s the death spiral of the national party.”
In Schmidt’s view, the front-runners for topping the GOP ticket in 2024 are two Trump loyalists: Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Longwell, in contrast, envisions a candidate who attempts to fuse the Trump and establishment wings — a candidate such as Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador and governor of South Carolina.
This would create a dilemma for conservatives, she said: Do you support a compromise Republican candidate such as Haley, who has one foot in the Trump camp? “Or do you help Democrats try to annihilate that thing altogether until it’s root-and-branch done with, and an entirely new generation of politicians rise up to take the mantle?”
Not until the Trump era has completely run its course does Longwell see a true revival of the Republican brand.
“It is possible that Donald Trump is like the Iraq War,” she said. “It was very popular for a period of time, and now you can’t find a single person who ever supported it. … It is possible that he goes down in flames and nobody wants to touch him again.”
Schmidt said the nation’s political future hinges on which faction of the Democratic Party takes hold.
“If the choice is between a socialist party and a nationalist party … the nationalist party will beat the socialist party for at least the next three elections in this country and maybe longer than that,” he said.
For the current election cycle, Longwell co-founded Defending Democracy Together, a nonprofit aimed at turning red votes blue to put Democrat Joe Biden over the top as president. Key to Longwell’s campaign is the dissemination of personal testimonials from ordinary citizens who plan to switch sides for the first time.
“So many of these people tell really deeply moving stories. They talk about being really religious or deeply pro-life and why they voted Republican all their lives … and why they had to vote against Donald Trump in 2020,” she said.
Longwell held out faith that under strong, decent leadership, Americans can bridge their divide.
“There are actually a bunch of places where there’s broad consensus among the American public … places where there are pragmatic solutions that politicians for a long time have had every incentive to keep us from achieving because they’d rather have the issue than the solution, to keep jamming us further and further apart.”
Schmidt said he helped launch the Lincoln Project political action committee after watching with alarm last fall as Democratic primary contenders battled each other instead of focusing on Trump.
“It was our point of view that no one had fought Donald Trump effectively for many, many years. No one had drawn blood on him,” he said.
The Lincoln Project boasts a sophisticated data operation that targets swing counties and precincts across the country. But it’s better known for its ads skewering Trump’s record.
Now, said Schmidt, “More and more Republicans every day are coming through that breach line and saying, ‘You know what? We’re just not doing this for four more years.’ ”
Once the 2020 election cycle is complete, the Lincoln Project plans to set its sights on GOP lawmakers who closed ranks under the Trump presidency, particularly as COVID-19 savaged the nation.
“The fight will continue past this, because the consequences of what happened to the country is something we’re going to be digging out of for the next 10 years,” Schmidt said. “And the people responsible for it are not just named Trump.”
The Luskin Lecture Series enhances public discourse on topics relevant to the betterment of society. The 2020-21 series at the Luskin School will continue on Nov. 10 when Neera Tanden, a UCLA alumna and the current president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, joins Segura online for a post-election analysis. Register here.
View a video of the Oct. 21 UCLA Luskin Lecture “Voices of Dissent.”
Steve Kerr Has More on His Mind Than Winning The NBA head coach speaks with UCLA Luskin about life, justice and important lessons Americans still need to learn
October 13, 2020 /0 Comments/in Alumni, Diversity, Education, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Politics, Public Policy, Public Policy News, School of Public Affairs, Social Welfare, Social Welfare News, Urban Planning Gary Segura /by Les Dunseith
By Les Dunseith
One of NBA coach Steve Kerr’s oldest memories occurred in the early 1970s when he attended his first NCAA basketball game at Pauley Pavilion with his father, then a UCLA professor. It was the heyday of UCLA men’s basketball, when the Bruins rolled through season after unbeaten season on the way to 10 championships in 12 years. The opponent was highly ranked Maryland.
“I was 6 or 7 years old, and UCLA wins the game by one point. The place is electric. Every seat is sold, and it’s an incredible game,” Kerr remembered, telling the story Oct. 7 during a webinar hosted by UCLA Luskin. “There’s all these All-American players on the court, and I’m thinking, you know, that was amazing!”
As he exited the arena with his father, Malcolm Kerr, they overheard Bruin fans complaining about UCLA’s performance. “What’s wrong with the team?” the fans said. “We only won by one point.”
Young Steve stopped suddenly. “‘But dad, we won?’ And my dad had to say, ‘Well, son, I’m going to have to teach you about context.’”
When a team wins championships, “fans are not just interested in winning, they’re interested in how they win and how dominant they look,” Kerr told an online audience of about 200 students, alumni, faculty, staff and other invited guests while helping the Luskin School celebrate a new academic year. Dean Gary Segura moderated the talk, which touched on Kerr’s role as a player, coach and outspoken advocate for social justice.
Understanding expectations has meaning for Kerr in his role as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, a team that went to the NBA finals five years in a row, winning three championships, before finishing the most recent season with the worst record in the league amid injuries and player departures.
Moving forward, Kerr can draw inspiration from his interactions with a who’s who of coaching role models from college and professional basketball, starting with John Wooden. During his father’s 20 years as a political science professor at UCLA, Steve got to know Wooden, and even served as a ball boy for the Bruins when he was 13 and 14 years old.
“I have [Wooden’s] photo hanging on the wall at my office in San Francisco,” Kerr said during the audience Q&A portion of the webinar. “He is one of the people I really admire and look up to as much as anybody — not only in the basketball world, but just in terms of people who have impacted me and the way I try to coach.”
Kerr’s Bruin connections run deep. So why didn’t he play for UCLA?
“I would have if they had wanted me,” Kerr said, laughing. “I’ll just say I was a late bloomer” — a statement borne out during his days as an NBA player when he earned five championship rings and set a still-unmatched record for career 3-point shooting success.
Kerr ended up playing college ball at the University of Arizona, where he learned from another great coach, Lute Olson.
“Coach Olson really kind of set the stage for my entire career,” Kerr said. “You’re so impressionable at that age, and to learn from one of the great coaches and to feel that presence — in that structure and with that wisdom — every day was incredible.”
This was in the 1980s, a couple of years after Malcolm Kerr had left UCLA to become the president of American University in Beirut. Then, during Steve’s freshman year at Arizona in 1984, Malcolm Kerr was killed on the Beirut campus by two gunmen. “He was one of the early victims of Middle East terrorism,” Kerr said. “And, obviously, it was a devastating time for our family.”
Steve Kerr is active today in efforts to prevent gun violence and provide guidance to troubled youth. But he doesn’t see the tragedy as the defining moment in shaping his worldview and that of his siblings.
“It was the way we were raised,” Kerr said, reflecting on his upbringing on and around the UCLA campus. “My mom and dad always exposed us to a lot of people from all over the world.”
His mother, Ann Kerr, has worked at UCLA since 1991 and still coordinates the Visiting Fulbright Scholar Enrichment Program for the International Institute. His siblings include John, who teaches at Michigan State University; Susan, an author and an elected county councillor in Great Britain; and Andrew, a businessman working in Washington, D.C.
Steve Kerr played pro basketball, then became a sportscaster and later a coach.
“I was definitely kind of the black sheep of the family. My siblings have all pretty much gone on to various educational endeavors. My mom likes to say that she has two Ph.D.s, an M.B.A. and an NBA,” Kerr joked.
Then again, Kerr’s job involves helping a group of people to learn and work together to achieve a goal. “Coaching is just teaching,” Kerr said. “It dawned on me after a while that I actually wasn’t as big of a black sheep as I thought I was.”
Few athletes have careers as varied or successful as Kerr, an eight-time NBA champion — five as a player on the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, and three as coach of the Warriors.
In Chicago, he played for another legendary coach, one known for then-unusual tactics like meditating before games. “Phil Jackson taught me that you can be totally unique — and even weird — and be an incredible basketball coach.”
In San Antonio, he played for Gregg Popovich, who remains a close friend and mentor and is “just an incredible human being.”
“He’s the one who taught me … not to be afraid to speak out,” said Kerr in reference to his own reputation as an outspoken advocate for progressive political viewpoints.
During the webinar, Kerr answered questions about basketball:
Could he beat Steph Curry in a game of H-O-R-S-E? “In theory, yes, but probably not.”
And he answered questions about his life:
Would he ever consider a run for public office? “No. I’m a basketball coach and that’s what I love to do.”
But Kerr and the dean spent a good portion of their hour together talking about societal issues, the sorts of things that are on the minds of the faculty, students and alumni of a school that educates future social workers, urban planners and policy experts.
So, what’s getting him hot under the collar lately?
“Well, voter suppression is probably the thing that makes me the angriest right now,” Kerr responded. “We have this country that we all want to believe in. And we want to believe in the words that were written in the Constitution, and the words that were uttered by our founding fathers.”
But, to Kerr, people need to recognize the “parallel universe” that was often hidden beneath the surface of the American ideal.
“This parallel universe has existed from Day 1 in this country — where slavery existed and Black people were considered to be three-fifths of a human being in the Constitution,” Kerr told Segura. “What this social movement is about right now is trying to reconcile these parallel universes. How can we be so proud of our country and so thankful, and yet at the same time really be staring at some of the things that are still going on like … voter suppression? It’s really disheartening.”
The 2019-20 NBA season was suspended for months because of COVID-19, then restarted amid protests about anti-Black violence by police. When play resumed, coaches and players let their views be known, such as wearing slogans in support of racial justice on their uniforms.
“I’m very proud that the NBA has taken a leadership role with this issue,” Kerr said.
During a 15-year playing career that spanned all of the 1990s, Kerr was on teams with some of the most famous basketball players of all time. Circumstances, he noted, have changed.
“Social media didn’t exist. And so somebody like Michael Jordan, for example, rarely spoke out about politics or social issues. But at the same time, he wasn’t really asked, and that’s the biggest difference,” Kerr noted.
Kerr singled out Andre Iguodala, a former Warrior who is now with the Miami Heat, as a current player whose activism has been influential for him.
“I had one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had on race with Andre,” Kerr said, recalling a chat at the team’s practice facility about how white America can be oblivious about reconciling with the nation’s past.
“Andre, he just said, very matter of factly, ‘Coach, have you ever heard about Black Wall Street?’”
Kerr had not, so he went online to learn the horrific story of the 1921 massacre of Black residents by a white mob in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, suburb of Greenwood, known as the Black Wall Street because of the relative wealth of many of its residents.
The tragic nature of the story isn’t the only reason this incident is significant to Kerr, who “has read a lot of books about history and thoroughly enjoyed American history classes in high school and college, and was a history minor in college. Not one person ever taught me about the Tulsa race riots.”
For Kerr, the son of educators and the recipient of wisdom from legendary coaches known not just for winning games but for shaping young lives, the path ahead is clear.
The tragedy of Black Wall Street “should be an entire chapter in every high school student’s textbook,” Kerr said. “We have to face what we’ve done, and the evils and the awfulness that has existed.”
Watch the webinar.
Bruins Play Key Roles in Report Calling for Sweeping Reforms in L.A. Dean Gary Segura and Luskin School students are among the many UCLA contributors to ambitious effort to reimagine life in the region from a racial justice perspective
September 21, 2020 /0 Comments/in Alumni, Development and Housing, Diversity, Education, Environment, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Health Care, Latinos, Politics, Public Policy, Public Policy News, Research Projects, School of Public Affairs, Social Welfare, Social Welfare News, Transportation, Urban Planning Gary Segura /by Les Dunseith
A new report that lays out a road map for the transformation of the Los Angeles region built on racial equity is rooted in research from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. The report’s co-authors are Gary Segura, dean of the Luskin School, and Manuel Pastor, director of the University of Southern California’s Equity Research Institute.
The paper, “No Going Back: Together for an Equitable and Inclusive Los Angeles,” was issued Sept. 9 and shared with a UCLA audience Sept. 15 at a virtual salon. At more than 250 pages, the report is a comprehensive examination of the hidden barriers to success that limited many of the city’s residents even before COVID-19, but have been exacerbated since the pandemic began.
A wide swath of the Bruin community contributed to the paper. Numerous faculty and staff members provided new research, offered historical context and analyzed existing data. UCLA alumni serve on the Committee for Greater LA, which developed the report. And a handful of current UCLA students conducted research that fed the recommendations.
UCLA Contributors
Julie Aguilar
Fred Ali
Yohualli Baldera-Medina Anaya
Eraka Bath
Isaac Bryan
Jae Canas
Sonja Diaz
Rodrigo Domínguez-Villegas
Debra Duardo
Antonio Elizondo
Silvia R. González
Raúl Hinojosa Ojeda
Michael Lens
Patricia Lester
Kelly Lytle Hernandez
Paavo Monkkonen
Michael Manville
Michael Méndez
Pedro Noguera
Jonathan Ong
Paul Ong
Chhandara Pech
Meredith Phillips
Ananya Roy
Mariesa Samba
Miguel Santana
Lucrecia Santibañez
Ellen Schwartz
Abel Valenzuela
Arturo Vargas Bustamante
Carla Vasquez-Noriega
Jacqueline Waggoner
Those students, Antonio Elizondo, Dan Flynn, Mariesa Samba and Ellen Schwartz, share a passion for building a new Los Angeles grounded in social justice and racial equity.
Flynn, a second-year graduate student, contributed to the report’s sections on health and homelessness. His experience working with nonprofit agencies has made him acutely aware of the need to think differently about the region’s homelessness crisis.
“You’re looking at 70,000 unhoused people in Los Angeles at any given point,” Flynn said. “There’s no way to look at that issue and describe it as anything other than a failure — and a catastrophic one, with immense human cost. There has been a failure to build systems of accountability and to hold people responsible and accountable.”
Setting forth a strategy to create accountability to end homelessness is among 10 guiding principles (PDF) that underlie the report, which also tackles economic justice, mental and physical health, child and family well-being and other topics.
Samba is pursuing a master’s in social welfare and is a graduate student researcher at the Black Policy Project at UCLA. She contributed to sections of the report that related to children, families, mental health and justice.
“A lot of the work that I do is within the community with folks who are directly impacted by the pandemic,” she said. “Especially with this project, my top-line goal was to uplift those voices and experiences into the research.”
The report builds on the personal insights of the researchers and the people they interviewed to identify social problems, pairing those lived experiences with data to point toward solutions. For example, research findings about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education highlighted the region’s racial disparities. Under Los Angeles’ safer-at-home orders, Black and Latino schoolchildren have been far less likely to be able to engage successfully in remote learning because of a lack of computers and access to high-speed internet connections.
As Segura noted during a Sept. 9 webinar to unveil the report to the general public, public officials are expected to ensure that residents have access to electricity, trash collection and a sewer system — so why not something as vital as the internet?
“The time has come for us to think about the internet as what it has become,” he said. “It is a civil right.”
The opportunity to think about such issues in new ways appealed to the UCLA Luskin students who played a role. Plus, there were practical benefits. For example, Schwartz was happy to work on the transportation section of the report because that’s her area of concentration as an urban planning master’s student. But her biggest takeaway from the experience was the mindset of the project’s leaders.
“What I loved seeing is how the community leaders on the committee really focused on empowerment. That’s something that I want to take with me into my own career,” she said.
“… work remains to be done to prevent those long-term effects from being catastrophic.”
Elizondo, a master’s student in urban planning, said during the virtual salon that the most impactful aspect of his involvement in the project came during his review of interviews with people impacted by the health crisis and thinking about the repercussions.
“At the moment, it’s an unfolding crisis, so every policy response is a short-term response,” Elizondo said. “This project helped me realize that there will be long-term effects, and how much work remains to be done to prevent those long-term effects from being catastrophic.”
The Committee for Greater LA comprises a diverse group of civic and community leaders and a joint research team from UCLA Luskin and the USC Equity Research Institute. Initially, the committee intended primarily to address the racial disparities exposed by the pandemic, but in the wake of the recent police-involved killings of Black people and the nationwide protests that followed, its focus expanded to encompass a broader understanding of systemic racism.
The UCLA students helped Segura with the policy-related aspects of the report, which cover issues like housing affordability, immigrant rights, alternatives to incarceration, transportation and equitable access to health care, among others. Because of the pandemic, the work had to be coordinated via phone, email and Zoom sessions.
Flynn, who is pursuing a master’s in public policy, said he appreciated the chance to work directly with the dean on a project of such ambition and scope.
“What makes UCLA such a special place is that you have world-class academics and practitioners who are not just interested in generating work but are interested in mentorship and teaching and in giving opportunities to the next generation of policymakers,” he said.
As gratifying as the work was, the students realize the real work is still to come. Schwartz said she’s hopeful that society is ready to adopt the meaningful change advocated in the report.
“We live in a world where people are really isolated and don’t always know what’s going on in the community,” she said. “I hope that this report will just shed some light on issues that people are facing and that it will inspire elected officials to take action and make real, lasting changes to the system.”
Samba said her participation offered a unique opportunity to process her emotions about the extraordinary impact of the COVID-19 crisis, particularly because of how it coincided with the growing racial justice movement — and she sees cause for hope.
“We’re at a point in time where we are trying new things,” Samba said. “We’re able to experiment with our justice system, with our foster care system, with what social services look like, with what community care looks like. I would like to see some of those social experiments — some of those new ideas and visions — become real, and for us not to revert to the status quo. I would love to see us really, actually reimagine what a more racially equitable future looks like for the people of Los Angeles.”
Among the other UCLA connections to the effort: The Committee for Greater LA is chaired by Miguel Santana, a member of the Luskin School’s advisory board, and the project is funded in part by philanthropists who have also supported UCLA.
The Committee for Greater LA has invited interested parties, including policymakers and candidates for elected office, to join in making the #NoGoingBackLA promise, a commitment to build a more equitable and inclusive Los Angeles. Sign up at nogoingback.la.
UCLA Students, Staff Join California Leaders to Set a Latino Agenda LPPI leads effort to provide policy guidance for the November elections — and for future policymakers and civic leaders
August 18, 2020 /0 Comments/in Alumni, Diversity, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Latinos, Politics, Public Policy, Public Policy News, School of Public Affairs Gary Segura /by Eliza Moreno
By Eliza Moreno
On July 15, more than 80 California Latino leaders — from the fields of government, education and philanthropy — took part in a unique Zoom meeting. Their discussion focused on issues facing U.S. Latinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their mission was to provide policy guidance on these issues to candidates in the November elections — and to policymakers and civic leaders for years to come.
Most of the meeting’s participants, like Gary Segura, dean of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, have decades of experience in advocacy and public policy. But for eight UCLA students and recent graduates, the online gathering was a unique opportunity to help make history.
The meeting, hosted by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, was billed as “Shaping a 21st Century Latino Agenda,” and it yielded policy recommendations covering eight issues, including climate change, education, immigrant rights and political representation.
One of the UCLA participants was Adriana Bernal, 20, who’s entering her third year at UCLA and is a student fellow at the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative. Bernal comes from a Mexican American and Salvadoran family — her grandfather was one of millions of Mexicans who were brought to the United States to work in agriculture beginning in the 1940s.
The group’s policy recommendations have already been disseminated to politicians, philanthropists and business leaders, and Bernal said she hopes the policy transformations will be considered by elected officials state- and nationwide. “It’s important to have our voices and our needs represented by local and national elected officials,” she said.
Another participant was Maria Morales, 27, who earned a master’s in public policy from the School of Public Affairs in June and recently began a job as a policy manager at the Politics and Policy Initiative. Born in Mexico, Morales moved with her family to Texas when she was 9. She has worked at a hospital as an interpreter, as well as at nonprofits involved in combating racism and building civic engagement among the Latino community.
“As a first-generation student, immigrant and a non-native English speaker, it was important for me to be a part of the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, a space that was willing to nurture the skills I hadn’t explored before,” Morales said.
Discussion at the meeting was shaped not only by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also by the nation’s increased attention to the Black Lives Matter movement.
“The Latino community continues to get excluded from critical decisions — the California Redistricting Commission and COVID-19 relief efforts, for example — despite our driving the state’s economy,” Morales said. “With the Black Lives Matter movement paving a path for change, we hoped to recognize the work they have done and ask policymakers to take Black and brown communities into account.”
Morales said the event gave her an invaluable chance to learn from some of the state’s Latino leaders, including state Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and state Sen. María Elena Durazo, the chair and vice chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus; Cástulo de la Rocha, president and CEO of AltaMed Health Services; and Kevin de León, the former president pro tempore of the California State Senate.
“I had the opportunity to engage in conversations with leaders from across the state with plans to directly impact the lives of Latinos,” said Morales.
For both Morales and Bernal, being a part of the meeting was squarely in line with the reasons they joined the policy initiative as student fellows: collaborating with civil rights organizations and elected officials to develop data-based policy recommendations that can improve lives for communities of color.
Morales said those efforts have taken on new meaning in this election year.
“This year is the most imperative, and it is through advocacy and continuing conversations with policymakers that I can be a changemaker,” she said. “We need to make an effort to have a prosperous Latino community and in turn, a prosperous nation.”
Read the full policy agenda here (PDF); those who are interested may register their support of the agenda here.
Black, Latino Renters Far More Likely to Be Facing Housing Displacement During Pandemic Systemic racial inequality underlies nonpayment of rent, UCLA Luskin researchers say
August 10, 2020 /0 Comments/in Alumni, Diversity, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Health Care, Latinos, Politics, Public Policy, Public Policy News, Research Projects, School of Public Affairs, Social Welfare, Social Welfare News, Urban Planning Ananya Roy, Paul Ong /by Les Dunseith
A new study of the magnitude, pattern and causes of COVID-19’s impact on California housing reveals that Black people and Latinos are more than twice as likely as whites to be experiencing rent-related hardships.
The analysis by researchers from the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge and Ong & Associates, in coordination with the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, relies on the U.S. Census Bureau’s weekly Household Pulse Survey, a multiagency effort to collect information on the social and economic effects of COVID-19 on Americans. The research findings are based on pooling a 10-week sample of more than 22,000 adults in California for the period from April 23 to July 7.
During the pandemic, workers, families, businesses and communities have experienced enormous financial difficulties, and the new study estimates that more than 1.9 million adults in California were unable to pay their rent on time in early July. The finding that Black and Latino renters are particularly vulnerable echoes previous analyses showing that minority renters are more likely to be suffering economically during the pandemic.
“These systematic racial or ethnoracial disparities are the product of systemic inequality,” UCLA Luskin research professor Paul Ong writes in the study. “People of color, low-income individuals, and those with less education and skills are most at risk.”
An analysis of the survey responses shows that people of color are disproportionately more concentrated in the lower-income and lower-education brackets, and they entered the crisis with fewer financial and human capital resources. Those people of color who lost their jobs or suffered a significant earnings loss during the pandemic were therefore far more likely to fall behind on rent.
When the researchers looked closely at who was unable to pay rent during the period of study, they found that 23% were Black and 20% were Latino — more than double the 9% for both whites and Asians.
In her foreword to the study, UCLA urban planning professor Ananya Roy, the director of the Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, writes, “An especially important finding of the report is that across socioeconomic status categories, Black and Latinx households are more likely to be unable to pay rent compared to non-Hispanic whites and Asian Americans, a stark reminder of the entrenched racial disparities that are being rearticulated and amplified by the present crisis.”
The researchers delved deeper into the data to compare the experiences of various ethnic and racial groups based on demographic characteristics such as level of education. They found that Black and Latino respondents with some college education had higher rates of nonpayment of rent than whites and Asian Americans with similar educations. Racial disparities were evident even when the researchers focused on employment and earnings categories related to COVID-19.
“In other words,” Ong writes, “the pattern indicates that racial inequality is not due simply to class differences.”
Many experts believe this situation will lead to a wave of evictions in coming months unless governments take steps to protect people who have fallen behind on rent during the crisis. This includes extending the state’s eviction moratorium, continuing supplemental employment benefits and providing financial assistance to offset accumulated rent debt.
In a July 27 webinar hosted by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, Paul Ong, Ananya Roy and others discuss the potential for mass COVID-19–related evictions in Los Angeles if current tenant protections are not extended.
The researchers did uncover some disparate patterns across ethnoracial groups. For example, the correlation between a lower income and the inability to pay rent was pronounced for both whites and Latinos, but it was minimal, and statistically insignificant, for Asians and Black people. The impact of less education was very pronounced for Black people but only minimally so for the other three groups. The effect of earnings losses was far greater for Black and Latino people than for white and Asian people.
Perhaps most surprising, the researchers said, was the effect of joblessness. While a loss of work led to an increased likelihood of nonpayment of rent among Asian and Latino people, it marginally decreased the odds of rental difficulties among white and Black people.
“One reasonable explanation is disparate access to unemployment insurance,” Ong writes in the study. He noted that Asians and Latinos may have less access to this type of financial relief — which can more than replace lost wages — because many work in informal ethnic job sectors and also face linguistic, cultural and legal barriers to applying for and collecting unemployment benefits.
The study urges elected officials to extend and expand unemployment insurance benefits. The researchers also call for the renewal of temporary tenant protections and say that financial relief should be provided to both renters and landlords.
Overall, the study’s findings show that prepandemic inequalities and pandemic labor-market hardships amplify systemic racial disparities. The economic impact on low-income and minority populations is likely to be long-lasting because so many people will have amassed a huge debt of deferred rents.
“Many will struggle to find meaningful employment in a protracted and uneven economic recovery,” Ong writes. “It is very likely that race will shape who will be most hurt.”
Ong is the director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. He also founded Ong & Associates, an economic and policy analysis consulting firm that specializes in public interest issues and provided services pro bono for this study.
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U.S. energy secretary sees Middle East oil and gas security in pipelines, not tankers
Cargo ships sail in the Gulf off the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, which is the main base of the Islamic republic’s navy and has a strategic position on the Strait of Hormuz, on April 29, 2019.
ATTA KENARE | AFP | Getty Images
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Outgoing U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette is looking for alternative methods to transport Middle East oil and gas to ensure regional energy security.
“Part of the conversation we’re having with the Abraham Accords is to look for alternatives to shipping, so that’s why these pipelines are so important,” Brouillette told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble on Wednesday.
The energy secretary visited Abu Dhabi this week to meet with ministers from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel. Their discussions follow September’s signing of the Abraham Accords, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states.
With just over four weeks remaining in the role, Brouillette is making a final lap through the region as the Trump era of strong-arm oil diplomacy comes to an end in the U.S. Brouillette will be replaced by Jennifer Granholm, the former governor of Michigan who, unlike her predecessor, is widely seen as a climate hawk.
As Brouillette leaves his post, Gulf leaders are questioning how Joe Biden will engage with the region on issues like Iran. Middle East allies still don’t know how the United States, a primary external foreign policy actor in the region, will guarantee security and stability of supply to key markets in Asia and beyond.
Bypassing the Strait of Hormuz
The Middle East holds over half the world’s proven oil reserves, but exporting it through the narrow Strait of Hormuz can often prove difficult. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have long sought to find alternative routes to bypass the Strait, including through pipelines.
The Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline has a capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day and carries the bulk of its production to the UAE port of Fujairah on the Indian Ocean. Saudi Arabia already exports some of its oil using a 745 mile-long pipeline that runs from its key production facilities in the east to the Red Sea port city of Yanbu in the west. A major expansion of its capacity is already underway.
Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy told CNBC there is “no perfect solution” for exports. “Tankers can be vulnerable at certain times, so can pipelines. The point is about having options and having a diversity of routes, about having backup. And that’s really what Saudi Arabia and the UAE and tried to do with those pipelines,” he said.
“Pipelines can be vulnerable, but you can also protect them,” Brouillette told CNBC on Wednesday. “If we can move natural gas more easily throughout the region, shipping becomes less of a concern. If we can move crude more easily, shipping becomes less of a concern.”
Following the establishment of ties with Israel, the UAE is also reportedly looking to collaborate on the transportation of crude and products between the Persian Gulf and Western markets. The Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline, built by Israel and Iran in the 1960s, has a capacity of 600,000 barrels a day and runs from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
“If we can move natural gas to the coast of Egypt or the coast of Israel, then we’re moving it through the Mediterranean rather than going through some of the other chokepoints that we’re all accustomed to,” Brouillette said.
Renewed energy security concerns
On Monday, an oil tanker off Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah was hit by an explosion from what Saudi authorities described as an “external source,” renewing concerns over the security of tankers in the Red Sea, a passage for global shipping and energy supplies.
Oil prices barely jumped on the news, Brouillette pointed out. “I do think that, what we will see over time is what we saw this time with this attack in Saudi Arabia, we didn’t see a shock to the marketplace,” he said.
“That is similar to the Abqaiq attack in the sense that we didn’t see a crazy correction in the marketplace. We’re starting to see stability, and that’s what we want for everyone in the region,” he added.
The Abqaiq processing facility, the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil production, was hit by drone and missile strikes in September of 2019 along with the kingdom’s Khurais oilfield, knocking out half of Saudi oil output overnight. But despite the record oil price surge that followed, gains had evaporated within less than two weeks.
“As we think about energy security, it begins to settle down as peace takes hold,” Brouillette said. “And as this economic activity increases, I think we’ll start to see some decline in these types of attacks.”
Source Link: U.S. energy secretary sees Middle East oil and gas security in pipelines, not tankers
GM may expand Corvette lineup to include a crossover SUV
A mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet Corvette on the floor of the Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 21, 2019.Michael Wayland /...
Exxon reportedly investigated by the SEC over valuation of key asset
SLATER GROWTH: Stocks chosen to sustain their growth
MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Gain pounds from the obesity war
Income far higher than you’ll get from the bank…dividend payouts
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New research links SNAP participation to reduced risk of premature deaths among US adults
by Syracuse University
A new study published in the journal Health Affairs by researchers from Syracuse University's Maxwell School and the University of Kentucky reveals that participation in the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reduces the risk of premature mortality among U.S. adults.
SNAP is the largest food assistance program in the United States, providing $61 billion in nutrition support to more than 40 million Americans and 20 million households. While the program is known to reduce food insecurity, comparatively little evidence provided a clear link between the program and health outcomes. Analyzing restricted-access data from the CDC's National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the years 1997-2009, linked to data for 1999-2011 from the National Death Index (NDI), the study authors demonstrate a decline in the risk of premature death from all causes among participants by 1—2 percentage points.
"A major challenge in demonstrating the positive health impact of SNAP is that the same criteria that make a household eligible for participation—such as low income—are associated with poor health outcomes on average," says study author Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University's Maxwell School and senior research associate in its Center for Policy Research. "By looking at the incidence of premature death, we are able to help fill an important gap in the scientific literature to help policy makers weigh the benefits and costs of food nutrition programs on population health and associated impacts."
Of particular policy salience, according to the authors, is the well-documented rise in "deaths of despair," or middle-age mortality from alcohol poisoning, opioid overdose, and suicide, as well as an overall decrease in life expectancy starting in 2014. This study is the first to demonstrate a specific link between participation in SNAP and a reduction of .8% in risk of death from these causes among adults aged 40—64.
"Our results further demonstrate the benefits of SNAP for the American people, and policies to restrict access to the program could have serious health consequences from higher food insecurity to premature death," states James P. Ziliak of the University of Kentucky and one of the study's co-authors.
"The Effect of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Mortality" is published in the November 2019 issue of Health Affairs.
How neighborhood characteristics affect SNAP participation and food access
Journal information: Health Affairs
Provided by Syracuse University
Citation: New research links SNAP participation to reduced risk of premature deaths among US adults (2019, November 4) retrieved 18 January 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-11-links-snap-premature-deaths-adults.html
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Unexplained 7-fold variation in euthanasia rates across the Netherlands
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PopUps: Justin Bieber Takes Issue with Being Nominated for Pop Album at Grammys
Justin Bieber (Source:Instagram / @justinbieber)
After the Grammy Award nominations were announced on Tuesday, Justin Bieber shared a lengthy post to Instagram taking issue that his album "Changes" was nominated in pop categories and not R&B categories.
In his post, Bieber, who earned four nods, said he is "flattered" to be nominated and "appreciated for my artistry" but goes on to complain about his nominations.
"I am very meticulous and intent about my music," the Canadian pop star wrote." With that being said I set out to make an R&B album. 'Changes' was and is an R&B album. It is not being acknowledged as an R&B album which is very strange to me."
Later in his note, Bieber said he "absolutely loves pop music" but writes "it just wasn't what I set out to make this time around."
Find his note in full.
This story is part of our special report titled PopUps. Want to read more? Here's the full list.
DREAMLAND on Blu-ray & Digital from Paramount Home Entertainment!
Will NYE in Puerto Vallarta Become a Gay Superspreader Event?
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Pianist and composer Andre Gagnon, dead at 84, remembered as musical 'jack of all trades'
Published Thursday, December 3, 2020 10:04PM EST Last Updated Friday, December 4, 2020 6:14AM EST
Pianist, composer and orchestra leader Andre Gagnon has died at the age of 84. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Audiogram
MONTREAL -- Quebec pianist and composer Andre Gagnon died Thursday at the age of 84 from Lewy body disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, says his record label Audiogram.
During a career spanning 40 years, Gagnon embraced many styles from baroque, to classical and disco.
Born in Saint-Pacome-de-Kamouraska, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River on Aug. 2, 1936, Gagnon composed from the age of six. After attending the Montreal Conservatory of Music, he studied in Paris after obtaining a grant from the Quebec government.
The following year, in 1962, the jack-of-all-trades musician became Claude Leveillee's official accompanist until 1969.
He also worked with other singers, including Jacques Blanchet, Pierre Calve, Renee Claude, Claude Gauthier, Pauline Julien, Pierre Letourneau, Monique Leyrac.
Gagnon focused on a solo career as a composer and arranger in 1969 and recorded The Four Seasons in London as a tribute to Vivaldi.
He had great success in Japan, where he recorded several albums under the RCA Victor label.
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The Friday Morning Eye-Opener: “Arsenic & All Space”
Published on: December 3, 2010
This morning’s eye-opener is about not being too tied to assumptions.
I’m not a scientist, and haven’t taken a science class since 1971. (God, I’m old.)
As I understand it from the papers this morning, phosphorous is one of the six components necessary for all life on earth. That’s all life on earth.
But the Washington Post reports this morning that “researchers have discovered a bacterium that appears to have replaced that life-enabling phosphorus with its toxic cousin arsenic, raising new and provocative questions about the origins and nature of life.” The bacterium was found, of all places, in microbes living in California's Mono Lake.
Now, scientists are being careful at this point to say that “a second line of earthly life” has not been found, but the Post writes that “the discovery opens the door to that possibility and to the related existence of a theorized ‘shadow biosphere’ on Earth - life evolved from a different common ancestor from all we've known so far.”
I don't exactly know what a “shadow biosphere” is, but I do know this. This discovery highlights something that we all need to keep in mind, every day. There is much we do not know. There is even more we do not understand. And just over the horizon - or just under our noses - there are things that exist or that are evolving that could challenge some, many, or all of our assumptions. This applies to business, to culture, to science, and to life.
And that’s our Friday Eye-Opener.
US Congress Passes Child Nutrition Legislation
The US House of Representatives voted yesterday 264-157 to approve a landmark child nutrition bill - formally called the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act - that the Christian Science Monitor says “some of the biggest changes to the Child Nutrition Act since the program was started nearly half a century ago.”
The US Senate unanimously passed the same bill last August, and President Obama is expected to sign it.
Among the changes that will be created by the bill, as described by the Monitor:
• “An additional $4.5 billion over 10 years to child nutrition programs – the first time the federal government has increased funding for them in 30 years.”
• “A 6-cent increase to the $2.68 reimbursement rate that schools get from the federal government for free school meals.”
• “Authorization for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to set nutrition guidelines for all foods sold in a school building, including those in vending machines and à la carte lines.”
• “Expanded access to school lunch programs, and an expanded after-school meal program.”
• “Money for farm-to-school programs and school gardens.”
Proponents of the bill have said that it is deficit-neutral, but opponents said that it represented yet another example of the government creating a “nanny state.”
"It's not about making our children healthy and active," said Rep. John Kline (R-Minnesota). “We all want to see our children healthy and active. This is about spending and the role of government and the size of government – a debate about whether we're listening to our constituents or not.”
In statements issued yesterday, a number of food industry executives praised the passage:
“We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for approving The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act as it contains important policy changes that lay the groundwork for the modernization of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, a long-standing initiative that helps provide healthy, nutritious foods to more than 9 million women and children every year,” said Leslie Sarasin, president/CEO of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). “FMI has long supported the transition of the WIC program away from paper coupons to one supported by electronic benefits transfer (EBT) technology as it will increase the efficiency of the program for both WIC-eligible mothers and grocers across the nation ... We urge President Obama to sign this important legislation as soon as possible.”
Pamela Bailey, president/CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), said, "We applaud the House for passing The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act – this crucial legislation will help feed many more children through school lunch and breakfast programs and increase the number of healthy choices in the cafeteria ... The food and beverage industry believes the school environment is a special environment and that the school cafeteria line can be on the front lines of feeding children while ending childhood obesity within a generation.”
And Tom Stenzel, president/CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association, added: “United Fresh and our members have helped lead the charge for healthier school meals for many years,” said United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel. “It is so encouraging to see Congress recognize that giving kids healthier options is a great first step toward fostering a healthier country.”
I think we can expect to see almost every discussion and debate framed as being about the size and role of government.
I was interested the other day to read the following paragraphs in the New York Times, in a story called “Junking Junk Food”:
Earlier this month, Sarah Palin showed up in Bucks County, Pa., with “dozens and dozens” of cookies, suggesting that the state’s schoolchildren risked losing the right to the occasional classroom treat because of a high-minded anti-sugar edict from the board of education. Pretty much everything about the setup was wrong. Pennsylvania wasn’t, as Palin tweeted, in the midst of a ‘school cookie ban’ debate. And the school she turned into a photo op wouldn’t have been subject to such a ban had one existed; it wasn’t a public school but a private Christian academy. And while Palin might have been seizing an opportunity to ‘intro kids 2 beauty of laissez-faire,’ she wasn’t just visiting with schoolchildren but was delivering a paid speech at a fund-raiser.
Still, however shaky its factual foundations, Palin’s highly mediatized cookie showdown was a big rhetorical win. With her unerring feel for the message that travels straight to the American gut, she had come up with new and vivid imagery to make the case that the Obama “nanny state” is, essentially, snatching cookies — i.e., the pursuit of happiness — from the mouths of babes. Suddenly, Pennsylvania’s suggestion that schools encourage alternatives to high-sugar sweets became an assault on the American way of life. On freedom and simple pleasures. On wholesome childhood delights and, of course, the integrity of the family ... At a time when more than two-thirds of American adults are indeed fat (overweight or obese) and 17 percent of children and adolescents are obese, declaring war on unhealthful eating, as the Obama administration has done to an unprecedented extent, could be fraught with political liability ... with antigovernment sentiment resurgent, the cookies are pushing back, like the return of the repressed.
I’m sure there are places where the child nutrition legislation overreaches. There almost always are. And I’m sure there are places in the bill that have been crafted for political expediency - by members of both parties - rather than children’s best interests.
But as a taxpayer, I think that public schools need to be held to a higher standard in all areas - and that includes in the cafeteria. If we want our kids to be the smartest, best-educated children on the planet, which will in turn make them the most innovative and competitive, then that ought to include feeding them and educating them about the importance of proper nutrition. That doesn’t strike me as a cost. It sounds more like a good investment. And for either side to use kids - and their best interests - for political advantage in this area would be a shame.
Mike Duke On Walmart’s Growth Plans & Competitive Agenda
BloombergBusinessWeek.com has an interview with Walmart CEO Mike Duke, conducted by Charlie Rose of “The Charlie Rose Show.” Some excerpts:
On what “shopping smarter” means... “It starts, first of all, with price. There is no doubt some of this has transpired during the recession. The economic crisis has caused some changes in the way the consumer shops. And frankly I think, again, it's to our benefit. And the fact that customers across the United States and around the world want to be smarter about the way they spend their money. And for some customers, it's because they have to. Those customers are under the most pressure from their financial status, have to be smarter with the way they spend their money. But even customers that have income want to be known as shopping smarter. So it starts with the wisest way that I spend my money, getting the best price, knowing that my basket of products is the best I could have done and being proud of that for being smart. I do say, Charlie, it's leading though to even a broader perspective from customers about the quality of the product I buy. I want to be smarter about that. And in addition, how the product is produced, the nutritional value of food, the sustainability of product, all of that. I find that customers want to know more about what they're buying. And most importantly though, they want to know that they're spending in the smartest way for their purchases and for their family.”
On Walmart’s growth potential... “We actually have a lot of growth opportunity here in the U.S. So I would say it's both in the U.S. and in the international markets. So I start here in the U.S. because our big business, 75 percent of our business, is still here in the United States. And here in New York City or other urban markets, there is a big opportunity. We've started more initiatives in the urban markets of the U.S., including small stores ... We said Chicago initially. We've also announced our intention in Washington, D.C. We have four sites that are under development at this point that we really want to open in D.C. And I think you could look at other large urban markets in the U.S. We don't have anything to announce about New York. We're not at a point of having specifics here. But we see a lot of customers here, in Chicago, Washington, and other large cities that really just don't have access to Wal-Mart product and Wal-Mart prices, that we see as a real opportunity ... I'd say urban is a big growth area in the U.S. Then e-commerce - with multichannel in the U.S. - is a big opportunity to grow the business in the markets we're already in.”
On what he’s learned since becoming CEO... “I've come to really respect the position that Wal-Mart has in the world. I respect the opportunity that we have to make a difference. We can have a very, very positive impact. We started to learn that as a company in recent years. I think from Katrina to sustainability to some of the other things, as we took on initiatives, we've come to say we can provide positive benefit. And I've come to appreciate even more in the last couple of years that we can really make a difference in the world on the big issues that are really important to the world because they're important to our customers.”
Intriguing interview, and I think these two excerpts point to what US retailers that compete with Walmart need to think about ... because between the entry into urban markets and expanded online shopping -especially in grocery - it means that everybody is competing with Walmart. And you have to act that way, everyday.
Now, it’s interesting. The Christian Science Monitor had a piece the other day that said the following:
For decades, Wal-Mart Stores set the standard for retailers: They were the most efficient at getting low-priced goods into the hands of consumers that nobody could beat them on price.
Now, that price leadership seems to be moving to Amazon.com. As it did last year on Black Friday, Amazon set the price bar for hundreds of items, which no one else could touch.
The simple fact is that companies like Walmart and Amazon are coming to get your customers, and using technology to do so. (Online shopping is just the beginning. Mobile technologies and social media are just the beginning of the revolution, and retailers large and small better pay attention and figure out how to keep up.) If you’re not gearing up to play offense - not just defense - then the path to irrelevance and obsolescence may be unavoidable.
Fiji Water Goes Back To The Islands
The Wall Street Journal reports that Fiji Water has reversed its decision to pull out of the island nation because of a threat of increased taxes, and reopened its bottling plant there.
According to the story, “the company, which is owned by billionaire investors Lynda Resnick and Stewart Resnick, closed the facility Monday, sending about 400 workers home. The shutdown came in response to a move by Fiji's government to impose a steep tax increase on companies that extract large volumes of water from the country. Fiji Water was the sole company affected by the increase.”
But Fiji Water accepted the tax increase yesterday, perhaps in part because the government said it was willing to sell or rent the water company’s assets there to another company.
In this case, it seems like the government held all the cards. Tt would have been hard for Fiji Water to keep selling Fiji water if it were from someplace else.
Survey: Consumers Remain Skeptical About Economic Recovery
A new survey out from a polling firm called StrategyOne says that “despite some positive economic news in recent days, most Americans remain deeply concerned about the state of the U.S. economy. The StrategyOne Annual Holiday Shopping Index found that 79% believe the U.S. remains in a recession; only 10% rate the economy as excellent or good; and just eight percent think the economy will be much better by next year.”
According to the survey, “This pessimism is influencing consumers' holiday shopping, with 39% concerned enough about the economy that they are planning to spend less during the holidays than they did last year. Another 52% said they were uncertain about the future and planned to keep their spending in line with last year's holiday spending. Beyond that, 36% thought spending a lot of money on gifts was in bad taste this year with so many people still out of work.
Superquinn Celebrates The Big 5-0
It is worth noting that the Irish press has been reporting on the fact that Superquinn - the iconic Dublin-based supermarket chain founded by Feargal Quinn - has just marked 50 years of doing business.
From his first store, Quinn turned the chain into a paradigm of customer service, and even wrote a great book about it: “Crowning The Customer,” which remains available and worth reading.
Quinn sold the company to Select Retail Holding Ltd. several years ago, but remains a retailing legend - he hosts an Irish television show called “Retail Therapy,” in which he helps troubled retailers develop and execute winning strategies. And, he is a highly respected member of the Irish Senate.
And so, Happy Birthday, Superquinn!
Feargal Quinn is also, if you’ll permit me a personal comment, one of the nicest, most charming people I have ever met in my life - whether you are with him for a moment’s chat or a dinner-long conversation, it ends up one of the best times you’ve ever had. (And to be even more personal, he is responsible for me meeting two of my favorite friends, Anne & Fiach O’Broin, who are simply two of the best people on earth.)
Superquinn has its work cut out for it, as it fights for air in a cutthroat Irish economy against increasingly tough competition. I suspect the next 10 years could be as tough as the last 50 combined. But whatever happens to the company, and whoever owns it in the long run, Feargal Quinn has created a legacy that I suspect will outlast even the name over the door.
• Published reports say that Snyder’s of Hanover, Pa., is close to a merger with Lance, which would turn the new company - to be called Snyder’s-Lance - into the nation’s second-largest manufacturer of salty snacks, behind only Frito-Lay.
• C-store chain The Pantry said yesterday that it has completed the acquisition of 47 locations from Presto Convenience Stores in Kansas and Missouri. Terms of the deal were not disclosed; the 47 stores are estimated to generate a total of about $194 million annually.
• In Snohomish County in Washington State, it is reported that members of the Teamsters who work for Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer and Albertsons have overwhelmingly ratified a new contract with the retailers.
• The Seattle Times reports that “taxes on candy and bottled water and an excise tax on carbonated beverages end Thursday, the result of voter approval of Initiative 1107 in November.
“Voters rejected the tax, which was imposed last year by the Legislature to help plug a $2.8 billion hole in the state budget. The taxes were projected to generate $101.2 million for the remainder of the current biennium, which ends next July, and $216.8 million in the next biennium.”
Your Views: There Be Whales Here
Just one quick note this morning...
I got a bunch of emails yesterday wondering why I quoted Ricardo Montalban from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in my comment about the dispute between Starbucks and Kraft Foods over the latter’s representation of Starbucks’ coffee business to food retail:
Y’think that at odd moments, Howard Schultz stands in his office, looking out the window, thinking of Kraft, and muttering, “From hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee.”
For the record, I wasn’t quoting Khan. I was quoting from “Moby Dick,” by Herman Melville. As was Khan, as he looked for final revenge against James T. Kirk.
“Moby Dick” has a character named...Starbuck.
Okay, maybe it was a stretch.
But I was feeling literary.
More “Your Views” next week...
In Thursday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Houston Texans 34-24.
OffBeat: My Kind Of Town
I’m not sure what all the fuss about airport security is about.
Last weekend, my wife, daughter and I made our annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to Chicago. Our eldest son lives there, and it has become tradition for all of us - including our second son, who currently is going to school in Ohio - to converge there for what has become my favorite weekend and holiday of the year. Nobody has to cook, nobody has to eat turkey if they don't want to (everybody else ordered steak, I had salmon), and we spend a great couple of days just hanging out in one of our favorite cities.
On Thursday morning, we headed to the airport early to catch a 9 am flight. Warned about long security lines and potential pat-downs and x-ray screening, we got there in plenty of time to check bags and have a leisurely cup of coffee or two. And then gritted our teeth and walked down to LaGuardia security, which is awful under the best of circumstances.
And found almost no line. No pat-downs. No x-rays. Just the same old metal detectors and the same old take-off-your-shoes-and-don’t carry-liquids-on-the-plane level of security. Got on the plane, took off on time, landed on time, and were in downtown Chicago almost before we knew it.
Coming home, the same thing. Granted, as a United frequent flyer, I get access to the express lines, but it didn’t seem like there was any greater security on Saturday night than there was last time I was in O’Hare. The only difference during the trip home was that the plane had an amazing tailwind that got us into LaGuardia about 45 minutes early.
I was almost disappointed.
I went into the weekend thinking that there was at least a 50-50 chance that I was either going to be felt up or have naked pictures taken of me, and I haven’t had a weekend like that since college.
I’m fully in favor of not having an estate tax, of keeping the current repeal in place. But I just heard some Congressman on television saying that he was worried about people who would have to think twice about putting their loved ones on life support if they thought the estate tax would once again be put in place.
And all I could think to myself is that if someone has to think twice about life support for a loved one based on how much money they might inherit, doesn’t that really create a whole new definition for the phrase “loved one”?
Again, I agree with a permanent repeal of the estate tax. But I would hope that I wouldn’t start making life and death decisions based on whether there is one or not.
A couple of years ago, when MNB users contributed to a list of what they felt were the nation’s best hamburger joints, one of the most oft-mentioned places was Burgers, Shakes & Fries, which had a small location in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Well, last night, BSF opened a second location - less than a half mile from my house. It is a lot bigger, with about four or five times the seating capacity...and it even has a small bar, serving beer and wine. It was nice to be able to sit back and enjoy a draft beer while waiting for my burger (with cheddar, tomatoes and grilled onions).
Nice, and in the end, the thing that rescued the evening.
Someone once told me that the hardest thing for any retailer to do - the most challenging level of growth - is to go from one store to two. And last night sort of proved that. They ran out of hamburgers before 6 pm, and had to send to the Greenwich location to get more. And it took forever to get the food; there were some families that showed up with small children that were visibly frustrated, prepared to gnaw on the brand new tables. And they even ran out of paper towels in the men’s room.
That said, the burgers were pretty good. I think they’ll get the kinks out, and that most of the folks who were there last night will be forgiving and try again, maybe in about a month. (Not all, however. One of the employees apologized for the delays and noted that it was opening night to one man who was leaving with his children; the man, visibly annoyed, said, “That’s not my problem.” Ouch.)
I kept thinking last night that they could have solved - or at least effectively addressed - last night’s problems by doing two things. One, post a big sign that says, in essence, “It’s Opening Night, so please forgive us as we work hard to get things right.” Two, everybody who showed up last night could have been given a five or ten dollar coupon good for use at BSF at some future date, which would have taken the edge off the missteps.
That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you Monday.
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Monday Morning Eye-Opener: Business Lessons & Final Frontiers
I'm a writer, damn it. Not a miracle worker.
Which is probably what it would take to get the US Commerce Department Inspector General to see things my way. But let me give it a shot…
The Washington Post reports that "in May 2013, a supervisor at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series — which monitors, among other things, space weather — organized a 'team building' activity in the middle of the day to go grab lunch together and then all see the 2 p.m. showing of Star Trek Into Darkness.
"Many who attended assumed that since it was a work-organized event, they could charge the time as work hours. But the Commerce Department’s inspector general said in a report released this week that oh no, going to the movies is not work.
'The OIG concluded that, unlike training events, which are designed to develop professional skills and therefore may be counted as work hours, watching a Star Trek movie offered no professional development opportunities,' according to the report. 'Therefore, even if such an event resulted in greater unity or cohesion, the hours spent at the event should not have been billed to the government'."
May I offer a different opinion…?
As has been well-chronicled on MNB, to the point of shameless self-promotion that likely will continue as long as I can beat this particular drum, I am the co-author, with Michael Sansolo, of a little book called "The Big Picture: Essential Business Lessons from the Movies." (Available on Amazon by clicking here, in case you were wondering.)
In fact, our entire premise is that you can learn important business lessons - about branding and marketing, about leadership and teamwork - from the movies.
Forget about how the hours were counted for payroll purposes. (I wonder which cost more - the trip to the movies or the inspector general's investigation? But I digress…)
Almost all of the Star Trek movies are great examples of how movies can provide critical lessons. Think about the different management styles exemplified by Kirk and Spock. Think about how almost all the movies hinge on some discussion of the importance of the many vs. the importance of the one. Think about how Star Trek Into Darkness specifically looked at the question of whether one should do certain things just because one can do certain things. It also was about how rules are important - in this case, the Prime Directive - but that sometimes one has to break the rules. One of the things you see in pretty much all the Star Trek movies and TV series is an exploration of the importance of team-building, of management styles that range from cowboy (Kirk) to diplomat (Picard) to soldier (Sisko) … though, to the show's credit, it often was able to show variations and subtleties within these characterizations.
Now, to be fair, it doesn't sound like the folks at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series got together afterwards to discuss the movie and its lessons - but that doesn't mean that going was a bad idea. In fact, it made a lot of sense, even if it was accomplished in a ham-fisted way.
I once was told that a major retail CEO once ordered his entire management team to go see The Social Network, saying that it was important that they understand how people were changing the way they communicated and related to each other …because if they did not, they would not be able to understand and relate to that customer.
That makes sense. At least to me.
So go to the movies. Or rent one and watch it at home. Find the lesson. Talk about it.
It isn't the final frontier of management. But it is a fun one.
Market Basket Saga Continues, As Post-Game Analysis Persists
The Market Basket saga, which captured the consumer and business media's attention for much of the summer, continues to generate headlines and analysis as we get closer to the point where Arthur T. Demoulas is able to close on the purchase of the 50.5 percent of the company owned by his cousins.
For those who may have missed the story, Market Basket's operations were thrown into disarray earlier this year when the company's board of directors, led by Arthur S. Demoulas, fired CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, saying that he was uncooperative, would not provide financial information to the board, and was engineering inside deals with companies in which his side of the family had a financial stake. Arthur T. Demoulas's position was that his cousins were trying to take money out of the company rather than investing in it, and would pursue a path that would hurt both customers and employees and eventually wreck the chain.
Now, the Wall Street Journal reports, Forbes is about to come out with a story that "dismantles the standard version of the story peddled by Boston's local media for much of the summer. The local press portrayed a spontaneous worker uprising at the family-owned chain, in which employees defeated rapacious cousins who wanted to replace a beloved CEO and increase profits at worker expense. 'It's a great saga,' says Forbes. 'Too bad it's not true.'
"Far from being spontaneous, the uproar after the ouster of Arthur 'Artie T.' Demoulas was 'orchestrated from the top,' reports Forbes, claiming even that employees who contributed $500 apiece to fund the campaign were 'reimbursed via a bonus.'
"As for the allegedly greedy cousins behind the firing, they were less interested in milking profits from the business (or even running it) than in curbing what they regarded as questionable dealings by the CEO."
At the same time, the Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) hosted the first of what no doubt will be many seminars about the Market Basket situation. An excerpt:
"Three of the panels featured MIT and Harvard professors discussing everything from leadership development to political science to marketing. MIT‘s Deborah Ancona, who focuses on leadership, broke down Market Basket’s leadership lessons in every which way, focusing on terms that populate business academia (and business in general, to be sure) like 'alignment' and 'distributed leadership' to say the movement succeeded because middle management and store managers were all on the same page.
"In another panel, Ancona’s colleague Andrew Lo, who teaches finance, considered the effect low interest rates had on Arthur T. Demoulas’s ability to finance his pending deal to buy Market Basket, which will reportedly include more than $1 billion in debt.
"Zeynep Ton, a professor with a focus on company operations, compared Market Basket’s way of doing business to companies like Costco and Trader Joe’s, which are also known for treating their retail employees well. Market Basket’s business model, known for its strong employee benefits and low prices, was thought by workers and customers to be at threat under the direction of Arthur S. Demoulas, leading to the summer’s revolt."
And, in another panel, the evening "broke from the business school mold, featuring four of Market Basket’s store directors. They explored some of the dynamics at play during the summer, such as the difficulties part-time workers faced when their hours were cut to zero in early August, the support the managers received from customers, the awkwardness of encouraging those customers to boycott, and their resolve to put the company back together once Arthur T. Demoulas was back in charge."
What's interesting about this story is how even in the post-game analysis, people seem to be taking sides, further demonstrating the divide in perspectives that, among other things, is likely to keep the entire Demoulas family from celebrating Thanksgiving together anytime soon.
As much as I like to use movies as business metaphors, I do think it is important not to think of this as a real-life version of The Descendants, in which George Clooney's character has to decide between commercial exploitation of Hawaiian property that has been in his family for centuries, or finding a way to preserve it.
The Market Basket situation almost certainly is not that simple. I suspect that there is enough blame on both sides of the family, dating back decades, to go around.
The thing about life is that it is easier to see the world in black and white. But the older I get, the more I realize is that it usually ain't so. I find it entirely believable that Arthur T. Demoulas was a pain in the neck to the board and that he even might have had some insider deals going, and that the front line employees also found him to be more invested in them and the company's broader vision than his cousin. And, it is equally believable that Arthur S. Demoulas didn't want to loot the company as much as he wanted to keep spending under control, but that his vision was not in alignment with the corporate values that had made the company successful. I'm not sure that the Forbes and Wall Street Journal perspective is any more accurate - or inaccurate - than that of the Boston Globe and other local media. (I include myself in this, by the way. I think early in the story, I tended to see Artie T. as being on a white horse, though that moderated as the summer went on.)
I do think that there are some valuable lessons to be learned here about how upper management connects to front line staff and to customers, and how corporate values and cultural imperatives are communicated up and down in any organization. If we're smart about it, Market Basket is just one chapter in a much larger book … not the entire book. (Though, to be fair, the Market basket chapter will make a pretty entertaining movie. Clooney as Artie T? Robert Downey Jr. as Artie S.? Let's greenlight this production right now…)
Tesco's Mess: The Choice Seems To Be Between Fraud & Incompetence
It was just a week ago that Tesco announced that its first half profit projections had been overstated by the equivalent of more than $400 million (US) because of what the company acknowledged was "early booking of revenue and delayed recognition of costs." While it did not say fraud was involved, four company executives - including Chris Bush, who has been running Tesco's UK business - have been suspended, though not disciplined, pending an investigation.
In the UK, This Is Money reports that Tesco CEO Dave Lewis "has ordered staff not to shred or delete documents as lawyers and accountants probing the huge profit shortfall at the supermarket giant conduct dozens of interviews.
"The investigation into the accounting scandal is likely to reach back into historic accounts and fears are mounting that the group could be forced to restate its results from last year … Lewis’s ‘no shredding’ order will be seen as a sign that he is determined to get to the bottom of the problem. It also indicates that the group fears the errors – whether or not deliberate – may extend deep into the company."
The story quotes Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Mike Dennis as saying that "a discrepancy of this size suggests this is not just the behaviour of a few individuals, but behaviour instilled by the senior management team … The key question they will have to answer is whether this practice goes back into last year or even before previous chief executive Phil Clarke took over."
Reuters reports that the whistleblower who first altered Tesco's management to the financial irregularities in fact first tried to do so months ago, while Philip Clarke was CEO of the company. However, his warnings were ignored, and he had to wait until the company had a new CEO before he could get traction with his concerns.
It is amazing how fast this company seems to have fallen into disarray, and how the choice now seems to be between admitting fraud or conceding management incompetence. (Either way, I have a feeling that arrogance played an enormous part in the equation.) And, one has to wonder the extent to which this will reach back and grab not just Clarke, but even former CEO Terry Leahy by the throat.
Is it impossible to imagine that Tesco management, believing their press releases and in love with their image as a British company set on conquering the world, started cutting corners and making trade-offs that allowed the momentum to continue, even to the point where all they had momentum because the numbers just didn't add up? Is it possible that the Fresh & Easy debacle in the US, far from being an outlier and exception, in fact reflected the more accurate reality of a company management out of touch with reality?
We'll see. I wonder if among Tesco's present and past management, there are people with quivering rather than stiff upper lips, not to mention people with their solicitors on speed-dial.
USDA Says Unregulated GMO Wheat Has Been Found In Montana
The Associated Press reports that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is saying that "unregulated genetically modified wheat has popped up in a second location in the United States, this time in Montana," though it is said to be "on a smaller scale than a similar finding in Oregon last year that prompted several Asian countries to temporarily ban U.S. wheat imports."
Genetically modified wheat has never been approved for US farming.
According to the story, "The herbicide-resistant wheat was found on one to three acres in Montana, while the genetically engineered plants found in Oregon were spread over more than 100 acres. And the plants were found at a university research center in Huntley, Montana, where genetically modified wheat was legally tested by seed giant Monsanto 11 years ago. The plants in Oregon were found in a field that had never conducted such tests, prompting questions about how they got there."
An investigation is proceeding. There had been an investigation into the Oregon case, but there never were any findings about how the GM what got there, except to say that it likely was an isolated incident. Monsanto had suggested that anti-GMO forces may have planted the Oregon wheat as a way of sabotaging its prospects, but that never has been proven.
I smell lawsuit. Almost certainly filed by a company making GMOs. Because, let's face it, these multibillion dollar companies are the real victims here.
Whole Foods Charts Growth Path, Model For Economic Expansion
In New Orleans, the Times Picayune reports that Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb told an audience of business executives that the company "plans to add another 40 or so stores to its list of nearly 400 next year, part of the company's aggressive growth strategy." The announcement came after a two-day period in which Whole Foods opened five stores in the US and Canada.
"In an appearance organized by the World Trade Center of New Orleans," the paper writes, "Robb said expansion is only one angle to the company's future. It's also about updating 200 of the company's existing stores, crafting a clear message to consumers and responding to increased competition over prices on fresh foods, he said."
That includes attempting to use Whole Foods as an engine to drive economic development, even though the company is more often associated with people with personal economies that are, in fact, already highly developed.
"In his speech," the story says, "Robb pointed to Whole Foods' latest opening in New Orleans as the anchor store in the $20 million ReFresh Project development, a renovation of the 60,000-square-foot former Schweggman's building at Broad and Bienville streets. The project was developed by Broad Community Connections, a local nonprofit focused on revitalizing the area, and L+M Development Partners, a New York-based firm that specializes in low-income and market-rate housing.
"Other tenants include Liberty's Kitchen, a restaurant and youth culinary program, which partners with the grocery. 'I really think it can be a model for around the rest of the country in terms of how communities can revitalize,' Robb said."
It seems clear these days that Whole Foods in in the midst of a corporate recalculation, looking to define itself as an engine for economic revitalization rather than an engine for high profits generated by an upper class clientele. I'm not entirely sure that they're going to make it fly, but that seems to be the intent … especially at a time when other companies are finding ways to send the same organic message but without the same whole-paycheck implications.
USDA To Spend $52 Million To Support Local Food, Organic Farming
The New York Times reports this morning that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to announce today that it will "spend $52 million to support local and regional food systems like farmers’ markets and food hubs and to spur research on organic farming … The $52 million will be the first outlay to local and organic enterprises of the farm bill signed into law by President Obama in February, which tripled the amount of money aimed at that sector to $291 million. The organic business, which has long complained that the Agriculture Department does not support it financially, will get $125 million over the next five years for research and $50 million for conservation programs … The department will also be putting $30 million a year into marketing programs for farmers markets and promotion of locally grown foods, and has an additional $70 million available as a block grant to support more research on so-called specialty crops, or fruits and vegetables."
The story notes that while "the local food movement has been one of the fastest growing segments of the business, as consumers seek to know more about where, how and by whom their food is grown," distribution systems are designed "to accommodate the needs of large-scale commercial farms and growers. Grocery stores and restaurants largely rely on big distribution centers and are only beginning to figure out how to incorporate small batches of produce into their overall merchandise mixes."
And, while "farmers’ markets are proliferating around the country, increasing 76 percent to 8,268 since 2008 … they have trouble marketing themselves. And few consumers are aware of a website the department created to help them find a farmers market in their area."
As a taxpayer, I'd rather see money spent on the segments of the industry that actually need the help, rather on big, multi-million dollar companies that seem pretty well able to take care of themselves. This is just the beginning of what I hope will be a greater federal investment in local and organic enterprises.
...with brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• Reuters reports that Family Dollar Stores, still hoping to fend off what has turned into a hostile $9.1 billion takeover move by Dollar General, has said that it has been informed "by certain state attorney generals" - unnamed by the company - that they plan to investigate the bid because of antitrust concerns.
While Dollar General has said that it is willing to divest as many as 1,500 stores and will pay a $500 million break-up fee if federal regulators oppose the acquisition, Family Dollar continues to prefer an $8.5 billion offer from Dollar Tree.
Not to be overly persnickety about this, but I'd like to point out to Reuters that the plural is "attorneys general," not "attorney generals." Not that this makes the story inaccurate, but that is just the sort of thing that sticks out to me.
• Advertising Age reports that Dana Anderson, the senior-VP marketing strategy and communications at Mondelez International, has been promoted to the role of senior vice president/chief marketing officer.
…will return.
In Week Four of the National Football League…
Green Bay 38
Detroit 24
NY Jets 17
Oakland 14
Tampa Bay 27
Pittsburgh 24
New Orleans 17
In the biennial Ryder Cup championship. the US lost to Europe 16 1/2 to 11 1/2, its eighth defeat in the last 10 meetings.
From WAFC…
Build or BUY?
Many retailers face this question to solve their technology needs. When you’re analyzing your technology needs in Fresh Departments, Invatron can help you make the right decision for your business. If you want to align your ordering and production with your sales, if you want to maximize revenue, if you want to reduce discarded inventory, Invatron’s Periscope can help. Learn more at www.invatron.com.
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Grosjean didn’t deserve a penalty, says Massa
By Keith Collantine | RaceFansJul 29, 2013, 1:00 PM EDT
Romain Grosjean’s objection to his penalty for overtaking Felipe Massa off the track during the Hungarian Grand Prix received support from an unlikely source.
Massa himself said Grosjean’s penalty was “wrong”. The Lotus driver passed the Ferrari around the outside of turn four but put all four wheels off the track while he did so.
“If he took the penalty because of what he did with me, that’s completely wrong,” said Massa, who believed Grosjean only put two wheels beyond the white line on the outside of the track.
The stewards ruled that: “In order to overtake [Massa], [Grosjean] left the track. This overtaking move would not otherwise have been possible”.
“I haven’t seen the footage yet and I thought it was a good move,” said Grosjean after the race, “but unfortunately the stewards took a different view”.
Lotus team principal Eric Boullier also believed the penalty was too severe: “The drive-through penalty cost him a far better result. He made a great move at a circuit where overtaking is difficult and he had no room to do anything else. For us the stewards’ decision was harsh.”
However Grosjean had no objections to the 20-second time penalty he was given after the race for colliding with Jenson Button, saying: “I’ve no problem with the time-added for the incident with Jenson and I apologized to him afterwards.”
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Three drivers fail to clinch Chase berth at Pocono; Atlanta could be most crucial race before Richmond
By Jerry BonkowskiAug 4, 2014, 6:21 PM EDT
If at first you don’t succeed, try again next week.
That’s the case for three drivers who failed to officially clinch a berth in the upcoming Chase for the Sprint Cup in this past Sunday’s GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway.
According to NASCAR statisticians, Kevin Harvick was the only driver of four that mathematically could clinch a berth in the Chase, having done so with his runner-up finish Sunday at Pocono.
Those failing to clinch a berth were Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola. That trio will have another chance to officially lock themselves into the Chase in this Sunday’s road course race at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York.
In addition to Harvick, those drivers already locked in to the Chase are Pocono winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano.
In addition to those drivers who have won at least one race this season but as yet have not officially clinched a spot, there are still five other spots that remain open for the Chase.
Right now, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, rookie Kyle Larson, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer would make the Chase if the standings remain the same after the Chase cut-off qualifying race at Richmond a month from now.
Five races remain to qualify for the Chase.
Nine drivers who earned at least one win last season have yet to win thus far this season, and several of those find themselves in jeopardy of missing the Chase, among them Tony Stewart, who is 19th in the standings after this past Sunday’s race at Pocono, and Kasey Kahne, who is 14th.
Atlanta Motor Speedway, which hosts the next-to-last Chase qualifying race prior to Richmond, is looking forward to some significant juggling in the standings both heading into and after its annual Labor Day weekend race.
“For teams that have not secured a Chase spot yet, Labor Day Weekend is going to be huge,” AMS president and general manager Ed Clark said in a media release. “For teams and drivers who have not had the season they may have hoped for, they’re in must-win mode.
“If you’re trying to get into the Chase, there’s no time to settle for a good points day. That should lead to some of the most exciting racing of the entire season (at Atlanta).”
If they remain winless heading into the Labor Day weekend race, AMS could potentially be the best place for drivers like Stewart and Kahne to finally cement a Chase berth.
Stewart is a three-time winner at Atlanta, his last triumph being in 2010, while Kahne is a two-time winner there, including making the 2009 Chase with a win at AMS.
Other drivers who remain eligible to make the Chase, but will have to win a race to make it are Sprint All-Star race winner Jamie McMurray, Marcos Ambrose, A.J. Allmendinger, Martin Truex, Jr. and Brian Vickers.
Follow me @JerryBonkowski
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Mx. Nany.J
Collection of Publications and Anything Work Related
About Mx. Nany.J
Opening New Doors — The Pioneering Work of Open Data Kosovo
nanyjharon June 26, 2018 June 26, 2018 Features, Uncategorized
Since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia a decade ago, the young state’s developing institutions have been forced to grapple with a host of tough challenges. Youth unemployment currently stands at 57.7% according to UNDP, and mass emigration is feeding an ongoing crisis. Yet in the face of all these difficulties, some inspiring and hopeful initiatives are being developed to open up Kosovan government and provide fresh opportunities for the country’s tech economy to flourish. There’s no better example of this than the non-profit organisation Open Data Kosovo (ODK), which is seeking to utilise an open data revolution as an engine for economic and social change in Kosovo.
Blerta Thaci has been working with ODK since 2016, and currently serves as the organisation’s Executive Director. Prior to running Open Data Kosovo, Blerta was an Android developer in the private sector, working with tech companies such as Zombie Soup and Appsix Mobile.
While working in the private sector, Blerta became acutely aware of the lack of women in her workplace, and the tech industry more widely. Keen to take action, she was motivated by the idea that more young women needed to be inspired and supported to develop the tech skills they needed to flourish in the sector.
This conviction drove Blerta to found Girls Coding Kosova in February 2014, a project she continues to oversee. Through Girls Coding Kosova, Blerta works to provide employment opportunities for young people in a country with sky-high youth unemployment, while also providing them with transferable skills for the future.
We spoke to Blerta last month to talk about her aspirations for Open Data Kosovo, and to discuss some of the ways that open data might be able to transform Kosovo in the coming months and years.
Hi Blerta! Thanks for chatting with us. First off, I’d be interested to know how you’d define the idea of ‘open data’, and to learn what this means to you?
I have been engaged in Open Data Kosovo — which was founded in 2014 — for almost two years now, so I’m very new to this sort of concept.
And open data in general is still a new concept in Kosovo — ODK was one of the first organisations to bring it to the country, and Georges — our founder — was really the pioneer of open data here. He was working on his masters thesis, and whilst looking for data for his research he came to realise that there really wasn’t a lot of open data available.
Recognising this as a problem — while taking note of the high rate of youth unemployment in Kosovo — he had the idea to open an organisation that could serve as an educational platform, and as a place for people to learn more about the concept of open data. For me personally, it has really good governance, and it’s one of my biggest passions. In this country, we are expected to blindly follow the constitution, and are not allowed to criticise it when there is something missing. Thus it is our duty to change this.
Is it easy to do this work in Kosovo? Can you give us an idea of your state’s relationship towards open data and access to information? Are there whistleblower protections and rules to protect freedom of expression?
Because Kosovo is such a new country, we have a really high number of young people, but the unemployment rate is also really high. And I know for sure that, if we dig even deeper, then there is another, bigger problem — the high women’s unemployment rate. We can see a trend in that from time to time, that whilst a lot more women graduate compared to men, when it comes to employment the percentage is ridiculously low. As in, less than 16% of women are in employment in any given sector. And the number is even smaller for the more technical fields.
Using open data, we’re trying to contribute towards educating and building the capacity of these young people. We know for sure based on our own experiences that most of the reasons why these people lack job opportunities is because they don’t have the right skills. The education system is a mess. This country is new and the way society worked before the conflict 18 years ago, exposed people to an industrial working environment. People tend to think that the situation will be the same as before, so they haven’t been pursuing extracurricular activities in order to better their access to the job market.
What is the wider scene around open data in your country? Are there any groups that do similar work, or who you collaborate with?
The concept is becoming very familiar, and there are other small initiatives by other companies in this field. We work with public institutions as our main partners because in this way we are able to identify the gaps in education — it allows us to follow up on different ideas around open data when we build digital tools for them.
When we started working with public institutions — when open data was first created and introduced — we found that they do actually have data, and that it is not just that they refuse to make information available. They simply lack the digital infrastructure, such as basic websites with basic information, to analyse and share the data in real time. What we did was start to build digital tools, but we realised this was difficult to do because their staff were not trained well enough. We needed to go back to square one by preparing the digital infrastructure and having the data in machine-readable formats, so we could then begin to work with them.
What are the challenges you face in your work? Are these specific to working in Kosovo?
We were working with a public institution that oversees electronic communications in Kosovo, which also provides reports of services to citizens so they know which service provider’s offering the best service. This was what was supposed to happen anyway, but the way they did it is a different story.
When we went there, we wanted to build this platform that compares websites for people to check from time to time — the services offered, pricing comparisons, and so on. What we found is that they had this database which was built in 2003/2004, and it was an old system that they somehow were still managing to use, even though it was broken and had a lot of missing data. So we built a new platform for the institution that would provide a means for electronic communications companies to register their profiles and list their services.
This allowed online companies to to submit a report every three months about their services, as they were obliged to by law. The reports are all digitised, and the database updates itself automatically, so they don’t need to do it manually anymore.
Are there any other success stories you’d like to highlight?
Another great example that we are very proud of is the open data portal which was built for the central government to use. We built the portal and then the Ministry of Public Administration was granted ownership of it. We advocated for open data as much as we could within the timeframe of the project, and afterwards we saw they they are now continuing to pursue this objective by inviting people to bring in more data. We have all the public institutions listed on the platform, and in the future, they’ll need to be trained to engage with and report on open data.
Another example is ‘Open Businesses’. This essentially acts as a business directory for Kosovo. The business registration agency in Kosovo already publishes all of their data on their website, but they way they do it is neither accessible nor user friendly. So we scraped all the data from their website and we created our own! Now we’ve created a far more accessible and user-friendly platform.
Lastly, I would like to share a sexual harassment reporting tool, Walk Freely, which is our biggest achievement, and something that has really had a positive impact on our society. When we created the app, it was only built for data-collection purposes — just to see the situation and engage in advocacy based on that. But it ended up garnering a lot of interest from people, so we invited the Kosovo Police to partner with us. Right now we are in the consultation phase and we have a contract agreement.
We had to make some technical changes, but hopefully later this year the digital tool will be integrated into their services. Essentially, because we are a non-profit organisation we do not have a lot of sustainability, so in order to make ourselves sustainable, we give the ownership of our platform to our partners. We help them from time to time, but in general we try to give total ownership to them. This is how we gain trust from users to use our platform, as they know the institutions behind it.
Are you getting a lot of public support?
The app is 2 years old, and there are now over 500 reports on it. It was very challenging at the beginning because people were skeptical. People didn’t realise that, by reporting sexual harassment they are actually contributing to the platform and giving insights to the platform, so we can highlight all of these instances and put pressure on institutions that are able to enact change.
In the beginning, we partnered with the Kosovo Women’s Network, and they brought a lot of research with them — work they had already done on sexual harassment in Kosovo. They found that only 3–4 sexual harassment cases per year were reported to the police. In Kosovo, this is common. So, we built the platform to advocate for a change in this. You don’t want to go to the police because there are so many procedures to file a report on this. We wanted to optimise the reporting process.
What role have you played in your organisation’s growth? What got you interested in open data in the first place?
At the time I joined ODK, I was already working as a software engineer and I had founded another initiative called Girls Code Kosovo (which is still going and growing). We started working closely with open data because we had similar missions, in that we wanted to contribute to the area of technology. We wanted to create this real experience for people so they would be more prepared for the job market because at universities they tend to learn more theoretical stuff.
I met the founder of ODK in around 2014/2015, and we started some small activities together with the communities that I had already built through Girls Code Kosovo. I started this initiative to give me something to do after work — after my boring time coding in the office I would do community stuff to engage with people. Also, there aren’t many women in the field and I was the only woman in my company that I worked at at the time. I wanted to find out why there aren’t a lot of women in IT. It went from being something I did after work to a full time job. Nowadays, Girls Code Kosovo has joined up with ODK and it shares the same office. I try to focus most of my energy into open data, but we always partner together with Girls Code Kosovo.
Is there an aspect of open data work that gets you particularly excited?
In general I love the nature of open data, which entails working within the realms of governance, policy and law. At the beginning, I wasn’t very interested. As a technical person, when I see a problem, I immediately try to find a solution to it. When I started to learn about open data and how we can combine the power of technology to contribute concretely — even if in small ways — I really love that. ODK gave me so many insights into the government and how the government can be open, accountable, and transparent to its citizens.
What tools have you used for this project?
We make sole use of open source technologies. We use Python, MongoDB and all the latest platforms. We use GitHub to share our source code, and we have also convinced the government to open a GitHub account — that’s one of our achievements. We had a lot of issues when deploying a lot of digital tools on their server when we were handing over to them so we introduced GitHub as an easier way of communication. We as an organisation are advocating that people don’t need to pay millions for licensing when they can use open source technology.
To convince the government to be more open, we made sure to bring examples of governments in other countries that were making moves to be more open through data. But open source was another level. ODK met an ICT team from the Agency of Technology in Kosovo, and we had a platform running on GitHub. They really needed the platform, so we fundraised for it with an international donor and that allowed us to build it. When it came to them implementing it, we then encouraged them to start using GitHub themselves. It was not an easy process, but in the end they agreed — after we’d explained that doing so would not damage the security of the system because we were just uploading the structure and the skeleton. I knew that they were not familiar with it, and that was a big barrier, but I encouraged our team to always use these opportunities to educate people, in order to pursue our goal. It’s okay that it takes a lot of time — we believe we can manage it.
Tell us about your latest project in this domain.
Besides open data, we are also working on ICT for youth employability. We wanted to expand our coverage of training services by opening a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform. We’re focusing mainly on Kosovo and Albania and wanted to build the platform so that young people could be inspired. Most of the online courses available on the internet are not in our native languages. For high schoolers, it is hard to learn new ideas if those ideas are not in their native language. This platform could motivate them to do something. We are combining this into our existing curriculum alongside our open source technology teachings.
What did you learn from carrying out the project?
It’s really nice to have the chance to contribute with technology to a sector in which so many things have not been tackled from a digital angle. In this movement to fight corruption, I think digital solutions are the answer. Digital has taken over every aspect in our lives, and I believe it’s also had a positive impact on our governments.
What does the future look like?
We’re constantly working on this mission and we are very happy to get involved in new opportunities. We think that despite Kosovo’s many issues and different priorities, that with technology, digital solutions and our expertise we can contribute to a better government, and to something that serves Kosovo’s wider citizenry. We’ll pursue even higher goals and see what more we can do. The biggest mission is to help institutions and to build the capacity of young people so that we can all be part of this movement.
Open & Shut is a project from the Small Media team. Small Media is an organisation working to support freedom of information in closed societies, and developed the Iran Open Data portal.
Cover image by skp, story edited by Tom Ormson.
The original post can be found on Medium here.
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Social Democracy – Not Dead Yet – A Response to Clive Hamilton
Clive Hamilton’s Quarterly Essay, “What’s Left? The Death of Social Democracy” provides a searing critique of the ALP, and of the politics of “aspiration” and endless economic expansion that have come to dominate the political field of thought and governance.
Hamilton argues forcefully that the “model of deprivation” which fuelled social democratic thought for much of the 20th century is now irrelevant, as a result of widespread affluence and the marginalisation of poverty to a minority of about 20 per cent of the Australian population.
And yet while absolute poverty is no longer as common as it once was, our new-found wealth, Hamilton argues, has far from made us happy. Indeed, he suggests consumer culture creates a profound crisis of alienation where “shopping has become the dominant response to meaninglessness in modern life”. Alienation, rather than injustice, is seen as the core social problem confronting affluent societies, and it is from addressing alienation by curbing the excesses of the market from which Hamilton sees the “new politics” as deriving.
Hamilton develops ten theses and a series of policy proposals he sees as forming the potential core of a new movement. He criticises the conversion of “wants” into “needs”, where “expectations always stay in advance of incomes” and condemns the process by which identity is reduced to patterns of consumption.
Further, Hamilton notes the pressure in today’s Class action lawsuit to work longer hours “at the cost of … personal relationships”, and argues instead for a “partial withdrawal” from the market. Perhaps with this in mind, he notes the practice of “downshifting”: the “voluntary reduction of incomes and consumption” adopted by those who have chosen to work part-time, in an effort to balance employment, family, and authentic personal development.
He proposes labour market re-regulation as part of the solution, along with generous maternity, paternity and carers’ leave, and the curtailment of advertising to children. Protection of the environment through appropriate taxation (presumably a carbon tax) and replacing GDP with “genuine well-being” measures of progress are also part of this agenda.
Much of Hamilton’s thesis is to be applauded. In today’s political milieu it is rare for alienation to be regarded seriously, and Hamilton is correct to link alienation with hyper-consumerism and the “spell” cast by linking consumption with identity. Hamilton’s emphasis on the sanctity of family is also refreshing, cutting the ground from underneath the neo-liberal conservatives who have taken this area as their own.
Interestingly, Hamilton does not go as far as to explicitly call for an official reduction in the working week – say, to 35 hours as in France – which one would assume to be a natural extension of his argument.
Despite the strengths of Hamilton’s argument against market-driven alienation his critique of social democracy fails to account for the relative success of social-democratic movements in Europe, where universal welfare states and mixed economies continue to thrive, despite growing affluence. While Hamilton labels social democracy as “redundant”, social democratic aspirations including social provision, subsidy of, or collective consumption of health, education and aged care services, retain a great degree of force. What is more, rather than a standing achievement that need only, as Hamilton argues, be “fine tuned”, Australia’s welfare state is constantly endangered by the politics of division fostered by the conservatives.
While roughly half of the country’s population is now covered by private health insurance, generously subsidised by the government, roughly half is not. Despite an “affluent society” many Australians simply cannot afford exorbitant private health insurance premiums. Meanwhile, some who hold private health insurance do so despite their inability to afford it, to avoid a public system that, as a consequence of waiting lists and a perceived “lack of care”, has come to embody the kind of “private affluence” and “public squalor” that so concerned Galbraith.
The same might be said of public education, which faces real marginalisation. Nearly half of all Australian families with secondary school-aged children feel the need to send their children to private schools, avoiding the neglected public system. Clearly, defending and extending the welfare state is a core object of a still-relevant social democracy.
The author’s critique of social democracy assumes the tradition is exhausted. However, the “second way”, as Hamilton labels traditional social democracy, has far from outlived its usefulness. Equality of opportunity in education can only be restored by increased funding to public schools and universities, aimed at lowering student-teacher ratios, increasing subject choice and improving infrastructure.
Health care ought be based upon universal insurance with no area of care uncovered, (including dental services, ambulance services, home nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, podiatry, chiropractic care, hearing aids, glasses, contact lenses, prostheses and surgical expenses). Quality aged care ought be established as a right due to all Australians. The labour market ought be properly regulated, rather than deregulated in the hope “the market will clear”.
Meanwhile, unemployment should be tackled through targeted industry assistance and labour market programs, expansion of public services and the harnessing of superannuation funds. Such demands form the core of a traditional social democratic program and, far from being irrelevant, could eventually garner majority support.
Another area of concern is Hamilton’s dismissal of the concept of “class” and his disdain for the goal of social ownership as an “indefensible anachronism”. He argues forcefully that “As affluence increases, class ceases to be a useful category”. This line of argument is flawed for a number of reasons. To begin with, Australia remains a heavily stratified society. According to a report from the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM), in 2002, the top 20 per cent of Australian households owned more than half the total household wealth. Meanwhile, “the poorest 20 per cent of households possessed almost nothing, while the bottom 40 per cent owned just 8 per cent of total household wealth”.
By and large, many of today’s real battlers are consigned to the outer suburbs where housing is cheap, rates are low and services, including transport, are poor. Despite Hamilton’s claim that only 20 per cent of Australians experience true poverty, there are still massive gaps in wealth and prosperity.
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History Major Requirements
Our Majors
Home History Department About the Department Course Offerings
Winter 2021▲
See complete information about these courses in the course offerings database. For more information about a specific course, including course type, schedule and location, click on its title.
European History, 1500-1789
HIST 101 - Brock, Michelle D. (Mikki)
An individual who died in 1500 would have been surprised, if not bewildered, by many aspects of European life and thought in 1800. What changed over these three centuries? What stayed the same? Why should we in the 21st century, care? This course examines the history of Europe from the Renaissance through the beginning of the French Revolution. It explores the interplay of religion, politics, society, culture, and economy at a time when Europe underwent great turmoil and change: the Reformation, the consolidation of state power, the rise of constitutionalism, global expansion and encounters with "others," perpetual warfare, the rise of the market economy, the spread of the slave trade, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment. This course discusses how these processes transformed Europe into the Western world of today, while also challenging ideas about what "Western," "European," and "Civilization" actually mean.
European History, 1789 to the Present
HIST 102 - Bidlack, Richard H. (Rich)
The French Revolution and Napoleon, the era of nationalism, the rise of socialism, imperialism, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, and European Union.
Japan: Origins to Atomic Aftermath
HIST 104 - Bello, David A.
This course traces the span of Japan's historical development from its origins through the Cold War, with a special, but not exclusive, emphasis on an environmental perspective. The first half of the course covers the emergence of indigenous Japanese society and its adaptation to cultural and political influences from mainland East Asia, including Buddhism, Confucianism, and Chinese concepts of empire. The second half covers Japan's successful transition from a declining Tokugawa Shogunate to a modern imperial nation to a reluctant U.S. Cold War ally from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries.
History of the United States Since 1876
HIST 108 - Gildner, Robert M. (Matt)
A survey of United States History from Reconstruction to the present with emphasis on industrialization, urbanization, domestic and international developments, wars, and social and cultural movements.
Dictatorship and Democracy in Germany, 1914-2000
HIST 214 - Patch, William L. (Bill)
The failure of Germany's first attempt at democracy in the Weimar Republic, the interaction between art and politics, the mentality of the Nazis, the institutions of the Third Reich, the Second World War and Holocaust, the occupation and partition of Germany in 1945, the reasons for the success of democratic institutions in the Federal Republic, the origins of modern feminism, the economic collapse of the German Democratic Republic, and the process of national reunification in 1989-91.
Soviet Russia, 1917 to 1991
The revolutions of 1917, the emergence of the Soviet system, the Stalinist period, Stalin's successors, and the eventual collapse of the USSR.
Topics in European History
HIST 229A - Patch, William L. (Bill)
A course offered from time to time depending on student interest and staff availability, on a selected topic or problem in European history. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
Winter 2021, HIST 229A-01: Topics in European History: The War to End All Wars: Testimonies about the Experience of the First World War (3). In this discussion- and writing-intensive course, open to all students and taught virtually, we will analyze a famous anti-war autobiography by Robert Graves (Good-Bye to All That), a fiercely patriotic account of the combat experience by the German officer Ernst Jünger (Storms of Steel), and a collection of poems by British women who became nurses or munitions workers. Our goal will be to understand why the experience of this war upended the lives of so many participants and confounded their expectations regarding "progress", and the Great War's long-term impact on European culture and society. You will be asked to write three short papers on the required readings and a modest term paper of 6-8 pages on a memoir, autobiographical novel, or war diary of special interest to you. (HU) Patch.
The Evolution of American Warfare
HIST 243 - Myers, Barton A.
This course examines U.S. military history from the colonial period to the post-9/11 American military experience. Since this is a period of more than four hundred years, the course limits its focus to major topics and central questions facing the men and women who have fought in American wars. We trace the course of American military history by focusing on three themes: the early development of American military institutions, the evolution of military policy toward civilian populations, and the changing face of battle in which Americans have fought. All three of these themes relate to the central goal of this course, which is to gain a better understanding of how America's military developed in conjunction with and sometimes in conflict with American democracy.
American Experience with Guerrilla Warfare and Insurgency
This course dives headlong into the chaotic, destructive, and brutally violent world that has been American Involvement with irregular warfare. Over the past 400 years, Americans have trained guerrillas, fought as irregulars, and sparked armed insurrections. This course looks at the broad typology of violence known as irregular warfare, including insurrections, violent revolutions, partisan and guerrilla warfare, U.S. Army/Native American conflict, and 20th-century insurgency and low-intensity conflict.
Topics in United States, Latin American or Canadian History
HIST 269A - Dennie, Nneka D.
A course offered from time to time, depending on student interest and staff availability, on a selected topic or problem in United States, Latin American or Canadian history. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
Winter 2021, HIST 269A-01: Topics: Black Radical Women (3). African-diasporic women have consistently imagined new futures in their pursuits of freedom and justice. In so doing, they have resisted patriarchy, racial violence, and state-sanctioned oppression. This course will offer an introduction to the theories and activism that have characterized Black women's radicalism from the nineteenth century to the present. By examining sources including writings by Frances Harper; articles by Claudia Jones; songs by Miriam Makeba; contemporary, digital activist campaigns; and more, students will evaluate how Black women have critiqued racism, sexism, and class exploitation. The course will also investigate how women navigated racial, gender, and class dynamics within activist organizations. Key topics for consideration include abolition, suffrage, Garveyism, Négritude, the anti-apartheid movement, Black Power, and #BlackLivesMatter. Ultimately, students will analyze Black women's roles in movements for Black liberation, feminism, and Black internationalism. (HU) Dennie.
Visions of Japan's Empire in East Asia: 19th-Century Origins through World War II
Japan's 19th-century imperial system ensured its status as the only major non-western "great power" in the first half of the 20th century. Within the space of its fifty years of existence (1895-1945), imperial Japan underwent radical political, social and cultural transformations that had equally profound effects on East Asian and world history, culminating in World War II. The course explores these distinctive transformations, which constitute Japan's theory and practice of political and cultural imperialism, through an analysis of text and image, from which the class constructs a website.
Seminar: Topics in History
HIST 295A - Rupke, Nicolaas A.
A seminar offered from time to time depending on student interest and staff availability, in a selected topic or problem in history. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
Winter 2021, HIST 295A-01: Topics in History: Evolution Theories from 1755 Till Today (3). One of the most influential scientific theories is the theory of (organic) evolution. Its history has largely been written by Darwin and his followers. In this course, we look at the "Darwin industry" but then additionally explore a revisionist history that incorporates the non-Darwinian approach to the origin of life and species. Giving close attention to the scientific facts and the different theories, we also raise the question "Where were these theories situated?" "What socio-political purposes did they serve and which religious connotations did they have?" We will end by bringing the historical perspective to bear on today's ongoing controversies about evolution theory. (HU) Rupke.
HIST 295B - Rupke, Nicolaas A.
Winter 2021, HIST 295B-01: Topics in History: Science and Religion in Historical Perspectives (3). The focal point of our presentations/essays/discussions is the encounter of science and Christian belief in the Western tradition during the period stretching from the time of the Renaissance to the present day. With respect to historiographical approaches, the so-called conflict or warfare model will be deconstructed while we construct the relationship between science & religion in terms of several parallel discourses, only one of which is to be understood as conflict. A number of thematic topics are to pass the revue, ranging from early-modern physico-theology to current controversies over atheist evolution vs Intelligent Design. Moreover, in order to anchor these general issues to concrete circumstances of time and place, a biographical approach will be followed, and the science & religion question explored in the context of the lives and careers of single eminent scientists. (HU) Rupke.
Seminar on The Great War in History and Literature
An advanced seminar in which students analyze different kinds of written accounts of the First World War (memoirs, autobiographical novels, poems, and diaries) by different kinds of participants, including common soldiers, government leaders, and women who worked on the "home front." In class discussions and two short papers, students evaluate the reliability of these witnesses and what the historian can learn from them about the psychological, cultural, and political consequences of the First World War in Great Britain, France, and Germany. Students choose one question raised in our common meetings for more detailed investigation in a substantial research paper integrating primary and secondary sources.
Winter 2021, HIST 319-01: Seminar on The Great War in History and Literature: The War to End All Wars (3). Prerequisite: HIST 102 or instructor consent (which will be granted to any student who has taken a relevant 200-level course in European history). In this seminar designed for history majors, we will analyze together a few of the most famous personal accounts of the Great War; you will then conduct independent research on a topic of special interest to you for a substantial term paper of about twenty pages. Your goal will be to analyze an illuminating body of personal testimony regarding the psychological impact of combat, the experience of women who supported the war effort as nurses or munitions workers, or the long-term impact of the Great War on European society and culture. Our joint class meetings will be virtual, but students taking this course should live in Lexington so that they can undertake library research. (HU) Patch.
African American Intellectual History
HIST 359 - Dennie, Nneka D.
Since their earliest arrivals in the New World, African Americans crafted liberatory ideas as they articulated a desire for equality, justice, and self-determination. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, black intellectual thought took shape against the backdrop of processes of enslavement, emancipation, racial violence, and state-sanctioned oppression. Indeed, the discursive spaces that black political thinkers created became major sites of knowledge production and provided momentum for black mobilization. Beginning with David Walker's Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World (1829), this course will probe landmark texts by and about African American thinkers including Maria Stewart, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Malcolm X., and Angela Davis. Students will evaluate historical perspectives on topics including racial uplift, feminism, black nationalism, and Pan-Africanism. They will also identify major debates that shaped the development of African American intellectual history.
HIST 395A - Brock, Michelle D. (Mikki)
Winter 2021, HIST 395A-01: Advanced Seminar: The Devil in the Western World (3). Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing, and instructor consent. The devil is one of the most recognizable figures in Europe and America, appearing in religion, art, popular culture, and even political rhetoric. This course explores how understandings of the devil and his role in the cosmos have changed from late antiquity to the present. Together, we ask why the devil became (and remains) such an influential part of the Western tradition. Topics covered include the biblical origins of Satan, medieval demonology, the impact of the Reformation and Enlightenment, cases of possession and witchcraft, depictions of the devil in literature and film, the devil and conspiracy theories, and modern discussions about the nature of evil. (HU) Brock.
Honors Thesis. Additional information is available at www.wlu.edu/history-department/about-the-program/honors-in-history .
Fall 2020▲
European History, 325-1517
HIST 100 - Vise, Melissa E.
An introductory survey, featuring lectures and discussions of European culture, politics, religion and social life, and of Europe's relations with neighboring societies, from the rise of Christianity in Late Antiquity through the Middle Ages and the Italian Renaissance, to the beginnings of the 16th-century Protestant and Catholic Reformations.
China: Origins to 20th-Century Reforms
China's history embodies the full range of experience -as domain of imperial dynasties, target of imperial aggression, dissident member of the cold war Communist bloc, and current regional superpower in East Asia. This course tracks these transitions in political and social organization that, among other things, terminated history's longest lasting monarchical system, ignited two of its largest revolutions, began World War II and produced the most populous nation on earth. A wide range of cultural, political and intellectual stereotypes of China are challenged in the process of exploring its particular historical experience.
History of the United States to 1876
A survey of United States history from the colonial period through Reconstruction with emphasis on the American Revolution, the formation of the Constitution, the rise of parties, western expansion, the slavery controversy, sectionalism, secession, Civil War and Reconstruction.
Violence in Pre-Modern Europe
Popular imagination envisions violence in pre-modern Europe as it appears in film and video games like Assassin's Creed 2 -- an age of vendetta, factional and gang violence, constant war, and abuse. Yet the same period witnessed great movements for peace and the creation of a new identity: The Chivalrous Knight. We look at the history of large-scale violence and in particular at warfare, popular revolt, government-sanctioned violence, enslavement, and inter-religious violence from the period 800-1600 CE to begin answering that question. When and why was violence justified or even considered a positive attribute of social life and when and why not?
Germany, 1815-1914
The impact of the French Revolution on Germany, the onset of industrialization, the revolution of 1848, the career of Bismarck and Germany's wars of national unification, the Kulturkampf between Protestants and Catholics, the rise of the socialist labor movement, liberal feminism and the movement for women's rights, the origins of "Imperialism" in foreign policy, and Germany's role in the outbreak of the First World War.
The Making of Modern Scotland: Braveheart to Brexit
A surveys of the history of the Scottish people from the medieval period up to the current debates surrounding the possibility of Scottish Independence and the future of Great Britain. Along the way, we examine the Wars of Independence, the Renaissance and Reformation, the Scottish Enlightenment, the Highland clearances, emigration to North America, involvement in the British Empire, and the development of Scottish nationalism. Students confront two interrelated questions: How has the history of Scotland been made, manipulated, and romanticized over the last seven centuries, and why do we remain fascinated by this small country across the Atlantic? This class, then, is both an introduction to Scottish history, and an exploration of the thin lines between history, myth, and reality.
Seminar: The Age of the Witch Hunts
This course introduces students to one of the most fascinating and disturbing events in the history of the Western world: the witch hunts in early-modern Europe and North America. Between 1450 and 1750, more than 100,000 individuals, from Russia to Salem, were prosecuted for the crime of witchcraft. Most were women and more than half were executed. In this course, we examine the political, religious, social, and legal reasons behind the trials, asking why they occurred in Europe when they did and why they finally ended. We also explore, in brief, global witch hunts that still occur today in places like Africa and India, asking how they resemble yet differ from those of the early-modern world.
Imperial Russia, 1682 to 1917
From the rise to power of Peter the Great, Russia's first emperor, through the fall of the Romanov dynasty.
The sectional crisis. The election of 1860 and the secession of the southern states. Military strategy and tactics. Weapons, battles, leaders. Life of the common soldier. The politics of war. The economics of growth and destruction. Emancipation. Life behind the lines. Victory and defeat.
History of the U.S. Welfare State
HIST 254 - Michelmore, Mary (Molly)
A survey of the history of the U.S. welfare state from the 19th century through today. Topics include Social Security, welfare, the War on Poverty and Great Society, the Reagan-Era War on Welfare. Students analyze contemporary public-policy questions in their historical dimensions, and use historical knowledge to better understand contemporary political and policy debates.
The History of the African-American People to 1877
An intensive study of the African-American experience from the colonial period through Reconstruction. Special emphasis is given to the slave experience, free blacks, black abolitionists, development of African-American culture, Emancipation, Black Reconstruction, and racial attitudes.
Women and Slavery in the Black Atlantic
From the 16th century to the 19th century, over 12 million Africans were shipped to the New World. Of those who survived the Middle Passage, fewer than 500,000 arrived in the United States; the vast majority were dispersed throughout the Caribbean and South America. The experiences of enslaved women, as well as the relationships between free and enslaved women, are as diverse as the African diaspora. Given the broad geographical scope of Africans' arrivals in the New World, this course offers a comparative examination of women and slavery in the Black Atlantic. Topics for consideration include black women's gendered experiences of slavery, white women's roles in slave societies, and women abolitionists. Students also examine how African and European conceptions of gender shaped the institution of slavery in the New World. Particular attention is devoted to slavery in West Africa, Barbados, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States.
Fall 2020, HIST 295A-01: Topic: Science, the Paranormal, and the Supernatural (3). Open to all class years and all majors. An exploration of the fascinating history of the uneasy relationship between science and its contested boundaries where fact and fiction overlap. In modern -- and especially late-modern -- times, science has become the adjudicator of truth -- truth in terms of fact and law-like rationality. The result has been a retreat of the occult, of many superstitions, and the uncovering of fallacies and frauds. Yet large sectors of modern society have remained enamored of the paranormal. Even scientific practitioners themselves, including Nobel Laureates, have kept alive a belief in telepathy, precognition, and such-like phenomena. Equally persistent, especially in religious circles, has been the conviction that miracles do happen; and, again, great scientists and medical practitioners have supported these and similar notions. More recently, the study of "wonders" has emerged as a separate field of inquiry: anomalistics. (HU) Rupke.
Fall 2020, HIST 295B-01: Topic: Animal Experimentation and Animal Rights in Historical Perspective (3) . As we deal with the place of animals in Western society, we more particularly trace the history of the use of animals as living objects of laboratory experimentation and explore the controversies that vivisectional practices have engendered. Do animals have rights? What might we think of animal-liberation activism? To what extent has animal experimentation been essential to the progress of science, especially medical science? We examine these questions in the wider context of humane movements and of organizations/societies that have been established for the prevention of cruelty to animals. (HU) Rupke .
Seminar in Russian History
Selected topics in Russian history, including but not limited to heroes and villains, Soviet biography, Stalin and Stalinism, the USSR in the Second World War and origins of the Cold War, the KGB, and the decline and fall of the Soviet Union and the re-emergence of Russia. May be repeated for degree and major credit if the topics are different.
Fall 2020, HIST 322-01: Seminar in Russian History: The Soviet Union in the Second World War and Origins of the Cold War (3). An examination of Soviet history from the start of the Second World War in 1939 until the death of Stalin and the armistice in the Korean War in 1953. Students read and discuss a wide range of primary sources and scholarly studies and write a research paper on a topic of their choice with the instructor's approval. (HU) Bidlack .
Seminar: America in the 1960s: History and Memory
Hippies, Flower Power, Panthers, Berkeley, Free Love, Free Speech, Freedom Rides, Dylan, Woodstock, Vietnam, Jimi, Janice, Bobby and Martin. The events and images of the 1960s remain a powerful and often divisive force in America's recent history and national memory. This course moves beyond these stereotypical images of the "Sixties" to examine the decade's politics, culture and social movements. Topics include: the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, the Great Society and the War on Poverty, Vietnam, the Anti-War movement and the Counterculture, Massive Resistance, the "Silent Majority" and the Rise of the Conservative Right.
Seminar: The Struggle Over China's Environment
The course covers the more recent periods of China's so-called "3,000 years of unsustainable growth" from about A.D. 618 into the present. Themes focus on China's historical experience with sedentary agriculture, fossil fuel and nuclear energy, wildlife and forest management, disease, water control, and major construction projects like the Great Wall.
Spring 2020▲
Dreaming of Paris (Revised as a result of COVID-19)
HIST 207 - Horowitz, Sarah
For the revised Spring 2020 offering:
"The City of Lights." "The City of Love." The capital of fashion. The world's most romantic city. The second most visited city in the world. For centuries, Paris has held an enduring appeal as a city of devoted to pleasure, intellectual life, culture, art and fashion. This course examines the appeal of Paris and some of the mythologies of the city, as well as the reality and the history behind the image.
Decline and Fall of the Soviet Union and the Resurgence of Russia
This course analyzes the reasons for the decline of the Soviet Union commencing in the latter part of the Brezhnev era and its collapse under the weight of the failed reforms of Gorbachev. It further traces the fragmentation of the USSR into 15 republics and the simultaneous devolution of authority within the Russian Republic under Yeltsin. The course concludes with the remarkable reassertion of state power under Putin up to the present. Students write an essay assessing the Yeltsin transition and engage in a class debate at the end of the term on the prospects for Russia's future.
Spring 2020, HIST 229-01: Topic: The World of The Decameron (3). No prerequisite. In 1349, the year after the Black Death visited his homeland, Giovanni Boccaccio began work on the piece of literature for which he may be best remembered: The Decameron . A frame narrative set in plague-ridden Florence itself, the text's protagonists escape to the countryside and tell 100 stories over the course of 10 days. For centuries, historians of the plague turned to Boccaccio's description of the disease to craft their histories of plague. We investigate the historicity behind, historical merits of, and modern engagement with this giant of the Italian literary canon. Students perform a guided reading of most of the individual tales as well as of the structure of the text as a whole, study modern film remakes, complete team-based homework assignments, and submit a final podcast project. (HU) Vise.
The Art of Command during the American Civil War
This seminar examines the role of military decision-making, the factors that shape it and determine its successes and failures, by focusing on four Civil War battles: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and Wilderness. Extensive reading and writing. Battlefield tours.
HIST 295 - Rupke, Nicolaas A.
Seminar in Politics and History: The Machiavellian Moment
HIST 307 - Peterson, David S.
Is it better to be loved or feared? How much of our destiny do we control? When are societies fit for self-rule? Can people be forced to be good? Niccolò Machiavelli, arguably the first and most controversial modern political theorist, raises issues of universal human and political concern. Yet he did so in a very specific context--the Florence of the Medici, Michelangelo, and Savonarola--at a time when Renaissance Italy stood at the summit of artistic brilliance and on the threshold of political collapse. We draw on Machiavelli's personal, political, historical, and literary writings, and readings in history and art, as a point of entry for exploring Machiavelli's republican vision of history and politics as he developed it in the Italian Renaissance and how it addresses such perennial issues as the corruption and regeneration of societies.
Seminar: 9/11 and Modern Terrorism
HIST 367 - Senechal, Roberta H.
Terrorism is a form of collective violence famously illustrated in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington on September 11, 2001. This course provides an intensive interdisciplinary examination of the origins of the 9/11 attacks and the terrorist organization that launched them. The course also addresses the impact of the attacks and the future prospects of mass violence against civilians, as well as the role of the media in covering (and dramatizing) terrorism. Much of the course focuses on the social divisions and conflicts that lead to terrorism and its increasingly lethal nature over time. Topics include "old terrorism" (as seen in Northern Ireland and Algeria), "new terrorism" (such as that associated with Al Qaeda), the logic of terrorist recruitment, and the nature of and spread of weapons of mass destruction.
Directed Individual Study
A course which permits the student to follow a program of directed reading or research in an area not covered by other courses. May be repeated for degree credit with permission.
Department Head:
Molly C. Michelmore
michelmorem@wlu.edu
Kara Hemphill
hemphillk@wlu.edu
204 West Washington Street
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A ‘Fresh Prince’ Reunion Is Coming to HBO Max
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
2020: The Year of Pandemics, Politics, and TV Reunions. The latest is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which will air an unscripted reunion special this fall on HBO Max.
According to the press release, the show will be taped on “September 10” and will air “around Thanksgiving” on HBO Max. Targeted to The Fresh Prince’s 30th anniversary, the special will present a “look back at the series and the cultural impact the series has had since its debut.” Here’s who you can expect to see on the show (James Avery, the actor who played Uncle Phil, passed away in 2013):
Bringing the Banks family back together, series star Will Smith will be joined by series regulars Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid and Alfonso Ribeiro as well as the recurring DJ Jazzy Jeff, for a funny and heartfelt night full of music, dancing, and special surprise guests, in honor of the series that ran for six seasons and 148 episodes. Marcus Raboy (Laugh Aid, Whitney Cummings: Can I Touch It?) will direct the special, which will be executive produced by Rikki Hughes, who will serve as showrunner, as well as Miguel Melendez, Lukas Kaiser, and Brad Haugen for Westbrook Media.
You can also watch every episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on HBO Max.
Technically, 2020 is also the year of The Fresh Prince, as the series is also being redeveloped for a “dramatic reboot,” which would take the same premise of a kid from Philadelphia sent to live with wealthy relatives in Southern California and give it a less comedic spin. During the era of coronavirus, people like their pop culture comfort food. And what’s more comforting than the stuff you watched on TV as a kid?
Gallery — Our Favorite TV Revivals:
Source: A ‘Fresh Prince’ Reunion Is Coming to HBO Max
Filed Under: HBO Max, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith
Categories: What's New
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Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani in landmark $35m donation for the displaced through UNHCR’s Zakat programme
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced today a major individual contribution of more than $35 million from Qatari businessperson Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and displaced Yemenis.
The donation, which is the largest UNHCR has received from an individual, covers a one-year cooperation agreement and two grant agreements and is worth US$ 35,215,260.
The agreements were signed in Geneva today by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and Sheikh Dr. Khalid Bin Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani, on behalf of H.E. Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani, a generous Qatari lead philanthropist and businessperson.
The funds will be channeled via UNHCR’s Zakat initiative, a programme established in 2016 that is fully compliant with the principles of Islamic social financing and which provides an efficient and trusted way for people to fulfill zakat obligations. One hundred per cent of Zakat initiative contributions go directly to those in need.
The donation will be split into two parts. The first aims at providing around 300,000 internally displaced persons, returnees and members of the host community across Yemen with multi-purpose cash assistance and cash for shelter with an amount of US$ 13,000,260. The second part aims to support an estimated 450,000 Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh with a focus on health, nutrition and shelter for a total amount of US$ 22,215,000.
This is an extraordinary contribution that will bring vital help to hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been torn apart by conflict and displacement, said High Commissioner Grandi. UNHCR is deeply grateful to H.E. Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah for his generous support.
It is a privilege and an immense opportunity to support most vulnerable people. H.E. Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani hopes that through the Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani Humanitarian Fund, he is able to impact as many lives as possible and will continue to support the displaced through UNHCR’s programmes, said Sheikh Dr. Khalid Bin Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani There are currently more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, who have been forced to flee violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and are in need of life-saving assistance. In Yemen, an estimated 24 million people are facing humanitarian crisis and are in a constant struggle to survive as they search for safety, shelter and emergency aid.
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Posted in Health April 16, 2019
WillScot to Participate at Deutsche Bank’s 10th Annual Global Industrials & Materials Summit
Teledyne e2v’s 11Mpixel CMOS image sensor designed for high-speed applications
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HOLLYWOODBETS MY COMMUNITY
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAMME
Overview Hollywoodbets My Community Programme 2020
As a family of companies, we at the Hollywood Group are extremely proud that our Hollywoodbets My Community Programme booklet is larger than ever before! Our mission has always been to support more and more people within our communities.
Our booklet is a little more unique this time around. This is because it forms part of a “different” period, a time unlike any other we’ve ever experienced in our lifetimes. We chose to incorporate all projects for the relief efforts that we launched in response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Our communities were severely affected by the pandemic, and it became increasingly difficult for people to cover their basic needs. There was a huge demand from our communities for basic food items. Therefore, we felt moved to launch a nationwide food parcel relief effort.
Key partnerships played a valuable role in this process, where we joined forces with our various Brand Ambassadors. We also worked with Nomzamo Mbatha’s Lighthouse Foundation to create the Brighter Future Project which saw R1,35 million going to NPOs and NGOs across South Africa, including a contribution to the Solidarity Fund as well as the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
We want to thank our Team of Purple Hearts for braving the circumstances and enabling us to achieve this amazing feat. By working together, we provided 5 570 COVID-19 relief parcels that included personal protective equipment and helped feed 22 280 South Africans in need. We achieved this feat by partnering with 72 organisations.
Education was one of the core areas we identified to invest in so that we could help equip and empower young South Africans for the future. We teamed up with the Lighthouse Foundation, Gagasi FM, Ndungane Twins Foundation and South African Jockey Academy to award bursaries, as well as offered this to our own Team and their family members.
As always, sports development continues to remain important to us, so we expanded our sponsorships to include different sporting codes and to benefit even more teams than ever before. Seven Jockeys and 16 Trainers continue to be part of our Purple Family as well. In partnership with Gold Circle, our Grooms’ Initiative was created to award the winning groom from every KwaZulu-Natal race meeting with a R1 000 incentive. In the 2019/20 racing season, 375 different Grooms winning their share of R578 000!
Team Members have been given the opportunity to get involved personally by volunteering, while we also chose to lend our voices to an issue that is particularly important to us – gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. A donation of R100 000 towards personal alarms was donated to vulnerable people living in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal – one of the communities that report some of the highest GBV stats in the country per annum.
As a Team we can be proud of the fact that the Hollywood Group has made a difference to 306 charitable organisations, 250 development sports teams and 24 SMMEs with our My Community Programme.
We salute the collective efforts of each and every one of our 5 428 Team Members – it is because of YOU that this is made possible, both in the good times and in the challenging times. We’ve proven yet again that the spirit of Ubuntu lives in all of us, and that we can be strong if we are of one mind and if we work together. We look forward to many more exciting projects in the future, and wish good health to our entire Purple Family!
Suren Rampersadh
Hollywoodbets CEO
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Luke Combs Serenades St. Jude’s Kid on Stage, Brings Him to Tears [Watch]
Wendy Hermanson
Luke Combs offered a totally sweet gesture during his Thursday night (Oct. 3) show in Cape Girardeau, Mo. when he brought up a special fan to share the stage.
After spotting a child in the audience holding a sign reading "This St. Jude Kid Loves U," Combs invited the young fan, named Hudson, on stage for a big hug, then asked him if he wanted to remain up there or preferred to go back down. Hudson gave an enthusiastic nod and said "I want to stay."
Combs then broke into "This One's for You," and in a truly touching moment, the little boy broke down crying halfway through the song, using his t-shirt to wipe away his tears.
A post from a Facebook user, Kaydee Marie, who was at the show, captured the whole magical event. "This man is just amazing," she wrote, adding that she thinks the young man will "cherish that forever." We're pretty sure he'll remember it for a long time, too!
Combs is poised to release his upcoming album, What You See Is What You Get on Nov. 8. He has been teasing music from the release, including an Instagram post noting part of the track listing and a collaboration with Eric Church. He will also be going on tour to support his effort, with dates and tickets available here.
These Are the Top 10 Luke Combs Songs:
Source: Luke Combs Serenades St. Jude’s Kid on Stage, Brings Him to Tears [Watch]
Filed Under: Luke Combs
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