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The High Times Interview: Redman
byDanny Danko
Photo by Dale Shirley
In 1993, Redman—a.k.a. Reggie Noble—was a new-school rapper fresh off a solo debut (1992’s Whut? Thee Album) teaching hip-hop fans “How to Roll a Blunt” when he made his High Times debut on our March ’93 cover. Since then, Redman has hosted our awards shows, headlined (and judged at) various Cannabis Cups and, of course, graced the pages of the magazine numerous times. It’s safe to say that Redman—known as your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper—is also HT’s favorite rapper. Sure, he’s an elite rhyme-maker and brilliant performer who’s achieved success through his solo work, mixtape mastery and long-time collaboration with Method Man, including the legendary stoner flick How High. But if you spend five minutes with Redman, you’ll be swept away by his genuine positivity for all things cannabis. He may be the only guy in the game not trying to get rich off the marijuana industry—an industry he helped pave the way for through his tireless promotion of the plant. We caught up with Mr. Noble shortly after his performance in front of a capacity crowd at the 2017 SoCal Cannabis Cup.
HT: You’ve had a relationship with High Times for a long time ….
RM: Very long time.
And played shows at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam.
Absolutely—the best time in Amsterdam.
Do you have a favorite Cannabis Cup memory there?
Taking a picture with Jack [Herer] before he passed. That was legendary for me. And the performance was fabulous, and the place we stayed in—that rented house—it was just full of marijuana. And we rolled a big hash blunt—a big, fat slab of hash, spread that shit out and put marijuana in it, rolled the whole fucking hash slab with weed in it, and that shit was amazing.
How has the weed scene changed since the ’80s and ’90s?
Well, it got stronger, definitely. Got greener. On the East Coast, you know, we don’t get it like y’all get it on the West Coast, so it definitely upgraded in our sector, I would say, by the greenery, by the taste, by the high. But the politics of it has grown—it being legalized, you know—and the medical side of it, how it’s helping people and helping disorders. It’s just fascinating how many cannabinoids pot has—and THC is just one of them. So the science of it, the political side of it… I love how Denver, Colorado, is using it: They’re helping the state grow with it, helping education and things like that. So there’s a lot of things that this plant has done over the years since I came in the game of just wanting to get high.
Now, it’s more business. But I love the way it’s helping people, too. I love the way that medical patients are turning away from over-the-counter drugs and turning to CBD strains and seeing how it’s better. That fascinates me. It seems like I was a part of something and I didn’t know it was going to grow this big, and I was there helping promote it.
Speaking of the industry, you’re involved with a brand called CannaMark that focuses on safety in edibles, right?
Yeah, CannaMarkUSA. Well, Redman and Method Man… we don’t have our name on vape pens, or a Redman and Method Man grow. I’m looking at the bigger picture. I want to be behind the safety of digesting and smoking marijuana when it’s legalized, because I know it’s going to be legalized throughout the whole world. I believe in that. It will be.
But I want to be behind the safety of it, and CannaMarkUSA right now is a company that doesn’t deal with the marijuana plant itself, but it’s the first FDA-approved edible with a 100-percent-all-natural warning label that goes right on the infused candy. We’re just trying to stop kids from ingesting candy that they don’t know [has weed in it], and people trying to blame pot on their actions and shit like that. So we have this label that goes directly on the candy, and it comes with an app: You can actually take your phone and go over that candy to see what it’s infused with. You can take your phone and it’ll read that candy right on the spot, tell you how many grams it’s infused with, even how many bites you should take before you get fucked up, who manufactured it, is it a sativa, indica or hybrid—all the goodies. And it tells you even more. You can look us up: CannaMarkUSA. That’s what I’m a part of.
And a Blazenow app that we dropped—the Redman and Method Man Blazenow app. It’s an app that tells you all the hottest dispensaries and more. I’m behind the company, like I have stock in that company—I feel good in it. So we want y’all to go tune in to that app.
You’ve been part of the High Times family for years. You were on the cover a few times.
Well, first of all, I was knocking on y’all door to be on the fucking cover—first of fucking all, all right? Because, like I said earlier, we was smoking a lot of brown weed. Now, don’t get me wrong: You get some good brown, some good tar weed, some sticky tar—oh yeah, we puts it down in the East Coast for that. But at that time, I seen Cypress Hill on the fucking cover. It was like the first rap group on the cover, and they had that goddamned green bud I never seen that was from Cali. I was like, “There’s something out there, another world that I’m not a part of,” and y’all guys were the first ones to show that, to tie in the rap world with the marijuana world. I was like, “Something’s ’bout to boil,” and I had to be on the cover. That’s when I knocked on y’all door. I said, “I gotta be on it,” and then I took my picture. I had my little blunt—I explained how to roll a blunt and everything. It was good.
Redman’s first High Times cover, March 1993
How long have you been performing with Method Man?
Since about 1939… no, I’ve been performing with my dude since 1994. We was on the road. We did the first promotional tour, which was known as the “Month of the Man” tour. Def Jam sponsored that. We was under Def Jam; they put us two together in a van, and we toured the cities doing in-store, shaking hands, communicating .… Which you people don’t know about now because you got all this fancy Internet bullshit, but we actually had to go out and sell records and go to stores and shake fans’ hands and sign autographs right there. We didn’t have too many outlets, so that’s what took us there: that struggle, that motivation of being in a van traveling, knowing that we wanted more. That’s where we created the song “How High”—on the road.
And that became the inspiration for the film How High?
Oh yeah, later on they just tagged on us smoking. We was like Cheech & Chong—they called us the Cheech & Chong of the rap world.
We heard something about a How High 2. Is it really in the works?
How High 2 is in the works. I know y’all bastards out there been hearing us say this for like 10 years. And my mom is up and telling me, “Pray for what you want.” So I’ve been praying about this, and I think Universal—maybe Focus—picked up the movie. It’s being written, but we’re a little shaky on the written part. So you know how that go, the political part of it—I won’t do the shit unless it’s fucking funny. I won’t taint the first fucking one; I’ll leave it as a legend and do something new. But I will not do no corny fucking shit like they did on that other goddamned movie—I ain’t gonna call it out…
Right now, you guys are on the Mount Kushmore tour. Was that name inspired by the HIGH TIMES cover [featuring Snoop Dogg, B-Real, Redman and Method Man on the June 2014 issue]?
Abso-fucking-lutely! Wooooooo! I’m glad I was a part of that, too. I helped put that together. And, you know, just getting all us together—it was time. And who better to do it with than the pioneers of High Times?
The famed June 2014 Mount Kushmore cover
You’re also an honorary member of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Shit, the craziest meeting I had out of all the members is RZA. Sitting down with RZA is like sitting down talking to someone from outer space, out of this world.
And you were obviously an important member of Def Squad.
I’m still an important member of Def Squad. That’s my first team.
I’m dropping Muddy Waters 2. That’s what I’m doing first. I’m bringing it back… no, it’s already back—fuck that. I’m just giving y’all that ’90s feel of beats, something else different. I like to give eargasms and shit, you know? Ain’t nobody giving eargasms no more. Nobody ain’t fucking you in the ear no more. I want to fuck you in the ear with some music.
What are your thoughts on dabbing and the concentrates craze?
That dabbing is serious. You gotta be a champ to be dabbing all fucking day and do business. That’s just a little bit too much for me. I tried it a couple of times, but I fucked around and tried it before I went onstage. I was onstage, I was fucking up, forgetting shit. But afterwards I hit it, a good, clean sativa dab. But I wouldn’t do it on the regular, because the setup is just too fucking much—you know, you gotta put this here and rig that there and burn this here and burn the right part going in there and then… it’s a little bit too much. I’d rather just roll that blunt, keep it moving. Keep it swift.
What’s the best weed you’ve ever smoked?
Sour Diesel is one of my favorites to smoke because it gives me good motivation, gives me energy. I like to work a lot: I’m in a studio maybe 16 hours a day. I’m a studio bunny, so I can’t fuck with indica too much—not at all during the day. I don’t like to be sluggish; I like to be energized, I like to be creative. But a good hybrid, like the XJ-1, I just can’t get my hands on enough of that goddamned junk. Besides the Blue Dream and some simple, good sativas, a fresh batch of XJ-1—oh my God, you’ll be cleaning and writing rhymes at the same time, vacuuming and shit, sweeping and shit, writing rhymes. And it’s good. It’s like caffeine—I don’t drink coffee and shit, so XJ-1 take me there. And then, maybe at night, I might get a good Cookie or something like that. I like that Gelato too, that new Gelato. Oooh, Lord.
What have you learned about the cannabis industry after all these years?
That I’m not in it for the money. You know that—goddamn, I forgot what I was on, TMZ? I forget who was interviewing me. They was boxing me in, like telling me about, you know, people who’s succeeding in having marijuana farms and investing in marijuana farms and why haven’t I done that yet, why haven’t I capitalized on making money off this plant that I’ve been promoting for years? For one, I’m in it for the help and for the knowledge and to really help people. That’s what I’m about, and that’s what I told them, too.
They tried to box me in, but I stood my ground. My mama called me—and she don’t call me for shit—and she was like, “You know what? I like how you stood your ground. I know your black ass been smoking all these years, and I’ve been trying to get your black ass to stop smoking, but I see what it’s about from that interview, that you’re really serious about helping these people. And they tried to get you out your goddamn zone, but you stayed in your goddamn zone.”
And that’s where I’m at—I want to help people. I’m glad that it’s helping people. I’m glad people can enjoy this plant that we’ve been talking about for years. I’m glad that y’all at High Times are getting out the knowledge and the proper understanding of what this plant is about—and it’s not just about recreational. That’s what I’m glad I’m a part of, and I hope that y’all help legalize this plant through all 50 states. Let’s help your community and let’s help your state grow and educate and put money back in your state.
You’re such a great ambassador for cannabis, and for hip-hop—every time you perform, you always give it your all.
When I’m out there walking with a walker, I’m still going to be performing for HIGH TIMES. Fuck that… yes, sir!
Danny Danko
Danny Danko is a writer, photographer and the Senior Cultivation Editor of High Times magazine. He has selected High Times’ annual Top 10 Strains of the Year since 2005 and is also the creator and founder of the High Times Seed Bank Hall of Fame, author of The Official High Times Field Guide to Marijuana Strains and the forthcoming book Cannabis: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Marijuana. He hosts the podcast High Times presents "Free Weed from Danny Danko."
How Long Is Male Cannabis Pollen Viable?
Higher Tech: The Geeks Are Taking Over the Cannabis Industry
byRobyn Griggs Lawrence
A collection of anticipated films that are set to be released in 2021.
byTim Brinkhof
Up-and-coming hip hop artist Billy Bands talks about his background, his music, and his appreciation for our favorite herb.
byJustin Ivey
The Authenticity Of Grandson
The Canadian-American singer/songwriter opens up about the inspiration behind his debut album, “Death of an Optimist, '' and his longtime relationship with cannabis.
byStephen Laddin
Chelsea Handler Releases New Inauguration-Themed Cannabis Kit
Chelsea Handler's new cannabis kit, "America Is Back" is officially available for purchase!
byAddison Herron-Wheeler
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“What Is It Like to Grow Up in a Place That’s Going Away?”: The Last Generation, an Interactive Documentary Telling the Stories of Kids from the Marshall Islands
Wilmer Joel, Julia Rijino and Izerman Yamaguchi-Kotton. (Photos by Michelle Mizner/GroundTruth/FRONTLINE)
By Jessie Mai Mitnick, age 12
Izerman Yamaguchi-Kotton, a 9-year-old boy, squats down on the shoreline of his local beach, arranging white-and-fawn-striped shells from smallest to largest. Every morning after breakfast he loves to come down to the beach and check on his pet crabs in the rock pools. His hobbies include collecting bugs, snorkeling on the reef, and one day he wants to become an entomologist and study the insects and wildlife of his home, the Marshall Islands. He says that life on his island of Majuro “is free.”
Izerman’s story is one of three stories in The Last Generation, an interactive documentary by Katie Worth and Michelle Mizner for The GroudTruth Project, about how kids who live in the Marshall Islands are being affected by climate change. Through videos, photos, interviews and text, this project transports you into their classrooms and their homes, giving you a window into their daily lives and an understanding of what they’re experiencing.
Izerman loves his home and does not want to leave. But climate change is threatening the Marshall Islands and the lives of all the people he loves.
The Marshall Islands consist of two archipelagos, or two island chains, and 29 atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Climate change is causing ice to melt in the North and South poles and sea levels to rise, and because the Marshall Islands are only two meters above sea level, they are at risk of flooding.
But The Last Generation doesn’t just focus on how rising sea levels will impact the island and its residents, but also how rising temperatures in the ocean are causing coral bleaching and killing marine plants and animals in the area.
Even though the Marshall Islands barely contribute to climate change—they have committed to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050—they are the ones suffering the biggest consequences.
Since 1995, almost 20,000 Marshallese have left the islands, including lots of Izerman’s family. Climate change is becoming a more prominent factor in people’s reason to leave. The documentary highlights young people because they are the ones who will be impacted the hardest. The Marshall Islands has a very young population. It’s home to 50,000 people, and half of them are under 18. The country could become uninhabitable within their lifetime.
Julia Rijino
This is not the first time Marshallese have been forced from their homes and their safety threatened.
The family of Julia Rijino, another young person profiled in the documentary is actually from another island in the Marshall Islands. Her family’s homeland is called Bikini but everyone who lived there — including her grandparents — had to leave because the U.S. used the land to test nuclear bombs.
The U.S. took control of the Marshall Islands in 1944 during the Second World War, because of its strategic position in the Pacific. They started testing nuclear weapons there from 1946 and it went on until 1958. In that time, the U.S. tested 67 nuclear bombs. “We’re not at Bikini anymore because it’s poisoned,” Julia says. The Marshall Islands gained its independence from U.S. control in 1986, but the legacy of what the U.S. did there still impacts them today.
Julia dreams of becoming a scientist so she can test the levels of radiation on Bikini. Just like Izerman, Julia knows how climate change is impacting her home, but she doesn’t want to leave, in fact she wants to make it better for them.
Wilmer Joel
Wilmer Joel, another person profiled in the documentary, is a 12-year-old boy who dreams of becoming the president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands because he thinks presidents can make the country a better place. He is passionate about his home and is dedicated to doing everything in his capacity to preserve it. “When the Marshall Islands will be gone, it’s like the end of life to me. Like, the end of the world,” he says. Wilmer will not leave the Marshall Islands whatever the consequences are. It is his home and he is devoted to never letting climate change or any other reason take that away.
Katie Worth and Michelle Mizner created The Last Generation as a platform for three passionate children who live in the Marshall Islands to tell their stories. They are giving the world a new perspective on climate change as they show how it is changing the lives of many individuals, including children.
Since June 2017, when Donald Trump announced that he was pulling the U.S. out from the Paris Climate Agreement—a UN policy to cut greenhouse gas emissions to reduce climate change— the estimates for how long until major flooding will hit the Marshall Islands dropped to only 38 years from 2018. But the Marshall Islands aren’t the only place being greatly affected by climate change. According to a study mentioned in the documentary, from 2017, 153 million people live in environments that could be completely underwater by 2100. Many of these people are children just like Izerman, Julia, and Wilmer.
Wilmer will not let climate change force him away from the only home he’s ever known, “Someday I will prove to them wrong. This island is not going to be gone. Because I am dedicated to this place. Like, I was destined to be in this place. That’s why I’m going to stay here. I’m not going to leave. I’m going to stay watch. Even if it means to drown…But in my perspective the Marshall Islands are still here today. We must help each other and fight back.”
“If the science is true, the best thing I can do is prepare an action plan,” he says.
Watch the interactive documentary to find out what these young people are experiencing and what they say needs to happen to prevent their homes from disappearing:
thegroundtruthproject.org/last-generation
Atolls- coral islands consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon.
Prominent – important or well known.
Uninhabitable – A place where you are unable to live in
Coral bleaching – corals are invertebrate (animals that have no backbone) marine animals that live in tropical oceans. Corals have polyps that use calcium carbonate (limestone) from seawater to build a hard, cup-shaped skeleton. They also have algae that live on the polyps, which give the corals nutrients and their color. As the algae are plants, they can get energy from the sun via photosynthesis and transfer this food to the coral. When temperatures become too high algae can die. When that algae goes, so does the coral’s source of food. This loss of colorful algae means the coral looks white, or “bleached.” If temperatures do not quickly return to safe levels, the corals starve and die. In addition to climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, not only make the water warmer, the gases also make the water more acidic, which makes it difficult for coral to grow and survive.
Radiation- is energy that moves from one place to another. There are different forms of radiation and nuclear radiation is one of them. Nuclear radiation, from things such as nuclear weapons or nuclear power disasters can have very dangerous impacts on your health.
Justin Hamilton on March 20, 2020 at 2:27 pm
Long time supporter, and thought I’d drop a comment.
Your organization’s wordpress site is very sleek – hope you don’t mind me
asking what theme you’re using? (and don’t mind if I steal it?
:P)
I just launched my small businesses site –also built in wordpress like
yours– but the theme slows (!) the site down quite a bit.
In case you have a minute, you can find it by
searching for “royal cbd” on Google (would appreciate any feedback) – it’s still in the works.
Keep up the good work– and hope you all take care of yourself during the coronavirus scare!
Justin on March 25, 2020 at 2:39 am
Tabitha on May 8, 2020 at 6:49 am
Woᴡ that was stгangе. I jusаt wrote an incredibly lоng comment butt after I clicked submit
my comment ԁidn’t appеar. Grrrr… weⅼl I’m not writing
all that over again. Ɍegardlesѕ, just wаntdd tto say great Ьlog!
Leave a Reply to Justin Hamilton Cancel reply
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IAWA Literary Series NYC Presents
Maria Fama is the author of seven books of poetry including Mystics in the Family, Looking for Cover, and the newly released, Other Nations: an animal journal. Her work appears in numerous publications and has been anthologized. Fama has read her poetry in many cities across the country, read one of her stories on National Public Radio, and co-founded a video production company. Her poems have won prizes, including the Amy Tritsch Needle Award and the Aniello Lauri Prize. In 1998 her poem “6:35 AM” was a finalist in the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards. She lives and works in Philadelphia.
Annie Rachele Lanzillotto debuts her new double book of poetry / memoir:”Hard Candy: caregiving, mourning, and stagelight” and “Pitch Roll Yaw” (2018, Guernica Editions). Her most recent albums of of songs are: “Never Argue With a Jackass” and “Swampjuice: Yankee With A Southern Peasant Soul.” Her albums, memoir, L is for Lion (SUNY Press, Lambda Literary Award Finalist), poetry collection Schistsong (Bordighera Press) and the accompanying audiobooks which she narrated, are all available through www.annielanzillotto.com, and audiobooks on Audible.com.
WHEN: Saturday April 14, 2018 @ 5:30-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Sidewalk Café 94 Avenue A (6th Street), Manhattan
COVER: $8 includes beverage
CONTACT: www.sidewalkny.com; 212-473-7373
IAWA: iawa.net IAWA Newsletter: newsletter@iawa.net Edited by Christina Bruni
Send all announcements at least two weeks in advance.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on January 16, 2018 by christina.
Recipient of the Dante Award in 2016, Laura Caparrotti is a director, actress, journalist, teacher, lecturer, consultant, dialect-coach, curator with an Italian accent. She has studied and worked professionally for over ten years in Italy before relocating to NY where she founded KIT-Kairos Italy Theater, now the most well known Italian Theater Company in New York and In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY, the first Italian Theater Festival to take place in all five boroughs and beyond. Kit-Kairos Italy Theater is in residence at NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’.
Angela Alaimo O’Donnell teaches at Fordham University and is Associate Director of Fordham’s Curran Center for American Catholic Studies. Her fifth collection of poems, Still Pilgrim was published this spring. Additional publications include a memoir, Mortal Blessings, and a critical biography, Flannery O’Connor: Fiction Fired by Faith. O’Donnell is also an essayist and regular contributor to America magazine.
WHEN: Saturday, March 10 2018 @ 5:45 – 7:45 pm
WHERE: @ Cornelia St. Café @ 29 Cornelia St. off Bleecker
COVER: $10 includes complimentary drink.
CONTACT: www.corneliastreetcafe.com; or 212-989-9319.
DIRECTIONS: A, B, C, D, E, F, and M to West 4th St. or 1 to Christopher St.-Sheridan Sq.
Angelo Verga and Mary Giaimo
Angelo Verga is the author of seven collections of poetry, the most recent being Long & Short, including The Street in Your Head (YBK, 2016). Other works include A Hurricane Is (Jane Street, 2002) and Praise for What Remains (Three Rooms, 2009). His work has been published in more than 100 poetry venues, both here and abroad, and has been widely anthologized and translated. He was an owner of Cornelia Street Café, where his programs (1997-2015) created a home for poets and audiences alike.
Mary Giaimo is a New York City poet and educator. Her poetry and criticism have appeared or are forthcoming in Barrow Street, The Journal, VIA: Voices in Italian Americana, The Ocean State Review, ItalianAmericanWriters.com, Poetry in Performance, American Book Review, Newtown Literary and in the anthology New Hungers for Old: One Hundred Years of Italian American Poetry. She holds an MA in Poetry from the City College of New York. She teaches English literature and writing at La Scuola d’Italia, a dual-language Italian/English school in Manhattan.
WHEN: Saturday February 10, 2018 @ 5:30-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: @ Sidewalk Café, 94 Avenue A (6th Street) East Village, NYC-10009
IAWA Literary Series Boston Presents
IAWA in Boston presents at I AM Books:
Saturday February 17
Open Mic (sign-up at 5:45)
Lo Galluccio, poet, memoirist and vocal artist, served as Cambridge’s Poet Populist from 2013 to 2015. Her published works are: Hot Rain (Ibbetson St. Press), Terrible Baubles (Propaganda Press) and a prose-poem memoir, Sarasota VII (Cervena Barva Press). She has performed at many venues in Boston and New York City.
Mary Bonina’s two poetry collections are Living Proof (2007) and Clear Eye Tea (2010). Author of My Father’s Eyes: A Memoir, she has also recently completed a novel. Bonina is a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and on the Board of the Writers Room of Boston.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on January 7, 2018 by christina.
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Home / Sport / UConn gets promise from first women’s basketball prospect Azzi Fudd
UConn gets promise from first women’s basketball prospect Azzi Fudd
November 11, 2020 Sport 0 Views
Azzi Fudd (Azzi Fudd) is the consensus highest prospect of the 2021 annual women’s basketball. She ended many years of speculation on Wednesday and announced that she will participate in UConn in the fall, becoming one of the most dynasty sports in sports history.
Fude was only 12 years old when she received her first scholarship. She was on a par with the WNBA superstar and Hall of Famer Maya Moore (Hall of Famer Maya Moore). At the age of 15, she outperformed the best boy in the country at Stephen Curry’s SC30 Select Camp. At the age of 16, she became the first sophomore in history to win the Gatorade National Women’s Basketball Association Player of the Year Award. She turns 1
8 on Wednesday and plans to sign her national letter of intent on the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period to commemorate this occasion.
A 5-foot-11 guard/forward from St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C., announced her decision after recovering from a devastating knee injury in April 2019 for most of the past 18 months-American Basketball U18 team ACL and MCL tear apart 3×3 tournaments-due to the coronavirus pandemic, most of the past eight months have been separated from competitive basketball.
Fude said: “I know UConn can make me the best player.” After returning from injury in the last 19 games of junior high school, Fude averaged 19.2 PPG and 3.5 RPG.
Fudd, named after Hall of Fame player Jennifer Azzi, became Kennedy’s fourth potential candidate in the past five years, and she may be the best so far. A connoisseur of the game has regarded her jump shots as works of art.
NBA two-time MVP Stephen Curry said: “She can go at full speed, stop for a dime, and loosen like a feather.” “I think she has more textbook jumps than anyone I have ever seen. Line. Maybe it’s Klay Thompson and Az Fudd…. You go to Ray Allen, Klay Thompson and Az Fudd in the textbook. You will teach others how to shoot formation with their guns.”
Azzi Fudd’s journey to make university decisions was not easy-or fast. This is the story of the six-year recruitment experience, which made Fudd widely predicted by scouts, coaches and basketball insiders as the person who will change the landscape of college basketball and even the WNBA-choosing coach Geno Auriemma’s legendary plan.
Azzi Fudd averaged 26.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He was the first sophomore in history to win the Gatorade National Women’s Basketball Player of the Year award. Both WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne showed it to her. Catalina Fragoso
A few weeks after Ford graduating from sixth grade, her mother, Katie, received a call from her husband, Tim, who told her to go to the campus in Maryland, 25 miles from Fulders’ home in northern Virginia. . Tim drove Azzi to campus earlier in the day so she could participate in the elite training camp in Maryland, a summer skills training camp for athletes aged 12 to 18. She opposes middle school and senior students-four, five and six years older than 12-year-old Azzi-she has her own children.
Tim looked at his daughter and said, “I think you need to come over.” “Coach [Brenda] Fries wants to have a meeting. “
Katie, who has performed at North Carolina State University and Georgetown University (Georgetown), met Tim and Azzi in Frese’s office. Azzi chewed on a salad five months before her 13th birthday, but forgot the great moment that was coming. At that time, at the June 2015 meeting, Frese provided Azzi with her first scholarship-since then, at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, he worked at the University of Maryland (University of Maryland). Maryland) performed for 6½ years.
“What do you want to say?” Katie asked her daughter.
Archie looked up from the salad, shrugged, and smiled brightly. “Thank you!”
After the meeting, Aziz returned to the camp to continue the game.
Katie stayed, looking at Tim. “Wow.”
At that meeting and in the summer of 2015, Fudds embarked on a conscription tour to every corner of the country. In September, they stopped at Notre Dame Cathedral on their way to Minnesota, and then visited the University of California, Los Angeles, while spending Christmas in California with Katie’s family. Azzi was in the stands on February 8, 2016, when UConn was playing South Carolina at the Colonial Life Arena. That summer, the family moved between Michigan and Michigan. Join them in their travel tradition.
A year later, in the summer after Fuld’s eighth grade, the Fulds went south to visit Louisville and Vanderbilt, and then set off in Knoxville on their way home to visit the legendary University of Tennessee. In the fall of freshman graduation, a few months later, Furdd came to Storrs for the first time.
Six years of phone calls, letters, emails, and spontaneous road trips, each school has its own advantages and each has its disadvantages. Each pitch is slightly different-more whirlpools are added to the decision-making tornado in this teenager’s mind.
Fude said: “I hate making decisions.” Fude was the last uncommitted top 35 player at the beginning of the NCAA’s early signing period. “Every time I sit down and think about it, I shed tears. I don’t want to talk to my parents because they are not emotional people.”
Tim said that he had played college games in American universities: “Last year she became very quiet.”
Azzi, with his parents Tim and Katie, has been seeking scholarships from my division coach for six years. John Loomis for ESPN
On August 27, Fude sat at the dining table of his grandmother’s in Shoreview, Minnesota, holding two pieces of paper. Tim sits on her right and Granny Karen is on her left. Katie’s stepmother, Karen, appointed herself to facilitate the dialogue between Azzi and Tim. Katie should have joined, but because her mother fell ill, she has returned to Virginia.
It has been six years since Fudd sat in Coach Frese’s office. Since then, she has become the youngest member of the national team to win U16 and U17 gold medals. In the sophomore contest that won the national award, she averaged 26.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
She considered offers from UConn, Louisville, Oregon, UCLA, Kentucky, Texas, Notre Dame Cathedral and Maryland. However, when she sat with her father and Grandma Karen, there were 76 days before the signing date, and she had only the last two left: UConn and UCLA.
A few weeks ago, when the family discussion about Azzi University’s decision (one in hundreds of people in a family over the years) began, the need for Grandma Karen became clear.
“I’m about me,” Tim said now. He wants Azzi to understand that he can’t just jump on the plane to play a game if she is not there. Say, at UCLA. When he went to the United States, his parents were there. “I can hear my mother calling my name on a stage with 20,000 people. These are precious memories for me now.”
“To be honest, my father is a bit dramatic,” Fude said. “When I heard him say that, I just rolled my eyes.”
After dinner, returning to Shoreview, Grandma Karen started to mediate. That morning, she asked Tim and Azzi to compile a list of pros and cons for each school. She asked her son and granddaughter to share with each other without judgment or interruption.
When Azzi read the list, Tim found himself surprised by the depth of thinking. “We know who [programs] Yes, but I don’t know why she likes them. “
The next morning, Azzi strolled from the bedroom upstairs to Grandma Karen’s office. She found her grandmother sitting behind the table. Azzi sits on the floor and plays with her dog Curry. Karen asked Azzi what she thought of the conversation the night before. Azzi said she would consider everything Tim said and arguments that forced mediation. She considered what she wanted in her basketball career and the importance of having parents who have been coaches in the stands. She started to make a decision, but still needed more time.
Azzi Fudd missed most of his time in junior high school. They recovered from the torn ACL and MCL. Then, a few weeks after she returned to court, the coronavirus pandemic swept the country. Through all this, she has been among the best in the 2021 class. John Loomis for ESPN
When her father was driving along I-84, she was sitting in the back seat of the family minivan, a few miles from the exit to UConn, about six hours away from home, and Fudd thought it was time. It was October 22, and they were on their way to Storrs to make Paige Bueckers, now UConn’s new student and Fude’s best friend, happy birthday.
During the months sitting in Grandma Karen’s dining room, Azzi’s decision was clear.
With only three of them, nothing can derail the discussion. There are no last-minute training sessions or night naps. There was no interference at all, only three in the narrow area of the Beige Chrysler Pacifica.
Katie said in front of the van: “You should do your homework.”
“U,” Azzi sneered. She retorted: “Don’t you want to talk about school?”
“Sure,” Katie said.
Azton stopped.
She said: “I’m going to UConn.”
When the words fell in her mouth, Azzi saw Tim’s shoulders lifted from the driver’s seat and his shoulders relaxed. He was relieved.ended
Katie turned and smiled from the passenger seat: “I am proud of you.”
It is expected that Azzi Fudd will join the former first forward Paige Bueckers and Christyn Williams in the UConn lineup for the 2021-22 season. Combat. Illustration by John Loomis/ESPN
Since 2012, Ford’s promise may provide the #1 recruiting class for Eskimo Dogs.
In Storrs, she will join the esoteric backcourt and is expected to top the top rookies in 2020, Chrisyn Williams (Chrisyn Williams) and Bueckers (Bueckers) as the first place in 2018. UConn has never won a championship since 2016-the brief decline in dominance seems even incredible.However, UConn has not had a championship for more than four years. twice Since winning the first trophy in 1995.
So how many championships does Fude want?
She said, “Well, obviously four.”
Sources said the Los Angeles Chargers hired Brandon Staley of the Rams as coach
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Home > IV Online magazine > 2018 > IV519 - April 2018 > Madrid’s mounting repression against Catalan movement provokes new (...)
Spanish State/Catalonia
Madrid’s mounting repression against Catalan movement provokes new international solidarity
Friday 13 April 2018, by Richard Fidler
The poster above portrays some of the major Catalan political leaders imprisoned without trial at this moment, while the text below it outlines the balance-sheet to date of police and legal attacks on Catalans trying to implement their right to self-determination.
The Spanish state’s repression is now a major issue in Germany, where former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was arrested March 25, pursuant to a Spanish judge’s warrant while travelling by car from northern Europe to Belgium, where he was living in exile. His arrest provoked immediate mass protests in Catalonia.
German prosecutors are seeking to extradite Puigdemont to Spain where, along with other jailed and exiled Catalan nationalist leaders, he faces charges of “rebellion,” which carries a sentence of 30 years imprisonment.
The Spanish court has issued similar arrest warrants against other Catalan leaders now in exile in Belgium, Scotland and Switzerland. Writing in the Catalan daily Ara April 3, legal expert Javier Pérez Royo noted that each of the extradition judges, irrespective of their country, “knows that the individual cases that they are expected to decide on are all linked by a common thread. And all of them realise that this affair has taken centre stage as far as Europe’s public opinion is concerned, as a browse through the papers will easily confirm.” [1]
There is “a shared link” in all of these cases, Pérez Royo added: “what constitutes a crime of rebellion in a democratic European country well into the 21st century?”
In a manifesto concerning the Catalan prosecutions published in November in the Spanish on-line newspaper El Diario, more than 100 professors of criminal law from throughout Spain state that “it’s seriously mistaken to consider the facts as constituting a crime of rebellion [as defined by] article 474 of the Penal Code” because... the “structural element of this crime, which is violence, is absent.” [2] In fact, as many commentators point out, the violence in Catalonia in the events in question, in September and October, was exercised by the police in their widely publicized efforts to stop the Catalan people from voting in the referendum on independence.
Professor Pérez Royo argues that “all four judges know that their answer will establish a European common denominator on the subject of rebellion crimes. Even if they do it in their own individual way, together they will decide what a crime of rebellion is and what it is not; what sort of ‘violence’ is required for an event to be characterised as a crime of rebellion.”
And he finds a Canadian angle:
“There are times when a decision by one nation’s jurisdictional body becomes a reference for the others. The case of the Canadian Supreme Court’s opinion on Quebec springs to mind. [3] Even though it was not a ruling — it was not prompted by a court case, but by a formal enquiry from the federal government — and, therefore, it did not set a trial precedent, this opinion has become the single most influential piece of doctrine on what the right to self-determination is — and what it is not — as well as on the conditions under which a secession referendum may be held within a democratic country.”
Pérez Royo is optimistic about the outcome of the extradition cases. All of the judges, he writes, “will seek the European common denominator, something that can be objectively and reasonably justified in front of Europe’s public opinion... On the subject of the crime of rebellion, all four judges will dismiss the arrest warrant. They will not allow the Catalan politicians to be tried for rebellion in Spain because it is impossible for the European judges to make that sort of collective decision. And they know that they cannot make contradictory decisions.”
However, the Catalan issue is a hot potato in Europe, where politics may well prevail over legal considerations. And no European government or state institution has expressed support for the Catalan right to self-determination; many of them face actual or potential challenges to their territorial integrity from oppressed national minorities. This points to the prime importance of developing a European-wide and international public campaign in defense of the Catalan people and their nationalist leaders, a goal the mid-April demonstrations should help to promote.
Already, there are some encouraging signs of growing sympathy in Europe for the Catalan defense, even in the German media. For example, in an editorial titled “Asylum for Puigdemont,” Jakob Augstein — an influential journalist and co-owner of Der Spiegel — calls for the Catalan leader to not be extradited. Augstein writes that “The detention of Puigdemont is an embarrassment. For Spain. For Europe. For Germany.” [4]
And he also reminds readers about the arrest of another Catalan president, LluÃs Companys:
“The Germans already handed over one Catalan politician to the Spanish. LluÃs Companys declared independence in 1934. He was arrested and tried. After the victory of the leftist forces he was freed, fought against Franco, escaped to France, and was captured there by the Gestapo and sent back to Spain. He was executed on October 15, 1940.”
Germany must reject the Spanish demands, says Augstein. “A politician who uses peaceful means to fight for his objectives should not have to go to prison.”
In Scotland, Clara PonsatÃ, education minister in the Catalan pro-independence government and the subject of a Spanish extradition demand, raised nearly £200,000 in less than a day through a crowdfunding appeal for her legal expenses. Ponsatà is currently teaching at St. Andrews University.
In Spain itself, the government and mass media are waging an intense battle to consolidate and win further public support for their campaign against Catalan self-determination and sovereignty. Catalan socialist Martà Caussa notes:
“The immediate objective ... is to reduce independence to a minority fraction of the Catalan population by resorting to temporary emergency measures. The fundamental objective is to consolidate the authoritarian evolution of the monarchical regime of 1978, and this requires convincing the population that — after the end of the Basque ETA struggle — new and dangerous internal enemies have appeared, against which we must defend ourselves by restricting democracy.
“Two conditions are necessary if this fundamental objective is to be met:
1. convince the majority of public opinion that there is a collective (a group) that ‘is not ours,’ to describe it in terms that make it appear as an enemy and discredit those who don’t agree with this narrative; and
2. justify the exceptional measures with the argument that will be limited to a particular territory and duration, but promoting legislation and a method of applying it that can be generalized throughout the state and without limits in the future.”
Although the first of these conditions, which is fundamental, has been achieved, this may be only a provisional success for the Spanish state, Caussa adds.
“At present, the solidarity in major sectors of the population is weak. But there are already some magnificent examples, like those we have included in the box ‘Solidarity with Catalonia’ on the Viento Sur website.... [5] The growth of a sense of fraternity among all of us fighting against authoritarianism and for democracy is a necessity. Becoming a majority is what can save us.”
madrid-s-mounting-repression-against-catalan-movement_a5457.pdf (PDF - 365.4 kb)
[1] ara.cat/en 03/04/2018
[2] elnacional.cat/en/news/ 10 Nov 2017
[3] scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/1643/index.do
[4] ara.cat/en 28 March 2018
[5] vientosur
[6] In the original, this article us followed by two others, an article by prominent Galician writer Suso de Toro , published in El Diario on March 28, that explains the background to the Catalan crisis and what the Spanish repression means for the future of the country’s politics reproduced from the live blog maintained by Dick Nichols, Barcelona-based correspondent of the Green Left Weekly on March 31, and an article by Dick Nichols, Catalan movement struggles for united strategy against Spanish state.
“Make Amazon Pay”
Nuclear waste repository: Stay up!
Beethoven: The first rocker
Questions without Answers: The Dutch and German Communist Left
Retail, aviation, pork, viruses and profits
Safety fears over Covid in schools
Mandel and Capitalist Breakdown
Glasgow killing raises major questions about treatment of asylum seekers
Black Lives Matter in Scotland
An Appreciation of Neil Davidson (1957-2020)
Less flag waving, more rights
Down with the king!
Radiance and sunset of Podemos - reasons for a farewell
Anticapitalistas leave Podemos
Don’t open the schools for now...
The World Up in Arms Against Austerity and Authoritarianism
Defend the democratic rights of the Catalan people against an unjust sentence and against repression
Catalonia political prisoners trials
Richard Fidler
Richard Fidler is a longtime progressive activist in Canada and publishes the blog "Life on the Left" compiling news articles, commentaries, reviews, translations on subjects of potential interest to progressive minded individuals and organizations, with a special emphasis on the Quebec national question, indigenous peoples, Latin American solidarity, and the socialist movement and its history. He is a contributing editor Socialist Voice a Canadian Marxist website.
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Thailand: Thai Language
THE THAI LANGUAGE
So you thought that all Thais spoke Thai? That would be handy—you would only have one set of words to learn. Sorry to inform you, though, it’s not quite that easy….
There are an estimated 50 million Thai speakers worldwide. 85% of this population lives in Thailand, while the remaining 15% is found in smaller communities spread around the world. Sometimes referred to as Siamese, it is considered part of the Tai language family, which also includes Lao, the national language of Laos, the Shan language from Myanmar, and Zhuan, a major language in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi.
There are four main dialects spoken within Thailand. In the north, there is Lanna. In the south, Pak Tai. Issan is the major dialect spoken in the northeast region of the country. The central region speaks what we typically think of as Thai, also referred to as Central Thai, or Bangkok Thai. Even though each region speaks its own dialect, Bangkok Thai is taught in almost every school across the country.
It should also be pointed out that there are many small ethnic minority groups, especially in northern Thailand, which are often referred to as the “hill tribes.” These tribes account for around 60 other languages that are being spoken in the country but which bear no resemblance to Thai.
I recommend starting by learning as much Thai as possible, after which you can always collect a few regional dialect phrases to throw into the mix.
Map of the Major Thai Dialects
A FEW THAI SURVIVAL PHRASES
Learning just these few phrases will allow you to travel throughout Thailand with ease.
The Thai language is relatively easy to learn. The grammar is very simple—it’s much less complicated than many of the European languages because Thai does not have tenses.
However, Thai is a tonal language, built upon five different tones. This aspect makes the Thai language very difficult because just a slight mispronunciation of a word means that no one will understand you.
Don’t feel defeated when it is difficult at first. Practice will make perfect!
sa-wat-dee
korp kun
mai chai
horng nam yoo tee nai?
kor toht
tow rai?
Till next week, folks.
And remember, never stop dreaming.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MAP
Interested in Southeast Asia?
Check out a beautiful map of the area!
One of the thousands of maps available from Maps.com.
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KISHWAR NAHEED Books
The Distance Of A Shout
The Distance of A Shout By Kishwar Naheed
Rs: 292 Rs:210
Women: Myth And Realities By Kishwar Naheed
In this book the great autor says that compile and select articles and West and east together to present real texture of modern women, this volume represents 25 identified subjects who have written on the subject of women issues in different societies.
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In this novel the author kishwar naheeed share a deep thought about some thing you did not get before.. Kishwar Naheed is a senior writer and had many famous books.
Pakistan Ki Tehzeeb O Saqafat By Kishwar Naheed
Poet Kishwar Khawar! he says, So little has been written about culture in Pakistan that this book by Kishwar Naheed must be counted among the very first to appear on this topic. She has been Managing Director of the National Council of Arts, Pakistan, for several years and even otherwise has been personally involved with the Arts and the artists in her professional and private life.
DASHT-E-QAIS MEIN LAILA By Kishwar Naheed
Kishwar Naheed has 12 volumes of her poetry published from both Pakistan and India. Her Urdu poetry has also been published in foreign languages all over the world. he best quality poetry give us a best contents. about this book this is a short story between...
BURI AURAT KAY KHATOOT By Kishwar Naheed
Kishwar Naheed has 12 volumes of her poetry published from both Pakistan and India. Her Urdu poetry has also been published in foreign languages all over the world. and about this story here will be guidness of some negative points about some white faces persons.
ABAAD KHARABA By Kishwar Naheed
Abbad kharaba written by Kishwar Naheed, Kishwar Naheed has 12 volumes of her poetry published from both Pakistan and India. Her Urdu poetry has also been published in foreign languages all over the world.
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15/01/2019 Billetsmanueljasse
Gabriella TROTTA-BRAMBILLA, Post-doc LabEx ITEM (CRJ Grenoble) , Associate Lecturer in architectural design (ENSAG) and researcher at LabEx AE&CC
Fig 1 : The four metropolises studied in the research project (G. Trotta – Brambilla, 2018)
The paper focuses on one of the case studies (the metropolis of Genoa) resulting from an ongoing post-doctoral research project carried out within the “Territorialité, Liminalité et Métropolisations Péripheriques[1]” project of the LabEx Item. The research analyses the relationship between metropolis and mountain in the context of recent territorial reforms in France and in Italy. Four cases of metropolises are studied (Grenoble and Nice in France, Genoa and Turin in Italy), assuming that they can be representative of some “typical figures” of metropolitan cooperation with the mountains included in their respective administrative boundaries. As in France, in Italy metropolises are instituted in 2014 by the law No. 56/2014 also called “Delrio”. Ten Città metropolitane have replaced the homonymous Provinces to govern and plan vast territories, sometimes very wide, which in the case of Genoa and Turin also include mountain territories
Fig 2 : Italian metropolises instituted in 2014 (G. Trotta-Brambilla, 2018)
The French and Italian territorial reforms allow each metropolis to adopt its own legal statute and this is an element of distinction of the metropolitan territories from each other (Vandelli and De Donno, 2016). Thus, it’s interesting to understand the local specificity of each metropolis’ implementation of the national directives and especially in the case of Genoa, where the mountain, on the one hand, seems to escape the attempts of definition but, on the other hand, could find a new identity thanks to the metropolis, among others. Tight between sea and mountain, the city of Genoa (capital of the namesake Province, now transformed into a Città metropolitana) is mainly known for its harbour and its commercial and manufacturing history connected to maritime activities. But Genoa has also a wide mountainous hinterland, which is commonly called ‘entroterra’. Actually, the Città metropolitana try to overcome the opposition coast/outback.
Fig 3 : Genoa’s mountains seen from the harbour (photo G. Trotta-Brambilla, 201
But the notion of entroterra seems to be hard to define. It evokes specific territorial characteristics, but also different ways of looking at them and apprehending them. In this paper, we seek to clarify the definition of this notion and its local utilization by analysing Genoa’s mountains characteristics through social representations associated with the entroterra, in order to highlight its plural identities and to verify the hypothesis that a new and clearer identity can be defined through the cooperation’s strategies with the Città metropolitana.
Divergent definitions of the entroterra
Genoa’s mountain is part of Ligurian Apennines. It is a mainly “medium” mountain which is very close to the sea. This territory is little known and hardly frequented by tourists, especially compared to the coast. Administratively, 67 municipalities are included in the metropolis (determined by the Statuto della Città metropolitana, 2014) and 54 of them are “mountain” municipalities (according to the National law for the mountain, 1952). Despite this, the word « mountain » is very rarely pronounced in the documents and local stakeholders’ speeches. The qualification of the entroterra as a mountain territory is even questioned by some inhabitants and institutional stakeholders (according to an inhabitant, this territory “[…] is not mountain nor hill, it is a in-between. It is hard to define … it is the entroterra![2]”). So, what kind of mountainous territory is Genoa’s entroterra? What about its identity
Fig 4 : Genoa’s relevant administrative boundaries (G. Trotta-Brambilla, 2018)
Historically, it was a rural territory that was gradually abandoned (especially since the second post-war period), mainly because of the many difficulties in agricultural work and, at the same time, the attractiveness of manufacturing activities located on the coast. The terraces (called fasce) built and maintained for centuries are deteriorating more and more, causing serious problems of hydrogeological imbalance. Few farmers remain or return, although some specific policies are conducted by the Liguria Region. At present, the entroterra is mainly perceived as a territory preserved by the urbanization (which characterizes, on the other hand, the coast) and with a touristic potential which can be complementary to the sea tourism. Institutional stakeholders point out the geographical situation as the greatest obstacle to the development of the region. The territorial morphology “has historically determined a condition of evident disadvantage for the organization of the settlement system and for the development of economic activities[3]”.
Defining Genoa’s metropolitan mountain
To better understand Genoa’s entroterra, the research aims to compare different social representations about it. Speeches are collected in order to compare the point of view of the city looking at the mountain to that of the mountain (re)looking itself in the new institutional framework. The analysed corpus consists of:
“official speeches” : stakeholders websites, town and territory planning documents, laws, etc.;
“unofficial speeches”: semi-directive interviews with institutional and economic stakeholders, associations, inhabitants, researchers, tourists, grey literature (especially for trekkers, climbers, bikers), etc.
First analysis reveal that two main notions are evoked to describe the entroterra:
otherness : the entroterra is often described for what it is not (“it is not mountain, strictly speaking[4]”, “I do not define it ‘mountain’, the only true mountain is Santo Stefano d’Aveto[5]”, a little ski resort) or in comparison with other territories (often with the Alps, but also with other Ligurian entroterra: “the entroterra di Ponente, Sanremo, […] seems more dynamic to me[6]”; “there is not an image of the Ligurian Apennines, it is not like Emilian or Tuscan Apennines […][7]”, “the business is on the sea because 90% of the population is on the coast[8]”);
interiority : the word entroterra evokes an “inside” (entro-), an “inner land”, something hidden and to be protected if compared to the coast, more visible and accessible, but also more exploited; the idea of interiority is also expressed by the administrative subdivision of the metropolitan territory into homogeneous zones, distinguishing the city of Genoa from the “inner valleys”, as well as by the existence, within the boundary of the Città metropolitana, of two “inner areas” (“In Genoa we do not talk about ‘mountains’, but rather of ‘inner areas’[9]”, explains a planner of Città metropolitana), which are defined as remote areas, far away from essential services and looking for a strategic vocation for their development.
A relational identity
If we consider the identity of a territory in a relational sense, as a construction of distinction from the other, but also as an “articulation between community networks and global networks” (Bonomi and Borghi, 2002), we can better understand the discourses concerning Genoa’s entroterra. In the analysed corpus, three main relationships or comparisons are evoked: with the sea, with other mountains (especially Alps) and with the city of Genoa or other Institutions (see examples below).
entroterra & the sea entroterra & other mountains entroterra & Genoa
“I monti del mare / sea’s mountains” (two climbers and writers)
“walking between sea and mountains” (Beigua Regional Park)
“we have the climate impact of thesea” (an inhabitant):
“from the Monte Antola you can see the sea and the snow at the same time” (touristic association Tra l’Antola e il mare«
“from the ice waterfalls one can watch the sea” (touristic association Consorzio Accoglienza Diffusa nel Parco dell’Aveto
« It is not the same mountain as in Turin » (a planner of Città metropolitana)
“The landscape, dominated by the highest peaks of the Ligurian Apennines, between 1600 and 1800 m above sea level, remind us alpine areas […], also for pastures, maintained by cattle breeding activities, with the production of a typical cheese […]” (Aveto Regional Park)
(reffered to Apennines in general) » I monti invisibili » / The invisible mountains (a climber and writer)
« It’s not really mountain » (a planner of Città metropolitana)
Una campagna abitata / An inhabited countryside »(Strategic Metropolitan Plan)
« The city is trying to spread to the mountain because of lack of space pn the coast (…) while penetrating into the main valleys (…). The relationships with the entroterra are complex and unavoidable for Genoa (a local researcher)
Ligurian Apennines (and Apennines in general) are not really considered as a tourist destination and they are rather known for the serious phenomenon of depopulation and for the earthquakes, even if they are also defined as “authentic” and rich in historical heritage. The mountain character of Genoa’s entroterra seems to be emphasized only by Regional Parks, mainly in order to protect it (“an important orographic node”, Antola Regional Park[10]; “a territory whose geological heritage is protected by UNESCO”, Beigua Regional Park[11]). On the contrary, the Città metropolitana’s definition of the entroterra (“an inhabited countryside[12]”) tends to hide or underestimate its “vertical dimension”, even if mobility and hydrogeological risk are declared as priority policies.
However, if for the Città metropolitana the vocation of the entroterra is an « inhabited countryside », it should not be seen as a desire to reduce these territories to their residential function, but rather as the concern to maintain the population in these areas that may be increasingly destitute of services and resources. Thus, the traditional rural character of the entroterra is also highlighted, but it remind at the same time the difficulties related to mountain agricultural activities (mainly due to orography, fragmentation of land property, abandonment context, wild animals, etc.) and the distance of the institutions perceived by the farmers (“too little incentives”, “the municipal administrations should force the owners to maintain their land”, “more support for young people who want to start”[13]). They ask for support because they know that their activity can also constitute a “presidio territoriale” (a protective action for the territory) against the hydrogeological risk.
Building a new identity through the territorial cooperation?
As we can see from previous examples, there are many definitions and visions for the future of Genoa’s entroterra. On the one hand, we can suppose some lack of identity and sense of belonging, probably due to the depopulation and repopulation cycles that characterized this territory and, on the other hand, we can point out the need to build a shared territorial identity to define a common vision. Can the recent territorial reform, and in particular the institution of the Metropolis, represent a pertinent framework to design the cooperation between complementary metropolitan territories?
Towards a “metropolitan” entroterra?
The main mission of the Città metropolitana is to “coordinate territorial, economic and social resources for the cooperation between the administration and private stakeholders contributing to the territorial development[14]”. The Metropolitan Strategic Plan highlights how, before the “Delrio reform”, the governance of the Province was more hierarchical and the strategic vision more centralized, whereas at present the Città metropolitana advocates a networked territorial development and a more horizontal and participative governance, more suitable to increase the feeling of belonging, as well as the attractiveness of the metropolis for inhabitants, tourists and economic activities (Metropolitan Strategic Plan, April 2017, p.8). Territorial morphology (a system of interconnected urbanized valleys converging on Genoa and the secondary towns located on the coast, fig.5) is potentially conducive for networked development and the overcoming of the traditional coast/entroterra opposition. The Città metropolitana recognizes, however, that some of the essential conditions (i.e. structural interventions on mobility, resources for the most disadvantaged territories, as well as more equity in sharing and making use of resources themselves) remain to be met (Metropolitan Strategic Plan, April 2017, p.20).
Fig 5 :Metropolis of Genoa’s urbanization (G. Trotta-Brambilla, 2018, based on Strategic Metropolitan Plan, avril 2017
Furthermore, the question may be asked as to whether the subdivision of the territory into homogeneous zones (provided for in the National Reform and the Statute of the Città Metropolitana), as well as their coexistence with other administrative boundaries like the four Regional Parks (Antola, Aveto, Beigua, Portofino) and the two “inner areas” (Antola-Tigullio et Beigua-SOL), does not contradict the desire to overcome the classic dichotomy between the city and the mountain (fig.4).
In the same way, we can question the new distribution of competences between the Metropolises and the Regions which, in a concern of preventing overlapping of tasks, requires the separation of some public policies that it is essential to coordinate: Metropolises must deal with economic development while losing, for example, the competences of tourism and agriculture that previously were due to the Provinces. Finally, if we can consider that the coincidence of the metropolitan mayor with the city of Genoa’s mayor is an advantage from the point of view of territorial cohesion (a hinterland more linked to the city) and public economy (less expenditure for politics), this also means a problem of representativeness, since the mayor is elected only by the inhabitants of the main town
The “inner area” strategy: a prototype for a new medium-mountain identity ?
Two of the mountain regions of Genoa’s entroterra were considered eligible to participate in a national program (National Strategy for Inner Areas) financing innovative local development experiences to fight the decadence of areas characterized by depopulation, aging and economic decline, by primarily acting on essential services such as health, education and mobility (Calvaresi, 2015). In particular, the Antola-Tigullio inner area is a prototype to test the design of specific guidelines promoted by the Region with the support of the Città Metropolitana.
The strategy for this inner area foresees a greater specialization of this metropolitan territory (in addition to a better services endowment) by focusing mainly on the enhancement of the environmental aspect in order to constitute and promote a district for tourism and outdoor sports. If we consider the notion of “industrial district” forged by Italian economists (in particular G. Becattini), this economic model adapted to the tourist vocation envisaged by the local stakeholders refers, once more, to the question of the territorial identity because the fundamental character of the Italian districts is the incorporation of knowledge and productions into local identity, environment and lifestyles (Magnaghi, 2015).
However, one can wonder if this tourist specialization of the territory will not hide or stifle the old rural character of Genoa’s entroterra and how these two identities can coexist. The main contribution of the Città metropolitana, which can not take action in tourism or agricultural policies in the strict sense, is therefore to implement instruments to improve the in-depth knowledge of the territory in order to better anchor local and metropolitan strategies.
Less than three years from the institution of the Metropolises in Italy, it is difficult to take stock of the cooperation strategies put in place.
Some innovations in metropolitan governance seem a priori favourable to cooperation between the city and the mountains. In this context, the different territories of Genoa’s entroterra should be able to define their territorial projects and their identity also in relation to their new membership of the metropolis. Anywhere, there remain fundamental inconsistencies, such as the relevance of the new redistribution of administrative tasks or the mode of election of the metropolitan mayor. The Città metropolitana of Genoa seeks to compensate with the implementation of a model of networked governance and voluntary actions to support projects concerning the metropolitan territory but which are not the competence of the Metropolis (instruction, tourism, etc.). The Antola-Tigullio inner area can be a prototype for future territorial cooperation inside the Metropolis if the approach implemented, concerning several local administrations, will listen and value all the expressions of the various territorial identities that have been stratified in the entroterra.
Bonomi, A. & Borghi, E. (2002). La montagna disincantata. Turin : Cda&Vivalda Editori.
Burlando, R., editor (1999). Al di qua del mare : itinerari alla ricerca di un entroterra da scoprire e da conservare. Genoa: Provincia di Genova.
Calvaresi, C. (2015). Una strategia nazionale per le aree interne : diritti di cittadinanza e sviluppo locale. Territorio, n°74, pp.78-79.
Città metropolitana di Genova (2017). Piano Strategico della Città Metropolitana. Il primo passo per costruire insieme il territorio metropolitano (April 2017)
Magnaghi, A. (2015). La lunga marcia del ritorno al territorio. In G. Becattini, La coscienza dei luoghi. Il territorio come soggetto corale (pp. VII-XVI). Rome: Donzelli.
Vandelli, L. & De Donno, M. (2016). Évolutions de la décentralisation en France et en Italie: un regard comparé, Istituzioni del Federalismo, n°4, pp.867-883.
[1] Directors : S. Gal, N. Kada, R. Lajarge, P.A. Landel.
[2] Interview (february 2018) with Mr. M. Mantilero, inhabitant, B&B owner, president of a local tourist association.
[3] Strategic Metropolitan Plan, April 2017, p.19.
[4] Interview (december 2017) with Mrs. A. Garbarino, strategic and territorial planner at Città Metropolitana of Genoa.
[5] Interview (february 2018) with Mr. M. Mantilero.
[7] Interview (mars 2018) with Mr. R. Meraviglia, Director of Santo Stefano d’Aveto ski resort.
[9] Interview (december 2017) with Mrs. A. Garbarino.
[10] http://www.parcoantola.it/.
[11] http://www.parcobeigua.it/.
[12] Strategic Metropolitan Plan, April 2017.
[13] Città Metropolitana di Genova, Agricoltura di montagna, la fatica contro il dissesto, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5DWjx-0Qsg
[14] Strategic Metropolitan Plan, April 2017, p.43.
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Back stage atmosphere during Semelah show in Taman Ismail Marzuki on Monday (17/07) "Semelah," which is titled after the way Javanese Muslims usually pronounce the Arabic word "bismillah" which means "in the name of Allah." The story is centred on the history of Islam's spread in Java and assimilation of Islamic teaching with Javanese culture (JG Photo/Yudha Baskoro)
'Semelah' Returns to Indonesia for Final Show
The last performance of the "Semelah" shadow puppet show, created by visual artist Eko Nugroho, took place in Teater Kecil at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Cikini, Central Jakarta, on Monday (17/07) following a successful tour of the United States.
The word semelah derives from the way Javanese Muslims usually pronounce the Arabic word bismillah, which means "in the name of Allah." The story is centered on the spread of Islam in Java and the assimilation of Islamic teachings in Javanese culture.
The stage is set in a conflict-torn Java, where the powerful Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit Kingdom was on its last legs and at war with the Islamic Demak Kingdom. The conflict resulted in widespread poverty, famine and homelessness.
Raden Mas Said, a nobleman, decided to become the local "Robin Hood" under the assumed name Maling Aguna. He stole from the rich and provided the poor with life's necessities.
However, it was when he failed to rob a kyai, or Muslim cleric, that he had an epiphany. After being defeated in a fight, he decided to learn from the kyai. After intense meditation to cleanse himself of his past behaviors, he decided to spread Islam through peaceful ways, such as through wayang, or shadow puppetry. Today he is better known as Sunan Kalijaga, one of the wali songo, or nine Islamic saints, of Java.
The story was performed in a contemporary puppet show style known as wayang bocor, invented by Eko himself. The word bocor, which means "leaking" in Indonesian, refers to a fusion of many forms of art, such as puppetry, live theater and drawings.
Wayang bocor is more dynamic than traditional puppet shows. It features more white screens, with actors sometimes performing behind them. However, the dalang, or puppeteer, does not sit in front of the screen with the gamelan musicians. In fact, the music is prerecorded.
Eko said there is always something new with each performance. "Semelah," which was performed in New York, North Carolina and California, included a critique of US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the shows in Pekanbaru, Riau, featured more pantun, or Malay quatrains, while the shows in Yogyakarta were performed entirely in the Javanese language.
Gunawan Maryanto, a prominent theater actor who is responsible for interpreting and directing Eko's stories on stage, said the wayang bocor team adopted different approaches tailored to various venues and audiences.
Eko has performed many stories in his wayang bocor style since 2008. Before his style gained recognition, he would go from village to village to perform stories adapted to each area's issues.
#Eyewitness
#Multimedia
#Standalone
Taman Ismail Marzuki TIM
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Viewpoint Student Life Cliques: Good or Bad?
Cliques: Good or Bad?
Aaron Stonecipher '14, Editor-In-Chief
After 3 years in high school, many Jesuit students in the class of 2014 have come to know just about all 261 students in their class. In addition, many have come to know anywhere from 5 to 100 students in the other classes as well. Each student is different, though. Some participate in theater while others participate in football. These interests lead students to form closed groups, shutting themselves off from branching out to fellow classmates. These dreaded groups, cliques, serve as positive influences to some people but as negative influences to others.
A clique, according to Dictionary.com, is “a small, exclusive group of people.” This group forms when people in clubs, organizations, or teams establish a strong comfort zone within that group. In other words, these people become so comfortable that venturing off and joining a new group becomes a different world for them.
For example, a football player who usually hangs out with his team may experience extreme discomfort when socializing with theater students, or maybe a trumpet player feels out-of-place when with basketball players.
This tension between groups hurts the school as a whole. Students fail to open themselves up to their fellow classmates, thus leaving them to be very distant from each other socially, even though they may sit in classes together each day. In order to really connect with other classmates, one must attempt to go outside his comfort zone. In order to be Men for Others, we must become Men for Each Other first.
Some students at Jesuit form cliques unknowingly; it is just impossible to prevent. Their focus and judgment become so centered on their group that they fail to see other people and their talents in different groups surrounding them.
The class of 2014, for example, the class that is expected to grow as one family, only grows further and further apart, similar to the ground during an earthquake. This can happen to any class, though. The issue persists not only at Jesuit, but at schools everywhere. It is in every student’s human nature to form cliques; because we feel comfortable with one group, we stick with them.
Separation from other classmates and groups can sometimes result in controversy and tension. Groups often become tagged with stereotypes that offend the participating members of that group. For example, teens who are apart of out-of-school, heavy metal bands may be tagged as gothic, drug-using people. Because their music choice has been associated with these awful stereotypes out in the world today, people make these generalizations in school. In addition, cliques can also lead to the encouragement of negative peer pressure. If one student sees his friend ridiculing a group or person because of his beliefs or interests, he may feel obligated to join in because of the friendship he has.
Finally, cliques may limit students’ ability to have diverse friendships. If students are completely focused on their friends in football and not in any other organization, they fail to branch out and have a variety of friends with different interests.
On the other side of the spectrum, cliques can also be a good thing. Establishing a bond with a solid group of friends, such as guys in band, for example, can bring much happiness to someone. Having a group that you enjoy will always make you feel good inside, and it can just make your life better. In most cases, people in a clique all have similar hobbies, interests, or personalities. Being around people like yourself can make you feel comfortable, even if your surroundings are not too pleasant.
Cliques can also serve as a support system. When you are in need, when you are stressed, when you are sick or hurt, your “group” is there for you. They are there to back you up, to make you feel better, to be there when you need to talk. Without this group, one may feel isolated from the world and lonely, thus causing feelings of depression or sadness because he must endure pain and hardships alone. Great friendships can be established, and these friendships can often get us through the most difficult times. Would it be better to have more people than just those in your one group? Probably, but having some foundation to fall back on for help is something every person needs.
After watching the seniors on the football team, it is obvious that spending over 25 hours a week together can bring guys closer. In reality, they grow to be one big group. For example, after an outstanding article by Sports Editor John Michael Lucido ’14 on his first half predictions for our football team (click here), the guys on the team came together to fire each other up and build up confidence in everyone. They stood together as one strong family, and when they were at lunch searching for Lucido, you knew the football team was one big group together.
After watching students of all grade levels participate in theater, it is obvious that sharing similar interests and participating in the same activities allow people to form friendly groups. In both of these groups, guys can joke around, have fun, and just feel happy being with the friends they have in their clique. Yes, many of the students in theater may only hang out with their friends in theater, but if they’re happy and comfortable with the people in that clique and they have a healthy circle of friends that they can count on, let it be.
Cliques can be both good and bad. Each person is entitled to their opinion about them, and many people have different experiences with them. Cliques may be positive because they allow students to have a circle of friends that have similar interests and beliefs with them. However, they may be negative as well because they keep students from reaching out to new groups and seeing the unique talents that other students have. Either way, in order to have a fantastic time at Jesuit, ask yourself, “ Why have a select group of friends when you can make friends and grow close with all 261 classmates? Do I want 10 Jesuit brothers, or 261?”
Works Cited:
https://jesuitroundup.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ACT35ampfid137ampd11523ampfindex.png (Picture)
Aaron is currently a senior and the Editor-in-Chief of The Roundup. After playing football for multiple years, Aaron suffered a major back injury at the end of his sophomore season. Just weeks later, he began searching for new clubs and things to try at Jesuit, thus leading him to The Roundup. After writing just one simple article, he found he immensely enjoyed writing. After covering just two more articles that spring, Aaron became a Junior Associate Editor. During his junior year, Aaron was awarded “Best Article of the Month” in December 2012 and “Editor of the Month” in November 2012. Aaron will be attending Saint Louis University next year and will major in Health Management (Pre-Med).
What are Jesuit Students Doing Over the Break?
What do Jesuit Teachers Think of Hybrid Learning?
About Viewpoints
The Roundup invites all students to submit articles that reflect their personal perspectives regarding politics, culture, student life, sports, art, music, or hobbies.
Articles should be written in a respectful tone, with language reflecting thoughtful and accurately researched discourse and, at all times, supporting the mission of the newspaper and the Jesuit Dallas community.
The Roundup will publish all articles that meet these guidelines without regard to endorsing any particular point of view.
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Saturday, 02 November 2019 20:26
Review of Stephen Kinzer, Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control (Henry Holt and Co., 2019)
Written by Michael Le Flem
Michael Le Flem reviews Stephen Kinzer’s Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control (Henry Holt and Co., 2019)
In his latest book on the Central Intelligence Agency’s history of dirty tricks, longtime historian Stephen Kinzer attempts to paint a picture of the vast and shadowy tapestry that was the American intelligence apparatus at mid-century, using one of its most infamous henchmen, Dr. Sidney Gottlieb, head of the Technical Services Division of the CIA, as its focal point. While the title would suggest that Kinzer has unearthed new biographical information about this sinister character, I found little that was not already available in other surveys of the field. Knowing the quotidian details of Sid’s family life, his habits, and his strange charm really did not advance a story, which was essentially a rehash of known facts repackaged as a biography of what Kinzer deems the CIA's “Poisoner in Chief.” While there is some survey value in this book regarding the technical perspective of how the CIA dreamt up its machinations of torture, mind-control, psychological warfare, and exotic poisons, its real strength is in Kinzer’s narrative flair. I read it in a single, very uncomfortable sitting. And for that, I feel it does play a valuable role in the historiography of this unsettling topic, one of which most Americans are barely aware, or at best, would rather forget, despite its present-day relevance.
Kinzer begins his book with a stark postwar vignette:
White flags hung from many windows as shell-shocked Germans measured the depth of their defeat. Hitler was dead. Unconditional surrender had sealed the collapse of the Third Reich. Munich, like many German cities, lay in ruins. With the guns finally silent, people began venturing out. On a wall near Odeonsplatz, someone painted: “CONCENTRATION CAMPS DACHAU—BUCHENWALD—I AM ASHAMED TO BE GERMAN.” (p.13)
The Allies were faced with some of their most trying decisions after the Soviet Union’s capture of Berlin and the subsequent surrender of all Nazi forces in Europe. Many Allied officials knew that ideologies as entrenched, compelling, and destructive as fascism died hard. Just because their nation was in ruins, leaderless, and at the mercy of rampaging Red Army troops on one end and embittered, battle-weary Americans on the other, this did not necessarily mean the German people would go quietly into the night and embrace ideas like peaceful co-existence with their European brethren, or even American-style “democracy.” Some, like Roosevelt's Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, wanted Germany reduced to an agricultural backwater with no future prospect of industrial production, military rearmament, or political clout in a world they had only years earlier sought to conquer and rule. Others had different ideas.
As the OSS would soon discover, clandestine warfare and the implied threat of biological warfare had played a major role in both the Japanese and German governments’ early chess moves. As new to the game, that spy agency was only beginning to understand these matters. While Roosevelt begrudgingly fulfilled Winston Churchill's 1944 request for half a million bomblets filled with anthrax, by the time the batch was coming off the production lines of a converted factory in Indiana, the Nazis had surrendered.
In the ensuing discoveries made in the wake of German capitulation, however, word soon spread that Nazi doctors like Kurt Blome had weaponized dozens of biological agents, diseases, and plagues. Further, that he had been in friendly competition with the sadistic Japanese scientist and biological researcher Shiro Ishii, whose Unit 731 committed human atrocities on captured Allied and Chinese soldiers and civilians that would have made Caligula wince. Much like in their technical advances in rocketry, jet propulsion, tanks, artillery, and submarines, the Nazis were apparently leaps and bounds ahead of the United States in this dark field too. OSS officers on the ground were curious and would soon make a choice that would color and shape the moral landscape of the newly formed CIA in the years to come. As Kinzer notes:
Nazi doctors had accumulated a unique store of knowledge. They had learned how long it takes for human beings to die after exposure to various germs and chemicals, and which toxins kill most efficiently. Just as intriguing, they had fed mescaline and other psychoactive drugs to concentration camp inmates in experiments aimed at finding ways to control minds or shatter the human psyche. Much of their data was unique, because it could come only from experiments in which human beings were made to suffer or die. That made Blome a valuable target—but a target for what? Justice cried out for his punishment. From a U.S. Army base in Maryland, however, came an audaciously contrary idea: instead of hanging Blome, let’s hire him. (p.14)
The author then continues:
For a core of Americans who served in the military and in intelligence agencies during World War II, the war never really ended. All that changed was the enemy. The role once played by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan was assumed by the Soviet Union and, after 1949, “Red China.” In the new narrative, monolithic Communism, directed from the Kremlin, was a demonic force that mortally threatened the United States and all humanity. With the stakes so existentially high, no sacrifice in the fight against Communism—of money, morality, or human life—could be considered excessive. (p.25)
The psychic shock of totalitarian ideologies, unleashed in those roughly five and a half brutal years of WWII, was an enduring one for the case officers and assets that now made up the fledgling CIA. And with President Truman’s signing of the National Security Act in 1947, clandestine operations were essentially ratified in legal writ, with the stamp of the highest offices of government, a decision Truman would famously lament in his retirement. As Kinzer shows, the nebulous and ill-defined limits circumscribing this new shadow warfare were quickly pushed to their logical end by those who seemed to believe nothing was too extreme when the fate of the “free world,” as they understood it, was concerned. Given an unprecedented opportunity to play James Bond, an almost unlimited budget to fund new and exciting ways to overthrow governments, assassinate leaders, poison food supplies, and expose innocent people to mind-shattering substances in their search for mind control, they took the ball and ran with it. Things fell into place. Truman left office in 1953 and President Eisenhower and his Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, were all too willing to use the CIA to achieve political ends. With John’s brother, Allen Dulles, now appointed as head of the Central Intelligence Agency, the circle was complete: foreign policy would be a spy’s game, with very real conventional wars interspersed for flavor, but essentially, a secret and enduring war in the shadows. And to play the game, they needed the tools.
Kinzer’s ability as a storyteller is pronounced in these early chapters. The book at this point reads like a John Le Carré novel, as much as it does a well-researched, thoroughly footnoted monograph of the early Cold War. Familiar names are given a face, a voice, a temper: Wild Bill Donovan, Bill Harvey, Ira Baldwin, and of course, a young Jewish man from the Bronx named Sid with a club foot and a stammer who was studying biology back in the States.
Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD, or “acid” on the street, plays a central role in Kinzer’s book, with many chapters devoted to the CIA's explorations into its potential to manipulate human beings for political and social engineering ends. Wilson Greene, an officer of the United States Chemical Corps, discovered scattered reports and rumors of a Swiss doctor named Albert Hoffmann, who Kinzer believes is the first person ever to have had an acid trip. Though Hoffmann, who worked for the Swiss pharmaceutical company Sandoz, had taken this journey in 1943, it would not reach Washington until 1949. Kinzer describes the thesis of Greene’s paper to government officials, entitled: “Psychochemical Warfare: A New Concept of War:”
Their will to resist would be weakened greatly, if not entirely destroyed, by the mass hysteria and panic which would ensue. The symptoms which are considered to be of value in strategic and tactical operations include the following: fits or seizures, dizziness, fear, panic, hysteria, hallucinations, migraine, delirium, extreme depression, notions of hopelessness, lack of initiative to do even simple things, suicidal mania. Greene proposed that America’s military scientists be given a new mission. At the outer edge of imagination, he suggested, beyond artillery and tanks, beyond chemicals, beyond germs, beyond even nuclear bombs, might lie an unimagined cosmos of new weaponry: psychoactive drugs. Greene believed they could usher in a new era of humane warfare. (p.29)
This, along with reports of recently-returning soldiers from the Korean War who seemed to sympathize more with the enemy they were sent to kill than their American brethren, led some policy planners in Washington to suspect that the Reds were up to more than conventional propaganda. That, as Kinzer notes, none were actually “brainwashed” as Washington suspected, but simply critical of what they viewed as a hypocritical, unjust, capitalistic and segregated mid-century America, didn’t matter in the binary option set of hard line anti-communists like CIA officers Dulles, James Angleton, Richard Helms, and their colleagues. These were the same people who essentially green-lit what would eventually turn into the MK-ULTRA program, whose directive was to probe the limits of the human psyche, with the express aim to eventually discover how a fully functional person could be “depatterned” and remade, as it were, in the image of his or her handler for any number of field-deployable roles.
While that program is exhaustively detailed elsewhere, Kinzer does add some colorful vignettes to the story that seem like they jumped from the pages of a Thomas Pynchon novel rather than the historical record: secretly dosing colleagues at dinner parties, most famously Frank Olson, who of course “jumped or fell” from a 13-story Manhattan hotel room after having an acid-induced nervous breakdown and frantically seeking an exit from the intelligence field, paying crooked cops in cash to sit behind two-way mirrors in rented San Francisco brothels to watch prostitutes try to illicit sensitive information from acid-dosed patrons, injecting an elephant at an Oklahoma zoo with a lethal dose of LSD, releasing “benign” but actually toxic bacterial aerosols off the coast of California (Operation Seaspray) to test their dispersal pattern on an unaware American population getting their Sunday morning newspapers. The list goes on and only gets more absurd as it does.
What Kinzer accomplishes in Poisoner in Chief is to show just how unscientific so much of what we call MK-ULTRA and its hundred-plus “sub-projects” really were. With little oversight, and an actual legal license to kill, torture, abduct, and abscond, the early case officers and assets tasked to the CIA’s biological and mind-control initiatives were dangerously out of control, yet in some sense, legally justified, given the vague language and imperatives of the National Security Act which legitimized their activities. As George White, the crooked cop mentioned earlier, said years later in a grateful letter to his mentor and boss, Sidney Gottlieb, “… it was fun, fun, fun. Where else could a red-blooded American boy lie, kill and cheat, steal, deceive, rape, and pillage with the sanction and blessing of the All-Highest?” (p.155)
Indeed. Where else but in the CIA?
Poisoner in Chief proceeds predictably enough through the sixties and seventies, with the major uses of Gottlieb’s Technical Services Division of the CIA highlighted against the backdrop of a given foreign policy episode. Crafting ever sillier ways to kill Fidel Castro—boots laced with thallium to make his mighty beard fall out, exploding ornate seashells to catch his eye on one of his frequent scuba dives, and botulin-laced cigars that only needed to be held between the lips for seconds to kill—Gottlieb and his junior staff of kids from local technical colleges and workshops were never out of ideas. Poisoned tubes of toothpaste for the first democratically elected leader of the Congo? No problem. “Joe from Paris” (Gottlieb's code-name in the Congo operation) will arrive in Leopoldville shortly. So will QJ/WIN, the backup shooter. Standby.
This is an exciting part of the book and provided a rare glimpse into the devil’s workshop that was TSS (Technical Services Staff). But, at the same time, it contains some critical oversights that must be addressed. Namely viewing President Kennedy as a younger, fresh-faced continuation of Eisenhower, and someone who laid the groundwork for Johnson, rather than as someone opposed to either of his executive bookends. A president who was rather unique in his conciliatory vision of peaceful coexistence; a president who, unbelievable as it may sound today, had genuine empathy for the developing nations of the world. This is not a debatable point in 2019, despite the MSM's dogged, fifty-five-year smear campaign against a most promising U.S. leader, as any reader at Kennedys and King should know by now.
Yet there is a real political vacuum in this section of the book. In his tracing of the Gottlieb attempts to poison Patrice Lumumba of the Congo, there is no mentioning of how these plots were hurried in late 1960 after John F. Kennedy won the election. Yet, there are authors who have come to this conclusion after reading the cable traffic. (John Morton Blum, Years of Discord, pp. 175-76) Almost everyone agrees today that Kennedy clearly favored Lumumba in his struggle to free Congo from European imperialism. And it appears that the CIA knew that.
As most authors also realize today, the CIA plots with the Mafia to assassination Fidel Castro did not have presidential sanction. This was the conclusion expressed by the Church Committee in 1975 and is fortified by the release by the Assassination Records Review Board of the CIA Inspector General Report on that subject. Yet, in the face of all this, plus the declassified files of the Assassination Records Review Board, former New York Times reporter Kinzer claims,
Plotting against Castro did not end when Eisenhower left office at the beginning of 1961. His successor, John F. Kennedy, turned out to be equally determined to “eliminate” Castro. The spectacular collapse of the CIA’s 1961 invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs intensified his determination. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy, his brother, relentlessly pressured the CIA to crush Castro and repeatedly demanded explanations of why it had not been accomplished. Samuel Halpern, who served at the top level of the covert action directorate during this period, asserted that “the Kennedys were on our back constantly … they were just absolutely obsessed with getting rid of Castro.” Richard Helms felt the pressure directly. “There was a flat-out effort ordered by the White House, the President, Bobby Kennedy—who was after all his man, his right-hand man in these matters—to unseat the Castro government, to do everything possible to get rid of it by whatever device could be found,” Helms later testified. “The Bay of Pigs was a part of this effort, and after the Bay of Pigs failed, there was even a greater push to try to get rid of this Communist influence 90 miles from United States shores … The principal driving force was the Attorney General, Robert Kennedy. There isn’t any question about this.” (p.122)
First, to take the testimony of a practiced liar like Richard Helms regarding his sworn enemies, the Kennedy brothers, at face value, is almost comical. Richard Helms ordered Sidney Gottlieb to shred every accessible document pertaining to MK-ULTRA before congressional investigations discovered his illegal program’s dirty paper trail. Helms famously walked into the Oval office with a rifle, plopped it on JFK’s desk, and said the CIA had just discovered (through acid-based swaths), a Soviet serial number on the stock, and that the gun was from Cuba, strengthening, so he thought, his case that Kennedy should immediately invade the island before the Russians had time to reinforce Castro. Kennedy asked to see more proof, since Helms said the magic acid test only worked for a few seconds and then destroyed the numbers it allegedly revealed. Kennedy then waved him out of the office to finish opening his daily mail. Not exactly hell-bent, as Kinzer would have us believe.
Allen Dulles and Richard Bissell planned the Bay of Pigs to fail, stacking the initial invasion waves with the lowest quality, most poorly trained groups of the Cuban exiles slated for the assault. They did this anticipating that Kennedy would cave once reports got back to him that they could not get off the beach and capture strategic inland objectives without naval and air support (and, in all likelihood, the landing of U.S. Marines). Kennedy later understood this and complained about it. But the lie was fortified when Allen Dulles and E. Howard Hunt commissioned a ghost-written article in Fortune that created the narrative Kinzer and others have fraudulently promulgated: JFK got cold feet and “called off” the air support, leaving those poor Cuban exiles stranded on the beach. Kennedy inherited the operation from Eisenhower, reluctantly green-lit it only because the CIA was lying to him at every step, and when he realized its quixotic goals were impossible without escalation and the commitment of non-clandestine U.S. forces, sat anxiously in his briefing room as it fell apart. He then quietly fired Dulles, Bissell, and Cabell.
Similarly, to say that Robert Kennedy was hell bent on killing Castro is to fail to acknowledge the declassification of the CIA’s Inspector General report on the CIA/Mafia plots. That long report states that Robert Kennedy had to be briefed about the plots by the CIA after the FBI accidentally discovered them. Obviously, if the Kennedys had been in on them, there would have been no briefing necessary. But making it worse, the CIA told Robert Kennedy that they would now put a halt to them, since RFK was very upset by the briefing. This was a lie. The plots continued along without his knowledge, pairing mobster John Roselli and CIA officer Bill Harvey. (The Assassinations, edited by James DiEugenio and Lisa Pease, pp 327-28) The obvious question that Kinzer does not ask is: Why would the CIA have to lie to RFK, if he was in agreement with the plots? Kinzer also overlooks the apparent understanding of Castro’s own feelings towards the matter. He ignores the fact that it was largely Robert Kennedy, through Soviet back channels during the Cuban Missile Crisis, who averted what looked almost certainly to be a nuclear Armageddon. That incident provided a perfect opportunity to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro. Afterwards, Castro suggested a détente with Washington and JFK obliged him. It's easy to see why the CIA hated both of the brothers. And while this misreading of history is only a few paragraphs of an otherwise fairly well researched and engaging book, it provides a disappointing and misleading aspect that readers unfamiliar with the true history of the Kennedys’ views about the developing world. If anyone disagrees, it would be good for them to fact-check for themselves. Reading the IG report would be a good place to start. (Click here for that link)
Overall, while largely a repackaging of long-known facts, the book is an interesting introduction for those unacquainted with the dark side of the CIA at mid-century and into the latter years of the Cold War. Gottlieb remains a mysterious, infrequently quoted figure in the book, with a few interspersed interviews with his children and friends. Perhaps most interesting is Kinzer's chapters on Gottlieb’s attempted retirement and disappearance from the TSS, floating around abroad, in a leper colony in India and other exotic hideouts. His very face and name would have remained unknown to the general public and, likely, the research community had it not been for late 70s probes like the Church Committee. Kinzer does a fine job here and this probably represents the only unique aspect of the book, focusing as it does on their attempts to see how deep the CIA’s rabbit hole was when they stumbled upon the last surviving documents detailing projects like MK-ULTRA and MKNAOMI.
Last modified on Friday, 22 November 2019 03:29
CIA PLOTS
RICHARD HELMS
Michael Le Flem
Michael Le Flem is an independent researcher and a university lecturer in history and philosophy in Chicago. He holds a Master's degree in Western Intellectual History from Florida State University.
James Saxon and John Kennedy vs. Wall Street
in John Fitzgerald Kennedy
By James DiEugenio
Neil Sheehan: In Retrospect
Creating the Oswald Legend – Part 6
By Vasilios Vazakas
An Open Letter from James DiEugenio
Murder Orthodoxies: A Non-Conspiracist’s View Of Marilyn Monroe’s Death
in News Items
By Kennedys&King
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Sentencing arguments heard in fatal hit and run
By Jensen, Randy on September 5, 2020.
Tim Kalinowski
tkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com
A sentencing hearing for a southern Alberta man convicted of failing to stop at the scene of an accident where a person had died added another layer of tragedy to an already tragic story after the court heard that the man himself is now dying of cancer.
Judge Paul Pharo heard arguments on Friday in Lethbridge provincial court from both defence lawyer Balfour Der and Crown lawyer Erin Olsen as to what they deemed an appropriate sentence for Michael White Quills, 33, who accidentally struck and killed 26-year-old Gage Christian Good Rider on Sept. 5, 2018 while Good Rider and a female companion, D.J. Long Time Squirrel, were walking toward her home along Highway 5 just south of the city.
Olsen said given the aggravating circumstances in the case – that White Quills admitted to drinking up to 11 cans of beer in previous 20 hours before the accident occurred, that he admitted to being fatigued while behind the wheel, that he admitted he had been speeding (91-111 km/ h in a 60 km/h zone) at the time of the accident, and he admitted to not having his eyes on the road as he reached to adjust the radio when the vehicle struck Good Rider – a more serious sentence was warranted. She also said there was a question as to White Quills intent when he fled the accident scene after knowing he had struck something which caused serious damage to his vehicle.
White Quills previously admitted he left the scene after striking what he thought was a deer because he was afraid insurance wouldn’t cover the damage because he was driving his parents’ vehicle and was not listed as a valid driver on the vehicle. He also admitted he was concerned police might think he had been drinking and driving because his companions in the pickup truck with him were severely intoxicated at the time, and there was beer in the vehicle.
Olsen said these fears led to White Quills fleeing the scene, and he had shown a degree of wilful forethought in doing so. He made a conscious decision to flee, she said, and had not fled in blind panic.
In trial White Quills admitted after learning Good Rider had been killed in the collision through social media the next morning he had not immediately turned himself into police. He had instead attended the local rodeo, drank more beer, and consulted with his sister as to what he should do. He had then slept on it, and gone to the police the next day.
Olsen told Judge Pharo given these aggravating factors she had originally intended to ask for a nine-month conditional jail sentence, which White Quills would be allowed to serve in the community. But due to his recently diagnosed medical condition, Olsen felt a three-month conditional sentence, to be served in the community, would be appropriate in this case.
“It’s still a jail sentence,” she said, “but to be served in the community.”
Olsen also asked for a 15-month driving prohibition for White Quills.
Der argued White Quills had no criminal record, had, until recently, been steadily employed, had willingly turned himself over to the police, and had initially offered to plead guilty to the charge he was ultimately convicted of in an attempt to avoid a painful trial. These factors, he suggested, and based on compassionate grounds because his client has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and has entered palliative care, would mean a $1,000 fine was sufficient to the crime alongside a 12-month driving prohibition.
He reminded the court, as determined by his honour in trial, that the Crown had not met the burden of proof that showed his client had known he had killed a person, and therefore the fact the death occurred should have no bearing on sentencing as an aggravating factor in this case.
White Quills had originally been charged with failing to stop at the scene of a collision causing death, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, but was instead found guilty in July of the lesser offence of failing to stop in order to escape civil or criminal liability after striking another vehicle.
Besides these arguments, Pharo also heard victim impact statements on Friday from Good Rider’s mother and father, Marlene Heavy Runner and Tom Good Rider. Both said their health had been severely impacted by the loss of their youngest son and they were now on antidepressants because of their grief. They also said Good Rider’s children were having a difficult time coping with the loss of their father.
Two other victim impact statements from family members were not read out in court Friday after Der objected to some of the accusations made in them, and asked these accusations be redacted before the remainder of the statements were read out.
Pharo said he would take time to study the matter before making a ruling on Der’s objections. Pharo also asked if White Quills would like to say anything on his own behalf.
White Quills stood and addressed Good Rider’s family directly.
“I have no idea what you are going through,” he said. “I’m honestly very sorry, and I think about it all the time.”
The matter will return to court in Lethbridge on Oct. 7 when Pharo is expected to deliver an appropriate sentence for White Quills.
– With files from Delon Shurtz
Follow @TimKalHerald
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How To Advocate
LGBTQ Discrimination
Health Care Discrimination
Religious Refusal
Guidance on School Safety Rescinded
Today, the Federal Commission on School Safety recommended rescinding guidance intended to reduce discrimination in school discipline that disproportionately affects LGBTQ students, students of color, and students with disabilities, among others. Today’s decision does not change federal anti-discrimination law, and students remain protected based on race, ethnicity, sex, and disability. However, by undoing this guidance, the Commission is failing to address the issue of school safety for our most vulnerable students.
Research provides evidence that LGBTQ students are disproportionately subjected to harsh and exclusionary school discipline practices. In 2015, almost two thirds (62.8%) of LGBTQ students had experienced some form of discipline, such as principal referrals, detention, in-school or out-of-school suspension, or expulsion, compared to less than half (45.8%) of non-LGBTQ students.
If these recommendations to rescind the guidance are adopted, it would be the latest in a series of anti-LGBTQ actions by the Department of Education, which include rolling back protections for transgender students, and narrowing of the definition of sexual harassment under Title IX.
© CenterLink in conjunction with ActionLink: Center Action Network, 2017-2021
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Faculty Submissions
Bardolph, Richard
There are 24 item/s.
The development of the historiography of the Civil War 1950 72 Of all the events in American life, none seems to have stimulated the production of a greater bulk of literature, historical or otherwise, than the Civil War. Aside from the inspiration afforded by the rather dramatic quality of the war itself, proba...
The American immigrant in fiction 1963 62 People streamed from Europe driven to a new land by the lack of food and the lack of land, by the presence of peasant fears and the presence of racial and religious persecution, by the love of adventure and a plan for a richer life, by the hope for a...
The romantic spirit in American painting, 1800-1870 1964 45 The American colonies were settled by people from various European nations, beginning in the seventeenth century. The colonists came from different backgrounds and different cultures, but arrived with many of the same hopes and aspirations for a bett...
Bringing union to textiles : factors which aided and impeded the progress of unionism in the North Carolina textile industry 1962 36 From the momentum engendered by the Cotton Mill Campaign of the l880's to the creation of Burlington Industries in 1955 the history of cotton textiles has been one of major achievement in capitalization from meager financial resources, of erratic and...
The impeachment and trial of Governor William W. Holden, 1870-1871 1965 283 William Woods Holden, in spite of his illegitimate birth into an environment of ignorance and poverty, became one of the most influential figures of North Carolina history. He was a key figure in the politics of his state from the time he became the ...
William W. Holden and the Standard : the Civil War years 1966 87 One of the most controversial Civil War political figures in North Carolina was William W. Holden, editor of the powerful Raleigh, North Carolina Standard, member consecutively of four political parties, and reconstruction governor of North Carolina....
The young republic's self-image during the administration of James Knox Polk : a study of the swift unfolding of America's sense of destiny and mission 1844-1849 1966 255 Those pioneers who first migrated to the New World in the seventeenth century brought with them a sense of specialty. They were not ordinary adventurers, no random sampling of those lands left behind. In fact, these people considered themselves sifte...
Marxist influences in the United States prior to 1900 1966 156 Marxian socialism was introduced to America in the 1850*s by German political refugees, among whom were Joseph Weydemeyer, Wilhelm Weitling, Friedrich Sorge, and Victor Berger. Early socialist organizations in America were ineffective and beset with ...
The Mississippi Democratic primary of July, 1946 : a case study 1967 159 The thesis illustrates the extreme hostility to the possibility of any change in the status quo of race relations that manifested itself in the Mississippi Democratic primary of 1946. It focuses primarily on the Senatorial campaign of that contest in...
Universal military training : some prevalent ideas behind the post-World War II debate 1967 50 One of the primary concerns of many Americans in the years immediately following World War II was the new international position of the United States. Prior to this time America had been able to remain somewhat aloof from many world problems. Secure...
Rural attitudes toward the negro in North Carolina, 1875-1900 1969 51 The "Redemption" years, 1876-1894, formed a buffer between the countervailing periods of Revolutionary Reconstruction and Reactionary White Supremacy. The years following the reestablishment of Home Rule were characterized by conservatism rather than...
G. C. Simkins et al. v. Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital et al. : a landmark decision 1969 344 This thesis is a study of G. C. Simkins v. Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, a civil rights case that originated in Greensboro, North Carolina. Although the courts had prohibited racial discrimination in a variety of institutions since the 1954 desegr...
Peter Doub 1796-1869 : his contribution to the religious and educational development of North Carolina 1969 95 For more than half a century, Peter Doub was identified with North Carolina Methodism, serving for many years as a circuit rider, a district superintendent, a Temperance lecturer, and ending his career as a Professor of Biblical Literature at Trinity...
A survey of duelling in the United States 1969 148 This thesis was undertaken to study duelling as an aspect of social history in the United States. The aim of the researcher was to go beyond mere chronicling of particular duels, in an effort to ascertain feelings and attitudes toward the practice. T...
The private war of General Sherman 1970 272 Recognizing the growing interest in the psychological approaches to biographical studies, this thesis undertakes to examine the life of General William Tecumseh Sherman with an emphasis on its psychological components. An examination of his personal ...
The "Distinctive" South : forty-year quest for a regional mystique (1928-1968) 1970 48 This thesis purports to delineate certain factors in the Southern experience which have tended to render this region of the United States "distinctive"—resulting in a mystique which this writer, among many others, proposes is an actuality. The theori...
The Negro and the struggle for equal opportunity in Greensboro, May-July, 1963 1970 33 This thesis deals with the reaction of Greensboro, North Carolina, to Negro demands for equal opportunity during the period May--July, 1963. During this three month period, blacks in the city had three main objectives: achieving equal employment oppo...
Toward workmen's compensation in North Carolina, 1913-1929 1969 42 This thesis is a history of the sixteen years of political activity which led to the passage of the state's first workmen's compensation law. The paper begins in 1913 with the introduction of the first compensation bill and concludes with the passage...
The heart attack of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and its political implications for his candidacy for re-election 1967 177 Seldom has the nation been so preoccupied with an individual's personal decision as it was in late 1955 and early 1956 with the personal dilemma of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In September, 1955, he had suffered a "moderate coronary thrombosis" w...
Harry S. Truman as an advocate of civil rights : politics or compassion? 1971 46 When Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, the United States was emerging from her most debilitating war and seemed intent on "getting back to normal" as quickly as possible. Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency at the death of one of the...
Interpretations of Oliver Cromwell, 1647-1970 1971 67 In 1658 Oliver Cromwell was buried in Westminster Abbey with more pomp and ceremony than had been given to any other Englishman except a king; two years later his body was exhumed, hanged, drawn, and quartered as if he had been a common thief or trai...
Coleman Livingston Blease, South Carolina politician 1971 333 Coleman Livingston Blease was an active participant in South Carolina politics for over fifty years. From 1906 to 1938 he was a candidate for governor five times and the United States Senate five times. He was elected twice to the former and once to ...
Caswell County--the first century, 1777-1877 1972 652 The purpose of this paper is to trace the historical development of Caswell County during its first century, from its establishment in 1777 to 1877. The act creating the county, important aspects of early Indian life, first settlements, and the growt...
A comparison of attitudes toward the Negro as pictured in the Raleigh News and Observer in the years 1905, 1930 and 1955 1972 93 It was the purpose of this study to investigate the changes in attitudes toward the Negro as pictured in the reporting and editorializing of the Raleigh News and Observer at twenty-five year intervals, 1905, 1930 and 1955. General studies of race rel...
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Taking Selfies Doesn't Make You a Narcissist
Patrick Allan
Photo by Sole Treadmill.
If you’ve ever looked at someone’s selfie and thought “They are so vain,” you might be making an unfair assumption. A recent study suggests most selfie-takers aren’t into themselves any more than normal people.
How to Take Selfies That Don't Look Like Selfies
As a solo traveler, it’s challenging to capture my adventures: I want to include myself in the…
The study, led by Brigham Young University researchers and published in Visual Communication Quarterly, found that people take selfies for three primary reasons: they’re either taking them as communicators, as autobiographers, or as self-publicists. Only one of those motivations is actually associated with narcissism.
“Communicators” take selfies as a way to engage family, friends, and followers. It’s basically a conversation starter, which is the digital equivalent of walking up to someone you know, smiling, and saying hello. It’s not vanity, it’s a new way of reaching out.
“Autobiographers,” on the other hand, use selfies as a means to record key events in their lives and preserve significant memories. They like that people can see their photos, but they aren’t necessarily interested in feedback and communication. It’s more like keeping a public photo album. Instead of showing you pictures when you come over, they just make them available online.
Enter “self-publicists.” Now, this is the group where the researchers suggest narcissism can be a thing. They love to document their lives in hopes of showing themselves in the best light possible. Basically, they want you to look at their photos and think they’re amazing, while looking at their own photos and telling themselves that they’re amazing. But, according to the researchers, this is the smallest of the three groups. That means most selfie takers out there aren’t trying to show off or make themselves feel important.
So, if you want to take selfies, do so. Don’t let others make you feel bad about it. The selfie, while a fairly old practice, has gone beyond self-portraiture and become a new way to communicate, catalog, and commemorate. Of course, that doesn’t mean others will like looking at it. Another recent study, published in Frontiers of Psychology, suggests most people still view the selfie as shameless self-promotion. But hey, haters gonna’ hate, right? Now snap that pic. You know you want to.
Avoid the "Shot From Above" for Better Selfies
A popular selfie tip is to raise your camera above your head and look up at it, so it hides your…
Staff Writer, Lifehacker.com
I want to ask all the judgmental commenters on here a question: is it okay for someone else to take a picture of you, say in a picturesque location you’re visiting so that you have “proof” that you were there?
If that’s okay, why is a selfie in such a context narcissistic when the person has no one else to take a picture of them? Is the solo traveller not allowed to want pictures of him/herself on his/her travels?
I’m extremely unphotogenic and know better than to plaster my mug all over the internet on a regular basis, but I didn’t realise that sharing the odd photo taken by me of myself on my travels was such a terrible thing to do.
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Diving into the Wreck
By Eric Frith
LESTER LITTLE’s classic work on the origins of economic thought, Religious Poverty and the Profit Economy in Medieval Europe, opens with a pair of vignettes about buried treasure. In the first, a sixth-century Burgundian king named Gunthram dreamed the location of a cache of buried gold. Considering the find a gift from God, he had the treasure worked into a great golden canopy, which he gave to the nearby church of Chalon-sur-Saône, to hang over the tomb of St. Marcel. Four hundred years later, there was another find. The bishop of Orléans was beginning to rebuild the burned cathedral church of the Holy Cross when workmen unexpectedly unearthed gold. Though he considered the treasure a blessing, the bishop did not see it as a gift in need of reciprocation; rather, it was money in potentia. He converted the gold into coin and used it to purchase stone, lumber, and labor, to complete the construction already under way. The contrast revealed what Little considered an 11th-century sea change in the economic, intellectual, and spiritual life of Latin Christendom: “from gift economy to profit economy.” Selling Our Death Masks, a slim new book by historian and political activist Yesenia Barragan, deftly portrays a related process, 10 centuries later: the desperate, seemingly irresistible conversion of family treasures into money in the cash-for-gold shops of post-2008 Europe.
The business model of cash-for-gold shops is simple. They operate like pawnshops, giving small sums of cash in exchange for collateral, sometimes redeemed by the original owner at a premium, but more often sold to a wealthier buyer who may repurpose it or melt it down. At a time when both credit and jobs are scarce, cash-for-gold shops provide cash for those stretching to make ends meet. But because these shops specialize in treasures, gifts, and heirlooms, they serve — to an even greater extent than pawnshops — as a barometer of hardship. Their numbers skyrocketed in the wake of the financial crisis, especially across debt-laden southern Europe, where the Eurozone Troika’s austerity measures — deep, immediate spending cuts, privatization, and deregulation — hit hardest. Barragan found that in one part of southern Spain, their numbers more than tripled. By 2011 there were more than 700 in Madrid alone. “In Greece,” she writes, “the European capital of the Regime of Austerity, 90% of […] officially registered cash-for-gold shops opened in 2010.” Many, of course, are not officially registered.
But Barragan’s book is not in any strict sense an economic history. Although she began with the simple question of why cash-for-gold shops multiplied so quickly after 2008, the answer she provides is anything but simple. Selling Our Death Masks flits across space and time, subject and genre, with dizzying freedom. The unsuspecting reader may be disoriented at first, but the ride is short, and the exhilaration comes upon reflection. She has written an original and memorable book, assembling small, seemingly unrelated fragments from five continents and many centuries into a montage of sight and sound. The individual myths, historical anecdotes, posters, lyrics, and brief interviews she collects surely would defy interpretation on their own. But in formation they illuminate one another, and confront the reader with an erased past erupting into the present.
Those who know Walter Benjamin’s work will recognize his influence at once. Benjamin’s unfinished magnum opus, The Arcades Project (Passagen-werk), assembled fragments of material culture from 19th-century Paris into “constellations” of texts and images. Shopping arcades, department stores, railway stations, museums, and their entranced or jaded bourgeois inhabitants revealed, in Benjamin’s hands, the triumph of fetishized commodities in the modern city. Paris was “the capital of the nineteenth century,” and Benjamin was fascinated by the way its streets and arcades apotheosized fashion and novelty. The newness of a commodity, he observed, was independent of either its use value or its exchange value. And yet in the arcades, novelty was everything.
Barragan’s method is a focused version of Benjamin’s, following the social life of a single commodity: gold. Her opening chapter explores the ways that gold has been mythologized in countless cultures across centuries. To the Inca it was divine sweat; to Nahuatl-speakers in Mexico, the excrement of the sun god, Tonatiuh; the Kedang people of the Indonesian archipelago imagine gold as semen; the Brahmapurāna counsels that “without gold nothing is possible, people are dead even while living.” She reminds us of the golden “Mask of Agamemnon” so ambitiously promoted by Heinrich Schliemann, and recounts French Renaissance writer Charles Perrault’s earthy folktale about a donkey who poops gold. Her grapeshot anthropology shows just how universal human fascination with gold is, and how equally widespread suspicion of it has been.
It’s the combination of extraordinary malleability and longevity that reconciles, in the human imagination, gold’s filth to gold’s allure. John Locke, one recalls, wove gold’s durability into his theory of the origin of human society. Mankind overcame spoilage — nature’s leveling constraint on excessive private accumulation — by means of “a little piece of yellow metal, which would keep without wasting or decay.” The result, for Locke, was nothing less than permanent inequality and the rise of states. Its durability gives gold the shimmer of immortality, and Barragan shows us that the Greeks of the archaic age were not the only people to fashion death masks from gold. In southern China, in the central Philippines, on the island of Java, in Egypt, Colombia, and Peru, golden death masks have carried human individuality into the hereafter. Her own death mask? She unwittingly began piecing it together as a teenager, starting with “the golden Yesenia,” a necklace whose pendant was her own name in gold, a gift from her mother to encourage and commemorate her high school graduation. The necklace became almost a companion, something to be proud of in the working-class dreariness of Hackensack, New Jersey — an identity and a promise. Over the years she added to it, accumulating “more and more little bits and pieces of the mask […] baptismal earrings here, a ring there.” We allow gold to stand in for our memories and our dreams.
Barragan’s actors are not Benjamin’s. She is not interested in the bourgeois and the flâneur, but in the downwardly mobile — an Arcades Project of austerity’s wreckage. The book opens in Spain and closes in Greece — arguably the two Eurozone populations most affected by debt, the financial crisis, and Frankfurt remedies. In Spain, Barragan interviews both “the compro oro guys” (cash-for-gold street hawkers) and those forced to sell to them. We are not surprised to find that compro oro guys are not “the architects of the crisis,” but its go-between stewards. Often they are immigrants, often from South America, often Afro-Latino; with standing orders not to discuss the business they advertise.
Like the vendors, customers are reticent. Those who find Madrid’s Puerta del Sol neighborhood to sell their gold and make the month’s rent exhibit, above all other emotions, shame. People only visit cash-for-gold shops when they have no alternative to sacrificing their memories to the market. Though their prevalence proves this level of desperation is now commonplace, for many the decision remains as humiliating as it is painful. “Pues, it’s like going to the psychologist, or better yet the soup kitchen […]. You don’t tell people that you need to go, because you’re ashamed, so we never know who among us has been.” As of 2012 there were 15,000 cash-for-gold shops in Spain.
In Greece, Barragan shows us the rise of the serendipitously or ominously named Golden Dawn party, the Greek Nazi movement that managed to send three delegates to the European Parliament in 2014. We read as if with a hushed voice when Barragan and her partner, fellow author and historian Mark Bray, explore neighborhoods where Golden Dawn is popular, and the gold talismans on display in storefronts include keychains with the party’s meander symbol — a kind of Greek swastika. Unfortunately we see little of Syriza, the anti-austerity coalition that surprised everyone by winning national elections in January. But we do get to meet the anarchists and activists who have galvanized Greeks’ confrontation with Frankfurt and their own compliant government — and perhaps that is better. Despite brilliant and bold analysis by Syriza finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, the Syriza government was forced in February talks to accept German deadlines Varoufakis characterized as “inhuman.” Young activists anticipated the capitulation, and never demobilized. They continue even now to pressure the Syriza government from the left.
But it is in the chapter titled “At the Bottom of the Mine” that Barragan’s constellation of present and past finally takes shape, and we understand for the first time how the narrow commodity specialization of Europe’s cash-for-gold shops illuminates the broader neoliberal crisis. The author leaves Europe behind for Spanish colonial Colombia, long one of the world’s most productive gold-mining regions. It was here that Spanish conquerors pursued “El Dorado” (contrary to popular belief not a city, but the rumor of a king ritually painted head-to-toe with gold dust and submerged in a lake). Throughout Colombia’s history, both before and after independence, African slaves performed virtually all the labor in the mines that fed the first global commercial networks. Barragan introduces us, for example, to one Rosalia de los Santos, who bit by bit saved 400 pesos worth of gold dust to purchase her own freedom and that of her daughter. (Spain’s Catholic monarchy required slaves be baptized and offered a route to manumission, though in practice this was impossible for all but a few.) Barragan forces us to think about gold’s quintessential durability and malleability, as it carries us backward and forward in time:
Soon, the gold dust would acquire a new life of its own, from the gold mines or rivers of Chocó, into the hands of Rosalia, perhaps to an overseer, then to her master Don Antonio, carried off by a local merchant, by boat or overland if the rainy season wasn’t especially heavy, eventually making its way to the port city of Cartagena, where it would be shipped off to London or Paris, melted away, finally sent off to …
But would the gold dust remember Rosalia […]? Or would it try to forget?
The long, hot hours at the river. The drops of sweat. The lash. The screams of terror. […] The unbearable desire to forget everything and nothing at once. Is it possible? They’re all there, trapped inside each gold dust particle […].
The gold outlasts the memory of the violence that produced it, and reaches out into the future to entrance and enslave new generations, oblivious to its past, in new ways. Gold may not be the architect of personal, family, or community crisis, but it surely is a steward.
Barragan writes in a deliberately open, conversational voice. There is nothing of Benjamin’s hermeticism in her. Selling Our Death Masks constructs its mosaic of images so that the reader can experience what one owner of seven cash-for-gold shops in Rome described with inadvertent precision: “Business is very good, you can really feel the crisis.” But feeling the crisis means seeing the past as well as the present. “The true picture of the past flits by,” as Benjamin wrote in Theses on the Philosophy of History:
For every image of the past that is not recognized by the present as one of its own concerns threatens to disappear irretrievably. […] To articulate the past historically […] means to seize hold of a memory as it flashes up at a moment of danger. […] [E]ven the dead will not be safe from the enemy if he wins.
We never read the words “commodity fetishism” here, but by the end of the book we understand implicitly what the phrase means. Trusting commodities to embody our hopes and memories while forgetting the lives and loves destroyed in their making is capitalism’s formula for helpless oblivion. The “social relation between [people] assumes […] the fantastic form of a relation between things.” We are surprised and ashamed that it has come to this — to auctioning our treasures and gifts for money in order to live — because we fail to recognize that the illusion of a free market has always depended on masking the atrocities that sustain it. We should feel outrage rather than embarrassment.
At times, Barragan’s effort to let the past and present appear and speak for themselves could leave the reader wishing for more explicit and sustained analysis. We sometimes miss the historian’s bird’s-eye view of global structures and connections, of causes and effects, of the arteries connecting the capillaries of power. She offers few such synthetic pronouncements. But in the age of austerity, perhaps no author should assume that readers can spare more than a few hours and a few passing glimpses, and must instead hope, as Benjamin did, that the constellation’s emotional immediacy awakens political consciousness. It may be that anything systematic by definition belongs to the status quo, and to the few who want it protected. This book was not written for them.
Eric Frith is a doctoral candidate in Latin American history at Columbia University, and assistant professor of history at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
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who works at nif
ibo matthews
A Broadening Career in Science
With a background in optics and microscopy and a passion for research, Manyalibo (Ibo) Matthews was a natural fit for NIF when he came to work at LLNL in 2006. But his love of science wasn’t always plain to see when he was a child.
Matthews grew up in Berkeley, California, after his family moved to the West in the 1960s. His uncle was a scientist, but it was one of his high school teachers, Mr. Hubbard, who really introduced him to the world of science. Despite not taking high school seriously in his freshman and sophomore years, Matthews seemed to breeze through his science classes and continued to receive encouragement from his supportive teacher. At the time his close friends were pursuing other “career paths”—often on the wrong side of the law—that Matthews knew were not for him. But in his junior year, he made a change that would impact his scientific career for good: “I decided I had to take all classes seriously if I was going to have a chance to continue studying what I loved, science,” Matthews said.
As the first member of his immediate family to go to college, Matthews recalls that he was “nervous going to UC Davis,” but he did well and became involved in campus life after his first year—grading calculus and physics papers, picking up out-of-state summer internships, and most notably joining Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, where he participated in community outreach and service projects, ultimately serving as the chapter president in his senior year. Outreach opportunities afforded by the fraternity and campus activity boards increased his awareness of minority student needs, especially those involved in science.
With universities putting out the welcome mat for this young and ambitious graduate with a degree in applied physics, Matthews had decisions to make that would shape his future. He applied to more than 10 universities after studying and ranking them, and MIT rose to the top of the list. Although MIT didn’t entice him like the others, he was elated to receive the acceptance letter and describes the feeling as “a dream come true.”
Matthews continued to spend much of his college career helping others succeed while he pursued his PhD in experimental condensed matter physics. Through outreach programs, services and activities, he took aim at helping fellow students reach their collegiate goals. As mentoring became second nature to him, he was able to serve as a resident advisor in an MIT undergraduate dormitory—encouraging classmates to take breaks, stay balanced, and network among themselves—all keys to staying in tune with the demands of courses and other MIT stresses.
“There are extreme pressures with undergrads to be top of their class, a pressure-cooker environment,” Matthews says. He took this as an opportunity to give back what he received as an undergraduate by helping others succeed, especially during the first year of college, which he describes as “boot camp” or “extreme training” at MIT.
Ibo Matthews and Cdr. Brad Baker of the U. S. Naval Academy adjust a 795-nanometer, four-kilowatt continuous wave diode laser array in the Bldg. 272 optics lab. The laser array was used to preheat and test heat transfer on a plate of HY80 steel often used in submarines and ships (see “Using Lasers to Improve Welding Efficiency”.
As the East Coast began to grow on him, Matthews landed a postdoc appointment at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. Opportunities to pursue his work in industrial research were somewhat limited but still viable, as he began to explore optics and other growth areas. He began working on two microscopy techniques to study optical devices—near-field scanning optical microscopy and confocal scanning microscopy/spectromicroscopy—and found that most of the research at Bell was focused on the properties of optical devices and optical materials in telecommunications.
He later studied stress-induced birefringence (rotation in optical polarization due to anistropic refractive index) in optical waveguides and showed how doping of the glass can counteract the birefringence. His research also included studying the dopant concentration profiles of optical fibers and parasitic upconversion (optically-pumped electronic transitions which do not contribute to optical amplification) in phosphorus-erbium-doped fibers. He extensively used Raman spectroscopy and group theory in support of a number of small projects to explore the bonding of atoms and materials and the structure of their properties. Matthews also studied gallium nitride devices, developed microscopy techniques to study carrier concentration profiles, and studied a type of performance degradation in optical transmission fibers known as mode partition noise. And he found time to serve as program director for an inner city youth program, Young Science Achievers, which issued small grants to high school students and paired them up with Bell Labs researchers as mentors.
While Matthews made good connections at Bell Labs, the focus of the parent entity, Lucent Technologies, gradually shifted toward optical networking production and development as opposed to materials research, leaving him far removed from his research passion. Former LLNL principal associate director of Science and Technology Cherry Murray, whom he met briefly at MIT and later at Bell Labs, spoke to Matthews about a possible future at the Laboratory.
Inevitably, with a strong desire to be back with his family on the West Coast and his drive to focus more on research, he separated from Bell Laboratories in 2006 and headed west.
With NIF under construction at the time, there was a need to study optical materials and to understand the effects of the intense ultraviolet light from NIF’s lasers on the optics in NIF’s final optics assemblies. Matthews joined the Laboratory’s Physical and Life Sciences Directorate in 2006 and was matrixed into NIF immediately. He went to work with the Optical Damage Group led by Mary Spaeth and Dick Hackel, characterizing, understanding, and finding ways to prevent damage to NIF optics and to repair damage when it does occur.
Currently, Matthews is leading a Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project aimed at understanding optics contamination, and he recently started another LDRD effort to investigate the physics of selective laser melting for additive manufacturing (see “Developing Algorithms for Laser-based 3D Metal Printing”). “Our LDRD project seeks to do more detailed experiments on metal-based additive manufacturing than what has been done (previously),” he explains.
And continuing with his tradition of mentoring and outreach, he helps coordinate visits to the Laboratory by middle and high school students and young adults from economically disadvantaged communities under the auspices of Green Technical Education and Employment. Green Tech is a non-profit community-based organization in Sacramento charged with providing the students with quality workforce skills and educational opportunities, as well as healthy strategies to maintain sustainable communities (see “Students enjoy ‘phenomenal’ day at the Lab”).
Outside of work, Matthews and his wife can be found with their active six- and eight-year-olds, cooking, or pursuing their musical talents on the saxophone and piano.
Asked how it feels working for a national laboratory, Matthews says, “It has been rewarding working across the Lab,” and he’s excited about branching out to other laser projects, such as examining applications of lasers for industry and helping broaden the NIF & Photon Science directorate’s industrial partnerships portfolio.
Reflecting on his early childhood, Matthews says, “Science saved me.” Indeed, science had a place for Ibo Matthews and his many contributions to the field—and his fellow scientists.
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Defending Your Home
Is your landlord threatening to evict you unlawfully? Is he withholding services or failing to maintain your residence up to the State Sanitary Code? Is he retaliating against you because you complained? If you believe legal action is required to resolve a dispute with your landlord, the Law Office of Kevin R. Heffernan, Ltd., should be your first call.
Mr. Heffernan has helped countless tenants defend their rights by suing landlords, obtaining real estate attachments, and securing significant monetary damages for claims such as:
Breach of warranty of habitability
Breach of quiet enjoyment
Violations of the Consumer Protection Act (Chapter 93A)
He has also argued successfully for reasonable accommodations for disabled tenants under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
An Expert in Massachusetts Housing Law
If you have been unexpectedly evicted or if you believe your landlord has not met his obligations under the law, you may need legal representation. You may be entitled not only to keep possession of your apartment, but also to an award of monetary damages.
With more than eight years of experience navigating the Massachusetts Housing Courts, Mr. Heffernan can help you determine the best strategy for protecting your home or business. If you’re interested in exploring your legal options, call the Law Office of Kevin R. Heffernan, Ltd., today so he can put his expertise to work for you.
CASE SPOTLIGHT
When the Blizzard of 2015 knocked out the heat and electricity in a house rented by a mother and her 4-year-old daughter, the landlord refused to pay for repairs to restore the furnace and electrical systems. The town’s Board of Health demanded that the landlord bring the property up to code. Instead, he served his tenants with an illegal 72-hour notice to vacate stating that the town had condemned the house.
After deposing the landlord and issuing subpoenas to the Board of Health, Attorney Heffernan was able to prove at trial that not only had the landlord lied to his tenant about the condemnation, but he had also deliberately misled the Board into believing that his tenant had voluntarily vacated in order to avoid criminal prosecution for not repairing his property.
The judge found in the tenant’s favor, holding the landlord liable for multiple claims, including emotional distress, negligence, and violation of the Consumer Protection Act. The court entered a six-figure judgment against the landlord, including the tenant’s attorney fees.
LAW OFFICE OF KEVIN R. HEFFERNAN, LTD.
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Home » Posts tagged 'heresy'
Tag Archives: heresy
Knights Templar win heresy reprieve after 700 yrs.
I’ve always found the legends and mysteries surrounding the Knights Templar to be fascinating, so I found this article interesting:
By Philip Pullella Fri Oct 12, 4:10 AM ET
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Knights Templar, the medieval Christian military order accused of heresy and sexual misconduct, will soon be partly rehabilitated when the Vatican publishes trial documents it had closely guarded for 700 years.
A reproduction of the minutes of trials against the Templars, “‘Processus Contra Templarios — Papal Inquiry into the Trial of the Templars”‘ is a massive work and much more than a book — with a 5,900 euros ($8,333) price tag.
“This is a milestone because it is the first time that these documents are being released by the Vatican, which gives a stamp of authority to the entire project,” said Professor Barbara Frale, a medievalist at the Vatican’s Secret Archives.
“Nothing before this offered scholars original documents of the trials of the Templars,” she told Reuters in a telephone interview ahead of the official presentation of the work on October 25.
The epic comes in a soft leather case that includes a large-format book including scholarly commentary, reproductions of original parchments in Latin, and — to tantalize Templar buffs — replicas of the wax seals used by 14th-century inquisitors.
Reuters was given an advance preview of the work, of which only 799 numbered copies have been made.
One parchment measuring about half a meter wide by some two meters long is so detailed that it includes reproductions of stains and imperfections seen on the originals.
Pope Benedict will be given the first set of the work, published by the Vatican Secret Archives in collaboration with Italy’s Scrinium cultural foundation, which acted as curator and will have exclusive world distribution rights.
The Templars, whose full name was “Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon,” were founded in 1119 by knights sworn to protecting Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land after the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099.
They amassed enormous wealth and helped finance wars of some European monarchs. Legends of their hidden treasures, secret rituals and power have figured over the years in films and bestsellers such as “The Da Vinci Code.”
The Knights have also been portrayed as guardians of the legendary Holy Grail, the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper before his crucifixion.
The Vatican expects most copies of the work to be bought up by specialized libraries at top universities and by leading medieval scholars.
BURNED AT THE STAKE
The Templars went into decline after Muslims re-conquered the Holy Land at the end of the 13th century and were accused of heresy by King Philip IV of France, their foremost persecutor. Their alleged offences included denying Christ and secretly worshipping idols.
The most titillating part of the documents is the so-called Chinon Parchment, which contains phrases in which Pope Clement V absolves the Templars of charges of heresy, which had been the backbone of King Philip’s attempts to eliminate them.
Templars were burned at the stake for heresy by King Philip’s agents after they made confessions that most historians believe were given under duress.
The parchment, also known as the Chinon Chart, was “misplaced” in the Vatican archives until 2001, when Frale stumbled across it.
“The parchment was catalogued incorrectly at some point in history. At first I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was incredulous,” she said.
“This was the document that a lot of historians were looking for,” the 37-year-old scholar said.
Philip was heavily indebted to the Templars, who had helped him finance his wars, and getting rid of them was a convenient way of cancelling his debts, some historians say.
Frale said Pope Clement was convinced that while the Templars had committed some grave sins, they were not heretics.
SPITTING ON THE CROSS
Their initiation ceremony is believed to have included spitting on the cross, but Frale said they justified this as a ritual of obedience in preparation for possible capture by Muslims. They were also said to have practiced sodomy.
“Simply put, the pope recognized that they were not heretics but guilty of many other minor crimes — such as abuses, violence and sinful acts within the order,” she said. “But that is not the same as heresy.”
Despite his conviction that the Templars were not guilty of heresy, in 1312 Pope Clement ordered the Templars disbanded for what Frale called “the good of the Church” following his repeated clashes with the French king.
Frale depicted the trials against the Templars between 1307 and 1312 as a battle of political wills between Clement and Philip, and said the document means Clement’s position has to be reappraised by historians.
“This will allow anyone to see what is actually in documents like these and deflate legends that are in vogue these days,” she said.
Rosi Fontana, who has helped the Vatican coordinate the project, said: “The most incredible thing is that 700 years have passed and people are still fascinated by all of this.”
“The precise reproduction of the parchments will allow scholars to study them, touch them, admire them as if they were dealing with the real thing,” Fontana said.
“But even better, it means the originals will not deteriorate as fast as they would if they were constantly being viewed,” she said.
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Itkit
Pockitkit
About LTC
About Learning and Training Consultancy
LTC is able to call on a wide range of expertise to help deliver the best for our clients. This includes specialists in Early Years, Language and Literacy, SEN and Leadership and Management. LTC was founded in 2011 by Linda Tallent who was devoted to providing high-quality training for teachers and school leaders.
Lorna Davidson
Lorna boasts a breadth of quality teaching experience, having taught across all Primary Key Stages in the role of class teacher and Senior Manager. As a local authority Communication, Language and Literacy Development Consultant, she supported teachers in the development of early reading, writing and phonics through training, modelling of teaching, development of learning environment, and analysis of data. Her particular area of interest is working within Early Years, using her creativity and innovative approach to generate exciting indoor and outdoor learning experiences. Lorna has a Level 3 Forest School Leader qualification and provides stimulating sessions within a school’s natural environment and in Forest School settings.
Amy Keith
Amy has significant experience teaching in early years. She has been a successful middle leader and driven improvements in early years in a range of schools and different local authorities. She became a Local Authority Adviser in 2010 - supporting schools with early years practice and provision. She has specific expertise in assessment, data analysis, action planning, leadership and management and coaching to make sustainable improvements. She offers training, support and advice to schools and other early years settings.
Jean Thompson
Jean has taught for over twenty years in both Special Education and in mainstream Primary schools. For the past ten years she has worked as a consultant for SEND & Inclusion and School Improvement. She has supported schools and Early Years settings in all aspects of SEN, Disability and Inclusion. She has been involved in delivering a high quality CPD programme to teachers and practitioners, including newly Qualified Teachers and also to trainee teachers a tutor for Nat Award for SENCOs. Currently Jean is a tutor, mentor and Virtual School Headteacher. She is also a published co-author of A Square Peg in a Round Hole and the Early Intervention Toolkit (ItKit).
Veena Soni
Veena Soni DL, BEM, BA Hons – English as an Additional Language and Equality and Diversity specialist Veena has worked in education for over 30 years as a teacher, subject lead and Head of Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS). She has extensive experience in equality and diversity, raising achievement of Gypsy Roma and traveller (GRT) pupils and teaching English as an additional language (EAL) pupils. She has worked in many schools throughout the region and has extensive knowledge of strategies to use with young people who have English as an additional language. Veena has developed many resources for EAL and Traveller pupils which have been used in schools and other education institutions. Veena has worked with parents and ran workshops and training sessions for parents so that they can understand the school curriculum, policies, procedures and strategies used in schools. Veena’s expertise lies in a whole school approach to supporting ethnic minority pupils and believes that all teachers should have the knowledge and strategies to work with pupils who are at different stages of language acquisition. She has delivered workshops to senior education leaders, the school leadership team, teachers and teaching assistants.
Ann Muxworthy
Ann is a SEND Inspector. She is a qualified teacher and has studied to post-graduate level with a focus on special educational needs. She recently was the headteacher of a Virtual school for looked after children, and is a local authority officer supporting primary, secondary and special schools. Ann has considerable leadership experience managing support services and currently leads on special educational needs and maintains her expertise through inspection work and consultancy. She has experience as a senior lecturer at a university for initial teacher education and has experience of supporting schools in challenging circumstances in three local authorities.
Cherry Adamson
After spending many years teaching in primary schools Cherry joined Gateshead’s SEN Services and began working with children who were experiencing difficulties in acquiring literacy skills. In 1995 Cherry was appointed to set up Gateshead’s first Mainstream Support Base for children experiencing severe dyslexia. In 2001 Cherry took up a post in Gateshead as a liaison teacher for specific learning difficulties. She visited schools across the key stages to assess pupils thought to present within the dyslexic spectrum, to report on their strengths and weaknesses and to make recommendations to further their progress. Where appropriate she provided teaching support and liaise with parents, schools and specialist agencies, attend review meetings, providing in-depth progress reports. Her work also included provision of training for individual schools, the Learning Support Service and other agencies (e.g. NHS). In 2008, Cherry was part of the team that delivered the government’s IDP for Dyslexia. She worked alongside Dyslexia Action’s principal trainer, facilitating training and providing ongoing reports and recommendations to Warwick University. She co-authored a “What Works Well” study on “Dyslexia and the Creative Curriculum.” Cherry has a wealth of experience and expertise in developing services and resources for pupils with dyslexia and other developmental disorders. Now working freelance, she has authored a comprehensive learning programme for primary children that is designed to accelerate learning in reading, spelling and writing.
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You are here: Home / Digital / Leicester City Women captain Holly Morgan believes women’s football coverage has to improve
Leicester City Women captain Holly Morgan believes women’s football coverage has to improve
December 7, 2018 by leicestershirepress Leave a Comment
Leicester City Women captain Holly Morgan believes coverage of women’s football has to improve.
The defender has captained the Foxes from the fourth tier up to the FA Women’s Championship but doubts the club has gained the recognition it deserves from the mainstream media.
Morgan, speaking after City’s 4-0 home defeat to Charlton Women on Sunday, understands the benefits of what media coverage can bring to teams at this level.
Leicester City Women captain Holly Morgan.
“I think it’s a great way to engage with the public. I think it’s a great way to show young girls or anyone what’s going on within our club, what we’re like, what we do and build that relationship even if it’s not face-to-face at the beginning. By the time they start coming to games and get the opportunity to meet us then that relationship starts to build,” she said.
“The media coverage is really important to start that relationship between us as a club and the public, which can only happen through media attention. People need to know about it first and then you build the relationship.
“If people are reading about it more and seeing more of it then they might come and watch on a Sunday. If it is not being covered then people won’t know of it naturally. They need to be told where we play, when we play, when the games are on. I don’t think they would naturally know what is going on.”
Leicester City Women received minimal coverage in their Midlands Division One title-winning season in 2016 despite winning 22 out of 22 league matches and the club still struggle to have stories published in local media. City instead rely on dedicated outlets such as SheKicks to tell their story.
How is women’s sport covered in the UK?
“If you can’t get that coverage in your local newspaper or local magazine then you are relying on SheKicks or similar publications to publish your story, your articles, your progression. Those publications are really important, I just hope that we have more.”
According to a Women in Sport’s 2014 report, women’s sport makes up seven per cent of all sports media coverage in the UK and just two per cent of national newspaper sports coverage is dedicated to women’s sport.
Filed Under: Digital, Football, Latest, Local, news, News, Sports, Third Year, Video
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Sunday 17 January 2021 / 23:40
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Bangladesh Farcical Bloody Elections
0 comments | by S.Huq
What does the future hold after Bangladesh’s bloody election?
Shafiul Huq
Shafiul Huq writes how Bangladesh faces further political turmoil after the bloody electoral victory of the ruling Awami League on Monday.
Bangladesh‘s ruling party has won one of the most violent elections in the country’s history, marred by street fighting, low turnout and a boycott by the opposition which made the result a foregone conclusion.
Parliamentary elections held on 5th January were plagued by violence and the main opposition (the 18-party Alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party) had boycotted the polls.
Their grievance was that the ruling Awami League (AL) amended the constitution to do away with the requirement for a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee the elections. Instead a multi-party committee was formed by the current Prime Minister and head of AL, Sheikh Hasina to oversee the elections, which left her in power during the election period.
The BNP claimed that elections had not been fair under Hasina and responded with continuous protests and national strikes. The ensuing violence has been one of the worst episodes of political rivalry that the country has ever witnessed.
Repealing the requirement for a caretaker government was perceived by the opposition as a ploy undertaken by Hasina to remain in power. This is because the AL became increasingly unpopular over the last five years. Furthermore, AL and the BNP have been rotating power over the last two decades yet, neither of them have ever been re-elected for a second consecutive term.
Reasons for AL’s unpopularity
The results of the municipal elections held in mid-2013 also indicated that AL’s chances of returning to power did not look favourable.
1. The government’s incompetent handling of the Pilkhana massacre that resulted in some of the best army officers of the country being murdered.
2. A number of high profile corruption scandals involving individuals with close links to the ruling party, such as the Padma bridge scandal.
3. AL’s inability to resolve water-sharing disputes and to sign a land boundary agreement with India over disputed border regions despite the AL government delivering on India’s demands for transit, access to Chittagong port, and helping India crackdown on separatist groups in India’s northeast.
4. The terror spread by some AL leaders, especially those of their student wing, Chhatro League, who are notorious for their involvement in a plethora of rape cases.
Furthermore, AL is also seen as trying to suppress all forms of political Islam. This was most apparent in the brutal manner the security forces suppressed the protest, organised by Hefazot-e-Islam, against the atheist bloggers who insulted the Prophet Muhammad (saw).
The farcical trials of the Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and the execution of Abdul Quader Molla (rh) further strengthened this perception. Hasina’s stance against political Islam has cemented her backing from India, whuch does not want Bangladesh to become a hotbed of “extremism”.
India considers the Islamic parties that the BNP have allied with, including Jamaat-e-Islami to be extremist groups. AL has repeatedly fulfilled the aforementioned Indian demands thus securing India’s interests. Hence, India plans to step up diplomatic efforts following the elections to prevent any international criticism of Hasina.
Bangladesh is deeply polarised
Although the Indian Foreign Secretary, Sujatha Singh has expressed hope that the elections would find “wide acceptability”, the West on the other hand, most notably the US, have raised concerns about the credibility of the elections, given that the main opposition parties did not participate and 154 out of 300 seats in the parliament were won unopposed by AL candidates.
The US has been trying to convince Hasina to negotiate a compromise with the BNP and to convince India to change its strictly pro-AL policy towards Bangladesh. This caused some Indian officials to accuse the US of “doing everything to bring back the BNP to power.”
Khaleda Zia has appreciated the US’s push for a consensus solution and has called on India to “respect the aspirations” of the people of Bangladesh: “I thank the governments of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, China and Japan and the European Union and other friendly countries as they have continued to call for a consensus to resolve the crisis,” stated Khaleda Zia.
The US, UK, UN and the Commonwealth did not send observers to the election, meaning the election would lack international recognition. In a press statement issued on the day following the elections, the US State Department deputy spokeswoman, Marie Harf expressed disappointment at the elections and questioned its credibility.
She also called for fresh elections saying, “We encourage the government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in immediate dialogue to find a way to hold as soon as possible elections that are free, fair, peaceful, and credible, reflecting the will of the Bangladeshi people.”
In the aftermath of the elections, the disgruntled opposition is likely to keep causing more violence on the streets of Bangladesh. There are speculations of an army-takeover, similar to what occurred in 2007, if the situation continues to deteriorate.
However, many commentators have ruled out the possibility of such a recurrence. This is because, previously, the UN threatened to cancel the Bangladeshi army’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions if political violence continued. This was seen as an indirect message from the UN for the Bangladeshi army to take measures to curb the violence.
Contrary, the UN has recently requested Bangladeshi troops for its mission in Sudan, indicating that an army intervention will not find the same approval from the UN as before. Another possibility is that of new elections being held within a year, which is what the US has called for. Once again, India may not be in agreement with the US on this matter.
Whatever the outcome of the current political unrest may be, a lot will depend on the nature of agreement reached between the international players regarding the fate of the country.
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Arthur Ernest Sansom
Home Medical Specialty Anaesthesiology
Arthur Ernest Sansom (1838 – 1907) was an English physician and anaesthetist.
Pioneering research on anaesthesiology, the use of carbolic acid in medicine, and the diagnosis of heart disease.
Sansom was eponymised with a binaural stethoscope; a pleximeter; and a variety of signs including Sansom’s percussion sign of pericardial effusion (1892) and Sansom’s sign of thoracic aortic aneursym (1895)
Born 13 May 1838 in Corsham, England
1854 – King’s College, London (aged 16)
1859 – M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.S.A.
1878 – Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
1897 – President of the Medical Society of London
Died 10 March 1907 in Bournemouth, England
Medical Eponyms
Sansom sign I (1895)
A rhythmic murmur heard with the stethoscope applied to the lips. A sign of aneurysm of the thoracic aorta. [Pre-dating Drummond sign (1908)]
I have found valuable auscultatory evidence in some cases of aneurysm, when a murmur has been absent, or very feebly heard, over the thorax, by causing the patient to place within his mouth the small chest-piece of the binaural stethoscope, and to close his lips over it. On auscultating thus, the observer may hear a distinct or loud systolic murmur in the case of a thoracic aneurysm, the vibrations being communicated to the trachea, and thence directly by the air-column to the ears.
Sansom 1895: 500
Sansom sign II (1892)
Marked increase of the area of dulness in the second and third intercostal spaces. A sign of pericardial effusion. Sansom compared the findings of cardiac enlargement due to pericardial effusion versus hypertrophy
Abrupt Outline of Praecordial Dulness of Pyramidal or Pyriform Shape: When this is observed, there is a great probability of effusion in the pericardial sac. In this case the relative cardiac dulness does not exist; the transition from the resonance of the lung to a very marked dulness is abrupt; moreover, the dulness may extend above the usual limit. Whenever marked dulness extends above the third rib, there is a strong probability of pericardial effusion. If there be much distension of the pericardium with fluid, the area of dulness may extend from the articulation of the first or second costal cartilage above to the sixth rib or sixth intercostal space below.
Sansom 1892
DB Lees, William Osler, WH Broadbent, William Ewart, Adolf Baginsky, James Finlayson, Theodore Fisher, Frederick John Poynton, John Lindsay Steven, D. W. Samways and GF Still. A Discussion On Rheumatic Heart Disease In Children. In: 66th Annual meeting of the British Medical Association. Br Med J 1898; 2: 1129-1134.
Dr. Sansom lays stress on a considerable extension of dulness in the third and second intercostal spaces. This sign is of value, for the fibro-serous inflammatory product of early rheumatic pericarditis is most abundant at the base of the heart, around the great vessels.
DB Lees 1898
Pericardial Effusion: Its Diagnosis and Treatment. An Address Introductory to a Discussion on the Subject. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. 1910; Vol 3(2): Samuel West (55-69); D. B. Lees (69-73); William Ewart (73-76)
When I examined this patient the friction had subsided, and the only evidence of his attack of pericarditis consisted in the extension upwards and outwards of the upper limit of the cardiac dullness in the second left intercostal space-a most valuable sign of an early or limited effusion into the pericardial sac around the great vessels; a sign for which we are indebted to the late Dr. Sansom.
D. B. Lees (69-73)
Sansom’s binaural (double) stethoscope (1891)
Sansom’s stethoscope embodies all the good points of the older types of binaural stethoscope, none of which, it may be added, is so satisfactory for routine work as the instrument devised by Mr. Bowles…the metal work and the rubber tubing are too light, the ear-pieces ill fitting, the chest-pieces defective, and the springs difficult to adjust properly.
Da Costa 1915
Sansom’s pleximeter (1891)
Percussion: The hammer or agent by which the stroke is practiced is the plexor, and the interposed material is the pleximeter. By far the most common plexor, and for the most part the best, is the middle or index finger, or both of these, while one or the other of the same fingers of the other hand becomes the pleximeter. By far the most satisfactory pleximeter, in my experience, is the little hard-rubber pleximeter suggested by Sansom (fig 5). Either the larger or smaller end may be applied to the chest, and the stroke given to the other side, with equal efficiency.
Tyson 1891
Key Medical Attributions
1865 he wrote one of the first and most practical works on anaesthetics entitled, Chloroform : its action and administration
In 1869-70 he brought before the medical profession in this country the importance of Pasteur’s researches on fermentation, and embodying those views, together with the results of many experiments of his own, brought them before the Medical Society of London in a series of papers, subsequently publishing them in a book entitled The antiseptic system (1871).
Major Publications
Sansom AE. The mortality after operations of amputation of the extremities: and the causes of that mortality. 1859
Sansom AE. Chloroform : its action and administration. 1865
Sansom AE. The arrest and prevention of cholera : being a guide to the antiseptic treatment, with new observations on causation. 1866
Sansom AE. The antiseptic system : a treatise on carbolic acid and its compounds. 1871
Sansom AE. Lectures on the physical diagnosis of the diseases of the heart. 1876
Sansom AE. Manual of the physical diagnosis of the diseases of the heart: including the use of the sphygmograph and cardiograph
Sansom AE. The treatment of some of the forms of valvular disease of the heart. The Lettsomian lectures. 1886
Sansom AE. The annual oration; the rapid heart, a clinical study. 1890
Sansom AE. The Diagnosis of Diseases of the Heart and Thoracic Aorta: And the Pathology which Serves for the Recognition of Morbid States of the Organs of Circulation. 1892
Sansom AE. Diseases of the Blood Vessels. In: Twentieth Century practice: an international encyclopedia of modern medical science. 1895; Volume IV: 455-640
Obituary ARTHUR ERNEST SANSOM, M.D.Lond., F.R.C.P. Br Med J. 1907 Mar 23; 1(2412): 722.
Obituary ARTHUR ERNEST SANSOM, M.D.Lond., F.R.C.P. Lancet. 1907; 169(4360): 842-845
the person behind the name
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Another World We Are Making: a look at LKFF’s focus on Kim Dong-won
by Philip Gowman posted 17 Sep 2018 21 Oct 2018 updated 21 Oct 2018
in Film & TV | Events. 7 minute read
Clockwise from top left: Repatriation, The Sanggyedong Olympics, My Friend Jung Il-woo and 6 Day Struggle at Myeongdong Cathedral, by director Kim Dong-won
Almost inexplicably, when compared with previous documentary screenings, the KCC’s mini festival of Korean documentaries, spread over two weekends, was over-subscribed, with latecomers for one session needing to sit on the floor. The decision to break out the documentary strand from the main London Korean Film Festival has probably been vindicated, and the strategy of partnering with Birkbeck and other institutions in curating the screenings at the KCC has also probably had its own effect in terms of bringing in new audiences.
Of course, the level of interest will also have been attributable to the focus on the work of the director who can probably be regarded as the father of modern Korean documentary-making, and the presence of the man himself, Kim Dong-won. The festival fittingly took its name from one of Kim’s films, Another World We Are Making: Haengdang-dong People 2 (2000), which was the second of two documentaries he made about residents forced to evacuate the Haengdang neighourhood (southeast from Dongdaemun, near the Han River) to make way for development. The selection of films for the festival focused on documentaries which espoused the cause of the underprivileged, arguing for a more human, fairer society.
Nam In-young (left) introduces Kim Dong-won, with interpreter Rho Seh-hyun
The first afternoon of the season was a double bill of Kim Dong-won’s early documentaries. The first, The Sanggyedong Olympics, was made over the course of three years, and follows the fate of the inhabitants of an area scheduled for redevelopment in the run-up to the Seoul Olympics. First, after a long struggle they are evicted from their neighbourhood and end up taking refuge at Myeongdong Cathedral, their time there overlapping with the Six Day Struggle of the second movie. Next, they manage to purchase a small plot of land at the side of a busy main road near Bucheon, but their attempts to settle there legally come to nothing when they are unable to get the necessary consents from City Hall. The story of impoverished residents in down-at-heel neighbourhoods battling against the forces of redevelopment is a familiar one which finds echoes throughout South Korea’s post-war development, most recently in the Yongsan tragedy. What is interesting about Kim’s movie is that it was intended as a propaganda piece to help raise funds for the evictees. The documentary ends inconclusively, with the evictees still struggling to find a place to call home, as if calling to the viewer for help. The documentary is not told in an objective third person style; instead the most commonly used pronoun in the voice-over is “we”. The story is told from the inside, with the camera sharing the humble daily lives of the evictees, showing how even in the poorest community, joy can be had through sharing the simple things in life. This would contrast with the narrative presented by the authorities, which would portray the evictees as trouble-makers and barriers to progress.
Nam In-young and Kim Dong-won discuss the 6 Day Struggle
The 6 Day Struggle at Myeongdong Cathedral feels more detached, while still clearly telling the story from the perspective of the protestors. The movie uses some of Kim’s contemporary footage from 1987 (gathered during the filming of the Sanggyedong documentary), but the main focus of the film is a series of talking head interviews, conducted in 1997 with those involved in the struggle ten years earlier: students, workers, farmers and clergy from the cathedral itself. With the protest being covered by overseas news channels, the issue was clearly a sensitive one for the government of the time, who did not want the bad PR of riot police storming a Catholic cathedral using tear gas, particularly in the run-up to the Seoul Olympics. Additionally, the American embassy had stated publicly that they hoped the situation could be resolved peacefully. All this meant that the authorities had to tread very carefully, and in the end the demonstrators dispersed voluntarily. But the decision to leave rather than dig in until the authorities made concessions was a close-run thing, with the convoluted and extended voting process perhaps influenced by government agents who infiltrated the ranks of the protestors with the aim of sowing dissent. The film was originally commissioned by the various parties involved in the protest at the Cathedral, but in the end they rejected Kim Dong-won’s proposed approach and he ended up financing the documentary himself.
Chris Berry introduces Repatriation with Kim Dong-won
Repatriation is the documentary which put Kim Dong-won on the map internationally, winning the Freedom of Expression Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. As is often the case, fame abroad gave Kim a higher profile domestically too, giving him the opportunity to get the film screened in local theatres. But he was already on the radar of the authorities, having been harassed by the police during the making of the film for suspected violations of the National Security Law. How could it be otherwise? He was consorting with North Koreans, avowed supporters of the DPRK regime, who despite all the pain inflicted by the torturers in Seodaemun Prison in an effort to get them to renounce communism remained loyal to their ideology. They had crossed the border with hostile intent and had got caught. You can see why the more conservative elements in South Korea thought that they should rot in jail until they were converted. But after up to 30 years in prison they were released in the 90s, and their main desire was to be sent home.
Two such North Koreans lived near Kim Dong-won, supported by a community group, giving him the opportunity to film their daily lives. He is introduced to them almost as soon as they are freed from jail and he follows them as they try to build a life in South Korea, though without official citizen status and without any access to state assistance they struggle to earn a living – eventually forming a herbal medicine factory with the help of their support group. Their impoverished lifestyle contrasts sharply with the hero’s welcome that would be their due in Pyongyang. Outside of prison, they try to meet up with other North Koreans or go on picnics together. They manage to find the captain of the mini-submarine which had brought them South on their secret mission. He had succumbed to the torture and “converted”. He now did menial work on a dog meat farm.
Chris Berry and Kim Dong-won discuss Repatriation, with interpreter Rho Seh-hyun
This film feels rather personal, with Kim himself narrating the documentary often using the first person, explaining at times how he had to stop filming at particular points. Despite his obvious sympathy and friendship with his subjects, he is not universally uncritical. At one rather fractious event the North Koreans, now hopeful of being repatriated, are confronted by families of South Koreans whose relatives have been abducted by the North Korean authorities. The North Koreans refuse to agree to take letters to the abductees North of the DMZ. They refuse to believe in any such abductions, holding to the party line that any South Koreans in the North are staying their voluntarily. In a rare personal intervention, Kim says he thought they were being unreasonable.
The documentary, at 148 minutes, is very long, but does not outstay its welcome simply because of the fascinating story it tells. Although the timing of the mooted repatriation was during Kim Dae-jung’s sunshine policy of engagement with the North, there were nevertheless vocal conservative forces who opposed such a unilateral gesture of reconciliation when so much remained unresolved. Even if you know in advance whether the repatriations ever took place, the documentary retains its interest in quietly following the daily lives of these fish-out-water individuals.
Chris Berry, Kim Dong-won, Song Yun-hyeok, Rho Seh-hyun and Nam In-young after the screening of Repatriation (photo: KCCUK)
The final Kim Dong-won documentary to be shown was Jung Il-woo, My Friend. Jung was an American Jesuit priest who was posted to Seoul in the late 1950s, where he taught at Sogang University. He gave up the security of this post, deciding instead to devote his life to ministering to the marginalised in Korean society.
Perhaps this life-changing decision could have been examined more deeply: we are left wondering as to the thought process Fr Jung went through, for example whether it was after a long, agonised internal struggle or whether it was a more straightforward decision. But from that point forward we follow Jung’s life amount the poor and disadvantaged, first among the shanty-town dwellers along the banks of the Cheonggyecheon in central Seoul, then some years later, among the inhabitants of Sanggyedong, and later experimenting with organic farming in a remote rural region.
Fr Jung was clearly a remarkable man, at ease with the poorest in society as well as being a close confidant of Cardinal Kim, leader of the Korean Catholic Church. In Kim Dong-Won’s affectionate documentary he comes across both as saintly and entirely earthly, enjoying a robust laugh and generous amounts of alcohol. One of the most striking elements of the voiceover is the fact that probably the most commonly used pronoun is “you”. Kim Dong-won is addressing his friend personally, as if the movie is a personal tribute to the man who meant a lot to him.
It was an illuminating series of documentaries, and in the Q+As Director Kim was unnecessarily self-deprecating about the quality of the earlier documentaries, particularly in relation to the subtitles. One of the lessons documentary makers will have learned from the two weekends is never to throw away any footage. It is remarkable what Kim has managed to achieve from probably what amounts to thousands of hours of footage filmed over the course of his long career. Much of the time he may have been uncertain as to the use to which each scene was going to be put, or if a coherent full-length piece could ever be created out of what he was filming, almost by habit, as part of his daily routine. But the results provide fascinating insights not only into the process of film-making but also into important issues which are part of modern Korea’s social fabric.
Ideas for further reading
Filed in: Documentaries | Event reports and reviews | Film reviews and comment
Directors: Kim Dong-won
Organisations and venues: Birkbeck Cinema | KCCUK
Event tags: Documentary Fortnight | LKFF 2018
Michael Palin in North Korea on Channel 5
Haegue Yang at SOAS as part of the SOAS / Sotheby's Series
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Joe Griffiths
I feel we must all strive to keep Lymm as it should be...a friendly, thriving, bustling community
Joe has lived in Lymm since 1949 and was educated at Statham Infants School and Pepper Street Primary School, finishing his education at Lymm Grammar School. He was well known as Lymm's 'telephone engineer' for many years and took early retirement from B.T. several years ago. Joe is married to Tina, who works as a Doctor's receptionist at one of the local surgeries. They have three grown up children who all attended Ravenbank School and Lymm High School before completing their education at University.
Joe is an active member of many local Groups and Societies. He is Secretary of Lymm Festivities Group (the volunteers who decorate the Village for May Queen and the Festival and put up the Christmas Trees) Joe has been Librarian of the Local History Society for many years and gives talks on Old Lymm to numerous local groups, even as far afield as Poynton and Leigh, enthusiastically promoting our Village. He is also a member of the May Queen working committee, helping with the preparations on the field. Joe has done voluntary work for the Royal National Institute for the Blind for over 20 years, repairing Talking Book machines and adapting and maintaining computers for the visually impaired. He as present Chairman of the Parish Council and a member of the Plans Sub-Committee, Village Hall Sub-Committee, Allotment Gardens Sub-Committee and a member of the Lymm Environment and Heritage Group since its formation. Joe is also a committee member of the Lymm Youth and Community Association and is actively involved in trying to keep the premises in Bridgewater Street for use by the whole of the Local Community.
Having lived in the Village for over 60 years, I've seen many changes (not all for the better) and feel we must all strive to keep Lymm as it should be...a friendly, thriving, bustling Community
Email: joe.griffiths@lineone.net
Telephone: 01925 75 4651
Plans Sub-Committee
Village Hall Sub-Committee
Allotment Gardens Sub-Committee
View details of the local council.
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Houthis Are The Brothers Of All Yemenis
Yemen is on the brink of new conflict and tension. Protests sparked by the leader of the Houthis in Yemen, Abdulmalik Houthi, calling on the government to resign are growing. Yemen is a country where such tensions frequently arise.
Uprisings in 2011, when former head of state Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to step down, were followed by actions by the secessionist Southern Movement and attacks by al-Qaeda.
The secessionist Southern Movement is clashing with Yemeni security forces. In the north, there are frequent clashes between Houthis and Sunni tribes and the military.
Meanwhile, al-Qaeda has lost its bases in many regions to the Yemeni army; in response, al-Qaeda militants are trying to make the army cease its operations by attacking oil and natural gas pipelines. It takes a very long time to repair damaged pipelines since security cannot be completely established and of course this gives rise to serious problems with natural gas and oil supplies in Yemen.
If we ignore the leftist groups within the Southern Movement, we can reduce the security problem in Yemen to the political and armed opposition of Islamist groups. This problem is leading to severe issues in a country whose economy is already troubled. It is obvious that in order for these problems to be overcome, the groups involved in Yemeni politics need to act together. However, it also needs to be stated that the union of Muslims in Yemen, be they Zaidi or Sunni, is not a political necessity to put an end to the existing problems; unity is in any case a prerequisite for being a Muslim. Muslims must behave in accordance with Qur’anic moral values in national and international politics, as well as at all other moments of their lives. The moral values of the Qur’an primarily demand that the Islamic world be in alliance. In the event that Qur’anic moral values are followed in Yemen, the alliance to be established will be permanent and this will mean the country, with its strategic position, will be able to play the active role that is expected from it.
Islamic moral values require that Muslims always behave in a unifying manner and be brothers in faith in a spirit of solidarity and mutual aid. Allah commands Muslims not to quarrel among themselves (Surat al-Anfal, 46) and reveals that such behavior will only weaken them.
A Muslim who acts in the light of good conscience and reason, and who thinks more of justice than his own interests, can never fail to be allied with other Muslims and musn’t be in a state of constant dispute with them. Explaining this to the Houthis in a sincere manner, and using the appropriate means, can represent a good start to a solution.
Allah forbids Muslim communities to be unjust or hostile toward one another. The Qur’an reveals that any such behavior must be stopped and that peace must be made between the quarelling Muslim communities.
Of course there may be various regional, cultural and traditional differences of practice and understanding among all Muslim communities. There will even be different interpretations, views and sects, such as in the case of Zaidi and Sunni sects; that is perfectly natural. What there must not be, however, is for one group to line up against another, like in Yemen, because of such differences, and cease all dialogue with them, regard them as foreign and even enemies as if they are people with whom there can be no agreement on the basis of common values. That is wholly unacceptable.
Allah warns Muslims against falling into such an error in the Qur’an, and points to the errors made by Christians and Jews on the subject as a deterrent. In reporting the errors made by Christians and Jews, we are also told that these communities fall out among themselves: Verse 4 of Surat al-Bayyina says that the People of the Book divided into sects even though a ‘Clear Sign’ came to them. Other verses point to poor moral values such as “injustice,” “envy” and “rebellion against the Lord” as the reasons for such division.
It is the fact that people do not abide by the moral values commanded by Allah that lies behind religious divisions. These moral values are based on humility. People who abandon humility regard themselves and their own ideas as absolutely in the right, despise those who disagree with them and feel hostility toward them. Since they have no doubts at all about the correctness of their ideas, they never question themselves and thus make any progress or improvement. The position of those who take great pride in their own ideas is described as follows in the Qur’an; “… But they disagreed and split up, dividing into sects, each party exulting in what it had.” (Surat al-Mu’minun, 53).
What needs to happen is for different Muslim communities to be careful not to fall out over possible cultural and traditional differences, nor prepare the foundations of conflict by constantly emphasizing these differences, but to support an alliance based on living by the moral values of the Qur’an. Muslims must support one another in alliance, must be tolerant on those areas in which they disagree, and must behave in an understanding manner. In particular, leading thinkers and people of ideas in the Islamic world who realize the danger must engage in intense activities and encourage union and unity among Muslims. A solidarity built upon love, respect, compassion and tolerance must be built, not only in Yemen, but in the entire Muslim world.
What lies at the heart of Islamic moral values is not dispute and division, but a concept based on unity of belief and shared values. The duty of all Yemenis, Zaidi or Sunni, is to adopt and implement that understanding.
Adnan Oktar's piece on National Yemen:
http://nationalyemen.com/2014/09/05/houthis-are-the-brothers-of-all-yemenis/
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Tamiko Thiel @ Venice Biennial 2011
<< Viewing locations and instructions:
See Venice 2011 Index
“Shades of Absence”
View mARp googlemap on mobile to launch Shades of Absence in Venice
In these pavilions of absence images of contemporary artists whose works have been censored are reduced to gold silhouettes and placed in the midst of terms of transgression. Each erased silhouette stands for countless unknown or lesser known artists who face censorship or persecution with no public support.
These works were created as a response to Biennale curator Bice Curiger’s question: “If art was a nation what would be written in its constitution?” as part of her theme on nationalism and internationalism at the Biennale.
There are three artworks in the series:
“Shades of Absence: Public Voids”
This work brings artists of censored public artworks into the public space of Piazza San Marco. Touching the screen while viewing the artwork brings a link to a website on censorship of artists’ works in public space – including several cases at the Venice Biennial itself.
“Shades of Absence: Public Voids” by Tamiko Thiel, Venice Biennale 2011. Silhouettes of artists whose works in public spaces have been censored – some at the Venice Biennial itself – stand in a golden pavilion made up of terms of censorship in Piazza San Marco.
“Shades of Absence: Schlingensief Gilded”
This is an intervention in the German Pavilion, which just won the Golden Lion Award for Best National Pavilion. In the spirit of Schlingensief, “Shades of Absence: Schlingensief Gilded” intervenes in this memorial to the deceased artist, manifesting his ironic absent presence surrounded by a halo of terms of censorship often used to describe his works. As difficult to pin down as Schlingensief himself, this gilded ghost floats in and out and around the pavilion. Touching the screen brings a link to a website with information on several cases in which Schlingensief’s works had been censored.
“Shades of Absence – Schlingensief Gilded” in the German Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2011
“Shades of Absence: Schlingensief Gilded” in the German Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2011
“Shades of Absence: Schlingensief Gilded” in front of German Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2011
“Shades of Absence: Outside Inside”
This work creates a virtual pavilion on the Giardini concourse for censored artists who, whether considered art world insiders or outsiders, have faced threats of violence or arrest. Touching the screen while viewing the artwork brings a link to a website with information on the artists depicted, and many others such cases.
“Shades of Absence: Outside Inside” by Tamiko Thiel, Venice Biennale 2011. Silhouettes of artists who face arrest or physical violence hover in a golden pavilion made up of terms of censorship in the Biennial Giardini main concourse.
“Shades of Absence: Outside Inside”, Venice Biennale 2011, Giardini
Website with cases of censorship: With each artwork, touching the silhouettes in the display of the smartphone brings up a list of censored artists corresponding to the respective type of censorship, including but not limited to the artists depicted.
Post cases of censorship in the visual arts to a Facebook group “Shades of Absence”, or email them to: shadesofabsence@gmail.com. The page will be archived regularly in case of censorship by Facebook – itself a notorious censor – and will be brought into a more secure database under development.
Viewing locations and instructions:
Please see the Venice Biennial 2011 Intervention Index
These works pose the question: What is the real value of an artwork for society? Is it the price it receives from the highest bidder at auction? Or is it the discussion that it provokes in the public sphere? There are multiple shades of absence for censored works, with some artworks and artists becoming even more prominent due to censorship, and others – the vast majority – disappearing without a trace. At a time when well-known artworks are being destroyed and famous artists arrested, we need to be aware that most artists who are censored do not enjoy world-wide visibility and support.
Censorship of art and artists happens in all nations in many forms and for many reasons. Some artists may deliberately seek provocation, but others are stunned that their work is seen as controversial. Especially works in public places can be censored for unclear or unspoken reasons. The Venice Biennial has provided a protected space for artworks that have been censored elsewhere, but also censors artworks itself, especially in the public space of Venice. Facebook too is on the one hand a powerful grassroots tool for people to share information and media, but is a pitiless censor in order to serve its commercial interests.
Website: http://mission-base.com/tamiko/
Tamiko Thiel (US,JP,DE) is a media artist developing the dramatic and poetic capabilities of various forms of reality. She has degrees in engineering from Stanford and MIT and a fine arts degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. She exhibits internationally in venues such as the International Center for Photography in New York, the Institute of Contemporary Art in London, the ZKM in Karlsruhe, the ICA in Boston and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, and at festivals such as Siggraph, ISEA and Ars Electronica.
She designed the visual form of the Connection Machine CM-1/CM-2 (1986/’87), the fastest supercomputer in the 1980s and now preserved in the Smithsonian Institution. She was creative director and producer of Starbright World, an award-winning multi-user 3D online virtual playspace for seriously ill children done in collaboration with film director and Starbright Foundation chairman Steven Spielberg. Her virtual reality installation Beyond Manzanar (2000) is in the permanent collection of the San Jose Museum of Art in Silicon Valley.
She has won prizes such as the IBM Innovation Award and grants from WIRED Magazine and the Berlin Capital City Cultural Fund (Hauptstadtkulturfonds), and fellowships from institutions such as MIT and the Japan Foundation. She has taught and lectured at institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, the MIT Media Lab, the Bauhaus-University in Weimar/Germany, University of California/San Diego, the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television and the School of Film and Television in Babelsberg, Germany.
6 Responses to “Tamiko Thiel @ Venice Biennial 2011”
Tobey Crockett Says:
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing this vision with us
BlaxxunRomania Says:
Yep !
Tamiko Thiel is a great artist !
ottavia bassetti Says:
It is amazingly powerful, Tamiko. Which I could have been there and then also a Venezia and enjoy the full immpersion.
tamikothiel Says:
Thank you Ottavia!
We’ll be leaving the artworks up as a permanent installation, so perhaps we can meet some time in Venice and I can show them to you then!
take care, Tamiko
Past AR “solutions” « ARuGodt Says:
[…] For information on viewing the artworks in Venice during the Biennial (June 4th – November 27th, see https://manifestarblog.wordpress.com/thiel_venice-2011/ […]
Augmented Reality and Censorship – Interaction Between Virtual and Real World Says:
[…] Tamiko Thiel, a media artist creates this art project. She has got degrees in engineering from Stanford and MIT and a fine arts degree. She is devoted herself in combining the technologies with arts. […]
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Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
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Danielle A. Garsin, Ph.D.
Dr. Garsin is a professor in the Medical School Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Dr. Garsin came to UTHealth as an assistant professor in 2004 following a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Harvard University and her B.S. in Biological Sciences at Cornell University.
Dr. Garsin is at heart a bacterial geneticist, and this foundation supports her interests in bacterial pathogenesis, gene regulation, and host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions. Her studies are centered on the biology of the human bacterial pathogen, Enterococcus faecalis. One NIH-funded research focus is on the roles and regulation of ethanolamine utilization in E. faecalis. Another is on the biology of reactive oxygen species in the immune response elicited in the model host Caenorhabditis elegans. Finally, Dr. Garsin studies the interactions between E. faecalis and the human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. She and her collaborators discovered that the microbes inhibit each other’s virulence leading to the identification of compounds with potential for anti-infective therapeutic development.
Dr. Garsin has received many commendations for excellence in research and education. In 2004, she received an Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar Award in Global Infectious Disease. In 2008, she was awarded a UT Young Investigator award. She was the recipient of the Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award in multiple years. Finally, Dr. Garsin was elected as a Fellow to the American Academy for Microbiology in 2019. She has served on many review panels including a term as a permanent member of the Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology (PCMB) NIH review group. Dr. Garsin is currently an associate editor of PLOS Genetics and the minireview editor for mBio.
Visit Dr. Garsin’s lab page for more information on current research.
Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School
Harvard University, 1999
Elucidation of innate immune responses using C. elegans as a model host.
Roles and regulation of ethanolamine utilization in bacteria.
Interactions between Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans
The emergence of untreatable bacterial infection in modern medicine is due to several factors. The hospital patient population is increasingly elderly and immune-compromised, creating a pool of susceptible hosts. The overuse of antibiotics has provided the necessary selective pressure for the development of resistance. Pathogenic bacteria have seemingly endless versatility in creating and sharing mechanisms of resistance. As the development of antibiotic resistance continues to erode one of the greatest advances in modern health care, it is crucial to identify alternative strategies that can form the basis of novel anti-infective therapies. One approach is to target the immune response to more effectively dispel infection.
To this end, one focus of my laboratory’s research includes studies of the host response to pathogens using a tiny worm called C. elegans as a model host. C. elegans has favorable characteristics that include a short 3-day lifecycle during which hundreds of progeny are produced, small size and ease of laboratory cultivation, a fully sequenced genome and a vast array of molecular and genetic tools and resources. Interestingly, C. elegans become sick and die when fed on many human pathogens, making this approach possible. Importantly, many of the same immune defense signaling pathways and mechanisms employed by higher animals appear to also be at play in the worm. For example, my laboratory discovered that C. elegans produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to pathogens, a defense mechanism analogous to the oxidative burst that occurs in human phagocytic cells. We are in the process of identifying the machinery and the regulators that generate this response, characterizing its role in C. elegans immunity, and ultimately applying our knowledge to better understand this response in humans.
Our studies of host immune response to human bacterial infection are particularly focused on Enterococcus faecalis now the second or third most common hospital-associated infection, but amenable to laboratory studies due to the existence of a complete array of molecular tools. In a screen for mutants attenuated in killing C. elegans we discovered that mutations in an operon encoding for ethanolamine utilization affected virulence. We have focused our studies on dissecting the regulation of this operon, as it contains several novel features associated with post-transcriptional regulation. These include an AdoCbl-binding riboswitch and a series of transcription terminators regulated by an RNA-binding two-component system. We are now dissecting how these features work together to turn on and off the expression of the ethanolamine genes as well as studying the spatio-temporal dynamics of the ethanolamine-specific microcompartments that form to carry out the metabolism.
Finally, my lab is engaged in a collaborative project with the Lorenz Laboratory studying the interactions of E. faecalis with the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. We have recently identified a peptide secreted by E. faecalis that inhibits the pathogenicity and biofilm formation of C. albicans; it showed therapeutic potential in a mouse model. We are starting to examine how C. albicans, likewise, inhibits the virulence and biofilm formation of E. faecalis.
Read my PubMed publications
Brown, A. O., C. E. Graham, M. R. Cruz, K. V. Singh, B. E. Murray, M. C. Lorenz, D. A. Garsin (2019). Antifungal Activity of the Enterococcus faecalis Peptide EntV Requires Protease Cleavage and Disulfide Bond Formation. MBio. 10, e01334-19. PMCID: 6606811
Kaval, K.G., M. Gebbie, M. R. Cruz, W. C. Winkler*, D. A. Garsin*. Enterococcus faecalis Utilizes Ethanolamine in Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions Subject to Catabolite Repression. J Bacteriol. 201, e00703-18. 2019. PMCID: 6482927.
Liu, Y., K. G. Kaval, A. van Hoof, D. A. Garsin (2019). Heme Peroxidase HPX-2 Protects Caenorhabditis elegans from Pathogens. PLOS Genet. 1, e1007944. PMCID: 6368334.
Graham, C. E., M. R. Cruz, D. A. Garsin*, M. C. Lorenz* (2017). The Enterococcus faecalis Bacteriocin EntV Inhibits Hyphal Morphogenesis, Biofilm Formation, and Virulence of Candida albicans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1620432114. PMCID: 5410809. *D. A. Garsin and M. C. Lorenz are co-corresponding authors.
McCallum K. C., B. Liu, J. C. Fierro-González, P. Swoboda, S. Arur, A. Miranda-Vizuete, D. A. Garsin (2016). TRX-1 Regulates SKN-1 Nuclear Localization Cell Non-autonomously in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 203, 387-402. PMCID: 4858787.
DebRoy, S., M. Gebbie, A. Ramesh, J. R. Goodson, M. R. Cruz, A. van Hoof, W. C. Winkler, D. A. Garsin (2014). A Riboswitch-Containing sRNA Controls Gene Expression by Sequestration of a Response Regulator. Science. 345, 937-940. PMCID: 4356242.
Dr. Danielle Garsin Honored by Women’s Faculty Forum with 2020 Excellence in Research Award
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Researchers find innovative ways to combat world’s deadliest bacteria
Khader, Philips, Stallings developing new therapeutics, vaccines for tuberculosis
by Tamara Bhandari•November 28, 2018
Three of the most innovative scientists in the field of tuberculosis research call Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis their professional home. From the left, Christina Stallings, PhD, Shabaana Abdul Khader, PhD, and Jennifer Philips, MD, PhD, are on the front lines of the battle to stop the world's deadliest bacteria.
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death worldwide from infectious disease. About 2 billion people are infected with the bacteria that cause TB, and just under 2 million die from it every year. In the wealthy nations that fund most biomedical research, though, TB is rare – the U.S. reported fewer than 10,000 cases in 2016 – so the deadly disease doesn’t garner as many scientific studies as other major threats to human health.
Among researchers studying TB, three of the most innovative are at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Shabaana Abdul Khader, PhD, Jennifer Philips, MD, PhD, and Christina Stallings, PhD, each hold several patents on new ways to prevent or treat TB. Although the three take different approaches to studying this important but oft-overlooked disease, working nearby one another opens up possibilities for close and productive collaborations.
“It is unusual to have three strong TB labs in the same place,” Khader said. “It’s amazing to be able to just walk down the hall and talk over a problem with colleagues. WashU is a very collegial and collaborative institution. We are engaged in multiple partnerships, and we find them productive and fulfilling.”
Shabaana Abdul Khader, PhD
Shabaana Khader, PhD, (seated) discusses the results of a recent experiment with graduate student Nicole Howard. The two have published a paper showing that the same mutation that gives TB bacteria drug resistance also elicits a weaker immune response.
Khader, a professor and interim head of the Department of Molecular Microbiology, is working to develop vaccines against TB. The current TB vaccine is only modestly effective, not because it elicits an immune response that is too weak, but because it is too slow. In people vaccinated against TB and later infected with the bacteria, activation of immune cells is delayed, allowing the bacteria to multiply.
Also a professor of pathology and immunology, Khader is the primary holder of two patents for TB vaccine candidates. Unlike the current TB vaccine, which is injected, both vaccine candidates are designed to be inhaled through the nose. By delivering vaccines in the same way that people naturally would be infected with the TB bacteria, Khader hopes to trigger a more robust immune response. Khader also holds a third patent for a platform to screen potential vaccine candidates. This platform will speed up the process of identifying the most promising options to move forward into clinical trials.
Jennifer Philips, MD, PhD
Jennifer Philips, MD, PhD, (center) talks with two members of her lab: technician Grace Uwase (left) and postdoctoral researcher Ekansh Mittal, PhD. Uwase assisted in a project led by Mittal and Philips that showed how TB bacteria neutralize immune cells so the bacteria can thrive in the body.
Philips, an associate professor of medicine and co-director of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine, studies how the TB bacterium evades the body’s immune defenses. With Phyllis Hanson, MD, PhD, the Gerty T. Cori Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, Philips has a paper in press at the journal mBio that explains how TB bacteria disarm white blood cells. These immune cells typically destroy invading microbes by engulfing them, herding them into a special organelle inside the cells, and then killing them with a barrage of toxic molecules. TB bacteria escape destruction by rupturing the bacteria-killing organelles. Philips and Hanson showed that the bacteria obstruct the cells’ attempts to repair the organelles, effectively disarming the immune cells and converting the body’s defenders into safe havens to live and multiply.
Philips, who is also a professor of molecular microbiology, holds two patents related to enhancing the ability of immune cells to fight the TB bacteria. Shoring up the body’s defenses, rather than killing the bacteria directly with antibiotics, is one way to get around the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant TB bacteria. One patent describes a technology for packaging compounds that target human genes. The packaging protects the compounds and directs them to the correct cell. The other patent is for a drug that shuts down a human metabolic pathway that TB bacteria subvert for their own benefit. Turning off the pathway does not harm people but makes it harder for the bacteria to multiply.
Christina Stallings, PhD
Christina Stallings, PhD, (standing) looks over plates with research technician Sthefany Chavez.
Stallings, an associate professor of molecular microbiology, focuses on understanding how TB bacteria cause disease with a goal of developing better drugs. Currently, people are treated with a combination of four antibiotics given repeatedly over six months. It is difficult for many people to adhere to such a long and complex regimen, and if they fail, their disease is likely to return. Stallings studies how TB bacteria defend against assault by immune cells and antibiotics so they can persist in a person’s body, often for decades. She has discovered that the bacteria produce certain proteins to shield themselves, and interfering with these bacterial defenses can help treat disease. Stallings has three patents related to targeting TB bacteria. Two are designed to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics already used for treating TB by interfering with the bacteria’s ability to withstand stress. The third describes a new potential antibiotic for TB that also targets the bacteria’s stress response.
Tamara Bhandari, Senior Medical Science Writer
Tamara covers pathology, immunology, medical microbiology, cell biology, neurology, and radiology. She holds a bachelor's degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry and in sociology from Yale University, a master's in public health/infectious diseases from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in infectious disease immunology from the University of California, San Diego. Tamara worked in laboratories for about a decade before switching to science journalism. She joined Medical Public Affairs in 2016.
tbhandari@wustl.edu
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2020 Restoring Lives Virtual Celebration
Download the 2020 Restoring Lives Virtual Celebration Sponsorship Packet
Complete the Online Sponsorship Form now!
Questions? Contact Nanon Morrison via email or at 614-324-5473
Our Emcee, Colleen Marshall
Colleen Marshall is co-anchor of NBC4 at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 11 p.m. She also is host of the weekly political program, “NBC4‘s The Spectrum.”
Colleen received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Point Park University in Pittsburgh. In 2004, Colleen graduated from the Capital University School of Law in Columbus, where she was the recipient of a Trustee’s Scholarship, was named to the dean’s list and was a member of Law Review and the National Moot Court Team. She also passed the bar exam in 2004.
Colleen has won many awards, among them are four Emmy awards for the health program “I Want to Go Home; A Journey Through Alzheimer’s” and received an Associated Press Award for the series in 2012. She was nominated for an Emmy for the political program “NBC4‘s The Spectrum,” in 2013 and won an Associated Press Best Enterprise Reporting award for the news story “Ashville Drug Bust” in 2010.
Colleen currently serves as a board member for Columbus Metropolitan Club and is a member of Columbus Bar Association. She frequently speaks and advocates on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Ohio and is very active in helping numerous charities.
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DECLARE MATABELELAND CYCLONE FLOODS A HUMANITARIAN DISASTER
(Public Statement 4/2017)
Issue Date: 26 February 2017
Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) urges on the President of Zimbabwe Mr. Robert Mugabe to declare the current Matabeleland cyclone Dineo induced floods a Humanitarian Disaster and at the same time call for international support to empower and enable the affected communities.
The recent Cylone Dineo floods have left a trail of destruction in most parts of Matabeleland South and some parts of Matabeleland North especially in Tsholotsho, and parts of Bulilima, parts of Mangwe, parts of Nkayi and parts of Matobo Districts.
The negative effects of the floods include among others loss of human lives, destruction of homes, destruction of public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, dams, schools, school toilets, clinics; death of livestock and destruction of crops in the fields. The cyclone has also resulted in massive vegetation destruction and environmental degradation.
Bound and obligated by Chapter 4 Section 44 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (and other relevant Constitutional provisions) which says “The State and every person, including juristic persons, and every institution and agency of the government at every level must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights and freedoms set out in the Chapter”
It is therefore imperative for the President acting in his capacity as Head of State and government to ensure the protection, promotion and fulfilment of the rights of the people of Matabeleland affected by the floods by way of declaring the floods a humanitarian disaster and inviting international support to alleviate the plight of the communities.
The Institute also calls on Members of House of Assembly and Senators from Matabeleland to push for an urgent motion to urge the president to make this declaration. It is the duty of Members of Parliament to represent their Constituencies and to ensure that all agencies of the government including the Executive are accountable to the Parliament.
Declaring the Matabeleland floods a Humanitarian Disaster is not a sign of failure and weakness on the government but of strength and care for the citizens.
Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights is an independent human rights think tank that exists to enhance the respect, protection, promotion and fulfilment of human rights in the Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe.
Statement By:
Email: mihroffice@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matabelelandinstituteforhumanrights/
Blog: https://matabelelandinstituteforhumanrights.org
THE PRESIDENT’S BIRTHDAY – KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
FILABUSI BRIDGE DESTROYED BY FLOODS
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The Manga Guide to Electricity
When I reviewed The Manga Guide to Databases over two months ago, I wasn't sure I was going to review any of the other Manga books. I knew that No Starch was going to publish others, but the only ones I was aware of at the time dealt with statistics and calculus; not two of my favorite subjects. When the notice for The Manga Guide to Electricity hit my inbox though, I thought it looked like fun. I was right. While I wasn't originally sure what audience the Databases book was written for, this Electricity book is securely written for the high school audience, though I suppose even younger students would benefit. The heroine of our story is an average high school student named Rereko who lives in the city of Electopia; a city totally run by electricity. Apparently, it's a big deal if you fail your electricity final and you live in a city where electricity is the main product. That's just what happened to Rereko. Sentenced to that most dreaded of fates for most students, summer school, Rereko has just one more shot at passing the exam and graduating. Enter her tutor Hikaru, who uses innovative and imaginative methods (such as manga) to help our young student "get it". That's just the point of this book as well; to help students who might not otherwise be particularly interested in learning electricity (or at least not interested in the usual teaching texts) "get it" in a fun and playful manner. The book is formatted in the way I imagine the entire series is set up. The main "learning" text is presented as a typical manga comic book, and a summary section at the end of each chapter that is just plain text and diagrams. Let's imagine that you're taught a topic by a cartoon and then you're presented the same material in a more standard format to see if you really understand. This is just how I pictured the Databases book; as a text that teaches you the basics in manga format and prepares you to learn more on the topic from "non-manga" materials. The No Starch Manga series aside, you can't expect to learn everything in manga, can you? Actually, the book superficially reminded me of my own first experience "learning" about electricity. In my case it was from a Reddy Kilowatt comic book in the fourth grade (back in the days when dinosaurs ruled the Earth). I vaguely recall a school field trip to my local electric plant and getting a Reddy Kilowatt lapel pin (which has probably long been relegated to the bottom of a landfill somewhere). Our typical exposure to manga or anime in America, usually leads us to expect scantily clad, buxom women, spaceships, super powers, and explosions. When I published the Databases review on this blog, one of the comments I got was about the lack of "boobs" (the main characters seemed to be in elementary school in that book). Sorry. The older age group represented by the main character hasn't changed the presentation of material. No explosions, no super powers, no space ships, and no (apparent) breasts. In other words, nothing that would tremendously distract the audience from the topic at hand. Japanese manga is sometimes used as a way to educate, not only on factual topics, but on morality and ethics, particularly the value of cooperation and respecting others. You have to keep that sort of philosophy in mind when reading this book (since it was originally published for a Japanese audience). The book won't teach you to be an electrician or an electrical engineer, but it will ground you solidly in how electricity works, including it's creation, how it's influenced, and manipulated. Concepts of current, capacitance, potential, voltage, and so on, are all well taught, including the primary methods used to generate electricity in the world today. The result of this book may be enough to help the reader pass an exam similar to what Rereko faces, and possibly for a few, it might spawn enough curiosity to explore the topic further. Lest we forget, there's an actual storyline involved. OK, it's not an amazingly compelling storyline (no super powers or explosions, remember?), but Rereko still has to pass her final so she can graduate. During the process, she and "Sensei Hikaru" develop a friendship (and she discovers he's a lousy housekeeper). By the last page, we see the happy ending, and as Bogart says at the conclusion of Casablanca, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"...and a pretty good book.
Posted by james.pyles at 8:51 AM
james.pyles
Author, Reviewer, Editor, Technology Writer, Old Dog trying to learn a few new tricks.
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© 2009-2016 James Pyles All Rights Reserved.
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Cover Games, Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Violence Doesn’t Solve Everything
March 9, 2018 Pete Davison 1 Comment
This article is one chapter of a multi-part Cover Game feature!
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One of the key ways many people like to distinguish the stereotypically Eastern and Western approaches to role-playing games is via non-combat mechanics and progression.
It’s fair to say that, as we’ve already discussed, many role-playing games from Japan place a strong focus on combat both as a core aspect of gameplay and the central aspect of their overall progression. You can contrast this strongly with something like an Elder Scrolls game, which still involves combat at times, but, depending on how you choose to play it, can also place a strong focus on crafting, spellcraft, stealth, exploration and all manner of other aspects.
Xenoblade Chronicles has, since the first installment of the subseries, always been about something of a fusion between the linear, narrative-focused nature of Japanese games, and the more open, flexible, “emergent” gameplay of Western titles. And this tradition is well and truly intact in Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
In order to understand what you might be getting up to besides fighting in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, it’s important to understand how progression works, because, much like the combat system, there are a number of intertwining, interlocking systems at play.
The most basic of these is the usual experience points and levels system, whereby you earn experience points through defeating enemies and noticeably increase in power with each new level. A twist on the usual formula is provided, however, through the “Bonus Experience” system. Rather than immediately receiving experience points for completed quests and other non-combat activities, these accumulated points go into a per-character bonus pool which can only be redeemed by resting at an inn. If it’s been a while since you rested, you might find yourself able to gain several levels at once — though you have the option not to if you so desire, and in the New Game+ mode added post-launch, you can even deliberately decrease your level to increase the overall challenge factor if you so desire, with rewards on offer for doing so.
We’ve previously noted that the Xenoblade Chronicles series is often compared to an “offline MMO”, and one of the ways this is reflected is through the fact that enemies you see wandering the world have their level prominently displayed. Taking on something considerably higher level than you is not recommended under most circumstances, and if you considerably outlevel a foe, it will ignore you rather than attacking you on sight unless it’s a unique Named Monster.
Besides experience, characters accumulate Weapon Points and Skill Points through combat and questing, and these are used to increase the power of Arts and unlock passive abilities respectively. In the latter case, you can even unlock some game mechanics, such as the ability to immediately use certain Arts at the start of combat rather than having to charge them, or the ability to cancel Arts into one another for a rapid string of powerful blows.
So far so straightforward. Where things get more interesting is when we take into account the Blades that we’ve previously discussed in the context of combat.
Blades are graded in terms of rarity on a scale of one to five. The top-ranked Blades are all unique, fixed in their loadout of skills and known as Rare, Legendary or Special Blades according to their importance to the story. Blades ranked 4 or lower have a more generic appearance (though they can still be “male”, “female”, “animal” or “huge”) and a more random combination of skills, traits and physical characteristics.
Blades do not progress in the same way as characters. They have no experience points or levels, and instead power themselves up entirely through a mechanic called the Affinity Chart. This is perhaps the most interesting part of all Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s mechanics, since it provides a huge amount of variety to the gameplay without necessarily relying on structured quests.
An Affinity Chart is a semicircular chart with five “tiers” of nodes, each of which is divided into three broad areas: Specials (red), passive skills (yellow) and Field Skills (green). The former of these either add special effects or bonus damage to the Blade’s Specials when they perform them. Passive skills apply ongoing bonuses of some description while the Blade is active in combat. And Field Skills… we’ll come onto those in a moment.
When you first acquire a Blade, you only have access to the first tier of nodes and will probably find most of them are already unlocked. This represents the Blade’s basic capabilities. To allow them to progress further, you need to unlock the further tiers, usually by building up your “Trust” with the Blade in question. This can be accomplished in several ways: through fighting alongside the Blade in combat, through completing quests with them equipped, and through sending them on Merc Missions, which we’ll explore more shortly.
Individual nodes can subsequently be unlocked by fulfilling particular conditions, which can vary enormously from Blade to Blade. In some cases, for example, a Blade can improve its abilities simply by using them repeatedly. In others, you’ll need to defeat a certain number of a specific enemy, visit a particular location, gather items or talk to people. And in many cases, the Blade’s requirements to unlock a node are thematically appropriate for the Blade’s personality: a Blade named Zenobia who is obsessed with testing her strength against the strongest possible enemies unlocks pretty much all of her nodes by defeating Named Monsters, for example, while a food-obsessed Blade named Boreas can unlock pretty much his whole Affinity Chart in one go if you simply stuff him repeatedly with the types of food he wants to try.
Most of the non-Special (story-essential) Blades also have their own questline to follow, and there’s even a ton of variety here. Crazy puppet lady Azami gets a little obsessed with an investigation you send her on, but doesn’t want to spend time apart from her Driver, so prefers to send other Blades off on a series of Merc Missions to solve the mystery. Ice knight Godfrey travels the world to develop his knowledge of kindness, passion and justice before applying them in a lengthy quest to track down a missing person and understand why they’ve done the things they’ve done. Nature-loving Nim has a substantial sidequest where she learns to speak with the fox-like Phonex creatures. And some Blades even have pre-existing relationships with one another, such as the deadly duo of Praxis and Theory, each of whom you can acquire separately in a long and ongoing side story.
The use of the Affinity Chart in such varied ways makes Xenoblade Chronicles 2 an interesting and flexible experience that means you can always feel like you’re making some sort of progress. Only have half an hour to play? You’ve probably still got time to unlock some simple nodes that require you to just use Specials or defeat enemies. More time available? Go explore a Rare Blade’s sidequests or Heart-to-Heart events to get to know them a bit better. Really want to min-max? Fill up a Common Blade’s Affinity Chart to get bonus items, including substantial one-shot injections to a character’s Weapon Points, allowing you to beef up your overall strength levels considerably.
The astute among you will have remembered that it’s only possible for a character to equip up to three Blades at a time. So what do you do with all the excess? Well, after a certain point in the story, you unlock the ability to send your non-engaged Blades on Merc Missions. Here, one or more Blades are dispatched on a mission that takes a certain amount of real time (which must be spent with the game actively running — no Bravely Default-style “come back in the morning” stuff here) to complete before returning with various rewards, including experience, gold, skill points and equippable items. Some one-time only Merc Missions even unlock trade routes between the main geographical areas of the game, broadening the selection of things available in each region’s shops.
Merc Missions are useful in a number of ways, chiefly because they allow you to build up Trust and unlock Affinity Chart nodes with Blades you aren’t actively using, thereby allowing you to effectively expand your arsenal of abilities in a number of different directions simultaneously. They also play a key role in “developing” the various regions of the game, which in turn affects the prices of items in shops as well as the aforementioned inventory expansions. And there’s good reason to do this, too; buying up one of every item in a shop’s whole stock when it’s fully unlocked allows you to take ownership of the shop, which confers a permanent passive ability to you and all your party members.
Merc Missions are also used in a number of quests to provide an alternative means of completing objectives. For example, in one quest you’re required to track down a number of items that have been hidden all around the game world. You can attempt to track down the pieces of information yourself from the “Informant” NPCs in the various cities if you so desire, or you can send a Merc group off to do it for you while you get on with other things. In some cases, Merc Missions are even essential to progress in a particular questline — in one example, there’s a sequence of missions where you get your excess Blades to help someone build a boat so they rediscover their enthusiasm for life.
Merc Missions aren’t just a case of throwing any old Blade at the job, however. Every Merc Mission has certain prerequisites in order to be successful. This might be as simple as a waitressing job requiring a female Blade to complete, or it might be as complex as demanding at least three Blades with 30 or more in their “Strength” stat (which increases according to how many nodes they’ve unlocked on their Affinity Chart), two that wield spears and two that wield Bitballs. Some even require specific Field Skills to complete; in other cases Field Skills can be used to reduce the amount of time the mission will take to complete.
These Field Skills in question are passive, non-combat abilities that many Blades have, and which can be used in various predefined places around the world to have a variety of different effects. The most basic Field Skill a Blade can have is mastery of a particular element, which is generally combined with something else to produce an effect. Wind Mastery combined with the Leaping Field Skill allows for inhumanly large jumps to otherwise inaccessible locations, for example, while Ice Mastery combined with the ability to Focus intently on something might allow you to create an ice bridge over a crevasse.
Other Field Skills are less abstract. “Ancient Wisdom” allows you to recognise ancient artifacts or read old script, for example, while “Nopon Wisdom” allows you to take advantage of the mercantile (and occasionally shady) knowledge of the small, fluffy Nopon creatures who have been a series mainstay since Xenoblade Chronicles. Again, these are sometimes combined with one another to have various effects; unlocking a particularly complex chest, for example, might require both Nopon Wisdom and the Lockpicking ability.
The Field Skills provide one of the main incentives to develop a variety of Blades rather than just sticking with your favourites. The Field Skills of all the Blades the party has equipped — including those who aren’t in the main party of three “active members” that participate in combat — are combined together to pool the group’s overall effectiveness in accomplishing particular tasks. In other words, there’s no need to separately select an individual character to do something, though you may find yourself needing to change your Blade loadout according to the situation in which you find yourself.
For particularly complex Field Skill challenges, you may find yourself having to temporarily rearrange your entire party to, for example, get your mastery of a particular element up high enough — this can be a bit fiddly and clunky, especially as there’s no way to save and recall loadouts quickly, but gives certain areas of the game an interesting “puzzle-like” feel as you attempt to figure out exactly how to complete the task in front of you. Pleasingly, the game’s map marks Field Skill challenges you haven’t yet been able to complete along with the requirements to pass them, so you can easily come back later with a more appropriate combination of Blades.
The use of Field Skills gives Xenoblade Chronicles 2 an almost tabletop role-playing feel at times as you attempt to pass skill checks to achieve things. They’re even used in some sequences to see if your party notices something subtle, remembers something important or makes a logical deduction.
What’s interesting is that there are often a few ways to overcome a particular challenge, be it through Merc Missions, Field Skills or, in some cases, brute force. When these options exist, it rarely feels like BioWare-style binary choices between “the good option” and “the evil option” — instead, they simply represent different ways to approach the same situation according to your own strengths and weaknesses. For example, the quest that introduces you to Field Skills early in the game requires you to track a monster; if you have a combination of Blades that allows you to track it yourself, you can do, leading to a The Witcher-style sequence where you follow your quarry’s tracks and scent. If you do not, however, you can solicit the help of someone who is experienced in the outdoors life, who will point you in the right direction. You’re never made to feel like the latter option is the “wrong” or “lesser” choice — it’s actually a rather realistic way of allowing you to still progress rather than throwing a brick wall in your path.
Besides all this, one other very interesting aspect of the game is the fact one of your party members doesn’t resonate with Blades in the same way as the rest. Instead, he has an “artificial Blade” named Poppi, who evolves into three different forms over the course of the game, effectively giving her the same capabilities as three separate Blades, since each form has its own Affinity Chart.
What’s interesting about Poppi is that she’s greatly customisable with different parts, chips and software. She’s a tank by default, but can be turned into a healer or attacker by installing the appropriate modifications, and can be adjusted to favour particular elements as you so desire. You can’t just throw the best items at her and hope for the best, however; her internal power source (which is upgradeable) must be able to cope with the combination of items you install in her. “Ether Crystals” required to construct new parts or upgrade her abilities can be acquired by playing a retro-style arcade game called Tiger! Tiger!, providing yet another interesting and peculiar aspect of the experience as a whole to engage with.
Poppi is also one of the most entertaining characters in the game, with her withering putdowns of her master Tora being a great highlight of the localisation. That and the fact she speaks like a Nopon. But we’ll enthuse about Poppi as a character in more detail another time!
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is such an enjoyable game from a mechanical perspective because of all these elements it combines together. All of its systems feel like they overlap nicely with one another to varying degrees, meaning that spending some time on one aspect of the game will often end up helping you out in others down the road. And there’s something here for all types of players to enjoy — those who enjoy powering up their characters will get a kick out of the many and varied ways there are to do this, while those who enjoy narrative and characterisation will appreciate the ways in which you feel like you really get to know your collection of Blades as you develop them.
All of these cool mechanics are no good without an interesting world in which to use them, however, so that’s what we’ll be taking a look at next.
More about Xenoblade Chronicles 2
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Affinity ChartBladesdevelopmentmechanicsnon-combat mechanicsprogressionTetsuya TakahashiXenoXenobladeXenoblade ChroniclesXenoblade Chronicles 2
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Identification of Leu276 of the S1P1 Receptor and Phe263 of the S1P3 Receptor in Interaction with Receptor Specific Agonists by Molecular Modeling, Site-Directed Mutagenesis, and Affinity Studies
Qiaolin Deng, Joseph A. Clemas, Gary Chrebet, Paul Fischer, Jeffrey J. Hale, Zhen Li, Sander G. Mills, James Bergstrom, Suzanne Mandala, Ralph Mosley and Stephen A. Parent
Molecular Pharmacology March 2007, 71 (3) 724-735; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.106.029223
Qiaolin Deng
Joseph A. Clemas
Gary Chrebet
Jeffrey J. Hale
Zhen Li
Sander G. Mills
James Bergstrom
Suzanne Mandala
Ralph Mosley
Stephen A. Parent
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor agonists are novel immunosuppressive agents. The selectivity of S1P1 against S1P3 is strongly correlated with lymphocyte sequestration and minimum acute toxicity and bradycardia. This study describes molecular modeling, site-directed mutagenesis, and affinity studies exploring the molecular basis for selectivity between S1P1 and S1P3 receptors. Computational models of human S1P1 and S1P3 receptors bound with two nonselective agonists or two S1P1-selective agonists were developed based on the X-ray crystal structure of bovine rhodopsin. The models predict that S1P1 Leu276 and S1P3 Phe263 contribute to the S1P1/S1P3 selectivity of the two S1P1-selective agonists. These residues were subjected to site-directed mutagenesis. The wild-type and mutant S1P receptors were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells and examined for their abilities to bind to and be activated by agonists in vitro. The results indicate that the mutations have minimal effects on the activities of the two nonselective agonists, although they have dramatic effects on the S1P1-selective agonists. These studies provide a fundamental understanding of how these two receptor-selective agonists bind to the S1P1 and S1P3 receptors, which should aid development of more selective S1P1 receptor agonists with immunosuppressive properties and improved safety profiles.
↵2 After the manuscript for this article was submitted, we noted the recent release of X-ray crystal structures of activated forms of rhodopsin, including bathorhodopsin (PDB entry 2G87) (Nakamichi and Okada, 2006a), lumirhodopsin (PDB entry 2HPY) (Nakamichi and Okada, 2006b), and a photoactivated deprotonated intermediate of rhodopsin (PDB entry 2I37) (Salom et al., 2006). Given the high structural similarities between bovine rhodopsin in the dark state and the activated forms, the use of the dark state rhodopsin (PDB entry 1F88) as a modeling template would seem to be a reasonable starting point for homology modeling of family A GPCRs bound to agonists and antagonists.
S.A.P. and Q.D. contributed equally to this work.
ABBREVIATIONS: S1P, sphingosine-1-phosphate; LPA, lysophosphatidic acid; GPCR, G protein-coupled receptor; Edg, endothelial differentiation gene; TM, transmembrane helix; FTY720, 2-amino-2-[2-(4-octylphenyl)ethyl]propane-1,3-diol; FTY720-P, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-(4-octylphenyl)butyl dihydrogen phosphate; compound A, 1-(3-methyl-4-{[4-phenyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2 thienyl]methoxy}benzyl)azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; compound B, 1-{4-[5-(4-isobutylphenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; CHO, Chinese hamster ovary; MMFF, Merck molecular force field; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; HT, hypoxanthine/thymidine; PDB, Protein Data Bank; TM, transmembrane; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; GTPγS, guanosine 5′-O-(3-thio)triphosphate; FACS, fluorescence-activated cell sorting.
↵1 Current affiliation: Inexel Medical Strategy and Communication, Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
Accepted December 4, 2006.
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Molecular Pharmacology March 1, 2007, 71 (3) 724-735; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.106.029223
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What is the origin of the Cancer Registry?
Much of the research here was compiled by Mary Lou England, CTR for a presentation at the NCRA annual meeting in 1984 and is posted here with permission, 2010.
Data collection for disease indices dates back to the book of Leviticus. In these biblical writings, priests were directed to record all leprosy patients. The first cancer registry began in London in 1728, and the first known hospital devoted to cancer patients opened in France in 1740. One of the first recorded uses of cancer patient data was the work of Sir Percival Potts in 1775, identifying the cause of scrotal cancer in chimney sweeps. An example of mandatory reporting of cases of specific diseases occurred with the Factory act in 1885 in England and Wales. It made epitheliomas, which were caused by tar and other petroleum products, reportable.
General cancer morbidity data was first collected in Germany, where all physicians and hospitals began to report cancer statistics in 1904. The first nationwide registrations were made in Norway and Denmark shortly after the war. Zaragosa, Spain, initiated a population based registry in 1960.
In the United States, cancer registration was first attempted in a limited way in 1921 in the bone sarcoma registry of Dr. Ernest Codman. A major problem Dr. Codman experienced were differences in nomenclature and classification of disease. This lead to a joint effort by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and the American College of Surgeons to develop a standard classification and nomenclature to be used by all physicians for cancer cases.
One of the first cancer hospitals in the United States was Memorial in New York, formerly called the New York Cancer hospital, which was established in 1884. Their cancer registry started in 1949 as a continuous program.
Researching hospital cancer registries, a number of programs were found to have starting dates prior to 1946. The earliest reference years were:
1926 Yale-New Haven Hospital, CT
1930 Hartford, CT, VA Hospital, Portland Oregon and the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha
1933 University of Virginia Hospital at Charlottesville and 7 more in CT.
1935 Decatur Hospital, Decatur, GA
1936 Michigan University Hospital and the University of Southern California
1938 Iowa University Hospital
Between 1940 and 1946 there were many United States hospital registries started, with California leading the numbers. In 1956 the American College of Surgeons initiated a requirement to have a Cancer Registry as part of their approvals program for hospitals, thus causing an explosion of hospital-based registries. Many central registries – state and regional – were also developed during this time.
In 1927, Massachusetts became the first state to register cancer cases, followed by Connecticut in 1935. However, Connecticut has the distinction of being the oldest central registry in the United States based on a defined population group. The Connecticut Registry had 100% hospital participation. The Massachusetts registry became a population-based registry in 1959. Other early central and state registries were:
1936 Delaware
1945 Arkansas and Alabama. An interesting thing about the Alabama registry is that it was founded in part by cigarette tax.
1947 California (started with 9 hospitals)
1948 University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics which expanded into a statewide registry.
1949 A pathology registry was established in Michigan that gradually enlarged into the Michigan Cancer Foundation Registry
In 1971 the National Cancer Act (aka The War on Cancer) budgeted money to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for research, detection and treatment on cancer. Soon to follow the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program of NCI established the first National Cancer Registry. In 1992, the National Program of Cancer Registries Act was passed to help states without registries to develop a cancer data system and to assist those state registries already in existence. In 1993 state laws emerged making cancer a reportable disease.
There is interest in cancer registries nation-wide because of the valuable data collected.
The cancer registry profession may not be one of the oldest professions, but our history spans many decades. Some of the registrars of today are the daughters and sons of our profession’s pioneers.
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Remembering the Famous Dodge Brothers, a Brief History
Images Courtesy of Chrysler Corporation and the Robert Tate Collection
John (left) and Horace Dodge (right) (Chrysler Archives)
During the early 1900s, the name Dodge became a household name among consumers in our American culture. The Dodge Brothers, John Francis (October 25, 1864 - January 14, 1920) and Horace (May 17, 1868 - December 10, 1920), were born in Niles, Michigan. They were great pioneers and helped put America on wheels during the early days of automotive manufacturing.
The brothers established a small machine shop on Beaubien Street in Detroit in 1900, when the city was growing and the industrial minds and work force came together to create the automotive capital of the world. Later, they would move their shop to a new location at Hastings Street and Monroe employing 200 men.
The Dodge Brothers factory in 1915 (Chrysler Archives)
In the beginning, the brothers created a ball bearing bicycle, the Evans & Dodge Bicycle. At the time, bicycles helped fill the transportation needs of many people. However, the Dodge brothers would expand their manufacturing to include the automobile industry. In 1902, the Dodge Brothers received their first order from Olds Motor Works of Detroit for 3,000 transmissions. During this time, it should also be noted that the brothers were involved with other well-known automotive pioneers like Henry Leland and W.C. Leland for components like steering parts and axles. By 1903, bicycles were abandoned, and the brothers focused entirely on making automobile parts.
The Dodge Brothers riding in a touring model (Chrysler Archives)
Henry Ford was very impressed with the Dodge Brothers’ operation and offered them a one-tenth interest in his newly formed Ford Motor Company. The condition was that they had to equip their manufacturing business to build Ford engines and parts exclusively. Later, Horace Dodge would redesign the rear axle, the engine and other parts. It was the best of times for the Dodge Brothers, as they owned 10 percent of Ford and their own operation -- making them one of the largest manufacturers in the world.
A Dodge Brothers Touring Sedan on display at the Walter Chrysler Museum (Chrysler Archives)
In 1910, they built a new plant covering 24 acres in Hamtramck Michigan, but as Henry Ford started expanding his manufacturing capabilities, the Dodge Brothers started looking to distance themselves from Ford and build their own car. On July 17, 1914, the Dodge Brothers took their company public, selling $5 million in common stock. Automotive historians said that, by the time the Dodge Brothers entered the market, the largest companies owned entire forest ranges and were committed to wooden frame bodies with sheet metal. Later, the brothers became good friends with Edward Budd, who could offer bodies made from pressed steel.
A Dodge Brothers closed car ad (Robert Tate Collection)
On November 14, 1914, the first Dodge model rolled off the assembly line in Hamtramck. It offered a very practical design compared to other available options and sold for $785. Thomas McPherson, the author of “The Dodge Story” said, “These cars rode on a wheelbase of 110 inches and were powered by a four-cylinder 35 horsepower engine.”
In 1915, the brothers offered a touring car, which became very popular. Dodge had received 21,000 applications for dealerships and sold 45,000 units in 1915. The Dodge Brothers became a huge success and vaulted to number two US carmaker.
The Dodge Brothers' test track in 1915 (Chrysler Archives)
Unfortunately, both brothers died within months of each other in 1920, John from pneumonia in New York City and Horace from influenza. Without the founders, the company was not able to duplicate its success, and financial advisors recommended that the Dodge Brothers’ widows to sell their interests in the company in 1925.
Three years later, Walter P. Chrysler purchased Dodge for $170 million. He later said, “buying Dodge was one of the soundest acts of my life. I say sincerely that nothing we have done for the organization compares with that transaction.”
In conclusion, the Dodge Brothers will always be a part of our automotive heritage and culture.
Hyde, Charles K. “The Dodge Brothers, the Men, the Motor Cars, and the Legacy.” Great Lakes Books, 2005.
McPherson, Thomas A. “The Dodge Story.” Crestline Publishing, 1975.
Szudarek Robert G. “How Detroit Became the Automotive Capital 100th Anniversary.” 1996.
RaeKimes, Beverly & Clark Jr., Henry Austin. “Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942.”
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The 1942 Plymouths: The Last Models Before War Production
Images from the Robert Tate Collection
Promotional piece for the 1942 Plymouth Prestige
The 1942 Plymouth models began their production run several months before Pearl Harbor triggered the United States’ entry into World War II. The models were introduced to the market in the late summer and early fall of 1941. They sold very well, and the American public enjoyed their great styling.
When the war effort began, the American automakers began to restrict manufacturing production. The industry was required by law to halt passenger car manufacturing on February 9, 1942, but some automakers had phased out days earlier. Plymouth’s factory had about six months of 1942 model production by the time that transition took place.
Advertising postcard for the 1942 Plymouth four door sedan
On September 1, 1941, Plymouth introduced two series, the DeLuxe and Special DeLuxe models (also called the P-14S and P-14C). The 1942 Plymouth models offered a broader, front grille with chrome bars that were longer and heavier. The DeLuxe model was priced at $885, and a total of 2,458 units were produced. The Club Coupe was a new body type for Plymouth and replaced the four-passenger coupe introduced the previous year.
1942 Plymouth advertising
One of the most popular models in the Plymouth line-up for 1942 was the Special DeLuxe convertible. This model included a power-operated top along with a full-width rear seat, with much higher than usual legroom that made the convertible a five or six passenger car. Other features included a cigar lighter, which was very popular. The models also offered dual windshield wipers and dual taillights.
1942 Plymouth brochure
Chrysler advertising called the 1942 Plymouth “Chrysler Corporation’s Number One Car.” The running boards were flush with the floor and its side door design. The models offered a Broadcloth fabric interior. On the Special DeLuxe four-door models, the consumer could order a Broadcloth or a pile fabric design as well.
Some automotive historians have said that the 1942 Plymouth models were manufactured with less chrome because of the war. Some 1942 Plymouths front fender trim was painted over in what would become known as the “Black Out” models. Some Plymouths were even delivered to the military with wooden bumpers.
Plymouth’s 1942 station wagon models were the most expensive in the lineup. The Special DeLuxe station wagon cost $1,145 and was Plymouth’s lowest production model. It could seat seven or eight passengers, and the wood-crafted body offered a great looking design. The wood craft bodies were built by the U.S. Body & Forging Company. During the manufacturing process, the four doors were wider and were hinged at the front. The rear doors curved upward to the fender height like those of the Town sedan. The customer had a choice of mahogany or light maple paneling.
From the 1930s through 1970s, Plymouth was a consistent sales leader in the industry. For the 1942 model year, Plymouth’s production began late in July 1941 and ended on January 31, 1942. Some automotive historians said that many of the new Plymouth models not already sold were impounded by the government to be used for military service.
In conclusion, the 1942 Plymouth models will always be a part of our automotive history.
1942 Plymouth Prestige
Butler, Don. “The Plymouth and DeSoto Story.” Crestline Publishing, 1978.
“Plymouth’s Larger Engine Increases HP to 95; Restyling Includes Hidden Running Boards.” Motor, October 1941.
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Sage Karam confirmed for Indy Lights debut
By Tony DiZinnoMar 8, 2013, 12:00 PM EST
Sage Karam will make the jump from Star Mazda to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, the team confirmed Friday.
Karam is the third of the top three drivers from Star Mazda, which has been renamed Pro Mazda this year per new ownership, to advance this season. Incidentally, they’ve all signed with the same team.
The Nazareth, Pa. native will drive the No. 8 Comfort Revolution entry. Star Mazda champion Jack Hawksworth and runner-up Gabby Chaves are the other two.
“One of the most exciting things I am looking forward to this year is working with proven and talented teammates in Jack and Gabby,” Karam said. “I feel both of these guys will push my driving to the next level and I believe we will feed off of each other’s progress. Hopefully we’ll all bring something to the table each race weekend.”
The Indy Lights field does not yet have double digit entries. Still, besides SPM, Andretti Autosport and Belardi Auto Racing each have two confirmed cars, Team Moore has one with a likely second coming, and at least a handful of other teams and drivers will show up for the season-opening round at St. Petersburg in two weeks.
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Power fastest in final Indy 500 pre-qualifying practice
By Tony DiZinnoMay 18, 2013, 10:40 AM EDT
The final pre-qualifying practice is in the books for this year’s Indianapolis 500. There were faster speeds, more tows, and a new name atop the timesheets heading into Pole Day qualifying on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports Live Extra, beginning at 11 a.m. ET.
Will Power recorded the morning’s, and the month’s, fastest lap of 229.808. But like all other fastest laps this month, the Verizon Team Penske driver set his thanks to a tow.
“It’s pretty heavy on air, you could say. It’s pretty humid out there, but it’s cool,” he said. “It’s very difficult to predict what to run trim-wise for qualifying. We’ll see when the temperature comes. If it’s similar to this, I think we have a good idea. We’re just working it out. You’ve just got to make an educated guess. When I was out there, getting little bits of moisture on your visor makes you nervy. You’re not sure if it’s going to start raining in a different area. I think we’re in pretty good shape.”
The rest of the top five included his Team Penske teammate AJ Allmendinger, followed by three Hondas: Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal and Simon Pagenaud.
It’s hard to read too much into these times because of the tows, the various downforce levels on the car, and the temperatures. Power did record the morning’s fastest solo lap, 228.1 per NBC Sports Network analyst Jon Beekhuis, so that is something to note.
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A winless champion could be trouble for NASCAR Nationwide Series
By Tony DiZinnoNov 14, 2013, 12:00 PM EST
The good news: a NASCAR Nationwide Series regular will win the 2013 series championship this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The bad news: the potential exists that champion could finish the 2013 season winless.
So long as Austin Dillon finishes ahead of Sam Hornish Jr. – the Richard Childress Racing prodigy leads Penske Racing’s Hornish by eight points entering Saturday’s Ford Ecoboost 300 – and doesn’t win, he’ll be the champion. To Dillon’s credit, that would give him titles in both Nationwide and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (2011).
NASCAR can spin it all it wants, as in “Dillon’s incredible consistency carried him to the title” or some such. But a winless champion would be the first all-time in any of NASCAR’s three top tiers, and a potential nightmare scenario from a marketing or PR standpoint.
After all, the Chase for the Sprint Cup was introduced a year after Matt Kenseth won a solitary race in 2003, building his lone title triumph on consistency rather than race wins and dominance.
Nationwide has, for better or worse, traditionally allowed the influx of Sprint Cup regulars to compete in its races. And while Cup drivers can’t register driver points, they can play major dividends in both the driver and owner championships.
The dominant teams entering this weekend are the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford and the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota teams; Penske lead JGR by 4 owner points, 1256-1252. Both teams have 12 wins; Busch has all 12 for the 54 while four different drivers (Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Blaney) have won in the 22. That’s a full 24 of 32 races thus far won by just these two cars (75 percent), and in total, 27 of 32 won by Cup regulars. Dillon’s and Hornish’s teams rank only third and fourth in the owner points, by contrast.
That’s a majority of the races where the 54 and the 22 have received the most ink, the most press, and the most coverage, instead of the series’ actual full-timers.
Knowing and learning how to win races should be part of a training ground, and so long as the Cup regulars continue to dominate the scoreboard, it’s always going to be difficult for Nationwide drivers to gain that skill before moving up.
Perhaps a “maximum race cap” gets introduced for Cup regulars, or the schedule itself designates only a certain number of races where Cup regulars will be eligible. That’s a topic for another day, though.
Still, it’s no coincidence that some of the most intriguing Nationwide races this year – Iowa and the road courses at Road America and Mid-Ohio, for instance – have featured less than a full handful of Cup regulars in the field. And all three were won by drivers not competing in Cup full-time.
You could properly see how well Dillon and Hornish fared against their Nationwide peers in those races compared to the majority, populated by Cup regulars, where all they really needed to do was finish “best in class” to keep building the points.
Hornish has finished second five times this year, and third four times. Of those nine races, the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford driven by Keselowski, Logano or Allmendinger has won five of them (Hornish finished second to the No. 22 three times, third twice). He finished best in class, but you could argue he left points on the table in ending behind the team car. Indeed, it’s more than 20 points that have gone begging as a result, and right now, those points would be pretty valuable heading into Homestead.
Sponsorship is the main reason Hornish doesn’t have a 2014 contract in place, although he plans to remain in NASCAR. But those missed winning opportunities have to loom large to potential suitors.
Perhaps Hornish overcomes the deficit this Saturday, and a win with Dillon outside the top five would do just that. For his and the series’ sake, it would be welcomed, to give him his second win of 2013. Or, Dillon could reduce the potential angst of a winless champ with a win of his own.
Either way, game on this Saturday.
Follow @TonyDiZinno
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Home / Support for the President Softens in January 2019
Support for the President Softens in January 2019
Undoubtedly, the government shutdown and heightened activity in the Mueller investigation contributed to this pattern.
Similarly, the reported likelihood of voting for the current President in 2020 slipped slightly in January 2019.
In this study, the Fishlinger Center conducted online national surveys focusing on political issues in the United States. The fieldwork for the poll was conducted using a blended national panel form Survey Sampling, Inc. Interviews were conducted January 7-30, 2019. The credibility interval for 1,000 respondents is plus or minus four percentage points. The credibility interval is larger for subgroups and for differences between polls.
In addition to credibility interval, the polls are subject to other potential sources of error including, but not limited to coverage and measurement error. Data were rim weighted to match the national population on age, sex, Hispanic origin and race. Question wording and topline results are available at fishlingercenter@mountsaintvincent.edu.
About the Fishlinger Center for Public Policy
The Fishlinger Center for Public Policy Research opened in February 2015 at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. The Center conducts deep and broad studies of public opinion on key public policy concerns through independent and objective research conducted by students, faculty, and other members of the academic community.
By providing a forum for discourse that can stimulate intelligent dialog about issues that deeply affect all Americans, the Center illustrates and enhances the relationship between the work of the College and the common good.
James F. Donius, Ph.D., director of the Fishlinger Center for Public Policy Research at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, is available to speak to members of the press about the survey, the Fishlinger Optimism Index™, and the Center. To arrange an interview, or for more information about the study, please contact Public Relations at publicrelations@mountsaintvincent.edu.
About the College of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the College of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.
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December 10, 2014 by gozzter
Perchance to Dream
There’s something about complexity that I find intimidating; impressive as it may be, I don’t crave the complicated. I don’t even understand it. Of course, that may be part of its fascination for some: a facet of the instinct that leads to worship of that which is mysterious. Unknowable to the uninitiated. The awe of a dark night full of stars.
Perhaps it’s the structural intricacy, or maybe the number of parts and their varying relationship to each to each other that I find confusing, but not compelling. Inexplicable, but not awesome.
I sometimes think that complexity is a necessary first attempt at something –a way we initially endeavor to solve a problem: throw all our resources at it and then cobble together a solution using as many of them as we can. But in time, that jungle of interacting parts usually resolves itself into a skeletal framework that does the same work, but more economically. In a way, it’s like a sentence in which, instead of a subject a verb and an object that succinctly communicate a message, there are a whole host of unnecessary words thrown in -for colour, not clarity.
In short, simplicity -at least in a device- almost always trumps complexity: less to go wrong, simpler to understand and fix, and usually cheaper to produce. Of course those are some of the more important characteristics of equipment that would be useful in less well developed countries. Places with large needs but small budgets and even smaller infrastructures.
If, for example, a machine is clever, but complex, helpful but profligate of energy, it would be of limited use where electricity is sporadic, or non-existent. Or where, after prolonged use, there are no people trained to maintain it, or no accessible spare parts for that matter. And if the parts themselves are so complex and intricate that they don’t lend themselves to innovative adaptations with available local items, the machine is effectively useless: flashy new cars without wheels. Or engines…
Our society thrives on complexity simply because it can. It reveres new technology both because of its utility in solving old problems –often not appreciated as problematic before its inception- and because it can support its necessary underpinnings. And if the infrastructure is not yet in place, there is usually some facility locally extant that is wealthy enough to create it. For a price, of course.
But there are some regions of the world where babies die needlessly. Low birth weight babies, for example. Some are born prematurely, some are disadvantaged in the womb and never grow properly. And among other requirements, what their small size and lean body cannot provide, is warmth. The inside of the uterus where the baby has been developing is warm –it’s the mother’s body temperature. Normally, when mammals are cold, they shiver to produce heat. But, shivering, which is an attempt to warm the body by contracting skeletal muscles, is energy expensive -energy depleting. And these babies in particular have minimal energy stores when they are born. They are thin and have no extra fat to use as fuel. If they become hypothermic, they can die.
One answer, and one known by every new mother, is to cuddle the baby next to her skin –let her own body’s heat warm the baby. But suppose the mother is unable to do this –say she’s hemorrhaging, or convulsing from pregnancy induced hypertension (eclampsia)? And unfortunately, among other problems, these complications are far more common in poor countries with inadequate antenatal care programs –or at least health clinics that are relatively inaccessable to many in isolated rural communities, even if they could afford the care.
So low birth weight infants need warmth; if the mother can’t provide it, they need to be in incubators until they can fend for themselves. But incubators are expensive and energy-intensive. They require a fairly complex infrastructure for both their performance, and their maintenance. The idea may be intuitive, but the ultimate product is complex; it is usually merely a transplantation of a device that is taken for granted in a labyrinthine, infrastructure-laden country, into one whose poorer inhabitants may not have adequate sewage disposal, let alone electricity, even in the larger towns. And conditions are seldom better in the distant rural villages where roads or communication facilities may not allow reception of news of an emergency or access to provide timely help.
What to do? Well, fortunately dire need spawns ingenuity and there are several ingeniously simple devices created that may well help to fill some of these gaps. An article in the BBC News outlines some of the innovations:
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-23817127
I think my favorite is ‘Embrace’, a product envisioned during a class assignment at the Stanford Institute of Design in 2007. It is basically ‘a sleeping bag with a removable heating element’. It only requires 30 minutes to heat it up, and a phase-change material maintains the bag at 37 degrees C. for up to six hours. And ‘More importantly for mothers, it allows for increased contact with their child, unlike traditional incubators. So it also encourages Kangaroo care, a technique practiced on newborn, especially pre-term infants, which promotes skin-to-skin contact to keep the baby warm and facilitate breastfeeding and bonding.’ It costs about $200 the article asserts, and is reusable. Furthermore, ‘Embrace is a non-profit venture. The product is not sold, but is donated to impoverished communities in need.’ And apparently the organization has even set up educational programs to teach the mothers about hypothermia. Wow!
And there was another article in the BBC News talking about yet another innovation by a student names James Roberts; this one won the ₤30,000 2014 James Dyson Award (which, as Wikipedia explains ‘is an international student design award, organised and run by the James Dyson Foundation charitable trust. The contest is open to university level students (or recent graduates) in the fields of product design, industrial design and engineering, who “design something that solves a problem“’.[ ). The design is for an inflatable baby incubator called Mom.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29900968
‘The device is designed to be delivered as flat-packed parts that are assembled at their destination. At its heart is a sheet of plastic containing inflatable transparent panels that are blown up manually and then heated by a ceramic element. This wraps around the interior of the unit to keep a newborn warm. “When it’s opened it won’t collapse in on the child and will maintain its shape,” Mr Roberts stressed. An Arduino computer is used to keep the temperature stable, control humidification, and manage a phototherapy lamp that can be used to treat jaundice, as well as sound an alarm. The electronic components are designed to use as little power as possible and can be run off a car battery for more than 24 hours when mains electricity is not available. The modular design of the kit allows damaged parts to be replaced without compromising the whole unit. And after the child is taken out of the incubator, it can be collapsed and the plastic sheet sterilised so that Mom can be easily transported for re-use elsewhere.’
So, take an ‘old’ design, and simplify it so it can satisfy a need elsewhere. “How far that little candle throws its beams. So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” How prescient, William…
This entry was tagged body temperature, complexity, eclampsia, electricity, Embrace, hemorrhage, hypothermia, incubator, inflatable incubator, James Dyson Award, Kangaroo care, low birth weight babies, Mom, phase-change material, pregnancy induced hypertension, premature babies, shivering, simplicity, skin-to-skin contact.
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Tag: little ricky zr3
#Review: Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful
Oliver Tree is one of those artists it’s hard to define. Whilst there are some who insist that he is nothing more than an internet meme, his artistry is undeniable and there’s something instantly captivating about him. Having released a heap of singles since signing to Atlantic Records in 2017, it’s only now, in 2020, we’re seeing the release of his debut album, Ugly Is Beautiful. Here’s what we have to say about it…
Ugly Is Beautiful is the first full-length release from Oliver Tree, who announced his early retirement in March 2020 – only to return in May with the announcement of his debut record, after a hacker held Oliver hostage in exchange for 1 million Instagram likes (which he logged in under 24 hours).
Having already been delayed twice (once due to Covid-19 and once due to the George Floyd and anti-racism protests), this highly-anticipated debut album proves to be worth the wait. Whilst his appearance, to some, is outlandish, this internet personality, musician and filmmaker has made a genre-defying record if ever there was one. Right from the off, Oliver Tree makes his way through a wide variety of genres, from alternative indie rock to hip hop and pop punk to electronic with a great sense of conviction that is nothing short of highly infectious.
One thing that is incredibly impressive about Tree, throughout the album, is his ability to ensure the listener doesn’t take any one moment too seriously or equally to pass it off as a joke either, using lyrical whit to guide the way. One such track is ‘Joke’s On You!’ where Tree makes his feelings known in the line, “Well yes in fact, my dignity’s intact, while I listen to ‘em laugh,” – here he is obviously making light of the fact that people often see him as a joke yet he’s made something of himself and maintained his dignity in doing so.
There is definitely a sense of nostalgia about Ugly Is Beautiful.
One of my favourite tracks has to be the distortion-heavy, electronic-laiden ‘1993’ (featuring Little Ricky ZR3), which was an instant favourite for me as it sort of epitomises much of the album. He uses tasteful electronic elements alongside intentional distortion giving it a real grungy, edgy feel – like much of the record. ‘Again & Again’ is another track that uses those gritty, distorted vocal effects but it equally has a certain radio-like quality to it, due to its indie-rock vibes.
There is definitely a sense of nostalgia throughout Ugly Is Beautiful too with tracks like ‘Jerk’ reminiscing of a down-tempo Nirvana song, ‘Bury Me Alive’ with its quick-fire delivery, like that of a Beastie Boys track or the David Bowie-esque qualities of ‘Miracle Man’.
However, the only time Tree feels truly familiar is on his previously-released singles, ‘Let Me Down’, ‘Alien Boy’ and ‘Hurt’, whilst the rest of the record feels new, exciting and refreshingly undefinable. This is a vision that is truly unique and entirely his – this is less an act and more of a glimour into the world of Tree, through his eyes.
Although Tree insists this is his “magnum opus” and that he is to retire from music and focus on film-making and producing instead, his label (Atlantic Records) say, “Ugly Is Beautiful is only the beginning. Stay tuned for more from Oliver Tree.” So I guess we will just have to wait and see! Either way, it would be a real shame if this were to be all we hear from him again.
‘Ugly Is Beautiful’ is out now and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://music.apple.com/gb/album/ugly-is-beautiful/1514394064
Ugly Is Beautiful on Spotify
Hurt (Official Music Video)
Let Me Down (Official Music Video)
Bury Me Alive (Official Unofficial Music Video)
We hope you’ve enjoyed our review! What do you think of Oliver Tree’s debut album? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it out of 5? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or via our social media.
Posted in Album Review, ReviewTagged 1993, 20/20, again & again, again and again, album, Album Review, alien boy, alternative, alternative pop, beastie boys, bury me alive, cash machine, coronavirus, covid-19, george floyd, hip hop, hurt, i'm gone, introspective, jerk, joke's on you!, let me down, little ricky zr3, magnum opus, me myself & i, me myself and i, miracle man, new album, new music, new music 2020, new music friday, nirvana, now listening, now playing, oliver tree, out now, pop, tree, ugly is beautiful, waste my time
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Forex Forecast for EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY and USDCHF for August 21 - 25, 2017
First, a review of last week’s forecast:
EUR/USD. Only 35% of experts expected the pair to fall. However, graphical analysis and a number of oscillators on D1 sided with them. The support at 1.1685 was named as the nearest goal: it was reached by the pair by mid Tuesday. After that, the pair made several more attempts to break through this level, and it even managed to drop 25 points. This was not a true breakthrough, however, and the pair returned to the Pivot Point of the last two weeks in the 1.1755 zone. Thus, the week’s decline was only about 70 points;
GBP/USD. 45% of analysts voted for the fall of this pair last week. As for the medium term, 65% of them sided with the bears. The pair itself went ahead of the curve and by Tuesday evening it lost 170 points. There, the bears' forces dried up, and it initiated a lateral movement along the 1.2875 Pivot Point, near which it completed the weekly session;
Oscillators on H4 and D1 warned that USD/JPY was oversold. Graphical analysis also expected a correction. The rebound did indeed happen: the pair reached the height of 110.94 by the middle of the week, after which it turned sharply and returned to the values of the beginning of the week. As a result, the week’s chart looks like an isosceles triangle, at the base of which the support zone 108.90-109.20 is located;
A similar triangle can be seen on the USD/CHF chart. As with the case of USD/JPY, a number of oscillators were giving signals that the pair was oversold, and one of the scenarios assumed its rise to resistance 0.9700, and in the event of its breakdown, another 70 points higher. That's exactly what happened: the pair reached 0.9765, and then left southwards to finish the week near a strong support/resistance zone at 0.9650, where it first visited back in March 2008.
As for the forecast for the coming week, summarizing the opinions of analysts from a number of banks and brokerages, as well as forecasts made on the basis of a variety of methods of technical and graphical analysis, we can say the following:
EUR/USD. Like last week, the views of most experts (60%) face northwards, with the remaining 40% voting for the fall of the pair. Approximately the same alignment of forces can be observed with indicators on both H4 and D1. The support levels are 1.1685, 1.1600 and 1.1475. The resistance levels are 1.1845, 1.1910, 1.2010. As for the graphical analysis on D1, according to its readings, the pair will first move in the descending channel, and then, having reached the bottom at the level of 1.1610, it will turn and will go north again;
Speaking about the future of the pair GBP/USD pair, 55% of analysts, supported by the absolute majority of indicators (80%), as well as graphical analysis on D1, vote for its fall to 1.2760. After that, the pair should change the trend to an ascending one.
An alternative point of view is shared by 45% of experts and graphical analysis on H4. In their opinion, the pair will go up from the very beginning of the week, basing on the support of 1.2840 The nearest targets are 1.2950 1.3025 and 1.3125;
As for the USD/JPY, we can expect with a high degree of probability that, before reaching the April 2017 low (108.12), the pair, as was the case in the previous two cycles, will stay in the sideways trend for a while, fluctuating in the range 108.80-110.30. Approximately 40% of analysts and graphical analysis on H4 agree with this version. As for the indicators, 95% of them, as well as 35% of experts, continue to insist on the rapid fall of the pair. The goal is the same, the horizon of 108.00.
The growth of the pair to the area of 112.00 and above is expected by only 25% of analysts at the moment. However, if we move to the medium-term forecast, their number increases to 75%;
And the last pair of our review is USD/CHF. The fall of this pair to the area of 0.9440-0.9500 is still expected by 60% of experts and the overwhelming majority (about 85%) of trend indicators and oscillators. The remaining 40% of analysts, together with graphical analysis on H4 and D1, do not exclude the fall of the pair and believe that for this to happen the pair must first reach the resistance at 0.9765.
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Ya Oughta Be Committed!
It’s tough to get out of bed and start one’s daily journey into social networking “heck” when only yesterday morning your chosen media platform informed you that “live-able” traces of radiation were found in air particles worldwide, and that it might not be wise to eat sushi or tuna fish unless you could verify that the piscine you were devouring never swam anywhere near a nuclear power plant in their lifetimes. And even then, how would you know for sure if either the fish or its captor weren’t lying?
I have some friends who are rabid vegetarians. And though I stopped eating red meat long ago (except when it’s the only item on a plate at a seated dinner party (as it was last weekend) and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it), I can’t quite do the whole vegan full monty at mealtime. First, I’m allergic to nuts and have gotten really sick at more than one vegan cardboard food eatery (and not just from the smell!). Second, one of my best vegan friends used to chastise me relentlessly 15 years ago when he insisted on serving roast pork (a food which even now makes me physically nauseous) at dinner parties and when I tried to discreetly refuse to eat it was met with his consistent utter disdain. Yes – Revenge runs in my family, my astrological sign is Scorpio and I have trouble moving on even when I’ve made my point ad nausea (which should be thoroughly apparent to you if you’re a frequent or even infrequent reader of this blog).
What does energize me to get up when my sinuses are begging me to stay down is seeing other people’s passion or commitment to a task (despite the obvious likelihood of their failure). It’s always been that way and I really can’t explain it. Maybe it’s catching — like radiation poisoning but in a good way. Perhaps it was a bit too rare in my neighborhood in Queens where people didn’t think about existential states of being but rather having lox on a Sunday or Chinese food on a Sunday nite. More likely, it’s growing up as the son of a gambler with a natural aversion to take on tasks where the odds were clearly stacked against me/us.
Except – that’s all I’ve ever done in my life.
I entered journalism when all people ever said was I’d never start on anything but a small town newspaper; and the screenwriting sweepstakes when the first agent I ever met with sneered at my script and jeeringly told me my dialogue was too off-Broadway (I still can’t figure out if that was an insult). These days, I continue to like “La Vida Loca” through all the Ricky Martin backlash. And I don’t hesitate to say I’m a liberal, liberal, liberal, liberal, liberal, liberal in an age where it’s not cool to be labeled politically but ultra-chic to be labeled for your sexual practices, ethnicity or latest social networking proclivity (I’m not yet a Twitterer but I fear it’s right there over the horizon). Those over 35 who doubt me should remember the day when you VOWED you would never be one of those people who had nothing better to do than natter on your cell phone. Those under 35 (or even over) could pretend you’ve never watched and enjoyed reality television and then hit the playback of some conversation you had with your best friend, family or classmate years before about how lame “Fear Factor” or “The Real World” was.
Since I depend partly on other people’s passions to spark some of my own, it is conversely true that lack of passion and half-heartedness bugs the living crap out of me. Though I try very hard and don’t roll my eyes or sigh audibly as I once did, there is something personally enraging about watching someone not put any effort in (students beware) or purposely/carelessly do something in a half-assed way because they can (eg – the people my landlord has remodeling our duplex).
That makes it especially difficult to live in the nuances of today’s world. We are in a “limited military engagement” in Libya and not a war – which seems to be a good thing on the surface until one considers its contradicts everything we all know about the effort it takes to win. We also know passion projects in film and television are the ones particularly impossible to get made these days yet it is on record for everyone working in the fields of entertainment (and at the major studios) that most of the best and most POPULAR (yes, that means financial success) pieces in television and movies grew out of one person’s (or group of people’s) passion, commitment, drive and determination to get a story told. And if they don’t know that, it’s because they’re not passionate themselves and are living a half-assed life. Because it’s my blog and, once again, I set the rules.
Margaret Mitchell took a decade to write “Gone With the Wind” based on what she’d seen growing up in the South.
Sylvester Stallone (supposedly) wrote “Rocky” in desperation over a weekend (though I never bought it and think it took him at least two) from his own desperate life experiences.
Matt Weiner’s “Mad Men” got turned down several times from every network and other outlet all over town and yet has won the Emmy for best series three years in a row and has launched a classy profile for AMC, the only studio to give it a chance. (Note: With its success, AMC is now trying to cut back and interfere with Weiner’s creative vision and is shortening each episode and killing off characters in a hackneyed cost cutting measure. Ooops – news flash – they just relented [compromised?] and Weiner re-signed.)
Let’s not even go through Spielberg and Lucas and the childhood passions they were determined to bring onscreen. Or Francis Coppola’s unique ability to inject themes of family he held so closely to a work like “The Godfather.” Or Norman Lear essentially basing “All in the Family”’s famed Archie Bunker on his own father and their turbulent relationship growing up. Or did I just mention them all.
Dedication. Personal passion. Commitment. And I’ve left out all of the other arts. And haven’t even gotten into sports, Oprah or the latest Ricky Martin record even though I could make a convincing case for each. (I can’t make a case for Disney just signing beautiful actress Jennifer Garner to play a revamped version of Agatha Christie’s 80 year old British Sleuth Miss Marple for the start of a new tent pole series of films – though I have no doubt she will give her all as an actress if it does get made because she’s known for doing that sort of thing. So there still is half a case to be made about that).
It’s important to care and do your best work because you don’t know where it will lead or whom it will inspire. But mostly because it’s too easy to live in a world where it seems those who are immoral and lazy will get ahead. And if we’re to have any future as an admirable society it is our collective obligation to prove that theory wrong.
I was in a bit of a passion rut last week until I was obligated to attend a fundraiser my students were having to raise money for autism. It was on a Sunday and, truth be told, I was tired, cranky, hadn’t slept well the previous night because my nightmarish landlord is still remodeling, and generally was annoyed that a screenplay I worked very hard on for a producer which I deemed more than admirably now seems to be perpetually stalled.
Who wanted to see a talent lineup of non-famous students and their friends that included: an opera singer; a Shakespearean monologue from a budding actor; a reading of a short story; at least three young original singer-songwriters playing their own material; an a cappella male vocalist doing “Sounds of Silence;” four unknown comedians; one comedian/singer/You Tuber; an improv group with four members, and maybe even a partridge in a pear tree for all I knew. It was so much easier to stay home, play Scrabble on my iPad, make fun of Charlie Sheen myself and be politically outraged on Facebook.
But being committed to at least following through on my commitment (out of guilt, not any sense of my own nobility, I promise), I forced myself out of my house. And guess what? It was pretty fabulous. I mean, like – really, really. Even the reading of the short story (who likes readings?). The incredible soaring notes of the opera singer, the stand-ups, and improv group. And on and on. I’m not saying this because many (but not all) of them were my students and could be reading this. I actually, truly, passionately mean it.
Why do they take the time and energy to hone their crafts when they all have day jobs and almost never get paid (yet) for their creative endeavors? Passion. Commitment. Dedication. What they’re doing is coming from a real place. And yes, they are all of the things I just mentioned and more. Most won’t “make it” commercially but some will. Which ones – I have no freakin’ idea because long ago I’ve given up that guesswork. But even those that don’t might inspire someone who will and get out a message that might not have gotten out in the world unless perhaps that particular messenger heard that said person perform. And that, in itself, is something.
Because it makes me (us?) get out of bed each day no matter how bad my sinuses are. Or consider becoming vegan if my nut allergy is cured – or perhaps even before. I’m not sure it’s an antidote to radiation or world peace, but at least it’s a start on the road to —- ?
And now, for some inspiration…
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2 thoughts on “Ya Oughta Be Committed!”
You are so right on, Steve! And I’m very glad to have provided the venue for your energization last Sunday. I was inspired as well by the treasure trove of performers.
Stuart Fink
Somewhere midblog, you talk about passion and doing one’s best, which reminded me of a lithograph I recently saw that shows a single encumbered entertainer trying to connect with an audience of one. A Samuel Beckett quote fills the bottom of the poster.
NO MATTER. TRY AGAIN
FAIL AGAIN. FAIL BETTER
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Sharing a Stallone success story
November 27, 2017 November 27, 2017 / nourish|+|positivity
Sharing someone else’s story that is being told by yet another person seems a bit redundant. The story got to me however, and I wanted to do something with it, so here we are. Besides, stories are meant to be told and shared anyway.
It’s about the starting years of Sylvester Stallone’s career, specifically how he kick-started it himself. You can listen to the whole story, being told by Tony Robbins, here:
You can listen to it and/or read the following:
In the seventies Sly Stallone was trying to make a name for himself in the movie business but kept failing, with his facial features and slightly slurred speech not helping either. Yet, the man was driven by an idea, with a clear goal in mind. He wanted to be in the movie business, period. To inspire people through that art-form. “I wouldn’t settle for anything else“. His approach was to visit agencies’ offices in New York in the hope of landing a job in movies through them. He got rejected around 1500 times, visiting most agencies more than once or twice. His perseverance got him little parts in some movies, yet he realised it wasn’t really working well enough and knew he had to change his approach.
+ Important side note, he was broke at the time. He had no money to pay for heating and barely enough to feed him and his wife. He kept getting pressured to get a regular job and when asked why he wouldn’t, he replied: “I knew if I got a regular job I’d lose my hunger, that it [acting] would only work if it was my only choice. That hunger was my only advantage.”
Sitting in the public library (for warmth) he came across work by Edgar Allen Poe, he started reading some and got incredibly inspired. It prompted him to become a writer. He wrote screenplays and eventually sold some for a few bucks as well. Far from enough to make a living, however. Still broke, he was forced to sell some of his stuff. After making the mistake of selling his wife’s jewelry and eventually spending that money as well, he reached a new low and stood outside a liquor store in an attempt to sell his beloved dog to strangers. Which he did.
“I managed to sell my best friend in the world for $25. I walked away and I cried.”
Two weeks later he was watching a boxing match on tv about a guy who kept getting knocked down (by Muhammed Ali) but kept getting up and attempting to fight back. This gave ol’ Sly an idea and he started writing. He wrote for 20 straight hours and only stopped when he finished writing the entire ‘Rocky’ movie. Excited, he tried to sell it to agents. Most of them wanted nothing to do with it and rejected it. Eventually he found a group of agents who were willing to give him $125.000 for it. Imagine being offered that amount of money when you’ve got absolutely nothing… The thing was though, Sly only wanted to complete the deal if he could star in it. “I need to be Rocky“ he had said. The agents did not feel like investing such a large sum of money into an unknown ‘actor’, so they turned it down. So did Sly, saying “If that’s what you believe then you don’t get my script.” and walked away.
Interestingly, a few weeks later, they called him back up and offered him $250.000 for the script and for him not to star in his own movie. He turned it down again. Next they offered him $325.000, which he turned down again. This is a man who has no money, at all, and is turning down $325.000. Why? Because he knew his purpose, and knew the outcome. Eventually they compromised and agreed to give him $35.000 plus the lead role in the movie, saying “We think it’ll bomb but at least we won’t have spent a lot of money on you.” They made the movie for around $1 million, which ended up grossing over $200 million and winning three Oscars. Prompting Sly to say:
“The best revenge is massive success.”
If, like me, you are now wondering: “But did he buy his dog back?!” Well, he went back to that liquor store and after a few days, found the guy and his dog. He offered him $100 to buy the dog back but the man wasn’t having any of it. Sly kept increasing the price – again, he knew the/his outcome – until the guy agreed, to the amount of $15.000(!), plus a part in the movie. The guy is actually in Rocky. How cool is that!?
“There’s always a way, if you’re committed.”
If there’s a moral in this story it’s that one. Take from the story what you will but remember that one. Sylvester Stallone knew the outcome of his actions, knew what he wanted to and where he wanted to be. He pursued it with a passion and changed his approach with every setback, rejection, speed-bump or disadvantage life had thrown at him. His hunger kept him going and look where it got him. Kudos to you, Mr. Stallone.
approach, boxing, business, commitment, discover, dog, edgar allen poe, inspiration, movie, outcome, passion, rocky, screenplay, script, sly, stallone, story, success, sylvester, tony robbins, writing
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The last video you have to watch in 2017 →
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New coating creates ‘superglass’
A patio space transformed
Researchers create the ultraslippery coating by making a glass honeycomb-like structure with craters (left) and coating it with a Teflon-like chemical (purple) that binds to the honeycomb cells to form a stable liquid film. That film repels droplets of both water and oily liquids (right). Because it’s a liquid, it flows, which helps the coating repair itself when damaged.
Images courtesy of Nicolas Vogel
Resilient, ultraslippery glass could lead to self-cleaning, scratch-resistant windows, lenses, and solar panels
By Dan Ferber Wyss Institute Communications
A new transparent, bioinspired coating makes ordinary glass tough, self-cleaning and incredibly slippery, a team from Harvard University reported online July 31 in Nature Communications.
The new coating could be used to create durable, scratch-resistant lenses for eyeglasses, self-cleaning windows, improved solar panels and new medical diagnostic devices, said principal investigator Joanna Aizenberg, who is the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and professor of chemistry and chemical biology.
The new coating builds on an award-winning technology that Aizenberg and her team pioneered called Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS)—the slipperiest synthetic surface known. The new coating is equally slippery, but more durable and fully transparent. Together these advances solve longstanding challenges in creating commercially useful materials that repel almost everything.
The tiny, tightly packed cells of the honeycomb structure, shown here in this electron micrograph, make the SLIPS coating highly durable.
SLIPS was inspired by the slick strategy of the carnivorous pitcher plant, which lures insects onto the ultraslippery surface of its leaves, where they slide to their doom. SLIPS’ thin layer of liquid lubricant allows liquids to flow easily over the surface, much as a thin layer of water on an ice rink helps an ice skater glide. (See video.) Unlike earlier water-repelling materials, SLIPS repels oil and sticky liquids like honey, and it resists ice formation and bacterial biofilms as well.
Aizenberg and her colleagues sought to develop a coating that accomplishes this, but extends those capabilities further. The new SLIPS design surpasses existing coatings, which can be quite robust but not slippery or transparent, or, alternatively, transparent but not mechanically stable or repellent enough, Aizenberg said.
“The SLIPS-like coating is mechanically stable and has a long-lasting performance as a slippery surface because it’s composed of a sturdy honeycomb-like structure that holds lubricant in tiny, container-like pits,” said lead author Nicolas Vogel, a postdoctoral fellow in applied physics at SEAS.
To create this coating, the researchers corral a collection of tiny spherical particles of polystyrene, the main ingredient of Styrofoam, on a flat glass surface like a collection of Ping-Pong balls. They pour liquid glass on them until the balls are more than half buried in glass. After the glass solidifies, they burn away the beads, leaving a network of craters that resembles a honeycomb. They then coat that honeycomb with the same liquid lubricant used in SLIPS.
Applying the SLIPS-like coating to glass slides confers unmatched mechanical robustness. Slides treated this way withstood damage and remained slippery after various treatments that can scratch and compromise ordinary glass surfaces and other popular liquid-repellent materials, including touching, peeling off a piece of tape, and wiping with a tissue.
These glass slides with the SLIPS coating also repelled a variety of liquids, just as SLIPS does, including water, octane, wine, olive oil and ketchup. And, like SLIPS, the coating reduced the adhesion of ice to a glass slide by 99 percent. Keeping materials frost-free is important because adhered ice can take down power lines, decrease the energy efficiency of cooling systems, delay airplanes, and lead buildings to collapse.
By adjusting the width of the honeycomb cells to make them much smaller in diameter than the wavelength of visible light, the researchers made the coating completely transparent.
The researchers were also able to apply the SLIPS-like coating to glass slides in a pattern that confines liquid to specific areas—an ability that’s important for various lab-on-a-chip applications and medical diagnostics.
“We set ourselves a challenging goal: to design a versatile coating that’s as good as SLIPS but much easier to apply, transparent, and much tougher—and that is what we managed,” Aizenberg said.
The team is now honing its method to better coat curved pieces of glass as well as clear plastics such as Plexiglas, and to adapt the method for the rigors of manufacturing.
“Joanna’s new SLIPS coating reveals the power of following nature’s lead in developing new technologies,” said Donald E. Ingber, founding director of the Wyss Institute, Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS, and Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital. “We are excited about the range of applications that could use this innovative coating.”
This work was funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the Wyss Institute. Nicolas Vogel received funding from the Leopoldina Fellowship program. In addition to Vogel and Aizenberg, the research team included: Rebecca A. Belisle, a former Wyss research assistant who is now a graduate student in materials science and engineering at Stanford University; Benjamin Hatton, formerly a research appointee at SEAS and a technology development fellow at the Wyss Institute who is now an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Toronto; and Tak-Sing Wong, a former postdoctoral research fellow at the Wyss Institute who is now an assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering at Penn State University.
"The system is designed to be moved, changed, and adapted,” said Ecaterina Dobrescu of modular rooftop planters at Gund Hall that will reduce the quantity and speed of stormwater running off the building’s roof.
Photo by Kate Hammer
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In Between: Playing Against Cancer
by Johannes Hollaender, Xbox Wire Germany • Jan 4, 2019 @ 12:00pm
Whether you’re a hardcore gamer, an arcade fan, or have never played a video game before, cancer can hit anyone. In fact, the number of cancer diagnoses is steadily rising. We want to introduce you to the game In Between because developer Gentlymad and publisher Headup Games offers a journey into the thoughts of a man suffering from cancer; an emotional story that familiarizes you playfully and carefully with the topic.
We talked to Art Director and Co-Founder Daniel and Marketing Director Tim of Headup Games for more information on In Between and its message. In the process, we learned why the disease of cancer has such a central role for Daniel, and how the topic of death is handled seriously in a video game. Also, the development team is working with the Cancer Research Institute from New York and 50 percent of In Between revenues will go to the institute from now until January 31.
Hello Daniel, hello Tim! Please introduce yourself.
Daniel: Hello, my name is Daniel, I’m the art director, co-founder, and one of six developers at Gentlymad. We’re a development studio from Trier, Germany.
Tim: Hello, too! I’m Tim and responsible for marketing at the German Indie Games Publisher Headup Games in Düren, Germany. We have published In Between on all platforms where it was released.
Until January 31, you are doing a charity campaign with the Cancer Research Institute where 50 percent of proceeds will be donated. What is behind it?
Daniel: In Between picks up on some of the topics that are implicitly linked to cancer – dying and death. In the game itself, the player accompanies a man who has incurable cancer. It is up to him to accept his fate and deal with his own finite-ness and mortality. From the beginning it is clear: There will be no happy ending.
Tim: Working with the Cancer Research Institute is something very personal, for Daniel and me too. Normally, nobody wants to deal with the topic of cancer. But there was a strong intrinsic motivation for Daniel and me to initiate the project’s development and collaboration with the Cancer Research Institute. In the past five years, there have been four cancer cases in my family, two of which have been fatal. At some point I came across the Cancer Research Institute and its approach to fighting cancer with Immunotherapy which is a great hope in this area.
Daniel: That’s why we found that In Between and its plot fit the theme. The title captures the context, making it more accessible to those who have never had contact with cancer before.
You draw your motivation from personal experiences?
Daniel: Two main factors that inspired us were: The challenge of treating the taboo of death and dying in a video game was a challenging and interesting task. Above all, we were intrigued by the hurdle of translating a heavy and dramatic topic into a video game – a medium that usually focuses on the player’s empowerment.
Personal and family experiences of death and cancer have played an important role. Especially in the early stages of development as a university project, when the commercial implementation of the game was not yet determined, these experiences were significantly responsible for the realization. For me personally, the suicide of my brother was the trigger, through which I was confronted early on the subject of death.
The level design and motifs are modeled on the Kübler-Ross mourning model. More precisely, the five phases of grief: denial, anger, negotiation, depression, and acceptance. What special challenges did you have to face to transport a concept of psychology into a gaming experience?
Daniel: The biggest challenges in the development were on the one hand to treat the serious issues in an atmospheric and serious way, not portray them as cheesy or clichéd. We want to tell a story that allows for its own interpretations and provides identification options for the player. On the other hand, it was difficult from a mechanical point of view to provide each dying phase of the Kübler-Ross model with its own rule and to playfully create interesting and varied challenges.
With In Between you are dealing with a specific message …
Daniel: Definitely! It’s hard to empathize when you, a family member or friend is diagnosed with cancer – the sudden confrontation with mortality. In Between is an attempt to give an insight into the confusion of feelings and thoughts created by such a situation. Games as a medium are able to handle such serious topics and make them more accessible.
Tim: I told a relative who had cancer a few years ago about our plans with the Cancer Research Institute. She herself is not a gamer – the last game she played is probably Mario for the first Game Boy. At first, she was angry because she could not imagine anyone developing a game about cancer. A topic that is so extremely complex. So I told her more about In Between and she finally tried it out. After that, she told me that the way the game portrays the protagonist’s feelings and thoughts is very close to the actual emotional chaos that prevails in cancer patients.
It’s similar to Hellblade by Ninja Theory. Many players wrote to developers that the title gives them a better understanding of how people who suffer from schizophrenia feel. That they now better understand their relatives, friends, or colleagues. We also hope that In Between can bridge this gap between cancer patients and their social environment. At least a bit.
About In Between
Behind the hand-drawn images, In Between reveals a sometimes philosophical examination of the themes of illness and death. The player assumes the role of an incurably cancer-afflicted man who must accept his own mortality. Originally conceived as part of a seminar project at the university, In Between was the first game by the German developer studio Gentlymad, originally released for Xbox One in 2016.
ID@Xbox Game Fest Brings A Month of Games for Everyone
This Week on Xbox: April 13, 2018
This Week on Xbox: February 24
Feb 24, 2017 @ 2:00pm
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Strange Wilderness Glitches in the Matrix
Brent Swancer November 13, 2019
Among all the myriad paranormal phenomena reported from around the world, there are often those cases that cannot really be comfortably fit into any category of the strange. These are the cases that flit about on the periphery, encompassing total bizarreness which we just can’t seem to pin down, seemingly burps or bumps in reality itself, and which have in recent years been referred to as “glitches in the matrix.” Such accounts are numerous, but one location where they take on a rather spooky ambiance is when they deal with remote, rugged wilderness areas. Here we will look at a selection of cases of strange, inexplicable warps and cracks in our reality from places out in the wilds beyond civilization.
Some of these so-called “glitches” in reality revolve around people who just seem to have blinked out of existence or otherwise vanished right before a startled witness’s eyes, often under very odd, even surreal circumstances, pointing to something far weirder than a simple missing person. One comes from reddit user “strikelist,” who at the time was at a rural forested park area along the Occoquan River in northern Virginia. The witness says he had been driving along the narrow road with his mother when they saw a middle aged white male in dark clothing casually walking along by the side of the road, and they thought nothing of it until something very bizarre indeed happened, of which he says:
Suddenly, as I was looking straight at him in the distance, he was not there anymore. And it was so sudden I questioned if there was even a guy walking at all, maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me. Then my mom asked, “….did that guy just fall off the side?” Shocked that she confirmed she also saw a man walking, I stopped the car where he could have fallen. I thought, maybe I blinked or something and he actually fell in that moment, because I didn’t see him fall myself, he was just gone. We looked over and saw no one. It wasn’t a sharp fall like a cliff, but if he did fall he would’ve rolled into a tree wall and still be visible in the narrow forrested strip before the river. But we just didn’t see anyone there. We called out to no reply. My mom was worried he could be knocked out so she called a ranger to check on him and we drove off. On the way back she also described to me what she saw, ” I saw him walking toward us on the side, then he was nowhere to be seen. I just assumed he fell off.
What happened to this mysterious man and was he even there at all? Even more bizarre is a report from Reddit user “Brownfletchling,” which is an utterly surreal tale indeed. He says that he had been out elk hunting deep in the Laramie Range of the state of Wyoming, along with his father amongst the aspen covered mountains. They were to be out there for a week, in an area remote and far removed from civilization as we know it, and at one point they decided to make a hike over to a neighboring valley to find the elk that were thus far evading them. Along the way the witness spied a mysterious light on the horizon coming down one of the ridges to go down into the valley across the way, seeming to bob up and down and fluctuate in intensity as it went. He just assumed it was another hunter’s flashlight and sort of tried to put it out of his mind at the time. The next day they managed to shoot an elk and the witness was lugging about more than 70 pounds of meat on his back. As they clambered along through the wilderness, he says he looked back out in the direction he had seen the light, and he says of what happened next:
Now, here’s where things get weird. As I got to the top, carrying ~70 pounds of raw meat on my back, I stopped to catch my breath. At this point, I remembered the light I had seen earlier that morning. I glanced over to where it had been, and to my surprise, silhouetted against the (now overcast) sky, was a guy in dark clothing walking along the ridge. This was the first thing that struck me as odd. These mountains are not exactly a tourist destination, so the only people that should be out here are hunters, but this guy wasn’t wearing any camouflage at all. I looked at him through my binoculars, and he was wearing what looked like a black hoodie with black jeans, and a black beanie hat. More stereotypical burglar than elk hunter. No backpack, no walking stick, nothing to suggest he was out on a back country trip or anything. He walked around looking at the ground in front of him, like he was looking for something. This was a fairly narrow valley, so he was maybe 600 yards away, but he didn’t seem to notice me. I was still catching my breath, so I decided to just sit and watch him through my binoculars for a while to see where he went.
Now, here’s where things get REALLY weird. As I watched him with binoculars, he suddenly froze. Like I was watching a recording and someone hit pause, he stopped mid-stride, one foot still in the air. I thought I was seeing things, so I pulled the binoculars away to do the naked-eye test, but he was just… Gone… Absolutely gone… I quickly put the binoculars back up, just in time to hear a loud echoing pop come from the direction he had been, like a gunshot but with a different ring to it. Scanning with the binoculars turned up nothing, just a barren, empty ridge top with no man in black to be seen. I didn’t know what to do. I had close to a ton of elk meat left to transport, and now I might have to do search and rescue for a random guy who apparently froze time and disappeared right in front of me. I decided to just carry on as normal, because I didn’t like the thought of leaving my dad to the cougars any longer than I had to. I went the rest of the way to our truck and dropped off my pack load.
The witness kept moving along until he heard a loud sound like a pop, which was strong enough to send some panicked birds scattering. He says that the sound was closer than it had been before, putting him immediately on edge, and when he got through the tree line he could see the same mysterious figure again, this time on his side of the valley. The man was moving along while looking at the ground, heading towards a thicket around 150 yards away before suddenly stopping in place as if he had been frozen in time. The witness explains:
His clothing didn’t move, and his foot wasn’t all the way on the ground yet, making him stand in a very off-balance way that shouldn’t have been possible. This time, I was also close enough to hear him. As he froze, a groaning-wheezing sound came out, like all the air was being forced out of his now rigid lungs. This time, I didn’t miss the moment he disappeared either. I watch unblinking as he just ceased to exist in a fraction of an instant, followed closely by the now-telltale pop.
I’d like to say I was brave and went to investigate where he had been. Nope. I ran. Not back to the truck, but up over the ridge to the elk carcass in the next valley, where my dad was waiting with 2 stacks of meat. He clearly didn’t believe me 100% when I told him my story, but he was intrigued when I mentioned the pop sound. “I heard that a few minutes ago, I thought you or somebody else was shooting at something up there,” was his only comment. We loaded up the rest of my elk and headed up the ridge together this time. As we crested the ridge for the last time, the hair on the back of my neck all stood up involuntarily, like I was about to be hit by lighting. I instinctively turned around, and from farther up the ridgeline, I could see him coming towards us. Except, he wasn’t searching the ground this time. He was sprinting, right for us, closing fast. I got Dad’s attention, pointing to the man in black sprinting right at us, as I pulled my rifle down from my shoulder. The man, now only a short distance away, sees my gun, slows down, and for the first time I heard him yell, “PLEASE! HELP ME! PLEASE!!!”
Just as the last syllable escapes his mouth, he freezes again, mid stride, not more than 20 feet away. My dad and I exchanged glances as the poor guy’s lungs leaked air again. His eyes were frozen open, his face contorted in a permanent scream of panic. This time, when he disappeared into thin air, the loud pop was followed by a shockwave of hot air hard enough to make us both stumble back a couple steps. We got out of there fast after that, making it the rest of the way back to the truck in record time. I don’t think either of us spoke until we were all the way out to a main road again, heading the 40 or so miles to the nearest town, when my dad finally said, “Let’s hunt somewhere else tomorrow.”
What in the world was going on here? Other strange anomalies seem to have to do with distortions of time or the area itself, such as is the case with a witness who says he had been returning from a road trip with some friends and driving through a remote mountain area at night along a twisting road that was completely devoid of any other traffic. His mother called him on his cell phone and he informed her that they were only about 25 minutes away from their destination. There was a serene calm that then fell across them, and then intense strangeness would begin to unfold. The witness says:
It was a full moon and we could see the reflection from a lake below us and other than that the road was completely empty. Suddenly everything went completely dark in the car, no lights from the dash or gauges or headlights on the road. The music also stopped and re-started at the beginning of the CD we were listening to. There was now a vehicle pulled over by the police about 1/4 mile in front of us that hadn’t been there a spilt second before. I assumed I had dozed off for just a second as it was late. I thought it was still quite peculiar, though. After about a minute, the driver of the car turned the music all the way down and said ‘Did that just happen to anyone else?’
The other passenger in the back seat sat forward abruptly and exclaimed ‘I thought I just fell asleep…’ We then realized that the clock in the car was reading an hour later than it just had a minute before. To keep ourselves from freaking out we decided that the car had possibly had a momentary electrical failure and reset the clock to an odd time, turned off the dash lights, headlights, and gauges, and restarted the CD player. But when we arrived home 25 minutes later, we were one hour late. I am missing an hour of my life, and to this day have no idea how it happened.
How can we explain this time lapse and where did they go? In another case relayed directly to me we have a witness who had been out hiking at the Rocky Mountain National Park on what had been an otherwise calm, sunny, and peaceful day, before the weirdness would set it to full effect. He says that it began with a sort of low humming and thrumming in the air, reminiscent of some sort of heavy machinery in the distance, and that this grew in intensity until it became loud to the point that it almost hurt his ears, reverberating through his skull until it was almost unbearable. Then, there was a sudden pop, and a blanket of silence came crashing down around him, drowning out any ambient noise. He says of what would happen next:
There was this POP and then nothing. No sounds of the forest, no singing birds, no nothing. I looked around and noticed that the wind that had been coming through the area minutes before was gone, and that the branches and leaves of the tree were completely still. I don’t mean just that there was no wind, but they were still, still, like, not even wavering at all, as if they were frozen in time. It was a pretty unsettling feeling, and I wandered about trying to make sense of it, and that was when I saw something that blew my mind. There, hanging in thin air as if suspended in amber was a bird, just stuck there in mid flight. It was completely frozen there, just as still as the branches of the trees, and with the utter silence all around I began to sort of panic. Then that POP came again, and the sounds of the forest rolled over me and that bird jumped to life to fly off. I have no idea what happened to me that day, but it has stayed with me ever since.
Was this some sort of time rift, with everything temporarily paused around the witness for reasons unknown? Who knows? In other cases, the witnesses themselves seem to have been transported to another time or place through some sort of reality shift. One very bizarre case was mentioned in Brad Steiger’s book The Reality Game and How to Win It, and concerns a man named Charles W. Ingersoll, of Cloquet, Minnesota. In 1955, Ingersoll made his first trip to the Grand Canyon, bringing along his brand new, top-of-the-line camera along with him. According to the report, a week after returning to Michigan he chanced upon an old Grand Canyon travelogue dated 1948 in a book store and he purchased it. Much to his surprise, he found within its pages a picture of him there at the Grand Canyon in 1948, which was remarkably odd because his first trip there had been in 1955, a full 7 years later. Oddly, he had actually planned to go to the Grand Canyon in 1948 but had cancelled his trip at the time. Even odder still, in the 1948 picture he was holding his new camera manufactured in 1955. How could he have appeared in a picture from 1948 in a place he wouldn’t go to for another 7 years? Was this some glimpse into a parallel dimension in which he had taken his planned 1948 trip? If so, then why was he holding a 1955 camera? Who knows?
Other cases seem to have to do with some strange forces distorting not time, but space, locations, and even the terrain itself. One report given to me by reader is from a witness who had been hiking with some friends, when one of them commented that it seemed they were going in circles because they had passed the same very noticeable and unique rock formation. The others didn’t see how this was possible, and just sort of wrote it off as a similar formation, after which they continued on. A few minutes later, they passed the formation again, and this was when they began to take notice. The witness says:
We examined the area very carefully, noticed the slightly crooked tree off to the side, made notes of piece of trash lodged into a crevasse of one of the rocks, and moved on. A few minutes later, we come to the formation again, same crooked tree, same piece of trash. At this point we are a little freaked out, and decide to experiment. We head off to the left, a few minutes later we get to the formation, trash, crooked tree. We go to the right, formation, trash, crooked tree. No mater what we did we passed by that same scene over and over again until finally we were suddenly out of this loop or whatever it was and saw some different scenery. To this day I cannot explain it, and I wonder what would have happened if we had been stuck in that state.
Other reports or strangeness in the wilderness are just as weird, but somewhat even harder to really classify. According to one online account, a poster calling himself “paddjo95” related how he and his younger brother had one day ventured out to go exploring around the woods surrounding their isolated, rural home in southern Arkansas. They headed down the road that led to their house trying to find some new path or trail that they could explore, but what they eventually found surprised them. As they walked along, they came across a brand new looking paved road, looking decidedly out of place and something they would have surely noticed before after living in the area for 12 years. They explained it away by speculating that it must have been built rather recently, although nobody had seen any road work being done.
Curious, the two brothers set out along this strange road and things would only get more bizarre. According to the witness, as soon as they set foot on the road the air became noticeably colder, and additionally the road was lined by unusual, thick red trees similar to redwood trees, which were of a type they had never seen before. They supposedly walked several miles along the road and then decided to head back, noting that the air immediately became warmer again as soon as they stepped off it. As it was getting dark, they decided to come back and explore this odd road again the next day, but when they returned the following afternoon they could find no sign of the road or those weird trees they had seen. They reportedly scoured the area for hours but it was as if the road and its trees had never existed at all. On top of this, their parents denied that any road work had been done in the area and insisted there were no paved roads anywhere near them. Had that road they found been one into another reality that had temporarily brushed up against our own? Was this a glitch in the Matrix?
There is also Reddit user “bluesable,” who gives an account of driving through the Smoky Mountains of the Eastern United States when he and his friend had a rather curious brush with forces beyond their understanding. The night was dark and the witness was nervous about driving through the slashing rain that was tearing through at the time. It was getting to the point where he had lost faith in his ability to navigate the winding, narrow mountain road, and that is where things would unfurl into the realm of the odd. He says:
My friend and I were leaving out of the smoky mountain area, going over black mountain. It was dark and raining so hard I couldn’t see past the windshield. We are both Floridians, so, night time rainy mountain driving was neither of our strong suits. I was driving. I wanted to pull over and either wait it out or let him drive but the only time I could make out an exit was by looking out the passenger side window as we were passing it. The road was nothing but curves and concrete barrier walls.. no shoulder to pull off on and if there was I wouldn’t have seen it anyway. By this point I’m pretty sure if I keep driving we are going to crash. My passenger is trying to help me see to be able to pull off the road and neither of us are having any luck. He knows and I know this will not end well. So he made the call to let the loved ones know that we are in this situation and if anything happens .. we love ‘em.. by the time we hung up the phone he was in the driver seat and I was in the passenger seat and neither of us knows how that happened. It happened 10 or so years ago and I still can’t come up with a logical explanation for how that happened.
Another rather odd event that seems to defy easy categorization is given on the site Brainjet, and it comes from a witness in the country of Finland. He says that he had been on a camping trip with some friends out in the remote wilderness in the northern reaches of the country, full of unspoiled forests, mountains, swamps, and wildlife. This was supposedly quite a no man’s land, secluded and divorced from the world as we know it, and there was little to no chance of encountering anyone else out there. But encounter something they did. They spent some time one evening of their week-long trip chatting and having fun, but things would change for the strange, with the witness saying:
When we quieted down we began to hear it: talking. And the sound of machinery. Given our location, this was profoundly weird. Maybe there was another camp somewhere near us? We couldn’t quite make out what was being said, but it was a human voice, no doubt about it. But nothing really could explain the sound of heavy machinery. It sounded like an excavator or a tank, something big, powerful, and really not too far away. Combined with the sound of talking, we thought ‘construction yard.’ But at that time of night, in an unpopulated, protected nature reserve? We got out of our tent. It was cold and pitch black, the campfire had some coals still glowing. We took out our flashlights. My two buddies have always been a lot braver than me.
The sound was clearly coming from the north, maybe half a kilometer away. We thought the construction might be going on behind a small hill some distance away. We could see no lights or anything. We still could not make out what was being said. The speaking-like voice was monotonous, and it was impossible to even to say what language was being used, still sounded a lot like a person speaking though.
The two friends got ready and headed out into the cold night, determined to find the source of this sound, while the witness stayed behind to watch the camp. Although they said they would only be gone for 15 minutes, this turned into an hour, and the witness began to fear for his friends’ safety. It seemed that judging from the sheer volume of the anomalous sound they should have reached it by then, but still there was no word from either of them and 1 hour stretched to 2. That was when the strange, grinding noise and the indefinable voices suddenly stopped as suddenly as it had sprung up, leaving a noticeable silence in their wake. The witness then describes what happened next thusly:
I waited for another 30 minutes, very worried now that something had happened, that maybe my friends were lost. Should I go and try to find them? I shouted their names several times and built the fire pretty big. I was scared crapless when suddenly I saw the flashlights of my friends. Apparently, they were returning in a hurry. The guys got back to camp, out of breath. They told me the following: They had followed the sound beyond the small ridge in the distance. There was nothing there and it seemed like they were not getting any closer to the source of the sounds. They had to stop every now and then, be quiet and listen to it to be able to walk towards it. They walked and stopped like this for some time, then realized they were not getting any closer. The sounds did not change in volume at all. They decided to go ‘just a bit further’ several times when suddenly the sound just stopped like someone pressed a button on a recording.
They realized they had been going on for a long time. They were in the middle of the dark woods, alone. They reversed the heading and started back at a brisk pace. Eventually, they saw my big fire from the top of a hill and found their way back.The weird thing is, we seemed to think the sound stopped at different times. They had been gone 2.5 hours in total. They said the sounds stopped at around the 1 hour 15 minutes mark after they left, they then started to head back immediately, return trip taking a bit longer even though they kept a good pace, they apparently wandered around a bit. For me, the sound stopped at the 2-hour mark, just 30 minutes before they returned. We did not sleep that night. Nothing more happened on that trip and we never found out what the weird construction yard-like sound was about. When we returned to the parks visitor center some 5 days later, we asked around but no one knew of any ongoing construction taking place in the whole national park area. Been bugging me ever since…
What can we say about this other than that it is completely outlandish? Was this something purposefully drawing them away and trying to get them lost? These cases we have looked at are so varied that it is difficult to really come to any sort of conclusion on what has happened that could apply to them all. Are these perhaps portals to some other realms at work, hiccups in the space-time continuum, glitches in some virtual reality program we live in, time loops, glimpses into alternate dimensions, or what? Is reality itself in flux or being manipulated somehow by inscrutable forces? Or are they all just embellished tall tales no better than fiction? Whatever one believes, such oddities are often reported from the wild places of our world, and whatever causes them, it is certainly enough to make one think about one’s surroundings when stepping into the woods.
Tags Bizarre Glitch in the matrix modern mysteries mysterious places Paranormal strange phenomenon unexplained phenomena unsolved mysteries
Brent Swancer is an author and crypto expert living in Japan. Biology, nature, and cryptozoology still remain Brent Swancer’s first intellectual loves. He's written articles for MU and Daily Grail and has been a guest on Coast to Coast AM and Binnal of America.
You can follow Brent on and
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nancyvalko
A Nurse's Perspective on Life, Healthcare and Ethics
About Nancy Valko, RN ALNC
conscience rights
The Trouble with Planned Parenthood
December 26, 2018 December 26, 2018 nancyvalko abortion, medical ethics, Planned Parenthood
In a stunning December 20, 2018 New York Times article titled “Planned Parenthood Is Accused of Mistreating Pregnant Employees”, former employees of the $1.5 billion dollar ($543.7 million in government grants and reimbursements) organization assert that they were discriminated against because of their pregnancies.
The New York Times has long been one of the staunchest supports of Planned Parenthood as a great champion of “reproductive choice” through abortion, so it is ironic that their article paints a terrible picture of how the organization treats its own employees when they make the reproductive choice to have a child.
The New York Times interviewed several current and former employees of Planned Parenthood who described discrimination that violated state or federal laws against pregnancy discrimination by declining to hire pregnant job candidates, refusing requests by expecting mothers to take breaks and in some cases pushing women out of their jobs after they gave birth.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking story was that of Ta’Lisa Hairston, an employee who became pregnant but later started battling high blood pressure that threatened her pregnancy. However, her multiple medical orders stating she needed frequent breaks were ignored by management. Her hands swelled so much that she couldn’t wear the required plastic gloves and her doctor ordered bedrest. When she returned with orders not to work over 6 hours, she worked a much longer shift and few days later had to have an emergency C-section at 34 weeks. She resigned after repeated calls urging her to return to work before her guaranteed 3 months under the Family and Medical Leave Act was up.
Dr. Leana Wen, the new head of Planned Parenthood, says that the organization is looking into the allegations and will be “conducting a review to determine the cost of providing paid maternity leave to nearly 12,000 employees nationwide.”
While the New York Times article admits that “most Planned Parenthood offices do not provide paid maternity leave”, it counters that “(d)iscrimination against pregnant women and new mothers remains widespread in the American workplace.” The Times also blames “conservative lawmakers (who) routinely threaten to kill” Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding, making the organization’s financing “precarious”.
THE REAL TROUBLE WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Planned Parenthood tries to downplay its’ role as the largest provider of abortion in the US by touting services like breast cancer screening (without mammograms), birth control pills and devices, pregnancy tests, etc. to low-income women even though the reality is that there are many more places, such as federally qualified community health centers (which do not provide abortions) that provide more comprehensive health care services than those offered by Planned Parenthood.
But the larger problem is that it is hard to reconcile two completely opposite philosophies: an unborn child is nothing more than tissue that can be removed by abortion if a woman so chooses vs an unborn child is a living human being deserving of protection. Planned Parenthood is firmly on the side of the first philosophy.
Thus, as Live Action found when it contacted 97 facilities at 41 Planned Parenthood affiliates, it is almost impossible to find a Planned Parenthood clinic that offers prenatal care as well as abortion, not to mention Planned Parenthood’s current campaign to encourage women to “Shout Out Your Abortion”.
So it perhaps it should not be a surprise that a pregnant employee who wants her unborn baby might pose a challenge in a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic.
Why is the US Supreme Court Ducking the Issue of States Defunding Planned Parenthood?
December 14, 2018 December 14, 2018 nancyvalko abortion, law, medical ethics, Planned Parenthood
As a nurse, I have always known that medical ethics and the law are very much entwined. But when the US Supreme Court unexpectedly legalized abortion in the 1973 Roe v Wade decision, I started really studying the legal system and how it impacts medical practice beyond just the medical malpractice cases that I knew about.
When I studied the actual Roe v Wade decision itself, the dissenting opinions, commentaries, amicus briefs, etc., I was appalled to find that the decision was basically political and not based on established science and facts.
That sad knowledge has insulated me from hopelessness with many subsequent US Supreme Court decisions involving abortion and other life issues. I have always felt that the truth about human lives-born and unborn-will eventually win.
But I have to admit that I was surprised that the majority of the current Supreme Court justices ruled against even hearing the Gee v Planned Parenthood of Gulf Coast case involving conflicting federal court cases decisions about states defunding Planned Parenthood in their Medicaid programs.
The Gee v Planned Parenthood case involved the issue of whether patients may sue states in federal court for restricting or removing providers from their Medicaid programs. The case does not directly involve abortion since the federal Hyde amendment prohibits Medicaid funding for abortion, a prohibition that Planned Parenthood itself insists “hurts women on Medicaid” and wants eliminated. Planned Parenthood also admits that:
“Most of Planned Parenthood’s federal funding is from Medicaid reimbursements for preventive care, and some is from Title X. At least 60% of Planned Parenthood patients rely on public health programs like Medicaid and Title X for preventive and primary care.” (Emphasis added)
According to a Lozier Institute Report, in its latest report 2016-2017, Planned Parenthood received “$543.7 million in funds from all levels of government in that fiscal year…primarily from the Medicaid program”.
Several state laws have already excluded Planned Parenthood as Medicaid providers, especially after the reports of illegal harvesting of organs from aborted unborn babies and fraudulent billing. Federal law does give states substantial leeway to administer their Medicaid programs but does not define the term “qualified” for providers and states can exclude providers “for any reason…authorized by state law”. The law does allow for an appeal and judicial review for excluded providers.
According to the Wall Street Journal:
“But Planned Parenthood has leapfrogged state adjudication by recruiting plaintiffs to sue in federal court to vindicate their putative right to their preferred provider. Five appellate courts including the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth Circuits have recognized a private right of action while the Eighth has not.” (Emphasis added)
This split in court decisions needed to be resolved by the Supreme Court because it involves basic questions about the state-federal relationship.
Only four Supreme Court judges were necessary to vote to hear the case but 6 judges voted not to hear the case, surprisingly two of whom were considered conservative.
Justice Thomas who voted to hear the case was scathing in his rebuke of the 6 judges who voted not to even hear the case saying:
“So what explains the Court’s refusal to do its job here? I suspect it has something to do with the fact that some respondents in these cases are named ‘Planned Parenthood.’ That makes the Court’s decision particularly troubling, as the question presented has nothing to do with abortion.
Some tenuous connection to a politically fraught issue does not justify abdicating our judicial duty. If anything, neutrally applying the law is all the more important when political issues are in the background…The Framers gave us lifetime tenure to promote ‘that independent spirit in the judges which must be essential to the faithful performance’ of the courts’ role as ‘bulwarks of a limited Constitution,’ unaffected by fleeting ‘mischiefs.’” (Emphasis added)
The Supreme Court’s refusal to even hear the case is more than disappointing. Continuing the legal confusion about states’ rights will almost certainly lead to more litigation against states that pass laws excluding Planned Parenthood from Medicaid programs. As the Wall Street editorial states, “If the Justices duck every case remotely implicating gender politics, substantive constitutional issues will go unresolved and individual rights may be impaired.”
Ironically, although the brief by Planned Parenthood of Gulf Coast to the Supreme Court insisted that their clinics “..provide essential medical care to thousands of low-income Louisiana residents through Medicaid” and “offer a range of services, including annual physical exams, screenings for breast cancer and cervical cancer, contraception, pregnancy testing and counseling, and other preventative health services”, the reality is that there are many more places, such as federally qualified community health centers (which do not provide abortions) that provide more comprehensive health care services than those offered by Planned Parenthood.
On a personal note, several years ago my late daughter Marie secretly went to a Planned Parenthood clinic for a possible sexually transmitted disease. She finally admitted this to me when her symptoms grew worse. I immediately took her to my own gynecologist who had to perform surgery to remove part of her cervix to deal with the damage.
Planned Parenthood had missed the diagnosis.
Support the Fighting Irish Doctors and Nurses
December 7, 2018 December 7, 2018 nancyvalko abortion, law, medical ethics, pro-life
I have always been proud of my Irish heritage so I was especially shocked when a voter referendum in Ireland in May, 2018 overwhelmingly approved removing Ireland’s long-standing, constitutional protections for unborn babies and left the details up to the Irish government.
Before this, Ireland’s Eighth Amendment protected both unborn babies and their mothers equally as deserving a right to life. This made Ireland one of the safest places in the world for pregnant mothers and their unborn babies and with one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world.
However, much of the campaign to legalize abortion focused on the “high numbers of women ordering abortion pills online or forced to travel to Britain for a termination.” As one supporter said, that “showed that abortion was already here, we are just trying to make it safe and regulated.”
Now the lower house of the Irish parliament has just passed a bill that, if subsequently passed by the upper house, would legalize abortion for any reason for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to six months for a wide variety of circumstances. The bill would also force taxpayers to pay for abortion and force even Catholic hospitals to provide them. It also strictly limits conscience protections for medical professionals and forces them to refer for abortion. The lower house also rejected amendments to ban sex-selection abortions, require parental consent for girls under 16 and require basic medical care for infants born alive after abortion.
Note that these radical developments occurred after the national vote in May. A poll by Amárach taken in October found that 60% of Irish residents oppose taxpayer-funded abortions, 80% say health care workers should not be forced to carry out abortions against their conscience and 69% of those surveyed believe doctors should be obliged to give babies that survive the abortion procedure proper medical care rather than leaving the babies to die alone.
Perhaps critically, Facebook also banned outside ads as Ireland was voting on abortion, saying that “We feel the spirit of this approach is also consistent with the Irish electoral law that prohibits campaigns from accepting foreign donations,”
DOCTORS AND NURSES PUSH BACK.
Although Irish government leaders want medical professionals ready to begin aborting unborn babies by January 1, 2019, the medical community is balking.
Doctors against abortion petitioned the government stating that “forcing a doctor to make a referral for an abortion against their conscience is simply wrong” and dozens of Irish doctors stormed out of an emergency meeting about abortion because they said their conscience rights protections were being ignored.
And almost 500 Irish nurses and midwives signed a petition to Health Minister Simon Harris urging him to protect freedom of conscience and support the amendments concerning conscience rights protections.
So far, the minister has ignored their requests.
However, the pro-abortion National Women’s Council of Ireland is urging the passage of the new abortion law as soon as possible “despite fears the existing bill does not go far enough to decriminalize abortion or prevent protests at abortion facilities”.
As a fellow pro-life nurse, I applaud Nurses and Midwives4Life Ireland who stated that:
“We are dedicated, hardworking nurses and midwives who care for patients from conception to natural death. We have a conscientious commitment to life which accords with the values inherent in Our Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. We respect and defend the dignity of every stage of human life and we have a responsibility to make every valid or reasonable effort to protect the life and health of pregnant women and their unborn babies.”
I also sent a message of support to the Facebook page of Nurses and Midwives4Life Ireland .
I also support Irish Doctors for Life and its Facebook page that states its “aim is to educate and support doctors, health care professionals and others who are concerned about the ethical questions relating to patient care and practitioner responsibility at all stages of life.”
I personally have seen the terrible destruction of some of our most basic medical ethics principles after abortion was legalized here in the US in 1973. This issue not only divided doctors and nurses but also eventually led to the increasing acceptance of assisted suicide and euthanasia.
We need to support all medical professionals throughout the world who work to care for and protect all human life.
Physician-Assisted Suicide and the Fight for the Soul of Healthcare
November 28, 2018 November 28, 2018 nancyvalko assisted suicide, Compassion & Choices, law, medical ethics, nursing
Despite the US Supreme Court’s unanimous rejection of a constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide in the 1997 Vacco v. Quill decision , the well-funded pro-assisted suicide organizations like the Hemlock Society (now called Compassion and Choices) remained undeterred in their efforts to legalize assisted suicide throughout the US.
Along with its efforts to pass physician-assisted suicide laws, Compassion and Choices also focused on changing the health care system itself by influencing health care professionals and especially their organizations.
Thus, Oregon became the first state to pass a physician-assisted suicide law (by voter referendum), but only after the Oregon Medical Association changed its position from opposition to neutrality and despite the American Medical Association’s long-standing opposition to physician-assisted suicide.
However, only a few other states eventually did legalize assisted suicide over the next 20 years either by legislation or voter referendum while most states rejected physician-assisted suicide, even after almost yearly efforts in legislatures and overwhelmingly supportive mainstream media coverage.
But now Compassion and Choices is touting that “(a) growing number of national and state medical organizations have endorsed or adopted a neutral position regarding medical aid in dying (physician-assisted suicide) as an end-of-life option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults.” (Emphasis added)
For now at least, the American Medical Association (AMA) itself continues to oppose physician-assisted suicide despite strong pressure from groups like American Association of Family Physicians to take a neutral stance. If the AMA does change its stance to neutrality, it won’t take long until groups like Compassion and Choices finally realize their goal of “integrating and normalizing medical aid in dying (aka physician-assisted suicide) suicide as an additional end-of-life option“.
Nurses are also not immune to the efforts to convince health care professionals to accept or be neutral on physician-assisted suicide. For example, a “policy dialogue” at the American Academy of Nursing’s annual conference in Washington, DC. was covered in a May 2018 article in the American Journal of Nursing titled “Assisted Suicide/Aid in Dying: What is the Nurse’s Role?” (reprinted in full by Death with Dignity). The article included this disturbing news
“In 2018, the American Nurses Association (ANA) will be updating its current position statement “Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, and Aid in Dying”. (Emphasis added)
Ominously and just last year the ANA approved VSED (voluntary stopping of eating and drinking) stating that “people with decision making capacity have the right to stop eating and drinking as a means of hastening death.” (Emphasis added)
Not surprisingly, our government is also not immune to the aspirations of Compassion and Choices. In its “Federal Policy Agenda / 2016 & Beyond” , Compassion and Choices set the following priority:
“Establish federal payment for palliative care consultations provided by trained palliative care professionals who will advocate for and support the values and choices of the patient….”
Compassion and Choices lists as one of its accomplishments that it:
Pioneered the medical model of aid in dying that helps ensure that doctors can ethically practice aid in dying in an open, legitimate and accessible way, and integrates the option into patients’ end-of-life care. The culmination of that work was the publication of clinical criteria in the Journal of Palliative Medicine in December 2015. (Emphasis added)
Now, a Compassion & Choices’ website even has a video presentation based on this article titled “Understand the Clinical Practice of Aid in Dying” for doctors and other clinicians. The presentation even offers continuing medical education credits.
We may now be seeing the potential results of this agenda in the current “The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act” that is endorsed by Compassion and Choices . The bill was passed in the US House of Representative and is currently in the Senate health committee as SB693. If passed, the bill would authorize grants and contracts to promote education, research and the development of faculty careers in hospice and palliative care. (I have already contacted my home state senator about the potential problems with this legislation.)
Several years after Oregon voted to legalize physician-assisted suicide, I began to notice a stark difference between my fellow health care colleagues who supported legalizing physician-assisted suicide and those who didn’t. Doctors and nurses who supported such laws often spoke about patients who “needed to die” even though those patients never even mentioned wanting to die. They often tried to get out of caring for or even talking to difficult patients. In contrast, those doctors and nurses who were appalled by physician-assisted suicide were the ones who patiently listened to patients and addressed their fears and hopes, treated relatives as part of the care team and actively advocated for the best care for their patients.
But with Compassion and Choices’ leaders like Barbara Coombs Lee, one of the architects of Oregon’s assisted suicide law, even arguing against strong conscience rights protections for those of us who refuse to participate, it may become impossible in the future to even find a health care professional committed to protecting the life of every patient.
All of us, both medical and lay people, must speak out against physician-assisted suicide before our health care system becomes irreparably corrupted.
Now Even Family Assisted Suicide?
November 15, 2018 November 15, 2018 nancyvalko assisted suicide, Compassion & Choices, law, media
Her obituary stated that Tessa was 55 years old and the divorced mother of two adult children when she died on May 14, 2002 in San Francisco, California after a nearly four year fight with breast cancer . She had been a real estate agent and later worked as controller in her son’s company.
Her son was Gavin Newsom, who just won the race for California governor November 6, 2018.
However and just the day before, a November 5, 2018 article in The New Yorker titled “Gavin Newsom, the Next Head of the California Resistance” gave a different version of Tessa’s death:
“Newsom’s sister, Hilary, said that when their mother had breast cancer, in her fifties, he was difficult to reach. ‘Gavin had trouble explaining to me how hard for him it was to be with her when she was dying, and I had trouble explaining to him how much I needed him,’ she said. ‘Back then, he seemed like the kind of guy who would never change a diaper.’
In May, 2002, his mother decided to end her life through assisted suicide. Newsom recalled, “’She left me a message, because I was too busy: ‘Hope you’re well. Next Wednesday will be the last day for me. Hope you can make it.’ I saved the cassette with the message on it, that’s how sick I am.’ He crossed his arms and jammed his hands into his armpits. ‘I have P.T.S.D., and this is bringing it all back,’ he said. ‘The night before we gave her the drugs, I cooked her dinner, hard-boiled eggs, and she told me, ‘Get out of politics.’ She was worried about the stress on me.’” (Emphasis added)
Sadly, a previous 2016 San Francisco Chronicle article entitled “How Gavin Newsom’s family tragedy led to ammo-control initiative” quoted Gavin Newsom on an earlier suicide tragedy in his mother’s life:
“My grandfather committed suicide, but not before putting his daughter — my mother — and her twin against the fireplace and saying he was going to blow their brains out,” Newsom said.”(Emphasis added)
THE CRAZY HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA’S PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE LAW
I admit I was puzzled when California governor Jerry Brown signed a new law in September, 2018 titled “AB-282 Aiding, advising, or encouraging suicide: exemption from prosecution”. This amended the 2016 physician-assisted suicide law that “Every person who deliberately aids or advises, or encourages another to commit suicide is guilty of a felony” to “A person whose actions are compliant with the provision of the End of Life Option Act (physician-assisted suicide) shall not be prosecuted under this section.” (Emphasis added)
For many years, California was especially targeted by assisted suicide groups like Compassion and Choices, the former Hemlock Society, for the legalization of physician-assisted suicide because of its size and influence. By 2015, there had been 8 failed attempts for legalization of physician-assisted suicide.
However, the Brittany Maynard tragedy started a media frenzy around the 30-year-old newlywed with an aggressive brain tumor when she announced that she and her family left California for Oregon to commit assisted suicide where it was legal and picked November 1, 2014 for her assisted suicide. Brittany Maynard also became a spokesperson to raise funds for Compassion and Choice’s campaign to legalize assisted suicide throughout the US. Her family continued to vigorously fight for a physician-assisted suicide law in California after her assisted suicide in Oregon.
Significantly and because of the Brittany Maynard tragedy, most mainstream media outlets have now dropped the term “physician-assisted suicide” in favor of more palatable terms like “death with dignity” and “physician aid in dying.”
Surprisingly though, another attempt to pass the “End of Life Options Act” in California failed in the 2015 legislature-until a sudden extra and controversial legislative session was called to pass it. This new law was signed into law by Gov. Brown and took effect in June 2016.
However in May 2018 and after at least 111 assisted suicide deaths, a Superior Court judge overturned the law, ruling it unconstitutional because of how it was improperly passed in the special legislative session.
Physician-assisted suicide was again illegal until a month later when California’s 4th District Court of Appeals granted the state’s request to reinstate physician assisted suicide while it considers the case.
Then, as I mentioned before, Gov. Brown signed the law to prevent prosecution of anyone involved in an assisted suicide, including family members.
According to Findlaw:
“If you’re not a licensed physician, then assisting someone with suicide is most definitely a crime. But in states that have enacted “right to die” or “death with dignity” laws, eligible patients may request lethal drugs and administer them on their own.” (Emphasis added)
But the reality is that very few cases of a friend or family member assisting a suicide are prosecuted and even then, the penalty is light or nonexistent. So-called “safeguards” are useless.
There is no chance that Governor Newsom will be prosecuted or even investigated for allegedly assisting his mother’s death in 2002 (long before California legalized physician-assisted suicide). But the new California law that forbids prosecuting anyone involved in a physician-assisted suicide who “aids or advises, or encourages suicide” further reinforces the dangerous myth that assisting suicide is a victimless and even loving act.
Should a Mental Health Exam be required before Physician-assisted Suicide?
November 7, 2018 November 7, 2018 nancyvalko assisted suicide, law, medical ethics
When I read the October 27, 2018 MedPage news article titled “Assessing Competency in Aid-in-Dying Patients (aka physician-assisted Suicide)-Should a Competency Exam by an Outside Doctor be Required?”, I was struck by one case cited by psychiatrist Richard Martinez, MD, professor of psychiatry and law at the University of Colorado Denver who opposes mandatory mental health exams as “an invasion of privacy ” …”(t)o mandate an interaction with a stranger”. Dr. Martinez also contends that “Depression should not be an exclusionary decision.” (Emphasis added)
Dr. Martinez cited the case of a young man who had a severe spinal cord injury after a fall and was on a ventilator to breathe. Doctors took him off sedation and asked if he wanted to live. He said no so the ventilator was removed and he died.
Although Dr. Martinez acknowledged that “people who work with people with spinal cord injuries have argued for a waiting period” and that this was a very difficult case in bioethics, he still maintained that, in the end, the issue is really about choice. (Emphasis added)
When I read this, I remembered when “Aaron” (not his real name) was admitted to our intensive care unit with a severe spinal cord injury after a car accident. This was in the early 1970s, long before the “right to die”/physician-assisted suicide movement became known to the public.
I was there when the doctors told Aaron that his legs were permanently paralyzed and he would never walk again. Naturally, this 18 year old young man was devastated. It didn’t take long before he told us he wanted to die. We were not surprised by this normal reaction and the doctors wanted to stabilize him medically before ordering a psychiatric consult if he persisted in wanting to die.
One day while I was bathing Aaron, I asked him if many people complimented him on his legs. Aaron was puzzled but answered “No”. Then I asked him if his legs were the most important part of him. After a pause, he smiled a little and said probably not.
Then I talked with him about what he would still be able to do once he was medically stable and what he might be able to do in the future with rehabilitation and medical advances. Aaron looked a little less forlorn. I reassured him that we doctors, nurses and his wonderful family would be there every step of the way and I predicted how much better he could feel with time and more information.
But what really made a difference was when Aaron’s parents told me how much he enjoyed poker. So one quiet night, I started a midnight poker game in Aaron’s ICU room with the nurses taking turns between caring for the patients and playing. It was great to see Aaron finally laughing and making fun of how badly we played.
Even though we were caught by an unexpected visit from administrators and I had to promise never to do this again, it was worth it. When I last visited Aaron after he left our unit, he was laughing and talking to his friends. And making plans.
Supporters of physician-assisted suicide claim that one of their strongest safeguards is, as the Oregon physician-assisted suicide law states, that “If, in the opinion of the attending physician or the consulting physician, a patient may be suffering from a psychiatric or psychological disorder or depression causing impaired judgment, either physician shall refer the patient for counseling.” (Emphasis added) But only the evaluation of a patient’s competence to make such a decision- not the diagnosable mental disorders that afflict more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide- is required .
However, now that supposed “safeguard” is being questioned by some psychiatrists in this new MedPage article reporting on a panel discussion during the 49th annual American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL) meeting.
In the article, psychiatrists like Anna Glezer, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry and of ob/gyn at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) who supports requiring a mental health exam stated:
“A psychiatrist can help identify potentially treatable psychiatric symptoms that may relieve elements of patient suffering, and detect family agreement versus family conflict that may require further intervention and counseling,”
‘”I’ve done a case where I didn’t say ‘This person meets the criteria or doesn’t,’ but [instead said] ‘These are my concerns,'” she said. In this case, the patient had lost her husband within the past year “and I thought grief might be compounding her decision-making capacity.” (Emphasis added)
Dr. Ariana Nesbit, a psychiatrist at the San Diego Central Jail says PAD (physician-assisted death aka physician-assisted suicide) is a complicated issue, stating that:
“Our goal is often thought to be to prevent suicide, and we still conceptualize suicidal ideation as a symptom and pathological. As someone who just recently finished training in three very liberal states, I can tell you that at no point during my training was I ever taught how to figure out whether someone’s suicidal ideation, or their suicide attempt, was rational, so we don’t have any widely accepted method for determining this.” (Emphasis added)
Dr. Nesbit also cited a study titled “Prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients requesting physician’s aid in dying: cross sectional survey” that found 26% of patients requesting physician-assisted suicide did meet depressive disorder criteria but three of them were approved for physician-assisted suicide anyway. The authors concluded that “Although most terminally ill Oregonians who receive aid in dying do not have depressive disorders, the current practice of the Death with Dignity Act may fail to protect some patients whose choices are influenced by depression from receiving a prescription for a lethal drug.” (Emphasis added)
During a question and answer session, Annette Hanson, MD, adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, questioned whether PAD itself was a good idea. “We’re not just consulting psychiatrists — we’re members of a profession,” she said. “We’re shapers of healthcare policy that will affect everyone in the country … including people who are institutionalized, including people who don’t have physical illnesses.” (Emphasis added)
Dr. Hanson told how she was contacted by a colleague who asked her how to do such an mental health exam on a patient seeking assisted suicide in Switzerland. because of an “irreversible neurological condition”. Dr. Hanson said, “It turned out the ‘irreversible neurologic condition’ was schizophrenia”. Dr. Hanson concluded that “So the publicity surrounding the right-to-die movement is hurting our psychiatric patients.” (Emphasis added) She also added that “the American Psychiatric Association also considers [PAD] to be unethical, and re-emphasized that in [amicus] briefs to the Supreme Court.”
Another MD talked about self-care for doctors after making mental health exams for physician-assisted suicide, saying that she deliberately tried “not to find out what happened to the patient” but still often found out what happened to the patients she evaluated when she would see an announcement about a memorial service
I am glad that I became a nurse decades before state legalized physician-assisted suicide. Back then, I saw what happened with patients like Aaron when we didn’t have the assisted suicide “option”: Patients received a chance for the best life possible and we received a chance to show how much we cared.
Talking to Patients
October 29, 2018 October 29, 2018 nancyvalko medical, mental health, nursing, ventilators/life support
As I have related before, back in the early 1970s when I was a new ICU nurse, I was teased for talking to comatose patients. I was even asked if I talked to my refrigerator. I explained that if hearing was truly the last sense to go, it made sense to talk to the patients and explain what we were doing just as we would for any other patient. The other nurses thought this was ridiculous-until “Mike”.
“Mike” was a 17-year old boy who was admitted to our intensive care unit in a deep coma with massive injuries caused by a terrible car crash. The neurosurgeon on duty pronounced, “He won’t live until morning and it’s a good thing, because he’d be a vegetable.” I was shocked that he said this in front of “Mike”!
But “Mike” didn’t die. I kept talking to him and eventually he could even move a finger on command. But he would not respond to the neurosurgeon, even with tests to see if he would move with pain stimuli.
Later on, when “Mike” was able to breathe on his own, he would even say “Hi” for me on command but it was only after I repeatedly begged that Mike finally said “Hi” to the neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon called this a “miracle” but shortly after that, Mike was transferred to a nursing home. None of us ever expected to see him again.
However, about 2 years later, a handsome young man strode into our ICU and asked “Do you remember me?” It was Mike! He said he had driven 60 miles to tell us thanks for saving his life and we all dissolved in happy tears.
I told him that he wouldn’t remember this, but he would move and say “Hi” for us nurses but not for the neurosurgeon. Mike got very serious and said “I remember him calling me a vegetable and I wouldn’t move for him!”
After that, every nurse on our unit was told to talk to every comatose patient as if he or she was totally awake and soon we found more patients who unexpectedly woke up or improved.
And no one ever teased me about talking to “comatose” patients again.
Throughout the decades since, I have talked to other patients who were considered comatose or otherwise unconscious, not just to patients with a major brain injury but also to patients approaching death and to patients sedated while on a ventilator for breathing. I’ve always considered this talking and explaining just basic respect for every patient. I was pleasantly surprised when I followed up with patients and families after they left our ICU and found many who remembered and told me how much this had helped them.
“OBSERVATIONS FROM ICU PATIENTS WE THOUGHT WERE ASLEEP, BUT WERE NOT”
So I was thrilled to see this title for a new Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) learning audio for doctors with stories from patients about what they experienced in an ICU while their treating doctors and nurses thought they were “asleep”.
In the audio, most of the patients were on sedation while on a ventilator and assumed unaware. One such woman related how she became so angry at her doctor’s attitude that she wanted to throw something at him and was frustrated when she couldn’t. Another man related how painful it was when the electrodes checking for his level of sedation were used without explanation or warning. Another complained about hearing nurses talking about her mom and dad poorly and their lack of empathy.
But there were also good stories about nurses or doctors taking the time to explain what was happening, talking as if the patient could hear everything and helping patients communicate without words. One doctor told about how his own father was in a hospital for an extended time and his dad remembered hearing the doctor talking about all the things he couldn’t do instead of what he could do. This doctor says that his father’s discouraging experience made him a better doctor.
The audiotape also explains how difficult it can be to not over- or under-medicate people, especially when it comes to pain, confusion and anxiety. The audiotape recommends that health care professionals try to avoid long acting drugs with potential side effects and continuous medication infusions and to use simple tools to assess delirium, confusion and anxiety.
The audiotape also recommends that health care professionals “treat patients like real persons”, “take the time to explain”, “be careful to assess level of awareness”, “realize that every action and word have real consequences” and that the “human element” is the most important.
Being in an ICU can be especially stressful for patients and their families and I hope this information is helpful. Medicine can do wonders today but it is the human connection that provides the best environment for healing for both patients and their families.
My Review of “Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer”
October 21, 2018 October 28, 2018 nancyvalko abortion, culture, law, medical ethics
I just saw the movie “Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer” and was moved to tears even though I already knew much of the story about the notorious Philadelphia abortionist who ran an outrageously filthy clinic where he executed late-term babies who survived abortion by callously cutting their spinal cords. I also knew that some of the women died, suffered serious complications or contracted diseases from dirty instruments during the 30 years Dr. Kermit Gosnell ran his politically protected clinic.
This PG 13 movie scrupulously avoids sensationalism but through great acting, writing and accurate depictions of the clinic and Gosnell himself (actual pictures were shown at the end of the movie), the enormity of the evil cannot be ignored.
The movie starts much like an episode of “Law and Order” portraying a drug bust but then expands as police raid Gosnell’s abortion clinic for evidence of illegal prescription drug sales and find even greater problems. After the initial reluctance to prosecute by the District Attorney because the case involves abortion, a courageous assistant district attorney puts her job on the line to prosecute Gosnell.
The trial of Gosnell is riveting, especially when an expert witness abortionist describes how to correctly perform a late-term abortion that is unnervingly similar in callousness to Gosnell’s. The testimony of girls as young as 15 when they were trained by Dr. Gosnell to be his unlicensed assistants is also devastating as they describe an aborted baby swimming in a toilet or another struggling to keep breathing. The trial is very contentious but a stunning development late in the trial determines the result.
I highly recommend seeing this movie that even opened the eyes of people like Ann McElhinney who was neutral on abortion until she worked on this film.
Although one of the most shocking aspects of the Gosnell trial was his cutting the spinal cords of babies who survived abortion, Kermit Gosnell was not the first known abortionist to deliberately end the lives of babies who survived abortions.
In 1999, nurse Jill Stanek was shocked to discover a live baby boy left to die after an induced-labor abortion and found this was a common practice in her hospital. Her courageous testimony led to the 2002 “Born-Alive Infants Protection Act” which extended legal protection to infants born alive after an abortion.
However, the lack of legal enforcement power in this Act led to the current “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act that not only requires physicians and abortion facilities to afford “the same degree” of care to a baby born alive during an abortion that would apply “to any other child born alive at the same gestational age,” including transportation to a hospital, but also mandates fines and the possibility of imprisonment for medical professionals found to be noncompliant.
This bill was passed in the US House of Representatives this year and sent to the Senate where (because of procedural hurdles), it might need 60 votes to pass and be signed into law by President Trump.
Although it might be difficult to pass the Act now because of the political entrenchment of abortion supporters in the Senate, passing this law would provide at least one fitting endnote to the horrors of Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s clinic.
American Academy of Family Physicians Urges the American Medical Association to Drop Opposition to Physician-assisted Suicide
October 13, 2018 October 13, 2018 nancyvalko assisted suicide, Compassion & Choices, conscience rights, Living wills, medical ethics, terninal/palliative sedation
Compassion and Choices, the former Hemlock Society and now well-funded promoter of assisted suicide and other death “choices”, is celebrating the new resolution by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to oppose the American Medical Association’s (AMA) long-standing opposition to assisted suicide.
The AFFP, the second largest component society of the AMA with over 131,000 members, just approved a new resolution adopting a position of “engaged neutrality toward medical-aid-in-dying (aka physician-assisted suicide) as a personal end-of-life decision in the context of the physician-patient relationship.” (Emphasis added)
But as Dr. Rebecca Thoman, campaign manager for Doctors for Dignity for Compassion and Choices explained when the Massachusetts Medical Society adopted the same policy in 2017:
A “‘neutral engagement’ position is even better than a simply neutral position. It means if Massachusetts enacts a medical aid-in-dying law, the medical society will offer education and guidance to physicians who want to incorporate medical aid in dying into their practices.” (Emphasis added)
Now, yet another physician-assisted suicide bill is expected to be introduced next year in the Massachusetts legislature.
The AAFP resolution also stated that:
“By supporting the AMA’s opposition to medical aid in dying, some members feel the AAFP is telling them that they are unethical”
“the American Academy of Family Physicians reject(s) the use of the phrase ‘assisted suicide’ or ‘physician-assisted suicide’ in formal statements or documents and direct(s) the AAFP’s American Medical Association (AMA) delegation to promote the same in the AMA House of Delegates.” (Emphasis added)
In 1994, Oregon became the first state to pass a physician-assisted suicide law. This came after the Oregon Medical Association changed its position from opposition to neutrality. 21 years later and after multiple failed attempts, the California state legislature approved a physician-assisted suicide law after the California Medical Association changed its opposition to neutrality.
The unfortunate message sent-and received- was that if doctors themselves don’t strongly oppose physician-assisted suicide laws, why should the public?
Still, it was a surprise that in June 2018, the American Medical Association House of Delegates rejected the AMA’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) strong report recommending that the AMA continue its long standing policy opposing physician assisted suicide. Instead the delegates “voted 314-243 to refer the matter back to the trustees for further deliberation”.
With the crucial help of a supportive media, Compassion and Choices started this momentum towards acceptance of physician-assisted suicide and other death choices like VSED (voluntary stopping of eating and drinking), terminal sedation and withdrawal of even spoon-feeding, affecting not just doctors but also nurses and other health care professionals and institutions.
In addition, Compassion and Choices also opposes conscience rights, even stating that the new Federal Conscience and Religious Freedom Division:
“is not about freedom; it’s about denying patient autonomy. Under their proposed rules, providers are encouraged to impose their own religious beliefs on their patients and withhold vital information about treatment options from their patients — up to, and including, the option of medical aid in dying. And your federal tax dollars will be used to protect physicians who make the unconscionable decision to willfully withhold crucial information regarding their care from a patient and abandon them when they are most vulnerable.” (Emphasis added)
However, here are a few ways any of us can help turn around this dire situation:
Educate yourself on the facts and consider joining others to publicly oppose medically assisted suicide/euthanasia in our courts, legislatures and media outlets.
Demand that suicide prevention and treatment must be made available to all, not just the young and physically healthy.
Ask your health care professionals about their position on assisted suicide/euthanasia and support only health care providers who will not assist suicide or refer for it.
Protect yourself and your loved ones in case of incapacitation with a strong durable power of attorney for health care instead of a “living will”
When the most basic medical ethic of not killing patients or helping them to kill themselves can be discarded in favor of “choice” or “quality of life”, none of us of us can afford to be neutral- or silent-on this life or death issue.
No Suicide Discrimination!
October 4, 2018 nancyvalko assisted suicide, medical ethics, suicide
When I was asked by my late daughter Marie’s best friend to join her on a family and friends fundraising walk for suicide prevention last Sunday, I hesitated.
I was in the process of reading yet another disturbing article about assisted suicide, this time a Journal of Clinical Psychiatry article titled “Working with Decisionally Capable Patients Who Are Determined to End Their Own Lives” and I found it outrageous that the suicide prevention groups I know exclude potential physician-assisted suicide victims.
As a nurse, I have personally and professionally cared for many suicidal people over decades including some who were terminally ill. To my knowledge, none of these people went on to die by suicide except one-my own daughter.
Almost nine years ago, my 30 year old daughter Marie died by suicide using an assisted suicide technique she found after searching suicide and assisted suicide websites and reading assisted suicide supporter Derek Humphry’s book “Final Exit”.
Marie was a wonderful woman who achieved a degree in engineering despite struggling off and on with substance abuse and thoughts of suicide for 16 years. She was in an outpatient behavioral health program at the time of her suicide. Her suicide was my worst fear and it devastated all of us in the family as well as her friends. Two people close to Marie also became suicidal after her death but were fortunately saved.
For years before and after Marie’s death, I have written and spoken to groups around the country about the legal and ethical problems with assisted suicide as well as suicide contagion and media reporting guidelines for suicide.
So it was with mixed feelings that I participated in the suicide prevention walk but now I am glad I did.
“WORKING WITH DECISIONALLY CAPABLE PATIENTS WHO ARE DETERMINED TO END THEIR OWN LIVES”
I finally finished reading this article after the walk and found that while the authors of this Journal of Clinical Psychiatry article insist that they are only discussing “decisionally capable” people with “advanced medical illness”, they write:
“The 24% increase in US suicide rates from 1999 to 2014 has led to greater efforts to identify, prevent, and intervene in situations associated with suicidality. While the desire to kill oneself is not synonymous with a mental illness, 80%–90% of completed suicides are associated with a mental disorder, most commonly depression. Understandably, psychiatrists and other clinicians face strong moral, cultural, and professional pressures to do everything possible to avert suicide. Hidden within these statistics are unknown numbers of individuals determined to end their lives, often in the context of a life-limiting physical illness, who have no mental disorder or who, despite having a mental disorder, were nevertheless seemingly rational and decisionally capable and in whom the mental disorder did not seem to influence the desire to hasten death.”
Tragically, the authors also state:
“In reviewing the either sparse or dated literature in this field, surveys from the United States and Canada support that most psychiatrists believe that PAD (physician aid in dying, a euphemism for assisted suicide) should be legal and is ethical in some cases and that they might want the option for themselves.”
“Although we see ‘assisted death’ as an option of last resort, we instead ask whether on certain occasions psychiatrists might appropriately not seek to prevent selected decisionally capable individuals from ending their own lives.” (All emphasis added)
This flies in the face of long-standing professional suicide prevention and treatment principles.
Notably, the article ends with an addendum, the 2017 Statement of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS): “Suicide is not the same as ‘Physician Aid in Dying’”
That concludes:
“In general, suicide and physician aid in dying are conceptually, medically, and legally different phenomena, with an undetermined amount of overlap between these two categories” but “Such deaths should not be considered to be cases of suicide and are therefore a matter outside the central focus of the AAS.” (Emphasis added)
WHY I AM GLAD I WENT ON THE SUICIDE PREVENTION WALK
The Sunday walk was sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a group that I discovered states it is trying to “Develop an updated AFSP policy position on assisted death (other common terms include physician assisted suicide or Death with Dignity Laws)”
The next day, I was able to contact a policy person at their Washington, DC office and, unlike other suicide prevention group representatives I have contacted in the past, I found this woman surprisingly interested and receptive to the idea that we should not discriminate against certain people when it comes to suicide prevention and treatment. She even asked for my contact information.
Of course, the AFSP may decide to exclude potential assisted suicide victims like other organizations have done but at least I tried and that’s the best tribute I can give to my daughter now.
When Can We End Lockdowns for Covid 19?
Should a Covid 19 Vaccine be Mandatory?
Ethics and the Production of Covid 19 Vaccines
Caring for an Elderly Relative who Wants to Die
Shout Your ADOPTION!
brain death
Compassion & Choices
fetal tissue
Simon's Law
terminal/palliative sedation
terninal/palliative sedation
ventilators/life support
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Cllr Naoise O'Muirí » Local • News » Latest on the Taxi rank in Beaumont
Latest on the Taxi rank in Beaumont
July 10, 2015 / Local, News
Question to the Chief Executive Council Meeting 6th July 2015
Q.97 COUNCILLOR NAOISE Ó MUIRÍ
In relation to recent media reports concerning the closure of a taxi rank at Beaumont Hospital can the Chief Executive please provide a full background report in relation to Dublin City Council’s position on the matter?
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPLY:
Planning permission is required to provide a taxi rank and service on private property.
In July 2013, a complaint was received concerning noise and disturbance emanating from the taxi rank located close to Montrose Drive and Ardmore Drive at Beaumont Hospital.
On receipt of the complaint, a warning letter pursuant to section 152 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2013 issued to the hospital authorities. In response to the warning letter, the Head of Operations advised that the rank was a temporary use pending receipt of planning permission and provision of the rank at an alternative location within the hospital grounds. Having regard to the need for a taxi rank and service at this hospital, the provision of the rank on a temporary basis was considered a compelling reason not to issue an enforcement notice at that time.
On 17 July 2014, An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the realignment of a portion of the hospital ring road. The portion concerned lay to the west of the main hospital block and included the provision of a permanent taxi rank (Planning Register reference 2193/13).
On 23 August 2013, a further planning application was lodged for, inter alia, construction of a new Link corridor from the Acute Psychiatric Unit to the main hospital building, with provision of set down area and turning bay (Planning Register reference 3155/13). On 18 August 2014, An Bord Pleanála granted permission for this proposal, subject to conditions.
Condition 5 of the permission stated:
“The proposed set down area adjacent to the link corridor shall not be used as a Taxi Rank.”
Planning permission has been granted for the provision of a rank at within the hospital grounds and clearly refused by condition at the present location.
A further complaint concerning late night noise and disturbance from the operation of the rank was received in May 2015. An inspection was carried out on the 3rd of June 2015. The inspection revealed that the unauthorised taxi rank remains in place and there were 5 taxis at the rank at the time of inspection.
As almost a year had passed since the grant of permission for a permanent taxi rank within the hospital grounds, a letter issued to the hospital authorities on 8 June 2015 requesting the cessation of the unauthorised taxi rank within 4 weeks. In response, a phone call was received from representatives of the hospital to state that they were considering all their options in this matter. A formal response is awaited.
Contact: Fiacra Worrall, Assistant Enforcement Manager
← Sutton-to-Sandycove Cycleway – Causeway to Bull Wall
Part VIII Report for Clontarf to Amiens St. Cycleway →
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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library brings the magic of reading to preschool children worldwide
The High Road on Dawson has launched the first branch in Austin to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Bringing the magic of reading to local preschool children, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has distributed over 117,920,187 million books to four countries around the world: United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Dolly’s beloved organization is present within other Texas cities—but there wasn’t a branch in Austin until now. Thankfully, The High Road on Dawson and its committee raised enough funds to bring the Imagination Library to another city in The Lone Star State.
The Imagination Library is a non-profit organization based in Sevier County, Tennessee. The High Road on Dawson (THROD) is a member based non-profit charity in ATX. For two years The High Road on Dawson committee strived to open an account. Finally their dream became a reality for the local community and the Imagination Library will make its debut in the 78721 zip code.
The history, mission and vision of Dolly’s Imagination Library is quite interesting. “In 1995, Dolly Parton launched an exciting new effort, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, to benefit the children of her home county in East Tennessee, USA. Her father, Robert Lee Parton, was the inspiration of Dolly’s Imagination Library. Dolly’s vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month. By mailing high quality, age-appropriate books directly to their homes, she wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she could insure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income. Dolly’s Imagination Library became so popular that in the year 2000 she announced that she would make the program available for replication to any community that was willing to partner with her to support it locally. Already statistics and independent reports have shown Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library drastically improves early childhood literacy for children enrolled in the program. Further studies have shown improved scores during early literacy testing.”
The Board of Directors at The High Road on Dawson are immensely proud of their two team leaders that brought the Imagination Library into fruition within Austin: Monica Keller and Jen Philhower. Recently, Keller and Philhower spoke with local writer and fellow THROD member, Nicolette Mallow, to further discuss Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the new branch in Austin and their passion for childhood education. A recording of the entire interview can be found online.
Nicolette Mallow: Will you tell me how The High Road on Dawson came to be involved with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library?
The High Road on Dawson: So, we are both members of the lodge at The High Road on Dawson. We were Elks members prior to that and we both participated in a committee that was put together just to create charitable events. One of the purposes behind the lodge, besides community, is to do charitable things. In the committee, we kind of discovered that there were a bunch of us that are fans of Dolly (Parton) and we just think she’s a spectacular human, a great entertainer and just this awesome, cool person. An entity that deserved recognition. We really like her… Then one of our committee members, I think it was Heather, she asked if we had seen or heard about the Imagination Library. So then we got to talking about Dolly a lot more. And since we knew her birthday (January 19), the lodge at THROD decided to throw a birthday party in honor of Dolly Parton every year. Forever. There are a lot of events where we pay homage in Austin to different musicians. We have a Buck Owens birthday party, a Loretta Lynn pie social and the HAAM fundraiser. Suddenly we had the realization that there was no Dolly event and that she deserved her own special party. That was like a light bulb and we began hosting a Dolly’s Birthday Party and soon after it was suggested we should open our own branch of the Imagination Library. And we decided that the birthday party would be the fundraiser. We didn’t realize at the time the party would be a sellout and so successful! It was entirely conceivable that it would’ve just been us sitting upstairs with friends and musicians singing songs.
NM: What is the goal for the next year between THROD and the Imagination Library?
THROD: They have a set series of goals for membership. Their 5 year plan is that within the first year, your branch gets 20% of eligible kids to sign up. And by year five the goal is to have 100% of the eligible kids signed up. Their goals are 20% every year and they give you the costs that would be associated with sending out all the books each year. Our personal goal is to have that done in four years and by the fifth year add an additional zip code. That is our hope and our goal.
NM: My understanding is that each month for five years, preschool children receive books in the mail from the Imagination Library. Sent directly to their home so the little ones can begin their own book collection. However, are the monthly books preselected or are the books selected at random?
THROD: Yes, there is a series of books and everything is pre-selected and planned out by the Imagination Library month-to-month each year. The series actually starts with “The Little Engine That Could”. We also looked briefly into the books and they’re gender neutral, they don’t have any sort of political and religious message. They’re just classic children’s books to introduce kids to the magic of reading and imagination.
For more information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library please visit the website at www.imaginationlibrary.com. Parents or guardians that wish to enroll their children may Register Online. To contact members and volunteers at The High Road on Dawson to become involved with this local project, please call 512-442-8535.
Posted in: art, artists, Arts & Entertainment, ATX, Austin Texas, books and literature, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, education, fundraiser, health and wellness, interviews, nicolette mallow, non-profit, Texas, writer | Tagged: ATX, Austin Texas, books and literature, charity drive, children, community, Dolly Parton, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, education, fundraiser, Imagination Library, interviews, magic, nicolette mallow, non-profit, reading, Texas, The High Road on Dawson, THROD
Published by Nicolette Mallow
‡ Nicolette Mallow is an Artist: writer, dancer, vocalist, thespian, and model. Writing is Mallow’s strongest artistic skill. Internationally published in the United States and Europe, Nicolette has obtained 110+ publications thus far. Mallow has interviewed an extensive list of talent and collaborated with companies and PR teams from Texas Monthly, National Geographic, Prevention Magazine, HBO Films, The Hollywood Reporter, SXSW, The David Lynch Foundation, Cine Las Americas, The University of Texas at Austin, and more. Presently her portfolio entails 12 national awards or scholarships, including both individual and group projects. Working with Press and Publicity teams from companies like Sunshine Sachs, Fons PR, Frank PR, and CW3PR — Mallow can liaise with publicists, entrepreneurs, and their brands. Since 2005, for 16 years, Nicolette Mallow has covered hundreds of press, corporate and red carpet events as a (dyslexic) writer. Mallow has interviewed talent far beyond her years, including Jimmy Chin, Greta Gerwig, Bob Roth, Dr. Travis Stork, Joan Lunden, Larysa DiDio, Lauren Handel Zander, James White, Jay Roach, Naomi Whittel, and Roc Chen. Once, she was a public speaker for a national business conference. Her career is diverse and transcends a vast array of industries, but the focus is always on the arts. Nicolette Mallow does enjoy all forms of writing, but her favorite writing genres to create entail editorial, arts & entertainment, literary journalism, travel, magical realism, nonfiction, technical and promotional publicity. Over time Nicolette has attained Press Credentials to events like Texas Film Awards (hosted by Austin Film Society), The Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin Film Festival, Euphoria Music Festival, and The Blanton Museum of Art. She also wrote for Savannah Magazine, a radio station operated by EMMIS Communications, District newspaper, and the Thinkery (formerly Austin Children’s Museum). In her spare time, Nicolette creates a magical realism novel and turns her nonfiction memoirs into short story novellas. Obtaining two degrees from the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), she has a Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration (a graduate degree now recognized as Creative Business Leadership) and a B.F.A. in Writing and. Born and raised in Texas and NYC—Nicolette Mallow is also a world traveler that lives for art and loves to learn. “L’art Pour L’art.” View all posts by Nicolette Mallow
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Stephen Hanford, born in 1735, was a weaver. By 1761, he had saved enough money to purchase 10 acres from his uncle on what was then called Haynes Ridge (now Oenoke Ridge). Between 1761 and 1764 he built what the Historical Society now calls the Hanford-Silliman house. He lived there with his wife, Jemima Kellogg, and their two daughters, Dinah and Ruth. Jemima died shortly after Ruth’s birth in 1767. Stephen remarried and had a son, George, in 1777. When Stephen died at the age of 47, his second wife, Sarah, sold the house and ten acres to Elisha Leeds. Leeds gave it to his daughter, Martha, and her husband, Dr. Joseph Silliman. They lived in the house and had seven children.
The house remained in the Silliman family for 126 years. After the NCM&HS purchased the property in 1957, the Silliman family donated a number of artifacts and letters so that much of the contents of the house is original to that family.
The craft room contains a traveling loom that may have belonged to Stephen Hanford. This room contains spinning weeks, and all the tools needed to turn flax into yarn – a bark breaker, a scuttle knife, a hetchel. When we have schoolchildren visit, they card wool. The entire house is open to visitors.
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© 2021 New Canaan Museum & Historical Society
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J.D. Martinez Doubtful Red Sox Will Be Able To ‘Afford’ Mookie Betts
by Dakota Randall
Mookie Betts’ future with the Boston Red Sox likely will be the biggest storyline during the Major League Baseball offseason. Are the Red Sox confident they can re-sign Betts, who is scheduled to be a free agent next year, or will they look to trade the superstar outfielder this winter?
J.D. Martinez, for one, doesn’t seem confident that Betts is a part of Boston’s long-term plans.
After Sunday’s season finale, Martinez, who himself sounds resigned to life as an ex-Red Sox, cast doubt over Boston’s ability to keep Betts in the fold. Again, this isn’t speculation, nor is it rumor mongering — it’s coming from an actual member of the Red Sox.
“I think everyone knows we don’t think they’re going to be able to afford Mookie,” Martinez told NBC Sports Boston’s John Tomase. “It’s one of those things. It’s kind of hard to have three guys making $30 million on your team. He deserves it. He’s earned it.”
Added Martinez: “I’ve been on too many teams where people come and go. For you guys (it’s hard), because you’ve seen him grow. I came into this situation. To me, everyone is expendable. That’s the business of it. I’ve seen it in Houston. I saw in Detroit. I saw it in Arizona. It’s the business of it. That’s why people want to blame the players, that they just want money. You’ve got to look at the big picture.”
"I think everyone knows we don't think they're going to be able to afford Mookie. It's one of those things. It's kind of hard to have three guys making $30 million on your team. He deserves it. He's earned it." Teammates like J.D. Martinez think Mookie is gone. https://t.co/CpoNyZWNZN
— John Tomase (@jtomase) September 30, 2019
It’s worth noting the Red Sox all along have said their intentions are to keep both Betts and Martinez. Members of the front office reiterated those points Monday morning during end-of-season press conferences. Yes, it will be hard for the organization to reconcile those wishes with their transparent desires to slash payroll this offseason, but that’s a different conversation.
At the end of the day, Red Sox fans at the very least should expect next season’s group to look much different than the one they’ve grown to love over the last two years.
Thumbnail photo via Jesse Johnson/USA TODAY Sports Images
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17 - 20 May 2018 - The Grand Palais, Paris
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ULTI, pure pressed juices
The true taste of freshly squeezed fruit.
For over 25 years, ULTI has traveled the world looking for the best fruits. Its goal? To make juices that are as vitamin-packed and as delicious as those freshly squeezed at home as widely available as possible, in the fresh juice section of supermarkets and in take-away retail outlets. The brand uses its expertise to preserve all the taste and vitamins contained naturally in the fruit in a bottle.
ULTI, the leading French manufacturer of freshly squeezed fruit juices
ULTI has developed in France its technology of stabilization using a cold-pressed high-pressure technique, which does not alter the taste of the fruit. The fruits and vegetables, which are carefully selected from around the world, are pressed and bottled near Paris. This means that ULTI controls its production line and guarantees the unique freshness of its juices.
A taste for innovation
ULTI now offers a range of “Green” juices with a blend of fruit and vegetables. The brand has also teamed up with aromatic herbs specialist Darégal to create innovative, juices and flavours with herbs stabilized by high pressure, and which are preservative free. In November 2016, this new brand was awarded the Grand Prize for non-alcoholic drinks by SIAL.
Taste Worldwide
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Books by Gilles Nullens
Gilles Nullens
arawaks beagle black hawk war casa grande ruins national monument cathars doomsday book freemasons gila river gila river basin grand lodges grattan massacre hohokam intelligent design king hiram masonic navajos old testament susquehannocks william the conqueror yucatán peninsula
A.5 Rosslyn and the Saint Clair and Stuart Families
From a religious point of view it is not easy to classify the early Stuart, except that they were Christians. However all the Christian Churches, at one time or the other, attacked them. It is only after that Charles II’ brother, King James VII (II), declared that he was a Catholic that the Stuart kings became openly linked to this Church. King James VII of the Stuart family was the most religious tolerant king in the history of Britain. He went as far as issuing on 4 April 1687 a written “Declaration of Conscience” giving religious freedom to his subjects. For this he was deposed by his government and replaced by William of Orange and his wife Mary. Mary was the daughter of King James VII and William was the son of Charles I’s daughter, Mary. In this way the throne remained somewhat within the Stuart family, but the Scots were not pleased with the loss of their dynastic king and a revolt known as the first Jacobite Rising started in 1689. It was led by Viscount Graham of Claverhouse, known as Bonnie Dundee, the Grand prior of the Knights Templars in Scotland. The King’s Army finally defeated them. A second Jacobite rising took place on 1745 under the leadership of “Bonnie Prince” Charles Edward Stuart. He was successful at first and was confirmed on the throne as Charles III on 24 September 1745. He also became the Grand Master of the Order of the Temple of Jerusalem. He was defeated by the English troops in Cullodem Moor near Inverness on 16 April 1746; with his death in 1788 it was, to all effects, the end of the Stuart dynasty.
In 1809 there was a dispute over sovereign loyalties between two sons of King George III. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Queen Victoria’s father), was a Freemason while his brother, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, was a Knight Templar. Many of the Knights Templars were loyal to the Stuart. Edward tried to transfer their support to the House of Hanover but he failed. As a compromise he created a Templar branch within the existing Masonic structure under the protectorate of Kent. The masons followed the English York Rite of FreeMasonry while the chivalric Templars followed the Scottish Rite under the protectorate of Prince Edward James Stuart.
The exiled Stuart in France and Italy were involved in the growth and dissemination of FreeMasonry, more specifically of the Scottish rite that had higher degrees and held more mysteries than the other Masonic systems. One of the best known Mason of the Scottish Rite was Charles Edward’s cousin and mentor, the Comte de St Germain. The Stuart Rite was based on established rights and privileges, and on the wish to initiate its members into the true antiquity and pedigree of the Craft. In England the secrecy of the Lodges was used to plot against the Whig and the Hanoverian dynasty. The Jacobite societies and the Tory lodges merged together: secret service operatives working for the Whigs infiltrated them. Later on these English lodges moved away from politics to deal with allegorical problems and the code of brotherly love, faith, and charity. In Europe many scientifically-based intellectual traditional lodges are still alive.
Cardinal Henry’s documents related to the Stuart dynasty were sold in Rome in 1817 but soon the Catholic Church sent them to London to be kept hidden. In the same way the British Government also took the Stuart papers of the Abbé Waters. This enabled to exclude definitely Prince Edward James from the official historical records in Britain. This was not the case in continental Europe where enough evidences of his rights remain and, what is more, they are still available to historians. His successors are still actively engaged up to this day in social, political, military and sovereign affairs. (4)
In 1441 King James II Steward appointed William Sinclair to the post of Hereditary Patron and Protector of Scottish Masons. These were not Freemasons but operative, working stone masons, well learned in the application of mathematics and architectural geometry. William of St Clair (or, better, Sinclair from the late 14th century) founded Rosslyn Chapel in 1446; the construction was completed in 1486 by his son, Olivier. There are hundred of stone carvings in the walls and in the ceiling; they represent biblical scenes, Masonic symbols, and examples of Templar iconography. There are swords, compasses, trowels, squares and mauls with images of the Solomon’s Temple. In addition to the Jewish and esoteric carvings, there are many Christian messages carved in stone. There are also some traces of Islam and Pagan serpents, dragons, and woodland trees. The wild face of the Green Man, the symbol of the earth forces and the life-cycle, is to be found everywhere on the pillars and arches, together with fruits, herbs, leaves, spices, flowers, vines and the plants of the garden paradise. Every carving has a purpose, and each purpose relates to the next, creating a sense of magical harmony. Rosslyn is the ultimate Holy Grail Chapel, and the Knights Templars were the Guardians of the Grail Family. The name Saint-Clair means “Holy Light”. Moreover the esoteric female symbol (V) represents the “chalice” of life, whereas the male symbol (A) symbolises the “blade” of virility and, if conjoined (X), it indicates “Unity”. If the two symbols are indented, or engrailed, it means “Generation”. As a result, an engrailed cross means “Holy Generation”. In the Holy Grail imagery, as in graphic symbolism, the Messianic succession is denoted by the female Chalice accompanied by the male Blade. (4, page 297). Both at Rosslyn Chapel and on the Grail Knights tombs, carvings of these two emblems are frequent. They are portrayed as a tall chalice with in its bowl the Rosy Cross (with a fleur-de-lis design); this means that the vas-uterus contains the blood of Jesus. Alongside, the Blade is shown in the form of a sword
In Britain and, later on in their exile, the Stuart Kings were at the forefront of the Scottish Rite Freemasonry, which was based on very ancient and arcane knowledge, and Universal Law. Their background was largely inspired by the Templar experience. It was under Charles I and Charles II that the Invisible College of the Royal Society emerged to be later on at the base of many discoveries. (4)
It is well documented that many Templars settled in Scotland after their arrest in France in 1307. The church of Kilmartin, near Loch Awe in Argyll, contains many Templar graves and carvings of Templar figures, as well as many Masonic graves. More Templar and old Masonic graves can be found in many other Scottish churchyards. The connection between the Templars and Scotland exists since Hugues de Payens married Catherine de St Clair whose family built the first Templar preceptory outside the Holy Land. At the beginning of the fourteenth century there were many Templar estates in Scotland.
At the battle of Roslin in 1303, the local Templars led by a St Clair helped the Scot to defeat the English. In 1307, after Robert de Bruce became King of Scotland, the Templar fleet landed in Argyll in the Firth of Forth. Their choice of sanctuary was certainly influenced by the fact that the Pope had excommunicated Bruce, and by the known link of the St Clair family with Rosslyn. Here at least the Pope could not get at them. They also knew that they would be well accepted by the Scots, and by Sir William St Clair, the Grand Master of the Scottish Templars, in their war with England. The Pope cleared Robert de Bruce from excommunication in 1328 and the Scottish Templars had to go in hiding.
A secret Order was required to save the Templar rites and thinking and this was done through the St Clair family and centred on Rosslyn. Among the numerous carvings of the Rosslyn chapel are those of American maize and aloe cactus unknown in Europe. Some people believe that they prove that the Scottish Templars went to America before 1400. In addition there are fourteen pillars, twelve identical in form and two beautiful ones at the Eastern end of the chapel. The left-hand pillar is known as the Mason’s Pillar while the right-hand one is called the Apprentice Pillar. The left, or Mason’s pillar, is the priestly pillar called Jachin by the Masons and Tsedeq by the Nasoreans while the right one, or “Apprentice’s Pillar”, is the kingly pillar known as Boaz and represents the power of mishpat. There is also a direct reference to Hiram Abif in the angle where the south and west walls meet. Here we have a head with a gash on the right temple like Seqenenre Tao the true King of Egypt, or Hiram Abif, and on the opposite side of the west wall there is the head of the man who killed him.
The local legend says that one is the head of a murdered apprentice, and the opposite head is that of his master who murdered him. This Master stonemason went to Rome in search of inspiration for the design of the “kingly pillar” and during his absence the apprentice designed, and built, the pillar that can still be seen to day. As it was much better than anything he could have done, the jealous Master stonemason killed the apprentice. This is, of course, nothing more than a local legend since we know that the design and construction of the chapel was done by William St Clair himself until his death in 1484, two years before the chapel was completed.
In fact Rosslyn Chapel was not really a chapel, and certainly not a Christian one. It has no altar and, to use it, the religious have to put a table in the middle, as there is no room in the East where the pillars are. Williams St Clair, the first elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, had his children baptised there. The church, and King James VI, did not like it, as it was not an official place of worship. The chapel was re-consecrated in 1862, as it was not clear if it had been consecrated before.
The symbols in the chapel are Egyptian, Celtic, Jewish, Templar, and Masonic and the only Christians signs are Victorian (stained glass windows, baptistery, and statue of the Madonna and child). Even the crucifixion scenes on the North wall represent the torture of the Templar Grand master, Jacques de Molay; there is also a carving showing the Turin Shroud with the face of de Molay well visible. Even after its completion it was not used as a chapel, as the St Clair family used another one in the castle.
Rosslyn chapel, a true copy of Herod’s Temple, is also a replica of the Holy of Holies. It looks more like a post-Templar shrine built to hide the scrolls found in Jerusalem by the Templars. These scrolls were probably more important that those found in the Dead Sea caves. They certainly dealt with the story of the Nasorean struggle, the story of Jesus Christ, the secret ceremony of resurrecting the living, and the importance of building the human spirit as though it was a temple. They must have included the lost Gospel of “Q”, the source used by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to write their gospels. There is a good probability that they are still below the floor of the chapel and, if so, the reason and purpose of the creation of Freemasonry is available.
Modern Freemasons believe that their organisation descends from the ritual practices of the medieval guilds of stonemasons. However, according to another theory, it was speculative Masons (Templars) who adopted operative masons (stone masons), and initiated them to lower level secrets concerning Solomon’s Temple. The stone masons were happy to be accepted in such an organisation, and to be told some of the secrets of Rosslyn, although they did not know anything about the treasure to be housed there.
The construction of the Rosslyn chapel in the mid-fifteenth century is sometime thought as the starting date of Freemasonry. This is confirmed by the fact that the St Clair family of Rosslyn became the hereditary Grand Masters of the Craft Guilds and Orders of Scotland. Later they held the post of Master of Masons of Scotland until the late eighteenth century. The steps leading to the crypt situated in the South-East are well used. Halfway down there is a door leading to a lower chamber with a fireplace and a chimney. Next to the fireplace there is a sculpture of a man carrying a key. At first glance he looks like St Peter but, as the handle of the key is a perfect square, it is obviously a Masonic symbol. This was the entrance to the scroll vaults accessible only to the St Clair and their fellow “resurrected” Masons, and the key is the “Hiram key”. Later on the vaults were sealed off. It is in this crypt that the stonemasons received their wages, and where they were initiated and sworn to secrecy. It is believed that some knights Templar were buried in the scroll vaults.
Rosslyn survived all the church destruction that occurred in British history. In particular Cromwell destroyed as many Catholic churches as he could but, being a Freemason, he did not touch it, as he knew what it was a Masonic shrine. On the other hand the St Clairs (or Sinclair) were on the royalist side, and General Monk destroyed their castle in 1650 while Rosslyn chapel was left alone again. In Temple, near Rosslyn, there are the ruins of the reconstructed Templar Headquarters in Scotland. In the graveyard there are many old Masonic graves, many with the Royal Arch Degree symbol. One of the more recent is from 1621 and, like many others it show the pick and shovel of the Royal Arch, as well as the skull and cross bones, the Templar symbol of resurrection and their battle flag. This shows that the Royal Arch Freemasons existed at least a hundred years before the official foundation of Freemasonry in London in 1717. The Royal Arch ritual tells, of course, the story of the Templar discovery of the scrolls in the ruins of Herod’s Temple. If only for this reason, it must date from before Rosslyn and Mark Freemasonry and before the Craft Second Degree that is linked to the Mark Degree. The Royal Arch Masons of the end of the fifteenth must have been Templar descendants. All that is required now is to open the vaults below Rosslyn chapel and to investigate their content, because the Nasorean scrolls are most probably still there.
The principal pillars in the east of the building form a Triple Tau, the badge of the Royal Arch Freemasonry. Triple Tau, as defined in the ritual of this Masonic grade, means different things: “the Temple of Jerusalem”, “a key to a treasure”, “a place where a precious thing is concealed”, and “The precious thing itself”. William de St Clair arranged the pillars of the Masonic shrine in this symbolic way to show to those who can see it that it represents the Temple of Jerusalem, and that a treasure in concealed in it. The meaning of the seal of Solomon, or Star of David (a double triangle within a circle of gold), in the Royal Arch Degree is “Nothing is wanting but the Key” and “If thou canst comprehend these things, thou knowest enough” as it is written on their badge. The pillars at Rosslyn form an exact Seal of Solomon. All this confirms that the design of the chapel was not casual, but that it symbolically indicates that a treasure is hidden bellow, in the vaults. William St Clair explained the meaning of the symbols to the Royal Arch Degree after the completion of the chapel to provide the clue for a future discovery of “the Key” to the treasure. (8)
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mr. 3000 June 1, 2011
Derek Jeter 3,000th Hit Watch: We’re Less Than Three Weeks Away
Photo: Ezra Shaw/2011 Getty Images
Once a week until Derek Jeter gets his 3,000th hit, we’ll take a quick and dirty look at which game we anticipate he’ll get it in, based on his 2011 numbers to that point. Obviously, buy tickets (or fly to some random city) at your own risk, especially since a lot can change in the coming weeks: Jeter could get hotter or colder, games could be rained out, he could get more frequent days off, or be dropped in the batting order, or get hurt, or whatever. But just for fun …
• Jeter has 57 hits through the Yankees’ first 53 games this year (which doesn’t include this afternoon’s game against Oakland), or 1.075 hits per team game.
• Jeter has 2,983 career hits and needs seventeen more to get to 3,000.
• At this rate, it’ll take sixteen team games to get there.
• And so at this rate, he’ll get to 3,000 on June 18 at Wrigley Field. Jeter had a really good week last week, going 8-for-23 (.348) in the six games from last Wednesday through last night. If, hypothetically, he kept up that pace for the next two weeks, he’d get to 3,000 in just thirteen more games, which would allow him to do it at Yankee Stadium on June 15 against Texas, in the penultimate game of a homestand that begins next Tuesday. But if he cools off and continues at the pace he’s set over the first 53 games, he’ll get there the following Saturday at Wrigley Field. Just like last week’s projection, he’d miss getting to 3,000 on Father’s Day by a game.
Previous projections:
5/25: June 20, vs. the Reds
5/18: June 24, vs. the Rockies
5/11: June 17, vs. the Cubs
5/4: June 28, vs. the Brewers
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Judges and lawyers need to understand open source as an ethos
The case for educating judges on open source licensing
04 Feb 2016 Ben Cotton (Red Hat) Feed
"Open source code is problematic because anonymous people on the Internet design it, and 'holes' are not fixed by vendor updates." Is this FUD from some proprietary software behemoth? No, it's a quote from a recent decision made by a California Court of Appeal.
As attorney Evan Brown noted, 21st Capital Corp. v. Onodi Tooling & Engineering Co. did not hinge on the fact that PostgreSQL is open source software. Indeed, the open nature of the software is basically irrelevant to the facts of the case. Nonetheless, the fact that such a statement would appear in a court ruling is disturbing. We're used to thinking about the legal issues of open source software in terms of intellectual property. Patent, copyright, and licensing issues have been litigated over the years. But these issues are not markedly different for open source software projects.
Copyright is copyright, and open source licenses are just another license. What this case illustrates is the need for judges and lawyers to understand what open source software is: not just software made available under a license, but software that has an accompanying ethos.
Readers of Opensource.com will not be surprised to read that participants in open source projects are not comprised of a monolithic demographic. Projects are run in a variety of ways: some will accept code from anyone so long as it works, while other programmers write the software and then "throw it over the wall" to the user community. Nowhere on that spectrum is "random strangers make driveby commits that immediately affect every installation of that software package." Open source software enthusiasts understand that community-developed software can be just as secure as proprietary packages. Academic research backs this up. The large usage of open source software in government and industry shows that it makes good business sense. And while this is all well and good, it means little if the lawyers and judges in a courtroom don't get it.
Law almost always lags technology—sometimes by a decade or more—and laws are made both by legislatures and by judicial decisions. It's only a matter of time until the very nature of open source software becomes a relevant part of a trial. Fortunately, the 21st Capital case does not establish a citeable precedent about open source software, but the next case might.
It's clear that open source advocates need to work on educating participants in the legal system. Lawyers and judges need to know the law foremost, and it's unreasonable to expect them to have deep knowledge of every possible issue that might arise. Nonetheless, even a passing familiarity can have a profound impact. I'm not sure how best to approach the issue, so if you have ideas, let me know in the comments.
Ben Cotton - Ben Cotton is a meteorologist by training, but weather makes a great hobby. Ben works as the Fedora Program Manager at Red Hat. He co-founded a local open source meetup group, and is a member of the Open Source Initiative and a supporter of Software Freedom Conservancy. Find him on Twitter (@FunnelFiasco) or at FunnelFiasco.com.
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Robin Muilwijk on 04 Feb 2016 Permalink
Great article Ben, as always! Sure makes me think, on how to advocate this part of open source.
Don Watkins on 04 Feb 2016 Permalink
Great article Ben! Lots of FUD surrounding open source. The original intent of copyright was to stimulate invention and progress. Now, however the trolls are greedily using it to line their own pockets and of course, this frustrates innovation and development. Your excellent article reminded me of this TED talk by Larry Lessig about laws that choke creativity, https://www.ted.com/talks/larry_lessig_says_the_law_is_strangling_creati....
Ben Cotton on 04 Feb 2016 Permalink
Don, thanks for the link, I'll have to check it out.
Matt Jacobs on 04 Feb 2016 Permalink
Thanks Ben. As someone who regularly travels the world speaking on OSS related topics, I can attest to the fact that even among "IP" lawyers, I high degree of misinformation persists. Those of us who deal in OSS matters routinely can sometimes forget that, for those lawyers and judges who don't, much of our OSS world can seem foreign. This fact compelled me to write an essay on this a few years back. Check it out at: https://www.blackducksoftware.com/noindex/salesforce/pdfs/GCounsel_Talk_...
And, naturally, Black Duck's website has other white papers and webinars that are worth sharing with our lawyer/judge friends.
Steve Stites on 04 Feb 2016 Permalink
One way to approach this issue is to submit an amicus curiae in court cases where you think an explanation of open source software is relevant. It is too late to do so in 21st Capital Corp. v. Onodi Tooling & Engineering Co. but you could submit an amicus curiae if that case is appealed further.
Steve Stites
Steve, that's a great idea. Do you know if lower courts tend to accept amicus briefs? I've only heard of that in the context of cases before the Supreme Court. My biggest concern with such an approach is that it requires knowing which cases would be relevant, so it's not proactive.
Any American Federal court will accept an amicus curiae. Each court has a set of rules which vary a little from court to court. As far as I know every Federal court requires you to get the court's permission to submit an amicus curiae.
I submitted an amicus curiae in the Alice v CLS case. Alice went through a district court. Then it was appealed to a 3 judge panel of the Federal Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit. Then it was appealed to an en banc (10 judges) hearing of the Federal Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit. The chief judge, Judge Rader, said that anyone could submit an amicus curiae to the en banc hearing. So I wrote an amicus curiae and submitted it pro se. That cost me $200 out of pocket including 2 subway rides to downtown D.C.
Then Alice v CLS was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court rule 11 says that you have to be an experienced lawyer to submit an amicus curiae to the Supreme Court so I did not submit an amicus curiae. But the open source position was well presented to the Supreme Court with an amicus curiae submitted by Eben Moglen.
You are right about not knowing which cases are relevant. Practically, you will probably know what cases are worth submitting amicus curiae when cases are appealed.
Eric Braswell on 04 Feb 2016 Permalink
I'm a fan of crowdsourcing (dah). Perhaps an opensource IP wiki could be setup where legal practitioners and litigants could share their experiences, or more specifically a thread highlighting successful legal cases in a succinct manner that a judge might consider using as a research tool. Has this been done already?
Eric, there's no such resource that I'm aware of, but that's a great idea.
Groklaw partially filled the function that you are describing. However Groklaw was paranoid about not giving legal advice so all discussions of legal matters on Groklaw stopped short of actual legal action or even advice on how to carry out such action.
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Sounds Like a Suicide: Sounds Like a Murder
06.27.2020 - By The Truth Is Somewhere: A Conspiracy Theory Podcast
Chavis Carter, a young black man in Arkansas, and his friends were pulled over while riding driving at night without their heads lights on. When first questioned by the police, Chavis gave the name Laryan Bowman, but the officers quickly discovered that that was in fact a false name. Chavis then gave the officers his real name, and it was determined that he had an active warrant from a year before. Chavis then searched and placed in the police car. The officers then further investigated the vehicle and sent the friends away. Chavis was searched again, and then cuffed and placed in the car once more. After some time it was found that Chavis had a gunshot in his head when they investigated a strange smell of smoke coming from the vehicle. How does a man conceal a gun through two searches, and then shoot himself in the head with his hands bound behind his back?
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Music by: http://www.purple-planet.com
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/04/opinion/blow-the-curious-case-of-chavis-charter.html
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/412428-chavis-carter-autopsy-report.html
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chavis-carter-dashcam-video-police_n_1796460
https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/19541216/final-report-released-in-chavis-carter-death-investigation/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chavis-carter-video_n_1776318 Support The Truth Is Somewhere: A Conspiracy Theory Podcast
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Home Article It's Not About Lieberman
It's Not About Lieberman
Josh Marshall on Lieberman:
I think the Lieberman skeptics are really on to something when they point out that in the Kondrackes and others there is this sense that for a well-liked-in-the-beltway senior pol like Lieberman to face a primary challenge is somehow a genuine threat to the foundations of the system. You'd think he was a life peer, if not an hereditary noble, suddenly yanked out of the House of Lords and forced to run for his seat like they do in the Commons.
That's what's so stunned me about this debate. I had it out the other night with a very pro-Lieberman writer who, it came clear to me, believed the entire concept of a primary challenge against Lieberman a simply illegitimate form of opposition. Lieberman, as a Democratic incumbent, had a claim on his party's nomination and his Senate seat that couldn't be challenged by a bunch of bloggers and a cable television executive named Ned. It was the impudence of the whole thing that so offended.
I've really been saddened, in fact, by how often, when I drill down into anti-Lamonter motivations, I find their ideological and electoral motivations mere sandrock obscuring a core rage at this affront to tradition and orderly succession. I didn't believe this even a few months ago, but I've been forced to conclude that what scares folks about Lamont is that he represents an assault on privilege -- Joe Lieberman's, to be sure, but also theirs, no matter what sector of politics they currently represent.
In some ways, Lieberman is the canary in their coal mine, and if his sanctimonious song stops, so too may all of theirs. They never reacted this way to the Club for Growth primaries, or the Unions' promise to work against Melissa Bean, or NARAL's threats to primary Casey, because they were comfortable with the role and global motivations of those groups -- they were part of the structure, and they sought only to make it work better for them, not substantively challenge its mechanisms. The bloggers, however, are different, more unpredictable, less obviously invested in the perpetuation of this fine political system we have. And so they represent not a challenge to Joe Lieberman, but a challenge to the establishment as a whole. And that's why the establishment as a whole is howling.
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A Synthesized Model of Compliance Based on Physician and Patient Reported Barriers to Hypertension Guidelines
by Ballou-Nelson, Pamela, Ph.D. Walden University. 2012: 312 pages; 3494233.
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Acculturation and Diabetes among New York’s Bangladeshi Immigrants
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Structural and Functional Studies of E. coli Conjugative Relaxase-Helicase TraI and Arabidopsis thaliana Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 10 (PRMT10)
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France to end lockdown Dec 15, shops to reopen Saturday
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
France aims to lift a nationwide lockdown on December 15, President Emmanuel Macron said, with shops authorised to reopen as early as Saturday after weeks of closure.
In a TV address Tuesday, Macron said some restrictions would remain in place to avoid a resurgence of the virus, and the threat of another lockdown.
“We have slowed the spread of the virus,” Macron said, “but it is still very much present”.
Only moments before the president’s address, France’s health agency reported 458 new coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 50,237.
But according to health authorities, the second virus wave reached its peak last week, with numbers of new infections, new hospital admissions and new intensive care patients all declining, while death figures have stabilised.
“If we don’t want a third lockdown, we must intensify our efforts,” Macron said, by protecting the most vulnerable groups and wearing masks “including when we’re with friends or with relatives who don’t live under the same roof”.
The current lockdown, in force since the end of October, will be replaced by a countrywide curfew from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am starting December 15, Macron said, except on December 24 and 31—Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
“We will be able to travel without authorisation, including between regions, and spend Christmas with our families,” Macron said.
French people should, however, avoid “pointless travel”, he said.
Cinemas, theatres and museums will be allowed to reopen on December 15.
But restaurants—as well as high schools—will have to wait until January 20 to reopen, and only on condition that daily new virus cases drop below 5,000, Macron said.
He gave no target date for any reopening of bars, cafes or nightclubs.
France’s 350 ski resorts, among the most popular in Europe, will not be allowed to reopen in time for the year-end holiday season, Macron said.
It was preferable, Macron said, to plan for a re-opening of the resorts in January “under favourable conditions”.
Starting on Saturday and pending the December 15 end to the lockdown, people will be allowed to move freely in a radius of 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) around their homes for up to three hours a day, compared to 1 kilometre for up to one hour now.
Religious ceremonies will also be authorised again from Saturday, but are limited to 30 people, Macron said.
Macron also said that he hoped that the first COVID vaccines would be available for use by the end of December or in early January.
Vaccines would be made available to high-risk populations first and will not be made mandatory, Macron vowed.
Government spokesman Gabrial Attal said earlier that France had already signed three vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical companies, while talks with three others were “at a very advanced stage” and other discussions ongoing. Each contract signed would cover about 30 million vaccine doses, Attal said.
France to end lockdown Dec 15, shops to reopen Saturday (2020, November 24)
retrieved 24 November 2020
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-france-lockdown-dec-reopen-saturday.html
BCG vaccine used to treat tuberculosis can lower the risk of contracting Covid, says study, Health News, ET HealthWorld
11/21/20 – Mayo Clinic News Network
Beneficiary dies, doctors don’t relate it to vaccine side effects yet, Health News, ET HealthWorld
Delhi to work the phones, avoid empty slots, Health News, ET HealthWorld
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News | Corporate Engagement
Business as an Agent of World Benefit
Lina Caneva
The notion of business as an agent of world benefit could assist corporations in becoming even more powerful in addressing global social issues writes Associate Professor Debbie Haski-Leventhal of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management.
Lina Caneva | 17 June 2015 at 10:50 am
In April Professor David Cooperrider from Weatherhead School of Management visited Macquarie Graduate School of Management to launch the Deep Dive Leadership program. During his visit, Cooperrider spoke to my MGSM CSR Partnership Network, which comprises over 30 leading Australian companies, NFPs and governmental departments, about Business as an Agent of World Benefit. This is a groundbreaking idea that shifts away from corporate philanthropy to unleashing the unlimited power of business to do good for the world.
In his presentation, Cooperrider brought many examples of innovative businesses that use design thinking to address our most urgent issues as a global society, such as poverty, access to clean water, climate change and peace. Cooperrider said he believes that businesses today have the power to demolish life-threatening poverty and to dramatically increase the peacefulness in our world. It is all about increasing the motivation of more businesses to rethink CSR and how they can focus on also being best for the world, instead of only being best in the world.
Cooperrider wrote over 20 books and worked with five American Presidents and other world leaders to create world benefit and to harness the business leaders to do the same. He is well known for his Appreciative Inquiry (AI) framework, which uses positive psychology to drive a whole-organisation change. The AI is also known as the Four-Ds because of its four components, all based on positive analysis:
Discover: The identification of what is great;
Dream: Creating an engaging vision for the future;
Design: Planning and prioritising processes that would work well; and –
Deliver (or Destiny): The implementation of the proposed design.
When I teach the AI to my MBA students at MGSM, they are very engaged with the positivity of the framework. It is refreshing to see a framework of organisational change that does not focus on problems and resistance to change, but rather enables the entire organisation, with the involvement of employees and consumers, to work together for a better future based on strengths and assets.
What I did not know until last week was that Cooperrider was using the AI framework to change the world. It has been long since the AI was taken outside the narrow organisational change context and was used to create “world benefit”. For example, in 2004, Cooperrider was asked by Kofi Annan to design and facilitate a historic, unprecedented summit on global corporate citizenship, a meeting between the United Nations and 500 business leaders to “unite the strengths of markets with the authority of universal ideals to make globalization work for everyone.” Cooperrider’s work enables positive change, innovation, and sustainable design in systems of large and complex scale.
As he explained to us during his presentation, Cooperrider pushed for the conversation to be not at the business leaders, but with them, using their strategic thinking and knowledge to see how we can solve the biggest problems our society faces. It was the beginning of the UN Global Compact, which used the massive power, knowledge and resources of businesses as part of the achievement of the Millennium Goals.
Cooperrider was also invited to design a series of dialogues among 25 of the world’s top religious leaders, started by the Dalai Lama who said, “If only the world’s religious leaders could just know each other, the world will be a better place.” Using AI, the group held meetings in Jerusalem and at the Carter Center with President Jimmy Carter. When reflecting on the role of religion in conflicts, one can easily understand how important this imitative was for enhancing peace and reducing violence in the world.
In 2009, Cooperrider wrote about his “Peter Drucker Moment”[2]. Cooperrider met Drucker when the management guru was 93 to discuss corporate citizenship. He tried to pull the conversation into the different approaches to business management of Drucker vs. Friedman (who said that the only social responsibility of a business is to maximise profit) debate.
Cooperrider wrote:
That day I ventured into the corporate citizenship question surrounding the Enron accounting scandal and used it to ask about the differences between two giants: Drucker himself and Milton Friedman. I knew going into the meeting that Drucker did not believe that ‘profit’ per se was the overarching purpose of a business, but was instead a prime indicator of and essential means for achieving a firm’s primary purpose: the creation and exchange of value.
So it seemed as though it would be easy enough; it would be a snap to put Drucker’s views against those of Friedman who, as we all know, drew the anti-social responsibility line in the sand, arguing that the only social responsibility of business is shareholder maximisation. So I asked Drucker to articulate the differences between his own and Friedman’s views. I invited him to critique the black and white idea that ‘the only social responsibility of business is business’.
However, Peter Drucker shifted the conversation to a different direction, and with it, shifted the paradigm all together. Instead of talking about Friedman, Drucker talked about how our most burning problems and changes could be used as a business opportunity and as such, business can become an agent of world benefit. Drucker said to Cooperrider “every social and global issue of our day is a business opportunity in disguise, just waiting for the entrepreneurship and innovation of business.” This
Based on these ideas, in 2004 Cooperrider’s University (The Case Western Reserve University) opened a Center for Business as an Agent for World Benefit (BAWB) with a fundamental mission to discover, amplify, and perpetuate innovations in organisation practice and management education that create mutual benefit for business and society.
I recently wrote an essay for Pro Bono Australia News on business and peace and what businesses can do to enhance peace and reduce violence. The idea of “business as an agent of world benefit” could feed right into it. War and conflicts are still a global issue but they also pose a new business opportunity in disguise. They allow business to enhance peace and reduce violence while also helping the economy to thrive, creating new markets and business opportunities and a competitive advantage.
To illustrate with one example of many, Coca Cola’s Small World Machines allowed the company to improve the image of its brand and create new markets, while also doing something meaningful to bring people from India and Pakistan together. The Small World Machines provided a live communications portal, linking strangers in two nations divided by conflict for 60 years, with the hope of promoting cultural understanding. The company used first-of-its-kind 3D touchscreen technology to project a streaming video feed onto the vending machine screen while simultaneously filming through the unit to capture a live emotional exchange. People from both countries are encouraged to complete a friendly task together – wave, touch hands, draw a peace sign or dance – before sharing a Coca-Cola. The YouTube video of this initiative attracted to date nearly 3 million views.
In summary, business are shifting away from traditional CSR and corporate philanthropy to strategic CSR and Creating Shared Value. I believe that the notion of business as an agent of world benefit could assist business in becoming even more powerful in addressing global social issues. To echo the words of Porter and Kramer (2011)[3], if business acted as business to address our global issues and challenges, there is no limit to what can be achieved. Business, with its immense power, knowledge and resources, can address poverty, food insecurity, human and children’s rights and even war and conflict.
[1] This article is partially based on Haski-Leventhal, D. (2015). Editorial: My David Cooperrider Moment: Business as an Agent of World Benefit and Peace. Business, Peace and Sustainable Development, 2015(5), 3-6.
[2] Cooperrider, D., & Fry, R. (2009). A Peter Drucker moment: Harnessing the innovation-generating potential of a shareholder and stakeholder theory of the firm. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 36, 3-6.
[3] Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2011). Creating shared value. Harvard business review, 89(1/2), 62-77.
Lina Caneva | Editor | @ProBonoNews
Lina Caneva has been a journalist for more than 35 years. She was the editor of Pro Bono Australia News from when it was founded in 2000 until 2018.
Tags : benefit, Business, Corporate Social Responsiblity, CSR, MGSM, Opinion, world,
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Using Covariation Reasoning to Support Mathematical Modeling
Erik Jacobson
Table representations of functions allow students to compare rows as well as values in the same row.
In The Mathematics Teacher Volume 107: Issue 7 (Mar 2014): March 2014
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PLO 2011
This isn’t the first time that the Palestine Liberation Organization has launched its vision of a campaign for liberation in the form of a Palestinian state. In fact, on May 12th 1989, in Paris to be exact, under a rather religious and hero-worshiping declaration, a Palestinian state has already been recognized by 92 other states in the framework of UNESCO. In UNESCO’s own words, it is “neither competent nor authorized to assess the criteria for statehood or qualities of the applicant State, any more than it is to verify the credentials of the delegates at certain international conferences” [p. 11]. So even though there’s no legal binding in being recognized by the proverbial education, culture and communications ministry of the UN, the linked document also discusses prior recognition of a Palestinian people and their right for self determination and sovereignty over what is referred to as “Palestinian Territory”, by the League of Nations to Great Britain in 1922. A Palestinian state was also recognized, though in contradiction with the 1922 resolution, many times thereafter; by the United Nations General Assembly res 181 in 1947, the United Nations Security Council res 242 in 1967, United Nations General Assembly res 338 in 1973, and many more (3236 and 3237 of 1974, 3378).
My personal point of view is that it’s unfortunate that the PLO, “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”, who’s strategy is to align itself with international law, has long forsaken the legally recognized history of the Palestinian people. Even UNESCO was able to get in touch with the passion of liberation more than the Palestinian Liberation Organization [p. 6]:
It is now an unalterably established principle that the people, even where dependent, is the source of sovereignty, which belongs to it, which cannot be transferred from one State to another, and which can only disappear with the destruction of that people.
Speaking of UNESCO’s principles of liberation, the following passage left this little Anarchist wondering whether there is hope yet for the abolition of capitalism [p. 11]:
…a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the world, and that the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind.
Back to the subject at hand, this fascinating archive document, which determines Palestine a factual matter of time and an international obligation, states [p. 11]:
The issue before us is therefore one of admission to membership of an international organization and not one of recognition.
Sure enough, the PLO, in its own jumble of words declares:
Palestine’s membership at the United Nations is an important step towards freedom. An internationally recognized State of Palestine brings Palestinians closer to our goal: ending the occupation, exercising the Palestinians’ inalienable rights, including its right to self-determination and establishing its democratic state on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of refugees on the basis of UN resolution 194.
To people familiar with Palestinian liberation issues, the number 194 is very significant, as it represents the right of return. This is Israel’s biggest contention point, as it fears the return of a few million Palestinian refugees that would shift the population balance and create a Jewish minority in the land formerly known as Palestine. However, a current understanding of the racist realities of Israel, indicate to many of us that a partition to a Jewish State and Palestine will create a reality in which the right of return still isn’t granted. All this makes me wonder if the PLO, giving up on the legally affirmed borders of Palestine, is actually giving up the right of return as well.
Goodwill Goodwin
According to Guy Goodwin-Gill, the PLO won’t only be giving up “mandatory Palestine” and the right of return. It will also be giving up its stature as “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”. Right now, the PLO is the representation of the Palestinian people in the UN (hence the long superlative), but once a Palestinian state is recognized, Palestine will be “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”.
How does that make a difference?
In contradiction to Goodwin-Gill’s interpretation of Palestinian society, I believe this opens up a window of opportunity for varied voices of Palestinian civil society. Goodwin-Gill fears that Palestinians in the diaspora will not be represented in this new form of Palestinian representation in the UN. I would have to argue that the PLO has not represented the Palestinian refugees since 1973, when the first diplomatic delegate of the PLO to the UK, Said Hammami, started calling for a two-state solution. Goodwin-Gill’s statement that “the PLO… derive their legitimacy from the fact that they represent all sectors of the displaced Palestinian people…” [P. 2, Art. 7] is patently false, seeing as A- Palestinians in the diaspora didn’t vote for them. And B- I don’t want to step on any toes, but the PLO was in fact outvoted a while back in Gaza.
The second aspect of Goodwin-Gill’s report that bothers me (or rather the first), with respect to his good intentions, is the disregarding of the “self” bit, when regarding Palestinian self-determination. It rears its ugly head on the second page:
8. In addition, the possibility of reconfiguring the self-determination unit by substitution, and without the consent of the competent institutions, raises the ‘external’ question of its consistency with the long-standing acceptance of the PLO, by the UN and the international community at large, as the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
There’s that long superlative again. As I’ve already established, this superlative has to do with what the UN is willing to recognize as the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and not the actual Palestinian people. In contradiction to his stance of concern for the Palestinian refugee in the diaspora, Goodwin-Gill seems to think that the substitution of the PLO- as sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people– is a matter of “consent of the competent institutions”, namely the “UN and the international community at large”.
I suggest Goodwin-Gill re-examine his position. Being British, is he in any position to tell the Palestinians that they are “not ready for independence” [not a quote], as his forefathers at the League of Nations to Great Britain did before him [the above report from UNESCO, p. 4]:
Certain communities formerly belonging to the Turkish Empire have reached a stage of development where their existence as independent nations can be provisionally recognized subject to the rendering of administrative advice and assistance by a Mandatory until such time as they are able to stand alone.
It’s interesting that Goodwin-Gill states the following [p. 3, art. 9]:
Until such a time as a final settlement is agreed, the putative State of Palestine will have no territory over which it exercises effective sovereignty, its borders will be indeterminate or disputed, its population, actual and potential, undetermined and many of them continuing to live under occupation or in States of refuge.
Not only does the League of Nations to Great Britain recognize the independent nation of Palestine way back in 1922, in addition the above UNESCO report of 1989, quotes Charles Rousseau from 1974 (bolds by me):
Mandate A was applied to certain “communities” detached from the Turkish Empire, which had their own political existence and were destined to full independence and which were provisionally subject to the administration of the mandatory Power, whose role was essentially one of guide and adviser. This regime covered Syria and Lebanon (placed under French mandate)and Palestine, Iraq and Trans-Jordan (placed under British mandate). These were genuine States in the full sense of the term (…) whose accession to independence was temporarily deferred’.
So why reinvent the wheel?
Goodwin-Gill’s final assessment is that:
20. The interests of the Palestinian people are at risk of prejudice and fragmentation, unless steps are taken to ensure and maintain their representation through the Palestinian Liberation Organization, until such time as there is in place a State competent and fully able to assume these responsibilities towards the people at large.
Seeing as the Zionist ethnic cleansing of half the indigenous Palestinian population in 1948, and the military occupation of Palestinian territory in 1967, and consequent apartheid policies are the historical reasons for Palestinian fragmentation, one must ask who the hell commissioned this opinion paper?
Israel Recognizes the United Nations
Another legal expert opinion was publicized a week ago by Ha’aretz’s legal correspondent,Tomer Zarchin. Former legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry, Robbie Sabel (that dude who said that the Israeli army flotilla massacre was legal) has finally recognized international laws of war:
The settlements are a prime example of this, since in theory one could say that we are talking about a war crime, that Israel is not investigating it and not bringing those responsible to justice. Thus, the court [Hague] could get involved and investigate.
Obviously still not versed in his field of expertise, Sabel seems to forget that this isn’t theory and that the UN deems the occupied territories occupied, thus it doesn’t matter whether a Palestinian state is declared or not, before the Hague can prosecute.
What’s Sabel’s suggestion as a strategy of deterrence?
It could be that the Palestinians will get caught up in the issue of the settlements, but at the same time, any Palestinian that, say, shot at Israeli civilians would also be subject to the court’s jurisdiction. Undoubtedly Israel could come up with a long list of terrorists that harmed Israelis and were never tried by the Palestinian Authority and turn it over to the court for handling.
Another expert opinion that Ha’aretz sought out was that of Prof. Daphne Richmond-Barak, who’s actually a Dr. (details, details Ha’aretz…), who in 2007 served as legal adviser to the government of Colombia in retaining its grasp on the Nicaraguan Archipelago of San Andrés annexed by Colombia, aided by the USA, under the Somoza regime. Richmond-Barak and one Nick Kaufman, “international law experts who have worked with the International Criminal Court”, are busying themselves with what Ha’aretz frames as such:
[could] the newly minted “Palestine”… make claims regarding incidents that occurred before it was recognized as a state[?] The court has jurisdiction only for claims made by UN member states… They may even ask the court to investigate incidents that occurred before 2002, which is when the court began operating, even though as a rule, such claims are not accepted.
For Nick Kaufman of the settler Regavim Advocacy Group [some of their latest exploits can be found at 1,2,3,4], this isn’t just a theoretical issue, as he is now busy trying to get Cast Lead off the table, as Ha’aretz (that “leftist” paper) uncritically discloses:
Kaufman, meanwhile, petitioned the ICC this week on behalf of the Regavim advocacy group, which asked the court to reject the request by the Palestinians in 2009 to investigate events pertaining to Operation Cast Lead in Gaza… the Palestinian intention to declare a state and ask for its recognition now proves that at the time they filed their request with the court, they were not a state. The court thus has no authority to respond to their request and must reject it out of hand.
It may just be about time for the International Criminal Court to raise the bar…
Finally Ha’aretz cares to mention the two attorneys on behalf of the Association of Civil Rights in Israel. It’s worth to mention that Ha’aretz’s focus is in quoting attorney Limor Yehuda only in regards to former legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry, Robbie Sabel’s balance-deterrence theory:
You must remember that Palestinian ratification of the Rome Statute [which created the ICC] will obligate them to uphold human rights − for example, to refrain from torture and avoid firing on Israeli civilians. It is liable to increase both sides’ commitment to human rights.
Had Ha’aretz’s Zarchin cared to actually look into the ACRI issued report, he would have found ample rebuttal for the sloppy theorizing of Robbie Sabel:
According to the laws of occupation, statehood is irrelevant in determining whether a territory is occupied or not, and therefore recognition of a Palestinian state per se would not affect Israel’s standing in international law as an occupying power.
The accepted interpretation of international law is that the laws of occupation apply to territories in which a foreign military force is able to exercise effective control over the lives of the local population.
… In this context, special attention should be given to the article in the Statute of the Court stating that the transfer, whether direct or indirect, of the population of the occupying power into occupied territory constitutes a war crime. This means that the issue of settlements would become an issue of an international criminal tribunal, which would open the door to the prosecution of Israelis responsible for establishing or expanding settlements.
Bear in mind that the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice concerning the Separation Barrier states that, as an act that strengthens the settlements and makes them permanent, the construction of the barrier in the segments that surround the settlements constitutes an illegal act and violates Article 49(6) of the Geneva Convention.
Other interesting information in ACRI’s report do a pretty thorough job in contradicting Goodwin-Gill’s assertion of the criteria of statehood:
In modern international law, the Montevideo criteria are not the only criteria of statehood. In current practice, political and moral principles are key to the guidelines for recognition, and these include the right to self-determination, protection of the rights of minorities, and others.
It also addresses the idea of membership in the UN:
…membership in the UN is not a condition for the existence of statehood. According to Article 4(2) of the UN Charter, membership in the UN is effected by a two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. In the absence of a Security Council recommendation, the General Assembly is not empowered to admit Palestine to UN membership.
In light of the United States’s position on this unilateral action by the Palestinian Authority, and American veto power in the Security Council, it appears that the Palestinian Authority’s chances of becoming a UN member are slim.
An alternative possibility is winning the support of the General Assembly. A General Assembly vote is an opportunity for the international community to express, in a coordinated way, a collective view about the status of Palestine, which would carry significant weight in international discourse.
And many more detailed questions about Gaza, Jerusalem (I do wonder how the Army will impose its “red lines” in central Jerusalem), military action, combating civilians becoming Prisoners of War, and the new state’s governing power’s responsibility towards the human rights of its own citizens. So, with the many issues on the table, will the average Palestinian feel a difference after a Palestinian state is declared in the midst of the current reality? Will we be feeling a hint of liberation?
Author Tali ShapiroPosted on September 15, 2011 September 15, 2011 Categories History, International Law, Israel, Law, Neoliberalism, Occupation, Palestine, Refugees, Right of Return, UN, War crimesTags Anarchism, Daphne Richmond-Barak, Nick Kaufman, Palestinian State, PLO, Regavim Advocacy Group, Robbie Sabel, UNESCO
One thought on “The State of Palestine – A Hint of Liberation?”
I appreciate the various opinions and the inventory of the numerous UN articles which were vetoed and never honored. But no matter how you slice it from a legal perspective, the central question is, still, the license granted for legalized murder and confiscation which is the ethnic cleansing of Palestine under the auspices of the “international community.”
Where is the international precedence for that licence and under which circumstances would the United Nations apply it anywhere else in the world?
Israel wants the legal authority to murder Palestinians and steal their land. The same thing that happened in 1948 is taking place this very moment house by house, field by field. It wasn’t right then and it is not right now regardless of legalities. We need to put a stop to it.
Israel is trying to make their problem (how to steal with the blessing of the law) the problem of the United Nations. The United States notwithstanding, the consensus of the entire world is that thou shalt not steal and thou shalt not murder. That’s not God’s law. That’s international law we created ourselves, and we should insist that the United States to obey the law and acquiesce to justice.
Israel and the unelected Palestinian Authority want to deliver a two-state solution as a fait accompli without asking the Palestinians what they want – to establish the Palestinian Authority as a client state of Israel and the United States while completely bypassing popular sovereignty and the consent of the governed.
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That the War of Independence resulted in the strengthening, not the termination, of slavery was not an unexpected outcome for Southerners: protecting slavery had been the point of the war for them. It was the principal Southern political goal at every moment until slavery was destroyed.
-Ned Sublette
Topics : The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry Quotes
Ned Sublette Quotes
A second line is in effect a civil rights demonstration. Literally, demonstrating the civil right of the community to assemble in the street for peaceful purposes. Or, more simply, demonstrating the civil right of the community to exist.
It is in no small part to Henry’s resistance that the Constitution owes the Second Amendment in particular—the one that promises “the right to keep and bear arms” in order to have “a wellregulated militia”—and it too was, in part, about slavery, because in the South, the . . . Read more
Twenty-two-year-old Ona Judge, who was Martha Washington’s personal servant, escaped from the President and First Lady of the United States in Philadelphia in 1796 after learning she was to be given away as a wedding gift. She married a free black man in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a . . . Read more
Much like a house mortgaged to a bank today, mortgaged slaves were security for those who put up the money for the mortgage, to whom the slaves were “conveyed.” A mortgage financier might be a merchant, a church with an investment portfolio, a college, a bank, or, commonly, a weal . . . Read more
Nor did enslaved women have legal protection against sexual abuse from enslaved men. In the 1859 case of George v. the State of Mississippi, in which an enslaved man was accused of raping an enslaved female child, the Mississippi supreme court noted that “a slave can only commit rap . . . Read more
In particular, three slaveowning politicians loom large in our narrative as principal enablers of the territorial expansion of slavery and, consequently, of the slave-breeding industry: Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and James K. Polk—a Virginian and two Tennesseans. All three we . . . Read more
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Charles Taylor captures another major prize
Celebrated McGill philosopher Charles Taylor has been named the first winner of the $1-million Berggruen Prize. Taylor (BA52). now a professor emeritus, is considered one of the world’s foremost philosophers and has collected several major academic prizes in recent years.
Professor emeritus Charles Taylor is considered one of the world’s foremost philosophers.
Celebrated McGill philosopher Charles Taylor has been named the first winner of the $1-million Berggruen Prize.
The prize, awarded by the California-based Berggruen Institute, will be given annually “to a thinker whose ideas are of broad significance for shaping human self-understanding and the advancement of humanity,” according to a statement from the Institute.
Taylor (BA52), now a professor emeritus, is considered one of the world’s foremost philosophers and has collected several major academic prizes in recent years, including the 2007 Templeton Prize and the prestigious Kyoto Prize in 2008, as well as the 2015 $1.5-million Kluge Prize for achievement in the study of humanity.
Influential throughout the humanities, social sciences and in public affairs, Taylor has been a leading voice for Canadian unity, while advocating for the preservation of the distinctive identity of Quebec. He co-chaired, with renowned sociologist Gérard Bouchard, the high-profile Consultation Commission on Accommodation Practices Related to Cultural Differences, the Quebec government’s response to a string of controversies surrounding the “reasonable accommodation” of religious groups.
And he is a global leader in deepening understanding among different intellectual traditions and civilizations.
“I am honoured to be selected for this prize, and the more so because the Berggruen Foundation has given itself the mission to overcome the deep mutual misunderstandings between the cultures and civilizations sharing the planet,” Taylor said in an email to The Reporter. “This is a cause that philosophers can contribute to, and that I would very much like to help further.”
Taylor’s many books, including Explanation of Behaviour (1967), Sources of the Self (1989), and A Secular Age (2007), along with his newest work, The Language Animal (2016), urge us “to see human beings as constituted not only by their biology or their personal intentions, but by their embedding in webs of meaningful relationships,” the Institute said.
The recipient of the Berggruen Prize is selected by an independent jury of prominent academics, which was chaired this year by NYU Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah.
This year’s jury included Amy Gutmann, President of the University of Pennsylvania; Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate and Thomas W. Lamont University Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University; Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge; and Michael Spence, Nobel Laureate, and William R. Berkley Professor in Economics and Business at New York University as well as Philip H. Knight Professor Emeritus of Management in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
“Charles Taylor is a brilliantly appropriate recipient, because he has changed the way people all over the world think about some of the most basic questions in human life,” said Nicolas Berggruen, Chairman of the Berggruen Institute.
“Charles Taylor’s work links ethics, political philosophy, and philosophical anthropology to address central questions of public and private life,” Appiah said.
Charles Taylor awarded Literary Grand Prix at Blue Met...
Charles Taylor awarded $1.5M Kluge Prize
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Foote takes Schulich helm
Gordon Foote, the newly appointed interim Dean of the Schulich School.
Gordon Foote became interim Dean of the Schulich School on June 1. He replaces Don McLean.
Foote has been the Associate Dean (Academic and Student Affairs) at the Schulich School of Music since 2006. He is also an Associate Professor in the Jazz Studies Program, where he has served as Chair of the Jazz Area and as Chair of the Department of Performance. He has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the first undergraduate and graduate university jazz studies programs in Canada. Professor Foote coordinates the McGill Jazz Orchestras, and directs McGill Jazz Orchestra I.
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McGill welcomes 6,000 people for Acfas Congress
More than 240 McGill faculty members and graduate students presented their work at the 85th edition of Acfas, held for the third time at McGill. Organizers deemed the event a success with 6,000 attendees from 40 countries.
With the dust still settling following the end of the Acfas (Association Francophone Pour Le Savoir) conference, held at McGill from May 8-12, the numbers speak to the event’s success. The annual congress, the largest scientific event in the French-speaking academic world, drew some 6,000 attendees from 40 countries and included 3,400 scientific papers in more than 200 seminars in 30 fields of research. As well, the 11 public events under the “Science moi!” banner attracted more than 1,000 people.
“We are so proud of the success of this year’s Congress,” said Allison Flynn, McGill’s Congress Director. “Coordinating an event of this size at McGill can be pretty complex, and this year’s ongoing construction projects added an extra layer of complexity. But so many people – from dozens of units across campus – contributed to this colossal team effort. It all really came together in the end.”
That team effort included coordinating the use of approximately 100 rooms in some 20 buildings on the downtown campus. More than 100 volunteers from the McGill community helped keep the event running smoothly, doing everything from working as guides and managing information booths to supporting classroom AV/IT.
Acfas prioritizes the work of young researchers, giving them an opportunity to build up their communication skills and CVs. The 240 McGill staff and students who presented in various forums were from a wide cross section of disciplines.
Principal Suzanne Fortier pointed out that holding a conference of this calibre on campus permits organizers to avoid the high cost of booking a commercial conference venue. Those savings are passed on to young researchers and students, allowing them to attend at a lower cost. Prof. Fortier also told Montreal’s Le Devoir newspaper that French is more and more prevalent at McGill, with roughly 60 per cent of those on campus – students and employees – able to converse in French. “We encourage our students to use their time at McGill to learn French. French language culture is a big asset which draws people to Montreal and to McGill.”
Acfas received ample media coverage. Some 70 accredited journalists attended the Congress, generating more than 350 articles and news items. Le Devoir published a special Acfas supplement and Radio-Canada organized “La semaine des sciences.” Many of those who presented at the conference were asked to do interviews about their work on the radio and television.
#Acfas trended on Twitter in Montreal, and exceeded 12,000 “likes” on its FB fan page.
Alfonso Mucci awarded Prix Acfas Michel-Jurdant
Isabelle Daunais wins 2017 Acfas André-Laurendeau prize
McGill accueille 6 000 personnes lors du Congrès de l’Acfas
McGill met la main à la pâte en prévision...
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Home NEWS & FEATURES News Wish You Were…Queer
Wish You Were…Queer
by Emma Coates
Photo courtesy VCU Brandcenter
Richmond may have officially come out of the closet last month, but don't think that's the last you'll be hearing about it. If the students of VCU's Brandcenter have their way, this is a story that will run and run.
OutRVA is their response to a challenge set by Richmond Region Tourism, to present a compelling way to potentially attract greater numbers of LGBTQ tourists into the city. "The first phase was to get this idea of Richmond coming out," says Liam Schaefer, the Brandcenter volunteer team's strategist, "and to gather support within the community."
Schaefer and his four team members produced a simple sticker reading "Out," designed to be used alongside the now-ubiquitous RVA logo sticker, and asked businesses and the public to show their support by posting it all around the city. There's also a website, richmondisout.com , where the community is invited to share messages and "show the world what Richmond is all about," says Schaefer. A video on the site is intended to present a different side to the city that many think they already know.
Now the students are looking to build on OutRVA's naturally developing momentum with a second phase of the project. "The next stage is a letter-writing campaign, writing a coming-out letter from the city of Richmond," says team brand manager Trey Keeler. One version of the letter, by the group's copywriter, Jimmy Burton, is addressed to "Washington, D.C." and begins, "We've always been close. Like ‘109 miles on I-95' close," before announcing, "I'm gay" and "No, this isn't a phase."
Keeler says that celebrities and influencers both in and beyond the gay community also will be targeted. Letters will start rolling out gradually in the coming weeks, with the hope that they will get picked up and shared online and on TV. "Jimmy … has on his list Oprah, Ellen, Stephen Colbert," he says. And with further support, the students would like to parlay their work into "an actual advertising campaign" by placing the letters in publications in D.C. and other markets.
The Brandcenter team, rounded out by art directors Frank Guzzone and Blair Warren, even has its sights set on using the campaign in other states. "We'd love to take this message nationally, encouraging other cities to come out and embrace their LGBT communities," Schaefer says. "We would ideally see this as Richmond being the first of many cities."
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Advancing impact assessments of non-native species: strategies for strengthening the evidence-base
Diederik Strubbe, Rachel White, Pim Edelaar, Carsten Rahbek, Assaf Shwartz
School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sci
Ecology, Conservation and Zoonosis Research and Enterprise Group
The numbers and impacts of non-native species (NNS) continue to grow. Multiple ranking protocols have been developed to identify and manage the most damaging species. However, existing protocols differ considerably in the type of impact they consider, the way evidence of impacts is included and scored, and in the way the precautionary principle is applied. These differences may lead to inconsistent impact assessments. Since these protocols are considered a main policy tool to promote mitigation efforts, such inconsistencies are undesirable, as they can affect our ability to reliably identify the most damaging NNS, and can erode public support for NNS management. Here we propose a broadly applicable framework for building a transparent NNS impact evidence base. First, we advise to separate the collection of evidence of impacts from the act of scoring the severity of these impacts. Second, we propose to map the collected evidence along a set of distinguishing criteria: where it is published, which methodological approach was used to obtain it, the relevance of the geographical area from which it originates, and the direction of the impact. This procedure produces a transparent and reproducible evidence base which can subsequently be used for different scoring protocols, and which should be made public. Finally, we argue that the precautionary principle should only be used at the risk management stage. Conditional upon the evidence presented in an impact assessment, decision-makers may use the precautionary principle for NNS management under scientific uncertainty regarding the likelihood and magnitude of NNS impacts. Our framework paves the way for an improved application of impact assessments protocols, reducing inconsistencies and ultimately enabling more effective NNS management.
https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.51.35940
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
10.3897/neobiota.51.35940Licence: CC BY
Advancing impact assessments of non-native speciesFinal published version, 1.33 MBLicence: CC BY
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Advancing impact assessments of non-native species: strategies for strengthening the evidence-base'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
impact assessment Earth & Environmental Sciences
precautionary principle Agriculture & Biology
protocol Earth & Environmental Sciences
protocols Agriculture & Biology
risk management Agriculture & Biology
public Earth & Environmental Sciences
uncertainty Agriculture & Biology
ranking Earth & Environmental Sciences
R.White2@brighton.ac.uk
School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sci - Senior Lecturer
Centre for Spatial, Environmental and Cultural Politics
Strubbe, D., White, R., Edelaar, P., Rahbek, C., & Shwartz, A. (2019). Advancing impact assessments of non-native species: strategies for strengthening the evidence-base. NeoBiota, 51, 41-64. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.51.35940
Strubbe, Diederik ; White, Rachel ; Edelaar, Pim ; Rahbek, Carsten ; Shwartz, Assaf . / Advancing impact assessments of non-native species : strategies for strengthening the evidence-base. In: NeoBiota. 2019 ; Vol. 51. pp. 41-64.
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title = "Advancing impact assessments of non-native species: strategies for strengthening the evidence-base",
abstract = "The numbers and impacts of non-native species (NNS) continue to grow. Multiple ranking protocols have been developed to identify and manage the most damaging species. However, existing protocols differ considerably in the type of impact they consider, the way evidence of impacts is included and scored, and in the way the precautionary principle is applied. These differences may lead to inconsistent impact assessments. Since these protocols are considered a main policy tool to promote mitigation efforts, such inconsistencies are undesirable, as they can affect our ability to reliably identify the most damaging NNS, and can erode public support for NNS management. Here we propose a broadly applicable framework for building a transparent NNS impact evidence base. First, we advise to separate the collection of evidence of impacts from the act of scoring the severity of these impacts. Second, we propose to map the collected evidence along a set of distinguishing criteria: where it is published, which methodological approach was used to obtain it, the relevance of the geographical area from which it originates, and the direction of the impact. This procedure produces a transparent and reproducible evidence base which can subsequently be used for different scoring protocols, and which should be made public. Finally, we argue that the precautionary principle should only be used at the risk management stage. Conditional upon the evidence presented in an impact assessment, decision-makers may use the precautionary principle for NNS management under scientific uncertainty regarding the likelihood and magnitude of NNS impacts. Our framework paves the way for an improved application of impact assessments protocols, reducing inconsistencies and ultimately enabling more effective NNS management.",
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Strubbe, D, White, R, Edelaar, P, Rahbek, C & Shwartz, A 2019, 'Advancing impact assessments of non-native species: strategies for strengthening the evidence-base', NeoBiota, vol. 51, pp. 41-64. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.51.35940
Advancing impact assessments of non-native species : strategies for strengthening the evidence-base. / Strubbe, Diederik; White, Rachel; Edelaar, Pim; Rahbek, Carsten; Shwartz, Assaf .
In: NeoBiota, Vol. 51, 29.10.2019, p. 41-64.
T1 - Advancing impact assessments of non-native species
T2 - strategies for strengthening the evidence-base
AU - Strubbe, Diederik
AU - White, Rachel
AU - Edelaar, Pim
AU - Rahbek, Carsten
AU - Shwartz, Assaf
N1 - This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
N2 - The numbers and impacts of non-native species (NNS) continue to grow. Multiple ranking protocols have been developed to identify and manage the most damaging species. However, existing protocols differ considerably in the type of impact they consider, the way evidence of impacts is included and scored, and in the way the precautionary principle is applied. These differences may lead to inconsistent impact assessments. Since these protocols are considered a main policy tool to promote mitigation efforts, such inconsistencies are undesirable, as they can affect our ability to reliably identify the most damaging NNS, and can erode public support for NNS management. Here we propose a broadly applicable framework for building a transparent NNS impact evidence base. First, we advise to separate the collection of evidence of impacts from the act of scoring the severity of these impacts. Second, we propose to map the collected evidence along a set of distinguishing criteria: where it is published, which methodological approach was used to obtain it, the relevance of the geographical area from which it originates, and the direction of the impact. This procedure produces a transparent and reproducible evidence base which can subsequently be used for different scoring protocols, and which should be made public. Finally, we argue that the precautionary principle should only be used at the risk management stage. Conditional upon the evidence presented in an impact assessment, decision-makers may use the precautionary principle for NNS management under scientific uncertainty regarding the likelihood and magnitude of NNS impacts. Our framework paves the way for an improved application of impact assessments protocols, reducing inconsistencies and ultimately enabling more effective NNS management.
AB - The numbers and impacts of non-native species (NNS) continue to grow. Multiple ranking protocols have been developed to identify and manage the most damaging species. However, existing protocols differ considerably in the type of impact they consider, the way evidence of impacts is included and scored, and in the way the precautionary principle is applied. These differences may lead to inconsistent impact assessments. Since these protocols are considered a main policy tool to promote mitigation efforts, such inconsistencies are undesirable, as they can affect our ability to reliably identify the most damaging NNS, and can erode public support for NNS management. Here we propose a broadly applicable framework for building a transparent NNS impact evidence base. First, we advise to separate the collection of evidence of impacts from the act of scoring the severity of these impacts. Second, we propose to map the collected evidence along a set of distinguishing criteria: where it is published, which methodological approach was used to obtain it, the relevance of the geographical area from which it originates, and the direction of the impact. This procedure produces a transparent and reproducible evidence base which can subsequently be used for different scoring protocols, and which should be made public. Finally, we argue that the precautionary principle should only be used at the risk management stage. Conditional upon the evidence presented in an impact assessment, decision-makers may use the precautionary principle for NNS management under scientific uncertainty regarding the likelihood and magnitude of NNS impacts. Our framework paves the way for an improved application of impact assessments protocols, reducing inconsistencies and ultimately enabling more effective NNS management.
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KW - Precautionary principle
KW - Risk analysis
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DO - 10.3897/neobiota.51.35940
JO - NeoBiota
JF - NeoBiota
Strubbe D, White R, Edelaar P, Rahbek C, Shwartz A. Advancing impact assessments of non-native species: strategies for strengthening the evidence-base. NeoBiota. 2019 Oct 29;51:41-64. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.51.35940
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Los Angeles Area Court Records
Using the Los Angeles Area Court Records (LAACR) at The Huntington
Finding Case Files
Access to Case Files
Requests for Reproductions
Email or call the library for assistance with your research or to inquire about library services.
Learn more about virtual library services.
COVID-19 - Library closed to readers beginning March 16, 2020
In 1996, the Los Angeles Superior Court transferred records from the Court's first three decades of operation to The Huntington Library. The transfer placed several series of historical case files and supporting material for the “First Era” of the Los Angeles Superior Court on long-term deposit at The Huntington. Additional material was subsequently transferred to the library in May and September 2002, then integrated into the First Era series. The Superior Court initiated another major library transfer in 2008, which placed the surviving records and volumes of the “Second Era” of the Los Angeles Superior Court on long-term deposit at The Huntington. All transferred material has been cataloged as the Los Angeles Area Court Records (LAACR) collection.
The First Era series (1850-1879) consists of the following jurisdictions: the California 17th/first District Court (1850-1879), County Court: Civil (1850-1879), County Court: Criminal (1851, 1861-1893), Probate Court: First Series (1850-1879), and County Justice Court: Civil and Criminal (1855, 1861-1894).
The Second Era series (1880-1910) constitutes the following: Superior Court: Civil (1880-June 30, 1910); Probate: Second Series (1880-1892); Probate: Current Series (1893-1900).
In addition, volumes from the Justice courts in the townships of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been included along with some miscellaneous volumes.
The First and Second Era series of the LAACR collection contain gaps where case files or volumes are missing or did not survive. Please refer to the finding aid page for further details.
N.B. The Huntington Library holds case files for 1850-1910 only. Researchers must contact the Los Angeles County Archives and Records Center for cases filed after 1910. See Additional Resources for further information.
Image Credit: Superior Court, Case Number: 04747. Francis Padilla v. J.S. Phillips. Los Angeles Area Court Records. Placed on deposit by Los Angeles County Archival Center, 1996, 2002 and 2008.
Next: Finding Case Files >>
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road
reference@huntington.org
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Who is Anti-American in the European Union?
Colin Lawson, John Hudson
The term anti-Americanism has become common in public and academic debate in the last decade. Yet we have only limited knowledge of those who hold such views. From 2003, 2005 and 2006 Eurobarometer data, almost 20% of EU respondents disapproved of USA policy in all five dimensions the surveys examined. Following the literature, this consistent opposition is defined as anti-American. Anti-Americans exhibit systematic differences in age, education, geographical location, policy preferences and nationality. In addition although anti-Americanism is associated with a preference for greater European independence, perhaps surprisingly it is also linked to a desire for a less federal and hence less powerful Europe. In both sets of attitudes, to the USA and to the EU, there is also a strong regional dimension within countries, which reinforces the view that it is too simplistic to describe a country as being anti-American or being pro European integration.
Bath, U. K.
Department of Economics, University of Bath
Bath Economics Research Working Papers
0910.pdfFinal published version, 172 KB
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Who is Anti-American in the European Union?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
anti-Americanism Social Sciences
location policy Social Sciences
European Union Social Sciences
EU Social Sciences
Eurobarometer Social Sciences
opposition Social Sciences
literature Social Sciences
education Social Sciences
Lawson, C., & Hudson, J. (2010). Who is Anti-American in the European Union? (Bath Economics Research Working Papers; No. 09/10). Department of Economics, University of Bath.
Who is Anti-American in the European Union? / Lawson, Colin ; Hudson, John.
Bath, U. K. : Department of Economics, University of Bath, 2010. (Bath Economics Research Working Papers; No. 09/10).
Lawson, C & Hudson, J 2010 'Who is Anti-American in the European Union?' Bath Economics Research Working Papers, no. 09/10, Department of Economics, University of Bath, Bath, U. K.
Lawson C, Hudson J. Who is Anti-American in the European Union? Bath, U. K.: Department of Economics, University of Bath. 2010. (Bath Economics Research Working Papers; 09/10).
Lawson, Colin ; Hudson, John. / Who is Anti-American in the European Union?. Bath, U. K. : Department of Economics, University of Bath, 2010. (Bath Economics Research Working Papers; 09/10).
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abstract = "The term anti-Americanism has become common in public and academic debate in the last decade. Yet we have only limited knowledge of those who hold such views. From 2003, 2005 and 2006 Eurobarometer data, almost 20% of EU respondents disapproved of USA policy in all five dimensions the surveys examined. Following the literature, this consistent opposition is defined as anti-American. Anti-Americans exhibit systematic differences in age, education, geographical location, policy preferences and nationality. In addition although anti-Americanism is associated with a preference for greater European independence, perhaps surprisingly it is also linked to a desire for a less federal and hence less powerful Europe. In both sets of attitudes, to the USA and to the EU, there is also a strong regional dimension within countries, which reinforces the view that it is too simplistic to describe a country as being anti-American or being pro European integration.",
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AB - The term anti-Americanism has become common in public and academic debate in the last decade. Yet we have only limited knowledge of those who hold such views. From 2003, 2005 and 2006 Eurobarometer data, almost 20% of EU respondents disapproved of USA policy in all five dimensions the surveys examined. Following the literature, this consistent opposition is defined as anti-American. Anti-Americans exhibit systematic differences in age, education, geographical location, policy preferences and nationality. In addition although anti-Americanism is associated with a preference for greater European independence, perhaps surprisingly it is also linked to a desire for a less federal and hence less powerful Europe. In both sets of attitudes, to the USA and to the EU, there is also a strong regional dimension within countries, which reinforces the view that it is too simplistic to describe a country as being anti-American or being pro European integration.
T3 - Bath Economics Research Working Papers
BT - Who is Anti-American in the European Union?
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Vice President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel walk on the balcony outside the Chancellor’s office overlooking Berlin, Germany, Feb., 1, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
How a feminist framework can guide US, European Iran policy
Cornelius Adebahr and Barbara Mittelhammer
The election of the nation’s first female vice president marks a political watershed in Washington, DC. And while President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have promised a different kind of foreign policy, the real question about “building back better” is — how exactly, and for whom?
Who benefits? Whose interests will be taken into account? Whose voices will not be heard? Such are the questions that a feminist approach would ask of every policy. Some countries have already adopted a paradigmatic shift towards what is called “feminist foreign policy,” such as Sweden, Canada, France, and Mexico. And it’s time for the United States to follow suit, or even jumpstart refinements of the progressive approach.
Feminist foreign policy is rooted in a positive concept of peace and security that goes beyond the mere absence of war. It includes dimensions of “human security” such as equitable and sustainable development as well as social cohesion. Moreover, it is about inclusive decision-making representing all those impacted by the results — not only because it is right, but also because it produces better outcomes. Therefore, diversity and gender equality are core pillars of the concept. This ultimately requires an assessment of a given policy’s gendered impact on indicators such as political participation, employment and education opportunities, or specifics such as gender-based violence.
Comprehensively implementing a feminist foreign policy requires paradigmatic shifts in how policy making is thought of and conducted. However, even before any full-fledged policy overhaul, a feminist approach allows for better decision-making. Because, simply put, more diversity in decision-making leads to better decisions — including in matters of national security far away from any idealist setting.
In a recent paper, we have demonstrated why a feminist approach can help devise better policies even when dealing with a oppressive regime such as Iran’s. Because feminist foreign policy begins with critical self-reflection and has nothing to do with going ‘soft’ on the other (a term that is in itself gendered, as ‘hard’ is often considered to have masculine qualities) but allows for a more complete picture of the challenges ahead. With a broad understanding of security, by decoding (international) power relations, and by recognizing the political agency of women and other marginalized groups, it offers a more effective and sustainable approach.
The incoming Biden administration would be well-advised to look at the challenges posed by the Islamic Republic in the long term. “Maximum pressure” has arguably only led to escalation across the board, whether on the nuclear program or on Iran’s regional posture. While the first months of 2021 offer a small window of opportunity for a ‘compliance-for-compliance’ deal to halt the downward spiral, the real test comes with recalibrating U.S.-Iran relations: from establishing lines of communication and confidence-building to eventually using negotiations to make the deal stronger.
Here, feminist foreign policy, as we understand it, offers tangible benefits with a three-pronged strategy centered on broadening the approach, increasing the diversity in decision-making, and engaging civil society.
A broad and regional approach looks beyond the nuclear file and Iran and considers the human security needs of Iranians, their Arab neighbors, Israel and other countries in conjunction. This would allow for immediate humanitarian gestures in the face of the pandemic, which would help build trust where there is little going around. Maritime security, environmental degradation, and even nuclear safety — with soon three civilian nuclear programs active around the Persian Gulf — are areas ripe for technical cooperation that can pave the way for enhanced political dialogue.
Diversity starts at home, by decreasing the barriers to representation and participation of women and other marginalized groups in U.S. foreign policy making. On top of promoting diversity in numbers, this requires cultural change to overcome a gender-stereotypical security discourse that inherently limits policy options. As Rep. Jackie Speier, Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, said when tabling a resolution calling for the adoption of a feminist foreign policy this September, such a whole-of-government approach requires “a commitment to diversity and gender parity in hiring and promotion in the national security and foreign policy sectors”.
Finally, strengthening and working with civil society means to include civic actors, such as Iranian or American women’s networks, in the development of Iran-specific or regional strategies. Their expertise can help develop smart policy options to support women without attaching a feminist label, for example through economic empowerment in the service sector and of small and medium-sized enterprises, or through environmental protection programs. Here, obviously, the United States can work closely with its European partners, some of which also have in-depth experience — both good and bad — with human rights dialogues with Iran.
A return to transatlantic cooperation would obviously be a good thing, as the United States and Europe have only been successful on Iran policy when working together. However, this cannot simply mean to turn-back the clock four years and pick up where the two sides left. Importantly, the Democratic Party’s platform promises to “prioritize nuclear diplomacy, de-escalation, and regional dialogue“ when it comes to Iran, while making “gender equality a key foreign policy priority and [working] to achieve gender parity across our national security team.” The former chimes well with the Europeans’ long-standing approach on Iran, and the latter echoes the European Parliament’s recent call to develop a European feminist foreign policy.
As dire as the situation looks on the ground and vexed as the issues around Iran are — this is the moment for both Washington and European capitals to rethink their foreign policies and the Islamic Republic is indeed a good case to start implementing a feminist approach.
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Periods in Nepal: a harmful tradition turns girls into untouchables
Periods in Nepal are treated as something dirty, impure and contaminating. Girls and women are alienated from society as well as their friends and families during their time of the month. They are forced into harmful social restrictions and have to face inhumane conditions and humiliation.
Why are periods in Nepal dangerous?
The reason for that lies in a Nepali tradition called Chaupadi Pratha. Actually, it was banned by law in 2005 but is still commonly practiced in the mid and western regions of Nepal. This tradition stipulates that menstruating girls and women are dirty and impure. They are not allowed to enter the kitchen, to attend school or interact socially.
The most dangerous part of practicing Chaupadi is when girls and women are forced to leave the house. In most cases, that means moving to a small shed in the woods, animal sheds or so-called mud huts. These huts, apart from being dirty, dark and small, hardly ever give adequate shelter against wild animals, rape or the cold.
Where does this tradition come from?
Like so many traditions, it has its roots in religion. The story is simple: there used to be a king of the gods, who committed a great sin. To make up for his horrible doings, he created menstruation, forcing women to suffer for and with him on a monthly basis. The Hindu scriptures state that while menstruating, women are highly infectious and spread viruses through their mouth and limbs, marking them as dangerous, impure and turning them into untouchables.
Women are not allowed to touch food, their loved ones or sleep in their own house. More than once, the women forced to sleep in the shed have died. The Guardian made a poignant photo gallery portraying menstruating women in Nepal.
A 15-year-old reclaims periods in Nepal
Especially in the rural areas it’s difficult to break with these traditions that are so deep-seated in the mindset of society and justified by religion. But in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, a 15 year old girl has started to reclaim her period.
Prakriti Kandel has had enough of the injustice so many women and girls have to face, just because they happen to menstruate. After educating herself on the biology of menstruation, she started writing a novel, turning menstruation from a sin into a superpower.
And she is not alone. There seems to be a light stir, trying to break this social stigma – even if it is still a quiet and very slow awakening rebellion. Throughout the country, there are women holding talks at schools, going to work while having their period despite what tradition says. They are educating other girls about the choice not to practice chaupadi.
Nepali girls photograph what they are not allowed to touch during menstruation
Another project with the mission to destigmatize periods in Nepal was held by WaterAid. Girls were asked to take pictures of all the things they’re not allowed to touch while menstruating.
WaterAid/ Sushma Diyali
Sirthauli, one of the girls equipped with a camera reports: “I was told that if I touch them, the pickles will start to rot. But, I thought that was not possible so, I touched the bottles of pickles when nobody was around. And nothing happened to the bottles with pickles. It never decayed or ever smelled bad. After that I realized that not touching pickles during menstruation was nothing but superstition and it is wrong!”
Projects destigmatizing periods in Nepal
Putali Nepal is on a mission to help menstruating girls in Nepal. They create a safe environment to talk about menstruation. Anna and Linda started Putali Nepal as an IndieGoGo campaign and have now grown into a full-blown amazing initiative.
Putali Nepal organizes menstrual hygiene management workshops in the Makwanpur district of Nepal. During these workshops, they also provide a healthy menstrual product, a Ruby Cup, to girls and women. Check out their website for more information and see how you can get involved!
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Students Stats
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Background of the school
Samtengang Central (HS) School is located in Nyisho Gewog under Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag, Bhutan. The school has a total area of approximately 22.58 acres. It is approximately 20 kilometers away from Bajo town. Samtengang Higher Secondary School can be reached by black topped road from Chuzomsa or by foot from Teki Zampa. Recently a farm road is also connected to the place. Sitting at a top of mountain plateau, Samtengang has an encompassing view of Bajo town, Dzong, Bjena, Phangyul and Kazhi villages. The campus includes a beautiful lake that is Niche to various species of fish as well as avian wildlife. The school was initially established in 1962 as a Hindi medium community school and it consisted of only few temporary huts. The first Headmaster, appointed by the Department of Education, was Mr. M.M. Joseph who managed the school along with two Dzongkha Teachers.
Upgradation to LSS and MSS
In March 1998, the school was upgraded to a Lower Secondary with the construction of boarding facilities. Classes ranged from PP (pre-primary) to VIII. In the same year, a new 12 units building was constructed near the lake, and is now referred to as the ‘Old Block.’ The school upgraded again, to a Middle Secondary School in 2008, in the same year as Bhutan’s adoption of a democratic parliamentary system Classes PP to 6 Primary School and the classes VII – X were subsequently added to the school. For the tourists, they can visit our school by contacting local tour agents in Bhutan.
Feeder School and central school status
Samtengang Central (HSS) School has students from Nobding, Kazhi, Phangyul, Gangtey and Nyisho Gewog which are our school catchment areas. The School plays host to classes VII, VIII, IX and X. Almost 95% of the upper primary students are enrolled as boarder, while most of the primary children of the Primary School (lower campus) are day scholars because they are within the catchment areas of the school peripheral which is less than 5 km distance to walk to the school and they are also provided a mid-day meal by the RGoB. In the year 2015, the Samtengang Middle Secondary school has been selected to be one of the Central School in the Dzongkhag, since the school is ideally located not only with the environment buts also with proximity of catchment areas and feeder schools. As per the policy of central school the students were provided with free amenities such as beddings, plates, mugs, spoons, school uniforms and sports wares till the academic year 2019. The most of the students admitted are disadvantaged family background all across the country so that they can study comfortably.
Activities in the school
As a part of wholesome development, students participate in various sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis and badminton. In addition, Samtengang has a thriving club atmosphere that includes UNESCO, Democracy, Songs and Dance, Games and Sports, Mathematics and Science, Guitar, Health, Nature, SAP, Library, Knitting, Student Leadership, Y-VIA, Home Science, Shoe revival and Maintenance, DAISAN, Media Literacy, Literary, Music, PISA D, Mindfulness clubs, and Coding club from 2020. The school engage students in literary and cultural activities through class and house competitions. Educational movies are also screened on weekends to provide diverse entertainment.
We are fortunate to have a library, Science laboratory and computer laboratory for students to fully engage in their studies and explore the new horizons of knowledge practically. Students engage in active learning from 6:00 am in the morning and end their day at 9:00 pm in the evening with various recreational hours incorporated within the teaching learning cycle. They also learn through different mediums such as, Information Communication and Technology (ICT), and field trips. The Chiphen Rigphel Project is also an added advantage in learning through ICT. Every aspect of the school is in line with the GNH values which include Green Schooling as a priority. The infusion of GNH into the school curriculum is greatly practiced in this school with regular silent sittings, school greening projects, adoption of the nearby lake and other related activities. Besides, the school has further intensified access to the library and e-library since the celebration of the National Reading Year coinciding with the 60th Birth Anniversary of 4th DrukGyalpo in the year 2015, to enhance the reading culture in the school.
Higher Secondary School and the current scenario
With the change of new government, the school is upgraded to the Higher Secondary School and accordingly the concept of central school is refined and the provision of uniform only will be provided to the needy students from PP – XII. The bedding items such as mattress, pillow and bed cover only to the boarding students from the academic year 2020. Then the school of the two campuses will function independently as Primary School and the Secondary School with separate administration, however the boarding will cater to the disabilities of primary and secondary sections and the classes from VII – XII. With the start of the academic session 2020, the school will open Class XI offering the streams; Arts and Commerce, and science from the next year. In addition to this, the services to the SEN children will be rendered inclusively till the completion of their schooling collaboratively by the Primary & Secondary schools since 2019.
113th National Day of Bhutan
Result declaration on 18th December
Flu Vaccination Program in the School
Reopening Date of the School
Towards Excellence
Background of the school Samtengang Central (HS) School is located in Nyisho Gewog under Wangduephodrang
Wangdue Dzongkhag
BCSEA
Royal Education Council
Security Clearance online
Office No:77107653
Principal: 17699362
Office Assisstant: +975-
Matron: +975-17412055
Email : wd.samtengangcs@education.gov.bt
Copyrights © 2018. All rights reserved. | Designed by samtengangcs.edu.bt
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John Kerry Says Israeli, Palestinian Peace Deal Could Be Achieved By the End of April
Recently spoke with Abbas and Netanyahu
Reason Staff | 12.13.2013 11:00 AM
(Reuters)—U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday a final Middle East peace deal was still scheduled to be achieved by the end of April, and that Israel would release more Palestinian prisoners on December 29.
Speaking after separate talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Kerry told reporters:
"We're not talking at this point about any shifts (in the scheduled deadline) and the next tranche of prisoners is due to take place on 29th of December and it will take place then."
NEXT: Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Firm Invests $25 Million in Bitcoin Company
Israel Palestine John Kerry
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Australia: Afghan asylum-seeker guilty of groping girls
02/14/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment
LOL! An earlier story called it the “Dog-paddle swim sex defence!”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/dogpaddle-swim-sex-defence-afghan-asylum-seeker-mohammad-salem-nazari-says-alleged-assaults-on-teen-girls-were-accidents/story-fni0cx12-1226781048267
Just so you know that problems with so-called “asylum seekers,” and the question of detaining them, is happening all over the world, here is a case in Australia—a guy named Mohammed can’t resist the infidel girls. Ho hum! What else is new?
From the Daily Telegraph (hat tip: ‘pungentpeppers):
AN asylum seeker who “traumatised” seven teenage girls by indecently groping them in the Sydney Olympic Park pool had only been in Australia for six months, a court has heard.
Mohammed Salem Nazari pleaded guilty at Burwood Local Court yesterday to two charges of indecent assault on two 18-year-old girls and five offences of indecently assaulting a person under the age of 16 at the pool.
The 33-year-old, who doesn’t speak English, assaulted the girls — the youngest aged 14 — in the Rapid River Ride whirlpool within 25 minutes on December 8.
The asylum seeker had recently arrived in Australia from Afghanistan and was on a bridging visa.
His lawyer told Burwood Local Court last year that Nazari was “a poor or non-swimmer” and only came into contact with the girls due to the current in the pool.
After initially pleading not guilty to the charges during an unsuccessful bail application late last year, Nazari reversed that yesterday and admitted all of the accusations.
Here is that interpreter issue again! ($$$$ for Australian taxpayers)
Nazari required a Dari interpreter during all of his court appearances.
In Australia they have this so-called ‘bridging visa’ which allows some asylum seekers to roam free, and Nazari’s visa was cancelled when charges were filed. This is one more case that argues for detention.
Just a reminder! We learned this week that only a tiny fraction of “asylum seekers” are held in detention in the US.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison’s office confirmed in December that Nazari’s visa had been cancelled and court papers said he was the “subject of an immigration hold”.
It came after a Coalition crackdown on asylum seekers and bridging visa holders in trouble with the law.
Under the previous government some asylum seekers remained in the community while facing charges with revocations considered on a case-by-case basis.
After serving his sentence, Nazari is expected to be deported. Frankly, he is too dumb to be allowed to stay.
Federal contractor, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, lectures Israel
Invasion of Rome! Been there, done that!
http://www.artclon.com/paintings/genserichs-invasion-of-rome-study-1833-1835_23625.html
I have a question for Mark Hetfield, CEO of one of nine major federal refugee resettlement contractors: Is there any number of “asylum seekers” or “refugees” that is too many for you? If 60,000 migrants wanting to stay in Israel is not very many in your eyes, where does it stop? Would 100,000 be the upper limit? How about a quarter of a million?
Is there any number of infiltrators that is too many?
Or, should Israel simply do away with borders altogether and let any Africans (or Arabs) who wish it, go to tiny Israel?
I get so ticked-off by these do-gooder big mouths telling another country what to do, whether it’s Israel, Bulgaria or tiny Malta. Do those countries and their citizens simply say—come one and all and destroy our country?
Here is Hetfield at the Washington Jewish Week last month (Jewish values*, refugees, lost opportunities):
Nearly 60,000 Africans fleeing war, oppression and violence have sought refuge in Israel, a prosperous and democratic country established in 1948 by refugees themselves.
These asylum seekers were not just fleeing from oppression, but to a prosperous and
democratic country. While Israel’s courts have protected them and new Israeli friends have defended them, the welcome asylum seekers have received has been less than warm. In fact, the official government term for these individuals is “infiltrators,” and they are unofficially known as “illegal work migrants.” Concentrated in the poorest neighborhoods, supporting themselves by working only on the gray market, labeled a threat by the government, and living on the margins of society, their treatment has exacerbated social tensions in places like South Tel Aviv.
The Israeli government’s response was to build a fence to prevent new unauthorized border crossings. By all accounts, the fence has been a success, with crossings now close to zero.
The success of the fence, by limiting the potential for new arrivals, presented Israel with an opportunity to demonstrate the Jewish values of human dignity, refugee protection and treating the stranger among us as thyself. The Israeli government could have pursued this opportunity simply by ceasing to call asylum seekers “infiltrators,” and by allowing those already in Israel to remain and work legally, until it is safe to return home.
There is more if you care to read it. And, Hetfield knows damn well they will never go “home” to Africa!
Come on Mark, what is YOUR upper limit? And, where is your editorial about Saudi Arabia, did I miss it? They deport tens of thousands of Africans weekly we are told. Got a lecture for them too?
I wonder how many ‘leaders’ like Hetfield it took to bring down the mighty Roman empire.
For our complete archive on Israel and the problems it is having with economic migrants (faux asylum seekers), click here.
* LOL! Have you noticed that the latest hip word for the open borders crowd is “values.” Grover Norquist used it here just this week as well. “Jewish values!” “American values!” Blah, blah, blah!
Guest column: Norwegian ‘Dream Act’ Failure Led to Teenaged Mother’s Murder
Editor’s note: From time to time we publish a guest column. This one is from our reader ‘pungentpeppers’ who has been indispensable in finding us some incredible stories to post.
The teenaged mother was stabbed in the shower by her husband, who was not named in media accounts.
http://www.dagbladet.no/2013/06/13/nyheter/innenriks/drap/bortforing/27696856/
Immigration Law Designed to Protect Children Backfires
A murder case in Norway reveals an Afghan man married a much younger, underage wife, and intended to use her for immigration benefits. When she and their child were granted temporary residency (as unaccompanied minors), but she failed to file for her husband who was living illegally in Norway, the husband killed her. Norwegian prosecutors cite the husband’s motive for murder as “jealousy”.
The victim’s name is Fahezeh Ahmadi. The husband has not been identified. Fahezeh was only 14 when she was married off to her 26-year-old cousin in Afghanistan. A year later she gave birth to a baby daughter. After a time, the family left Afghanistan and headed to Norway, arriving in March 2013. Once in Norway, the teenager sought asylum with her daughter. She filed on the basis that she she was “unaccompanied” having become separated from her husband while traveling.
As a minor apparently alone in Norway with a child, she was granted temporary residence and was living in an asylum center on Norway’s south coast.
However, Fahezeh was not alone – her husband was in Norway, illegally, and may have been staying with Fahezeh’s sister!
In June 2013, Fahezeh applied for leave from the asylum center to visit her sister living in Grua, a small town some distance away. While she was taking a shower at her sister’s home, Fahezeh’s husband stabbed her three times, killing her. The husband then fled, snatching their two-year-old daughter.
The motherless two-year old was found in Italy.
After a search spanning several countries, Fehezeh’s husband was arrested in Italy, and both he and the child were returned to Norway. The husband admitted to killing his wife. Last week, the now 29-year-old was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the murder that the court believed was pre-meditated. The killer plans to appeal.
Norwegian society’s best intentions were expressed by laws guaranteeing immigration rights to children. However, those laws killed Fahezeh. Fahezeh met her fate because she failed to deliver the goods that were expected by her husband – goods that he believed were his right under Norwegian law – legal residency for himself as the spouse of a woman who applied for asylum while still a minor.
Our world has too many unscrupulous, predatory and manipulative adults. Sometimes it is the parents who send their children off “alone” – often to a dangerous and uncertain fate – with the expectation that they will obtain residency and then produce immigration papers for the rest of the family. Other times, the culprits are the husbands of vulnerable young girls – as in Fahezeh’s tragic Norwegian saga.
“Exactly what the powers of hell feed on: the best instincts in man.” – author Philip K. Dick
Note to foreign readers: The “Dream Act” is a proposed law that would grant residency rights and ultimately citizenship to children who are illegally present in the U.S. When Congress didn’t pass the bill, President Obama, with the stroke of a pen, created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which gives illegal alien minors the right to stay and work in the US (and go to college at taxpayer expense!). The US is also experiencing an explosion in ‘unaccompanied minors’ arrivals (like Fahezeh in Norway) who come under the care of contractors hired by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
For further reading about this tragic case:
http://www.newsinenglish.no/2014/02/07/afghan-murder-defendant-sentenced/
http://www.newsinenglish.no/2014/01/14/man-finally-admits-to-killing-his-wife/
http://www.newsinenglish.no/2013/06/16/murder-suspect-arrested-in-rome/
Gov. Sam Brownback: Don’t bring those Somalis to Kansas!
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, friend of Norquist, we love refugees, just not Somalis in Kansas!
A few days ago, likely spearheaded by Grover Norquist and his sidekick Suhail Kahn***, a group of Republican open borders enthusiasts made a public appeal to bring in more refugees and remove barriers (what? those terrorism bars) preventing them from entering the country. Said the ten:
Our policies toward refugees are at the heart of our American values.
One of those signing the letter, here, asking for more refugees, was none other than former Senator Sam Brownback, now Kansas governor, who, even as he sat on a key immigration subcommittee in the US Senate, said of the Somali Bantus whose resettlement he was advocating for some other communities in America—DON’T SEND ‘EM TO KANSAS!
You can read more about this Republican’s hypocrisy here at VDARE in 2003. The New York Times obliquely referred to Brownback’s backpedaling here.
***Don’t miss the damning report on Norquist and Kahn just released by the Center for Security Policy—Islamists’ assault on the right, enabling the Muslim Brotherhood in America!
So, much for those American values—-just not in Brownback’s backyard!
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Editor: Ann Corcoran
Welcome to the new RRW!
Refugee Resettlement Watch was originally launched in 2007 as the go-to site for factual information on the US Refugee Admissions Program.
Over the years RRW covered many topics relating to refugees here and around the world.
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Arizona: Refugees Not Working! Lutheran ‘Religious’ Charity Wants More and so does Gov!
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Building future sustainability and democratic practices: The role of adult education in post-conflict communities
Georgia Lysaght, University of WollongongFollow
Peter Kell, The Hong Kong Institute of Education
G. Lysaght & P. Kell, 'Building future sustainability and democratic practices: The role of adult education in post-conflict communities' (2011) 9 (1-2) International Journal of Training Research 152-163.
This paper documents and analyses a range of literature and policy statements that identifies issues and looks at the role which adult education plays in building communities and peace in post-conflict states. This paper explores and documents these developments in countries in close proximity to Australia which have been viewed by the former Australian government as constituting an 'arc of instability'. This is a term which will be critically discussed in the paper for the way in which it positions the nations of the Pacific and Australia's foreign policy as well as its aid and development policy. This paper reviews existing orthodox approaches to the region and development and discusses the criticisms that have been levelled at the status quo
http://dx.doi.org/10.5172/ijtr.9.1-2.152
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Hans Christian Andersen, the film, was produced in the spring of 1952 and released on 25 November in New York, with general release following in December that year. It was one of the top ten grossing films of the year, but was not well received in Andersen's hometown of Odense, when it was released in Denmark in September 1953. It was nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Color Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Set Decoration (Color), Best Costume Design (Color), Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (Walter Scharf), Best Song ('Thumbelina'), and Best Sound Recording. Decca (US) recorded the soundtrack in August that year and the songs were originally released as a series of four 78rpm singles, with two songs per disc, a 45rpm album, and a ten-inch LP. Danny Kaye took the lead, and when the album was reissued (on Decca and MCA) on a twelve-inch LP, four further tracks were added: Tubby the Tuba as well as it's less-well-known sequel, Tubby the Tuba at the Circus, and two additional songs written by Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine. Now, for the first time on a Universal Music label, the original tapes have been retrieved from the archive and newly remastered for release on Eloquence.
Label: ELOQUENCE AUSTRALIA
Hans Christian Andersen (Aus)
Artist: Danny Kaye
1. I'm Hans Christian Andersen
2. Anywhere I Wander
4. The Inch Worm
5. Thumbelina
6. No Two People [with Jane Wyman]
7. The King's New Clothes
8. Wonderful Copenhagen
9. Tubby the Tuba 1
10. Tubby the Tuba at the Circus 1
11. Uncle Pockets 1
12. There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
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Featured Poetsender2019-09-28T09:33:08+00:00
EMTITHAL ‘EMI’ MAHMOUDPOET/ACTIVIST
Emtithal ‘Emi’ Mahmoud is a Sudanese poet and an activist who won the 2015 Individual World Poetry Slam championship. In 2018, she became an UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. Mahmoud was born in Darfur, Sudan and moved with her family to Yemen when she was a toddler.
Mahmoud first encountered spoken word poetry as an undergraduate at Yale University. She joined ¡Oyé!, a spoken-word group affiliated with the Latino Cultural Center on campus, then the Yale Slam Team. Mahmoud was chosen as one of the BBC’s 100 Most Inspirational Women in 2015, and wrote the poem ‘The Things She Told Me’ to mark the honour. She published her debut poetry collection, ‘Sister’s Entrance’, in 2018.
George LilangaARTIST
George Lilanga was born in southern Tanzania in around 1934 into the Makonde tribe, a indigenous group renowned for their rich sculptural traditions and ritual dances. He began his career as a carver and sculptor, and hosted his first international exhibition in 1978 to much critical acclaim. His paintings draw on his Makonde heritage, showcasing the culture and mythology of his tribe, and also serve as a social critique on contemporary African culture. All his works are whimsical and underscored with a sense of humour, and include vibrant colours and mythical figures. Lilanga’s art has found its way into private collections and exhibitions all around the world.
LADAN OSMANPOET
Ladan Osman was born in Somalia. She earned a BA at Otterbein College and an MFA at the University of Texas at Austin’s Michener Center for Writers. Her chapbook, Ordinary Heaven, appears in Seven New Generation African Poets (Slapering Hol Press, 2014). Her full-length collection The Kitchen-Dweller’s Testimony (University of Nebraska Press, 2015) won the Sillerman First Book Prize. Her work has appeared in Apogee, The Normal School, Prairie Schooner, Transition Magazine, and Waxwing.
Osman has received fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center, Cave Canem, and the Michener Center. She is a contributing editor at The Offing and lives in Chicago.
LIYOU LIBSEKALPOET
Liyou Libsekal is an Ethiopian poet living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She grew up travelling and living mainly in East Africa. Her poems were featured in the 2015 African Poetry Book Fund’s New Generation African Poets series. In 2014, Libsekal was the winner of the Brunel University African Poetry Prize.
Libsekal briefly moved to the United States, where she obtained a BA in Anthropology from George Washington University in 2012. Her poetry explores themes of home, identity and displacement. Her work has been included in Missing Slate Magazine, Badilisha Poetry and Cordite Poetry Review.
NGWATILO MAWIYOOPOET/EDITOR
Ngwatilo Mawiyoo is a Kenyan Poet and editor. She has a BA in Music from St Lawrence University, and her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. In her previous life, Ngwatilo was as an actress for theater, TV and film and she credits this background for her distinctive spoken word/performance poetry style, though she’s the happiest creating work for the page.
A Callaloo Fellow, and twice shortlisted for the Brunel University African Poetry Prize, Ngwatilo has been a Bundanon Trust Residency recipient through The Africa Centre. She is currently at work on her full-length manuscript in poetry, Witness & Dream. The collection explores the lived experience of the diverse rural Kenyan communities with whom she lived between 2012 and 2013. Ngwatilo’s poems have appeared in Transition, Poetry is Dead, Obsidian, Kwani?, and One Throne Magazine among other journals. She works for a digital lifestyle magazine in Nairobi, following a period of time in advertising.
HOPE WABUKEPOET/ESSAYIST/WRITER
Hope Wabuke is a Ugandan American poet, essayist and writer. She is the author of the chapbooks Her, The Leaving, and Movement No.1: Trains, a contributing editor for The Root, and has published widely in various magazines, among them The Guardian, The Sun, Creative Nonfiction Magazine, The Daily Beast and many more elsewhere.
Hope has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Book Critics Circle, The New York Times Foundation, the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund for Women Writers, the Awesome Foundation, Yale University’s THREAD Writer’s Program, and the Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA). She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best New Poets, and Best of the Net Awards, and was a finalist for the 2017 International Poetry Award.
LOYCE GAYOACTIVIST/POET
Loyce Gayo is a Tanzanian-born creative, activist and teaching artist. Her work is influenced by her experience in the African Diaspora and celebrates the journey of a people dispersed. Gayo was the slam champion of the UT Spitshine poetry slam team, which won the 2014 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI). Her poems have been featured by Button Poetry, Write About Now, Badilisha Poetry, Fields Magazine and PBS. She teaches for Writers in the Schools and founded Paza Sauti, a creative writing and performance initiative for East African youths.
MAAZA MENGISTEWRITER /AUTHOR
Maaza Mengiste is an Ethiopian-American writer and author of the 2010 novel ‘Beneath the Lion’s Gaze’. Mengiste was born in 1974 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but left at the age of four when her family fled the Ethiopian Revolution. She spent the rest of her childhood in Nigeria, Kenya, and the United States. She later studied in Italy as a Fulbright Scholar and earned an MFA degree in creative writing from New York University. Her debut novel ‘Beneath the Lion’s Gaze’ was named one of the 10 best contemporary African books by The Guardian. Mengiste’s upcoming novel, ‘The Shadow King’, is set to release this upcoming autumn.
JAMILA OSMANWRITER/EDUCATOR
Jamila Osman is a writer and educator living in Portland, Oregon. Her work spans a broad range of issues, ranging from the tension between place and identity, to immigration and border justice, to education and race. Her essays and poems have appeared in numerous literary and news publications, including Al Jazeera, Boaat Press, Catapult and Teen Vogue. She has received fellowships and residencies from Caldera, Djerassi, the Macdowell Colony and other places.
More recently, Osman was shortlisted for the 2019 Brunel International African Poetry Prize and was named as a winner alongside Nadra Mabrouk of Egypt. She is also currently working on a memoir chronicling her parents’ displacement from Somalia, and the death of her sister Ayan in 2014. It is a meditation on the way trauma and memory are passed on across geography and between generations.
SULAIMAN ADDONIAAUTHOR/NOVELIST
Sulaiman Addonia is a novelist who fled Eritrea as a refugee in childhood. He spent his early life in a refugee camp in Sudan following the Om Hajar massacre in 1976, and in his early teens he lived and studied in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He arrived in London as an underage unaccompanied refugee without a word of English and went on to earn an MA in Development Studies from SOAS and a BSc in Economics from UCL. The Consequences of Love was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and was translated into more than 20 languages. Sulaiman Addonia currently lives in Brussels where he has launched a creative writing academy for refugees and asylum seekers. Silence is My Mother Tongue is his second novel.
DALIA ELHASSANPOET/WRITER
Dalia Elhassan is a Sudanese-American poet and writer by way of Miami and lives in NYC. Her work has placed in several competitions in the past and is featured in a number of publications, including The Kenyon Review, the Sierra Nevada Review, The Oakland Arts Review, and Rattle #59. She is the recipient of the Hajja Razia Sharif Sheikh Prize for nonfiction and was shortlisted for the 2018 Brunel International African Poetry Prize. Dalia has spoken and performed at venues including the 2017 Justice Speaks! Conference at Seattle Pacific University.
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What does the "GP" column represent?
The heading for this column is GP. This column represents the number of round robin games that have been played by this team.
What does the "W" column represent?
The heading for this column is a W. This column represents the number of round robin games that resulted in a win for this team.
What does the "L" column represent?
The heading for this column is an L. This column represents the number of round robin games that resulted in a loss for this team.
What does the "T" column represent?
The heading for this column is a T. This column represents the numbor of round robin games that resulted in a tie.
What does the first % column represent?
The heading for this column is a %. This column represents the win/loss percentage. It is determined by dividing the number of wins by the number of games played.
This column may not appear for your event, if it is not used in the standings calculation.
What does the "GF" column represent?
The heading for this column is a "GF" (Goals For). It may also include a number. It represents the total number of goals scored in round robin games. If a number is also show, such as 4, the total will only include up to 4 goals per game. In that case if a team played 3 games and they scored 1,7 and 3 goals respectively, in their three games, the total would be 8, since only the first four goals in their second game would count.
What does the "GA" column represent?
The heading for this column is "GA" (Goals Against). It may also include a number. It represents the total number of goals scored against this team in round robin games. If a number is also show, such as 4, the total will only include up to 4 goals per game. In that case if a team played 3 games and they gave up 1, 7 and 3 goals respectively, in their three games, the total would be 8, since only the first four goals scored against them in their second game would count.
What does the second % column represent?
The heading for this column is a %. This column represents the goals scored (by this team) / total goals (by both teams) percentage. It is determined by dividing the number of goals scored by this team by the number of goals scored by both teams. This calculation takes into account the maximum number of goals counted by the event (the number that appears next to the + and minus.
What does the "GD" column represent?
The heading for this column is "GD" (Goal Differential). It may also include a number. It represents the net goal differential (the number of goals scored less the number of goals given up) in round robin games. If a number is also show, such as 4, the total will only include up to 4 goals per game. In that case if a team played 3 games and they had goal differentials of -1, +7 and +3 goals respectively, in their three games, the total would be +6, since the maximum differential was reached in their second game and only a four goal differential would be included from that game.
What does the "Pts" column represent?
The heading for this column is Pts (points). It represents the total number of points this team has earned in round robin games played.
What does the "TB" column represent?
The heading for this column is TB (tie-breaker). When two teams are tied in points earned for round robin play, the determination of which team comes first is calculated using a specific set of tie-breakers identified by the event management prior to the start of the event. They can be found in the rules sheet. This column shows the tier breaker number that places one team ahead of the other. You can click on the tie breaker number to see an explanation. Occasionally, teams will remain tied after all the tie breakers are applied and the event must use another rule to break the tie, such as a shootout or a coin toss.
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Somatic Podcast
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Podcasts We Like
Race, Social Media, and Yoga – Ep 16
Shanice Jones Cameron, PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In this second part of our mini-series on the history and politics of yoga, we play our recent interview with Shanice Jones Cameron about her research on Black women and their engagement yoga through social media. Our previous episode concerned the popularization of yoga in twentieth-century American culture and the ways in which yoga was transformed into a “spiritual commodity” in the consumer marketplace. Not every community enjoys equal access to this spiritual commodity. However, as Shanice Jones Cameron explains, today modern postural yoga remains “a form of exercise that remains exclusive to a privileged subset of the population,” while the typical yoga practitioner, as it appears in advertisements and popular culture, tend to be White, female, and middle-class. This leads to important questions concerning the politics of representation in contemporary yoga culture.
In a 2019 essay for the academic journal Race and Yoga, Shanice Jones Cameron examined how social media platforms like Instagram can be used to create digital spaces for Black women and to highlight their engagement with yoga. She specifically explored the popular Instagram page Black Girl Yoga, detailing how it highlights Black/African American yoginis and works to increase their visibility in popular culture. In this episode, Shanice discusses her research the intersections of race and representation in contemporary yoga culture, and explains the increasing importance of highlight Black women’s engagement with yoga through social media pages like Black Girl Yoga.
Shanice Jones Cameron earned a M.A. in Communication from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and she is currently is a third year PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Department of Communication. Her research areas of interest include media studies, critical health communication, and Black feminism. Specifically, Shanice explores black women’s health and well-being discourses on social media. She has a keen interest in highlighting online spaces where Black women produce knowledge about their own bodies and lived experiences in terms of holistic health and well-being. Her work has been featured in Race and Yoga, and she is currently working on a qualitative research study about Black women long distance runners on Instagram. She is also the host of Her Guided Evolution, a weekly podcast intended to promote well-being, self-care, and personal growth among Black women.
Suggested Links:
Shanice Jones Cameron’s recent article “Be Still, Be Present: Black Girl Yoga and Digital Counter Spaces,” published in the journal Race and Yoga.
Here is the website for Black Girl Yoga, the group Cameron discusses in her article.
A New York Times article from July 27, 2020 titled “Black Yoga Collectives Aim to Make Space for Healing“.
A 2018 article on Medium asking, “Why are Black Women Lacking Visibility in Yoga Spaces?“
Lakshmi Nair’s recent article, “When Even Spirit Has No Place to Call Home: Cultural Appropriation, Microagressions, and Structural Racism in the Yoga Workplace,” published in the journal Race and Yoga.
Sound Acknowledgements: Three sound clips in the episode were obtained from Freesound.org. The links to the sound clips can be found here, here, and here.
The History and Politics of Modern Yoga – Ep 15
The ‘Final Stretch’ of the Election ‘Race’: American Politics and Sporting Metaphors, A Brief History – Ep 17
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Five-Car Pile Up on Bishop’s West Line Street
By News Staff on September 2, 2010 in Past Posts
An accident on West Line Street just before 8 am Thursday morning, that left two people with minor injuries, would have been more likely on the busy metropolitan streets of Los Angeles. A five car pile-up resulted when a motorist traveling east on Line street rear ended a vehicle ahead and three more cars collided, one after another, into the accident.
The accident happened just west of the intersection with Pioneer Street, less than a block away from Northern Inyo Hospital.
The responding officer, Sgt. Dave Jepson, said two units from Bishop Police Department and two units from CHP responded to the scene. Symons Ambulance service took the two injured parties to the hospital with minor injuries.
The names of those involved have not been released. When asked, Sgt. Jepson said there was no indication of any substance abuse or gross negligence. The cause of the accident is still pending investigation.
The direction of travel and point at which this accident occurred has a speed limit transition from 45 miles per hour down to 35 miles per hour. Motorists are reminded to adhere to the speed limit and keep a safe following distance at all times, especially during the morning hours when children may be present and on their way to school.
Your New Pet: Golden Retriever or a Husky Mix
“Change of Culture” in Town Government Leaves Several Jobless
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Mammoth’s First Mayor Has Died
By News Staff on September 22, 2008 in Past Posts
He was the first mayor of Mammoth Lakes – just one achievement in a long life of hard work. Boyd Lemmon has now died at the age of 87.
According to friends and family, Boyd started work at the age of 7, selling the local paper downtown. At 14, he worked construction building a river dam. After high school, Boyd went to work for the Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Oregon. During World War II, he was a combat infantry officer in the South Pacific. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Boyd later became a Certified Public Accountant. He was later hired as a financial officer and he and wife Mary moved to Southern California. Boyd moved into the position of Executive Vice President of a large auto organization. He retired in his late 40s, and he and Mary became permanent residents of Mammoth in 1976.
Lemmon served on the Mono County Planning Commission, Chairman of the Mammoth Incorporation Committee and Mammoth's first mayor in 1984. He will be remembered for his work to closely watch the new town's finances.
Boyd Lemmon was living in the Laguna Woods area of Southern California. He had suffered from stomach cancer. Services were held in Corona del Mar earlier this month.
Donors For Mammoth Man Boost Blood Drive
Ranch Water Issue Unresolved
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A duchy is a territory or domain ruled by a duke or duchess. Historically, some duchies in Continental Europe were sovereign, while others (especially in France and Britain) were subordinate districts of a kingdom.
Traditionally, a grand duchy, such as Luxembourg, was generally independent and sovereign. Sovereign duchies were common in the Holy Roman Empire and German-speaking areas. In France, a number of duchies existed in the medieval period. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom still holds the medieval French title of Duke of Normandy; the only lands still attached to the Duchy of Normandy are the Channel Islands.
In medieval England, the territories of Lancashire and Cornwall were made duchies, with certain powers given to their Dukes.
The Duchy of Cornwall - On the Prince of Wales' official web-site
Tyr Gwyr Gweryn The Duchy charters, Cornish foreshore case and much more in full
This short article can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duchy&oldid=4214308"
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Ptolemaic dynasty
Ptolemy I Soter.
The Ptolemaic dynasty, also known as the Lagids or Lagidae, was a Macedonian Greek[1][2][3][4][5] royal family who ruled over Egypt. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC. They were the last dynasty of ancient Egypt.
Ptolemy, was one of Alexander the Great's generals and deputies. He was appointed satrap of Egypt after Alexander's death in 323 BC. In 305 BC, he declared himself King Ptolemy I, later known as "Soter" (savior). The Egyptians soon accepted the Ptolemies as the successors to the pharaohs of independent Egypt. Unlike their previous rulers under the Achaemenid Empire, they usually lived in Egypt. Ptolemy's family ruled Egypt until the Roman conquest of 30 BC.
All the male rulers of the dynasty took the name Ptolemy. Ptolemaic queens, some of whom were the sisters of their husbands, were usually called Cleopatra, Arsinoe or Berenice. The most famous, was the last queen, Cleopatra VII. She was involved in the Roman political battles between Julius Caesar and Pompey, and later between Octavian and Mark Antony. Her death marked the end of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.
1 Ptolemaic rulers and consorts
2 Other members of the Ptolemaic dynasty
3 Medical analysis
4 Gallery of images
Ptolemaic rulers and consorts[change | change source]
Dates in brackets represent the ruling dates of the Ptolemaic pharaohs. They often ruled jointly with their wives, who were often also their sisters. Several queens exercised royal authority, but the most famous and successful was Cleopatra VII (51–30 BC), with her two brothers and her son as successive nominal co-rulers. Several systems exist for numbering the later rulers; the one used here is the one most widely used by modern scholars.
Ptolemy I Soter (305–282 BC)[source?] married first (probably) Thaïs, secondly Artakama, thirdly Eurydice and finally Berenice I
Ptolemy II Philadelphus (282 BC–246 BC) married Arsinoe I, then Arsinoe II Philadelphus; ruled jointly with Ptolemy I Epigone (267–259 BC)
Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–221 BC) married Berenice II
Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–203 BC) married Arsinoe III
Ptolemy V Epiphanes (203–181 BC) married Cleopatra I
Ptolemy VI Philometor (181–164 BC, 163–145 BC) married Cleopatra II, briefly ruled jointly with Ptolemy Eupator in 152 BC
Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator (never reigned)
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (Physcon) (170–163 BC, 145–116 BC) married Cleopatra II then Cleopatra III; temporarily expelled from Alexandria by Cleopatra II between 131 BC and 127 BC, reconciled with her in 124 BC.
Cleopatra II Philometora Soteira (131–127 BC), in opposition to Ptolemy VIII
Cleopatra III Philometor Soteira Dikaiosyne Nikephoros (Kokke) (116–101 BC) ruled jointly with Ptolemy IX (116–107 BC) and Ptolemy X (107–101 BC)
Ptolemy IX Soter II (Lathyros) (116–107 BC, 88–81 BC as Soter II) married Cleopatra IV then Cleopatra Selene; ruled jointly with Cleopatra III in his first reign
Ptolemy X Alexander I (107–88 BC) married Cleopatra Selene then Berenice III; ruled jointly with Cleopatra III till 101 BC
Berenice III Philopator (81–80 BC)
Ptolemy XI Alexander II (80 BC) married and ruled jointly with Berenice III before murdering her; ruled alone for 19 days after that.
Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (Auletes) (80–58 BC, 55–51 BC) married Cleopatra V Tryphaena
Cleopatra V Tryphaena (58–57 BC) ruled jointly with Berenice IV Epiphaneia (58–55 BC) and Cleopatra VI Tryphaena (58 BC)
Cleopatra VII Philopator (51–30 BC) ruled jointly with Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (51–47 BC), Ptolemy XIV (47–44 BC) and Ptolemy XV Caesarion (44–30 BC).
Arsinoe IV (48–47 BC) in opposition to Cleopatra VII
Other members of the Ptolemaic dynasty[change | change source]
Ptolemy Keraunos (died 279 BC) - eldest son of Ptolemy I Soter. Eventually became king of Macedon.
Ptolemy Apion (died 96 BC) - son of Ptolemy VIII Physcon. Made king of Cyrenaica. Bequeathed Cyrenaica to Rome.
Ptolemy Philadelphus (born 36 BC) - son of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII.
Ptolemy of Mauretania (died AD 40) - son of Juba II of Mauretania and Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. King of Mauretania.
Medical analysis[change | change source]
Members of the Ptolemaic dynasty were described as extremely obese. Their sculptures and coins show prominent eyes and swollen necks. Graves' disease within the family could explain the swollen necks and eye prominence (exophthalmos), although this is unlikely if they were simply obese.
Members of this dynasty likely suffered from a multi-organ fibrotic condition such as Erdheim–Chester disease or a familial multifocal fibrosclerosis. With this condition, then thyroiditis, obesity and ocular proptosis can all occur at the same time.[6]
Gallery of images[change | change source]
Ptolemy of Macedon founded the Ptolemaic Dynasty.
Cleopatra II (right)
Ptolemy XIII and Isis
Ptolemy XV, commonly called Caesarion.
↑ Jones, Prudence J. (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 14. They were members of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Macedonian Greeks, who ruled Egypt after the death of its conqueror, Alexander the Great.
↑ Pomeroy, Sarah B. (1990). Women in Hellenistic Egypt. Wayne State University Press. p. 16. while Ptolemaic Egypt was a monarchy with a Greek ruling class.
↑ Redford, Donald B., ed. (2000). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. Cleopatra VII was born to Ptolemy XII Auletes (80–57 BCE, ruled 55–51 BCE) and Cleopatra, both parents being Macedonian Greeks.
↑ Bard, Kathryn A., ed. (1999). Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge. p. 488. Ptolemaic kings were still crowned at Memphis and the city was popularly regarded as the Egyptian rival to Alexandria, founded by the Macedonian Greeks.
↑ Bard, Kathryn A., ed. (1999). Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge. p. 687. During the Ptolemaic period, when Egypt was governed by rulers of Greek descent...
↑ Ashrafian, Hutan (2005). "Familial proptosis and obesity in the Ptolemies". J. R. Soc. Med. 98 (2): 85–86.
Further reading[change | change source]
Susan Stephens, Seeing Double. Intercultural Poetics in Ptolemaic Alexandria (Berkeley, 2002).
A. Lampela, Rome and the Ptolemies of Egypt. The development of their political relations 273-80 B.C. (Helsinki, 1998).
J. G. Manning, The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30 BC (Princeton, 2009).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ptolemaic dynasty.
Livius, Ptolemies by Jona Lendering
WorldCat Identities: viaf-42634079
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ptolemaic_dynasty&oldid=6874200"
This page was last changed on 19 March 2020, at 22:05.
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This Is What Happens When You Wring Out A Wet Cloth In Space
Peter Murray
[Source: Canadian Space Agency via YouTube]
The weightlessness of space makes it a unique place to conduct experiments that can’t be done on Earth, like growing perfect protein crystals, finding out how rat memory changes in zero G, and finding out what happens when you ring out a soaked washcloth.
This last, gripping experiment was the responsibility of Canadian astronaut, Commander Chris Hadfield, but it was designed by two tenth grade students from Lockview High School in Fall River, Nova Scotia. The demonstration is now on YouTube, and it’s gone viral, averaging about a million views per day for five days. Kendra Lemke and Meredith Faulkner designed the “Ring it out” experiment when their teacher, John Munro, challenged them to think how a microgravity environment might affect experiments. They hypothesized that the cloth would not drip in the weightlessness of space, but rather cling to the washcloth as it’s wrung.
This is pretty off-topic for us Hubbers, but who doesn’t like a well-formulated hypothesis clearly tested – it’s science at its finest. Of course, it’s in space too, which makes it that much cooler.
Peter Murray was born in Boston in 1973. He earned a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore studying gene expression in the neocortex. Following his dissertation work he spent three years as a post-doctoral fellow at the same university studying brain mechanisms of pain and motor control. He completed a collection of short stories in 2010 and has been writing for Singula...
Follow Peter:
The World’s Oldest Story? Astronomers Say Global Myths About ‘Seven Sisters’ Stars May Reach Back 100,000 Years
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CAMPUS & CITY
‘RITE IDEA
RAIDER ZONE
The Shake
The Shakerite
Welfare-State Socialism, A Critique of American Progressives
Patrick Wise, Guest 'Riter|November 27, 2018
Alona Miller
In 2016, many American voters, particularly younger ones, flocked to the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders. They saw in him an authentic candidate for social and economic change. These young progressives soon began to join progressive organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America, which has seen its membership skyrocket since the election.
Despite the excitement around these ideas, it is vital to better understand this phenomenon. Bernie Sanders, and his largely millennial base of supporters called for redistribution of income and wealth in the face of the largest inequality in our lifetimes.
The plan to do so included a single-payer healthcare system, tuition-free public college and expansion of social security and other benefits, all financed by taxes on the wealthy and large corporations.
Such policies have also been advocated by my gubernatorial and congressional candidates such as Andrew Gillum in Florida and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York.
While this movement has given many on the left a sense of hope, it, has also ignored one of the cornerstones of progressive ideas and thought, workers’ ownership and control over the workplace, and has instead shifted it focus to an expansion of the social welfare state.
This is, arguably, a large error not realized by the modern-day progressives that are increasingly active in American politics.
Decades ago, the United States had a more progressive and redistributive welfare state that covered more of the cost of college and offered more nutrition programs and assistance to the poor which reduced poverty, particularly among female-headed families.
However, starting in the 1970s under Jimmy Carter, these programs were gradually scaled back to a very large extent. This, of course continued throughout the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush I and Bill Clinton.
In addition to these reforms and cuts, President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act cut Medicare. Also, the current Republican-controlled congress has cut taxes for the wealthy and corporations while also cutting nutrition programs, as well as housing benefits. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “In 2019 the budget cuts HUD programs by $6.8 billion (or 14.2%) below the 2017 level.”
Cuts to Social Security and Medicare have also been proposed as a way of paying for further tax cuts.
It should be recognized why these changes were implemented.
Fundamentally, the United States is a capitalist country that has an economy that is focused on endless growth in the overall economy as well as profits. This is its nature.
Simply increasing rates of taxation on privately-run corporations will give them more of a reason to try to and avoid these taxes as they often do.
They can also use welfare expansion and other aspects of the current progressive program for their own benefit.
One example of both of these phenomena is Walmart, which holds billions of dollars in tax havens to avoid taxes while their workers receive federal and state benefits, effectively subsidizing Walmart’s low wage-workforce.
None of this is to say that short-term expansion of benefits will not improve people’s lives. But we should realize that these progressive reforms will not last, even if they are ever implemented.
Progressives should instead be engaged in efforts to build cooperative enterprises, enterprises that are owned and controlled by their workers.
One successful example is Mondragon Federation in Spain which is a cooperative network of manufacturing, financial and other enterprises that is democratically managed and owned by their workers. It is one of the largest corporations in Spain and has over 74,000 workers.
There are other, smaller-scale examples in the United States, Latin America and elsewhere.
It is vital for the progressive movement to move away from hopefully pushing for progressive legislation and start building progressive workplaces and institutions that can deal with issues like income and wealth inequality more reliably, efficiently and effectively.
Comment using your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL or Hotmail account
One Response to “Welfare-State Socialism, A Critique of American Progressives”
Doug Vahey on November 28th, 2018 4:21 pm
Why go all the way to Spain for an example when the Democracy Collaborative built its first and best example– Evergreen Cooperatives (being replicated in different forms globally)– right here in Cleveland.
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The award-winning Shaker Heights High School student news organization
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The UFC 249 will indeed take place
magictr | April 24, 2020 | Sport | No Comments
The president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Dana White confirmed Friday that UFC 249 would take place in spite of the pandemic of sars coronavirus, and this, on the 9th of may next, to Jacksonville, Florida.
This is what White revealed during an interview with the network ESPN on Instagram. As announced earlier this month, Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje will ensure the final event with the challenge to the championship’s interim light weight. “Ferguson against Gaethje is probably one of the most vicious fighting that it is possible to organize,” said the UFC president.
Ten other fights of the card have been announced, including a clash between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz, and another between Francis Ngannou to Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
But this is not all. White has claimed that three other galas of its organization will be held on 13, 16 and 23 may. He also mentioned that one of these events would be presented in Jacksonville at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Of course, no gala will be accessible to the public, but will be broadcast on ESPN.
This rapid resumption of activities is encouraged by the decision of the State of Florida to consider all the sporting events professionals as “essential”, provided you keep them behind closed doors. On the side of the famous “Fight Island”, a private island, secret, sensible accommodate, in a little UFC fighters, Dana White stated that it was still in course of construction.
Moraes – the best player of the 18th round
Milan and inter want to sign to JAC
A tournament in the uncertainty
Expos: the match is almost perfect as seen by… Darrin Fletcher
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China Cross-Strait World
Posted On January 15, 2018 Staff 0
A regular feature of Taiwan Sentinel, ChinaWatch examines developments in China in the areas of internal politics, economics and trade, geopolitics and Taiwan engagement and analyzes their advantages or disadvantages for Taiwan’s standing in the region and the world. This feature is based on the premise that what happens in China has direct relevance for the durability of Taiwan’s de facto independence. ChinaWatch is updated monthly.
China Continues Pushing the Envelope
on Entering Japanese Territory
China has begun 2018 in the same spirit it ended 2017, pushing the envelope on entering disputed Japanese territorial waters.
Its latest incursion occurred Jan. 7, when it sent four coast guard vessels into waters off the Senkaku Islands, which China claims as its own under the name Diaoyu, and Taiwan as the Diaoyutai.
According to Japan’s Kyodo News, the Chinese vessels remained in the area for about 90 minutes, before acceding to Japanese coast guard demands to leave. At least one of the Chinese vessels was armed, Kyodo said.
The last Chinese incursion into the area occurred on Dec. 30.
Since 2012, when the Japanese government purchased most of the Senkakus from a private owner, China has been increasing its aerial and maritime presence in the area to underscore its unhappiness with Japanese control of the uninhabited islets. It is part of an escalating policy aimed at trying to convince both Japan and South Korea that they have no choice but to accommodate themselves to China’s rising political and military power.
Taiwan has also been the object of the same policy, particularly since Tsai Ing-wen’s inauguration in mid-2016, as more and more Chinese military assets have been holding drills in areas contiguous to Taipei’s maritime boundaries.
China’s more aggressive stance has intensified since the inauguration of Xi Jinping as China’s supreme leader in late 2012, not only vis à vis Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, but also in the South and East China Sea. This reflects both China’s rising military power, and what now appears to be a reduced willingness on the part of the U.S. to try to stand up to it effectively.
China Inaugurates Four New Civilian Flight Paths
in the Taiwan Strait, Thumbing its Nose at Taipei
China has unilaterally opened four new civilian flight paths in the Taiwan Strait in another show of contempt for the Tsai administration.
The Chinese move on the flight paths on Jan. 4 stands in direct contravention to agreements made by Taiwanese and Chinese air transport associations in 2015. Under the terms of those agreements, any decision to amend or modify existing flight paths needs to receive the imprimatur of the counter-party before going into effect.
Over the past year and a half, China has consistently gone out of its way to show its displeasure with President Tsai, largely because of her refusal to adopt the “one China” framework, under which Taiwan acknowledges that it is part of Chinese territory. Tsai’s predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, accepted the framework, which allowed for the conclusion of some 20 agreements between the sides. Since then, however, China has said that it is no longer willing to countenance Ma’s insistence that Taipei and Beijing might have differing definitions of what constitutes China. Rather, it says, Taiwan must now wed itself to Beijing’s claim that the only valid China is the People’s Republic, and not the Republic of China, as Ma maintained.
Reflecting Beijing’s unhappiness with Tsai’s stance on “one China,” it has adopted a series of measures aimed at increasing Taiwan’s international isolation and intimidating its citizens into submission. These include stepping up aerial and maritime military patrols on the fringes of Taiwanese territory, cutting off all contacts with the Taiwanese government, and attempting to squeeze Taiwan’s already miniscule international space, largely by poaching its diplomatic allies, and freezing it out of international and regional organizations.
The new move on the four Taiwan Strait flight paths appears to be part of the intensifying Chinese approach.
The flight paths involved are the north-south M503 route, which China claims is meant to relieve congestion for flights traveling between Hong Kong and Shanghai, and three other paths that follow east-west trajectories.
While the new paths are unlikely to require major changes in flight patterns for most aircraft entering and exiting Taiwanese airspace, it is thought that some modifications may be needed on routes between the Taiwanese mainland and the outlying islands of Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu.
House Bills Could Give Trump Important China Bargaining Chips
Two Taiwan-related bills recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives appear to provide President Donald Trump with important bargaining chips as he considers the development of the U.S.’ relations with China.
One of the bills, the Taiwan Travel Act, is meant to upgrade official exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwan. It allows American government officials to travel to Taiwan to meet with their counterparts there and also permits senior Taiwanese functionaries to come to the U.S. for discussions with senior American officials, including those in the State Department and the Pentagon.
Since the U.S. transferred its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, face to face meetings between American and Taiwanese officials have been kept at a relatively low level, in keeping with U.S. adherence to the “one China” policy.
The second of the new House bills aims to assist Taiwan in regaining observer status at the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization. Taiwan was granted such status during the Ma presidency, but Beijing recently engineered its removal to show its displeasure over President Tsai Ing-wen’s continuing refusal to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
Both bills require Senate passage and a presidential signature to become law.
Beijing can be expected to rail against the two pieces of pending legislation as it is steadfastly opposed to any American measures that undermine its claim that Taiwan is part of its territory. It already expressed its strong displeasure when the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Taiwan Travel Act in October.
Should the two Taiwan-related bills pass the Senate — and should Trump sign them — he would then be able to determine how to implement them, if at all. This in turn could pressure Beijing into providing him with concessions he is seeking on trade policy and on turning up the heat on North Korea to halt its rapidly developing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. These are two of the primary goals of his China policy.
The House’s passage of the two new bills follows Trump’s decision in December to sign the National Defense Authorization Act, which among other provisions, allows for an uptick in Taiwan-U.S. military relations, including Taiwan port calls for American warships.
China reacted to that measure in extremely harsh terms, with one senior official at the Chinese embassy in Washington going so far as to suggest that the first such port call would lead directly to a China’s long threatened invasion of Taiwan. This is among the harshest rhetoric that Beijing has ever employed regarding Taiwan-U.S. relations.
China Turns Up the Heat on Foreign Insinuations
About its Territorial Integrity
China has moved rapidly to snuff out what it sees as unacceptable insinuations on the part of foreign companies regarding its territorial integrity. Over the space of less than a week in early January, Chinese authorities demanded that at least three foreign firms modify their websites or public pronouncements to excise references to Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong or Macau as independent countries. The last three are now under Chinese control, while Taiwan of course is not.
The three foreign companies are the U.S.-based hotel chain Marriot, U.S. airline Delta, and European clothes retailer Zara. All were subject to angry Chinese demands that they take immediate measures to expunge the offending material from their publications or websites. In the case of Marriott, police launched an investigation into possible violation of China’s cyber security law and blocked the company’s website and apps for a week, in a move that could severely harm its China business interests.
Arguably the most interesting aspect of the Chinese move against the three foreign companies was its timing. There is nothing new about foreign companies hosting material — almost always inadvertently — that offends official Chinese sensibilities. Much of the material pertains to Taiwan, whose political status remains very much up in the air. China of course considers Taiwan to be an integral part of its territory, despite its lack of control there, and the overwhelming opposition of the Taiwanese people to China’s imposition of sovereignty at some point in the future. So the question is: why did China strike out now on the Taiwanese question?
The answer, it appears, is connected to the failure of China’s longstanding policy to use Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) as a lever to bring Taiwan into the Chinese political fold. With the KMT still trying to regain its footing, Beijing is now employing a new strategy toward Taiwan. It is based on delegitimizing Taiwan as a de facto independent state, isolating it internationally, and intimidating its people.
Since President Tsai’s inauguration in May 2016, China has moved expeditiously in those areas, poaching Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, keeping it out of international and regional organizations, and stepping up its military patrols on the fringes of Taiwanese territory.
The fact that is now hitting out at foreign corporate websites that inadvertently or otherwise show support for Taiwanese sovereignty is a clear indication that it is now putting renewed emphasis on de-legitimization as a preferred arrow in its anti-Taiwan quiver. While the move is mostly symbolic, it should still trouble the Taiwanese government, which for better or worse needs all the help in can get in its ongoing effort to maintain Taiwan’s de facto independence.
Taiwan Engagement
Taiwan: China Military Challenge Requires
‘Asymmetric Warfare’ and ‘Layered Defense’
In their biennial national defense white paper, Taiwan’s military planners have said that “asymmetric warfare” and “layered defense” must be substantially beefed up in order to deal successfully with the growing security threat posed by China.
Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan said the new priorities reflect Taiwan’s growing realization that it will never be able to keep pace with China’s frenetic military modernization program.
“We are cognizant that our nation cannot compare with the defense budget and military development in China, whose military’s pace of growth and strength have far exceeded expectations,” Feng said. “Consequently, we must employ vision and foresight in our adjustment of defense concepts and overall armament development.”
Elsewhere in the white paper, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it remained committed to transitioning to an all-volunteer military force from the present system of conscription, and proceeding with the local production of warplanes and combat naval assets, including diesel submarines, notwithstanding the fact that Taiwan has encountered substantial difficulties in pursuing these goals.
According to the national defense white paper, China now has the ability to carry out long-range air and sea operations, and is nearing the point where it will be able to project its power west of the second island chain, which includes Japan’s Bonin and Volcano Islands, and the American-held Marianas.
On the basis of these developments, the white paper said, it is incumbent upon Taiwan to change its basic military doctrine from “strong defense and effective deterrence” — which has been in effect since 2009 — to “strong defense and layered deterrence.”
The white paper defines strong defense as achieving high levels of combat sustainability, deflecting cyber threats to command and control infrastructure, and improving strategic endurance. Layered deterrence, it said, involves employing “innovative and asymmetrical warfare” to stymie enemy threats.
The key to waging the kind of defensive war that Taiwan envisions with China, the white paper said, lies in achieving “force preservation, winning decisive battles in littoral waters and annihilating the enemy on the beachhead.” In order to help achieve this, it said, Taiwan should acquire more precision-guided munitions, electronic counter-measures, guided anti-tank missiles, man-portable air-defense systems, fast multi-role warships, unmanned aerial vehicles, and naval mine-laying capabilities.
In a related development, Taiwan’s military spokesman said that Taiwan will no longer give press briefings on ongoing Chinese military exercises near its territory. Those exercises, which in recent months have included a number of provocative overflights employing cutting-edge Chinese fighter jets, have become a regular feature of China’s escalating campaign to try to intimidate Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen into explicitly embracing China’s “one China” principle — the notion that Taiwan is part and parcel of Chinese territory.
Now however, the military spokesman said, Taiwan intends to ignore the provocations — at least rhetorically.
Said Major General Chen Chung-chi of the new Taiwanese policy: “When Chinese aircraft and ships are not posing any more threat to us than usual, we see no need to help them with their propaganda.”
Taiwan Survey Shows Slight Uptick in Support for Unification
A recent survey conducted by Taiwan’s CommonWealth Magazine has shown a slight uptick in support for eventual Taiwanese unification with China. While support for the “unification as soon as possible” option remained insignificant at 2.6 percent, support for “unification under certain conditions” came in at 13.8 percent, a 10-year high. Last year the comparable figure stood at only 8.2 percent.
The rise in support for the unification option may represent growing dissatisfaction with long-term Taiwanese economic trends and the inability of Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party government to inculcate optimism about the future among various groups of Taiwanese, particularly young people.
The CommonWealth survey showed that almost 60 percent of the population was pessimistic about Taiwan’s future and that almost 72 percent were disappointed with its economy. It also showed that 38 percent of Taiwanese are willing to work in China, the highest level in four years.
On the question of Taiwan’s political future, the most common response remained “maintaining the status quo,” followed by “Taiwan independence but still maintaining peaceful relations with China.” Both of those responses declined slightly over the previous year.
In keeping with the slight rise in support for unification with China, this year’s CommonWealth survey found a decrease to the lowest level since 2010 in the percentage of respondents identifying themselves as “Taiwanese,” rather than “both Chinese and Taiwanese,” or “Chinese” alone. Still, the “Taiwanese” alone option came in at 56.4 percent, well above the 34.1 percent who see themselves as “both Chinese and Taiwanese.” The Chinese alone option trailed far behind at only 6.7 percent.
The survey was conducted from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, 2017 and surveyed a total of 1,091 people aged 20 and over resident in Taiwan. It was conducted by land line, which sometimes results in conservatively-skewed results — this because people with cellphones are generally regarded as more progressive than their landline peers. It claimed a margin of error of plus or minus 2.97 percent.
While the CommonWealth survey may turn out to be an outlier, its results should still alarm anti-unification activists in Taiwan, who are battling hard against Chinese efforts to convince ordinary Taiwanese that the arc of history is moving inexorably against the continuation of the political “status quo.” Those efforts involve pushing the notion that Taiwan’s military stands no chance against the People’s Liberation Army, and at the same time, insisting that the Taiwanese economy is fatally vulnerable to Chinese pressure. The efforts have intensified in recent months, largely against the background of China’s continuing failure to help buttress Taiwan’s KMT, and to convince the Tsai government to accept the idea that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.
#asymmetric warfare#Bonin Islands#CCP#china#ChinaWatch#CommonWealth Magazine#Delta Airlines#Diaoyu#Diaoyutai#Donald Trump#DPP#East China Sea#Feng Shih-kuan#House Foreign Affairs Committee#House of Representatives#independence#Japan#KMT#kuomintang#M503#Ma Ying-jeou#Marriot#MND#National Defense Authorization Act#one China#People's Liberation Army#PLA#Senkakus#South China Sea#Taiwan Travel Act#Tsai Ing-wen#Unification#Volcano Islands#WHA#WHO#Xi Jinping#Zara
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Secrétariat des conférences intergouvernementales canadiennes
Secretary’s Biography
Planning Checklist and Availability Calendar
Conferences Served
First Ministers’ Meeting and Meeting with National Indigenous Leaders
Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change
Download PDF version (2.45 MB)
How we developed the Framework
Pillars of the Framework
Elements of collaboration
Emissions trajectory to 2030
Pricing carbon pollution
Complementary actions to reduce emissions
Forestry, agriculture, and waste
Government leadership
International leadership
Adaptation and climate resilience
Translating scientific information and Traditional Knowledge into action
Building climate resilience through infrastructure
Protecting and improving human health and well-being
Supporting particularly vulnerable regions
Reducing climate-related hazards and disaster risks
Clean technology, innovation and jobs
Building early-stage innovation
Accelerating commercialization and growth
Fostering adoption
Strengthening collaboration and metrics for success
Pathway to meeting Canada’s 2030 target
Reporting and oversight
Annex I: Federal investments and measures to support the transition to a low-carbon economy
Annex II: Provincial and territorial key actions and collaboration opportunities with the Government of Canada
The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change presented here is our collective plan to grow our economy while reducing emissions and building resilience to adapt to a changing climate. It will help us transition to a strong, diverse and competitive economy; foster job creation, with new technologies and exports; and provide a healthy environment for our children and grandchildren.
The Pan-Canadian Framework is both a commitment to the world that Canada will do its part on climate change and a plan to meet the needs of Canadians. We have built on the momentum of the Paris Agreement by developing a concrete plan which, when implemented, will allow us to achieve Canada's international commitments.
When First Ministers met last March in Vancouver, they agreed to take ambitious action in support of meeting or exceeding Canada’s 2030 target of a 30 percent reduction below 2005 levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. First Ministers issued the Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change and agreed that a collaborative approach between provincial, territorial, and federal governments is important to reduce GHG emissions and to enable sustainable economic growth.
The Pan-Canadian Framework builds on the leadership shown and actions taken individually and collectively by the provinces and territories, including through the Declaration of the Premiers adopted at the Quebec Summit on Climate Change in 2015. To note, the province of Saskatchewan has decided not to adopt the Pan-Canadian Framework at this time. The federal government has committed to ensuring that the provinces and territories have the flexibility to design their own policies and programs to meet emission-reductions targets, supported by federal investments in infrastructure, specific emission-reduction opportunities and clean technologies. This flexibility enables governments to move forward and to collaborate on shared priorities while respecting each jurisdiction’s needs and plans, including the need to ensure the continued competitiveness and viability of businesses.
In the Paris Agreement, Parties agreed that they should, when taking action to address climate change, recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples. As we implement this Framework, we will move forward respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, with robust, meaningful engagement drawing on their Traditional Knowledge. We will take into account the unique circumstances and opportunities of Indigenous Peoples and northern, remote, and vulnerable communities. We acknowledge and thank Indigenous Peoples across Canada for their climate leadership long before the Paris Agreement and for being active drivers of positive change.
Pricing carbon pollution is central to this Framework. Carbon pricing will encourage innovation because businesses and households will seek out new ways to increase efficiencies and to pollute less. We will complement carbon pricing with actions to build the foundation of our low-carbon and resilient economy.
As Canada transitions to a low-carbon future, energy will play an integral role in meeting our collective commitment, given that energy production and use account for over 80 percent of Canada’s GHG emissions. This means using clean energy to power our homes, workplaces, vehicles, and industries, and using energy more efficiently. It means convenient transportation systems that run on cleaner fuels, that move more people by public transit and zero-emission vehicles, and that have streamlined trade corridors. It means healthier and more comfortable homes that can generate as much power as they use. It means more resilient infrastructure and ecosystems that can better withstand climatic changes. It means land use and conservation measures that sequester carbon and foster adaptation to climate change. It means new jobs for Canadians across the country and opportunities for growth. It means leveraging technology and innovation to seize export and trade opportunities for Canada, which will allow us to become a leader in the global clean growth economy and will also help bring down the cost of low-emission technologies. It means healthier communities with cleaner air and healthy and diverse ecosystems across the country.
We will maintain a sustained focus on implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework, consistent with the commitment under the Paris Agreement, to increase the level of ambition over time.
The Pan-Canadian Framework is a historic step in the transition to a clean growth and resilient economy. It is informed by what we have heard from Canadians. We will continue to grow our economy and create good jobs as we take ambitious action on climate change. We will work to ensure that the Pan-Canadian Framework opens new opportunities for Canadian businesses to not only maintain but also enhance their competitiveness. We will continue to engage Canadians to strengthen and deepen our action on clean growth and climate change. And we are committed to transparently assessing and reporting to Canadians on our progress.
Together, we have developed a Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. This is Canada’s plan to address climate change and grow the clean economy.
In Canada and abroad, the impacts of climate change are becoming evident. Impacts such as coastal erosion; thawing permafrost; increases in heat waves, droughts and flooding; and risks to critical infrastructure and food security are already being felt in Canada. The science is clear that human activities are driving unprecedented changes in the Earth’s climate, which pose significant risks to human health, security, and economic growth.
Taking strong action to address climate change is critical and urgent. The cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action: climate change could cost Canada $21-$43 billion per year by 2050, according to 2011 estimates from the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. Businesses and markets are increasingly considering climate risks. In recent years, severe weather events have cost Canadians billions of dollars, including in insured losses. Indigenous Peoples, northern and coastal regions and communities in Canada are particularly vulnerable and disproportionately affected. Geographic location, socio-economic challenges, and for Indigenous Peoples, the reliance on wild food sources, often converge with climate change to put pressure on these communities. Much has been done to begin addressing these challenges, including by Indigenous Peoples.
Acting on climate change will reduce risks and create new economic opportunities and good jobs for Canadians. There is already a global market for low-carbon goods and services worth over $5.8 trillion, which is projected to keep growing at a rate of 3 percent per year. Clean growth opportunities will benefit all sectors and regions. Canada will remain globally competitive through innovation, including through the development and promotion of innovative technologies with the potential to address climate change globally. This includes clean technology to enable the sustainable development of Canada’s energy and resource sectors, including getting these resources to market, as Canada transitions to a low-carbon economy. Innovation can help further reduce emissions and the cost of taking action at home. Canadian technologies and solutions can also be exported abroad and deployed around the world, creating new markets and partners for Canadian businesses and supporting global action to reduce emissions.
The federal government will continue to work in close collaboration with other countries on climate solutions, including with partners across North America. A number of provinces and territories have already joined or are exploring entry into regional and international efforts to reduce GHG emissions. Canadian municipalities will also continue to be important partners in developing and implementing climate solutions locally, as well as through international collaboration with other municipalities around the world.
The international community has agreed that tackling climate change is an urgent priority and also an historic opportunity to shift towards a global low-carbon economy. The adoption of the Paris Agreement in December 2015 was the culmination of years of negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Paris Agreement is a commitment to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low-carbon future, to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 °C. This will require taking action on long-lived GHGs such as carbon dioxide and short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, hydrofluorocarbons and black carbon.
As a first step towards implementing the commitments Canada made under the Paris Agreement, First Ministers released the Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change on March 3, 2016.
The development of the Pan-Canadian Framework was informed by input from Canadians across the country, who made it clear that they want to be part of the solution to climate change. Under the Vancouver Declaration, First Ministers asked four federal-provincial-territorial working groups to work with Indigenous Peoples; to consult with the public, businesses and civil society; and to present options to act on climate change and enable clean growth. The working groups heard solutions directly from Canadians, through an interactive website, in-person engagement sessions, and independent town halls.
Representatives of Indigenous Peoples contributed their knowledge and expectations for meaningful engagement in climate action and provided important considerations and recommendations either directly to working groups or to ministers, which helped shape this framework.
Ministers also reached out to Canadians, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous Peoples to hear their priorities. In addition, ministerial tables were convened to provide their advice, including the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Ministers of Innovation, Ministers of Energy, and Ministers of Finance.
Engaging Canadians: The Let’s Talk Climate Action website was launched on April 22, 2016 to gather ideas and comments from Canadians about how Canada should address climate change. By the submission deadline of September 27, 2016, over 13,000 ideas and comments were received. In addition, consultations by governments and working groups on clean growth and climate change were held across Canada.
The Pan-Canadian Framework has four main pillars: pricing carbon pollution; complementary measures to further reduce emissions across the economy; measures to adapt to the impacts of climate change and build resilience; and actions to accelerate innovation, support clean technology, and create jobs. Together, these interrelated pillars form a comprehensive plan.
Pricing carbon pollution is an efficient way to reduce emissions, drive innovation, and encourage people and businesses to pollute less. However, relying on a carbon price alone to achieve Canada’s international target would require a very high price.
Complementary climate actions can reduce emissions by addressing market barriers where pricing alone is insufficient or not timely enough to reduce emissions in the pre-2030 timeframe. For instance, tightening energy efficiency standards and codes for vehicles and buildings are common sense actions that reduce emissions, while also helping consumers save money by using less energy.
Canada is experiencing the impacts of climate change, so there is also a need to adapt and build resilience. This means making sure that our infrastructure and communities are adequately prepared for climate risks like floods, wildfires, droughts, and extreme weather events, including in particularly vulnerable regions like Indigenous, northern, coastal, and remote communities. This also means adapting to the impacts of changes in temperature, including thawing permafrost.
A low-carbon economy can and will be a strong and thriving economy. Taking action now, to position Canada as a global leader on clean technology innovation, will help ensure that Canada remains internationally competitive and will lead to the creation of new good jobs across the country. Investing in clean technology, innovation, and jobs will bring new and in-demand Canadian technologies to expanding global markets. These investments will help improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation measures and will equip Canada’s workforce with the knowledge and skills to succeed.
In implementing the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, federal, provincial and territorial governments will review progress annually to assess the effectiveness of our collective actions and ensure continual improvement. First Ministers commit to report regularly and transparently to Canadians on progress towards GHG-reduction targets, on building climate resilience, and on growing a clean economy.
Our governments will continue to recognize, respect and safeguard the rights of Indigenous Peoples as we take actions under these pillars.
The Pan-Canadian Framework reaffirms the principles outlined in the Vancouver Declaration, including
recognizing the diversity of provincial and territorial economies and the need for fair and flexible approaches to ensure international competitiveness and a business environment that enables firms to capitalize on opportunities related to the transition to a low-carbon economy in each jurisdiction;
recognizing that growing our economy and achieving our GHG-emissions targets will require an integrated, economy-wide approach that includes all sectors, creates jobs, and promotes innovation;
recognizing that a collaborative approach between provincial, territorial, and federal governments is important to reduce GHG emissions and enable sustainable economic growth;
recognizing that provinces and territories have been early leaders in the fight against climate change and have taken proactive steps, such as adopting carbon pricing mechanisms, placing caps on emissions, involvement in international partnerships with other states and regions, closing coal plants, carbon capture and storage projects, renewable energy production (including hydroelectric developments) and targets, and investments in energy efficiency;
recognizing that the federal government has committed to ensuring that the provinces and territories have the flexibility to design their own policies to meet emission-reductions targets, including their own carbon pricing mechanisms, supported by federal investments in infrastructure, specific emission-reduction opportunities and clean technologies;
recognizing the commitment of the federal government to work with provinces and territories to complement and support their actions without duplicating them, including by promoting innovation and enabling clean growth across all sectors;
strengthening the collaboration between our governments and Indigenous Peoples on mitigation and adaptation actions, based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership;
recognizing the importance of Traditional Knowledge in regard to understanding climate impacts and adaptation measures;
recognizing that comprehensive adaptation efforts must complement ambitious mitigation measures to address unavoidable climate change impacts; and
implementing a collaborative, science-based approach to inform Canada's future targets that will increase in stringency as required by the Paris Agreement.
Governments recognize the unique circumstances of the North, including disproportionate impacts from climate change and the associated challenges with food security, emerging economies, and the high costs of living and of energy.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work collaboratively to grow the economy, create good-paying and long-term jobs, and reduce GHG emissions in support of meeting or exceeding Canada’s 2030 target. These actions will be supported by strong, complementary adaptation policies to build climate resilience. Indigenous Peoples will be important partners in developing real and meaningful outcomes that position them as drivers of climate action in the implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework. All governments across Canada are committed to ambitious and sustained action on climate change, building on current actions and future opportunities.
The federal government’s renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples: The federal government also reiterates its commitment to renewed nation-to-nation, government-to-government, and Inuit-to-Crown relationships with First Nations, the Métis Nation and Inuit, based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership, consistent with the Government of Canada’s support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.
The graph below highlights that total Canadian GHG emissions are projected to be 742 Mt in 2030 under the December 2016 emissions projections (Environment and Climate Change Canada)Footnote 1. Canada’s target is 523 Mt.
Projections from the December 2016 emissions projections include revised forecasts for GDP and oil and gas prices and productionFootnote 2. Also incorporated are new federal, provincial and territorial government measures that have legislative or funding certainty as of November 1st, 2016 and were not included in the 2015 emissions projections. These include: federal measures for increasing energy efficiency of equipment in buildings; Ontario’s commitment to join the Western Climate Initiative cap-and-trade system; Alberta’s coal phase-out, carbon levy and oil sands emissions cap; Quebec’s regulations for new high-rise buildings; and, British Columbia’s low carbon fuel standard.
Figure 1: Emissions Projections to 2030
This line graph shows the gap between Canada’s target for greenhouse gas emission reductions by the year 2030, and Canada’s projected greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030, without the new actions highlighted in the pan-Canadian framework.
Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions target for the year 2030 is 30% below greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2005 which is equal to 523 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. The graph includes two lines showing projected emissions between 2005 and 2030: one for Canada’s most recent greenhouse gas emissions projections to be published in December 2016; and one for the previous projections of Canada’s greenhouse gas that was available in 2015 and presented in Canada’s Second Biennial Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The December 2016 projections show that Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be 742 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the year 2030, whereas the 2015 emissions projections show Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be 815 megatonnes in the year 2030.
A table below the line graph explains the macroeconomic assumptions used in the 2016 emissions projections. This includes three measures. One measure is the average annual growth in gross domestic product between the years 2014 and 2030, which is 1.7% for the reference case, 1.0 % for the low growth case and 2.3% for the high growth case. Another measure is the West Texas Intermediate Oil Price for a barrel of oil in 2030, represented in 2014 United States dollars, which is $81 for the reference case, $42 for the low price case and $111 for the high price case. The last measure is the Henry Hub Natural Gas Price for a gigajoule of energy in 2030, represented in 2014 United States dollars, which is $3.72 for the reference case, $2.89 for the low price case and $4.62 for the high price case. The table also indicates that projected emissions in 2030 are 742 megatonnes for the projections, 697 megatonnes for the low case and 790 megatonnes for the high case.
Carbon pricing is broadly recognized as one of the most effective, transparent, and efficient policy approaches to reduce GHG emissions. Many Canadian provinces are already leading the way on pricing carbon pollution. British Columbia has a carbon tax, Alberta has a hybrid system that combines a carbon levy with a performance-based system for large industrial emitters, and Quebec and Ontario have cap-and-trade systems. With existing and planned provincial action, broad-based carbon pricing will apply in provinces with nearly 85 per cent of Canada’s economy and population by 2017, covering a large part of our emissions.
The federal government outlined a benchmark for pricing carbon pollution by 2018 (see Annex I). The goal of this benchmark is to ensure that carbon pricing applies to a broad set of emission sources throughout Canada and with increasing stringency over time either through a rising price or declining caps. The benchmark outlines that jurisdictions can implement (i) an explicit price-based system (a carbon tax or a carbon levy and performance-based emissions system) or (ii) a cap-and-trade system. Some existing provincial systems already exceed the benchmark. As affirmed in the Vancouver Declaration, provinces and territories continue to have the flexibility to design their own policies to meet emissions-reduction targets, including carbon pricing, adapted to each province and territory’s specific circumstances.
World Bank, State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2015
“There is a growing consensus among both governments and businesses on the fundamental role of carbon pricing in the transition to a decarbonized economy.”
The following principles guide the pan-Canadian approach to pricing carbon pollution, and they are broadly based on those proposed by the Working Group on Carbon Pricing Mechanisms:
Carbon pricing should be a central component of the Pan-Canadian Framework.
The approach should be flexible and recognize carbon pricing policies already implemented or in development by provinces and territories.
Carbon pricing should be applied to a broad set of emission sources across the economy.
Carbon pricing policies should be introduced in a timely manner to minimize investment into assets that could become stranded and maximize cumulative emission reductions.
Carbon price increases should occur in a predictable and gradual way to limit economic impacts.
Reporting on carbon pricing policies should be consistent, regular, transparent, and verifiable.
Carbon pricing policies should minimize competitiveness impacts and carbon leakage, particularly for emissions-intensive, trade-exposed sectors.
Carbon pricing policies should include revenue recycling to avoid a disproportionate burden on vulnerable groups and Indigenous Peoples.
New actions
Provincial and territorial actions on pricing carbon pollution are described in Annex II.
The federal government will work with the territories to find solutions that address their unique circumstances, including high costs of living and of energy, challenges with food security, and emerging economies. The federal government will also engage Indigenous Peoples on their unique circumstances including high costs of living and of energy, challenges with food security, and emerging economies. The federal government will also engage Indigenous Peoples to find solutions that address their unique circumstances, including high costs of living and of energy, challenges with food security, and emerging economies.
The overall approach will be reviewed by 2022 to confirm the path forward.
Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission
“Carbon pricing is the most practical and cost-effective way to lower GHG emissions while encouraging low-carbon innovation.”
To reduce emissions, meaningful action will need to be taken across all regions and sectors of the economy. Many of the things that Canadians do every day—like driving cars and heating homes—produce GHG emissions. Many activities that drive economic growth in the country, like extracting natural resources, industrial and manufacturing activities, and transporting goods to customers, also produce emissions. The policies that help drive down emissions can also help the economy to keep growing by cutting costs for Canadians, creating new markets for low-emission goods and services, and helping businesses use cleaner and more efficient technologies that give them a leg up on international competitors.
Figure 1: Canada’s emissions by sector in 2014.
This pie graph shows greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2014 by economic sector in megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases. The percentage of total emissions for each sector is also indicated. The economic sectors are ranked from greatest to smallest share. Industry, including oil and gas, is the largest emitting sector at 269 megatonnes, or 37% of Canada’s total emissions in 2014.
Transportation is the second largest emitting sector at 171 megatonnes, or 23% of Canada’s total. The buildings sector is the third largest emitting sector at 87 megatonnes, or 12% of Canada’s total. The electricity sector is the fourth largest emitting sector at 78 megatonnes, or 11% of Canada’s total. Agriculture is the fifth largest emitting sector at 73 megatonnes, or 10% of Canada’s total. Finally, waste and other sectors account for the smallest share of emissions, at 54 megatonnes, or 7% of Canada’s total.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to make sure new actions build on and complement existing plans, policies, programs, and regulations and reflect lessons learned from past experience. New policies will be designed to focus on GHG-emission outcomes and will recognize flexibility for regional differences, including through outcomes-based regulatory equivalency agreements. Indigenous Peoples will be involved in defining and developing policies to support clean energy in their communities.
In developing policies, a number of factors will be considered, including:
economic, environmental, and social impacts and benefits;
how individual policies will work with carbon pricing;
the need to consider and mitigate the impacts on emissions-intensive trade exposed sectors (e.g., resource sectors that are price takers on the global market), including the need to avoid carbon leakage;
co-benefits such as improved health due to air pollutant reductions, and jobs and business growth;
opportunities to realize near-term climate and health benefits through reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants; and,
benefits for ecosystems and biodiversity.
Falling costs of renewable energy: Between 2010 and 2015, the costs for new utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) installations declined by two-thirds, while over the same period the cost of onshore wind fell by an estimated 30 percent on average (IEA, 2016)
Governments will be supporting the actions outlined in the Pan-Canadian Framework through policies and investments. Federal actions are described in Annex I, and provincial and territorial key actions and collaboration opportunities with the Government of Canada are described in Annex II.
Canada already has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world. About 80 percent of electricity production comes from non-emitting sources, more than any other G7 country. While electricity emissions are going down in large part due to the move away from coal-fired power toward cleaner sources, electricity generation is still Canada’s fourth-largest source of GHG emissions.
Clean, non-emitting electricity systems will be the cornerstone of a modern, clean growth economy. Transformations to electricity systems will be supported by federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and, undertaken by utilities, private-sector players, and Indigenous Peoples.
The approach to electricity will include (1) increasing the amount of electricity generated from renewable and low-emitting sources; (2) connecting clean power with places that need it; (3) modernizing electricity systems; and (4) reducing reliance on diesel working with Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities.
Provinces and territories have already taken action on moving from traditional coal-fired generation to clean electricity. Ontario and Manitoba have already phased out their use of coal, Alberta has plans in place to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030, Nova Scotia has created a regulatory framework to transition from coal to clean electricity generation, and Saskatchewan has a coal-fired generating unit with carbon capture technology, which captures 90 percent of emissions. New capacity will come from non-emitting sources—including hydro, wind, and solar—as well as natural gas. Energy efficiency and conservation will make added contributions to clean electricity systems.
Ontario’s coal phase-out: On April 15, 2014, Ontario became the first jurisdiction in North America to fully eliminate coal as a source of electricity generation. This action is the single largest GHG-reduction initiative in North America, eliminating more than 30 megatonnes of annual GHG emissions and equivalent to taking seven million vehicles off the road. On November 23, 2015, Ontario passed the Ending Coal for Cleaner Air Act, permanently banning coal-fired electricity generation in the province.
Saskatchewan’s Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage Project: is the world’s first commercial-scale, coal-fired carbon capture, and storage electricity project, and it is able to capture and sequester up to 90 percent of its GHG emissions.
Wind power: Wind capacity in Canada grew 20 times between 2005 and 2015, and there is strong potential for further growth. For example, 4 wind farms in Prince Edward Island now generate almost 25 percent of the province’s electricity requirements.
Alberta’s coal phase-out: Alberta’s commitments to end emissions from coal-fired electricity and replace it with 30 percent renewable energy by 2030 are expected to achieve cumulative emission reductions of 67 Mt between now and 2030, and emissions in 2030 will be at least 14 Mt below what is forecast under the status quo. This reduction is the equivalent of taking 2.8 million cars off the road. This move will improve air quality and the health of Albertans and other Canadians. It will also ensure reliability, encourage private investment, and provide price stability for all Albertans.
Connecting clean power across Canada through stronger transmission-line interconnections will help reduce emissions and support the move away from coal. Many provinces already trade electricity across their borders, and there is potential to increase these flows, consistent with market rules and fair competition among electricity producers.
The Canadian Energy Strategy: Provinces and territories are already taking a cooperative approach toward sustainable energy development through the Canadian Energy Strategy, which was released by premiers in July 2015. As agreed under theVancouver Declaration and building on the Quebec Summit on Climate Change in 2015, federal, provincial, and territorial energy ministers are collaborating on specific actions through the Canadian Energy Strategy, to contribute to the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Actions include energy conservation and efficiency, clean energy technology and innovation, and deployment of energy to people and global markets.
Modernizing electricity systems will involve expanding energy storage, updating infrastructure, and deploying smart-grid technologies to improve the reliability and stability of electric grids and to allow more renewable power to be added. As a leader in the development and deployment of innovative energy-storage solutions and smart-grid technology, Canadian clean technology producers stand to benefit from increased investments in our electricity systems.
Many Indigenous Peoples, as well as northern and remote communities in Canada rely on diesel fuel to produce electricity and heat. Opportunities exist for clean electricity infrastructure, distributed energy systems, renewable energy microgrids, as well as grid connections and hybrid systems, which will enhance wellbeing, create local economic opportunities, and contribute to better air quality and a cleaner environment overall. Investing in clean energy solutions will advance the priorities of Indigenous Peoples, as well as northern and remote communities to transition away from diesel.
Colville Lake Solar Project – Colville Lake, Northwest Territories is located north of the Arctic Circle, and it is served with a winter road that is open just a couple of months each year. To reduce diesel use in this remote, off-grid community, a solar/diesel/battery hybrid electricity system has been installed. This system has allowed the diesel generators to be shut down for extended periods in the summer. This innovative energy solution has reduced diesel use and related emissions by 20-25 percent per year.
Taking these actions will have a number of benefits beyond reducing GHG emissions. Phasing out coal and reducing the use of diesel will reduce harmful air pollutants, which have significant implications for human health and associated health-care costs. Designing and building clean-power technologies and transmission lines represents major economic opportunities for Canada. Increasing the amount of clean and renewable electricity sold to the United States could also bring new revenue to utilities and provinces, respecting open-access rules under the authority of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
1. Increasing renewable and non-emitting energy sources
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to accelerate the phase out of traditional coal units across Canada, by 2030, as recently announced by the federal government (see Annex I) and to build on provincial and territorial leadership.
The federal government has announced it will set performance standards for natural gas-fired electricity generation, in consultation with provinces, territories, and stakeholders (see Annex I).
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to facilitate, invest in, and increase the use of clean electricity across Canada, including through additional investments in research, development, and demonstration activities.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank: The federal government is creating the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which will work with provinces, territories, and municipalities to further the reach of government funding directed to infrastructure, including clean electricity systems.
Community-based energy generation: In May 2015, New Brunswick introduced legislation to allow local entities to develop renewable energy sourced electricity generation in their communities. This legislation will allow universities, non-profit organizations, cooperatives, First Nations, and municipalities to contribute to NB Power’s renewable energy requirements.
2. Connecting clean power with places that need it
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to help build new and enhanced transmission lines between and within provinces and territories.
3. Modernizing electricity systems
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to support the demonstration and deployment of smart-grid technologies that help electric systems make better use of renewable-energy, facilitate the integration of energy storage for renewables, and help expand renewable power capacity.
4. Reducing reliance on diesel working with Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities
Governments are committed to accelerating and intensifying efforts to improve the energy efficiency of diesel generating units, demonstrate and install hybrid or renewable energy systems, and connect communities to electricity grids. This will be done in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and businesses. These actions will have significant benefits for communities, such as improving air quality and energy security, and creating the potential for locally owned and sourced power generation.
Ramea Wind-Hydrogen-Diesel Energy Project: The off-grid community of Ramea in Newfoundland and Labrador hosts one of the first projects in the world to integrate generation from wind, hydrogen, and diesel in an isolated electricity system. Since 2010, the Ramea Wind-Hydrogen-Diesel Energy Project has successfully produced approximately 680 000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy.
In Canada, using energy to heat and cool buildings accounted for about 12 percent of national GHG emissions in 2014 or 17 percent if emissions from generating the electricity used in buildings is also included. The emissions in this sector—created by burning fossil fuels and leaks in air conditioning systems—are projected to grow modestly by 2030 unless further action is taken.
In a low-carbon, clean growth economy, buildings and communities will be highly energy efficient, rely on clean electricity and renewable energy, and be smart and sustainable. Making the built environment more energy efficient reduces GHGs, helps make homes and buildings more comfortable and more affordable by lowering energy bills, and can promote innovation and clean job opportunities. Most building owners and architects estimate that retrofitting commercial and institutional buildings pays off in less than ten years, according to data from the Canada Green Building Council. Residential energy efficiency improvements helped Canadians save $12 billion in energy costs in 2013, an average savings of $869 per household.
The approach to the built environment will include (1) making new buildings more energy efficient; (2) retrofitting existing buildings, as well as fuel switching; (3) improving energy efficiency for appliances and equipment; and (4) supporting building codes and energy efficient housing in Indigenous communities.
Advances in clean technologies and building practices can make new buildings “net-zero energy”, meaning they require so little energy they could potentially rely on their own renewable energy supplies for all of their energy needs. Through research and development, technology costs continue to fall, and government and industry efforts and investments will accelerate that trend. These advances, supported by a model “net-zero energy ready” building code, will enable all builders to adopt these practices and lower lifecycle costs for homeowners.
Efficiency Nova Scotia: Canada’s first energy efficiency utility—works with more than 100 local partners, and it has helped 225 000 program participants complete energy efficiency projects, saving Nova Scotians $110 million in 2016 alone. For example, the HomeWarming service is funded by the province of Nova Scotia as part of a long-term plan to upgrade all low-income homes in Nova Scotia, over the next 10 years.
At the same time, action is needed on existing buildings, since more than 75 percent of the building stock in 2030 will be composed of buildings already standing today. This can be supported by innovative policies like labelling a building’s energy performance, establishing retrofit codes, and offering low-cost financing for retrofits.
Housing for Indigenous communities is particularly pressing. New housing will be built to high-efficiency standards and existing housing will be retrofitted. Indigenous Peoples have also identified the need to incorporate Traditional Knowledge and culture into building designs. Governments will partner with Indigenous Peoples in the design of relevant policies and programs.
Energy efficiency standards for equipment and appliances save consumers and businesses money on energy bills. An early market signal by the government, in the form of an intention to introduce standards by a specific year, can motivate the market to accelerate the uptake of the targeted technologies. Regulations can be supported by actions to educate consumers, to demonstrate benefits, and to overcome market barriers.
Construction in Canada is a $171 billion industry, and it employs well over a million people. New building codes will spur innovation and support Canadian businesses in developing more efficient building techniques and technologies. Investments in retrofits to improve energy efficiency have been shown to be strong job creators, providing direct local benefits, creating local jobs, and reducing energy bills.
1. Making new buildings more energy efficient
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work to develop and adopt increasingly stringent model building codes, starting in 2020, with the goal that provinces and territories adopt a “net-zero energy ready” model building code by 2030. These building codes will take regional differences into account. Continued federal investment in research, development, and demonstration, and cooperation with industry will help to reduce technology costs over time.
2. Retrofitting existing buildings
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work to develop a model code for existing buildings by 2022, with the goal that provinces and territories adopt the code. This code will help guide energy efficiency improvements that can be made when renovating buildings.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together with the aim of requiring labelling of building energy use by as early as 2019. Labelling will provide consumers and businesses with transparent information on energy performance.
Provincial and territorial governments will work to sustain and, where possible, expand efforts to retrofit existing buildings by supporting energy efficiency improvements as well as fuel switching, where appropriate, and by accelerating the adoption of high-efficiency equipment while tailoring their programs to regional circumstances. The federal government could support efforts of provinces and territories through the Low Carbon Economy Fund and infrastructure initiatives.
Net-zero energy buildings: Construction costs for net-zero energy buildings have dropped 40 percent in the past decade, and they are continuing to fall. The benefits of net-zero energy buildings are significant. Estimated operating costs for a net-zero energy ready house is 30 percent to 55 percent less than a typical house, depending on region, fuel type and occupant behaviour. For example, on a -32 °C day, the Riverdale NetZero Project (a semi-detached duplex in Edmonton, Alberta) only needs 6500 W of power for heat—the same amount of heat produced by four toasters.
Social housing retrofits: To help fight climate change, Ontario invested $92 million in 2016 to retrofit social-housing buildings to reduce GHG emissions by installing energy efficient boilers, insulating outer walls and mechanical systems, and installing more energy efficient windows and lighting. Ontario's Climate Change Action Plan builds on this initial investment by committing up to $500 million more for social housing retrofits over the next five years.
3. Improving energy efficiency for appliances and equipment
The federal government will set new standards for heating equipment and other key technologies to the highest level of efficiency that is economically and technically achievable.
4. Supporting building codes and energy efficient housing in Indigenous communities
Governments will collaborate with Indigenous Peoples as they move towards more efficient building standards and incorporate energy efficiency into their building-renovation programs.
Aki Energy in Manitoba is a non-profit Aboriginal social enterprise that works with First Nations to start green businesses in their communities and to create local jobs and strong local economies.Aki Energy is committed to helping First Nations lower the utility bills to heat buildings, and it has installed over $3 million in cost-effective renewable energy technologies in partnership with Manitoba First Nations.
The transportation sector accounted for about 23 percent of Canada’s emissions in 2014, mostly from passenger vehicles and freight trucks. Transportation emissions are projected to decline slightly by 2030 if no further action is taken. Governments are already working to make all modes of transportation more efficient and convenient, but more action is needed.
Low-carbon transportation systems will use cleaner fuels, will have more zero-emission vehicles on the road, will provide convenient and affordable public transit, and will transport people and goods more efficiently.
The approach to transportation will include (1) setting and updating vehicle emissions standards and improving the efficiency of vehicles and transportation systems; (2) expanding the number of zero-emission vehicles on Canadian roads; (3) supporting the shift from higher to lower-emitting types of transportation, including through investing in infrastructure; and (4) using cleaner fuels.
Emissions standards for cars and trucks ensure new engines are more fuel efficient. Retrofitting freight trucks to reduce wind resistance can also cut emissions. And streamlining how goods are transported can improve the overall efficiency of transportation systems.
Zero-emission vehicle technologies include plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Many of these are becoming increasingly affordable and viable, and governments can help accelerate these trends, including by investing in charging and fueling infrastructure.
Electrification of transportation: Québec has committed to take significant action on the electrification of transportation by 2020, including by increasing the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered in Québec to 100 000; adding 5000 electric-vehicle jobs and generating $500 million in investments; reducing the amount of fuel used each year in Québec by 66 million liters; and cutting annual GHG emissions from the transportation sector by 150 000 tonnes.
Shifting from higher- to lower-emitting modes of transportation includes things like riding public transit or cycling instead of driving a car, and transporting goods by rail instead of trucks. Improving public transit infrastructure and optimizing freight corridors can help drive these shifts.
Using cleaner fuels such as advanced biofuels can reduce the lifecycle carbon intensities of all fuels across transportation systems, as well as in other sectors like industry and buildings.
Taking these actions will have additional environmental and economic benefits beyond reducing GHG emissions. Efficiency improvements can help Canadians and businesses save money by spending less on fuel and reducing the costs of transporting goods. New, cleaner fuels can create opportunities for resource sectors. Businesses that develop new fuel and vehicle technologies will create jobs, help the economy grow, and give those businesses a competitive edge.
1. Setting emissions standards and improving efficiency
The federal government will continue its work to implement increasingly stringent standards for emissions from light-duty vehicles, including fuel-efficient tire standards, and to update emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles.
The federal government will work with provinces, territories, and industry to develop new requirements for heavy-duty trucks to install fuel-saving devices like aerodynamic add-ons.
The federal government will take a number of actions to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine, and off-road sectors.
2. Putting more zero-emission vehicles on the road
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work with industry and other stakeholders to develop a Canada-wide strategy for zero-emission vehicles by 2018.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together, including with private-sector partners, to accelerate demonstration and deployment of infrastructure to support zero-emission vehicles, such as electric-charging stations.
3. Shifting from higher- to lower-emitting modes and investing in infrastructure
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to enhance investments in public-transit upgrades and expansions.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will invest in building more efficient trade and transportation corridors including investments in transportation hubs and ports.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will consider opportunities with the private sector to support refueling stations for alternative fuels for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, including natural gas, electricity, and hydrogen.
4. Using cleaner fuels
The federal government, working with provincial and territorial governments, industry, and other stakeholders, will develop a clean fuel standard to reduce emissions from fuels used in transportation, buildings and industry.
This will take into account the unique circumstances of Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities.
Canada’s industries are the backbone of the economy, but they are also a major source of GHG emissions. In 2014, industrial sectors accounted for about 37 percent of Canada’s emissions, the majority of which came from the oil and gas sector. Industrial emissions are projected to grow between now and 2030 as demand grows for Canadian-produced goods, at home and abroad.
A low-carbon industrial sector will rely heavily on clean electricity and lower-carbon fuels, will make more efficient use of energy, and will seize opportunities unlocked by innovative technologies. The province of Alberta has legislated an absolute cap of 100 Mt a year on emissions from the oil sands sector. There are a number of near-term opportunities to reduce industrial emissions while maintaining the competitive position of Canadian firms.
The approach to the industrial sector will include three main areas of action: (1) regulations to reduce methane and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions; (2) improving industrial energy efficiency; and (3) investing in new technologies to reduce emissions. Together, these actions will help set the path for long-term clean growth and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Methane and HFCs are potent GHGs, dozens to thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide. The oil and gas sector is the largest contributor to methane emissions in Canada. Building on provincial actions and targets, the federal government has committed to reduce methane emissions by 40-45 percent by 2025. Canada joined almost 200 other countries in signing the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which will push the global phase out of HFC emissions. Taking action on HFCs can prevent up to 0.5 °C of global warming due to the potency of these gases, while continuing to protect the ozone layer.
There is significant potential to improve energy efficiency in Canada’s industrial sectors. Energy management systems such as ISO 50001, the Superior Energy Performance program (SEP), and the ENERGY STAR for Industry program are useful tools that help businesses track, analyze, and improve their energy efficiency.
Using today’s low-emission technologies and switching to clean electricity and lower-carbon fuels are near-term actions industry can take to reduce emissions. Over the longer-term, more dramatic emission reductions will be possible by using new technologies to transform how some industries operate. Investing in promising new technologies is an important area for action. Innovation will help Canadian businesses access global markets and attract foreign investment.
Oil Sands Innovation: COSIA (Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance) is an alliance of 13 oil sands producers, representing 90 percent of production from the Canadian oil sands, who are working together to develop technologies that help reduce the environmental impact of the oil sands, including reducing GHG emissions. Member companies have shared 936 distinct environmental technologies, costing $1.33 billion, since coming together in 2012.
Lower carbon industrial activity in Canada: Quebec’s aluminium smelters have reduced their emissions by 30 percent since 1990. The modernized world-class aluminum smelter in Kitimat, BC will boost production and reduce emissions by nearly 50 percent. As a result of these investments, Canada’s aluminum industry is now the most carbon-efficient producer of aluminium in the world.
Taking these actions will benefit businesses. Strengthening energy performance is one of the most cost-effective ways for industry to reduce energy use, it generally has quick payback periods, and it will continually generate financial savings. Measures that help cut costs or develop new technologies can improve competitiveness and create jobs and export opportunities for the clean technology sector.
1. Reducing methane and HFC emissions
The federal government will work with provinces and territories to achieve the objective of reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, including offshore activities, by 40-45 percent by 2025, including through equivalency agreements.
The federal government has introduced proposed regulations to phase down use of HFCs to support Canada’s commitment to the Montreal Protocol amendment.
2. Improving industrial energy efficiency
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to help industries save energy and money, including by supporting them in adopting energy management systems.
3. Investing in technology
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments working with industry will continue to invest in research and development and to promote deployment of new technologies that help reduce emissions.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will also work with industry to identify demonstration projects for promising pre-commercial clean energy technologies required to reduce emissions from energy production and use in the Canadian economy, including in the oil and gas sector.
Emissions from agriculture (livestock and crop production) and extraction of forestry resources accounted for about 10 percent of Canada’s emissions in 2014, and they are not projected to significantly change by 2030. Municipal waste accounts for a small portion (about 3 percent) of Canada’s total GHGs, and these emissions are projected to decline, largely due to increases in landfill gas capture.
Agricultural soils and forests also absorb and store carbon. The emissions or removals from carbon sinks can fluctuate with natural disturbances (e.g. forest fires), but there are still a number of actions that can increase carbon storage and reduce emissions.
Forests, wetlands, and agricultural lands across Canada will play an important natural role in a low-carbon economy by absorbing and storing atmospheric carbon. Actions taken by jurisdictions and woodlot owners to accelerate reforestation, to continuously improve sustainable management practices, and to plant new forests where they do not currently exist will enhance stored carbon. Clean technology, such as lower-carbon bioenergy, and bioproducts that use feedstock from agriculture and forestry waste and dedicated crops to replace higher-carbon fuels can also reduce emissions. Continued innovation and clean technology in agriculture will build on past GHG reduction successes of decreasing emissions per unit of production. The municipal waste sector will also be a key source of cleaner fuels such as renewable natural gas from landfills.
The approach to these sectors will include (1) enhancing carbon storage in forests and agricultural lands; (2) supporting the increased use of wood for construction; (3) generating fuel from bioenergy and bioproducts; and, (4) advancing innovation.
Forests, wetlands, and agricultural lands can be enhanced as “carbon sinks” through actions such as planting more trees, improving forest carbon management practices, minimizing losses from fires and invasive species, restoring forests that have been affected by natural disturbances, and increasing adoption of land management practices like increasing perennial and permanent cover crops and zero-till farming. Protecting and restoring natural areas, including wetlands, can also benefit biodiversity and maintain or enhance carbon storage.
Increasing the use of wood for construction can reduce emissions as the carbon stored in that wood gets locked in for a long period of time. Increasing domestic demand for Canadian wood products will also support the vibrant forest industries across Canada, which have a long history of innovating to develop new products and more efficient and sustainable forest practices.
The Cheakamus Community Forest carbon offset project is located adjacent to the Resort Municipality of Whistler, within the traditional territories of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations. The project retains more carbon in the forest by using ecosystem-based management practices that include increasing protected areas and using lower-impact harvesting techniques.
The forestry, agriculture, and waste sectors also provide biomass for bioproducts that can be used in place of fossil fuels in other sectors. For example, waste products from forestry, agriculture, and landfills can be converted into energy sources such as renewable natural gas. Dedicated crops can be grown as feedstocks for products like bioplastics. Expanding renewable fuel industries represents an opportunity to create new jobs and economic growth across Canada.
Biomass-fired district heating: Prince Edward Island is home to Canada’s longest running, biomass-fired district heating system. Operating since the 1980’s, the system has expanded to serve over 125 buildings in the downtown core of Charlottetown, including the University of Prince Edward Island and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and cleanly burns 66 000 tons of waste materials annually.
Innovative solutions, including clean technologies, are required to reduce emissions from agriculture. Promising new technologies are being developed to reduce emissions from livestock and crop production, including from the use of precision farming and “smart” fertilizers, which time the release to match plant needs, and from feed innovations that reduce methane production in cattle. Actions pertaining to the agriculture sector will be developed collaboratively through Canada’s Next Agriculture Policy Framework.
These actions in the forestry, agriculture, and waste sectors, and supporting clean technology businesses, can help to create jobs and build more sustainable communities.
1. Increasing stored carbon
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to protect and enhance carbon sinks, including in forests, wetlands, and agricultural lands (e.g. through land-use and conservation measures).
2. Increasing the use of wood for construction
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will collaborate to encourage the increased use of wood products in construction, including through updated building codes.
3. Generating bioenergy and bioproducts
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to identify opportunities to produce renewable fuels and bioproducts, for example, generating renewable fuel from waste.
4. Advancing innovation
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to enhance innovation to advance GHG efficient management practices in forestry and agriculture.
Governments are directly responsible for a relatively small share of Canada’s emissions (about 0.6 percent), but they have an opportunity to lead by example. A number of provinces are already demonstrating leadership, including through carbon neutral policies.
Carbon neutral government: British Columbia’s public sector has successfully achieved carbon neutrality each year since 2010. Over the past 6 years, schools, post-secondary institutions, government offices, Crown corporations, and hospitals have reduced a total of 4.3 million tonnes of emissions through improvements to their operations and investments of $51.4 million in offset projects. British Columbia was the first—and continues to be the only—carbon neutral jurisdiction on the continent.
In a low-carbon, clean growth economy, federal, provincial, and territorial governments will be leaders in sustainable, low-emission practices that support the goals of clean growth and address climate change.
Municipalities are also essential partners. How cities develop and operate has an important impact on energy use and therefore GHG emissions.
Leadership by cities: The City of Whitehorse’s Sustainability Plan outlines 12 community-wide goals in areas such as transportation, buildings, waste, GHG reductions, and resilient, accessible food systems, with associated targets for 2020, 2030, and 2050. For example, Whitehorse has set a target that new buildings will be 30 percent more efficient than the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings, the National Building Codes, or achievable comparable EnerGuide ratings, while city-owned buildings will be 50 percent more efficient than the National Energy Code.
The public sector can play an important role by setting ambitious emissions reduction targets and by demonstrating the effectiveness of policies to reduce emissions (e.g. from vehicle fleets and buildings).
The approach to government leadership will include (1) setting ambitious targets; (2) cutting emissions from government buildings and fleets; and (3) scaling up clean procurement.
Governments control a significant share of assets like fleets and buildings. By setting targets and implementing policies to make buildings more efficient and to reduce emissions from vehicle fleets, the public sector can help to demonstrate the business case for ambitious action. Governments are also major purchasers and providers of goods and services, and they can help to build demand for low-carbon goods and services through procurement policies. They can also provide a testing ground for new and emerging technologies, creating new opportunities for Canadian firms developing clean technology products, services, and processes.
1. Setting ambitious targets
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will demonstrate leadership through commitments to ambitious targets to reduce emissions from government operations. The federal government is committed to reduce its own GHG emissions to 40 percent below 2005 levels, by 2030 or sooner.
2. Cutting emissions from government buildings and fleets
Federal, provincial, and territorial government will scale up efforts to transition to highly efficient buildings and zero-emission vehicle fleets. The federal government has set a goal of using 100 percent clean power by 2025.
3. Scaling up clean procurement
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to modernize procurement practices, adopt clean energy and technologies, and prioritize opportunities to help Canadian businesses grow, demonstrate new technologies, and create jobs.
Governments will work with their international partners, including developing countries, to help reduce emissions around the world. The federal government is investing $2.65 billion in climate finance to help developing countries transition to low-carbon economies and build climate resilience.
The priority is to first focus on reduction in emissions within Canada, but part of Canada’s approach to climate change could also involve acquiring allowances for emissions reductions in other parts of the world, as a complement to domestic emissions reduction efforts. As recognized under the Paris Agreement (article 6), countries may choose to use emissions reductions that take place outside of their own borders, known as “internationally transferred mitigation outcomes”, to meet their targets. Emissions reductions that take place outside of Canada may have lower costs and contribute to investment in sustainable development abroad. Quebec and California already participate in international emissions trading under their linked cap-and-trade system, which Ontario will soon join.
The approach to international leadership will include (1) delivering on Canada’s international climate finance commitments; (2) acquiring internationally transferred mitigation outcomes; and (3) engaging in trade and climate policy.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will also explore mechanisms and opportunities for provinces and territories to collaborate in international fora, joint missions, and discussions on climate change and energy.
The federal government will continue to engage with and support Indigenous Peoples’ action on international climate change issues, including through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to formulate a platform for Indigenous Peoples, as agreed to in the Paris decision.
1. Delivering on Canada’s international climate-finance commitments
The federal government will deliver on its historic commitment of $2.65 billion by 2020 to help the poorest and most vulnerable countries mitigate and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.
2. Acquiring internationally transferred mitigation outcomes
The federal government, in cooperation with provincial and territorial governments and relevant partners, will continue to explore which types of tools related to the acquisition of internationally transferred mitigation outcomes may be beneficial to Canada and will advance a robust approach to the implementation of article 6 of the Paris Agreement. A first priority is ensuring any cross-border transfer of mitigation outcomes is based on rigorous accounting rules, informed by experts, which result in real reductions.
The federal government will work with Ontario, Quebec, and other interested provinces and territories, as well as with international partners, to ensure that allowances acquired through international-emissions trading are counted towards Canada’s international target.
3. Engaging in trade and climate policy
The federal government, in cooperation with provincial and territorial governments, will work with its international partners to ensure that trade rules support climate policy.
The impacts of climate change are already being felt across Canada. These changes are being magnified in Canada’s Arctic, where average temperature has increased at a rate of nearly three times the global average. They pose significant risks to communities, health and well-being, the economy, and the natural environment, especially in Canada’s northern and coastal regions and for Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable to climate change due to their remote locations and reliance on wild foods. The changes already being experienced are both dramatic and permanent, with significant social, cultural, ecological, and economic implications.
Inuit and climate impacts: Inuit and Inuit Nunangat, the homeland of Inuit in Canada, are experiencing significant climate change impacts, as highlighted in Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami’s recent report on Inuit Priorities for Canada’s Climate Strategy. More than 70 per cent of Canada's coastline is located in the Arctic and it is defined by ice. Average sea ice thickness is decreasing and sea ice cover is now dominated by younger, thinner Ice. Some models are projecting that summer sea ice cover could be almost completely lost before 2050. These changes are already impacting access to wild foods and contributing hazards and risks on ice.
Taking action to adapt to current and future climate impacts will help protect Canadians from climate change risks, build resilience, reduce costs, and ensure that society thrives in a changing climate. Developing adaptation expertise and technology can further contribute to clean growth by creating jobs and spurring innovation. Adaptation is a long-term challenge, and it requires ongoing commitment to action, leadership across all governments, strong governance to assess and sustain progress, adequate funding, and meaningful engagement with, and continued leadership by, Indigenous Peoples. Federal investments (see Annex I) will support key adaptation measures.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments have identified new actions to build resilience to climate change across Canada in the following areas:
Canadians need authoritative science and information to understand current and expected changes. This includes changing conditions (e.g., rainfall, temperature, and sea ice) and the impacts of climate change across Canada. Long-term monitoring and local observations are also key. Data, tools, and information need to be widely accessible, equitable, and relevant to different types of decision-makers in different settings.
Translating knowledge into action takes leadership, skilled people, and resources. The Government of Canada’s Adaptation Platform supports collaboration among governments, industry, and professional organizations on adaptation priorities. Building regional expertise and capacity for adaptation will improve risk management; support land-use planning; help safeguard investments; and strengthen emergency planning, response, and recovery. Decision-making by all governments will be guided by consideration of scientific and Traditional Knowledge.
Information and tools for adaptation decisions: Decision-makers in five Quebec coastal municipalities collaborated with researchers, notably from the Université du Quebec à Rimouski and from Ouranos, a regional climate and adaptation consortium, to explore solutions to repeated damage of coastal infrastructure. Projections of future erosion, studies of sea ice and coastal vulnerability due to climate change, and cost-benefit analyses provided the foundation for the municipalities to make decisions on an adaptation solution.
The approach to information, knowledge, and capacity building will include (1) providing authoritative climate information and (2) building regional adaptation capacity and expertise.
Ensuring Canadians across all regions and sectors have the capacity to make informed decisions and to act on them provides the foundation for advancing adaptation in Canada. Indigenous-led community-based initiatives that combine science and Traditional Knowledge can help guide decision making. Including this information in regional and national impacts and adaptation assessments can further advance understanding of climate change across the country.
1. Providing authoritative climate information
The federal government will establish a Canadian centre for climate services, to improve access to authoritative, foundational climate science and information. This centre will work with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous Peoples and other partners to support adaptation decision making across the country.
2. Building regional adaptation capacity and expertise
Governments will work with regional partners, including with Indigenous Peoples through community-based initiatives, to build regional capacity, develop adaptation expertise, respectfully incorporate Traditional Knowledge, and mobilize action. Canada’s Adaptation Platform and regional consortia and centres support the sharing of expertise and information among governments, Indigenous Peoples and communities, businesses, and professional organizations and support action on joint priorities.
Climate change is already impacting infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable northern and coastal regions, as well as Indigenous Peoples. Climate-related infrastructure failures can threaten health and safety, interrupt essential services, disrupt economic activity, and incur high costs for recovery and replacement.
The approach to building climate resilience through infrastructure will include (1) investing in infrastructure that strengthens resilience and (2) developing climate-resilient codes and standards.
Traditional built infrastructure (e.g. roads, dykes, seawalls, bridges, and measures to address permafrost thaw) can address specific vulnerabilities. Additionally, living natural infrastructure (e.g. constructed/managed wetlands and urban forests) can build the resilience of communities and ecosystems and deliver additional benefits, such as carbon storage and health benefits.
Considering climate change in long-lived infrastructure investments, including retrofits and upgrades, and investing in traditional and natural adaptation solutions can build resilience, reduce disaster risks, and save costs over the long term.
Adaptation infrastructure: The Red River Floodway was originally constructed in 1968 at a total cost of $63 million. It was recently expanded in 2014, at a cost of $627 million. Since 1968, the Floodway has prevented over $40 billion (in 2011 dollars) in flood-related damages for the City of Winnipeg.
1. Investing in infrastructure to build climate-resilience
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will partner to invest in infrastructure projects that strengthen climate resilience.
2. Developing climate-resilient codes and standards
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work collaboratively to integrate climate resilience into building design guides and codes. The development of revised national building codes for residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial facilities and guidance for the design and rehabilitation of climate-resilient public infrastructure by 2020 will be supported by federal investments.
Climate change is increasingly affecting the health and well-being of Canadians (e.g. extreme heat, air pollution, allergens, diseases carried by ticks and insects, and food security). Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities in particular are experiencing unique and growing risks to health and vitality.
The approach to protecting and improving human health and well-being will include (1) taking action to address climate change-related health risks and (2) supporting healthy Indigenous communities.
Adaptation actions with an inclusive view of well-being (e.g. social and cultural determinants of health and mental health) will keep Canadians healthy and reduce pressures on the health system.
1. Addressing climate change-related health risks
Governments will collaborate to prevent illness resulting from extreme heat events and to reduce the risks associated with climate-driven infectious diseases, such as Lyme disease. Federal adaptation investments will support actions including surveillance and monitoring, risk assessments, modelling, laboratory diagnostics, as well as health-professional education and public-awareness activities. Efforts will also continue to advance the science and understanding of health risks and best practices to adapt.
2. Supporting healthy Indigenous communities
The federal government will increase support for First Nations and Inuit communities to undertake climate change and health-adaptation projects that protect public health.
The federal government will also work with the Métis Nation on addressing the health effects of climate change.
Food Security and sustainability – planning for climate change impacts in Arviat, Nunavut. With the goal of promoting and providing access to healthy foods, a community-based project in Arviat, Nunavut involved researchers and community youth to monitor and collect data on optimal growing conditions in the community greenhouse and to build capacity for its ongoing operation.
The Indigenous Peoples of Canada, along with coastal and northern regions are particularly vulnerable and disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change. Unlike rebuilding after an extreme event like a flood or a fire, once permafrost has thawed, coastlines have eroded, or socio-cultural sites and assets have disappeared, they are lost forever.
The approach to supporting vulnerable regions will include (1) investing in resilient infrastructure to protect vulnerable regions; (2) building climate resilience in the North; (3) supporting community-based monitoring in Indigenous communities; and (4) supporting adaptation in coastal areas.
Action taken to support adaptation in vulnerable regions can help communities, traditional ways of life, and economic sectors endure and thrive in a changing climate. The knowledge, expertise, technologies, and lessons from adaptation actions in vulnerable northern and coastal regions can benefit other vulnerable regions and sectors.
1. Investing in resilient infrastructure to protect vulnerable regions
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to ensure infrastructure investments help build resilience with Indigenous Peoples as well as in vulnerable coastal and northern regions.
2. Building climate resilience in the North
Federal, territorial, and northern governments and Indigenous Peoples will continue working together to develop and implement a Northern Adaptation Strategy to strengthen northern capacity for climate change adaptation. Federal investments to build resilience in the North and northern Indigenous Peoples will support this work.
3. Supporting community-based monitoring for Indigenous Peoples
The federal government will provide support for Indigenous Peoples to monitor climate change in their communities and to connect Traditional Knowledge and science to build a better understanding of impacts and inform adaptation actions.
Collaborating to address climate impacts in the North: Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon hosted the Pan-Territorial Permafrost Workshop in 2013, which brought together front-line decision makers and permafrost researchers from each territory to share knowledge, form connections, and look at possibilities for adaptation in the future.
4. Supporting adaptation in coastal regions
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will support adaptation efforts in vulnerable coastal and marine areas and Arctic ecosystems. Activities will include science, research, and monitoring to identify climate change impacts and vulnerabilities; the development of adaptation tools for coastal regions; and the improvement of ocean forecasting. This knowledge will help inform adaptation decisions related to fisheries and oceans management and coastal infrastructure. Federal adaptation investments will help advance this work.
Supporting vulnerable coastal communities: Through the Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Project, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick partner together and with Indigenous communities, regional non-profits and industry to develop practical tools and resources to help vulnerable coastal communities consider climate change in planning, engineering practices, and water and resource management. Examples include land-use planning tools, best practices, and risk assessments.
Climate change is impacting the intensity and frequency of events such as floods, wildfires, drought, extreme heat, high winds, and winter road failures. Recognizing this reality, Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management are updating emergency management in Canada including work to mitigate disasters, review the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, develop build-back better strategies, and collaborate on public alerting. Additionally, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers is working on the establishment of the Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy, with climate change highlighted as a key challenge.
The approach to reducing climate-related hazards and disaster risks will include (1) investing in infrastructure to reduce disaster risks; (2) advancing efforts to protect against floods; and (3) supporting adaptation for Indigenous Peoples.
Disaster risk-reduction efforts and adaptation measures can reduce the negative impacts of these events, some of which have a disproportionate impact on Indigenous Peoples.
1. Investing in infrastructure to reduce disaster risks
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will partner to invest in traditional and natural infrastructure that reduces disaster risks and protects Canadian communities from climate-related hazards such as flooding and wildfires.
2. Advancing efforts to protect against floods
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together through the National Disaster Mitigation Program to develop and modernize flood maps and to assess and address flood risks.
Flood and drought protections through wetlands restoration: Alberta’s Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program provided a grant to Ducks Unlimited to restore approximately 558 hectares of wetlands in the South Saskatchewan River basin for the purposes of water storage for flood and drought protection. Using historical imagery and LiDAR data to identify drained wetlands, project leads then work with and compensate landowners to restore wetlands on private land.
3. Supporting adaptation in Indigenous Communities
Governments will work in partnership with Indigenous communities to address climate change impacts, including repeated and severe climate impacts related to flooding, forest fires, and failures of winter roads. The federal government will provide support to Indigenous communities for adaptation.
Global demand for clean technologies is significant and increasing. Fostering and encouraging investment in clean technology solutions can facilitate economic growth, long-term job creation, and environmental responsibility and sustainability. Taking action on climate change will help to capture new and emerging economic opportunities, including for Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities. The window of opportunity exists for Canada to create the conditions for new clean technology investment and exports and seize growing global markets for clean technology goods, services, and processes.
To effectively compete in the global marketplace and capitalize on current and future economic opportunities, Canada needs a step change in clean technology development, commercialization, and adoption across all industrial sectors. Clarity of purpose, investment, and strong coordination that leverages pan-Canadian regional and provincial/territorial strengths are essential to seizing the economic growth and job-creation opportunities of clean technology. International research, development, and demonstration collaboration is also essential. Governments, Indigenous Peoples, industry, and other stakeholders all have a role to play and must be engaged.
To become a leader in the development and deployment of clean technologies, Canada needs a strong flow of innovative ideas.
Government investments in clean technology research, development, and demonstration will create the largest benefit where coordinated and focused in areas that will most effectively help Canada to meet its climate change goals, create economic opportunities, and expand global-market opportunities. Efforts to coordinate and focus investment must go beyond governments and involve the collaboration of industry, stakeholders, academia, and Indigenous Peoples in the innovation process. Canada must leverage its domestic strengths, which vary by region. Developing international partnerships will create new economic opportunities, build areas of shared expertise, and foster stronger bilateral relations.
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) provides funding support to companies across Canada to develop, demonstrate, and deploy innovative new clean technologies. SDTC has also launched joint funding opportunities in collaboration with Emissions Reduction Alberta and Alberta Innovates and partners with the Ontario Centres of Excellence to enhance Ontario’s Greenhouse Gas Innovation Initiative. SDTC estimates its projects have reduced annual emissions by 6.3 Mt of CO2e, generated $1.4 billion in annual revenue and, in 2015, supported more than 9200 direct and indirect jobs.
1. Supporting early-stage technology development
Governments will support new approaches to early-stage technology development, including breakthrough technologies, to advance research in areas that have the potential to substantially reduce GHG emissions and other pollutants. Innovative partnerships with the private sector will make an important contribution to this effort.
2. Mission-oriented research and development
Governments will encourage new “mission-oriented” research approaches to focus RD&D facilities, programs, and supports on clean technology and environmental performance issues.
Through its participation in Mission Innovation, the federal government has committed to double its investments in clean energy research and technology development over five years, while encouraging greater levels of private sector investment in transformative clean energy technologies. On November 14, 2016, Canada and 21 other Mission Innovation partners launched seven Innovation Challenges aimed at catalyzing global research efforts in areas that could provide significant benefits in reducing GHG emissions, increasing energy security, and creating new opportunities for clean economic growth.
Given Canada’s small domestic market, Canadian firms must look to highly competitive international markets to achieve scale. Succeeding in the globally competitive clean technology marketplace requires globally competitive talent, access to the capital and resources needed to demonstrate the commercial viability of products, and strong international networks that facilitate the cross-border flow of clean technology goods and services.
Canadian clean technology producers and researchers are currently confronted by a myriad of programs and services, at the federal, provincial, and territorial level. Streamlining and integrating access to support programs and services is a priority for businesses and essential to building commercial capacity in this area.
Compared with other technology areas, clean technologies face unique challenges and often take longer to get to market, making access to “patient capital” important to successful commercialization. While federal and provincial governments already have a range of supports in place, key needs exist in terms of accessing venture capital as well as working capital and support for first, large-scale commercial projects or deployments.
20/20 Catalysts Program is a mentorship program that matches Indigenous and non-Indigenous project mentors with Indigenous mentees to promote knowledge sharing that will enable Indigenous communities to drive change towards clean technology business and economic development.
Further development of clean technologies could create new opportunities in Canada’s resource sectors, increase the productivity and competitiveness of Canadian businesses, and create new employment opportunities, while also improving environmental performance. Canada will need to be able to access the skills and expertise of talented workers from around the world to enable Canadian businesses to succeed in the global marketplace. It will also be important to ensure a commitment to skills and training to provide Canadian workers with a just and fair transition to opportunities in Canada’s clean growth economy.
Indigenous Peoples are leaders of change in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Indigenous governments, organizations, and businesses can play a key role in developing pathways for the adoption and adaptation of clean technology solutions for Indigenous Peoples.
Building stronger businesses and commercial capacity in all of Canada’s regions is essential to taking advantage of new market opportunities. Support for new-technology start-ups, through incubators and accelerators, is important to this effort. A strong, focused Canadian clean technology export strategy is needed to position Canada in growing and emerging global markets.
MaRS Cleantech works closely with entrepreneurs and investors to create solutions in energy, water, agri-tech, advanced materials and manufacturing, and smart cities. Industry looks to MaRS Cleantech to assist with company growth and to remove complex technology-adoption barriers. MaRS supports high-impact businesses by connecting innovators with potential partners, customers, investors, talent, and capital. MaRS strives to build globally competitive companies and to drive clean technology innovation.
1. Access to government programs
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to create a coordinated “no-wrong door” approach to supporting Canadian clean technology businesses, ensuring full and effective access to the suite of government programs and services available to support their commercial success.
2. Increasing support to advance and commercialize innovative technologies
Governments will collaborate to enable access to capital for clean technology businesses to bring their products and services to market, including at the commercial-scale demonstration and deployment stages. This will include support for clean technology businesses in the natural resource sectors to improve both competitiveness and environmental performance.
Venture capital: BDC Capital is launching a new $135 million venture capital fund to support Canadian energy and clean technology start-up businesses with global potential. The Industrial, Clean and Energy Technology (ICE) Venture Fund II will invest in 15 to 20 new high-impact Canadian start-up firms that demonstrate efficiency and strong scalability and will support the transition to a low-carbon economy. Fund II is a follow-on to BDC Capital’s highly successful ICE Venture Fund I, which was launched in 2011 with investments of $287 million now under management.
3. Strengthening support for skills development and business leadership
Governments will work together to strengthen skills development and business-leadership capacity in support of the transition to a low-carbon economy.
4. Expedite immigration of highly qualified personnel
Governments will work together to enable expedited processing of visas and work permits for global talent, in particular for high-growth Canadian businesses such as those in the clean technology sector. This will attract top international talent and expand Canada’s clean growth capacity.
5. Promoting exports of clean technology goods and services
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work collaboratively to strengthen clean technology export potential. This will include targeted export missions and the development of better market intelligence, addressing barriers to markets, support for export financing and marketing, and leveraging Canada’s Trade Commissioner services.
6. Standards-setting
Governments will work together to exert a strong leadership role in international standards-setting processes for new clean technologies and to ensure that Canada’s clean technology capacity shapes future international standards.
The adoption of clean technology can create economic opportunities and improve environmental outcomes. Canada’s performance on clean technology adoption by industry has significant room for improvement. Even amongst Canadian businesses that regularly adopt advanced technologies, clean technologies are the least likely to be adopted.
SmartICE (Sea-ice Monitoring And Real-Time Information for Coastal Environments) is a partnership with community, academic, government, and industry participation. It is developing an integrated system to provide near-real-time information about coastal sea-ice travel and shipping, improving safety and the ability to adapt to changing climate conditions. The pilot program is preparing to expand across the Arctic through a northern social enterprise.
Pricing carbon pollution will send a market signal that can drive innovation among Canadian businesses and, in return, will make them more competitive, including by opening up access to new markets and reducing costs of deploying clean technologies.
There is significant potential for Canadian governments to “lead by example” as early adopters of clean technology serving an essential role as a first or “reference customer” for Canadian clean technology goods, services, and processes. Having a “first sale” in Canada would boost businesses’ chances of securing sales abroad. Beyond direct federal, provincial, and territorial government operations, other bodies, such as municipalities and publicly regulated utilities, could become significant markets for and adopters of clean technology.
Done effectively, the adoption of clean technology could be a mechanism for improving environmental circumstances and creating economic opportunity for Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities. Effective engagement and partnership with Indigenous Peoples is essential to this effort.
Encouraging dialogue between regulators and industry could improve certainty in clean technology development and allow for more effective and responsible regulation.
1. Leading by example
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will develop action plans for greening government operations and encourage utilities and municipalities and other public sector entities to adopt clean technologies to lead by example.
2. Supporting Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities to adopt and adapt clean technologies
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will support Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities in adopting and adapting clean technologies, and ensuring business models support community ownership and operation of clean technology solutions.
3. Consumer and industry adoption
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to promote and encourage effective working relationships between regulators and industry, providing for early dialogue and effective guidance, which can assist in bringing new clean technologies to market quickly and responsibly.
Governments will also support visible and effective certification programs to ensure consumer and business confidence and support green procurement.
An effective approach to clean technology development, commercialization, and adoption in Canada requires coherent, collaborative, and focused approaches. This is true within individual governments and between Canadian jurisdictions. A collaborative approach between governments should take into account regional strategies and jurisdictional responsibilities.
Regular and ongoing discussions between federal, provincial, and territorial governments regarding clean technology and clean growth would help eliminate duplication of efforts and identify gaps in support for clean technology development. Engaging Indigenous Peoples, industry, and stakeholders as a routine component of this process would be important.
There is inadequate data on Canada’s clean technology capacity and potential. Building better data, and clear metrics for tracing the impact of government activities, would properly focus these activities and ensure that they achieve intended, meaningful results.
1. Enhance alignment between federal, provincial, and territorial actions
Governments will work together to improve policy and program coordination and sharing of data and best practices, which can sustain intergovernmental momentum and action on clean technology and clean growth. Continued partnership and engagement of Indigenous Peoples, industry, and stakeholders is essential to this effort.
Governments will work together to target and better align clean technology RD&D investments and activities in Canada, including opportunities for co-funding clean technology projects.
2. Establishing a clean technology data strategy
The federal government, working with the provinces and territories, will support the collection and regular publication of comprehensive data on clean technology in Canada to inform future government decision making, to improve knowledge in the private sector and stakeholder community, and to foster innovation.
This bar graph shows the pathway to meeting Canada’s target for greenhouse gas emission reductions by the year 2030. The top of the bar reflects Canada’s December 2016 greenhouse gas emissions projections for the year 2030 which is estimated to be 742 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases, while the bottom of the bar shows Canada’s 2030 target of 30% below 2005 levels, which is equal to 523 megatonnes. Note that reductions from carbon pricing are built into the following sections of the bar graph depending whether they are implemented, announced, or included in the Pan-Canadian Framework.
The top section of the bar reflects emissions reductions from measures announced as of November 1, 2016, including regulations for heavy-duty vehicles, hydrofluorocarbons, and methane for the oil and gas sector. Provincial climate change measures are also reflected in this section, including British Columbia’s Climate Leadership Plan, and Saskatchewan’s plans to increase renewables for electricity generation. This is projected to bring Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions to 653 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases, down 89 megatonnes from the December 2016 emissions projections. This bar also assumes purchases of carbon credits from California by regulated entities under Quebec and Ontario’s cap-and-trade systems that are or will be linked through the Western Climate Initiative.
The middle section of the bar reflects measures presented in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change including for: electricity, including phasing out coal-traditional coal-fired electricity by 2030; buildings; transportation, including the clean fuel standard; and industry. This is projected to bring Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions to 567 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases, down an additional 86 megatonnes from the measures announced as of November 1, 2016.
The bottom section of the bar reflects reductions to come from additional measures, such as public transit, green infrastructure, innovation, and stored carbon in forests, soil, and wetlands. This is projected to bring Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions to 523 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases, down an additional 44 megatonnes from the measures announced as of November 1, 2016, and as found in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. This bottom section meets Canada’s target of 30% below 2005 levels by 2030.
Reductions of 89 Mt (from 742 to 653 Mt)Footnote 3
Emissions reductions from announced measures as of November 1st, 2016, including regulations (e.g., HFCs, heavy duty vehicles, methane) and provincial measures (e.g., BC Climate Leadership Plan, SK renewables target) and international cap-and-trade credits
Reductions of 86 Mt (from 653 to 567 Mt) Emissions reductions from measures in the Pan-Canadian Framework, including measures for electricity (coal phase-out by 2030), buildings, transportation (federal clean fuel standard) and industry
Reductions of 44 Mt (from 567 to 523 Mt) Emissions reductions to come from additional measures such as public transit and green infrastructure, technology and innovation, and stored carbon (forests, soils, wetlands)
Note: Reductions from carbon pricing are built into the different elements depending on whether they are implemented, announced or included in the Pan-Canadian Framework. The path forward on pricing will be determined by the review to be completed by early 2022.
To help achieve the goals and actions laid out in this Pan-Canadian Framework, the programs and policies put in place will be monitored, results will be measured including impacts on GHG emissions, and actions and performance will be reported on publicly in a way that is transparent and accountable to Canadians. This public reporting will be complemented by ongoing public outreach, including with youth, inviting their contributions to Canada’s action on clean growth and climate change. The effectiveness of actions will also be assessed with a view to ensuring continual improvement so as to increase ambition over time, in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
Measurement and reporting on emissions – Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will continue to collaborate on efforts to track and report GHG emissions in a consistent way across the country, to track progress on the Pan-Canadian Framework, and to support international reporting obligations. This will involve further technical work on measurement to improve emissions inventories and projections, and aligning these where possible. Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to examine options for the reporting of emissions and inventories to ensure consistency across provinces and territories, to support Canada’s reporting to the UNFCCC, and for a pan-Canadian offset protocol framework and verified carbon credits that can be traded domestically and internationally.
Reporting on implementation – Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to support the coordinated implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework, engaging with relevant ministerial tables including ministers of environment, energy and mines, transportation, forestry, agriculture, innovation, infrastructure, emergency management, and finance, and with meaningful involvement of Indigenous Peoples. This will include a process to take regular stock of progress achieved, to report to Canadians and, to inform Canada’s future national commitments in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
Analysis and advice – Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will engage with external experts to provide informed advice to First Ministers and decision makers; assess the effectiveness of measures, including through the use of modeling; and identify best practices. This will help ensure that actions identified in the Pan-Canadian Framework are open to external, independent review, and are transparent and informed by science and evidence.
Review – Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will work together to establish the approach to the review of carbon pricing, including expert assessment of stringency and effectiveness that compares carbon pricing systems across Canada, which will be completed by early 2022 to provide certainty on the path forward. An interim report will be completed in 2020 which will be reviewed and assessed by First Ministers. As an early deliverable, the review will assess approaches and best practices to address the competitiveness of emissions-intensive trade-exposed sectors.
Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will continue to engage and partner with Indigenous Peoples as actions are implemented and progress is tracked.
This Plan provides a foundation for working together to grow the economy, reduce emissions, and strengthen resilience. Ongoing, collaborative action is needed to generate transformational change and to ensure that all Canadians benefit from the transition to a low-carbon economy. First Ministers are tasking their officials to develop an agenda for federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers to implement this Plan. Annual reports to First Ministers will enable governments to take stock of progress and give direction to sustain and enhance efforts.
Federal investments
The federal government will help catalyze the transition to a clean growth economy through significant new investments to complement provincial and territorial actions and investments, including investments in infrastructure, the Low-Carbon Economy Fund, and clean technology funding.
The federal government has collaborated with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) since 2000.
Budget 2016 provided an additional $125 million over two years including for projects that reduce GHG emissions.
Recently announced projects under the GMF include a $31.5 million investment for 20 new sustainable municipal projects, such as Canada's first net-zero municipal library and Halifax's ground-breaking Solar City project.
Budget 2016 outlined a number of new federal investments that will support a transition to a low-carbon economy. Some of these investments include
$62.5 million to support the deployment of infrastructure for alternative transportation fuels, including charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and natural gas and hydrogen refueling stations, as well as demonstration of next generation recharging technologies;
$50 million over two years to invest in technologies that will reduce GHG emissions from the oil and gas sector;
$82.5 million over two years to support research, development, and demonstration of clean energy technologies with the greatest potential to reduce GHG emissions;
$100 million per year from the regional development agencies to support clean technology, representing a doubling of their existing annual aggregate support;
$50 million over four years to Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) for the SD Tech Fund. These resources will enable SDTC to announce new clean technology projects in 2016 that support the development and demonstration of new technologies that address climate change, air quality, clean water, and clean soil;
$40 million over five years to integrate climate resilience into building design guides and codes. The funding will support revised national building codes by 2020 for residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial facilities;
$129.5 million to implement programming focused on building the science base to inform decision making, protecting the health and well-being of Canadians, building resilience in the North and Indigenous communities, and enhancing competitiveness in key economic sectors; and
$10.7 million over two years to implement renewable energy projects in off-grid Indigenous and northern communities that rely on diesel and other fossil fuels to generate heat and power.
Building on the infrastructure investments outlined in Budget 2016, the federal government has announced an additional $81 billion over 11 years for investments in public transit, social infrastructure, transportation that supports trade, Canada’s rural and northern communities, smart cities, and green infrastructure.
Green infrastructure funding will support projects that reduce GHG emissions, enable greater climate change adaptation and resilience, and ensure that more communities can provide clean air and safe drinking water for their citizens. Specific projects could include interprovincial transmission lines that reduce reliance on coal, the development of new low-carbon/renewable power projects, and the expansion of smart grids to make more efficient use of existing power supplies.
The federal government is proposing the creation of the Canada Infrastructure Bank that will work with provinces, territories, and municipalities to further the reach of government funding directed to infrastructure. The Canada Infrastructure Bank will be responsible for investing at least $35 billion on a cash basis from the federal government into large infrastructure projects that contribute to economic growth through direct investments, loans, loan guarantees, and equity investments.
Funding under the $2 billion Low Carbon Economy Fund will begin in 2017. This Fund will support new provincial and territorial actions to reduce emissions between now and 2030. Projects will focus on concrete measures that generate new, incremental reductions, while considering cost-effectiveness.
The Government has also committed more than $1 billion, over four years, to support clean technology including in the forestry, fisheries, mining, energy and agriculture sectors.
Federal carbon-pricing benchmark
The federal government outlined a benchmark for carbon pricing that reflects the principles proposed by the Working Group on Carbon Pricing Mechanisms and the Vancouver Declaration. Its goal is to ensure that carbon pricing applies to a broad set of emission sources throughout Canada with increasing stringency over time to reduce GHG emissions at lowest cost to business and consumers and to support innovation and clean growth.
The benchmark includes the following elements:
Timely introduction. All jurisdictions will have carbon pricing by 2018.
Common scope. Pricing will be based on GHG emissions and applied to a common and broad set of sources to ensure effectiveness and minimize interprovincial competitiveness impacts. At a minimum, carbon pricing should apply to substantively the same sources as British Columbia’s carbon tax.
Two systems. Jurisdictions can implement (i) an explicit price-based system (a carbon tax like British Columbia’s or a carbon levy and performance-based emissions system like in Alberta) or (ii) a cap-and-trade system (e.g. Ontario and Quebec).
Legislated increases in stringency, based on modelling, to contribute to our national target and provide market certainty.
For jurisdictions with an explicit price-based system, the carbon price should start at a minimum of $10 per tonne in 2018 and rise by $10 per year to $50 per tonne in 2022.
Provinces with cap-and-trade need (i) a 2030 emissions-reduction target equal to or greater than Canada’s 30 percent reduction target and (ii) declining (more stringent) annual caps to at least 2022 that correspond, at a minimum, to the projected emissions reductions resulting from the carbon price that year in price-based systems.
Revenues remain in the jurisdiction of origin. Each jurisdiction can use carbon pricing revenues according to their needs, including to address impacts on vulnerable populations and sectors and to support climate change and clean growth goals.
Federal backstop. The federal government will introduce an explicit price-based carbon pricing system that will apply in jurisdictions that do not meet the benchmark. The federal system will be consistent with the principles and will return revenues to the jurisdiction of origin.
Five-year review. The overall approach will be reviewed by early 2022 to confirm the path forward, including continued increases in stringency. The review will account for progress and for the actions of other countries in response to carbon pricing, as well as recognition of permits or credits imported from other countries.
Reporting. Jurisdictions should provide regular, transparent, and verifiable reports on the outcomes and impacts of carbon pricing policies.
The federal government will work with the territories to address their unique circumstances, including high costs of living, challenges with food security, and emerging economies.
Other recent federal measures
The federal government has recently announced new federal measures, including
During the North American Leaders Summit in June 2016, the federal government made joint commitments with the United States and Mexico to
phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. The commitment was reaffirmed by G-20 countries in September 2016.
reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025.
On October 15, 2016, Canada signed onto the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and committed to propose new regulations to significantly reduce HFC consumption and prohibit the manufacture and import into Canada of certain products containing HFCs. These proposed regulations were published on November 26, 2016. This is additional to measures already introduced to increase the recovery, recycling, and destruction of HFCs in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment and to established regulatory provisions for an HFC-reporting system.
On November 17, 2016, Canada released its Mid-Century Long-Term Low-Greenhouse Gas Development Strategy. The mid-century strategy describes various pathways for innovative and creative solutions. Canada’s mid-century strategy is not a blueprint for action nor is it policy prescriptive. It is based on modelling of different scenarios and looks beyond 2030 to start a conversation on the ways we can reduce emissions for a cleaner, more sustainable future by 2050. As a result, it will be a living document.
On November 21, 2016, the federal government announced that it would be amending its existing coal-fired electricity regulations to accelerate the phase out of traditional coal-fired electricity by 2030. The federal government also announced that, to support the transition away from coal towards cleaner sources of generation, performance standards for natural gas-fired electricity are also being developed.
On November 25, 2016, the federal government announced that it will consult with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, industries, and non-governmental organizations to develop a clean fuel standard. It is expected that once developed, a clean fuel standard would promote the use of clean technology and lower carbon fuels and promote alternatives such as electricity, biogas, and hydrogen.
The Paris Agreement and the Vancouver Declaration have set an ambitious course for low carbon growth and climate action in Canada. The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change will build on the leadership shown and actions taken by the provinces and territories as well as new policies announced by the federal government.
This annex outlines provincial and territorial accomplishments in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating clean growth, and presents steps that each jurisdiction has taken or is taking to implement carbon pricing.
The annex also outlines areas where the federal government and each provincial and territorial government will work together to implement the Pan-Canadian Framework in order to spur growth and jobs for Canadians, reduce our emissions and adapt to climate change.
Each province and territory is unique and is responding to the urgency of climate change and the opportunity offered by clean growth in its own way. Effective action will require close collaboration between governments. Each provincial and territorial government has identified multiple areas for potential partnerships with the federal government, adapted to their own priorities, circumstances and strengths. Governments are committed to working together on these priorities to support the implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework. Governments will also engage the contributions of Indigenous Peoples in advancing shared goals.
This work will be supported by significant new federal investments to drive the transition to a clean growth economy, as outlined in Budget 2016 and the 2016 Fall Economic Statement, including public transit and Green Infrastructure, the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Low-Carbon Economy Fund, and funding for clean technology and innovation. Federal investments are intended to supplement and accelerate investments by provinces and territories, and will follow applicable program criteria.
Key actions to date for B.C.
Some of the key actions taken to date or under development in British Columbia (B.C.) include:
British Columbia’s Climate Leadership Plan
B.C. has proven that it is possible to reduce emissions while growing the economy and creating jobs and it’s important that this balance be maintained. With this in mind, B.C. released its Climate Leadership Plan in the summer of 2016.
Building on the comprehensive foundation established in 2008, the plan lays out a series of targeted, sector-specific actions that will reduce emissions by 25 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) and create 66,000 jobs. The plan will be further strengthened in the months and years ahead, as B.C. continues to work with First Nations, the federal government, communities, industry and others. B.C. is committed to reducing GHG emissions by 80% below 2007 levels by 2050. Read B.C.’s Climate Leadership Plan.
Revenue-neutral carbon tax for B.C.
B.C. has the highest broad-based carbon tax in North America. The carbon tax sets a transparent and predictable price on carbon while returning all revenue to B.C. individuals and businesses. The price signal creates a real incentive to reduce emissions across the economy and is the backbone of B.C.’s approach to climate action.
Forestry for B.C.
B.C.’s forests offer potential for storing carbon, so the Province is taking further action to rehabilitate up to 300,000 hectares of Mountain Pine Beetle and wildfire impacted forests over the first five years of the program; recover more wood fibre; and avoid emissions from burning slash.
Clean liquid nitrogen gas (LNG) for B.C.
B.C. has an abundance of natural gas, which is a lower carbon fuel that will play a critical role in transitioning the world economy off of high carbon fuels such as coal. B.C. is developing the resource responsibly, and provincial legislation will make the emerging LNG sector the cleanest in the world. B.C. is also electrifying upstream development of natural gas and will require a 45% reduction in methane emissions by 2025.
100% clean electricity for B.C.
Thanks to significant historical investments, B.C.’s electricity is already 98% clean or renewable and British Columbians have the third-lowest residential rates in North America. Going forward under the Climate Leadership Plan, 100% of the supply of electricity acquired by BC Hydro for the integrated grid must be from clean or renewable sources. The $8.3 billion Site C Clean Energy Project is a major part of B.C.’s clean energy future and will create enough electricity to power 450,000 homes.
Clean transportation for B.C.
B.C. is taking real action to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and help British Columbians make greener choices—initiatives include Zero Emissions Vehicles rebates and funding for more charging stations (which have helped BC become the Canadian leader in clean energy vehicle sales per capita); a scrap-it program; low carbon and renewable fuel standards; and historic investments in transit. B.C.’s actions in the transportation sector have already reduced annual emissions by an estimated 2.5 Mt and combined with the new actions, will reduce annual emissions by up to a further 3.4 Mt by 2050.
Adaptation for B.C.
In 2010, the Province created a comprehensive strategy to address the changes we will see as a result of climate change. It is based on three key strategies: build a strong foundation of knowledge and tools; make adaptation a part of government business; and assess risks and implement priority adaptation actions in key climate sensitive sectors. The Province is now working with the federal government and other Canadian jurisdictions to further improve the management of the risks associated with a changing climate.
These actions provide a strong contribution to a comprehensive pan-Canadian framework.
Action on pricing carbon pollution for B.C.
B.C.’s revenue-neutral carbon tax has been in place since 2008. It is set at $30/tonne and covers approximately 75% of the province’s economy. All revenues generated will be returned to tax payers. B.C. will assess the interim study in 2020 and determine a path forward to meet climate change objectives.
Collaboration partnership opportunities for clean growth and climate change for B.C.
British Columbia and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following domains of priority to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Growing our forests; reducing our emissions for B.C.
Forests present a unique opportunity to address climate change because trees absorb CO2 when they grow. British Columbia, the Government of Canada and First Nations will work together to reduce GHG emissions through forestry activities, including reforestation, enhanced silviculture techniques, and the salvaging of unmerchantable trees for processing into dimensional lumber and bioenergy. The initiative is expected to reduce emissions by 12 Mt in 2050 and create 20,000 jobs.
Preparing for and adapting to climate change for B.C.
British Columbia and the Government of Canada will support projects across the province to make infrastructure more resilient to a changing climate, and to help communities adapt to a changing climate. Flood mitigation will be an area of focus.
Reduce emissions from natural gas activities for B.C.
British Columbia and the Government of Canada will work together to bring clean grid electricity to natural gas operations in northeast B.C. They will co-fund the construction of new transmission lines and other public electrification infrastructure that could serve up to 760 megawatts of upstream natural gas processing load and avoid up to 4 Mt of emissions per year.
Electricity grid interconnection for B.C.
British Columbia and the Governments of Canada and Alberta will work together to restore the capability of the existing high-voltage electricity grid interconnection with Alberta. This project will improve access to clean electricity in Alberta and will result in lower GHG emissions and air pollution, and improved grid reliability in both provinces.
Clean technology innovation for B.C.
British Columbia and the Government of Canada will work together to spur the development and commercialization of new technologies that will reduce emissions and create jobs for Canadians.
Key actions to date for Alberta
Some of the key actions taken to date or under development in Alberta include:
Climate Leadership Plan
The Climate Leadership Plan is a made-in-Alberta climate change strategy, specifically designed for Alberta's unique economy. While details of the final strategy are still being developed, the Alberta government has moved forward on a number of key areas.
Clean electricity for Alberta
Alberta will phase-out GHGs from coal-fired power plants and achieve 30% renewable energy by 2030.
Alberta will add 5,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030 through the Renewable Electricity Program. To meet this target, investment in Alberta’s electricity system will be solicited through a competitive and transparent bidding process, while ensuring projects come online in a way that does not impact grid reliability and is delivered at the lowest possible cost to consumers.
A new provincial agency, Energy Efficiency Alberta, has been created to promote and support energy efficiency and community energy systems for homes, businesses and communities.
Capping oil sands emissions
A legislated maximum emissions limit of 100 Mt in any year, with provisions for cogeneration and new upgrading capacity, will help drive technological progress.
Reducing methane emissions for Alberta
Alberta will reduce methane gas emissions from oil and gas operations by 45% by 2025.
Innovation and technology for Alberta
Alberta is investing in innovation and technology to reduce GHGs, encourage a more diversified economy and energy industry, and create new jobs, while improving opportunities to get the province’s energy products to new markets. Alberta has created a task force that will make recommendations on a Climate Change Innovation and Technology Framework.
Action on pricing carbon pollution for Alberta
A carbon levy to be included in the price of all fuels that emit greenhouse gases when combusted, including transportation and heating fuels such as diesel, gasoline, natural gas and propane. The levy will be applied at a rate of $20/tonne on January 1, 2017 and will increase to $30/tonne one year later.
The Climate Leadership Plan is designed for Alberta’s economy. The economic impact of carbon pricing is expected to be small, and every dollar will be reinvested back into the local economy. Reinvesting carbon revenue in our economy will diversify our energy industry by investing in large scale renewable energy, bioenergy initiatives, and transformative innovation and technology. Over the next 5 years:
$6.2 billion will help diversify our energy industry and create new jobs:
$3.4 billion for large scale renewable energy, bioenergy and technology
$2.2 billion for green infrastructure like transit
$645 million for Energy Efficiency Alberta
$3.4 billion will help households, businesses and communities adjust to the carbon levy:
$2.3 billion for carbon rebates to help low- and middle-income families
$865 million to pay for a cut in the small business tax rate from 3% to 2%
$195 million to assist coal communities, Indigenous communities and others with adjustment
Collaboration partnership opportunities for clean growth and climate change for Alberta
Alberta and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following domains of priority to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Alberta and the federal government will to work together to advance renewable energy, coal to natural gas conversion, and potential hydroelectric projects, including pump storage projects. Alberta is committed to developing incentives for renewable generation in a manner that is compatible with Alberta’s unique electricity market.
B.C. – Alberta intertie
Alberta is working with British Columbia and the federal government to explore new and enhanced interties. The Alberta Electric System Operator is currently working with BC Hydro and industry on a key project, the restoration of the B.C.-Alberta 950 MW intertie to its full path rating (expected completion is in 2020). This restoration would allow imports of 1200 MW on the BC-AB intertie.
Alberta is focused on the opportunity to leverage environmental policies and programs into new manufacturing, innovation, and clean technology businesses. Current opportunities include superclusters, advanced sensor technology for environmental applications including methane monitoring and reductions, and municipal waste diversion. Innovative solutions will result in meaningful GHG reductions across Canada and the export of solutions to promote a lower carbon world.
Disaster mitigation / infrastructure for Alberta
Alberta is undertaking targeted work to address the hazards to which Albertans are vulnerable, including flood, wildfire, heat, drought, landslides, and wind.
While hazards and disaster risks have always been a concern, climate change is driving the need to adapt to more intense and frequent events. Federal support for wildfire mitigation infrastructure will reduce the risk of wildland fires. In addition, flood risk requires immediate mitigation infrastructure such as dykes and dams. Federal partnership on these initiatives will support risk management.
Key actions to date
Some of the key actions taken to date or under development in Ontario include:
Permanent closure of coal-fired electricity generating stations for Ontario
On April 15, 2014, Ontario became the first jurisdiction in North America to fully eliminate coal as a source of electricity generation. This action is the single largest GHG reduction initiative in North America. On November 23, 2015, Ontario passed the Ending Coal for Cleaner Air Act, permanently banning coal-fired electricity generation in the province.
Ontario’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan
On November 24, 2015, Ontario released its Climate Change Strategy setting the framework for the province to meet its long-term 2050 GHG emissions reduction target. The Strategy highlights five key objectives for transformation:
A prosperous low-carbon economy with world-leading innovation, science and technology
Government collaboration and leadership
A resource-efficient, high-productivity society
Reducing GHG emissions across sectors
Adapting and thriving in a changing climate
On June 8, 2016, Ontario released its Climate Change Action Plan to implement the strategy over the next five years and put Ontario on the path to achieve its longer term objectives. Policies and programs identified in the Action Plan include:
Transforming how ultra-low and carbon-free energy technologies are deployed in our homes and workplaces, and how we move people and goods
Halting rising building-related emissions, with a focus on helping homeowners and small businesses move to low- and zero-carbon energy
Making available funding for industries and manufacturers proposing to transform their operations and move off carbon-based fuels and peak electricity
Aligning Ontario’s R&D and innovation funding to place a greater emphasis on climate change science and technologies, with a view to making the discoveries that could lead to breakthroughs in zero-carbon technology
Ontario has made measurable progress in reducing GHGs. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 2016 National Inventory Report, from 2005 to 2014, Ontario’s emissions decreased by 41 Mt (-19%), over the same period, Canada-wide emissions fell by 15 Mt (-2%).
Action on pricing carbon pollution for Ontario
On May 18, 2016, Ontario passed its landmark Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, which creates a long term framework for climate action. The Act creates a robust framework for cap and trade program, ensures transparency and accountability on how any proceeds collected under the program are used and enshrines emission reduction targets in legislation.
Ontario’s approach, including its cap and trade program and associated emissions reduction targets, will exceed the standards of the federal carbon pricing benchmark. Ontario’s targets are:
15% below 1990 levels by 2020;
37% below 1990 levels by 2030; and
80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
Ontario is a founding member of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a not-for-profit organization established in 2008 to help member states and provinces execute their cap and trade programs. In 2017, Ontario will link its cap and trade system with those of WCI members Quebec and California to create the largest cap and trade system in North America.
Ontario will set a cap on total emissions from the covered sectors in 2017 based on the forecast emissions for large final emitters, electricity generation and transportation and heating fuels. Allowances will then be created in an amount equal to the cap and either sold or provided free-of-charge to Ontario emitters.
Collaboration partnership opportunities for clean growth and climate change for Ontario
Ontario and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following domains of priority to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Invest in zero emission transportation and infrastructure for Ontario
Ontario is committed to increase uptake of zero emission passenger and commercial vehicles, both by providing purchasing incentives and by expanding the EV charging network across Ontario. In its 2016 budget, the federal government committed to support the deployment of alternative transportation fuel infrastructure, including electric charging stations. Ontario and the Government of Canada will work together to support the deployment of EV vehicles through enabling infrastructure.
Invest in Other Zero Emission Transportation
Ontario seeks a partnership with the Government of Canada to support enabling infrastructure that will increase the availability and use of lower carbon fuels, including LNG, increase the use of low carbon trucks and buses and increase the availability of LNG fueling infrastructure. Ontario is dedicating significant resources for these additional transportation initiatives. Expected emissions reductions in the transportation sector overall are 2.45 Mt in 2020.
Assist with Building Retrofits, Energy Audits and Technology Deployment
Ontario seeks a partnership with the Government of Canada as the province develops programs for fuel switching and energy efficiency, such as retrofits for existing residential buildings (including targeted initiatives for low-income households), and clean technologies for industries and small and medium enterprises. Partnership would increase investment in this area, allowing acceleration and scaling up of progress.
Ontario Climate Modelling Services Consortium
Ontario seeks a partnership with the Government of Canada to build regional capacity and support adaptation actions. Ontario plans to establish an Ontario Climate Modelling Services Consortium, which would act as a one window source of data to help the public and private sectors make evidence-based decisions.
The Consortium would operate at arm’s length from government. Ontario would seek partnerships with other governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to ensure the organization’s effectiveness and long term success. The Consortium would also be expected to develop service fee revenue streams to contribute to the organization’s fiscal sustainability.
Ontario, in collaboration with the Government of Canada, will work with its regional partners to advance opportunities to expand and upgrade electricity transmission infrastructure to support clean hydroelectric power to displace the production of electricity from fossil fuels.
Ontario will also collaborate with the Government of Canada to accelerate access to clean electricity in remote Indigenous communities. This will lessen dependence on expensive diesel fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Some of the key measures taken to date by Québec, which has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per capita between the provinces in Canada, include:
2013-2020 Action Plan on Climate Change (PACC 2013-2020)
PACC 2013-2020 will reduce GHG emissions by 20% below the 1990 level by 2020. Among its other measures, the action plan offers financial help to the different stakeholders of Québec society so they can reduce their energy consumption, improve their practices, innovate and adjust. The work surrounding the development of the actions of Québec after the 2020 period is underway, in particular to reduce GHG emissions of the province by 37.5 % below the 1990 level by 2030.
2016-2030 Energy Policy
The Energy Policy will favour a transition to a low carbon footprint economy, chiefly by improving energy efficiency by 15%, by reducing petroleum consumption by 40%, and by increasing the production of renewable energies by 25%. Québec is one of the world’s main producers of renewable energy, which represents 99.8% of its total electricity production.
2013-2020 Governmental Climate Change Adjustment Strategy
The Strategy will mitigate the impact of climate change on the environment, the economy and the communities, and will strengthen the resiliency of Québec society. The government of Québec has, notably, invested in the Ouranos consortium in order to get a better understanding of the impact of climate change on its territory, and to better inform the decision-making process and the development of solutions.
2015-2020 Transport Electrification Plan
Québec targets 100,000 electric vehicles on the road in 2020 and one million in 2030. The zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standard adopted in October 2016 will encourage automotive manufacturers to improve their offer of ZEV, and the investments in electrification will allow Québec to build up its available renewable energies, its expertise and its world-class know-how.
These measures represent a major contribution at the Pan-Canadian level.
Action on pricing carbon pollution
Pioneer in the use of cap-and-trade systems for greenhouse gas emissions allowances, Québec`s system has been linked to California’s since 2014, and will soon be linked to that of Ontario. It represents the largest carbon market in North America, and is often referred to as an example of performance and rigour. Because it is based on hard caps to reduce GHG emissions, it is a robust and efficient tool to achieve the ambitious mitigation goals Québec has set for itself for 2020 and 2030.
Furthermore, auction revenues from its cap-and-trade system are entirely reinvested in measures that will spur the transition of Québec’s economy to a more resilient and low-carbon one. This comprehensive approach, tailored to the needs and specificities of Québec, allows Québec to fulfill its leadership role in the fight against climate change in North America and internationally.
Collaboration partnership opportunities for clean growth and climate change
The governments of Québec and Canada intend to collaborate in the following priority areas in order to fight climate change and allow clean economic growth:
Electric and Public Transport
Support the development of the offer and infrastructure of electric and public transport, by completing various projects such as the Metropolitan Electric Network (MEN), the implementation of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems between Montreal and Laval, the extension of the BRT in Gatineau, and the implementation of a BRT in Québec.
Energy Efficiency and Conversion
Speed up the reduction of GHG emissions in Northern communities, as well as on the Lower North Shore and Magdalen Islands, by replacing diesel with renewable energy sources for the electricity supply of their free-standing network.
Promote the implementation of energy performance and efficiency standards for new buildings, as well as for the renovation of existing buildings. Invest in the industrial sector to improve the energy performance of fixed production processes, by providing innovative technologies and reducing the use of gases with high warming potential such as hydrofluorocarbons, which Québec will continue to prioritize.
Recognition of the International Trade of Emission Rights
Contribute to the implementation of Articles 6 and 13 of the Paris Accord, to which the accounting and disclosure principles of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) can contribute, as well as within a possible agreement between Canada and the United States regarding the accounting and attribution of “internationally transferred mitigation outcomes” as part of the contributions determined at national level (CDN).
Québec will also share with the government of Canada a detailed methodology, developed in collaboration with California and soon Ontario, in order to tabulate in its international reports the emission reductions achieved by Québec thanks to the carbon market.
Innovation and Adjustment to Climate Change
Promote innovation in green technology and GHG emission reduction, and collaborate on increasing the resiliency of the communities affected by climate change, by assessing the vulnerabilities and risks, adjusting land planning and use, and designing sustainable projects.
Québec will provide its expertise to the initiatives of the government of Canada, focusing in particular on joint financing of prevention and protection infrastructure against certain natural disasters linked to climate change.
Some of the key actions taken to date or under development in New Brunswick include:
Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Economy: New Brunswick’s Climate Change Action Plan
The Climate Change Action Plan outlines a bold vision for New Brunswick and sets renewed GHG reduction targets: 2030 target of 35% below 1990 levels; and 80% below 2001 levels by 2050. The plan also address other commitments, such as the Canadian Energy Strategy, released by the Council of the Federation in 2015, and contains a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy supported by actions to build resilience into New Brunswick communities, businesses, infrastructures and natural resources.
The Action Plan provides a clear path forward to reduce GHG emissions while promoting economic growth and enhancing current efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Locally-owned Renewable Energy Projects that are Small Scale (LORESS)
In May 2015, the province introduced legislation to allow local entities to develop renewable energy sourced electricity generation in their communities. This will enable universities, non-profit organizations, co-operatives, First Nations and municipalities to contribute to NB Power’s renewable energy requirements.
Shifting to renewables in electricity generation
Two fossil fuelled power plants were closed in recent years – one coal and one heavy oil. Also, 300 megawatts of wind energy was installed in the province and biomass fuel use in industry was expanded to displace oil. Solid waste landfills are capturing biogas and some are generating electricity.
These actions are allowing NB Power to achieve the regulated Renewable Portfolio Standard of 40% of in-province sales from renewable energy sources by 2020. This translates to approximately 75% non-emitting by 2020 including nuclear.
The province has developed a progressive Climate Change Adaptation Program including assembling future climate projections, and supporting climate impact vulnerability assessments in communities and for infrastructure. Adaptation projects also focus on solutions building and advanced planning to help reduce or avoid the costs of impacts such as more severe and frequent flooding, coastal erosion and storm events and disease and pest migration.
Several projects are carried out in collaboration with other Atlantic provinces, notably under the Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC), which involves federal support, as well as with the Gulf of Maine Council and US partners.
Axtion on pricing carbon pollution
The province will implement a made-in-New Brunswick carbon pricing mechanism that addresses the requirements of the federal government for implementing a price on carbon emissions by 2018 and that at the same time recognizes New Brunswick’s unique economic and social circumstances. The provincial government will take into consideration the impacts on low-income families, trade-exposed and energy-intensive industries, and consumers and businesses, when developing the specific mechanisms and implementation details, including how to reinvest proceeds.
Any carbon pricing policy will strive to maintain competitiveness and minimize carbon leakage (i.e., investments moving to other jurisdictions). Proceeds from carbon emissions pricing will be directed to a dedicated climate change fund.
The Government of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following domains of priority to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Enhanced Electricity Generation and Transmission System
New Brunswick will work with the other Atlantic provinces and the Government of Canada to advance opportunities for clean electricity generation, transmission, storage and demand management linkages across the region. This will: improve access to non-emitting electricity; support the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation; improve grid reliability and energy security; and, consistent with fair market principles, help provinces access export markets for clean, non-emitting electricity.
This will contribute to both the Atlantic Growth Strategy and Canadian Energy Strategy and will build on existing regional coordination efforts, leading to an integrated regional electricity strategy.
The Government of New Brunswick, in partnership with the Government of Canada, will seek to enhance energy efficiency programs by targeting GHG emission reduction opportunities across sectors and fuels.
Examples of possible targeted interventions include programs that help: trucking fleets add aerodynamic and other efficiency measures to existing equipment; small- to medium-size industry improve their compressed air systems, boilers and lighting; commercial and institutional facilities invest in heating, lighting and other retrofits; and families retrofitting their homes to reduce energy costs, with special treatment for low- and fixed-income families.
Industrial Emissions Reductions
The Government of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada will work to support industrial emission reduction initiatives through technology and energy efficiency improvements while maintaining productivity. For example, there are significant opportunities to reduce emissions resulting from industrial production in the Belledune area of New Brunswick.
Some of the key actions taken to date or under development in Nova Scotia include:
The Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act (2007)
In 2007, Nova Scotia passed legislation outlining principles for sustainable economic growth, including a requirement to reduce GHG emissions in the province to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020. The development and implementation of the Nova Scotia Climate Action Plan led to early action on the electricity sector, the largest source of emissions in the province. As a result, Nova Scotia has not only achieved its target six years early, it has also already met the Canadian 2030 target of 30% below 2005 levels, and is on a track to continue reducing emissions.
Nova Scotia’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations
Nova Scotia was the first province in Canada to place a hard cap on GHG emissions from the electricity sector. These regulations, created in 2009 and enhanced in 2013, required the utility to reduce GHG emissions by 25% by 2020, and 55% by 2030. This is a measured and flexible approach which will enable a transition from coal to clean energy in the province.
Nova Scotia’s Renewable Energy Regulations
In addition to the hard cap on GHG emissions, Nova Scotia also has a renewable energy standard for the electricity sector. This standard established requirements for 25% of electricity to be sourced from renewable energy by 2015, and 40% by 2020.
Nova Scotia has Canada’s first energy efficiency utility, Efficiency Nova Scotia. This independent organization has achieved an annual reduction in electricity demand of over 1% since its creation. It also administers comprehensive energy efficiency programs for low income and First Nations Nova Scotians. These efforts reduce GHG emissions while supporting the growth of the low carbon economy.
The Bay of Fundy and Minas Basin are home to the highest tides in the world- every day, more water flows into this bay than the output from all the rivers in the world combined. Nova Scotia has been supporting the development of these tides as a source of clean, predictable and reliable energy for Nova Scotians and as a clean technology export. The Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) now has a grid connected 2MW tidal turbine with plans to install more in the coming years.
Nova Scotia is also making efforts to reduce GHG emissions by diverting organic waste from landfills, recycling and creating a circular economy. Progress on waste diversion is reflected in a 30% reduction in greenhouse emissions from the waste sector since 2002.
These actions are just a snapshot of what Nova Scotians are doing to reduce GHG emissions and provide a strong contribution to a comprehensive pan-Canadian framework.
As part of the pan-Canadian benchmark for carbon pricing, Nova Scotia has committed to implement a cap and trade program in the province that builds on our early action in the electricity sector.
The Government of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following priority domains to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada are committed to partnering to enhance the existing provincial energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses with the objective of reducing energy use and saving energy costs. This could include expanded energy efficiency programs, efforts to accelerate the electrification of homes and businesses through heat pumps and smart meters, district energy systems, as well as electric vehicle infrastructure.
Renewable Energy Generation, Transmission and Storage
Nova Scotia, in partnership with the Government of Canada, will work together to advance opportunities for renewable energy generated from sources such as wind, tidal and solar, as well as the enabling transmission and storage infrastructure to ensure growth beyond current technical limits. Research and development capacity will continue to be strengthened.
Planning and Implementing Adaptation Infrastructure
Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada will work together and invest in projects to make infrastructure more resilient to a changing climate, and to help communities increase their capacity to adapt to a changing climate.
Regional Electricity Grid Connections
Nova Scotia will work with the other Atlantic provinces and the Government of Canada to advance opportunities for clean electricity generation, transmission, storage and demand management linkages across the region.
This will: improve access to non-emitting electricity; support the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation; improve grid reliability and energy security; and, consistent with fair market principles, help provinces access export markets for clean, non-emitting electricity. This will contribute to both the Atlantic Growth Strategy and Canadian Energy Strategy and will build on existing regional coordination efforts, leading to an integrated regional electricity strategy.
Some of the key actions taken to date or under development in Prince Edward Island include:
Climate Change Policy Framework
Prince Edward Island’s primary areas of strategic focus for climate change fall into the themes of built environment, transportation, agriculture, conservation and adaptation. Prince Edward Island is in the process of developing new climate change strategies that will result in further actions and initiatives to reduce GHG emissions across the province, increase our resilience to a changing climate, and advance measures to strengthen and grow a prosperous green economy in the province.
Prince Edward Island does not have a legislated provincial emissions reduction target but does contribute to the regional target set by the Conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP). The targets are 10% reductions from 1990 by 2020, 35% - 45% below 1990 levels by 2030, and 75-85% reduction from 2001 levels by 2050. PEI has realized a 9% reduction in GHG emissions since 2005.
PEI Wind Energy
Prince Edward Island is a world leader in producing clean electricity from wind. Prince Edward Island boasts the highest penetration of wind in Canada and 2nd highest in the world next to Denmark. The Government of Prince Edward Island has demonstrated a long-term commitment and investments of $119 million to wind energy.
The first commercial wind farm in Atlantic Canada was developed by the PEI Energy Corporation at North Cape in 2001. North Cape was expanded in 2003, doubling in size. In January 2007, the PEI Energy Corporation commissioned its second wind farm at East Point. In 2014, the Island's newest wind farm was commissioned at Hermanville/ Clearspring. As a result, Prince Edward Island now has a total installed wind capacity of 78% of peak load, which supplies almost 25% of the province’s total electricity requirements.
Prince Edward Island is home to Canada’s longest-running, biomass-fired district heating system. Operating since the 1980s, the system has expanded to serve over 125 buildings in the downtown core of Charlottetown, including the University of Prince Edward Island and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. It has contributed to the establishment of a local waste-wood fuel-supply market. The system burns approximately 66,000 tons of waste materials annually.
Prince Edward Island has partnered with the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Climate Research Lab to study coastal vulnerability, including the award-winning Coastal Impacts Visualization Environment (CLIVE). CLIVE is an innovative 3D platform for visualizing the potential future impacts of coastal erosion and coastal flooding at local community scales, on PEI and elsewhere, using past data and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change models.
The province has also invested in UPEI in its development of an expansive, cutting-edge coastal erosion monitoring network. This research includes the use of drone and GIS technology to quantify and assess erosion volume of shoreline disappearance along Prince Edward Island’s coastline.
Environmental Awareness in Agriculture
As a key industry for Prince Edward Island, agriculture is of particular consequence for climate change and green growth. In recent years, PEI farmers, watershed groups and the fertilizer industry have been implementing a 4R Nutrient Stewardship program to encourage the efficient use of fertilizer and help reduce related emissions.
Island farmers have been making advances in crop diversification, including testing potato varieties that require less fertilizer and adding nitrogen-fixing pulse crops which improve the environmental sustainability of annual cropping systems. The further use of robotics in dairy farming and food additives in livestock production is being employed to reduce methane emissions.
Prince Edward Island is also the first and only jurisdiction in Canada with a provincially-supported Alternative Land Use Services program. Currently, the program has converted almost 4,000 hectares of marginal land from annual crop production to perennial or permanent cover.
These actions provide a strong contribution to a comprehensive pan-Canadian framework and are helping facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Prince Edward Island will introduce a made-in-PEI approach to carbon pricing which positively contributes to climate change action while benefitting Prince Edward Islanders and ensures optimal conditions for continued growth of the provincial economy. Prince Edward Island will focus on measures that will meaningfully decrease our GHG emissions and recognize the particular elements of our economy.
Our approach will ensure consistent and competitive alignment with efforts being made across the country, including mitigation and price initiatives in all provinces, especially those in our region. PEI is committed to an approach that will directly enhance provincial adaptation and mitigation efforts.
Prince Edward Island and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following domains of priority to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Prince Edward Island, in partnership with the Government of Canada, will pursue improved energy efficiency for all sectors in the province as outlined in the 2016 PEI Energy Strategy. The Strategy and forthcoming Climate Change Action Plan are key policy tools in reducing GHGs, driving economic growth and creating jobs locally and in the region.
Prince Edward Island is committed to engaging in incremental actions through solutions for the built environment, including businesses and homes, as well as in new building construction. It has been clearly illustrated by research in the region that investing in efficiency is one of the most effective means of delivering jobs and economic growth widely – across sectors and regions – while reducing emissions and providing savings to consumers.
With a predominantly rural population and some of the highest electricity rates in the country, particular consideration will be given to low-income Island families, and sectors that may find the transition to a lower-carbon environment challenging.
Energy resilience and security and a move to greater electrification are key priorities for the province. Prince Edward Island, in partnership with the Government of Canada, will work to expand its world-class wind resource, invest in solar, and enable greater integration of renewable energy through storage. Prince Edward Island will work with the other Atlantic Provinces and the Government of Canada to advance opportunities for clean electricity generation, transmission, storage and demand management linkages across the region.
This will: improve access to non-emitting electricity; support the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation; improve grid reliability and energy security; and, consistent with fair market principles, help provinces access export markets for clean, non-emitting electricity. This will contribute to both the Atlantic Growth Strategy and Canadian Energy Strategy and will build on existing regional coordination efforts leading to an integrated regional electricity strategy.
With its 1100 km of coastline, Prince Edward Island is uniquely vulnerable to climate impacts and is positioned to advance innovative solutions to make infrastructure more resilient to a changing climate.
Prince Edward Island and the Government of Canada will work together to act on findings from disaster risk reduction planning and coastal infrastructure assessment, and to improve decision-making capacity to adapt to climate change through planning, training and monitoring.
Prince Edward Island and the Government of Canada will work together to support research and development on promising practices and innovation in the areas of agriculture, marine industries, and smart grid and micro-grid/ storage. Prince Edward Island provides an ideal demonstration site for development in these areas.
This research will advance better understanding of influences on emissions and opportunities for clean growth in key sectors of the Prince Edward Island economy.
Prince Edward Island relies on exports for continued economic growth. The Prince Edward Island economy is heavily reliant on ground transportation for the movement of goods to markets across Canada and around the world, and the movement of people across the province. The province has no rail system, large container ports, or robust public transit. As the most rural province in Canada, mitigation in transportation is a difficult challenge.
Prince Edward Island and the Government of Canada will work together on methods to support an eventual move to greater electrification in transportation, including corresponding work with other jurisdictions in Canada. Proposed specific areas of work include installation of public charging infrastructure across the province and in collaboration regionally where possible.
Newfoundland and Labrador is making significant investments to increase the use of clean and renewable hydroelectric power in the province. The Muskrat Falls hydroelectric development, with capital costs of over $9 billion, will result in 98% of electricity consumed in the province coming from renewable sources by 2020.
Muskrat Falls will facilitate advancing by more than a decade the decommissioning of the largest thermal oil-fired electricity generation facility in the province, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 1.2 Mt annually (equivalent to more than 10% of the province’s total emissions in 2015), and assisting other jurisdictions to meet their GHG reduction targets.
To focus the province’s efforts to tackle climate change, Newfoundland and Labrador has adopted GHG emission reduction targets of 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 75-85% below 2001 levels by 2050, and has endorsed, on a regional basis, the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers’ reduction marker range of at least 35-45% below 1990 levels by 2030.
To make progress towards these targets Newfoundland and Labrador released a Climate Change Action Plan in 2011 identifying 75 actions to reduce GHG emissions and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. Building on this work, Newfoundland and Labrador passed the Management of Greenhouse Gas Act in June 2016, creating a legislative framework for reducing GHGs from large industry, and has completed public consultations to inform new provincial actions on climate change.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada continue to collaborate to ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador’s climate change plan, including carbon pricing, is consistent with the goals in the Pan-Canadian Framework to reduce GHG emissions, improves resilience to climate impacts, and accelerates innovation and job creation.
This made-in-Newfoundland and Labrador plan will address the province’s particular social, economic, and fiscal realities. This includes sensitivity to the particular circumstances facing Labrador communities, and the need to consider impacts on all remote and isolated communities, vulnerable populations, consumers and trade-exposed industries, as well as the need to take account of the province’s reliance on marine transportation and the absence of lower carbon alternatives.
Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada intend to explore collaboration in the following priority domains to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada intend to jointly explore opportunities to develop renewable energy, including such actions as enhancing hydroelectric capacity, increasing transmission infrastructure, and offsetting diesel use in small-scale off-grid electricity systems.
These efforts will also seek to maximize collaboration with other Atlantic provinces in the electricity sector, contributing to both the Atlantic Growth Strategy and Canadian Energy Strategy, and will build on existing regional coordination efforts, leading to an integrated regional electricity strategy.
Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada intend to jointly explore opportunities to reduce GHG emissions in all parts of the transportation sector, including electric vehicles and associated infrastructure, on- and off-road freight and industrial transportation, marine vessels, and public transit.
Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada intend to jointly explore opportunities to develop energy efficiency programming, improve energy codes, and support fuel switching in all sectors reliant on fossil fuels.
Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada intend to jointly explore opportunities to expand climate monitoring and adaptation product and information development, as well as best management practices.
Green Innovation
Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada intend to jointly explore opportunities in research and development in green technology, including fostering innovation networks and initiation of pilot projects.
Some of the key actions taken to date or under development in Yukon include:
Yukon Government Climate Change Action Plan
The Yukon government Climate Change Action Plan has four goals: reducing GHG emissions; addressing the impacts of climate change; leading Yukon action on climate change; and enhancing our knowledge and understanding of climate change.
Work to date in achieving Climate Change Action Plan goals includes:
Reducing GHG emissions (mitigation)
Setting nine sector-specific targets in the areas of transportation, heating buildings, electricity, and industrial operations.
Completing a study of Yukon’s transportation sector, and launching a Ride Share program in partnership with the City of Whitehorse.
Supporting Yukon homeowners with the Good Energy Residential Incentives Program, which provides incentives to purchase high efficiency wood stoves, boilers and pellet stoves.
Carrying out detailed energy audits of seven high-consumption Yukon government buildings.
A Yukon Biomass Strategy to guide the development of a biomass energy sector in the territory.
Addressing the impacts of climate change (adaptation)
Completing ten adaptation projects in the areas of permafrost impacts to highways, buildings, hydrological responses, and agricultural capacity; flood risk mapping; forestry implications including the encroachment of mountain pine beetle in lodgepole pine forests; and bioclimate shifts.
With the Pan-Territorial Adaptation Strategy, territorial governments are collaborating on practical adaptation measures for the north. Permafrost thaw has been a key focus.
Leading Yukon action on climate change
Participating in international and national climate change efforts that impact Yukon, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings, including a developmental opportunity for a Yukon youth ambassador.
Currently supporting the Yukon College to develop a climate change policy course to be offered by Yukon College.
Enhance our knowledge and understanding of climate change
Supporting development of the Climate Change Indicators and Key Findings report, an important source of independent information that will guide action and research on climate change in Yukon.
Provide ongoing funding for the Northern Climate Exchange at Yukon College.
The Government of Yukon recognizes the role of carbon pricing in the pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change.
Given Yukon’s particular circumstances, the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon will work together to assess the implications of carbon pricing in the territory for its economy, communities and people including energy costs, and to develop solutions together.
The Government of Yukon and the Government of Canada will also work together to assess the implications of carbon pricing in Canada on the cost of living in Yukon. This will be an important consideration for future policy development.
As outlined in the federal government's benchmark, 100% of the revenues from carbon pricing will be retained by Yukon. Yukon government will distribute these revenues back to individual Yukoners and businesses through a rebate.
Yukon and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following domains of priority to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Advancing Renewable Energy
Yukon government and the Government of Canada will partner in advancing renewable energy projects in Yukon. This will improve the energy infrastructure in Yukon, including developing new renewable energy sources to provide clean energy for current and future electricity needs.
It will also support remote communities in diminishing their reliance on diesel for electricity and will support the expanded use of biomass as a cleaner option for heating in Yukon.
Yukon government, in partnership with the Government of Canada, will support energy efficiency through the retrofitting of existing buildings. Sound investments in retrofits and new energy efficiency projects will be supported by expanding the capacity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting emissions data that will help identify the areas of greatest opportunity for reducing emissions.
Adaptation: Building Resilient Yukon Communities
Canada’s Northern jurisdictions and the Government of Canada are working together to develop the Northern Adaptation Strategy. The Government of Canada will partner with Yukon to help build climate-resilient Yukon communities.
Research collaboration will build the knowledge necessary for evidence-based decision-making in community planning. Investments in infrastructure will address known risks such as infrastructure built on thawing permafrost.
Green Innovation and Technology
Yukon government and the Government of Canada will partner on new research and pilot projects that will explore promising areas for climate action in the north, such as seasonal energy storage, cleaner transportation options, and community-level renewable energy generation.
NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has committed to develop a climate change strategy that takes northern energy demands and the cost of living into account. It will reflect commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, explore carbon pricing systems and how to develop local alternatives such as hydro, biomass, wind and solar.
NWT Energy Strategy
The GNWT is currently working on a new 10 year Energy Strategy. The Energy Strategy will focus on the affordability, reliability and environmental impacts of energy in the NWT and will promote energy efficiency, renewable and alternative energy in the electricity, heating and transportation sectors.
The GNWT continues to take the following territorial adaptation actions:
Support adaptation decision-making with knowledge, information collection and sharing
Build capacity to translate adaptation knowledge into action
Build climate-resilience through investments in infrastructure
Invest in land use planning, management plans and building adaptation capacity and expertise
Support most vulnerable regions, conducting risk assessments and completing hazard mapping
Reduce climate-related hazards and disaster by developing disaster risk management plans
Adapt renewable energy options and solutions for cold regions
The GNWT continues to take the following territorial emissions mitigation actions:
Work with our federal, provincial indigenous partners and others to find solutions to address diesel use in remote off-grid communities including to develop the NWT’s hydroelectricity potential to reduce GHG emissions in the electricity sector.
Implement policies to support the adoption of lower carbon and energy efficient technologies.
Implement policies to support industry and large emitters in the adoption of lower carbon and energy efficient technologies.
Continue biomass initiatives and work towards the development of a local forest and wood product industry and develop local wood pellet manufacturing as an alternate local fuel source.
Addressing energy use and GHG emissions in government buildings and operations.
Through the Climate Change Strategic Framework, the GNWT is exploring potential impacts and opportunities that may arise from pursuing different carbon pricing systems in the territory.
The GNWT recognizes the role of carbon pricing in the pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change. Given the NWT’s particular circumstances, the Government of Canada and the GNWT will work together to assess the implications of carbon pricing in the territory for its economy, communities and people including energy costs, and to develop solutions together.
The GNWT and the Government of Canada will also work together to assess the implications of carbon pricing in Canada on the cost of living in the NWT. This will be an important consideration for future policy development.
As outlined in the federal government's benchmark, 100% of the revenues from carbon pricing will be retained by the NWT.
The NWT will work with the Government of Canada, in collaboration with regional partners, to advance opportunities for clean electricity generation, transmission, storage and demand management linkages across the region.
This will: improve access to non-emitting electricity; support the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation; improve grid reliability and energy security; and, subject to fair market principles, help the region access export markets for clean, non-emitting electricity.
The NWT and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following priority areas to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Taltson Hydro Expansion and Transmission Links
The proposed Taltson hydro expansion is a small scale run of river hydro project that could be developed with little environmental impact next to the existing power plant, on an already developed river, and combined with a transmission link to provide a green energy corridor to our southern neighbours.
The expansion of the Taltson hydro facility would help reduce Canada’s GHG emissions by 360,000 tonnes annually for 50-plus years. The 60 MW expansion of the Taltson hydro facility could be built in partnership with NWT Indigenous governments, creating economic opportunities for Indigenous-owned businesses across the North. The NWT and Government of Canada will undertake technical and feasibility studies as a first step, including the NWT launching the environment assessment process.
Renewable Solutions for Off-Grid Diesel Communities
The Government of Canada and the GNWT will explore opportunities for reducing reliance on diesel in off-grid communities. For example, the Inuvik Wind Project could produce between 2 and 4 megawatts of wind energy for the Town of Inuvik. The project would reduce GHG emissions by 4,300 tonnes per year and eliminate the need for 1.3 million litres of diesel annually in the largest diesel community in the NWT, and help reduce the cost of living for residents.
For other off-grid diesel powered communities of the NWT, a suite of renewable solutions such as solar and wind in combination with energy storage systems and variable generators could reduce diesel use and emissions by 25 percent, an annual GHG elimination of nearly 3000 tonnes.
All-Weather Road Infrastructure for Adapting to Climate Impacts
The safety and reliability of winter roads is being impacted by climate change. Construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley to Norman Wells would provide safe, secure, and reliable access into the Sahtu region, helping decrease the high cost of living in communities and support the development of resources in the region.
The Great Bear River is a priority as the seasonal ice crossing is increasingly vulnerable to impacts of climate change. Climate change is also limiting access to existing diamond mining operations in the Slave Geological Province.
Construction of an all-weather Slave Geological Province Access Corridor would reduce costs for industry exploration and development in a region that holds world-class deposits of natural resources and continues to be a major contributor to the Canadian and NWT economy.
Some of the key actions taken to date or under development in Nunavut include:
The Nunavut Energy Retrofit Program was piloted in Iqaluit in 2007, and addressed all of the government of Nunavut’s Iqaluit Government of Nunavut-owned buildings. The one-time project investment of $12.8 million has led to annual savings in excess of $1.6 million and 1,594 tonnes of GHG reductions.
In combination with the conversion of three of our facilities to residual heat, our GHG reduction is approximately 4,100 tonnes, which is roughly 20% of those buildings’ total emissions.
Development of a Climate Change and Adaptation strategy
Upagiaqtavut was developed in 2011 and serves as a guiding document for the impacts of climate change in Nunavut
Climate change databank
The Government of Nunavut is developing and uses information technology to centralize and increase the access to climate change information, such as permafrost data and landscape hazards maps. The information is used to improve infrastructure planning and help mitigate the effects of climate change across Nunavut.
The Government of Nunavut is establishing a Climate Change Secretariat (CCS), which will be the central point within the government to address both climate change adaptation and mitigation issues.
The Government of Nunavut recognizes the role of carbon pricing in the pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change. Given Nunavut’s particular circumstances, the Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut will work together to assess the implications of carbon pricing in the territory for its economy, communities and people including energy costs, and to develop solutions together.
The Government of Nunavut and the Government of Canada will also work together to assess the implications of carbon pricing in Canada on the cost of living in Nunavut. This will be an important consideration for future policy development.
As outlined in the federal government's benchmark, 100% of the revenues from carbon pricing will be retained by Nunavut.
Nunavut and the Government of Canada intend to collaborate in the following domains of priority to address climate change and advance clean growth:
Nunavut and the Government of Canada will assess the economic and technical feasibility of electrification through hybrid power generation in Nunavut’s communities. Hybrid power generation would significantly reduce emissions while at the same time ensure that Nunavut’s isolated communities have reliable power.
Nunavut and the Government of Canada will work together to develop a retrofit program to increase the energy efficiency of public and private housing. Investment in safe and energy efficient housing is a key component of building strong resilient communities in the Arctic.
1. Canada’s 2016 greenhouse gas emissions projections to 2030 will be released by Environment and Climate Change Canada in December 2016.
December 2016 Assumptions
Average Annual GDP Growth (2014-2030) 1.0% 1.7% 2.3%
2030 WTI Oil Price (2014 US$/bbl) 42 81 111
2030 Henry Hub Natural Gas Price (2014 US$/GJ) 2.89 3.72 4.62
2030 GHG Emissions (Mt CO2eq.) 697 742 790
3. Estimates assume purchase of carbon credits from California by regulated entities under Quebec and Ontario’s cap-and-trade system that are or will be linked through the Western Climate Initiative.
History of CICS
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Joseph Daines BS’68
Michael Daines BS’99
Brad Daines BA’05
The School of Biological Sciences claims all of our alumni, but sometimes there’s a kind of harmonic convergence that elevates an entire family of U biologists into the spotlight.
Such is the case with the Idaho Daines Family of orthopedic surgeons—Joseph “Pete,”,BS’68; Michael, BS’99; and Brad, BS’05—a virtual dynasty in orthopedic surgery. Brian, who as an undergraduate attended BYU (the U’s traditional rival to the south) also practices orthopedics but in Arizona. The oldest son Gordon was the outlier. He found his passion in history and is now a university archivist with a doctorate in education.
The University of Utah Daines Dynasty goes back three generations, beginning in 1920 when the grandfather of Pete’s wife Susan--also mother to his sons--attended undergraduate school at the U and then went on to medical school in New York City, ultimately returning to the west to start a general medical practice in Preston.
Michael Daines, MD
Originally a math major, Pete, who was born in 1945, changed to biology/pre-med at the U before attending Columbia Medical School followed by an orthopedic residency at George Washington University. His father, who died in 1979, a year after Pete’s return to Idaho, also practiced orthopedics in Boise.
Years later, Pete’s son Michael would also graduate from the U and head east to medical school at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, followed by a residency in orthopedics at the University of Iowa. Later he was awarded a fellowship to Oxford University to study shoulder surgery for a year. He now specializes in shoulder surgery in addition to general orthopedic surgery at West Idaho Orthopedics near Boise.
Not to be outdone by his older brothers, Brad entered medical school at the University of Washington following his graduation from the School of Biological Sciences. Subsequently, he completed a residency at the University of Vermont in orthopedic surgery followed by fellowship training in total joint replacement at the Hospital for Special Surgery/Cornell University. Brad focuses on hip and knee replacement, which can include robotics, in Boise where he and his siblings grew up.
For the first few years in practice, his father Pete was his assistant in the operating room. “I ended up not really quitting totally, from practice,” Pete says, “until 2018.” In addition to assisting Brad, he provided medical evaluations for insurance companies, conducted independent exams, and wrote up patient histories and reports for attorneys. "To have my dad with me has been an awesome experience” Brad said in a 2016 KBOI 2News story “because he is sort of a calming presence."
"How does it feel seeing three of your four boys following in your footsteps?" the reporter asked Pete in the same story. "Well,” said the patriarch, “it's sort of an ego trip but I think it's great. I just wanted my sons to do something that they enjoyed." Says Brad, "Like my brothers, I always thought I was going to be a doctor. I didn't ever feel any pressure, but I noticed that my dad liked his job."
Clearly orthopedics is in the family blood, and clearly the University of Utah’s Biology Department--now the School of Biological Sciences--played a role in the Daines family’s success.
Both Michael and Brad remember the invaluable experience they had in the Biology Undergraduate Research Program (BioURP) with Rosemary Gray. Michael was a research assistant with Sandy Parkinson while Brad found a research mentor in Dave Carrier. “I learned a lot from him about the scientific method,” says Brad. “In addition, because his work did involve animal subjects, I learned much about the balance of the ethical treatment of animals and the need for scientific advancement. We worked with canine subjects, and the length to which he went to ensure good care of these animals was impressive.”
Brad Daines, MD and two future U Biology Alumni
Additionally, Brad really found his groove in the honors program and his upper level biology classes were also an incredible experience, particularly, he remembers, comparative vertebral morphology. Membership in the University Chorus and Sigma Chi fraternity gave him a musical and social outlet.
Both brothers recall the “incredible athletic programs” at the U which gave them a reprieve from the lab and the classroom. Along with sports, there was a love of the mountains and skiing. The combination of the Daines family legacy, recreational opportunities and the academic reputation of the U would converge for a memorable experience for both.
Michael’s research experience in the Parkinson lab was a segue for Columbia Medical, his father’s alma mater. While in New York City, Michael had the singular experience of living through the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Later, during his Oxford fellowship in the UK, he also worked on several research projects related to the shoulder.
An avid hunter, fisherman and triathlete, Michael enjoys spending time with his three kids, along with his hunting dog “Hawkeye.”
For all of the Daines, there have of course been challenges due to the current pandemic, including for Brian in Arizona who, his father remarks, finds himself overworked, doing “everything” related to joint medicine in a small clinic.
“I traveled a lot with my wife,” says Pete, remembering pre-COVID-19 times when he floated European rivers through places like Budapest and Vienna, sometimes through spectacular tunnels 30 miles long. A music enthusiast, he also sang bass in a choir and for five years sat on the board of the Boise Philharmonic.
While the pandemic has slowed these activities, it has consorted to bring the family, which now includes thirteen grandchildren, closer together. Clearly the spread of the coronavirus has impacted the Daines and their respective medical practices just as it did Pete’s early relatives during the 1918 flu pandemic.
“It was a bad pandemic as well,” he says, referencing family letters left behind, but “nothing like this one. [Back then] they lost family, this, that and the other thing. It took two years to get past it. That’s what it does. It comes and turns your life upside down.” Even so, he says, the earlier pandemic didn’t keep people out of work as much.
Says Michael, “I have had to navigate the need to care for patients and also keep my office staff safe. As a small business owner, we have had to find creative solutions to keep people working and keep the doors open.”
Brad, too, has had to make the adjustments to the way he works. Along with Michael, he loves to fish and with his father, enjoys music, opera in particular.
“Life is always uncertain,” Brad says, referring to the past year. His advice? “Remain flexible and do the best you can every day. Embrace the fact that life will take you down unexpected paths. Upon reflection, many of the best things in my life happened when my plan deviated.”
Michael agrees: “Take your opportunities when they come up and have no fear!”
Will the Daines tradition of orthopedic surgery carry on into the next generation? “I think there’s going to be some of my grandkids going into medicine,” says Pete. “It probably isn’t going to be the conglomeration [of a medical life] like I got. I don’t know how that happened,” he quips, referring to three-fourths of his progeny who are surgeons.
“They just wanted to go and they did. Back then I could take my kids into the operating room with proper supervision and they could watch things. You can’t do that now. It’s not allowed. I had that opportunity to have some stuff in the operating room and I think that cemented for them going into medicine…. I didn’t mean for them to all become doctors, but that’s what happened. I’m very proud of them.”
As for Brad, his children are still too young (7 and 5) to have shown any interest in a career in medicine-- yet."
by David Pace
James Detling, PhD’69
Michelle Williams, PhD’87
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New study findings: militarizing local police does not reduce crime
Credit: Anna Gunderson, LSU
New research shows that the militarization of local law enforcement through weapons, armored vehicles, combat attire, office equipment and other items provided by the Department of Defense does not reduce crime. Additionally, researchers found incomplete records and discrepancies in the federal government’s tracking of surplus military equipment, or SME, issued to local law enforcement agencies.
“Scholars rely on accurate data to track and analyze the true effect of police militarization on crime. Policymakers also need accurate data to base their decisions upon. However to-date, we do not have reliable data on SME transfers to local police and sheriffs through the federal government,” said LSU Department of Political Science Assistant Professor Anna Gunderson, who is the lead author on a paper published today in Nature Human Behaviour.
In 2014 following the police brutality protests in Ferguson, President Obama prohibited local law enforcement agencies from procuring some of the most military-like equipment, such as tracked armored vehicles and grenade launchers, from the Department of Defense. In 2017, President Trump reversed this order citing research that claimed police militarization reduces crime. Three years ago, Gunderson and coauthors at Emory University began interrogating newly released data on SME provisions through the 1033 program, which is one of the most significant federal programs that contributes to the militarization of local police and sheriffs.
“When we looked at the data and ran the replications, nothing looked like the results being cited by the Trump Administration. We spent a year trying to diagnose the problem,” Gunderson said.
She and her coauthors found significant discrepancies in the data about which law enforcement agencies have and use SME. The researchers compared a 2014 data release from National Public Radio, or NPR, and newer data from 2018 and found inconsistencies between them. For example, the NPR data recorded counties as receiving equipment like weapons, with no corresponding record in the 2018 data; and the 2018 data show some counties as receiving equipment while those counties are missing in the NPR data.
The researchers conclude that drawing firm conclusions and promoting claims about the efficacy of police militarization–especially for crime rates–based on research relying on the SME data released by the Department of Defense is unreliable. When they conducted a new analysis using updated data, the authors found no evidence that SME transfers reduce crime.
“This is a cautionary tale about the importance of oversight. The most important thing for policy makers and the public to know is that you can’t justify giving surplus military equipment to police departments on the grounds it will lead to a reduction in crime. There is no evidence for that. You can’t claim this program is important because it reduces crime,” said co-author Tom Clark, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Political Science at Emory. “If you are going to engage in policy making experiments, it is important to include resources and requirements for reporting so that policy analysts can study whether the policy is working.”
Additional Link:
Counterevidence of Crime-Reduction Effects from Federal Grants of Military Equipment to Local Police, Nature Human Behaviour:
Alison Satake
LSU Media Relations
Elaine Justice
More news and information can be found on LSU’s media center,
http://www.lsu.edu/mediacenter.
http://www.mediacenter/news/2020/12/07polisci_gunderson_nature.php
Law Enforcement/JurisprudencePolicy/EthicsSocial/Behavioral ScienceUrbanizationViolence/CriminalsWeaponry
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Rare mineral discovered in plants for first time
Credit: Paul Aston
Scientists at Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University have found that the mineral vaterite, a form (polymorph) of calcium carbonate, is a dominant component of the protective silvery-white crust that forms on the leaves of a number of alpine plants, which are part of the Garden's national collection of European Saxifraga species.
Naturally occurring vaterite is rarely found on Earth. Small amounts of vaterite crystals have been found in some sea and freshwater crustaceans, bird eggs, the inner ears of salmon, meteorites and rocks. This is the first time that the rare and unstable mineral has been found in such a large quantity and the first time it has been found to be associated with plants.
The discovery was made through a University of Cambridge collaboration between the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University microscopy facility and Cambridge University Botanic Garden, as part of an ongoing research project that is probing the inner workings of plants in the Garden using new microscopy technologies. The research findings have been published in the latest edition of Flora.
The laboratory's Microscopy Core Facility Manager, Dr Raymond Wightman, said vaterite was of interest to the pharmaceutical industry: "Biochemists are working to synthetically manufacture vaterite as it has potential for use in drug delivery, but it is not easy to make. Vaterite has special properties that make it a potentially superior carrier for medications due to its high loading capacity, high uptake by cells and its solubility properties that enable it to deliver a sustained and targeted release of therapeutic medicines to patients. For instance, vaterite nanoparticles loaded with anti-cancer drugs appear to offload the drug slowly only at sites of cancers and therefore limit the negative side-effects of the drug."
Other potential uses of vaterite include improving the cements used in orthopaedic surgery and as an industrial application improving the quality of papers for inkjet printing by reducing the lateral spread of ink.
Dr Wightman said vaterite was often associated with outer space and had been detected in planetary objects in the Solar System and meteorites: "Vaterite is not very stable in the Earth's humid atmosphere as it often reverts to more common forms of calcium carbonate, such as calcite. This makes it even more remarkable that we have found vaterite in such large quantities on the surface of plant leaves."
Botanic Garden Alpine and Woodland Supervisor, Paul Aston, and colleague Simon Wallis, are pioneering studies into the cellular-level structures of these alpine plants with Dr Wightman. Mr Wallis, who is also Chairman of the international Saxifrage Society, said: "We started by sampling as wide a range of saxifrage species as possible from our collection. The microscope analysis of the plant material came up with the exciting discovery that some plants were exuding vaterite from "chalk glands" (hydathodes) on the margins of their leaves. We then noticed a pattern emerging. The plants producing vaterite were from the section of Saxifraga called Porphyrion. Further to this, it appears that although many species in this section produced vaterite along with calcite, there was at least one species, Saxifraga sempervivum, that was producing pure vaterite."
Dr Wightman said two new pieces of equipment at the microscopy facility were being used to reveal the inner workings of the plants and uncovering cellular structures never before described: "Our cryo-scanning electron microscope allows us to view, in great detail, cells and plant tissues in their "native" fully hydrated state by freezing samples quickly and maintaining cold under a vacuum for electron microscopy. We are also using a Raman microscope to identify and map molecules. In this case, the microscope not only identified signatures corresponding to calcium carbonate as forming the crust, but was also able to differentiate between the calcite and vaterite forms when it was present as a mixture while still attached to the leaf surface."
So why do these species produce a calcium carbonate crystal crust and why are some crusts calcite and others vaterite?
The Cambridge University Botanic Garden team is hoping to answer this question through further analysis of the leaf anatomy of the Saxifraga group. They suspect that vaterite may be present on more plant species, but that the unstable mineral is being converted to calcite when exposed to wind and rain. This may also be the reason why some plants have both vaterite and calcite present at the same time.
The microscopy research has also turned up some novel cell structures. Mr Aston added: "As well as producing vaterite, Saxifraga scardica has a special tissue surrounding the leaf edge that appears to deflect light from the edge into the leaf. The cells appear to be producing novel cell wall structures to achieve this deflection. This may be to help the plant to collect more light, particularly if it is growing in partly shaded environments."
The team believes the novel cell wall structures of Saxifrages could one day help inform the manufacture of new bio-inspired optical devices and photonic structures for industry such as communication cables and fibre optics.
Mr Aston said these initial discoveries were just the start: "We expect that there may be other plants that also produce vaterite and have special leaf anatomies that have evolved in harsh environments like alpine regions. The next species we will be looking to study is Saxifraga lolaensis, which has super tiny leaves with an organisation of cell types not seen in a leaf before, and which we think will reveal more fascinating secrets about the complexity of plants."
There is a risk that some of these tiny but amazing alpine plants could potentially disappear due to climate change, damage from alpine recreation sports and over-collecting. There is still much to learn about these plants, but the collaborative work of the Sainsbury Laboratory and Cambridge University Botanic Garden team is revealing fascinating insights into leaf anatomy and biochemistry as well as demonstrating the potential for Saxifrages to supply a new range of biomaterials.
Kathy Grube
@Cambridge_Uni
http://www.cam.ac.uk
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2018.02.006
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UNH researchers find landscape ridges may hold clues about ice age and climate change
Last updated Mar 22, 2018
Credit: Joseph Licciardi/UNH
DURHAM, N.H. – Take a drive through the countryside near the New Hampshire Seacoast and you might notice a series of tiny rolling hills that look like regularly-spaced ridges. While the repeating pattern may be eye-catching for drivers, and sometimes challenging for bicycle riders, researchers at the University of New Hampshire say they may also hold answers to how glaciers helped form the current terrain and provide insight into the progression of climate change.
In their study, recently published in the Journal of Quaternary Science, the researchers used data collected from extremely high-resolution LiDAR (light and detection ranging) laser scans of the region to discover that the landscape was riddled with washboard-like ridges. To figure out how they formed, the researchers identified and mapped all the ridges they could find in the area; measured their dimensions, dug into them with an excavator and examined the way the sediment had settled into place, and used radar to "see" below the ground surface. Their research found that each ridge marks a spot where the edge of the great continental ice sheet either paused or pushed forward for long enough to pile up or bulldoze a ridge of debris in front of it. The ridges, known today as De Geer moraines, were left behind as the ice melted.
"Our evidence shows that each ridge represents one year," said Joe Licciardi, professor of Earth sciences. "If we count them up, we can figure out how long it took for the ice to retreat, or melt away from this part of New Hampshire, a little over 15,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age."
The evidence suggests that one ridge formed each year as the ice sheet oscillated back and forth, most likely by pushing forward in winter and retreating in summer. De Geer moraines only form in certain specific areas around the world and had not been recognized in New Hampshire until recently. The researchers say identifying the origin of these ridges helps determine an annual record of ice retreat across this part of New Hampshire and may hold answers to the effects of climate change.
"If you can understand what happened in the past, and how fast or slow the ice melted," said Licciardi, "it can help us understand what is going on in the present day and maybe even help us more confidently predict what might occur in the future."
The researchers say the LiDAR scans were instrumental in helping to reveal a whole new world that was not previously visible on satellite images, topographic maps, or even by simply driving around. They say the high-resolution laser helped to unveil scientific clues that were lying in plain sight and yet remarkably went unnoticed until now.
Co-authors on this study include two other UNH researchers; Samantha Sinclair '15 and Brian Madore '13; as well as Seth Campbell with the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.
The University of New Hampshire is a flagship research university that inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top ranked programs in business, engineering, law, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. UNH's research portfolio includes partnerships with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, receiving more than $100 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.
Robbin Ray
@unhresearchnews
http://www.unh.edu/news
https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/news/release/2018/03/22/unh-researchers-find-landscape-ridges-may-hold-clues-about-ice-age-and http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3017
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Who Won’t Be Returning to ‘Smash’ Next Year?
The future of NBC's current star-maker 'Smash' hadn't been in doubt, given the solid ratings and buzz for the musical series, and even the departure of show-runner Theresa Rebeck the very day its season 2 renewal was announced didn't pull any plugs. So with Rebeck out, who's been tapped to headline the 'Smash'ing attempt to chronicle development on a Marilyn Monroe musical?
According to the latest reports from Deadline TV, former 'Gossip Girl' executive producer Josh Safran has jumped ship to take the reigns of 'Smash,' where Rebeck left off. Safran, emerging from a number of contenders for the job, has spent the last five years working his way up through The CW's NYC-based drama, serving first as writer/consulting producer and then co-exec producer before receiving a bump to EP this season.
Details are still being worked out, and Rebeck may in fact contribute scripts for the second season, as well as keeping her name as executive producer. It’s unclear what precisely led Rebeck to drop her responsibilities, but the producer will return to focus on her theatre career, leaving it also unclear what will become of writing executive producer David Marshall Grant, who joined the series after the pilot.
For those not watching, ‘Smash’ tells the tale of two actresses vying for the lead in a Broadway musical chronicling the life of Marilyn Monroe, stemming from an idea from executive producer Steven Spielberg, and starring Debra Messing, Christian Borle, Anjelica Huston, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee and Jack Davenport.
What do you think of 'Smash's new show-runner? Was the show in desperate need of some behind-the-scenes shake-up anyway?? Have you kept up with the Broadway drama, said to be a ‘Glee‘ for adults of sorts? Tell us what direction you think the show should take in the comments!
Filed Under: Gossip Girl, NBC, Smash
Categories: TV News
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paul abbott baseball
, paul abbott shameless
The eleventh and final season of Shameless, an American comedy-drama television series based on the British series of the same name by Paul Abbott, premiered on Showtime on December 6, 2020. Showtime announced the series' final season renewal on January 13, 2020.
Shameless (season 11) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shameless_(season_11)
Paul Abbott - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Abbott
3 days ago · Paul Abbott (born 22 February 1960) is an English television screenwriter and producer. Abbott has become one of the most critically and commercially successful television writers working in Britain today, following his work on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless, the last of which he created.
BAFTA Television Awards
Best Drama Series (with Martin Carr, Catherine Morshead and Anna Ferguson)
RTS Programme Awards
OFTA Television Awards
Best Writing in a Comedy Series (with John Wells, Nancy Pimental, Etan Frankel, Sheila Callaghan, Davey Holmes and Krista Vernoff)
British Academy Television Awards
Best Soap & Continuing Drama (with George Faber, David Threlfall and Lawrence Till)
See full list on en.wikipedia.org
Period: 1982–present
Occupation: Screenwriter, television producer
Born: 22 February 1960 (age 60), Burnley, Lancashire, England
Paul Abbott - Video Results
Shameless creator Paul Abbott interview
Paul Abbott (2012) Remembers
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State of Play - 2004 Peabody Award Acceptance Speech
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Paul Henry Abbott | Obituaries | dnews.com
dnews.com/obituaries/paul-henry-abbott/article...
3 days ago · Paul was the beloved husband of Debbie Abbott and father of Sarahbeth and Bill Abbott. Paul was born July 13, 1949, in Lewiston, the fifth of seven sons born to James Vernon Abbott and Virginia ...
Paul Henry Abbott | Obituaries | lmtribune.com
lmtribune.com/obituaries/paul-henry-abbott/...
Paul Abbott - News
Russell T Davies: ‘Blame Silicon Valley, blame the government, blame Trump… but it’s our fault’
Paul Abbott and Tony Basgallop, for example, created a HIV-positive teenager for Granada Television’s Children’s Ward in 1994. Olly Alexander from the pop ...
The Independent via Yahoo News
‘Shameless’: Sam Morgan Joins Season 11 Of Showtime Series As Recurring
EXCLUSIVE: Sam Morgan (American Woman) is joining the 11th and final season of Showtime’s hit dramedy Shameless in a recurring role. Starring William H. Macy, the final season of Shameless finds ...
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More news for Paul Abbott
Deaths | Obituaries | dnews.com
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3 days ago · Paul Abbott. SPOKANE — Paul Abbott, 71, of Troy, died Friday Nov. 27, 2020, at Sacred Heart Regional Medical Center in Spokane. Short’s Funeral Chapel of Moscow is in charge of arrangements.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shameless_(season_11)
4 days ago · The eleventh and final season of Shameless, an American comedy-drama television series based on the British series of the same name by Paul Abbott, premiered on Showtime on December 6, 2020. Showtime announced the series' final season renewal on January 13, 2020.
Original release: December 6, 2020 –, present
No. of episodes: 3
Original network: Showtime
Vinnie Paul - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinnie_Paul
4 days ago · Vincent Paul Abbott (March 11, 1964 – June 22, 2018), also known as Vinnie Paul, was an American musician, songwriter and producer, best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal band Pantera. He was a member of Hellyeah for 12 years from 2006 until his death in 2018.
Boom Town (Doctor Who) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boom_Town_(Doctor_Who)
4 days ago · "Boom Town" was a replacement episode for a story that was to be written by Paul Abbott, but he had to abandon the script because he had other commitments. Davies decided to write a different story centred on bringing Badland's character back from the fourth and fifth episodes of the series, " Aliens of London " and "World War Three", as he had ...
List of Shameless (American TV series) episodes - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Shameless...
4 days ago · Shameless is an American television comedy-drama series which premiered on Showtime on January 9, 2011. Created by Paul Abbott, the series was developed for American television by John Wells and based upon the British series of the same name.
1985 Major League Baseball draft - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Major_League_Baseball...
4 days ago · Paul Abbott, 3rd round, 67th overall by the Minnesota Twins Tino Martinez †, 3rd round, 75th overall by the Boston Red Sox , but did not sign Bobby Thigpen †, 4th round, 85th overall by the Chicago White Sox
Dimebag Darrell - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimebag_Darrell
4 days ago · A son of country music producer Jerry Abbott, Abbott began playing guitar at age 12, and Pantera released its debut album, Metal Magic (1983), when he was 16. Originally a glam metal musician, Abbott went by the stage name Diamond Darrell at the time.
vinnie paul abbott paul abbott state of play
vincent paul abbott paul abbott artist
paul abbott baseball paul abbott pitching coach
paul abbott shameless shawn abner
English writer and producer
Paul Abbott is an English television screenwriter and producer. Abbott has become one of the most critically and commercially successful tel... en.wikipedia.org
Born: February 22, 1960 (age 60), Burnley
Spouse: Saskia Abbott (m 1993 - present), Sheila Culf (m 1981 - 1983)
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Teens Get Busted for Throwing a KKK Cross-Burning Party
Rafi Schwartz
Five students from the Creston Community High School in Creston, IA, have reportedly been disciplined by school officials after they were photographed wearing white Ku Klux Klan hoods next to a burning cross and a Confederate flag. One of the students in the photograph also appeared to be carrying a rifle.
The picture came to the attention of CCHS officials on Wednesday morning, after circulating across social media. Speaking with KCWI Local 5, principal Bill Messerole insisted that the blatant racism on display in the photograph was not indicative of the larger Creston community.
“Our students know that that’s not what our school stands for,” Messerole said. “This is a good student body. I have always been proud of this student body. This isn’t what our students are about. Our students are above this.”
Assistant principal Jeff Bevins confirmed to the Creston News Advertisor that the school had taken action against the students in question, but added: “It is a student discipline issue, so no comment as far as what has been done with the students.” According to Local 5, however, local social media indicates the students were suspended from school.
In a statement to the Omaha World-Herald, Creston Police Chief Paul Ver Meer stated that he was leaving the investigation to the school, and that no charges had been filed against the students in the photograph. He also suggested that the picture had been taken outside the city limits.
“It might be a county issue,” Ver Meer told Local 5. “Depending on where that photo was taken.”
On Twitter, CCHS student Tucker Flynn posted a short note insisting that “The actions made by a small group shouldn’t represent the entire football team and community.”
“I’m proud to be apart [sic] of what this team is actually about,” Flynn added. “It’s sad to see something like this ruin a rich tradition we carry.”
Senior writer. When in doubt he'll have the soup.
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