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Meridian Wellbeing Hypnotherapy
... to achieve lasting change
In-Person Sessions in Stirling or Dunipace, for Central Scotland
Online Sessions UK Wide
**During Tier 4 Restrictions: All sessions help on Zoom only**
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) often referred to as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E), is a weakening illness which sees the sufferer experience long term fatigue which is not improved with sleep, a symptom also accompanied by a myriad of other side effects ranging from concentration difficulties through to sensitivity to bright lights. The NHS estimates that around 250,000 people in the UK suffer from CFS at any one time and though anyone can contract the illness it is most common among women in their early 20s to mid 40s.
Diagnosing CFS
Despite a wide range of additional symptoms and side effects fatigue is the key indicator of the illness. However, it is the presence of fatigue that makes the syndrome difficult to diagnose, due to it being a symptom of so many other illnesses.Though there is no test which can diagnose the condition, the usual route for diagnosis is to first eliminate other possibilities through tests and examinations. After this there are certain criteria outlining symptoms which can be used to help determine the presence of CFS. The criteria states that clinically evaluated, unexplained, persistent and relapsing chronic fatigue which is not a result of over exertion, not alleviated by rest and is resulting in the reduced ability to carry out and participate in everyday tasks and activities could be an indicator of the syndrome.
Symptoms of CFS Symptoms will vary in severity from person to person, with the least effected still able to care for themselves although possibly requiring days off work to rest. Those who are moderately effected may experience a reduction in mobility and disturbed sleep patterns. Severe symptoms render sufferers unable to carry out every day tasks such as brushing teeth and often mean sufferers require the use of a wheelchair. Very severe symptoms will mean the inability to carry out everyday tasks, bed rest for the majority of the day, intolerance to noise and sensitivity to bright lights. Symptoms which may be experienced can be found listed below and along with exhibiting one or more of the following, adults who believe they may be suffering with CFS must have been experiencing chronic fatigue for a period of at least four months with no other medical condition identified as the cause.
multi-joint pain without swelling or redness
Abdominal pain and digestive disturbances – These symptoms are similar to those of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Chronic headaches – Headaches are a common symptom of CFS and many sufferers report not only a heightened severity in pain but also that the headaches are far more frequent.
Cognitive impairments – This could range from poor concentration and short term memory loss to the inability to think clearly, organise and articulate yourself.
Exercise intolerance – Sufferers will often lack tolerance to exercise and though they may feel energetic before hand will usually become extremely exhausted very quickly rendering them unable to continue.
Heightened sensitivity to light and sound – Everyday noise will seem extremely loud and overwhelming to sufferers.
Psychological problems, such as depression, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks – Depression, anxiety and irritability are often present which frequently leads to misdiagnosis by doctors.
Recurrent sore throat – This symptom is often an indication of viral infection which is thought to play a role in the cause of the illness.
Sleep disturbances – The inability to sleep, waking early, too much sleep, disrupted sleeping patterns and sleep that does not leave you feeling revived and refreshed.
Overwhelming Fatigue – Tiredness is so severe that it limits everyday activities, is not eased by sleep and rest and can't be attributed to any other illness such as depression.
Possible causes of CFS Though experts have conducted a number of studies in a bid to try and discover the cause and contributing factors of CFS, very little has actually been found. However, researchers believe the illness could be related to a persons gene's and their susceptibility to viral infection, stress, depression and or major life events which could act as a trigger for CFS to develop in more susceptible individuals. Factors thought to contribute to the contraction of the illness include viral infections such as glandular fever which is something that occurs in many sufferers thus leading to the above assumption. Genetics are also thought to play a role, with CFS commonly appearing in more than one member of the same family alongside exhaustion, mental stress, depression and a traumatic event. Experts believe there are certain factors which could heighten the symptoms and therefore advise those suffering with CFS to avoid stress, environmental pollution, unhealthy eating, not being active enough and viral and bacterial infections.
Treatment for CFS Though the symptoms of many may improve over time allowing those who have recovered to resume their life and everyday activities, many will experience a relapse or won't recover at all. Because experts do not know the cause of CFS it makes it all the more difficult to find a cure and though there is no specific medicine intended to treat the illness there are certain medications which may help to relieve certain symptoms, for instance antidepressants for depression and painkillers for muscle ache. Aside from medicines, sufferers are also encouraged to try alternative and complementary therapies such as behavioural therapy, physiotherapy, counselling and support groups etc. which may help to improve symptoms on both a physical and emotional level. Neuro-Linguistic Programming and hypnotherapy can be used in conjunction with other therapies and medication to help address certain aspects of the illness such as self-esteem, fatigue, stress, motivation, memory of a trauma, and other side effects and symptoms. NLP (a therapeutic technique which programmes the unconscious mind to remove or adjust any unconscious patterns of thought and behaviour, thus altering certain psychological responses) and hypnotherapy work in a way which will help a sufferer to understand and identify certain factors which could influence and heighten symptoms and after doing so will help the sufferer to resolve any internal conflict, relationship issues and whatever other underlying issues there may be in order to clear the mind of negative emotions.
Source: https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/articles/chronic-fatigue-syndrome.html
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Athletic ticket prices: trying to find ways to reduce the cost of admission
Cole Basnight, Sports Editor
At the school, the normal ticket price to get into a ballgame is $5. This could cause a family of 4 to pay $20 to get in to see their son or daughter play in a game. If they choose to eat dinner at the game, they can expect to pay at least another $20 for everyone to eat. The family of an athlete might wind up paying $40 to see their child play in one game, that can easily add up over time.
“I think [ticket prices are] something we need to find ways around,” principal John Luciano said. “I think it’s too much money.”
The school has been trying to find ways to reduce this cost but the conference is the one who sets the price for the athletic events. This is so the other team’s families don’t have to pay a different price every time they go to their child’s ballgame.
The school has started allowing kids that are playing “in-season” to get in free to ball games. This means that students who run track can get into baseball games for free and vice versa.
“I think they have taken strides to help students,” athletic director Alfie Wheeler said. “The in-season sports athletes are now allowed in for free. So if it is football season and you play soccer then you get into the game for free, so that helps.”
The school used to have students bring in their IDs to get a discount on the ticket price. This year the school gave out a season pass for 12 different sporting events for $40. This would mean that the season ticket holder would save $20 if they attended all 12 games on the ticket.
“They have allowed us to sell season passes which can save a lot of people money. You can buy a pass for $40 or $50 dollars and come to a certain amount of games,” Wheeler said.
Sporting events are meant to be for the kids and not a money making ploy for the conference. Money from the ticket sales does come back to the school and the athletic programs.
“Most of the time, we cover the refs and any other kinds of fees we would have associated with that particular game. Football, which is the big money maker, helps cover other athletic expenses, including up to a lot of equipment and things of that nature,” Luciano said. “So all the money that comes in from the gates, called the gate receipts, goes back into the sports program and does not go back in necessarily to the sports program that got the money, it’s one large pot.”
While the school does cover a lot of the costs associated with hosting the sporting events, the reduced price may attract more fans and make up whatever revenue is lost from reduced ticket prices. As a result, the school is actively trying to find ways to reduce the costs of games for families and students and to encourage attendance at sporting events without breaking the regulations set by the high school athletic association.
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Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy
B. H. Annex, M. H. Sketch, R. S. Stack, H. R. Phillips
The TEC is a forward-cutting atherectomy catheter that has the unique potential to excise and aspirate atheroma, especially intraluminal thrombus. This device has been under clinical investigation for more than 6 years and received final marketing approval by the FDA for the treatment of lesions in the coronary vasculature in 1993. In the US TEC Multicenter Registry, the overall clinical and lesion successes were favorable. The success rates were similar for both native coronary vessels and saphenous vein bypass grafts. Importantly, the procedural success rates were maintained even in the presence of several unfavorable angiographic features, such as ostial location, intraluminal thrombus, and total occlusion. Further insights into the mechanisms of action of the TEC were made from studies using percutaneous angioscopy and intravascular ultrasound. Angioscopy clearly demonstrated that the TEC was indeed able to remove intraluminal thrombus, especially loosely adherent red thrombus, in a population of patients with unstable coronary syndromes. However, the TEC frequently leaves behind multiple intimal disruptions which not only create a possible nidus for restenosis but also explain the frequent hazy angiographic appearance of the vessel after TEC atherectomy. As is true for all new interventional devices, the specific niche for the TEC in interventional cardiology will best be determined in randomized clinical trials. There are several areas in which the TEC appears promising. First, this device may have a role in the management of patients with diffusely diseased saphenous vein grafts. Second, the TEC may be an effective primary therapy in lesions with intraluminal thrombus. Treatment with the TEC may then be followed by an adjunctive therapy to maximize the final vessel diameters. Finally, the TEC may be valuable in the treatment of lesions in patients with high-risk unstable coronary syndromes.
Cardiology clinics
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Coronary Atherectomy Medicine & Life Sciences
Angioscopy Medicine & Life Sciences
Atherectomy Medicine & Life Sciences
Saphenous Vein Medicine & Life Sciences
Annex, B. H., Sketch, M. H., Stack, R. S., & Phillips, H. R. (1994). Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy. Cardiology clinics, 12(4), 611-622. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0733-8651(18)30079-1
Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy. / Annex, B. H.; Sketch, M. H.; Stack, R. S.; Phillips, H. R.
In: Cardiology clinics, Vol. 12, No. 4, 1994, p. 611-622.
Annex, BH, Sketch, MH, Stack, RS & Phillips, HR 1994, 'Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy', Cardiology clinics, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 611-622. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0733-8651(18)30079-1
Annex BH, Sketch MH, Stack RS, Phillips HR. Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy. Cardiology clinics. 1994;12(4):611-622. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0733-8651(18)30079-1
Annex, B. H. ; Sketch, M. H. ; Stack, R. S. ; Phillips, H. R. / Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy. In: Cardiology clinics. 1994 ; Vol. 12, No. 4. pp. 611-622.
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title = "Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy",
abstract = "The TEC is a forward-cutting atherectomy catheter that has the unique potential to excise and aspirate atheroma, especially intraluminal thrombus. This device has been under clinical investigation for more than 6 years and received final marketing approval by the FDA for the treatment of lesions in the coronary vasculature in 1993. In the US TEC Multicenter Registry, the overall clinical and lesion successes were favorable. The success rates were similar for both native coronary vessels and saphenous vein bypass grafts. Importantly, the procedural success rates were maintained even in the presence of several unfavorable angiographic features, such as ostial location, intraluminal thrombus, and total occlusion. Further insights into the mechanisms of action of the TEC were made from studies using percutaneous angioscopy and intravascular ultrasound. Angioscopy clearly demonstrated that the TEC was indeed able to remove intraluminal thrombus, especially loosely adherent red thrombus, in a population of patients with unstable coronary syndromes. However, the TEC frequently leaves behind multiple intimal disruptions which not only create a possible nidus for restenosis but also explain the frequent hazy angiographic appearance of the vessel after TEC atherectomy. As is true for all new interventional devices, the specific niche for the TEC in interventional cardiology will best be determined in randomized clinical trials. There are several areas in which the TEC appears promising. First, this device may have a role in the management of patients with diffusely diseased saphenous vein grafts. Second, the TEC may be an effective primary therapy in lesions with intraluminal thrombus. Treatment with the TEC may then be followed by an adjunctive therapy to maximize the final vessel diameters. Finally, the TEC may be valuable in the treatment of lesions in patients with high-risk unstable coronary syndromes.",
author = "Annex, {B. H.} and Sketch, {M. H.} and Stack, {R. S.} and Phillips, {H. R.}",
journal = "Cardiology Clinics",
publisher = "W.B. Saunders Ltd",
T1 - Transluminal extraction coronary atherectomy
AU - Annex, B. H.
AU - Sketch, M. H.
AU - Stack, R. S.
AU - Phillips, H. R.
N2 - The TEC is a forward-cutting atherectomy catheter that has the unique potential to excise and aspirate atheroma, especially intraluminal thrombus. This device has been under clinical investigation for more than 6 years and received final marketing approval by the FDA for the treatment of lesions in the coronary vasculature in 1993. In the US TEC Multicenter Registry, the overall clinical and lesion successes were favorable. The success rates were similar for both native coronary vessels and saphenous vein bypass grafts. Importantly, the procedural success rates were maintained even in the presence of several unfavorable angiographic features, such as ostial location, intraluminal thrombus, and total occlusion. Further insights into the mechanisms of action of the TEC were made from studies using percutaneous angioscopy and intravascular ultrasound. Angioscopy clearly demonstrated that the TEC was indeed able to remove intraluminal thrombus, especially loosely adherent red thrombus, in a population of patients with unstable coronary syndromes. However, the TEC frequently leaves behind multiple intimal disruptions which not only create a possible nidus for restenosis but also explain the frequent hazy angiographic appearance of the vessel after TEC atherectomy. As is true for all new interventional devices, the specific niche for the TEC in interventional cardiology will best be determined in randomized clinical trials. There are several areas in which the TEC appears promising. First, this device may have a role in the management of patients with diffusely diseased saphenous vein grafts. Second, the TEC may be an effective primary therapy in lesions with intraluminal thrombus. Treatment with the TEC may then be followed by an adjunctive therapy to maximize the final vessel diameters. Finally, the TEC may be valuable in the treatment of lesions in patients with high-risk unstable coronary syndromes.
AB - The TEC is a forward-cutting atherectomy catheter that has the unique potential to excise and aspirate atheroma, especially intraluminal thrombus. This device has been under clinical investigation for more than 6 years and received final marketing approval by the FDA for the treatment of lesions in the coronary vasculature in 1993. In the US TEC Multicenter Registry, the overall clinical and lesion successes were favorable. The success rates were similar for both native coronary vessels and saphenous vein bypass grafts. Importantly, the procedural success rates were maintained even in the presence of several unfavorable angiographic features, such as ostial location, intraluminal thrombus, and total occlusion. Further insights into the mechanisms of action of the TEC were made from studies using percutaneous angioscopy and intravascular ultrasound. Angioscopy clearly demonstrated that the TEC was indeed able to remove intraluminal thrombus, especially loosely adherent red thrombus, in a population of patients with unstable coronary syndromes. However, the TEC frequently leaves behind multiple intimal disruptions which not only create a possible nidus for restenosis but also explain the frequent hazy angiographic appearance of the vessel after TEC atherectomy. As is true for all new interventional devices, the specific niche for the TEC in interventional cardiology will best be determined in randomized clinical trials. There are several areas in which the TEC appears promising. First, this device may have a role in the management of patients with diffusely diseased saphenous vein grafts. Second, the TEC may be an effective primary therapy in lesions with intraluminal thrombus. Treatment with the TEC may then be followed by an adjunctive therapy to maximize the final vessel diameters. Finally, the TEC may be valuable in the treatment of lesions in patients with high-risk unstable coronary syndromes.
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JF - Cardiology Clinics
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Posted on 5th June 2020 by Mike
Friday March 13, 2020 started very early for the House of Representatives in Concord, as we where still working the session that had begun 14 hours prior to midnight. We were up late working because of the failure of the Democrat majority to properly handle the scheduling of House business. Perhaps they should have skipped the day wasted reprimanding legislators for NOT violating the House rules.
Earlier in the day (Thursday the 12th) there was concern that a member of the House might have been in contact with a person who may have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in the recent past. COVID-19 was not yet a household word but it was becoming a lead story in the news. With a push to get bills to second committees prior to crossover, we finished our session around 4 a.m. By 5:15 p.m. the Governor would declare a state of emergency to deal with the coming pandemic of COVID-19.
In mid-March of 2020 no one would question the proper coarse of action taken by the Governor. The models touted by experts warned of hospitals being overrun with seriously ill patients, many of whom would be in ICU units and require ventilators to be kept alive. At the expiration of the first declaration of the state of emergency, preparations were underway for the coming surge of COVID-19 patients, hospitals stopped taking elective procedures and furloughed doctors and nurse to be ready for the surge.
At the end of the second 21 day state of emergency, it was becoming clear that our hospitals would not be overrun with COVID-19 patients. Hospitals operated with over 90 percent of their beds available through the surge.
With many executive orders in place limiting social behavior the Governor was in a difficult position. If he did not continue the state of emergency all of the executive orders would be removed and business would be restored to its regular statutory controls. People had been terrified by the media’s exaggerated claims and would proceed with extreme caution for the most part. He viewed the option to end the state of emergency as too risky, in part because he might be targeted with responsibility for those who would die from the disease.
While the Governor wrestled with running the state from the corner office, depending on information for the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization (much of which was backed by faulty models), the Democrat majority legislature sat back and only spoke up to fruitlessly sue for control of Federal funds. The abysmal reporting by the media would allow you to think the Governor prohibited the legislature from meeting. The only thing stopping the legislature from meeting was the Democrat leadership (the term used very loosely). Other than the inability to get their hands on the Federal funds they have been happy to leave all the work of managing a fading crisis in the hands of the Governor. There is little doubt in my mind that they love the precedent being set and look forward to using such powers with the flimsiest excuse in the future.
Now, at the start of June, it is very clear that this disease is almost entirely a problem affecting people in long term care facilities. Attention must be focused on the vulnerable and the rest of us need to be aware of contacts that may be connected to those facilities. We need to get on with living. Those who wish to isolate themselves waiting for a vaccine will be waiting for a very long time. The rest of us will be out building natural herd immunity and living.
House Speaker Shurtleff and Senate President Soucy have cooked up a pageant to give the appearance of ‘doing the people’s work’, by scheduling an abbreviated calendar of events to close out the session. The outcome they desire is to stuff the Democrats’ wish list into a few bills and send them off to the Governor for vetoes; campaign theatrics, pure and simple. Republicans, being in the minority, have one tool; stopping a rule change (which requires 2/3 of those voting). It is a tool that must be used to stop the sham of appearing to do the people’s work. Pretending to be productive is simply lying and wasting tax money putting on a show. Democrats will cry “obstruction”; that’s fine, stopping sewage from flowing into the lake is obstruction of which to be proud.
CategoriesGeneral Court
2 Replies to “The Pandemic”
Ed Comeau says:
With the backwards flowing state revenues and millions with emptied bank accounts. The Democrats use whatever reserves left to create illusions. They are either mentally ill or criminals.
Eugene Jacobs says:
Belmont is fortunate that you’ve chosen to volunteer for their service. The one size fits all approach to the virus panic is ridiculous.
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Muslim Community Heroes World
Profile: Sadiq Khan First Muslim Mayor of A Major Western City
Sadiq Aman Khan was born on October 8th, 1970, and is an English politician who was appointed Mayor of London as of May 2016. Sadiq has been a Member of Parliament for Tooting from 2005 to 2016.
Sadiq Aman Khan was born in England to a working-class British Pakistani family. During his years attending the University of North London, he studied Law and graduated with a degree. He then worked as a solicitor specializing in human rights and chaired Liberty for three years. From 1994 to 2006, Khan joined Labour as he was working for a Councillor for the London Borough of Wandsworth. During his years working for the Labour government, he was appointed Minister of State for Communities by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2008.
In May 2016, Khan was elected Mayor of London in the 2016 mayoral election, as he succeeded Conservative Party Mayor Boris Johnson. On May 9th, 2016, he resigned as MP for Tooting. Khan is the first ever Muslim to become mayor of a western major capital and Khan holds the largest personal mandate of any politician in the history of the United Kingdom as well as the third largest personal mandate in the whole of Europe
Khan was born in Tooting, South London and is the eight child a Sunni Muslim family of Pakistani immigrants.
His parents moved to England from Pakistan shortly after Khan’s birth. His father, Amanullah Khan, worked as a bus driver for over 25 years and his mother, Sehrun, was a seamstress.
Khan and his family lived in a three-bedroom council flat on the Henry Prince Estate in Earlsfield. During his early years, he attended Fircroft Primary School and then Ernest Bevin School (now Ernest Bevin College), a local comprehensive. He was very good in math and the sciences at A-level, and he hoped to be a dentist. But one of his teachers recommended that he studied law due to his argumentative personality. The teacher’s recommendation, along with the American television programme called L.A. Law, motivated him to do so. Subsequently, he enrolled himself in the University of North London to pursue his career.
During an interview with him, Khan reported that: “I was surrounded by my mum and dad working all the time, so as soon as I could get a job, I got a job. I got a paper round, a Saturday job – some summers I laboured on a building site.” The family continues to send money to relatives in Pakistan, “because we’re blessed being in this country.” Living in London has come along with its cons as the Khan family often encountered racism. He worked part-time at department store Sloane Square whilst he was attending Law school.
Mayor of London (2016 candidacy)
Mr. Khan declared his intention to run for the London mayoral election in May 2015. He won in September, polling 37.5% of the first round vote with Dame Tessa Jowell coming in second place at 29.7%. Khan took 58.9% of the voted in the final round against Jowell, who gained 41.1%.
Sadiq Khan made a pledge to freeze all London’s Tube, train and bus fares for four years if he won the elections. The total cost was estimated to be over £450m over four years. However, sources contradicted that statement by stating that the actual cost would be £1.9 billion. They believed Khan had not considered “increasing ridership over the Business Plan (passenger numbers are rising by 5 per cent every year) and there will be new fares revenue from Crossrail when it opens in 2018/19”
He was officially elected as Mayor in a multi-faith ceremony held in Southwark Cathedral. Khan’s first public appearance as mayor was at a Holocaust memorial ceremony in a rugby stadium in North London. It was on May 9th, 2016 that he officially took office.
In 1994, Sadiq Khan married Saadiya Ahmed, a fellow solicitor, whom he had two daughters, named Anisah and Ammarah with. He was also a chairman of the Fabian Society, remaining on its Executive Committee.
Khan is a Sunni Muslim and regularly prays and attends Al-Muzzammil Mosque in his hometown, Tooting.
Khan was nominated for the Politician of the Year Award at the British Muslim Awards twice (2013 and 2015). He later won the award in 2016.
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You are at:Home»Travel & Living»The Reason Why Foreigners Come to Singapore?
The Reason Why Foreigners Come to Singapore?
By LaDonna Dennis on June 8, 2020 Travel & Living
Why do foreigners come to Singapore? When I was a foreigner living in Singapore, I could not explain it, but there was something that made me want to move there. Of course, I did not know what that something was at the time, but I knew something was changing for me. Singapore is slowly changing, and the change seemed to be good for me. At that time, I did not know why, but I felt the change would be for the better for me, and so, I could feel the difference in my life as an ex-pat.
One reason that why foreigners come to Singapore is to be with people who have a similar lifestyle to them and to enjoy their ex-pat life. So, to be in this kind of community, expats should have good friends, and I believe this is true for Singaporeans and foreigners alike.
Singapore is an Asian country located at the tip of the Malaysian nation in one of the most growing regions in the world in terms of economic progress. Singapore has a population of roughly 5.7 million people and close to 1.5 millions of these are foreign immigrants who came for work and other purposes. Also, the world bank puts Singapore as one of the wealthiest nations in Asia; in fact, only japan betters the per capita income ratio of Singapore. Trade is the country’s economic backbone accounting for most of the prosperous phases of growth witnessed in the last three decades.
Statistics that indicate future sustainability of the nation in terms of the labor market are not that positive. For instance, the average growth rate in Singapore’s populations is just slightly above 0.8%. Whereas the average birth rate per 1,000 persons is 8.65. These values are comparatively one of the lowest in the world.
Singaporeans and foreign immigrants
In view of the above statistic, it is apparent that Singapore cannot sustain itself in the labor market. Therefore, foreign nationals come in handy to perform those duties they cannot do. The largest foreign working population is Chinese. In the recent report by the Asia Pacific Migration Network, there has been a lot of chattering that the Chinese foreign nationals in Singapore are facing poor working conditions. It was further reported that the Chinese workers often underwent inhuman treatment in the hands of their Singaporean bosses.
The report further asserts that the welfare of the workers is highly endangered since their movement, conduct and behavior are closely monitored by their bosses. Their employment status is also threatened since their bosses can easily terminate their working contracts and send them back to China if they so wish. It, however, beats logic since the country enjoys the best is not the second-best per capita income, but the Singaporean nationals think the immigrants have come to their country and are competing with them for scarce resources and opportunities.
The situation facing the Chinese nations is however not so much common with other immigrants from other nations. Regardless of the country’s population density being made up of almost 70% of the members from the Chinese origin, the Singaporeans seem to favor those people from Malaysia more than they do for the Chinese.
It is true that with a high per capita income, the local persons are likely to ignore the low paying casual works and favor the high paying jobs. In the early 1990s, the working population was highly made up of Singaporeans. They accounted for at least 86% of the working population. This figure has considerably reduced as the latest statistics prove that at least 36% of the working population is represented by the immigrants. This is more than a 100% increase on the previous statistics.
According to the report, Singaporean employees often confiscate the passports of migrant workers immediately when they sign a work contract. They are subjected to poor living conditions as well as deplorable working environment and there have been cases of denying them medical services. On paper, Singapore has great laws that protect both the local and migrant working population. However, these scattered cases of discrimination among the majority Chinese population which accounts for at least 200,000 migrant workers, gives contradicting information on the grassroots level.
Some of these cases are however being blamed on China for not having strong laws that control the export of labor to the neighboring countries. Also, calls about revoking the powers of the employers over the workers’ passports have been made to try and reduce their brutal and unfair treatment of the Chinese nationals as well as other scattered cases of discrimination that have often been reported on the local media platforms in the country.
Singapore’s social space
A country which is highly endowed like Singapore ought to have some of the best of lifestyles and social backgrounds, it doesn’t disappoint a bit. The safety levels in Singapore is one of the best seen in the region. One tourist was marveled at how two young girls were on the rod waiting for a bus to school without someone to see them off. According to the person, this had been witnessed only in japan before. This shows how the security apparatus in the country are on the lookout. Besides, with a self-sufficient economy, you will expect little or no problems with disruptors.
Singapore is a headquarters of some of the world’s fortune 500 companies. It is also a financial hub of the region. This shows how the country is full of business opportunities. The government has also created an environment where the Singaporeans can startup businesses easily by getting startup finances at affordable rates. As foreigners, you can get integrated into the system very fast with chances to work in multiple fields in the economy.
In Singapore, the system is based on merit. With a decent degree in the local university and a job, you can afford the country’s middle-class life with not so much of a struggle. The transport system is efficient offering multiple options including a private transport system. Also, foreigners can easily get themselves into freelancing which is fast taking traction in Singapore. Freelancing options are many; with most of the services being digitized, you can market even much faster.
With all the great things life in Singapore has to offer, there seems to be one common denominator. The services in Singapore are very pricey. Getting into a public or private school, getting healthcare, transportation, security, etc. are all expensive to get. At some point it will happen to us; you’re in a situation that will need money. In case you are in a tight situation visit loanAdvisor to compare the best online loan rates.
Singapore is a great seasonless Asian country with above-average services to offer. The country is mostly warm with high temperatures. However, it receives a lot of rainfall. The country has mixed reactions about the migrants into the nation. Most of the population seems to hold a negative view about the ballooning Chinese migrant number into the country. A soft spot is however reserved for the Malaysian neighbors. In conclusion, depending on the country of destination, the local national is likely to treat you well or badly, but the general quality of life for both national and foreigners is higher in comparison to other countries.
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Share this Story: Back to Basics: The Little Homes Hamlet that Just Might
Back to Basics: The Little Homes Hamlet that Just Might
Residents of Les Hameaux de la Source, nestled on 165 bucolic acres in Lantier, have formed a minimalist living community.
Rose Betit • Special to the Montreal Gazette
Fernand Stuart of Habitat Multi Générations in one of the homes available in a minimalist community in the Laurentians village of Lantier. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
Once upon a time, in a tiny hamlet about an hour north of Montreal, a developer had a big idea to make a small community of tiny homes.
This may sound like the beginning of a fairy tale, but it’s reality for the director of development at Habitat Multi Générations, Claude Trépanier, and the residents of Les Hameaux de la Source, nestled on 165 bucolic acres, in Lantier. It’s also reality for the minimalist living communities joining the tiny house movement across Canada.
Back to Basics: The Little Homes Hamlet that Just Might Back to video
What exactly constitutes a “tiny home”? According to the website Tiny Home Alliance Canada, there are four size categories for tiny homes: THOW (tiny house on wheels), micro house, tiny house and small house. These can range in size from 100 square feet, or maybe even less, to more than 1,400 square feet.
The people who have chosen this lifestyle have done so for various reasons.
“People choose it for peace of mind because it is cheaper on the mortgage, on the heating,” Trépanier said. “In general, they buy fewer things.” Thus, tiny home living is more affordable than living in an average-sized home. Also, time and time again, the desire to reduce one’s footprint on the environment tops the list of reasons. Frequently mentioned is the desire to adopt a more simple, self-sustaining lifestyle.
Kitchen and bathroom of a tiny home at Habitat Multi Générations display at the Old Port. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
While the idea of minimalist living in a sized-down space may be catching on, housing regulations across Canada have yet to catch up. Finding a place to put one of these homes can be complicated, especially given that bylaws are different from one province to another, one city to another, one neighbourhood to another and even one plot of land to another.
Hence, the reason for developments like Les Hameaux de la Source. Bylaws there have been modified to accommodate what Trépanier hopes will be an eco-friendly community, divided into 85 lots, where residents plant their own or share gardens and take advantage of renewable energy sources. At least 50 per cent of the 165 acres will be kept undeveloped, Trépanier said, to preserve the natural state of the area.
Bedroom of Mini-Maison by Ilo. (John Mahoney/Montreal Gazette) Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
With the co-operation of Lantier Mayor Richard Forget, Trépanier’s dream seems to be coming to fruition, but at a slow pace for now. Currently, there are three lots with year-round residents, with a fourth to be completed and occupied by the end of August. “Another five will be added before the end of fall,” Trépanier said.
Maxime Robillard, who is one of the development’s year-round residents, has lived happily in his 480-square-foot home for the last two years. “I have also lived in a 350-square-foot tiny house on my parents’ land for a year while I was building this one,” Robillard said.
When asked what influenced him to choose tiny home living, he said, “I’ve always wanted a simple life and knew I’d never want to get into the ‘rat race.’ My experience of living in small spaces confirmed that I absolutely loved the simplicity of tiny houses. Since nothing on the market was affordable for my budget or matched my tastes, I had no choice but to build my own perfect little house.”
Lucky for Robillard, he’s a carpenter by trade, so that was helpful when it came time to build his micro home. It also helped reduce the cost of construction.
When asked if he would recommend tiny home living to others, Robillard answered enthusiastically. “Absolutely! I don’t think I could have built a better house for myself,” he said. “Most people love it just for the look and how cozy it feels, but to me, it’s much more than that. I’ve put a lot of effort into designing an efficient house in terms of building costs versus long-term costs. The house is solar (powered), it has heated floors, it’s insulated above construction standards and it’s solid. It’s beautiful and just the right size. I can’t ask for anything more.”
Though the concept of a harmonious community with shared resources and a modest mindset in a natural setting may seem ideal, it is certainly not without its difficulties. The most obvious issue is the distance of the community from the nearest town with facilities like a hospital, clinic or shopping centre. The Lantier hamlet is roughly a 15-minute drive from Ste-Agathe-des-Monts. Furthermore, as Trépanier realistically pointed out, “For somebody who does not own or drive a car, transportation is more complicated, (although) there is some rural public transport in our area.”
That’s why the hope is the development will someday also be home to a resident work program, community gardens, greenhouses, playgrounds and a community daycare.
When asked how close they are to meeting these goals, Trépanier pointed out that they have other priorities at the moment to keep the development on its trajectory. “The priority is to extend the road, extend the electric line and sell many other land lots to fund common infrastructures,” he said.
Interior of a tiny home available at Les Hameaux de la Source in Lantier. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
There are still many projects underway, but thanks to another Les Hameaux de la Source resident, Didier Merette Dufresne, the growing community might at least have a daycare facility sooner rather than later. Dufresne, who studied early childhood education at Cégep Marie-Victorin and the Université de Montréal, has been living in his 571-square-foot, sun-filled home since December 2016. “I took one a bit larger for my needs since I want to run a forest daycare with it,” Dufresne said, attributing his ability to afford starting his own daycare business to the low cost of living in a tiny home.
While the remoteness of the community presents a definite obstacle for some, there are and have always been people who choose to live in rural settings, far away from facilities, and work around the inconveniences. In the end, perhaps, one of the determining factors in the future of the tiny home movement and the development of other communities like Les Hameaux de la Source, will be the public’s attitudes about consumption.
Will we, as a society, increasingly go back to basics, even if it could mean becoming more rural? Or will more municipalities catch up and modify bylaws to allow for tiny homes on lots or the developments of communities in and around towns?
Trépanier said he received numerous inquiries from other promoters at a Tiny House Festival held in Old Montreal on Aug. 11 and 12. He said they were seeking advice about undertaking tiny house projects in their region.
Trépanier’s pride in being involved in such an endeavour was palpable when he added: “We think we were amongst the first in 2014 to promote tiny house projects. Now, in 2017, I have counted through the press releases available throughout the internet — more than 30 municipalities in Quebec that publicly stated they accept tiny house projects. Some are in the process of creating a new zoning for them or waiting to receive proposals from promoters.”
When asked where he sees Les Hameaux de la Source in five years, Trépanier was optimistic. “I see 100 dwellings, 15 collective gardens with greenhouses, small farms, residents half-sufficient in food, many home-based and natural resource-based local businesses, tiny house festivals, permaculture festivals, common sheds sharing tools to build tiny houses and other infrastructures allowing residents to gain in self-sufficiency,” he said.
This may seem an ambitious hope for a movement that is taking its time to gain a firm footing. Perhaps we should keep in mind, though, that oftentimes big ideas start small. In the case of this community, quite literally.
One of the tiny homes at Les Hameaux de la Source in Lantier. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
Tiny Tips – Is Tiny Home Living in Your Future?
Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to live in a tiny home.
Read all you can about tiny home living. Consider whether minimalism is more important to you than space. Research costs of living in a tiny home compared with an average-sized home.
Visit a tiny home community.
Talk to people who already live in a tiny home. Also, read about people who have tried it and changed their minds. Consider their perspectives.
Talk to at least two suppliers. Make comparisons.
Make a list of questions and reach out to the town office in your area. Make sure you know about specific regulations about what kind of domicile can be placed on specific lots of interest.
Make a pros and cons list. Be honest in your assessment of whether you can live in a sized-down space.
Consider financing options
In the past, banks have been wary about financing for this type of construction. For example, there may be a minimum square footage for a mortgage on a small home on a foundation. There may also be special rules regarding the financing of tiny homes on wheels, requiring the borrower to take out a personal loan instead of a mortgage. Finally, land (where the home will located) probably needs to be owned as opposed to rented to qualify for a mortgage.
If you decide that tiny living is for you:
Choose the style of your home carefully. Consider this advice of tiny home resident, Maxime Robillard: “The goal is not to go as small as possible, it’s to build something that’s perfect for you. Just like wearing perfectly sized clothes, your house should be just right for you! If you have the perfect plan, a good budget and a timeline, you just have to take the first step and have no fear!”
Reach out to other tiny home dwellers by maybe join an alliance like that of The Tiny Home Alliance Canada (www.tinyhomealliance.ca). This is a great way to share ideas and learn how to make the best of your space and to deal with any obstacles you may encounter.
In your home, embrace items that have dual purpose. For example, a staircase leading to a mezzanine can also double as storage underneath the stairs.
Use your outdoor space. In other words, get outside more.
Enjoy having more money left over for other aspects of your life, since you’ll be saving money on your rent or mortgage and energy bill.
Interior of Cabane tiny home at Habitat Multi Générations. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
Finding a home for your tiny home
So, you’ve decided you want to make the move to tiny home living. You’ve researched what that would entail. You’ve considered the pros and cons of becoming minimalist. You’ve researched tiny home suppliers and decided on a budget. You’ve decided who will construct it — whether you’ll do it yourself or have builders do it. About the only thing you haven’t yet decided is where you will put it.
Here are some points to consider when searching for a place to put your little home:
— If you’d like to live in the city, you will need to check with your municipality about zoning laws. It can be a bit complicated because there can be as many different regulations to consider as there are land lots. For instance, in Montreal, every borough has different bylaws when it comes to domicile specifications. Therefore, one would need to check directly, most likely in person, with the central office of the borough in which he or she plans to reside. Furthermore, there are even different regulations for different plots in the same boroughs.
— Office locations for boroughs may be found on the Ville de Montréal’s
official city portal at montreal.qc.ca/reseauaccesmontreal.
— If you decide that you would like to consider living in a tiny homes community instead, you can begin your research into existing communities by visiting the web site of Tiny Home Alliance Canada at www.tinyhomealliance.ca. Under the heading of “Canadian Connections”, you will find a link to builders and communities across Canada.
— If you are interested learning more about Les Hameaux de la Source, you can visit their Web page at www.habitatmultigenerations.com/laurentides. There, you will find contact information along with a wealth of information about the growing community and tiny living in general.
Though it may require more creative thinking and strategizing, remember that if you are truly committed to making the change to a lifestyle of minimalist living, the time and effort you put into finding the right place will be worth it in the long run.
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How to go from 0 to 75K subscribers in 6 months
Sam Parr, Hustle Con, Content, First 10K, Non-Tech, Scaling, Subscription (Membership) Model
I’ll let you guys in on a little secret–one of the reasons why I ask great questions here on Mixergy is before I get the guest on, I often ask their friends, I ask their competitors, I ask people in the audience “What do you want to know about this guy? What should I be asking?”
So, at a conference one year, I said, “I need people to help me ask more questions of the audience.” So, I tweeted out for help and one of the people who responded is the guy you’re about to meet today.
Sam Parr is the founder of The Hustle. It’s a sort of like a combination of Vice and Fast Company. He’s also the producer of Hustle Con, which is a conference for non-tech founders.
I saw a post recently where he said that his company got $500,000 and they were going to be reckless with it and they wanted the world to experience that recklessness. I invited him here to talk about what he did with that money and more importantly how he earned that money.
Hustle Con
Full Interview Transcript
Andrew: Hey there, freedom fighters. My name is Andrew Warner. I’m the founder of Mixergy.com. It is, of course, home of the ambitious upstart. You know, the guest I’m about to introduce you to is someone that I met when I was going to do interviews at a conference.
I’ll let you guys in on a little secret–one of the reasons why I ask great questions when I do conferences frankly even here on Mixergy is before I get the guest on, I often will ask their friends, I ask people in the audience, I ask people who are competitors of theirs, “What do you want to know about this guy? What should I be asking?” So, at conferences, I would often fan out and talk to every single person I could and take notes on what they came to the conference for, what they want to know, etc.
And then one year when Jason Calacanis invited me to do a bunch of interviews at his conference, I said, “I think I need help. I need people to help me ask more questions of the audience so I could get a better beat on what they want to know.” So, I tweeted out and two people responded and said that they–I think actually more than two people, but two people I liked–said that they wanted to come in and help out. And one of those people is the guy you’re about to meet today.
His name is Sam Parr. We got along really well. We ended up having scotch night. He came over to my house for poker. Then I spoke at one of his events, then another and then I saw a post that he did where he said that his company got $500,000 and they’re going to be reckless with it and they want the world to see it and experience that recklessness. And I’ve experienced it a little bit. I invited him here to talk about what he did with that money and more importantly how he earned that money.
Sam Parr is the founder of The Hustle. It’s a combination kind of like picture Vice with Fast Company. If they were to marry each other, this is what you’d get. You’d get The Hustle. He’s also the producer of Hustle Con, which is a conference for non-tech founders. That means if you don’t know about how to code, if you don’t want to be the person who’s in the office heads down, constantly coding, this is your conference, Hustle Con.
This interview is sponsored by two great sponsors, one of which I think we got from Sam. It’s Toptal. If you’re looking to hire a developer, you’ve got to check out Toptal. If you’re looking to hire a developer, you’ve got to check out Toptal. The other is Pipedrive. Later on I’ll tell you why if you need to get more sales, you’ve got to check out this little piece of software called Pipedrive.
But first, Sam, welcome.
Sam: Hey, man. What’s happening?
Andrew: Good. I’m a little distracted because we’re still getting outside noises in this interview. And you’ve got a good mic too.
Sam: Our office is in the Inner Sunset. It’s Craigslist’s old office, actually.
Andrew: Okay.
Sam: It’s like right on the street where the trolley cars are. So, I apologize.
Andrew: So, we’re going to get noise everywhere.
Sam: I’m loud. I’ll be loud for you.
Andrew: Yeah. All right. Let’s get into it. The $500,000 came from where?
Sam: Okay. So, we started as a conference. The end goal was to become a big media company similar to Business Insider or Fast Company, Vice. But we decided to start as a conference because I saw lots of my friends raise money and it looked like hell because they were giving up a lot of their business and they were the slaves to the investors. So, we threw a conference called Hustle Con and made about $200,000-$250,000 and then we ended up raising another $300,000 from our speakers, who were entrepreneurs.
Andrew: Got it. Before you actually did Hustle Con. You did a couple of smaller events–Bootstrap Live, right?
Sam: Yeah. That was fun. You hosted it.
Andrew: Yeah. Why did you gloss over that? I kind of feel like there’s some energy connected to it that I’d like you to explain.
Sam: It was cool.
Andrew: But…?
Sam: It was small. It was tiny. It made like $3,000, like 200 people came. It was like three hours long. It was tiny. That was just to test my idea and see if it would be fun to do this.
Andrew: You didn’t know at the time you were going to do a bigger conference, did you?
Sam: No. I hate conferences up until recently.
Andrew: I get the feeling that you had this startup that brought you to San Francisco and you figured, “I’m here. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I need to just experiment a little bit.” And you said, “I’m going to start with this little event.” And then that led to another thing and another thing and before long you were running The Hustle.
Sam: That’s correct. Very early on I just kind of figured out that if you do lots of things, the thing that you really want to do eventually shows itself and one thing very quickly leads to another thing.
Andrew: What was that startup that you started and sold?
Sam: So, my senior year in college–it was a roommate matching company and the way it started I was a senior in college and I flew out to San Francisco because I had a job interview at Airbnb. I met this guy named John on Airbnb while I was crashing at his house for my interview. He had this idea for a roommate matching company.
I got the job at Airbnb two weeks later. And I ended up calling John and I was like, “I don’t want to work for Airbnb. Can I please…?” At first it was like, “Can I work for you?” And then eventually it was like, “Can I run this with you?” So, it was the world’s first roommate matching iPhone app. This was before Tinder was like Tinder, but it was basically Tinder for roommates.
Andrew: What made it Tinder for roommates? Was it the swiping?
Sam: Yeah. But this was before swiping was popular, which is crazy because it was only a few years ago.
Andrew: So, I could install the app and start swiping through people until I find the ones that I think would make good roommates for me. Is that right?
Sam: Yeah, but only if you’re San Francisco, LA, Chicago, Boston and New York.
Andrew: Okay. Why didn’t that blow up and become the next big thing?
Sam: Well, John and I started–well, he had started it and I joined him a couple weeks later. We got, I guess, technically acqui-hired like ten months later. When that happened, I was a bad employee pretty much and I just was not passionate and I didn’t really care.
Andrew: Why did you guys get acqui-hired? I remember actually when you were here for scotch–you don’t drink, but anyone can enjoy scotch night–I remember that someone, I think it was Justin, pushed you and said, “Don’t you just want to make good money and be okay.” And you said, “No, I have to have it be big.”
Sam: I wanted to be huge, yeah.
Andrew: “I want to be huge,” right? Like you would give up a $100,000 job. You would give up $100,000 in the bank if it meant you couldn’t have an opportunity to do something big, right?
Sam: Look, the type of stuff that you and I anyone else, a lot of people who watch Mixergy and a lot of people who are on Mixergy, it’s very easy to make money. So, money is extremely important to me, but what else is important is I can affect hundreds of millions of people every single month. That is what’s exciting and more so, I want to be able to create thousands of job. You can’t do that with a roommate matching iPhone app.
Andrew: I see. What if you just follow it along and see if you can go from roommate matching to something else?
Sam: Maybe. But it’s just a numbers game. There aren’t that many people in America who need a roommate.
Andrew: I see. That’s why you gave it up. That’s why you were willing to?
Sam: Yeah.
Andrew: Ultimately it wasn’t your decision, though. It was John’s, wasn’t it?
Sam: No, we were cofounders. I ended up selling my car. So, I had $5,000. So, I brought that to the table. So, I invested my time and money and we were cofounders. I was also 23. I was crazy. I partied a lot. I didn’t really care also. I was stupid.
Andrew: What did you do that was the stupidest thing that you’re too embarrassed to admit right now?
Sam: Well, I would go out and party and get hammered like every single night and I would like–
Andrew: That seems pretty common here though.
Sam: Well, maybe it seems common to you. But my friends are all nerds now.
Andrew: So, how bad did it get? Did you black out?
Andrew: I’ve never blacked out. What was that like?
Sam: It’s pretty scary because you don’t know how you got home or if you did anything stupid. You’ve never been blacked out?
Andrew: No. I tend to be a little too rigid to the point where I can’t let go to that degree.
Sam: Well, most entrepreneurs, I think–and you are included in this, for sure–are OCD and they’re obsessive. So, if I start something, I’m crazy about it and I’ll go as hard as I can go until I can’t go any harder.
Andrew: I see. And that’s where the alcohol… Gotcha. So, for me, even when I drink a lot, I don’t stop being me. If anything, I’m still obsessive about my goal. You reminded me of one of the first questions I asked you when we first met. Do you remember what that was?
Sam: You asked me when I lost my virginity.
Andrew: Right. I don’t even know how that came up.
Sam: It was so inappropriate. It was hilarious.
Andrew: I could be drinking and my goal would still be like to get to know the person.
Sam: You asked when I lost my virginity. I was like, “What the hell are you talking about, dude?”
Andrew: It wasn’t about the answer to that question, it was about how I am now putting a stake in the ground saying, “We’re not getting into BS business talk. We’re going talk like real people and get excessively personal to the point where we’re almost a little embarrassed and as a result, we’re going to be bonded.” That’s what I was doing. That question was like a throwaway question that was a little bit for laughs. That was the essence of my approach there.
Sam: Yeah. Another time when we went out to dinner, you asked my buddy some questions and he ended up crying 20 minutes later.
Andrew: You swear that someone cried?
Sam: Yeah. You were asking him about his father who had died.
Andrew: No, but he was okay with that, wasn’t he?
Sam: Yeah, I think he was okay.
Andrew: Be honest with me.
Sam: You were like a therapist that night.
Andrew: Right. I thought you were saying that I asked such personal questions that after I left, 20 minutes later he started crying because he couldn’t believe what he got into.
Sam: No. He wasn’t offended, but it was pretty wild how deep you got within ten minutes.
Andrew: Yeah. That’s important to me. I’m glad we got to go to that place. That’s one of the reasons why we’re super bonded. I still didn’t know this about you despite that bond. I didn’t know that you sold moonshine online and I didn’t realize you had a hotdog stand or a few.
Sam: That’s what I did in college. When I was in college, I worked for this guy–have you seen that TV show, “American Pickers?”
Andrew: No.
Sam: It’s a popular TV show on the History Channel.
Andrew: I don’t own a TV. Because I don’t own a TV, I’m so far out of this stuff.
Sam: You know what “Pawn Stars” is?
Andrew: Yeah.
Sam: It’s like the show that came on right after that. It was just like it but a little bit different. Well, I worked for this guy and that was like the first entrepreneur I met. I was like, “Damn, this guy is making a killing on his own. He works for himself and I have to like do whatever he tells me.”
So, this was in the South. I used to live in the South. So, through this guy, I met a bunch of moonshiners and I learned about moonshine. So, I started an online liquor store in college. That was making great money. Then from there, I started a hotdog stand because I wanted to be able to drink during the day and be outside all day.
Andrew: You would actually literally drink while you were selling hotdogs?
Sam: Hell yeah, Southern Sam’s, “Wieners as big as a baby’s arm,” that was our company name. Of course I’m going to drink when I own a company called Southern Sam’s.
Andrew: Did you learn anything about sales from that, from selling hotdogs?
Sam: Yeah. What I tell people is if you can learn how to sell meat to someone on the street, then you can sell anything.
Andrew: How could you do it? What did you learn about sales there?
Sam: Well, most products are commodities. So, if you can build a relationship with the person by sticking out and causing emotion in the buyer, then it’s very easy to sell something.
Andrew: How did you create emotion while selling hotdogs?
Sam: So, the slogan was, “Wieners as big as a baby’s arm,” so, people laughed at that. Some of my girlfriends wear tank tops and it said Bikini Weenie Girls. They were helping sell. We would give discounts to people if they sent a photo of their baby’s arm in a bun with mustard on it. Just doing shit like that, it was laughter. It made them laugh.
Andrew: Was this your business?
Andrew: It was. So, you came up with a name, you came up with the discount idea, etc.?
Sam: Yeah. It’s not like a startup. I started it with $500. I went to the DMV and got my LLC or wherever it was–not my LLC, whatever it was.
Andrew: Your corporation paper.
Sam: Yeah. I got my business license. This wasn’t like a tech startup. But it was good. You could make like $1,000 day.
Andrew: Really?
Sam: Hell yeah.
Andrew: What did you do with that money?
Sam: I moved out to San Francisco. I saved it. I didn’t do anything with it.
Andrew: But $1,000 a day even if you work for 30 days, you end up with more than enough money to come to San Francisco.
Sam: Well, it’s not all profit, but yeah, you make some good money. Not every day was $1,000 a day. On a slow day, we’d make like $200. But I had contracts with some of the concert venues and I would be their late night provider and you could make like $1,000 on a Friday or Saturday night.
Andrew: Interesting.
Sam: Too many people try to get into internet businesses, but if you really want to work for yourself, it’s not that hard to go out and sell something on the street.
Andrew: Yeah. But that’s not a long-term life. That’s a fun thing to do for a bit, but it’s not… Why are you furrowing your brow?
Sam: I think you’re wrong.
Sam: Yeah, dude. Would you like to own a McDonalds?
Andrew: Yeah, but not that’s it. I couldn’t just sell hotdogs.
Sam: Well, could you own many McDonalds? Magic Johnson owns tons of Starbucks and Burger Kings.
Andrew: As investments. That’s not his life. I couldn’t do it as my life.
Sam: I think as an owner, it’s not like you’re doing it every day.
Andrew: I see. All right. Fair enough. I like that you were willing to push back on that. What about the moonshine business? I think I saw a link to that. That was on a WordPress.com page, right?
Sam: Dude, that was the most ghetto site ever. But I’d be in class and I had it connected to PayPal and I would hear, “Ca-ching, ca-ching…” That was doing good. But it was illegal. I thought I was doing it legally. I could have gotten away with it. But I had to shut it down after a while because I didn’t want to get in trouble anymore.
Andrew: I see. Now you’re linking over to one of my past interviewees, Clawhammer Supply, which lets you make moonshine at home.
Sam: That’s just an affiliate link because I still get traffic to that website.
Andrew: How much money did you make from that, from selling moonshine?
Sam: That one would make like $400 or $500 a day, a lot of it being profit.
Andrew: I’ve got to tell people the URL. I’m going to do it.
Sam: It’s MoonshineOnline.WordPress.com.
Andrew: They’ve got to go see this. Here’s the interesting thing here. Your email is on the right margin. It’s SP@BunkSF.com. That’s the roommate business that we’re talking about. So, you had this up even while you were doing the roommate business.
Sam: Yeah. But it’s not a thing anymore. The site’s real, but I don’t know how to delete it. I don’t even know the login anymore. Yeah. Look at the comments. There are people commenting and they’re asking for it. I still get people seeking me out to this day asking me to ship moonshine all over the world.
Andrew: “Do you post to the UK? I really want to try this stuff.”
Sam: See? It’s like all over the world people want this stuff. If someone wants a business right now, they should start–it wasn’t really moonshine. It was white whiskey. Moonshine means illegal whiskey. This was legal whiskey. But if someone wanted to start a boutique whiskey, specifically the moonshine section, clear whiskey, they could make a lot of money.
Andrew: I agree with you 100 percent. I don’t think people are going to drink moonshine on a regular basis, though who knows. But I do think the novelty of moonshine is enough of a draw for dinner. I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but if I have people over to my house and they want to try different whiskeys, I’ll bring out my nice scotches, I’ll bring out my interesting ryes, but I’ll also bring out a moonshine because it just blows their mind in a more interesting way than a $300 scotch, for example.
Sam: Right. It’s just like crappy whiskey, but people love it, especially overseas. So, when I started this, this was right when that TV show “Moonshiners” because popular and I started getting tons of traffic. But anyone out there is listening to this and wants to get into a business, they could totally get into this.
Andrew: What did you sell roommates for? How much money?
Sam: All in all, I walked away with like $100,000 probably. I had like a salary and like bonuses.
Andrew: The $100,000 includes the salary and bonuses?
Sam: No, a little bit more than that. We got probably about that, John and I together, probably $200,000.
Andrew: $200,000 for the business including a salary?
Sam: Yeah. It wasn’t that big of a deal.
Andrew: No, because you were working with him for about a year.
Sam: Eight months.
Andrew: Eight months.
Sam: Ten months–wait, from July to February, I think.
Andrew: Okay. Did you save it?
Sam: I was 22. I didn’t know what I was doing. I could have negotiated big time, but I was an idiot.
Andrew: Did you save the money?
Sam: Yeah, dude. I’m super tight. That’s how I was able to start my other companies.
Andrew: What do you mean by super tight?
Sam: I have a budget and I write down every cent that I spend every single day?
Andrew: Is it in front of you right now?
Sam: It’s on my iPhone.
Andrew: Can I see it?
Sam: Yeah, sure, but it only says breakfast, but yeah, I’ll show you.
Andrew: That’s okay. I used to be obsessed with JP Getty. He was the richest man in the world in his day. He was such a freaking eccentric. Everything from the way that he used to have a payphone in his house to he would have seven women in his house that would live with him to the fact that he didn’t pay ransom to bring back his kid and his kid’s ear was mailed to him. He was really interesting and strange. One of the things he used to do is he used to keep track of every expense that he had for the day. It would be like $200,000 for an oil rig and $0.50 for a sandwich all recorded.
Sam: Yeah, so did John Rockefeller and that’s where I learned about this. It’s just an app.
Andrew: What’s that app?
Sam: My Weekly Budget. I don’t think the category matters. Breakfast was just the first category. So, anytime I spend anything, I just type in $14 spent. I give myself a budget of $250 a week.
Andrew: What’s one thing that would shock your friends that you are tight with financially?
Sam: Definitely food. When I go to the restaurant, I look at every price. I’m okay now. I’ve always not had to be broke. But when I go to a restaurant, I’ll look at the menu and get one of the cheapest things or only get a soda if it’s a refill.
Andrew: So, you’d be willing to sit there with friends that are having a sandwich, having a burger and you’ll have the free refill soda?
Sam: No, I would get food. But like if I’m like going to order a coffee, I will definitely get the normal coffee because iced coffees aren’t refills.
Andrew: I see. They’re much more expensive if you get a latte.
Sam: Yeah. If there’s bread on the menu, I’ll ask for bread and I’ll get filled up on that before I order. That’s just being a business owner. You can go bankrupt.
Andrew: I actually feel like I need to be better about that stuff if for no other reason than to get myself fin the right frame of mind. It’s so easy to spend–I can now spend with my watch, literally. I’ll just tap something over at the Walgreens and pay. It disconnects me from my spending. You say, “So what, at Walgreens how much are you really going to spend?” It’s not about that. It’s the mentality. I feel like you have a much better discipline about it and I need to get better at it.
Sam: That’s exactly what it is. I don’t care about the money. I’ll give money to a lot of people. I’m reckless with money sometimes. It’s about the discipline.
Andrew: What are you reckless with?
Sam: Like I’ll buy a $300 or $400 pair of jeans or something or like a fancy watch. I don’t care.
Andrew: It’s intentional and it’s not just thrown around.
Sam: Right. I don’t mind spending a lot of money on certain things.
Andrew: Right, a nice jacket. I’ve seen you wear those. All right. Let me do a quick sponsorship break. This is for Toptal. I actually was wrong. I don’t think you introduced us to Toptal. I think we just kind of knew about Toptal because they had such a good interview experience when I interviewed their founder.
But what you did was you told Sachit–Sachit Gupta, who was starting to sell ads for Mixergy–he came to you and said, “What do you think? I’m going to start selling ads. You sold ads for the conference. Who should I talk to, what kinds of companies?” What you said to him was, “Go for…” Do you remember?
Sam: Yeah. Go for companies that have massive–like a customer spend massive. That’s typically a recruiter, lawyer, some consultants, but recruiters and lawyers are pretty easy.
Andrew: Right. So, what he did was I guess he ended up with Toptal, which is not exactly a recruiter. A recruiter can make $30,000, $50,000 on a hire.
Sam: Toptal spends a shit ton on marketing.
Andrew: Right. What Toptal does is they kind of undercut those recruiters because they have a network of developers that they test, that they vet, that they make sure are the right kinds of developers for their network and then when a client says, “I have this new app that I need a developer to work with me on,” Toptal goes to their network, finds the right person and they match you up based not just on what you need and the language, but on how you work, what you’re looking for, on what your vision is for your business and they match you up.
You end up with a good developer that you can hire and often start with the next day. If you’re not happy with them, they have a money back guarantee. It’s not even a money back guarantee. I think it’s a, “We won’t take money from you,” guarantee.
The best way to get the details of it is to go to Toptal.com/Mixery. When you do that, you’re going to see that they have 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on your trial period of up to two weeks. There’s a special right now for Mixergy listeners. If you sign up, they’re going to give you 80 free Toptal developer hours when you pay for 80.
They’re such a good company. Andreessen Horowitz invested in them. Airbnb–why do you like working with them–Airbnb hired their people, just to finish that thought. What do you like about them?
Sam: They’re one of our advertisers as well, but I like them because Brendan, the founder, is a killer. He’s like super-aggressive. But Toptal makes a ton of money. They’ve only raised like $2 million and they’re like a $500 million company.
Andrew: That’s all they raised?
Sam: I think. Maybe less, maybe $1.5 million.
Andrew: I would think Andreessen Horowitz would have that in like the change drawer of their Tesla.
Sam: They could, but Toptal doesn’t need it. They’re a cash flow-heavy company.
Andrew: And the founder is such a killer. I don’t know how to communicate this except to say something that I probably shouldn’t in public. He was sitting in my house for dinner. I look at everybody–
Sam: I was there.
Andrew: Were you there?
Andrew: Everybody was relaxed and talking. Did you see him? He was like, “What the hell am I doing just chatting here and having a good time?” You can see that he just wants to get back to work.
Sam: Yeah. He was ripped too. And he was like uptight, in a cool way. I like this guy. His clothes all fit a certain way. You could just tell this guy is one of those aggressive, type-As.
Andrew: Right. When I first met him, I was introduced to him as a guy who was kind of living in a cave in South America just pounding away at his keyboard because he’s so obsessive. He had to build this company. A mutual friend said, “Look at how much the company is doing. I’ll tell you, but don’t say this publicly unless he tells you.”
Sam: I can say it. He wrote about it on The Hustle. They’re doing about $100 million in revenue.
Andrew: $100 million in revenue right now?
Andrew: Really fascinating person. I thought at first that he was just a digital nomad that cared more about his lifestyle than the business. No. He’s obsessive. I complicated him on the site. He goes, “Every pixel bas to go by me before…” I go, “How do you sleep? How do you have time?” He goes, “I don’t know.”
Sam: He goes, “I write every piece of word on the website.”
Andrew: Right, which is why for the first few times we did a Toptal sponsorship message, there was no Toptal.com/Mixergy, because he had to approve it, I’m guessing.
Sam: Yeah. He’s crazy. I like that guy.
Andrew: I do. I admire him completely and at the same time, you feel like how does anyone else get to do that? If I had to watch every single pixel on Mixergy, I’d pass out.
Sam: Well, some people are just special, I guess.
Andrew: I’ve got to get him on here to explain that. And he was also like in a polo match a few days before. That’s the thing about living in San Francisco. You’re watching how much you’re spending on coffee. This guy just came off of a polo horse because his company is making $100 million a year.
Sam: Yeah. He probably pays himself very little. Their company has a bunch of cash in the bank. They’re a good business. They’ll probably have an exit in the billion-dollar range, I bet.
Andrew: I know. You know what I should have done? I should dismissed everyone else, not paid attention to everyone else, just befriended him. I need a billionaire friend.
Sam: I’m shocked you don’t have one.
Andrew: I’m like an interesting person for billionaires. I’m not a buddy. I’m the person who will ask them personal questions, which is helpful sometimes but also dangerous.
Sam: You know more people than me and I probably have one or two billionaire friends.
Andrew: What do you mean by friends? Will they come over to your house? I’m going to blow my nose on the side while you answer that.
Sam: I’d go out to dinner with them. I don’t know if I’d go out to the house. We have an investor that’s probably pretty close to the billion-dollar range.
Andrew: Who’s the investor?
Sam: I’m not going to say.
Andrew: You’re not going to say the name of your investor?
Sam: I’m not going to say which one. Yeah, I’m not going to say.
Andrew: Who are the three most impressive investors?
Sam: The two founders of NerdWallet. NerdWallet, I don’t know this for sure, but I know for a fact up until recently they were bootstrapped and they probably made $100 million a year in revenue. Those two guys are big investors. And then Eric Bond is one of our investors. He’s from Beat the GMAT.
Andrew: I’ve got to get back on track here, but let me ask you this one question. Eric Bond came here to talk to me about how he built Beat the GMAT and sold that. Why do you think after doing that and taking some time off his follow up is to go work at Facebook?
Sam: Okay. I don’t know if this is true, but because he probably wants free healthcare because he just had kids and when you work at Facebook and you have a kid, the give you a $5,000 bonus and five months off and probably because he wants to meet potential people to work with.
Andrew: I could understand the last part. Health insurance is expensive but not that expensive. I probably spend more on lunch than I do on health insurance.
Sam: Yeah but Eric is like 35 years old. He’s worked on all his life on this company. He’s probably working like 80 hours a week. You go to Facebook and you can get away with 40 hours a week and get paid–I don’t know what he gets paid–high six figures probably.
Andrew: Maybe he’s getting to work on interesting stuff. Eric, please tell me why did you go to–I’m not judging. I’m not one of these people you have to be an entrepreneur or else you’re worthless in life. I understand there are times you want to work at a company. I’m not knocking it. I’m just saying help me understand, Eric. Eric Bond, please, help me understand.
So, you’re doing this thing and meanwhile, you’re not liking working at Apartment List. It’s a great company. You like the founders. You admire what they built. It’s just not the right structure for you. You decided you want to organize an event. Where did you get your first guests, the first people who are going to pay to come watch the event?
Sam: I don’t know. This is weird. When I did the event the very first time by myself, I probably brought in like $60,000 in seven weeks. People were buying tickets before I even told anyone about it.
Andrew: The first time you did–we’re not talking about the conference. I’m talking about Bootstrap Live. I felt like that was the beginning that allowed you to do the conference.
Sam: That was easy, just Startup Digest.
Andrew: You just went to Startup Digest. You said, “I’m doing this event.” They basically sold your tickets for you.
Sam: It was a cool event. You were there. You were popular.
Andrew: I know people came because of me. I know people came because of some of the other attendees.
Sam: Here’s a little secret that I tell people. I guess it’s not a secret. Most events suck really, really bad. So, if you just make the copy for the page kind of funny, you stick out so easily and people share it.
Andrew: I see. And I’ve seen you do that stuff. Copywriting is big for you, even to this day, right?
Sam: Yeah. I discovered copywriting on Mixergy from Neville Medhora and he’s one of our investors now.
Andrew: Oh, he is?
Andrew: That guy’s a crack up. He is really funny. You told our producer, April Dykman that what you did was you studied copy on a regular basis and you now ask all the people that work at The Hustle to study copy. What do you mean? What kind of regular basis did you have for studying copy and how did you study it?
Sam: Well, I would find famous advertisements and I would copy them by hand for about two hours a day for like six months.
Andrew: This is Gary Halbert’s technique. He actually said this to his son in one of the Halbert letters. He said, “Go sit and write out by hand all of these different ads.” Where did you find the ads you were going to rewrite by hand?
Sam: I bought a David Ogilvy book and I bought a Joe Sugarman book and I copied lots of their ads. I didn’t know that Gary Halbert did it. I did it because this was how my brother learned to play guitar. He just would copy other people. I was like, “I could probably learn copywriting this way.” And then I learned it was popular.
Andrew: I see. Is there one piece of copy that you’re especially proud of that if somebody wanted to you learn your method and copy it by hand they should go check out?
Sam: Yeah, the emails that we sent from the Hustle Con account leading up to the conference are pretty hilarious? If you search “Sam Parr Hustle Con,” you’ll probably find a post on Neville Medhora’s blog and you’ll see all my emails.
Andrew: “Hustle Con, Neville…”
Sam: Sam Parr. The title says “Sam Parr Made $40,000 off Hustle Con.”
Andrew: There we go. “Hustle Con, 2014: I went. I spoke with Sam, made $40k from it.” This is all of your emails right here?
Sam: Most of them are in there. They’re really stupid, but they’re hilarious.
Andrew: What else did you do to learn copy?
Sam: I read religiously.
Andrew: Too many marketers ready marketing books. But I read a great book called “On Writing” by Stephen King. That was probably one of my favorites. “On Writing Well,” which was a similar title. I don’t remember the author of that, but I read him a lot. And then I would just read like famous classic pieces of literature.
Andrew: Let me see who wrote “On Writing Well…”
Sam: William Z, I believe.
Andrew: I’ve never heard of that one. William Zinsser.
Sam: Yeah. So, the best writers are from like long ago, I think. They write like your grandparents used to write. That’s like the best copywriters.
Andrew: When you tell your people at The Hustle to study copy, how do you tell them to study it?
Sam: I give them Neville Medhora’s course. I ask them to read “Advertising Secrets of the Written Word” by Joseph Sugarman and I ask them to read “Influence” by Robert Cialdini.
Andrew: “Advertising Secrets” of what, “Of the Written Word?”
Sam: Yeah, I believe that’s what it’s called, by Joe Sugarman. It’s Joe Sugarman’s most popular book.
Andrew: Okay. I’ll find it later.
Sam: “Advertising Secrets of the Written Word.” It’s also sometimes called “Adweek Copywriting Handbook.” It’s got two titles.
Andrew: Here we go. I see. “Advertising Secrets of the Written World.” Oh man, it is available for $67 from Amazon in hardcover.
Sam: If you buy his other book called “The Copywriting Handbook,” it’s the same exact book and it’s like $5.
Andrew: Let’s see, “The Copywriting Handbook…”
Sam: I think that’s what it’s called. If you go to Amazon, you’ll see people also purchase this thing.
Andrew: I see what you mean, “Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America’s Top Copywriters.” The Kindle edition of that sells for $12.79.
Sam: Yeah. This guy is the best. We hire journalists, so they have journalism backgrounds. So, we just give them this so they understand how people think.
Andrew: So, you started writing emails. You went to Startup Digest. You filled up the room. How did you know who to get to speak at the event?
Sam: Well, you were my friend and I knew that you were popular. So, I asked you to speak. I knew that people would pay money to see you. I liked Neville Medhora at the time. I was a fan of his. So, I emailed him and I said I would fly him up and pay for his accommodation, which really meant I bought him a cheap Southwest ticket and let him sleep on my couch. The other two speakers were just people I admired.
Andrew: I kind of feel like the nice thing about having Neville there is he’s in your house. You guys get to spend time talking through ideas, having him talk to you about your copywriting.
Sam: Well, that was the plan. He was charging $300 an hour for consulting. I was like, “Screw that. I’m going to fly this guy up here and we’re going to become friends.” Now he’s an investor.
Andrew: And he was good. He was such a funny guy there. He’s always energetic and you need that for a guest.
Sam: Yeah. He’s outlandish.
Andrew: So, you did the first one. How did you know this was what you should be doing next, that you should keep doing events?
Sam: I didn’t. I don’t plan on doing events for a long time.
Andrew: You did a second one and then you ended up doing–I feel like the conference is an event.
Sam: It is an event. It wasn’t an event in the same way that I look at a concert being an event. I wanted to start a concert company, but I didn’t know anyone in the music industry, so that’s why started a tech conference, because I had lots of people in the tech industry. But the main goal was to start a media company. Conferences are a great stream of revenue for media companies.
Andrew: They are, but they’re a ton of work, don’t you think? The first time you did Hustle Con, how much work went into it? You’re smiling. You’re laughing this off because everyone says it’s a ton of work, but you have this shit-eating grin that you know it’s not what everyone says it is because you figured something out. What is it?
Sam: Dude, most conferences suck ass. If you make yours look kind of cool, it’s so easy. I take it back. It’s not easy. I work like 90 hours a week. It’s not easy. I work just as hard as everyone else. But when I worked at apartment list, I worked with a ton of consultants and bankers and they were all numbers guys and I learned how to do those numbers and be very formulaic about my analytics and stuff and just know that if you get x-amount of traffic, you convert at this rate and do all this math. I learned how to do that really well. That’s how we sold so many tickets.
Andrew: You just put that into a spreadsheet?
Sam: Exactly. So, we sold out two weeks ahead of time, whereas most conferences sellout two weeks before the event. We usually always sell out way ahead of time.
Andrew: What do you mean two weeks ahead of time? Two weeks after you started selling you sold out?
Sam: No, two weeks before the event actually happens, we always sell out.
Andrew: Most conferences?
Sam: It’s the other way around. One of our advisors is the founder of Governors Ball, who I met through you, Tom Russell. He told us that a lot of events sell out two weeks, like in the last two weeks. That’s when all the sales come, whereas ours it’s the opposite. We get a ton of sales in the first two weeks and it’s consistent the whole time.
Andrew: So, tell me about the conference. What went into it that you’re especially proud of, into putting the design and the experience together?
Sam: So, this year Hustle Con is in the Paramount Theater, which is a 3,000-person concert venue. So, we put a lot of effort into the venue. You and I went to Launch together and it was at a conference center. Ours aren’t like that. They feel like as a concert. We describe as a less-douchey version of a TED Talk. So, if you go to TED and it’s all dark and it’s got stadium seating and it feels like you’re at a Black Keys’ concert, that’s how we make ours feel. We make ours feel like you’re at a concert.
Andrew: Where was there first one? I was away on vacation and couldn’t come. Where was it?
Sam: That was at the Brava Theater in the Mission. That was a 400-person theater that I paid $3,000 to rent out. The second one was at a 6,000-person theater and that was six months after the first one at the Jewish Community Center and then this one is at the Paramount in Oakland, California, which is a very famous concert venue.
Andrew: How much is that costing you?
Sam: $30,000.
Andrew: Wow. So, you’re really growing here, ten times you were the first time.
Sam: Yeah. We’re going to have a good year.
Andrew: What kind of revenue did you guys do in 2015?
Sam: So, our fiscal year, if we do a good job, we’ll hit close to seven figures.
Andrew: Last year? This year?
Sam: Come this April, we’ll probably round out the year around seven figures.
Andrew: Wow. All right.
Sam: And then a lot of our revenue is going to come from our newsletter, which is where the big money is.
Andrew: I want to get into how you grew your newsletter because you grew it super-fast. Let’s just spend a little more time on how you got people to come to the conference. What did you do that was especially clever that got people to come?
Sam: At first we would send people gifts. So, when I wanted to get you to come, I sent you–I don’t know anything about whiskey, so it turns out I think I bought you a crappy bottle of whiskey, but I thought it was nice because it was expensive. But it was Johnnie Walker something, but it was like the most expensive one. I bought you a bottle of Johnnie Walker. Now what we do–this is more scalable–we send .gifs to people. We have customized .gifs that we send to all of our speakers. They’re really funny .gifs and we send them in the email.
Andrew: I’ve seen it. It’s you and a handful of other people holding up–
Sam: They’re different every time.
Andrew: It’s different each time.
Sam: Well, each year.
Andrew: And a .gif is what basically tells people you’re asking them to speak at the conference. What about for selling tickets?
Sam: So, for selling tickets, we created infographics on each speaker. The idea is just to make people interested in the infographics and if they want to come to the conference, they can.
Andrew: And that’s what worked for you? Is that the most effective way that you sold tickets?
Sam: So, we collect emails. And then we have a thing, this thing that we built, we took it from Tim Ferriss’ blog post and you can get discounts on your by getting friends to sign up to our email list. Then once we have people on our email list, we just send them funny infographics. At the very bottom of the infographic, it says, “This guy is going to speak,” or, “This guy or lady is going to speak at Hustle Con. If you want to come, here’s a link.”
Andrew: So, if I get you to join my mailing list–sorry, if I get my friend Sachit to join your mailing list, I get a discount on coming to the conference?
Sam: Yeah, like 50% off depending on how many friends you get to join our email list.
Andrew: I see. What software do you use to keep track of that?
Sam: We built it. We found it on GitHub and then we customized it. I have a developer friend. I bought him a pizza one night and he put it together for me. Now my cofounder knows how to do it.
Andrew: I kind of feel like there’s a way to do that using Kickoff Labs.
Sam: Yeah, there is now.
Andrew: But at the time you guys did it yourselves. That’s really smart. So, that helped you sell tickets because I guess once people get their friends to join the mailing list and they have a discount, they feel like they’ve earned it and they’re more likely to use it?
Sam: Yeah. When we sold out the conference and we got like 600 people there, our email list was only like 5,000 people. So, we just converted them really well.
Andrew: What else did you do to convert them well?
Sam: We had interesting speakers and we created cool infographics and we asked the speakers to share the infographics that we made on them.
Andrew: I see.
Sam: We only got like 1,000 or 2,000 daily visitors but it just converted well.
Andrew: Speakers, I was going to say, hate to promote events and say, “Go sign up for this. Buy me right now,” because if they’re going to use that kind of social capital, they want to use it on selling their own stuff, not selling your conference.
Sam: Yeah, these infographics are cool.
Andrew: The infographics they’re happy to share.
Sam: And they get shared thousands of times. If you Google Hustle Con Dave McClure, that infographic is probably shared 2,000 times.
Andrew: Here’s one that I like. I like the iCracked one. Nobody knows that iCracked did so well. They’re doing $25 million in sales. You did an infographic on it.
Sam: They’re doing way more than that now. He’s one of my best friends. They kill it. How many times did that get shared?
Andrew: 5,000 on Twitter, 155,000 on Facebook. It really did well. Let me do my next sponsorship message. The next sponsor is Pipedrive. Do you know Pipedrive?
Sam: Yeah. We tried it once. It’s for sending lots of emails?
Andrew: No. Pipedrive is for keeping track of sales that you do. So, what you do is…
Andrew: Okay. So, you might have used it. What didn’t you like about it?
Sam: What did I like?
Andrew: What did you not like about it?
Sam: I don’t remember. I think that we couldn’t afford it when we used it. We used like a trial. It was like a CRM for tracking your sponsors.
Andrew: Right. So, here’s a really good thing for people to know–if they want a 45-day trial so they can make some sales before they even have to pay, all they have to do is go to Pipedrive.com/Mixergy. So, imagine this–imagine you have to sell sponsors. Actually, let’s say you want to get people to speak at your event. You know there are a handful of things that if you do them right, you’re going to get them to speak, like send them a .gif, ask a friend to introduce you, comment on their tweets or something.
Sam: Follow up like five times.
Andrew: Follow up five times. Here’s what you do–you set up all your steps of your sales process into columns. Column one might be comment on something they have. Column two might be send them a .gif. Column three might be asking a friend to make an introduction. Column four might be follow up. Five, follow up. Column six might be follow up. Column seven is close that sucker, get them in there.
So, you lay them out in your columns and now as soon as soon as you have someone you want to invite, you write their name down on a little card in Pipedrive and put it in column one. Now it’s time for you to take your first step. Then a week later, you’ll get an alert that says it’s time to move them to column two, but you have to earn the right by doing the second thing you said you would do, which is create a .gif and send it over.
So, this is a way for you to keep track of all the steps that you want to take to close a sale and maybe even have a couple of other people on the team collaborate. So, maybe what you do is you send out the .gif and you ask for an introduction, but someone else on the site will follow up or someone else on your team will send a follow up email.
Anyway, that is what Pipedrive is about. If you want to grow more sales, you meaning not just Sam Parr, but anyone out there who’s trying to get more sales, Pipedrive is a fantastic tool. The only objection I’ve ever heard to Pipedrive–and I will be honest with you, people have objected–here’s the one big one–it doesn’t have whatever feature.
I don’t care about that. We are way too obsessed with too many features in our CRMs. I don’t need all the features. I’m not trying to recreate Salesforce. I’m not trying to get distracted. I’m trying to close sales. If it closes sales for me, I’m happy. If it doesn’t, I don’t want more features. That’s not going to help me. Get it right. That’s what Pipedrive does. That’s why we’ve been using Pipedrive for a very long time.
I have news for you, Sam. I’m probably not making money on these ads, even though they’re paying thousands of dollars because I’ve probably spent even more on Pipedrive over the years because I give this to everybody. If you are on my team, one of the first things you get is Pipedrive. One of the first things you get when I trust you is Pipedrive. All right, Pipedrive.com/Mixergy.
Andrew: I think I need to take it down a notch with my ads. What do you think?
Sam: I don’t know. You made me want to buy it.
Andrew: I should show you how I use it. I wanted, actually, Pipedrive to put me explaining how I use Pipedrive on Pipedrive.com/Mixergy. I think they have other things to worry about, so they didn’t get into it. Frankly, I think the way we do it is genius. My whole booking process used to be a freaking nightmare, now I have, if anything, way too many people who are booked to do interviews. But I’d be happy to do it for you if you ever ask. Let’s move on.
You got your event. The mailing list is part of the reason why you got it. Today you have how many people on the list?
Sam: About 70,000 have signed up.
Andrew: A mailing list is huge for sales.
Sam: That 70,000 list, that’s the one that we created starting August 1st.
Andrew: Okay. So, we’re talking about in the last four months or so.
Sam: Yeah, It’s January 12th now.
Andrew: Yeah. By the time this interview will be up, considering our backlog, it will be mid-February, frankly. But how did you grow it? Giving people discounts if they tell their friends is one thing. What else did you do?
Sam: That 70,000 list is The Hustle. The Hustle Con list, it’s part of that now. It’s all one list. But The Hustle is where we focus everything. The way we’ve gotten that is by getting lots of traffic on our website and through our ambassador program, which kills it.
Andrew: The Hustle is your content site. This is the one that’s like you want it to be the future Wall Street Journal.
Sam: Yeah. We want to hire a news team. I want to be like Mic.com or Business Insider or Wall Street Journal or New York Times.
Andrew: So, you were saying ambassadors. What do the ambassadors do?
Sam: So, we use the same software that we created for Hustle Con. When ambassadors share a certain amount of emails, they get access to a private Facebook group and they get free swag. We modeled it after theSkimm.com, which is a huge inspiration to us.
Andrew: Let me see theSkimm.com. I didn’t see what they did.
Sam: They’re like a $100 million company probably now. They’re quite a good company. I don’t even think–you can’t find it online anywhere. If you open like six of their emails in a row, you get sent an email asking you to join the ambassador program.
Andrew: First of all, how do you even know about this stuff? I’ve never heard of theSkimm.
Sam: TheSkimm is huge, dude.
Andrew: I had no idea, theSkimm with two Ms, right?
Sam: Yeah. They’re like one of the hottest startups in America right now. They probably have 3.5 people on their email list and they probably grew that in like three years.
Andrew: I had no idea. I’m reading Techmeme. I’m reading TechCrunch. I didn’t see them on there.
Sam: I bet you’ll know them now. They’re huge.
Andrew: Yeah. I’m checking them out now on SimilarWeb. I freaking love this SimilarWeb.
Sam: I’m obsessed with SimilarWeb too. They probably only get 200,000 to 300,000 uniques.
Andrew: 500,000 a month. That’s not that much.
Sam: Yeah, but their email list is like three or four million.
Andrew: What’s on the mailing list? “theSkimm is a daily email newsletter that gives you everything you need to start your day. We do the reading for you and breakdown the latest news and information with fresh editorial content.” I kind of feel like this is what Jason Calacanis is trying to do with Inside.
Sam: Maybe, but theSkimm is way bigger. Every 24-year old yuppie female in America is probably on theSkimm or knows of theSkimm. It’s awesome.
Andrew: How am I not knowing about this? Is it because I’m not in my 20s or is it because I don’t have a vagina?
Sam: Both.
Andrew: All right. I’m joining right now. I don’t care if I don’t qualify.
Sam: 30% of their audience is male, probably, maybe 20%.
Andrew: I’m subscribing. So, break down for me what they do with their ambassador program.
Sam: Same thing we do. We were inspired by them. You sign up, you’ve got to share four emails in order to become an ambassador. Once you become an ambassador, you go to our Facebook group and then once you share 10 times you get a free shirt. Once you share 50 times, you get a hoodie. Once you share 100 times, you get a free ticket to Hustle Con. We’ve had people get 2,000 emails.
Andrew: How do you keep track of shares?
Sam: Sorry, not shares. What I mean is how many people have signed up to our list, referrals.
Andrew: Got you. I see.
Sam: Or referrals come to our Facebook thing. We do AMAs and stuff. And then 10 referrals they get a t-shirt.
Andrew: Interesting. And this is your own homegrown software you use for that?
Sam: Yeah. We found it on GitHub and then customized it.
Andrew: What is the software you found on GitHub and customized?
Sam: Harrys.com used it for their launch. I found it on the Four-Hour Workweek.
Andrew: Got it. I love the way you think. What took us so long to get you on here? I’m looking here at–
Sam: I’m still not successful but at least right now we’ve got millions of readers. We had to wait until the audience was big. Hopefully when we have a $500 million company I can come on again.
Andrew: It is earlier than we usually do it. Here’s the thing. I’m in Pipedrive so I can see every email that you basically had with anyone on the team. You were originally put into our system over 605 days ago, right? Two years, 17 days is what I see, initially for what we call the 10k series.
Sam: Then I said no. You invited me on and I said not yet.
Andrew: I see. It says that it was lost and then I see an email that you said, “I was invited to do the first 10k series but turned it down because we weren’t ready. I think we are now.” This is what you sent us on August 14, 2015. “My cofounder Eric Bond has been on here before. We’ve both started and sold a company in the past. I’m 26. My first exit when I was 23. I’m also popular, internet popular, at least.” Should I be reading this?
Sam: Well, you make me sound douchey, but I don’t mind. I’m douchey sometimes.
Andrew: Actually, I do feel like that’s what made me hesitate for a second because it does sound douchey, but I like that. I like the clarity of this email and I like the way you ended it, “Holla at your boy.” I like the clarity and I like the relaxed attitude in it. That’s when I read it and I realized some people don’t like when I do stuff like this.
Sam: Well, I’m not at my core a douche, but I definitely come off like it. Once people know me, I’m not a bad guy. Hopefully you knew I’m not a bad guy.
Andrew: I didn’t even see it. Apparently everyone on the team thought, “This guy’s fine. Let’s bring him back on. Let’s make it happen.” So, what happened on August 14th that made you turn the corner here.
Sam: That’s when we announced our funding, our round of funding. It was only small. It was a small round of funding, I think.
Andrew: Okay. So, you felt, “All right, now I’ve made it.”
Sam: No.
Andrew: What did you feel about that? Did you feel like, “I finally have said to the world what my revenue is so I can say to Andrew what it is or I can say on Mixergy?”
Sam: Yeah, probably. I still won’t talk about it a lot. Probably that reason. Plus, we’re trying to hire a lot of people, so it helps to hire people, to be honest. Well, I had a vision, our site is going to be fucking huge. I 100 percent believe that. I’m confident.
Andrew: Why? Does the world need another content site? We have tons of them.
Sam: Yeah, dude. They all suck. Think about it. There are lots of websites that are trying to–in my opinion, there’s like The New York Times and there’s CNN and there’s Fox News and they all do politics but there is not a great, young business publication for millennials like in the same way that our–
Andrew: Why does the world need a business publication for millennials?
Sam: Because there’s not anything else out there. Look at Wall Street Journal’s success to my parents’ generation. If that succeed so well and people crave that and they need it, we’re going to fill that void. People need news. We’re doing evergreen stuff now, but we’re soon going to do news. I think young people need that. I don’t think there’s a great outlet out there.
Andrew: Why? Why do we need news? Why do we need to even know? Let me take a look at TechCrunch right now or Techmeme.
Sam: Not TechCrunch though. Go to Bloomberg or go to Wall Street Journal. That’s what I’m talking about.
Andrew: I’ll go to Businessweek. I love Businessweek.com.
Sam: Right. That’s a great example.
Andrew: Anything Bloomberg puts out really is great and as soon as they bought Businessweek I felt like, “All right, that brand is saved.” Forbes Magazine has been trashed.
Sam: Forbes Magazine sucks. It’s awful.
Andrew: It does. It used to be so good.
Sam: We’re friends with one of the guys who started Forbes.com and even he hates Forbes.com. It sucks. Forbes.com sucks. Inc.com sucks.
Andrew: How do you have all these friends when you don’t drink by the way? Doesn’t that hurt?
Sam: People like you more when you don’t drink sometimes because they think you’re weird or something.
Andrew: Is it a little tough? I feel like there was a week there where a friend of mine was trying not to drink and I said, “I’m going to go for a week without drinking so I can see what he’s experiencing.” And the social part was really tough. I had to really–in personal life, I’m fine. If it’s me and my wife, I’m fine not having wine at dinner.
Sam: You’ve got to feel confident.
Andrew: So, I had a guy come over. He’s not going to come over to play Tiddlywinks. I don’t know what that is. He’s not coming over to bake with me. He’s coming over to just have a beer. So, I said fine. “I have to find a solution for this because I’m not going to drink. I’m not going to get into I’m not drinking with him. I just need to be. I can’t be the person who’s like not eating meat. I’m also the person who’s not having caffeine.”
Sam: It’s not that hard. I drink non-alcoholic beer and you just don’t be weird. You’d be like, “Hey, you want a beer.” And I say it like I say to you. I’ll be like, “Dude, take this shot.”
Andrew: I hate that. That jerk I get, the person who’s, “Take the shot.” So, he comes over and I say, “Here’s your beer. I’m going to drink this near-beer. Is that it?”
Sam: I don’t even say near-beer, dude. I just grab a drink and I say, “Let’s shoot the shit. You want a drink?” When I see their drink is empty, I go, “Here, I’ll get you another one.” And I’ll get another one.
Andrew: What happens when they make fun of you for drinking non-alcoholic beer because what’s the point of beer?
Sam: You grow a pair and be confident.
Andrew: What do you say? Literally, what do you do?
Sam: I don’t drink.
Andrew: That’s it. That’s what you say, “I don’t drink?”
Sam: I go, “I don’t drink, but I’m cool if you do. In fact, I have more fun when you drink a lot.”
Andrew: I got a cigar that night. I said, “I’m going to sit and smoke a cigar.
Sam: It’s only weird if you make it weird.
Andrew: It is a tough thing. You’ve got to acknowledge it’s a tough thing.
Sam: Not anymore.
Andrew: Not anymore because you’ve had some experience?
Sam: Yeah. That’s true. But after like three months of doing it, I was like, “This is awesome.” I have a long-term girlfriend now, but at the time, you get more girls when you don’t drink because people think you’re weird and you stick out. My friends liked me more because I could hold a conversation better.
Andrew: Let’s get back to why does anyone need more news. Look at this. Here’s what’s in the news today. “Periscope is going to stream video live within Twitter timeline.” Who cares? “Skype is going to add group video calling to iOS.” Well, I’m going to find out about it when my update comes in. “VLC is now available for Apple TV. Here’s our first impressions from Mac Stories.” Why does the world need more news? I kind of feel like having done Mixergy, I don’t want to touch news because news is just so useless.
Sam: No, it’s not.
Andrew: You told me to go to Bloomberg.
Sam: Okay. How about when New York Times did that amazing piece about Amazon about how they accused Amazon, Jeff Bezos of being a horrible leader.
Andrew: I feel like that’s not so much news. That’s much closer to what you guys do right now. Here’s news on Bloomberg Businessweek–number one headline, “Why Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Want Your Vote.” That’s the number one thing.
Sam: I don’t know. I haven’t read it. It could be extremely interesting. This is an election year. People want to learn about their politicians. They deserve to learn about their politicians and they deserve to learn about their politicians and they owe it to their country, I think.
Andrew: I don’t think I owe it to my country to learn about my politicians. I feel like I owe to my country–I love that you just gave that pissed off look when I said it.
Sam: Well, you can do what you want to do, but I bet you you’re one of those guys that says they never click ads. You click these things on your feed all the time.
Andrew: I use an ad blocker and I urge anyone who’s listening to my interview how thinks that my Toptal ad is not interesting, I really urge you to please, fast forward. Here’s what you do–listen to me on Overcast or one of those apps that will actually easily skip over 15 seconds. If I’m not interesting, do it and if you want to do me a solid, don’t listen to the bad ad, send me an email and say, “Here’s why the ad sucks.”
By the way, I’m only pushing your buttons because I feel like you’re very passionate about what you’re doing with content and I don’t just want it to sound like you’re in the content business, I want to tap into that passion. That’s why I’m pushing a little bit here.
Sam: Without great news and content companies, our lives would be significantly worse. For example, the Boston Globe in the early 2000s were some of the people that discovered the Vatican and how they were systematically covering up when their priests were–
Andrew: That’s your goal. That’s what you want to do, start exposing things like what the New York Times did about Amazon.
Sam: My goal is not to expose people. My goal is enlighten people and make their lives better. That is one of the things. We’re definitely going to have a whole entire team dedicated to investigative journalism, 100 percent. But our goal is to educate and inspire and make people just a little bit happier.
Andrew: I could see that. And the revenues are going to come from advertising?
Sam: Yeah. So, revenue will come from native advertising, sponsored content and our events. I see our event being a significant business, not huge, but I can see it bringing in $10 million a year, but I can see our advertising and sponsored content as well as our digital services, which we will continue to do creative services and things like that, that can make hundreds of millions of dollars a year if we play our cards right.
Andrew: How much are you raising now?
Sam: We try to raise as small as possible. I predict that our next round will be between one and three million.
Andrew: Who are you raising it from? What kinds of investors, I mean? I don’t mean specific names.
Sam: Ideally the same people who we raised from the first place.
Andrew: Really? You’re going to go back to the same individual angels and you’re going to do another round with angels?
Sam: Ideally. We also had a very prominent institution holler at us a few months ago that we turned down and we probably talked with them again.
Sam: They owned some of the most popular media properties in the world. So, we’ll probably talk to them.
Andrew: What do you feel we missed from this interview? Is there anything I didn’t cover here?
Sam: We didn’t talk about the tactics. I’m surprised.
Andrew: What are the tactics that we missed? Hit me.
Sam: I don’t know. There aren’t really tactics. Just do good shit.
Andrew: No, no, no. What do you do to make sure that you’re writing is good?
Sam: Well, there’s software that you can use to study what goes popular and what doesn’t.
Andrew: What do you use for that?
Sam: There are many things. You know, like BuzzSumo and then there’s something called CrowdTangle and then there are dozens of other things that you can use.
Andrew: What do you use CrowdTangle for?
Sam: We can see what our competitors are doing and we can see what’s over-performing on our page, so we can do more of it or less of what’s not performing well.
Andrew: What about BuzzSumo? How do you use that?
Sam: That helps us shape headline ideas.
Andrew: Give me an example. If you were going to write a post about how Elon Musk’s socks helped him become rich, that seems like an out there thing that maybe you guys would find a hook for. What would you do first?
Sam: It depends. So, you have to think how you’re going to distribute it. Are you going to distribute it social or search?
Andrew: Do you start off by thinking that way?
Sam: Yeah. So, for example, if you Google Sasha Grey right now, the really famous porn star–it’s safe.
Andrew: I know. I saw what you guys did about her.
Sam: Yeah. We’re the number one thing that comes up, besides her Wikipedia page maybe.
Andrew: I’m seeing Wikipedia. I’m seeing YouPorn for her next. Sasha Grey, right?
Sam: Yeah, Sasha Grey. You should see an article from The Hustle.
Andrew: I do see it on the first page. It’s under a couple of things like IMDB and Twitter and Wikipedia. There you guys are. I see what you mean. And that was intentional. That was you setting out to do that?
Sam: Well, we use 50%, 50% editorial opinion. So, we say this is something we feel an urge to cover and then the second part is, “Okay, if we’re going to cover it, how are we going to get the biggest bang for our buck and make sure this is distributed well?” So, if you Google Soylent, we’ll come up number one for Soylent. Usually we do, it depends.
Andrew: I see what you mean. Soylent–you guys come up underneath Twitter. You come up above their freaking page, except for the ads.
Andrew: No, I take it back. It looks like it’s an add but them, then Twitter, Wikipedia and you guys.
Sam: And then we’re above Tim Ferriss. We’re above Vice.
Andrew: Why do you think you’re above Tim Ferriss? He did a great article on them with Shane Snow.
Sam: Because we did a better job, I think. We got more links to us. We got like 15,000 shares. We just did a better job, I think.
Andrew: I would love to have you back on–I don’t know if you’re into this–to just break down your content process from coming up with an idea that you’re passionate about like Soylent to deciding where it’s going to go to creating the content so that it goes well in that medium that you picked, whether it’s social or search, the whole works, to evaluating afterwards. Is that something you’d be up to doing?
Sam: Yeah. A lot of people don’t realize it. It’s way more systematic than coming up with an idea. You’ve got to do lots of different things if you want to really make this a successful company.
Andrew: I would love to have you on here. I’m going to put this post up first and then I need to know from the audience what do you want to know. Is this something you guys want or is it just something I should just talk to him about privately.
Sam: I hope everyone wants this. Don’t you want millions of people coming to your site every month?
Andrew: I’ve got to ask them to tell me. I agree. I want to know. One way or another, I want to know it and I do think they want to know it. But I’d like for them to call it out and say specifically what they’re looking for or maybe we’re douchey here. Who knows? Would you be fully open about it or are you going to then sit there and say, “How do we hide enough…?”
Sam: No, dude. We do anything shady.
Andrew: I don’t mean the shady stuff, even clever stuff that anyone else can copy. Would you feel like you can’t talk about it yet?
Sam: No. There are not a lot of secrets here. We work really, really hard and just do fundamentally good stuff.
Andrew: All right. You really do. I don’t ever feel like when I read something on TheHustle.co that I have been manipulated into clicking and it’s just for Google and just for Google that it’s been written. I feel like it’s been really written well.
Sam: That’s our whole philosophy. This generation has been trained since we’ve been born.
Andrew: Look at how you get fired up. I love it.
Sam: Think about it. We’re in the click bait age. We’ve been trained since we were ten, we know that we’re going to be surprised. We see number three on this list. We already know this. We’re going to avoid that. So, these are things that the legacy media companies don’t understand.
Andrew: I get it. And I hate to admit it, sometimes I even want the stupid click bait, like at night when I’m not ready to go to sleep and I just want to puts around, I end up looking for click bait. But you’re right, there’s way too much of it and most content online absolutely stinks and I’m glad to see that you guys are willing to go deep with this, like really long articles, like so long sometimes I see it shared on Facebook and dammit, I can’t get to it, so I have to Instapaper it.
Sam: We’ve got a combination of short and long.
Andrew: Yeah. I’m not afraid of the long ones. I do Instapaper and I have it read to me. I love that on my runs.
Sam: Sometimes long is good. Sometimes short is good. We have a combination.
Andrew: All right. Cool. Anyone who wants to follow up with you has an easy way to do it. They can go over to TheHustle.co and read your stuff.
Sam: Or just Google The Hustle.
Andrew: Google. The Hustle. Why are you smiling when you say that?
Sam: Well, because we have a .co domain name. TheHustle.com was like $1 million.
Andrew: Did I just say TheHustle.com when I said it?
Sam: No, we’re .co.
Andrew: Let me see who’s got TheHustle.com.
Sam: It’s this guy in New York, I think.
Andrew: Why did you name it something you can’t ever get the .com for?
Sam: Well, we’re going to buy it eventually.
Andrew: Why are you saying that now? You should be saying this is so insignificant in the world of Google and social. Nobody cares about .com. Make the guy feel like what he’s got is not useful at all.
Sam: Well, I don’t know.
Andrew: You figured you were going to buy it at some point.
Sam: Yeah. I’m going to have some head honcho marketing guy signing our advertising bill and if it’s a .net he’s going to be like, “What the fuck is a .net?”
Andrew: It’s Omar Wasson who owns it.
Sam: Yeah. He’s a professor in New York. He wants $1 million.
Andrew: Omar, you’re kidding yourself. Of course you don’t want $1 million for it. Be reasonable.
Sam: We’ll get it. Mark my words.
Andrew: I wouldn’t say that because Omar is going to be listening, say, “Who cares? Mark my words, he’ll beg us to take it.” Look at every time you hear Chris Sacca talk. Chris Sacca talks more about Lyft than he talks about Gimlet, even when he’s on a podcast. Gimlet is a podcast company. He’ll talk more about Lyft, which is a competitor of a company he invests in, competitor of Uber, more than he talks about Gimlet and he always says, “Uber is never going to buy Lyft. What are they going to buy from them?”
All these guys investing in Lyft, there’s nothing there, right? Why is he doing it? Because I believe he’s trying to screw up Lyft’s funding. He’s trying to make Lyft sound so insignificant that they’ll never have an exit, that they’re going to die. We should do the same thing. Omar is never going to sell this .com.
Sam: I’m telling you I’m going to buy it from this guy. It’s a mission. This is a mission. This is like eventually Hustle.com.
Andrew: All right. I do love that you’ve got that attitude. What did you think about working with me at Jason Calacanis’ conference when you and I first met?
Sam: I still respect you a ton, but even at the time, I thought you were like this celebrity to me because I am a fan. I’m a startup nerd. So, I thought I was so cool. I was nervous. We met there at 7:00 a.m. and I was nervous to talk to all these people. It was really cool to see people come up to you and just introduce themselves. I was like, “Damn, I can’t believe you can be an entrepreneur and be almost famous.” That was really fun to see that.
It was cool to see you talk to a lot of these people on stage. It was also cool to see that you were someone I admired but, no disrespect, but I don’t think you’re particularly much smarter than I am or much more outgoing. That was cool. I was like, “Man, this guy is kind of like a hero of mine, but he’s just been at it and he works hard and he’s clever and he’s totally doable.”
Andrew: How about when you were at my house? Did you look around to see if there was anything funky…?
Sam: Your eating habits are weird.
Andrew: Tell me.
Sam: You’re a vegetarian. Are you Jewish?
Sam: I thought that you were Muslim because you’re from Jordan, I think.
Andrew: No, Iran.
Sam: So, that was cool. I liked that. I like people that are different from what I’m used to. I’m from the Midwest. Everyone is white or black.
Andrew: How did you know my religion? I kind of feel like I hide it because I have not interest.
Sam: Well, I think it’s funny and cool and interesting that you have a different name than your real name. I think that’s cool. That’s intriguing to me.
Andrew: What about my eating habits made you feel like it’s a little weird?
Sam: Because you’re like way different than me. You’re like a hippie. You love yoga and being a vegetarian.
Andrew: Not yoga, but I do love my edamame. I feel like when people come over, there’s always edamame.
Sam: Not yoga, meditation.
Andrew: Meditation, yes.
Sam: I’m totally not into that. So, its’ really fun to hang out with people that are into different things. You had a really well-designed house. I do what you do where I’m like, “I wonder if he owns it or how much he pays in rent or how much he bought it for,” because we’re competitive.
Andrew: Ah, really? You’re saying, “Where’s Andrew’s marker here? How do I exceed it? Can I exceed it?”
Sam: I don’t know how old you are. You’re probably 15 years older than me. I’m like, “I want to beat him.”
Andrew: Yeah. I know what you mean, right? Like we’re friends with each other and at the same time–not you and me, necessarily. I didn’t have that feeling with you. I’m friends with someone and at the same time I think, “How do I beat them?” It’s very weird. Do you have this with women and men or just men?
Sam: You had that woman from inDinero, real nice woman. I forget her name.
Andrew: Jessica Mah.
Sam: Jessica Mah, super nice, great woman. We hung out at your house and I see her on the cover of Inc. or something and I’m like, “I want to fucking crush her,” in a healthy way.
Andrew: Not crush her, but beat her in this race or do you mean crush her, do you want to take her down?
Sam: No, she’s a great lady. I would love to be friends with her.
Andrew: And just like that, I think our internet connection froze. So, I’m going to say thank you, Sam, for being on here. Thank you all for being a part–there we go. You’re back.
Sam: Sorry. Were you doing your ending thing?
Andrew: No, your video froze on me for a second.
Sam: I’m good. I like Jessica Mah, but I do want to destroy her accomplishments because it’s fun. It’s like you’re an athlete.
Andrew: I kind of get that. I actually had a friend who invited me over to his house and said, “Tell me again what’s your site?” And I said, “Oh yeah, I’ll email it to you.” Oh, you just wanted to edit it together. All right. So, Sam, I think we lost a bit of the conversation there.
Sam: No! That was good.
Andrew: I know, so good, that whole crush it part was especially fun.
Sam: That’s okay.
Andrew: I’d like to have you come back on here and talk about content and what your strategy is around there. I feel like this interview went really well. I hope we didn’t lose too much. I’ve got to run home to my son before my nanny goes.
Sam: How much did we lose, do you think?
Andrew: I have no freaking idea.
Sam: Maybe none, right?
Andrew: I know we didn’t lose it all because I quickly hit the spacebar on Finder and we have it. Let me end it with you here by saying thank you for being on Mixergy. Actually, thank you for being on Mixergy.
Everybody out there, if you like this interview, please tell your friends to go and subscribe. All they have to do is whip out their phones and sign up on whatever podcast app they have. If they have an iPhone, of course they have that podcast app that Apple puts in there. Subscribe them, show them how to learn from these entrepreneurs, how to get these stories directly delivered for free to their phones. I’d really appreciate if you did that.
Sam, thank you for being here. If we got cutoff before I said it before, anyone who wants to can go check out your site at TheHustle.co. Bye, everyone.
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What we do / Campaigns
The Asylum Process & Direct Provision
People who arrive in Ireland seeking asylum or “international protection” (asylum seekers) are offered accommodation by the State in residential institutions, under a reception system known as ‘Direct Provision’. The State ‘directly provides’ essential services, including medical care, accommodation and board, along with a small weekly allowance. The Direct Provision system is overseen by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), a body of the Department of Justice and Equality. The majority of the centres around the country are privately owned and operated, and the standards of accommodation and living conditions vary widely.
Ireland’s policy on refugees and asylum seekers is governed by International Protection Act, 2015. In 2018, Ireland opted into the EU Reception Conditions Directive (recast) which provides minimum standards that all EU countries must adhere to in the reception of asylum seekers. In line with the Directive, asylum seekers who have been waiting over 9 months for a first instance decision on their asylum application now have access to the labour market through a Labour Market Access Permission.
While access the labour market and some improvements have been made on foot of the publication of the McMahon Report in 2015, the reality for many asylum seekers continues to be several years of limbo in institutionalized settings which are not appropriate for children or vulnerable adults. The length of time people wait for their applications to be assessed was a key area of consideration during the Working Group process, and remains the key area where very little improvement has been made. The length of time a person waits for a decision has a direct impact on their experience of direct provision.
Nasc’s Direct Provision Campaign
Nasc has campaigned against the conditions in Direct Provision and the impact the system has on asylum seekers since the inception of the system in 2000.
Nasc calls for the end of the ‘Direct Provision’ system and the introduction of a humane reception system in line with international best practice.
Current Actions:
We continue to lobby for the full implementation of the recommendations of the Working Group on the Protection Process and Direct Provision, of which we believe just under half remain unimplemented or only partially implemented.
Calling on the Department of Justice to implement key recommendations in relation to asylum decision making, backlogs and wait times, including the formalization of the ‘5 year scheme’;
Membership on the National Standards Advisory Group for the development of national standards and the establishment of an independent inspectorate body;
Working closely with the Office of the Ombudsman to progress individual complaints and calling for the full implementation of the recommendations relating to complaints;
Ensuring that the implementation of recommendations relating to the provision of kitchens and living space in family centres is fully progressed;
Lobbying the Department of Health to progress the establishment of a multidisciplinary vulnerability screening in line with the EU Reception Conditions Directive and the McMahon recommendations;
Ensuring the access to the labour market is effective, and working to ensure access to education and training for asylum seekers.
In addition, we are actively involved in efforts to develop possible alternatives to direct provision. This includes working with other NGOs and key stakeholders to engage with RIA on not for profit models, and in creating opportunities for discussion of alternative models based on international best practice.
Asylum in Ireland
Beyond McMahon - Reflections on the future of asylum reception in Ireland
Conference Summary – Beyond McMahon: The Future of Asylum Reception in Ireland
Submission on access to the labour market (2018)
Working Paper on the Progress of the Implementation of the McMahon Report
The McMahon Report: The Working Group on the Protection Process and Direct Provision
Nasc and the Irish Refugee Council welcome the publication of the Day Advisory Group Report on Direct Provision
Direct provision should end by 2023, says new government report
Nasc statement on access to driving licences for asylum seekers
Joint letter to An Taoiseach regarding the Skellig Star Direct Provision Centre
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About Ellen McSweeney
Ellen McSweeney performs as a violinist and vocalist, composes music collaboratively and alone, and serves as a creative coach to musicians and writers across the country. From the foundation of her own spiritual practice, she writes about the profound challenges that musicians and humans face. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Entries by Ellen McSweeney
Ellen McSweeney: Getting Our Own House in Order
December 14, 2016 /0 Comments/in Essays & Opinions /by Ellen McSweeney
Particularly for those of us who deeply care about the fate of the world, being an artist can feel like a retreat, a cop-out, a failure to “really help.” An accomplished musician friend of mine said: “I’ve been spending a lot of time asking myself: why the hell am I doing this?” As musicians, we may ask ourselves that question constantly. We’re often forced to defend—whether to others, or to ourselves—the decision to devote our lives to art.
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National Chicken Council
On-line Summary
NCC Web Site
Member Log-on Contact Us About the Newsletter
Return to the on-line summary
President and CEO of Grocery Manufacturers Announces Retirement
On February 16, 2018, in Industry Notes
Pamela G. Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufactureres Association (GMA), has announced her intention to retire later this year, following nearly 10 years of leading GMA.
“During Bailey’s tenure, GMA led the industry in supporting modernization of the nation’s food and product safety law and regulations. This work resulted in passage of the historic Food Safety Modernization Act, reforms to the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) review process and passage of the Toxic Substances Control Act, which made important improvement to the nation’s chemicals management laws, according to a GMA press release announcing Bailey’s intention to retire.
Baily will remain with GMA and manage the organization as the board of directors conducts a search for her successor. Her announcement follows a string of departures from GMA membership by such companies as Campbell Soup Co., Cargill Inc., Dean Foods, Kraft Heinz Co., Mars Inc. and Unilever since last year. Some of those companies cited differences in policy regarding food labeling moving forward, issues the new GMA leadership are expected to address.
Previous to her tenure at the GMA, Bailey served as president and CEO of the Healthcare Leadership Council, the Advanced Medical Technology Association and the Personal Care Products Council. Earlier in Bailey’s career, she served in the White House for three presidents.
© 2012-18 National Chicken Council
1152 Fifteenth Street, NW, Suite 430, Washington, D.C. 20005-2622 | Phone: 202.296.2622
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Staff Development Day #laplallin
Whole Day Schedule
L.A. Convention Center
EAT AT L.A. LIVE
2018 Staff Day Photos
Casey Gerald, Author"There Will Be No Miracles Here"
Casey Gerald is the author of There Will Be No Miracles Here. After a Yale football scholarship jumpstarted Casey Gerald’s educational career, he spent the next decade achieving countless hallmarks of success, from graduating from Harvard Business School and starting an acclaimed non-profit to having dinner with a former president and speaking at TED. But he soon discovered that there was a dark side to living out the narrative of the American Dream. His forthcoming memoir, There Will Be No Miracles Here, chronicles his reckoning with our nation’s most cherished myths. In his electrifying speeches, he turns preconceived beliefs upside down and inspires audiences to question the meaning of success.
Casey Gerald was the poster child for the American Dream, escaping a harrowing childhood to enter a new world of elite universities and secret societies. But as he climbed the social ladder, he saw how this hierarchy stifled those at the margins, and that “salvation stories” like his could be used to keep others from rising. Now, he uses his platform to splinter the myth of the American Dream, illuminate inequality, and set forth a bold new direction for a generation navigating a fractured nation.
In his talks, Gerald shares his powerful coming-of-age story, one that straddles the complex intersection of race, class, religion, queer sexuality, and masculinity. He explores the essential questions of our current moment: how do we succeed in a culture that is designed to silence us? How do we heal from trauma while retaining our identity? His talks are as a testament that every person deserves to define and hold on to their humanity, especially during times of collective anger and growing disillusionment.
Gerald’s new book, There Will Be No Miracles Here (October 2018), is a meditative memoir turned incisive manifesto. In his singular coming-of-age story, he shares his journey on the rise to success, his disenchantment with society’s definition of achievement, and his painful realization of how his own ascension fits into a larger scheme. Instead of becoming complicit in the American narrative that narrows lives down to stereotypes of success and failure, he suggests how we might build a new foundation to sustain the richness of our differences.
A native Texan, Gerald attended Yale University and Harvard Business School, where he delivered a stirring pre-commencement speech urging his classmates to value purpose over profit. He started an acclaimed non-profit, MBAs Across America, after beginning his career in economic policy and strategy. An electrifying speaker, Gerald’s TED talk on the “Gospel of Doubt” has received over 1.8 million views, and he opened for President Barack Obama at SXSW. He has been featured on MSNBC, in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, and on the cover of Fast Company, which named him one of the “Most Creative People in Business.”
More in this category: « John F. Szabo Priya Parker, Author »
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Written by Editor in Letter W
WOW stands for “Win16 on Win32,” a component of the Microsoft Windows NT operating system that enables 16-bit Microsoft Windows applications (such as those designed to run on Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11) to run properly on Windows NT’s 32-bit operating system.
Win16 example
How WOW Works
Like MS-DOS applications, 16-bit Windows applications (Win16 applications) also run on Windows NT within the context of a Windows NT Virtual DOS Machine (NTVDM), which simulates the 16-bit environment necessary for these applications to run.
However, while MS-DOS applications each require their own separate NTVDMs in which to run, Win16 applications run within a single NTVDM called WOW, which corresponds to the system process wowexec.exe. And while NTVDMs hosting MS-DOS applications are single-threaded, WOW is a multithreaded NTVDM in which each Win16 application runs as a separate thread using the same shared address space.
WOW also simulates the cooperative multitasking environment for which applications written for Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 are designed.
WOW will allow only one Win16 application to run at a time, blocking the threads of all other Win16 applications until the running application relinquishes control. If the Windows NT kernel needs to preempt the Win16 application (by preempting WOW), it always resumes with the same Win16 application.
WOW also handles the translation of 16-bit Windows application programming interfaces (APIs) and messages to their corresponding 32-bit APIs and messages, enabling interoperability and data sharing between 16-bit and 32-bit Windows applications on the Windows NT platform.
WOW starts automatically when the first Win16 application is started on the Windows NT system.
Windows NT also includes an option for running Win16 applications in their own separate NTVDMs, which enables Win16 applications to function as a process within Windows NT’s preemptive, multitasking environment. You can run a Win16 application in a separate NTVDM by opening the Run box from the Start menu, typing the path to the Win16 executable, and selecting the Run In Separate Memory Space check box. Note that doing this can have negative effects on Win16 applications that need to share data with each other by using legacy data-sharing mechanisms such as Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE).
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T-7A trainer jet's "real-as-it-gets" flight simulator enters production
By David Szondy
T-7A trainer jet's "real-as-it...
The T-7A Red Hawk simulation trainer can link digitally with an actual aircraft
Boeing has begun production of the “real-as-it-gets” ground-based training system (GBTS) flight simulator of the US Air Force's new T-7A Red Hawk training jet. For immersive realism, each unit features dynamic motion seats and the Boeing Constant Resolution Visual System’s 8K native projectors, which have 16 times the resolution of a 1080p high-definition video screen.
It's one thing to build a trainer jet, but before student pilots can take the controls of an aircraft designed to simulate the characteristics of a next-generation supersonic fighter, they have to be certain that they won't plow the plane into the turf on takeoff. For this reason, fledgling pilots first need to practice what they've learned on a ground simulator before sitting in the cockpit of the real thing. Even then, they still need to learn a great many things on how to handle a fighter jet.
To address this problem, Boeing has developed the GBTS, a training system that not only includes ground-based simulators, but also digitally connects to an actual T-7A trainer aircraft for embedded training scenarios. The GBTS is based on an open systems architecture of both hardware and software to allow for easy upgrading over the service life of the T-7A Red Hawk jet, which is being developed by Boeing and Saab. Under a US$9.2-billion-dollar contract, an initial order of 351 aircraft and 46 simulators, plus ground equipment, will replace the US Air Force's aging fleet of half-century-old T-38 Talon trainers.
"This is the most accurate, immersive experience that any pilot can have outside the aircraft," says Sherri Koehnemann, T-7A Training & Sustainment director at Boeing Global Services. "We’ve integrated the training across the board, including ‘one push’ software updates. What a pilot sees in the classroom, on his or her desktop training devices, and in the operational and weapon systems trainers will be what they see in the jet. Future pilots can expect more holistic, immersive training."
The first two weapons systems trainers and an operational flight trainer are currently being built at the Boeing's St. Louis, Missouri, site, with the first T-7A Red Hawk simulators due to be delivered to the Air Force in 2023.
Source: Boeing
MilitaryBoeingUS Air ForceAircraftTrainingFlight Simulators
David Szondy
David Szondy is a freelance journalist, playwright, and general scribbler based in Seattle, Washington. A retired field archaeologist and university lecturer, he has a background in the history of science, technology, and medicine with a particular emphasis on aerospace, military, and cybernetic subjects. In addition, he is the author of a number of websites, four award-winning plays, a novel that has thankfully vanished from history, reviews, scholarly works ranging from industrial archaeology to law, and has worked as a feature writer for several international magazines. He has been a New Atlas contributor since 2011.
Dan Lewis December 7, 2020 09:30 AM
We need more than one photo to see just how 'real as it gets' the system is.
DARPA program seeks night-vision goggles as light and compact as glasses
Milirem's Type-X robotic armored combat vehicle begins ground testing
British Army trialing "heavy-duty" Bug nano drone
F/A-18 Super Hornet makes first launch from a "ski-jump" ramp
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Paul Berman/ September 24, 2001
Brooklyn Dispatch
I am writing seven or eight hours after the attack, and, through my study window in Brooklyn, I see black plumes still billowing from lower Manhattan. In the morning, from my rooftop, I watched the first flames encircle the twin towers and the black cloud float over the harbor. The smoke seemed oddly speckled with glinting white spots, which I at first thought might have been gulls. But they were papers sucked out of the burning buildings. Some of the specks were also, I later learned, human body parts. A silvery necklace as wide as a building seemed to drop from one of the burning towers. I thought it might have been part of the facade, tearing away. It was not the facade. The smoke cleared for a brief second, and the tower was gone. Below me, on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue, fire engines began to scream, trying to push their way through traffic into Manhattan.
By late morning huge parades of people from Manhattan had begun to make their way on foot across the bridges into Brooklyn and were dragging themselves along Atlantic Avenue, some of them still wearing masks over their mouths and noses, a white soot on their clothes and shoes. I went out into the street. Lower Atlantic Avenue has been a largely Arab district for some 70 years, filled with storefronts adorned with Arabic letters and names. Here and there among the crowd, people were hurling curses at Arabs and at foreigners. A round-faced man declaimed, “Don’t let any more of these foreign Arabs come into this country no more! They hate us!” I stopped at a store where I know a clerk from Morocco. He has told me he admires the moderate and tolerant views of the late king of Morocco and of the new, young king. Now the clerk was standing taciturn behind the counter, his face compressed. Outside, the round-faced man was shouting, “We gotta get rid of all these foreigners!”
At Smith street a woman who said she worked near the World Trade Center stood on the sidewalk, dust on her clothes; she, too, spoke against the Arabs. “This is where all these hateful people live!” she said, gesturing up Atlantic Avenue. I asked her what she had seen. She said she had seen people hurl themselves to the ground from very high floors of the World Trade Center. “Where is Bush?” she said, exploding in anger. “Where was the Army?” She had seen a terrified old man on the Brooklyn Bridge, unable to walk any further because of his panic, clutching a pole.
I walked to the Brooklyn Bridge and tried to cross into Manhattan, but I was turned away by the police. I tried to cross on the Manhattan Bridge, and I got part of the way over the river before I was turned back again. So I joined the endless stream of people going the other way, into Brooklyn--the vast and varied crowd that resembled a crowd in almost no other place on Earth, faces that were African, Asian, Latin, European--the whole of mankind. A Hasid sped by on a roller scooter. Near Long Island University, the sidewalks were filled with students passing out water, as if to the runners in a marathon.
It was a gratifying scene of communal solidarity. But on Fulton Street, as I headed back to my home, I saw that the storekeepers had pulled down their metal shutters and the street was empty. A cop told me that looters had begun to run up and down Fulton Street. In exchange for that information, I told him a rumor I had heard from one of his colleagues on the Manhattan Bridge: that large numbers of cops could not be accounted for and were probably buried under the twin towers. “Don’t tell me that,” he said.
At home I climbed back onto the roof. The view from my roof reaches from lower Manhattan to Prospect Park to the Verrazano Bridge, a vista of rooftops and skyscrapers and church steeples. Sometimes there I have thought of a poem by Baudelaire called “Correspondences,” in which he proposes that man walks through nature as if through a forest of symbols, every new element representing some abstract and absolute idea. It is a notion that comes from the philosopher Plotinus in the third century. But I have often wondered if Baudelaire or Plotinus or anyone else with that idea had or has really been thinking about nature. For nature is not a symbol, though you can tell yourself anything you want.
But when you look out on a vast cityscape, you do see a forest of symbols. From my roof, gazing up Atlantic Avenue, I saw a Belorussian Orthodox Church, then the Reverend Herbert Daughtry’s Pentecostal House of the Lord, then the former Ex-Lax factory, then the ywca, a mosque, and, towering above all, the enormous Williamsburg Bank Tower, a temple to capitalism--a landscape that might have been painted by Saul Steinberg, each element charming and even comic in its idiosyncrasy. In the other direction, very far away, the Statue of Liberty, no bigger than my thumb, held her torch aloft.
Now a new symbol dominates the New York skyline, and the philosopher Plotinus offers the best account of it. According to Plotinus, evil is neither a demon nor Satan nor any kind of being. Evil is an absence. In the skyline now, there is an empty space where the twin towers used to be. I gaze out my study window, where I am used to seeing the towers, and I can hardly believe what I see. I see nothing. Smoke and sky. It is the symbol of absolute evil.
Paul Berman is author of A Tale of Two Utopias: The Political Journey of the Generation of 1968.
For more TNR, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
TRB, Morocco, Army, Bush
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Farmers Tough on Artificial Limbs
Study finds that farmers and ranchers have unique prosthetic needs after an amputation
July 19, 2012 | By Erin Spain
CHICAGO --- When a farmer or rancher is injured on the job, there’s an 11 percent chance that an amputation will occur. That’s two and a half times more likely than in any other industry.
Most of these amputations involve fingers or toes. But the artificial hands, arms, legs, feet and other prostheses used by agricultural workers with a major limb amputation don’t seem to be durable, affordable or adaptable enough for their lifestyles, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Published online in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, this is the first study to provide detailed information on the limitations facing farmers and ranchers with prosthetics.
The study is part of a larger research project at the Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center that aims to design educational materials tailored to the specific needs of farmers and ranchers with amputations and work with prosthesis manufacturers to develop and reengineer more robust products and components.
“We are also exploring how products created for people with amputations in developing countries may benefit farmers and ranchers here in the U.S.,” said Craig Heckathorne, research engineer in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and second author of the study.
Results of this ongoing research could benefit people with amputations who work in other physically demanding professions such as the military, construction, forestry, commercial fishing, mining and manufacturing.
“There are lot of issues and challenges to farming with a prosthesis,” said Stefania Fatone, research associate professor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Feinberg and corresponding author of the study. “They often need to climb ladders and silos, lift bags of feed and seed and walk on uneven terrain, in all kinds of weather conditions. Also, a dairy farmer may have very different needs than a corn farmer or cattle rancher.”
Heckathorne and Kathryn Waldera, research engineer in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Feinberg and lead author of the study, conducted intensive one-on-one interviews with 40 American farmers and ranchers with amputations to gather information about how current and past prostheses were used, prosthetic failures and their ability to complete farm tasks while using a prosthesis. They also interviewed 26 prosthetists, who provide services to farmers and ranchers. Prosthetists are trained health care professionals who design and fit prostheses to help people with limb loss function more fully.
The study found that the common problems farmers and ranchers face revolve around these themes:
Durability: Lack of durability and utility was the major theme identified by this study. Farmers report breaking bolts when jumping, lifting or performing other on-the-farm tasks. Many reported using their prosthesis as a tool to carry out work on the farm, too. Farmers’ prostheses seem to deteriorate faster and fail more frequently than those of non-farmers with amputations, the study found.
Safety: Farmers reported many falls and secondary injuries due to use of their prosthesis. Researchers found that many safety problems may be related to durability issues.
Environment: Weather, dirt and rough terrain can be tough on prostheses, leading them to break more easily, according to the study. Farmers reported that prostheses sometimes get stuck in mud, caught in weeds and exposed to chemicals, rain, snow and extreme cold and heat. All farmers interviewed in this study avoided using myoelectric prostheses while on the job because of the risk of exposure to harsh environments.
Adaptation: Many farmers said they chose to use a prosthesis as an adaption to address the challenges of farming after an amputation. But, a modern-day prosthesis is not a complete replacement for an intact limb. Farmers reported having to make additional changes in routines, farm equipment and in attitude to successfully return to farming after an amputation.
Cost: Prostheses are expensive, and farmers and the prosthetists who work with them reported that medical insurance coverage for the devices is often inadequate. Some farmers report having no insurance or high deductible insurance because they are self-employed or a small business owner. The high cost of the devices may drive some farmers to repair their own prosthesis or go without a replacement, which could affect durability and safety. Some farmers in rural areas have to travel great distances to get to a prosthetist’s clinic, which also adds to costs.
Education: Prosthetists are not typically trained about the needs and lifestyles of farmers and ranchers and may prescribe inappropriate prosthetic choices, according to the study. Some farmers indicated that they were not consistently educated and trained on the operation of their device. However, some prosthetists reported that farmers had unrealistic expectations of their prosthesis.
These findings have provided a framework for an even larger study on this issue, the researchers said. They are currently recruiting farmers and ranchers with amputations from across the United States to take part.
The National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education funded the study.
Topics: Chicago, Feinberg School of Medicine, Research, Technology
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9 days Petrobras Oil Output Hits Record In 2020
Global Economy Throwing Up Red Flags For Oil
Investors are feeling increasingly gloomy…
Higher Oil Prices Could Jeopardize India’s Economy
A rapidly growing bill for…
Russia May Feel Pinch From Oil Cut Deal This Year
Russia’s central bank warned that…
Dr. John C.K. Daly is the chief analyst for Oilprice.com, Dr. Daly received his Ph.D. in 1986 from the School of Slavonic and East European…
Despite Sanctions, Iran's Economy Limps Along
By John Daly - Jan 12, 2013, 6:00 PM CST
In the 20th century, upright moral nations developed a new method of showing international opprobrium to rogue nations, the implantation of economic sanctions, designed to modify a recalcitrant nation’s behavior to accommodate international political mores.
The most infamous example is the U.S. unilaterally imposing an oil embargo on Japan in July 1941, which most historians now agree led directly to Pearl Harbor, as energy bereft Japan, importing 4/5 of its crude oil needs from the U.S., decided to seize the oil assets of the Dutch East Indies in order to continue its imperial adventures in China and southeast Asia.
Fast forward to 2013, and Washington is seeking yet again to use sanctions to influence Iran’s domestic policies, most notably its support for insurgent (terror) regimes and its civilian nuclear uranium enrichment program, which Tehran maintains is entirely peaceful, but which the U.S. and Israel assert in fact masks a covert program to develop a nuclear weapon capacity.
Iran is now unique in the world that it is currently subject to a series of sanctions regimes, including those imposed by the U.S., the European Union and the United Nations Security Council.
Even plucky Australia has gotten into the act, with Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr announcing on 10 January that Canberra’s new sanctions targeted Iran’s financial, trade, energy, and transport sectors, telling reporters, "These sanctions further increase pressure on Iran to comply with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations and with UN Security Council resolutions and to engage in serious negotiations on its nuclear program."
Related Article: Iran-Pakistan: Western Pipeline Nightmare
So, how effective has western pressure been in bringing Tehran’s mullahcracy to heel?
On 7 January Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi told the country's budget and planning parliamentary commission that Iran’s oil exports have plummeted by 40 percent as a result of the Western sanctions targeting the country’s nuclear program and that there had also been “a 45 percent decrease in repatriating oil money."
Qasemi’s candidness was a significant climbdown, as previously he had persistently maintained that Iran's crucial oil exports were entirely unaffected by the U.S. and EU sanctions.
Whatever yardstick is used, the Western sanctions have diminished Iranian oil exports. While in 2011 the EU had purchased 18 percent of Iran's oil exports, that figure has now shrunk to zero, while other Iranian export markets, including China, Japan, South Korea, India and Turkey have decreased Iranian crude oil imports from anywhere from 15 percent to more than 40 percent during 2012. According to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, of which Iran is the second largest producer, and the International Energy Agency, Iranian crude exports have fallen from around 2.4 million barrels per day in late 2011 to roughly one million barrels per day by December 2012.
Financial analysts estimate that plummeting exports, combined with the U.S. sanctions designed to exclude Iran from using international banking transactions to repatriate oil revenues are now costing the country roughly $5 billion per month in lost revenues. On 9 January Iran’s central bank stated that by the end of 2012 the country’s annual inflation rate soared by 27.4 percent, and that in October 2012, the Iranian rial lost about 50 percent of its value in one week.
Related Article: Iran - Power Play in Strait of Hormuz
Tehran refutes the nuclear allegations and maintains that, as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
So, how effective have the sanctions been in moderating Iran’s behavior up to now?
Current indications are not much, despite the damage inflicted on the country’s economy.
On 9 January Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran should establish more processing industries in the oil and gas sectors to reduce dependency on exports of crude oil and that the budget plan for the next Iranian year of 1392 (to start on 21 March) envisaged less dependence on crude oil revenues as the government intends to replace crude oil exports with oil derivatives to allow the nation’s economy to participate in the oil sector’s lucrative downstream industry.
An Islamic regime has controlled Iran for the last 34 years, and it is worth bearing in mind that, according to the CIA World Factbook, the median age of Iran’s population is 26, which means that half the country’s population knows no other political system.
Accordingly, what is the Farsi word for “stalemate?” A regime that has weathered more than three decades of tumult in its efforts to construct an Islamic society seems unlikely in an energy-starved world to ameliorate its behavior solely to please the dictates of Washington, Brussels, the UN and Canberra.
And oh, on 14 September 2012 the United States exempted Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Japan from complying with the sanctions for another 180 days, a list that was expanded on 8 December to include China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan.
And, of course, the military option remains “on the table.”
By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com
Why 2013 Will End in a Severe Recession
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djj on January 15 2013 said:
The Iran sanctions are Obama's joke on the geriatric neocons and likudniks. He inherited the Iran Sanctions Act from Clinton and Bush and one can see how unimportant it is to him by observing how it is enforced. The sanctions have not been enforced against any non-US company, because the act allows the president to waive sanctions on a case-by-case basis, though this waiver is subject to renewal every six months. Also, Obama exempted Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Japan, China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan from the sanctions.
But the real telltale sign is to look at who Obama has assigned the task of enforcing sanctions... a nice Jewish boy fom Greenwich, who failed at being a country western musician and was brought into Treasury by his Greenwich neighbor, Neal Wolin. Of course, Bronin has additional qualifications... he went to school with Chelsea Clinton and his father works with Wolin's wife, at yale.
Check out http://dawn.com/2012/09/07/us-treasury-official-meets-with-senior-pakist... and http://www.jango.com/music/Luke+Bronin?l=0
As a result of Bronin's meeting with Pakistan (link above), Pakistan now complies with the US sanctions against Iran, by no longer using US dollars to buy Iranian oil. They use Chinese currency and gold. Shot yourself in the foot again, cowboy!
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21 September 2020 / News
Jelli - A Sweet Way to Bank
The cash-envelope system of budgeting is one of the most well-known and widely used budgeting methods - at least it used to be. Your paycheck would come in each month and you'd put cash in envelopes designated for different categories of spending - groceries, utilities, entertainment, etc. This was an effective method to prevent overspending as it allowed you to see how much you had left in each category. Once the cash was gone, you didn't spend anything more in that category.
However, this method isn't as realistic in today's world because most people don't turn their paycheck into cash. They set up a direct deposit into a checking account and use a plastic card to spend the money. With the many budgeting apps on the marketplace today, you'd think there would be a better budgeting system than cash-envelopes. Yet so many of those apps are really good at telling you how you've been spending your money instead of limiting you in how you're spending it at an exact moment.
David Smith, Founder & CEO of Jelli, saw this gap in the marketplace and decided to take an age-old budgeting system that worked for so many and make it relevant to today's tech-savvy world. By implementing JelliAPP, JelliJARS, and JelliCASH, Jelli has been able to revolutionize banking in a way that's convenient and understandable for all age groups.
After finishing business school, Smith went on to work for larger corporations but always had the entrepreneurial itch. After a number of years, he moved on to the fintech space, working with several smaller fintech startups. This allowed him to learn the in's and out's of the products, technology, and customer pain points.
One aspect Smith noticed was missing was the ability for different products and platforms to connect. Paypal and Venmo came along and changed that in a large way, but Smith still saw the need for people to connect and interact in a social way while managing their money.
Banking with Jelli
Jelli has three main features that help differentiate it from other products and services. The first feature is JelliJARS. These allow individuals to be in control of where they spend their money, similar to the cash-envelope system. JelliJARS are digital containers where customers store their money. However, unlike other platforms with a similar concept, Jelli allows users to instantly swipe their card and spend without having to move the money out of the jar. Instead, customers get a notification in their JelliAPP with details of the purchase and a prompt to choose which jar they'd like the money to be pulled from. Paychecks can automatically be split between different jars, making organization very simple for users.
The second feature of Jelli is the ability to connect with others using the JelliJARS. One customer can set up a jar for a specific purchase (for example, a baby shower gift). That jar can then be shared with other friends who may want to contribute to the gift, and they can add however much money they want. This allows everyone to see what the money is for, how much has been raised, who has contributed, etc. It makes group contributions much simpler, which can be extremely useful for roommates, coworkers, families, etc.
Jelli's third main feature is the cash back capabilities. Typically, cash back rewards are associated with credit cards because of interest and fees paid by the users. However, Jelli has partnered with Dosh, a financial services platform that pays cash back rewards. Smith spoke of the partnership, saying, "Coming out of the shoot Dosh partnered with two companies - Venmo and Jelli. It was really exciting to see a press release go out with our two names together, and have them so excited about what we’re doing."
"So many budgeting tools are post-transaction. They’re not a way to be proactive. Jelli is a digital envelope system. There are some platforms out there on the marketplace where you move money into envelopes and then when you’re ready to spend money, you have to go in and move the money out of the envelope and put it on your card. Jelli actually does it after the fact - you don’t have to worry about any of that. You just walk in, swipe your card, and the app will say 'you spent this much', and then you pull it from that jar. There’s no typing in numbers, there’s no remembering - it’s small, but it’s huge," Smith explained.
Jelli is a great new way for millennials to bank and budget, but its simplicity and user-friendly platform makes it easy for anyone to start utilizing. By implementing a number of things that are important to individuals today, Jelli has made budgeting and banking simple and sweet.
For more information on Jelli and how you can start using it today, visit www.jelli.us.
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Our guest at today's Breakfast event is Josh Weiner, CEO of Solutionreach.
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Turning Intentions into Action
July 19, 2018 /in Church Leadership, Leadership, Resources /by Linda Kurtz
Each month, we post a series of blogs around a common topic. This month, we’re curating a series on NEXT Church resources. Members of the NEXT Church communications team, staff, and advisory team are selecting resources already on our site and sharing the ways they have (or would) use them in their ministry context. We pray these will be of use to you in your own ministry! Have other ideas for resources you’ve used from our website? We invite you to join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter!
by MaryAnn McKibben Dana
When I was in the early months of a new call, I worked with a ministry coach on a process of structured goal-setting. I’d never heard of coaching, but after meeting him for a preliminary session and hearing about the process, I decided I could use all the support I could get. We met over the phone for six sessions over a period of 4-5 months, in which I shared what I was learning and experiencing in this new context, and thought through ways to move forward faithfully. My coach asked good questions and, in some cases, made concrete suggestions, but the beauty of coaching is that the bulk of the wisdom emanates from the client. I made commitments to my coach, but most importantly, to myself: to make the phone call I found every excuse not to make. To establish good habits and boundaries. To turn my good intentions into concrete action.
I have to admit that in the early days of this coaching relationship, I would sometimes feel bad about myself for even needing a coach at all. Talking to other coach clients, I know this is common. Self-sufficiency is a strong cultural value, and coaching is an acknowledgement that we can’t do it all ourselves. We load ourselves down with “should”: I should be able to manage this on my own. I should be able to set a goal and just do it. I should be able to figure out what’s keeping me stuck. More power to those who have that kind of personal discipline, but most of us need a little something more. Coaching isn’t the only place we can find that perspective, but it’s a powerful one.
A few years ago, I heard Carla Pratt Keyes address a NEXT Church gathering and she shared some startling statistics. When we set goals for ourselves, there’s about a 6-8% chance that we will achieve it. The chance increases to 30% when we write the goal down, and it increases to 60% when we tell someone about it.
What helps move that stat from 60% toward 100%? I suspect it’s a lot of what we find in the coaching relationship, in which each conversation ends with a series of commitments: What will you do in the next few weeks? When will you do it? Where will your accountability be? (Knowing that the coach will ask about it next time was always a big help to me.)
For this reason, NEXT Church has created NEXT Steps Coaching, an initiative to help ministry leaders be more fruitful in their ministries. Right now we have two primary means for people to take advantage of these resources:
a directory of coaches, vetted for training/certification and familiar with NEXT, whom church leaders can contact directly and contract with on their own.
pro-bono coaching for leaders who could not afford it, provided through a generous gift from National Capital Presbytery.
Of all the initiatives currently on tap through NEXT Church — the Cultivated Ministry field guide, the community organizing training and certificate, our stellar National Gatherings — NEXT Steps Coaching is the one nearest to my heart. I have seen a pastor’s eyes light up as they finally figure out how to streamline some cumbersome administrative process. I have heard the relief in the voice of a leader who said, “Of course… I never thought about it that way.” And I have witnessed individuals and groups who felt utterly stuck and dispirited find new vitality and purpose.
For the past several months, a NEXT Church coach has been working with a team of leaders from South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church as they make some major changes to how they worship, connect, learn, and serve on Sunday morning. Their story is theirs to tell, and I hope they will, for the sake of countless congregations experiencing similar challenges. But here’s what’s struck me about their process. Among other things, the church made the difficult decision to move from two worship services to one. It’s a painful issue that many churches are facing right now, and it can come with a lot of emotional baggage, even grief, over letting go of the way things used to be. It can lead to a real defeated, deficit mentality.
But the team at South Jax realized that with this challenge came tremendous opportunity. After attending the NEXT Church gathering together in Baltimore, they re-branded themselves the “NEXT team,” charged with helping the congregation take the best from their past as they stepped into a new chapter. They designed a church-wide campaign of listening sessions, synthesized the stories they heard, and made recommendations to session. Most importantly, perhaps, they framed the changes with genuine excitement: One of the things we value here is relationship… with this change, we will all be worshiping together, at the same time, as one community. This change allows us to live our values more deeply than before. When I chatted recently with the chair of the team, he said, “We still have a ways to go, and lots to tweak. But one of our members that had expressed great concern about the changes came up to me recently and said, ‘I see nothing but smiles since the change.’”
This endorsement speaks to the leadership of the team shepherding this work. But it also speaks to the power of coaching — of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in one another, discerning the next right thing, and holding one another accountable in love to do it.
MaryAnn McKibben Dana is a writer, free-range pastor, speaker, and leadership coach living in Virginia. She is author of God, Improv, and the Art of Living, and 2012’s Sabbath in the Suburbs. She is a former chair of NEXT Church’s strategy team, and was recognized by the Presbyterian Writers Guild with the 2015-2016 David Steele Distinguished Writer Award.
https://media.mywtenfold1.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/07/29173513/featured-coaching-img.jpg 200 398 Linda Kurtz /wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/01/NEXT-Logo-FINAL-Horizontal_lato-1030x229.png Linda Kurtz2018-07-19 07:05:572018-07-18 13:36:58Turning Intentions into Action
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Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) One River One People One Vision
Regional HydroMet Project Launched
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Unprecedented rise in water levels of Lake Victoria
In the recent months, Lake Victoria has experienced rising water levels that have caused significant flooding impacts on Lake shoreline communities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as well as downstream communities near Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert. NBI Secretariat’s, Dr Modathir Zaroug shares some insight in the following article.
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second largest freshwater lake in the world1. It has a surface area of around 69,000 km2. The Lake is shared by Kenya (6%), Uganda (43%) and Tanzania (51%) 10; while Burundi and Rwanda are also part of its catchment area which covers 184000 km2 (Fig.1). All the five countries are members of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI).
The main outlet of Lake Victoria, is in Jinja (Uganda) and it is here where the White Nile, which is part of the mighty River Nile starts flowing northwards through Uganda. The White Nile keeps changing names as it journeys through South Sudan and Sudan2&3.
Lake Basin Climate
The diurnal, seasonal and inter-annual variability of Lake Victoria (and East Africa generally) climate results from a complex interaction between the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO), large scale monsoonal winds, meso-scale circulations and extra-tropical weather systems. These interactions are responsible for the anomalous behavior of the Lake system and many studies have been carried out to understand the influence of these systems on water balance of the Lake. The Lake surface receives a high amount of rainfall of above 1500 mm, which represents about 85 percent of the water entering the Lake; the remaining inflow comes from the 23 rivers that drain the catchment. The annual evaporation rate from the Lake surface is about 1350 mm.
Recent rainfall variations
In the recent months, Lake Victoria has experienced rising water levels that have caused significant flooding impacts on the Lake Shoreline communities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as well as downstream communities near Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert. Based on analysis using the CHIRPS v2.0 dataset, the rainfall in Lake Victoria exhibited above average rainfall since May 2019. A considerable increase in rainfall in 2019 was experienced in October by 79%, in November by 56%, and in December by 74% compared to the long term average. Observed rainfall in 2020 increased in January by 83%, in February by 25%, in March by 43%, and in April by 33% compared to the long term average. However May rainfall was less than the long term average (Fig. 2).
The cause of these major increases in rainfall in Lake Victoria Sub-basin was due to a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) phase5,6,7 caused by warmer sea temperatures in the western Indian Ocean region, with the opposite in the east (Fig. 3). This resulted in the higher-than-average rainfall and floods in eastern Africa. The positive IOD occurs when the westerly wind weakens and the easterly wind forms and allows warm water to shift towards Africa. The 2019 IOD was the most extreme event over the past 40 years8.
Historical and current water level variation
The Lake level rise in the early 1960s was a result of abnormally heavy rains; in the last six months of 1961, 2323 mm of rain were recorded, nearly 100% higher than its average value. Very high rainfall was recorded during the first six months of 1962 (1884 mm/year, about 50-60% above average), and 1963 (1739 mm), and 1964 (1739 mm). As a result the lake levels rose by 2.5 m by 19649 which was the historical highest level before 2020. From 1964 onwards, Lake levels continued falling with some isolated increases (e.g. in 1982 and 1997/98) until they reached a minimum of 10.4 m in 2006. Due to the recent heavy rains however, by May 2020 the water level had exceeded the historical mark and hit 13.42 m.
Discharge analysis
The discharge at Jinja, where the White Nile commences, has been recorded since 190010&11. The average annual flow is approximately 32 billion m3 (1948 to 2014) at Jinja station in Uganda9. The recent rise of water level led to release of around 2400 to 2600 m3/sec, which is around 207 to 225 million m3/day respectively. By aggregating this amount to 30 days, the flow is currently 6.2 to 6.7 billion m3/month compared to a long term average of 2.3 billion m3/month.
Implications on upstream and downstream Nile Basin countries
Shoreline communities and businesses in low lying areas in Uganda and Kenya have been severely affected, and some communities displaced. In addition, some infrastructure have been damaged or made inaccessible while crops were washed away.
Hydro power generation at Owen Falls Dam in Uganda has been affected by a number of floating islands resulting in temporary blackouts that sometimes affect Uganda. The high velocity of the flow from Lake Victoria tributaries and the wind pushed the floating islands towards the only outlet. High persistent outflows are also causing river bank erosion downstream and risking collapse.
Downstream communities were also affected especially around Lake Kyoga. The picture (in Fig. 4) shows a Uganda Government hydrological measuring instrument that has been submerged.
Higher discharges are expected this year if the high rainfall episodes continue and water levels remain very high. This will have major impacts in South Sudan and Sudan and the countries should prepare for the potential negative impacts over the coming year.
Addressing the common challenge of rising Lake Victoria water level
The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) continues to support efforts of its Member States to jointly address their water resources management challenges. Some of the interventions by NBI are;
Generating knowledge and information products that support the countries and people of the Nile Basin to better manage their shared water resources. These include the Nile Basin Water Resources Atlas, the state of basin reports, quarterly basin monitoring bulletins, strategic water resources analysis, ongoing development of the Nile Basin River Flow Forecasting System, and studies of projected hydrological scenarios for the Nile Basin under climate change12.
The Nile Basin Regional HydroMet Project currently under implementation will establish the first Regional HydroMet System for the Nile Basin, which will support monitoring and data collection efforts of Member States and the region at large.
The common platform for dialogue enables countries to engage, consult and deliberate with each other and other Nile stakeholders including joint planning and management of water and related resources in the Nile Basin including Lake Victoria.
1- https://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/lakevictoria.htm
2- ILEC, I. and International Lake Environment Committee, 1999. Survey of the State of World Lakes.
3- https://www.nilebasin.org/about-nile-basin/1-the-course-of-the-river-nile
4- Kizza, M., Westerberg, I., Rodhe, A. and Ntale, H.K., (2010). Estimating areal rainfall over Lake Victoria and its basin using ground-based and satellite data. Journal of Hydrology. In review: 21pp.
5- Conway, D., 2002. Extreme rainfall events and lake level changes in East Africa: recent events and historical precedents. In The East African great lakes: limnology, palaeolimnology and biodiversity (pp. 63-92). Springer, Dordrecht.
6- Webster, P.J., Moore, A.M., Loschnigg, J.P. and Lebden, R.R. (1999) Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics in the Indian Ocean During 1997-98. Nature 401, 356-360.
7- Saji, N.H., Boswami, B.N., Vinayachanran, P.N. and Yamagata, T. (1999) A Dipole Mode in the Tropical Indian Ocean. Nature 401, 360-363.
8- https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/meet-enso%E2%80%99s-neighbor-indian-ocean-dipole
9- Nile Basin Water resources Atlas.
10- Kite, G.W., 1982. Analysis of lake victoria levels. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 27(2), pp.99-110.
11- Conway, D. and Hulme, M., 1993. Recent fluctuations in precipitation and runoff over the Nile sub-basins and their impact on main Nile discharge. Climatic change, 25(2), pp.127-151.
12- https://www.nilebasin.org/information-hub/technical-documents.
Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat (Nile-SEC)
P.O Box 192 Entebbe, Uganda
Plot 12 Mpigi Road, Entebbe
Tel: +256 (414) 321 424/ +256 (417) 705 000
Email: nbisec@nilebasin.org
Copyright © 2021 Nile Basin Intitative (NBI). All Rights Reserved.
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YouTube Red: The Future of Video Watching Is Here
January 4, 2016 Maggie Attridge Features Leave a comment
http://www.edgadget.com
By: Maggie Attridge
Paying for videos? This might be the new future of YouTube. Google, who owns the video empire of YouTube, announced a new subscription service called YouTube Red. It will be free of ads, as well as offer exclusive content by popular YouTubers and Vloggers. YouTube is an ever-rising social media site, which is now competing with sites like Spotify, Netflix, and Hulu for subscription services. To top the charts and get the most revenue, YouTube’s rising stars will be featured, as well as favorites such as Lilly Singh (iisuperwomanii), and PewDiePie.
There will be around 10 original projects, including a zombie video game featuring PewDiePie, which will be directed and produced by the executive producers of the popular T.V. show, “The Walking Dead”. Lilly Singh will document her life as a YouTuber, as well as have an exclusive look at her 26- country world tour, in a show entitled,” A Trip to Unicorn Island”. Also included will be orginal T.V. shows, not unlike competitors Netflix and Hulu. Shows will include “Single by 30”, a romantic drama about two high school friends who pledge to marry each other if they are still unwed at 30, and “I Am Tobuscus”, a comedy about a self-involved YouTube creator trying to be a big star.
Some shows on YouTube Red will also be interactive, and even see the videos in 360°. Those videos and many more will be meant to be viewed on VR Headsets,which are wearable tv screens, and other new technology. Subscribers of the new service will also get free movies on YouTube, as well as access to free music and music videos.
YouTube has addressed many issues subscribers have complained about, and fixed them for YouTube Red. Customers will be able to watch YouTube videos offline, which means no more using all of your data to watch the latest viral video. Also, customers will be able to listen to videos with the screen off,. The user can use another app and listen to YouTube at the same time.
YouTube Red will also work with YouTube’s new music app, which is coming out around December or January. Youtube Music will let subscribers to go between video or audio only, and give you the ability to create offline playlists, much like Spotify. Plus, a subscription to YouTube Red gives you access to Google Play Music. That means for $9.99, customers can get ad-free YouTube videos, offline streaming, and free music.
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Accelerating sustainability with science
What exactly is PHA, Alessandro?
What are Swiss organizations doing to tackle sustainability? Simone Pedrazzini, branch director of our sustainability partner Quantis, takes a look:
2020 has been a landmark year. COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated acute, longstanding vulnerabilities in the structures and systems that underpin today’s globalized economy. Looking toward the future, the question on many minds is: how do we build back better?
The answer is clear: ambitious sustainable action – starting now. Climate change presents many of the same risks to business and human well-being as the current global health crisis. And the decisions we make now will determine how we will fare in the face of future shocks. With that in mind, it’s evident that sustainability isn’t canceled, but rather the most important topic of them all. In order to properly manage our impact, we have to act now, with bold, science-backed actions.
Science: the best compass for any sustainability journey
In its policy brief issued on June 22, 2020, the United Nations said that countries will be better positioned to recover from the shocks of COVID-19 and build future resilience by accelerating efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are the blueprint for shaping a better and more sustainable future for all. They address some of the most pressing global challenges we face today, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are interconnected, and to achieve them all by 2030, an integrated approach is needed. For many, this can make knowing where to start a challenge.
When people ask me which goals are the most relevant to prioritize, I don’t respond with a specific number. It’s not the SDG number that matters the most, but rather the framework we use to achieve them. I prefer to highlight the importance of using a science-based approach to identify priorities. A science-based approach helps point us in the right direction toward the issues that will have the most meaningful impact. This ensures that we’re doing what is needed, not just what we think is attainable. What’s more, it provides a way to measure and monitor progress, so we can continue to make improvements and drive critical change.
But if I were to give a number, it would be 1.5°C . Why 1.5°C? According to leading climate scientists and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), this is where we need to cap global warming in order to stay within planetary boundaries (the limits of what the planet can sustain) and prevent the worst-case scenarios of climate change. To do that, we need a science-based approach to properly manage the sustainability challenges, identify the most valuable actions and make sure we’re going far enough.
Switzerland’s sustainability agenda
How can this be implemented in reality? Let’s take a look at the example of Switzerland, which ranked 3rd on the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy’s 2020 Environmental Performance Index. Housed within its 2030 Agenda, the country’s Sustainable Development Policy outlines its policy priorities for sustainable development in the medium to long term using the SDGs as a frame of reference. Climate change has been identified as a key priority and the government has outlined reduction goals and high-level measures to achieve them in the Federal Act on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions.
To make meaningful progress on these priorities, local authorities are harnessing the power of sustainability science. A good example of this is the Canton de Vaud. To define a climate roadmap for the territory, the Canton performed an inventory of its direct and indirect greenhouse gases emissions. The information generated from this science-based approach provided an overview of Vaud’s key climate challenges and a robust starting point for shaping public policies to reduce emissions, adaptation strategies and actions that align with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The vital role of business
But governments can’t do it alone. As recently highlighted by Christine Hofmann, Director a.i. of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), achieving these sustainability targets will not be possible without the full participation of businesses.
As we enter into the decade of action for sustainability, there is no longer room or time for discussions about “why” sustainability is a priority. Now is the time for action and the focus must be on “how” we will reach our sustainability targets. Businesses are increasingly onboard with this thinking. In fact, more than 900 companies, including Swiss companies such as Nestlé, Firmenich, Barry Callebaut, Swisscom and Mammut Sports Group, have now committed to set science-based targets through the Science Based Targets initiative, which provides clear greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets aligned with climate science. With clear targets in place, businesses can keep the focus on identifying the most effective actions to actually reach them.
There are many tools and frameworks, such as a corporate footprint or a materiality assessment, available that can help companies put concrete actions into place to improve environmental sustainability of their products and operations. In Switzerland, Reffnet.ch, the Swiss Network for Resource Efficiency, offers a range of resources and cross-sectorial expertise that enable businesses to reduce their ecological burden by reducing their dependence on raw materials.
To build resilience and accelerate action on climate change, we have to act, and we have to act now. In this decade of change, a science-based approach is invaluable for supporting smart decision-making and ensuring efforts are focused on the most effective and meaningful actions that will bring us closer to delivering on our sustainability targets.
Simone Pedrazzini,
Quantis
About Quantis
A leading sustainability consulting group known for its robust, metrics-based approach, Quantis guides top organizations to define, shape and implement intelligent sustainability solutions. Its team of talents delivers resilient strategies, robust metrics, useful tools and credible communications for a more sustainable future.
www.quantis-intl.com
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We’re convinced PHA biopolymers are the way forward – and we’re not alone. Why we’ve joined GO!PHA, a non-profit for accelerating PHA use in industry. Read More
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Opinionator | Saboteurs in the Potato Salad
Timothy Egan
Saboteurs in the Potato Salad
By Timothy Egan
August 1, 2013 9:00 pm August 1, 2013 9:00 pm
Timothy Egan on American politics and life, as seen from the West.
Just now, a cell of several hundred people has been dispatched into the American summer, to picnics, town halls, radio stations, hospitals and Little League playing fields, with a mission to derail the economic recovery and drum up support for sabotaging federal law. They’re not terrorists, nor are they agents of a foreign government. This is your United States Congress, the Republican House, on recess for the next five weeks.
They even have a master plan, a 31-page kit put together by the House Republican Conference, for every member to follow while back home with the folks. It’s called “Fighting Washington for all Americans,” and includes a prototype op-ed piece, with a political version of the line usually reserved for dumping lovers: “This isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
Here’s a sample suggestion, from Page 28, of how to stage a phony public meeting with business owners:
“Confirm the theme(s) prior to the event and make sure the participants will be 100 percent on message. (Note: while they do not have to be Republicans, they need to be able to discuss the negative effects of Obamacare on their employees.)”
And what if I have a child with cancer, and the insurance company plans to dump him if Republicans stop Obamacare in its tracks? Can I attend? Or what if I’m counting on buying into the new health care exchanges in my state, saving hundreds of dollars on my insurance bill?
The kit has an answer: planting supporters, with prescreened softball questions, will ensure that such things never get asked. More important, this tactic will assure that any meeting with the dreaded public will go “in the direction that is most beneficial to the member,” as the blueprint states.
I thought this wasn’t about you.
Oh, and Republicans should be sure to “engage with all demographics,” the memo insists. It’s very specific about what that means: Asians, Latinos and women. Blacks aren’t mentioned. Lost cause. But millennials are included, because nothing works with young people like inauthenticity.
The planning kit’s instructions on how Republicans are to talk about the economy call to mind old Soviet bromides about record wheat harvests. The most loathed Congress in the history of polling has this message: “We’re working to spur economic growth and create more jobs.”
They’re not, of course. Not by any measure. Just the opposite. Their brinkmanship on the budget will probably cost 750,000 jobs this year, and about 900,000 next year, by the estimate of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
In truth, the biggest drag on a recovering economy is this Congress. The chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, his candor increasing as his term winds down, said as much in his last appearances on the Hill. He faulted members for austerity and inaction.
But those obstructions were cotton candy in the spokes of a trike compared to what Republicans are planning when they return from five weeks of Potemkin politics. Unable to stop the Affordable Care Act by the normal rules of a democracy — e.g., the Supreme Court, or winning a national election — a core group of leading Republicans now plan to sabotage the law.
If the president doesn’t agree to halt operating funds for his signature achievement on the eve of its implementation, Republicans may shut down the government, throwing thousands of people out of work and disrupting a huge part of the economy. This could leave millions of the uninsured in the dark, and create chaos at hospitals and businesses.
As a further blackmailing tactic, Republicans are also threatening to stop paying the bills on things that they already agreed to pay for — the basic services of government. They would shutter national parks, defund federal law enforcement, slow Social Security payments. Fun stuff.
You won’t hear it from the saboteurs, but this economy is truly getting better. Over seven million new jobs have been created in the last 40 months, and this year is shaping up to be the best one for private-sector job growth since 1999. The stock market is at a record high. The housing market is robust again. The federal deficit is falling at the fastest rate in 60 years. And in June, the government actually ran a $116 billion surplus — that is, took in that much more than it spent.
But there are at least four million long-term unemployed Americans. The Great Recession did permanent damage to their lives and their families. Wages are stagnant; the cost of living is not. The price of college, the best elevator to the middle class, is cruelly high, forcing a generation of young people to carry oppressive debt for the first decade or so of their adult lives.
If there was even a modest effort by Republicans to meet the president halfway on helping people with the big things in life, this Congress would not be polling at a level reserved for disbarred lawyers. Instead, those barren lawmakers have chosen to stage fake meetings with fake citizens, all to keep the government from performing any meaningful duties. How low can they go? Watch. But keep a safe distance.
Can You Guess What This Is?
‘War in the Land of Unculpsalm’
Timothy Egan worked for The Times for 18 years – as Pacific Northwest correspondent and a national enterprise reporter. His column on American politics and life as seen from the West Coast appears here on Fridays. In 2001, he was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that wrote the series “How Race Is Lived in America.” He is the author of several books, including “The Worst Hard Time,” a history of the Dust Bowl, for which he won the National Book Award, “The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America” and, most recently, “Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis.” As of October 2013, Timothy Egan’s column can be found in a new location in the Opinion section »
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Posted: December 28, 2020/Under: Education, Osceola County
KissimmeeNational Register of Historic PlacesOsceola CountySt. Cloud
Osceola County has nine sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Osceola County Courthouse
The Osceola County Courthouse was completed on May 6, 1890, for approximately $25,000, and is possibly the oldest courthouse in Florida to be used continuously for county governmental purposes. This Romanesque Revival brick structure is indicative of many courthouses built in the United States during the late 19thcentury. It is made of Georgia hand-burned pressed facing brick with flush joints of red mortar. Court cases are still heard in the refurbished courtrooms upstairs. Listed on National Register: 1977.
Colonial Estate (Tucker/Ivey House)
This Classic Revival style colonial estate in Kissimmee was built about 1915 by J. Wade Tucker, a Georgia lumber baron, and served as his residence. On Feb. 22, 1928, the family home was opened as the Colonial Inn and Club, a first class tourist hotel featuring a nine-hole golf course and café. It was a popular spot in the 1920s and early 1930s for ladies’ tea parties and as a gathering place for local civic and social club meetings. Lester and Hilda Ivey bought the house in the 1930s and lived there the remainder of their lives. The back of the house is located on Orange Blossom Trail, but the best view is the front as seen from Old Dixie Highway. Descendants of the Ivey family still own the house; this is a private residence but can be viewed from the street. Listed on National Register: 1994.
The Desert Inn
Wilson’s Corner gas station began about 1932 at the crossroads of two highways in Yeehaw Junction; the two-story structure also accommodated boarders upstairs. With a series of owners over the years, it eventually became known as the Desert Inn and a motel was added behind the main building. In its early years, the property was a trading post for cattlemen and those working in the nearby logging and turpentine camps. In more recent times, the Desert Inn was a popular rest stop for people traveling to the beach. The property was left to the Osceola County Historical Society in 2015 to restore and preserve. Note: On Dec. 22, 2019, a tractor trailer hit the Desert Inn, severely damaging the building. Osceola History is working to assess the safety of the structure and no decision has been made about the future of the building. Listed on National Register: 1994
The First United Methodist Church, constructed in 1913, is a two-story, brick Gothic Revival style building on Church Street in Kissimmee. Stained glass windows on both sides and the rear of the church provide natural interior lighting for the grand chapel and bell tower. The church is still in use by the Methodist congregation. Listed on National Register: 1994.
Grand Army of the Republic Hall
The Grand Army of the Republic Hall in St. Cloud was built in 1914 with funds raised by the L.L. Mitchell Post #34 of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). The brick two-story rectangular structure was built as a memorial to veterans who served in the Union Army during the Civil War and was a gathering place for veterans and the community. A theater with raised stage and orchestra pit afforded an opportunity for performances to be enjoyed; a large meeting room was upstairs. The GAR Hall is privately owned and closed to the public. Listed on National Register: 1997.
Kissimmee Historic District
Almost 70 acres comprise the Kissimmee Historic District, which includes commercial, residential and governmental dating from 1889 to 1940. The Historic District is Osceola County’s only listing that encompasses a large group of historic buildings. The 41-block district is roughly outlined by Altman Street, Monument Avenue, Penfield Street and Randolph Avenue. The streets of Kissimmee have gone from a wild Cowtown with cattle drives down Broadway to a booming array of unique shops and restaurants. You can still see the cattle drive down Broadway each spring. Listed on National Register: 1994.
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
In the late 1890s, a priest would come to Kissimmee three times a year and conduct mass at various locations and stay with the Dunne family. When the Dunne family moved, the Anthony Tress family was the only Catholic family in town, so the priest began staying with them and holding mass in their sitting room. By 1910, the Tress sitting room became too small, so mass was held in the local theater on Saturday nights after the picture show was over. Soon a plan was developed to construct a new chapel for the growing congregation in Kissimmee. On June 30, 1912, the first mass was said in the newly-built Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. There were no pews or electricity during the first services; folding chairs were brought in for the congregation. The brick Gothic-style church cost $7,000 to build and is located on Sproule Avenue. It was sold in 1972 to neighboring First United Methodist Church and is used occasionally. Listed on National Register: 1994.
Monument of States
The Monument of States in Kissimmee was the idea of Dr. Charles Bressler-Pettis as a way to pay tribute to winter tourists who came to the area from other states. Work on the monument began in September 1941. The 50-foot monument, located near Lake Tohopekaliga, is made of more than 1,500 stones, donated from all 48 states, governors of 45 states, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and 21 foreign countries. Bags of concrete and labor were also donated. Atop the monument is a three-foot concrete sphere, a concrete American Bald Eagle with a six-foot wing span and the American flag. The monument was dedicated on March 28, 1943. Contrary to popular belief, Dr. Pettis’s ashes are not buried in the base of the monument; his wife chose to have them interred in his hometown of Grant, Missouri. Listed on National Register: 2015.
St. Cloud Depot
The Atlantic Coast Railroad passenger depot opened in St. Cloud in May 1918 with a parade, speeches, a dance and flag presentation. The rectangular Prairie Style brick building retains its original flooring although the interior has been modified over the years. Currently in use by the VFW, the structure still reflects its historic appearance. Listed on National Register: 2018.
Search Osceola History
Citrus packing plants in Osceola County
Cadman family established successful citrus business in Narcoossee
Cadman Family Christmas
Living History Day at Pioneer Village
February 13 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm EST
BBQ, Baked Goods and Plant Sale
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Introduction to Companies in Osaka
List of Interviews
Fanxing Japan Corporation
Moving Forward: Voices from Foreign Companies in Osaka during Covid-19 2020.8
Mr. Ocean Liu
Hello everyone, I am Ocean Liu, a Chinese who started a business in Japan. Fanxing Japan Corporation behind me is a company I founded in Japan. The company is orientated as a Japanese investment guide for Chinese people around the world. In other words, if you want to come to Japan to invest and start a business, register a company, apply for a visa, carry out asset allocation of real estate, you can contact us. Fanxing has 7 subsidiaries, providing comprehensive and considerate investment services in Japan.
The novel coronavirus has broken out around the world at this time, and Japan has also been greatly affected. Our company’s business has also been severely impacted. After we learned that the pandemic would not be over in a short time, we quickly held a meeting with all the staff in this large conference room. We have allocated some employees to temporary leave and some to stay in their positions. At the same time, the entire management team also meet constantly to discuss what our company's specialties are and how to use our advantages to overcome difficulties during Covid-19. In the end, we believe that our company has a strong Internet gene and rich Internet experience, so we decided to continue our previous business through a live stream. We have received very good results. As of June 30, our performance in the first half of the year has unexpectedly exceeded the performance of the past full year. I think this is a very surprising thing. This time, I would like to thank the Japanese government for its tangible and intangible help. After the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Japanese government has announced new policies almost every day. We want to find out what policies are available to our company. So far, we have used the Japanese government’s compensation for absence from work and applied for a subsidy of up to 2 million yen for companies whose sales have fallen for a certain period of time. Although the amount of money is not large, we are very relieved to have such a policy, and every day government officials are trying to explore how to support enterprises.
If you want to invest in Japan, I highly recommend the city of Osaka. Osaka is conducting the "Osaka metropolis plan", meanwhile there are also plans to open an Integrated Resort and it has also been decided to hold the 2025 World Expo in Osaka. Therefore, Osaka is a vibrant city with diverse opportunities and imagination. At the same time, Osaka is also Japan's second largest city, and it is very vigorous. All friends coming to live in Osaka like this city very much. If you want to invest in Osaka with your family, the Osaka government also has many welfare policies for your family. For example, if you have a child go to school here, the school will usually send a volunteer to help you for about a year until your child can attend classes normally, taking care of even small details. So I think Osaka is a city which is very suitable for everyone to invest in. Welcome everyone to Osaka!
https://gutingjun.com
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dac-faq-v1
Oakland Privacy Working Group page.
Oakland Wiki DAC Page.
Jump to: Version VIII ⸱ Version VII ⸱ Version V ⸱ Version IV ⸱ Version I
THE DAC FAQ : VERSION XIII
Q. What is DAC?
A. DAC is the acronym for the Domain Awareness Center. The DAC is a "surveillance hub" for the Port and City of Oakland. It is supposed to integrate data from public and private cameras, license plate readers, sound recordings and other sensors into a mass surveillance system.
Q. Isn't privacy dead?
A. The National Security Agency (NSA) believes privacy is dead. We'd like to believe it's still on life support and has a chance of recovery.
Q. Won't DAC help stop crime?
A. There is no solid evidence that mass surveillance such as being proposed by the DAC prevents crime - especially violent crime. This is a myth propagated by companies that want to sell DAC technologies to every city and town across the country, making bazillions in profits from your tax dollars to no effect. It is a myth that is eagerly lapped up by police and politicians who want to "do something" about crime instead of investing long-term in education and living-wage jobs, the real crime reduction strategies.
Q. What's the problem with having a DAC?
A. Some interesting thoughts:
"Video surveillance is used to monitor our lives and to control our actions. Comprehensive monitoring is the most visible manifestation of the ubiquitous eye of the state, done under the guise of society's basic need for security.
"The gaze of the cameras does not fall equally on everyone but on those who are predefined as potentially deviant, or through appearance and demeanor, are singled out by operators as un-respectable.... Surveillance will become a tool of injustice through the amplification of differential and discriminatory policing."
"Even surveillance of legal activities can inhibit people from engaging in them.
"A core purpose of all surveillance is social control... we are inhibited, chilled by the eye in the Internet watching.
Giving agents of the state the ability to monitor our every move and keystroke, let alone having this information available to DHS, the FBI and the NSA forever is simply unacceptable.
Q. How did the DAC project start?
A. DAC began with a grant from the Dept. of Homeland Security in 2008 to the Port of Oakland to secure port facilities "from terrorists." (C.f: http://tinyurl.com/qf7nsd4)
Q. How did it turn into something citywide, not just for the Port?
A. We're not sure exactly. In June of 2009 City of Oakland representatives signed a document to "Explore the Development of a Joint Port-OPD-OFD-OES Domain Awareness Coordination Center" In September, the Federal government tentatively approved a grant to the Port for $2.9M to implement the Joint City/Port DAC. In July, 2010 the City Council approved the grant and in early 2012 the final documents were signed.
Who made the decision to mutate the project from Port security to citywide surveillance is unclear. Ultimately the buck stops with ex-Mayor Quan and former City Manager Santana, who allowed the City of Oakland's proud progressive traditions to be trampled on with bribes of DHS money so that it could become a guinea pig for mass surveillance on an unprecedented scale.
Q. How far along is the DAC project?
A. In Oct. 2012, Oakland sent out a Request for Proposal (RfP) for Phase I. The project was awarded to SAIC, completed in Spring of 2013.
Q. What did SAIC put together during Phase I?
A. Computers, software and information feeds. What was contracted for was built at the City’s Emergency Operations Center at 17th & MLK.
Q. What about phase II?
A. In May, 2013, the Port of Oakland approved transferring "Port Security Grant" monies to fund Phase II of the DAC. In late July, the Oakland City Council approved receiving these funds (some $2M) and gave a sole source, non-bid contract to SAIC to implement Phase II.
Q. Did anyone notice? Were there protests?
A. Yes! Opponents made City Council members aware of the true nature of SAIC (as in they had settled a fraud case with NYC for $500M), and testified to make them aware of what it was they were voting on. To no avail. The only bone opponents were thrown was an amendment stipulating that the DAC would not go live until a privacy policy, due to be written by March 2014, was approved by the Council.
Q. So SAIC built Phase II of the DAC?
A. No. In August, 2013 City staff "discovered" that SAIC was involved or affiliated with nuclear weapons technology research or support.
Q. Well, duh. Who didn't know that? They're a military contractor. So what?
A. In 1992 the City Council passed an ordinance (http://tinyurl.com/n5jfdfq) restricting the City in its dealing with companies associated in certain fairly broad ways with nuclear weapons technology.
Q. Oops. A. Oops!
Q. Did Oakland then junk the whole project?
A. No. But the City decided they couldn't use SAIC. They also realized they couldn't go back and do an entire round of Requests for Proposal (RFP) for Phase II - they were in danger of timing out on the grant money if they went through the whole process again. City Manager Santana decided to ask the Council to give permission to choose a Phase II contractor from the set of four Phase I contractors whom they had rejected in favor of SAIC last year.
Q. Why did you put "discovered" in scare quotes?
A. Because we procured documents using a Public Records Act request that show SAIC and City officials knew in Feb., 2013 that SAIC was performing work in violation of the ordinance. The East Bay Express (EBX) published an expose detailing how SAIC perjured itself and how City officials were complicit in the cover-up. http://tinyurl.com/po4frc9_
Q. What happened to Santana's request?
A. On November 19th, 2013 the City Council considered the matter. Some 70+ people signed up to speak against the DAC – again to no avail. The vote was 6-1 to approve the new procedure for hiring a Phase II DAC contractor.
Q. And then?
A. Santana chose Schneider Electric. This choice was presented to the City Council Public Safety Committee on Jan. 28, 2014; the vote was 3-0-1 to forward the recommendation to the City Council. It came before the Council on Feb. 18th.
Q. So Schneider isn’t a nuclear contractor?
A. Schneider claims it has no current nuclear contracts, only past ones. Based on Schneider’s claims Santana opined that Schneider was in conformance with the NFZO.
Q. What happened on February 18th?
A. After some 50 people spoke in one voice against the DAC - members of the Lighthouse Mosque eloquently expressing their fear of increased surveillance, the City Council discussed scaling back the system to only handle Port Security and emergencies, then voted 6-0-2 to postpone a decision until March 4th. We and our friends had finally made an impact.
On March 4th, again after unanimous public opposition, the Council voted 5-4, Mayor Quan breaking the tie, in favor of a Port-restricted DAC.
Q. Victory?
A. No. Neither defeat nor victory. Our goal was and is to kill the DAC, not corral it. It still exists, and the City Council could at any time extend its capabilities across Oakland. Quan, immediately after the vote, expressed her intent to do so “as soon as privacy issues were resolved.”
Q. What happened to the privacy policy?
A. It morphed from a policy to be put together by City staff to an “Ad Hoc” committee, ultimately to being a formal City committee which has met every other week from May, 2014 through March, 2015.
Q. So Oakland’s safe from spying til it’s approved?
A. Absolutely not. Information about “Stingray”, a device the Oakland Police “have access to” has come to light. Stingray is a device that mimics a cell phone tower; your cell phone is fooled into communicating with it. A Stingray can “listen in” on every cell phone that is using a particular tower and locate all cell phones in range - wide-ranging, warrantless surveillance. http://tinyurl.com/lha42cq Shotspotter - a gunshot detection system – has been revealed as capable of listening in on random public conversations.
Q. OMG. What’s being done about it?”
A. We are researching filing a lawsuit around this and other matters. The City has refused all our Public Records requests regarding “Stingray.” It has refused our requests for contract docs between the City and Harris, the manufacturer (Harris is also a Nuclear Contractor in violation of the NFZO because it has contracts with the City).
Q. It’s March, 2015! What’s with the privacy policy?
A. It’s written. It is a very strong policy; it came before the Public Safety Cmte on Feb. 10th, along with a proposal to create a City-wide privacy policy and an open-process surveillance technology acquisition ordinance. It was all approved “in principle.” The proposals were put out to public comment (http://tinyurl.com/llg3jsa) and will likely be heard again by the Public Safety Cmte on April 28th.
Q. Why does this all sound like the novel ‘1984’ ?
A. Because it is! Orwell was just a few decades premature predicting when technology would realize his dystopian nightmare. Stingray is truly Big Brother watching and EBX has exposed the real intent in constructing the DAC: not for safety but for the stifling of dissent: http://tinyurl.com/p7wbrqk.
Q. Who are you guys? Who wrote this?
A. We're the Oakland Privacy Working Group; local activists who came together to fight the DAC and, more generally, all privacy and 4th amendment violations by our police-state government. We are allied with those who fight police militarization. We meet monthly, usually Wed. More info found here:
http://occupyoakland.org/calendar/
There's information on the Oakland Wiki:
http://tinyurl.com/kov5sow/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oakprivacy
Twitter: @oaklandprivacy.
THE DAC FAQ : VERSION XII
A. "Phase 1 included the Design/build that would include equipment, services and the key City systems' integration.” Whatever that means. What was contracted for was built at the City’s Emergency Operations Center at 17th & MLK.
A. No. But the City decided they couldn't use SAIC any more. They also realized they couldn't go back and do an entire round of Requests for Proposal (RFP) for Phase II - they were in danger of timing out on the grant money if they went through the whole process again. City Manager Santana decided to ask the Council to grant her permission to choose a Phase II contractor from the set of four Phase I contractors whom they had rejected in favor of SAIC last year.
A. Santana chose Schneider Electric. This choice was presented to the City Council Public Safety Committee on Jan. 28th; the vote was 3-0-1 to forward the recommendation to the City Council. it came before the Council on Feb. 18th.
A. Googling “Schneider Electric” and “nuclear weapons” shows their involvement in such work. However Schneider claims these references are to past contracts, not current ones. Based on Schneider’s claims Santana opined that Schneider was in conformance with the NFZO.
A. After some 50 people spoke in one voice against the DAC - members of the Lighthouse Mosque eloquently expressing their fear of increased surveillance, the City Council discussed scaling back the system to only handle Port Security and emergencies, then voted 6-0-2 to postpone a decision until March 4th. We and our friends, had finally made an impact.
A. It morphed from a policy to be put together by City staff to an “Ad Hoc” committee and ultimately to being a formal City committee which met every other week from May through a final mtg Jan 8th.
A. Absolutely not. Information about “Stingray”, a device the Oakland Police “have access to” has come to light. Stingray is a device that mimics a cell phone tower; your cell phone is fooled into communicating with it. A Stingray can “listen in” on every cell phone that is using a particular tower and locate all cell phones in range - wide-ranging, warrantless surveillance. http://tinyurl.com/lha42cq Shotspotter - a gunshot detection system – has also been revealed as being capable of listening in on random public and private conversations.
A. We are researching filing a lawsuit around this and other matters. The City has refused all our Public Records requests regarding “Stingray.” It has refused our requests for contract docs between the City and Harris, the manufacturer (Harris is also a Nuclear Contractor in violation of the NFZO - it has contracts with the City).
Q. It’s Jan 2015! What’s with the privacy policy?
A. It’s written. It is a very strong policy; it is scheduled to come before the Public Safety Cmte on Feb. 10th, along with a proposal to create a City-wide privacy policy and an open-process surveillance technology acquisition ordinance.
A. Because it is! Orwell was just a few decades premature predicting when technology would realize his dystopian nightmare. Stingray is truly Big Brother watching and EBX has exposed the real intent in constructing the DAC: the stifling of dissent: http://tinyurl.com/p7wbrqk.
A. We're the Oakland Privacy Working Group; local activists who came together to fight the DAC and, more generally, all privacy and 4th amendment violations by our police-state government. We are allied with those who fight police militarization. We meet monthly, using the fourth Wed. Meetings info can be found here:
{C}{C}
Frequently Asked Questions about the Domain Awareness Center – DAC
the OAKLAND PRIVACY GROUP
Version XI
Q. Isn't privacy dead? Won't DAC help stop crime?
A. The National Security Agency (NSA) believes privacy is dead. We'd like to believe it's still on life support and has a chance of recovery. As for crime, there is no solid evidence that mass surveillance such as being proposed by the DAC prevents crime - especially violent crime. This is a myth propagated by companies that want to sell DAC technologies to every city and town across the country, making bazillions in profits from your tax dollars to no effect. It is a myth that is eagerly lapped up by police and politicians who want to "do something" about crime instead of investing long-term in education and living-wage jobs, the real crime reduction strategies.
A. We're not sure exactly. In June of 2009 City of Oakland representatives signed a document to "Explore the Development of a Joint Port-OPD-OFD-OES Domain Awareness Coordination Center …" In September, the Federal government tentatively approved a grant to the Port of
Oakland for $2.9M to implement the Joint City/Port DAC. In July, 2010 the City Council approved the grant and in early 2012 the final documents were signed.
Who made the decision to mutate the project from Port security to citywide surveillance is unclear. Ultimately the buck stops with Mayor Quan and former City Manager Santana, who allowed the City of Oakland's proud progressive traditions to be trampled on with bribes of DHS money so that it could become a guinea pig for mass surveillance on an unprecedented scale.
A. In Oct. 2012, Oakland sent out a Request for Proposal to implement Phase I. The project was awarded to SAIC Corporation and completed in the Spring of 2013.
A. In May, 2013, the Port of Oakland approved transferring "Port Security Grant" monies to fund Phase II of the DAC. In late July, the Oakland City Council approved receiving these funds (some $2M) and gave a sole source, non-bid contract to SAIC to implement Phase II
A. Yes! Opponents made City Council members aware of the true nature of SAIC (as in they recently settled a fraud case with NYC for $500M), and testified to make them aware of what it was they were voting on. To no avail. The only bone opponents were thrown was an amendment stipulating that the DAC would not go live until a privacy policy, due to be written by March 2014, was approved by the Council.
A. After some 50 people spoke in one voice against the DAC - members of the Lighthouse Mosque eloquently expressing their fear of increased surveillance, the City Council discussed scaling back the system to only handle Port Security and emergencies, then voted 6-0-2 to postpone a decision until March 4th. We, and our friends, had finally made an impact.
A. No. Neither defeat nor victory. Our goal was and is to kill the DAC, not corral it. It still exists, and the City Council could at any time extend its capabilities across Oakland. The Mayor, immediately after the vote, expressed her intent to do so “as soon as privacy issues were resolved.”
A. It has morphed from a policy to be put together by City staff to a “Blue Ribbon” committee to an “Ad Hoc” committee and ultimately to being addressed by a formal committee which is now meeting every other week. It was to be October, 2014 before the policy would be voted on.
Q. So is Oakland safe from spying until October?
Q. It’s October! What’s with the privacy policy?
A. The committee is still finalizing it. They’ve put together a strong policy, and we are following the committee’s actions closely. The committee and we hope to get it passed in City Council soon.
Q. Why does this all sound like the novel '1984' ?
A. We're the Oakland Privacy Group; local activists who came together to fight the DAC and, more generally, all privacy and 4th amendment violations by our police-state government. We are allied with those who fight police militarization. We meet monthly, using the fourth Wednesday. Meetings times can be found here:
Version IX
"Even surveillance of legal activities can inhibit people from engaging in them."
"A core purpose of all surveillance is social control... we are inhibited, chilled by the eye in the Internet watching."
A. On November 19th, 2013 the City Council considered the matter. Some 70+ people signed up to speak against the DAC – again to no avail. The vote was 6-1 (McElhaney in the minority) to approve the new procedure for hiring a Phase II DAC contractor.
Q. So Schneider isn’t involved in with nuclear weapons, as was SAIC?
A. Unclear. If one Google’s “Schneider Electric” and “nuclear weapons” references to their involvement in such work are readily apparent. However Schneider claims these references are to past contracts, not current ones. Based on Schneider’s claims the City Administrator wrote a memo opining that Schneider was in conformance with the NFZO and should be awarded the contract.
A. After some 50 people spoke in one voice against the DAC, with members of the Lighthouse Mosque in particular eloquently expressing their fear of increased surveillance, the City Council discussed scaling back the system to only handle Port Security and emergencies, then voted 6-0-2 to postpone a decision for two weeks until March 4th. We, and our friends, had finally made an impact.
Q. Oh yeah. What about the privacy policy?
A. It has morphed from a policy to be put together by City staff to a “Blue Ribbon” committee to an “Ad Hoc” committee and ultimately to being addressed by a formal committee whose membership is still being decided. It may be October before anything is created and voted on.
Q. So Oakland is safe from spying until October at the very least?
A. Absolutely not. In the last few months information about “Stingray”, a device the Oakland Police “have access to” has come to light. Stingray is a device that impersonates a cell phone tower; your cell phone is fooled into communicating with it. A Stingray can thus “listen in” on every cell phone that is using a particular tower and locate all cell phones in range, in a process of wide-ranging, warrantless surveillance. http://tinyurl.com/lha42cq
A. We are researching filing a lawsuit around this and other matters – contracting with SAIC in violation of the Nuclear Free Zone Ordinance for one. The City has so far refused all our Public Records requests regarding “Stingray.” It has refused our requests for contract docs between the City and Harris, the manufacturer (Harris is also a Nuclear Contractor in violation of Oakland’s ordinance because it has contracts with the City).
Q. Why does it all sound like the novel '1984' ?
A. We're the Oakland Privacy Group; local activists who came together to fight the DAC and, more generally, all privacy and 4th amendment violations by our police-state government. We meet at the Sudo Room. Our meetings are here:
https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com/ and here: http://occupyoakland.org/calendar/
Version VIII
A. We're not sure exactly. In June of 2009 City of Oakland representatives signed a document which called for a group to "Explore the Development of a Joint Port-OPD-OFD-OES Domain Awareness Coordination Center at the City's existing Emergency Operations Center (EOC)." In September, the Federal government tentatively approved a grant to the Port of
Oakland for $2.9M to implement the Joint City/Port DAC. In July, 2010 the City Council approved receiving those monies and spending them. In early 2012 the final documents were signed. Why it took so long and who made the decision to mutate the project from Port security to citywide surveillance is unclear.
Ultimately the buck must stop with Mayor Quan and City Administrator Santana, who allowed the City of Oakland's proud progressive traditions to be trampled on with bribes of DHS money so that it could become a guinea pig for mass surveillance on an unprecedented scale.
A. In October, 2012, Oakland sent out a Request for Proposal to implement Phase I. They ultimately chose Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) from a number of bidders. That work, Phase I, was completed in late Spring of 2013.
A. "Phase 1 included the Design/build that would include equipment, services and the key City systems' integration." For what that jumble is worth. In other words we’re not sure. What was contracted was built at the City’s Emergency Operations Center at 17th & MLK.
A. In May, 2013, the Port of Oakland approved transferring "Port Security Grant" monies to fund Phase II of the DAC. In late July, the Oakland City Council unanimously approved receiving these funds (some $2M) and gave a sole source, non-bid contract to SAIC to implement Phase II with that money.
A. Yes! Opponents made City Council members aware of the true nature of SAIC (as in evil - they recently settled a fraud case with NYC for $500M), and testified in July to make them aware of what it was they were voting on. To no avail. Although the vote was postponed two weeks because the Council was embarrassed to realize it had no clue what it was voting for, at their next meeting they all voted to proceed with Phase II. The only bone opponents were thrown was an amendment by Councilperson Kalb stipulating that the DAC would not go online until a privacy policy – due to be written by March of 2014 by OPD and the same people who will control the DAC (!) – was approved by the Council.
Q. So Phase II is being implemented? A. No!
Q. What happened?
A. At some point in August, 2013 City staff "discovered" that SAIC was involved or affiliated with nuclear weapons technology research or support.
A. In 1992 (after a 1988 law was found unconsti-tutional), the City Council passed an ordinance (http://tinyurl.com/n5jfdfq) restricting the City in its dealing with companies associated in certain fairly broad ways with nuclear weapons technology.
A. No. We don't know what kind of discussions went on after this "discovery," (we are issuing Public Records requests to find out) but what we do know is that the City decided they couldn't use SAIC any more. They also realized they couldn't go back and do an entire round of Requests for Proposal (RFP) for Phase II - they were in danger of timing out on the grant money if they went through the whole process again. City Manager Santana decided to ask the City Council to grant her permission to choose a Phase II contractor from the set of four Phase I contractors whom they had rejected in favor of SAIC last year.
Q. Is that legal?
A. It’s questionable. We’re looking into this and many other areas for legal challenges. Also, Research by Darwin BondGraham (http://tinyurl.com/qhnl5ny) suggests that all of the four eligible contractors - to one degree or another - have a connection to nuclear weapons technology.
Q. Why did you put "discover" in scare quotes?
A. Because we procured documents (using a Public Records Act request) that show SAIC and officials in City govt knew in Feb., 2013 that SAIC was performing work in violation of the ordinance. The EastBay Express published an expose detailing how SAIC perjured itself and City officials were complicit in the cover-up. C.f. http://tinyurl.com/po4frc9_
Q. What happened to Santana's request? A. On November 19th, 2013 the City Council considered the matter. Some 70+ people signed up to speak against the DAC. However City Council President Kernighan summarily rejected a request to move the agenda item up the schedule. Nonetheless some 30 people stayed and many of them voiced their objections around 1:00 AM - again to no avail. The vote was 6-1 (Councilperson McElhaney in the minority) to approve the new procedure for hiring a Phase II DAC contractor.
Q. What happened next?
A. The City Administrator had to choose one of four contractors, get approval from the Council and negotiate some sort of contract with that entity. Santana chose Schneider Electric. This choice was presented to the City Council Public Safety Committee on Jan. 28th; the vote was 3-0-1 to forward the recommendation to the City Council. it came before the Council on Feb. 18th.
A. After some 50 people spoke – in one voice against the DAC, the City Council discussed scaling back the system to only handle Port Security and emergencies, then voted 6-0-2 to postpone a decision on the contract for two weeks. We made an impact! What will ultimately happen remains to be seen.
Q. What can we do if Schneider is approved?
A. Section 526a of the California Civil Code allows taxpayers to challenge a City on illegal use of funds. We think this is the case and are putting together the grounds for a lawsuit. As our first step we submitted a “Cease and Desist” letter to Oakland before the Jan. 28th meeting. Help us out here: http://tinyurl.com/muq4os6
A. Because it is! Orwell was just a few decades premature predicting when technology would realize his dystopian nightmare. In fact the EBX has exposed the real intent of City personnel in constructing the DAC: the stifling of dissent. C.f. http://tinyurl.com/p7wbrqk
A. We're the Oakland Privacy Group. We came together to fight the DAC and, more generally, all privacy and 4th amendment violations by our police-state government.
Q. Do you have a website? Meetings?
A. Our meetings should be listed here:
https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com/
We’ll be at the City Council on March 4th.
There's information here, the Oakland Wiki:
We also tweet: @oaklandprivacy
Version VII
A. DAC is the acronym for the Domain Awareness Center. The DAC is a “surveillance hub” for the Port and City of Oakland. It is supposed to integrate data from public and private cameras, license plate readers, sound recordings and other sensors into a mass surveillance system.
Q. Isn’t privacy dead? Won’t DAC help stop crime?
A. The National Security Agency (NSA) believes privacy is dead. We’d like to believe it’s still on life support and has a chance of recovery. As for crime, there is no solid evidence that mass surveillance such as being proposed by the DAC prevents crime - especially violent crime. This is a myth propagated by companies that want to sell DAC technologies to every city and town across the country, making bazillions in profits from your tax dollars to no effect. It is a myth that is eagerly lapped up by police and politicians who want to “do something” about crime instead of investing long-term in education and living-wage jobs, the real crime reduction strategies.
Q. What’s the problem with having a DAC?
“Video surveillance is used to monitor our lives and to control our actions. Comprehensive monitoring is the most visible manifestation of the ubiquitous eye of the state, done under the guise of society’s basic need for security.
“The gaze of the cameras does not fall equally on everyone but on those who are predefined as potentially deviant, or through appearance and demeanor, are singled out by operators as un-respectable.… Surveillance will become a tool of injustice through the amplification of differential and discriminatory policing.”
“Even surveillance of legal activities can inhibit people from engaging in them.”
“A core purpose of all surveillance is social control… we are inhibited, chilled by the eye in the Internet watching.”
Giving agents of the state the ability to monitor our every move and keystroke, let alone having this information available to DHS, the FBI and the NSA forever, is simply unacceptable.
A. DAC began with a grant from the Dept. of Homeland Security in 2008 to the Port of Oakland to secure port facilities “from terrorists.” (C.f:http://tinyurl.com/qf7nsd4)
A. We’re not sure exactly. In June 2009, City of Oakland representatives signed a document which called for a group to “Explore the Development of a Joint Port-OPD-OFD-OES Domain Awareness Coordination Center at the City’s existing Emergency Operations Center (EOC).” In September, the Federal government tentatively approved a grant to the Port of Oakland for $2.9M to implement the Joint City/Port DAC. In July 2010, the City Council approved receiving and spending those monies. In early 2012 the final documents were signed. Why it took so long, and who made the decision to mutate the project from Port security to citywide surveillance, is unclear.
Ultimately the buck must stop with Mayor Quan and City Administrator Deanna Santana, who allowed the City of Oakland’s proud progressive traditions to be trampled on with bribes of Homeland Security money so that it could become a guinea pig for mass surveillance on an unprecedented scale.
A. “Phase 1 included the Design/build that would include equipment, services and the key City systems’ integration.” For what that jumble is worth. In other words, we’re not sure. What was done was built at the City’s Emergency Operations Center at 17th & MLK.
A. In May, 2013, the Port of Oakland approved transferring “Port Security Grant” monies to fund Phase II of the DAC. In late July, the Oakland City Council unanimously approved receiving these funds (some $2,000,000) and gave a sole source, non-bid contract to Phase I contractor SAIC to implement Phase II with that money.
A. Yes! Opponents made City Council members aware of the true nature of SAIC (as in ‘evil’: they recently settled a fraud case with NYC for $500M), and testified in July to make them aware of what it was they were voting on. To no avail. Although the vote was postponed two weeks because the Council was embarrassed to realize it had no clue what it was voting for, at their next meeting they all voted to proceed with Phase II. The only bone opponents were thrown was an amendment by Councilperson Kalb stipulating that the DAC would not go online until a privacy policy - due to be written by March of 2014, by OPD and the same people who will control the DAC (!) - was approved by the Council.
Q. So Phase II is being implemented?
A. No!
A. We don’t know exactly. At some point in August 2013, City of Oakland personnel “discovered” that SAIC was involved or affiliated with nuclear weapons technology research or support.
Q. Well, duh. Who didn’t know that? They’re a military contractor. So?
A. In 1992 (after a 1988 ordinance was found unconstitutional), the Oakland City Council passed an ordinance restricting the City in its dealing with companies associated in certain fairly broad ways with nuclear weapons technology.
Q. Oops.
A. Oops!
A. No. We don’t know what kind of discussions went on after this “discovery” (we are issuing Public Records requests to find out), but we do know the City decided they couldn’t use SAIC any more. They also realized they couldn’t go back and do an entire round of Requests for Proposal (RFP) for Phase II - they were in danger of timing out on the grant money if they went through the whole process again. City Manager Santana decided to ask the City Council to grant her permission to choose a Phase II contractor from the set of four Phase I contractors whom they had rejected in favor of SAIC last year.
A. It’s questionable. We’re looking into this and many other areas for legal challenges. Also, research by Darwin BondGraham suggests that all of the four eligible contractors - to one degree or another - have a connection to nuclear weapons technology.
Q. Why did you put “discover” in scare quotes?
A. Because we procured documents (using a California Public Records Act request) that show that SAIC and officials in City government knew in February, 2013 that SAIC was performing work in violation of the ordinance. The East Bay Express has published an exposé detailing how SAIC perjured itself and City officials were complicit in the cover-up.
Q. What happened to Santana’s request?
A. On November 19th, 2013 the City Council considered the matter. Some 70+ people signed up to speak against the DAC prior to the meeting’s beginning at 6:30. When the meeting began, City Council President Kernighan summarily rejected a request to move the agenda item up the schedule, refusing to even call a vote of the Council on the question. Nonetheless some thirty people stuck around and many of them voiced their objections around 1:00 AM - again to no avail. The Council voted 6-1 (Councilperson McElhaney in the minority) to approve the new procedure for hiring a Phase II DAC contractor
Q. What happens next?
A. The City Administrator had to choose one of four contractors and negotiate some sort of contract with that entity. Santana chose Schneider Electric. This choice was presented to the City Council Public Safety Committee on Jan. 28th, and is scheduled to come before the full City Council on Feb 18th.
A. Section 526a of the California Civil Code allows taxpayers to challenge a City on illegal use of funds. We think this is the case and are putting together the grounds for a lawsuit. As our first step we submitted a “Cease and Desist” letter to Oakland before the Jan. 28th meeting. Help us out here.
Q. Why does it all sound like the novel ‘1984’?
A. Because it is! Orwell was just a few decades premature in predicting when technology would realize his dystopian nightmare. The EBX has exposed the true intent of City personnel in constructing the DAC: the stifling of dissent.
A. We’re the Oakland Privacy Group. We came together to fight the DAC and, more generally, all privacy and 4th amendment violations by our police-state government.
https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com/ and here:
We’ll be at the City Council on Feb. 18th.
There’s information here, the Oakland Wiki:
Version V
A. We’re not sure exactly. In June of 2009 City of Oakland representatives signed a document which called for a group to “Explore the Development of a Joint Port-OPD-OFD-OES Domain Awareness Coordination Center at the City’s existing Emergency Operations Center (EOC).” In September, the Federal government tentatively approved a grant to the Port of
A. “Phase 1 included the Design/build that would include equipment, services and the key City systems’ integration.” For what that jumble is worth. In other words we’re not sure. What was done was built at the City’s Emergency Operations Center at 17th & MLK.
A. Yes! Opponents made City Council members aware of the true nature of SAIC (as in evil - they recently settled a fraud case with NYC for $500M), and testified in July to make them aware of what it was they were voting on. To no avail. Although the vote was postponed two weeks because the Council was embarrassed to realize it had no clue what it was voting for, at their next meeting they all voted to proceed with Phase II. The only bone opponents were thrown was an amendment by Councilperson Kalb stipulating that the DAC would not go online until a privacy policy - due to be written by March of 2014, by OPD and the same people who will control the DAC (!) - was approved by the Council.
Q. So Phase II is being implemented?A. No!
A. We don’t know exactly. At some point in August, 2013 City of Oakland personnel “discovered” that SAIC was involved or affiliated with nuclear weapons technology research or support.
A. In 1992 (after a 1988 ordinance was found unconstitutional), the Oakland City Council passed an ordinance (http://tinyurl.com/n5jfdfq) restricting the City in its dealing with companies associated in certain fairly broad ways with nuclear weapons technology.
Q. Oops.A. Oops!
A. No. We don’t know what kind of discussions went on after this “discovery,” (we are issuing Public Records requests to find out) but what we do know is that the City decided they couldn’t use SAIC any more. They also realized they couldn’t go back and do an entire round of Requests for Proposal (RFP) for Phase II - they were in danger of timing out on the grant money if they went through the whole process again. City Manager Santana decided to ask the City Council to grant her permission to choose a Phase II contractor from the set of four Phase I contractors whom they had rejected in favor of SAIC last year.
A. It’s questionable. We’re looking into this and many other areas for legal challenges.
A. Because we procured documents (using a California Public Records Act request) that show that SAIC and officials in City government knew in February, 2013 that SAIC was performing work in violation of the ordinance. The East Bay Express has published an expose detailing how SAIC perjured itself and City officials were complicit in the cover-up. C.f.http://tinyurl.com/po4frc9_
Q. What happened to Santana’s request?A. On November 19th, 2013 the City Council considered the matter. Some 70+ people signed up to speak against the DAC prior to the meeting’s beginning at 6:30. When the meeting began, City Council President Kernighan summarily rejected a request to move the agenda item up the schedule, refusing to even call a vote of the Council on the question. Nonetheless some thirty people stuck around and many of them voiced their objections around 1:00 AM - again to no avail. The Council voted 6-1 (Councilperson McElhaney in the minority) to approve the new procedure for hiring a Phase II DAC contractor. Protesters also “mic checked” the Council about two hours into the meeting, demanding to be heard on the DAC before exhaustion set in. Again, that was refused.
A. The City Administrator had to choose one of four contractors and negotiate some sort of contract with that entity. Santana chose Schneider Electric. This choice will be presented to the City Council Public Safety Committee on Jan 28th, and is tentatively scheduled to come before the full City Council on Feb 4th.
A. Not true! If one Google’s “Schneider Electric” and “nuclear weapons” it is painfully obvious that SE is a nuclear weapons contractor. In fact research by Darwin BondGraham (http://tinyurl.com/qhnl5ny) suggests that all of them - to one degree or another - have a connection to nuclear weapons technology. Whether these ties to nuclear weapons render them ineligible under the terms of the 1992 ordinance, and whether if so the City of Oakland will choose to ignore the links, or seek an exemption, remains to be seen.
Q. Can a decision by the City to ignore such a connection be challenged?
A. Section 526a of the California Civil Code allows taxpayers to challenge a City on illegal use of funds. We think this is the case and are beginning to put together the grounds for a lawsuit.
Q. Why does it all sound like the novel ‘1984’ ?
A. Because it is! Orwell was just a few decades premature predicting when technology would realize his dystopian dream. The EBX has exposed the real intent of City personnel in constructing the DAC: the stifling of dissent. C.f.http://tinyurl.com/p7wbrqk
There’s information here:
http://tinyurl.com/kov5sow/ There’s also a twitter: @oaklandprivacy
Version IV
Q.What is DAC?
Q.Isn’t privacy dead? Won’t DAC help stop crime?
A. The National Security Agency (NSA) believes privacy is dead. Just ask Edward Snowden. We’d like to believe it’s still on life support and has a chance of recovery. As for crime, there is no solid evidence that mass surveillance such as being proposed by the DAC prevents crime - especially violent crime. This is a myth propagated by companies that want to sell DAC technologies to every city and town across the country, making bazillions in profits from your tax dollars to no effect. It is a myth that is eagerly lapped up by police and politicians who want to “do something” about crime instead of investing long-term in education and living-wage jobs, the real crime reduction strategies.
Q.What’s the problem with having a DAC?
Q.How did it turn into something citywide, not just for the Port?
A. We’re not really sure. In June of 2009 City of Oakland representatives signed a document which called for a group to “Explore the Development of a Joint Port-OPD-OFD-OES Domain Awareness Coordination Center at the City’s existing Emergency Operations Center (EOC).” In September, the Federal government tentatively approved a grant to the Port of
Q.How far along is the DAC project?
Q.What did SAIC put together during Phase I?
Q.What about phase II?
Q.Did anyone notice? Were there protests?
A. Yes! Opponents made City Council members aware of the true nature of SAIC (as in evil - they recently settled a fraud case with NYC for $500M), and testified in July to make them aware of what it was they were voting on. To no avail. Although the vote was postponed two weeks because the Council was embarrassed to realize it had no clue what it was voting for, at their next meeting they all voted to proceed with Phase II. The only bone the opponents were thrown was an amendment by Councilperson Kalb stipulating that the DAC would not go online until a privacy policy - due to be written by March of 2014, by OPD and the same people who were implementing the DAC (!) - was approved by the Council.
Q.So Phase II is being implemented?
Q.Well, duh. Who didn’t know that? They’re a military contractor. So?
Q.* Oops.*
A. No. We don’t really know what kind of discussions went on after this “discovery,” (we are issuing Public Records requests to find out) but what we do know is that the City decided they couldn’t use SAIC any more. They also realized they couldn’t go back and do an entire round of Requests for Proposal (RFP) for Phase II - they were in danger of timing out on the grant money if they went through the whole process again. City Manager Santana decided to ask the City Council to grant her permission to choose a Phase II contractor from the set of Phase I contractors whom they had rejected in favor of SAIC last year.
Q.Is that legal?
A. It’s questionable. We’re looking into this and other areas for legal challenges.
Q.Why did you put “discover” in scare quotes?
A. Because we procured documents (using a California Public Records Act request) that show that SAIC and officials in City government knew in February, 2013 that SAIC was performing work in violation of the ordinance. The East Bay Express just published an expose detailing how SAIC perjured itself and City officials were complicit in the cover-up. C.f.http://tinyurl.com/po4frc9_
Q.What happened to Santana’s request?*
*A. On November 19th, 2013 the City Council considered the matter. Some 70+ people signed up to speak against the DAC prior to the meeting’s beginning at 6:30. When the meeting began, City Council President Kernighan summarily rejected a request to move the agenda item up the schedule, refusing to even call a vote of the Council on the question. Nonetheless some thirty people stuck around and many of them voiced their objections around 1:00 AM - again to no avail. The Council voted 6-1 (Councilperson McElhaney in the minority) to approve the new procedure for hiring a Phase II DAC contractor. Protesters also “mic checked” the Council about two hours into the meeting, demanding to be heard on the DAC before exhaustion set in. Again, that was refused.
Q.What happens next?
A. The City Administrator must choose one of four contractors (presumably one that is still willing…), negotiate some sort of contract, and come back to the City Council in January, 2014 for them to approve of her choice. That could happen at their Jan 7th meeting, or the next one on the 21st. As of this printing (1/2) no contractor selection announcement has been made.
Q.These previously rejected contractors aren’t involved in with nuclear weapons, as was SAIC?
A. Research by Darwin BondGraham (http://tinyurl.com/qhnl5ny) suggests that all of them - to one degree or another - have a connection to nuclear weapons technology. Whether they each have strong enough ties to nuclear weapons to render them ineligible under the terms of the 1992 ordinance, and whether if so the City of Oakland will choose to ignore such connections, or seek an exemption, remains to be seen.
Q.Can a decision by the City to ignore such a connection be challenged?
A. We’re not sure. Section 526a of the California Civil Code allows taxpayers to challenge a City on illegal use of funds. If this is applicable the answer may be ‘yes.’
Q.Why does it all sound like the novel ‘1984’ ?
Q.Who are you guys? Who wrote this?
Q.Do you have a website? Meetings?
and here:http://occupyoakland.org/calendar/
There’s information here :http://tinyurl.com/kov5sow/
There’s also a twitter: @oaklandprivacy
Q. So what? Isn’t privacy dead? Won’t the DAC help stop crime?
Giving authoritarian agents of the state the ability to monitor our every move and keystroke, let alone have it all available to Homeland Security and the NSA is simply unacceptable.
A. DAC began with a grant from the Department of Homeland Security in 2008 to the Port of Oakland to secure port facilities “from terrorists.” (Reference document)
A. We’re not really sure. In June of 2009 City of Oakland representatives signed a document which called for a group to “Explore the Development of a Joint Port-OPD-OFD-OES Domain Awareness Coordination Center at the City’s existing Emergency Operations Center (EOC).” In September, the Federal government tentatively approved a grant to the Port of Oakland for $2.9M to implement the Joint City/Port DAC. In July, 2010 the City Council approved receiving those monies and spending them. In early 2012 the final documents were signed. Why it took so long and who made the decision to mutate the project from Port security to citywide surveillance is unclear.
Q. What exactly did SAIC build or create during Phase I?
A. “Phase 1 included the Design/build that would include equipment, services and the key City systems’ integration.” For what that jumble is worth.
A. Yes! Opponents made City Council members aware of the true nature of SAIC (as in evil), and testified in July to make them aware of what it was they were voting on. To no avail. Although the vote was postponed two weeks because the Council was embarrassed to realize it had no clue what it was voting for, at their next meeting they voted unanimously to proceed with Phase II. The only bone the opponents were thrown was an amendment by Councilperson Kalb stipulating that the DAC would not go online until a privacy policy - due to be written by March of 2014, by the same people who were implementing the DAC (!) - was approved by the City Council.
A. In 1992 (after a 1988 ordinance was found unconstitutional), the Oakland City Council passedan ordinance barring the City from contracting with companies associated in certain fairly broad ways with nuclear weapons technology or support.
A. No. We don’t really know what kind of discussions went on after this “discovery,” but what we do know is that the City decided they couldn’t use SAIC any more. They also realized they couldn’t go back and do an entire round of Requests for Proposal (RFP) for Phase II, because they were in danger of timing out on the grant money if they went through the whole RFP process again. City Manager Santana decided to ask the City Council to grant her permission to choose a Phase II contractor from the set of Phase I contractors whom they had rejected in favor of SAIC last year.
A. We don’t know. We’re not legal experts.
A. Because we procured documents (using a California Public Records Act request) that show that SAIC and officials in City government knew in February, 2013 that SAIC was performing work in violation of the ordinance. The East Bay Express justpublished an expose detailing how SAIC perjured itself and City officials were complicit in the cover-up.
Q. What happened to Santana’s proposal at City Council?
A. On November 19th, the City Council considered the matter. (It was actually on November 20th, because it was after midnight before they got to it.) Some 70+ people signed up to speak against the DAC prior to the meeting’s beginning at 6:30. When the meeting began, City Council President Kernighan summarily rejected a request to move the agenda item up the schedule, refusing to even call a vote of the Council on the question. Nonetheless some thirty people stuck around and many of them voiced their objections - again to no avail. The Council voted 6-1 (Councilperson McElraney in the minority) to approve the new procedure for hiring a Phase II DAC contractor. Protesters also “mic checked” the Council about two hours into the meeting, demanding to be heard on the DAC before exhaustion set in. Again, that was refused.
A. The City Administrator must choose one of the five or six contractors (presumably one that is still willing…) and come back to the City Council in January, 2014 for them to approve of her choice. We believe that will happen at their January 7th meeting.
Q. These previously rejected contractors aren’t involved in some way with nuclear weapons, as was SAIC?
A.Research by Darwin BondGraham suggests that all of them - to one degree or another - have a connection to nuclear weapons technology. Whether they each have strong enough connections to nuclear weapons to render them ineligible under the terms of the 1988 ordinance, and whether if so the City of Oakland will choose to ignore such connections, remains to be seen.
A. We’re not sure. We’re looking into it.
Q. Why does it all sound like the novel ‘1984′ ?
A. Because it is! Orwell was just a couple decades premature in his predictions of technological capability.
A. We’re the Oakland Privacy Group. We came together to fight the Domain Awareness Center and, more generally, all privacy and 4th amendment violations by our police-state government.
A.Here’s a wiki page about Oakland’s DAC.
Our meetings should be listedhere andhere.
There’s also a twitter account:@oaklandprivacy.
Domain Awareness Center
Nearby LocalWiki regions: Fortress Bay Area San Francisco Bay Alameda Emeryville East Bay Ride Niches Berkeley
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cc/2021-04/en_head_0015.json.gz/line641
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__label__wiki
| 0.613707
| 0.613707
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Foster the commercialization of space transportation.
Facilitate and utilize U.S. commercial capabilities to deliver cargo and crew to space.
Lead Office: Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate
General Science, Space, and Technology
Partnerships with American industry to enable U.S. commercial crew transportation to low Earth orbit will stimulate a commercial industry, promote job growth, and expand knowledge, as well as supply the ISS. NASA envisions commercial human spaceflight to low Earth orbit becoming a robust, vibrant, profit-making commercial enterprise with many providers and a wide range of private and public users. Our role in this enterprise is to provide expertise, incentives, and opportunities to the emerging human space flight industry. We will purchase transportation services to meet
Partnerships with American industry to enable U.S. commercial crew transportation to low Earth orbit will stimulate a commercial industry, promote job growth, and expand knowledge, as well as supply the ISS. NASA envisions commercial human spaceflight to low Earth orbit becoming a robust, vibrant, profit-making commercial enterprise with many providers and a wide range of private and public users. Our role in this enterprise is to provide expertise, incentives, and opportunities to the emerging human space flight industry. We will purchase transportation services to meet our International Space Station crew rotation and emergency return obligations. A vibrant, job-creating, profit-making transportation system for humans and cargo to low Earth orbit will significantly contribute to the national economy.
Through the Strategic Review and NASA’s other performance management processes, NASA reviews recent accomplishments and near term plans for the Agency’s strategic objectives and programs. Under Strategic Objective 1.3, NASA is supporting the development of U.S. commercial space transportation capabilities to reduce the gap in launching crew and cargo from the United States. NASA selected two U.S. companies as Commercial Crew Transportation contract partners in September 2014 and both partners are making technical and programmatic progress. For example, in May 2015 Agency partner SpaceX conducted a test of their Dragon spacecraft launch escape capabilities, demonstrating the ability to save astronauts in the unlikely event of a life-threatening situation on the launch pad. A major recent accomplishment for Strategic Objective 1.3 is the completion of the first phase of certification efforts with NASA’s Commercial Crew Transportation partners. With this accomplishment, NASA successfully achieved one of NASA’s Agency Priority Goals. Over the next several years, the Agency’s critical next steps are to monitor partner progress and milestone completion, working towards full certification including a crew flight test to the International Space Station with a NASA astronaut. Specific performance measures for the next two years can be found in NASA’s FY 2016 and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plans.
The Strategic Review also addresses long-term strategic outcomes, alignment, and key management challenges for each strategic objective, as well as across NASA’s portfolio of activities. In 10 years, NASA plans that the Agency’s current efforts under Strategic Objective 1.3 will lead to the ability to utilize U.S. commercial space transportation capabilities to provide safe, reliable, and cost effective access to and from low Earth orbit and the ISS for crew and cargo. This ability is critical for NASA’s integrated space development and exploration plans, but the NASA 2015 Strategic Review noted that the Commercial Crew Program has faced a historical disconnect between requested and appropriated funding. Funding instability can force NASA to continue the Agency’s sole reliance on Russia longer for launching its astronauts to the International Space Station.
For more information, please see http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html.Highlighted achievements during FY 2015 are detailed in the FY 2015 Agency Financial Report. Additional details on the FY 2015 performance for supporting Performance Goals and Annual Performance Indicators are provided in NASA’s FY 2015 Annual Performance Report. Information on the strategies for achieving this strategic objective can be found in the 2014 NASA Strategic Plan.
Expand the space frontier.
Expand the frontiers of knowledge, capability, and opportunity in space.
Develop evolving exploration systems and capabilities.
Expand human presence into the solar system and to the surface of Mars to advance exploration, science, innovation, benefits to humanity, and international collaboration.
Over the next decades, NASA intends to erase the boundaries to human exploration of space. We want to open new frontiers beyond low Earth orbit to humankind. NASA is expanding human exploration by developing the capability to transport humans to and from deep space, enabling the exploration of other planets and asteroids within our solar system using innovative, advanced technologies.
As a starting point, exploring deep space requires the capability to transport cargo and crew beyond low Earth orbit, or farther than 2,000 kilometers beyond Earth. NASA is developing a new transportation system that includes a crew capsule, a heavy-lift launch vehicle, and supporting ground facilities and systems.
NASA is developing technologies to enable the additional capabilities that will be required the farther away from Earth we travel. These include the capabilities for in-space propulsion, in-space operations, long-duration habitation, and other systems to support humans in hostile environments. Precursor robotics, robotic missions that investigate candidate destinations and provide vital information to prepare for human explorers, will lay the groundwork for humans to achieve new milestones in deep space.
The capability to transport humans to and from deep space will leverage incremental development of exploration capabilities that seed future discoveries and innovation, and eventually lead to creation of a permanent, long-term human space presence in the solar system. Our exploration of deep space will reward us with new knowledge. While new knowledge increases our understanding of our planet, our solar system, our universe, and ourselves, Americans expect tangible benefits and applications that we can use on Earth. If the past is prologue, scientists and entrepreneurs will generate new uses for the knowledge and technology resulting from NASA’s investments in exploration systems, and this in turn will grow the U.S. economy.
FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Achieve critical milestones in development of new systems for the human exploration of deep space.
By September 30, 2015, NASA will complete the Space Launch System, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems Critical Design Reviews (CDRs), allowing the programs to continue to progress toward Exploration Mission (EM)-1 and EM-2 missions.
NASA is developing the nation’s first human deep-space exploration capability in the form of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion crew vehicle. With the supporting Exploration Ground Systems (EGS), the SLS and Orion will carry humans farther into space than ever before, and are essential for exploration of deep space, including future human exploration of Mars. Human space exploration inspires the nation to seek knowledge through scientific discovery, advancing our understanding of the universe. As the foundation of the human exploration endeavor which will drive the Space Economy, these programs are fueling the creation of new industries, job growth, and the demand for a highly skilled workforce. NASA’s human exploration portfolio will be the initial catalyst for a better life on Earth, advancing American leadership in space, and creating a path for peace, diplomacy, and global cooperation.
NASA’s first flight of the SLS with the Orion crew vehicle, the EM-1, is currently targeted for launch in FY 2018. The EM-1 is the first flight of an uncrewed mission that will orbit the Moon and return safely to Earth. The EM-1 flight will exercise multiple systems and technical approaches in preparation for a crewed mission. To successfully achieve the goal of launching EM-1 in FY 2018, the SLS launch vehicle, Orion spacecraft and EGS programs will complete several significant design reviews as well as test flight and ground hardware and software prior to launch. The successful completion of these milestones, in conjunction with the final assembly and test of the launch vehicle and spacecraft hardware at the Kennedy Space Center launch site, will enable the successful launch of the EM-1 flight. By the end of FY 2015, all three programs-SLS, Orion and EGS-will have completed their individual Critical Design Reviews (CDRs), ensuring the whole exploration system progresses toward the EM-1 flight in FY 2018.
The SLS program CDR is the culmination of the various SLS elements’ final design reviews and will be held by the end of FY 2015. The program CDR will assess the ability of the overall launch vehicle design to meet the mission requirements with acceptable risk and appropriate margins within the defined cost, schedule and technical constraints.
Similar to the SLS, the Orion program CDR will be the culmination of several more detailed reviews. Critical flight data from the Exploration Flight Test-1 mission, the first Orion test flight to be launched in 2014, will provide information to finalize the design of the Orion spacecraft. Additionally, one of the final design reviews will focus on the Service Module, which will be developed for NASA by the European Space Agency (ESA). NASA is leveraging its strong international partnership with ESA-established in the development of the International Space Station (ISS). ESA will provide the European Service Module, a critical Orion element, in support of the first integrated test flight on the SLS launch vehicle, EM-1 in FY 2018. The Orion program CDR will assess the ability of the overall spacecraft design to meet the mission requirements with acceptable risk and appropriate margins within the defined cost, schedule and technical constraints.
The Exploration Ground Systems program CDR will be the culmination of several system-level final design reviews. For example, the mobile launcher (ML), which will provide all of the necessary ground system connections and services to the SLS launch vehicle and Orion spacecraft, will complete structural modifications by the end of this goal. After the structural modifications are complete, additional modifications of the ML will continue through FY 2017. The EGS program CDR will assess the ability of the overall ground systems designs in meeting the mission requirements with acceptable risk and appropriate margins within the defined cost, schedule and technical constraints.
Fully utilize ISS.
Conduct research on the International Space Station (ISS) to enable future space exploration, facilitate a commercial space economy, and advance the fundamental biological and physical sciences for the benefit of humanity.
NASA’s contribution to society starts with scientific and technological achievement, but extends much further. We are using our resources to spur exploration as well as the new and robust commercial space market. The continued operation of the ISS is critical to achieving NASA’s and the Nation’s goals in science, technology, and human spaceflight. The ISS is the world’s only orbiting, microgravity research and development (R&D) laboratory where researchers may perform multidisciplinary research and technology development to prepare for our exploration of the solar system. Results of research projects will continue to yield benefits in areas such as human health, telemedicine, physical science, Earth observations, space science, and education programs that inspire future scientists, engineers, and space explorers. The Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), is the sole manager of the ISS National Laboratory, which is a portion of the ISS, and is working to maximize use of the ISS for research in space. The Administration’s decision to extend ISS operations until at least 2024 will allow us to maximize its potential and maintain American leadership in space.
The ISS is proving to be a catalyst for the growing commercial space enterprise, as well as a critical springboard for our future space exploration goals. NASA is buying hundreds of millions of dollars of cargo flights from new commercial launch services providers. With the collaboration of five space agencies, 15 nations, and private companies, the ISS is a model for cooperation on future human space exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit.
FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Increase utilization of the International Space Station’s internal and external research facilities.
By September 30, 2015, NASA will increase the utilization of the International Space Station internal and external research facility sites with science and technology payload hardware to 70 percent.
The continued operation of the International Space Station (ISS) is critical to achieving NASA’s and the Nation’s goals in science, technology, and human spaceflight. The ISS is a world-renowned research and development laboratory performing multidisciplinary research in science and technology benefiting humanity and enabling exploration of the universe. The ISS is also proving to be a catalyst to the growing commercial space enterprise, and is a critical springboard for our future space exploration goals.
NASA’s goal is to increase utilization of the ISS to conduct scientific research; for exploration related technology development; and to foster commercial investment in space. As an operational and multi-disciplinary research laboratory, with research coming from a wide variety of sources, it is important to characterize how the laboratory is being used and progress toward maximizing utilization of the laboratory.
FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Facilitate the development of and certify U.S. industry-based crew transportation systems while maintaining competition.
By September 30, 2015, the Commercial Crew Program will complete the first phase of certification efforts with Commercial Crew Transportation partners, and will make measurable progress toward the second certification phase with industry partners while maintaining competition.
The Commercial Crew Program is helping facilitate the development of U.S. commercial crew space transportation capabilities with the goal of achieving safe, reliable, and cost effective access to and from low Earth orbit and the International Space Station (ISS). Enabling a U.S. industry-based capability can facilitate development of a commercial market, providing new high-technology jobs and reduce the cost of human access to space. A successful commercial market will further open the frontier for space exploration.
NASA is focused on ensuring that the current phase of crew system development, the Commercial Crew integrated Capability, (CCiCap), is successful at maturing the system designs and completing initial testing. Under CCiCap, U.S. space industry partners are working to mature designs of their integrated crew transportation systems, including spacecraft, launch vehicle, ground and mission systems.
In December 2012, NASA initiated the first phase of crew transportation systems certification by awarding three Certification Products Contracts (CPC). Under CPC, commercial partners are working with NASA to develop products that meet the agency's flight safety and performance requirements and specifications. This includes certification across all aspects of the integrated system, including the spacecraft, launch vehicle, and ground and mission operations. Integrated system verification plans, hazard reports, alternate standards and certification plans are being developed to ensure safe, crewed missions to and from the space station.
The second phase of certification will begin after CPC, and will involve a full and open competition. The second phase of certification will involve final systems development, qualification and acceptance testing, orbital demonstration flights, and initial service flights of NASA crew to the International Space Station. By the end of FY 2015, measurable progress on this second phase of certification will be evidenced. Competition will be maintained.
Understand the Sun.
Understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather.
The domain of heliophysics ranges from the interior of the Sun, to the upper atmosphere and near-space environment of Earth (above 50 kilometers), and outward to a region far beyond Pluto where the Sun’s influence wanes against the forces of interstellar space. Earth and the other planets of our solar system reside in this vast extended atmosphere of the Sun, called the heliosphere, which is made of electrified and magnetized matter entwined with penetrating radiation and energetic particles. To increase our understanding of the heliopshere, we seek to answer fundamental questions about this system’s behavior: What causes the Sun to vary? How do geospace, planetary space environments, and the heliosphere respond? What are the impacts to humanity?
The emerging science of interplanetary space weather is crucial to NASA’s human and robotic exploration objectives beyond Earth’s orbit. Humans are presently confined to low Earth orbit, where the planetary magnetic field and the body of Earth itself provide substantial protection against solar storms. Eventually, though, astronauts will travel to distant places where natural shielding is considerably less. Our new long-term exploration initiatives directly rely on our ability to successfully understand, predict, and mitigate impacts of interplanetary space weather.
Understand the solar system.
Ascertain the content, origin, and evolution of the solar system and the potential for life elsewhere.
Planetary science continues to expand our knowledge of the solar system, with active missions and Earth-based research programs exploring all the way from Mercury to Pluto and beyond. We seek to answer fundamental questions: How did our solar system form and evolve? Is there life beyond Earth? What are the hazards to life on Earth?
Robotic exploration is the principal method we use to explore the solar system, and is an essential precursor to human exploration of space. Ground based observations, experiments, theoretical work, and analysis of extraterrestrial materials supplement our space-based assets. Each progression from flybys, to orbiting spacecraft, to landers and rovers, to sample return missions helps advance our understanding of the formation of planetary bodies, the chemical and physical history of the solar system, and the conditions that are capable of sustaining life. The successful Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, for example, is allowing us to explore the potential habitats for past life on Mars.
Our investment in planetary science helps us protect Earth by identifying and characterizing celestial bodies and environments that may pose threats to our planet. Further, planetary science programs add to the pool of knowledge necessary for future human exploration missions. In support of the Asteroid Grand Challenge, we will enhance our Near Earth Objects Observation program to improve the detection and characterization of potential asteroid candidates for robotic and crewed exploration.
Search for life and understand the universe.
Discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars.
NASA leads the Nation and the world on a continuing journey to answer profound questions: How does the universe work? How did we get here? Are we alone? The scope of astrophysics is truly breathtaking, ranging from the birth of the universe and the development of stars and galaxies over cosmic time, to the search for life on planets around other stars.
NASA’s astrophysics missions explore the extreme physical conditions of the universe and study the building blocks of our own existence at the most basic level: the space, time, matter, and energy that created the universe. Our telescopes have already measured the current age of the universe to be about 13.7 billion years and have uncovered remarkable new phenomena, such as the mysterious dark energy that dominates the universe. In the future, they will probe the origin and destiny of the universe, including the first moments of the Big Bang and the nature of black holes, dark energy, dark matter, and gravity.
We seek to understand the origin and evolution of the universe, as well as understand the processes for life on other planets. NASA’s observatories allow astronomers to explore the processes of formation of stars, galaxies, and planets. We have observed star formation occurring when the universe was at only a few percent its current age. The upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will allow us to uncover the mysteries of star formation at an even earlier age, as well as study in detail planets around other stars.
We are navigating a voyage of unprecedented scope and ambition: seeking to discover and study planets orbiting around other stars and to explore whether they could harbor life. NASA’s astrophysics missions, in conjunction with ground-based telescopes, have already confirmed the existence of over 2,000 extrasolar planets. Of even greater interest, we are now finding that there are many small, rocky extrasolar planets where liquid water could exist. In the future, NASA’s telescopes will continue this breathtaking journey, discovering new planets and observing signatures that could indicate possibilities for life.
FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Launch the James Webb Space Telescope.
By October 2018, NASA will launch the James Webb Space Telescope, the premier space-based observatory. To enable this launch date, NASA will complete the James Webb Space Telescope primary mirror backplane and backplane support structures and deliver them to the Goddard Space Flight Center for integration with the mirror segments by September 30, 2015.
The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) Program will produce an astronomical observatory capable of watching the universe light up after the Big Bang. It will revolutionize humankind's understanding of the Cosmos and our place in it. This observatory is key for meeting NASA's strategic objective to discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars. Webb is NASA's new telescope that will allow us to explore deeper into space and see things that even the Hubble Space Telescope cannot see. Webb's new technologies, like those developed for the backplane components, are critical to the mission's success.
The Webb observatory has a deployable, segmented primary mirror made up of 18 hexagonal mirrors. When combined into a single structure, these computer-controlled mirrors will form a single crisp image. To form these sharp images, the mirror segments must be firmly held by an extremely rigid and stable structure known as the primary mirror backplane. This backplane can be thought of as a skeleton on which we hang the mirror segments. The backplane support structure attaches to the primary mirror backplane and holds the science instrument module. The science instrument module contains the observatory's cameras and spectrographs. The backplane support structure provides a rigid and thermally stable platform to guarantee that the science instruments and telescope mirror stay in perfect alignment.
The construction of the primary mirror backplane and backplane support structure is the pacing item in the schedule for the telescope. Keeping these items on schedule is vital to keeping Webb on track for its planned October 2018 launch. From now through FY 2015, the parts of the backplane (center section, wings, backplane support fixture, and test equipment) will undergo their final phases of manufacturing and testing before being assembled into a single unit. This single unit will be delivered to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Once the completed unit is available, NASA will place the 18 mirror segments into the backplane.
Following the completion of the telescope, the Webb program will embark on the next major integration and test portion of its schedule. In 2016, the program will begin the integration of the telescope with the science instrument module (denoted as Optical Telescope plus Integrated Science instrument module: OTIS). Also in 2016, the spacecraft will begin its integration steps. In 2017, NASA will complete the OTIS testing. The spacecraft and sunshield will be integrated and tested in 2017. Finally, in 2018, the complete integration of the observatory will occur, joining the OTIS and the spacecraft in preparation for their launch in October.
Develop enabling space technologies for NASA and the nation.
Transform NASA missions and advance the Nation’s capabilities by maturing crosscutting and innovative space technologies.
NASA invests in cross-cutting, transformational space technologies that have high potential for offsetting mission risk, reducing costs, and advancing existing capabilities, which makes achieving more challenging missions possible. These technologies enable a new class of space missions; strengthen our Nation’s leadership in space-related science, technology, and industrial base; and foster a technology-based U.S. economy.
Drawing on talent from our workforce, academia, small business, and the broader space enterprise, NASA delivers innovative solutions that dramatically improve technological capabilities for our mission and the Nation. Development and infusion of these new capabilities improves the reliability of future missions and is vital to reaching new heights in space and sending American astronauts to new destinations, such as an asteroid or Mars.
Agency Priority Goals
FY 14-15: Achieve critical milestones in development of new systems for the human exploration of deep space.
FY 14-15: Increase utilization of the International Space Station’s internal and external research facilities.
FY 14-15: Facilitate the development of and certify U.S. industry-based crew transportation systems while maintaining competition.
FY 14-15: Launch the James Webb Space Telescope.
FY 14-15 Agency Priority Goal:
Facilitate the development of and certify U.S. industry-based crew transportation systems while maintaining competition.
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EducationFeaturedOdd Culture
The Impact of an Aging Population in Italy
Italy is struggling with an aging population. Not only are people living longer, but in Italy, the birth rate is staggeringly low. In 2018, Italy’s birth rate hit a record low of just 440,000 births. But what does this mean for Italians, and how will it impact day-to-day life?
Italy’s population situation
It’s important to understand Italy’s population situation before we move on to how this will affect Italians across the country. Let’s first take a look at Italy’s current population compared to neighbouring countries. We can also take a look at the current median age, as well as forecasted predictions.
Country Population (as of July 2019) Median age (2019) Projected population in 2050 Projected median age in 2050
Italy 59,210,770 46.3 55,093,194 51.4
France 65,499,891 41.4 70,608,998 44.3
United Kingdom 66,988,932 40.3 75,381,137 43.9
Germany 66,988,932 46.0 79,238,486 50.3
We can see from the above graph that, unlike France, the UK, and Germany, Italy’s population is actually set to fall between now and 2050. Alongside this, Italy’s median age rate will be higher than its neighbouring countries, with a median age of 51.4 predicted by 2050. Even Germany, with a population 24 million higher than Italy by 2050, is not expected to reach such a median age.
The situation is so dire that, without migration, Italy’s population will end the century 50 per cent lower than in 2000.
How it impacts Italy
One of the key areas in which Italy’s population crisis is taking its toll is with its stagnant economy. With more Italians leaving the country, less people moving into the country, and less births within the country, Italy’s workforce numbers are dwindling.
Along with this, a higher rate of older people within the shrinking population means more people will require healthcare, and that healthcare will need funding. This is where the effects will really trickle down to the average Italian.
Combating an ageing population
Why is it that Italy seems to be struggling so much to bring new blood into the population? It’s certainly not because women don’t want children, says The Local. It’s that Italian women do not feel they can afford, nor be supported in having, children.
It’s a catch 22 situation for Italians. A shrinking population dominated by older people means less people in the overall workforce pool. The economy struggles, companies shut down, meaning less jobs. Youth unemployment is already at 33 per cent in Italy as youngsters struggle to find work, which in turn, encourages younger adults to look abroad for opportunities. This causes the population to further shrink, and the cycle goes around again.
But encouraging Italy’s women to become mothers isn’t an easy task either. As mentioned before, it’s not that they don’t want to — it’s that they don’t feel sufficiently supported to do so. Lack of childcare options, fear of losing their jobs, and lack of affordable housing all total up to make having a child less appealing and indeed, less feasible.
This leaves Italy with the problem at hand: an older population that needs looking after. With fewer Italians and more working-age Italians heading abroad for work, around 80 per cent of professional caregivers in Italy are from abroad themselves. But coming to Italy as a foreign national is certainly not easy; Italy rejected 24,800 asylum applications from the end of 2018 to the start of 2019, and the Salvini decree is feared to cause many more migrants to turn away from Italy.
Potentially, this could cumulate in a lacking healthcare support system for Italy’s rapidly ageing population. Not only will the country’s population be decreasing and ageing, it will not be able to provide adequate care to it.
One potential way to remedy the situation in the short term would be to redefine what ‘old’ is. In Finland, as another country dealing with similar concerns as Italy in regards to an ageing population, the debate is ongoing as to whether being 65 is really ‘old’ in this day and age. Some experts argue that true old age should now start at 80, with people in their sixties falling into ‘silver economy’ still able to contribute to the workplace and be active.
Acorn Stairlifts Italy
The Impact of an Aging Population in Italy was last modified: September 5th, 2019 by Chris Valentine
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Home › Business › AirBnB Property Manager Files Constitutional Challenge To Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Licensing Regime
AirBnB Property Manager Files Constitutional Challenge To Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Licensing Regime
By Karl Dickey on July 18, 2017
Sally Ladd has always had a knack for technology. So as she started to near retirement a few years ago, she saw an opportunity to make some extra money by starting her own business helping fellow Pocono Mountain property owners list and manage their vacation rentals on websites like AirBnB and others. After three years of building her business, it all came to an abrupt end when the Pennsylvania Department of State informed her she was under investigation for allegedly operating an unlicensed real estate brokerage.
Sally Ladd (Photo Credit: Institute for Justice)
Rather than risk fines or jail time, Ladd shut down—but she’s not giving up. Today, July 18, 2017, Ladd has teamed up with the Institute for Justice—a national public interest law firm—to file a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission arguing the law requiring that she obtain a real estate broker’s license in order to manage vacation rental property—two entirely distinct occupations—violates her constitutional right to earn an honest living.
Under Pennsylvania’s protectionist law, merely clicking an AirBnB submit button on behalf of someone else is illegal. Anyone who wants to help a property owner list a rental online or manage the rental process has to be a state-licensed real estate broker. To obtain that license, Ladd would first have to become a licensed real estate salesperson, which would require taking 60 hours of approved instruction and passing an exam. She would then have to spend three years working as an apprentice under an established broker, take another 240 hours of approved instruction, and pass a second exam before her broker’s license would finally be issued. To top it all off, Ladd would have to open her own brick-and-mortar office in Pennsylvania before—at long last—she could help her first client.
But Ladd wasn’t operating a real estate brokerage. Ladd, who lives in New Jersey and owns two rental properties of her own in the Poconos, helps her clients market their homes, post them online and rent them out to short-term vacationers. Fueled by the rise of the sharing economy in recent years, she built up a small portfolio of happy clients working mostly on her laptop from the comfort of her own home.
“Pennsylvania’s real estate laws do little to help vacation renters, and serve only to preserve brokers’ lucrative monopoly,” says Josh Windham, an attorney at the Institute for Justice, which represents Ladd. “Sally does nothing that resembles operating a full-scale real estate brokerage, but treating her like a broker has forced her out of business. That’s unconstitutional. Pennsylvania courts have decades of precedent protecting the constitutional right to earn an honest living, and Sally’s case gives them the opportunity to carry that tradition forward into the age of the sharing economy. We’re confident that they’ll do just that.”
“I didn’t understand why they would want me to get a broker’s license,” says Ladd. “I don’t have any interest in selling houses, and don’t see why I should have to spend three years working for somebody who does, just to keep managing vacation rentals.”
Ladd’s instinct is completely right. Requiring her to obtain a Pennsylvania real estate broker license does nothing to protect the public from harm. What it does do, however, is protect established brokers from honest competition by giving them a stranglehold on the entire industry—including the emerging short-term vacation rental market.
But economic protectionism has real-world consequences. Ladd loved property management, and at 61 years old, she was hoping to rely on it as a source of stable, home-based income into her golden years. Instead, made to choose between obtaining an onerous license she didn’t need and breaking the law by continuing to manage vacation properties, Ladd felt forced to shut down her business. That’s a choice that no one should have to make.
Fortunately, the Pennsylvania Constitution protects Sally’s basic right to earn an honest living free from the arbitrary and protectionist legislation: laws restricting that right must bear a “real and substantial” relationship to a legitimate government end, and may not impose an “undue burden” on the freedom to pursue a chosen occupation. Because Pennsylvania’s real estate license fails on both fronts when applied to Ladd’s work as a vacation property manager, this case asks Pennsylvania courts to protect her from having to comply with that burdensome and unconstitutional regime.
“What’s happening to Sally is part of a nationwide explosion of occupational licensing laws,” said IJ Senior Attorney Paul Sherman. “Fifty years ago, only five percent of American workers needed a license from the government to work in their chosen occupation, but today that number is nearly 25 percent, and it’s growing.
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Categories: Business, Government, Leisure, Politics, Real Estate, Travel
Tags: AirBnB, Institute for Justice, Pennsylvania, Real Estate, Sally Ladd
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Penal Abolitionism and Criminal Law Minimalism: Here and There, Now and Then
Harvard Law Review Forum, Vol. 134, Forthcoming
30 Pages Posted: 24 Aug 2020 Last revised: 6 Oct 2020
See all articles by Maximo Langer
Maximo Langer
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - School of Law
This paper makes three contributions to debates about penal abolitionism and criminal law minimalism in the United States and elsewhere.
First, it explains the origins and contours of European and Latin American penal abolitionism and compares it to penal abolitionism in the United States. In this context, the paper explains that European and Latin American penal abolitionism in the 1970s, 1980s and the early 1990s, was in conversation with and part of a broader set of critical ideas to humanize and reduce the scope of the penal system — that included critical criminology and “criminal law minimalism.” Criminal law minimalism states that the penal system still has a role to play in society, but a substantially reduced, re-imagined and redesigned role than the one it has played in the United States.
This article’s second set of contributions consist of articulating three of the most important challenges for penal abolitionism. The first challenge has to do with harmful behavior. These types of harms do not always or necessarily require police intervention, prison or punishment responses from society. But fully discarding police intervention, prison or other potential punishments as a possible response to these situations — as penal abolitionists who advocate for “abolishing the police”, “a society without prisons” or “a society without punishment” do — can itself be unfair and inhumane, deprive the weak of protection against the powerful, harm the communities and individuals affected by these situations (including communities of color), and enable more of these harmful situations in the future.
Another challenge for penal abolitionists is that even assuming that police and prisons could one day be abolished, power relations and regimes could not. Every society has to structure power relations and regimes somehow. Since the range of possible power relations and regimes is endless, the question is which power relations and regimes are more just than other alternatives. In this regard, it is not clear to me that any of the many possible variations of societies without any prisons — including the ones suggested by various penal abolitionists — would necessarily be more just than a set of societies that would still give to law enforcement, prisons or other forms of punishment a role in addressing harmful behavior.
Another challenge for prison or penal abolitionists is that, for reasons discussed, it is not clear that a fair society would be a society without punishment.
These challenges explain why, despite sharing the goal of eliminating inhumane, unnecessary, unfair and discriminatory penal laws and practices, I would consider myself closer to “criminal law minimalism”, rather than to penal abolitionism.
This piece’s final set of contributions will be discussing the notion of “abolition constitutionalism” that constitutes main, original and important contribution Prof. Roberts makes in "Abolition Constitutionalism, 122 HARV. LAW REV. 1 (2019). After explaining the rich potential of this concept and why I agree with its critique of Flowers v. Mississippi and the Batson doctrine, I will articulate the concept of minimal criminal law constitutionalism and make three points that put it in conversation with abolition constitutionalism. First, Prof. Roberts’ critique of Flowers v. Mississippi is consistent with both abolition constitutionalism and minimal criminal law constitutionalism and could be powerfully applied to other doctrines besides jury selection such as prosecutorial discretion and plea bargaining — doctrines that arguably affect many more cases subjected to the penal system than jury selection regulations. Second, I will suggest that a strong and renewed principle of criminal law as “ultima ratio” or last resort — which has not been considered a constitutional principle in the United States but is well-known in other legal systems — should be part of minimal criminal law constitutionalism and could supplement the strong anti-subordination principle that animates Prof. Roberts’ analysis. Finally, I will suggest that if implementing penal abolitionism’s and minimalist criminal law’s visions would demand not only a substantial reduction of incarceration and an elimination of arbitrary, discriminatory and violent policing, prisons and punishment, but also a more just society, “abolition constitutionalism” and “minimalist criminal law constitutionalism” would require a constitution and a social pact that include, among others, the right to education, health care, food, work and economic safety, housing, and a healthy environment. Various constitutions around the world have included these rights.
Keywords: Criminal Law Minimalism, Penal Abolition, Prison Abolition, Police Abolition, Prison, Punishment, Police, Comparative Law, Comparative Criminal Justice
Langer, Maximo, Penal Abolitionism and Criminal Law Minimalism: Here and There, Now and Then (August 14, 2020). Harvard Law Review Forum, Vol. 134, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3674183
Maximo Langer (Contact Author)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - School of Law ( email )
385 Charles E. Young Dr. East
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Longform articles and things of import
GQ: A Most American Terrorist: The Making of Dylann Roof by RACHEL KAADZI GHANSAH
The New Yorker: How To Be Good by Larissa MacFarquhar
An Oxford philosopher thinks he can distill all morality into a formula. Is he right?
Posted in Relevance
Runner Up – Right Now short story competition
I have come runner up in a human rights short story competition with my piece Short Story Ideas About Violence, After Doris Lessing
The comp was judged by Anna Funder and Tony Birch.
I am linking to the story on the Right Now website, as you should take the time to check out all the other wonderful pieces that were in the shortlist.
The anthology Poetic Justice, where the story will be included, is launching during the Emerging Writers Festival on May 29.
About the piece – it originally started out as a writing exercise that I did to reflect a sequence late in Lessing’s The Golden Notebook, a novel that you can read in full here, where she writes a number of ideas for short stories and novels down that all reflect her burgeoning breakdown. I sent it into this competition because, quite obviously, it is about the myriad ways violence is inflicted on people, and the long term effects that result. I am so glad it made an impact.
It’s only rereading it now that I see maybe, when writing it, I was also influenced by Roberto Bolano’s 2666, and the incredibly disturbing events that are, for want of a better word, reported, in the sequence set in Santa Teresa. It took a good deal of time to understand what Bolano was trying to do in this lengthy sequence. On the face of it it could appear lurid, with an endless string of gruesome deaths described one after the other. It’s only when you’re midway through this section that the deaths begin to compact into each other, and you understand how we make ourselves desensitised to suffering, because in the moment, there is nothing else to be done.
Often when talking about human rights issues I come across people saying things like “At the end of the day” and “I’m just going to play Devil’s Advocate here”. What I want them to think about, and what I hope I know, is when it comes to the complexities of human existence, things cannot be summarised in a tight bow. To borrow a phrase, if things can be explained, then they can be explained away.
Posted in Sidenotes
Tagged fiction
Asher Treleaven
Asher Treleaven wont tell me about the lobster dance, but then again he’s barely had breakfast. I catch him on the phone in Adelaide on what he promises are his final mouthfuls, and dutifully call back a few minutes later. I tell him not to worry, I’m not going to work the questions too hard. “That’s good because I am an idiot. For a while there I was talking into a brick, instead of my phone when it rang.”
The critically acclaimed comedian who is known for his keen blend of smart political satire and ridiculous physical comedy is back for his seventh comedy festival, and this time his show, Smaller Poorer Weaker Cheaper, approaches his subject, fear and the economy, a little differently. “I set out to write a show about how rich people being arseholes is bad for the economy. When I finished writing the show I talked to my wife… she said ‘That sounds like a shit idea, can you please just write a fucking show that is you, rather than pretending to be this kind of activist, left wing intellectual browbeating comedian telling people how the world is when you’re really not like that at all.’ And I said, ‘Tell me more.’ and then she gave me the most serious dressing down have ever had in my life as a comedian, and I have had some savage reviews from some absolute pricks. So I started again.” With the aid of this editorial savagery, Treleavan has transformed the show into something that is “About a man desperately trying to convince an audience, any audience, that you can do a good show while everything falls to shit around you throughout the day.”
With Treleaven’s distinctive, energetic style, combining wit and physical comedy, it’s hard to fault an evening spent at his mercy. Although his comedy has always been centred around the physical and the silly, his political force has been a fixed aspect of his work. “Politics are part of me and part of my personality. It’s about picking the political things I talk about, rather than letting the new social media wash over me… You just get bombarded by all this shit to be angry about all the time…. it can be difficult sometimes to not only, I guess, pick the topics, that matter to you, but also to pick topics politically that you are educated enough to approach in a fresh way.”
This sort of talk is definitely refreshing. “You hear so many comedians going ‘blah blah blah gay marriage’ and you’re like, you’re not part of the community, you don’t give a fuck about this, you’re just saying it to get kind of like, a clap… I’m as angry about things as anyone else, but just because I’m angry about the wrongful incarceration about refugees on Manus Island, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I have the intellegence, the research and the comedy chutzpah to go on stage and talk about it as a white middle class vanilla fucking pedestrian guy.” Wise words, but what becomes most apparent about this chat is the special event that is in store for his audiences. He says, “Why don’t you ask me about my big lobster dance finisher?” I’m not one to disappoint. Please, can he tell me about this lobster dance I’ve heard so much about? “Oh come on it’s a secret, I mean you’ve gotta see the show, then you’ll get the lobster dance at the end of the show, I can’t tell you about the lobster dance now.” It’s more something you have to experience for yourself? “It really is.”
Venue: Gin Palace – The Swamp. 10 Russell Place, Melbourne
Dates & Times 27 Mar – 20 Apr 9.30pm
Tickets: $28 & $25
Bookings: http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/smaller-poorer-weaker-cheaper-asher-treleaven
Published as part of the Beat – Melbourne Comedy Festival Lift Out
Marty Putz, The Very Weird and Slightly Dangerous
Canadian comedian Marty Putz returns to the Melbourne Comedy Festival after a ten year sortie into producing and writing television. His show, The Very Weird and Slightly Dangerous is an all ages affair, but it still retains its edge, “I think we all like that rush of something that tends to make you feel just a little dangerous, whether it’s the first time we get on a bike, or the first time we ride a skateboard. For me my hero was Evel Knievel growing up, so a lot of the dangerous elements I kind of see myself that way a little bit, and the weird, I’ve always loved weird things, I’ve always loved magic… magic was always weird to me. I loved the sideshow freaks at circuses and quirky inventors and anything that was slightly odd.”
The Comedy Festival loves its family-friendly comedy as a way of getting laughs to as many people as possible. “I like to call the evening shows ‘Simpsons-friendly’… there’s a little bit of edge that would go over the heads of kids, for the adults, there’s a lot actually, and the afternoon show is really geared towards, you know, full-on family and kids.” These afternoon sessions will be concentrated over the school holidays, so that everyone can witness the gadgets and inventions Putz is going to bring to his comedic visual weirdness.
Comedy came to Putz as, literally, an accident. “I loved magic as a kid, and I was a really bad magician… I had things go horribly wrong, like I dropped the rabbit… and people laughed, and rather than be upset about it I kind of just fed off it and proceeded to muck everything else up purposely, and that’s when I heard the laughter, that was it.” These early days have grown into full-blown spectacular, with flying hamsters, exploding suits, weird inventions and huge marshmallow fights making up the show.
“We’re locked away in a secret location where right now I’m working on all the pneumatic fittings to try and get some of this stuff going. I’m excited to go into the Spiegeltent, and I think it lends itself to my show because it’s kind of a new vaudeville vibe to it… and I think there’s this great sense of ‘What happens in the tent stays in the tent’.” His enthusiasm beyond the Spiegeltent, for touring Australia and New Zealand is palpable. “I love this part of the world, everything about it… there’s a nice sense of reckless opportunity here as a performer. I find Australian audiences welcome strange and creative people who are willing to step on the edge to try something different… it’s just fantastic.” And his love of Australian and New Zealand performers is just as enthusiastic.
“I haven’t really sat down to decide what I want to see, but I remember Fleety, Greg Fleet I always enjoy. I pretty much want to see anyone that’s not North American just to get a taste and a flavour of what’s going on in this part of the world. And the Umbilical Brothers are great, and I always loved loved loved Lano and Woodley, and I know each of them has a show going now too so I sure would love to see both of them. They were fantastic.”
Venue: The Famous Spiegeltent at Federation Square
Dates: 27 March – 6 April (not Mondays) at 7pm (Sun 6pm), 8 April – 19 April (not Mon, Fri & Sun) at 2.30pm (Sat 5.30pm) Previews 27 Mar – 30 Mar
Bookings:http://www.comedyfestival.com.au
Stephen K Amos
Stephen K Amos is a charming, much-loved veteran of the Melbourne Comedy Festival. He is currently in Adelaide before moving on to Brisbane and then Melbourne for his, what number Comedy Festival in Melbourne? “Do you know what, I can’t, honestly, genuinely remember. When I first came out to Australia many years ago, maybe it was nine years ago, I never dreamt, in my wildest dreams that I would still be here, in 2014, doing another show… in Adelaide it’s raining, very unusually, I’ve been here for a week, and it’s just been the most amazing long weekend ever, with Womadelaide, the Future Festival, the Fringe Festival, the Festival Festival, it’s all happening.”
For his show this year, What does the K stand for? Amos is concentrating on his personal stories, and how they relate to the universal. “I’ve called it ‘What does the K Stand for?’ because that is the one question, bar any, that I’m asked of, and everywhere I go, be it an interview or someone on the street it’s ‘What does the K stand for?’ and it got to the point where I was thinking ‘What are the other questions people never ask each other, as human beings?’ And I’m sure we’ve all got a question that people keep asking us, whether you’ve got a funny sounding name or maybe you’ve mole on your face, but people don’t normally ask about your sexuality, or religious or political beliefs. You know there’s certain questions that you don’t even broach, you know those dinner party conversation killers? So I’m just having a light-hearted look at all the questions that should have been asked.”
But when I ask what that letter K does stand for, Amos is coy. “If I tell you that then the end of the show will be a bit of a giveaway.” For him, this is where the heart of his show comes from, “I propose the idea that it could be anything.”
Amos has just wound up his last tour two weeks ago, and is about to start work on a sitcom.”This is something I’ve written and it’s all about my kind of formative years growing up in South London, a child of immigrant parents, so it’s quite an interesting time, and also I’m thinking of doing a three month tour in America, after I’ve finished here in Australia.”
He’s looking forward to seeing his fellow comedians from the UK, but he’s also enthusiastic about the Australian comedy scene. “I’m looking forward to seeing Sarah Kendall, a Melbourne lady who has done some very good stuff in the past, and also there’s some very good news for one of the comedy festival galas, I’m not quite sure if I’m allowed to say anything about it at this moment.”
That is something to look forward to, but he’s not to be distracted from encouraging local talent. “All I would say is that I’m very grateful that the Australian audiences, be it Melbourne, Brisbane, or Adelaide, come out and support what I do, but I also think that it’s very important that, you know, you also seek out your local talent. There’s a lot of people coming through the Australian comedy scene that are making waves around the world, so check out people you’ve never heard of, but yeah come and watch me too, you’re guaranteed a laugh.” The other thing that he’s looking forward to is in Adelaide, “I can’t wait for the closing party here, it’s going to be full on.” Have you got any goals, goals for the party? “Maybe to wake up under a table somewhere that isn’t my hotel? It’s a good goal isn’t it?”
Venue: Athenaeum Theatre
Dates: 27 March – 20 April (not Mondays), Previews 27 & 28 March
Tickets: $36.00 – $45.00
Times: 19:20 [Sun 18:20]
Published as part of the Beat – Melbourne Comedy Festival Lift Out Guide
The Boy With Tape On His Face has gone from strength to strength since his breakout Edinburgh Fringe season four years ago. The New Zealand comic, real name Sam Wills, uses a blend of whimsical visuals, prop gags, and puppetry, along with gentle audience participation to charm his audience. Wills tells me more about his character and his brand new show, which he is currently performing in Adelaide.
“The Boy With The Tape On His Face was a character I developed seven years go. I used to do sort of normal stand up comedy back in New Zealand until I got bored of my own voice and bored of doing the same sorts of tricks and stuff, so I set myself a goal to develop something which had no talking and no tricks, and I wanted to find a way to get the audience to entertain themselves, so the character came from that.” The clincher, though, which created his namesake, came more out of necessity than anything else. “On the first night of the show, I went onstage − and I didn’t have tape originally − I went onstage and ruined it within the first couple of minutes by talking to the audience, out of a general panic of being way out of my comfort zone. And so the next night I was backstage joking with some other comics, and a roll of gaffer tape was around, and one suggestion turned into now a career.”
When talking about influences and how he builds his character, like his show, Wills draws a little bit from everywhere, including his main inspiration, Wile E Coyote. “I love that concept where you can phone in and you get this delivery and it’s this crazy invention. And for me I take that to junk shops − there’s a shop here in Adelaide called the Reject Shop, which is very good, you know the shops that carry bric-a-brac, multivitamins, clothing, hardware, I love them because you can find everyday objects that everyone knows, and for me it’s a challenge just to take that object and make it into something else that people aren’t expecting, and match it with a perfect song to create a whole new thing with it, which is really fun.” Which means he’s over the moon when I tell him we have a Reject Shop in Melbourne. When I mention Arthur Daley’s Clearance House he knows all about it, “Oh I know that one, I remember that one from five years ago and it was freakin’ amazing!”
It’s time to clear up peoples’ fears about the audience participation element of his show, something that could wrongly send punters running. “It’s the nice sort − this is the other thing I’m trying to do one audience at a time is change the perception of audience participation, cause when you say that everyone freaks out… people who have done audience participation have been doing it wrong, where they tend to humiliate the one person onstage… whenever I get someone up on stage I want to celebrate them being there and that they helped out with the show, so that when they leave, they’re leaving the stage a hero! And it’s reached the point now where people are actually wanting to be on stage which is very strange.”
It seems like audiences can expect a thoroughly positive and hilarious experience from The Boy With Tape On His Face. “The last time I was in Melbourne was five years ago at the comedy festival, and that was my first show so the show that’s happening this time is never-before-seen in Melbourne, it’s 100 percent new material… it’s good fun.”
Venue: The Forum, Upstairs – 154 Flinders St, Melbourne
Dates: 27 March – 20 April (not Mondays), Previews 27 – 30 March
Tickets: Thu/Sun Full $30, Conc $25, Tue/Wed All Tix $25, Fri/Sat All Tix $30
Times: 7:30pm Tue-Sat, 6:30pm Sun
Bookings:www.comedyfestival.com.au, www.ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 660 013
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pleistoscenery
July 30, 2013 by rockasaur
Taxonomy: This Will Be on the Final
Taxonomy –
Today we have to go deep into the weeds, to understand the first of several scientific concepts that are going to be necessary to understanding the Pleistocene ecosystem.
That scientific concept is taxonomy, a system for sorting and classifying things, such as animals.
The issue, I suppose, is how to we organize our views of nature. We see that there is physical resemblance between cats and lions, or tigers. What, if any, is the relationship between them? Between a horse and a rhinoceros? A dragonfly and a bee?
Once you starting thinking about evolution, about one species evolving out of another, then you naturally start considering the relationships between the various species, and groups of species.
Taxonomy is one way to approach that organizational impulse, one way to attempt to delineate the relationship between various animals and between various types of animals.
Taxonomy means “the grouping or categorizing of things into an outline or tree structure.”[1] It’s used for all kinds of biological sciences. There are several kinds or systems of taxonomy, but the two best known are “scientific classification,” which grew out of, and is derived from Linnaean taxonomy, and “cladistics.”
Today we’re going to take up scientific classification. We’ll save cladistics for another time.
First an overview, then on to the details.
Every animal (we’re not going to consider plants right now) can be identified, or labeled, as it were, within the system of scientific classification. There are seven levels which range from the most narrow, specific category – species; to the most broad – (animal) kingdom. Every animal is assigned to some label at each of the seven levels.
Starting with the broadest category, and going to the most specific, the categories are: Kingdom
It’s a hierarchy. Species is the most specific category; Kingdom the most general.
This system of taxonomy is a way of evaluating diversity of animals through time. That is, if you go all the way back to the very beginning, there was the first member of the animal kingdom – probably a blob of protoplasm. From there, it divided, and evolved and over eons and millions of years, different types of animals arose. Taxonomy is a system for sorting through those different types of animals, in order to see their relationship with one another. And the hierarchical system is sort of a time machine. Species is the last, most recent type of a given animal; genus is the name for a group of closely related animals that evolved from a common ancestor; family is older and earlier still.
Say you’ve got a cat, an ordinary house cat. That cat would be identified, taxonomically as
Species: F. catus
Taxonomy, then, is a way of organizing our thinking about how animals relate to one another. As we will see, however, these categories – Family, Class, Phylum, etc. are imprecise, and imperfect. For example, when we talk about what is a species, down below, you’ll see that while there is a general idea of what a species is, there are also exceptions to the rule, and cases where the label is useful, but not strictly accurate. Still this taxonomic system has been a useful tool for decades, so it’s worth taking a look at.
So, lets’ start at the bottom, at a level even below species – “Breed.”
What is a breed? A breed is a type within a species. Dogs are the easiest to use as examples. There are lots of breeds of dogs, right? Pomeranians to Great Danes. Each breed had been developed to have certain consistent characteristics – shape, type of fur, behavior. And when mated with another of the same breed, the offspring will have those same characteristics, too. Animals of the same breed demonstrate homogenous behavior, and have a homogenous appearance – but only within the breed. That is why all standard poodles look and act so poodle-y, and not at all like bulldogs.
But breeds are (a) only applicable to domesticated animals; and (b) are still the same species of animals. All dogs, whatever their breed, are still dogs. That means that they are still the same species; and capable of mating with any other dog, and having viable, fertile offspring. That is where mutts come from.
So “breed” is a concept of types of domesticated animals within a single species.
Species.
A species is a group of animals which can interbreed with another animal of the same type, and have fertile offspring. For the most part, an animal of one species cannot, and probably will not, mate with an animals of a different species. And animals of one species cannot produce fertile offspring with animals of another species. Thus, for example, porcupines mate only with other porcupines, and have baby porcupines, called, by the way, “porcupets.” Really. And crows mate with crows.
Crows don’t mate with porcupines, or with seagulls, for that matter; and porcupines don’t mate with skunks. So, in very broad general terms, these concepts underlying the term species, work fairly well.
But there are exceptions to this rule, or, more specifically, cases where the term species doesn’t have the neat classical boundaries associated with the concept of speciation.
First, occasionally animals of different species do breed with one another, even though they “shouldn’t.” Recently a grizzly bear-polar bear hybrid was shot and killed in northern Canada. And even though they’re different species, horses can and do mate with asses, and produce offspring. So, since people knew that (sometimes, some) different species could nonetheless interbreed, the idea of species was modified to incorporate the idea that even if different species interbred – say a horse and an ass – the offspring would be sterile. So another test of defining a species was whether its offspring were fertile. As long as the offspring – the jackass – was sterile, the concept of species was okay.
But even that caveat is not watertight. Although wolves and coyotes are considered to be different species, they do mate and reproduce, and have fertile offspring. And lions don’t normally breed with tigers. But they can, and can produce hybrid offspring: Ligers or tigons. Now, in fact, this doesn’t happen outside of zoos (partly because outside of one small area in India, the ranges of lions and tigers don’t overlap; and partly because lions and tigers preferentially seek out their own kind to mate with). But sometimes, rarely, hybrid offspring –ligons, say –are fertile.
These situations – fertile wolf-coyote hybrids; fertile ligers seem to cause the clean definition of species to break down.
Moreover, it is not always easy to know whether a given animal fits within an already defined species, or should be assigned to a new species. This can be particularly difficult given the normal variation of animals within a given species – regional differences in coloration, for example. Likewise, the line between two closely related species can sometimes be blurry.
So the notion of a species is neither perfectly clear, nor perfectly simple. Species is a concept that kind of works, but has lots of holes.
And yet – the idea does work, pretty well. We can tell a robin from a blue jay, a skunk from a badger, an Indian elephant from an African elephant.
So while the idea of species isn’t perfect, it’s what we’ve got. It means the same kind of animals, breeding only with the same kind of animal, and producing viable, fertile offspring. Crows mate with crows, and have baby crows. Same thing with porcupines, or killer whales.
Moving up the hierarchy, we come to “genus.”[2]
Genus comes into play when you see animals that are kind of like one another, but different, too. Different kinds of giraffes, say, or seagulls. They all look kind of similar, but there are enough differences so that it’s clear that they’re not the same.
That’s where genus comes in.
A genus is a group of closely related, quite similar species of animals. So, for example, a house cat, is in the genus felis, together with other, small, closely related species of cats, such as the jungle cat, the black-footed cat, and the sand cat.[3] There are lots of animals which have a common name, even though they may fall within different species. So we might say, “oh look, there’s a sparrow,” even though there are a number of different species of sparrow.[4] We’d say, “watch out – There’s a skunk,” even though there are different species of skunks. So we use the name “sparrow” or “skunk” generically. And that, kind of, is the concept of genus.
Oh hey – a skunk!
They all look pretty similar, and its not too hard to imagine that they all shared a common ancestor not too long ago. So they’re different species; live in different habitats; have different habits, maybe; and don’t interbreed with one another. But they’re close.
An inherent notion here, although it’s oversimplified, is that members of the same genus evolved from a common ancestor, not so long ago. That is, as we will see below, members of the same family may have evolved from a common ancestor, too, but the various family members diverged from that common ancestor earlier, before the members of a genus diverged from each other to make new species.
But then, what about similar animals, which are nonetheless still a little more different? A leopard, say, compared to your house cat. They’re both clearly cats, right? And yet, different size, different habitats, different behaviors. Leopards are in a different genus: panthera, along with the lion, tiger, and jaguar. And what about the puma, also called the cougar or mountain lion, you might well ask? Nope, neither felis, nor panthera, but its own genus (along with the jaguarundi) – puma.
The Lynx and the Bobcat are in the genus lynx.
This is where the next level of taxonomical sorting comes in – the “Family.”
This is the level for clustering animals that are somewhat similar, but also quite different from one another. The idea is that they have all descended from some earlier ancestor, and there are still some anatomic similarities in their skeletal structures, but over long periods of time have adapted to very different conditions, have developed different features, and in short, are not as closely related to each other as members of the same genus are. A family is a cluster of genera.
So even though house cats are in a different genus than leopards, they’re all still in the same family – felidae.
yeah, so this shouldn’t happen.
And if you think of clumping related groups (genera) together, it makes sense. Of course all cats – from house cats to lions – belong in the cat family. Dogs, wolves and foxes – sure, lump ‘em all into the dog family. Bears are bears. All tapirs are in the tapir family.
The level, moving up, is “Order.”
This is where animals that are still more distantly related to one another are clustered, based on some similarities.
An order is a group or cluster of families. For example, the order Carnivora, includes the cats (from lions and tigers on down); dogs (and wolves and foxes); bears (all of them); hyenas; minks; raccoons; civets; and pandas; walruses and seals. The word Carnivore – meat-eater – is the basis for this order.
The idea, apparently, is that these types of animals, while certainly different, nonetheless have some things in common, derived from a common ancestor long, long ago; so that scientists can lump them together. In the order carnivora, for example, these are all predators, meat-eaters.
But right away, you can see the problem: Some of the animals on here – pandas, for example – are in this order, but they almost exclusively vegetarian, subsisting mostly on bamboo. And some mammals which are carnivorous – orcas, for example – are not in this order. So, what gives?
There are a couple answers to this question:
It’s not a very good system. And, in fact, there are lots of differing approaches to how best sort and organize animals in relation to one another.
It is based on organizational underpinnings from the past, when it was the only system of organizing.
It depends on what any given taxonomist says, although some conventions are so well –established that they aren’t going to change. (But that’s not always true for newly discovered animals).
There are underlying anatomic similarities between the families of animals which comprise an order, so that it seems reasonable to lump them together. For example, the horse family, the rhinoceros family and the tapir family are lumped together in the order Perissodactyla, because they have an odd number of toes on each foot (one or three; and remember, horses evolved from earlier species that had more than one toe, per foot). So, even thought they are otherwise dissimilar, horses, rhinos and tapirs have this foot anatomy in common, and so are lumped together.
And the teeth and skeletal structure of pandas are so like that of bears that they seem to fit in here, even if they have evolved to have a different diet.
And killer whales’ anatomy is so different that even though they have evolved to eat meat, too, they don’t fit here.
There are lots of orders, just within the class of mammals:
• Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates: antelope, deer, camels, pigs, cows, sheep, hippos, etc.)
• Order Carnivora (carnivores: cats, bears [like the panda, polar bear, grizzly, etc.], weasels, pinnipeds, etc.)
• Order Cetacea (whales, dolphins)
• Order Chiroptera (bats)
• Order Insectivora (insect-eaters: hedgehogs, moles, shrews)
• Order Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, pikas)
• Order Macroscelidea (elephant shrews)
• Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates: horses, rhinos, tapirs)
• Order Pholidota (the pangolin)
• Order Primates (apes, monkeys, lemurs, people)
• Order Proboscidea (elephants, mammoths, mastodonts, etc.)
• Order Rodentia (rodents: rats, mice, squirrels, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
• Order Sirenia (sea cows, manatees)
• Order Tubulidentata (aardvarks)
• Order Edentata [also called Xenarthra] (sloths, armadillos)
• Order Hyracoidea (hyraxes)
And these are just the orders for placental mammals.[5] There are orders for birds, reptiles, insects, fish and amphibians, too. Many, many orders.
“Class” is the taxonomic level where big differences, and these vast numbers of species, genera, families and orders are simplified. What I mean is that there are (or were, under traditional systems of scientific classification) only seven classes, in which to sort any given animal. They are:
Class Agnatha (jawless fishes)
Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes)
Class Osteichthyes (bony fishes)
Class Amphibia (amphibians)
Class Reptilia(reptiles)
Class Aves (birds)
Class Mammalia(mammals)
Now, obviously, before assigning an animal to one of these classes, you’d need to know the definition of each class. What exactly is an amphibian, or a mammal? But – once you have those definitions, you can match your animal up to the list, and see which one of these seven classes it belongs to. Here, we don’t care which species, or genus, or order the animal is – we’re just sorting it into one of these big classes.
We can spend endless amounts of time worrying out the precise, persnickety definitions of each class, but screw it – we’ve got better things to do. So let’s not waste time. Here’s the quick and dirty:
If it’s a fish and it has bones – Osteichthyes
If it’s a shark – Chondrichthyes
Frogs, toads, salamanders – Amphibia
Feathers – Aves (Birds)
Snakes, lizards, crocs, gators – Reptilia
Fur, milk – mammalia – Mammals.
If it’s a fish and it has no jaw, it’s gross and disgusting – Throw it back and get out of there.
Omigod! Omigod! That’s a freakin’ jawless fish! Run!
But again, the beauty of this system is that we are still sorting based on common characteristics. There are lots of different types of fish, but here, we put them all into the same class, so long as they have bones. Same thing with mammals or birds.
Okay, onto “Phylum.”
Phylum, the level of classification below Kingdom, is simultaneously easy, and devilishly difficult to pin down. There is a lot of disagreement about just what, exactly, phylum means, and how many phyla there are. We, however, are going to take the simple, straightforward route to understanding phylum. For our purposes, it is a system of classifying animals based on common bodily attributes, and to make it even easier, there are only two phyla we need to be concerned with, here at Pleistoscenery: Insects, and everything else.
Insects are in the phylum arthropoda –they have segmented legs, and exoskeletons.
Everything else, for our purposes, means all the fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
And what makes all those different kinds of animals – fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals – fit into the same phylum? Answer: They all have spinal cords. And, indeed, the phylum is called chordata – animals with central nervous systems, and spinal cords.
Overall there are something like 35 phyla. But the reason we’re going to skip them is because they mostly consist of various types of mollusks and worms. And, really, who cares?
The final level in this hierarchy is “Kingdom.”
“Kingdom,” although it seems easy, isn’t quite as simple as you might think. Sure, it’s easy enough to place a cat in the animal kingdom, instead of the plant kingdom, but what about bacteria? Fungi? Where do they fit?
Answer: They fit into their own kingdoms, but guess what? We’re going to ignore them.
All you need to know is that every fish, reptile, amphibian, bird, insect and mammal fits into the animal kingdom: Animalia.
This system is far from perfect. It’s based, to a large extent on what a given taxonomist thinks is the best place to assign an animal. Some of these scientists are splitters – they think each animals should be in its own genus, and its own species. [6] Others are lumpers – they tend to lump lots of animals into the same genus, the same family, even the same species.
And this process of deciding where taxonomically, an animals fits is even more difficult when it comes to paleontology, when all you’re working with is a partial animal skeleton, in a poor state of preservation. Or when you only have one or two skeletons – total – to base the decision on.
But the fundamental idea makes sense – new species arise out of older ones, evolving and adapting to changes in the environment. New anatomic adaptations, new appearances, new behaviors emerge, but they do not simply spring into being – they grow out their earlier ancestors. So by studying the anatomy and behavior of animals, scientists are able to make informed judgments about the (a) evolution of different species; and (b) the relationships between various species.
Is this system perfect? Absolutely not. But it is a useful tool to understand (or to try to understand) the network of life around us.
Okay – we’ve studied taxonomy. You tell me what this is:
[1]http://lib.colostate.edu/wildlife/taxonomy.html
[2] The plural of genus is genera.
[3] By the way, do yourself a favor and look up the black-footed cat. Adorable.
[4] In fact, it gets even more confusing, because there are many different genera of sparrows. So any given sparrow is a member of a species, is in a genus, and in a family. Thus, the name “sparrow,” doesn’t identify the bird too strictly – all it says it that this bird in the family of sparrows. Two little brownish birds, both called sparrows, could be different species, and even different genera. But they’d still be in the same family.
[5] Don’t even get me started on marsupials, or the duck-billed platypus.
[6] I’m not saying that whoever is in charge of sparrows is a splitter, but go take a look at “American Sparrow” over in Wikipedia, and tell me what you think.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Biological classification, Biology, Evolution, Flora and Fauna, lamprey, Linnaean, Linnaean taxonomy, lion, panda, Phylum, Speciation, Species, Taxonomy | Leave a comment
Some Additional Thoughts on the Atlatl
Atlatl and Dart
Why So Fast, Pronghorn?
Clovis – and Earlier
Cazare In Bran on Clovis – and Earlie…
The Clovis Mission
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HomeFinanceTrump Seeks To Go It Alone After Coronavirus Stimulus Talks Break Down
Trump Seeks To Go It Alone After Coronavirus Stimulus Talks Break Down
August 8, 2020 admin Finance 0
BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Saturday plans to sign an executive order intended to provide economic relief to Americans hurt by the coronavirus pandemic after the White House failed to reach a deal with Congress, a White House source said.
“Amid congressional inaction, POTUS will be taking action to help Americans in need,” the official told Reuters. Trump is due to give a news conference at his New Jersey golf club at 3:30 p.m. ET (1930 GMT).
Nearly two weeks of talks between White House officials and congressional Democrats ended on Friday with the two sides still about $2 trillion apart on next steps to address the heavy human and economic toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the United States, where it has killed more than 160,000 people.
A $600 per week increase in unemployment payments that has served as a lifeline to the tens of millions of Americans who lost their jobs in the pandemic expired at the end of July. Democrats wanted to extend the payments at that amount, while Republicans wanted to cut them, saying they served as a disincentive to return to work.
Trump on Friday night said he would sign executive orders to extend enhanced unemployment benefits, unilaterally suspend payroll taxes, suspend student loan repayments and rental housing evictions in the coming days.
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Donald Trump speaking at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey on August 7.
Trump initially played down the disease’s threat and has drawn criticism for inconsistent messages on public health steps such as social distancing and masks.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday offered to reduce a proposed $3.4 trillion coronavirus aid package, which the House passed in May but the Senate ignored, by nearly one-third if Republicans would agree to more than double their $1 trillion counter-offer.
White House negotiators Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows rejected the offer.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s $1 trillion package unveiled late last month ran into immediate opposition from his party, with as many as 20 of the Senate’s 53 Republicans expected to oppose it.
Possible Court Challenge
Democrats have already warned that such executive orders are legally dubious and would likely be challenged in court.
While Trump had repeatedly floated the idea of executive orders to push relief, Schumer on Friday said the White House team had acknowledged that power was limited.
“The other choice is for them to do executive orders which by their own admission, they said it to us repeatedly is not close to as good,” Schumer said. “It doesn’t cover opening of schools. It doesn’t cover testing. It doesn’t cover dealing with rental assistance. It doesn’t cover elections. It doesn’t cover so many things.”
The U.S. Constitution gives Congress authority over federal spending, so Trump does not have the legal authority to issue executive orders determining how money should be spent on coronavirus.
But a court fight could take months, and Trump has managed to sidestep Congress on spending before, declaring a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border to shift billions of dollars from the defense budget to pay for a wall he promised during his 2016 election campaign.
Congress passed legislation to stop him, but there were too few votes in the Republican-controlled Senate to override his veto — a scenario that would likely play out again with less than 90 days to go before the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Biden’s V.P. Search: Chris Dodd, a D.C. Insider Helping Pick the Democratic Running Mate
Spanish police hit the discos to enforce virus health rules
Notorious B.I.G. crown and Tupac love letters sold at auction
A US first, New Hampshire woman gets second face transplant
Walmart abandons shelf-scanning robots, lets humans do work
Algeria leader back to Germany for COVID-19-linked treatment
Alice Levine to leave Radio 1
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Home Board index Amateur astronomy General chat
July 2020 Celestial Calendar
Astronomically-related chat
Dave Mitsky
Location: PA, USA, Planet Earth
Contact Dave Mitsky
Post by Dave Mitsky » Thu Jul 02, 2020 5:50 am
July Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
All times, unless otherwise noted, are UT (subtract four hours and, when appropriate, one calendar day for EDT)
7/1 Mercury is in inferior conjunction with the Sun (0.563 astronomical units from the Earth; latitude -5.5 degrees) at 3:00
7/2 The Moon is 6.3 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 2:00; asteroid 532 Herculina (magnitude +9.5) is at opposition in Sagittarius at 14:00
7/4 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 269.1 degrees) at 3:00; Earth is at aphelion (152,095,295 kilometers or 94,507,635 miles from the Sun) at 12:00
7/5 A shallow penumbral eclipse of the Moon begins at 3:07; Full Moon, known as the Hay or Thunder Moon, occurs at 4:44; asteroid 4 Vesta is in conjunction with the Sun at 6:00; the Moon is 1.9 degrees southeast of Jupiter at 22:00
7/6 The Moon is 2.5 degrees south of Saturn at 10:00
7/8 Mars is at is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south at 1:00 (-1.8 degrees); Venus is at its brightest (magnitude -4.7) at 12:00
7/10 Venus is at greatest illuminated extent (47.4 square arc seconds) at 8:00; the Moon is 4.1 degrees southeast of Neptune at 12:00; Venus is at aphelion (0.7282 astronomical units) at 14:00
7/11 Mars passes north of the celestial equator at 12:00; the Moon is 1.8 degrees southeast of Mars at 22:00
7/12 Venus is 1.0 degree north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 2:00; Mercury is stationary, with prograde or direct (eastward) motion to resume at 7:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 34" from a distance of 404,199 kilometers (251,158 miles) at 19:27; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 23:29
7/13 Asteroid/dwarf planet 1 Ceres is stationary at 2:00; asteroid 2 Pallas (magnitude +9.6) is at opposition in Vulpecula at 2:00; Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south (-7.0 degrees) at 10:00
7/14 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 1:55; Jupiter is at opposition (apparent size 47.6", magnitude -2.8) at 8:00; the Moon is 3.5 degrees southeast of Uranus at 15:00
7/15 Mercury (magnitude +1.6) is 6.0 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 3:00; Pluto is at opposition (apparent size 0.1", magnitude +14.3) at 12:00
7/16 The Moon is 6.6 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 8:00
7/17 The Moon is 3.7 degrees north of Aldebaran at 1:00; the Moon, Venus, and Aldebaran lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.1 degrees at 2:00; the Moon is 3.1 degrees north of Venus at 7:00
7/18 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 89.0 degrees) at 13:00; the Moon is 0.6 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 19:00
7/19 The Moon is 3.9 degrees north of Mercury at 5:00
7/20 The Moon is 8.2 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 6:00; the Moon is 4.5 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 10:00; the Sun enters Cancer (ecliptic longitude 118.3 degrees) at 13:00; New Moon (lunation 1207) occurs at 17:33; Saturn is at opposition (apparent size 18.5", magnitude +0.1) at 22:00
7/21 The Moon is 2.0 degrees north-northeast of M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) at 10:00
7/22 The Sun's ecliptic longitude is 120 degrees at 9:00; Mercury is at greatest western elongation (20.1degrees from Sun) at 15:00
7/23 The Moon is 4.1 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 0:00
7/25 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32' 26" at a distance of 368,361 kilometers (228,889 miles) at 5:02; the equation of time, which yields the difference between mean solar time and apparent solar time, is at a minimum of -6.55 minutes at 18:00
7/26 The Moon is 6.7 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 19:00
7/27 The First Quarter Moon occurs at 12:33; the Lunar X, also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be fully formed at 13:25
7/29 The peak of the Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower (a zenithal hourly rate of 20 per hour) is predicted to occur at 22:00
7/30 The Moon is 6.2 degrees north-northeast of Antares at 3:00
7/31 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 268.6 degrees) at 10:00
Friedrich Bessel (1784-1846) was born this month.
The light from Supernova SN 1054 was first noted by Chinese astronomers on July 4, 1054. The first lunar map was drawn by Thomas Harriot on July 26, 1609. Charles Messier discovered the globular cluster M28 in Sagittarius on July 27, 1764. Comet D/1770 L1 (Lexell) passed closer to the Earth than any comet in recorded history on July 1, 1770. Charles Messier discovered the globular cluster M54 in Sagittarius on July 24, 1778. Caroline Herschel discovered the open cluster NGC 6866 in Cygnus on July 23, 1783. The globular cluster NGC 6569 in Sagittarius was discovered by William Herschel on July 13, 1784. Karl Ludwig Hencke discovered asteroid 6 Hebe on July 1, 1847. The first photograph of a star, namely Vega, was taken on July 17, 1850. The first photograph of a total solar eclipse was taken on July 28, 1851. Hendri Deslandres invented the spectroheliograph on July 24, 1853. Sinope, one of Jupiter’s many satellites was discovered by Seth Nicholson on July 21, 1914. Karl Jansky announced the detection of radio radiation from the center of the Milky Way on July 8, 1933. Seth Nicholson discovered Neptune’s satellite Lysithea on July 6, 1938. The Mariner 4 probe took the first close-up image of another planet, namely Mars, on July 14, 1965. The Apollo 11 lunar module landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Neptune’s satellites Despinea and Galatea are discovered using images from the Voyager 2 probe on July 27, 1989. Fragments of Comet D/1993 F2 (Shoemaker-Levy) impacted Jupiter on July 16, 1994. Prospero, one of the satellites of Uranus, is discovered by Matthew Holman on July 18, 1999. Pluto’s satellite Styx is discovered using images from the New Horizon probe on July 11, 2012.
The peak of the Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower on the morning of July 29th is not compromised by moonlight. The radiant is located northwest of the first-magnitude star Fomalhaut (Alpha Piscis Austrini). Southern hemisphere observers are favored. Click on http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essential ... eor-shower for further information. The Alpha Capricornids, the Piscis Austrinids, and the Northern Delta Aquarids are the other minor meteor showers with southern radiants occurring this month. A list of the year's meteor showers appears on page 254 of the RASC's Observer's Handbook 2020.
Information on passes of the ISS, the USAF’s X-37B, the HST, Starlink, and other satellites can be found at http://www.heavens-above.com/
The Moon is 9.6 days old, is illuminated 77.4%, subtends 32.6 arc minutes, and is located in Libra on July 1st at 0:00 UT. The Moon is at its greatest northern declination of +23.9 degrees on July 19th and its greatest southern declination of -24.1 degrees on July 5th. Longitudinal libration is at a maximum of +5.0 degrees on July 6th and a minimum of -5.4 degrees on July 19th. Latitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.8 degrees on July 11th and a minimum of -6.7 degrees on July 25th. Favorable librations for the following lunar features occur on the indicated dates: Mare Australe on July 2nd, Mare Smythii on July 4th, Crater Mouchez on July 13th, and Crater Pascal on July 14th. New Moon takes place on July 20th. The Moon is at apogee (a distance of 63.37 Earth-radii) on July 12th and at perigee (a distance of 57.75 Earth-radii) on July 25th. A penumbral lunar eclipse visible from Antarctica, Africa, western Europe, North and South America, and the eastern Pacific Ocean takes place on July 5th. Greatest eclipse occurs at 4:30:02 UT1. Browse http://www.eclipsewise.com/oh/oh-figure ... -Fig04.pdf for more on the third lunar eclipse of 71 in Saros series 149 and the third of the year. Click on http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/iotandx.htm for information on lunar occultations taking place in July. Visit https://saberdoesthestars.wordpress.com ... the-stars/ for tips on spotting extreme crescent Moons and http://www.curtrenz.com/moon06.html for Full Moon data. Consult http://time.unitarium.com/moon/where.html or download http://www.ap-i.net/avl/en/start for current information on the Moon. See https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 for a lunar phase and libration calculator and https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Quickmap. Click on https://www.calendar-12.com/moon_calendar/2020/july for a lunar phase calendar for this month. Times and dates for the lunar crater light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm
The Sun is located in Gemini on July 1st. The Earth is farthest from the Sun, a distance of 1.0167 astronomical units, on July 4th. On that date, it is 3.3% more distant than it was at perihelion and 1.7% farther than its average distance. The Sun enters Cancer on July 20th.
Brightness, apparent size, illumination, distance from the Earth in astronomical units, and location data for the planets and Pluto on July 1st: Mercury (not visible, 12.0", 1% illuminated, 0.56 a.u., Gemini), Venus (-4.7 magnitude, 43.1", 19% illuminated, 0.39 a.u., Taurus), Mars (-0.5 magnitude, 11.4", 84% illuminated, 0.82 a.u., Pisces), Jupiter (-2.7 magnitude, 47.3", 100% illuminated, 4.17 a.u., Sagittarius), Saturn (+0.2 magnitude, 18.4", 100% illuminated, 9.05 a.u., Capricornus), Uranus (+5.8 magnitude, 3.5", 100% illuminated, 20.06 a.u. on July 16th, Aries), Neptune (+7.8 magnitude, 2.3", 100% illuminated, 29.36 a.u. on July 16th, Aquarius), and Pluto (+14.3 magnitude, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 33.08 a.u. on July 16th, Sagittarius).
Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast during the evening. At midnight, Mars is in the east, Jupiter and Saturn are in the south, and Neptune is in the southeast. In the morning, Mercury can be found in the northeast, Venus and Uranus in the east, Mars and Neptune in the south, and Jupiter and Saturn in the southwest.
Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, and asteroid 2 Pallas all achieve opposition this month. The Moon forms a compact equilateral triangle with Jupiter and Saturn on the night of July 5th. The Moon, Venus, and Aldebaran lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.1 degrees on July 17th. All seven major planets can be seen in the morning in late July.
Mercury is in inferior conjunction on July 1st and is at its most southerly latitude from the ecliptic plane on July 13th. Mercury reappears in the morning sky around July 17th. A waning crescent Moon passes four degrees north of the planet on the morning of July 19th. Greatest western elongation occurs on July 20th. On that date, Mercury shines at magnitude +0.3. It brightens to magnitude -0.1 by July 25 and magnitude -0.7 by July 31st.
Venus shrinks in apparent size from 43.1 to 27.5 arc seconds as it increases in illumination from 19 to 42%. During July, the planet's altitude at sunrise increases steeply from 21 to 35%. Venus travels through Melotte 25 (the Hyades) during the first part of the month. Venus is at greatest brilliancy on July 10th. It attains greatest illuminated extent and is also at aphelion on July 11th and passes one degree north of Aldebaran on the night of July 12th. A waning crescent Moon passes three degrees north of the brightest planet on the morning of July 17th. Venus lies 2.3 degrees southeast of the third-magnitude star Zeta Tauri by the end of the month.
Mars brightens from magnitude -0.5 to magnitude -1.1 and grows in apparent size from 11.4 to 14.5 arc seconds this month. The Red Planet rises around 11:15 p.m. local time by the end of July. It moves north of the celestial equator for the first time since last October on July 11th. The waning gibbous Moon passes two degrees south of the Mars on July 11th. Mars enters northwestern Cetus on July 8th but returns to Pisces near the end of the month.
During July, Jupiter travels four degrees to the west relative to the fixed stars of Sagittarius. The Full Moon passes less than two degrees to the south of the gas giant planet on the night of July 5th. Jupiter is at opposition on July 14th and is at its peak elevation of about 30 degrees for observers at 40 degrees north at local midnight. Jupiter subtends 47.6 arc seconds and shines brightly at magnitude -2.8 on that date. Information on Great Red Spot transit times and Galilean satellite events is available on pages 50 and 51 of the July 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and online at http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observin ... ing-tools/ and https://www.projectpluto.com/jevent.htm
Saturn's disk subtends over 18 arc seconds and its rings, which are inclined almost 22 degrees, span 42 arc seconds. Saturn is located six degrees to the east of Jupiter on July 1st. On July 6th, a nearly Full Moon passes two degrees south of the Ringed Planet. Saturn is at opposition on July 20th. Eighth-magnitude Titan is due north of Saturn on July 15th and July 31st and due south of the planet on July 7th and July 23rd. The faint Saturnian satellite Iapetus is positioned one arc minute due north of Saturn on the nights of July 27th and July 28th. For further data on Saturn’s satellites, browse http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observin ... ing-tools/
Uranus can be found in southwestern Aries about half-way between the second-magnitude star Hamal (Alpha Arietis) and the third-magnitude star Menkar (Alpha Ceti). A waning crescent Moon passes less than four degrees southeast of Uranus on July 14th. Visit http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/uranus.htm for a finder chart.
Neptune is located in eastern Aquarius about four degrees east-northeast of the fourth-magnitude star Phi Aquarii. A gibbous Moon passes four degrees southeast of Neptune on July 10th. The asteroid/dwarf planet 1 Ceres lies 13.5 degrees south of Neptune on July 1st. That distance increases to 16 degrees by the end of the month. Browse http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/neptune.htm for a finder chart.
The dwarf planet Pluto is 41 arc minutes south of Jupiter on July 1st. It reaches opposition on July 15th. Finder charts can be found on pages 48 and 49 of the July 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and on page 243 of the RASC Observer’s Handbook 2020.
For more on the planets and how to locate them, browse http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/
Comet C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) heads southeastward through Canes Venatici and Coma Berenices this month. The fading comet passes less than two degrees to the west of Beta Comae Berenices on July 19th and less than five degrees to northeast of the globular clusters M53 and NGC 5053 on July 30th. The faint periodic comet 88P/Howell passes less than two degrees from Spica around the time of the New Moon. See http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ and http://www.aerith.net/comet/future-n.html for additional information on comets visible this month.
Asteroid 56 Melete, which was at opposition on June 28th, travels southwestward through the region of Scutum, Serpens Cauda, and Ophiuchus. skimming through the dark nebulae LDN 453 and LDN 431. Asteroid 532 Herculina (magnitude +9.5) is at opposition on July 2, asteroid 2 Pallas (magnitude +9.6) is at opposition on July 13th, and asteroid 129 Antigone (magnitude +10.4) is at opposition on July 15th. On July 31st, 1 Ceres lies 0.8 degrees northwest of the third magnitude star 88 Aquarii. Information on asteroid occultations taking place this month is available at http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/2018_07_si.htm
A wealth of current information on solar system celestial bodies is posted at http://nineplanets.org/ and http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomy.html
Information on the celestial events transpiring each week can be found at https://stardate.org/nightsky and http://astronomy.com/skythisweek and http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observin ... -a-glance/
Free star maps for July can be downloaded at http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html and https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?p ... Star-Chart
Data on current supernovae can be found at http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/snimages/
Finder charts for the Messier objects and other deep-sky objects are posted at https://freestarcharts.com/messier and https://freestarcharts.com/ngc-ic and https://www.cambridge.org/turnleft/seas ... -september
Telrad finder charts for the Messier Catalog and the SAC’s 110 Best of the NGC are posted at http://www.custerobservatory.org/docs/messier2.pdf and http://www.saguaroastro.org/content/db/ ... estNGC.pdf respectively.
Information pertaining to observing some of the more prominent Messier galaxies can be found at http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/35829 ... tronomers/
Stellarium and Cartes du Ciel are two excellent freeware planetarium programs that are available at http://stellarium.org/ and https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start
Deep-sky object list generators can be found at http://www.virtualcolony.com/sac/ and http://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php and https://dso-browser.com/
Freeware sky atlases can be downloaded at http://www.deepskywatch.com/files/deeps ... s-full.pdf and http://astro.mxd120.com/free-star-atlases
The multiple star 36 Ophiuchi consists of three orange dwarf stars. For more on this interesting system, see https://stardate.org/radio/program/orange-triplets and http://www.solstation.com/stars/36ophiu3.htm
Forty binary and multiple stars for July: Eta Draconis, 17 & 16 Draconis, Mu Draconis, Struve 2273, Nu-1 & Nu-2 Draconis, Psi Draconis (Draco); Kappa Herculis, Gamma Herculis, Struve 2063, 56 Herculis, Struve 2120, Alpha Herculis (Ras Algethi), Delta Herculis, Rho Herculis, Mu Herculis (Hercules); Rho Ophiuchi, Lambda Ophiuchi, 36 Ophiuchi, Omicron Ophiuchi, Burnham 126 (ADS 10405), Struve 2166, 53 Ophiuchi, 61 Ophiuchi (Ophiuchus); h5003 (Sagittarius); Xi Scorpii, Struve 1999, Beta Scorpii, Nu Scorpii, 12 Scorpii, Sigma Scorpii, Alpha Scorpii (Antares), h4926 (Scorpius); Struve 2007, 49 Serpentis, Struve 2031 (Serpens Caput); 53 Serpentis, Struve 2204, h4995, h2814 (Serpens Cauda); Epsilon Ursae Minoris (Ursa Minor)
Notable carbon star for July: T Draconis
Sixty-five deep-sky objects for July: NGC 6140, NGC 6236, NGC 6340, NGC 6395, NGC 6412, NGC 6503, NGC 6543 (Draco); IC 4593, M13, M92, NGC 6106, NGC 6166, NGC 6173, NGC 6181, NGC 6207, NGC 6210, NGC 6229, NGC 6482 (Hercules); B61, B62, B63, B64, B72, IC 4634, IC 4665, LDN 42, LDN 1773, M9, M10, M12, M14, M19, M62, M107, NGC 6284, NGC 6287, NGC 6293, NGC 6304, NGC 6309, NGC 6356, NGC 6366, NGC 6369, NGC 6384, NGC 6401, Tr 26 (Ophiuchus); NGC 6440, NGC 6445 (Sagittarius); B50, B55, B56, Cr 316, M4, M6, M7, M80, NGC 6144, NGC 6153, NGC 6192, NGC 6231, NGC 6242, NGC 6302, NGC 6337, NGC 6451 (Scorpius); NGC 6217, NGC 6324 (Ursa Minor)
Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for July: IC 4665, LDN 1773, M4, M6, M7, M10, M12, M13, M92, NGC 6231
Top ten deep-sky objects for July: M4, M6, M7, M10, M12, M13, M92, NGC 6210, NGC 6231, NGC 6543
Challenge deep-sky object for July: NGC 6380 (Scorpius)
The objects listed above are located between 16:00 and 18:00 hours of right ascension.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Ron Rivera Mike McCarthy Sports NFL football Professional football Football Coaching Sports medicine Health Emergency care 2019-2020 Coronavirus pandemic Coronavirus Infectious diseases Diseases and conditions Lung disease
Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears New England Patriots Washington Football Team
Cowboys cancel practice over medical issue involving staff
- Nov. 24, 2020 07:26 PM EST
22 November 2020: Markus Paul of the Dallas Cowboys during their 31-28 win over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys canceled practice Tuesday after a non-coronavirus medical emergency involving their strength and conditioning coordinator.
The Cowboys said Markus Paul “experienced a medical emergency” Tuesday morning at the facility, where he was immediately treated by team medical personnel before being transported by ambulance to a hospital.
An update from the team later Tuesday said that “per the Paul family, Markus is in the process of undergoing further medical tests.” The Cowboys said additional information would be made available at the “appropriate time.”
Coach Mike McCarthy's daily meeting with reporters was canceled, as were interviews with players.
The 54-year-old is a former NFL safety who played for the Chicago Bears (1989-93) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993). He played in 71 games with 17 starts over those five seasons. He was a fourth-round draft pick out of Syracuse, where he was an AP All-American as a senior in 1998.
Paul is in his third season with the Dallas Cowboys staff, after previously being a strength and conditioning coach with the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, New York Jets and 12 seasons with the New York Giants. He has been part of five Super Bowl championships, three with the Patriots and two with the Giants.
McCarthy told players at their scheduled 8 a.m. team meeting that practice had been canceled. That was about a half-hour after Paul's medical emergency.
Dallas is scheduled to play Washington on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys are coming off a win at Minnesota that gave them a chance to play for first place in the NFC East despite a 3-7 record. Washington also is 3-7.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera and Paul were teammates with the Bears from 1989-92, before the end of Rivera's playing career.
“Our thoughts and prayers are out for Markus Paul and his family. ... We’re praying for him and a speedy recovery,” Rivera said. “Just a good teammate, just a good person. It was a little bit of a shocker to hear that.”
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Drew Brees Taysom Hill Bruce Arians Antonio Brown Jared Cook Chris Godwin Mike Edwards Shaquil Barrett Sports NFL football Professional football Football
Tampa Bay Buccaneers New Orleans Saints
Brady, Buccaneers sputter in lackluster 38-3 loss to Saints
By FRED GOODALL - Nov. 09, 2020 01:36 AM EST
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) is pressured by New Orleans Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) as he throws a pass during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady began the game with four consecutive three-and-outs. Things only got worse for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after that.
“When things don’t go your way, sometimes they keep going that way,” the six-time Super Bowl champion said after throwing three interceptions and only producing a field goal in Sunday night’s ugly 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
“You’ve got to figure out a way to turn it around,” Brady added. “We had our opportunities. We just didn’t do it.”
While the Bucs (6-3) were sputtering to begin the game, the Saints were clicking on all cylinders.
Drew Brees threw two touchdown passes in the opening quarter, then an third early in the second.
By the time Brady tossed his first interception to end a franchise-record streak of 200 consecutive pass attempts without a pick, the Bucs trailed 21-0 and the turnover on a deflection set up yet another TD on the way to a 31-0 halftime deficit.
“It was shocking, to watch us practice all week, to know how confident we were coming in,” coach Bruce Arians said of the lopsided loss, which ended Tampa Bay’s three-game winning streak and dropped the Bucs a half game behind the first-place Saints (6-2) in the NFC South standings.
“We didn’t play well in any phase of the game,” Brady said. “We got to start better on offense and help our defense. That’s how I see it.”
The offense struggled despite wide receiver Chris Godwin (three receptions, 41 yards) returning to the lineup after missing one game with a broken finger and adding Antonio Brown (three catches, 31 yards) to the mix in his debut with the Bucs.
Brady wasn’t even able to take advantage of great field position the offense was given when linebacker Shaquil Barrett sacked Brees in the third quarter, forcing a fumble that safety Mike Edwards returned 31 yards to the Saints 21.
Two plays later, a pass interference penalty in the end zone moved the ball to the 1, where the scoring opportunity dissolved with one run for no gain and three incompletions.
The Bucs avoided a shutout when Ryan Succop kicked a 48-yard field goal with just under six minutes remaining.
“Everyone’s got to do a lot better, and it starts with me,” Brady said.
The defense, which entered the game ranked No. 1 against the run and third overall, didn’t play well either.
The Saints scored on five of their first six possessions, with only Jared Cook’s fumble at the Bucs 2 preventing them going six-for-six to begin the game.
New Orleans finished with 420 yards, 138 rushing with backup quarterback Taysom Hill gaining 54 on seven carries and completing two passes for 48 yards.
“It’s pretty embarrassing. I think there was less than a handful of times we stopped them the whole game. ... It was a collapse, a total team collapse,” Barrett said.
By Joe Reedy 9 minutes ago
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George Holding & Barry Loudermilk
Compare the voting records of George Holding and Barry Loudermilk in 2017-18.
George Holding
Represented North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District. This was his 3rd term in the House.
Barry Loudermilk
Represented Georgia's 11th Congressional District. This was his 2nd term in the House.
George Holding and Barry Loudermilk are from the same party and agreed on 95 percent of votes in the 115th Congress (2017-18).
Disagree: 5%
But they didn't always agree. Out of 1095 votes in the 115th Congress, they disagreed on 55 votes, including 4 major votes.
Here are the votes they disagreed on
On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amdt to the House Amdt to the Senate Amdt
Feb. 9, 2018 — The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018
Jan. 11, 2018 — Amash of Michigan Substitute Amendment No. 1
July 18, 2018 — Biggs of Arizona Amendment No. 1
June 20, 2018 — Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act
Jan. 11, 2018 — Rapid DNA Act of 2017
Passed by a margin of 7 votes.
Sept. 6, 2017 — Carter of Georgia Part B Amendment No. 17
July 26, 2017 — Takano of California Amendment No. 7
May 19, 2017 — Probation Officer Protection Act of 2017
Feb. 27, 2017 — To facilitate the addition of park administration at the Coltsville National Historical Park, and for other purposes
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Joseph P. Kennedy III & John Carter
Compare the voting records of Joseph P. Kennedy III and John Carter in 2017-18.
Joseph P. Kennedy III
Represented Massachusetts's 4th Congressional District. This was his 3rd term in the House.
Represented Texas's 31st Congressional District. This was his 8th term in the House.
Joseph P. Kennedy III and John Carter are from different parties and disagreed on 67 percent of votes in the 115th Congress (2017-18).
But they didn't always disagree. Out of 1064 votes in the 115th Congress, they agreed on 348 votes, including 8 major votes.
June 27, 2018 — Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018
June 13, 2017 — Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act
On Motion to Concur in Senate Amendments Nos. 2 and 3, and in No. 1 with Amendment
May 3, 2017 — HIRE Vets Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — National Flood Insurance Program Extention Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Correct Enrollment to S. 3628
Dec. 21, 2018 — To redesignate Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge as the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, and for other purposes
Dec. 21, 2018 — 9/11 Memorial Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic and Empowerment Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Protecting Girls’ Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — 75th Anniversary of World War II Commemoration Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make certain corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 4174
Dec. 21, 2018 — Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — Federal Personal Property Management Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — GAO-IG Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 770 Ayrault Road in Fairport, New York, as the “Louise and Bob Slaughter Post Office”
Dec. 21, 2018 — Department of Transportation Reports Harmonization Act
Dec. 21, 2018 — To make technical corrections to provisions of law enacted by the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, and for other purposes
Dec. 21, 2018 — To amend the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to provide flexibility with respect to the leaseback of certain Federal real property, and for other purposes
Dec. 21, 2018 — To amend the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to ensure that the Public Buildings Reform Board has adequate time to carry out the responsibilities of the Board, and for other purposes
Dec. 21, 2018 — Designating room H-226 of the United States Capitol as the “Lincoln Room”
Dec. 20, 2018 — To reauthorize the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route, and for other purposes
Dec. 20, 2018 — Stigler Act Amendments
Dec. 20, 2018 — RBIC Advisers Relief Act
Dec. 20, 2018 — Taxpayer First Act
Dec. 20, 2018 — Waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules, and providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules
Dec. 13, 2018 — Calling on the Government of Burma to release Burmese journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo sentenced to seven years imprisonment after investigating attacks against civilians by Burma’s military and security forces, and for other purposes
Dec. 12, 2018 — Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018
Dec. 11, 2018 — Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Land Transfer Act of 2017
Dec. 11, 2018 — PREEMIE Reauthorization Act
Dec. 11, 2018 — Improving Medicaid Programs and Opportunities for Eligible Beneficiaries Act
Dec. 10, 2018 — George W. Bush Childhood Home Study Act
Dec. 10, 2018 — Urging the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the historical significance of Roberto Clemente’s place of death near Pinones in Loiza, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places
Nov. 30, 2018 — Federal CIO Authorization Act of 2018
Nov. 27, 2018 — Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act of 2018
Nov. 16, 2018 — Strengthening Coastal Communities Act
Nov. 13, 2018 — Gulf Islands National Seashore Land Exchange Act
Nov. 13, 2018 — To rename the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge as the Congressman Lester Wolff National Wildlife Refuge
Sept. 28, 2018 — Providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 6, with an amendment
Sept. 26, 2018 — FDR Historic Preservation Act
Sept. 25, 2018 — Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Business Act of 2018
Sept. 25, 2018 — Encouraging Small Business Innovators
Sept. 13, 2018 — Making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes
Sept. 13, 2018 — Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act
Sept. 12, 2018 — To authorize early repayment of obligations to the Bureau of Reclamation within the Northport Irrigation District in the State of Nebraska
Sept. 12, 2018 — Every Kid Outdoors Act
Sept. 12, 2018 — Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act
Sept. 5, 2018 — Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act
July 25, 2018 — VA Hospitals Establishing Leadership Performance Act
July 25, 2018 — The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
July 23, 2018 — Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act
July 23, 2018 — National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act
July 17, 2018 — Protecting Diplomats from Surveillance Through Consumer Devices Act
July 17, 2018 — Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018
July 17, 2018 — JOBS and Investor Confidence Act of 2018
July 16, 2018 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 511 East Walnut Street in Columbia, Missouri, as the “Spc. Sterling William Wyatt Post Office Building”.
July 16, 2018 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1075 North Tustin Street in Orange, California, as the “Specialist Trevor A. Win’E Post Office
July 12, 2018 — Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019
July 11, 2018 — Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act
July 10, 2018 — Options Markets Stability Act
July 10, 2018 — Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act
June 27, 2018 — National Defense Authorization Act FY 2019
June 26, 2018 — Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act
June 26, 2018 — Prevention of Private Information Dissemination Act of 2017
June 25, 2018 — Cooperate with Law Enforcement Agencies and Watch Act of 2018
June 25, 2018 — Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act
June 19, 2018 — Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement Communities Protection Act of 2018
June 19, 2018 — Securing Opioids and Unused Narcotics with Deliberate Disposal and Packaging Act of 2018
June 13, 2018 — Improving the Federal Response to Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorder Act
June 13, 2018 — Assisting States’ Implementation of Plans of Safe Care Act
June 12, 2018 — Safe Disposal of Unused Medication Act
June 12, 2018 — Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act
June 7, 2018 — Norman of South Carolina Part B Amendment No. 39
June 7, 2018 — Blackburn of Tennessee Part B Amendment No. 34
June 7, 2018 — Gosar of Arizona Part B Amendment No. 29
June 7, 2018 — Lee of California Part B Amendment No. 26
On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment
June 6, 2018 — Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program Authorization Act of 2018
June 6, 2018 — Water Resources Development Act of 2018
June 5, 2018 — Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument Act
June 5, 2018 — Susquehanna National Heritage Area Act
June 5, 2018 — To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing the birthplace of James Weldon Johnson in Jacksonville, Florida, as a unit of the National Park System
May 23, 2018 — Engel of New York Amendment No. 43
May 23, 2018 — Gabbard of Hawaii Amendment No. 3
May 23, 2018 — Nolan of Minnesota Amendment No. 2
May 17, 2018 — Foxx of North Carolina Amendment No. 1
May 16, 2018 — Veterans Cemetery Benefit Correction Act
May 10, 2018 — Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act
May 10, 2018 — Titus of Nevada Amendment No. 3
April 27, 2018 — FAA Reauthorization Act
April 27, 2018 — McClintock of California Part A Amendment No. 112
April 11, 2018 — Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act
March 20, 2018 — Alleviating Stress Test Burdens to Help Investors Act
March 19, 2018 — To update the map of, and modify the maximum acreage available for inclusion in, the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Feb. 6, 2018 — Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017
On Motion to Table
Jan. 19, 2018 — Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, of high misdemeanors
Nov. 13, 2017 — Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to United States policy towards Yemen, and for other purposes
Nov. 7, 2017 — Risk-Based Credit Examination Act
Oct. 5, 2017 — McClintock of California Substitute Amendment No. 3
Sept. 13, 2017 — Blackburn of Tennessee Amendment No. 174
Sept. 13, 2017 — Murphy of Pennsylvania Amendment No. 155
Sept. 8, 2017 — Blackburn of Tennessee Amendment No. 55
Sept. 7, 2017 — Yoho of Florida Part B Amendment No. 110
Sept. 7, 2017 — Grothman of Wisconsin Part B of Amendment No. 99
Sept. 7, 2017 — Rothfus of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 91
July 28, 2017 — Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018
July 27, 2017 — Blackburn of Tennessee Amendment No. 62
July 26, 2017 — Jackson Lee of Texas Amendment No. 56
July 20, 2017 — DHS Authorization Act
July 13, 2017 — Polis of Colorado Part B Amendment No. 4
June 26, 2017 — Veterans Expanded Trucking Opportunities Act of 2017
June 23, 2017 — Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act
June 23, 2017 — Krishnamoorthi of Illinois Amendment No. 4
June 6, 2017 — Condemning in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 22, 2017, expressing heartfelt condolences, and reaffirming unwavering support for the special relationship between our peoples and nations in the wake of these attacks
June 6, 2017 — Condemning the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence on May 16, 2017, and calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future
May 25, 2017 — Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act of 2017
May 25, 2017 — Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act of 2017
May 24, 2017 — VA Scheduling Accountability Act
May 24, 2017 — PRIVATE Act
May 23, 2017 — Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017
May 18, 2017 — Honoring Hometown Heroes Act
May 17, 2017 — Removing Outdated Restrictions to Allow for Job Growth Act
May 16, 2017 — Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017
May 4, 2017 — Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act
May 4, 2017 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to eliminate the non-application of certain State waiver provisions to Members of Congress and congressional staff
May 3, 2017 — To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act concerning the statute of limitations for actions to recover disaster or emergency assistance payments, and for other purposes
May 3, 2017 — Disaster Declaration Improvement Act
May 2, 2017 — FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017
May 1, 2017 — Follow the Rules Act
May 1, 2017 — Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act
May 1, 2017 — Fair Access to Investment Research Act of 2017
April 28, 2017 — Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2017, and for other purposes
April 27, 2017 — Fannie and Freddie Open Records Act of 2017
April 27, 2017 — Johnson of Georgia Part B Amendment No. 2
April 27, 2017 — To repeal the rule issued by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration entitled “Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination and Planning Area Reform”
April 26, 2017 — Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act
April 26, 2017 — Deutch of Florida Amendment No. 1
April 25, 2017 — Aviation Employee Screening and Security Enhancement Act of 2017
April 25, 2017 — Relating to efforts to respond to the famine in South Sudan
April 6, 2017 — Supporting America’s Innovators Act
April 5, 2017 — Self-Insurance Protection Act
April 4, 2017 — Encouraging Employee Ownership Act
April 3, 2017 — North Korea State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act of 2017
April 3, 2017 — Condemning North Korea’s development of multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles, and for other purposes
March 27, 2017 — Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act
March 27, 2017 — To require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit a report regarding certain plans regarding assistance to applicants and grantees during the response to an emergency or disaster
March 24, 2017 — Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Innovation Act
March 22, 2017 — Securing our Agriculture and Food Act
March 22, 2017 — Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017
March 21, 2017 — Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Technical Corrections Act of 2017
March 21, 2017 — Transparency in Technological Acquisitions Act of 2017
March 20, 2017 — DHS Acquisition Authorities Act of 2017
March 20, 2017 — DHS Multiyear Acquisition Strategy Act of 2017
March 20, 2017 — Reducing DHS Acquisition Cost Growth Act
March 17, 2017 — To improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes
March 17, 2017 — Hanabusa of Hawaii Part B Amendment No. 11
March 15, 2017 — To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to amend the Definite Plan Report for the Seedskadee Project to enable the use of the active capacity of the Fontenelle Reservoir
March 15, 2017 — Arbuckle Project Maintenance Complex and District Office Conveyance Act of 2017
March 7, 2017 — To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Faleomavaega Eni Fa’aua’a Hunkin VA Clinic
Feb. 27, 2017 — Mount Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act
Feb. 13, 2017 — BRAVE Act
Feb. 13, 2017 — HIRE Vets Act
Feb. 6, 2017 — Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act
Feb. 6, 2017 — Bolts Ditch Access and Use Act
Jan. 30, 2017 — Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act of 2017
Jan. 30, 2017 — To remove the sunset provision of section 203 of Public Law 105-384 and for other purposes
Jan. 23, 2017 — Kari’s Law Act
Jan. 23, 2017 — Anti-Spoofing Act
Jan. 11, 2017 — Tested Ability to Leverage Exceptional National Talent Act
Jan. 10, 2017 — Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act
Jan. 9, 2017 — Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017
Jan. 9, 2017 — Improving Access to Maternity Care Act
Jan. 5, 2017 — Objecting to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 as an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace, and for other purposes
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Zachary Taylor Quotes
Zachary Taylor quotes talk about the constitution and war, two of the most prevalent issues during the early years of America as a nation. He was the second President to die while in office. He served one year in office and died from the stomach flu. Two other notable presidents to die while in the office were Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy.
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States of America. He was an American major general during the Mexican-American war. He eventually rose to the presidency, something that happened to many generals during that time. Those who fought and were considered heroes would eventually rise to become the President. Another well-known general to do so was Ulysses S Grant, who was victorious during the American Civil War. Below are a number of quotes from him.
“It would be judicious to act with magnanimity towards a prostrate foe.”
“I have always done my duty. I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me.”
“Never judge a stranger by his clothes.”
“Economy I consider a virtue & should be practiced by all; there is certainly no way in which money can be laid out than in the education of children.”
“I cannot in any case permit myself to be brought before the people, exclusively, by any of the political parties that now so unfortunately divide our country, as their candidate for office.”
“I know enough of the family life of officers. I scarcely know my own children or they me.”
“I have never yet exercised the privilege of voting, but had I been called upon at the last presidential election to do so, I should most certainly have cast my vote for Mr. Clay.”
“If elected, I would not be the mere president of a party - I would endeavor to act independent of party domination and should feel bound to administer the government untrammeled by party schemes.”
“As to the Constitution and the Union, I have taken an oath to support the one, and I cannot do so without preserving the other, unless I commit perjury, which I certainly don't intend to do. We must cherish the Constitution to the last.”
“The confidence and respect shown by my countrymen in calling me to be the Chief Magistrate of a Republic holding a high rank among the nations of the earth have inspired me with feelings of the most profound gratitude.”
“My wife was as much of a soldier as I was.”
“Soldiers, I intend to stay here, not only as long as a man remains, but as long as a piece of a man is left.”
“I did not expect to encounter what has beset me since my elevation to the presidency. God knows, I have endeavored to fulfill what I considered to be an honest duty, but I have been mistaken; my motives have been misconstrued and my feelings grossly betrayed.”
“For more than a quarter of a century on active duty, my house has been my tent, and my home the battlefield.”
“My duty to the army and to the republic whose battles we were waging forbade me assuming a position of seeming hostility to any portion of the brave men under my command.”
“I will not say I would not serve if the good people were imprudent enough to elect me.”
“As American freemen, we cannot but sympathize in all efforts to extend the blessings of civil and political liberty, but at the same time, we are warned by the admonitions of history and the voice of our own beloved Washington to abstain from entangling alliances with foreign nations.”
“In no case can I permit myself to be a candidate of any party or yield myself to any party schemes.”
“I congratulate you, my fellow-citizens, upon the high state of prosperity to which the goodness of Divine Providence has conducted our common country.”
“The appointing power vested in the president imposes delicate and onerous duties. So far as it is possible to be informed, I shall make honesty, capacity, and fidelity indispensable prerequisites to the disposal of office, and the absence of either of these qualities shall be deemed sufficient cause for removal.”
“I hope some compromise will be entered into between the two parties, slavery & antislavery, which will have the effect of allaying violent passions on both sides.”
“In reference to the Army and Navy, lately employed with so much distinction on active service, care shall be taken to insure the highest condition of efficiency; and in furtherance of that object, the Military and Naval Schools, sustained by the liberality of Congress, shall receive the special attention of the Executive.”
“In all disputes between conflicting governments, it is our interest not less than our duty to remain strictly neutral.”
“This does not mean the parish is getting into the animal control business. We are not, ... We won't be picking up any animals. The shelter will be for persons who bring their dogs there to WCI.”
“The only ground of hope for the continuance of our free institutions is in the proper moral and religious training of the children, that they may be prepared to discharge aright the duties of men and citizens.”
“Let us invoke a continuance of the same protecting care which has led us from small beginnings to the eminence we this day occupy.”
“For more than half a century, during which kingdoms and empires have fallen, this Union has stood unshaken. The patriots who formed it have long since descended to the grave; yet still it remains, the proudest monument to their memory.”
“May the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our country's peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family.”
“The idea that I should become President seems to me too visionary to require a serious answer. It has never entered my head, nor is it likely to enter the head of any other person.”
“For more than half a century... this Union has stood unshaken. Whatever dangers may threaten it, I shall stand by it and maintain it in its integrity to the full extent of the obligations imposed and the powers conferred upon me by the Constitution.”
Zachary Taylor quotes reflect a very trying time for presidents in that century. America was still developing itself as a nation due to the inward fighting and threats from other nations. Unfortunately, he served more in the army than he did as president. I hope something he said would be inspiring to all readers.
George Washington Quotes
James Monroe Quotes
Calvin Coolidge Quotes
James K Polk Quotes
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Calcutta (1946)
Watch Calcutta (1946) Online
Neale and Pedro fly cargo between Chungking and Calcutta. When their buddy Bill is murdered they investigate. Neale meets Bill’s fiancée Virginia and becomes suspicious of a deeper plot while also falling for her charms.
Director: John Farrow
Actors: Alan Ladd, Gail Russell, John Whitney, June Duprez, Lowell Gilmore, Milton Parsons, William Bendix
Narco Soldiers (2019)
Narco Soldiers is a timely, action-packed crime thriller that explores the resurgence of the Caribbean drug routes and one couple’s violent, Bonnie and Clyde-style rise to power.
Reindeer Games (2000)
After assuming his dead cellmate’s identity to get with his girlfriend, an ex-con finds himself the reluctant participant in a casino heist.
Hard Boiled (1992)
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring…
Henry Brogan is an elite 51-year-old assassin who’s ready to call it quits after completing his 72nd job. His plans get turned upside down when he becomes the target of…
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
Two mischievous kids hypnotize their mean elementary school principal and turn him into their comic book creation, the kind-hearted and elastic-banded Captain Underpants.
Country: Canada, France, India, UK, USA
Genre: Action, Animation, Comedy, Family
Eagle Eye (2008)
Jerry Shaw and Rachel Holloman are two strangers whose lives are suddenly thrown into turmoil by a mysterious woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, the unseen…
Genre: Action, Mystery, Thriller
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
It’s a major double-cross when former police officer Brian O’Conner teams up with his ex-con buddy Roman Pearce to transport a shipment of “dirty” money for shady Miami-based import-export dealer…
Armed Response (2017)
The story follows a team of highly trained operatives who find themselves trapped inside an isolated military compound.
Country: Mexico, USA
Wrongfully accused and on the run, a top MI6 assassin joins forces with his long-lost, football hooligan brother to save the world from a sinister plot.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Iron Monkey (1993)
Iron Monkey is a Hong Kong variation of Robin Hood. Corrupt officials of a Chinese village are robbed by a masked bandit known as “Iron Monkey”, named after a benevolent…
Gunless (2010)
A quiet and peaceful community in the Dominion of Canada is shaken up by the arrival of a wounded and stinky gun-toting American cowboy, simply known as The Montana Kid,…
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Western
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Montgomery County’s rooftop solar mandate, changes at Green Mountain Power: pvMB 10/1/19
Hello all you beautiful people, we’re back from SPI and back with the pvMB. In this first MB of October, we’ll be checking out POWERHOME Solar expanding and hiring in Illinois, BPA entering Western EIM, California reaching a million solar roofs and more!
October 1, 2019 Tim Sylvia
Image: Southern Environmental Law Center
Rooftop solar mandate to be introduced in Maryland – “Solar panel mandates, a dramatic and hotly debated environmental policy with roots on the West Coast, could be coming to a suburb of the nation’s capital. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) plans to introduce legislation requiring all new single-family houses — and possibly apartments and commercial buildings — to include rooftop solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity, starting in 2022. If Elrich’s measure is approved by the all-Democratic county council, the wealthy suburb of 1 million would be the first major jurisdiction outside California to adopt such a mandate, experts say.” Source: Washington Post
Changes at Green Mountain Power – Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power (GMP) for the last 12 years will be leaving the company at the end of the year. Senior Vice President Mari McClure, a 10-year veteran of GMP, will take over as the next president and CEO of GMP. McClure joined GMP in 2010, and has served in leading roles in nearly every aspect of GMP operations, including information technology, regulatory, legal, fleet, facilities, workforce development, and cultural transformation. Source: Green Mountain Power
POWERHOME Solar expands into and hiring in Illinois – “Residents of Illinois soon will have another supplement to grid power with the recent expansion of POWERHOME Solar (POWERHOME) into the state. Illinois marks the ninth state in the company’s footprint, and its new office will be in St. Charles. POWERHOME plans to hire up to 100 people in the coming months in the areas of sales, installation and administrative functions for its new office, located at 505 S. Tyler Rd., in St. Charles. To begin building its local workforce, POWERHOME will have open interviews for sales consultants in its St. Charles office on Thursday, Oct. 3 and Friday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. CT each day. Those interested can apply for jobs at: http://powerhome.com/solar-jobs, or they can send an email to careers@powerhome.com. Applications for installers will be taken in person throughout the week starting Sept. 30.” Source: POWERHOME Solar
BPA to enter Western EIM – The California Independent System Operator is celebrating a new member into its Energy Imbalance Market (EIM), the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). BPA signed the implementation agreement at its headquarters in Portland, OR yesterday following more than a year of study and stakeholder engagement to evaluate the benefits of joining the body. BPA announced its intent to explore joining earlier this year, as part of a strategy to control energy costs and give the utility a competitive edge in the electric industry. Source: CAISO
California reaches one million solar roofs – “California has hit a significant milestone this year: more than one million rooftop solar installations on homes, schools, businesses, and farms. With California leading the way, the U.S. reached two million installations this year. The growth has been rapid, nearly all of it in the last decade. In 2006, there were only about 20,000 installations statewide—solar was still too expensive. Thanks to a federal tax credit, a California rebate, and lower installation costs, solar power suddenly became affordable. Another financial incentive has been net metering: A home that produces surplus solar power sends that energy back to the grid and receives a credit on the utility bill. To further sweeten the deal, research by Zillow has found that solar panels increase a home’s value 4.1%” Source: NeoVolta
Tim Sylvia
Tim Sylvia is an associate editor at pv magazine USA. A recent graduate of Hood College, Tim has been with pv magazine since May 2018.
More articles from Tim Sylvia
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Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation
Donation Refund
The Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1992 to aid in the restoration and preservation of the Quaker Hill Historic District in Wilmington, Delaware.
The district dates back to the early 18th century, when Quakers such as William Shipley and Thomas West built the first residences in the area. During the Revolutionary War, Washington and Lafayette were quartered on Quaker Hill. Among those buried at Wilmington Friends Meeting are John Dickinson, signer of the Constitution, and Thomas Garrett, an abolitionist who worked with William Still and Harriet Tubman to conduct thousands of slaves to freedom.
Quaker Hill has been home to countless people who have dedicated their lives to improving the community and society at large. In this tradition, the Foundation strives to foster a growing appreciation of the rich social history and unique architecture of Wilmington’s oldest residential neighborhood.
Visit with us for a weekend and explore what the Quaker Hill Historic District and the state of Delaware have to offer!
QHHPF Executive Director Ashley B. Cloud presentation “Last Stop to Freedom: Wilmington’s Pivotal Role in the UGRR” at the Bear Library 2pm-4pm
QHHPF & Friends of Dickinson Mansion Annual John Dickinson Memorial at the Wilmington Friends Meeting House 1pm-3pm
QHHPF & Pacem In Terris joint presentation “How Harriet Tubman Changed the World and You Can Too” at the Bear Library 2pm-4pm
Recent “Quills” Newsletters
Winter 2018/2019 (PDF)
Summer/Fall 2018 (PDF)
Click here to view past Quills
More Site Links
The Revolutionary War
521 N. West St., Wilmington, DE 19801
Email: ashley@quakerhillhistoric.org
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Mack Wolford and his father were both serpent handlers who died of snake bites.
Death of snake handling preacher shines light on lethal Appalachian tradition
By Julia Duin, Special to CNN
(CNN) - Mack Wolford, one of the most famous Pentecostal serpent handlers in Appalachia, was laid to rest Saturday at a low-key service at his West Virginia church a week after succumbing to a snake bite that made headlines across the nation.
Several dozen family, friends and members of Wolford's House of the Lord Jesus church in tiny Matoaka filled the simple hall for the service, which lasted slightly more than an hour. At the request of pastor's widow, Fran Wolford, media were forbidden inside the building.
Wolford's own dad was a serpent handler who died from a snake bite in 1983.
Mack Wolford, who was 44, was bitten by his yellow timber rattlesnake at an evangelistic event in a state park about 80 miles west of Bluefield, in West Virginia’s isolated southern tip.
He enjoyed handling snakes during worship services, but it’s a tradition that has killed about 100 practitioners since it started in the east Tennessee hills in 1909.
In recent years, Wolford feared the tradition was in danger of dying for lack of interest among people in their 20s and 30s. It’s why he drove to small, out-of-the-way churches around Appalachia to encourage those who handle snakes to keep the tradition alive.
“I promised the Lord I’d do everything in my power to keep the faith going,” Wolford said last fall in an interview I conducted with him for the Washington Post Sunday magazine. “I spend a lot of time going a lot of places that handle serpents to keep them motivated. I’m trying to get anybody I can get.”
He hadn’t much hope for churches in West Virginia, where serpent handling is legal. Some surrounding states, including Tennessee and North Carolina, have outlawed it. He had his eyes on a Baptist church near Marion, North Carolina, where, he said, “there’s been crowds coming” and its leaders wanted to introduce serpent handling, the law be damned.
“I’m getting the faith started in other states, where I am seeing a positive turnout,” he said. “Remember, back in the Bible, it was the miracles that drew people to Christ.”
Wolford wanted to travel to the radical edges of Christianity, where life and death gazed at him every time he walked into a church and picked up a snake. That’s what drew the crowds and the media; that’s what gives a preacher from the middle of nowhere the platform to offer the gospel to people who would never otherwise listen.
“Mack was one of the hopes for a revival of the tradition,” said Ralph Hood, a University of Tennessee professor who’s written two books on snake handlers and is probably the foremost academic expert on their culture. “However, I am sure others will emerge, as well.”
Indeed, others are emerging, including a growing group of 20-somethings clustered around churches in La Follette, Tennessee, and Middlesboro, Kentucky. Their individual Facebook pages show photos of poisonous snakes and “serpent handling” appears on their “activities and interests” lists.
Pentecostal serpent handlers - they use "serpent" over "snake" out of deference to the Bible - are known for collecting dozens of snakes expressly for church services.
At church, they’re also known to ingest a mixture of strychnine - a highly toxic powder often used as a pesticide - and water, often from a Mason jar. These same believers will bring Coke bottles with oil-soaked wicks to the church so they can hold flames to their skin.
Key to understanding this culture are a pair of verses from the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament: “And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Mainstream Christians - Pentecostals included - do not believe Mark 16:17-18 means that Christians should seek out poisonous snakes or ingest poisonous substances.
But experts say that several thousand people – exact numbers are hard to come by – in six Appalachian states read the verse differently. Known as “signs following” Pentecostals, they see a world at war with evil powers and believe it’s a Christian’s duty to take on the devil by engaging in the “signs.”
Thus, a typical service in one of their churches will also include prayers for healing and speaking in tongues.
But it’s the seeming ability to handle poisonous snakes without dying from their bites that makes these Pentecostals believe that God gives supernatural abilities to those willing to lay their lives on the line. If they are bitten, they refuse to seek antivenin medication, believing it’s up to God to heal them.
At the Church of the Lord Jesus in Jolo, West Virginia - one of the country’s most famous “signs following” churches - a group of worship leaders passed around a rattlesnake at a service last year on Labor Day weekend. The snake twisted as it was passed from man to man.
The women clapped, and one tried handling the serpent but quickly gave it back to a man. The pastor, Harvey Payne - who has never been bitten by a serpent - posed for the cameras, the reptile twisting and curling.
“My life is on the line,” he exulted. “All Holy Ghost power!”
If a believer is bitten by a snake and dies, these Pentecostals reason, it is simply their time to go.
“It devastated me,” one Tennessee serpent handler confided to me about Wolford’s death last week. “It just shook my very foundation. But (handling snakes) is still the Word of God.”
Vicie Haywood, Wolford’s mother - whose husband died 29 years ago from a rattlesnake bite during a worship service - is heartbroken. But she has no doubts about the righteousness of serpent handling. “It’s still the Word, and I want to go on doing what the Word says,” she told the Washington Post on Wednesday.
Last fall I asked Wolford if handling serpents wasn’t tempting God, a common question from mainstream Christians.
“Tempting God is disbelief in God, not belief in Him,” he said, citing an incident in the Old Testament in which Moses slapped his staff against a rock to provide water in the desert rather than speak to the rock as God had commanded.
By using his own resources – a stick – rather than counting on God to act when Moses simply spoke to the rock, the patriarch was condemned for lack of belief and forbidden to enter the Promised Land.
He added that he regularly drinks strychnine during worship services, to show God has power over poison.
“In my life I’ve probably drunk two gallons of it,” Wolford said. “Once you drink it, there is no turning back. All your muscles contract at once. Your body starts stiffening out. Your lungs; it’s like you can’t breathe.”
He’d gotten sick from strychnine a handful of times. “I was up all night struggling to breathe and move my muscles and repeating Bible verses that say you can ‘drink any deadly thing and it won’t hurt you,’ ” Wolford told me, recounting one episode. He said a voice in his head taunted him as he struggled to recover.
“The devil said, ‘You’re going to die, you’re going to die,’ ” he said. “You can’t go to the hospital. There is not a lot they can do. But (seeking medical help) means you’re already starting to lose faith.”
After he was bitten last Sunday, Wolford may have thought his faith would bring him through that trauma, as it had so many times before. He had four spots on his right hand from where copperheads had bitten him.
When he finally gave his family permission to call paramedics, about eight hours after being bitten, he must have known his battle was near over. By the time he arrived at the local hospital in Bluefield, he was dead.
Filed under: Christianity • Death
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The three laws of thermodynamics and the theory of production
Elias Lafi Khalil
Journal of Economic Issues
Khalil, E. L. (2004). The three laws of thermodynamics and the theory of production. Journal of Economic Issues, 38(1), 201 - 226.
Khalil, Elias Lafi. / The three laws of thermodynamics and the theory of production. In: Journal of Economic Issues. 2004 ; Vol. 38, No. 1. pp. 201 - 226.
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title = "The three laws of thermodynamics and the theory of production",
author = "Khalil, {Elias Lafi}",
journal = "Journal of Economic Issues",
publisher = "Taylor & Francis",
Khalil, EL 2004, 'The three laws of thermodynamics and the theory of production', Journal of Economic Issues, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 201 - 226.
The three laws of thermodynamics and the theory of production. / Khalil, Elias Lafi.
In: Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 38, No. 1, 2004, p. 201 - 226.
T1 - The three laws of thermodynamics and the theory of production
AU - Khalil, Elias Lafi
JO - Journal of Economic Issues
JF - Journal of Economic Issues
Khalil EL. The three laws of thermodynamics and the theory of production. Journal of Economic Issues. 2004;38(1):201 - 226.
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Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
Hofstede - Culturally questionable?
M. L. Jones, University of WollongongFollow
This paper was originally published as Jones, M, Hofstede – Culturally questionable?, Oxford Business & Economics Conference. Oxford, UK, 24-26 June, 2007.
Hofstede’s work on culture is the most widely cited in existence (Bond 2002; Hofstede 1997). His observations and analysis provide scholars and practitioners with a highly valuable insight into the dynamics of cross-cultural relationships. However, such a groundbreaking body of work does not escape criticism. Hofstede has been dogged by academics discrediting his work in part or whole. On the other side of this contentious argument are academics that support his work. Far more scholars belong on the pro-Hofstede team than don’t, most quote Hofstede’s work with unabashed confidence, many including his findings as absolute assumptions. This paper takes an in-depth look at Hofstede’s work and discusses both sides of these arguments, then recommends areas for further discussion and research. Finally his findings are applied to a practical environment regarding two countries, Australia and Indonesia. After weighing the evidence, including observing a dialogue between Hofstede and his antagonists, a greater argument exists which support Hofstede than exists which dispute his work. Although, not all of what Hofstede has said stands up to public enquiry, the majority of his findings, have weathered the storms of time, and will continue to guide multi-national practitioners into the ‘global’ future.
Link to publisher version (URL)
Oxford Business & Economics Conference
Business Commons, Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons
Faculty of Commerce
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Kim Jaedoo
Kim Jaedoo was born in Jangdu-ri, Gosu-myeon, Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Dec. 16, 1941. He was assigned to Medical Company, 1st Regiment, Tiger Division and was dispatched to Vietnam; stationed in the area of Binh Dinh Province.
Kim Jaedoo died Jan. 9, 1966 at an airport area, Phu Cat, from wounds caused by small arms fire during a military action. He was awarded the Order of Military Merit Hwarang. He was buried at 51-1-50 graveyard in Seoul National Cemetry.
Kim Seokjin
Staff Sergeant Kim Seokjin was born in 307 Donggok-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju City, Dec. 28, 1946. He was assigned to Medical Company, 1st Regiment, Tiger Division and was dispatched to Vietnam; stationed in the area of Binh Dinh Province.
Staff Sergeant Kim Seokjin died Jan. 18, 1967 in Phu Cat, Cat Khan(CR 048435), from wounds caused by a booby trap explosion during a serch action. He was awarded the Order of Military Merit Inheon. He was buried at 26-3-612 graveyard in Seoul National Cemetry.
Kang Byeonggoon
Captain Kang Byeonggoon was born in 1025 Gwanbong-ri, Jeongchon-myeon, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Feb. 6, 1938. He was assigned to Medical Company, 1st Regiment, Tiger Division and was dispatched to Vietnam; stationed in the area of Binh Dinh Province.
Captain Kang Byeonggoon died Apr. 2, 1967 at an airport in Phu Cat(CQ 140740), from wounds caused by a grenade explosion during a cave search action. He was awarded the Order of Military Merit Hwarang. He was buried at 51-4-050 graveyard in Seoul National Cemetry.
Jeong Taekjin
Sergeant Jeong Taekjin was born in 133 Sihang-ri, Hari-myeon, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Apr. 24, 1944. He was assigned to Medical Company, 1st Regiment, Tiger Division and was dispatched to Vietnam; stationed in the area of Binh Dinh Province.
Sergeant Jeong Taekjin died Apr. 2, 1967 at an airport in Phu Cat(CQ 140740), from wounds caused by a grenade explosion during a cave search action. He was awarded the Order of Military Merit Inheon. He was buried at 26-3-719 graveyard in Seoul National Cemetry.
Kim Sidong
Sergeant Kim Sidong was born in 544 Eoseo-ri, Saengcho-myeon, Sanscheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jun. 22, 1945. He was assigned to Medical Company, 1st Regiment, Tiger Division and was dispatched to Vietnam; stationed in the area of Binh Dinh Province.
Sergeant Kim Sidong died Oct. 7, 1967 in Binh Dinh Province, from wounds caused by a booby trap explosion during an ambush action. He was awarded the Order of Military Merit Inheon. He was buried at 26-2-1224 graveyard in Seoul National Cemetry.
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SAMBO World Cup Stage "A.Kharlampiev Memorial" - Results and Evaluations
10 August 2012 Sergei Grishin
SAMBO World Cup Stage "A.Kharlampiev Memorial" that was held on March 25-26 in Moscow Universal Sports Hall Druzhba is now over. We would like to remind you that Universal Sports Hall Druzhba is located on Moscow River Embankment and has the shape of a sea star. It was built for Olympic Games XXII in 1980; its name symbolizes the cooperation of 15 sports for which the Sports Hall was designed, on the one hand, and on the other, the idea of FRIENDSHIP ("Druzhba" in Russian) included in the concept of sport itself. But, despite the sports FRIENDSHIP, 200 athletes from 26 countries of the world who came together for this Moscow Stage had to determine the strongest ones in tough competition and to choose champions and prize winners in 22 weight categories of sports and combat SAMBO. During the 2 competition days, the audience saw a lot of exciting bouts. The most memorable one was the final in the most prestigious women's weight category: over 80 kg. Irina Rodina, Russia - the most titular sambist of our time, the 11-time World Champion - competed with Nina Kutro-Kelly, USA, bronze medalist of World Cup 2011. By the way, both girls are also quite successful outside of their sports life: Nina is an English teacher, Irina is the director of a large fitness center in Perm, Russia). This bout was very intense but it resulted in the victory of the experienced Russian sportswoman as expected. Nina got the prestigious silver medal and a valuable experience that is always given in the final of such an important tournament. Here is what the leader of the American team told us right after the final. Nina Cutro-Kelly, USA national team athlete, silver medalist (+80kg) About the tournament I'm pleased with this tournament and with my result on it. For me this Stage is only second sambo competition. Earlier I used to do judo. Sports practice on such serious tournament is very important for me. Hkarlampiev Cup is really hard, all the athletes are strong. But now, after the fight, I feel very good. By the way, for me it's the first visit to Moscow. But I hadn't got enough time to see the city. About herself I have good skills. I pay a lot of attention to the ground work. But I hadn't got enough experience. I'm in a good shape for my weight category. I'm training for 6 days a week, I run a lot and work with weights. About sambo Sambo has a great meaning in my life. It's a perfect chance. New possibility. Sambo makes me really happy. The sports festival that brought joy and happiness to so many people does not leave our capital for a long time. A.A. Kharlampiev Memorial was - both for Moscow and for the National SAMBO Federation - the final rehearsal of the Europe Championship that will be held on May 17-21 in the same Druzhba Sports Hall. By the way, at the last European Championship that was held in the capital of Bulgaria, the team of France caused a sensation. They won 1 gold and 2 bronze medals, and took the 4th place in team classification as the result. In Sofia Sports Hall "Universiade", the French hymn was played for the first time in the history of international SAMBO tournaments, as French representative of combat SAMBO, Champion in the weight category "up to 100 kg" Nicholas Mbog went up to the upper step of the podium. In the final he won an impressive victory over the Bulgarian Ivan Stoyanov. The successfully developing French team drew our attention, and we talked to one of the athletes from that national team - Francois Drouilly. Francois Drouilly, French national team athlete, 90 kg About tournament These competitions are very important for me. Moscow stage is a serious part of physical and psychological preparation for the European championship, that will be held in Moscow in May. It is so important to find your own, optimal form and to get your necessary level. Unfortunately, I can't be pleased with my result on the "Kharlampiev's memorial". Russian athletes are very strong for sure. About self-experience I do sambo only 2 years. I came from judo after the regulations in judo have been changed. About love to sambo I love this sport for it's dignity, nobility, real force. Sambo teaches to work a lot. It's not only trainings and competitions. It is a great part of me. Sambo is the way of life. During these days, "Druzhba" brought together the most devoted SAMBO fans. One of them is the General Secretary of the European SAMBO Federation, and the President of the Italian SAMBO Federation Mr. Roberto Ferraris. By the way, Italia is going to host SAMBO Europe Championship 2013. Roberto Ferraris, Secretary General of the European sambo federation, president of the Italian sambo federation About tournament "Kharlampiev's Memorial" is а great tradition. I have been on these competitions a lot of times: when I was an athlete, when I was a coach and now as a manager. The level of the Moscow stage is up and it's organization is developing with every year. That's why I always come here with pleasure. About self-impression I have a lot of good memories from "Kharlampiev's memorial". Every time during this Stage I have a real nostalgia. I met here a great number of my colleagues and friends from my sports life (by the way, my sports life began at 1979, when I took part in my first sambo competition). At first, when I see the carpet, these words are coming to my mind: "Diet! A lot of diets" (laughing). Really, it was a very hard work to stay always in a shape before the tournaments. About Italian sambo In our country we are actively developing this sport. In Italy we don't have yet such a great sambo tradition, so we have a lot of work before us. It is permanent and hard job. I'm heading federation for 10 years, and during this time we have done a lot. Nowadays we have huge number of interesting seminars for referees and training programs for athletes. We have even organized a training camp for children. Developing sambo is very important thing, because it not only makes your body stronger. Sambo makes stronger your spirit. The upcoming Europe Championship 2013 will give new impetus to the popularization of SAMBO and will surely promote the successful development of this sport in Italia. The tournament became bright event in the world SAMBO and was highly praised by FIAS President Vasily Shestakov. The Head of international SAMBO commented on the importance of this "Memorial": "SAMBO World Cup, now divided into 4 stages, is one of the key events in the sports calendar of the sambists of the world. The Moscow Stage proved it as it gave spectacular bouts to the audience and hot competition to the sportsmen. By the way, I am sure that the fight for the Cup we see this year will enhance the level of SAMBO development worldwide and thus extend its geography. For this reason, it will surely be very hard for the today's World Champions to defend their titles at the World Championship in Minsk in November. It will give considerable advantage for us, SAMBO fans, as the tough competition makes this sport interesting and attractive". Thus, the World Cup Stage in Moscow (the second one this year after Uralsk, Kazakhstan) is now over. The sambists will have the opportunity to continue the fight for the top of the Cup classification at "A. Astakhov Memorial" (Karakas, Venezuela, June 28 - July 1) and at the World cup Stage for the prizes of A. Aslakhanov (Russia, October 5-8).
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morningbuzz
Hadron Collider, California Trademarks, US Judges, More: Monday Buzz, April 25, 2016
By ResearchBuzz on April 25, 2016 • ( Leave a comment )
Wanna play with Hadron Collider data? Here ya go. (Hope you got a serious amount of storage space.) “Yesterday, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) dropped a staggering amount of raw data from the Large Hadron Collider on the internet for anyone to use: 300 terabytes worth.”
Thanks to my good buddy Esther S. who gave me a heads-up on a new collection of California trademarks. The state of California has released a collection of 19th century trademarks. “California Secretary of State Alex Padilla today announced the release of nearly 4,000 digitized California trademark images and applications filed with the Secretary of State between 1861 and 1900. These images and documents are the largest digital collection ever assembled by the State Archives, a division of the Secretary of State’s office.”
Now available: a database of judges in the United States. “Today we’re extremely proud and excited to be launching a comprehensive database of judges and the judiciary, to be linked to Courtlistener’s corpus of legal opinions authored by those judges… At launch, the database has nearly 8,500 judges from federal and state courts, all of which are available via our APIs, in bulk data, and via a new judicial search interface that we’ve created.”
A professor at North Carolina State University (NCSU) has put together a digital archive about NC HB2. “NC HB2: A Citizens’ History is an archive of materials related to North Carolina’s House Bill 2, passed by the legislature on March 23, 2016 in a special session and signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory on that same day. Please explore the site and consider contributing materials related to your experiences. You may upload your stories, photos, videos, and other items that document your involvement with the law and any events related to it.”
In development: an online database of army ants. “The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, in partnership with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, will lead the effort to curate, digitize, and catalogue the Rettenmeyer Ant Guest Collection and its associated materials, which in addition to the more than two million specimens of about 114 species of army ants includes 92,000 specimens of guests representing 187 species. The specimens are preserved using a variety of scientific research methods including pinned specimens, vials, and microscope slides. They also are documented in 5,000 Kodachrome slides and about 30 hours of digital videotape.”
Now available: a database of abandoned buildings in the Czech Republic. “A group of enthusiasts have been running a website that presents empty dilapidated houses in Prague and other parts of the Czech Republic, and the unique database now describes 936 buildings and tells their stories, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes on Wednesday.” The site is in Czech and Chrome does not offer to automatically translate, and if you translate the front page of the site, you won’t see the Google Map of buildings. I recommend you navigate the map, find a building you want to review, click on the blue button (“Profil objektu a diskuze”) and then run that URL through Google Translate.
Need a nice yoga vacation? Here ya go. “A new website is launching to help travelers find yoga retreats and yoga teacher training around the world. More than 250 yoga vacations from 34 countries are listed…” My idea of a vacation is a nice book and a long walk, but to each…
TWEAKS & UPDATES
TechCrunch has launched a bot for Facebook Messenger. I asked it to give me stories about archives and it chirpily replied, “This is the latest news about ‘archives'” and gave me stories from 2010, 2013, and 2009, respectively. It’s early days yet in bot-world. “Similar to our Telegram bot launched last month, our Messenger bot will help you stay on top of the topics and stories you care about. You can subscribe to different topics, authors or sections of the site, and the bot will send you news articles from TechCrunch about the things you are interested in the most.”
This is a bit more technical than I usually get, but I haven’t seen this problem addressed before. If you’re interested in the Realm mobile database, you may like this article on backing up and restoring a Realm database using the Google Drive API. If you’re interested in programming and Realm, Paolo Rotolo looks like someone to follow on Medium.
The British Library and Vodafone are celebrating Shakespeare’s legacy with “digital wallpaper”. “Shakespeare’s plays began to be printed towards the end of the 16th century in pamphlets known as quartos – pocket-sized and competitively priced for the time. …. The plays will be made available using specially designed “digital wallpaper”, in effect a virtual bookshelf at which users can point their smartphones to scan QR codes and activate their downloads.”
Does Google have a new travel app in the wings? “An email went out to those at Level 2 or above in Google’s Local Guides program with an offer to answer a few survey questions in exchange for a shot at a demo version of the app for Android and iPhone.” Good morning, Internet…
Do you like ResearchBuzz? Does it help you out? Please consider supporting it on Patreon. I love your comments, I love your site suggestions, and I love you. Feel free to comment on the blog, or @ResearchBuzz on Twitter. Thanks!
Categories: morningbuzz
Massachusetts News, Ireland Electricity, Dallas Police, More: Saturday Buzz, April 23, 2016
British Red Cross, Monograph Publishing, The Alamo, More: Monday Afternoon Buzz, April 25, 2016
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A schoolboy at heart: Celebrated Indian scientist speaks his mind
Gene Hettel | Apr 1, 2015
(Photos: Gene Hettel)
The legendary Ebrahimali Abubacker Siddiq, 78, began his long and enduring rice research career in 1968 as a cytogeneticist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi, including 7 years there as a senior scientist. In 1983-86, he spent 3 years as a breeder for the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Egypt. Returning to IARI, he was appointed professor of genetics (1986-87).
In late 1987, he became project director at the Directorate of Rice Research (DRR). In 1994, he assumed the position of deputy director general (crop science) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). In 2000-05, he served as a member of the Institute’s Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2005. His 35 years of research in plant breeding contributed to the development and release of high-yielding semidwarf basmati and nonbasmati varieties, which have boosted rice production in India.
Upon retirement from his regular ICAR service in 1997, ICAR named him a national professor (1997-2002). In 2002, he joined the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics of the Department of Biotechnology, in which he served as the Distinguished Chair until 2007, when he continued there as an adjunct scientist. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Hyderabad and IARI and is an honorary professor of biotechnology at Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University in Hyderabad.
Here are some excerpts from his pioneer interview conducted in April 2014 in Hyderabad.
A long association with IRRI
My professional association with IRRI started in 1968. When I was a rice breeder at IARI, IRRI provided me opportunities to participate in its international symposia and conferences. Starting in 1987, as project director of DRR, my association with IRRI became even closer. As project director (1987-94), I progressively strengthened the relationship between India and IRRI. My roles as a scientist, project director, deputy director general (crop science) at ICAR, and later as a member of IRRI’s Board of Trustees enabled me to know and discover what India could gain through collaborative activities with IRRI, particularly in germplasm exchange and human resource development on all aspects of rice science.
Rewarding stint for IRRI in Egypt
When I was a senior scientist at IARI, IRRI, with M.S. Swaminathan as its director general, was keen to develop rice research in Egypt. I was chosen to be the rice breeder to join the USAID-supported project for establishing the National Rice Research and Training Institute. In 1983, I joined the project, which was technically coordinated by the University of California-Davis, and contributed to shaping and strengthening Egypt’s rice breeding program. Overall, the project team did a lot of good by streamlining research, training local scientists, and helping many get their PhD degrees. That 3-year exposure was really a wonderful experience personally for me and I feel, even today, that I achieved all that was expected of me as a breeder there.
Critical issues while on the IRRI Board
Keeping INGER. While serving on the IRRI Board, there were several issues I was concerned about during the early 2000s when Ronald Cantrell was Institute’s director general. It was a time when funding support from major donor sources to CGIAR institutes, including IRRI, was declining. To cope with the situation, IRRI was contemplating projects and programs which should be continued and which ones might be pruned. Whether IRRI should continue or not with the International Network for the Genetic Evaluation of Rice (INGER) was one of the issues before the Board for a decision.
I impressed upon fellow board members that it was INGER that provided IRRI with true visibility in the rice world. Connecting almost all rice-growing countries through international testing and exchange of germplasm, it was INGER that enabled rice-growing countries to strengthen their rice breeding research and develop varieties suited to their own different ecosystems. I emphatically said, don’t prune INGER because what you are spending on it is not that much but what you gain is much more. Luckily, I and other INGER proponents on the Board won out and INGER thrives today.
Into Africa. Except for the limited INGER testing program, IRRI was not doing anything substantial for Africa. The Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice, formerly WARDA) was there addressing rice production constraints. Even so, given the large underexploited potential in Africa, I and other board members insisted that IRRI should emphasize and focus on improving rice productivity and production on the continent. So, the Board urged IRRI to give needed emphasis to Africa. That is when the first African national—Angeline Kamba—became the chair of the IRRI Board and when IRRI started to send more scientific staff to the continent to strengthen rice research there.
Focusing on the rainfed lowlands. Throughout my time on the Board, I insisted that IRRI should also focus on rainfed ecosystems, particularly the rainfed lowlands, where drought and submergence are major constraints. Although not so prominent in many Southeast Asian countries, this ecosystem constitutes a large area in South Asia, particularly in eastern India and Bangladesh. We cannot rely indefinitely on the irrigated ecosystem alone to meet our future rice demands. There has to be a balance across the irrigated and rainfed ecosystems. I am happy that India and IRRI are working together to address this issue through the development and adoption of submergence- and drought-tolerant rice varieties in eastern India through the Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) project.
Don’t cut hybrid rice. There was a feeling that, unlike in China, hybrid rice research at IRRI was not making the expected level of progress. So, the issue came up before the Board if it were justified to prune the hybrid breeding program. I urged that the hybrid rice program be further strengthened, not pruned, because it is the only technology available with proven capability to raise the genetic yield ceiling. Even though it probably would not reach the levels achieved in China, certainly India and a few other countries in the region could gain from the technology in the coming years. I pleaded with the Board not to curtail ongoing support for hybrid rice research. The suggestion was accepted broadly and so the hybrid rice program at IRRI continues today.
I understand that today around 2.4 million hectares are being planted to hybrid rice in India. If our breeders come up with hybrids that can satisfy both farmers and consumers with appropriate growth duration, resistance to insect pests and diseases, and high grain quality, I am optimistic that, 3 or 4 years from now, Indian farmers should be planting 5 million hectares of hybrid rice. And even with a relatively small hybrid area, India is second only to China in bringing hybrid rice to farmers’ fields.
A career achievement with basmati rice
My major work as a breeder was to develop high-yielding varieties with basmati quality. The unique quality characteristic of basmati rice is a complex genetic trait. Nearly all the physicochemical properties of starch are not simply inherited. Combining all the quality features of traditional basmati in a high-yielding background, therefore, was not an easy task.
At one stage of the breeding process, some people commented, “You are working for so many years; still, you’re not coming out with high-yielding basmati varieties.” While visiting the field, one critic sarcastically asked, “Should we bring in Norman Borlaug (the father of the Green Revolution) to develop the kind of basmati rice you are trying to achieve for so long?”
I was hurt by this remark and was compelled to respond that, with all respect to Norman Borlaug, I told him in the presence of many that you can bring not one, but many Borlaugs, but it will not make any difference in progress, given the complex trait we are dealing with. I explained how difficult and time-consuming it is to combine so many complexly inherited indices of basmati quality in a high-yielding background. I remember how I, along with my small staff, used to be in the field all day selecting productive plant types in the breeding populations and the long hours we spent into the night cooking rice to evaluate the promising lines for the desired quality trait combination.
Yet, we failed to reach the targeted genotype for years. It took us nearly 24 years to finally succeed in developing Pusa Basmati 1 (PB1), the first-ever high-yielding semidwarf basmati variety, released in 1989. Just like with the miracle high-yielding IR8, which would not have sustained us had we not come up with progressively improved versions of it with acceptable grain quality and resistance to insect pests and diseases, PB1 also provided the genetic base for evolving better and better varieties and hybrids.
Breeding for the rice-wheat rotation
I was also very interested in developing an appropriate rice variety that would enable timely harvest and thus timely planting of wheat in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. With the fertile soil there, high fertilizer application causes modern rice varieties to lodge before harvest hence the rice cannot be combine-harvested. Keeping this problem in mind, we had introduced Pusa 44 in 1994.
Pusa 44 does not lodge at all because of its strong straw. This variety has helped sustain the rice-wheat system by enabling combine harvesting that clears the field quickly for proper land preparation and timely wheat planting. This is why the rice-wheat rotation in the region is such a great success. By virtue of this trait along with its long, slender, and clean grains as well as resistance to most pests and diseases, it is still popular in the region. Even today, there is no variety yet to replace Pusa 44.
Adding biotechnology to the toolbox
I looked into the prospects of the application of biotech tools for directed and speedy rice improvement. After a full day’s discussion with me, Gary Toenniessen, representing the Rockefeller Foundation, agreed to support a rice biotechnology program in India, if we organized and coordinated it. Thus, the India Rice Biotechnology Network started. For 10 years, I coordinated this program involving rice researchers engaged in biotechnology.
Under this program, the Foundation helped India by training our young researchers in advanced laboratories abroad and providing all needed equipment. Although the funding support was not high, I must admit that, if not for that initial support, it would not have been possible for India to have built its rice biotechnology research to the level we have today.
The future challenge for India: keeping rice farming sustainable
The challenge for the next 20 years and beyond is achieving production targets on a sustainable basis—ecologically and economically. Whereas the unfolding technological advances will hopefully make farming ecologically secure, the real challenge is going to be in making farming economically viable because it is becoming increasingly a losing profession.
Farmers are not a happy lot in this country today. They don’t have secure livelihood opportunities in the rural areas because rice farming and agriculture, in general, are not is a large-scale migration of rural families to urban areas in search of better livelihood opportunities. It used to be 60–40%, rural to urban population; now, the reverse is being reflected.
Today, many farmers do not want to see their sons becoming farmers like them. They want them to go for better-paid jobs in the cities. A recent survey conducted across India showed that more than 60% of the farmers don’t find farming socioeconomically attractive. They feel they are losers and they want to migrate to urban areas. So, unless we come up with appropriate strategies and policy measures to sustain farmers in farming, it is not going to be easy to meet our future food demands.
A schoolboy in retirement, freely sharing knowledge
Now in retirement, among other things, I am an adjunct professor at my old institute, IARI. Whenever I go to Delhi, I give lectures to students and interact with the staff on many agricultural issues. I really enjoy this kind of activity in retirement. My wife says, “You are retired, but you still act like a schoolboy.” Maybe so; however, for a scientist, there is really nothing like retirement. I now have time to read and think about the new developments in science and share those ideas with students and younger colleagues.
Many companies have asked me, “Why don’t you do some sort of consultancy?—whatever you want, we will arrange.” I said, no. I don’t need financial support from anybody. I have my pension; I have my lifetime savings to survive and act as I wish. If anybody wants a free consultancy, there’s no problem. I am available. Otherwise, I am leading a peaceful life!
Mr. Hettel is editor-in-chief of Rice Today.
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Four Richmond-area executives honored for leadership; other companies given special workplace recognition
CHAZARD
Liza Borches
Four Richmond-area executives are being honored for outstanding leadership in this year’s Top Workplaces program.
Twelve companies in the region also are being recognized for special awards in categories ranging from training opportunities to benefits.
The award recipients were chosen based on standout scores for employee responses to specific survey questions.
Employees were asked in confidential surveys from Energage about workplace issues. They rated statements on a seven-point scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
For the leadership awards, employees were asked about their confidence in the leader of the company. For other awards, they were asked about their views on such issues as management, company values, efficiency, open communication lines and work/life flexibility.
The Leadership Awards were given to one executive in each of four categories based on company size (mega, large, midsize and small). The other special awards were given to any company that scored the highest in that issue category.
Leadership awards
Mega company: Richard D. “Rich” Fairbank founded the predecessor company to Capital One Financial Corp. in 1988 as a credit card division of Richmond-based Signet Financial Corp.
Under Fairbank’s leadership, Capital One has emerged as one of the nation’s most recognized brands, grown into a Fortune 500 company and become one of the largest bank-holding companies in the country.
Fairbank earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University in 1972 and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1981.
“Rich Fairbank’s vision and foresight has enabled Capital One to become the successful company it is today. His commitment to the organization and its associates has been evident since the beginning and he shares his passion directly with the entire company,” one employee wrote in a confidential survey about how the company’s leader inspires confidence.
Although the company is based in McLean, Capital One is the Richmond region’s largest employer. The company’s key operations center is in the Richmond area, mainly at the West Creek business park in Goochland County, with operations also in Henrico and Chesterfield counties. It also operates two Capital One Cafés in the region.
Large company: Since 2015, Buddy Omohundro has served as chief services officer for Apex Systems LLC, with leadership responsibility for corporate functions, encompassing legal, human resources, information technology and accounting departments.
For the past 14 years, he has served as Apex’s general counsel and a member of its senior management council. In this role, he manages and advises the company on legal and business issues.
“He believes in investing in our people. He understands they are the backbone of our organization and the key to its success,” one employee wrote in a confidential survey.
Before joining Apex, Omohundro practiced law in the labor and employment department at McGuireWoods in Richmond.
Omohundro received a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Virginia. He received a law degree and a MBA from the University of Richmond.
Midsize company: Liza Borches is the fourth generation of her family to serve as president and CEO of Carter Myers Automotive. Since she joined the company in 2003, the auto company has grown from three dealerships to 13 in three markets in Virginia representing 16 new-car franchises.
Borches is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, where she concentrated in marketing and finance.
Upon graduation, she worked at American Honda Motor Co. in Torrance, Calif., for seven years in the auto sales division. Borches left American Honda in 2003 to join the family auto company, which was founded in 1924 by her great-grandfather in Petersburg.
She became president and CEO, and majority stockholder of Carter Myers Automotive, in 2011 .
Carter Myers Automotive is a family- and employee-owned business made up of Colonial Chevrolet, Colonial Honda, Colonial Hyundai, Colonial Subaru, and Colonial Kia in the Richmond area. It also owns dealerships in Charlottesville and Staunton.
“She’s so approachable and genuine,” one employee wrote in a survey. “She always sounds confident and inspired to bring greater value to the company at all levels,” another wrote.
She also is on the board of the Virginia Auto Dealers Association and was appointed a member of the state’s Motor Vehicle Dealer Board.
Small company: Page Ewell III began his career at Richmond Window Corp. as a sales consultant in October 1985 after graduating from the University of Richmond with a degree in economics.
He then moved to Virginia Beach to open a branch office and lead the expansion as branch manager. In 1990, Ewell — the son of one of the founders — moved back to the main Richmond office as general manager in the corporate headquarters in Carytown.
For the next 10 years, Ewell focused on building the brand and company, as well as growing trust in the community that would lead to Richmond Window’s selection by Renewal by Andersen to become a full replacement division and the official affiliate location of central Virginia.
He assumed the role of owner and CEO when his father died in 2008. In 2016, Ewell oversaw the move from the company’s original location in Richmond to Deep Rock Road in Henrico County.
“Strong leadership and intelligence,” one employee wrote in a survey. “The owner of this company really cares about the company. He shows up every day making sure that everything is OK,” another wrote.
The company is going in the right direction: West Creek Financial
Managers:
Managers help employees learn and grow, make it easier to do their jobs well and care about their concerns: The Steward School
New ideas:
New ideas are encouraged: RVA Restoration
Doers:
This company does things efficiently and well: Paymerang
Meaningfulness:
This job makes employees feel as if they are part of something meaningful: Pinnacle Living
Company operates by strong values: CarMax
Clued-in management:
Senior managers understand what is really happening at this company: McKesson Corp.
Employees feel well-informed about important decisions: Joyner Fine Properties
Appreciation:
Employees genuinely feel appreciated at this company: Hourigan
Work/life flexibility:
Employees have flexibility to balance work and personal life: Auditor of Public Accounts
Employees get the formal training wanted for their careers: Altria Group
Benefits package is good compared to others in this industry: Aldi
Richard Fairbank
Omohundro
Page Ewell
chazard@timesdispatch.com
Capital One Financial Corp.
Follow CHAZARD
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America’s Outstanding Oldest Worker Search
February 12, 2010 | By admin More
Older workers have a lot to offer the workplace–experience, knowledge, dependability and enthusiasm–and every year, one of these workers is honored for such contributions.
Nominations are now being accepted in the search for America’s Outstanding Oldest Worker. The search is part of a national effort to raise awareness about the contributions older individuals make in today’s workplace and to break down barriers often associated with their employment. It is sponsored by Experience Works, the nation’s largest nonprofit training and employment organization for older workers.
America’s Outstanding Oldest Worker nominees must be 100 years of age or older, currently employed, working at least 20 hours each week for pay and involved in his or her community. The honoree for 2010 will be introduced in May as part of Older Americans Month. Additional information, including the nomination form, is available at http://www.experienceworks.org. The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2010.
“Older workers provide inspiration to people of all ages and serve as role models for those who want to continue to stay active and make valuable contributions to the workplace and to their communities,” said Lita Kleger, vice president of external affairs for Experience Works.
Last year’s honoree was 101-year-old attorney Jack Borden from Weatherford, Texas.
A former FBI agent, Borden is the oldest practicing member of the Texas State Bar Association. He still works 40 hours a week, specializing in real estate and probate law.
Borden also continues to be active in his community. He was elected to public office four times and served as the mayor of Weatherford. He was recognized as the Outstanding Citizen of Weatherford in 2005.
Experience Works, formerly Green Thumb, is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of low-income, older people through employment, community service and training. For more information, visit http://.experienceworks.org.
Tags: america's oldest worker, Seniors in the workplace
Category: Business Tips & Resources
« eDisplay Unveils New Version of Award-Winning Email Marketing Software
Discover How to Build a Website in 3 Easy Steps »
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Los Angeles Flight Hit By Turbulence
Filed Under:Denver, LAX, Turbulence, United Airlines
DENVER (AP) — A United Airlines jetliner was diverted to Denver on Tuesday after experiencing “significant turbulence,” injuring about 30 people onboard, one seriously, a fire official said. The flight originated at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., and was headed to Los Angeles.
It landed safely around 7:45 p.m. at Denver International Airport, where medical crews met the plane, Denver Fire Department spokesman Eric Tade said.
Denver Health spokeswoman Dee Martinez said 21 people were being transported to five area hospitals. She released no information on the extent of their injuries.
However, Tade said one person was seriously hurt, while the other injuries included bruises, whiplash, strains and sprains. He said some people were treated at the scene.
“There are mostly walking injuries,” Tade told The Denver Post. “They are treating patients now.”
United spokesman Michael Trevino told the Post that four of the injured were flight attendants and the rest were passengers.
United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said Flight 967 was carrying 255 passengers and 10 crew members. She said the crew decided to be safe and land the Boeing 777 in Denver to tend to the injured.
McCarthy said United was working to find flights for the uninjured passengers. Trevino added that a special United flight took off for Los Angeles at 9:30 p.m. carrying many passengers from the diverted flight.
Mike Fergus of the Federal Aviation Administration in Seattle said the plane was over Kansas when it hit the turbulence. He said the plane’s altitude was about 34,000 feet when the pilot asked to be diverted to Denver.
FAA spokesman Ian Gregor in Los Angeles said there was “no obvious damage” to the plane’s exterior, but he said the aircraft was being taken to a hangar for additional inspection.
Tim Smith of Boulder was on United Flight 937, which also flew in from Washington and landed after the diverted plane. He said his flight was delayed an hour and 20 minutes because of thunderstorms, but didn’t have any problems.
Smith saw ambulances and police cars surrounding a gate on the tarmac and one person on a stretcher when his plane taxied to the gate at the Denver airport.
“Thank God I wasn’t on that flight,” Smith said.
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Home / Books / General / Fiona McIntyre: A Tree Within
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Fiona McIntyre: A Tree Within
Fiona McIntyre: A Tree Within quantity
‘She displays a conspicuous passion for her subject that pervades every touch. A highly distinctive and vigorous draughtsmanship is a masterpiece of lyrical and rhythmical design and her vocabulary of forms resonates perfectly with the breadth of handling. Above all Fiona is a consummate colourist in sympathy with Turner, the Scottish Colourists and Hitchens…’
Tim Craven
A Tree Within showcases 35 years of the work of Fiona McIntyre and includes paintings, drawings and prints: early Cubist-inspired paintings and drawings, copies of African and Oceanic tribal sculpture, still lifes, light paintings, the nude, landscape, architecture and the recent Arborealist paintings and drawings. Her great-grandfather Malcolm Drummond was a founder member of the Camden Town Group (1911 – 13), of which several examples of his work and a brief introduction are included. The book contains a foreword by Southampton City Art Gallery curator and fellow Arborealist Tim Craven, and an illuminating interview with art historian Dr Alan Wilkinson.
Alan Wilkinson was born in Toronto. He studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, and wrote his Ph.D on The Drawings of Henry Moore (1974), which was published in 1984. From 1969 to 1974 Dr. Wilkinson worked closely with Henry Moore to select for the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, the largest public collection of the sculptor’s work. As a curator at the AGO, he organized a number of important exhibitions, including the first retrospective on The Drawings of Henry Moore (1976) for the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Tate Gallery, London. His publications include: Henry Moore Remembered (1987); Barbara Hepworth: A Retrospective (co-author) (1994); The Sculpture of Jacques Lipchitz: A Catalogue Raisonné (1996 and 2000); Henry Moore: Writings and Conversations, ed. (2002); Harold Pinter & Alan Wilkinson, The Catch: A Correspondence (2003); “Henry Moore” the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004); Rachel Nicholson (2010); and The Drawings of Barbara Hepworth (2015).
Book contains an illuminating interview by the art historian Dr Alan Wilkinson and a foreword by Southampton curator and fellow Arborealist Tim Craven.
This book includes over 100 illustrations including seven Drummond’s.
The artist’s diversely rich creativity and personality are brought vividly to life.
Extent: 120pp
Illustrations: over 100 full colour
Binding: hardback
The Holy Box
Edwin G. Lucas
Stanhope Forbes: Father of the Newlyn School
The Arborealists: The Art of the Tree Brian Rice: Paintings 1952-2016
You're viewing: Fiona McIntyre: A Tree Within £25.00
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Why Students Should Learn About The Human Anatomy & Study Physiology
International Journal of Oral and Dental Health is an open access journal that highlights the advances in oral health in detail. Students will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to interact with other members of the interdisciplinary health care team to ensure that the oral health care needs of patients are effectively managed. Selected students are given the opportunity to spend time at a Flinders RHSA rural site for Community Rural Engagement Week (CREW), normally held in August of each year. During its early beginnings, dentistry was not seen as a profession in itself. This often led barbers and general physicians to perform dental procedures. Barbers often limited their dental practice to teeth removal to alleviate toothaches and heal chronic tooth infections. The science of modern dentistry expanded in the years beginning in 1650 to 1800. Dentistry had a number of pioneers, many who lived in Europe, that illustrated its significance as a field in medicine. As the recognized “father of modern dentistry”, Pierre Fauchard was credited for starting the science of dentistry in the 17th century, as it is now known today. The shift to the U.S. was not made until the 19th century. The first dental school in the world was established in Baltimore in 1840. Prior to this establishment, dentistry was only seen as a specialty. PA training classes cover the areas of medical ethics, physical diagnosis, clinical medicine, and clinical pharmacology. They also include science subjects like anatomy, physiology, pathology, and biochemistry. These are paired with work within a laboratory to reinforce the concepts covered. Students may have the same teacher for the laboratory or they may be placed into a lab course with students in other related programs. Furthermore, candidates who attain naturopathic careers discover that while this is an integrative medicine practice, many naturopathic doctors (NDs) act as primary care physicians in clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. In addition to noninvasive therapies, naturopathic practitioners provide natural healing alternatives to traditional medicine including holistic modalities like mind-body-spirit therapies (e.g., massage therapy, energy healing, holistic nutrition, etc.). While the work of McLuhan can and has given rise to numerous possible interpretations ranging from a literary, anecdotal and metaphorical anthropocentrism to Friedrich Kittler’s radical machinic anti-humanism, the work of at least some of the media theorists associated with the media ecology school retreats from the more radical implications of McLuhan’s work into a type of liberal humanism, an operation that has both conceptual and political implications.
Forensic Odontology is introduced with a block course covering the history of forensic identification, the role of police in forensic investigation, interaction of government agencies, bitemark evidence and interpretation, age determination, interesting forensic cases, dental charting systems, forensic dental radiology, coronial system, forensic dentistry and law, introduction to course, denture marking and computerisation. A dental assistant works directly under the supervision of a dentist and assists in various procedures, such as oral surgery. They are in charge of preparing and arranging the necessary tools, as well as locating records and sterilizing equipment. An associates degree from an accredited program with zero to two years experience is expected. The typical salary for a dental assistant is between $25,158 and $36,993. An oriental or Chinese medicine doctor majorly uses healthcare therapies like acupuncture and moxibustion and tries to find out the energy imbalance in a patient’s body and if diagnosed, treat it is through acupuncture cupping, needling, and other Chinese herbal remedies. Today it is counted among few alternative medicines that are completely free of side effects and deliver numerous benefits. Dental biomaterials combine the natural tissues and biocompatible engineered materials that are used to repair rotted, damaged or cracked teeth. In order to treat the dental tissue, distinctive kinds of dental biomaterials were developed. Biomaterials should have the qualities of soundness and biocompatibility to change in the oral condition. Different types of dental biomaterials have been used and its characteristics vary according to their intended purpose. This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. I’m not a Harvard professor, but I see a plethora of questions that remain unanswered which keep me from thinking they are 100% on the right track on explaining the origin of life on earth. Or the origin of the universe, for that matter. But, I’ll take people saying there is no God, and attempting to solve the riddles over preachers telling us we shouldn’t question any day of the week. Oral and maxillofacial radiology – The study and radiologic interpretation of oral and maxillofacial diseases. The first big danger is disconnection from the real world. Even today, many people find themselves so immersed in social media and video games that they lose touch with reality. Two of the most notable cases reported by Time magazine occurred in South Korea, where multiple deaths have been reported as a direct result of excessive gaming. The first incident involved a 3-month-old child who starved to death while the parents were caring for an in-game child. The second death was that of a 22-year-old man who went into cardiac arrest after playing the popular game StarCraft for 50 hours straight in 2005. Technology like the Oculus Rift that immerses players even deeper into the game will likely increase this trend of excessive gaming and video game addiction.
By nature of their general training they can carry out the majority of dental treatments such as restorative (fillings, crowns , bridges ), prosthetic ( dentures ), endodontic (root canal) therapy, periodontal (gum) therapy, and extraction of teeth, as well as performing examinations, radiographs (x-rays), and diagnosis. Dentists can also prescribe medications such as antibiotics , sedatives , and any other drugs used in patient management. Depending on their licensing boards, general dentists may be required to complete additional training to perform sedation, dental implants, etc. Documentaries are often filled with the opinions of those that do not believe The Bible to be The Word of GOD, And, the documentary you watched might have been a very good one. However, there are also documentaries out there that accentuate the fact that archaeological discoveries give evidence of the very advanced techniques in history, practices such as brain surgery, for which there was no technology. McLuhan describes Technological Determinism in terms of what each society deems the important way to communicate. What one could hear was truth for people of the ‘tribal age’, while what was available to read defined the truth for those alive during the ‘print age’. In essence, the same exact words can have completely different meaning based on whether they are spoken person to person, printed on paper, or presented through instantaneous communication (i.e. television or radio). What we as people view as truth at each particular point in human history has the active voice. These are all examples of what makes a good humanistic theory. Faith in God is an admirable trait, but it gets a little tedious when you argue foolish points and then start accusing people of dancing with demons and bemoaning the ‘fact’ that they will meet a fiery end simply for accepting evidence you choose to turn a blind eye to. Regardless, one biologist denying 150 years of evidence does not destroy a theory. You produce one biologist that denies evolution, I can produce a thousand or more who say that it is perfectly compatible with the evidence, and acknowledge that amino acids DO form into proteins. The argument from ignorance is not a valid argument, and if there are gaps in evolutionary theory (which there aren’t) that doesn’t mean that the exact opposite, for which there is zero evidence, is true. Had we been satisfied with not knowing how the world works, we would still be living in caves. Weekly departmental review of the current histopathology cases, particularly biopsies of patients undertaken or seen in the Oral Medicine clinics, or Head and Neck oncology clinics.
The group creates works based on immediate yet intangible elements such as shadows, smells, footprints or voices, or constructed on such themes as “evidence of existence.” While utilizing digital technology, the artists place importance on the aspect of touching and holding things, which has made them popular around the world among children and adult alike. We have to finally understand and recognize that Media ecology touches, in part, mass media, new media, journalism, communication studies, cultural studies, cultural studies, literary theory, the arts, history, theology, law, politics, economics, language, and so forth. Everything is everything in terms of the Media Ecology we exist in and the lens of Media Ecology, somewhat provides answer to all those obscure features of technique, technology and communications. A more concise and broader definition can be found in the opening paragraph of this Hub. Upon successful completion of the PGY 1 year, residents then enter and progress through four years of comprehensive orthopaedic training in full compliance with the requirements outlined by the ACGME for residency education in orthopaedic surgery. Our media on earth moves very fast and we are giddied by its motion and constancy. We have to recognize that reality in order to understand our immediate here and now. Along this spluring viral stream, flows our consciousness and conscience in the speed of data. There are some of us who are trying to cope with the instant constancy of the Viral Speed, and this is where it comes in with the universal speed of flow of the universe and galaxies. To introduce the National Maternal Near Miss Surveillance System (NMNMSS) in detail and to report the composition of maternal near miss (MNM) in China. To become an Oriental medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner (who provides acupuncture), it is critical to acquire appropriate training in acupuncture and Oriental medicine from an accredited complementary medicine school or college. It is equally important to review the curriculum of the potential acupuncture program as it must meet all educational regulations and requirements mandated by the State or Province in which you reside. Dr. Aniruddh Narvekar is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry, Department of Periodontics. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. He completed a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 2010 in Bombay, India. In 2011, he joined the Periodontics and Periodontal Prosthesis program (dual certificate) at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine, in Philadelphia where he completed a 4-year residency. He received certificates in both Periodontics and Fixed Prosthodontics as part of the School of Dental Medicine’s Graduate Dental Education Program. Dr.Narvekar is a member of various professional organizations including : American Academy of Periodontology, Chicago Dental Society, American Dental Association, Illinois Society of Periodontology, Illinois State Dental Society. He is currently licensed as a specialist in Periodontics in the State of Illinois.
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Scientists show how the brain may be wired for drinking fluids
Credit: Courtesy of Oka lab; CalTech, Pasadena
Scientists uncovered a high-resolution map of the wiring inside the mouse brain's thirst center. With these blueprints, they could trick mice into becoming light or heavy water drinkers. Moreover, they discovered a quenching circuit that knew when to tell the brain, "Stop, the body has had enough." Supported, in part, by the NIH's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Technologies (BRAIN®) Initiative, the results may also provide a glimpse into the rules that govern how the brains circuits work.
"Bodily fluids are maintained by a delicate and tightly regulated balance of thirst and satiety. We genetically mapped out the neuronal circuits that tell the body when to drink," said Yuki Oka, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, and senior author of the study published in Nature.
His group studied the circuits of the lamina terminalis, the thirst center located deep inside the brain. For decades, scientists have known that three groups of neurons in this area cooperated to control drinking, and they even had clues as to which type of neurons did so. But no one had a genetically defined circuit diagram for how they did it. Nor did they completely understand how the cells tell the body to stop drinking well before the stomach fully absorbs water and other fluids.
Using genes designed to help scientists dissect brain circuits, the researchers of this study found that opposing lines of communications running through an area of the lamina terminalis called the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) may be critical players. One line was essentially responsible for telling the mice to drink while the other line told them when to stop. Both seemed to work in sequential order, relaying drinking or quenching messages from one neuron to another. Use of the mapping tools was supported by NIH's BRAIN® Initiative.
"A goal of the BRAIN Initiative is to arm scientists with 21st century tools so they can fully understand how the healthy and diseased brain works at a level never seen before," said Dr. Walter J. Koroshetz, M.D., director of the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). "This study is a good example of how, after only a few years, the public's investment in the BRAIN Initiative is paying off and helping researchers solve some of the mysteries of the brain."
Drinking Circuit
Previously, Dr. Oka and his colleagues had shown that activation of neurons in an area of the lamina terminalis called the subfornical organ (SFO) may trigger drinking in response to dehydration. The neurons could be identified by the fact that they send excitatory, or stimulating, signals to other cells and were marked by genes called ETV1 and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). In this study, his team found that drinking may happen when the same type of neurons in the MnPO relay drink messages from the subfornical organ NOS neurons out of the lamina terminalis to other parts of the brain.
In agreement with other studies, injections of viruses loaded with tracing genes showed that NOS neurons in the SFO were directly connected to the same type of neurons in the MnPO and another area called the vascular organ of lamina terminalis (OVLT). Moreover, injections of optogenetic genes, which allow researchers to turn neurons on and off with light, helped the researchers show that the activation of NOS neurons in the SFO triggered the firing of their partners in the MnPO and OVLT.
Although activation of NOS neurons in any of the three areas triggered drinking in mice, further experiments suggested that the thirst impulse required the presence of NOS neurons from the median preoptic nucleus. Genetically killing those neurons prevented the researchers from inducing drinking when they activated NOS neurons in the SFO and greatly reduced the chance they could induce drinking by stimulating neurons in the OVLT.
"Our results support the idea that the lamina terminalis funnels drink signals out to the rest of the brain via neurons in the median preoptic nucleus," said Dr. Oka. "Furthermore, our results suggest that connections between NOS neurons in the subfornical organ and the median preoptic nucleus form the main circuit that drives drinking."
Quenching Circuit
In a separate set of experiments, Dr. Oka's team showed that mice may stop drinking when a different type of neuron in the median preoptic nucleus sends inhibitory, or quieting, signals to NOS neurons in the subfornical organ. The neurons were marked by a gene called glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP1R).
The researchers almost completely prevented dehydrated mice from drinking when they activated the GLP1R neurons in the median preoptic nucleus. In contrast, when the researchers genetically silenced the neurons, the dehydrated mice drank a saline solution more than normal. Tracing experiments and electrical recordings confirmed that these neurons sent inhibitory signals to NOS neurons in the subfornical organ via their axons, the part of the neuron that traditionally sends messages to others.
Finally, Dr. Oka's team investigated how the GLP1R neurons in the median preoptic nucleus knew when to stop drinking. Their results showed that the neurons fired only when the mice drank fluids, including saline, sugar water, and oil, but not when the mice licked a dry water spout or ate a watery gel. This suggested that both the ingestion of fluids and the act of gulping were required to activate the neurons.
"Our results shed light on a new aspect of appetite regulation. It appears that the act of drinking itself sends satiety signals to the brain and these neurons act like fluid flow-meters that tell the brain when the body has had enough to drink," said Dr. Oka. "This circuit may be the reason why the brain knows to stop drinking well before the gut has fully absorbed all the water the animal drinks."
In the future, Dr. Oka plans to continue using genetic tools to dissect other circuits that are involved with drinking and thirst including those that appear to connect to the median preoptic nucleus neurons described in this study.
Augustine, V et al. Hierarchical neural architecture underlying thirst regulation, February 28, 2018, Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature25488.
This study was supported by the NIH's BRAIN Initiative (NS099717); Startup funds from the President and Provost of CalTech and the Biology and Biological Engineering Division; the Searle Scholars Program; the Mallinckrodt Foundation; the Okawa Foundation; the McKnight Foundation; the Klingenstein-Simons Foundation; the Della Martin Fellowship.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov
http://www.braininitiative.nih.gov
The NIH's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative is aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. It is managed by 10 institutes whose missions and current research portfolios complement the goals of the BRAIN Initiative: NCCIH, NEI, NIA, NIAAA, NIBIB, NICHD, NIDA, NIDCD, NIMH, and NINDS.
NINDS is the nation's leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
Christopher G. Thomas
@NINDSnews
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/News-Events/News-and-Press-Releases/Press-Releases/Scientists-show-how-brain-may-be-wired-drinking http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature25488
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APB Bought By K2 Network For £1.5 Million
Realtime World’s short-lived online game APB (All Points Bulletin) has been acquired by K2 Network, the company behind the GamersFirst online multiplayer site.
GamesIndustry reports that K2 paid around £1.5 million for the game, which may be back online before the end of 2010.
If the game is revived, it is likely to use a free-to-play model, mirroring the other titles on GamersFirst, in which players can access each game for free, but are encouraged to buy G1 Credits – which are universal across all titles on the site – which can be used to buy additional content and capabilities for the games.
According to GamesIndustry “GamersFirst declined to comment when approached by GamesIndustry.biz.” which means updates as and when they happen…
Developers, games
apb, crackdown, dundee, free, games, korea, mmo, online, realtime, restart, rtw, scotland
Tag Launches New Non-Gaming Brand
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Vision Center
6 Books to Read About Giving Back
If you strive to live an altruistic life, you dedicate significant time, energy and support to those around you, either by donating with an organization you care about, volunteering with others or showing your support for those in your community.
Sometimes, an altruistic life can be challenging. Still, there are lots of others out there in the world who want to make a difference, too. They even write books about it. We compiled a list of six of the best books to read about giving back. These books inspire the altruistic lifestyle and show anyone can make an impact on the world. Let’s explore each of them more in depth.
1. Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think, Peter H. Diamandis & Steven Kotler
Published in 2012, this New York Times bestseller offers practical solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing concerns, such as overpopulation, food, water, energy, education, healthcare and freedom. The authors offer a future where 9 billion people have access to all of Earth’s resources and everything else necessary for a first-world standard of living.
2. Give Smart: Philanthropy That Gets Results, Thomas J. Tierney & Joel L. Fleishman
In this 2011 book, co-founders of The Bridgespan Group, Thomas J. Tierney and Joel L. Fleishman, pool together their hands-on nonprofit knowledge to present a definitive guide to engaged philanthropy for donors.
3. Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption, Katie Davis
Originally published in 2009, Katie Davis’s autobiography shares her story of courage and love. At just 18 years old, Davis left her hometown, friends, family and boyfriend in Nashville, Tennessee, to move to Uganda, adopt 13 children and establish a ministry. If you want to read a personal impact story of altruism, this is the book for you.
4. A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity, Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn
From the same husband-and-wife team who brought to life the No.1 New York Times bestseller Half the Sky comes their next-best piece. This 2014 book shares a deep examination of people who are making the world a better place, along with the myriad of ways we can support them. With research and reporting, the writers share on the art and science of giving.
5. Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results, David Peter Stroh
David Peter Stroh’s 2015 book helps readers contribute more effectively to society by teaching them what systems thinking is and why it is important in their work. It also provides concrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking into problem solving, decision making and strategic planning. For donors and nonprofit leaders, this is the first book to read.
6. 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World, Howard Graham Buffett
What would you do if someone granted you $3 billion to accomplish something great in the world? In 2006, legendary investor Warren Buffett posed this question to his son Howard Graham Buffett. So, Howard set out to help the most vulnerable on the planet: the nearly 1 billion people who lack food security. He gave himself a deadline of 40 years to put the resources to work on the challenge. In this 2013 manifesto, Howard shares his journey and an informative guidebook for how to ignite real changes in the world.
Altruism might feel like a tough journey at times, but there are plenty of people helping alongside you. Dive into these books, learn something new and be inspired to truly make an impact on the world.
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Essay: A Monster's History?
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We love monsters. Whether it's the foot pounding destruction from Godzilla or Hannibal Lecter staring into our minds with his red eyes and cold intelligence, we love them. Horror movies make millions and millions of dollars every year, regardless of how shitty most of the films are. Stephen King belches, and hundreds of thousands of copies of his latest fiction fly off the shelves. We have shows like True Blood and Dexter, where the monsters are portrayed in a very sympathetic light. The fantasy of the monster somewhat crumbles under the weight of these narratives.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hypocrite. If you're listening to this, chances are you have already sampled some of my Fiends collection, so you know that I take every opportunity to give my monsters their own voices. The narrator in Momma, casually explaining his philosophy to his mother, or the artist in Canvas waxing poetic about his own insanity. I don't think I try and paint these as sympathetic characters, however, although do try and get to why they think the way they think.
But that's not really the point here. I want to talk about our incessant need for origin. If you go back to the earliest mythologies, you invariably find that some deity shat the universe out its ass and then for some reason thought it was a good idea to put us on this planet. Although they believe different flavors of this idea, billions do believe exactly that. And the religion doesn't matter. I call it myth because a myth is universal, not because I'm degrading religion. Before you get pissed, just think about it.
And this relatively universal tale highlights our obsession with origin. We as human beings have a curiosity. We want explanations. Whether it's the first Greek philosophers describing the gods responsible for all that their science could not explain, or the incredibly gifted and intelligent scientists who are today smashing atoms and unraveling our genetic code, humans are obsessed with discovering how they came to be.
This drive, I believe, leads many story-tellers with the urge to write monsters that have a past. Buffy always had her library to describe nearly every creature she ever came in contact with. Stephen King stories usually end up with one or more characters researching and finding out where their monsters came from. We have tons and tons of serial killer novels, Thomas Harris' works might be the best example, where the killer's story is laid before us to explain what they are and how they came to be that way.
In many ways, I enjoy these tales. They give the monster a personality, even if seen from afar. But I always feel as though it cheapens it. HP Lovecraft wrote some stories that hint at obscure mythos, but don't explain them. For several characters, they witness horror and the supernatural, but they don't understand what they're seeing. And in many ways, neither does the reader. Yet we're still chilled by these visions perhaps because we aren't given the backgrounds.
Sometimes monsters just are. Sometimes characters don't have the ability to discover what it is they're facing, only that they are facing it. The don't have some magical tome to tell them a creature's weaknesses and habits. There is no bible of information for them. Even the internet may fail to provide clues. Ha, there's a shock.
We may never get into these monsters' minds. We may never hear them speak, only witness their actions. Our understanding of their motives is cut down to only the most primitive comprehension by what they do, not what they are. These are the monsters I think we fear the most–those beyond explanation.
Horror movies are the most guilty of providing strained and forced sub-plots to explain what these monsters are and why they are. I very rarely see a film where things just are. There doesn't have to be a backstory. You want a sequel, bitches? Have the next damned movie give the backstory from the monster's perspective! John Gardener's "Grendel" is a great example of this, telling Beowulf from the monster's point of view.
The Friday the 13th and Halloween franchises (pre Rob Zombie) scare us and are popular because they focus so much on the murder and mayhem, but not about the deep thoughts of the antagonists. Those monsters have no personality. At all. They don't speak. They don't dialogue about their evil plans or why they kill. They simply are. If the fucking plots of those flicks weren't so tenuous and predictable, I might really get into them. But, sorry, I've grown up. I want protagonists that are three dimensional, regardless of how boogeymanish the monsters might be.
So do we need backstories in horror? How about fantasy? Short stories are a great example of when backstories just cease to be. By and large, they are skimpy at best. You must infer most of it. Phillip K Dick in one of his stories tosses out "The Negro Protection Act," but doesn't explain what it is. You are left to infer what that means and how the world is different from our own.
Tossing out these little tidbits leave readers to use their imaginations and don't take away from the pace of the characters as they try and live their lives, regardless of the trials they face. Think back to when you were a child. Did the Tooth Fairy have a backstory? What of Santa Claus? What of the boogeyman? There are no backstories that I can remember, except those made by television and film. Our parents didn't explain these make believe creatures. Only that they existed (or don't). A child doesn't give a shit about how the boogeyman came to be, only the fear that the fucker is in the closet and ready to pounce on them.
Our most base childish fears come from not knowing what it is. Only that it is. Knowing something's backstory can defang it. It can destroy the dread that is. This isn't to say there aren't stories that do it well. I'm simply saying you don't have to have a backstory for the monster. Sometimes they just are.
Zombies are always tracked back to a plague, a virus, or some kind of alien gas. Shit, these days Vampires don't even need a backstory at all to explain why they're vampires or how vampirism works. We just know. There are exceptions, of course, but rarely do we even give a damn. Unless the main character is some kind of scientist trying to figure out how to save the world, it's often unimportant why things are, only that they are.
I've written monsters who tell their stories, or their stories are told by others. But some of my monsters will just exist. Just plain be there. Be terrifying by their existence, not by how they grew up, were made, or born. They just are.
So the next time you pick up a horror novel or watch a horror film, think about this. Look for the sections where the author or screenwriter spends their time focusing on the why and not the what. Ask yourself: does it need to be there? If it does, then the writer did their job and did it well. If it doesn't, then chalk it up to our morbid need to explain all that is around us. Meanwhile, some of my creatures will be tearing out your fucking throat and they won't tell you what they are, or where they came from. Their sharp talons drawing the blood and rending the flesh from your bones will be the only explanation you need.
Author Paul CooleyPosted on January 21, 2010 January 31, 2014 Categories Essays, Uncategorized
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Wednesday Hero: Chief Master Sergeant Paul Wesley Airey
This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Elena
Chief Master Sergeant Paul Wesley Airey
“Chief Airey was an Airman’s Airman and one of the true pioneers for our service,” said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff. “He was a warrior, an innovator… and a leader with vision well ahead of his time. His legacy lives today in the truly professional enlisted force we have serving our nation… and for that we owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Chief Airey was born in Quincy, Mass., on December 13, 1923. At age eighteen, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December, 7, 1941, Airey quit high school to enlist in the Army Air Forces on November 16, 1942. He later earned his high school equivalency certificate through off-duty study. During World War II he flew as a B-24 radio operator and additional duty aerial gunner. On his 28th mission, then-Technical Sergeant Airey and his fellow crewmen were shot down over Vienna, Austria, captured, and held prisoner by the German air force from July 1944 to May 1945. During his time as a prisoner of war he worked tirelessly to meet the basic needs of fellow prisoners, even through a 90-day forced march.
Chief Airey held the top enlisted from April 3, 1967 to July 31, 1969. During his tenure he worked to change loan establishments charging exorbitant rates outside the air base gates and to improve low retention during the Vietnam Conflict. Chief Airey also led a team that laid the foundation for the Weighted Airman Promotion System, a system that has stood the test of time and which is still in use today. He also advocated for an Air Force-level Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy. His vision became reality when the academy opened in 1973, becoming the capstone in the development of Air Force Senior NCOs. Chief Airey retired August 1, 1970. He continued advocating for Airmen’s rights by serving on the boards of numerous Air Force and enlisted professional military organizations throughout the years. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Airmen Memorial Museum, a member of the Air Force Memorial Foundation and the Air University Foundation.
On the north wall of the Air Force Memorial in Washington D.C., Chief Airey’s thoughts on Airmen are immortalized, “When I think of the enlisted force, I see dedication, determination, loyalty and valor.” The Air Force Association honored Airey with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Chief Airey passed away on March 11, 2009 at his home in Panama City, Florida
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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Robert Leo Farrelly Jr. (born June 17, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.
Bobby Farrelly - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Farrelly
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Farrelly
Occupation: Film director, producer
Born: Robert Leo Farrelly Jr., June 17, 1958 (age 62), Cumberland, Rhode Island
Alma mater: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Known for: There's Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber
Who is Robert Farrelly?
Robert Leo Farrelly Jr. (born June 17, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is one of the Farrelly brothers, alongside his brother Peter, and together are known directing and producing quirky, slightly offensive comedy films such as Dumb and Dumber, Shallow Hal, Me, Myself and Irene,...
How old is Robert Farrelly?
Where is Robert Farrelly from?
Life and career. Farrelly was raised in Cumberland, Rhode Island, to Mariann, a nurse practitioner, and Dr. Robert Leo Farrelly. His grandparents were Irish immigrants.
Who are Bobby Farrelly's parents?
Farrelly was raised in Cumberland, Rhode Island, to Mariann, a nurse practitioner, and Dr. Robert Leo Farrelly. His grandparents were Irish immigrants. He is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he entered the school on a hockey scholarship. Bobby and his brother Peter Farrelly are known as The Farrelly brothers.
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Bobby Farrelly - IMDb
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Bobby Farrelly was born on June 17, 1958 in Cumberland, Rhode Island, USA as Robert Leo Farrelly Jr. He is a producer and director, known for There's Something About Mary (1998), Osmosis Jones (2001) and Me, Myself & Irene (2000). He has been married to Nancy Farrelly since 1990. They have two children. See full bio »
Birth Date: June 17, 1958
Dr. Robert L. Farrelly (1930 ∼ 2013) | Chapman, Cole ...
www.ccgfuneralhome.com/obit/dr-robert-l-farrelly
Oct 11, 2013 · Dr. Robert Leo Farrelly, MD, 82, of Mashpee, MA, died peacefully in the arms of his loving wife on October 6, 2013. Bob was born in Providence, RI, on November 15, 1930 to the late Peter Leo Farrelly and Anna (Osmanski) Farrelly. The first in his family to attend college, Bob graduated from Providence College with honors in 1952.
Robert L. Farrelly, 82; physician had ‘palpable’ faith in ...
www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2013/10/21/...
Oct 21, 2013 · Dr. Farrelly — who in retirement made cameos in the comedy movies made by his sons Peter and Bobby, memorably as Uncle Willy in the 1996 comedy “Kingpin” — died of complications of lung disease...
Author: Bryan Marquard
Robert Leo Farrelly, Jr. - Genealogy
www.geni.com/people/Bobby-Farrelly/...
May 23, 2018 · Farrelly was raised in Cumberland, Rhode Island, the son of Mariann, a nurse practitioner, and Dr. Robert Leo Farrelly. He is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he entered the school on a hockey scholarship. Bobby and his brother Peter Farrelly are known as The Farrelly brothers.
Dr Robert Leo “Docky” Farrelly (1930-2013) - Find A Grave ...
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Robert Leo Farrelly, M.D. (1930 - 2013) - Genealogy
www.geni.com/people/Robert-Farrelly-M-D/...
Genealogy for Robert Leo Farrelly, M.D. (1930 - 2013) family tree on Geni, with over 200 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. People Projects Discussions Surnames
ROBERT FARRELLY - Obituary - Legacy.com
www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary...
FARRELLY, Dr. Robert Leo, MD Of Mashpee, died October 6, 2013. Son of the late Peter Leo Farrelly and Anna (Osmanski) Farrelly. Beloved husband of Mariann (Neary) Farrelly.
Location: Mashpee
Death Date: October 6, 2013
Dr. Robert L. Farrelly, 82 - z* Obituaries - capecodtimes.com ...
www.capecodtimes.com/article/20131009/OBITS02/...
Oct 09, 2013 · MASHPEE — Dr. Robert Leo Farrelly, MD, 82, of Mashpee, MA, died peacefully in the arms of his loving wife on October 6, 2013. Bob was born in Providence, RI, on November 15, 1930 to the late Peter...
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Today is tomorrow, so why are we stuck in the past?
The PC lives in a world of legacy support
Aug 24, 2010 by Lars-Göran Nilsson
DESPITE ALL THE criticism Apple gets, the company has done one thing well, in fact so well that its computers are playing an entirely different game than the humble beige box we all know as the PC. When Apple moved to x86 it dropped hardware legacy support and started with a clean slate and we’re now at a stage where the PC is desperately in need for the same treatment. You may ask why, well read on and I’ll try to explain.
The PC as we know it today started back in 1981 thanks to IBM, Intel and Microsoft. Things have moved on quite a bit since then, yet every PC today still offers legacy support which hails back to the original IBM PC. Despite getting faster and faster with more advanced features, there are still certain basic features that are holding the PC back from moving to the next stage so to say. Some of you might disagree with me here, but I think it’s high time that we lose this “baggage” and move on.
Take for example features like parallel and serial ports, many modern motherboards still either feature them as part of the rear I/O while others offer them via headers on the board. I’m well aware that some programmers are still using these ports and that there are certain networking devices that still requires a serial port, but for most of us, these ports are simply not needed anymore. Yet these ports are still taking up space on the motherboard and in some cases they’re also using system resources.
The DVI port was introduced back in 1999, yet there are very few monitors that don’t have D-sub connectivity and many graphics cards still ship with D-sub connectors. I thought we were supposed to live in the “digital age” yet we’re using an analogue interface to connect our displays to our computers. Considering that the graphics card as well as the control circuitry inside the LCD screens we’re using are all digital, it seems odd that we’re willingly having this signal converted first to analogue and then back to digital again inside the display. This seems like a pointless exercise to me, but maybe I’m wrong? Let’s not even start talking about DisplayPort as with the exception of a few high-end displays this new and supposedly improved digital display interface is no-where to be seen.
However, one of the biggest problems with the PC as it is today is the BIOS, or the Basic Input/Output System. Every PC has one and without it our computers wouldn’t work. Yet, it too dates back to the early days of the PC and its one of the things that is starting to cause some serious problems. The BIOS has been tweaked and tweaked again to keep up with hardware and software development, but we’re getting to a stage where it can no longer cope with the changes.
The BIOS basically tells the operating system what bits are inside the PC and as we’re moving from 32-bit to 64-bit computing the BIOS is starting to show its age. Not only that, but hard drives larger than 3TB aren’t supported and unless another “fix” is somehow implemented, they never will be. If you start delving into things you’ll also find that there’s plenty of redundant code in most motherboard BIOSes but it’s not removed simply out of fear that it’ll break something that works. Add to that the human factor and you’ll quickly see that there’s a reason why motherboard manufacturers are issuing BIOS upgrades for their products.
With Sandy Bridge Intel will say farewell to the PCI bus, yet many much older technologies will still hang around. Besides the serial and parallel ports and the D-sub connector, most motherboards still feature PS/2 ports as these are needed if you want to install legacy operating systems that don’t support USB keyboards and mice natively. Then there’s the floppy drive connector, which again some of you will disagree with me on being something that isn’t needed any more, but yet again we’re back to legacy support here and it’s a feature that very few people are still using. Many motherboards also features an IDE port, yet again, SATA took over some time ago but IDE devices are amazingly still on sale. On top of that it took quite some time for SATA optical drives to replace IDE drives as the mainstream choice which the biggest reason why we still have IDE connectors on our motherboards.
Many of the old features are kept alive with the help of what is known as a Super I/O chip which houses all of the old legacy interfaces along with features such as temperature sensors and fan speed monitoring. These are usually quite large chips that use a fair bit of space on the motherboard due to the low cost design and manufacturing of the chips. These chips use a bus that’s known as LPC or Low Pin Count bus which was made as a replacement for the old ISA bus for communication with the CPU. This again shows the age of the technology used inside a PC.
If I want to be really picky I’d say it’s time for an entire re-design of the PC, as in it’s time for a new improved motherboard design as well as the power delivery system. Most modern PCs rely on 12V power, yet the power supply delivers 12, 5 and 3.3V which make it inefficient and complicated to manufacture. Most modern power supplies are now designed to convert the AC to 12V DC and then convert that in a secondary step to 5 and 3.3V. A much more cost efficient way would be to have 12V only power supplies with the motherboard doing the rest of the power conversion where needed. The only problem this scenario would create is that 2.5-inch drives and SSDs operate at 5V rather than 12V, but this could be solved by using backplanes for the hard drives, yet another feature that should be common place, but isn’t.
Add to this a motherboard layout which hasn’t changed much since it was introduced in 1995. Intel did try to launch the BTX standard and failed miserably, mostly due to the oversized and extremely heavy CPU cooler which was implemented as a part of the standard. This was of course due to Intel’s hot Pentium 4 processors before the launch of the Core architecture and once Intel moved over to the latter there was no longer any need for the large, bulky and heavy CPU coolers in a standard PC. Today the ATX form factor is starting to show its age, not least by the fact that your typical graphics card takes up two slots which means that power users are often stuck with very few – if any – slots for other expansion cards.
The other major problem with the ATX form factor is cooling. Case manufacturers are trying to alleviate this problem as much as they can by adding more fans, but with graphics cards pulling close to 300W on the high-end and CPU’s that have a TDP of 130W the heat must go somewhere. In a poorly designed chassis this means a lot of hot air gets circulated around inside the chassis. The BTX form factor actually got one thing right; the add-in cards faced the opposite way compared to how they’re installed in an ATX motherboard which would’ve helped with the cooling as all the hot components would’ve ended up on the top of the card rather than the bottom. This is one problem where the entire industry is going to have to come together and work out a new standard, something that sadly isn’t very likely to happen any time soon.
What makes the PC what it is, is also its biggest curse. There are far too many standards that aren’t far to open to be called standards, something which causes a lot of problems. Half of the time it doesn’t seem like the engineers that develop the so called standards are thinking about how well the previous version of the standard will integrate with the next generation of the standard. The PCI Express interface is a good example of how a standard works both ways with relatively few issues, as you can use new cards in a slot using the previous generation of the standard, albeit at reduced performance, and you can use old cards in a slot using the new faster revision of the standard. Sadly this isn’t the norm when it comes to computer interfaces.
Take USB 3.0 for an example, it’s hacked together “standard” when it comes to the connectors. The ports on the back of your PC might look the same, but the truth is that if you’re plugging in an older USB 2.0 cable you’re only using some of connectors inside the receptacle. The micro USB 3.0 connector on the cable end is by no means compatible with devices that have a micro USB 2.0 port, as it’s too wide. This is of course a way for the industry to sell more cables and in all fairness, the USB standard was developed some 14 years ago and it was never intended for the kind of speeds we’re seeing from USB 3.0. On the other hand, the micro USB connector was only ratified in 2007 and you would think that an organization like the USB-IF would have been aware of the fact that a slightly more advanced pin-out would be needed for its next generation standard.
USB is also a good example of how poorly an interface can be thought out, as with a mere 5V and 500mA of power it seems like there wasn’t much thought put into what the interface could potentially be used for in the future. Sadly, as these things go, it’s not always the superior standard that wins, as it’s mostly about cost and ease of mass production. Those seem to be the two biggest driving factors when it comes to new technology rather than usability and future upgradeability.
How important is backwards compatibility really? Sure, I still have one or two old bits of hardware in a drawer somewhere, like a PCI graphics card which I don’t even know if it works, but I kept it “just in case” as a spare to check if something goes wrong with my system. I’m most likely never going to use it and it’s not something that bothers me. I tend to pass on most of my old hardware when I do a major upgrade of my system and I’m still one of those that believe that it’s better to build your own machine than to buy something off the shelf. It’s so much easier to get a system up and running these days, especially with the added convenience of being able to install the OS from a USB drive rather than a sluggish optical drive.
There are of course some very valid reasons as to why backwards compatibility is a good thing, such as being able to access older data. However, with the exception of the actual storage medium that the data was placed on the big problem here is software. If you’ve got files that are over a certain age it’s likely that they’re no longer compatible with modern software. Keeping old software isn’t always an option either, something far too businesses are aware of. That’s also part of the reason why so many companies are slow when it comes to upgrading their hardware and software. Why spend money on something new when the old works just fine and when going for something new requires all the old data to become more or less unusable?
Despite all of this, there is some hope on the horizon as we should see a move towards something called EFI or Extensible Firmware Interface which should hopefully replace the BIOS sooner rather than later. Apple has been using EFI on its entire product range since 2006 and MSI was out early with a product or two, but it never really took off. Intel is also offering EFI support on some of its latest motherboards, with mixed results and a fair few known issues that need to be attended to before it’s ready for mainstream introduction.
The problem with EFI is that your operating system needs to support it, something that isn’t a problem if you’re a Linux user, but when it comes to Microsoft you pretty much need a 64-bit version of Windows 7 for it work properly on a desktop system. Windows Vista requires SP1 to be installed and older versions of Microsoft’s desktop operating systems lacks support entirely. So in as much as the technologies are available, the big players are holding the development of the PC back by not supporting new features that are required to change the basic problems that the PC suffers from.
Come to think of it, it’s actually quite amazing that any of this stuff works, as it’s such a mishmash of bits from various eras. The PC could really do with starting over from scratch and dropping all of its baggage for more modern technology. However, this is unlikely to happen within the next couple of years as none of the big industry players are pushing for it. The only change we can see is a move towards replacing with BIOS with EFI, but this is more of a must than a willing change. I’m sure some of you feel that the heritage of the PC is also part of its charm, but I have to disagree. There just isn’t any need for out-dated technology that I would have to say 90 percent of users aren’t even aware of is there and even less are using. It’s time to bring the PC into the 21st century and now is as good time as any.S|A
Google launches voice calls from Gmail
Western Digital launches Powerline AV networking kit
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Your Morning Albany
AROUND ALBANY
Closings and DelaysCheck the latest closings and delays for schools, business, and churches around the Capital Region.
Students Sickened by Gas Leak at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk School
By Spectrum News Staff Coeymans
UPDATED 1:53 PM ET Mar. 22, 2019 PUBLISHED 10:08 AM ET Mar. 22, 2019 PUBLISHED 10:08 AM EDT Mar. 22, 2019
A number of people have been sickened by a gas leak at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School, according to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple.
Apple said the gas leak has left 15 to 20 people ill, and they are being treated.
The school superintendent says a gas leak on a boiler occurred around 6 a.m. Friday, and was fixed in an hour. A smell of sulfur lingered, however, nauseating some students.
The smell of sulfur lingered in the air, which lead to some students complaining about nausea. They re-evacuated as a precaution, and national grid found 0 gas in the air throughout the school. Students are now being let out for the day as a precaution (2/2) @SPECNewsAlbany pic.twitter.com/f863kwbOBs
— Melissa Steininger (@melissasteinTV) March 22, 2019
"Not having all the information when they first walked in the building, of course a lot of things probably go through people’s minds," Superintendent Brian Bailey said. "When situations like this happen in the school district, the most important thing is for families to know that the schools practice for such eventualities and we put their student safety first.”
The superintendent says they decided to end the school day as a precaution, with students not feeling well, but National Grid was able to record a 0 percent gas reading in the air throughout the school for a second time.
The middle school is still having classes as usual.
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Blaney Drives Virginia Tech Fusion To A 19th-Place Finish at Martinsville
Monday, Oct 31 1495
Ryan Blaney drove the No. 21 Virginia Tech Ford Fusion to a 19th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500, recording his 21st finish of 19th or better in the 33 races so far this season.
Blaney started 15th and ran between 15th and 20th for much of the afternoon.
“It was kind of an up-and-down day for sure,” he said. “On some runs we were OK, and other runs we kind of struggled a little bit.”
“Our strong point was up to about lap 40 of a run and then we’d kind of fall off.”
Blaney, who was racing at Martinsville in Sprint Cup for just the second time, said he still has a lot to learn about the tricky, paper-clip-shaped short track.
“I need to change some stuff up here, but I thought we were going to finish better than what we did,” he said. “I kind of got in some trouble there and lost a bunch of spots, but, overall it was a decent day.”
Team co-owner Eddie Wood said Blaney did well to run the entire race at a place that often confounds newcomers.
“Ryan ran around the top 15 for most of the day and was around for the finish,” Wood said. “ And every position at Martinsville is always hard fought.”
Wood said he was heartened by the crowd that turned out on Sunday, and by the number of Virginia Tech fans and alumni that were on hand to see the No. 21 Virginia Tech Fusion in competition.
“Congratulations to [track president] Clay Campbell and his staff for a great race and a great crowd,” Wood said. “And it was neat to see a lot of burgundy and orange at the track today.”
Wood also said he appreciated Virginia Tech’s legendary Coach Frank Beamer being on the pit box with the No. 21 team Sunday afternoon.
“That was a real honor,” he said. “Coach Beamer is really popular in this part of the country, and it was really cool to have him there with us.”
WBR PR
« Bayne Finishes 23rd in Martinsville Tire failure no match for persistent Mears; Battles to 21st at Martinsville »
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Who is the greatest Major League star of all time? Ranking Ruth, Gretzsky, Jordan and Brady
Andrew Gamble
Tom Brady, Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky (Getty)
There is nothing like a classic debate regarding who is the greatest or best player in the history of any given sport.
To figure out which North American sporting icon stands alone as the greatest of the four major league sports, the difference between the words ‘greatest’ and ‘best’ must be framed.
When using the term ‘best’, it suggests a possession of incredible talent but is merely a simple comparison of two individuals in their prime – greatness, meanwhile, implies a legacy and aura that is almost unrivalled across a career.
Babe Ruth and Wayne Gretzky are generally considered the greatest players in their respective sports of baseball and ice hockey, while Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan will be used to represent the NBA and Tom Brady for the NFL.
Each will get a score out of 10 for key categories which determine their greatness, from trophy hauls to legacy, as we attempt to decide who is the greatest of the greats.
Naturally, the first and perhaps most obvious way to compare these superstars is by how many championships they won in their respective leagues.
In this regard, Babe Ruth stands tall with his seven World Series victories – three with the Boston Red Sox and four as a New York Yankee – eclipsing the other icons’ tallies.
Michael Jordan and Tom Brady both have six NBA and Super Bowl championship wins, although the edge goes to the former-New England quarterback as he has won more Super Bowls than any other player in his sport’s history.
Wayne Gretzky was a winner of four Stanley Cups, and while that is obviously impressive, it is the lowest total of our four selected players.
Brady – 10
Ruth – 10
Jordan – 8
Gretzky – 6
Individual honours
During his illustrious career, Wayne Gretzky won nine Hart Trophies – the NHL’s equivalent of the MVP award – which is the most across the four major league sports. On top of this, Gretzky was twice selected as MVP of the playoffs, and made eight All-NHL first teams.
Gretzky was also Sports Illustrated and AP Male Athlete of the Year for 1982, and was named the Athlete of the Decade for the 1980s.
In 1988, Jordan won Defensive Player of the Year and he was named to a record nine All-NBA defensive first-teams. Off the court, he was chosen as AP’s Athlete of the Year for three consecutive years between 1991 and 1993 and selected by ESPN as the best North American athlete of the 20th century.
As well as this, Jordan has been inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame after winning gold medals in 1984 and 1992.
Tom Brady falls behind Gretzky and Jordan in terms of individual hardware, despite being the oldest player to win MVP when he did so at the age of 40 in 2017.
He has won four Super Bowl MVPs – more than any other player – and Brady is a two-time Offensive Player of the Year whilst being named as a first-team All-Pro on three occasions.
The Buccaneers quarterback has been named Male Athlete of the Year too, as well as NFL Athlete of the Decade.
Similarly, Babe Ruth lacks the hardware to truly compete, but ‘The Bambino’ won the AL MVP in 1923 and was part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1936.
Ruth was also named by ESPN as the runner-up to Jordan in their rankings of the best North American athletes of the 20th century.
Gretzky – 10
Jordan – 10
Brady – 7
Ruth – 6
Wayne Gretzky was the NHL points leader on ten separate occasions, and holds records for career goals, playoff goals, most goals in a season, most playoff assists, and most career assists.
Starting as a pure playmaker, Gretzky reacted to disruptive defences by shooting himself – with devastating results. Phil Esposito had set the previous goal-scoring record at 76 from 550 shots in 1970-71, but when Gretzky surpassed him, he notched his 76th goal with his 287th shot – and set his record of 92 goals from just 369 shots.
Brady is similarly dominant, and has the won the most games by a quarterback, the most games with two or more touchdowns and the most seasons as the NFL-leader in passing touchdowns, as well as the most playoff wins and most Super Bowl wins and appearances.
Brady is also behind only Drew Brees in career passing yards and is vying with the Saints quarterback for the lead in career touchdowns.
As for Michael Jordan, the Bulls icon led the NBA in scoring across ten seasons and led the league in steals three times. He also finished his career with an average of 30.1 points per game – the highest in NBA history.
Babe Ruth has fine stats himself, as he led the league in home runs and runs batted in (RBI) a total of twelve and six times respectively.
Ruth was also the first player to hit 50 and 60 home runs in a single season, and he subsequently became the first to score 500 career home runs.
Influence and legacy
In terms of influence, it is difficult to look beyond Michael Jordan.
He created his own brand, ‘Air Jordan’, which is now worth $1.6 billion, he owns the Charlotte Hornets and in 2016, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
However, arguably the most important aspect of Jordan’s influence is the fact that he transcended basketball. People watched the NBA because of Michael Jordan.
Television ratings increased during his time in the league, and the NBA’s popularity drastically fell when he retired. As late as 2015, ratings for the Finals had not returned to the level reached during Jordan’s final championship in 1998.
Wayne Gretzky was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1999 and became the tenth and final player to bypass the three-year waiting period.
The most impressive example of the admiration commanded by Gretzky is the fact that at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game, his number 99 was retired league-wide – no other player will don that number again.
Babe Ruth became a symbol of the United States throughout his career. During World War II, Japanese soldiers would anger American soldiers by yelling ‘To hell with Babe Ruth’ in English.
With a career in the pre-television era, Ruth’s legend relied on word of mouth and his greatness is almost mythical.
Tom Brady stands as inspiration for those that are underrated in both sport and the wider arena of life, as he was selected as the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft – but his cultural and sporting influence pales in comparison to the likes of Jordan.
So who is the greatest?
Ultimately, Michael Jordan wins our ranking and could be considered the greatest athlete of all-time across the major league sports thanks to his unique combination of skill and style, as well as being the pioneer of basketball’s transition to the mainstream.
Whilst Gretzky, Brady and Ruth are all sporting heroes, Jordan’s aura helped raise basketball’s popularity to a level never seen before or since, and he was arguably the biggest sportsperson in the world during his time.
Magic Johnson summarised it best when he said: "There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."
How Brady intends to extend his legacy in Tampa Bay
Ice Hockey: Gretzky calls time on stunning career
Why Michael Jordan’s competitive fire wouldn’t fly in modern football
Baseball jersey sells for record-breaking sum at auction
Tampa Bay +155 +4 O 51.5
Green Bay -182 -4 U 51.5
Chiefs' playoff win over Browns becomes an afterthought due to Patrick Mahomes' injury
The Browns had a shot at the upset, but Kansas City survived.
Tom Brady joins Joe Montana as starting quarterbacks in Conference championship games for AFC and NFC teams
Jameis Winston — not Drew Brees — throws first Saints TD vs. Bucs on wild trick play
Jameis Winston converted on the biggest play of the half against his former team.
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News 10:11 am on July 3, 2019
Jerome Allen gets probation for taking bribes to get student into Penn
Jerome Allen, a former head basketball coach at the University of Pennsylvania who is now with the Boston Celtics, caught a fast break Monday when he received a probationary sentence for accepting more than $300,000 in bribes from a wealthy Miami Beach businessman to get his son into the Ivy League school.
Allen, who pleaded guilty in October 2018 to a bribery-related money-laundering charge, received the benefit of the doubt because he testified as a government witness against healthcare executive Philip Esformes at his $1 billion Medicare fraud trial in Miami.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams gave Allen a sentence of four years’ probation, including six months of house arrest along with 600 hours of community service, and ordered him to pay a $202,000 fine and an $18,000 forfeiture judgment to the U.S. government for the bribes he took from Esformes to secure a spot for his son at the University of Pennsylvania.
← Kentucky basketball guard Brad Calipari announces transfer to Detroit Mercy
Justin Williams talking with Hurricanes; Carolina optimistic captain will return →
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300,000 litres of biofuel and counting: a look at DB Export and Colenso’s attempt to move beyond the ad
By StopPress Team August 25, 2015 No Comments
Over the last seven weeks, the DB Export ‘Brewtroleum campaign‘ has been encouraging Kiwis around the country to help save the world by drinking variants in the brand’s range. The only problem with the message was that the world-saving action was that it was limited to times generally considered appropriate for beer drinking. One could not, for example, open a DB beer at 11am in the morning and persuasively argue that this was an essential act.
So, in an effort to overcome this problem and enable any person to lend a hand to the Brewtroleum cause at any given time, the brewery has created DB Export 0.0% Citrus—a lemon-flavoured lager with zero alcohol content.
“The genius of zero percent is that there are now no limitations,” says DB’s head of domestic beer marketing Sean O’Donnell. “You can have it any time of the day. So this idea just builds on the current campaign.”
To promote the campaign, DB has released several clips conceptualised by Colenso BBDO and shot by Scoundrel that pick up the irreverent tone of the earlier ‘Brewtroleum’ spots.
“We haven’t been too righteous and we also haven’t been too slapstick,” says O’Donnell. “It’s clever and it’s quite engaging. People really want to be part of it.”
So far DB Export has created over 300,000 litres of biofuel, which has been distributed to 60 Gull service stations around the country. And O’Donnell says this has been important in terms of showing that the campaign was more than just a PR stunt.
“All the media said that this would be a joke. They said, ‘you’ll only produce one container or one truckload’. And the genius was that you can be a little irreverent when you have the real credentials of a petrol station being involved. The takeover of Gull was really important, because it brought a real credibility to the campaign.”
But the challenge didn’t simply lie in producing the biofuel; it was also a case of convincing consumers that it was safe.
“One of the biggest barriers that we weren’t aware of is how many people are afraid to put biofuels into their cars. The biggest question is, ‘I love the question, but I’ve got a very nice car, so what are the risks?’ There effectively is no risk, unless you have a couple of very high-end cars or some cars that are over 15 to 20 years old. The success of this from a commercial aspect will actually depend on being able to sell more biofuel to more people. That’s a Gull proposition.”
O’Donnell says that the process of converting beer waste into biofuel isn’t yet profitable in this market yet, but it has the potential of being used on a much larger scale in international markets.
“What we want to do in the long term is create a system in which our natural waste goes into the production of biofuel. That’s the ultimate goal, but it may take a year or two before we’re able to do that in a way that makes sense for everyone … Long-term it could be profitable, but in the short term, we spent a lot of our own resources turning it into biofuel … We wanted to trial the concept and see how consumers embraced it. But I think what’s exciting is that Heineken [which owns DB]has asked how we did it. And on a global scale we produce a lot of beer waste, and there’s definitely interest in getting it into other markets.”
Colenso production director Paul Courtney says that the real value in the initiative lies in the fact that foundations have been laid, making it easier for international partners to incorporate it abroad.
“To hear [from biofuel manufacturers]that we’re not producing nearly enough waste was kind of weird … but setting this up as a venture makes it scalable. Those overseas markets don’t have to do all this research. We’ve done the groundwork for them, and the learnings and the hookups we’ve got around the world, we can also help them to bring it to life.”
While the campaign is certainly unconventional, O’Donnell says that DB Export specifically asked Colenso to develop an idea that could bring life to the innovative heritage of the brand while simultaneously addressing several areas of concern with the brand.
“DB has been performing well for a long time. But we identified three areas where the brand was lacking. We lacked a brand family, so we knew that we had to bring this together as one family. The other thing we knew was that our consumers were lacking a bit of aspiration. So, what DB was doing really well was that it had a bit of aspiration in regard to innovation … The other issue was that we needed to continue with our innovative approach, because Morton Coutts was the son of the founder of the brewery and he was always very innovative. So we needed to bring all those three elements together … There’s a new marketing team at DB. We wanted to do things slightly differently to how things had been done in the past. And the other thing that was really important was about bringing all the variants together. We wanted a whole new brand look and feel. We knew from previous campaigns that to really change the game, you had to do something dramatic.””
Colenso creative chair Nick Worthington says that the history of the brand served as inspiration behind the Brewtroleum campaign throughout the creative process.
“Back in the day, Morton Coutts just developed innovations that changed the fortunes of DB,” says Worthington. “I mean he did some other weird things. He invented his own X-ray machine and X-rayed his neighbour’s cat. He sent the first telegram from New Zealand to the world, just because he could. Then he invented continuous fermentation, which Heineken continues to use to this day. There was a whole bunch of audacious stuff that just came out of a very fertile mind.”
This, says Worthington, eventually led to the quirky positioning that drinking beer could essentially help to save the world.
“This got us thinking. When you get a few guys together, who are having a few beers, ideas start happening. There’s actually science behind that. When we have a beer, some of the filters that hold our crazy ideas back get dismantled and you say the things that might be a bit crazy, and they might be funny for a moment. And what happens to most people is that they have a few beers with their mates and say ‘wouldn’t it be great if we did X or Y’ but most people go home and forget about it. But with Morgan Coutts and his ethos, the rock underneath all of this ‘made by doing’. Basically, we’re a brand for people who like to not just talk shit, but actually get things done. Really, it was as simple as applying that methodology to the campaign.”
In previous interviews with StopPress, Worthington has spoken about Colenso’s focus on developing platforms rather than single-serving campaigns. And he again hinted at this by saying that the ‘Made by doing’ positioning could easily house future innovations, not only developed by Colenso but also by beer drinkers who have big ideas.
“We are asking people to participate. Down the line, there’s an opportunity for ‘have a few beers, have some ideas that can change the world’. Ultimately, that’s what we’re doing. And that’s at the heart of New Zealand. It’s egalitarian. And that’s what New Zealand is all about. It came out of bending a Number 8 wire and now we believe we can get out there and do things first.”
Client: Maud Mejiboom-van Wel, Sean O’Donnell, Tony Wheeler
Agency: Colenso BBDO
Production Company: Scoundrel
Director: Tim Bullock
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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 265 › Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co. v. Osborne
Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co. v. Osborne, 265 U.S. 14 (1924)
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company v. Osborne
Nos.19, 224, 225
Argued April 14, 15, 1924
Decided April 28, 1924
Where railroad companies, complaining of systematic and intentional discrimination by a state board in the assessment of taxes, were allowed no remedy by the state law other than a writ of error from the state supreme court to correct only errors of law apparent on the face of the record prepared by the board itself, with no supersedeas pending review to prevent infliction of penalties on their agents for failure to pay the tax, held that the remedy was not adequate, and that the case was cognizable by the district court in suits for injunction. P. 265 U. S. 15.
Appeals from decrees of the district court which dismissed the suits brought by the appellant companies to restrain collection of state taxes upon the ground that their remedy at law was adequate.
APPEALS FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA
MR. JUSTICE HOLMES delivered the opinion of the Court.
These are bills in equity brought to restrain the collection of taxes upon the respective railroad companies for the year 1922 on the ground that the farm lands in Nebraska were systematically and intentionally undervalued while the railroad properties were valued at their full worth and more. After a hearing by three judges sitting under § 266 of the Judicial Code, it was held that the plaintiffs "had an adequate remedy at law under the statutes of the Nebraska in prosecuting error proceedings to the Supreme Court of the Nebraska," and for that reason a preliminary injunction was denied. Appeals were taken and the correctness of the above ruling is the only question here. It is not disputed that the proceedings in the supreme court of the state are purely judicial, so that Prentis v. Atlantic Coast Line Co., 211 U. S. 210, does not apply to this case. Bacon v. Rutland R. Co., 232 U. S. 134; Prendergast v. New York Telephone Co., 262 U. S. 43, 262 U. S. 48.
The Board of Equalization and Assessment equalizes the assessments of other property made in the counties
and itself determines the assessments upon railroads. When is has made its final order, it certifies it to the counties and the county treasurers thereupon issue distress warrants and notify agents of delinquent corporations to pay over all moneys of the corporation in their hands not exceeding the amount of the tax. A failure of the agent to do so is made a misdemeanor, and is punished by a fine. There is no provision for a supersedeas pending proceedings before the supreme court, and none by which the plaintiffs can pay under protest and bring an action at law. Dawson v. Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Co., 255 U. S. 288, 255 U. S. 296-297. Yet, if the Board is guilty of the conduct charged in the bill, the only remedy given by the statutes is a writ of error to take to the supreme court a record prepared by the Board. Compiled Stats.1922, § 5901.
If an action to recover the payment were allowed, the suit might be brought in the courts of the United States, under the usual conditions, as well as in those of the state. Singer Sewing Machine Co. v. Benedict, 229 U. S. 481, 229 U. S. 486. But the writ of error, of course, can be sued out only in the state, and a remedy in the state courts only has been held not to be enough. Smyth v. Ames, 169 U. S. 466, 169 U. S. 516; St. Louis-San Francisco Ry. Co. v. McElvain, 253 F. 123, 136; Franklin v. Nevada-California Power Co., 264 F. 643, 645. That however is not the only objection. On a writ of error, the court is confined to the record. The most that it could do, it would seem, would be, if errors appeared on the face of the record, to set aside an excessive valuation and remit the matter to the same Board to try again, which is hardly satisfactory if the Board is seeking to evade the law. United States v. Osage County, 251 U. S. 128, 251 U. S. 133-134. When such a charge as the present is made, it can be tried fully and fairly only by a court that can hear any and all competent evidence, and that is not bound by findings of
the implicated board for which there is any evidence, always easily produced. We are of opinion that there is jurisdiction in equity over the case stated by the bill, and that therefore the Judges "should dispose of the application for a temporary injunction on the merits and otherwise proceed with the suit in regular course." Union Pacific R. Co. v. Weld County, 247 U. S. 282, 247 U. S. 287.
Decrees reversed.
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SVT Play: All Systems Operational Normally
Watch Online Section 375
4K Watch Movie
(8601) IMDb 8.1 124 min 2019
Section 375 is a movie starring Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, and Meera Chopra. A celebrated Bollywood director Rohan Khurana stands accused by a female member of his crew, Anjali Dangle of having raped her at his residence.
Richa Chadha, Akshaye Khanna, Rahul Bhat, Meera Chopra
Crime, Drama
Disclaimer: This site does not store any files.
Ajay Bahl, Manish Gupta
A celebrated Bollywood director Rohan Khurana stands accused by a female member of his crew, Anjali Dangle of having raped her at his residence.
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16 customer reviews about drama «Section 375»
Teresa Richardson
Saturday, 02 Jan 2021 03:04
The only thing I can say about this movie is that it is one of the most underrated movies of all time. This is a great film and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see a movie that is not all about explosions and violence. The acting is amazing, the plot is great and the acting is so realistic that it is impossible to not be moved by the story. I give this film a 10/10. I really don't think I could give it more.
Charles J.
Thursday, 24 Sep 2020 12:50
I was lucky enough to catch this at a private screening in Montreal. The story is quite familiar, and the subject matter has been covered a lot, but the way the movie is told is very different. I found myself, on a few occasions, trying to figure out what the hell the movie was about. The movie moves very slowly, as we follow the story of a group of people, with very little background on them. The only explanation I can give for why they did this is that they felt like they were in a documentary and had nothing else to do, and were left to their own devices to sort out their lives. I will admit, this movie is not for everyone. I'm not a big fan of the film, and I don't think it is a film that would appeal to most people, but it's still an interesting movie, and it left me with a feeling of being somewhat disconnected from the world around me, but trying to remember what I was doing the day before. I think the movie was well-acted, with a lot of eye-candy to go around, and the character's are quite interesting. I enjoyed the ending, and would recommend it to others.
Monday, 14 Sep 2020 14:46
I am a sucker for "feel good" movies. I have seen them all. And this one is definitely one of the best I have ever seen. The characters are all believable. I think the writers and director did a good job of not making the movie too "typical" and the actors did a great job of not being over-the-top and over-acting. I liked the way the movie showed how "good" the people who were going through the "tough times" were. The movie had a good message and was not "sugar coated" with the "happy ending". I thought the ending was very good and very sad. The acting was great. I hope the director/writer/producer makes a sequel to this movie. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who wants to watch a great movie that is not too "happy" or too "sappy".
Wednesday, 09 Sep 2020 02:28
I had no idea what this movie was about, but I was told that it was based on a book that I had not read and was curious to see what was going on. When I saw the trailer for the movie, I was like "what the hell is this?" and then when the movie started I was like "yeah I have no clue what this is about." Then I got to see it and it was great! I will say that the movie was a little slow in parts, but the movie kept me interested and it kept me guessing and I was really interested in what was going to happen. I really like the movie and I would recommend it to people. I don't know if there is any other movie out there that is similar to this one and I think I would like to see a few more movies like this one. I also think that if you don't have a problem with language, this movie will be a great movie for you. I think that it is a good movie, and I would recommend it to everyone.
The themes are profound, especially in a time of globalization. Not a masterpiece but worth seeing. A movie that will appeal to a wider audience.
Christina Ramos
Monday, 24 Aug 2020 03:09
Loved the script, liked the characters, loved the characters. I've been a fan of the second season of "The Wire" since it came out. I have been trying to track down this movie. I am a HUGE fan of HBO's "The Wire", "The Wire" is the best TV series ever. I'm going to have to watch the second season and re-watch this movie. I'll keep this movie in mind when I get a chance to see it again. If anyone knows a good DVD, or a movie store near me, let me know and I'll try to get it. I love this movie!
Thursday, 20 Aug 2020 01:57
I'm a big fan of South African director Chris Tuohy, and this film is no exception. It's a simple story, but in a good way. It's a story of revenge, but it's not about revenge. The protagonist, who plays an important part in the movie, is trying to prove his innocence, and it's very clear that he doesn't want to let the evil doings of his own father and the land owners in the first part of the film go to waste. The only thing that I found that was a bit lacking is the movie's direction. The story is simple, but I think that some scenes could have been a bit more detailed and even more focused. At least, this is the main reason that I didn't rate this movie higher. The performances of the entire cast are excellent, especially of the actors playing the roles of the two main characters. I think that they've done a great job in their roles, and it's easy to understand why the movie is so popular. My only criticism is that the film could have been more focused on the story and the characters. But even that is not a big problem, since the movie is very easy to follow. There's not much violence, and the acting is great. The movie doesn't have any major flaws, but it's a good movie to watch. It's definitely a must-see.
Mark Hanson
Sunday, 16 Aug 2020 19:14
I've just watched this movie for the first time. I don't know what I expected. I watched a lot of movie reviews before this one, and it seemed like a typical Hollywood movie. But this one was different. It was interesting, and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to watch it. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes a movie that has something to say and also, it is a very realistic story. This is a movie that will make you think about how the world is, and what we can do to change it. A must watch.
Not a movie for everybody, but definitely worth watching. There's a bit of gore and violence, and some interesting political themes, but not too much. It's about a woman named Anna and her dealings with a society that seems to want to make her life a living hell, but she has the right to fight back. Anna, who was born into a middle class family, has been brought up on a strict regimen of work and obedience. This can lead to a life of repression, especially if she is under the influence of drugs. Anna gets into a fight with a thug named J.J., and is sent to prison. She then works her way up the ranks, slowly gaining power and making her way up the social ladder. Eventually she becomes a major drug dealer. There's also some social commentary about the way society is looking down on the poor, but not the rich. I found it to be an interesting film, and I recommend it to anybody who's interested in the world of drugs, and how society treats the poor. It's pretty entertaining.
Patrick Howell
Wednesday, 12 Aug 2020 11:42
The movie itself is very interesting and its portrayal of life in the 1990s is realistic. The story itself is rather thin and one would be hard pressed to find any real substance to it, and the plot doesn't really have a clear direction, but it is also very effective and entertaining. As the movie goes on the characters become more and more defined, and they become more and more likeable and believable. All in all, a very good movie. It's a good film for those who are into this sort of film.
Pablo Larrain has made a very good movie. The cinematography is excellent, the acting is excellent, the plot is outstanding. This movie is much better than "La ragazza". I was very impressed with the acting of Mario Bonnello, the one who plays the strong-man, in this movie. This movie is also a good story of some kind, I think, with good moral. In my opinion this movie is one of the best films ever made. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Sabor de Corazon" ("A Night of Danger")
I went to see this film because I had read that it was a good film. I was not disappointed. I can understand that there is a lot of violence in this film, but that doesn't make it less effective. It was interesting to see how the police and the criminals interacted with each other, and I enjoyed that aspect of the film. The performances in this film are very good. I especially liked the performance of Brad Pitt. He was very believable. I also liked the performances of Jodie Foster and William H. Macy. I also thought that the writing was excellent. The dialogue was witty and very interesting. I thought that the director did an excellent job directing the camera and the actors. The editing was also very well done. The editing was very fast, but not too fast. I also liked the use of flashbacks. The flashbacks were very interesting and the characters felt very real. The direction and the editing was very good. I also liked the music. The music was very interesting. I think that this is a very good film. I recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a good film. It is a very good film.
Judith Rose
Loved it! The story is so good, the acting is perfect. It is a good movie to see with a few friends. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and have a good time. It is a must see!
This film was released in the U.S. as "The Nice Guys" and I have to say it is a pretty good film. It was shot in the town of Rehoboth Beach and I can't wait to see it again. I know many people were disappointed with the film, but I thought it was great. I thought it was an excellent story, the acting was great, and the music was great. I think the film was a bit predictable, but it was also not a boring film. I think this is a great film for a date night. It is a great story about friendship and being true to yourself. I think people who are tired of Hollywood movies and they want to see a true story should see this film.
Ronald Wheeler
The movie was very good, especially the storyline. I also enjoyed the cinematography and the music score. I also loved the use of color. The only thing I didn't like was the scene when John went to visit his dad in the car, the scene was very slow and dull. It was not that they were bad actors, but it could have been a little bit better. All in all I think this is a great movie that should be watched.
Jack B.
The film follows a recent college graduate's decision to leave the United States for a long trip in Europe. During his stay, he meets a Greek woman, plays the violin and works at a pizza shop. He then meets a young man who helps him get a job. He starts a small business and learns about the Greek culture and their food. The film is very good and very well done. It is not the usual Italian political movie with its fine lines and well thought out scenes. It is an unusual film in the sense that it is not American or European. It has a great message and it is a very touching film.
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Archive for the ‘ Chiloe ’ Category
abstract: Most people have never heard of Chiloe Island. It has been inhabited for 10,000 years and was discovered and colonized by Europeans in the 16th century. Even Charles Darwin lived here for two years in the 1830s. He famously complained bitterly about Chiloe’s rainy weather. That might have deterred further immigration, but the isolation has helped protect rare natural habitats such as colonies of both Humboldt and Magellanic penguins and has encouraged intermarriage among disparate peoples residing on the Island. The culture that has emerged from such human hybridization in Chiloe is distinct, remarkable further as it has also allowed for the continuation of identifiable component parts, especially the Christian and Mapuche systems of belief. The latter, that of the original people of Chiloe, has survived by oral tradition in the absence of written recording, thus becoming embellished with myths and legends. These are closely related to the geology of the island, its ocean and hills. Insular living of a relatively small number of residents made the Chilotes dependent on community help. That is reflected in the local cooperative attitude crystallized in the singular institution of minga, gathering to help neighbors. Chiloe is close enough to mainland Chile that the government has recently started planning to build a bridge between the two. For now, tourists take the ferries, usually for a day trip. That is not long enough for a good look at all the riches that Chiloe has to offer. Here is an attempt at a longer focus.
We were on the ferry which we had boarded in Puerto Montt, Chile, crossing the Chacao Channel toward ChiloeIsland. The Channel looked calm all around us. I tried to imagine the turbulence here when Chiloe as a part of a mountain range sank in the Pacific Ocean waves following the last glacial period. That was more than 12,500 years ago. Such an event in the deep time might be the subject of conjecture, but the results were concrete: over 5,000 islands stretching south to Tierra del Fuego at the bottom of the American continent. Next to the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego at that end, the Greater Island of Chiloe is the largest at this end. It is 118 miles long and 34 to 40 miles wide. I was now looking at it from the deck of the ferry.
After disembarking we began driving on a highway named Routa de las Iglesia Patrimoniales, immediately reminding us of the architectural significance of the wooden churches of Chiloe which are considered a National Heritage by Chile. There are sixteen such churches, built from the 1700s to the 1900s in a distinct architectural scheme.
The first church we visited in Chiloe was not among them, but it had its own charm. The wooden church in the small village of San Antonio de Chacao, which had been built in 1710, was elegant in its simplicity. As we stepped in a service was still on, fully attended on this Sunday. Our local guide said: “The worshipers are here not just because they are baptized but because they are believers.” The priest was at the altar. Presently, on the corner to his left, a man started playing the guitar and singing. I was surprised to recognize the tune; it was Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind.”
The Chacao church was at the tidy main square of the village lined with monkey puzzle trees. These Chilean pine trees (pehuén) are so ancient that they are described as a living fossil. They were cultivated in Chiloe as long as 10,000 years ago. The ground pine kernel was an important food source for the original people of Chiloe. Soon, I was introduced to another native tree which has also played an important role in the life of the people of Chiloe. Alerce is an evergreen that is the largest native tree in South America. Its wood has been used by the
Chilotes to develop an exceptional craftsmanship applied not just in the Patrimonial churches but in many areas of everyday life. I saw examples in the Artesanias shop a few doors from Chacao’s church. I talked to the three women who were selling the handicraft made in this village. They showed me a modernist looking small sculpture of the local penguin crafted from Alerce wood. They told me that the tree normally reaches a height of 200 feet in full growth.
Seaweed is another natural product that is still significant in Chiloe’s family economy. The locals collect them for food and cosmetics at shores such as the one we next visited, the Caulin Bird Sanctuary. As the name indicated this was also a beach on the Chacao Channel, ideal for bird watching with its exceptional tide which retreated hundreds of meters every six hours.
Indeed, Chiloe means the “Land of Seagulls” in the language of the Mapuche, the original people of Chiloe. The oysters from Caulin bay are equally famous, befitting the name for Chacao, “Water with Shell fish,” in the same language.
As we took a long walk on the Caulin beach, my local guide detailed her erudite version of the origin of the people of Chiloe. That evening I transcribed my notes as follows.
Until 1976 it was believed that humans first came to the American continent by way of the Bering Strait some 13,500 years ago. This was based on the 1920s and 1930s findings at the archaeological site in Clovis, New Mexico, U. S.A. In 1975, however, in Monte Verde which is only 30 miles north of Chiloe on the mainland coast, peasants brought to the attention of a visiting veterinary student tusks of a huge animal which was later proved to be a mastodon. This led to the excavation of the site by archeologists who have now established that human settlement existed in Monte Verde 14,800 years ago. This is based on the radiocarbon dating of bones and charcoal found at the site. As our guide put it: “Among other evidence, the archeologists found burns on boards which could only have been due to a human-made fire, as there was nothing like a natural fire around that area. What is more, at the end of the board were knots which were from ropes made of local reeds tied to the poles those humans used to put up their tents.”
After the reports from a revisit by a group of respected archaeologists to the Monte Verde site in 1997, it has been generally accepted that the human settlements in this area far predated any other found elsewhere in America. It is likely that humans came down along the western coasts of North and South America. That theory is supported by the wide variety of seaweed and marine algae found around their hearths. Many of those are the local seaweed varieties used by today’s native inhabitants of Chiloe. Therefore, according to the Monte Verde discoveries, Chiloé Archipelago may have been populated from some 14,000 years ago. The earliest known inhabitants were a seafaring people called the Chonos. Around the 15th century, a branch of the Mapuche, called the Huilliche migrated from the mainland and settled in the eastern shore, engaged in fishing and agriculture.
My guide now cautioned: “The claim that Monte Verde settlers were the earliest humans found in the continent has been challenged based on the discovery of the 11,500 year-old skeleton of a woman found in Lapa Vermelha, Brazil, in 1975, now called Luzia.” Her facial features are dissimilar to most Native Americans and their Siberian forebears. They resemble those of indigenous Australians and Africans. Accordingly, some Brazilian anthropologists have argued that Luzia’s ancestors lived in South East Asia and came to the New World as early as 15,000 years ago. This is not accepted by other anthropologists, some of whom have maintained that Luzia’s feature variability could simply be due to genetic drift.
There have also been various claims about the Polynesian origin of the inhabitants of the Chiloe area, the guide continued. Certain common cultural traits suggest contact between Polynesians and the Mapuche of south-central Chile. Strong westerlies and El Niño winds blow from Polynesia to the Mapuche region north of Chiloe. A few years ago a report suggested that chicken bones found in El Arenal, in mainland Chile not far from Chiloe, were from the 14th century and thus predated the arrival of the Spaniards. But later studies of the same specimens concluded that it provided “no support for a Polynesian” origin.
Pacific side
In 1553 Captain Francisco de Ulloa reached the Chacao Channel following the orders of Spain’s recently established government of Chile and proceeded to explore the ChiloeIsland. He is thus considered the first “discoverer” of Chiloe, although the Island had been “sighted” some 13 years earlier by another Spanish explorer, Alonso de Camargo, as he was traveling to Peru. Then as now the residents of the Island lived mostly on the eastern central part of the coastal range where the temperature is milder and it rains only 75 inches a year, and not on the far harsher environment of the Pacific side. Charles Darwin who spent two years, 1834-1835, in Chiloe later complained about a winter storm in its northwest: “Such weather utterly destroys for every good end the precious time during which it lasts.”
We took advantage of our luck on a sunnier day to visit the Pacific coast. The rolling hills drew a pleasing landscape. We were never far from the water with its scenic bays. The land seemed fertile. We saw chickens and pigs in the small yards of the houses on the sides of the road. Bigger properties were fenced off . Economic activity here consisted of “small production of vegetables and dairy products, and extraction of shellfish and seaweed,” our guide said. This was not a rich or developed region. Closer to the Pacific, it took us 45 minutes to go 10 kilometers on the narrow dirt road which was used for two-way traffic. Cars passed us kicking up dust as our bus struggled up some hills. We shared the road on occasions with riders on horseback which was still their common means of transportation.
Our destination was the Punihuil Islands, just off the shore of the Pacific. This group of three islets near the village of Punihuil constitutes a NaturalMonument which is a wildlife sanctuary. That designation did not deter the café on the beach from offering several catches of the day on its menu for our lunch: salmon, conger (congrio), corvina, and hake (merluza). A poster at the Ecoturismo Office next to the cafe showed the pictures of the two types of penguins, the Humboldt and the Magellanic, and the penguin’s reproduction cycle, as well as the variety of other birds and mammals which could be found on the Punihuil Islands.
The main attractions were the penguins, about which we now learned the following from our guide. The Penguin is a fish except that it nests as birds. Only ten percent of all penguins in the world are of the Humboldt type; ninety percent are of the Magellanic type. The fewer than 12,000 Humboldt penguins are classified as “vulnerable.” Punihuil is unique because “in all of Patagonia” Humboldt penguins only breed here and, furthermore, this is the world’s only shared breeding site for Humboldt and Magellanic penguins. The difference between the two types of penguins is “around their neck.” The Humboldt has one black pectoral band while the Magellanic has two. Penguins are always in couples or small groups. They make caves where they put their nests. In their colony on the Punihuil Islands Penguins are without predators but they have competitors for food which are the sea-lions who have their own colonies. The PunihuilIslands are the penguins’ home from October to March when they go back into the Ocean after breeding, and migrate north toward the Pacific coast.
We now boarded a small boat on the beach that took us closer to the PunihuilIslands. The penguins we saw were all the Magellanic type; we did not spot any Humboldt. The babies were without hair and looked grey. The nests were holes in the ground. We also saw some of the penguins’ neighbors here: red-legged cormorant and kelp gull – for both of which Punihuil is the breeding ground – marine otter , black vulture , steamer duck, oystercatcher, and South American sea-lion.
Tourists come to Chiloe only on day trips, our guide said. That is a pity because the Island’s isolation over centuries has nurtured a unique blend of the cultures of its original people and the European immigrants. How can you observe a culture unless you stay a few days? We lodged ourselves in one of the few overnight accommodations available on the island, Hosteria Ancud .
We were greeted at the door by a legend who had preceded us almost exactly 457 years ago. Alonso de Ercilla was the namesake of the vessel that brought us over the Chacao Channel from mainland Chile; he himself had arrived around here on February 28, 1558 sailing on a more primitive boat with ten European companions and some local “Indian” boatmen. He carved that memorable occasion on a tree, and subsequently memorialized it in his La Araucana (The Araucaniad). That work, Published in 1589, is now considered to be one of the greatest historical poems in Spanish. It consists of 37 cantos (songs) and at the entrance to our hotel in Ancud, this part of Canto XXXVI (Stanza XXIX) was carved on a wooden plank , as a replica of Ercilla’s original (the English translation here losing the tight rhyme scheme of the “octava real” stanza form):
Here came, where another has not arrived,
Don Alonso de Ercilla, the first
in a small boat load shedding,
with the drain alone spent ten
year fifty-eight entered
about fifteen hundred, for Hebrero,
at two in the afternoon, the last day,
returning to the company left.
Alonso de Ercilla was a soldier in the expeditionary forces led by the Spanish governor of Chile, García Hurtado de Mendoza, on the move to subdue the original people of the land, the Araucanians. This expedition was then followed in 1567 by a campaign led by Captain Martín Ruiz de Gamboa, to conquer ChiloéIsland and pacify its inhabitants. The Chiloé archipelago was claimed for the Spanish crown and the city of Castro was established as its administrative center in that year.
Those original local inhabitants consisted of three groups, my guide said. She had been trained as a social linguist and relished expounding on her knowledge of the evolution of Chiloe culture. The three groups were the Chonos, Cuncos, and Huilliche peoples. The first was a nomadic people that became extinct toward the end of the 19th century. The Cuncos were a sedentary people, belonging to the southern group of Mapuche peoples and speaking the language common to all Mapuche peoples, the Mapudungun. The Huilliche people were also a Mapuche living in the western region of the Mapuche’s traditional homeland in present day central Chile, although their language is also called Veliche.
In the Spaniards’ reporting of the time, the pacification was said to be aimed at the Cuncos.
Regardless, the need for such an effort is not easy to comprehend. A few years earlier, Alonso de Ercilla, as he reported in his Canto XXXVI, had encountered some friendly natives coming in a “gondola” in these waters to offer food and welcome. Tellingly, the poet worried that such goodwill will not “withstand Spanish indolence and corruption.”
Most of the Spaniards who followed Ruiz de Gamboa to Chiloe in 1567 were from Galicia, my guide said. “They had their own language and culture and were Celtic, related to the Scots and Welsh.” They were men who came without women “and married the local Mapuche, so what evolved here was a race of mestizos.” Because of that fact “We don’t have racism in Chiloe.” Our guide was married to a Mapuche herself. “Mestizos have light skin and their hair does not go grey. So you can’t tell how old they are.” She added, “But we have class distinction which is related mostly to education and profession, and legitimacy of birth.” She returned to what the contemporary residents of Chiloe have in common. “They speak a distinct dialect of Spanish. The Chilote is different from the Spanish spoken in Chile, in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. It has been influenced by the Huilliche language. That is one reason for the Chilote culture being distinct. This process of using the Mapuche (Huilliche) language in Spanish began as early as the 17th century.”
I wanted to ask about the problem of illegitimacy which the guide had mentioned, but she did not have time now. She said Chile was playing a big soccer match with Uruguay and she had to go and watch it on Television. “For us futbol, which you call soccer, is like a religion.”
Ancud
In 1594 Castro had 8,000 inhabitants. That was the bulk of Chiloe’s total population. Today Chiloe has about 155,000. One-half of these are thinly spread among many farms and small towns, while some 40,000 live in Castro and an equal number in Ancud. I decided to take a walk around Ancud to get a glimpse of how its one-fourth of all Chilotes lived. I started from the top of the hill where the San Antonio Fort had been located. It was built in 1770, with a clear view of the approach from the sea to protect the port of Ancud that was then important for the traffic from Cape Horn. Two years earlier Ancud had replaced Castro as the administrative center of Chiloe. Ancud’s new status was pursuant to the Spanish Crown’s decision to transfer Chiloe from its General Captaincy of Chile to its “Viceroyalty of Peru. Independent Chile defeated Spain to take Chiloe back in 1826, and I could see a stone wall left where the Spanish flag had last flown in the island that year. Ancud continued as the capital of Chiloe until 1982 when Castro again resumed that position.
The streets up in this hill of Ancud were quiet. The first group of people I came across were five women, one a young black woman helping an elderly woman in the crosswalk . She was unique, an exception that proved the rule. Unlike many other places in America, here one could not find descendants of Africans. As our guide had explained, the Spaniards needed slaves as labor for their mines in Chile but could not easily bring Africans around Cape Horn. Instead, “they called the Mapuche cannibals so as to be able to enslave them.” That slavery, however, did not extend to Chiloe, she said.
A block away, the Parish of Good Shepherd St. Pius X (Parroquia buen pastor Pio X) was in a modest building with even a more modest sign, just a typewritten name on a piece of paper . It was named after a big man, the early 20th century bishop who was the first Pope to be canonized since 5 centuries before. Across the street from the parish, The Hostal Chiloe, catering to backpackers, offered ‘WIFE’ (no doubt meaning WiFi). This was at the square with the National Police (Carabineros) station. Facing the station were the busts of Ramon Freir Serrano, President of Chile, 1823-1826, with a plaque under it noting that he incorporated the territory of Chiloe, which had been in the Spanish royalists’ hands, into Chile in 1826. There was also another bust, that of Hernan Merino Correa [43], heralded in the sign under it [44], as a “Hero of the 20th Century.” In fact, he was just a lieutenant of the Carabineros, who died in 1936 during a confrontation with a contingent of the National Gendarmerie Argentina.
I crossed O’Higgins Street, named after the President of Chile who was removed from office by the junta that put Freir Serrano in his place. At the bottom of the hill was the shopping area which had souvenir stores with redundant sheep wool clothing items and wooden artifacts, but without customers. The main square of town, a few blocks away, was where the action was. The youth of Ancud had filled the place. Some had just gotten off their bicycles, some were playing soccer , some couples were cuddling, some were making dreadlocks on others’ hair, and in the raised gazebo that was in the middle a DJ was tuning up his electrical sound system [48]. The main fixture in the place was a sculpture of “The Pincoya.” The sign under it described this mythological figure of the original people of Chiloe as follows: “The Pincoya is the extraordinary beautiful goddess of the sea, appearing on the beach, dressed in seaweed and phosphorescent plankton together with her husband, the “Tincoy”, who attracts her with his melodious voice, inviting her to dance. If she returns to the sea at the end of the dance, it assures a period of abundance, and if she looks towards the beach there will be a time of scarcity. The victims of shipwrecks also receive her aid.”
Trauco
When my guide returned a few hours later, she was in a foul mood. Chile had lost the soccer match. “There is a street in Ancud named O’Higgins,” she began our conversation. “He was a bastard.” She meant it literally. O’Higgins story is the proverbial example of discrimination due to illegitimate birth in Chilean culture which the guide had talked about. “Ambrose O’Higgins was an Irish-born nobleman who served the Spanish King as the military governor of Chile in the late 18th century. He had a woman in Chile from a prominent family called Isabella. She gave birth to a child whom she named Bernardo. She kept him and said he was an orphan. They lived in central Chile not far from Chiloe. Bernardo’s father did not acknowledge him and the two never met.” Only after Ambrose’s death, could Bernardo change his last name to O’Higgins; until then he used the name of the man his mother married. “Bernardo did not inherit from his father as the law did not allow it, although to Ambrose’s credit he paid for the son’s education. Eventually, Bernardo became involved in the Chilean movement for independence from Spain and with the help of the Argentinian leader San Martin, he became the first President of Chile.” However, our guide punctuated, “Bernardo O’Higgins was never really accepted by high society in Chile because he was born out of wedlock.”
Even today, she said, “the slang word here for an illegitimate person is ‘lonely.’” Although “Bernardo O’Higgins was our George Washington,” she continued, “he is only memorialized on a one Peso coin.” She took out one and showed us: “See the red head and blue eyes of his father’s ancestry!” Then she walked us to the portal of the hotel where there were several stone sculptures of mythical figures from the original people’s legends. She pointed to one who looked like a deformed and ugly dwarf. She said that was Trauco. “He is the father named in the official Identification Card of illegitimate children.” In the traditional Mapuche mythology of Chiloé, Trauco is a supernatural being that lives in the forest and has an irresistible attraction for women -although he is married to the ugly Fiura. When a single woman becomes pregnant by a person whose name is concealed, folks assume that it was Trauco. The stigma of illegitimacy in more modern times has its roots in Chiloe’s catholic religion. The way its culture deals with it is, thus, by resorting to its other source of metaphysically-based morality.
Castro Main Square
The juxtaposition of Chiloe’s two spiritual worlds was more prominently on display in the central square of the island’s capital city, Castro. A graceful statue of Pincoya stood in the fountain of blue water that was in the middle of the Plaza de Armas, looking invitingly toward Iglesia de San Francisco (The Church of San Francisco) on the edge of the square. Soil liquefaction caused by earthquakes had tilted the towers of the church but one overlooked that imperfection in the dazzle of the bright yellow paint in which the exterior of the church was bathed. This church has become a primary tourist attraction in Chiloe since in 1992 when UNESCO recognized it as a fine example of the wooden churches of the Island. It is not an old church, having been built in 1912, and unlike the older ones it was designed by a professional architect. The execution of the elaborate architectural detail by craftsmen of Chiloe, however, has produced an exceptional traditional monument. The church’s shape as an inverted ship was inspired by the naval heritage of the place. It looks toward the sea.
The Church of San Francisco serves a community that is seventy percent Catholic. When it was originally constructed it was meant to house Franciscan monks. Its vast interior now is resplendent in Rauli Beech and olivillo wood. Three major figures of Chile’s Franciscan Christianity dominate the statuary. Facing the altar, on the right is the Virgin Mary dressed in a brown gown and a crown, holding a brown scapular as well as the Niño, also crowned . The sign of the pedestal on which Mary stood identified her as Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Nuestra Señora del Carmen”) who is the patroness of Chile. Next to Mary in the church was a full size statue of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, the 20th century Italian whose stigmata of wounds, in locations on his body corresponding to Jesus’ crucifixion wounds, never became infected and never could be explained. Having that in common with Christ and the first stigmatic, St. Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio is believed to have helped heal the faithful in Chiloe for the last 20 years. This church had its own chapter of the “Faithful Association of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.” Opposite Padre Pio, on the other side of the church was a sculpture of Archangel Michael standing victorious over Satan. It is this St. Michael to whom the Franciscan order directs one of its “Prayers in times of Trial.”
The Franciscans did not arrive in Chiloe until 1771, when the Spanish government expelled the Jesuit missionaries. The latter had come in the early 1600s, charged with evangelizing the local population and, to that end, built 79 wooden churches of the traditional style which are on the UNESCO World Heritage log. The power the Jesuits accumulated had threatened the control of the Crown and Spain replaced them with the Franciscans.
The goal of the Franciscan missions was to spread the Christian faith to the “uncivilized” native people. Education was a vital part of their program for converting the Chilotes. The youth were taken into the mission schools and there taught until they were judged secure enough in the faith to be returned to their communities as Christian teachers. “As a result of 500 years of missionary education,” our guide said, “today, Chiloe has one of the highest literary rates in the world.” We were now approaching a bookseller’s stand at the other corner of Plaza de Armas in Castro.
Spread on a long table was an eclectic collection of works by authors decidedly not Catholic, such as the Communist Pablo Neruda and the atheist Sigmund Freud, as well as books of topical interest like a history of Chile’s transition from President Augusto Pinochet to his successor. These were in English. There was a volume of Charles Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle in a bilingual edition. In Spanish, two of the books here caught my attention. One was a Mapuche Dictionary and the other a volume on Myths and Legends (Mitos y Leyenda) in Chiloe.
The bookseller told me that he sold about 100 books a day which was a remarkable sign of readership in this small community. I referred to Darwin’s book in which he had first broached his still developing theory of evolution by natural selection and told the bookseller that I was intrigued by the other book on Chiloe’s Myths and Legends. “What is the origin of creation in those myths?,” I asked the bookseller. This was not a busy time and he could be generously hospitable with his answer. “The myths tell us that for a long time Chiloe was a part of the continental land. Then the mythical reptile CAI-CAI made the waters to rise, inundating the land in Chiloe and burying its inhabitants in the waves. Now, the protector mythical reptile TEN-TEN appeared against his enemy CAI-CAI and lifted the land out of the sea. He helped people reach high ground. He gave some men the power to fight and turned others into birds. As water receded people who had drowned became fishes and animals became rocks, valleys became channels and hills became islands.”
This was closer to Christianity than to Darwin. Catholicism and the Mapuche system of beliefs succeeded in co-existing in Chiloe. That was unlike the Europeans’ conflict with the Incas who had a tradition of blood offerings. “People are Catholic in Chiloe but very open minded,” my tour guide said. In fact, “in Chiloe witchcraft survives.” In addition to using many jungle plants in traditional medical procedures, she said, “witches and wizards are followed.”
We went to see a Mapuche medicine woman. The sign at the door of the simple one-story building said: The Jose Antonio Huento Rain Natives Association. The woman who greeted us inside explained that this was an “association of the Mapuche for education and preservation of the original culture.” On the wall, there was a chart with the Spanish translation of the alphabet of the Mapuche language. There was a kultrun drum on a stove to the side, and a poster above it showing the design on its surface, with this title: “The Mapuche World in Kultrun”. The design was the image of “The Land of the Four Places” , representing the earth and the four cardinal points which were, counter-clock-wise, east, north, sea, and south. As our guide informed us: “The drum kultrun is a very important musical instrument among the Mapuche. It is used by the healer, and by the shaman (machi) in religious and cultural ceremonies.”
We were in the presence of Berta, a gentle grand-motherly healer . This was her clinic for traditional medicine. Standing in the middle of the room as we gathered around her, she gave us this description of her work, as our guide translated: “Patients come here. There is no sign outside for the clinic, but we have a weekly radio program which reaches people. Our concept of health and the lack of health may sound a bit different to you. We see human beings as a whole. We say balance the mind and the body follows. For example, ‘stress or hatred’ will result in physical illness. So you treat the mind first, and then the body if needed. We do our diagnosis by conversation. Elders in other cultures came to the same conclusion. So that means that it must be O.K. We also treat ‘cultural diseases’ such as ‘the evil eye.’”
The medicine woman continued: “What we do is now covered by the national health service. This means a person can come here, using national health vouchers, or go to the hospital. People go back and forth between this type and western medicine. Sometimes patients come here saying Western medicine did not work for them, but they could not say it there. The difference between us is that we do not have machines here. Ours is medicine from the heart. We produce medicine everyday in this place based on the many herbs you see here [65], for pretty much everything. There is cream for burns. We also do massages.”
Berta was 60 years old. She had “inherited” her position as a medicine woman from her “family.” She was “the only one” in Castro. Healers in Chiloe are generally women, but there are some medicine men too. Before we left, Berta proposed to perform a ceremony to wish us a safe trip. We gathered around a brazier in her room. Berta spoke out a few words and put some fragrant herbs in the brazier’s fire . An assistant accompanied her by beating the kultrun . Then we held hands and Berta said “now let’s all yell loud” which we did after her two times and, again, one more time.
When we looked up, on the wall facing us in Berta’s clinic was the image of George W. Bush as Uncle Sam. He was gazing at us in defense of “machines.” This was in a poster which juxtaposed a scene jammed with cars against this caption in Spanish on the top: “Food for the machines and hunger for the people.” An American in our groups grumbled: “Blame everything on Bush!” That was not far from the position of the newly radicalized youth in Chile who blamed the CIA for the 1973 overthrow of their hero, President Salvador Allende, and were currently demonstrating in support of the more assertive among the Mapuche. Our local guide in Castro gave us this retro-radical perspective on the historical background of the Mapuche political situation: “There are over a million Mapuche in Chile and two to three times more with mixed blood. It is impossible to know how many of the Chilotes are Mapuche because many do not consider themselves Mapuche or do not say so to avoid discrimination. As a group, the Mapuche are the most deprived sector of the Chilean society today. Diseases brought by the Europeans and the long wars with them killed many of the Mapuche people and eradicated much of their culture. The word Mapuche is the combination of map (land) and che (people) in their language and these people fiercely resisted the Europeans occupation of their land from the very beginning.”
She continued: “Hierarchical organization was what the Europeans called a civilization and the Incas were that way and were easy to defeat, simply by getting rid of their headmen. Mapuche did not reach that level of organization. Mapuche had seven tribes who would get together in wars and make common decision. They were decentralized and would engage in guerilla war, like Hydra with many heads. So the Spaniards could not defeat them; they lost more soldiers and resources in wars with Mapuche than in conflict with all other people they conquered in the Americas, combined.”
Spain did not win, but its successor, the government of Chile at the end of the 19th century succeeded in a campaign called the Pacification of Araucania to seize most of the Mapuche territories. Araucania was the name of a Kingdom the Mapuche established in 1860. Their king was a French lawyer, Orelie Antoine de Tounens who had come here in 1858, attracted by the tales of the Mapuche’s past resistance. A year later, the Chilean government defeated the Kingdom, arrested King Orelie Antoine, declared him insane and expelled him from the country. His heir, Prince Philippe now lives in Paris, France, and calls himself Royal Highness to the Crown of Araucania and Patagonia in exile.
“Chile has never recognized the Mapuche as a nation,” our guide said. “By an agreement in 1980 the government gave them about 5% of the territories the Mapuche had claimed, but even that is now gone because the ‘Corporations’ took them. So the Mapuche have set fire to the Corporations’ machinery. The conflict recently got bloody. A Mapuche was shot in the back by the police. Two weeks ago was the 4th anniversary of that event and there was a big demonstration in Santiago attended also by many leftist students.”
The poster we saw in the medicine woman’s clinic was protesting against the corporations and their machines, under the rubric “Agrocombustibles.” Translated as “agrofuels,” that term has been referred to as the “catalyst of global capitalism” by critics who see in it the grabbing of the land by the big agribusinesses to grow plants for biofuels.
Our guide said “Chileans did not have an appreciation of Chiloe’s culture and traditional products, but the young are now becoming more interested.” She was taking us to see an example of the local cottage industry. This was a shop that produced small clothing items from wool. It had two owners who made the goods and ran the business by themselves; they had no employees. One of them, Marcela , told me “our forefathers were attached to ‘wool-working.’” On the wall here was a poster showing the drawing of a woman with the names of her body parts in the Mapuche language. The store made clothes only for women. Marcela explained: “even men buy for women, as are not good customers for themselves because they would always complain that the clothes scratch, etc.” She and her partner dyed their own yarns of many colors, using local trees, shrubs, flint, and sawdust.
The colors that the artisans of Castro are more famous for were on their palafitos. These are houses which were built on pillars of wood acting as stilts. The stilts served to lift them above the high tide of the marshes in which the houses were located near the waterfront. The commercial marine traffic of the 19th century encouraged housing in the area. Palafitos (pile dwellings) have existed since the pre-Columbian days in many parts of Latin America. The local style developed in Castro is distinguished by balconies and window forms, as well as their colors. Palafitos, however, were not the only structures painted in vibrant colors in this town; the blue chosen for other houses perfectly matched the color of Castro’s sky on this half-sunny day.
In contrast, the streets of Castro’s business district were drab and ordinary, betraying it as a provincial town. The residents went elsewhere to shop for food products. That big, busy covered market was overflowing with local produce , fish , and flowers , mixed with handicraft , cosmetics and even an occasional used watch . The kelp and seaweed were specialties. “Kelp has to be dehydrated to eat,” we were told. A salesgirl who was wearing a “Delaware” hoody sweatshirt chucked a mussel and offered it to me. I asked if she knew where or what Delaware was. “She says she has no clue,” our guide translated her answer. I am not sure if many in Delaware had a clue where Castro was. The magic of some manufacturing factory, probably in China or Bangladesh, connected the two.
In the market, of course, there were potatoes, a few varieties. “Potatoes originated here in Chiloe,” our guide reminded us, “there is genetic proof for that, and the ones in this market are close to the original potatoes.” It is believed that potatoes are indigenous to the Chiloé Archipelago and that they were cultivated as early as 10,000 years ago. They were introduced to Europe, and the rest of the world, only in 1536. On the other hand, Europeans introduced almud to Chiloe. This is a wooden box, with a capacity of 6 to 8 liters, used for measuring. Almud “takes about 2 pounds of potatoes.” As a yardstick of capacity, it was the most common measurement system in the colonial times in many parts of South America, used not just for potatoes but also for carrots, peas, wheat, oats, and even seafood. “This was for those who could not count potatoes,” our guide said. As the original word “al-mudd” indicates, it was an Arabic term brought to Islamic Iberia. Today, however, Chiloe may a rare place where Almud is still used. “The only other place you can find it is museums in Spain,” our guide maintained. Indeed, when I asked Google to translate almud into Arabic I got bushel (al-bushel), as in English.
Curanto
Chilotes produce nearly all the food they need, our guide said. “They like to eat well: having several dishes at lunch is common.” We were about to find this out for ourselves as we headed to a minga. A cherished tradition among the Chilotes is the gathering of friends to help in a neighbor’s construction or agricultural projects. The minga is this “collective work done for the community.” Such work is rewarded usually by supplying food and drinks to the friends. “Curanto is how you pay back to the community,” we were told by our hostess, Maria Luisa. Curanto is a traditional Chilote food. Although we were not among those who helped her husband build their “house and the furniture in it,” some time ago, we were going to be served a curanto, similar to the one they had been fed.
We witnessed the making of the curanto step by step. In the front yard of the house, when we arrived, we saw two men who had built a fire from charcoal in a hole they had dug and surrounded with leaves. They now spread a big number of mussels on the stones in the smoking charcoal. Next, potatoes were laid on top of the mussels, pieces of chicken on top of the potatoes, and sausages on top of the chickens. These were now covered with big green leaves before Maria Luisa brought out a plate with potato bread from the house and placed it upon the pile which was again covered with another layer of leaves. Now many more leaves of a different kind were added and a black tarp and plastics were used as the final coverings, secured with several pieces of peat turf . This heap was left to be cooked and steamed for an hour, as our hostess informed us while she led us inside the house. “The curanto will be ready when the shellfish release their water. We put the mussels at the bottom to allow their steaming juice to cook and flavor the above layers of food.”
On the stove in her kitchen, Marie Luis showed us how the popular local snack milcao, fried potato pancakes, was made. She mixed egg yoke with potatoes and fried them in a pan with vegetable oil. She steamed honey to be added to the milcao which we were then served.
Afterward, we came back to the yard to see the men uncover the hole and take out the steaming food. A table had been set with plates and glasses for wine and water in the dinning room. The bountiful feast was put on plates. Our hosts sat with us. They said they had two children who were away but eventually would come home and stay here. They had been producing milk here and now they wanted to produce cheese. In the backyard we could see their grazing pasture. We also noticed a wooden tub which sometimes functioned as the hot tub in this property that introduced itself as a “Turismo Rural” establishment. Amidst their diplomas on the walls of the dining room there was the picture of one guest in place of honor: Isabel Allende. Marie Luis took it down for us to see. Chiloe is the setting the Chilean-American Allende used in her 2011 novel Maya‘s Notebook. She rendered it as a beautiful place where her heroine, a troubled young woman could begin to heal after a harrowing life of abandonment, drugs, and violence in the United States.
There was a lot left over from the curanto meal. The custom is, Marie Luis said to our group of guests from America, “you take a doggy bag for the road.
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Workshop and Call for Posters: Regional Dialogues on Science, Technology and Innovation studies beyond Europe and North America
Edinburgh. June 12-13, 2019
The field of Science and Technology Studies has attained global reach. In some regions, the study of science and technology has been around for more than five decades, already stabilized as a discipline in itself. During that time, this discipline has been expanded not only by incorporating insights from other disciplines –like the study of innovation dynamics- but also by adding different methodological traditions and a growing number of geographical boundaries. Beyond the traditional centres (North America and Europe) where the study of science and technology emerged, the discipline has been able to adapt to the aforementioned circumstances, developing interesting lessons and addressing multiple challenges along the way. For example, in the Latin American region, the early studies of science and technology were characterised by an approach that could be categorized as developmental, seeking to reduce the scientific and technological gap between this region and the “developed world”. Consequently, scholars oriented these studies on the creation of new public policies and institutional programs.
Nowadays, the study of science and technology in Latin America, encompasses multiple agendas, journals, groups, scholars and methodological approaches. Our workshop is inspired in this disciplinary diversity and aims to create a space for postgraduate students and academic researchers, interested in understanding the methodological challenges and opportunities, related to the study of science, technology and innovation across world regions. Participants will be able to reflect on their own research conducted in different geographical settings while focusing on the following questions:
How are studies of science, technology and innovation are influenced by the particularities of regional contexts?
To what extent a decentering of the study of science, technology and innovation from its traditional focus on North America and Europe currently needed or already happening?
What conceptual and methodological challenges do these type of studies face?
Emeritus Professor Francesca Bray: University of Edinburgh. Specialising in China. Expert in rural development and everyday technologies.
Dr Miguel Garcia-Sancho: Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. Expert in social studies of biomedicine, biotechnology, bioinformatics and genomics.
Professor Pablo Kreimer: Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Argentina. Specialising in Latin America. Expert in political sociology of knowledge, science and technology.
Dr Eugenia Rodrigues: Lecturer at The University of Edinburgh. Expert in environmental monitoring, public engagement, the use of ICTs in environmental assessments, and citizen science.
Professor Leandro Rodriguez: Professor at Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Mexico. Specialising in Latin America. Expert in the internationalisation of science and technology.
Dr Niki Vermeulen: Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. Expert in science and innovation policy and scientific collaboration in the life sciences.
Dr Michel Wahome: Researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute. Expert in digital entrepreneurship in Kenya and East Africa. Interested in understanding how technology shapes society and economy.
Professor Robin Williams: University of Edinburgh. Specialising in China. Expert in Information and Communication Technologies, and Life Science Innovation. Director of the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation at the University of Edinburgh.
We encourage the participation of postgraduate students and early career researchers, but everyone is welcomed.
Call for Posters:
A space for poster presentation has been reserved for the first day of this event. All participants and early researchers are highly encouraged to bring a poster to this event. This will be a great opportunity to interact and receive feedback from other scientists and researchers, in terms of regional approaches for the study of science, technology and innovation. Send your poster details to andrey.elizondo@ed.ac.uk or oscar.moreno@ed.ac.uk including the following information:
Home institution
Title of the PhD and year of study
Poster: title, topic, and 200 words abstract.
No Charge. All welcome!
Sources: https://stisregionaldialogues2019.wordpress.com/2019/03/14/regional-dialogues-2019/
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/regional-dialogues-on-the-study-of-science-technology-and-innovation-tickets-58113024621
Posted in: Events, Past
Society for the History of Technology (SHOT) 2019 Annual Meeting
How to Be Human in the Digital Economy
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"February, 1988" Archive
Notification No. S.O.1857-Income Tax, Dated: 25.02.1988
TG Team
Notification No. S.O.1857-Income Tax - (25/02/1988) -
That the said Institute will apply to the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), New Delhi, 3 months in advance before the expiry of the approval for further extension. Applications received after the date of expiry of approval are liable to be rejected....
Posted Under: Income Tax | Notifications, Notifications/Circulars
It is hereby notified for general information that the approval granted to the Institute of Human Ecosystem, Calcutta, under section 35CCB of the Income-tax Act, 1961, vide Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), Notification No. 6608 (F. No. 203/227/85-ITA. II), dated 3-3-1986, is hereby withdrawn with effect from 1-12-1985....
Notification No. S.O.201(E)-Income Tax Dated 23/2/1988
Notification No. S.O.201(E)-Income Tax - (23/02/1988) -
Notification No. S.O.201(E)-Income Tax In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (ii) of sub-section (1) to section 80L of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Government hereby specifies the " 7-year--IPCL 13% Secured Redeemable Non-Convertible Bonds ", issued by the Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited, for the pu...
Circular No. 507-Income Tax dated 23-2-1988
Circular No. 507-Income Tax - (23/02/1988) -
Circular : No. 507-Income Tax I am directed to invite reference to this Department’s Circular No. 485, dated 27-5-1987 [Clarification 1] on the above subject and wherein the rates at which deduction of tax under sections 194B and 194BB to be made during the financial year 1987-88 from winnings from lottery or crossword puzzles or hor...
Posted Under: Income Tax | Circulars, Notifications/Circulars
Circular No. 508-Income Tax dated 23-02-1988
Circular No. 508-Income Tax I am directed to invite a reference to this Department’s Circular No. 426 [F. No. 275/32/85-IT(B)], dated 24-7-1985 wherein the rates at which the deduction of income-tax was to be made during the financial year 1985-86 from payments of income by way of insurance commission under section 194D were intimated....
Circular: No. 510-Income Tax I am directed to say that the rates at which tax is to be deducted at source under section 194A by persons who are responsible for paying to a resident any income by way of interest other than income chargeable under the head "Interest on securities" are given in Part II of the First Schedule to the Finance ...
Circular : No. 509-Income Tax I am directed to say that according to the provisions of section 194, the principal officer of an Indian company or a company which has made the prescribed arrangements for the declaration and payment of dividends including dividends on preference shares within India shall, before making any payment in cash...
Notification No. S.O.203(E)-Income Tax, Dated: 23.02.1988
In exercise of the powers conferred by item (h) of sub-clause (iv) of clause (15) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Government hereby specifies the 10-year--9% (Tax-free) Secured Redeemable REC Bonds (15th Series), 1997 , issued by the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, for the purpose of the sai...
Circular No. 506-Income Tax I am directed to invite a reference to the Board’s Circular No. 393 [F. No. 275/14/84-IT(B)], dated 5-9-1984, wherein you were requested to issue necessary instructions for making deduction of income-tax at source from the payments of "Interest on Government securities" as prescribed in the Finance Act, 1983...
In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 80L of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), the Central Government hereby specifies the following debentures for the purpose of the said clause, namely....
Taxguru.In
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Nintendo Tech News
Nintendo Wii U to come out in US on Nov 18, Europe on Nov 30
By Terence Huynh on September 14, 2012
Nintendo has revealed the release dates for the Wii U in North America and Europe, and like the Japan announcement, there will be two models – the Basic Set and the Deluxe Set. An Australian release date is expected to come out soon after the European Nintendo Direct.
The Wii U will be heading to the United States on November 18, with the Basic Set to be priced a US$299 and the Deluxe Set to be priced at US$349. For Europe, the company has said that it will be out on November 30, but the company has not released pricing due to individual pricing for each market.
For Japan, as a recap, the Wii U will be coming out on December 8 with the Basic Set costing 26,250 yen (or AU$322.20) and the Premium/Deluxe Set priced at 31,500 yen (or AU$386.65)
The Basic Set features a white Wii U with a Wii U GamePad and has 8GB of storage onboard. The Deluxe Set, however, has a black Wii U with 32GB of onboard storage. It also features a GamePad, but will have stands included.
tgau.co/PQhNpt
Nintendo, Nintendo Wii, Wii U
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Stories Unfolded
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Book Review | The Return by Nicholas Sparks
Book Reviews January 3, 2021 Leave a comment
TITLE: The Return
AUTHOR: Nicholas Sparks
PUBLISHER: Grand Central Publishing
GENRE: Romance, Fiction, Women’s Fiction
BUY LINKS: AMAZON | B&N
In the romantic tradition of Dear John and The Lucky One, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with the story of an injured Navy doctor — and two women whose secrets will change the course of his life.
Trevor Benson never intended to move back to New Bern, NC. But when a mortar blast outside the hospital where he worked as an orthopedic surgeon sent him home from Afghanistan with devastating injuries, the dilapidated cabin he inherited from his grandfather seemed as good a place to regroup as any.
Tending to his grandfather’s beloved bee hives while gearing up for a second stint in medical school, Trevor isn’t prepared to fall in love with a local . . . and yet, from their very first encounter, his connection with Natalie Masterson can’t be ignored. But even as she seems to reciprocate his feelings, she remains frustratingly distant, making Trevor wonder what she’s hiding.
Further complicating his stay in New Bern is the presence of a sullen teenage girl, Callie, who lives in the trailer park down the road from his grandfather’s cabin. Claiming to be 19, she works at the local sundries store and keeps to herself. When he discovers she was once befriended by his grandfather, Trevor hopes Callie can shed light on the mysterious circumstances of his grandfather’s death, but she offers few clues — until a crisis triggers a race that will uncover the true nature of Callie’s past, one more intertwined with the elderly man’s passing than Trevor could ever have anticipated.
In his quest to unravel Natalie and Callie’s secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began. (Description from Goodreads.com)
I can always count on Nicholas Sparks to write a novel I can’t put down. While I couldn’t completely connect with these characters, like I’ve been able to with other books he’s written, the book was still enjoyable and he created some interesting and complex characters.
Trevor is a veteran working through his PTSD while also going through the pain that came with his grandfather’s passing. The mystery behind where his grandfather was when he died also gnaws at him. While going through his grandfather’s belongings and fixing up his house he meets many people in the town that he becomes interested in and curious about. One of them is a police officer named Natalie and a young girl named Callie.
Trevor really likes Natalie and wants to get to know her, but she’s very guarded and Trevor has no idea why. He makes several attempts to take down her wall, but once he thinks he’s gotten through there’s another wall. Trevor has his theories about why she keeps closing him out, but what he discovers is nothing he ever expected, but it gives him what he needs to let her go…at least until the end.
He also meets a young girl named Callie who lives in a trailer park near his grandfather’s. The fact that she seems so young intrigues him, but also that it seems she knew his grandfather. Trevor tries to talk to Callie about his grandfather to see if she could shed some light on the mystery of where is grandfather was when he died. But Callie wants nothing to do with him. Callie’s story and finishing his grandfather’s journey to help this young girl is what gives Trevor a new purpose and helps him keep his mind off Natalie.
In the end, they all end up where they should which is exactly what I’ve come to expect from a Nicholas Sparks book. If I look at his work as a whole The Return is not my favorite, but its still good. I would recommend it if you’re a Nicholas Sparks fan or you can connect with a character who is a veteran with PTSD.
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Tag Archives: thoughtexperiment
biology, Dragons, physics, thought experiment
Dragon Metabolism
July 7, 2016 hobosullivancalculation, chicken, draco, dragon, experiment, heat, hypothetical, math, metabolism, microraptor, physics, smaug, spyro, thought, thoughtexperiment 2 Comments
As you might have noticed, I have a minor obsession with dragons. I blame Sean Connery. And, because I can never leave anything alone, I got to wondering about the practical details of a dragon’s life. I’ve already talked about breathing fire. I’m not so sure about flight, but hell, airplanes fly, so it might be possible.
But I’ll worry about dragon flight later. Right now, I’m worried about metabolism. Just how many Calories would a dragon need to stay alive? And is there any reasonable way it could get that many?
Well, there’s more than one type of dragon. There are dragons small enough to perch on your shoulder (way cooler than a parrot), and there are dragons the size of horses, and there are dragons the size of cathedrals (Smaug again), and there are, apparently, dragons in Tolkein’s universe that stand taller than the tallest mountains. Here’s a really well-done size reference, from the blog of writer N.R. Eccles-Smith:
The only downside is that there’s no numerical scale. There is, however, a human. And, if you know my thought experiments, you know that, no matter what age, sex, or race, human beings are always exactly 2 meters tall. Therefore, the dragons I’ll be considering range in size from 0.001 meters (a hypothetical milli-dragon), 1 meter (Spyro, number 3, purple in the image) to 40 meters (Smaug, number 11), and then beyond that to 1,000 meters, and then beyond to the absolutely ludicrous.
A great big pile of money.
June 29, 2014 hobosullivanastronomy, ball, balls, black, blackhole, dragon, dwarf, experiment, gedankenexperiment, gold, hole, hypothetical, Karl Schwarzschild, mass, money, neutron, planet, space-dragon, star, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, supernova, surface gravity, thought, thoughtexperiment, weird, white 2 Comments
When I was little, there was always that one kid on the playground who thought he was clever. We’d be drawing horrifying killer monsters (we were a weird bunch). I would say “My monster is a thousand feet high!” Then Chad would say “My monster is a mile high!” Then I would say “Nuh-uh, my monster is a thousand miles high!” Then Taylor would break in, filling us with dread, because we knew what he was going to say: “My monster is infinity miles high!” There would then follow the inevitable numeric arms race. “My monster is infinity plus one miles high!” “My monster is infinity plus infinity miles high!” “My monster is infinity times infinity miles high!” Our shortsighted teachers hadn’t taught us about Georg Cantor, or else we would have known that, once you hit infinity, pretty much all the math you do just gives you infinity right back.
But that’s not what I’m getting at here. As we got older and started (unfortunately) to care about money, the concept of “infinite money” inevitably started coming up. As I got older still and descended fully into madness, I realized that having an infinite amount of printed money was a really bad idea, since an infinite amount of mass would cause the entire universe to collapse into a singularity, which would limit the number of places I could spend all that money. Eventually, my thoughts of infinite wealth matured, and I realized that what you really want is a machine that can generate however much money you want in an instant. With nanomachines, you could conceivably assemble dollar bills (or coins) with relative ease. As long as you didn’t create so much money that you got caught or crashed the economy, you could live really well for the rest of your life.
But that’s not what I got hung up on. I got hung up on the part where I collapsed the universe into a Planck-scale singularity. And that got me thinking about one of my favorite subjects: weird objects in space. I’ve been mildly obsessed with creating larger and larger piles of objects ever since. Yes, I do know that I’m weird. Thanks for pointing that out.
Anyway, I thought it might be nice to combine these two things, and try to figure out the largest pile of money I could reasonably accumulate. My initial thought was to make the pile from American Gold Eagle coins, but I like to think of myself as a man of the world, and besides, those Gold Eagles are annoyingly alloyed with shit like copper and silver, and I like it when things are pure. So, instead, I’m going to invent my own currency: the Hobo Sullivan Dragon’s Egg Gold Piece. It’s a sphere of 24-karat gold with a diameter of 50 millimeters, a mass of 1,260 grams, and a value (as of June 29, 2014) of $53,280. The Dragon’s Egg bears no markings or portraits, because when your smallest unit of currency is worth $53,280, you can do whatever the fuck you want. And you know what? I’m going to act like a dragon and pile my gold up in a gigantic hoard. But I don’t want any arm-removing Anglo Saxon kings or tricksy hobbitses or anything coming and taking any of it, so instead of putting it in a cave under a famous mountain, I’m going to send it into space.
Now, a single Dragon’s Egg is already valuable enough for a family to live comfortably on for a year, or for a single person to live really comfortably. But I’m apparently some kind of ridiculous royalty now, so I want to live better than comfortably. As Dr. Evil once said, I want one billion dollars. That means assembling 18,769 Dragon’s Eggs in my outer-space hoard. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m less royalty and more some kind of psychotic space-dragon, which I think you’ll agree is infinitely cooler. 18,769 Dragon’s Eggs would weigh in at 23,649 kilograms. It would form a sphere with a diameter of about 1.46 meters, which is about the size of a person. Keen-eyed (or obsessive) readers will notice that this sphere’s density is significantly less than that of gold. That’s because, so far, the spheres are still spheres, and the closest possible packing, courtesy of Carl Friedrich Gauss, is only 74% sphere and 26% empty space.
You know what? Since I’m being a psychotic space-dragon anyway, I think I want a whole golden planet. Something I can walk around while I cackle. A nice place to take stolen damsels and awe them with shining gold landscapes.
Well, a billion dollars’ worth of Dragon’s Eggs isn’t going to cut it. The sphere’s surface gravity is a pathetic 2.96 microns per second squared. I’m fascinated by gravity, and so I often find myself working out the surface gravity of objects like asteroids of different compositions. Asteroids have low masses and densities and therefore have very weak gravity. The asteroid 433 Eros, one of only a few asteroids to be visited and mapped in detail by a space probe (NEAR-Shoemaker), has a surface gravity of about 6 millimeters per second squared (This varies wildly because Eros is far from symmetrical. Like so many asteroids, it’s stubbornly and inconveniently peanut-shaped. There are places where the surface is very close to the center of mass, and other places where it sticks way up away from it.) The usual analogies don’t really help you get a grasp of how feeble Erotian gravity is. The blue whale, the heaviest organism (living or extinct, as far as we know) masses around 100 metric tons. On Earth, it weighs 981,000 Newtons. You can also say that it weighs 100 metric tons, because there’s a direct and simple equivalence between mass and weight on Earth’s surface. Just be careful: physics dorks like me might try to make a fool out of you. Anyway, on Eros, a blue whale would weigh 600 Newtons, which, on Earth, would be equivalent to a mass of 61 kilograms, which is about the mass of a slender adult human.
But that’s really not all that intuitive. It’s been quite a while since I tried to lift 61 kilograms of anything. When I’m trying to get a feel for low gravities, I prefer to use the 10-second fall distance. That (not surprisingly) is the distance a dropped object would fall in 10 seconds under the object’s surface gravity. You can calculate this easily: (0.5) * (surface gravity) * (10 seconds)^2. I want you to participate in this thought experiment with me. Take a moment and either stare at a clock or count “One one thousand two one thousand three one thousand…” until you’ve counted off ten seconds. Do it. I’ll see you in the next paragraph.
In those ten seconds, a dropped object on Eros would fall 30 centimeters, or about a foot. For comparison, on Earth, that dropped object would have fallen 490 meters. If you neglect air resistance (let’s say you’re dropping an especially streamlined dart), it would have hit the ground after 10 seconds if you were standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower. You’d have to drop it from a very tall skyscraper (at least as tall as the Shanghai World Financial Center) for it to still be in the air after ten seconds.
But my shiny golden sphere pales in comparison even to Eros. Its 10-second fall distance is 148 microns. That’s the diameter of a human hair (not that I’d allow feeble humans on my golden dragon-planet). That’s ridiculous. Clearly, we need more gold.
Well, like Dr. Evil, we can increase our demand: 1 trillion US dollars. That comes out to 18,768,769 of my golden spheres. That’s 23,649,000 kilograms of gold. My hoard would have a diameter of 14.6 meters and a surface gravity of 29.6 microns per second squared (a 10-second fall distance of 1.345 millimeters, which would just barely be visible, if you were paying close attention.) I am not impressed. And you know what happens when a dragon is not impressed? He goes out and steals shit. So I’m going to go out and steal the entire world’s economy and convert it into gold. I’m pretty sure that will cause Superman and/or Captain Planet to declare me their nemesis, but what psychotic villain is complete without a nemesis?
It’s pretty much impossible to be certain how much money is in the world economy, but estimates seem to be on the order of US$50 trillion (in 2014 dollars). That works out to 938,438,439 gold balls (you don’t know how hard I had to fight to resist calling my currency the Hobo Sullivan Golden Testicle). That’s a total mass of 1.182e9 kilograms (1.182 billion kilograms) and a diameter of 54 meters (the balls still aren’t being crushed out of shape, so the packing efficiency is still stuck at 74%). 54 meters is pretty big in human terms. A 54-meter gold ball would make a pretty impressive decoration outside some sultan’s palace. If it hit the Earth as an asteroid, it would deposit more energy than the Chelyabinsk meteor, which, even though it exploded at an altitude of 30 kilometers, still managed to break windows and make scary sounds like this:
This golden asteroid would have a surface gravity of 0.108 millimeters per second squared, and a 10-second fall distance of 0.54 centimeters. Visible to the eye if you like sitting very still to watch small objects fall in weak gravitational fields (and they say I have weird hobbies), but still fairly close to the kind of micro-gravity you get on space stations. I can walk across the room, get my coffee cup, walk back, and sit down in 10 seconds (I timed it), and my falling object would still be almost exactly where I left it.
Obviously, we need to go bigger. Most small asteorids do not even approach hydrostatic equilibrium: they don’t have enough mass for their gravity to crush their constituent materials into spheres. For the majority of asteroids, the strength of their materials is greater than gravitational forces. But the largest asteroids do start to approach hydrostatic equilibrium. Here’s a picture of 4 Vesta, one of the other asteroids that’s been visited by a spacecraft (the awesome ion-engine-powered Dawn, in this case.)
(Image courtesy of NASA via Wikipedia.)
You’re probably saying “Hobo, that’s not very fucking spherical.” Well first of all, that’s a pretty damn rude way to discuss asteroids. Second of all, you’re right. That’s partly because of its gravity (still weak), partly because its fast rotation (once every 5 hours) deforms it into an oblate spheroid, and partly because of the massive Rheasilvia crater on one of its poles (which also hosts the solar system’s tallest known mountain, rising 22 kilometers above the surrounding terrain). But it’s pretty damn spherical when you compare it to ordinary asteroids, like 951 Gaspra, which is the shape of a chicken’s beak. It’s also large enough that its interior is probably more similar to a planet’s interior than an asteroid’s. Small asteroids are pretty much homogenous rock. Large asteroids contain enough rock, and therefore enough radioactive minerals and enough leftover heat from accretion, to heat their interiors to the melting point, at least briefly. Their gravity is also strong enough to cause the denser elements like iron and nickel to sink to the center and form something approximating a core, with the aluminosilicate minerals (the stuff Earth rocks are mostly made of) forming a mantle. Therefore, we’ll say that once my golden asteroid reaches the same mass as 4 Vesta, the gold in the center will finally be crushed sufficiently to squeeze out the empty space.
It would be convenient for my calculations if the whole asteroid melted so that there were no empty spaces anywhere. Would that happen, though? That’s actually not so hard to calculate. What we need is the golden asteroid’s gravitational binding energy, which is the amount of energy you’d need to peel the asteroid apart layer by layer and carry the layers away to infinity. This is the same amount of energy you’d deposit in the asteroid by assembling it one piece at a time by dropping golden balls on it. A solid gold (I’m cheating there) asteroid with Vesta’s mass (2.59e20 kg) would have a radius of 147 kilometers and a gravitational binding energy of about 1.827e25 Joules, or about the energy of 37 dinosaur-killing Chicxulub impacts. That’s enough energy to heat the gold up to 546 Kelvin, which is less than halfway to gold’s melting point.
But, you know what? Since I don’t have access to a supercomputer to model the compressional deformation of a hundred million trillion kilograms of close-packed gold spheres, I’m going to streamline things by melting the whole asteroid with a giant draconic space-laser. I’ll dispense with the gold spheres, too, and just pour molten gold directly on the surface.
You know where this is going: I want a whole planet made of gold. But if I’m going to build a planet, it’s going to need a name. Let’s call it Dragon’s Hoard. Sounds like a name Robert Forward would give a planet in a sci-fi novel, so I’m pleased. Let’s pump Dragon’s Hoard up to the mass of the Earth.
Dragon’s Hoard is a weird planet. It has the same mass as Earth, but its radius is only 66% of Earth’s. Its surface gravity is 22.64 meters per second squared, or 2.3 earth gees. Let’s turn off the spigot of high-temperature liquid gold (of course I have one of those) for a while and see what we get.
According to me, we get something like this:
The heat content of a uniform-temperature sphere of liquid gold depends on its volume, but since it’s floating in space, its rate of heat loss depends on surface area (by the Stefan-Boltzmann law). The heat can move around inside it, but ultimately, it can only leave by radiating off the surface. Therefore, not only will the sphere take a long time to cool, but its upper layers will cool much faster than its lower layers. Gold has a high coefficient of thermal expansion: it expands more than iron when you heat it up. Therefore, as the liquid gold at the surface cools, it will contract, lose density, and sink beneath the hotter gold on the surface. It will sink and heat up to its original temperature, and will eventually be displaced by the descent of cooler gold and will rise back to the surface. When the surface cools enough, it will solidify into a solid-gold crust, which is awesome. Apparently, my fantasies are written by Terry Pratchett, which is the best thing ever. I’ve got Counterweight Continents all over the place!
Gold is ductile: it’s a soft metal, easy to bend out of shape. Therefore, the crust would deform pretty easily, and there wouldn’t be too many earthquakes. There might, however, be volcanoes, where upwellings of liquid gold strike the middle of a plate and erupt as long chains of liquid-gold fountains. It would behave a bit like the lava lake at Kilauea volcano, in Hawai’i. See below:
What a landscape this would be! Imagine standing (in a spacesuit) on a rumpled plain of warm gold. To your right, a range of gold mountains glitter in the sun, broken here and there by gurgling volcanoes of shiny red-hot liquid. Flat, frozen puddles of gold fill the low spots, concave from the contraction they experienced as they cooled. To your right , the land undulates along until it reaches another mountain range. In a valley at the foot of this range is an incandescent river of molten gold, fed by the huge shield volcano just beyond the mountains. Then a psychotic space-dragon swoops down, flying through the vacuum (and also in the face of physics), picks you up in his talons, carries you over the landscape, and drops you into one of those volcanoes.
Yeah. It would be something like that.
As fun as my golden planet is, I think we could go bigger. Unfortunately, the bigger it gets, the more unpredictable its properties become. As we keep pouring molten gold on it, its convection currents will become more and more vigorous: it will have more trapped heat, a larger volume-to-surface area ratio, and stronger gravity, which will increase the buoyant force on the hot, low-density spots. Eventually, we’ll end up with convection cells, much like you see in a pot of boiling water. They might look like this:
Those are Rayleigh-Bénard cells, which you often get in convective fluids. I used that same picture in my Endless Sky article. But there, I was talking about supercritical oxygen and nitrogen. Here, it’s all gold, baby.
Eventually, the convection’s going to get intense enough and the heat’s going to get high enough that the planet will have a thin atmosphere of gold vapor. If it rotates, the planet will also develop a powerful magnetic field: swirling conductive liquid is believed to be the thing that creates the magnetic fields of Earth, the Sun, and Jupiter (and all the other planets). This planet is going to have some weird electrical properties. Gold is one of the best conductors there is, second only to copper, silver, graphene, and superconductors. Therefore, expect some terrifying lightning on Dragon’s Hoard: charged particles and ultraviolet radiation from the Sun will ionize the surface, the gold atmosphere (if there is one) or both, and Dragon’s Hoard will become the spherical terminal in a gigantic Van de Graaff generator. As it becomes more and more charged, Dragon’s Hoard will start deflecting solar-wind electrons more easily than solar-wind protons (since the protons are more massive), and will soak up protons, acquiring a net positive charge. It’ll keep accumulating charge until the potential difference explosively equalizes. Imagine a massive jet or bolt of lightning blasting up into space, carrying off a cloud of gold vapor, glowing with pink hydrogen plasma. Yikes.
After Dragon’s Hoard surpasses Jupiter’s mass, weird things will begin happening. Gold atoms do not like to fuse. Even the largest stars can’t fuse them. Therefore, the only things keeping Dragon’s Hoard from collapsing altogether are the electrostatic repulsion between its atoms and the thermal pressure from all that heat. Sooner or later, neither of these things will be enough, and we’ll be in big trouble: the core, compressed to a higher density than the outer portions by all that gold, will become degenerate: its electrons will break loose of their nuclei, and the matter will contract until the electrons are squeezed so close together that quantum physics prevents them from getting any closer. This is electron degeneracy pressure, and it’s the reason white dwarf stars can squeeze the mass of a star into a sphere the size of a planet without either imploding or exploding.
The equations involved here are complicated, and were designed for bodies made of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen instead of gold (Those short-sighted physicists never consider weird thought experiments when they’re unraveling the secrets of the universe. The selfish bastards.) The result is that I’m not entirely sure how large Dragon’s Hoard will be when this happens. It’s a good bet, though, that it’ll be somewhere around Jupiter’s mass. This collapse won’t be explosive: at first, only a fraction of the matter in the core will be degenerate.As we add mass, the degenerate core will grow larger and larger, and more and more of it will become degenerate. It will, however, start to get violent after a while. Electron-degenerate matter is an excellent conductor of heat, and its temperature will equalize pretty quickly. That means that we’ll have a hot ball of degenerate gold (Degenerate Gold. Add that to the list of possible band names.) surrounded by a thin layer of hot liquid gold. Because of the efficient heat transfer within the degenerate core, it will partly be able to overcome the surface-area-versus-volume problem and radiate heat at a tremendous rate. The liquid gold on top, though, will have trouble carrying that heat away fast enough, and will get hotter and hotter, and thanks to its small volume, will eventually get hot enough to boil. Imagine a planet a little larger than Earth, its surface white-hot, crushed under a gravity of 500,000 gees, bubbles exploding and flinging evaporating droplets of gold a few kilometers as gaseous gold and gold plasma jet up from beneath. Yeah. Something like that.
But in a chemical sense, my huge pile of gold is still gold. The nuclei may be uncomfortably close together and stripped of all of their electrons, but the nuclei are still gold nuclei. For now. Because you know I’m going to keep pumping gold into this ball to see what happens (That’s also a line from a really weird porno movie.)
White dwarfs have a peculiar property: the more massive they are, the smaller they get. That’s because, the heavier they get, the more they have to contract before electron degeneracy pressure balances gravity. Sirius B, one of the nearest white dwarfs to Earth, has a mass of about 1 solar mass, but a radius similar to that of Earth. When Dragon’s Hoard reached 1.38 solar masses, it would be even smaller, having a radius of around 3000 kilometers. The stream of liquid gold would fall towards a blinding white sphere, striking the surface at 3% of the speed of light. The surface gravity would be in the neighborhood of 2 million gees. If the gravity were constant (which it most certainly would not be), the 10-second fall distance would be 2.7 times the distance between Earth and moon. Now we’re getting into some serious shit.
Notice that I specified three significant figures when I gave that mass: 1.38 solar masses. That is not by accident. As some of you may know, that’s dangerously close to 1.39 solar masses, the Chandrashekar limit, named after the brilliant and surprisingly handsome Indian physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. (Side note: Chandrashekhar unfortunately died in 1995, but his wife lived until 2013. Last year. She was 102 years old. There’s something cool about that, but I don’t know what it is.) The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass a star can have and still be supported by electron degeneracy pressure. When you go above that, you’ve got big trouble.
When ordinary white dwarfs (made mostly of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and helium) surpass the Chandrasekhar limit by vacuuming mass from a binary companion, they are unable to resist gravitational contraction. They contract until the carbon and oxygen nuclei in their cores get hot enough and close enough to fuse and make iron. This results in a Type Ia supernova, which shines as bright as 10 billion suns. It’s only recently that our supercomputers have been able to simulate this phenomenon. The simulations are surprisingly beautiful.
I could watch that over and over again and never get tired of it.
Unfortunately, even though it’s made of gold (which, as I said, doesn’t like to fuse), the same sort of thing will happen to Dragon’s Hoard. When it passes the Chandrasekhar limit, it will rapidly contract until the nuclei are touching. This will trigger a bizarre form of runaway fusion. The pressure will force electrons to combine with protons, releasing neutrinos and radiation. Dragon’s Hoard will be heated to ludicrous temperatures, and a supernova will blow off its outer layers. What remains will be a neutron star, which, as I talked about in The Weather in Hell, is mostly neutrons, with a thin crust of iron atoms and an even thinner atmosphere of iron, hydrogen, helium, or maybe carbon. Most or all of the gold nuclei will be destroyed. The only thing that will stop the sphere from turning into a black hole is that, like electrons, neutrons resist being squeezed too close together, at least up to a limit.
But you know what? That tells us exactly how much gold you can hoard in one place: about 1.38 solar masses. So fuck you, Taylor from kindergarten! You can’t have infinity dollars! You can only have 0.116 trillion trillion trillion dollars (US, and according to June 2014 gold prices) before your gold implodes and transmutes itself into other elements! So there!
But while I’m randomly adding mass to massive astronomical objects (that’s what space dragons do instead of breathing fire), let’s see how much farther we can go.
The answer is: Nobody’s exactly certain. The Chandrasekhar limit is based on pretty well-understood physics, but the physics of neutron-degenerate matter at neutron star pressures and temperatures (and in highly curved space-time) is not nearly so well understood. The Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit (Yes, the same Oppenheimer you’re thinking of.) is essentially a neutron-degenerate version of the Chandrasekhar limit, but we only have the TOV limit narrowed down to somewhere between 1.5 solar masses and 3 solar masses. We’re even less certain about what happens above that limit. Quarks might start leaking out of neutrons, the way neutrons leak out of nuclei in a neutron star, and we might get an even smaller, denser kind of star (a quark star). At this point, the matter would stop being matter as we know it. It wouldn’t even be made of neutrons anymore. But to be honest, we simply don’t know yet.
Sooner or later, though, Karl Schwarzschild is going to come and kick our asses. He solved the Einstein field equations of general relativity (which are frightening but elegant, like a hyena in a cocktail dress) and discovered that, if an object is made smaller than its a certain radius (the Schwarzschild radius), it will become a black hole. The Schwarzschild radius depends only on the object’s mass, charge, and angular momentum. Dragon’s Hoard, or rather what’s left of it, doesn’t have a significant charge or angular momentum (because I said so), so its Schwarzschild radius depends only on mass. At 3 solar masses, the Schwarzschild radius is 8.859 kilometers, which is only just barely larger than a neutron star. Whether quark stars can actually form or not, you can bet your ass they’re going to be denser than neutron stars. Therefore, I’d expect Dragon’s Hoard to fall within its own Schwarzschild radius somewhere between 3 and 5 solar masses. Let’s say 5, just to be safe. There are suspected black holes with masses near 5.
That’s the end of Dragon’s Hoard. The physics in the center gets unspeakably weird, but the gold-spitting space dragon doesn’t get to see it. He’s outside the event horizon, which means the collapse of his hoard is hidden to him. He just sees a black sphere with a circumference of 92.77 kilometers, warping the images of the stars behind it. It doesn’t matter how much more gold we pour into it now: it’s all going to end up inside the event horizon, and the only noticeable effect will be that the event horizon’s circumference will grow larger and larger. But fuck that. If I wanted to throw money down a black hole, I’d just go to Vegas. (Heyo!) Dragon’s Hoard isn’t getting any more of my draconic space-gold.
But one last thing before I go. Notice how I suddenly went from saying Schwarzschild radius to talking about the event horizon’s circumference. That’s significant. Here’s a terrible picture illustrating why I did that:
Massive objects create curvature in space-time. Imagine standing at the dot on circle B, in the top picture. If you walk to the center-point along line A, you’ll measure a length a. If you then walk around circle B, you’ll get the circle’s circumference. You’ll find that that circumference is 2 * pi * a. The radius is therefore (circumference) / (2 * pi) But that only holds in flat space. When space is positively curved (like it is in the vicinity of massive objects), the radius of a circle will always be larger than (circumference) / (2 * pi). That is to say, radius C in the bottom picture is significantly longer than radius A in the top one, and longer than you would expect from the circumference of circle D.
In other words, the radius of a massive object like a star, a neutron star, or a black hole, differs from what you would expect based on its circumference. The existence of black holes and neutron stars has not actually been directly confirmed (because they’re so small and so far away). It is merely strongly suspected based on our understanding of physics. The existence of spacetime curvature, though, has been confirmed in many experiments.
Imagine you’re standing in a field that looks flat. There’s a weird sort of bluish haze in the center, but apart from that, it looks normal. You walk in a circle around the haze to get a better look at it. It only takes you fifteen minutes to walk all the way around and get back to your starting point. The haze makes you nervous, so you don’t walk straight into it. Instead, you walk on a line crossing the circle so that it passes halfway between the haze and the circle’s edge at its closest approach. Somehow, walking that distance takes you twenty minutes, which is not what you’d expect. When you walk past the haze at a quarter-radius, it takes you an hour. When you walk within one-eighth of a radius, it takes you so long you have to turn back and go get some water. Each time, you’re getting closer and closer to walking along the circle’s radius towards its center, but if you actually tried to walk directly into its center, where the haze is (the haze is because there’s so much air between you and the stuff beyond the haze, which is the same reason distant mountains look blue), you would find that the distance is infinite.
That’s how black holes are. They’re so strongly-curved that there’s way more space inside than there should be. The radius is effectively infinite, which is why it’s better to talk about circumference. As long as the black hole is spherically symmetric, circumferences are still well-behaved.
But the radius isn’t actually infinite. When you consider distance scales close to the Planck length, Einstein’s equations butt heads with quantum mechanics, and physicists don’t really know what the fuck’s going on. We still don’t know what happens near a black hole’s central singularity.
Incidentally, the Planck length compared to the diameter of an atom is about the same as the diameter of an atom compared to the diameter of a galaxy. The Universe is a weird place, isn’t it?
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Dignity, Death and America's Crisis In Elder Care
Chabela Lawrence with daughter Ruby Lawrence in Germantown, Pa. on Oct., 1, 2017.
Jeffrey Stockbridge for TIME
By Haley Sweetland Edwards
By late 2014, Chabela Lawrence wasn’t doing well. She had mostly stopped cooking and cleaning for herself and began, every so often, to get lost on her way home from the neighborhood coffee shop–the one she’d been to a least a hundred times. The following March, the 74-year-old former catering manager was diagnosed with dementia, and it was clear she needed help. But it was then that she ran headlong into one of the most crushing failures of the U.S. health system: there’s no good way to pay for extended long-term care. Medicare doesn’t cover it. Private health plans don’t cover it. And for most, paying roughly $80,000 out of pocket, the average annual cost for a shared room at a skilled nursing facility, is simply out of the question.
Those in need of prolonged care face a dilemma. They have to be either poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or rich enough to shoulder the cost alone. Anyone who falls between those income extremes is out of luck. And that leaves many Americans vulnerable: 47% of men and 58% of women who are retirement age or older will experience a need for long-term care in the future, according to a February 2016 study by the Department of Health and Human Services. “It’s an insane situation,” Chabela’s daughter Ruby Lawrence says, recounting her mother’s experience. “You either have to be super-rich or super-poor to get benefits.”
The danger of losing one’s life savings to long-term care may be the first challenge families face as their parents and grandparents age, but it isn’t the only one. As 76 million baby boomers creep into retirement, America’s system of looking after its old folks faces a broad, multipronged crisis. From senior living centers to hospice, the country is struggling to adapt a rickety system to handle the demographic wave that is crashing over it. At stake are the health, wealth and dignity of a generation.
The existing safety net for older Americans–a mixture of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid–was built for a society that no longer exists. When Congress created Social Security in 1935, the average life expectancy in the U.S. was 61; now it is nearly 80. When Congress created Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, it was still common for people to die of acute medical issues, like heart attacks; now many survive those traumas and go on to live, with some assistance, for decades longer. In 1960, the U.S. was overwhelmingly young: just 10% of the population was over 65. By 2040, 1 in 5 of us will be eligible for that senior ticket at the theater.
As more people live longer, the social and economic systems designed to care for them are changing. In midcentury America, women had yet to join the traditional workforce en masse and so were widely expected to keep doing what they’d always done: provide unpaid care to children and ailing relatives at home. Moreover, in the 1960s, a large portion of families had access to stable, fixed pensions in retirement, and about a quarter of all workers were covered by generous, union-negotiated contracts. Staying in the same job for decades was common.
None of that is true anymore. Some 40% of households with children under 18 are now headed by women who are the primary breadwinner. Those women can no longer stay home to care for children or ailing relatives without risking their family’s financial stability. Meanwhile, fixed pensions have all but disappeared, and union membership has fallen by more than half. Nearly 1 in 3 nonretired Americans has no retirement savings at all. “Our current system doesn’t reflect how we’ve changed as a society,” explains Dr. Bruce Chernof, president and CEO of the SCAN Foundation, which advocates for older adults. “So it’s being asked to do all kinds of things it wasn’t designed to do.”
Much of the U.S. economy rides on how this crisis plays out. Spending on long-term care is expected to more than double from 1.3% of GDP to 3% by 2050 as demand increases alongside an aging populace. America’s entrepreneurial system is coming up with myriad new ways to serve this growing demographic of gray-hairs. But in an era of deregulation, companies that profit from the natural, but often unsettling, process of aging and dying aren’t always scrupulous. The result is a social tension: As health care companies seek to reap not only efficiencies but also profits from a jury-rigged, outdated and overburdened system of elder care, how do we protect those who are often most vulnerable to exploitation?
When things don’t work, the results are ugly. In nursing homes and assisted-living centers, ever more ubiquitous arbitration agreements leave the elderly without access to a basic civil trial. Hospice care, beloved by many, is seen as a potential profit center by companies seeking government contracts while providing diminished service to those at the end of their lives. And Medicaid, once intended to be a last-ditch safeguard for the poorest of the poor, is creaking under the weight of new obligations. Medicaid is now the default payer for 61% of all nursing-home residents in the U.S., according to a June 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation report–a demand that’s likely to continue to increase. Meanwhile, adult children already contribute $7,000 to $14,000 a year to caring for an aging parent, according to a 2016 AARP report; that number will likely see an uptick too.
Chabela Lawrence, who passed away in November at 76, won’t bear witness to the worsening crisis. But millions of U.S. families may find themselves facing the same calculation that she and her daughter did. When loved ones need long-term care, how are they going to pay for it? “It’s madness,” Ruby says. “People need to know that this can happen to them.”
This appears in the November 27, 2017 issue of TIME.
Write to Haley Sweetland Edwards at haley.edwards@time.com.
Anger and Worry at Nursing Homes as Coronavirus Spreads
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BTS Explains Why They're Not Going to Start Singing in English
BTS attends the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Dan MacMedan—Getty Images
March 28, 2019 4:55 PM EDT
To the surprise of many, K-pop group BTS has managed to become one of the biggest musical acts in the world without making an English-language song, instead sticking to Korean and Japanese. In a new interview for Entertainment Weekly, the members of BTS discussed why they’ve chosen to remain true to their K-pop roots instead of looking to cross over with an English hit.
“We don’t want to change our identity or our genuineness to get the number one,” RM, the group’s leader, explained. “Like if we sing suddenly in full English, and change all these other things, then that’s not BTS. We’ll do everything, we’ll try. But if we couldn’t get number one or number five, that’s okay.” (RM is also the only of the seven who speaks fluent English.)
“So what’s important for us is just to make good music and good performances and have those elements come together,” added rapper Suga. While the group’s album and song titles are mostly in English, and they incorporate a few English words or phrases into songs, the bulk of their lyrical content is in Korean.
Recently, non-English music — in particular Latin pop and hip-hop — has found its way to the top of the mainstream charts. (The best example is most likely “Despacito,” the Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee hit given a boost with a Justin Bieber remix, which ascended to song of the summer status in 2017.) Industry insiders like international DJ Steve Aoki have told TIME that “[music] doesn’t have to be English to be a global phenomenon.”
But BTS believes they could still face an uphill battle by choosing to stick to Korean. “You know, Latin pop has its own Grammys in America, and it’s quite different,” RM told EW. “I don’t want to compare, but I think it’s even harder as an Asian group. A Hot 100 and a Grammy nomination, these are our goals.” The last big Hot 100 hit from an Asian artist was PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” the 2012 viral track boosted by its comic aspects, which reached number two. BTS’s Hot 100 peak was last summer’s “Fake Love,” which came in at the tenth spot.
Then again, overcoming challenges and breaking records is not new territory for the group. Their new album, Map of the Soul: Persona, will be released April 12.
Rescue Animals Are TIME's 2020 Pet of the Year
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MVNOs World Congress is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC
Digital Symposium: 24 - 25 March 2021
Physical Event: 2 - 3 November 2021, Germany
Derek Ting
CEO at TextNow
Derek is the Co-Founder and CEO of TextNow, the world's first truly flexible, affordable, and innovative mobile phone service available to everyone. With more than 200 million downloads to date and YoY revenue growth of more than 27% in 2019, TextNow has become one of the largest providers of free cell phone service in the U.S. - a disruptor in the wireless space and a new alternative to the traditional carrier model. A passionate entrepreneur, Derek founded his first company in high school and was named the E&Y Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012.
Question Time: Emerging and alternative business models to drive new revenues
Sep 16 , 13:10
Algis Akstinas
dotmobile
See Derek Speak
Follow #MVNOsWorld on Social
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For Immediate Release: April 6, 2016
If We Can Make It There, We’ll Make It Anywhere, There’s No More Chew, New York, New York
Tonight Yankee Stadium Will Host First Tobacco-Free MLB Game
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yankee Stadium, old and new, has been home to many historic firsts – from Babe Ruth’s record-breaking 60th home run to Don Larsen’s World Series perfect game; from Roger Maris breaking the Babe’s single-season home run record to Derek Jeter becoming the first Yankee to 3,000 hits. Tonight Yankee Stadium will witness another milestone: The first tobacco-free regular season game in the history of Major League Baseball.
Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation today to prohibit the use of all tobacco products – including smokeless tobacco like chew, dip and snuff – at all ticketed sporting events within the city. The measure covers Yankee Stadium and Citi Field – and took effect immediately. New York joins San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago in enacting similar measures. A statewide law in California will take effect before the 2017 season. Once all these laws are implemented, one-third of major league stadiums will be tobacco-free, and other MLB cities are considering similar measures.
“Tonight, at Yankee Stadium, Major League baseball history will be made again with the first tobacco-free game,” said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “We welcome this historic action because our national pastime should be about promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, not a deadly and addictive product. With the mayor’s signature, New York sends the right message to millions of young fans that chewing tobacco is dangerous and should not be an accepted part of sports culture.”
The Knock Tobacco Out of the Park campaign, a coalition of public health and medical organizations, has advocated for tobacco-free baseball. Key facts in support of the campaign include:
“We applaud Mayor de Blasio, Council Member Corey Johnson and other Council members for stepping up to the plate on behalf of our children and taking tobacco out of baseball in New York City,” Myers added. “With the nation’s largest city and home to two storied franchises moving to rid baseball of tobacco, this cause is destined to get even more serious and deserved attention across the country. New York today sent a simple and powerful message to kids: baseball and tobacco don’t mix.”
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Thoughts on Hobby Lobby: Is a Corporation a Person?
July 3, 2014 November 21, 2017 / johnfea
The American Historical Association’s Perspectives on History asked me to write a short piece on the Hobby Lobby decision as part of a historians forum on the landmark Supreme Court case. The forum also includes short essays by Ruth Bloch, Naomi Lamoreaux, and Alonzo Hamby. My contribution is titled: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all corporations are created equal.” Here is a snippet.
But can a corporation have religious liberty? I obviously don’t know how Roger Williams, Isaac Backus, James Madison, or Thomas Jefferson—the great early American defenders of religious liberty—would have responded to Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, but there is little doubt that they would have considered such a proposal to be very strange. For these men, religious liberty was a very personal thing. Religious liberty was meant to protect deeply held spiritual convictions that found their home in the “soul” or “conscience.” Religious liberty was an inherently Protestant concept. It stemmed from the belief that people could read the Bible for themselves and draw their own religious conclusions. It has always been a religious idea applied to individual human beings. Can a for-profit cooperation have a soul? Can it truly practice liberty of conscience?
We might also ask, as political scientist Patrick Deneen has done so brilliantly, whether a big box store such as Hobby Lobby, located in a massive shopping center constructed on a slab of asphalt at the edge of town, can be considered a person. And if it is a person, can it exercise religious liberty? What happens to a traditional and historical understanding of a person—a human being embedded in political, religious, and local communities exercising virtues such as friendship, love, duty, and citizenship—when it is defined in the context of a soulless corporate world with the primary purpose of maximizing profits?
Read the entire post here.
abortion, Hobby Lobby case, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Isaac Backus, James Madison, personhood, religious freedom, religious liberty, Roger Williams, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court, Thomas Jefferson
← Zach Hutchins on the Origins of the Declaration of Independence
On Writing a History of the American Bible Society–Update #17 →
6 thoughts on “Thoughts on Hobby Lobby: Is a Corporation a Person?”
josez davis
anthony fiddy
This may not be so radical a decision, but it has prompted many thoughtful conversations that are not so bad to have. The issue of whether corporations ought to be seen to have religious beliefs is not unworthy of continued contemplation, no matter what has been ruled in the past. And, perhaps more importantly to me, as a woman, this decision seems to suggest that there is something special about religious issues with contraception as taken and controlled by women. As if this special concern holds more moral authority than a concern about vasectomy, or transfusions, or vaccinations. If the case had been broader in scope, would the decision be the same?
Tom Van Dyke
On MSNBC:
[Liberal] LAURENCE TRIBE, constitutional lawyer: Well, actually, I think the journalistic account of the Roberts court's world view is much too simplistic. The world view is very complicated, and it pushes in lots of directions. One reason that I wrote this book with my wonderful former research assistant Joshua Matts is to clear things up a little bit.
Like in today's case, the court was not elevating corporations above actual human beings. It was interpreting an act of Congress where Congress in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act itself said that corporations, along with people and along with unions, should be able to argue that something needlessly burdens their religion.
Employees could make exactly the same argument and have in many successful cases. And what the court said was that as long as the government can provide the contraception at public expense, there is no need to burden the religious beliefs of closely held corporations whose owners basically operate the business. That's not as radical a decision as some people think.
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/connor-williams/2014/06/30/stop-cut-out-caricature-narrative-roberts-court-liberal-law-prof-te#ixzz36R9hE8fA
http://hotair.com/archives/2014/06/30/video-lefty-law-prof-tired-of-msnbc-mindlessly-bashing-the-roberts-court-as-pro-corporation/
For a scholarly analysis see also
http://harvardlawreview.org/2014/05/hobby-lobby-corporate-law-and-the-theory-of-the-firm/
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UAE Aquaculture Credible and Competitive, says Minister
Post-harvest Marketing Economics Politics
24 February 2014, at 12:00am
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, has affirmed that quality and conformance to international standards have allowed a number of UAE-based industrial products to achieve high credibility and significant market share across the global trade landscape.
“National products have become more credible and competitive due to adherence to international standards,” said the Minister.
The comments came during Al Mansouri’s visit to the Emirates AquaTech Caviar Farm (EACF) in Abu Dhabi. The world’s largest and most technologically advanced aquaculture farm, the Emirates AquaTech Caviar Farm has a capacity to produce 35 tonnes of caviar per year, which amounts to 10 per cent of the caviar produced globally. Spanning an area of ??56,000 square meters, EACF gained recognition in November 2013 for producing the premium Siberian ‘Yasa Caviar’ as an exceptional high quality Emirati product.
During the visit, Mr Al Mansouri commended the Emirates AquaTech Caviar Farm as an important addition to the UAE’s industrial sector in general and the delicacy food industry in particular.
Emphasising that the strategy of developing the industrial sector in the UAE as a high priority to the Ministry of Economy as part of the UAE Vision 2021, Mr Al Mansouri highlighted that the growth the sector has witnessed in recent years indicates the attractiveness of the national economy, its strength, diversity, the integrity of the legislative environment, as well as the durable and modern infrastructure.
Adding that the industrial sector’s contribution to the UAE’s GDP currently stands between 10 – 14 per cent, he said the Federal Government is implementing an ambitious strategy to strengthen the sector’s contribution to the GDP and promote its role in achieving the UAE 2021 Vision.
His Excellency highlighted the Ministry’s efforts in preparing a draft Bill to amend the Federal Law No. (1) for 1979 and streamline industry affairs. He indicated that new legislations for small and medium businesses are directed towards encouraging young entrepreneurs to invest in the industrial sector and support national industries.
Mr Al Mansouri shared that the significant growth in the UAE’s industrial sector is manifested in the increase in the volume of industrial investments in the different emirates, where a cluster of industrial areas that have been set up continue to attract investments.
Concluding his visit, the Minister reiterated the Ministry of Economy’s commitment to provide all the resources for the the industrial sector’s growth through addressing export challenges and opening up foreign markets. He stressed on the need to coordinate and combine efforts among stakeholders in the public and private sectors and to continue identifying tangible solutions for driving the sector.
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Photo: Andrew Harnik/APPhoto: Andrew Harnik/AP
The U.S. Goes to War Against the ICC to Cover Up Alleged War Crimes in Afghanistan
John Bolton is on a jihad against the ICC, seeking to ensure that the U.S. is free of international norms on human rights.
Murtaza Hussain
September 12 2018, 3:42 p.m.
The United States has never been a friend of the International Criminal Court. While relations between the U.S. and the ICC have fluctuated over the course of different administrations, the American government has steadfastly refused to take the step that 124 other states have of ratifying the Rome Statute and thus becoming a member of the international legal body. The ICC’s mandate to investigate war crimes has thus been hampered by the unwillingness of the world’s sole superpower to commit to the organization.
Recent statements from the Trump administration suggest that the United States is now preparing to go to war against the ICC itself, motivated largely by an effort to silence investigations into alleged American war crimes committed in Afghanistan, as well as alleged crimes committed by Israel during the 2014 war in the Gaza Strip. In a speech at a D.C. event held by the Federalist Society on Monday, Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton denounced the ICC as “illegitimate” and expressed his intentions toward the institution in no uncertain terms. “We will not cooperate with the ICC,” Bolton said. “We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own. After all, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.”
In addition to this death wish against the court, Bolton said that the United States would retaliate against any ICC investigations into U.S. activities by sanctioning the travel and finances of ICC officials, even threatening to prosecute them in American courts.
The 2016 ICC report makes allegations of serious crimes committed by the U.S., including “torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape.”
Because it involves U.S. officials themselves, at the center of the campaign against the ICC is a 2016 report by ICC prosecutors that deals in part with the war in Afghanistan. That report alleges the commission of widespread crimes by the Taliban and Afghan government forces. But the report also makes allegations of serious crimes committed by U.S. military forces and the CIA, including “torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape.”
The crimes in question appear to have been related to detention programs run in Afghanistan during the early years of the U.S. occupation. While the report does not name the individuals responsible nor their victims, it indicates that there are dozens of cases in which torture, cruel treatment, and sexual assault were committed by American soldiers and CIA officers in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2004.
The report also states that the alleged crimes “were not the abuses of a few isolated individuals,” adding that “there is a reasonable basis to believe these alleged crimes were committed in furtherance of a policy or policies aimed at eliciting information through the use of interrogation techniques involving cruel or violent methods which would support U.S. objectives in the conflict in Afghanistan.”
Given longstanding U.S. refusals to cooperate with ICC investigations, it’s unlikely that the 2016 document — a preliminary report from the prosecutor’s office — would have succeeded in bringing U.S. officials to trial at the Hague. Bolton’s campaign thus seems intended on solidifying the fact that the United States is free of international norms on human rights conduct, with those who even investigate its actions subject to threat.
That the ICC investigation reaches back to the George W. Bush era, when Bolton served as United Nations ambassador, is fitting. In the years after the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States began to come under withering scrutiny for its detention policies in those countries. In addition to high-profile cases of torture at prison sites like Abu Ghraib, the CIA and U.S. military have been accused of brutalizing and even murdering prisoners held in their custody at detention facilities like Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan.
To date, Passaro, a civilian, is the only person to have been held legally accountable for torture and murder carried out under the CIA detention program.
Civilian contractors working for the CIA have also engaged in the murder of Afghan detainees, including David Passaro, who beat to death an Afghan man named Abdul Wali who had turned himself in to authorities after being accused of involvement in a militant attack. Passaro was later sentenced to eight and a half years in jail by an American court. Following his release, he briefly returned to the public eye in media interviews justifying his involvement in the murder.
To date, Passaro, a civilian, is the only person to have been held legally accountable for torture and murder carried out under the CIA detention program, in Afghanistan or elsewhere. This despite a landmark 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee that documented, in excruciating detail, widespread evidence of torture and other abuses carried out by CIA officials.
The unwillingness or inability of U.S. courts to seriously investigate war crimes carried out by American citizens is part of why the ICC mandate in Afghanistan has been viewed as an important effort to bring a minimum level of accountability over the conflict. This past November, the court announced that it planned to move forward with investigations stemming from its 2016 report.
In a statement responding to Bolton’s threats, the ICC said that “the ICC, as a court of law, will continue to do its work undeterred, in accordance with those principles and the overarching idea of the rule of law.”
Given its longstanding intransigence toward the ICC, it was unlikely that the United States would ever have cooperated with its investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan, even under a less bellicose administration. But the Trump administration’s threats to target specific ICC officials over their war crimes investigations enters a new realm of hostility against international law. The consequences could be a further degradation of already shaky international norms surrounding human rights in conflict zones.
“The ICC is not stepping in just for the sake of how Bolton put it, just to undermine U.S. sovereignty. This is really nonsense. They are stepping in because we failed — the United States failed to uphold the rule of law,” said Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU’s Human Rights Program, in a television segment on Democracy Now! Tuesday morning about Bolton’s comments. “This is the same Trump administration that has an abysmal record of human rights here in the United States and is trying to encourage other countries to follow its pattern.”
Top photo: National security adviser John Bolton speaks at a Federalist Society luncheon at the Mayflower Hotel on Sept. 10, 2018, in Washington, D.C.
Murtaza Hussain[email protected]theintercept.com@mazmhussain
John Bolton Chairs an Actual “Fake News” Publisher Infamous for Spreading Anti-Muslim Hate
How John Bolton Wants to Destroy the Constitution to Attack North Korea
Will Donald Trump Get in the Way of the Best Chance in More Than a Decade to End the War in Afghanistan?
Here’s John Bolton Promising Regime Change in Iran by the End of 2018
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Tristan Bruebach
Published in Cold Case
Incredible brutality of a mentally disturbed perpetrator
The murder case to the detriment of the then 13-year-old Tristan Bruebach, who was found dead on Thursday, March 26, 1998, in the now-closed Liederbach Tunnel in Frankfurt-Hoechst, built-in 1937, is still one of the most brutal murders in German post-war history and, above all, one of the most mysterious crimes ever committed in Germany. Tristan came from a difficult childhood. His mother had died sometime earlier and was reported to have committed suicide. Tristan lived with his father, who was the sole breadwinner.
For 22 years, the Frankfurt homicide squad in charge of the case, and since 2007 the Special group Tristan has been trying to arrest the perpetrator(s). The crime shook the entire Rhine-Main area at the time.
Tristan Bruebach had gone to school that day with back pain and wanted to see a doctor afterwards.
The execution of the crime was marked by indescribable brutality and by mutilations and the "trophy hunt" of the unknown perpetrator.
What took place on the day of the crime is still not evident to this day. It can only be reconstructed with significant difficulty. It is also challenging to reconstruct whether Tristan knew his murderer fleetingly or whether he knew him closer when he probably met him in the Liederbach tunnel below the Hoechst station He was sitting there at about 1:45 p.m., smoking a cigarette. Cameras recorded this.
What he did in the next two hours or so after calling his father from a telephone booth could only be reconstructed in fragments. Another student saw Tristan on his way home at about 2:15–2:25 p.m. in front of the Hoechst station, sitting alone on a bench there.
Many conceivable scenarios could have taken place on that day. The man in the sketch cannot have been a casual witness to the following events. The two men, who were repeatedly seen with the boy in connection with the park bench in the Bruno-Asch-park at around 3.20 p.m., before the crime, may have been drug addicts or men from the alcoholic scene that already existed at this time in the 1990s.
A witness observed Tristan before the crime in the company of an unknown man to whom the identikit picture later matched. The witness also revealed that the perpetrator knew his way around the area, as she believed that she had seen the perpetrator several times. The Czech road map of Germany, which was later found in the rucksack the perpetrator had initially taken with him, fits this picture perfectly. The map might have in possession of a person belonging to the homeless scene around the train station in Hoechst. Perhaps the two unknowns led Tristan to the perpetrator. A lot of rumours circulated about the victim after the crime. He had gone on for prostitution, dealt drugs, got into bad circles. None of this could be proven.
The witness, whose dog he had petted, probably only saw the unknown men from behind as she walked away with her dog and that Tristan was sitting in the middle between the two men. Whether he already felt threatened here was not revealed. Shortly afterwards, the murderer and his later victim met between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. at the southern tunnel entrance about 400 meters from the park bench, he was seen by the lady with the dog earlier.
Like a slaughter
During autopsy no. 282/98, it became apparent that the boy had been severely beaten or kicked, and was strangled from behind as if in a headlock, before the perpetrator almost decapitated his victim with a cut through the neck of the boy. What happened in the minutes of the crime: Several youths, who also wanted to take the shortcut through the dark tunnel, observed someone standing bent over something, they could not see what and decided at that moment to take another route. Probably they found the perpetrator during the act of killing and did not realise this fact. This observation corresponded approximately with the time of the crime and the overall event, as the police were able to reconstruct based on forensic evaluations.
The perpetrator then dragged his victim into the almost 100-metre-long tunnel before continuing his ritualistic craft, always in danger of being surprised at any moment. In an exercise book, the perpetrator wiped the blade, leaving the negative of a kitchen knife he used for his cruel deed.
He placed Tristan's sneakers across the legs of the corpse as if he wanted to undo what he had done. He covered his face with the boy's jacket. Probably out of the rush and because he had been massively disturbed in the execution of the crime by something or someone, he made a mistake when he threw out the boy's backpack, which contained the school books. A fragment of a bloody fingerprint was left behind.
Then he disappeared unseen, probably in wet and bloodstained clothes.
Later, a youth worker informed the police after children told him about the discovery of a corpse at about 5 p.m.
It is undoubtedly clear that the perpetrator was a severely disturbed personality when he almost expertly removed the testicles from the corpse, which was then bled out in the Liederbach, and took pieces of muscle tissue and performed another draping of the body at the scene of the crime. According to the investigating inspector, the perpetrator took about 2 kg of the boy's meat with him, which may indicate cannibalism. The killer had pulled off Tristan's clothes and made an incision above the pubic bone. The killer took these pieces, which he had taken from Tristan. The mutilation and injury picture, which the forensic doctors then determined in an autopsy lasting several hours, is unique to date. Later research by the homicide squad in the USA and other countries did not reveal any "repetitive handwriting" of the perpetrator. An unprecedented investigation was set in motion by the responsible homicide squad. Thousands of men were summoned to give a fingerprint. But the perpetrator, probably a young blond man with a ponytail, remained unknown. The man, described by several witnesses, is said to have searched for other victims between the Liederbach tunnel and the allotment garden settlement adjacent to the railway line at the time.
A few days later, someone called the police. The telephone call was recorded and is in German language. If anybody may recognize the voice, it does not matter in which language the call was.
On April 2, 1998, a telephone call reached a Frankfurt law firm. There, the caller claimed that he had screwed something up. The secretary gave the caller a telephone number of a law firm specialising in criminal law, but the unknown person did not respond to the other law company.
The rucksack from the Fishbone company in black was found about a year later 35 km away in a wooded area near Niedernhausen. In it the already mentioned road map of Germany from the Czech Republic and a blue garbage bag, but no signs of body parts. A witness said that he had seen the backpack a long time before.
More than a year after Tristan's death, his grave was dug, very neatly, and the earth was shovelled onto a plastic sheet. Maybe it was done by Satanists, perhaps the perpetrator who was unable to perform his ritual when he was interrupted during he committed the original crime.
Manfred Seel, the later serial killer, who was only exposed as such after his death, when his daughter found body parts in barrels in a garage in her home town of Schwalbach in the Taunus Mountains, retired as Tristan's culprit in 2016. After an unsuccessful attempt to take Seel's fingerprints on his clarinet to compare them with those at the scene of the crime in the Liederbach tunnel, even the body of the alleged serial killer was again autopsied. The fingerprints did not match.
Manfred Seel, Police Hesse
Tristan's father died in 2015, but a community of interests has been formed to preserve the memory of Tristan. To the website (German)
Therefore the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Homicide Department in Frankfurt are asking:
Who made observations on the day of the crime and did not yet or not wholly inform the police?
Who knew Tristan or people from his environment?
Who suspected a particular person as the perpetrator?
It could be conspicuous, for example, that someone has changed his behaviour, expressed suspicion or left his usual living environment without any recognisable reason (escape).
One part of the crime probably took place in the Liederbach. The perpetrator's trousers and shoes could, therefore, have been at least partially soaked. Who noticed a person with soaked and/or bloodstained clothing on the day of the crime?
Description of offender according to identikit picture
approx. 175 cm tall
Around 1998 about 20 to 30 years old (today between 40 and 60 years old)
unkempt appearance
slender - even described as lean - figure
scar in the area of the upper lip, possibly
"Harelip.
Dark blond, greasy, long hair, which is or was worn as a plait or ponytail
The Frankfurt Criminal Investigation Department, therefore, asks persons who know the man depicted and described to report to the Specialist Commissariat for Homicide Offences (K 11), telephone number 069-75551108, or any other police station. (Jürgen Linker, 069-75582100)
The public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt/Main has suspended a reward of 15,000 euros for information leading to the investigation and capture of the perpetrator(s). The awarding of the reward is subject to the exclusion of legal recourse. The reward is not intended for officials whose professional duty includes the prosecution of criminal acts.
A further reward in the amount of 5.000,-- Euro has been offered by a private person and is valid for an unlimited period of time.
Notes to the Frankfurt Homicide Department:
Phone +49 (0) 69 - 755 51108 (office hours)
Phone +49 (0) 69 - 755 53111 (Criminal Records Service)
or any other police station
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December 15, 2017 by TomC
Notes on Our Fourth Meeting — THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
At 8 pm we gathered over wine and cheese and bread and a delicious pesto pizza that Don and Anne brought. At 8:30 we moved into the living room to begin our discussion.
1. An Overview of Our Reading on the Scientific Revolution
I started by giving a rough overview of some of the materials that we had read for the meeting, particularly those focusing on Galileo and Francis Bacon. (I thought it would be worth it to take a few minutes to do this, for those who had perhaps not had a chance to get to all the reading.)
Galileo Galilei, 1564 – 1642
So we began with Galileo.
For more than 2000 years before him, I reminded the group, from the ancient Greeks and Romans on through the Middle Ages, natural philosophers had used their vaunted power of reason to generate universal principles. As a kind of afterthought, they would sometimes seek to demonstrate these principles by way of experiment.
Galileo respected this more traditional, deductive approach to science.
But he also employed a new approach.
Namely, Galileo began to perform experiments and collect data first, and from these experiments he would derive a universal principle – which he would then confirm by way of reason.
Put this way, this is only a difference in the order of steps, right?
Reason → Experiment
Experiment → Reason
In fact, as we all know, this change would have profound ramifications for the world.
For experimental data come directly from nature (and not from the error-ridden presuppositions of the mind).
Data are accessible to anyone.
Data cannot be imposed from above. Data may surprise and astonish and offend, and they are not afraid.
Francis Bacon, 1561 – 1626
In this way, Galileo inaugurated a new era in thinking, by his use of mathematics and thought experiments (and even a few hands-on experiments) as a way to investigate the world.
Francis Bacon did something important too. He was the first to attempt to articulate, in a cohesive fashion, what we recognize today as “the scientific method.”
A contemporary of Galileo, Bacon was not a scientist, but rather he was… a lawyer. His importance to the development of the scientific method lies, accordingly, not in any of his discoveries, but in the way that he formulated a new approach to inquiry.
Bacon advocated starting with nature, and generating exhaustive lists of observable facts, or “histories,” not unlike someone preparing a case for court.
Based on these histories, he argued, certain questions could be framed, and – importantly — experiments conducted, from which conclusions about the world might be drawn. Bacon’s approach is one of induction (as opposed to deduction), trying to understand nature from the bottom up, as it were.
It turns out that Bacon had a big influence on the course of science, and much of it after his death.
A meeting at the Royal Society, Somerset House, London, 1843
He died in 1629. But in 1662 a group of his admirers formed the Royal Society, with the explicit goal of advancing Baconian principles. And over the centuries that followed, the Royal Society proved to be a formidable engine of scientific discovery. It was, for example, the venue that fostered Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, more than two hundred years after its founding.
2. Tom’s Presentation: Are the Values of Science All We Need?
Overview of the readings done.
At this point I pivoted to make a more personal point.
Why did I want us to read on Galileo and Bacon, anyway? I explained to the group that, to my mind at least, this is not dry, dusty history at all.
I have the strong sense that the underlying values of science, so long obscured to the public by the productions of science, are now, some 400 years later, more important than ever.
For many years, I pointed out, science has meant… stuff. The steam engine, the cotton gin, chloroform, the screw propeller, the telegraph, the telephone, the machine gun, the airplane, central heating, penicillin, nuclear fission, the computer — you name it, the changes wrought on our lives have been overwhelming.
As a result, science has been (and to a large extent, remains) synonymous, in many people’s minds, with technology. Out of a sense of caution, people have kept everything personal and emotional and sacred in their lives away from it. They have the reasonable urge to protect those things that they associate with deeper meaning from these baffling technological changes. (See C.P. Snow’s famous 1959 essay, The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution for a discussion of the division between science and the humanities that runs through our education system as well.)
But now something new, something big, is happening, I think.
And we are lucky enough to be alive to witness it.
After some 400+ years, the saturation of science into our world has reached the point that even non-scientists are beginning to grasp the value of the scientific method as more than… stuff, but a meaningful perspective on life itself.
When you think about it, in fact, the values of science are pretty much exhaustive of the values of a well-lived life.
I mean, let’s consider the threshold requirements for doing science…
Everyone is equally welcome.
Doubt everything.
Rely on evidence whenever possible.
Use parsimony (Occam’s razor) to distinguish between contrasting interpretations.
Accept the demand of verifiability (or more accurately, falsifiability).
Insist on public confirmation of private results (submit to peer review).
Feel comfortable with uncertainty.
These, I would suggest, are not merely a batch of coherent values – they are exactly the values we need for a good life! They pretty much will do it for us, if we are willing to live by them.
Oh — except they leave out one, perhaps the most important: love.
Which, I suggested, we can add, like so much gold dust, sprinkling it over the top of the others…
Doubt. Parsimony. Truth-telling. Turning to evidence.
What more do we need?
Nadine spoke up first to say that the scientific method reminded her of how children play.
They explore first, without taking a principled approach or even making a hypothesis. They bend an object, twist it, taste it, bite it, and so on — until it breaks. So perhaps the inductive, bottom-up method behind science is innate in us, and it has only been blocked for so many millennia because of pre-conceived notions (which adults make up and force upon their children)?
Don suggested that, perhaps, until recently we were ill-equipped cognitively to apply ourselves in the rigorous, doubting, highly attentive manner that science requires. He referenced research (Don — can you give us a name of the study?) on the toll that our poor diet took on our capacity to engage in the processes of higher reasoning. “When all you are eating are stems and roots,” Don said, “You can’t do much more than get through the day.”
Ken brought up the work of the philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn to call into question the idea that the underlying values of science are so important and effective after all. Kuhn famously argued in his work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, published in 1962, that progress in science is not as open-ended and driven by discovery as we imagine it. Instead, as Ken explained to the group, Kuhn details how the prevailing paradigms in each scientific field are highly rigid — and consensus is strictly enforced by scientists upon one another. A culture of groupthink prevails right up to the moment when the data contradicting this paradigm (let’s say the classical mechanics of Isaac Newton) make it no longer defensible, at which point the paradigm shatters and someone else picks up the pieces to build a new paradigm (e.g. Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity). If Kuhn’s theory is true, Ken suggested, then it should cast doubt on the idea that humans are engaged in some high-minded pursuit of truth by way of the scientific method.
Setenay also mentioned that there are always questions of resource distribution, exclusion of unwanted groups, academic politics, flawed assumptions in basic models, and many other factors that make science less of a pure, universally accessible, truth-seeking enterprise than my remarks might suggest. “Pure science,” she offered, “may incorporate many of these great values you mentioned, Tom. But very few scientists, in my field of environmental engineering, for example, practice this kind of pure science. A whole slew of personal, social, economic and even political considerations inevitably enter into our work, our projects, even into our models and interpretations of data.”
Anne, who is a science journalist, gave a rousing defense of the ideal of science, saying that despite corruption and bias she believes that science does prevail in the end. And if you are rejected from one journal, or squelched in one area of research by the prevailing “paradigm,” there will be other journals, other resources, over time. Truth will out. The scientific method prevails.
3. Is Science More Open to ‘Miracles’ Than Religion?
I was with Anne. While fully admitting that my view of science is romantic (I see science through the rose-tinted spectacles of someone who reads about it, but doesn’t do it), I felt compelled to defend it too.
In my attempt to do so, I presented the following “thought experiment.”
With as much drama as I could muster, I began…
“If Jesus of Nazareth were to descend from the ceiling, this moment, and hover a few inches above this… this… dias…” (I was pointing to a small, circular coffee table, marred by stains from years of tea mugs) “…what would we do?”
Yep. This guy.
In mid-air above the coffee table.
My voice began to quiver with ersatz rapture as I continued…
“You see the light, streaming from His head. The white robe, rippling around Him… He gazes at us with fierce eyes…
“I have no doubt — do you? — that we would be open to accepting Him, despite not being religious!
And here’s why: after we got over our initial shock, we would receive this visitation of Jesus of Nazareth as observable data, just like all the rest of the data in our lives. Considering how remarkable this vision was, we would, of course, be absolutely curious to know more about it! We would want to examine it in all its particulars, have teams of scientists conduct studies on it, converse with it (if possible!), record the event on HD video, etc.
“Once we had managed to establish that there were no hidden projectors or magicians tricks involved (in other words, once we had assured ourselves that it was based on evidence; could not be falsified; that there was no more parsimonious explanation available; etc.), we would be happy to consider the possibility that Jesus of Nazareth’s Second Coming really happened in a living room in Berkeley, California, at a meeting of the Old New Way, in the year 2015.”
(Most of us anyway. Maybe Dean would be a hold-out?)
“For something would have changed our (scientific and therefore always provisional) worldview: the arrival of the convincing sense-data of a floating figure in our midst, a creature previously unrecorded in the annals of science!
“The appearance of Jesus, in this case, would not represent a miracle; we would not be succumbing to a religious point of view. On the contrary, it would represent a fact!” (Mind you, this would take multiple, double-blind studies on the phenomenon, peer-reviewed in respectable journals, before we could call it, even colloquially, a scientific “fact”. With that we are with you, Dean.)
“And here’s what is really interesting, I think. I am convinced that a group of religious people would be more likely to look aghast at this apparition, run away, scream, curse it as the work of the Devil, than us scientific-minded folk. Okay, okay, maybe if this Jesus just so happened to act and look precisely in the manner that they expected then they would accept Him faster even than us. (Surely most evangelical Christians in the U.S. would accept that fair-skinned, blue-eyed, goldilocked guy we all know so well with minimal friction.)
“But if he did not match their preconceived picture, I think that this floating figure would be seen as a terror, a threat. I suspect that their lack of curiosity about the material world, their lack of familiarity with the inductive approach of Bacon et al. would hamper them from exploring the particulars of this event standing before them. Indeed, they might face a kind of psychological paralysis, or traumatic event, considering that their private certainties would be overturned. Jesus is not supposed to look like this! Jesus would not appear now, here, in this random living room in Tom and Renée’s house on a Thursday night! I didn’t imagine it this way.”
When I was done, Renée spoke up to say that this “thought experiment, whatever it was,” struck her as… “not useful.” She wanted to move on.
Taken aback by her vehemence, I briefly made an effort to explain why I had brought it up:
“But, but — what I’m just trying to say is that those who have absorbed the values of science are actually more open to facts in the world, even including seeming ‘miracles,’ than religious people!”
But it wasn’t working. She gave me a look as if to say, “Are we done?” So we moved on.
4. Dean’s Assertion of Scientific Facts — and His Frustration with the “F-ing Idiots” Who Refuse to Accept Them
At this point Dean could no longer contain himself.
He argued that it was all well and good to admire the values of science, the doubt, the provisional nature of its findings, and so on.
But there are certain findings that are really irrefutable and should not be questioned. Scientists are their own worst enemies when they constantly talk in a muddled way about the uncertain and provisional nature of scientific facts, because it feeds the idiocy of the deniers and nuts who subscribe to mystical and religious pabulum of all kinds.
“The universe began approximately 13 and a half billion years ago. Period,” Dean stated. “It started with the Big Bang. If you deny these facts, then you are a fool. So my question is: what should we do when we encounter people who live with a completely different worldview which denies the scientific consensus on things like this? Or even worse, when they deny things with direct consequences… like, say, the relationship between the release of carbon into the earth’s atmosphere and climate change? What do we do, ignore them? Try to convince them? I want to put that out there for the group to answer.”
Heather argued that we would not be able to convince them because their “attachments” align them otherwise. Their emotional and personal needs position them on the other side of the science community in these cases, and therefore they select only those findings that fit with their own narrative.
Yann mentioned a study (click here for the link) in which it was shown that, in the United States at least, it is actually the more highly educated, in areas of the country in which majorities deny the effect of human activity on climate change, who are the most inflexible and adamant in their position. This is counterintuitive, he acknowledged, but it is revealing too. More education, more facts, he said shaking his head, will not sway opinion.
I tried to reframe the argument — as a way of answering Dean’s question of what we can do when faced with such obstinacy. As Heather and Yann are suggesting, I agreed, we can’t meet their certainty with our certainty and have any hope to convince them. They have a narrative in their heads about God’s glorious plan for the earth. And our own certainty about the damage being inflicted on the planet by the burning of fossil fuels isn’t going to change that one bit. That kind of approach is a losing battle from the beginning. And we will lose it every time, I argued, because with Dean’s approach we have already ceded to them the frame in which we are talking!
When you meet one certainty with another certainty, you are tacitly accepting a quasi-religious claim to what knowledge is.
Instead, I argued, we have to get it through their heads that there is no capital-T Truth, and none of us will ever have certainty. There is only evidence… probability… and yes, degrees of consensus, which in the case of scientific inquiry really means nothing more than “the consensus of a many people who have looked carefully at this question and checked their work against one another’s.”
We have to ask them: what’s your method? Private revelation? Appeal to authority? We have to get them to try to defend their method against ours, and insist that ours is more public, more open-ended, and ultimately more humble.
Dean is concerned that we weaken our argument by resorting to talking about the preponderance of the data and provisional claims — that is, when we use the language of science. Yet I would argue that we should actually double-down on this kind of talk! We need to insist that our claims for, say, the age of the universe or the danger of carbon emissions in the atmosphere ARE provisional and uncertain, but they are also THE BEST HUMANITY CAN CURRENTLY DO.
In fact, seen this way, our framework, the scientific worldview, encompasses theirs (all of their talk of God’s glorious plans and the Garden of Eden, etc., are equally viable as research subjects, just as much as anything else). All we are saying is that if you can convince others who are willing to check your facts and your reasoning, then even your religious-infused interpretation of the temperature trends of the planet has a fair shot! But you can’t refuse to subject your judgments to scrutiny, and then turn around and say that all those interpretations and judgments which have been subjected to scrutiny are no more valid than yours.
Nadine brought up, in this context, her concern that ultimately those of us who are not scientists (or even if scientists, are not specialists in the field in question), are compelled to take much of what we read on “trust” — or even, dare we say it, “faith.” So what is the difference, she asked, between the faith of the religious person and the faith of those who are willing to accept scientific findings?
Luis pointed out that the difference is one of willingness to revise if necessary. The person who accepts the age of the universe to be 13.798 billion years old because he or she understands that it is the scientific consensus (based on measurements of electromagnetic waves, “red-shift” etc.), will be willing to revise this to 14 billion years, or even, hell, one day, if the scientific consensus shifts accordingly. We are admitting the possibility of error. So our “trust” or “faith” is in a method, not in a particular answer.
I was tempted to bring back the Second-Coming-of-Jesus thought experiment here, to illustrate once again the willingness of scientific-minded to admit error. But one glance at my wife and I knew better.
5. Do the Monsters Unleashed by Science Rightly Undermine Its Appeal?
At this point we branched into a different discussion.
I felt it was important to acknowledge the serious costs inflicted on humanity and the earth by technology, which is, after all, made possible by scientific method. We can praise the underlying values of science all we want, and perhaps they have done much good (particularly in the fields of health and agriculture). But then we have the threat of nuclear extinction, a planet which may be heated beyond what is sustainable for human life, the acidification of the oceans, and so on. Don’t the various productions of science discredit the whole project?
My own answer to this was that you don’t reject love entirely, just because of the harm done in some cases by… divorce. There are bad consequences of some good things, but those consequences can and must be distinguished from the thing itself. (Marie-José, having no idea what I was talking about, heckled me from her position on the other side of the room, “Love makes divorce? What?”)
Yann was more hopeful that the monsters will be managed. He spoke of an “arc” of progress, which has been demonstrated in many fields, according to which a new practice or method “self-corrects” itself over time. (I would like to see some study on this, Yann — please send us a link.) If he is right, then not only can we distinguish the good of science from its more unfortunate productions, but we can expect science to get it right over time and reduce the number of errors it makes along the way. Though Yann admitted that there is a risk that it won’t self-correct in time, and we will face extinction.
Heather sighed somewhere in this discussion, “Oh, I have had about enough of this…” (She can’t stand talk of extinction, annihilation, apocalypse.)
6. Where Love Fits In With Science
We had fallen into the trap, so common in our culture, of discussing the values of science merely in terms of the effects of science. As if science must be cordoned off to its own sphere.
So, as it was getting late, I steered the group back to the conversation that we had at the beginning of the meeting. Do scientific values apply to other aspects of our lives? Should they?
Marie-José spoke up to say that she felt science may be able to describe the biological and chemical processes of love, but it can never capture the actual experience of it. Therefore it doesn’t satisfy as a worldview — we need poetry and music and other unquantifiable depictions of first-person experiences to guide us too.
Dean said that he believed that all of it is measurable and quantifiable — even our love for our children, which can be reduced to an evolutionary impulse to protect our DNA. And yet this still leaves us feeling these things. Science does not drain life of meaning because of its descriptive and explanatory power.
Heather offered her view that we need illusions. That the raw and ugly truth offered by an exclusively scientific outlook would be too bleak. (She was still recovering from all that talk of annihilation and extinction.)
I countered Heather’s point to say that I did not think that truth, when exposed, is necessarily raw and ugly. Her comment reminded me of my problem with John Gray’s book The Silence of Animals, an excerpt from which we read for the meeting. Gray suggests that scientists and liberals generally are trapped in a myth of human “progress,” and that without this myth we would be bereft. As I read him I kept thinking, “No. Not true.”
I don’t have any conviction, any myth, of progress! (Do you?) I see us as animals, with a drive for consumption and even hoarding of energy and resources. Our intellectual capacities are no doubt fascinating, but limited. In the end, we may very well sabotage the only planet we inhabit (as Dean memorably put it, humans ‘shit in their own soup and eat it, again and again!’). Yet I’m not bereft. To my way of thinking, the lack of absolute meaning does not lead to a nihilistic worldview. When you let go of your myths you soon come to terms with all the changeable, small meanings in your life, and you get quite attached to them without making a myth out of them.
But the point of Marie-José that love’s subjective experience lies outside the reach of science did resonate with me, I added. I had talked at the start of the meeting about sprinkling the values of science with the “gold dust” of love — but what if this is a combination that just doesn’t mix well?
How do we mix the third-person “objectivity” of science with our first-person subjectivity? How do we know when to move from one habit to another? What’s the trigger, for example, during an argument with a friend, that we might use to move from our impartial assessment of the evidence and the application of the rule of parsimony (in scientific values mode with him)… to a decision to simply, silently, hear our friend’s hurt, not with the aim of recording it as data but instead just hearing it (love mode)? How can science tell us when to make that switch in our approach?
7. Wrap-Up
Close to the end of the meeting Gerry shared his own experience as a cardiologist, circling back to the skeptical view of the scientific method. Although he recognizes the great achievements of science (after all, the entirety of his work is based on them), he has also seen over the years how much the scientific consensus is shaped by distortions in the health care market, by the whims of editors in scholarly journals, by trends in the field. He has learned to adapt to the point that five years from now he expects to be doing very different things than he does now, some of them in direct opposition to current practices. That was a useful cautionary note from the field.
Luis mentioned that famous quote from Winston Churchill: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” He said that he thinks of the scientific method along these same lines: flawed, but the best we have.
By the end of the meeting I, for one, realized that we have a long way to go before we determine that the values of science are all we need for a good life.
They are surely valuable (I’m still enamored of them!), but perhaps they are more applicable to social, external, even political settings? Perhaps at our more private and internal moments we need another source of guidance?
Interesting, that back in November we found Epicurus to be too individualistic in his philosophy. For example, he struck us as too focused on the insubstantiality of his own death while not acknowledging the enormous suffering and loss that his death might cause in the lives of others (and, similarly, the suffering and loss that the death of friends might cause in his life). And here in our next discussion we find science to be perhaps too outward-looking in its outlook! It looks to public confirmation, evidence, verifiability, but it leaves out the subjective and unique experience of each person.
Onward. More investigating to do in the months ahead.
It is such an honor to be part of this open and searching (and loving, gold dust and all!) group.
See you in February.
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Reading for our Fourth Meeting — THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION →
3 thoughts on “Notes on Our Fourth Meeting — THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION”
Sheri | January 28, 2015 at 12:34 am
A few thoughts after reading these notes on the meeting…
From Brian Greene’s book, “The Elegant Universe” i found the distinction between theoretical physicists and experimental physicists illuminating. Both follow the scientific method inasmuch as they both acknowledge that they are building a construct that is perturbative, that is, the first brick in the edifice could later prove to be flawed and all that followed would need to be rebuilt. The difference is that the experimental physicists only rely on data. The theoretical physicists make use of their human capacity for imagination and ‘flights of fancy”, in other words, artistic license to project without available data. For example the ‘string theorists” recognize that there is no available mathematics to apply to confirm their theory. Einstein’s theories were later proved when the data and the math could be applied. Your point that the scientist must always be prepared to accept that everything is provisional and only probable and be prepared to jettison certainly applies to both types. I would argue that the theoretical physicist melds the scientific method and artistic sensibility.
The other reading I benefited from was E.O. Wilson, ” The Meaning of Human Existence”. As a octogenarian biologist he can afford to use such a hubristic title. He stresses the importance of applying the scientific method, namely data mining, to our archeological and paleontological past. His emphasizes collecting our data from the earliest evidence as important for the “first brick” in the edifice. Darwin is the fabulous example, but doesn’t go back far enough.
Also, I thought this article in the New York Times was interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/magazine/sebastian-seungs-quest-to-map-the-human-brain.html?ref=magazine
hclague | January 30, 2015 at 6:26 am
At least once scientist would not be ready to believe in the second coming even if you proved it to him!
Robert Sapolsky – answer to What do you think is true though you cannot prove it?
http://edge.org/responses/what-do-you-believe-is-true-even-though-you-cannot-prove-it
On another note, we do incorporate the scientific values you mentioned (truth seeking, doubt, falsifiability, uncertainty tolerance) in our intimate lives – we form and test hypotheses about the feelings and motivations of others and ourselves. The psychoanalyst Carlo Strenger beautifully describes how this ‘scientific’ (my word) attitude can (must!) live in tension with an unselfconscious immersion in our own experience. It is a tension “between identification with one’s own perspective and the detachment from it…as human beings we have the ability to experience ourselves from within and to reflect about ourselves from without…[but] we cannot be in a constant state of self-reflection. Perpetual self questioning and self evaluation would leave us with nothing to live for. If we only step back and watch ourselves from the outside, nothing can ever acquire value and meaning…Critical reflection can create knowledge and correct biases, inconsistencies and incoherence in our desires and values, but its activity must be based on basic desires which are not of rational origin. We have a profound need to take ourselves, our values and our desires serious, and to live them rather than to think about them.” [From The Classical and Romantic Vision in Psychoanalysis, 1989]
Some questions may never be answerable with science (Are other beings conscious? What happened before the big bang?), and some are simply not the purview of science (what is the meaning of my life?). I believe this is called the Demarcation Problem.
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D day for Pilots’ pension pay-up
Nov 16, 2019adminNews01
In an ever-developing story Air Namibia’s pilots continue their battle of words with their bosses.
This publication reported early in August of this year about the continuing woes at the parastatal.
“In two separate letters, one written on 8 July 2019 and another on 22 July 2019, deep concern is expressed due to the fact that Air Namibia has neglected to transfer the monthly pension fund deductions to Alexander Forbes.
In terms of international law, there is a requirement that pilots operating across international borders must be adequately insured.
‘From an EASA, ICAO and European Union (EU) regulatory perspective, pilots may not operate in international airspace if not adequately insured.
This has implications for both the airline and the government under whose bilateral air services agreement its registered aircraft operates,’ revealed a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity at the time. Meanwhile, legal practitioners for the Namibia Airline Pilots Association (NAPA) are said to be alluding to criminal conduct on the part of the executive committee.
‘You will certainly, Honourable Minister, appreciate that the legal implications for an agent who receives money from its principle, for payment to a third party, but then uses that money for its own purposes, has criminal implications for the agent,’ read the Ellis & Partners letter in part.”
NAPA have deemed it necessary to pen another letter on the 8th of August of this year, this time to the newly appointed Chairman of the Board, Escher Luanda.
“This letter is directed at you in your capacity as a director of Air Namibia (PTY) Ltd, which is a Namibian private company, registered as such under the company registration number 97/086.
Your appointment as a director is one in terms of the Companies Act, 2004 (Act 28 of 2004),” the letter reads in part.
The attorneys continue to make their claim, this time to the company, stating their grievances and concerns about monies deducted from them but never paid over to service providers, including, “their respective contributions to their pension fund, which amounts are likewise deducted from our clients salary each month, but then applied by their employer for alternative purposes.”
The gloves are off
The letter reminds Luanda that he as the duly appointed director of their client’s employer, he has for several months failed to make payments, in respect of each of their clients. “It seems that one or more of the actions by Air Namibia, acting through its board of directors and management as eluded to above, constitutes recklessness (at a minimum) but in all likelihood also theft and even fraud. It is against this backdrop that we wish to bring to your attention the stipulations contained in section 430(1) of the Act,” the letter continues.
Further, the pilots will lodge a complaint in the High Court, holding each of the directors personally responsible for the debts of Air Namibia.
“We place on record that this step is necessitated by the fact that despite numerous requests made to your board, the shareholding minister and management, you are incapable of resolving this illegal situation.
Unless you can comply with the demand made in 8 below, it will be clear that you have permanently deprived our clients of these assets as you are not in a position to refund them. The authorities on this matter are clear,” is the ultimatum given by the pilots.
Point 8 reads that “this letter therefore serves as a formal demand on you, in your personal capacity to take such actions as may be required to terminate the illegalities being perpetrated by the company of which you are a director, on a continuous basis, by paying, as a minimum, the outstanding total pension contributions of our clients by no later than 15th Friday November 2019, failing which our clients shall move for the order indicated.”
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Worshipful of London City Corporation
Wren Portland stone
Pub London
Paternoster Row
Дата: 06/25/2018Автор: Matilda
A mounted officer of the City of London Police entering Paternoster Row in November 2004.
Paternoster Row was a street in the City of London that is supposed to have received its name from the fact that, when the monks and clergy of St Paul’s Cathedral would go in procession chanting the great litany, they would recite the Lord’s Prayer (Pater Noster being its opening line in Latin) in the litany along this part of the route. The prayers said at these processions may have also given the names to nearby Ave Maria Lane and Amen Corner. An alternative etymology is the early traders who sold a type of prayer bead known as a «pater noster».
The area was a centre of the London publishing trade,[1][2] with booksellers operating from the street.[3] In 1819 Paternoster Row was described as «almost synonymous» with the book trade.[4]
Trübner & Co. was one of the publishing companies on Paternoster Row. The street was devastated by aerial bombardment during the Blitz of World War II, suffering particularly heavy damage in the night raid of 29–30 December 1940, later characterised as the Second Great Fire of London, during which an estimated 5 million books were lost in the fires caused by tens of thousands of incendiary bombs.[5]
In 2003 the street was replaced with Paternoster Square, the modern home of the London Stock Exchange, although a City of London Corporation road sign remains in the square near where Paternoster Row once stood.
1 Printers and booksellers based in Paternoster Row
2 Others based in Paternoster Row
Printers and booksellers based in Paternoster Row
Title page of An Essay on the Management of the Present War with Spain printed for T. Cooper at The Globe
Note: Before c. 1762 premises in London had signs rather than numbers.
The Globe – T. Cooper (1740)[6]
No. 1 – J Van Voorst (1851)[7]
No. 2 – Orr and Co. (1851),[7] J. W. Myers (~1800)[8]
No. 3 – Jan Van Voorst (1838)[9]
No. 9 – S. W. Partridge and Co. (1876) [10]
No. 11 – W. Brittain (1840)[11]
No. 12 – Trubner and Co (1856)[12]
No. 15 – Bagster and Sons (1825)[13] (1851)[7]
No. 17 – Thomas Kelly (1840)[14]
No. 20 & 21 – F. Pitman, later F. Pitman Hart and Co. Ltd. (1904) [15]
No. 21 – J. Parsons, (1792)[16]
No. 23 – Piper, Stephenson, and Spence (1857)[17]
No. 24 – George Wightman (1831)[18]
No. 27 – Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row – Walton and Maberly (also at 28 Upper Gower Street) (1837[19]-1857[17])
No. 31 – Sheed & Ward
No. 33 – Hamilton and Co. (1851)[7]
No. 37 – James Duncan (1825–1838) ; Blackwood and Sons, (1851)[7]
No. 39 – Longman, Hust, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green (1825),[13] later Longman and Co. (1851)[7] later Longmans, Green, and Co. (1902).[20]
No. 40 – West and Hughes (~1800)[8]
No. 47 – Chambers (1891), formerly occupied by Baldwin and Craddock[21]
No. 56 – The Religious Tract Society (1851)[7]
No. 60 – The Sunday School Union (1851)[7]
No. 62 – Eliot Stock (1893)[22]
Oxford University Press – Bible warehouse destroyed by fire in 1822,[23] rebuilt c. 1880.
Sampson Low (after 1887)
Thomas Nelson[24]
Hawes, Clarke and Collins (1771) [25]
H. Woodfall & Co.
C Davis (1740)[26]
Marshall Brothers Ltd., Keswick House, Paternoster Row, London
Others based in Paternoster Row
No. 60 – Friendly Female Society, «for indigent widows and single women of good character, entirely under the management of ladies.»[13]
The Paternoster Gang are a trio of Victorian detectives aligned with the Doctor in the television series Doctor Who, so named because they are based in Paternoster Row.
In the episode «Young England» of the 2016 television series Victoria, a stalker of Queen Victoria indicates that he lives on Paternoster Row. (Coincidentally, the actress playing Victoria in the series, Jenna Coleman, had appeared in several episodes of Doctor Who that featured the aforementioned Paternoster Gang.)
History of London
Doctors’ Commons
Longmans[27]
Religious Tract Society[27]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paternoster Row.
«Districts – Streets – Paternoster Row». Victorian London. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
James Raven. The business of books: booksellers and the English Book Trade. 2007
«Paternoster Row». Old and New London: Volume 1. 1878. pp. 274–281.
A Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to London and Its Environs: With Two Large Section Plans of Central London.. Ward, Lock & Company, Limited. 1819.
«London Blitz — 29th December 1940 | Iconic Photos». Iconicphotos.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
An Impartial Hand (1740). An Essay on the Management of the Present War with Spain. T. Cooper.
The British Metropolis in 1851
Glasse, Hannah; Maria Wilson (1800). The Complete Confectioner; or, Housekeeper’s Guide: To a simple and speedy method of understanding the whole ART OF CONFECTIONARY. London, United Kingdom: West and Hughes. Printed by J. W. Myers, No. 2, Paternoster-row, London, for West and Hughes, No. 40, Paternoster-row.
The Athenaeum: Journal of Literature, Science, the Fine Arts, Music and the Drama. 1838. p. 846.
Church of England Temperance Tracts, no. 19, 1876
The Secret History of the Court of England from the Commencement of 1750 to the Reign of William the Fourth. W. Brittain. 1840. p. frontispiece.
The London catalogue of periodicals, newspapers and transactions of various societies with a list of metropolitan printing societies and clubs. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. 1856. p. 3, of wrapper.
John Feltham (1825). The picture of London, enlarged and improved (23rd ed.). Longman, Hust, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green. p. iv.
Practical CARPENTRY, JOINERY and CABINET MAKING. Thomas Kelly. July 1, 1840.
The World’s Paper Trade Review, May 13, 1904, p. 38
Plain truth : or, an impartial account of the proceedings at Paris during the last nine months. Containing, Among other interesting Anecdotes, a particular statement of the memorable tenth of August, and third of September. By an eye witness.. 1792.
The Examiner. John Hunt. 1857. p. 336.
William Fox, Robert Raikes (1831). Memoir of W. Fox, Esq., founder of the Sunday-School Society: comprising the history of the origin … of that … institution, with correspondence … between W. Fox, Esq. and R. Raikes, etc. Joseph Ivimey (editor). George Wightman.
Augustus De Morgan (1837). Elements of algebra, preliminary to the differential calculus. p. 255.
C. D. Yonge (1902). Gradus Ad Parnassum. London, New York and Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co. p. title.
Henry Benjamin Wheatley (1891). London Past and Present: Its History, Associations, and Traditions. pp. 37–39.
Literary Blunders
Thornbury, Walter (1878). ‘Paternoster Row’, in Old and New London. Volume 1. London, United Kingdom. pp. 274–281. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
«Thomas Bonnar: Overview of Thomas Bonnar». Scottish-places.info. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
George Alexander Stevens (1771). The Choice Spirit’s Chaplet: Or, a Poesy from Parnassus. Being a Select Collection of Songs, from the Most Approved Authors ; Many of Them Written and the Whole Compiled by George Alexander Stevens, Esq. John Dunn; and sold by Messrs. Hawes, Clarke, and Collins, London. pp. Title page.
Zachary Grey (1740). A Vindication of the Government, Doctrine, and Worship, of the Church of England: Established in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. C. Davis, in Pater-Noster-Row.
Herbert Fry (1880), «Paternoster Row», London in 1880, London: David Bogue
booksellerchurchEnglandhistoryLondonPaternosterPaternoster RowPrinters and booksellers based in Paternoster Rowpublisher tradeReligionSt Paul cathedral
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Teaser for the second season of “Batwoman” with Javicia Leslie released
November 19, 2020 1 min read magictr
The video showed for the first time an updated superhero costume.
The CW TV channel has shared a small promo for the second season of the superhero series “Batwoman”. The video, which lasted only a few seconds, nevertheless managed to present a small surprise to the audience.
The video, albeit briefly, shows the heroine of the actress Javisia Leslie in full superhero attire. The updated Batwoman costume has been the main topic of discussion among fans of the series lately.
In the first season of the show, Batwoman was played by Batman's cousin Kate Kane, played by Ruby Rose. However, in May of this year, the actress announced her retirement from the project, and her place was taken by Javisia Leslie. For her, a new character was introduced into the project – Ryan Wilder, a former drug dealer, but now a reformed, respectable citizen of Gotham. After Kate disappears, she decides to answer for her past crimes by becoming the new protector of the city.
The trailer also officially announced the release date for the second season of Batwoman. The first episode of The CW will air on January 17, 2020.
Game of Thrones season 8: this is our biggest regret about Arya Stark
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UNC Wilmington Holds Classes With Gunman at Large
Classes were scheduled to proceed as usual Tuesday morning at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, as the search continued for a gunman who ran toward the campus after a holdup overnight.
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Classes were scheduled to proceed as usual Tuesday morning at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, as the search continued for a gunman who ran toward the campus after a holdup overnight.
Instructions for students to remain in secure locations that had been issued after the holdup shortly before midnight Monday were lifted at 5 a.m. Tuesday, school spokeswoman Dana Fischetti said.
The suspect in the robbery of four people at a nearby fast food restaurant was still at large early Tuesday, but extra police officers were on campus as the search continued, Fischetti said. Students were free to move about the campus, but should be alert and report suspicious activity to police, she said.
The school had issued alerts via email, text message, voicemail and on the university's website after the robbery. Those on campus were warned to find a secure location, lock doors and stay away from windows.
Wilmington police used a helicopter and K-9 unit to try to find the man, who was wearing a red cloth over his face, Officer Kenneth Reichard told The Associated Press.
Campus Police Chief David Donaldson told the AP the alert was issued as a "precautionary measure." The suspect was carrying a small-caliber handgun, Donaldson said.
Located on North Carolina's coastline, the university has about 13,000 students and has grown significantly since a 2002 bond issue that paved the way for more than $508 million to be spent on capital projects at the campus. Although well-known for its ocean and marine research programs, the school offers dozens of majors and has also been used as the preseason training camp of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
In August, another situation involving a gunman on campus raised concerns from university officials who said the school's emergency alert system failed to properly notify the campus as police searched for a man accused of a shooting in a nearby apartment complex.
After the shooting, Donaldson ordered a campus-wide alert via phone, text message and email to warn the community about the armed man on the loose. The alert was never sent.
Officials said at the time the lapse appeared to be a case of human error rather than a technical problem, and Fischetti said updates were being sent to the campus via text message, email and voice message late Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
The alert system at UNCW encompasses not only phone calls, emails and text messages, but can include everything from social media to the interruption of cable television on campus. The system was adopted by the university after the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech as a way of getting emergency information out in as many formats as possible in a short amount of time.
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Phil Niekro, Braves legend and MLB Hall of Famer, dies at 81
December 27, 2020Updated 6:37 PM UTC
Phil Niekro, an Atlanta Braves legend who won 318 games and pitched 24 seasons with his signature knuckleball, died Saturday at the age of 81 after a long battle with cancer, the Braves announced.
Niekro, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997, logged 5,404 career innings, the most of any pitcher who began his career in the live-ball era. His 318 victories rank 16th all-time, and his 3,342 strikeouts rank 11th.
Niekro won 121 games after the age of 40, pitching until he was 48 years old. Nicknamed "Knucksie," Niekro spent 21 of 24 seasons as a member of the Braves.
On Niekro's career
Joe Posnanski, senior MLB writer: Nobody ever takes knuckleball pitchers seriously. Hazard of the trade. And in his wonderful career, nobody ever really took Niekro seriously. He never won a Cy Young Award. He played almost exclusively for poor teams; Niekro never played in a World Series. All he did was win 318 games, and pitch more innings than any pitcher since the Dead Ball Era. The knuckleball has always been impossible to master — it will often elude catchers’ grasps and float out of the strike zone — but Niekro wasn’t looking to master it. It was more like he and the knuckleball were friends.
What is Niekro's legacy as an MLB pitcher?
David O'Brien, senior Braves beat writer: We won't see the likes of Niekro again, a knuckleballer who churned out a modern-era record 5,404 innings, including stunning averages of 287 innings, 40 games and 37 starts during a 12-year span from 1969 through 1980 and three consecutive seasons of over 330 innings. He owns or shares 13 Atlanta pitching records, and his legacy during 21 seasons with the Braves (19 in Atlanta) was not just an ironman, but an ultimate pro who set an example in how he did things on and off the field. The Braves' annual minor league pitcher-of-the-year award is named for him.
Niekro's legacy in Atlanta
Jeff Schultz, senior writer: He is one of only nine Braves in franchise history who have had their jersey numbers retired, including just five pitchers: Warren Spahn (21), John Smoltz (29), Greg Maddux (31), Tom Glavine (47) and … the knuckleballer, Niekro (35). When you think of Niekro in Atlanta, you think of a pitcher who somehow achieved greatness despite relying on a pitch that always looked drunk.
But therein lies some sadness for me. Despite earning his Hall of Fame induction, I don't believe he ever received the level of adoration he deserved because he was such an anomaly — and also because he played on so may bad teams. If anything, he should be respected even more.
(Photo: Brett Davis / USA Today)
Dec 27, 2020 — Highlights from Niekro's career: Read More
Dec 27, 2020 — The announcement from the Hall of Fame:Read More
How Phil Niekro helped Tim Wakefield ‘resurrect’ his career with Red Sox
The Baseball 100: No. 83, Phil Niekro
Joe Posnanski
Niekro's knuckleball was such an odd pitch, such a mystery to people, that many thought of him more as a magician than a pitcher.
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Prize picture quiz: January 2021
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Spend a little time at home with C S Lewis
Posted on September 6, 2018 December 21, 2020 by andrew in People and Places, THE KILNS
BRILLIANT scholar, poet, philosopher, internationally renowned children’s author – CS Lewis was many things to many people.
And although it’s as the author of his Chronicles of Narnia fantasy fiction that he is best known, for millions of believers it was his inspirational writing and broadcasts about Christianity that had the most lasting impact.
Whatever the motivation for finding out more about the prolific Irish author, a great starting point is the house where Lewis lived from 1930 until his death in 1963, The Kilns in Headington, outside Oxford.
This is where he wrote and worked, where he sat and smoked and debated philosophy and religion with his brother ‘Warnie’ and great friend and fellow fantasy novelist JRR Tolkien, creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Tours of the home are conducted by appointment only, but those joining a small group to explore Lewis’s life and legacy are not entering a museum but a study centre which is also temporarily home to a number of young scholars.
The American foundation which runs The Kilns wanted to honour the author’s memory by encouraging its continued use as a quiet place of study, fellowship and creative scholarly work, much as it was during his own period of residency there.
The Kilns was built in 1922 on the site of a former brickworks and the lake in its eight-acre garden was a flooded claypit.
CS Lewis bought The Kilns jointly with his brother and Mrs Janie Moore in 1930 and the extensive wild grounds would provide the inspiration for the Narnia chronicles, which started off as a tale told to children evacuated from London in 1939.
Although the house had been totally transformed by the time the foundation bought the building in the 1980s, much has been done to achieve an authentic recreation of how it looked during the years when Lewis lived there.
Few authors of fantasy literature are as beloved as Lewis – or Jack, as he was always known to family and friends from childhood. Born in Belfast in 1898, he created an unforgettable, magical world to which readers return again and again, both as children and adults.
He wrote more than 30 books which have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold millions of copies. And of course many of those books were produced here at The Kilns, including the philosophical writings widely acclaimed by Christian apologists from many denominations.
A brilliant academic, he was educated at Oxford University and returned there after service in World War I to become a fellow and tutor of English literature at Magdalen College.
He had been wounded in France during the Battle of Arras and his former friend and roommate Paddy Moore was killed in battle. As part of a pledge the pair had made, Lewis looked after Paddy Moore’s mother and her daughter, living with them in Oxford from the early 1920s.
A full timeline of his life and works also appears on the HarperCollins official website, but it was here in Headington that Lewis and fellow novelist and Oxford academic JRR Tolkien became friends.
They were both active in the informal literary circle known as The Inklings, who for 16 years from 1933 held regular discussions about their work in a corner of the local Eagle and Child pub. The pair also argued about philosphy and religion in the “common room” at The Kilns, where the carpet was ingrained with pipe ash and the curtains fashioned from wartime blackout blankets.
Christened Clive Staples Lewis, Jack and his older brother Warren, or ‘Warnie’, spent long hours in their childhood creating and chronicling the adventures of the inhabitants of their combined imaginary kingdom of Boxen.
Tribute is paid to that early creativity in an upstairs attic room here at The Kilns, next door to the bedroom where young wartime evacuees would hear stories paving the way for the seven Chronicles of Narnia, which were written and published between 1948 and 1956.
Lewis’s conversion to Christianity was not a sudden experience: in his 1955 autobiography Surprised by Joy he likened the process to being hunted down by God, or even being defeated by him in a game of chess.
But his influences were, as always, books and a few close friends, and the final stage in his conversion took place here. By the age of 32 he had become a ordinary layman of the Church of England and began writing his Christian apologetic books, with Warnie recruited to painstakingly type out his handwritten manuscripts.
Lewis also gave a series of talks about Christianity on BBC radio between 1941 and 1944 which brought him wide acclaim, the text of which would later be published in a book called Mere Christianity.
His literary output in these years was considerable and as his fame grew, many people wrote to him – including the American writer who would become his wife, Joy Davidman Gresham, whom he married in 1956.
Their love story formed the basis of the celebrated 1993 film Shadowlands, directed by Sir Richard Attenborough and starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.
Joy was a New York teacher of English literature and a recent convert to Christianity. Outspoken and witty, she had been corresponding with Lewis for two years before moving to England with her two sons, where they became frequent visitors to The Kilns.
She was divorced in 1954, but two years later her work permit expired and she faced having to move back to America. Lewis decided to marry her and claimed the civil marriage ceremony, quietly performed in a registry office, was a purely legal measure to allow her to stay in the country.
Whatever their feelings for each other might have been at this stage, shortly afterwards Joy was diagnosed with advanced cancer and Lewis realised he loved her and decided to make their marriage public.
The ceremony was performed around her hospital bed and when she was able to leave hospital, she and the boys moved into The Kilns.
Miraculously, her health improved and they enjoyed more than three years together before her cancer returned and claimed her life in July 1960.
Her death hit Lewis hard and tested his Christian faith, as he revealed unflinchingly in a record of his thoughts and feelings throughout the grieving process, published as A Grief Observed.
He himself died on the 22nd November 1963, a week before his 65th birthday. He never wanted his death to be widely acknowledged and he got his way: American president John F Kennedy was assassinated on the same day.
On the 50th anniversary of his death, he was honoured with a memorial in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey, but his grave lies much closer to home in the peaceful surroundings of nearby Holy Trinity church in Headington Quarry, where he and Warnie worshipped over the years.
Inside the church are many reminders of his life – from the ‘Narnia window’ installed in 1991 in memory of children George and Kathleen Howe, who died young, to the small plaque on the pew where the brothers chose to sit.
Another peaceful oasis nearby is a small nature reserve around the corner from The Kilns which is now maintained by BBOWT, the wildlife trust for Oxfordshire.
Whether or not this location played any serious role in inspiring such fantasy worlds as Narnia and Middle Earth perhaps is not perhaps too important. But The Kilns itself provides a restful setting to reflect on the life and legacy of an extraordinary writer whose work was to prove such a lasting and pervasive inspiration to future generations.
Tours are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and cost £12.50 per adult and £10 per student, senior (60+), or child. See The Kilns website for details.
Tagged christian, cslewis, featured, headington, narnia, oxfordLeave a comment
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The Devil’s Rejects survived the shootout with Ruggsville police. After being found guilty of heinous crimes, the Firefly family has been locked away in prison awaiting death row. When Otis Firefly is able to make a bloody escape, he comes up with a plan to free Baby. Then it’s time for this deranged family to wreak havoc on all those who cross their path.
Ever since the film was first announced, fans have been chomping at the bit to see 3 From Hell. Written and directed by Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects), this is the third film chronicling the murderous adventures of the Firefly clan. The film begins by giving a brief update of the family surviving the shootout from the end of the previous film and a bit about the trial that took place after. From there, we see Otis, Baby, and Captain Spaulding nearly 10 years later as they await their death sentence. Eventually the family is able to escape, with the help of a new face. We see as these psychopaths balance trying to stay hidden from the law while still following their murderous nature. The film is as violent as one would expect from a Zombie film, while also incorporating dangerously dark humor fans will love.
The Devil’s Rejects is a much loved film, and it has one of my favorite film endings of all time. With the way that film ended, there was no real need for a sequel. Audiences watched as their favorite murderers went down in a blaze of gunfire, being shot so many times they should have died. When 3 From Hell was announced I wrote an article for The Coda Films discussing different ways the family could be brought back for a third film (you can read that article here). Unfortunately, Zombie went with what I believe is the laziest option by having them simply survive. I do appreciate that there is a joke made about it in the beginning of the film, but there was a missed opportunity to either bring back the Doctor Satan character from House of 1000 Corpses or even connect this film to The Lords of Salem and have the witches bring the family back. That being said, Zombie clearly wanted the second and third films in this trilogy to be more firmly rooted in reality than the first film, which could explain this storytelling choice.
While it’s not a necessary sequel, 3 From Hell still manages to come very close to the magic of its predecessor. Fans get to see more of their favorite psychopaths, Otis and Baby Firefly, while also getting to meet another member of the family. Zombie is eerily successful at writing despicable characters who do horrific things, yet there is something about them that makes you root for them. There are also some very compelling moments of humanity mixed in with all the chaos, especially between Baby and a new character named Sebastian. I believe what holds the film back a bit from reaching the same level as The Devil’s Rejects, aside from the way the family survived, is the lack of a truly formidable opponent. In the previous film the Firefly clan was up against Sheriff Wydell, who was just as sinister and deadly as the Fireflys themselves. In this film there are a few different opponents, but none of them have quite the same presence as Wydell. Without that opposing force, the Fireflys not only don’t have an worthy adversary to go up against, but it also doesn’t give the audience as much of a reason to sympathize with them.
Between the familiar and new characters, the entire cast is pure magic. The highlight is definitely Sheri Moon Zombie (The Lord of Salem, The Devil’s Reject) as Baby Firefly. Fans are familiar with Baby’s playfully homicidal antics. This time around, years in solitary confinement have turned that playfulness into insanity. Moon Zombie gives a stunning portrayal of the character in those moments of insanity, but she also brings a deeper emotional level to Baby, especially during her interactions with Sebastian. Bill Moseley (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects) also returns as the most brutal of the family, Otis Firefly. Moseley brings much of the same ferociousness to the character of Otis in this film, but the years in prison have changed Otis as well. It may not be as obvious as with Baby, but he has become a bit more cautious as he tries to keep himself and his family out of police hands. A new member of the Firefly clan is Richard Brake (31, Doom) as Winslow Foxworth Coltrane, half-brother to Baby and Otis. This is the first time we have met Winslow, but he clearly has the same extracurricular interests as the rest of the family. Brake’s chemistry with both Moon Zombie and Moseley is a delight to watch, and watching him on screen feels like he’s been part of this franchise from the beginning. Other fantastic performances come from Dee Wallace (The Howling, The Lords of Salem) as Greta the prison guard, Pancho Moler (Candy Corn, 31) as Sebastian, and Jeff Daniel Phillips (The Lords of Salem, 31) as warden Virgil Dallas Harper.
As with every Zombie film, 3 From Hell is both stunning to look at and has great music. The sets, cars, wardrobe, and filming style all transport the viewer back to the films of the 70’s and 80’s. Zombie has always had a great eye for creating that vintage aesthetic, and this film is no different. He also curates an amazing soundtrack of rock classics combined with the gorgeous film score by Zeuss, who also did the score for 31. 3 From Hell also incorporates very realistic practical effects for the various wounds the Firefly family inflicts on their victims, as well as ones inflicted upon them.
3 From Hell is an unnecessary, yet delightful third film in the saga of the savage Firefly clan. The film has it’s flaws, mostly in the way the family is brought back for this film and the lack of a worthy adversary for them to fight against. That being said, Zombie comes so dangerously close to catching the same magic of The Devil’s Rejects that most of his fans will likely be delighted with this film. It has great visuals, fantastic acting, and it’s a bloody good time. Much like every film Zombie has ever made, 3 From Hell is sure to polarize audiences. One thing is for sure, I had a smile on my face during this film from start to finish.
Posted in Horror Movie Review, Thriller/Suspense and tagged 3 From Hell, baby firefly, Bill Moseley, Captain Spaulding, Dee Wallace, film, Horror, House of 1000 Corpses, Jeff Daniel Phillips, movie, Otis Firefly, Pancho Moler, Review, Richard Brake, Rob Zombie, Sheri Moon Zombie, Suspense, the devil's rejects, thriller on September 18, 2019 by Molly Henery. Leave a comment
At the 2017 Phoenix Comicon I had the pleasure of being a panelist alongside three amazing women to discuss the female perspective of horror. The panel went over female stereotyping in horror, the difference between how male and female anatomy is censored, and why women enjoy horror when it is typically considered a genre for men. This made me think of various female characters in horror films that could be considered role models. These are the women who are strong, independent, and break the mold of what we typically see of women in horror films. Here is the list of my top 5 favorite female characters in horror:
5. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) – The Silence of the Lambs
Clarice Starling is one of the few female law enforcement characters in horror films that isn’t a caricature. She is strong, intelligent, and determined to make a name for herself in a male-dominated field. Starling is also completely fearless. She mentally takes on Hannibal Lecter, and physically takes on Buffalo Bill. Clarice Starling is also a standout because she is not defined by her relationship with a man. Many times during The Silence of the Lambs she is hit on, but she barely even acknowledges it because her career and the case are more important. Starling should be every woman’s role model.
4. Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) – House of 1000 Copses, The Devil’s Rejects
This is probably one of the more odd choices for my list. I am not saying people should aspire to be like Baby Firefly because, let’s face it, she’s a psychotic murderer. Instead, she is on the list because she plays a unique role in the horror world. Most of the time when a horror film has a female villain, she is doing evil things for a specific reason. Sometimes that reason is revenge, sometimes it is fear, sometimes it is because of childhood abuse. Baby Firefly is one of the rare female horror villains that does evil things simply because she enjoys it, like we see with many male horror villains. I would love to see more evil women in horror like Baby Firefly.
3. Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) – A Nightmare on Elm Street, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
It’s no secret that A Nightmare on Elm Street was my first horror film. Nancy Thompson is on my list because she is not your average slasher film final girl. Leading up to this film, final girls mostly just survived or they were saved at the last second by a man. Nancy is different. When she learned that her life and the lives of her loved ones were in danger, she gets to work. Not only does Nancy study up on the killer, but she even studies survival tactics and traps in order to defeat Freddy. Nancy is the first well-known final girl to truly go into defensive mode and try to find a way to not just survive, but eliminate the threat. If you ever find yourself being hunted by a psycho killer, be like Nancy.
2. Erin (Sharni Vinson) – You’re Next
Erin is a more recent final girl, but she is definitely one of the most amazing. As soon as people start getting picked off in You’re Next, Erin is ready. She takes the skills she grew up learning and uses them to her benefit. Not only does Erin keep herself calm, but she also tries to keep everyone else calm and safe throughout the entire film. She puts her survival skills to the test by finding the most logical solution to each problem she encounters, and even sets a few brilliant traps to try to stop the attackers. Erin is one tough lady, and someone I would want by my side if I were in a slasher film.
1. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) – Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection
Ellen Ripley, the epitome of a female horror role model. While the first Alien film is probably the only one that can truly be called a horror film, she is still number 1 on my list. Ellen Ripley is a complete badass, and she is probably the first woman in horror that takes on traditionally male roles. She is strong, she is a leader, and she is determined. Ripley is another female character that often takes on the leadership roles that would normally be played by a man. Not only does she excel in this role, but she also doesn’t take any crap from the men that try to challenge her. What’s even more amazing about her is that she will always do her best to save everyone, not just herself. She even saves a cat from the terrifying Xenomorph!
Posted in Favorite Things and tagged a nightmare on elm street, Alien, aliens, baby firefly, clarice starling, dream warriors, ellen ripley, Favorite Things, film, heather langenkamp, Horror, House of 1000 Corpses, jodie foster, movie, nancy thompson, sharni vinson, Sheri Moon Zombie, sigourney weaver, the devil's rejects, the silence of the lambs, Women in Horror, you're next on June 2, 2017 by Molly Henery. Leave a comment
A group of carnies gets kidnapped while on the road. They are brought to a massive compound and forced to play a twisted game by three people dressed as old English aristocrats. The game is called “31”. All the carnies have to do is survive 12 hours in the compound while being hunted by one twisted clown after the other, each one more dangerous than the last. These clowns specialize in murder and mayhem. Will the small band of unwilling participants be able to survive the night?
31 was a hodge podge of really great ideas and some not so great ones. Overall, I think the concept was a really fun and exciting one. There wasn’t ever a dull moment during the film. The opening scene was one of the best parts of the entire film. It was a monologue by the aptly named “Doom-Head” clown. The scene was intense, even though it was just Doom-Head talking to his victim. That was a great way to start the film (even though there were some editing errors where the amount of blood on his face drastically changed between cuts and drove me crazy). After such a strong opening, the rest of the film was filled with a mix of high and low points. Most of the film was fun and exciting; I laughed, I gasped, and I had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, there were definitely some holes in the plot, which was where we run into the low points. Most of the holes surround the orchestrators of this event known as Father Murder, Sister Serpent, and Sister Dragon. Who are these people? How are they funding this? What do they do when it isn’t Halloween? How did they find the psychopaths to participate in their murder game? We may never know.
One of my biggest issues with this film was the character of Charly, played by Sheri Moon Zombie (Devil’s Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses). Anyone who has seen a Rob Zombie film knows that he is going to have his wife as the star and hero of the film. That I don’t mind, but Charly was such a pathetic “hero”. There were times in the film where she definitely rose to the occasion and did what she has to do, but at the same time there were scenes where she was made out to be such a weak person. It was too extreme to see her go from one end to the other, making her character unbelievable. Also, the wig they had her wear throughout the film was so distracting for me. Every time Zombie came on screen all I could look at is the ridiculous hair. The various clowns, on the other hand, were fantastic. They were such extreme caricatures of demented personalities that you couldn’t help but laugh at them as they were hunting their victims.
The biggest standout performance was, of course, Doom-Head. He was played by Richard Brake (Water for Elephants, Spy). If this film had just been his opening monologue, I would have been completely satisfied with that. Brake managed to play a ruthless killer who clearly enjoys what he does, and it made you enjoy watching him at work. My only complaint was that I wish he had been in the film more. Jeff Daniel Phillips (Lords of Salem, Halloween II) also stood out as the carnival worker, Roscoe. Of all the carnies, I found him to be the most likable and realistic character. I was rooting for him to survive the game more than any other character (maybe it had to do with his sweet sideburns).
The clown makeup and costumes in 31 were delightfully strange and minimal. The various clowns were all made to look ridiculous, and only slightly clownish, in order to add to the insanity. For example, Sick-Head was a little person who was a Spanish speaking Nazi clown. He primarily looked like a Nazi with a painted on Hitler mustache and a swastika on his chest. The only aspect that looked clown-ish is the white painted face and red nose. Probably my favorite clown look was Death-Head, who was this mammoth of a man. He wore a little white leotard and the tiniest tutu I have ever seen. It was hilarious because Death-Head was so huge and terrifying, yet he was running around in the least threatening outfit one could possibly think of. Again, he could only really be thought of as a clown because he was wearing such a comical outfit. It was all a fun juxtaposition by having murderous lunatics in ridiculous costumes.
Rob Zombie gave us a film that has everything you expect from a Rob Zombie film: excitement, bloodshed, and bad guys that you can’t help but love. This was definitely not his best film, but it was a lot of fun to watch. He always succeeds in making me laugh at the most inappropriate times. If the various plot holes had been filled, or at least briefly touched on, and if the hero character was a bit stronger I would have enjoyed 31 that much more. As it is, 31 is a thrill ride that lacks a bit in substance, but makes up for it in carnage and madness.
Posted in Horror Movie Review, Slasher, Thriller/Suspense and tagged 31, carnies, carnival, Clowns, film, Halloween, Horror, Malcolm McDowell, Meg Foster, movie, Review, Richard Brake, Rob Zombie, Sheri Moon Zombie, slasher, Suspense, thriller on September 23, 2016 by Molly Henery. Leave a comment
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OSU-Tulsa Blog
Dr. Sheryl Tucker elected to board of directors for the Council of Graduate Schools
Oklahoma State University continues to be a leader in higher education with the election of Dr. Sheryl Tucker to the national board of directors for the Council of Graduate Schools.
Tucker currently serves as Oklahoma State University’s vice provost, OSU-Tulsa's vice provost and dean of the Graduate College and will now join the CGS board as one of 11 members tasked with shaping and advancing the future of graduate education nationally.
“I passionately believe in servant leadership,” Tucker said. “As a graduate dean, I see my role as facilitating the success of our students and faculty, and it is one I thoroughly enjoy.”
Tucker’s role doesn’t stop there though.
“I also believe that my leadership responsibilities extend to my profession and have been elected to, and served in, regional graduate education organizations like on the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Executive Committee,” she said. “As an experienced senior administrator, I appreciate the trust my colleagues have placed in me to represent them at the national level on the CGS Board of Directors.”
The Council of Graduate Schools is the only national organization in the U.S. dedicated solely to the advancement of graduate education and research, said CGS President Suzanne T. Ortega.
“Higher education encompasses a broad range of topics and individuals,” Ortega said. “It is vitally important that we as an organization represent the unique needs of master’s and doctoral programs through our research, advocacy, and engagement.
Being on the CGS Board of Directors is an opportunity for Tucker to help shape the future of graduate education from best practices initiatives to legislative advocacy, she said. This position also provides enhanced visibility for Oklahoma State University’s graduate programs, research and creative enterprises and recognizes the university’s role in developing the next generation of leaders, she added.
“Dr. Tucker’s dedication to improving access and opportunities for graduate students from underrepresented groups, past experience as program director for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and contributions as a member of the PhD Career Pathways advisory committee will provide valuable expertise to CGS,” Ortega said.
The OSU Graduate College has a mission statement — Developing the person, the scholar and the professional — and Dr. Tucker is focused on doing just that.
“It is a privilege to serve the graduate education community and have the opportunity to have a broad and lasting impact on our organization and our country’s future,” Tucker said.
This article was originally posted by the Oklahoma State University.
Media Contact: Aaron Campbell | 918-594-8046 | aaron.ross.campbell@okstate.edu
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Home Trading Books The Day Trader: From the Pit to the PC
The Day Trader: From the Pit to the PC
The S&P futures pit is the ultimate arena for traders. It is a place where trading titans make split-second decisions on huge amounts of money, and fortunes appear and vanish with the blink of an eye. Successful day traders are brilliant, aggressive-and lucky. Lewis J. Borsellino is all three. And now he is telling his story. The nation’s top S&P futures trader, Borsellino takes you inside the world of the day trader.
Chronicling Borsellino’s incredible run on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, The Day Trader offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at his everyday strategies and tactics. Raised to be a fierce and fearless competitor, Borsellino felt at home the first day he walked into the chaos and excitement of the Merc. In The Day Trader, he offers both a compelling story as well as an inside look at day trading and the S&P market. Borsellino outlines exactly what contributed to his unparalleled success-a rare blend of discipline, drive, intelligence, and an uncanny ability to read and interpret the market. The Day Trader is also a candid memoir of a second generation Italian American who learned tough life lessons from his father.
The senior statesman of the S&P pit, Borsellino offers vivid firsthand accounts of the unique dynamics of the trading floor, the fortunes won and lost in the crash of 1987, the FBI investigation that rocked the futures trading industry, and the tense political battles between Merc titans Leo Melamed and Jack Sandner. He also shares war stories from the floor, many involving top traders such as Richard Dennis and George Soros.
Finally, Borsellino chronicles the latest phase of his career, as he moves beyond the beloved trading pit to the challenges and opportunities of the electronic trading arena. More than the success story of one the nation’s most respected traders, The Day Trader offers practical insights into the futures markets, pit trading, market psychology, fundamental and technical analysis, and risk. It is a rare opportunity to see inside the mind of one of today’s most brilliant traders.
LEWIS J. BORSELLINO is the top S&P futures trader in the United States with a career that has spanned an unprecedented 18 years. His long-term success puts him into the trading pantheon that features such luminaries as Paul Tudor Jones, Victor Niederhoffer, and bond trader Tom Baldwin. Borsellino is a frequent contributing commentator on CNN and CNBC where he is regarded as the “biggest and best trader” in S&Ps. PATRICIA CRISAFULLI COMMINS is a freelance business writer and former correspondent for Reuters America Inc. She has also written for The Christian Science Monitor and the Wall Street Journal.
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Bad Boy Chelsea Singh At The Uk Glamour Awards
When you hear the name Chelsea Singh, the first thing that springs to mind may be his wild antics on Celebrity Big Brother, but there is a great deal more to this self made millionaire entrepreneur than meets the eye.
We caught up with Chelsea for a chinwag on the phone whilst he was on route to a film premiere for the movie Dead Ringers. Excitedly, I quizzed him about one of his current acting roles and he told me that he was playing “a bit of a naughty boy drug dealer.” Chelsea had me in peals of giggles as he delivered his lines over the phone in an East End accent and it’s very easy to see why he is a natural entertainer.
I wondered what Chelsea was up to today and he told me “I have just been car shopping, but I’m torn between a Ferrari and a Lambo. Now I’m off to a film premiere to party with Calum Best, Luke White, Alex Reid and Amar Adatia.”
Chelsea is in hot demand and with his many businesses and projects keeping him busy, he is constantly on the go. I promised not to take up too much of his time, but he was extremely pleasant and was happy to chat about life, business and everything in between. Despite his celeb status, he comes across as very approachable as well as a bit of a wild card!
Chelsea was born and bred in Plumstead and over the phone he regaled stories of his poverty stricken childhood. He revealed that his family was so poor when he was a kid, that they were unable to afford Adidas trainers and that he was so desperate for a pair that he drew his own stripes on a cheaper version! This is a far cry from the entrepreneur Chelsea is today, who drives a Bentley and runs businesses across every corner of the globe. The global star has homes in Chelsea, Windsor, Tenerife and Sweden and owns businesses in London, The Canary Islands, Miami and India to name just a few. He admits that a lot of his clients are super rich celebrities. Big name stars flock to Ink Bar – his cocktail and champagne bar in Windsor, which is situated just opposite Windsor castle and has become a popular haunt for TV’s hottest reality stars and film producers.
I couldn’t resist asking Chelsea what he makes of all the controversial stories the papers print about him and he said very matter of factly “The thing is Kaz, I’m a straight talker. With me there is no bull shit! What you see is what you get!”
This upfront attitude is part of the stars make up and one of his qualities that makes for very entertaining viewing. I wondered what it was like being in the Big Brother house and what he missed the most.
“I missed driving my car and I really missed my kids.” he told me. “If I am being honest I also missed being in control of my own life. As a businessman, I am used to making all my own decisions and when you are in the house, all of that is wrested away from you and you are controlled by the producers. That was the biggest challenge for me.”
In fact, one of Chelsea’s pinnacle moments on the show was when he announced that he was breaking out, taking Marco with him and taking a jet to Miami. It seems that tables had suddenly turned on the producers who were desperate to persuade their key players to stay for the duration of the show.
“We laid out our demands” Chelsea told me with a laugh “We said get us some champagne and then we’ll talk! The producers buckled and came back with enough supplies to sink a ship! Marco and I got completely pissed faced and finally staggered back into the house at, 5am laughing all the way!”
Often reality TV stars are simply pawns for the producers to use in a show, but it is clear that they were unable to get the upper hand with the Chelsea bad boy! So, what led this affluent man with fingers in many profitable pies to endure a stint on Big Brother you might wonder? Chelsea reveals that he did it for the experience and because it was something he had never done before. His stint in The BB house has paid off and since he has been inundated with work offers and ventures from TV work and business proposals through to films.
Some of his TV appearances include Celebrity Big Brother, Channel 4’s How’d You get So Rich? And Posh Pawn. One of his latest filming ventures is acting along celebrity gangster Dave Courtney in Little Bastards, which hits our screens in 2017.
The bad boy charmer enjoys live events as much TV and will be hosting this years Miss Supranational. He is also one of our celebrity judges at The UK Glamour Awards on 14th September, so you can come along and get a selfie with him!
Despite his incredibly manic schedule, Chelsea is quite the family man at heart and enjoys spending time with family and his daughter Kenzie who has just turned 18.
“She’s a high end fashion model and I’m so proud of her. “ he says with admiration in his voice. “She’s doing a fashion show in India soon and I’m taking her. She is absolutely beautiful.”
It’s clear that Chelsea has had quite a journey from rags to riches and has embraced the struggle that has made him a self made millionaire and has never looked back. He is currently writing an autobiography which journals his road to success and the struggles and obstacles he has faced and overcome on his journey. The book will be released sometime next year so keep your eyes peeled for the release date!
Follow Chelsea On Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Chelsea_Singh_
Follow Chelsea On Instagram Here: https://www.instagram.com/chelseasinghlondon/
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Details – UKMALAYALEE
Foreign doctors, nurses and health professionals in UK
Suspension of scheduled international passenger flights to
Sunak's rise in UK's political scene surprises everyone in
Senior doctors and consultants in UK retiring earlier,
Indians can now make online applications to work, live and study in the UK from 1 January 2021
LONDON Dec 3: The UK's new post-Brexit points-based visa and immigration system, described by the government as “simple, effective and flexible”, opened for applications from Tuesday. The UK Home Office said applicants for the new Skilled Worker Visa can now apply to work and live in the U.K. from January 1, 2021, when the Brexit transition period ends to bring European Union (EU) migrants in line with non-EU countries, such as India. Under the new points-based immigration system unveiled earlier, points will be awarded for a job offer at the appropriate skill level, knowledge of English and being paid a minimum salary. This government promised to end free movement, to take back control of our borders and to introduce a new points-based immigration system. Today, we have delivered on that promise, said Home Secretary Priti Patel. This simple, effective and flexible system will ensure employers can recruit the skilled workers they need, whilst also encouraging employers to train and invest in the U.K.’s workforce. We are also opening routes for those who have an exceptional talent or show exceptional promise in the fields of engineering, science, tech or culture, she said. People will normally need to be paid at least 25,600 pounds per year unless the going rate for that job in the wider economy is higher. Applications are made online, and as part of this, people will need to prove their identity and provide their documents. Once someone outside the U.K. has gone through all these steps, they will usually get a decision within three weeks, the Home Office said. Applicants will need to have enough money to cover the application fee will range between 610 pounds to 1,408 pounds, plus a healthcare surcharge (usually 624 pounds per year) and be able to support themselves (usually by having at least 1,270 pounds available). The Skilled Worker visa lasts for up to five years before it needs to be extended. Alongside the work visa, a number of other routes are also now open for applications, including Global Talent Visa, for people who can show they have exceptional talent or exceptional promise in the fields of science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology or arts and culture. An Innovator Visa will be open to those seeking to establish a business in the U.K. based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea, a start-up visa for someone seeking to establish a business in the U.K. for the first time, and an Intra-company Transfer Visa for established workers who are being transferred by the business they work for to do a skilled role in the U.K. The Student Route and Child Student Route under the new system opened earlier, in October, to eligible international students for the next academic year. The Home Office said its new system will encourage employers to focus on training and investing in the U.K. workforce, driving productivity and improving opportunities for individuals, especially those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Indian industry and students’ groups had broadly welcomed the new post-Brexit points-based regime unveiled by Ms. Patel earlier this year as a means to attract the “brightest and the best” from around the world. Under the system, workers from the EU will be at par with those from outside the economic bloc once its free movement of people rules stop applying to the U.K. at the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31. - PTI
vpbgrqc 2020-12-03 01:24:15
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UK invites Prime Minister Modi to attend G7 summit in Cornwall region in June 2021
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World knew about Jallianwala Bagh massacre
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Philadelphia to Tel Aviv Route to be Discontinued
Earlier this morning, the Company announced that it will be discontinuing its Philadelphia to Tel Aviv route on January 4, 2016. PHL-TLV has not performed well since its inception in 2009. Service between PHL and TLV has been a source of pride for the Philadelphia base and is a popular bid choice for Flight Attendants due to its high credit. According to American Airlines Management, in its six years, the Philadelphia to Tel Aviv route never turned a profit in any year, and has already lost over lost more than $20 million on this service in the past year alone. Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in the United States and is in the top twenty for busiest U.S. airports. We are currently in discussions with the Company regarding their plans for the distribution of time and the aircraft utilization. While we are disappointed in the loss of this route, APFA looks forward to future announcements of growth in PHL and other bases throughout the American Airlines system.
Here are Q and A's that the Company has released:
Q: Will the flight be reinstated in the future, perhaps when we have more opportunity to operate the route with a different aircraft or from a different hub like MIA or JFK?
A: We’ll certainly continue to monitor the viability of reinstating TLV service and will evaluate future opportunities as we bring in new aircraft to the fleet and our network evolves. At this time, we do not anticipate restarting service to Tel Aviv in the near future.
Q: Why did this route work for US Airways for years but shortly after the merger, it does not work for American?
A: The PHL TLV route has never been profitable for our airline. We want to give every route the chance to succeed, andwe gave it a fair shot, but at a certain point, no matter how much we want to serve a particular route; we have to make the right decision for our business.
Q: The PHL TLV flight traditionally operates with high load factors. How can it not be making money?
A: There are a lot of different factors that determine the overall success of a route. Load factor is not the only way, nor the best way, to judge a route’s performance. We also look at overall demand and the fares customers are willing to pay on that route. In the case of PHL TLV, a number of factors have resulted in poor financial performance.
Q: What will happen to customers who are ticketed on the PHL TLV service after the cancellation date?
A: American will be contacting all passengers to make alternative travel arrangements for them, or to offer a full refund. We apologize for the inconvenience that this decision will cause.
Q: What does this say about PHL as a hub? Is there enough connecting traffic for other international flights?
A: Our combined hub structure allows for each of our nine hubs to play a very important role in our overall network strategy. Looking at our international network, PHL is a prime hub for connecting customers to and from main business and leisure destinations throughout Europe and it will continue to be an important strategic hub for our partners through the Atlantic Joint Business.
APFA National Communications Interim Chair
communications@apfa.org
ABOUT APFA: The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, founded in 1977, represents the more than 25,000 active flight attendants at American Airlines. In November 2011, American’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Throughout the bankruptcy trial, APFA President Laura Glading served on the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee where she advocated for the American Airlines Flight Attendants. In February 2013, American and US Airways announced their intention to combine the carriers and on December 9, 2013, AA exited bankruptcy and the merger was final. Achieving a merger inside bankruptcy is unprecedented in the industry and would not have occurred without the efforts of American’s labor unions, particularly APFA.
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MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. LIVE AUCTION - November 10, 2020(#266) 11/10/2020 8:00 AM PST CLOSED!
Lot 487 of 558: Lot #487 - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Set of Daniel Sousa's Accessories
Lot closed - Winning bid:$1,500
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV Series)
A set of Daniel Sousa's accessories from Season 7 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sousa, Peggy Carter's partner and former flame, travels through time with fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents throughout the season. This set consists of a gray wide-brimmed stunt fedora, a wooden cane with a faux gold grip, a brown classified personnel record labeled with a 1950s version of the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo, Sousa's manila paper personal file, two black-and-white photographs of Sousa, and Sousa's urethane-laminated blue 1950s S.H.I.E.L.D. ID. The set is in good overall condition with minor signs of wear from production, including a missing ferrule on the cane.
Estimate: $1,500 - 2,500
This is an original asset used in the production of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The asset is made available through a partnership between Prop Store and Marvel & ABC Studios. This is not a replica, but rather an original item from the making of the production.
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Lot #486 - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Jemma Simmons' 1950s Coroner Costume Components487
Lot #487 - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Set of Daniel Sousa's Accessories488
Lot #488 - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Melinda May's Bomber Jacket489
Lot #489 - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Light-Up Timestream Device
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Classroom video conferencing connects UWRF globally
By Katie Herr
Video conferencing has made its way into the Organization and Administration of Physical Education class of Health and Human Performance lecturer, James Gostomski.
Every Wednesday, his 19 UW-River Falls students sit in a classroom and video conference with a class of 28 students from the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
The students meet in room 329 of the Agricultural Science building and are able to see their foreign counterparts via video on two large screens located at the front and back of the room. The students sit at long tables and have computer screens located in front of them and are able to see the students that way as well.
The class involves writing lesson and unit plans, curriculum evaluation, assigning students from UWRF with students from the University of Trinidad and Tobago for unit plan collaboration and presentations related to physical education. Students from both universities are physical education majors.
Gostomski said he taught at the University of Trinidad and Tobago last year and that he contacted a university professor there to come up with this idea of a joint class.
“We came up with the collaboration of having students work on a joint project and review the physical education curriculum of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a review of a few United States physical education curriculums,” he said.
Gostomski said that a few of the goals of doing a joint class like this would be the students gaining a global awareness of different physical education curriculums, working collaboratively on lesson plans in sports activities that are specific to that country while meeting students from another country and utilizing video conferencing technology in the subject area of physical education.
Jen Terry is a fifth-year student in the class and said that, overall, it is a great experience.
“The technology is great because it is giving us new ways to communicate with other students,” Terry said. “This is the first time in five years that we have used any sort of technology like this in HHP.”
Lisa Strachan is a student at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. She said that she has mixed feelings about communicating with UWRF students on a weekly basis and collaborating on projects.
“The time change causes some frustration-when you are online and your partner isn’t,” Strachan said. “But it is also really cool because you get to meet this great person who is going through the same stresses as you to achieve the same ends as you, only they are in a completely different land and culture.”
Two students from the class will travel to Trinidad and Tobago in January to teach in a high school.
Dylan Wakefield-Dagen, a non-traditional senior, and Stefan Berg, a fourth-year, will spend part of J-term teaching U.S. sports at a high school in Trinidad.
Wakefield-Dagen said he sees this as an opportunity that will greatly benefit his ability to teach physical education.
“I am excited to put my teaching skills to the test in an unfamiliar territory,” he said. “I will be teaching lessons that students there have never participated in, as well as teaching lessons that they are very familiar with and I am not.”
Nick Dangeur, TV services coordinator, said that this semester there are 10 ITV or Distance Learning classes. In these classrooms, the teacher has control to pan the room or zoom in on an individual student with the camera. Students are able to speak into a microphone located on the table in front of them when they want to communicate to other students.
Physics professor, Eileen Korenic, has used the Distance Learning classroom every year to connect as many as four high school classes at one time.
“It’s beneficial for the distance students to get to take a college course and get a jump-start on their college careers,” Korenic said. “We can all see each other and talk to each other in real time.”
Gostomski said there are many advantages to using video conferencing in the classroom.
“One advantage is that it allows students to share and reflect on their physical education major while gaining new international friendships,” he said.
Rebecca Troop, a senior in the class, agrees that making new connections is one of the benefits of video conferencing.
“I think this is a great way to meet new people,” she said. “I have two group members from Trinidad who I really enjoy talking with about stuff besides class.
I really enjoy learning about their culture.”
Gostomski added that another advantage of video conferencing is that it is a valuable technology tool that brings global awareness to students.
“Students in River Falls are able to compare similar strengths and struggles the students in Trinidad have.”
The course will be evaluated at the end of semester to decide if the collaboration with the University of Trinidad and Tobago will continue.
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Uber CEO firm on surge pricing, regardless of the consequences
Jordan Novet@jordannovet January 8, 2014 11:45 AM
Travis Kalanick, cofounder and chief executive of Uber.
Image Credit: Wall Street Journal screen shot
Price spikes at busy times will continue indefinitely on Uber’s alternative car service.
Chief executive Travis Kalanick talked up the importance of the feature in an interview today with the Wall Street Journal. It’s a bold position, coming as it does just a few days after an Uber driver got into a fatal accident while surge pricing was in effect, even if the driver wasn’t providing Uber services at the time.
This matters because the practice is not just unpopular with riders — it could encourage drivers to drive more recklessly in order to pick up more high-priced fares.
“The price must go up for these rides to happen,” Kalanick said in a video interview with the Journal. “If surge pricing doesn’t happen, there is no availability. You can’t get a ride.”
Kalanick defended the practice of surge pricing, arguing that it’s comparable to paying more at certain times for a hotel room or an airplane flight. “You’re OK with that, and you understand it,” Kalanick said in a transcription of the interview. “But in ground transportation, there’s been fixed pricing for 100 years. Because of that, there’s an education process.”
The interview did not apparently touch on the death of 6-year-old Sofia Liu after a car accident in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, which involved Uber driver Syed Muzzafar.
But now that Kalanick is talking about publicly about surge pricing, it’s worth asking if raising prices during peak hours might have played a role in the fatal accident.
Uber’s surge pricing was in effect on New Year’s Eve and early into New Year’s Day.
Now, let’s be clear: Uber has stated clearly that Muzzafar was an Uber driver but that he “was not providing services on the Uber system during the time of the accident.” (Uber subsequently terminated the relationship with him.) But Uber has not stated whether Muzzafar provided Uber services at other times that evening, and the company did not respond to repeated requests for clarification.
A quote for an Uber trip that would have started seven blocks from the site of the accident and ended minutes before 2 a.m. at San Francisco International Airport came out to $227. Rakesh Agrawal, a VentureBeat guest post contributor and principal analyst at reDesign mobile, tweeted out a screenshot of the quote for the ride early on January 1. By contrast, a typical cab ride from downtown San Francisco to SFO costs about $50 to $60, according to TaxiFareFinder.
Uber gave people a heads up for the high prices on New Year’s Eve in a Dec. 30 blog post. A chart in the post suggested that a moderate level of surge pricing could be in effect between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. That would have been the case at the time of the accident.
The company estimated a higher level of surge pricing for the time period when Agrawal checked the price of a trip to SFO (after midnight).
But it’s not like Uber is the only company that raises prices at certain times. Uber competitors Lyft and Sidecar have implemented systems similar to Uber’s surge pricing.
Lyft has an on-peak pricing feature called Prime Time Tips. Lyft drivers take home the tip, not Lyft itself.
Fares ran as high as 100 percent more than usual early on New Year’s Day, a Lyft spokeswoman said in an interview with VentureBeat, although in the preceding days, rates hovered at around 25 percent higher than usual, she said. The company instituted a cap, preventing rates from shooting higher than 200 percent above what’s normal, the spokeswoman said.
In December 2012, Sidecar revealed plans to use surge pricing on New Year’s Eve of that year.
This time around, Sidecar raised prices as much as three times higher than its usual rates, between 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 4 a.m. on New Year’s Day, a spokeswoman wrote in an email to VentureBeat. The higher prices “incentivize drivers to get out on the road during peak hours when people needed them the most,” she wrote.
San Francisco taxis, by contrast, do not alter their prices based on demand. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency mandates that each taxi charges $3.50 for the first one-fifth of a mile it drive after a passenger flags it down. After that, every one-fifth of a mile bumps up the price another 55 cents, and every minute of waiting because of traffic increases the price 55 cents. Riders must pay an extra $2 for a trip to SFO. Drivers charge 150 percent of the rate based on a meter for trips more than 15 miles from the airport, except when drivers go through the city from the airport to Marin County or the East Bay.
Robert Werth, the president of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, a nonprofit trade group representing transportation operators, came out against the practice of surge pricing in a statement a spokesman provided to VentureBeat.
“Transportation app operators should not be allowed to continue to implement surge pricing at will, as this introduces a new driver safety concern for passengers,” Werth said in the statement. “Drivers may speed and ‘stack calls’ to take maximum advantage of the price-gouging revenue opportunity. People who need a ride in a snow or rain storm, in the middle of the night, in a more remote location, or a pickup in a dangerous neighborhood will be faced with either paying price-gouge rates, or getting no ride at all.”
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Vilcek Foundation
The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences.
The Vilcek Foundation Prizes are awarded to foreign-born individuals for extraordinary achievement in the arts and sciences.
Vilcek Prizes
Awarded to immigrants with a legacy of major accomplishment in the biomedical sciences and the arts and humanities.
Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise
Awarded to young immigrant professionals who have demonstrated outstanding achievement early in their careers.
Vilcek Prize for Excellence
Awarded to immigrants who have had a significant impact on American society, or to individuals who are dedicated champions of immigrant causes.
Home > News > Vilcek Prizewinner Spotlight: Neri Oxman
Vilcek Prizewinner Spotlight: Neri Oxman
News | February 3, 2014
Photo credit: Noah Kalina
The work of Israeli-born architect and designer Neri Oxman is so thoroughly creative that science foundations and world-renowned art and design collections alike embrace it for its imaginative and innovative qualities.
Inspired by nature, Neri has developed a new approach to design: material ecology. It aims to establish “a holistic view of design that considers computation, fabrication, and the material itself as inseparable and harmonized dimensions of design.”
Material ecology stands in contrast to assembly lines, “which have dictated a world made of parts framing the imagination of designers and builders.” Neri says. For over a century, “the assumption that parts are made from single materials and fulfill predetermined specific functions is deeply rooted in design and usually goes unquestioned; it is also enforced by the way that industrial supply chains work.” Neri is challenging this condition through her work, by leading the creation of novel tools, techniques, and technologies that lie at the intersection of design and bio-fabrication.
Her approach is elegantly demonstrated in the Silk Pavilion, an installation created by Neri and her research group, Mediated Matter, based at the MIT Media Lab. The structure was fabricated by deploying a swarm of 6,500 silkworms over a robotically fabricated scaffold to collectively spin an architectural enclosure. The varying densities of silk surrounding the structure were determined by the geometry of the framework and controlled through environmental factors such as heat and light. This silk dome represents an architectural experiment based on Neri’s design principles where technology recapitulates nature, in symbiosis.
View through pavilion apertures as the silkworms skin the structure.
Perspective view of the completed Silk Pavilion and the basic research exhibit focusing on fiber density distribution studies (far right).
Neri’s design philosophy is an extension of her personal history: Born and raised in Haifa, Israel, she spent her days in her grandmother’s garden and her nights at her parents’ architectural studio. She grew up “between nature and culture,” pressing leaves and making balsa airplanes. While for Neri “home is not a place, it’s a state of mind,” she found a “home for thinking” at the MIT Media Lab, where she is today the Sony Corporation Career Development and Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Sciences.
Neri immigrated to the United States in 2005 to study under her mentor and world-renowned design theoretician, the late Prof. William J. Mitchell, and she has remained at MIT ever since. In 2011, she married the Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov, winner of the 2008 Vilcek Prize for Music.
Neri and her research team at the MIT Media Lab are currently at work on a novel approach to decentralized additive manufacturing for which she has coined the term “swarm printing” as well as a new “coral pavilion” inspired by and designed for life-forms in the ocean.
Visit our Prizes section to learn more about Neri and the other winners of the 2014 Vilcek Prizes in Design and Biomedical Science!
Email: info@vilcek.org
© 2021 Vilcek Foundation
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Mount St. Mary’s University Surpasses Fundraising Goal in Concluding Forward! Together as One Campaign
“We are blessed by the generosity of our donors who support the university’s strategic growth in educating the next generation of Mount students in the Catholic intellectual tradition.” – Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D., Mount St. Mary’s University President
EMMITSBURG, Md. (PRWEB) December 24, 2020
In concluding its Forward! Together as One Campaign this month, Mount St. Mary’s University has raised $33.9 million from 10,548 donors in support of the university community’s shared vision to educate the next generation of ethical leaders to lead lives of significance in service to God and others. The campaign, begun in 2018, originally sought to raise $30 million.
“We are blessed by the generosity of our donors who support the university’s strategic growth in educating the next generation of Mount students in the Catholic intellectual tradition,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “In its 212-year history, the Mount has been nurturing the mind, body and spirit of thousands of Mounties, many of whom who have gone on to make major contributions to society and have given back to their alma mater in countless ways.”
The campaign built on the lasting values of a strong, Catholic liberal arts tradition by making a commitment to enrich the mind, body and spirit of Mount students through increased collaborative learning and cocurricular space, improved lab space and other enhancements in academic facilities; new athletic and recreation facilities; and projects at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.
“These much needed resources will keep Mount St. Mary’s as one of the preeminent Catholic universities,” said Rich Miller, C’74, Forward! Campaign chair and vice chair of the Mount St. Mary’s University Board of Trustees. “I would like to thank President Tim Trainor and Vice President for University Advancement Bob Brennan for their leadership in bringing the Forward! Campaign to a successful conclusion. I am especially grateful to all my associates on the board of trustees for their support in addition to our many friends and alumni across the country.”
Major projects funded by the campaign include:
Knott Academic Center renovation and expansion, funded by a state grant and generous donations from the Bolte Family Foundation and Raphael Della Ratta, C’92. The project includes construction of an approximately 12,140 square foot addition and renovation of the 49,074 square foot existing building. The upgrade includes enhancing the learning environment and building new classrooms, a Bloomberg Classroom Laboratory and faculty offices.
Enhancements to the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, including collaborative and multipurpose learning space in the Delaplaine Family Academic Commons and renovation of Coad Science Building labs, classrooms and offices.
A transformational gift to athletics from John J. and Patrick J. Rooney, both C’60, and their spouses JoAnn and Sandy, is substantially funding the Rooney Athletic Performance Center that will promote growth and enhanced performances for the university’s NCAA Division I athletic program as well as increased intramural sport and recreation opportunities for all students.
The Palmieri Activities Center, built in 2019, provides space for concerts and other large-scale activities such as bingo as well as student club and organization meetings. The rollup doors allowed mid-size events to be held in the PAC in Fall 2020 as the pandemic restricted use of indoor spaces.
A new pathway between Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, to be known as The Way, will allow thousands of people to enjoy a more prayerful journey from the seminary to the National Shrine Grotto. The pathway will offer places for reflection with benches and memorials dedicated to saints.
Mount St. Mary’s Seminary has been upgraded with a new HVAC system, water heaters, showers, installation of glass in offices and classroom doors for security and transparency and major repairs to the front porch of McSweeny Hall. The Seminary will continue to raise funds needed for additional repairs and upgrades to the historic buildings, including improved lighting and audio visual in St. Bernard’s Chapel and new windows.
When the economy went into recession due to the global pandemic, Vice President for University Advancement Bob Brennan, C’85, expected that economic conditions would lengthen the Forward! Campaign. However, the Mount community and friends of the university continued to support the campaign, allowing it to close in 2020.
“As many people have said, there is something special about the Mount,” Brennan said. “This campaign is a testament to the generosity and dedication of the university’s alumni and friends who believe in the university’s mission and our vision for the future. The Mount family has ensured a bright future for current and future students.”
About Mount St. Mary’s University
Mount St. Mary’s University is a private, liberal arts, Catholic university in the Catoctin Mountains near historic Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a satellite campus in Frederick, Maryland’s second largest city. The university offers more than 80 majors, minors, concentrations and special programs for traditional undergraduate students, and more than 20 adult undergraduate and graduate level programs as well as 24 NCAA Division I athletic teams. The Mount includes Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, the second oldest in the United States, and the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, an idyllic shrine for spiritual reflection located on the hill above the university.
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